The Relationship between Utilization of Computer Games and Spatial Abilities among High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motamedi, Vahid; Yaghoubi, Razeyah Mohagheghyan

2015-01-01

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between computer game use and spatial abilities among high school students. The sample consisted of 300 high school male students selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. Data gathering tools consisted of a researcher made questionnaire (to collect information on computer game usage) and the…

The Multitheoretical List of Therapeutic Interventions - 30 items (MULTI-30).

PubMed

Solomonov, Nili; McCarthy, Kevin S; Gorman, Bernard S; Barber, Jacques P

2018-01-16

To develop a brief version of the Multitheoretical List of Therapeutic Interventions (MULTI-60) in order to decrease completion time burden by approximately half, while maintaining content coverage. Study 1 aimed to select 30 items. Study 2 aimed to examine the reliability and internal consistency of the MULTI-30. Study 3 aimed to validate the MULTI-30 and ensure content coverage. In Study 1, the sample included 186 therapist and 255 patient MULTI ratings, and 164 ratings of sessions coded by trained observers. Internal consistency (Chronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega) was calculated and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Psychotherapy experts rated content relevance. Study 2 included a sample of 644 patient and 522 therapist ratings, and 793 codings of psychotherapy sessions. In Study 3, the sample included 33 codings of sessions. A series of regression analyses was conducted to examine replication of previously published findings using the MULTI-30. The MULTI-30 was found valid, reliable, and internally consistent across 2564 ratings examined across the three studies presented. The MULTI-30 a brief and reliable process measure. Future studies are required for further validation.

An Approach Based on HPLC-Fingerprint and Chemometrics to Quality Consistency Evaluation of Matricaria chamomilla L. Commercial Samples

PubMed Central

Viapiana, Agnieszka; Struck-Lewicka, Wiktoria; Konieczynski, Pawel; Wesolowski, Marek; Kaliszan, Roman

2016-01-01

Chamomile has been used as an herbal medication since ancient times and is still popular because it contains various bioactive phytochemicals that could provide therapeutic effects. In this study, a simple and reliable HPLC method was developed to evaluate the quality consistency of nineteen chamomile samples through establishing a chromatographic fingerprint, quantification of phenolic compounds and determination of antioxidant activity. For fingerprint analysis, 12 peaks were selected as the common peaks to evaluate the similarities of commercial samples of chamomile obtained from different manufacturers. A similarity analysis was performed to assess the similarity/dissimilarity of chamomile samples where values varied from 0.868 to 0.990 what indicating that samples from different manufacturers were consistent. Additionally, simultaneous quantification of five phenolic acids (gallic, caffeic, syringic, p-coumaric, ferulic) and four flavonoids (rutin, myricetin, quercetin and keampferol) was performed to interpret the quality consistency. In quantitative analysis, the nine individual phenolic compounds showed good regression (r > 0.9975). Inter- and intra-day precisions for all analyzed compounds expressed as relative standard deviation (CV) ranged from 0.05% to 3.12%. Since flavonoids and other polyphenols are commonly recognized as natural antioxidants, the antioxidant activity of chamomile samples was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between antioxidant activity and phenolic composition, and multivariate analysis (PCA and HCA) were applied to distinguish chamomile samples. Results shown in the study indicate high similarity of chamomile samples among them, widely spread in the market and commonly used by people as infusions or teas, as well as that there were no statistically significant differences among them, which in turn is a proof of high quality of commercially available samples of chamomile. The study indicated that the combination of chromatographic fingerprint and quantitative analysis can be readily utilized as a quality consistency method for chamomile and related medicinal preparations. Moreover, the applied strategy seems to be the most promising for the assessment of the investigated plant material. PMID:27818668

Association of Shifting Populations in the Root Zone Microbiome of Millet with Enhanced Crop Productivity in the Sahel Region (Africa)

PubMed Central

Assigbetse, Komi; Bayala, Roger; Chapuis-Lardy, Lydie; Dick, Richard P.; McSpadden Gardener, Brian B.

2015-01-01

This study characterized specific changes in the millet root zone microbiome stimulated by long-term woody-shrub intercropping at different sites in Senegal. At the two study sites, intercropping with woody shrubs and shrub residue resulted in a significant increase in millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] yield (P < 0.05) and associated patterns of increased diversity in both bacterial and fungal communities in the root zone of the crop. Across four experiments, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to Chitinophaga were consistently significantly (P < 0.001) enriched in the intercropped samples, and “Candidatus Koribacter” was consistently significantly enriched in samples where millet was grown alone. Those OTUs belonging to Chitinophaga were enriched more than 30-fold in residue-amended samples and formed a distinct subgroup from all OTUs detected in the genus. Additionally, OTUs belonging to 8 fungal genera (Aspergillus, Coniella, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Gibberella, Lasiodiplodia, Penicillium, and Phoma) were significantly (P < 0.005) enriched in all experiments at all sites in intercropped samples. The OTUs of four genera (Epicoccum, Fusarium, Gibberella, and Haematonectria) were consistently enriched at sites where millet was grown alone. Those enriched OTUs in intercropped samples showed consistently large-magnitude differences, ranging from 30- to 1,000-fold increases in abundance. Consistently enriched OTUs in intercropped samples in the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium also formed phylogenetically distinct subgroups. These results suggest that the intercropping system used here can influence the recruitment of potentially beneficial microorganisms to the root zone of millet and aid subsistence farmers in producing higher-yielding crops. PMID:25681183

Preschoolers' Mathematics Skills and Behavior: Analysis of a National Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobbs-Oates, Jennifer; Robinson, Chanele

2012-01-01

This study investigated the association between children's mathematical skills and their behavior in the prekindergarten year in a national sample of children attending center-based child care. The sample consisted of approximately 5,400 preschoolers in center-based care from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort. Children's math…

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--METALS IN URINE ANALYTICAL RESULTS

EPA Science Inventory

The Metals in Urine data set contains analytical results for measurements of up to 6 metals in 176 urine samples over 176 households. Each sample was collected from the primary respondent within each household during Stage III of the NHEXAS study. The sample consists of the fir...

The social psychological costs of racial segmentation in the workplace: a study of African Americans' well-being.

PubMed

Forman, Tyrone A

2003-09-01

Although several studies have documented how social-structural constraints impair psychological functioning, few have considered how race-related structural constraints impair African Americans' psychological functioning. This study focuses on an under-studied form of race-related structural constraints: racial segmentation in the workplace. Specifically, I examine the association between perceived workplace racial segmentation, conceived and assessed from a social psychological perspective, and African Americans' psychological well-being. The magnitude and consistency of the relationship is evaluated across both a national sample and a local probability sample of African Americans. Findings across the two samples indicate a modest but consistent negative relationship between perceived racial segmentation and psychological well-being. In addition, this association remains significant after controlling for perceived discrimination as well as sociodemographic and occupational characteristics. Consistent with prior research on relative deprivation, the adverse influence of perceived racial segmentation on well-being was stronger among higher socioeconomic status African Americans than lower socioeconomic African Americans.

Detection and Genotyping of Human Papillomavirus in Self-Obtained Cervicovaginal Samples by Using the FTA Cartridge: New Possibilities for Cervical Cancer Screening ▿

PubMed Central

Lenselink, Charlotte H.; de Bie, Roosmarie P.; van Hamont, Dennis; Bakkers, Judith M. J. E.; Quint, Wim G. V.; Massuger, Leon F. A. G.; Bekkers, Ruud L. M.; Melchers, Willem J. G.

2009-01-01

This study assesses human papillomavirus (HPV) detection and genotyping in self-sampled genital smears applied to an indicating FTA elute cartridge (FTA cartridge). The study group consisted of 96 women, divided into two sample sets. All samples were analyzed by the HPV SPF10-Line Blot 25. Set 1 consisted of 45 women attending the gynecologist; all obtained a self-sampled cervicovaginal smear, which was applied to an FTA cartridge. HPV results were compared to a cervical smear (liquid based) taken by a trained physician. Set 2 consisted of 51 women who obtained a self-sampled cervicovaginal smear at home, which was applied to an FTA cartridge and to a liquid-based medium. DNA was obtained from the FTA cartridges by simple elution as well as extraction. Of all self-obtained samples of set 1, 62.2% tested HPV positive. The overall agreement between self- and physician-obtained samples was 93.3%, in favor of the self-obtained samples. In sample set 2, 25.5% tested HPV positive. The overall agreement for high-risk HPV presence between the FTA cartridge and liquid-based medium and between DNA elution and extraction was 100%. This study shows that HPV detection and genotyping in self-obtained cervicovaginal samples applied to an FTA cartridge is highly reliable. It shows a high level of overall agreement with HPV detection and genotyping in physician-obtained cervical smears and liquid-based self-samples. DNA can be obtained by simple elution and is therefore easy, cheap, and fast. Furthermore, the FTA cartridge is a convenient medium for collection and safe transport at ambient temperatures. Therefore, this method may contribute to a new way of cervical cancer screening. PMID:19553570

Detection and genotyping of human papillomavirus in self-obtained cervicovaginal samples by using the FTA cartridge: new possibilities for cervical cancer screening.

PubMed

Lenselink, Charlotte H; de Bie, Roosmarie P; van Hamont, Dennis; Bakkers, Judith M J E; Quint, Wim G V; Massuger, Leon F A G; Bekkers, Ruud L M; Melchers, Willem J G

2009-08-01

This study assesses human papillomavirus (HPV) detection and genotyping in self-sampled genital smears applied to an indicating FTA elute cartridge (FTA cartridge). The study group consisted of 96 women, divided into two sample sets. All samples were analyzed by the HPV SPF(10)-Line Blot 25. Set 1 consisted of 45 women attending the gynecologist; all obtained a self-sampled cervicovaginal smear, which was applied to an FTA cartridge. HPV results were compared to a cervical smear (liquid based) taken by a trained physician. Set 2 consisted of 51 women who obtained a self-sampled cervicovaginal smear at home, which was applied to an FTA cartridge and to a liquid-based medium. DNA was obtained from the FTA cartridges by simple elution as well as extraction. Of all self-obtained samples of set 1, 62.2% tested HPV positive. The overall agreement between self- and physician-obtained samples was 93.3%, in favor of the self-obtained samples. In sample set 2, 25.5% tested HPV positive. The overall agreement for high-risk HPV presence between the FTA cartridge and liquid-based medium and between DNA elution and extraction was 100%. This study shows that HPV detection and genotyping in self-obtained cervicovaginal samples applied to an FTA cartridge is highly reliable. It shows a high level of overall agreement with HPV detection and genotyping in physician-obtained cervical smears and liquid-based self-samples. DNA can be obtained by simple elution and is therefore easy, cheap, and fast. Furthermore, the FTA cartridge is a convenient medium for collection and safe transport at ambient temperatures. Therefore, this method may contribute to a new way of cervical cancer screening.

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR FIELD COLLECTION OF INDOOR FLOOR SAMPLES AND POST FIELD SAMPLE HANDLING (UA-F-7.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to establish a uniform procedure for the collection of indoor floor dust samples in the field. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data retrieval of dust samples during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the "Border" study. Keywords: field; va...

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CUSTODY OF FIELD SAMPLES (UA-C-1.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to outline sample custody guidelines used by the Arizona Border Study. This procedure was followed to maintain sample integrity and ensure consistent data retrieval, transport, storage, shipment, and analysis during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the B...

Common methods for fecal sample storage in field studies yield consistent signatures of individual identity in microbiome sequencing data.

PubMed

Blekhman, Ran; Tang, Karen; Archie, Elizabeth A; Barreiro, Luis B; Johnson, Zachary P; Wilson, Mark E; Kohn, Jordan; Yuan, Michael L; Gesquiere, Laurence; Grieneisen, Laura E; Tung, Jenny

2016-08-16

Field studies of wild vertebrates are frequently associated with extensive collections of banked fecal samples-unique resources for understanding ecological, behavioral, and phylogenetic effects on the gut microbiome. However, we do not understand whether sample storage methods confound the ability to investigate interindividual variation in gut microbiome profiles. Here, we extend previous work on storage methods for gut microbiome samples by comparing immediate freezing, the gold standard of preservation, to three methods commonly used in vertebrate field studies: lyophilization, storage in ethanol, and storage in RNAlater. We found that the signature of individual identity consistently outweighed storage effects: alpha diversity and beta diversity measures were significantly correlated across methods, and while samples often clustered by donor, they never clustered by storage method. Provided that all analyzed samples are stored the same way, banked fecal samples therefore appear highly suitable for investigating variation in gut microbiota. Our results open the door to a much-expanded perspective on variation in the gut microbiome across species and ecological contexts.

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR FIELD COLLECTION AND POST-FIELD SAMPLE HANDLING OF INDOOR FLOOR DUST SAMPLES (UA-F-7.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to establish a uniform procedure for the collection of indoor floor dust samples in the field. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data retrieval of dust samples during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Keywords: field; vacu...

An Assessment of Workplace Skills Acquired by Students of Vocational and Technical Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakar, Ab Rahim; Mohamed, Shamsiah; Hamzah, Ramlah

2013-01-01

This study was performed to identify the employability skills of technical students from the Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) and Indigenous People's Trust Council (MARA) Skills Training Institutes (IKM) in Malaysia. The study sample consisted of 850 final year trainees of IKM and ITI. The sample was chosen by a random sampling procedure from…

Scientific Temper among Academically High and Low Achieving Adolescent Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kour, Sunmeet

2015-01-01

The present study was undertaken to compare the scientific temper of high and low achieving adolescent girl students. Random sampling technique was used to draw the sample from various high schools of District Srinagar. The sample for the present study consisted of 120 school going adolescent girls (60 high and 60 low achievers). Data was…

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR FIELD COLLECTION OF YARD COMPOSITE SOIL SAMPLES (UA-F-5.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to establish a uniform procedure for the collection of yard composite soil samples in the field. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent and reliable collection of outdoor soil samples during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the "Border" study. ...

The Influence of Principals Self Personality Values towards Their Work Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asri, Muhammad; Tahir, Lokman Bin Mohd.

2014-01-01

This study aimed to identify the influence of principals' self personality values toward teachers' work culture in high schools. The sample consisted of 34 principals from SMAN, SMKN and MAN in the City of Makassar, South Sulawesi Indonesia. The sample of this study is population sample. The instrument used was a questionnaire. Data were analyzed…

Correlates of Condom Use among Male High School Students in Nairobi, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabiru, Caroline W.; Orpinas, Pamela

2009-01-01

Background: Correct and consistent condom use is an effective strategy to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study examines sociodemographic, behavioral, and psychosocial characteristics of 3 groups of adolescent males: consistent, sporadic, and non-condom users. Methods: The sample consisted of 931 sexually…

Quality of Life and Emotional Intelligence in a Sample of Kuwait University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Huwailah, Amthal

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study is to describe of the nature of the relationship between quality of Life and Emotional Intelligence in a sample of Kuwait University students, as well as to identify the differences between males and females in the variables of the study, The study sample consists of 400 students from the University of Kuwait, (200) males…

Investigation of Aggression Levels of University Students (Kocaeli University Case)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keskin, Özlem; Akdeniz, Hakan

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the aggression levels of university students in different departments in terms of sport and other variables. The population of the study consists of university students studying at Kocaeli University; the sample group consists of a total of 700 students, 378 male and 322 female, studying in the Faculty of…

Organisational Capability in Internalising Quality Culture in Higher Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bello, Muhammad Ibrahim; Ibrahim, Burhan Muhammad Bn; Bularafa, Mohammed Waziri

2015-01-01

The study examines the influence of leadership roles related to organisational capability consisting of directing setting, strategic and organisational process, alignment, intervention and strategic capability on depending variable internalising quality culture in IIUM. The study used 100 samples consisting of lecturers, non-academic staff and…

Academic Self-Efficacy Perceptions of Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yesilyurt, Etem

2013-01-01

This study aims determining academic self-efficacy perception of teacher candidates. It is survey model. Population of the study consists of teacher candidates in 2010-2011 academic years at Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty of Education Formation of Selcuk University. A simple random sample was selected as sampling method and the study was…

Management Philosophies of Primary School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tas, Said

2011-01-01

The study aimed to determine the management philosophies of primary school principals. Stratification method of sampling was used in the study. The study sample consisted of 33 school principals and 132 teachers serving at primary education schools in Isparta in the academic year 2008-2009. The "Manager Philosophy Scale" developed by Tanriogen and…

Baseline heart rate, sensation seeking, and aggression in young adult women: a two-sample examination.

PubMed

Wilson, Laura C; Scarpa, Angela

2013-01-01

Although substantial literature discusses sensation seeking as playing a role in the relationship between baseline heart rate and aggression, few published studies have tested the relationships among these variables. Furthermore, most prior studies have focused on risk factors of aggression in men and have largely ignored this issue in women. Two samples (n = 104; n = 99) of young adult women completed measures of resting heart rate, sensation seeking, and aggression. Across the two samples of females there was no evidence for the relationships of baseline heart rate with sensation seeking or with aggression that has been consistently shown in males. Boredom susceptibility and disinhibition subscales of sensation seeking were consistently significantly correlated with aggression. The lack of significance and the small effect sizes indicate that other mechanisms are also at work in affecting aggression in young adult women. Finally, it is important to consider the type of sensation seeking in relation to aggression, as only boredom susceptibility and disinhibition were consistently replicated across samples. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Opinions of Teachers and Preservice Teachers of Social Studies on Geo-Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Memisoglu, Hatice

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the opinions of teachers and preservice teachers of social studies on geo-literacy. The study used the qualitative research design of phenomenology to collect data. The study consisted of 20 teachers and 30 prospective teachers of social studies. The purposive sampling method of criterion sampling was…

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--METALS IN BLOOD ANALYTICAL RESULTS

EPA Science Inventory

The Metals in Blood data set contains analytical results for measurements of up to 2 metals in 86 blood samples over 86 households. Each sample was collected as a venous sample from the primary respondent within each household. The samples consisted of two 3-mL tubes. The prim...

[Influence of sample surface roughness on mathematical model of NIR quantitative analysis of wood density].

PubMed

Huang, An-Min; Fei, Ben-Hua; Jiang, Ze-Hui; Hse, Chung-Yun

2007-09-01

Near infrared spectroscopy is widely used as a quantitative method, and the main multivariate techniques consist of regression methods used to build prediction models, however, the accuracy of analysis results will be affected by many factors. In the present paper, the influence of different sample roughness on the mathematical model of NIR quantitative analysis of wood density was studied. The result of experiments showed that if the roughness of predicted samples was consistent with that of calibrated samples, the result was good, otherwise the error would be much higher. The roughness-mixed model was more flexible and adaptable to different sample roughness. The prediction ability of the roughness-mixed model was much better than that of the single-roughness model.

The self-consistency model of subjective confidence.

PubMed

Koriat, Asher

2012-01-01

How do people monitor the correctness of their answers? A self-consistency model is proposed for the process underlying confidence judgments and their accuracy. In answering a 2-alternative question, participants are assumed to retrieve a sample of representations of the question and base their confidence on the consistency with which the chosen answer is supported across representations. Confidence is modeled by analogy to the calculation of statistical level of confidence (SLC) in testing hypotheses about a population and represents the participant's assessment of the likelihood that a new sample will yield the same choice. Assuming that participants draw representations from a commonly shared item-specific population of representations, predictions were derived regarding the function relating confidence to inter-participant consensus and intra-participant consistency for the more preferred (majority) and the less preferred (minority) choices. The predicted pattern was confirmed for several different tasks. The confidence-accuracy relationship was shown to be a by-product of the consistency-correctness relationship: It is positive because the answers that are consistently chosen are generally correct, but negative when the wrong answers tend to be favored. The overconfidence bias stems from the reliability-validity discrepancy: Confidence monitors reliability (or self-consistency), but its accuracy is evaluated in calibration studies against correctness. Simulation and empirical results suggest that response speed is a frugal cue for self-consistency, and its validity depends on the validity of self-consistency in predicting performance. Another mnemonic cue-accessibility, which is the overall amount of information that comes to mind-makes an added, independent contribution. Self-consistency and accessibility may correspond to the 2 parameters that affect SLC: sample variance and sample size.

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR FIELD COLLECTION OF YARD COMPOSITE SOIL SAMPLES (UA-F-5.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to establish a uniform procedure for the collection of yard composite soil samples in the field. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent and reliable collection of outdoor soil samples during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Ke...

Partnership for a Drug-Free America: Partnership Attitude Tracking Study. Teens: Ethnic and Racial Trends, Spring 2002.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delaney, Barbara

The annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) tracks consumers' attitudes about illegal drugs. PATS consists of two nationally projectable samples: a teen sample for students in grades 7-12 and a parent sample. The 2002 PATS, conducted in homes and schools, collected data using self-report surveys. Results indicate that after a decade of…

Psychometric Properties of the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents and Use for Youth with Psychiatric Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prince-Embury, Sandra

2010-01-01

This study examines psychometric properties of the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA) in two clinical samples: one child sample (n = 110) and one adolescent sample (n = 178). The purpose of the study was to examine the distribution characteristics and internal consistency of RSCA scale, subscale, and index scores for youth who…

Corn blight review: Sampling model and ground data measurements program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, R. D.

1972-01-01

The sampling plan involved the selection of the study area, determination of the flightline and segment sample design within the study area, and determination of a field sample design. Initial interview survey data consisting of crop species acreage and land use were collected. On all corn fields, additional information such as seed type, row direction, population, planting date, ect. were also collected. From this information, sample corn fields were selected to be observed through the growing season on a biweekly basis by county extension personnel.

General statistical considerations

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

Eberhardt, L L; Gilbert, R O

From NAEG plutonium environmental studies program meeting; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (2 Oct 1973). The high sampling variability encountered in environmental plutonium studies along with high analytical costs makes it very important that efficient soil sampling plans be used. However, efficient sampling depends on explicit and simple statements of the objectives of the study. When there are multiple objectives it may be difficult to devise a wholly suitable sampling scheme. Sampling for long-term changes in plutonium concentration in soils may also be complex and expensive. Further attention to problems associated with compositing samples is recommended, as is the consistent usemore » of random sampling as a basic technique. (auth)« less

The Attitude Scale towards Distance Nursing Education (AstDNE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boz Yuksekdag, Belgian; Unsal Barlas, Gul

2015-01-01

In this study, a measurement is seen as an instrument to measure the attitudes of the nurses towards the distance nursing education was developed. The study population consist of nurses who working in two hospitals of the ministry of health and two special hospitals in Istanbul. The sample of the study consisted of 194 nurses who agreed to…

Condom Use among Immigrant Latino Sexual Minorities: Multilevel Analysis after Respondent-Driven Sampling

PubMed Central

Rhodes, Scott D.; McCoy, Thomas P.

2014-01-01

This study explored correlates of condom use within a respondent-driven sample of 190 Spanish-speaking immigrant Latino sexual minorities, including gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender person, in North Carolina. Five analytic approaches for modeling data collected using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) were compared. Across most approaches, knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and increased condom use self-efficacy predicted consistent condom use and increased homophobia predicted decreased consistent condom use. The same correlates were not significant in all analyses but were consistent in most. Clustering due to recruitment chains was low, while clustering due to recruiter was substantial. This highlights the importance accounting for clustering when analyzing RDS data. PMID:25646728

A Study on Chocolate Consumption in Prospective Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozgen, Leyla

2016-01-01

This study was planned and conducted to determine the chocolate consumption habits of prospective teachers. The study population was comprised of students attending the Faculty of Education at Gazi University in Ankara and the sample consisted of 251 prospective teachers selected with simple random sampling. 96.4% and 3.6% of the prospective…

Analysis of the Raven CPM Subtest Scores for a Sample of Gifted Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kluever, Raymond C.; Green, Kathy E.

The inter-subject/intra-subject subtest patterns (profiles) of the same sample of gifted children were examined based on factors found in a previous study of the Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices Test (CPM) that investigated structural properties with specific application to a sample of gifted children. The sample consisted of 166 children (78…

Low Cost Mars Sample Return Utilizing Dragon Lander Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoker, Carol R.

2014-01-01

We studied a Mars sample return (MSR) mission that lands a SpaceX Dragon Capsule on Mars carrying sample collection hardware (an arm, drill, or small rover) and a spacecraft stack consisting of a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) and Earth Return Vehicle (ERV) that collectively carry the sample container from Mars back to Earth orbit.

EVALUATION OF DISPOSABLE DIAPERS FOR QUANTATIVE MEASUREMENTS OF PESTICIDE METABOLITES AND CREATININE IN URINE SAMPLES

EPA Science Inventory

This project consisted of a laboratory study to evaluate an extraction and analysis method for quantifying biomarkers of pesticide exposure and creatinine in urine samples collected with commercially-available disposable diapers. For large exposure studies, such as the National ...

Preliminary Study of the Autism Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (ASSET).

PubMed

Ruble, Lisa A; Toland, Michael D; Birdwhistell, Jessica L; McGrew, John H; Usher, Ellen L

2013-09-01

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate a new measure, the Autism Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (ASSET) for its dimensionality, internal consistency, and construct validity derived in a sample of special education teachers ( N = 44) of students with autism. Results indicate that all items reflect one dominant factor, teachers' responses to items were internally consistent within the sample, and compared to a 100-point scale, a 6-point response scale is adequate. ASSET scores were found to be negatively correlated with scores on two subscale measures of teacher stress (i.e., self-doubt/need for support and disruption of the teaching process) but uncorrelated with teacher burnout scores. The ASSET is a promising tool that requires replication with larger samples.

Identifying a Probabilistic Boolean Threshold Network From Samples.

PubMed

Melkman, Avraham A; Cheng, Xiaoqing; Ching, Wai-Ki; Akutsu, Tatsuya

2018-04-01

This paper studies the problem of exactly identifying the structure of a probabilistic Boolean network (PBN) from a given set of samples, where PBNs are probabilistic extensions of Boolean networks. Cheng et al. studied the problem while focusing on PBNs consisting of pairs of AND/OR functions. This paper considers PBNs consisting of Boolean threshold functions while focusing on those threshold functions that have unit coefficients. The treatment of Boolean threshold functions, and triplets and -tuplets of such functions, necessitates a deepening of the theoretical analyses. It is shown that wide classes of PBNs with such threshold functions can be exactly identified from samples under reasonable constraints, which include: 1) PBNs in which any number of threshold functions can be assigned provided that all have the same number of input variables and 2) PBNs consisting of pairs of threshold functions with different numbers of input variables. It is also shown that the problem of deciding the equivalence of two Boolean threshold functions is solvable in pseudopolynomial time but remains co-NP complete.

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--PESTICIDE METABOLITES IN URINE ANALYTICAL RESULTS

EPA Science Inventory

The Pesticide Metabolites in Urine data set contains the analytical results for measurements of up to 8 pesticide metabolites in 86 samples over 86 households. Each sample was collected form the primary respondent within each household. The sample consists of the first morning ...

Temperament, Parenting, and Depressive Symptoms in a Population Sample of Preadolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oldehinkel, Albertine J.; Veenstra, Rene; Ormel, Johan; De Winter, Andrea F.; Verhulst, Frank C.

2006-01-01

Background: Depressive symptoms can be triggered by negative social experiences and individuals' processing of these experiences. This study focuses on the interaction between temperament, perceived parenting, and gender in relation to depressive problems in a Dutch population sample of preadolescents. Methods: The sample consisted of 2230…

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CUSTODY OF FIELD SAMPLES (UA-C-1.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to outline sample custody guidelines used by the NHEXAS Arizona research project. This procedure was followed to maintain sample integrity and ensure consistent data retrieval, transport, storage, shipment, and analysis during the Arizona NHEXAS projec...

Suicidal Behaviors among Adolescents in Puerto Rico: Rates and Correlates in Clinical and Community Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Jennifer; Ramirez, Rafael Roberto; Davies, Mark; Canino, Glorisa; Goodwin, Renee D.

2008-01-01

This study examined rates and correlates of suicidal behavior among youth on the island of Puerto Rico. Data were drawn from two probability samples, one clinical (n = 736) and one community-based sample (n = 1,896), of youth ages 12 to 17. Consistent with previous studies in U.S. mainland adolescent populations, our results demonstrate that most…

The Analysis of Fourth Grade Primary Students' Reader Self-Perceptions in Terms of Gender and Preschool Educational Background

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagirli, Muhittin; Okur, Burçin

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyse perceptions of fourth grade primary school students on their reading ability. In study, screening model was used as a quantitative research method. The sample of this research was selected by convenience sampling. The sample consisted of 556 fourth grade students who received education in 8 public schools in…

Problems Accompanied Individuals with Learning Disability and Its Relationship to Gender and Family Economic Status Variables in a Jordanian Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Oweidi, Alia M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between problems that accompany individuals with learning disability and the variables of gender and family economic status for a selected sample of Jordanians. The sample of the study, which consisted of (239) male and female students, was chosen randomly. To achieve this aim, the…

Emotional Self-Efficacy among a Sample of Faculty Members and Its Relation to Gender (Male/Female), Experience, Qualification, and Specialization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdel-Hadi, Samer A.

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to identify the level of emotional self-efficacy among a sample of faculty members who speak Arabic at the Abu Dhabi University. The study sample consisted of 99 faculty members Ph.D. and master's holders from scientific, social and education and management and humanities disciplines in University branches: Abu Dhabi and…

Are adolescents with high mental toughness levels more resilient against stress?

PubMed

Gerber, Markus; Kalak, Nadeem; Lemola, Sakari; Clough, Peter J; Perry, John L; Pühse, Uwe; Elliot, Catherine; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

2013-04-01

Mental toughness has been explored predominantly within sport contexts. Nevertheless, it is difficult to conceive mental toughness as only applicable to athletes. This study examines whether mentally tough participants exhibit resilience against stress. This is a cross-sectional study based on two different samples: Sample 1 consisted of 284 high school students (99 males, 185 females, M = 18.3 years). Sample 2 consisted of 140 first through fifth semester undergraduate students (53 males, 87 females, M = 20.0 years). Participants provided information about their level of perceived stress (10-item Perceived Stress Scale), mental toughness (48-item Mental Toughness Questionnaire) and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory). Consistent across the two samples, mental toughness mitigated the relationship between high stress and depressive symptoms. The interaction between stress and mental toughness explained 2% of variance in the adolescent sample and 10% of variance among young adults. The promotion of protective factors that foster resilient adaptation is a relevant issue. Mental toughness may appeal to individuals that are typically difficult to be reached with health interventions. Because mental toughness is part of young people's daily speech, it may serve as a less academic resource than other health psychology concepts. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Study on the Validity and Reliability of Melbourne Decision Making Scale in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çolakkadioglu, Oguzhan; Deniz, M. Engin

2015-01-01

This study is to analyze the validity and reliability of Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire (MDMQ). The sample consisted of 650 university students. The structural validity of the MDMQ, as well as correlations among its sub-scales, measure-bound validity, internal consistency, item total correlations and test-retest reliability coefficients…

AN ANALYSIS OF THE CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY OF CHILDREN'S SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, FINAL REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LONGABAUGH, RICHARD

SYSTEMATICALLY OBSERVED, RECORDED, AND CODED INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIORS OF CHILDREN, AGES 3 TO 11, WERE EXAMINED FOR THE EXISTENCE OF CROSS-CULTURALLY CONSISTENT RELATIONS BETWEEN THEIR BEHAVIORS. THE STUDY SAMPLE CONSISTED OF OVER 130 CHILDREN FROM DIVERSE CULTURES, AND WAS SELECTED FROM COMMUNITIES IN NEW ENGLAND, MEXICO, AFRICA, INDIA, OKINAWA,…

A Scale of Mobbing Impacts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yaman, Erkan

2012-01-01

The aim of this research was to develop the Mobbing Impacts Scale and to examine its validity and reliability analyses. The sample of study consisted of 509 teachers from Sakarya. In this study construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliabilities and item analysis of the scale were examined. As a result of factor analysis for…

Lead as a legendary pollutant with emerging concern: Survey of lead in tap water in an old campus building using four sampling methods.

PubMed

Ng, Ding-Quan; Liu, Shu-Wei; Lin, Yi-Pin

2018-09-15

In this study, a sampling campaign with a total of nine sampling events investigating lead in drinking water was conducted at 7 sampling locations in an old building with lead pipes in service in part of the building on the National Taiwan University campus. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of four different sampling methods, namely first draw sampling, sequential sampling, random daytime sampling and flush sampling, in lead contamination detection. In 3 out of the 7 sampling locations without lead pipe, lead could not be detected (<1.1 μg/L) in most samples regardless of the sampling methods. On the other hand, in the 4 sampling locations where lead pipes still existed, total lead concentrations >10 μg/L were consistently observed in 3 locations using any of the four sampling methods while the remaining location was identified to be contaminated using sequential sampling. High lead levels were consistently measured by the four sampling methods in the 3 locations in which particulate lead was either predominant or comparable to soluble lead. Compared to first draw and random daytime samplings, although flush sampling had a high tendency to reduce total lead in samples in lead-contaminated sites, the extent of lead reduction was location-dependent and not dependent on flush durations between 5 and 10 min. Overall, first draw sampling and random daytime sampling were reliable and effective in determining lead contamination in this study. Flush sampling could reveal the contamination if the extent is severe but tends to underestimate lead exposure risk. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is rapid evolution of reproductive traits in Adonis annua consistent with pollinator decline?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomann, M.; Imbert, E.; Cheptou, P.-O.

2015-11-01

Growing human footprint on the environment rapidly modifies the living conditions of natural populations. This could lead to phenotypic changes through both plasticity and evolution. Therefore, distinguishing the role of evolution in the phenotypic response to global change is a major challenge. In this study, we benefited from past and recent seeds from a population of the annual self-compatible weed Adonis annua. Seeds were sampled from the same locality at an 18 years interval and close to a region where reduction of bee pollinators' density has been reported. We used a common garden experiment to investigate evolutionary changes, between the old (1992) and the recent (2010) sample, for some reproductive traits expected to be under selection in the context of climate warming and pollinator decline. Plants of the recent sample flowered earlier, had larger flowers, but also evolved a shorter floral longevity. The capacity of plants to reproduce autonomously (autonomous selfing) was similar in the two samples. These results are consistent with adaptation of flowering phenology to climate warming and in part consistent with the evolution of increased pollinator attraction under pollinator decline. Together with other recent studies, this study provides evidence that short-term evolution is a frequent phenomenon accompanying global change.

An Examination of Fifth Grade Students' Attitudes towards Social Studies Course in Terms of Severable Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ilgaz, Selçuk

2018-01-01

The aim of this research is to investigate the 5th grade students' attitude towards social studies course regarding several variables. The population of the study consisted of 4435 fifth grade students studying in public schools in Malatya, Yesilyurt. The sample group consisted of 362 students from 10 schools in the same district. The data used in…

The theory of reasoned action in prediction of breast self-examination: a comparison of two studies.

PubMed

Powell-Cope, G M; Lierman, L M; Kasprzyk, D; Young, H M; Benoliel, J Q

1991-01-01

The purpose of this article is to report the application of the theory of reasoned action (TRA) to predict breast self-examination (BSE) intention and frequency in two studies with middle-aged and older women. The sample in Study 1 consisted of 93 volunteers from church groups; the second sample consisted of 175 randomly selected subscribers to a large health maintenance organization. Questionnaires to measure attitudinal and subjective normative influences relevant to BSE were developed using guidelines specified by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980). The attitudinal components predicted BSE intention in both studies and BSE frequency in Study 1. In contrast, the subjective norm contributed significantly only to the prediction of frequency in Study 1. Findings demonstrate varying degrees of success for the TRA in predicting BSE intention and behavior. Explanations for the inconsistency in the predictive ability of the TRA can be related to differences between the two studies regarding sample and design characteristics.

Obstacles of Saudi Woman Work in the Mixed Environment: A Field Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AL-Hazmi, Mohammad Abdullah; Hammad, Mohammad Ahamd; AL-Shahrani, Hend Faye

2017-01-01

The study aimed to identify the obstacles facing Saudi woman while working in a mixed work environment. The main study sample consisted of (223) from the health sector female affiliates and were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of (129) participants from the health sector and workers in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)…

The Degree of Schools Principals Practicing Innovation and Its Relation with the Teachers' Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu-Shreah, Mohammad; Zidan, Hiam

2017-01-01

The study aims to know the degree of schools principals practicing innovation and its relationship with the teachers' professional development; the population of the study is consisted of all male and female teachers numbering to 415 teachers; the sample of the study is consisted of 205 male and female teachers from members of the study…

Psychiatric Disorders in a Sample of Saudi Arabian Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amr, Mostafa Abdel-Monhem; Amin, Tarek Tawfik; Hablas, Hatem Refaat

2010-01-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the magnitude of psychiatric disorders and to define socio-demographic and disease-related risk factors in a sample of adolescents with SCD in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of 110 adolescents with SCD and a convenient sample of 202 adolescents without SCD as controls. Psychiatric…

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR EXTRACTION OF AIR SAMPLES FOR GC/MS ANALYSIS OF PESTICIDES (BCO-L-11.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe the procedures for extracting and preparing an air sample consisting of a polyurethane foam (PUF) plug and Teflon-coated glass fiber filter (Pallflex T60A20) for analysis of pesticides. This procedure covers sample preparation for samples t...

Training Needs of Governmental Schools' Principals Hosting Kindergartens Classes: The Case for Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashraah, Mamdouh M.; Al-Olaimat, Ali M.; Takash, Hanan M.

2015-01-01

This study aimed at identifying the training needs of governmental schools' principals with kindergarten classes. The sample of the study consisted of a random sample of (62) female principal. The instrument of the study was developed by the researchers and included 60 items distributed on four domains (planning, organizing, guidance, and…

A Study on Primary and Secondary School Students' Misconceptions about Greenhouse Effect (Erzurum Sampling)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gul, Seyda; Yesilyurt, Selami

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine what level of primary and secondary school students' misconceptions related to greenhouse effect is. Study group consists of totally 280 students attended to totally 8 primary and secondary schools (4 primary school, 4 secondary school) which were determined with convenient sampling method from center of…

Talented Students' Satisfaction with the Performance of the Gifted Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Zoubi, Suhail Mahmoud; Bani Abdel Rahman, Majdoleen Sultan

2015-01-01

This study aimed to identify talented students' levels of satisfaction with the performance of the gifted centers. The sample of the study consisted of (142) gifted and talented students enrolled in the Najran Centers for Gifted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to the sample of the study. The results…

Using a Multimedia-Based Program for Developing Student Teachers' EFL Speaking Fluency Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diyyab, Eman Aly; Abdel-Haq, Eman Muhamad; Aly, Mahsoub Abdel-Sadeq

2013-01-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of using a multimedia-based program for developing EFL speaking fluency skills among second year, English section student teachers. The sample of the present study consisted of thirty students at Sadat Faculty of Education, Minufiya University, Egypt. The study sample was…

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses of the WISC-IV with Gifted Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowe, Ellen W.; Dandridge, Jessica; Pawlush, Alexandra; Thompson, Dawna F.; Ferrier, David E.

2014-01-01

These 2 studies investigated the factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-4th edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003a) with exploratory factor analysis (EFA; Study 1) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; Study 2) among 2 independent samples of gifted students. The EFA sample consisted of 225 children who were referred for a…

ICT Competence and Lecturers' Job Efficacy: A Study of Two Universities in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akpan, Charles P.

2014-01-01

The study sought to establish the influence of ICT competence on lecturers' job efficacy in two universities in Nigeria. The sample of the study consisted of 500 university teachers randomly sampled from a population of 1,795 teachers. The results of the study revealed that male and female lecturers did not differ significantly in their level of…

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--METALS IN URINE ANALYTICAL RESULTS

EPA Science Inventory

The Metals in Urine data set contains analytical results for measurements of up to 7 metals in 86 urine samples over 86 households. Each sample was collected from the primary respondent within each household. The sample consists of the first morning void following the 24-hour d...

Sampling large geographic areas for rare species using environmental DNA: A study of bull trout Salvelinus confluentus occupancy in western Montana

Treesearch

Kevin McKelvey; Michael Young; W. L. Knotek; K. J. Carim; T. M. Wilcox; T. M. Padgett-Stewart; Michael Schwartz

2016-01-01

This study tested the efficacy of environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling to delineate the distribution of bull trout Salvelinus confluentus in headwater streams in western Montana, U.S.A. Surveys proved fast, reliable and sensitive: 124 samples were collected across five basins by a single crew in c. 8days. Results were largely consistent with past electrofishing,...

The Impact of Correcting Cognitive Distortions in Reducing Depression and the Sense of Insecurity among a Sample of Female Refugee Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mhaidat, Fatin; ALharbi, Bassam H. M.

2016-01-01

This study aimed at identifying the level of depression and sense of insecurity among a sample of female refugee adolescents, and the impact of an indicative program for reducing cognitive distortions in reducing depression and their sense of insecurity. The study sample consisted of 220 female refugee adolescents, 7th to 1st secondary stage, at…

Designing a two-rank acceptance sampling plan for quality inspection of geospatial data products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Xiaohua; Wang, Zhenhua; Xie, Huan; Liang, Dan; Jiang, Zuoqin; Li, Jinchao; Li, Jun

2011-10-01

To address the disadvantages of classical sampling plans designed for traditional industrial products, we originally propose a two-rank acceptance sampling plan (TRASP) for the inspection of geospatial data outputs based on the acceptance quality level (AQL). The first rank sampling plan is to inspect the lot consisting of map sheets, and the second is to inspect the lot consisting of features in an individual map sheet. The TRASP design is formulated as an optimization problem with respect to sample size and acceptance number, which covers two lot size cases. The first case is for a small lot size with nonconformities being modeled by a hypergeometric distribution function, and the second is for a larger lot size with nonconformities being modeled by a Poisson distribution function. The proposed TRASP is illustrated through two empirical case studies. Our analysis demonstrates that: (1) the proposed TRASP provides a general approach for quality inspection of geospatial data outputs consisting of non-uniform items and (2) the proposed acceptance sampling plan based on TRASP performs better than other classical sampling plans. It overcomes the drawbacks of percent sampling, i.e., "strictness for large lot size, toleration for small lot size," and those of a national standard used specifically for industrial outputs, i.e., "lots with different sizes corresponding to the same sampling plan."

Preliminary Study of the Autism Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (ASSET)

PubMed Central

Ruble, Lisa A.; Toland, Michael D.; Birdwhistell, Jessica L.; McGrew, John H.; Usher, Ellen L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate a new measure, the Autism Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (ASSET) for its dimensionality, internal consistency, and construct validity derived in a sample of special education teachers (N = 44) of students with autism. Results indicate that all items reflect one dominant factor, teachers’ responses to items were internally consistent within the sample, and compared to a 100-point scale, a 6-point response scale is adequate. ASSET scores were found to be negatively correlated with scores on two subscale measures of teacher stress (i.e., self-doubt/need for support and disruption of the teaching process) but uncorrelated with teacher burnout scores. The ASSET is a promising tool that requires replication with larger samples. PMID:23976899

Sexual Assertiveness Scale (SAS) for women: development and validation.

PubMed

Morokoff, P J; Quina, K; Harlow, L L; Whitmire, L; Grimley, D M; Gibson, P R; Burkholder, G J

1997-10-01

Four studies were conducted to develop and validate the Sexual Assertiveness Scale (SAS), a measure of sexual assertiveness in women that consists of factors measuring initiation, refusal, and pregnancy-sexually transmitted disease prevention assertiveness. A total of 1,613 women from both university and community populations were studied. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the 3 factors remained stable across samples of university and community women. A structural model was tested in 2 samples, indicating that sexual experience, anticipated negative partner response, and self-efficacy are consistent predictors of sexual assertiveness. Sexual assertiveness was found to be somewhat related to relationship satisfaction, power, and length. The community sample was retested after 6 months and 1 year to establish test-retest reliability. The SAS provides a reliable instrument for assessing and understanding women's sexual assertiveness.

Interaction of gases with lunar materials. [analysis of lunar samples from Apollo 17 flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, H. F.; Fuller, E. L., Jr.; Gammage, R. B.

1974-01-01

The surface chemistry of Apollo 17 lunar fines samples 74220 (the orange soil) and 74241 (the gray control soil) has been studied by measuring the adsorption of nitrogen, argon, and oxygen (all at 77 K) and also water vapor (at 20 or 22 C). In agreement with results for samples from other missions, both samples had low initial specific surface areas, consisted of nonporous particles, and were attacked by water vapor at high relative pressure to give an increased specific surface area and create a pore system which gave rise to a capillary condensation hysteresis loop in the adsorption isotherms. In contrast to previous samples, both of the Apollo 17 soils were partially hydrophobic in their initial interaction with water vapor (both samples were completely hydrophilic after the reaction with water). The results are consistent with formation at high temperatures without subsequent exposure to significant amounts of water.

An Application-Based Discussion of Construct Validity and Internal Consistency Reliability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Dianne L.; Campbell, Kathleen T.

Several techniques for conducting studies of measurement integrity are explained and illustrated using a heuristic data set from a study of teachers' participation in decision making (D. L. Taylor, 1991). The sample consisted of 637 teachers. It is emphasized that validity and reliability are characteristics of data, and do not inure to tests as…

The Validity and Reliability of the Mobbing Scale (MS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yaman, Erkan

2009-01-01

The aim of this research is to develop the Mobbing Scale and examine its validity and reliability. The sample of the study consisted of 515 persons from Sakarya and Bursa. In this study, construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and item analysis of the scale were examined. As a result of factor analysis for construct…

Teacher's Differentiated Instruction Practices and Implementation Challenges for Learning Disabilities in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siam, Karam; Al-Natour, Mayada

2016-01-01

This study aimed to identify the differentiated instruction practices used by Jordanian teachers and the challenges they faced when teaching students with learning disabilities in Amman. The sample of the study consisted of 194 teachers. It followed a mixed method design and consisted of two parts. First, a quantitative analysis of a questionnaire…

Assessing element-specific patterns of bioaccumulation across New England lakes

PubMed Central

Ward, Darren M.; Mayes, Brandon; Sturup, Stefan; Folt, Carol L.; Chen, Celia Y.

2012-01-01

Little is known about differences among trace elements in patterns of bioaccumulation in freshwater food webs. Our goal was to identify patterns in bioaccumulation of different elements that are large and consistent enough to discern despite variation across lakes. We measured methylmercury (MeHg) and trace element (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn) concentrations in food web components of seven New England lakes on 3–5 dates per lake, and contrasted patterns of bioaccumulation across lakes, metals and seasons. In each lake, trace element concentrations were compared across trophic levels, including three size fractions of zooplankton, planktivorous fish, and piscivorous fish. The trophic position of each food web component was estimated from N isotope analysis. Trace element concentrations varied widely among taxa, lakes and sampling dates. Yet, we identified four consistent patterns of bioaccumulation that were consistent across lakes: (1) MeHg concentration increased (i.e., was biomagnified) and Pb concentration decreased (i.e., was biodiminished) with increased trophic position. (2) Zinc concentration (as with MeHg) was higher in fish than in zooplankton, but overall variation in Zn concentration (unlike MeHg) was low. (3) Arsenic and Cd concentrations (as with Pb) were lower in fish than in zooplankton, but (unlike Pb) were not significantly correlated with trophic position within zooplankton or fish groups. (4) Average summer concentrations of As, Pb, Hg, and MeHg in zooplankton significantly predicted their concentrations in either planktivorous or piscivorous fish. Our secondary goal was to review sampling approaches in forty-five published studies to determine the extent to which current sampling programs facilitate cross-lake and cross-study comparisons of bioaccumulation. We found that studies include different components of the food web and sample too infrequently to enable strong cross-lake and cross-study comparisons. We discuss sampling strategies that would improve our capacity to identify consistent patterns of bioaccumulation and drivers of elevated trace element concentrations under naturally high levels of variability. PMID:22356871

A Study on Differential Aptitude and Teaching Competency of Student Teachers in Kancheepuram District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shanmugam, P. N. Lakshmi

2016-01-01

The investigator studied the differential aptitude and teaching competency of student teachers in Kancheepuram district. The sample consisted of 300 student teachers drawn by questionnaire through quota sampling technique from SRM School of Teacher Education and Research and Muthukumaran College of Education. It was found that student teachers…

STP Position Paper: Recommended Best Practices for Sampling, Processing and Analysis of the Peripheral Nervous System (Nerves and Somatic and Autonomic Ganglia) during Nonclinical Toxicity Studies

EPA Science Inventory

These Society of Toxicologic Pathology “best” practice recommendations should ensure consistent sampling, processing, and evaluation of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). For toxicity studies where neurotoxicity is not anticipated (Situation 1), PNS evaluation may be limited...

The Evaluation of Teachers' Job Performance Based on Total Quality Management (TQM)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahmohammadi, Nayereh

2017-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate teachers' job performance based on total quality management (TQM) model. This was a descriptive survey study. The target population consisted of all primary school teachers in Karaj (N = 2917). Using Cochran formula and simple random sampling, 340 participants were selected as sample. A total quality management…

A Study of the Effects of an Altered Workweek.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood Educational Consultants, Edmonton (Alberta).

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of organizational change arising from alterations in the structuring of the workweek. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of management and nonmanagement personnel employed within the various branches of the Alberta Department of Education. The sample consisted of 132 standard…

Preschool Teachers' Views on Schools' Indoor and Outdoor Environment Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konakli, Tugba; Ülçetin, Esra

2016-01-01

The aim of this research is to analyze opinions of teachers who work in preschool education institutions concerning precautions that should be taken for indoor and outdoor security. Study group of this research is determined by criterion sampling from purposeful sampling techniques. The study group of this research is consist of eight preschool…

Factors Associated with Job Content Plateauing among Older Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong-Stassen, Marjorie

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify personal and work environment factors associated with the experience of job content plateauing among older workers. Design/methodology/approach: Two cross-sectional studies, each including two samples, were conducted. In each study, one sample consisted of a diverse group of older workers and the…

Deficits in general emotion regulation skills-Evidence of a transdiagnostic factor.

PubMed

Lukas, Christian Aljoscha; Ebert, David Daniel; Fuentes, Hugo Trevisi; Caspar, Franz; Berking, Matthias

2017-12-15

Deficits in emotion regulation (ER) skills are discussed as a transdiagnostic factor contributing to the development and maintenance of various mental disorders. However, systematic comparisons of a broad range of ER skills across diagnostic groups that are based on comparable definitions and measures of ER are still rare. Therefore, we conducted two studies assessing a broad range of ER skills with the Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire in individuals meeting criteria for mental disorders (N 1  = 1448; N 2  = 137) and in a general population sample (N = 214). Consistent across the two studies, participants in the clinical samples reported lower general and lower specific ER skills than participants in the general population sample. Also consistent across the two studies, diagnostic subgroups of the clinical samples differed significantly with regard to general and specific ER skills. The studies provide evidence that deficits in ER are associated with various forms of psychopathology. However, mental disorders seem to differ with regard to how strongly they are linked to ER skills. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire-Body Image: Psychometric Properties and Its Incremental Power in the Prediction of Binge Eating Severity.

PubMed

Lucena-Santos, Paola; Trindade, Inês A; Oliveira, Margareth; Pinto-Gouveia, José

2017-05-19

Given the clinical usefulness of the CFQ-BI (Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire-Body Image; the only existing measure to assess the body-image-related cognitive fusion), the present study aimed to confirm its one-factor structure, to verify its measurement invariance between clinical and non-clinical samples, to analyze its internal consistency and sensitivity to detect differences between samples, as well as to explore the incremental and convergent validities of the CFQ-BI scores in Brazilian samples.  This was a cross-sectional study, which was conducted in clinical (women with overweight or obesity in treatment for weight loss) and non-clinical samples (women from the general population). The one-factor structure was confirmed showing factorial measurement invariance across clinical and non-clinical samples. The CFQ-BI scores presented an excellent internal consistency, were able to discriminate clinical and non-clinical samples, and were positively associated with binge eating severity, general cognitive fusion, and psychological inflexibility. Furthermore, body-image-related cognitive fusion scores (CFQ-BI) presented incremental validity over a general measure of cognitive fusion in the prediction of binge eating symptoms. This study demonstrated that CFQ-BI is a short scale with reliable and robust scores in Brazilian samples, presenting incremental and convergent validities, measurement invariance, and sensitivity to detect differences between clinical and non-clinical groups of women, enabling comparative studies between them.

The Level of Satisfaction of Female Learning Disabilities' Parents with Their Kids' Integration in Regular Schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abahusain, Wedad A.

2016-01-01

This study aims at finding out the parents' level of satisfaction with the integration of their daughters with learning disabilities in regular schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study sample consisted of 283 parents of female students. The instrument of data collection was a questionnaire consisting of 59 items for 10 domains. The study results…

The Authoritative Parenting Index: predicting health risk behaviors among children and adolescents.

PubMed

Jackson, C; Henriksen, L; Foshee, V A

1998-06-01

Public health research demonstrates increasing interest in mobilizing parental influence to prevent health risk behaviors among children and adolescents. This research focuses on authoritative parenting, which previous studies suggest can prevent health risk behaviors among youth. To evaluate the reliability and validity of a new survey measure of authoritative parenting, data from studies of (1) substance use in a sample of 1,236 fourth- and sixth-grade students; (2) weapon carrying and interpersonal violence in a sample of 1,490 ninth- and tenth-grade students, and (3) anger, alienation, and conflict resolution in a sample of 224 seventh- and eighth-grade students were analyzed. The Authoritative Parenting Index had a factor structure consistent with a theoretical model of the construct; had acceptable reliability; showed grade, sex, and ethnic differences consistent with other studies; and identified parenting types that varied as hypothesized with multiple indicators of social competence and health risk behaviors among children and adolescents.

MMPI-2 Characteristics of the Old Order Amish: A Comparison of Clinical, Nonclinical, and United States Normative Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knabb, Joshua J.; Vogt, Ronald G.; Newgren, Kevin P.

2011-01-01

In the current study, we investigated Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) characteristics in an Old Order Amish nonclinical sample (N = 84), comparing these data with both the United States normative sample (N = 2,600) and a sample of Old Order Amish outpatients (N = 136). Consistent with our hypothesis, the Old Order Amish…

Measuring eating disorder attitudes and behaviors: a reliability generalization study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Although score reliability is a sample-dependent characteristic, researchers often only report reliability estimates from previous studies as justification for employing particular questionnaires in their research. The present study followed reliability generalization procedures to determine the mean score reliability of the Eating Disorder Inventory and its most commonly employed subscales (Drive for Thinness, Bulimia, and Body Dissatisfaction) and the Eating Attitudes Test as a way to better identify those characteristics that might impact score reliability. Methods Published studies that used these measures were coded based on their reporting of reliability information and additional study characteristics that might influence score reliability. Results Score reliability estimates were included in 26.15% of studies using the EDI and 36.28% of studies using the EAT. Mean Cronbach’s alphas for the EDI (total score = .91; subscales = .75 to .89), EAT-40 (total score = .81) and EAT-26 (total score = .86; subscales = .56 to .80) suggested variability in estimated internal consistency. Whereas some EDI subscales exhibited higher score reliability in clinical eating disorder samples than in nonclinical samples, other subscales did not exhibit these differences. Score reliability information for the EAT was primarily reported for nonclinical samples, making it difficult to characterize the effect of type of sample on these measures. However, there was a tendency for mean score reliability to be higher in the adult (vs. adolescent) samples and in female (vs. male) samples. Conclusions Overall, this study highlights the importance of assessing and reporting internal consistency during every test administration because reliability is affected by characteristics of the participants being examined. PMID:24764530

Repurposing Archival Samples for Investigating Toxicological Modes of Action

EPA Science Inventory

Little is known about formalin fixation induced genomic artifacts, limiting the use of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples in toxicological and clinical studies. Previously, we identified a consistent shift in transcriptional profiles between paired frozen and FFPE sa...

An analysis of drivers most responsible for fatal accidents versus a control sample

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-05-01

Author's abstract: Recently the Boston University Traffic Accident Research Special Study Team has completed the investigation of an experimental driver sample consisting of 267 motor vehicle operators judged to have been 'most responsible" for a hig...

An analysis of drivers most responsible for fatal accidents versus a control sample

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-11-01

Author's abstract: Recently the Boston University Traffic Accident Research Special Study Team has completed the investigation of an experimental driver sample consisting of 267 motor vehicle operators judged to have been most responsible" for a high...

Multilevel Analysis Exploring the Links between Stress, Depression, and Sleep Problems among Two-Year College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Deshira D.; Boynton, Marcella H.; Lytle, Leslie A.

2017-01-01

Objective: This study explored the association of stress and depression with a multidimensional sleep problems construct in a sample of 2-year college students. Participants: The sample consisted of 440 students enrolled in 2-year study from Fall 2011 to Fall 2013. Methods: Participants in an obesity prevention study completed surveys assessing…

Citizenship among a Sample of Hearing and Hearing Impaired Kindergarten's Children in Al-Riyadh Saudi Arabia "Comparative Study"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turkestani, Maryam Hafez; Bahatheg, Raja' Omar

2015-01-01

This study aimed at identifying statistically significant differences in citizenship between Saudi hearing and hearing impaired children. The study sample consisted of (167) hearing and (42) hearing impaired children at public kindergartens in Al-Riyadh city, (82) of whom were males and (127) were female children. Data was collected using…

Growing up in Violent Communities: Do Family Conflict and Gender Moderate Impacts on Adolescents' Psychosocial Development?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKelvey, Lorraine M.; Whiteside-Mansell, Leanne; Bradley, Robert H.; Casey, Patrick H.; Conners-Burrow, Nicola A.; Barrett, Kathleen W.

2011-01-01

This study examined the moderating effects of family conflict and gender on the relationship between community violence and psychosocial development at age 18. The study sample consisted of 728 children and families who were part of the Infant Health and Development Program study of low-birth-weight, pre-term infants. In this sample, adolescent…

Absolute Paleointensity Study of Miocene Tiva Canyon Tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patiman, A.; Bowles, J.

2014-12-01

Unoriented samples from the ~12.7 Ma Tiva Canyon (TC) tuff from Yucca Mountain, Nevada are studied in terms of magnetic properties and geomagnetic paleointensity. The magnetic mineralogy and magnetic properties of the TC tuff have previously been well documented, and the remanence-carrier in ~15-m thick zones at the top and bottom of the unit is dominantly is single domain (SD) to superparamagnetic (SP) magnetite, which may be considered ideal for absolute paleointensity studies. Among one of the several episodic volcanic eruptions of the Southwestern Nevada Volcanic Field (SWNVF), the welded TC tuff belongs to the Paintbrush Group. Here we present magnetic properties from two previously unreported sections of the TC tuff, as well as Thellier-type absolute paleointensity estimates. Samples were collected from the lower ~7 m at the base of the flow. Magnetic properties studied include hysteresis, bulk magnetic susceptibility, frequency-dependent susceptibility, and anhysteretic remanent magnetization acquisition. Magnetic property results are consistent with earlier work, showing that the main magnetic mineral is magnetite. SP samples are dominant from the lower ~1 m to ~3.6 m basal unit while the middle unit of ~3.7 m to 7.0 m mainly consists of SD samples. The paleointensity results are closely tied to the stratigraphic height and magnetic properties linked to domain state. The SD samples have consistent absolute paleointensity values 32.40±0.22 uT, VADM 5.74*1022 A.m2 and behaved ideally during paleointensity experiments. The SP samples have consistently higher paleointensity and less ideal behavior, but would likely pass many traditional quality-control tests. Since the magnetite has been interpreted to form by precipitation out of the glass post-emplacement, but at temperatures higher than the Curie temperature, we tentatively interpret the SD remanence to be a primary thermal remanent magnetization and the paleointensity result to be a valid estimate of geomagnetic paleointensity for the Miocene. Post-emplacement vapor-phase alteration might be expected to alter magnetic mineralogy and magnetization, and has been reported in the upper portions of the TC tuff, but not in the lower sections discussed here.

[Adaptation of the Hinting Task theory of the mind test to Spanish].

PubMed

Gil, David; Fernández-Modamio, Mar; Bengochea, Rosario; Arrieta, Marta

2012-01-01

Many studies have found that patients with schizophrenia have a deficit in theory of mind. Some authors associate this deficit with the presence of symptoms, while others maintain that it can also be observed in patients in the remission phase. There is no reference test to assess theory of mind in schizophrenia, although one of the most used is the Hinting Task. The aim of the present study consists of adapting and validating, in Spanish, the 10 histories that make up this test. The study was conducted on a sample of 39 control subjects and 40 patients with schizophrenia. The internal consistency and the between-observer reliability and test-retest were assessed in both sample groups. The performance of the patients and control subjects were also compared. Good reliability data was obtained in the inter-observer and test-retest in the two samples. On the other hand, the internal consistency was somewhat low for all of the 10 histories. For this reason, and starting from a previous study, a reduced version of 5 histories was prepared, which showed good internal consistency. The patients with schizophrenia obtained a significantly lower score than the control subjects in 8 out of the 10 histories. The reduced Spanish version of the Hinting Task demonstrated good psychometric properties. When compared to the control group, the patients with schizophrenia had a deficit in theory of mind. Copyright © 2011 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Level of Psychological Burnout of a Sample of Secondary Phase Teachers in Ma'an Governorate and Its Relationship with Some Other Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkhateeb, Omar; Kraishan, Osama M.; Salah, Raid Omar

2015-01-01

This study aimed at identifying the level of psychological burnout of a random sample of secondary phase teacher in Ma'an Governorate and its relationship with some other variables. The study sample consisted of 80 male and female Islamic education teachers in the schools of Ma'an Governorate in the southern part of Jordan. To this end, the…

University Presidents' Perceptions and Practice Regarding the Carrying of Concealed Handguns on College Campuses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, James H.; Thompson, Amy; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Dake, Joseph; Payton, Erica; Teeple, Karen

2014-01-01

Objective: To assess the perceptions and practices of a national sample of college and university presidents regarding their support for concealed handguns being carried on college campuses. Participants: The sample for this study consisted of a national random sample of 900 college or university presidents. Methods: In the spring of 2013, a…

Correlates of Cutting Behavior among Sexual Minority Youths and Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walls, N. Eugene; Laser, Julie; Nickels, Sarah J.; Wisneski, Hope

2010-01-01

Using secondary analyses of data from a sample of 265 sexual minority youths, the authors examined correlates of cutting behavior to determine whether patterns are similar to those found in studies of self-injury with community samples of predominately heterosexual youths. The sample consisted of youths who received services at an urban social…

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR FIELD COLLECTION OF RESIDENTIAL FOUNDATION SOIL SAMPLES (UA-F-6.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to establish a uniform procedure for the collection of residential foundation soil samples in the field. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent and reliable collection of outdoor soil samples during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the "Border"...

Testing the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire with Korean Children in Institutionalized Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Youngmi; Kim, Kyeongmo; Lee, Shinhye

2017-01-01

Purpose: We tested the reliability and validity of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) in a sample of children living in orphanages in South Korea. Methods: Our study sample consisted of 334 children aged 13-18 obtained using a convenience sampling method. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to identify the factor…

Consistent condom use among Thai heterosexual adult males in Bangkok, Thailand.

PubMed

Janepanish, Poolsuk; Dancy, Barbara L; Park, Chang

2011-04-01

Thai heterosexual males between 20 and 39 years old are at increased risk for HIV infection. Consistent condom use is effective against HIV transmission, but little is known about determinants of consistent condom use for these males. The purpose of this study is to explore determinants of consistent condom use for this population. The determinants of interest are age, educational level, marital status, income, and concepts from the theory of planned behavior: attitude toward condom use, subjective norm about consistent condom use, perceived behavioral control (PBC) of consistent condom use, and intention to use condoms consistently. We used a cross-sectional descriptive research design with a convenience sample of 400 heterosexual Thai males between 20 and 39 years. Our sample had a mean age of 28.71 years (SD = 6.33). During the last three months, 39.5% reported using condoms consistently, 23% reported using condoms inconsistently, and 37.5% reported never using condoms. The results from the regression analyses revealed that marital status, income, subjective norm about consistent condom use, PBC of consistent condom use, and intention to use condoms consistently were determinants of consistent condom use. Also the effect of subjective norm about consistent condom use and PBC of consistent condom use on consistent condom use was mediated by intention to use condoms consistently. These results suggest that interventions to increase consistent condom use should focus on enhancing intention to use condoms consistently by promoting subjective norm about consistent condom use and PBC of consistent condom use.

The motivation for drug abuse treatment: testing cognitive and 12-step theories.

PubMed

Bell, D C; Montoya, I D; Richard, A J; Dayton, C A

1998-11-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate two models of behavior change: cognitive theory and 12-step theory. Research subjects were drawn from three separate, but parallel, samples of adults. The first sample consisted of out-of-treatment chronic drug users, the second consisted of drug users who had applied for treatment at a publicly funded multiple-provider drug treatment facility, and the third consisted of drug users who had applied for treatment at an intensive outpatient program for crack cocaine users. Cognitive theory was supported. Study participants applying for drug abuse treatment reported a higher level of perceived problem severity and a higher level of cognitive functioning than out-of-treatment drug users. Two hypotheses drawn from 12-step theory were not supported. Treatment applicants had more positive emotional functioning than out-of-treatment drug users, and one treatment-seeking sample had higher self-esteem.

Characterization of Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Hyporheic Zone of River Ecosystems Reflects the Pump-Sampling Technique Used

PubMed Central

Dole-Olivier, Marie-José; Galassi, Diana M. P.; Hogan, John-Paul; Wood, Paul J.

2016-01-01

The hyporheic zone of river ecosystems provides a habitat for a diverse macroinvertebrate community that makes a vital contribution to ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. However, effective methods for sampling this community have proved difficult to establish, due to the inaccessibility of subsurface sediments. The aim of this study was to compare the two most common semi-quantitative macroinvertebrate pump-sampling techniques: Bou-Rouch and vacuum-pump sampling. We used both techniques to collect replicate samples in three contrasting temperate-zone streams, in each of two biogeographical regions (Atlantic region, central England, UK; Continental region, southeast France). Results were typically consistent across streams in both regions: Bou-Rouch samples provided significantly higher estimates of taxa richness, macroinvertebrate abundance, and the abundance of all UK and eight of 10 French common taxa. Seven and nine taxa which were rare in Bou-Rouch samples were absent from vacuum-pump samples in the UK and France, respectively; no taxon was repeatedly sampled exclusively by the vacuum pump. Rarefaction curves (rescaled to the number of incidences) and non-parametric richness estimators indicated no significant difference in richness between techniques, highlighting the capture of more individuals as crucial to Bou-Rouch sampling performance. Compared to assemblages in replicate vacuum-pump samples, multivariate analyses indicated greater distinction among Bou-Rouch assemblages from different streams, as well as significantly greater consistency in assemblage composition among replicate Bou-Rouch samples collected in one stream. We recommend Bou-Rouch sampling for most study types, including rapid biomonitoring surveys and studies requiring acquisition of comprehensive taxon lists that include rare taxa. Despite collecting fewer macroinvertebrates, vacuum-pump sampling remains an important option for inexpensive and rapid sample collection. PMID:27723819

Daily self-sampling for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) testing.

PubMed

Sanner, Karin; Wikström, Ingrid; Gustavsson, Inger; Wilander, Erik; Lindberg, Julia Hedlund; Gyllensten, Ulf; Olovsson, Matts

2015-12-01

Self-sampling for HPV as part of primary screening is a well-tolerated method for women not attending organized Pap smear screening and could increase coverage of cervical cancer screening. To investigate if the prevalence of HR-HPV varies from day to day in infected women and if one single sample is reliable for detecting an ongoing infection. This is a prospective cohort study on 12 premenopausal and 13 postmenopausal women performing daily self-sampling for HR-HPV testing. They were all HR-HPV-positive 1-3 months ago. Postmenopausal women were sampled for 28 days and premenopausal women sampled during bleeding-free days in one menstrual cycle. A possible difference in viral load between the estrogen-dominated proliferative phase and the progesterone-dominated secretory phase was analyzed. Consistent results throughout the sampling period were observed for 19 women, with either a daily presence of HPV (14 women) or no HPV at all during the sampling period (5 women). Of 607 samples from 25 women, 596 were consistently positive or negative for HPV during the sampling period and 11 were inconsistent (2%). There was no difference in HPV copy number between the estrogen dominated proliferative or progesterone dominated secretory menstrual cycle phases. The major finding was a high degree of consistency concerning HR-HPV positivity and negativity of HR-HPV in vaginal fluid during a sustained period of daily self-sampling. It does not appear to matter whether the sample is collected in the proliferative or secretory phase. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of the BMWP-Costa Rica biotic index in aquatic biomonitoring: sensitivity to collection method and sampling intensity.

PubMed

Gutiérrez-Fonseca, Pablo E; Lorion, Christopher M

2014-04-01

The use of aquatic macroinvertebrates as bio-indicators in water quality studies has increased considerably over the last decade in Costa Rica, and standard biomonitoring methods have now been formulated at the national level. Nevertheless, questions remain about the effectiveness of different methods of sampling freshwater benthic assemblages, and how sampling intensity may influence biomonitoring results. In this study, we compared the results of qualitative sampling using commonly applied methods with a more intensive quantitative approach at 12 sites in small, lowland streams on the southern Caribbean slope of Costa Rica. Qualitative samples were collected following the official protocol using a strainer during a set time period and macroinvertebrates were field-picked. Quantitative sampling involved collecting ten replicate Surber samples and picking out macroinvertebrates in the laboratory with a stereomicroscope. The strainer sampling method consistently yielded fewer individuals and families than quantitative samples. As a result, site scores calculated using the Biological Monitoring Working Party-Costa Rica (BMWP-CR) biotic index often differed greatly depending on the sampling method. Site water quality classifications using the BMWP-CR index differed between the two sampling methods for 11 of the 12 sites in 2005, and for 9 of the 12 sites in 2006. Sampling intensity clearly had a strong influence on BMWP-CR index scores, as well as perceived differences between reference and impacted sites. Achieving reliable and consistent biomonitoring results for lowland Costa Rican streams may demand intensive sampling and requires careful consideration of sampling methods.

Sampling procedures for inventory of commercial volume tree species in Amazon Forest.

PubMed

Netto, Sylvio P; Pelissari, Allan L; Cysneiros, Vinicius C; Bonazza, Marcelo; Sanquetta, Carlos R

2017-01-01

The spatial distribution of tropical tree species can affect the consistency of the estimators in commercial forest inventories, therefore, appropriate sampling procedures are required to survey species with different spatial patterns in the Amazon Forest. For this, the present study aims to evaluate the conventional sampling procedures and introduce the adaptive cluster sampling for volumetric inventories of Amazonian tree species, considering the hypotheses that the density, the spatial distribution and the zero-plots affect the consistency of the estimators, and that the adaptive cluster sampling allows to obtain more accurate volumetric estimation. We use data from a census carried out in Jamari National Forest, Brazil, where trees with diameters equal to or higher than 40 cm were measured in 1,355 plots. Species with different spatial patterns were selected and sampled with simple random sampling, systematic sampling, linear cluster sampling and adaptive cluster sampling, whereby the accuracy of the volumetric estimation and presence of zero-plots were evaluated. The sampling procedures applied to species were affected by the low density of trees and the large number of zero-plots, wherein the adaptive clusters allowed concentrating the sampling effort in plots with trees and, thus, agglutinating more representative samples to estimate the commercial volume.

A Chinese version of the revised Nurses Professional Values Scale: reliability and validity assessment.

PubMed

Lin, Yu-Hua; Wang, Liching Sung

2010-08-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the revised nurses professional values scale (NPVS-R). The convenient sampling method, including senior undergraduate nursing students (n=110) and clinical nurses (n=223), was applied to recruit appropriate samples from southern Taiwan. The revised nurses professional values scale (NPVS-R) was used in this study. Content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and reliability were assessed. The final sample consisted of 286 subjects. three factors were detected in the results, accounting for 60.12% of the explained variance. The first factor was titled professionalism, and included 13 items. The second factor was named caring, and consisted of seven items. Activism was the third factor, which included six items. Overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.90, taken from values for each of the three factors of 0.88, 0.90, and 0.81, respectively. The Chinese version of the NPVS-R can be considered a reliable and valid scale for assigning values that can mark professionalism in Taiwanese nurses. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composition of the crust beneath the Kenya rift

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mooney, W.D.; Christensen, N.I.

1994-01-01

We infer the composition of the crust beneath and on the flanks of the Kenya rift based on a comparison of the KRISP-90 crustal velocity structure with laboratory measurements of compressional-wave velocities of rock samples from Kenya. The rock samples studied, which are representative of the major lithologies exposed in Kenya, include volcanic tuffs and flows (primarily basalts and phonolites), and felsic to intermediate composition gneisses. This comparison indicates that the upper crust (5-12 km depth) consists primarily of quartzo-feldspathic gneisses and schists similar to rocks exposed on the flanks of the rift, whereas the middle crust (12-22 km depth) consists of more mafic, hornblende-rich metamorphic rocks, probably intruded by mafic rocks beneath the rift axis. The lower crust on the flanks of the rift may consist of mafic granulite facies rocks. Along the rift axis, the lower crust varies in thickness from 9 km in the southern rift to only 2-3 km in the north, and has a seismic velocity substantially higher than the samples investigated in this study. The lower crust of the rift probably consists of a crust/mantle mix of high-grade metamorphic rocks, mafic intrusives, and an igneous mafic residuum accreted to the base of the crust during differentiation of a melt derived from the upper mantle. ?? 1994.

Internet Addiction and Its Relationship with Self-Efficacy Level among Al-Hussein Bin Talal University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alrekebat, Amjad Farhan

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the Internet addiction and its relationship to self-efficacy level among Al-Hussein Bin Talal University students. The study sample consisted of 300 female and male students, who were selected randomly. The participants completed a questionnaire that consisted of two scales: Internet addiction which was…

The Impact of Electronic Mind Maps on Students' Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohaidat, Mohammad Mahmoud Talal

2018-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the electronic mind map (IMindMap) on the development of reading comprehension among the ninth grade students in Jordan. The sample of the study consisted of two ninth grade sections from two public schools in Irbid First Directorate during the academic 2016-2017. Each section consisted of (30)…

Note: long-range scanning tunneling microscope for the study of nanostructures on insulating substrates.

PubMed

Molina-Mendoza, Aday J; Rodrigo, José G; Island, Joshua; Burzuri, Enrique; Rubio-Bollinger, Gabino; van der Zant, Herre S J; Agraït, Nicolás

2014-02-01

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a powerful tool for studying the electronic properties at the atomic level, however, it is of relatively small scanning range and the fact that it can only operate on conducting samples prevents its application to study heterogeneous samples consisting of conducting and insulating regions. Here we present a long-range scanning tunneling microscope capable of detecting conducting micro and nanostructures on insulating substrates using a technique based on the capacitance between the tip and the sample and performing STM studies.

A Study of the Relationship between Demographic Factors and Elementary School Teacher Burnout: The Iranian Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazidi, Mohammad; Khoshbakht, Friba; Mahboobe, Alborzi

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between certain demographic factors and elementary school teachers' burnout. The sample consisted of 144 elementary school teachers (98 male and 76 women) selected through cluster random sampling. Data were collected by: (1) Personal Information Form developed by the researchers, and…

Analyzing the Relationship between Positive Psychological Capital and Organizational Commitment of the Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalcin, Sinan

2016-01-01

In this study it was aimed to determine the relationship between teachers' positive psychological capital levels and organisational commitment. The study was conducted as a correlational survey which is one of the quantitative methods. The sample group consists of 244 teachers selected by using random sampling method among 1270 teachers working in…

An Analysis of School Principals' Listening Skills According to Teacher Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yavuz, Mustafa

2010-01-01

This study investigates school principals' listening skills according to teacher feedback in terms of a number of variables. The study is conducted according to a general survey model. The sample consists of 477 elementary, general and vocational secondary school teachers working in Konya, Turkey, in the 2007-2008 education year. The sample was…

Implementation of Structured Inquiry Based Model Learning toward Students' Understanding of Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salim, Kalbin; Tiawa, Dayang Hjh

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is implementation of a structured inquiry learning model in instruction of geometry. The model used is a model with a quasi-experimental study amounted to two classes of samples selected from the population of the ten classes with cluster random sampling technique. Data collection tool consists of a test item…

A Mediation Model of Interparental Collaboration, Parenting Practices, and Child Externalizing Behavior in a Clinical Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kjobli, John; Hagen, Kristine Amlund

2009-01-01

The present study examined maternal and paternal parenting practices as mediators of the link between interparental collaboration and children's externalizing behavior. Parent gender was tested as a moderator of the associations. A clinical sample consisting of 136 children with externalizing problems and their families participated in the study.…

Values--A Study of Teacher and Student Perceptions in Four Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmud, Shamsul H.; Warchal, Judith R.; Masuchi, Ayumi; Ahmed, Rafiq; Schoelmerich, Axel

2009-01-01

The study aimed to assess and compare the values prevalent among the students and teachers of Universities in Bangladesh, Japan, USA and Germany. The sample consisted of 480 students and 236 teachers. The sample included 120 undergraduate students from Japan; 120 undergraduate students from Bangladesh; 120 undergraduate students from USA, and 120…

Effective Teaching Strategies for Predicting Reading Growth in English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melgarejo, Melina

2017-01-01

The goal of the present study was to examine how effective use of teaching strategies predict reading growth among a sample of English Language Learners. The study specifically examined whether the types of teaching strategies that predict growth in decoding skills also predict growth in comprehension skills. The sample consisted of students in…

Gender, Gender Roles Affecting Mate Preferences in Turkish College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gazioglu, A. Esra Ismen

2008-01-01

The subject of this study is gender and gender roles affecting mate preferences. The sample of the study consists of 300 undergraduates and master students. To identify students' gender roles the Sex Role Evaluation Inventory (Bem, 1974) is used. The Question List (Bacanli 2001; Buss et. al., 1990) is applied to the sample group to determine the…

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR FREEZER MAINTENANCE AND TEMPERATURE VERIFICATION FOR SAMPLE INTEGRITY (BCO-L-25.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to ensure suitable temperature maintenance of freezers used for storage of samples. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data retrieval during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the "Border" study. Keywords: freezers; operation.

The National H...

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR EXTRACTION OF PESTICIDES FROM DERMAL WIPE SAMPLES (BCO-L-12.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe procedures for extracting and preparing a dermal wipe sample for GC/MS analysis of pesticides. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data retrieval during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the "Border" study. Keywords: dermal wipe;...

Sampling and measurement protocols for long-term silvicultural studies on the Penobscot Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Justin D. Waskiewicz; Laura S. Kenefic; Nicole S. Rogers; Joshua J. Puhlick; John C. Brissette; Richard J. Dionne

2015-01-01

The U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station has been conducting research on the silviculture of northern conifers on the Penobscot Experimental Forest (PEF) in Maine since 1950. Formal study plans provide guidance and specifications for the experimental treatments, but documentation is also needed to ensure consistency in data collection and sampling protocols....

Geochemical results from stream-water and stream-sediment samples collected in Colorado and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hageman, Philip L.; Todd, Andrew S.; Smith, Kathleen S.; DeWitt, Ed; Zeigler, Mathew P.

2013-01-01

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey are studying the relationship between watershed lithology and stream-water chemistry. As part of this effort, 60 stream-water samples and 43 corresponding stream-sediment samples were collected in 2010 and 2011 from locations in Colorado and New Mexico. Sample sites were selected from small to midsize watersheds composed of a high percentage of one rock type or geologic unit. Stream-water and stream-sediment samples were collected, processed, preserved, and analyzed in a consistent manner. This report releases geochemical data for this phase of the study.

Serum and saliva cortisol relations in adolescents during pregnancy and the early postpartum period.

PubMed

Dorn, L D; Susman, E J

1993-08-15

The purpose of this investigation was to examine: (1) relations between serum and saliva cortisol in adolescents in pregnancy and early postpartum and (2) short-term consistency of serum and saliva cortisol across three samples, 20 minutes apart, as well as the long-term consistency from pregnancy to early postpartum. Pregnant adolescents (n = 40), ages 14 to 19 years, were enrolled in this study. Subjects were seen at 20 weeks gestation or earlier (T1), 34-36 weeks gestation (T2), and 2-3 weeks postpartum (T3). Blood samples were drawn at T1 and T3, at 0, 20, and 40 minutes. Saliva samples were collected across the same 40-minute period at T1, T2, and T3. Spearman rho (rs) correlation coefficients between serum and saliva ranged from 0.72 to 0.77 (T1), and 0.42 to 0.60 (T3) (p < or = 0.05). Short-term consistency between serum cortisol samples was 0.86-0.97 at T1 and 0.60-0.82 at T3. Short-term consistency for saliva cortisol samples was 0.70-0.96 at T1, 0.91-0.95 at T2, and 0.64-0.89 at T3. Long-term consistency (T1 to T3) for serum and saliva cortisol was low. Individual differences as well as dramatic changes in the endocrine environment in pregnancy and the early postpartum period may explain the more moderate serum-saliva correlations in the postpartum period.

The Effect of Using Computer Games on Lower Basic Stage Students' Achievement in English at Al-SALT Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Elaimat, Abeer Rashed

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using computer games on the lower basic stage student's achievement in learning English at Al-SALT Schools. The population of this study consisted of all lower basic stage students in AL-SALT schools during the scholastic year 2011-2012. However, the sample of this study consisted of 88…

Preparation and characterization of the magnetic superconductor EuSr2RuCu2O8-δ (RuEu-1212) by partial melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaki, K.; Kitagawa, N.; Funahashi, S.; Bamba, Y.; Irie, A.

2018-07-01

In this study, fine single crystals of the magnetic superconductor EuSr2RuCu2O8-δ (RuEu-1212) were successfully prepared using the partial melting technique. The obtained single crystals had a cubic shape, which coincides with the results of previous studies of RuGd-1212 single crystals. The single crystals had a typical length of 20-30 μm and the diffraction pattern observed from a sample prepared by partial melting was consistent with patterns of previously reported polycrystalline RuEu-1212 samples. A sample subjected to prolonged sintering, which consisted of a large number of combined micro single crystals prepared by partial melting, exhibited a superconducting transition with Tc-onset of 30.9 K and Tc-zero of 10.5 K.

Statistical classification techniques for engineering and climatic data samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Temple, E. C.; Shipman, J. R.

1981-01-01

Fisher's sample linear discriminant function is modified through an appropriate alteration of the common sample variance-covariance matrix. The alteration consists of adding nonnegative values to the eigenvalues of the sample variance covariance matrix. The desired results of this modification is to increase the number of correct classifications by the new linear discriminant function over Fisher's function. This study is limited to the two-group discriminant problem.

Effect of cryopreservation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) on the variability of an antigen-specific memory B cell ELISpot.

PubMed

Trück, Johannes; Mitchell, Ruth; Thompson, Amber J; Morales-Aza, Begonia; Clutterbuck, Elizabeth A; Kelly, Dominic F; Finn, Adam; Pollard, Andrew J

2014-01-01

The ELISpot assay is used in vaccine studies for the quantification of antigen-specific memory B cells (B(MEM)), and can be performed using cryopreserved samples. The effects of cryopreservation on B(MEM) detection and the consistency of cultured ELISpot assays when performed by different operators or laboratories are unknown. In this study, blood was taken from healthy volunteers, and a cultured ELISpot assay was used to count B(MEM) specific for 2 routine vaccine antigens (diphtheria and tetanus toxoid). Results were assessed for intra- and inter-operator variation, and the effects of cryopreservation. Cryopreserved samples were shipped to a second laboratory in order to assess inter-laboratory variation. B(MEM) frequencies were very strongly correlated when comparing fresh and frozen samples processed by the same operator, and were also very strongly correlated when comparing 2 operators in the same laboratory. Results were slightly less consistent when samples were processed in different laboratories but correlation between the 2 measurements was still very strong. Although cell viability was reduced in some cryopreserved samples due to higher temperatures during transportation, B(MEM) could still be quantified. These results demonstrate the reproducibility of the ELISpot assay across operators and laboratories, and support the use of cryopreserved samples in future B(MEM) studies.

The Level of High-Order Thinking and Its Relation to Quality of Life among Students at Ajloun University College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Rabadi, Wail Minwer; Salem, Rifqa Khleif

2018-01-01

The study was designed to identify the effect of high-order thinking on the quality of life among Ajloun University students. The study used the associative method. The randomly selected sample consisted of 147 students from Ajloun University College. The study used two tools: The two measures were applied to the sample of the current study after…

Solid-state characterization and impurities determination of fluconazol generic products marketed in Morocco

PubMed Central

Bourichi, Houda; Brik, Youness; Hubert, Philipe; Cherrah, Yahia; Bouklouze, Abdelaziz

2012-01-01

In this paper, we report the results of quality control based in physicochemical characterization and impurities determination of three samples of fluconazole drug substances marketed in Morocco. These samples were supplied by different pharmaceuticals companies. The sample A, as the discovered product, was supplied by Pfizer, while samples B and C (generics), were manufactured by two different Indian industries. Solid-state characterization of the three samples was realized with different physicochemical methods as: X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transformation infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry. High performance liquid chromatography was used to quantify the impurities in the different samples. The results from the physicochemical methods cited above, showed difference in polymorph structure of the three drug substances. Sample A consisted in pure polymorph III, sample B consisted in pure polymorph II, sample C consisted in a mixture of fluconazole Form III, form II and the monohydrate. This result was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry. Also it was demonstrated that solvents used during the re-crystallization step were among the origins of these differences in the structure form. On the other hand, the result of the stability study under humidity and temperature showed that fluconazole polymorphic transformation could be owed to the no compliance with the conditions of storage. The HPLC analysis of these compounds showed the presence of specific impurities for each polymorphic form, and a possible relationship could be exist between impurities and crystalline form of fluconazole. PMID:29403776

Effective Children's Rights Education from the Perspectives of Expert Teachers in Children's Rights Education: A Turkish Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Öztürk, Ayse; Dogan, Gülay Özdemir

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate Effective Children's Rights Education (ECRE) from the perspectives of classroom teachers who are experts in children's rights education (TECR). The data were collected through focus group interview method in this research designed as a case study. The sample of the study consists of six qualified…

A Reciprocal Model of Psychographic Attributes Related to Their Learning among Preparatory Year of Undergraduate Students in West Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talafha, Feras

2015-01-01

This study examines the level of psychographic attributes among the preparatory year students enrolled at the University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The study sample consists of 209 students chosen with the help of random sampling and questionnaire survey was employed for data collection. Based on the findings, the entire study variables, which are…

Parenting Styles and Health-Related Behavior in Childhood and Early Adolescence: Results of a Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lohaus, Arnold; Vierhaus, Marc; Ball, Juliane

2009-01-01

This study addresses the development of health-related behavior during childhood and adolescence and the protective influence of an authoritative parenting style. The study is based on two samples followed from Grades 2 through 5 and from Grades 4 through 7. The first sample consisted of 432 second graders with a mean age of 7.9 years at the…

Factorial validity of the Job Expectations Questionnaire in a sample of Mexican workers.

PubMed

Villa-George, Fabiola Itzel; Moreno-Jiménez, Bernardo; Rodríguez-Muñoz, Alfredo; Villalpando Uribe, Jessica

2011-11-01

The aim of this study was to examine the factorial validity of the Job Expectations Questionnaire (Cuestionario de Expectativas Laborales CEL) in a sample of Mexican workers. Following a cross validation approach, two samples were used in the study. The first sample consisted of 380 professionals who mainly performed administrative work in the Health Services in Puebla-Mexico. The second sample comprised 400 health professionals from the Hospital de la Mujer in Puebla-Mexico. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution, accounting for 51.8% of the variance. The results of confirmatory factorial analysis indicate that the three-factor model provided the best fit with the data (CFI = .96, GFI = .95, NNFI = .95, RMSEA = .04), maintaining the structure with 12 items. The reliability of the questionnaire and the diverse subscales showed high internal consistency. Significant correlations were found between job expectations and autonomy, vigor, dedication, and absorption, providing evidence of its construct validity. The evaluation of the psychometric qualities confirms this questionnaire as a valid and specific instrument to measure job expectations.

Reliability of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence in 2 Diverse Samples of Young Children.

PubMed

Barnett, Lisa M; Robinson, Leah E; Webster, E Kipling; Ridgers, Nicola D

2015-08-01

The purpose was to determine the reliability of an instrument designed to assess young children's perceived movement skill competence in 2 diverse samples. A pictorial instrument assessed 12 perceived Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) based on the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd edition. Intra-Class Correlations (ICC) and internal consistency analyses were conducted. Paired sample t tests assessed change in mean perceived skill scores. Bivariate correlations between the intertrial difference and the mean of the trials explored proportional bias. Sample 1 (S1) were culturally diverse Australian children (n = 111; 52% boys) aged 5 to 8 years (mean = 6.4, SD = 1.0) with educated parents. Sample 2 (S2) were racially diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged American children (n = 110; 57% boys) aged 5 to 10 years (mean = 6.8, SD = 1.1). For all children, the internal consistency for 12 FMS was acceptable (S1 = 0.72, 0.75, S2 = 0.66, 0.67). ICCs were higher in S1 (0.73) than S2 (0.50). Mean changes between trials were small. There was little evidence of proportional bias. Lower values in S2 may be due to differences in study demographic and execution. While the instrument demonstrated reliability/internal consistency, further work is recommended in diverse samples.

An Evaluation of Intimate Partner Violence Intervention with Incarcerated Offenders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connors, Angela D.; Mills, Jeremy F.; Gray, Andrew L.

2012-01-01

The following study is an evaluation of the Moderate Intensity Family Violence Prevention Program (MIFVPP). The sample consisted of 298 male federal offenders who participated in the MIFVPP while incarcerated or on release within the community. Participants were assessed pre-, mid-, and postprogram using an assessment battery consisting of…

Phosphorus Concentrations in Stream-Water and Reference Samples - An Assessment of Laboratory Comparability

USGS Publications Warehouse

McHale, Michael R.; McChesney, Dennis

2007-01-01

In 2003, a study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy and precision of 10 laboratories that analyze water-quality samples for phosphorus concentrations in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State. Many environmental studies in this region rely on data from these different laboratories for water-quality analyses, and the data may be used in watershed modeling and management decisions. Therefore, it is important to determine whether the data reported by these laboratories are of comparable accuracy and precision. Each laboratory was sent 12 samples for triplicate analysis for total phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus, and soluble reactive phosphorus. Eight of these laboratories reported results that met comparability criteria for all samples; the remaining two laboratories met comparability criteria for only about half of the analyses. Neither the analytical method used nor the sample concentration ranges appeared to affect the comparability of results. The laboratories whose results were comparable gave consistently comparable results throughout the concentration range analyzed, and the differences among methods did not diminish comparability. All laboratories had high data precision as indicated by sample triplicate results. In addition, the laboratories consistently reported total phosphorus values greater than total dissolved phosphorus values, and total dissolved phosphorus values greater than soluble reactive phosphorus values, as would be expected. The results of this study emphasize the importance of regular laboratory participation in sample-exchange programs.

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTION, STORAGE, AND SHIPMENT OF URINE SAMPLES FOR METALS AND PESTICIDES ANALYSIS (UA-F-20.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to guide the collection, storage, and shipment of urine samples collected. This SOP provides a brief description of sample, collection, preservation, storage, shipping, and custody procedures. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data retri...

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTION, STORAGE, AND SHIPMENT OF BLOOD SAMPLES FOR SELECTED METALS, PESTICIDES, AND VOCS (UA-F-19.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to guide the collection, storage, and shipment of blood samples collected. This SOP provides a brief description of sample collection, preservation, storage, and custody procedures. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data retrieval during...

Information for forest process models: a review of NRS-FIA vegetation measurements

Treesearch

Charles D. Canham; William H. McWilliams

2012-01-01

The Forest and Analysis Program of the Northern Research Station (NRS-FIA) has re-designed Phase 3 measurements and intensified the sample intensity following a study to balance costs, utility, and sample size. The sampling scheme consists of estimating canopy-cover percent for six vegetation growth habits on 24-foot-radius subplots in four height classes and as an...

Comparing undergraduate and community-recruited adult non-gamblers' motives for not gambling: Do they differ?

PubMed

Rash, Christina L; Kim, Hyoun S; Hodgins, David C; McGrath, Daniel S

2018-01-01

The field of gambling studies has extensively focused on isolating risk factors for developing a gambling disorder. Conversely, little attention has been paid to identifying protective factors against gambling disorder among people who choose to not gamble at all. Moreover, the limited number of studies that have focused on non-gamblers have neglected to differentiate current from lifetime non-gamblers. The purpose of the present study was to examine motives for not gambling among a diverse sample of adult lifetime non-gamblers recruited from the community and to compare these motives to an undergraduate student sample of non-gamblers from a previous study. Participants consisted of 219 lifetime non-gamblers (45.2% male) from the United States recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk. The previously recruited sample consisted of Canadian undergraduate students (n=196). Eight distinct categories of motivations for not gambling were identified in the sample of adult community non-gamblers, which corresponded closely with previous findings from the student sample. However, comparisons between the two samples revealed that adult lifetime non-gamblers were more likely to provide financial motives as reasons for not gambling. Whereas, the student sample was more likely to mention disinterest and the influence of others as reasons to avoid gambling. Results suggest that the choice not to gamble among lifetime non-gamblers may reflect a more conscious, values-based decision when compared to undergraduate non-gamblers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutrients and pesticides in ground water of the Ozark Plateaus in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adamski, James C.

1997-01-01

A total of 229 ground-water samples were collected from 215 sites as part of the Ozark Plateaus study unit of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. These samples were collected from 1993 through 1995 using a network of springs and wells with three scale-dependent components. The first component, the study-unit survey, consisted of 99 randomly selected springs and domestic wells in the Springfield Plateau and Ozark aquifers. The second component, two land-use studies, consisted of 42 springs and domestic wells in a poultry-dominated agricultural area and 40 springs and domestic wells in a cattle-dominated agricultural area overlying the Springfield Plateau aquifer. The third component, the small-watershed study, consisted of 4 springs, 18 domestic wells, and 11 monitoring wells in a small basin within the poultry land-use study area. Samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, methylene blue active substances, tritium, and 88 pesticides and metabolites.The water-quality data from these samples were analyzed with descriptive and statistical methods. Nitrite plus nitrate, which was detected more often and in greater concentrations than any of the other nutrients, ranged from less than 0.05 to 25 milligrams per liter as nitrogen. Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations positively correlated to percent agricultural land use around each site. Median nitrite plus nitrate concentrations generally were greater in samples from springs than in samples from wells. Concentrations of nitrite, ammonia, and ammonia plus organic nitrogen were also affected by land use and also by concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the ground water. Concentrations of phosphorus and orthophosphate probably were affected by land use and also by phosphorus solubility. Pesticides were detected in 80 of 229 samples from 73 of 215 sites. A total of 20 pesticides were detected with a maximum of 5 pesticides detected in any 1 sample. The most commonly detected pesticides were tebuthiuron, atrazine, prometon, desethylatrazine, and simazine. Maximum concentrations ranged from 0.003 to 1.0 microgram per liter. The occurrence and distribution of pesticides were related to land use. Percent agricultural land use was greater for samples with pesticides detected than for samples with no pesticides detected. Pesticides were detected more often in samples from springs than in samples from wells. The occurrence of pesticides also was related to seasonality and chemical characteristics, such as solubility and persistence, of the compounds.

Concordance with World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) guidelines for cancer prevention and obesity-related cancer risk in the Framingham Offspring cohort (1991-2008)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Purpose: This prospective cohort study evaluates associations between healthful behaviors consistent with WCRF/AICR cancer prevention guidelines and obesity-related cancer risk, as a third of cancers are estimated to be preventable. Methods: The study sample consisted of adults from the Framingham O...

The Degree of Faculty's Use and Stimulation of Students' Critical Thinking from the Perspective of English Majors at Al-Quds University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naser, Inas Aref Saleh; Nafi, Jamal Subhi Ismail; Arman, Ibrahim Moh'd Abdel-rahman

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the degree of faculty's use and stimulation of critical thinking skills in the English Department at Al-Quds University. To achieve the objective of the study, a questionnaire consisting of 21 items was designed and applied to the study sample, consisting of 95 students in the English Department at Al-Quds…

The family assessment device: an update.

PubMed

Mansfield, Abigail K; Keitner, Gabor I; Dealy, Jennifer

2015-03-01

The current study set out to describe family functioning scores of a contemporary community sample, using the Family Assessment Device (FAD), and to compare this to a currently help-seeking sample. The community sample consisted of 151 families who completed the FAD. The help-seeking sample consisted of 46 families who completed the FAD at their first family therapy appointment as part of their standard care at an outpatient family therapy clinic at an urban hospital. Findings suggest that FAD means from the contemporary community sample indicate satisfaction with family functioning, while FAD scores from the help-seeking sample indicate dissatisfaction with family functioning. In addition, the General Functioning scale of the FAD continues to correlate highly with all other FAD scales, except Behavior Control. The cut-off scores for the FAD indicating satisfaction or dissatisfaction by family members with their family functioning continue to be relevant and the FAD continues to be a useful tool to assess family functioning in both clinical and research contexts. © 2014 Family Process Institute.

Diurnal and Reproductive Stage-Dependent Variation of Parental Behaviour in Captive Zebra Finches

PubMed Central

Morvai, Boglárka; Nanuru, Sabine; Mul, Douwe; Kusche, Nina; Milne, Gregory; Székely, Tamás; Komdeur, Jan; Miklósi, Ádám

2016-01-01

Parental care plays a key role in ontogeny, life-history trade-offs, sexual selection and intra-familial conflict. Studies focusing on understanding causes and consequences of variation in parental effort need to quantify parental behaviour accurately. The applied methods are, however, diverse even for a given species and type of parental effort, and rarely validated for accuracy. Here we focus on variability of parental behaviour from a methodological perspective to investigate the effect of different samplings on various estimates of parental effort. We used nest box cameras in a captive breeding population of zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, a widely used model system of sexual selection, intra-familial dynamics and parental care. We investigated diurnal and reproductive stage-dependent variation in parental effort (including incubation, brooding, nest attendance and number of feedings) based on 12h and 3h continuous video-recordings taken at various reproductive stages. We then investigated whether shorter (1h) sampling periods provided comparable estimates of overall parental effort and division of labour to those of longer (3h) sampling periods. Our study confirmed female-biased division of labour during incubation, and showed that the difference between female and male effort diminishes with advancing reproductive stage. We found individually consistent parental behaviours within given days of incubation and nestling provisioning. Furthermore, parental behaviour was consistent over the different stages of incubation, however, only female brooding was consistent over nestling provisioning. Parental effort during incubation did not predict parental effort during nestling provisioning. Our analyses revealed that 1h sampling may be influenced heavily by stochastic and diurnal variation. We suggest using a single longer sampling period (3h) may provide a consistent and accurate estimate for overall parental effort during incubation in zebra finches. Due to the large within-individual variation, we suggest repeated longer sampling over the reproductive stage may be necessary for accurate estimates of parental effort post-hatching. PMID:27973549

Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0 Applications in Saudi K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bingimlas, Khalid Abdullah

2017-01-01

This study aims to understand teachers' perspectives of the use of Web 2.0 applications in learning and teaching and to explore the barriers to their use. The sample of this study involved teachers from primary, middle, and secondary schools in the Kharj region. The total sample consisted of 352 teachers. A quantitative survey instrument was…

When Teachers Give Up: Teacher Burnout, Teacher Turnover and Their Impact on Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dworkin, Anthony Gary

A large-scale sociological study of teacher burnout in the public schools is summarized. Data presented in the study consist of: a sample of 3,500 teachers in Houston, whose attitudes were monitored in 1977; exit interviews of every teacher in the initial sample who subsequently quit teaching over a 5-year period; achievement and attendance…

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR EXTRACTION OF PESTICIDES FROM DERMAL WIPE SAMPLES (BCO-L-12.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe procedures for extracting and preparing a dermal wipe sample for GC/MS analysis of pesticides. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data retrieval during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Keywords: dermal wipe; p...

Effect of Items Direction (Positive or Negative) on the Factorial Construction and Criterion Related Validity in Likert Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naji Qasem, Mamun Ali; Ahmad Gul, Showkeen Bilal

2014-01-01

The study was conducted to know the effect of items direction (positive or negative) on the factorial construction and criterion related validity in Likert scale. The descriptive survey research method was used for the study and the sample consisted of 510 undergraduate students selected by used random sampling technique. A scale developed by…

Exploring Self-Perceived Growth in a Clinical Sample of Severely Traumatized Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glad, Kristin Alve; Jensen, Tine K.; Holt, Tonje; Ormhaug, Silje Morup

2013-01-01

Objective: The aims of this study were threefold: (1) examine the prevalence of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) among severely traumatized youth, (2) systematically describe the PTG reported, and (3) study the course of PTG from pre- to post-treatment. Method: The sample consisted of 148 severely traumatized Norwegian youth (M age = 15, SD = 2.2, 79.1%…

Population Education in Social Studies: Some Sample Lessons for the Secondary Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific.

This booklet consists of 10 sample lessons integrating population education into the social studies. It is one of four in a series. Materials differ from those in an earlier series (1980) in that lessons are presented at the secondary level only; there is no duplication of lessons from the earlier series in terms of content and teaching…

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II.

PubMed

Robitschek, Christine; Ashton, Matthew W; Spering, Cynthia C; Geiger, Nathaniel; Byers, Danielle; Schotts, G Christian; Thoen, Megan A

2012-04-01

The original Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS; Robitschek, 1998) was unidimensional, despite theory identifying multiple components (e.g., cognition and behavior) of personal growth initiative (PGI). The present research developed a multidimensional measure of the complex process of PGI, while retaining the brief and psychometrically sound properties of the original scale. Study 1 focused on scale development, including theoretical derivation of items, assessing factor structure, reducing number of items, and refining the scale length using samples of college students. Study 2 consisted of confirmatory factor analysis with 3 independent samples of college students and community members. Lastly, Study 3 assessed test-retest reliability over 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-week periods and tests of concurrent and discriminant validity using samples of college students. The final measure, the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II), includes 4 subscales: Readiness for Change, Planfulness, Using Resources, and Intentional Behavior. These studies provide exploratory and confirmatory evidence for the 4-factor structure, strong internal consistency for the subscales and overall score across samples, acceptable temporal stability at all assessed intervals, and concurrent and discriminant validity of the PGIS-II. Future directions for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Performance audits and laboratory comparisons for SCOS97-NARSTO measurements of speciated volatile organic compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, Eric M.; Harshfield, Gregory; Sheetz, Laurence

Performance audits and laboratory comparisons were conducted as part of the quality assurance program for the 1997 Southern California Ozone Study (SCOS97-NARSTO) to document potential measurement biases among laboratories measuring speciated nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), carbonyl compounds, halogenated compounds, and biogenic hydrocarbons. The results show that measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOC) made during SCOS97-NARSTO are generally consistent with specified data quality objectives. The hydrocarbon comparison involved nine laboratories and consisted of two sets of collocated ambient samples. The coefficients of variation among laboratories for the sum of the 55 PAM target compounds and total NMHC ranged from ±5 to 15 percent for ambient samples from Los Angeles and Azusa. Abundant hydrocarbons are consistently identified by all laboratories, but discrepancies occur for olefins greater than C 4 and for hydrocarbons greater than C 8. Laboratory comparisons for halogenated compounds and biogenic hydrocarbons consisted of both concurrent ambient sampling by different laboratories and round-robin analysis of ambient samples. The coefficients of variation among participating laboratories were about 10-20 percent. Performance audits were conducted for measurement of carbonyl compounds involving sampling from a standard mixture of carbonyl compounds. The values reported by most of the laboratories were within 10-20 percent of those of the reference laboratory. Results of field measurement comparisons showed larger variations among the laboratories ranging from 20 to 40 percent for C 1-C 3 carbonyl compounds. The greater variations observed in the field measurement comparison may reflect potential sampling artifacts, which the performance audits did not address.

Prediction and Cross-Situational Consistency of Daily Behavior across Cultures: Testing Trait and Cultural Psychology Perspectives

PubMed Central

Church, A. Timothy; Katigbak, Marcia S.; Reyes, Jose Alberto S.; Salanga, Maria Guadalupe C.; Miramontes, Lilia A.; Adams, Nerissa B.

2008-01-01

Trait and cultural psychology perspectives on the cross-situational consistency of behavior, and the predictive validity of traits, were tested in a daily process study in the United States (N = 68), an individualistic culture, and the Philippines (N = 80), a collectivistic culture. Participants completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and a measure of self-monitoring, then reported their daily behaviors and associated situational contexts for approximately 30 days. Consistent with trait perspectives, the Big Five traits predicted daily behaviors in both cultures, and relative (interindividual) consistency was observed across many, although not all, situational contexts. The frequency of various Big Five behaviors varied across relevant situational contexts in both cultures and, consistent with cultural psychology perspectives, there was a tendency for Filipinos to exhibit greater situational variability than Americans. Self-monitoring showed some ability to account for individual differences in situational variability in the American sample, but not the Filipino sample. PMID:22146866

The Effects of the First Part of the CoRT Program for Teaching Thinking (BREADTH) on the Development of Communication Skills among a Sample of Students from Al al-Bayt University in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alshurman, Wael Mohammad

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the first part of the CoRT program for teaching thinking (BREADTH) on the development of communication skills among a sample of students from Al al-Bayt University in Jordan. The study sample consisted of all the students enrolled in the training session for the first part of the CoRT program held by…

Timescales alter the inferred strength and temporal consistency of intraspecific diet specialization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Novak, Mark; Tinker, M. Tim

2015-01-01

Many populations consist of individuals that differ substantially in their diets. Quantification of the magnitude and temporal consistency of such intraspecific diet variation is needed to understand its importance, but the extent to which different approaches for doing so reflect instantaneous vs. time-aggregated measures of individual diets may bias inferences. We used direct observations of sea otter individuals (Enhydra lutris nereis) to assess how: (1) the timescale of sampling, (2) under-sampling, and (3) the incidence- vs. frequency-based consideration of prey species affect the inferred strength and consistency of intraspecific diet variation. Analyses of feeding observations aggregated over hourly to annual intervals revealed a substantial bias associated with time aggregation that decreases the inferred magnitude of specialization and increases the inferred consistency of individuals’ diets. Time aggregation also made estimates of specialization more sensitive to the consideration of prey frequency, which decreased estimates relative to the use of prey incidence; time aggregation did not affect the extent to which under-sampling contributed to its overestimation. Our analyses demonstrate the importance of studying intraspecific diet variation with an explicit consideration of time and thereby suggest guidelines for future empirical efforts. Failure to consider time will likely produce inconsistent predictions regarding the effects of intraspecific variation on predator–prey interactions.

Consistency of Teacher-Reported Problems for Students in 21 Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rescorla, Leslie A.; Achenbach, Thomas M.; Ginzburg, Sofia; Ivanova, Masha; Dumenci, Levent; Almqvist, Fredrik; Bathiche, Marie; Bilenberg, Niels; Bird, Hector; Domuta, Anca; Erol, Nese; Fombonne, Eric; Fonseca, Antonio; Frigerio, Alessandra; Kanbayashi, Yasuko; Lambert, Michael C.; Liu, Xianchen; Leung, Patrick; Minaei, Asghar; Roussos, Alexandra; Simsek, Zeynep; Weintraub, Sheila; Weisz, John; Wolanczyk, Tomasz; Zubrick, Stephen R.; Zukauskiene, Rita; Verhulst, Frank

2007-01-01

This study compared teachers' ratings of behavioral and emotional problems on the Teacher's Report Form for general population samples in 21 countries (N = 30,957). Correlations between internal consistency coefficients in different countries averaged 0.90. Effects of country on scale scores ranged from 3% to 13%. Gender effects ranged from less…

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Cultural Beliefs about Adversity Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Janet T. Y.; Shek, Daniel T. L.

2013-01-01

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese Cultural Beliefs about Adversity scale (CBA). Methods: The CBA was administered in a sample of 275 Chinese parents experiencing economic disadvantage. Results: The CBA was found to be internally consistent. Consistent with the conceptual framework, factor…

Longitudinal Consistency of Adolescent Ethnic Identification across Varying School Ethnic Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nishina, Adrienne; Bellmore, Amy; Witkow, Melissa R.; Nylund-Gibson, Karen

2010-01-01

The present study examined consistency and inconsistency in adolescents' ethnic identification (i.e., self-reported ethnicity) across the 6 middle-school semesters. The sample (N = 1,589, of whom 46% were boys and 54% were girls) included African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Caucasian/White, Latino/Latina, Mexican/Mexican American, and…

Dense home-based recordings reveal typical and atypical development of tense/aspect in a child with delayed language development.

PubMed

Chin, Iris; Goodwin, Matthew S; Vosoughi, Soroush; Roy, Deb; Naigles, Letitia R

2018-01-01

Studies investigating the development of tense/aspect in children with developmental disorders have focused on production frequency and/or relied on short spontaneous speech samples. How children with developmental disorders use future forms/constructions is also unknown. The current study expands this literature by examining frequency, consistency, and productivity of past, present, and future usage, using the Speechome Recorder, which enables collection of dense, longitudinal audio-video recordings of children's speech. Samples were collected longitudinally in a child who was previously diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, but at the time of the study exhibited only language delay [Audrey], and a typically developing child [Cleo]. While Audrey was comparable to Cleo in frequency and productivity of tense/aspect use, she was atypical in her consistency and production of an unattested future form. Examining additional measures of densely collected speech samples may reveal subtle atypicalities that are missed when relying on only few typical measures of acquisition.

Absolute Thickness Measurements on Coatings Without Prior Knowledge of Material Properties Using Terahertz Energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, Don J.; Cosgriff, Laura M.; Harder, Bryan; Zhu, Dongming; Martin, Richard E.

2013-01-01

This study investigates the applicability of a novel noncontact single-sided terahertz electromagnetic measurement method for measuring thickness in dielectric coating systems having either dielectric or conductive substrate materials. The method does not require knowledge of the velocity of terahertz waves in the coating material. The dielectric coatings ranged from approximately 300 to 1400 m in thickness. First, the terahertz method was validated on a bulk dielectric sample to determine its ability to precisely measure thickness and density variation. Then, the method was studied on simulated coating systems. One simulated coating consisted of layered thin paper samples of varying thicknesses on a ceramic substrate. Another simulated coating system consisted of adhesive-backed Teflon adhered to conducting and dielectric substrates. Alumina samples that were coated with a ceramic adhesive layer were also investigated. Finally, the method was studied for thickness measurement of actual thermal barrier coatings (TBC) on ceramic substrates. The unique aspects and limitations of this method for thickness measurements are discussed.

Factor Structure, Internal Consistency, and Screening Sensitivity of the GARS-2 in a Developmental Disabilities Sample

PubMed Central

Volker, Martin A.; Dua, Elissa H.; Lopata, Christopher; Thomeer, Marcus L.; Toomey, Jennifer A.; Smerbeck, Audrey M.; Rodgers, Jonathan D.; Popkin, Joshua R.; Nelson, Andrew T.; Lee, Gloria K.

2016-01-01

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2) is a widely used screening instrument that assists in the identification and diagnosis of autism. The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and screening sensitivity of the GARS-2 using ratings from special education teaching staff for a sample of 240 individuals with autism or other significant developmental disabilities. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a correlated three-factor solution similar to that found in 2005 by Lecavalier for the original GARS. Though the three factors appeared to be reasonably consistent with the intended constructs of the three GARS-2 subscales, the analysis indicated that more than a third of the GARS-2 items were assigned to the wrong subscale. Internal consistency estimates met or exceeded standards for screening and were generally higher than those in previous studies. Screening sensitivity was .65 and specificity was .81 for the Autism Index using a cut score of 85. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for instrument revision. PMID:26981279

The daily spiritual experiences scale and well-being: demographic comparisons and scale validation with older jewish adults and a diverse internet sample.

PubMed

Kalkstein, Solomon; Tower, Roni Beth

2009-12-01

A substantive literature connects spirituality to positive physical, social, and mental health. In this study, the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) was administered to 410 subjects who participated in a community study and to 87 residents at the Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale (HHAR), the latter sample consisting primarily of older Jewish respondents. Internal consistency of the DSES in both samples was high and exploratory factor analyses revealed one dominant factor and a second factor, which included 14 and 2 items, respectively, consistent with the scale's original validation (Underwood and Teresi 2002). Demographic subgroup comparison among religious groups revealed significantly fewer daily spiritual experiences among Jews, and lowest scores among those respondents endorsing no religious affiliation. Women exhibited more frequent daily experience than men, and attainment of higher levels of education was associated with less frequent daily spiritual experience. All but one of the outcome measures of physical and psychologic well-being were found to be positively associated with the DSES so that more frequent daily spiritual experience correlated with less psychopathology, more close friendships, and better self-rated health. Directions for future research, study interpretation and limitations, and clinical implications for use of the DSES are discussed.

Depression and Racial/Ethnic Variations within a Diverse Nontraditional College Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Richard; Towey, James; Shinar, Ori

2008-01-01

The study's objective was to ascertain whether rates of depression were significantly higher for Dominican, Puerto Rican, South and Central American and Jamaican/Haitian students than for African American and White students. The sample consisted of 987 predominantly nontraditional college students. The depression rate for Dominican students was…

Comparison of room temperature and cyrogenic sample processing in the analysis of chemical contaminants in foods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this study, analytical results were compared when using different approaches to bulk food sample comminution, consisting of a vertical chopper (Blixer) at room temperature and at dry ice cryogenic conditions, followed by further subsample processing (20 g) using liquid nitrogen cryogenic conditio...

Depressive Symptoms and Mental Health Treatment in an Ethnoracially Diverse College Student Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Steve; Archambeau, Olga G.; Deliramich, Aimee N.; Kim, Bryan S. K.; Chiu, Pearl H.; Frueh, B. Christopher

2011-01-01

Objectives: To study (a) the prevalence of depressive symptoms and (b) the utilization of mental health treatment in an ethnoracially diverse sample consisting primarily of Asian Americans, European Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Participants: Five hundred eighty-nine college students. Method: A questionnaire packet that…

Control Variate Estimators of Survivor Growth from Point Samples

Treesearch

Francis A. Roesch; Paul C. van Deusen

1993-01-01

Two estimators of the control variate type for survivor growth from remeasured point samples are proposed and compared with more familiar estimators. The large reductionsin variance, observed in many cases forestimators constructed with control variates, arealso realized in thisapplication. A simulation study yielded consistent reductions in variance which were often...

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR EXTRACTION OF AIR SAMPLES FOR GC/MS ANALYSIS OF PESTICIDE AND PAH (BCO-L-27.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe methods for extracting and preparing an air sample consisting of a quartz fiber filter (Pallflex) and an XAD-2 cartridge for analysis of pesticides and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). It covers the preparation of samples that are to be an...

Soil properties of crocker formation and its influence on slope instability along the Ranau-Tambunan highway, Sabah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azlan, Noran Nabilla Nor; Simon, Norbert; Hussin, Azimah; Roslee, Rodeano

2016-11-01

The Crocker formation on the study area consists of an inter-bedded shale and sandstone. The intense deformation and discontinuity on sandstone and shale beds of the arenaceous Crocker Formation makes them easily exposed to weathering and instability. In this study, a total of 15 selected slopes representing highly weathered material of stable and unstable conditions were studied to identify the characteristics of soil material on both conditions and how these characteristics will lead to instability. Physical properties analysis of soil material were conducted on 5 samples from stable slopes and 10 samples from failed slopes collected along the Ranau-Tambunan highway (RTM), Sabah. The analysis shows that the Crocker Formation consists mainly of poorly graded materials of sandy SILT with low plasticity (MLS) and PI value ranges from 1%-14. The failures materials are largely consist of low water content (0.94%-2.03%), higher finer texture material (11%-71%), intermediate liquid limit (21%-44%) and low plastic limit (20%-30%) while stable material consist of low water content (1.25%-1.80%), higher coarser texture material (43%-78%), low liquid limit (25%-28%) and low plastic limit (22%-25%). Specific gravity shows a ranges value of 2.24-2.60 for both slope conditions. The clay content in failed slope samples exhibit a slightly higher percentage of clay indicating a higher plasticity value compared to stable slopes. Statistical analysis was carried out to examine the association between landslide occurrences with soil physical properties in both stable and unstable slopes. The significant of both slope condition properties association to landslide occurrences was determined by mean rank differences. The study reveals that the grain size and plasticity of soil have contributed largely to slope instability in the study area.

Natural Radioactivity of Boron Added Clay Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akkurt, I.; ćanakciı, H.; Mavi, B.; Günoǧlu, K.

2011-12-01

Clay, consisting fine-grained minerals, is an interesting materials and can be used in a variety of diferent fields especially in dermatology application. Using clay such a field it is important to measure its natural radioacitivty. Thus the purpose of this study is to measure 226Ra, 232Th and 40K concentration in clay samples enriched with boron. Three different types of clay samples were prepared where boron is used in different rate. The measurements have been determined using a gamma-ray spectrometry consists of a 3″×3″ NaI(Tl) detector. From the measured activity the radium equivalent activities (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), absorbed dose rate in air (D) and annual effective dose (AED) have also been obtained.

Consistency of Factor Structure on the Semantic Differential: An Analysis of Three Adult Samples.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherry, David L.; Piotrowski, Chris

1986-01-01

The consistency of factor structure of Osgood's semantic differential was examined in three different adult samples, aged 18 to 87. Three different concepts were used: the University of West Florida, Myself, and Death. Results indicated consistency for the evaluation factor and moderate consistency for potency and activity. (Author/GDC)

The Perceptions of King Abdullah II School for Excellence Teachers about the Importance of Using Flipped Learning for the Development of Students' Reflective Thinking in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Yousef, Mohammed Bader; Naanah, Ibrahim Ali; Al Khazam, Awad Mufleh

2018-01-01

The study aims to reveal the perceptions of King Abdullah II School for Excellence teachers about the importance of using flipped learning in developing the reflective thinking of their students in Jordan. The population of the study consists of 227 male and female teachers. The sample of the study consists of 180 teachers: 87 males and 93 females…

[The comparative study of specificity of test-systems in diagnostic of HIV-infection on categories of samples of blood serum of pregnant women].

PubMed

Sharipova, I N; Khodak, N M; Puzirev, V F; Burkov, A N; Ulanova, T I

2015-03-01

The detection of false positive serological reactions (FPSR) on HIV-infection under screening examination of pregnant women is an actual problem of practical health care. The original observations testify that under analysis of the same samples of blood serum of pregnant women using screening immune enzyme test-systems of various manufacturers the unmatched data concerning FPSR can be obtained. The purpose of this study was to implement comparative evaluation of specificity of immune enzyme test-systems of three different manufacturers: "DS-IFA-HIV-AGAT-SCREEN" ("Diagnostic Systems"), "Genscreen Ultra HIV Ag-Ab" "Bio Rad" France) and "The CombiBest HIV-1,2 AG/AT" ("Vector-Best" Novosibirsk). The sampling of 440 samples of blood serums of pregnant women from various medical institutions of Nizhnii Novgorod was analyzed. The results of the study demonstrated that FPSR were detected in all test-systems and at that spectrum of samples differed. The identical specificity of compared test-systems amounted to 98.64%. The alternative approach to FPSR to HIV issue under screening examinations of pregnant women was proposed. The proposed mode consisted of consistent application of two test-systems of fourth generation with different format of setup of reaction.

An indirect method of studying band alignments in nBn photodetectors using off-axis electron holography

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

Shen, Xiao-Meng, E-mail: xiaomeng.shen@asu.edu; Center for Photonics Innovation, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287; He, Zhao-Yu

2015-09-21

Mid-wave and long-wave infrared nBn photodetectors with absorbers consisting of InAs/InAsSb superlattices and barriers consisting of InAs/AlGaSb(As) superlattices were grown using molecular beam epitaxy. High-resolution X-ray diffraction showing significant differences in Ga composition in the barrier layer, and different dark current behavior at 77 K, suggested the possibility of different types of band alignments between the barrier layer and the absorber for the mid- and long-wave infrared samples. Examination of the barrier layers using off-axis electron holography showed the presence of positive charge with an estimated density of 1.8 × 10{sup 17}/cm{sup 3} in the mid-wave sample as a result of a type-IImore » band alignment, whereas negligible charge was detected in the long-wave sample, consistent with a type-I band alignment.« less

A Study of the Predictive Validity of the Children's Depression Inventory for Major Depression Disorder in Puerto Rican Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivera-Medina, Carmen L.; Bernal, Guillermo; Rossello, Jeannette; Cumba-Aviles, Eduardo

2010-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the predictive validity of the Children's Depression Inventory items for major depression disorder (MDD) in an outpatient clinic sample of Puerto Rican adolescents. The sample consisted of 130 adolescents, 13 to 18 years old. The five most frequent symptoms of the Children's Depression Inventory that best predict the…

Psychometric Properties of the Beck Scale for Depression (Beck Depression Inventory BDI-II)--A Study on a Sample of Students in the State of Kuwait Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahem, Ahmed Mohammed Faleh

2016-01-01

The study aimed to identify the psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) the Arabized version by Gharib (2000); the study sample consisted of 500 male and female students from the Kuwaiti universities by 250 males and 250 females on whom the BDI-II scale was applied twice; the psychometric characteristics such as the…

[Development of the unexpected reality scale for childcare training].

PubMed

Matsuda, Yuko; Shitara, Saeko; Hamada, Shoko

2016-10-01

This study aimed to develop a scale for unexpected reality for childcare training (Study 1) and examine the change and influence it exerts on the efficacy of preschool teachers (Study 2). In Study 1, the sample consisted of 571 university and junior college students enrolled in a childcare course. After exploratory factor analysis, four factors were extracted: “actual feelings for childcare as a field of study,” “difficulties faced during involvement with children,” “negative aspects of the childcare worker,” and “severity of work.” The study’s scale was shown to be internally consistent and valid. In Study 2, the sample consisted of 122 junior college students enrolled in a childcare course. The results showed that the high-scoring groups of each unexpected reality subscales experienced less unexpected reality in the subsequent training session. Moreover, the results of multiple regression showed that preschool teacher efficacy was predicted positively by “actual feelings for childcare as a field of study” and negatively by “difficulties faced during involvement with children.” Thus, we suggest that for effective pre- and post-guidance of childcare training, unexpected realities should be considered.

Psychometric properties of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) and its short-form (GAI-SF) in a clinical and non-clinical sample of older adults.

PubMed

Johnco, Carly; Knight, Ashleigh; Tadic, Dusanka; Wuthrich, Viviana M

2015-07-01

The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory is a 20-item geriatric-specific measure of anxiety severity. While studies suggest good internal consistency and convergent validity, divergent validity from measures of depression are weak. Clinical cutoffs have been developed that vary across studies due to the small clinical samples used. A six-item short form (GAI-SF) has been developed, and while this scale is promising, the research assessing the psychometrics of this scale is limited. This study examined the psychometric properties of GAI and GAI-SF in a large sample of 197 clinical geriatric participants with a comorbid anxiety and unipolar mood disorder, and a non-clinical control sample (N = 59). The internal consistency and convergent validity with other measures of anxiety was adequate for GAI and GAI-SF. Divergent validity from depressive symptoms was good in the clinical sample but weak in the total and non-clinical samples. Divergent validity from cognitive functioning was good in all samples. The one-factor structure was replicated for both measures. Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses indicated that the GAI is more accurate at identifying clinical status than the GAI-SF, although the sensitivity and specificity for the recommended cutoffs was adequate for both measures. Both GAI and GAI-SF show good psychometric properties for identifying geriatric anxiety. The GAI-SF may be a useful alternative screening measure for identifying anxiety in older adults.

The Association between Insomnia Severity and Healthcare and Productivity Costs in a Health Plan Sample

PubMed Central

Sarsour, Khaled; Kalsekar, Anupama; Swindle, Ralph; Foley, Kathleen; Walsh, James K.

2011-01-01

Study Objectives: Insomnia is a chronic condition with significant burden on health care and productivity costs. Despite this recognized burden, very few studies have examined associations between insomnia severity and healthcare and productivity costs. Design: A retrospective study linking health claims data with a telephone survey of members of a health plan in the Midwestern region of the United States. Participants: The total healthcare costs study sample consisted of 2086 health plan members who completed the survey and who had complete health claims data. The productivity costs sample consisted of 1329 health plan members who worked for pay—a subset of the total healthcare costs sample. Measurements: Subjects' age, gender, demographic variables, comorbidities, and total health care costs were ascertained using health claims. Insomnia severity and lost productivity related variables were assessed using telephone interview. Results: Compared with the no insomnia group, mean total healthcare costs were 75% larger in the group with moderate and severe insomnia ($1323 vs. $757, P < 0.05). Compared with the no insomnia group, mean lost productivity costs were 72% larger in the moderate and severe insomnia group ($1739 vs. $1013, P < 0.001). Chronic medical comorbidities and psychiatric comorbidities were positively associated with health care cost. In contrast, psychiatric comorbidities were associated with lost productivity; while, medical comorbidities were not associated with lost productivity. Conclusions: Health care and lost productivity costs were consistently found to be greater in moderate and severe insomniacs compared with non-insomniacs. Factors associated with lost productivity and health care costs may be fundamentally different and may require different kinds of interventions. Future studies should focus on better understanding mechanisms linking insomnia to healthcare and productivity costs and to understanding whether developing targeted interventions will reduce these costs. Citation: Sarsour K; Kalsekar A; Swindle R; Foley K; Walsh JK. The association between insomnia severity and healthcare and productivity costs in a health plan sample. SLEEP 2011;34(4):443-450. PMID:21461322

Self-stigma and the intention to seek psychological help online compared to face-to-face.

PubMed

Wallin, Emma; Maathz, Pernilla; Parling, Thomas; Hursti, Timo

2018-07-01

The present study aims to investigate the impact of help-seeking self-stigma on the preference and intention to seek psychological treatment delivered online compared to face-to-face. This study uses survey data from two Swedish samples. Sample 1 consists of 267 students (78.7% women) with a mean age of 24.5 (SD = 6.1). Sample 2 consists of 195 primary care patients (56.9% women) with a mean age of 45.3 (SD = 17.7). The number of participants who preferred online treatment was higher if seeking psychological help for a perceived stigmatized problem compared to mental health problems in general. The odds ratios for choosing treatment online over face-to-face were 6.41, 95% CI [4.05, 10.14] in Sample 1 and 11.19, 95% CI [5.29, 23.67] in Sample 2. In addition, findings suggest that higher levels of help-seeking self-stigma predicted higher intention to seek treatment online compared to face-to-face. Our results suggest that online interventions may facilitate help-seeking among individuals deterred by stigma. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Intestinal parasitic diseases in children].

PubMed

Mare, Anca; Man, A; Toma, Felicia; Székely, Edit; Lôrinczi, Lilla; Sipoş, Anca

2007-01-01

To compare the incidence of intestinal parasitosis between children with residence in urban and rural areas: to compare the efficacy of parasitologic diagnostic methods. In our study we included two lots of children. The first lot consisted in 74 children from rural areas from which we collected 44 samples of feces and 55 samples for the "Scotch tape" test. The second lot consisted in 214 children from urban areas from which we collected 44 samples of feces. We examined each sample of feces by three different methods. The study was performed between April to June 2006. The incidence of intestinal parasitosis increases in children from urban areas towards rural areas, and in children between 5 and 10 years. Ascariasis is the most frequent disease in both urban and rural areas. By examination of each fecal sample by three different methods, the number of positive cases increased. The residence in rural areas and age between 5 to 10 years are risk factors for intestinal parasitosis. The "Scotch tape" test was more efficient in Enterobius vermicularis infection than the methods performed from feces. We recommend using at the same time three diagnostic methods for feces examination to improve the diagnostic sensibility.

Profiles of behavioral problems in children who witness domestic violence.

PubMed

Spilsbury, James C; Kahana, Shoshana; Drotar, Dennis; Creeden, Rosemary; Flannery, Daniel J; Friedman, Steve

2008-01-01

Unlike previous investigations of shelter-based samples, our study examined whether profiles of adjustment problems occurred in a community-program-based sample of 175 school-aged children exposed to domestic violence. Cluster analysis revealed three stable profiles/clusters. The largest cluster (69%) consisted of children below clinical thresholds for any internalizing or externalizing problem. Children in the next largest cluster (18%) were characterized as having externalizing problems with or without internalizing problems. The smallest cluster (13%) consisted of children with internalizing problems only. Comparison across demographic and violence characteristics revealed that the profiles differed by child gender, mother's education, child's lifetime exposure to violence, and aspects of the event precipitating contact with the community program. Clinical and future research implications of study findings are discussed.

NHEXAS PHASE I MARYLAND STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

The National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) is a federal interagency research effort coordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD). Phase I consists of demonstration/scoping studies using probability-based sampling ...

The Influence of Religious Awareness Program in Scaling down Death Anxiety among Children Sample in Late Childhood Stage; 9-12 Years Old in Al Shobak Province

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Mohtadi, Reham Mohammad; Al-Msubheen, Moonerh Mheel

2017-01-01

This study drives at identifying the influence of religious awareness program in scaling down the death anxiety among sample consisted of (50) students; (30) males and (20) females, at the late childhood stage. The sample distributed randomly into (25) students representing main group and (25) students as experimental group. Religious Awareness…

Interlaboratory study of DNA extraction from multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR, and multiplex qualitative PCR for individual kernel detection system of genetically modified maize.

PubMed

Akiyama, Hiroshi; Sakata, Kozue; Makiyma, Daiki; Nakamura, Kosuke; Teshima, Reiko; Nakashima, Akie; Ogawa, Asako; Yamagishi, Toru; Futo, Satoshi; Oguchi, Taichi; Mano, Junichi; Kitta, Kazumi

2011-01-01

In many countries, the labeling of grains, feed, and foodstuff is mandatory if the genetically modified (GM) organism content exceeds a certain level of approved GM varieties. We previously developed an individual kernel detection system consisting of grinding individual kernels, DNA extraction from the individually ground kernels, GM detection using multiplex real-time PCR, and GM event detection using multiplex qualitative PCR to analyze the precise commingling level and varieties of GM maize in real sample grains. We performed the interlaboratory study of the DNA extraction with multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR detection, and multiplex qualitative PCR detection to evaluate its applicability, practicality, and ruggedness for the individual kernel detection system of GM maize. DNA extraction with multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR, and multiplex qualitative PCR were evaluated by five laboratories in Japan, and all results from these laboratories were consistent with the expected results in terms of the commingling level and event analysis. Thus, the DNA extraction with multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR, and multiplex qualitative PCR for the individual kernel detection system is applicable and practicable in a laboratory to regulate the commingling level of GM maize grain for GM samples, including stacked GM maize.

The Teenage Nonviolence Test: Internal Consistency and Stability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayton, Daniel M., II; Weedman, Jonathon; Sonnen, Jennifer; Grubb, Celeste; Hirose, Masa

This research study was designed to establish the reliability of the Teenage Nonviolence Test (TNT). The consistency and factor structure of the TNT using a sample of 376 adolescents were evaluated. The stability of the TNT was assessed over time by administering the TNT twice with a two week intervening interval to 87 adolescents. The TNT appears…

Estimating True Short-Term Consistency in Vocational Interests: A Longitudinal SEM Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaudron, Jean-Philippe; Vautier, Stephane

2007-01-01

This study aimed at estimating the correlation between true scores (true consistency) of vocational interest over a short time span in a sample of 1089 adults. Participants were administered 54 items assessing vocational, family, and leisure interests twice over a 1-month period. Responses were analyzed with a multitrait (MT) model, which supposes…

Student Teachers' Experiences of Teaching Practice at Open and Distance Learning Institution in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mokoena, Sello

2017-01-01

This small-scale study focused on the experiences of student teachers towards teaching practice in an open and distance learning (ODL) institution in South Africa. The sample consisted of 65 fourth year students enrolled for Bachelor of Education, specializing in secondary school teaching. The mixed-method research design consisting of…

Establishing Interpretive Consistency When Mixing Approaches: Role of Sampling Designs in Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Kathleen M. T.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

2013-01-01

The goal of this chapter is to recommend quality criteria to guide evaluators' selections of sampling designs when mixing approaches. First, we contextualize our discussion of quality criteria and sampling designs by discussing the concept of interpretive consistency and how it impacts sampling decisions. Embedded in this discussion are…

Consistency Study About Critical Thinking Skill of PGSD Students (Teacher Candidate of Elementary School) on Energy Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijayanti, M. D.; Raharjo, S. B.; Saputro, S.; Mulyani, S.

2017-09-01

This study aims to examine the consistency of critical thinking ability of PGSD students in Energy material. The study population is PGSD students in UNS Surakarta. Samples are using cluster random sampling technique obtained by 101 students. Consistency of student’s response in knowing the critical thinking ability of PGSD students can be used as a benchmark of PGSD students’ understanding to see the equivalence of IPA problem, especially in energy material presented with various phenomena. This research uses descriptive method. Data are obtained through questionnaires and interviews. The research results that the average level of critical thinking in this study is divided into 3 levels, i.e.: level 1 (54.85%), level 2 (19.93%), and level 3 (25.23%). The data of the research result affect to the weak of students’ Energy materials’ understanding. In addition, indicators identify that assumptions and arguments analysis are also still low. Ideally, the consistency of critical thinking ability as a whole has an impact on the expansion of students’ conceptual understanding. The results of the study may become a reference to improve the subsequent research in order to obtain positive changes in the ability of critical thinking of students who directly improve the concept of students’ better understanding, especially in energy materials at various real problems occured.

Reliability Generalization of the Psychopathy Checklist Applied in Youthful Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Justin S.; Pulos, Steven; Hogan, Mike; Murry, Francie

2005-01-01

This study examines the average reliability of Hare Psychopathy Checklists (PCLs) adapted for use in samples of youthful offenders (aged 12 to 21 years). Two forms of reliability are examined: 18 alpha estimates of internal consistency and 18 intraclass correlation (two or more raters) estimates of interrater reliability. The results, an average…

Relationship Status, Psychological Orientation, and Sexual Risk Taking in a Heterosexual African American College Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winfield, Evelyn B.; Whaley, Arthur L.

2005-01-01

The present study examined relationship status, psychological orientation toward sexual risk taking, and other characteristics as potential correlates of risky sexual behavior in a sample of 223 heterosexual African American college students. Risky sexual behavior was investigated as a multinomial variable (i.e., abstinence, consistent condom use,…

Comparison between Rinse and Crush-and-Rub Sampling for Aerobic Bacteria Recovery from Hatching Eggs after Sanitization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study compared surface and deep eggshell aerobic bacteria recovered by rinse and crush-and-rub sampling methods for commercial hatching eggs after treatments with sanitizers. Eggs were arranged into 5 treatments consisting of three sanitizers, Water, and No-treatment. Sanitizers were Hydrogen...

Comparison between rinse and crush-and-rub sampling for aerobic bacteria recovery from broiler hatching eggs after sanitization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study compared surface and deep eggshell aerobic bacteria recovered by rinse and crush-and-rub sampling methods for commercial hatching eggs after treatment with sanitizers. Eggs were arranged into 5 treatments consisting of No-treatment, Water, and three sanitizers. Sanitizers were Hydrogen ...

Order in the Home: Family Routines Moderate the Impact of Financial Hardship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budescu, Mia; Taylor, Ronald D.

2013-01-01

The study examined whether frequency of adolescent reported family routines moderated the relation between caregivers' perceptions of financial resources and adolescents' behavioral and academic outcomes among a sample of inner-city African American families. The sample consisted of 115 adolescents (average age = 15.95) and their female caregivers…

Spanish Validation of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orgiles, Mireia; Mendez, Xavier; Spence, Susan H.; Huedo-Medina, Tania B.; Espada, Jose P.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) in a sample of 1,708 Spanish children aged between 8 and 12 years. The SCAS was demonstrated to have satisfactory internal consistency with the Spanish sample, and factor analysis confirmed the six-factor…

Academic Optimism and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour amongst Secondary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makvandi, Abdollah; Naderi, Farah; Makvandi, Behnam; Pasha, Reza; Ehteshamzadeh, Parvin

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the simple and multiple relationships between academic optimism and organizational-citizenship behavior amongst high school teachers in Ramhormoz, Iran. The sample consisted of 250 (125 female and 125 male) teachers, selected by stratified random sampling in 2016- 2017. The measurement tools included…

Rate of Information-Processing as a Variable of Critical Reading.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Voorhees, Sylvia Nash

This study investigated the relationship between rate of information processing and critical reading and the anciallary effect of anxiety on the two variables. A tenth grade sample, consisting of 52 fast readers and 52 slow readers, was identified. All subjects in the sample had intelligence quotients of 120 or higher and vocabulary and…

Relationship between English Learning Motivation Types and Self-Identity Changes among Chinese Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yihong, Gao; Yuan, Zhao; Ying, Cheng; Yan, Zhou

2007-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between English learning motivation types and self-identity changes among university students in the People's Republic of China. The sample obtained from a stratified sampling consisted of 2,278 undergraduates from 30 universities in 29 regions. The instrument was a Likert-scale questionnaire which included…

Reported Childhood Sexual Abuse and Eating-Disordered Cognitions and Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Gerko, K.; Hughes, M.L.; Hamill, M.; Waller, G.

2005-01-01

Objective:: This study assessed links between reported childhood sexual abuse and a range of eating behaviors and attitudes, among a large sample of eating-disordered women. It tested the hypothesis that there will be links to bulimic behaviors and body dissatisfaction, rather than restriction. Method:: The sample consisted of 299 women, meeting…

Effects of Php Gene-Associated versus Induced Resistance to Tobacco Cyst Nematode in Flue-Cured Tobacco

PubMed Central

Johnson, Charles S.; Eisenback, Jon D.

2009-01-01

Effects of the systemic acquired resistance (SAR)-inducing compound acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) and the plant-growth promoting rhizobacterial mixture Bacillus subtilis A13 and B. amyloliquefaciens IN937a (GB99+GB122) were assessed on the reproduction of a tobacco cyst nematode (TCN- Globodera tabacum solanacearum) under greenhouse conditions. Two sets of two independent experiments were conducted, each involving soil or root sampling. Soil sample experiments included flue-cured tobacco cultivars with (Php+: NC71 and NC102) and without (Php-: K326 and K346) a gene (Php) suppressing TCN parasitism. Root sample experiments examined TCN root parasitism of NC71 and K326. Cultivars possessing the Php gene (Php+) were compared with Php- cultivars to assess the effects of resistance mediated via Php gene vs. induced resistance to TCN. GB99+GB122 consistently reduced nematode reproductive ratio on both Php+ and Php- cultivars, but similar effects of ASM across Php- cultivars were less consistent. In addition, ASM application resulted in leaf yellowing and reduced root weight. GB99+GB122 consistently reduced nematode development in roots of both Php+ and Php- cultivars, while similar effects of ASM were frequently less consistent. The results of this study indicate that GB99+GB122 consistently reduced TCN reproduction in all flue-cured tobacco cultivars tested, while the effects of ASM were only consistent in Php+ cultivars. Under most circumstances, GB99+GB122 suppressed nematode reproduction more consistently than ASM compared to the untreated control. PMID:22736824

Evaluation of the 10th Grade Computerized Mathematics Curriculum from the Perspective of the Teachers and Educational Supervisors in the Southern Region in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Tarawneh, Sabri Hassan; Al-Qadi, Haitham Mamdouh

2016-01-01

This study aimed at evaluating the 10th grade computerized mathematics curriculum from the perspective of the teachers and supervisors in the southern region in Jordan. The study population consisted of all the teachers who teach the 10th grade in the southern region, with the total of (309) teachers and (20) supervisors. The sample consisted of…

Breast Milk and Hair Testing to Detect Illegal Drugs, Nicotine, and Caffeine in Donors to a Human Milk Bank.

PubMed

Escuder-Vieco, Diana; Garcia-Algar, Óscar; Joya, Xavier; Marchei, Emilia; Pichini, Simona; Pacifici, Roberta; Pallás-Alonso, Carmen Rosa

2016-08-01

The use of illegal drugs and tobacco is an exclusion criteria for accepting a nursing mother as a milk donor. The detection window for human milk testing is typically a few hours. Hair testing has been considered the gold standard to assess chronic exposure to these toxic substances. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of illegal drugs, nicotine, and caffeine in breast milk and hair samples from donors to assess whether these substances were being used during the donation period and the months leading up to it. Thirty-six samples of hair and breast milk were obtained from 36 donors. The tests performed identified nicotine, caffeine, morphine, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, codeine, methadone, and other substances derived therefrom. No illegal drugs were found in any of the samples analyzed. Nicotine and cotinine were found in 33.3% (12/36) of all hair samples. Among these 12 samples, 10 had cotinine concentrations consistent with cutoff values for unexposed nonsmokers, 1 had concentrations consistent with cutoff values for passive smokers, and 1 had concentrations consistent with cutoff values for active smokers. Caffeine was found in 77.7% of the hair samples and in 50% of the donor milk samples. The correlation for caffeine between donor milk and hair samples was r = 0.288, P = .0881. Donors do not use illegal drugs during either the donation period or the months leading up to it. They are occasionally exposed to tobacco smoke and almost all of them consume caffeine. © The Author(s) 2016.

Welfare assessment in broiler farms: transect walks versus individual scoring.

PubMed

Marchewka, J; Watanabe, T T N; Ferrante, V; Estevez, I

2013-10-01

Current scientific approaches to welfare assessment in broilers are based on individual sampling that can be time consuming under field conditions. On the other hand, farmers conduct routine checks based on walks through the house to screen birds' health condition. We adapted the walks through following line transect methodology used in wildlife studies to explore their feasibility as a welfare assessment tool. The aim of this study was to compare broiler welfare assessed by individual sampling and transect walks. We evaluated 6 identically managed flocks. For individual sampling, we collected measures on 150 birds, including weight, breast dirtiness, hock and footpad dermatitis, lameness, and immobility. Transect observations were conducted by slowly walking on randomized paths within each house recording: immobility, lameness, back dirtiness, sickness, agony, and dead. Transect walks allowed detection of small variations (P < 0.003) in the prevalence of most welfare indicators considered with consistency in interobserver reliability (P ≥ 0.05). In addition, assessments across transects were highly consistent (P ≥ 0.05). Individual sampling was also sensitive to differences across houses (P < 0.01) with the exception of immobility (P = 0.783). No differences were found across sampling locations (P ≥ 0.05). However, both methods differed greatly in the frequency of the incidence of the parameters considered. For example, immobility varied from 0.2 ± 0.02% for transect walks to 4 ± 2.3% for individual sampling, whereas lameness varied between 0.8 ± 0.07% and 24.2 ± 4.7% for transect and samplings, respectively. It is possible that the transect approach may have overlooked walking deficiencies because a large number of birds were scored, although if this was the case, the consistency obtained in the scoring across observers and transects would be surprising. Differences may also be related to possibly biased individual sampling procedures, where less mobile and passive individuals may be more likely to be caught. Furthermore the procedure may cause fatigue and fear reactions reducing mobility. Current study provides new insights into constraints and advantages of broiler on-farm assessment methods, which should be considered for designing on-farm welfare assessment protocols.

Tsunami hazard assessments with consideration of uncertain earthquakes characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sepulveda, I.; Liu, P. L. F.; Grigoriu, M. D.; Pritchard, M. E.

2017-12-01

The uncertainty quantification of tsunami assessments due to uncertain earthquake characteristics faces important challenges. First, the generated earthquake samples must be consistent with the properties observed in past events. Second, it must adopt an uncertainty propagation method to determine tsunami uncertainties with a feasible computational cost. In this study we propose a new methodology, which improves the existing tsunami uncertainty assessment methods. The methodology considers two uncertain earthquake characteristics, the slip distribution and location. First, the methodology considers the generation of consistent earthquake slip samples by means of a Karhunen Loeve (K-L) expansion and a translation process (Grigoriu, 2012), applicable to any non-rectangular rupture area and marginal probability distribution. The K-L expansion was recently applied by Le Veque et al. (2016). We have extended the methodology by analyzing accuracy criteria in terms of the tsunami initial conditions. Furthermore, and unlike this reference, we preserve the original probability properties of the slip distribution, by avoiding post sampling treatments such as earthquake slip scaling. Our approach is analyzed and justified in the framework of the present study. Second, the methodology uses a Stochastic Reduced Order model (SROM) (Grigoriu, 2009) instead of a classic Monte Carlo simulation, which reduces the computational cost of the uncertainty propagation. The methodology is applied on a real case. We study tsunamis generated at the site of the 2014 Chilean earthquake. We generate earthquake samples with expected magnitude Mw 8. We first demonstrate that the stochastic approach of our study generates consistent earthquake samples with respect to the target probability laws. We also show that the results obtained from SROM are more accurate than classic Monte Carlo simulations. We finally validate the methodology by comparing the simulated tsunamis and the tsunami records for the 2014 Chilean earthquake. Results show that leading wave measurements fall within the tsunami sample space. At later times, however, there are mismatches between measured data and the simulated results, suggesting that other sources of uncertainty are as relevant as the uncertainty of the studied earthquake characteristics.

External validity of the pediatric cardiac quality of life inventory

PubMed Central

Marino, Bradley S.; Drotar, Dennis; Cassedy, Amy; Davis, Richard; Tomlinson, Ryan S.; Mellion, Katelyn; Mussatto, Kathleen; Mahony, Lynn; Newburger, Jane W.; Tong, Elizabeth; Cohen, Mitchell I.; Helfaer, Mark A.; Kazak, Anne E.; Wray, Jo; Wernovsky, Gil; Shea, Judy A.; Ittenbach, Richard

2012-01-01

Purpose The Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory (PCQLI) is a disease-specific, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measure for pediatric heart disease (HD). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the external validity of PCQLI scores. Methods The PCQLI development site (Development sample) and six geographically diverse centers in the United States (Composite sample) recruited pediatric patients with acquired or congenital HD. Item response option variability, scores [Total (TS); Disease Impact (DI) and Psychosocial Impact (PI) subscales], patterns of correlation, and internal consistency were compared between samples. Results A total of 3,128 patients and parent participants (1,113 Development; 2,015 Composite) were analyzed. Response option variability patterns of all items in both samples were acceptable. Inter-sample score comparisons revealed no differences. Median item–total (Development, 0.57; Composite, 0.59) and item–subscale (Development, DI 0.58, PI 0.59; Composite, DI 0.58, PI 0.56) correlations were moderate. Subscale–subscale (0.79 for both samples) and subscale–total (Development, DI 0.95, PI 0.95; Composite, DI 0.95, PI 0.94) correlations and internal consistency (Development, TS 0.93, DI 0.90, PI 0.84; Composite, TS 0.93, DI 0.89, PI 0.85) were high in both samples. Conclusion PCQLI scores are externally valid across the US pediatric HD population and may be used for multi-center HRQOL studies. PMID:21188538

Secondary School Students' Perceptions of Their Counselling Needs in an Era of Global Financial Crisis: An Exploratory Study in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brouzos, Andreas; Vassilopoulos, Stephanos; Korfiati, Androniki; Baourda, Vasiliki

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the counselling needs of a sample of secondary school students in Greece. Moreover, the effect of age, gender, and academic performance on such perceived counselling needs was also investigated. The sample consisted of 931 students (433 girls and 498 boys) aged between 12 and 16 years old. A 70-item…

The Pittsburgh sleep quality index as a screening tool for sleep dysfunction in clinical and non-clinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Mollayeva, Tatyana; Thurairajah, Pravheen; Burton, Kirsteen; Mollayeva, Shirin; Shapiro, Colin M; Colantonio, Angela

2016-02-01

This review appraises the process of development and the measurement properties of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), gauging its potential as a screening tool for sleep dysfunction in non-clinical and clinical samples; it also compares non-clinical and clinical populations in terms of PSQI scores. MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and HAPI databases were searched. Critical appraisal of studies of measurement properties was performed using COSMIN. Of 37 reviewed studies, 22 examined construct validity, 19 - known-group validity, 15 - internal consistency, and three - test-retest reliability. Study quality ranged from poor to excellent, with the majority designated fair. Internal consistency, based on Cronbach's alpha, was good. Discrepancies were observed in factor analytic studies. In non-clinical and clinical samples with known differences in sleep quality, the PSQI global scores and all subscale scores, with the exception of sleep disturbance, differed significantly. The best evidence synthesis for the PSQI showed strong reliability and validity, and moderate structural validity in a variety of samples, suggesting the tool fulfills its intended utility. A taxonometric analysis can contribute to better understanding of sleep dysfunction as either a dichotomous or continuous construct. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergent, untrained stimulus relations in many-to-one matching-to-sample discriminations in rats.

PubMed

Nakagawa, Esho

2005-03-01

The present experiment investigated whether rats formed emergent, untrained stimulus relations in many-to-one matching-to-sample discriminations. In Phase 1, rats were trained to match two samples (triangle and horizontal stripes) to a common comparison (horizontal stripes) and two additional samples (circle or vertical stripes) to another comparison (vertical stripes). Then, in Phase 2, the rats were trained to match the one sample (triangle) to a new comparison (black) and the other sample (circle) to another comparison (white). In the Phase 3 test, half the rats (consistent group) were given two new tasks in which the sample-correct comparison relation was consistent with any emergent stimulus relations that previously may have been learned. The remaining 6 rats (inconsistent group) were given two new tasks in which the sample-correct comparison relation was not consistent with any previously learned emergent stimulus relations. Rats in the consistent group showed more accurate performance at the start of Phase 3, and faster learning to criterion in this phase, as compared with rats in the inconsistent group. This finding suggests that rats may form emergent, untrained stimulus relations between the discriminative stimuli in many-to-one matching-to-sample discriminations.

Molecular detection of mixed infections with multiple dengue virus serotypes in suspected dengue samples in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

PubMed

Requena-Castro, Rocío; Reyes-López, Miguel Ángel; Rodríguez-Reyna, Rosa Eminé; Palma-Nicolás, Prisco; Bocanegra-García, Virgilio

2017-07-01

This study aimed to detect dengue virus (DENV) serotypes in serum samples obtained in Matamoros Tamaulipas, Mexico, and to determine the concordance of conventional nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a serological test [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA NS1)]. Here, we detected mixed infections consisting of four serotypes of DENV. The most prevalent serotype was DENV-1, followed by DENV-4. This is the first report of DENV-4 in our region. Mixed infections were also detected in 21.5% of samples, and the predominant coinfection consisted of DENV-1 and DENV-2. Therefore, continuous epidemiological surveillance of DENV in this area is required to predict future forms of dengue heterologous infections and the effect of this on health care.

Natural Radioactivity of Boron Added Clay Samples

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

Akkurt, I.; Guenoglu, K.; Canakcii, H.

2011-12-26

Clay, consisting fine-grained minerals, is an interesting materials and can be used in a variety of different fields especially in dermatology application. Using clay such a field it is important to measure its natural radioactivity. Thus the purpose of this study is to measure {sup 226}Ra, {sup 232}Th and {sup 40}K concentration in clay samples enriched with boron. Three different types of clay samples were prepared where boron is used in different rate. The measurements have been determined using a gamma-ray spectrometry consists of a 3''x3'' NaI(Tl) detector. From the measured activity the radium equivalent activities (Ra{sub eq}), external hazardmore » index (H{sub ex}), absorbed dose rate in air (D) and annual effective dose (AED) have also been obtained.« less

An Evaluation of the Teaching Activities Implemented in the Elementary Science and Technology Courses in Terms of Multiple Intelligence Theory: A Sample from Adana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iflazoglu Saban, Ayten

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate to what extent class activities at the Elementary Science and Technology course address intelligence areas. The research was both a quantitative and a qualitative study. The sample of the study consisted of 102 4th grade elementary teachers, 97 5th grade elementary teachers, and 55 6th, 7th, and 8th grade…

The factor structure and psychometric properties of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) in Norwegian clinical and non-clinical samples

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) is a 34-item instrument developed to monitor clinically significant change in out-patients. The CORE-OM covers four domains: well-being, problems/symptoms, functioning and risk, and sums up in two total scores: the mean of All items, and the mean of All non-risk items. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Norwegian translation of the CORE-OM. Methods A clinical sample of 527 out-patients from North Norwegian specialist psychiatric services, and a non-clinical sample of 464 persons were obtained. The non-clinical sample was a convenience sample consisting of friends and family of health personnel, and of students of medicine and clinical psychology. Students also reported psychological stress. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed in half the clinical sample. Confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses modelling the theoretical sub-domains were performed in the remaining half of the clinical sample. Internal consistency, means, and gender and age differences were studied by comparing the clinical and non-clinical samples. Stability, effect of language (Norwegian versus English), and of psychological stress was studied in the sub-sample of students. Finally, cut-off scores were calculated, and distributions of scores were compared between clinical and non-clinical samples, and between students reporting stress or no stress. Results The results indicate that the CORE-OM both measures general (g) psychological distress and sub-domains, of which risk of harm separates most clearly from the g factor. Internal consistency, stability and cut-off scores compared well with the original English version. No, or only negligible, language effects were found. Gender differences were only found for the well-being domain in the non-clinical sample and for the risk domain in the clinical sample. Current patient status explained differences between clinical and non-clinical samples, also when gender and age were controlled for. Students reporting psychological distress during last week scored significantly higher than students reporting no stress. These results further validate the recommended cut-off point of 1 between clinical and non-clinical populations. Conclusions The CORE-OM in Norwegian has psychometric properties at the same level as the English original, and could be recommended for general clinical use. A cut-off point of 1 is recommended for both genders. PMID:23521746

NHEXAS PHASE I REGION 5 STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

The National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) is a federal interagency research effort coordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD). Phase I consists of demonstration/scoping studies using probability-based sampling d...

Evaluating mixed samples as a source of error in non-invasive genetic studies using microsatellites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roon, David A.; Thomas, M.E.; Kendall, K.C.; Waits, L.P.

2005-01-01

The use of noninvasive genetic sampling (NGS) for surveying wild populations is increasing rapidly. Currently, only a limited number of studies have evaluated potential biases associated with NGS. This paper evaluates the potential errors associated with analysing mixed samples drawn from multiple animals. Most NGS studies assume that mixed samples will be identified and removed during the genotyping process. We evaluated this assumption by creating 128 mixed samples of extracted DNA from brown bear (Ursus arctos) hair samples. These mixed samples were genotyped and screened for errors at six microsatellite loci according to protocols consistent with those used in other NGS studies. Five mixed samples produced acceptable genotypes after the first screening. However, all mixed samples produced multiple alleles at one or more loci, amplified as only one of the source samples, or yielded inconsistent electropherograms by the final stage of the error-checking process. These processes could potentially reduce the number of individuals observed in NGS studies, but errors should be conservative within demographic estimates. Researchers should be aware of the potential for mixed samples and carefully design gel analysis criteria and error checking protocols to detect mixed samples.

Profiling the ‘Pro-environmental Individual’: A Personality Perspective

PubMed Central

Markowitz, Ezra M.; Goldberg, Lewis R.; Ashton, Michael C.; Lee, Kibeom

2011-01-01

There is considerable scientific interest in the psychological correlates of pro-environmental behaviors. Much research has focused on demographic and social-psychological characteristics of individuals who consistently perform such actions. Here, we report the results of two studies in which we explored relations between broad personality traits and pro-environmental actions. Using a wide variety of behavior and personality measures, we consistently found moderate positive relations between Openness to Experience and pro-environmental activities in both a community sample (Study 1: N = 778) and an undergraduate student sample (Study 2: N = 115). In Study 2 we showed that the effect of Openness on pro-environmental behaviors was fully mediated by individuals’ environmental attitudes and connection to nature. Our findings suggest that high levels of aesthetic appreciation, creativity, and inquisitiveness, but not personality traits associated with altruism, may have motivated the performance of pro-environmental actions among our respondents. Implications for intervention development are discussed. PMID:21241310

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

Monroy, G.J. Keene, F.E.

A study to address Ambos (Both) Nogales' air quality concerns was conducted by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), in conjunction with Mexico's Secretaria de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca (SEMARNAP), from 1994 to 1998. The study, which is part of the US-Mexico Border XXI Program, consisted of the following tasks: (1) air sampling/monitoring; (2) emissions inventory; (3) meteorological modeling; and, (4) health risk assessment. The following types of samples were collected: particulate matter (PM); volatile organic compounds; semi-volatile organic compounds; and aldehydes. All samples were collected for a 24-hour period; every sixth day during the warm monthsmore » (April--September), and every third day during the cold months (October--March). There were a total of six sampling stations; three on each side of the border. PM samples were collected at all six sites, while samples for Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) were collected at four of those sites. Sample analyses were performed at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, Nevada. Furthermore, four of the sites were outfitted with meteorological equipment, in order to gather data on wind speed and direction. PM and meteorological data are still being collected at two sampling sites, one in Arizona and one in Sonora. An emissions inventory of point, mobile and area sources for the Ambos Nogales area (12 x 19 km. domain), was developed following completion of the sampling effort. In order to accomplish this task, ADEQ contracted the services of RADIAN International and Powers Engineering; which in turn enlisted the services of Heuristica Ambiental of Hermosillo, Sonora. This task was completed in July, 1997. Vehicular emissions were found to be one of the main contributors of air emissions in the Ambos Nogales area. The third task of this project consisted developing meteorological models of the study area.« less

Outcome-Dependent Sampling Design and Inference for Cox's Proportional Hazards Model.

PubMed

Yu, Jichang; Liu, Yanyan; Cai, Jianwen; Sandler, Dale P; Zhou, Haibo

2016-11-01

We propose a cost-effective outcome-dependent sampling design for the failure time data and develop an efficient inference procedure for data collected with this design. To account for the biased sampling scheme, we derive estimators from a weighted partial likelihood estimating equation. The proposed estimators for regression parameters are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. A criteria that can be used to optimally implement the ODS design in practice is proposed and studied. The small sample performance of the proposed method is evaluated by simulation studies. The proposed design and inference procedure is shown to be statistically more powerful than existing alternative designs with the same sample sizes. We illustrate the proposed method with an existing real data from the Cancer Incidence and Mortality of Uranium Miners Study.

Personal medical electronic devices and walk-through metal detector security systems: assessing electromagnetic interference effects.

PubMed

Guag, Joshua; Addissie, Bisrat; Witters, Donald

2017-03-20

There have been concerns that Electromagnetic security systems such as walk-through metal detectors (WTMDs) can potentially cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) in certain active medical devices including implantable cardiac pacemakers and implantable neurostimulators. Incidents of EMI between WTMDs and active medical devices also known as personal medical electronic devices (PMED) continue to be reported. This paper reports on emission measurements of sample WTMDs and testing of 20 PMEDs in a WTMD simulation system. Magnetic fields from sample WTMD systems were characterized for emissions and exposure of certain PMEDs. A WTMD simulator system designed and evaluated by FDA in previous studies was used to mimic the PMED exposures to the waveform from sample WTMDs. The simulation system allows for controlled PMED exposure enabling careful study with adjustable magnetic field strengths and exposure duration, and provides flexibility for PMED exposure at elevated levels in order to study EMI effects on the PMED. The PMED samples consisted of six implantable cardiac pacemakers, six implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), five implantable neurostimulators, and three insulin pumps. Each PMED was exposed in the simulator to the sample WTMD waveforms using methods based on appropriate consensus test standards for each of the device type. Testing the sample PMEDs using the WTMD simulator revealed EMI effects on two implantable pacemakers and one implantable neurostimulator for exposure field strength comparable to actual WTMD field strength. The observed effects were transient and the PMEDs returned to pre-exposure operation within a few seconds after removal from the simulated WTMD exposure fields. No EMI was observed for the sample ICDs or insulin pumps. The findings are consistent with earlier studies where certain sample PMEDs exhibited EMI effects. Clinical implications were not addressed in this study. Additional studies are needed to evaluate potential PMED EMI susceptibilities over a broader range of security systems.

Wound healing outcomes: Using big data and a modified intent-to-treat method as a metric for reporting healing rates.

PubMed

Ennis, William J; Hoffman, Rachel A; Gurtner, Geoffrey C; Kirsner, Robert S; Gordon, Hanna M

2017-08-01

Chronic wounds are increasing in prevalence and are a costly problem for the US healthcare system and throughout the world. Typically outcomes studies in the field of wound care have been limited to small clinical trials, comparative effectiveness cohorts and attempts to extrapolate results from claims databases. As a result, outcomes in real world clinical settings may differ from these published studies. This study presents a modified intent-to-treat framework for measuring wound outcomes and measures the consistency of population based outcomes across two distinct settings. In this retrospective observational analysis, we describe the largest to date, cohort of patient wound outcomes derived from 626 hospital based clinics and one academic tertiary care clinic. We present the results of a modified intent-to-treat analysis of wound outcomes as well as demographic and descriptive data. After applying the exclusion criteria, the final analytic sample includes the outcomes from 667,291 wounds in the national sample and 1,788 wounds in the academic sample. We found a consistent modified intent to treat healing rate of 74.6% from the 626 clinics and 77.6% in the academic center. We recommend that a standard modified intent to treat healing rate be used to report wound outcomes to allow for consistency and comparability in measurement across providers, payers and healthcare systems. © 2017 by the Wound Healing Society.

Identifying relationships between baseflow geochemistry and land use with synoptic sampling and R-Mode factor analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wayland, Karen G.; Long, David T.; Hyndman, David W.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Woodhams, Sarah M.; Haak, Sheridan K.

2003-01-01

The relationship between land use and stream chemistry is often explored through synoptic sampling rivers at baseflow condition. However, base flow chemistry is likely to vary temporally and spatially with land use. The purpose of our study is to examine the usefulness of the synoptic sampling approach for identifying the relationship between complex land use configurations and stream water quality. This study compares biogeochemical data from three synoptic sampling events representing the temporal variability of baseflow chemistry and land use using R-mode factor analysis. Separate R-mode factor analyses of the data from individual sampling events yielded only two consistent factors. Agricultural activity was associated with elevated levels of Ca2+, Mg2+, alkalinity, and frequently K+, SO42-, and NO3-. Urban areas were associated with higher concentrations of Na+, K+, and Cl-. Other retained factors were not  consistent among sampling events, and some factors were difficult to interpret in the context of biogeochemical sources and processes. When all data were combined, further associations were revealed such as an inverse relationship between the proportion of wetlands and stream nitrate concentrations. We also found that barren lands were associated with elevated sulfate levels. This research suggests that an individual sampling event is unlikely to characterize adequately the complex processes controlling interactions between land uses and stream chemistry. Combining data collected over two years during three synoptic sampling events appears to enhance our ability to understand processes linking stream chemistry and land use.  

Mothers' Protection of Their Children after Discovering They Have Been Sexually Abused: An Information-Processing Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coohey, Carol; O'Leary, Patrick

2008-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand why some non-offending mothers did not protect their children consistently after they knew they were sexually abused. Methods: The sample included 85 mothers who were involved with child protective services: 48 mothers who protected their children consistently were compared to 37 mothers who…

The Effect of Integrated Movement Activities on Children's FMS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Shu-Chu; Lin, Shu-Jung; Hsu, Li-Chuan

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of an integrated movement course on the FMSs of preschool children. Purposive sampling was used to select two classes at a public preschool in Chiayi City, Taiwan. The experimental group consisted of 9 boys and 12 girls, and the control group consisted of 11 boys and 8 girls. Both were…

Psychometric Properties of Eating Disorder Instruments in Black and White Young Women: Internal Consistency, Temporal Stability, and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bardone-Cone, Anna M.; Boyd, Clarissa A.

2007-01-01

Most of the major instruments in the eating disorder field have documented psychometric support only in predominantly White samples. The current study examined the internal consistency, temporal stability, and convergent and discriminant validity of a variety of eating disorder measures in Black (n = 97) and White (n = 179) female undergraduates.…

Validation of a New Measure of the Concept of Good Death among Taiwanese Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Shu Ching; Lai, Sih-yi

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to measure dimensions of the concept of a good death held by Taiwanese children. The sample consisted of 1,698 Taiwanese children, approximately 12-14 years of age. Participants completed the self-administered Good Death Concept Scale (GDCS), which consists of 30 statements…

The Relationship between the Organizational Alienation and the Organizational Citizenship Behaviors of Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dagli, Abidin; Averbek, Emel

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the organizational alienation and the organizational citizenship behaviors of primary school teachers. The research population consists of 700 teachers from 90 primary schools in the central district of Mardin/Turkey in the academic year of 2015-2016. The research sample consists of…

Prediction of Participation of Undergraduate University Students in a Music and Dance Master's Degree Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bebetsos, Evangelos

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was the investigation of students' attitudes and intention towards their possible participation in a graduate Music and Dance Distance Learning Master's Degree Program. The sample consisted of consisted of 229 undergraduate University students, between the ages of 20 to 63 yrs. of age (M = 34.24, SD = 10.70). More…

Views of Omani Post-Basic Education Students about Religious and Cultural Tolerance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Rabaani, Ahmed Hamad

2018-01-01

The study aims to investigate the views of Omani post-basic education students (Grades 10-12) about religious and cultural tolerance. The sample consisted of 1390 male and female students in grades 10, 11 and 12, from four of Oman's seven regions. A questionnaire was used to gather data, which consisted of 27 items divided into five domains. The…

The effects of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser on subgingival bacterial flora and on cementum: an in vivo study.

PubMed

Ben Hatit, Y; Blum, R; Severin, C; Maquin, M; Jabro, M H

1996-06-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of scaling and Nd:YAG laser treatments with that of scaling alone on cementum and levels of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Treponema denticola. Study samples consisted of 14 patients, age 30 to 75 years, 8 females and 6 males, with a total of 150 periodontally involved sites with probing depth > or = 5 mm. Group A consisted of 100 pockets that were subdivided into 4 equal groups that were treated with conventional scaling and pulsed Nd:YAG laser using an optic fiber of 300 microns and 4 different power levels as follows: Group 1: P = 0.8 W, f = 10 Hz, E = 100 mJ/pulse; Group 2: P = 1.0 W, f = 1.0 Hz, E = 100 mJ/pulse; Group 3: P = 1.2 W, f = 12 Hz, E = 100 mJ/purse; and Group 4: P = 1.5 W, f = 15 Hz, E = 100 mJ/pulse. The time of each treatment was 60 sec per pocket in all 4 groups. Group B consisted of 50 pockets that were treated by conventional scaling alone and served as a control group. Microbiological samples from group A were collected before scaling; after scaling = before laser, just after laser, 2 weeks later, 6 weeks later, and 10 weeks later. Microbiological samples from group B were collected before scaling, after scaling, 6 weeks later, and 10 weeks later. Microbiological analysis of all samples was done by the Institute Für Angewandte Immunologie (IAI) method. The effects of laser on root surfaces were assessed by SEM examination and the sample consisted of 13 teeth from 5 different patients. Four sets of 3 teeth each were treated with Nd:YAG laser using 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, and 1.5 W, respectively. One tooth was just scaled and not treated with laser to serve as a control. Microbiological analysis of Group A samples indicated posttreatment reduction in levels of all 4 bacterial types tested compared to pretreatment levels and Group B controls. SEM examination of the specimens treated with Nd:YAG laser at different levels exhibited different features of root surface alterations.

Preliminary data on boulders at station 6, Apollo 17 landing site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heiken, G. H.; Butler, P., Jr.; Simonds, C. H.; Phinney, W. C.; Warner, J.; Schmitt, H. H.; Bogard, D. D.; Pearce, W. G.

1973-01-01

A cluster of boulders at Station 6 (Apollo 17 landing site) consists of breccias derived from the North Massif. Three preliminary lithologic units were established, on the basis of photogeologic interpretations; all lithologies identified photogeologically were sampled. Breccia clasts and matrices studied petrographically and chemically fall into two groups by modal mineralogy: (1) low-K Fra Mauro or high basalt composition, consisting of 50-60% modal feldspar, approximately 45% orthopyroxene and 1-7% Fe-Ti oxide; (2) clasts consisting of highland basalt composition, consisting of 70% feldspar, 30% orthopyroxene and olivine and a trace of Fe-Ti oxide.

Reasons for Attending, Expected Obstacles, and Degree Aspirations of Asian Pacific American Community College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Winnie W.; Chang, June C.; Lew, Jonathan W.

2009-01-01

This study examined how the academic aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) attending community colleges are influenced by their demographic and educational background, reasons for attending, and obstacles they expect to encounter. The sample consisted of 846 APAs out of a total student sample of 5,000 in an urban community college…

Using Structural Equation Modeling to Assess Functional Connectivity in the Brain: Power and Sample Size Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sideridis, Georgios; Simos, Panagiotis; Papanicolaou, Andrew; Fletcher, Jack

2014-01-01

The present study assessed the impact of sample size on the power and fit of structural equation modeling applied to functional brain connectivity hypotheses. The data consisted of time-constrained minimum norm estimates of regional brain activity during performance of a reading task obtained with magnetoencephalography. Power analysis was first…

Time Spent on Homework, Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Achievement: Evidence from a US Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheema, Jehanzeb R.; Sheridan, Kimberly

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effect of time spent on homework and mathematics anxiety on mathematics achievement. Data from a nationally representative US sample consisting of 4,978 cases was used to predict mathematics achievement from time spent on homework and mathematics anxiety while controlling for demographic differences such as gender,…

Predicting Personality Resiliency by Psychological Well-Being and Its Components in Girl Students of Islamic Azad University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kajbafnezhad, Hadi; Khaneh Keshi, Ali

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to predict psychological resilience by psychological well-being and its components. The research sample consisted of 216 girl students who were selected through multistage random sampling. The data were collected by implementing psychological resilience and psychological well-being questionnaire and analyzed by using…

A Development of Participation of Primary School Students in Conservation of School Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klongyut, Somsak; Singseewo, Adisak; Suksringarm, Paitool

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate and compare knowledge, attitudes and participating behaviors of students who participated in a training session. A training manual based on the participatory process was used. The sample consisted of 30 grade 5 students and 30 grade 6 students using a voluntary sampling technique. Research instruments included 1) a…

Maternal Labor Supply and Children's Cognitive Development. NBER Working Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blau, Francine D.; Grossberg, Adam J.

This study used a sample of 3- and 4-year-old children of female respondents from the 1986 National Longitudinal Surveys Youth Cohort to analyze the relationship between maternal labor supply and children's cognitive development. Respondents were 21 to 29 years old in 1986. Thus, the sample consisted of children of relatively young mothers.…

Parenting Styles and Children's Social Skills as Perceived by Jordanian Mothers of Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu Taleb, Tagreed Fathi

2013-01-01

This study examined the perceived parenting styles in a sample of Jordanian mothers and their perceptions of the social skills exhibited by their preschool children. The sample consisted of 802 ("N"=802) mothers who responded to a three-part questionnaire: demographic information, parenting styles, and social skills. The results of this…

The Relationship between Social Cohesion and Computer-Internet Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balkan, Emre; Adalier, Ahmet

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between social cohesion and computer-internet usage among university students. The research was conducted among university students in North Cyprus. The sample for the research consists of 38.8% (n=80) female, 61.2 % (n=126) male, 206 university students by using the criterion sampling method.…

The Inclusion of Children's Rights and Responsibilities in the South African School Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munongi, Lucia; Pillay, Jace

2018-01-01

This study aimed to explore Grade 9 learners' perceptions on the extent to which rights and responsibilities are taught in the school curriculum. The sample consisted of 577 learners from 13 public, independent and independent-subsidised schools, randomly sampled from four Johannesburg education districts. Data were collected through a…

Genetic and Environmental Effects on Vocal Symptoms and Their Intercorrelations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nybacka, Ida; Simberg, Susanna; Santtila, Pekka; Sala, Eeva; Sandnabba, N. Kenneth

2012-01-01

Purpose: Recently, Simberg et al. (2009) found genetic effects on a composite variable consisting of 6 vocal symptom items measuring dysphonia. The purpose of the present study was to determine genetic and environmental effects on the individual vocal symptoms in a population-based sample of Finnish twins. Method: The sample comprised 1,728 twins…

Intellectual Abilities in a Large Sample of Children with Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome: An Update

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Smedt, Bert; Devriendt, K.; Fryns, J. -P.; Vogels, A.; Gewillig, M.; Swillen, A.

2007-01-01

Background: Learning disabilities are one of the most consistently reported features in Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome (VCFS). Earlier reports on IQ in children with VCFS were, however, limited by small sample sizes and ascertainment biases. The aim of the present study was therefore to replicate these earlier findings and to investigate intellectual…

Intimate Partner Violence among Pregnant and Parenting Latina Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Bernie Sue; Campbell, Caroline

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and extent of mutual violence among a sample of pregnant and parenting Latina adolescent females and their partners. The sample consisted of 73 Latina adolescent females between the ages of 14 and 20 who were referred to a community-based organization for case management, education, and…

The School Adjustment of Rural Adolescents with and without Disabilities: Variable and Person-Centered Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, Thomas W.; Hall, Cristin M.; Weiss, Margaret P.; Petrin, Robert A.; Meece, Judith L.; Moohr, Michele

2011-01-01

This study examined the school adjustment of adolescents with disabilities and their nondisabled peers in a national sample of rural high school students. The total sample consisted of 7,376 students: 6,704 nondisabled students, 70 students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), 512 students with learning disabilities (LD), and 90 students…

An investigation of hardwood plywood markets. Part 1. Architectural woodworkers

Treesearch

Craig L. Forbes; Larry G. Jahn; Philip A. Araman

2001-01-01

This is the first part of a two-part study investigating markets for hardwood plywood. North American architectural woodworkers were surveyed to better understand the structure and use ofwood-based panels in the industry. A questionnaire was mailed to a sample of U.S. and Canadian architectural woodworkers. The sample consisted of members of the Architectural Woodwork...

An examination of the validity of the Academic Motivation Scale with a United States business student sample.

PubMed

Smith, Kenneth J; Davy, Jeanette A; Rosenberg, Donald L

2010-04-01

This study examined alternative seven-, five-, and three-factor structures for the Academic Motivation Scale, with data from a large convenience sample of 2,078 students matriculating in various business courses at three AACSB-accredited regional comprehensive universities. In addition, the invariance of the scale's factor structure between male and female students and between undergraduate and Master's of Business Administration students was investigated. Finally, the internal consistency of the items loading on each of the seven AMS subscales was assessed as well as whether the correlations among the subscales supported a continuum of self-determination. Results for the full sample as well as the targeted subpopulations supported the seven factor configuration of the scale with adequate model fit achieved for all but the MBA student group. The data also generated acceptable internal consistency statistics for all of the subscales. However, in line with a number of previous studies, the correlations between subscales failed to fully support the scale's simplex structure as proposed by self-determination theory.

The uptake of macroplastic & microplastic by demersal & pelagic fish in the Northeast Atlantic around Scotland.

PubMed

Murphy, Fionn; Russell, Marie; Ewins, Ciaran; Quinn, Brian

2017-09-15

This study reports plastic ingestion in various fish found from coastal and offshore sites in Scottish marine waters. Coastal samples consisted of three demersal flatfish species (n=128) collected from the East and West coasts of Scotland. Offshore samples consisted of 5 pelagic species and 4 demersal species (n=84) collected from the Northeast Atlantic. From the coastal fish sampled, 47.7% of the gastrointestinal tracts contained macroplastic and microplastic. Of the 84 pelagic and demersal offshore fish, only 2 (2.4%) individuals from different species had ingested plastic identified as a clear polystyrene fibre and a black polyamide fibre. The average number of plastic items found per fish from all locations that had ingested plastic was 1.8 (±1.7) with polyamide (65.3%), polyethylene terephthalate (14.4%) and acrylic (14.4%) being the three most commonly found plastics. This study adds to the existing data on macroplastic and microplastic ingestion in fish species. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intra- and inter-observer agreement when using a descriptive classification scale for clinical assessment of faecal consistency in growing pigs.

PubMed

Pedersen, Ken Steen; Toft, Nils

2011-03-01

The objective of the current study was to evaluate intra- and inter-observer agreement using a descriptive classification scale with four categories, descriptive text and pictures for assessment of consistency in faecal samples from pigs post weaning. The four consistency categories were score one=firm and shaped, score two=soft and shaped, score three=loose and score four=watery. Five observers from the same veterinary practice examined 100 faecal samples using the scale with four categories. Four of the observers examined the 100 faecal samples twice within the same day. Within observers the difference in proportions for the individual consistency categories between two examinations was on average 0.04 (range: 0-0.10). The mean intra-observer agreement was 0.82 (range: 0.72-0.91) with a mean kappa value of 0.76 (range: 0.61-0.88). For inter-observer agreement overall kappa was 0.64. For the 10 pair-wise comparisons the mean inter-observer agreement was 0.73 (range: 0.61-0.90) with a mean kappa value of 0.64 (range: 0.48-0.87). The difference in proportions for the individual consistency categories was on average 0.08 (range: 0-0.17). In conclusion, the agreement observed for the descriptive classification scale with four categories, descriptive text and pictures may be categorized as a substantial to almost perfect intra-observer agreement and a moderate to almost perfect inter-observer agreement. However, more objective measures than clinical scales may still be needed to improve intra- and inter-observer agreement in research studies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase in saliva samples after an intense exercise: a pilot study.

PubMed

Barranco, Tomas; Tvarijonaviciute, Asta; Tecles, Fernando; Carrillo, Jose M; Sánchez-Resalt, Cristina; Jimenez-Reyes, Pedro; Rubio, Monica; García-Balletbó, Monserrat; Cerón, Jose J; Cugat, Ramon

2018-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the enzymes creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in saliva before and after an intense exercise consisting of a futsal match. CK, LDH and AST were analyzed in saliva and serum samples of eleven, injury-free, amateur young men before and 30 minutes, 12 hours and 36 hours after a futsal match. A significant increase in CK, LDH and AST was observed after the game in serum samples. In saliva, although a high interindividual variability was found with some individuals no showing increases, significant increases in CK and LDH were observed after the game. No significant changes were observed in saliva AST after the game. Our study showed for first time that CK and LDH can increase in saliva after an intensive exercise consisting on a futsal match. Results suggest that measurements of CK and LDH in saliva could be potentially used to evaluate possible muscle stress or damage in cases of intensive exercise.

Large-scale structure in the Southern Sky Redshift Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Changbom; Gott, J. R., III; Da Costa, L. N.

1992-01-01

The power spectrum from the Southern Sky Redshift Survey and the CfA samples are measured in order to explore the amplitude of fluctuation in the galaxy density. At lambda of less than or equal to 30/h Mpc the observed power spectrum is quite consistent with the standard CDM model. At larger scales the data indicate an excess of power over the standard CDM model. The observed power spectrum from these optical galaxy samples is in good agreement with that drawn from the sparsely sampled IRAS galaxies. The shape of the power spectrum is also studied by examining the relation between the genus per unit volume and the smoothing length. It is found that, over Gaussian smoothing scales from 6 to 14/h Mpc, the power spectrum has a slope of about -1. The topology of the galaxy density field is studied by measuring the shift of the genus curve from the Gaussian case. Over all smoothing scales studied, the observed genus curves are consistent with a random phase distribution of the galaxy density field, as predicted by the inflationary scenarios.

75 FR 26780 - State Median Income Estimate for a Four-Person Family: Notice of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-12

... Household Economic Statistics Division at (301) 763-3243. Under the advice of the Census Bureau, HHS..., which consists of the error that arises from the use of probability sampling to create the sample. For...) Sampling Error, which consists of the error that arises from the use of probability sampling to create the...

Psychometric properties of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 in a Spanish breast cancer sample.

PubMed

Galdón, Ma José; Durá, Estrella; Andreu, Yolanda; Ferrando, Maite; Murgui, Sergio; Pérez, Sandra; Ibañez, Elena

2008-12-01

The objective of this work was to study the psychometric and structural properties of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) in a sample of breast cancer patients (N=175). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Two models were tested: the theoretical model with the original structure (three-dimensional), and the empirical model (a four-factor structure) obtained through exploratory factor analysis initially performed by the authors of the BSI-18. The eligible structure was the original proposal consisting of three dimensions: somatization, depression, and anxiety scores. These measures also showed good internal consistency. The results of this study support the reliability and structural validity of the BSI-18 as a standardized instrument for screening purposes in breast cancer patients, with the added benefits of simplicity and ease of application.

An Investigation of the Effect of Interventions Based on Common Core Mathematical Practices on the Math Achievement of Struggling Students in Grade 6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murthy, Geetha J.

2016-01-01

This study examined the effect of the eight Common Core mathematical practices on math achievement and math attitudes for a sample of low-performing students in Grade 6. The treatment sample (n = 63) consisted of four classes of Grade 6 students who had scored below proficient levels in state math assessments. This study was conducted in a…

An introduction to the processes, problems, and management of urban lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Britton, L.J.; Averett, R.C.; Ferreira, R.F.

1975-01-01

As lake studies become more common, sampling techniques for data collection need increased accuracy and consistency, in order to make meaningful comparisons between different lakes. Therefore, the report discusses the main factors involved in conducting lake studies. These factors include the types and frequency of measurements useful in lake reconnaissance studies and a review of literature on sampling equipment and techniques. A glossary of selected terms begins the report, which is intended for guideline use by urban planners and managers.

Plagioclase mineralogy of olivine alkaline basalt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffer, J. M.

1973-01-01

A geological and mineralogical study of the Potrillo volcanics is reported. The investigation consisted first of field mapping to establish and identify the different rock types and volcanic features in order to determine the geological history. Next, samples were collected and analyzed petrographically to determine suitable rocks from the various stratigraphic units for study of plagioclase. Samples selected for further study were crushed and the plagioclase extracted for the determination of composition and structural state. These results were then related to the petrology and crystallization of the basalt.

[Report of Internal Consistency of the Scales in Research Published in the Colombian Journal of Psychiatry].

PubMed

Campo-Arias, Adalberto

2013-03-01

Establishment of the frequency of reporting internal consistency of the scales in research published in the Colombian Journal of Psychiatry (CJP) between 2006 and 2010. A descriptive study was carried out which computes the report of internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) of scales in research published as original papers in the CJP. Validation studies were excluded. A total of 114 articles were published and 30 of them were included in the analysis. Researchers applied 67 scales for measuring some variables and Cronbach alpha of 20 (29.8%) scales was reported in the participating population. In the CJP, few published studies that apply measuring scales for variables report internal consistency in the analyzed sample. It is necessary for authors to report the internal consistency of used scales in the study population to guarantee the validity of conclusions. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of microbial life in artificial landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sengupta, A.; Kaur, R.; Meredith, L. K.; Troch, P. A. A.

2017-12-01

The Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO) project at Biosphere 2 consists of three replicated artificial landscapes which are sealed within a climate-controlled glass house. LEO is composed of basaltic soil material with low organic matter, nutrients, and microbes. The landscapes are built to resemble zero-order basins and enable researchers to observe hydrological, biological, and geochemical evolution of landscapes in a controlled environment. This study is focused on capturing microbial community dynamics in LEO soil, pre- and post-controlled rainfall episodes. Soil samples were collected from six different locations and at five depths in each of the three slopes followed by DNA extraction from 180 samples and sent for amplicon and minimal draft metagenome sequencing. The average concentration of DNA recovered from each sample was higher in the post-rainfall samples than the pre-rainfall samples, a trend consistent in all three slopes. The sequence data will be evaluated to reveal heterogeneity of the soil microbes, providing a more exact narrative of the microbes present in each slope and the spatiotemporal trends of microbial life in the landscapes. Next, functional traits will be predicted from the community data and metagenomes to determine whether consistent changes occur with respect to wetting and drying episodes. Together, these results will highlight the relevance of a unique terrestrial ecosystem research infrastructure in supporting interdisciplinary hydrobiogeochemical research.

Social supports and mental health: a cross-sectional study on the correlation of self-consistency and congruence in China.

PubMed

Gu, YanMei; Hu, Jie; Hu, YaPing; Wang, JianRong

2016-06-28

Psychosocial job characteristics require nursing staff with high self-consistency and good mental health. However, the attention and effort of such study remained very limited in China. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the bedside nurses in an affiliated hospital of Hebei Medical University, China. Of 218 registered bedside nurses eligible to participate in the survey anonymously, the data producing sample of 172 subjects resulted in a 79 % of effective response rate.. The Social Support Rating Scale was used to measure social support, and the Self-Consistency and Congruence Scale were used to measure mental health. Compared with the normal referenced group of college students, higher self-flexibility scores, lower self-conflict and self-stethoscope scores from the sample group were obtained with statistical significance in self-conflict scores. The close correlations were observed between participants' social support and Self-Consistency and Congruence Scale score. The difference of Social Support Rating Scale score was significant in demographic features including years of work, marital status, only child family, and levels of cooperation with other health worker. Bedside nurses in this study show a better inner harmony, and their Self-Consistency and Congruence closely correlates with the levels of social support. Thus, it is substantial to improve inner perception of support and external factors, such as the workplace support, and offer beneficial social environment to improve the bedside nurse's sub-health symptoms and decrease the high turnover rate.

Risk factors for depression in community-treated epilepsy: systematic review.

PubMed

Lacey, Cameron J; Salzberg, Michael R; D'Souza, Wendyl J

2015-02-01

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric comorbidities in epilepsy; however, the factors contributing to this association remain unclear. There is a growing consensus that methodological limitations, particularly selection bias, affect many of the original studies. A systematic review focussed on community-based studies offers an alternative approach for the identification of the risk factors for depression. Searches were performed in MEDLINE (Ovid), 2000 to 31 December 2013, EMBASE, and Google Scholar to identify studies examining risk factors for depression in epilepsy. Community-based studies of adults with epilepsy that reported at least one risk factor for depression were included. The search identified 17 studies that met selection criteria, representing a combined total of 12,212 people with epilepsy with a mean sample size of 718. The most consistent risk factors for depression were sociodemographic factors, despite the fact that most studies focus on epilepsy-related factors. Most studies lacked a systematic conceptual approach to investigating depression, and few risk factors were consistently well studied. Future community-based studies require a detailed systematic approach to improve the ability to detect risk factors for depression in epilepsy. Psychological factors were rarely studied in community-based samples with epilepsy, although the consistent association with depression in the few studies that did suggests this warrants further examination. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Generalized Ensemble Sampling of Enzyme Reaction Free Energy Pathways

PubMed Central

Wu, Dongsheng; Fajer, Mikolai I.; Cao, Liaoran; Cheng, Xiaolin; Yang, Wei

2016-01-01

Free energy path sampling plays an essential role in computational understanding of chemical reactions, particularly those occurring in enzymatic environments. Among a variety of molecular dynamics simulation approaches, the generalized ensemble sampling strategy is uniquely attractive for the fact that it not only can enhance the sampling of rare chemical events but also can naturally ensure consistent exploration of environmental degrees of freedom. In this review, we plan to provide a tutorial-like tour on an emerging topic: generalized ensemble sampling of enzyme reaction free energy path. The discussion is largely focused on our own studies, particularly ones based on the metadynamics free energy sampling method and the on-the-path random walk path sampling method. We hope that this mini presentation will provide interested practitioners some meaningful guidance for future algorithm formulation and application study. PMID:27498634

Stool consistency is strongly associated with gut microbiota richness and composition, enterotypes and bacterial growth rates.

PubMed

Vandeputte, Doris; Falony, Gwen; Vieira-Silva, Sara; Tito, Raul Y; Joossens, Marie; Raes, Jeroen

2016-01-01

The assessment of potentially confounding factors affecting colon microbiota composition is essential to the identification of robust microbiome based disease markers. Here, we investigate the link between gut microbiota variation and stool consistency using Bristol Stool Scale classification, which reflects faecal water content and activity, and is considered a proxy for intestinal colon transit time. Through 16S rDNA Illumina profiling of faecal samples of 53 healthy women, we evaluated associations between microbiome richness, Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes ratio, enterotypes, and genus abundance with self-reported, Bristol Stool Scale-based stool consistency. Each sample's microbiota growth potential was calculated to test whether transit time acts as a selective force on gut bacterial growth rates. Stool consistency strongly correlates with all known major microbiome markers. It is negatively correlated with species richness, positively associated to the Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes ratio, and linked to Akkermansia and Methanobrevibacter abundance. Enterotypes are distinctly distributed over the BSS-scores. Based on the correlations between microbiota growth potential and stool consistency scores within both enterotypes, we hypothesise that accelerated transit contributes to colon ecosystem differentiation. While shorter transit times can be linked to increased abundance of fast growing species in Ruminococcaceae-Bacteroides samples, hinting to a washout avoidance strategy of faster replication, this trend is absent in Prevotella-enterotyped individuals. Within this enterotype adherence to host tissue therefore appears to be a more likely bacterial strategy to cope with washout. The strength of the associations between stool consistency and species richness, enterotypes and community composition emphasises the crucial importance of stool consistency assessment in gut metagenome-wide association studies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Design unbiased estimation in line intersect sampling using segmented transects

Treesearch

David L.R. Affleck; Timothy G. Gregoire; Harry T. Valentine; Harry T. Valentine

2005-01-01

In many applications of line intersect sampling. transects consist of multiple, connected segments in a prescribed configuration. The relationship between the transect configuration and the selection probability of a population element is illustrated and a consistent sampling protocol, applicable to populations composed of arbitrarily shaped elements, is proposed. It...

Antibiotic residues in milk samples obtained from cows after treatment for papillomatous digital dermatitis.

PubMed

Britt, J S; Carson, M C; von Bredow, J D; Condon, R J

1999-09-15

To determine whether there would be detectable antibiotic residues in milk obtained from dairy cattle with papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) after topical treatment with oxytetracycline. Randomized controlled clinical trial. 28 lactating Holstein cows with PDD. Cows were assigned to 2 treatment groups. Treatment 1 (n = 16) consisted of spraying of PDD lesions with 15 ml of a solution containing 100 mg of oxytetracycline/ml; lesions were sprayed twice daily for 7 days, using a garden sprayer. Treatment 2 (n = 12) consisted of a one-time application of a bandage that consisted of cotton soaked with 20 ml of a solution containing 100 mg of oxytetracycline/ml. Milk samples were obtained before and after treatment and assayed for tetracycline content by use of high-performance liquid chromatography and a commercially available tetracycline screening test. None of the cows in either treatment group had violative residues of oxytetracycline in milk samples. Producers treating lactating cows that have PDD, via topical application of oxytetracycline solution at the concentrations reported in this study, have a low risk of causing violative antibiotic residues in milk.

Consistency of temporal and habitat-related differences among assemblages of fish in coastal lagoons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Charles A.; Rotherham, Douglas; Johnson, Daniel D.

2011-12-01

The consistency of habitat-related differences in coastal lagoon fish assemblages was assessed across different spatial and temporal scales. Multimesh gillnets were used to sample assemblages of fish on a monthly basis for 1-year in three habitats (shallow seagrass, shallow bare and deep substrata) at two locations (>1 km apart), in each of two coastal lagoons (approximately 500 km apart), in southeastern Australia. A total of 48 species was sampled with 34 species occurring in both lagoons and in all three habitats; species caught in only one lagoon or habitat occurred in low numbers. Ten species dominated assemblages and accounted for more than 83% of all individuals sampled. In both lagoons, assemblages in the deep habitat consistently differed to those in the shallow strata (regardless of habitat). Several species were caught more frequently or in larger numbers in the deep habitat. Assemblages in the two shallow habitats did not differ consistently and were dominated by the same species and sizes of fish, possibly due to habitat heterogeneity and the scale and method of sampling. Within each lagoon, very few between location differences in assemblages within each habitat were observed. Consistent differences in assemblages were detected between lagoons for the shallow bare and deep habitats, indicating there were some intrinsic differences in ichthyofauna between lagoons. Assemblages in spring differed to those in summer, which differed to those in winter for the shallow bare habitat in both lagoons, and the deep habitat in only one lagoon. Fish-habitat relationships are complex and differences in the fish fauna between habitats were often temporally inconsistent. This study highlights the need for greater testing of habitat relationships in space and time to assess the generality of observations and to identify the processes responsible for structuring assemblages.

Consistency in color parameters of a commonly used shade guide.

PubMed

Tashkandi, Esam

2010-01-01

The use of shade guides to assess the color of natural teeth subjectively remains one of the most common means for dental shade assessment. Any variation in the color parameters of the different shade guides may lead to significant clinical implications. Particularly, since the communication between the clinic and the dental laboratory is based on using the shade guide designation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the consistency of the L∗a∗b∗ color parameters of a sample of a commonly used shade guide. The color parameters of a total of 100 VITAPAN Classical Vacuum shade guide (VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany(were measured using a X-Rite ColorEye 7000A Spectrophotometer (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA). Each shade guide consists of 16 tabs with different designations. Each shade tab was measured five times and the average values were calculated. The ΔE between the average L∗a∗b∗ value for each shade tab and the average of the 100 shade tabs of the same designation was calculated. Using the Student t-test analysis, no significant differences were found among the measured sample. There is a high consistency level in terms of color parameters of the measured VITAPAN Classical Vacuum shade guide sample tested.

High dimensional linear regression models under long memory dependence and measurement error

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaul, Abhishek

This dissertation consists of three chapters. The first chapter introduces the models under consideration and motivates problems of interest. A brief literature review is also provided in this chapter. The second chapter investigates the properties of Lasso under long range dependent model errors. Lasso is a computationally efficient approach to model selection and estimation, and its properties are well studied when the regression errors are independent and identically distributed. We study the case, where the regression errors form a long memory moving average process. We establish a finite sample oracle inequality for the Lasso solution. We then show the asymptotic sign consistency in this setup. These results are established in the high dimensional setup (p> n) where p can be increasing exponentially with n. Finally, we show the consistency, n½ --d-consistency of Lasso, along with the oracle property of adaptive Lasso, in the case where p is fixed. Here d is the memory parameter of the stationary error sequence. The performance of Lasso is also analysed in the present setup with a simulation study. The third chapter proposes and investigates the properties of a penalized quantile based estimator for measurement error models. Standard formulations of prediction problems in high dimension regression models assume the availability of fully observed covariates and sub-Gaussian and homogeneous model errors. This makes these methods inapplicable to measurement errors models where covariates are unobservable and observations are possibly non sub-Gaussian and heterogeneous. We propose weighted penalized corrected quantile estimators for the regression parameter vector in linear regression models with additive measurement errors, where unobservable covariates are nonrandom. The proposed estimators forgo the need for the above mentioned model assumptions. We study these estimators in both the fixed dimension and high dimensional sparse setups, in the latter setup, the dimensionality can grow exponentially with the sample size. In the fixed dimensional setting we provide the oracle properties associated with the proposed estimators. In the high dimensional setting, we provide bounds for the statistical error associated with the estimation, that hold with asymptotic probability 1, thereby providing the ℓ1-consistency of the proposed estimator. We also establish the model selection consistency in terms of the correctly estimated zero components of the parameter vector. A simulation study that investigates the finite sample accuracy of the proposed estimator is also included in this chapter.

Comparison null imaging ellipsometry using polarization rotator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sungmo; Kim, Eunsung; Kim, Jiwon; An, Ilsin

2018-05-01

In this study, two-reflection imaging ellipsometry is carried out to compare the changes in polarization states between two samples. By using a polarization rotator, the parallel and perpendicular components of polarization are easily switched between the two samples being compared. This leads to an intensity image consisting of null and off-null points depending on the difference in optical characteristics between the two samples. This technique does not require any movement of optical elements for nulling and can be used to detect defects or surface contamination for quality control of samples.

Organizational Justice As a Predictor of Organizational Silence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Çetin

2014-01-01

In this study, relation between teachers' perception for organizational justice and their organizational silence was examined. Sample of this study consists of 300 teachers who work at elementary schools in Siirt. Relational Scanning model was utilized in performance of this study. In this study, Organizational Justice Scale and Organizational…

Differential Effects of Science Study Questions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holliday, William G.; And Others

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differential effects on low and high verbal students of verbatim study questions adjunct to a text describing science concepts. The sample consisted of 217 eighth grade students enrolled in twelve Calgary (Alberta, Canada) schools. Materials developed for the study included an introduction to the…

Northwest Africa 8535 and Northwest Africa 10463: New Insights into the Angrite Parent Body

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santos, A. R.; Agee, C. B.; Shearer, C. K.; McCubbin, F. M.

2016-01-01

The angrite meteorites are valuable samples of igneous rocks formed early in Solar System history (approx.4.56 Ga, summarized in [1]). This small meteorite group (approx.24 individually named specimens) consists of rocks with somewhat exotic mineral compositions (e.g., high Ca olivine, Al-Ti-bearing diopside-hedenbergite, calcium silico-phosphates), resulting in exotic bulk rock compositions. These mineral assemblages remain fairly consistent among angrite samples, which suggests they formed due to similar processes from a single mantle source. There is still debate over the formation process for these rocks (see summary in [1]), and analysis of additional angrite samples may help to address this debate. Toward this end, we have begun to study two new angrites, Northwest Africa 8535, a dunite, and Northwest Africa 10463, a basaltic angrite.

Relationship between Study Habits and Test Anxiety of Higher Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Arul A. S.

2014-01-01

The present study aims to probe the relationship between study habits and test anxiety of higher secondary students. In this normative study survey method was employed. The population for the present study consisted of higher secondary students studying in Tirunelveli district. The investigator used the simple random sampling technique. The sample…

Identifying Careless Responding With the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised Validity Scales.

PubMed

Marcus, David K; Church, Abere Sawaqdeh; O'Connell, Debra; Lilienfeld, Scott O

2018-01-01

The Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) includes validity scales that assess Deviant Responding (DR), Virtuous Responding, and Inconsistent Responding. We examined the utility of these scales for identifying careless responding using data from two online studies that examined correlates of psychopathy in college students (Sample 1: N = 583; Sample 2: N = 454). Compared with those below the cut scores, those above the cut on the DR scale yielded consistently lower validity coefficients when PPI-R scores were correlated with corresponding scales from the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure. The other three PPI-R validity scales yielded weaker and less consistent results. Participants who completed the studies in an inordinately brief amount of time scored significantly higher on the DR and Virtuous Responding scales than other participants. Based on the findings from the current studies, researchers collecting PPI-R data online should consider identifying and perhaps screening out respondents with elevated scores on the DR scale.

Measuring romantic love: psychometric properties of the infatuation and attachment scales.

PubMed

Langeslag, Sandra J E; Muris, Peter; Franken, Ingmar H A

2013-01-01

Romantic love is ubiquitous and has major influences on people's lives. Because romantic love consists of infatuation and attachment, researchers need to be able to differentiate between these constructs when examining the behavioral, affective, cognitive, and physiological correlates of this intriguing phenomenon. Existing love questionnaires appear less suitable for measuring the two-dimensional construct of romantic love. We present here the new 20-item Infatuation and Attachment Scales (IAS) questionnaire. In Study 1, exploratory factor analyses in a Dutch-speaking sample (n = 162) revealed a clear-cut two-factor structure, with 10 infatuation and 10 attachment items loading on separate components. This two-factor structure was confirmed in a new Dutch-speaking sample (n = 214, Study 2), and in an English-speaking sample (n = 183, Study 3). In all studies, it was additionally shown that both scales possessed good convergent and discriminant validity, as well as excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. We argue that the IAS is a widely applicable, psychometrically sound instrument that will be useful in future research exploring the effects of infatuation and attachment on behavior, emotion, cognition, peripheral physiology, and brain functioning.

Cognition, social cognition and functional disability in early-stage schizophrenia: A study from southern India.

PubMed

Kurtz, Matthew M; Gopal, Subhashini; John, Sujit; Thara, R

2018-04-24

In high-income countries a wealth of studies has revealed cognitive and social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and a close relationship of these deficits to psychosocial functioning. Studies examining these illness features in middle and low-income countries are rare, particularly in early-stage samples. Sixty adult participants within 5 years of diagnosis with schizophrenia and 53 matched, healthy control were assessed with the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery and the PEAT emotion identification task at study entry, and the WHODAS functioning scale one year later. Deficits on cognitive instruments ranged from d = 0.64-1.04 and were consistent with those reported in Western samples. Negative symptoms were linked to function longitudinally. Deficits in social cognitive skills and longitudinal links between cognition and functioning were not evident. These findings suggest a highly consistent magnitude of neurocognitive deficits in people with schizophrenia across widely varying cultures, but with limited evidence of social cognitive skill deficits using Western-based instruments. There was little evidence of a relationship between cognition and psychosocial disability in people with early-stage schizophrenia in this sample. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Outcome-Dependent Sampling Design and Inference for Cox’s Proportional Hazards Model

PubMed Central

Yu, Jichang; Liu, Yanyan; Cai, Jianwen; Sandler, Dale P.; Zhou, Haibo

2016-01-01

We propose a cost-effective outcome-dependent sampling design for the failure time data and develop an efficient inference procedure for data collected with this design. To account for the biased sampling scheme, we derive estimators from a weighted partial likelihood estimating equation. The proposed estimators for regression parameters are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. A criteria that can be used to optimally implement the ODS design in practice is proposed and studied. The small sample performance of the proposed method is evaluated by simulation studies. The proposed design and inference procedure is shown to be statistically more powerful than existing alternative designs with the same sample sizes. We illustrate the proposed method with an existing real data from the Cancer Incidence and Mortality of Uranium Miners Study. PMID:28090134

Female sexual abuse and criminal justice intervention: a comparison of child protective service and criminal justice samples.

PubMed

Bader, Shannon M; Scalora, Mario J; Casady, Thomas K; Black, Shannon

2008-01-01

The current study compared a sample of female perpetrators reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) to a sample of women from the criminal justice system. Instead of examining a clinical or criminal justice sample in isolation, this comparison allows a more accurate description of female sexual offending. Cases were drawn from a Midwestern state's child abuse registry, law enforcement records, and sex offender registry. The CPS sample consisted of 179 women, and the criminal justice system sample consisted of 57 women. All cases were reported to the agencies between 1994 and 2004. Victims ranged in age from 1 to 18 years old (M=9.98, SD=4.37). As hypothesized, there were statistically significant differences between the CPS and criminal justice samples. Specifically, the CPS sample had a majority of victims under age 12 (74.9%), while the criminal justice sample had a majority of victims between ages 13 and 19 (73.8%). The CPS sample had predominantly intrafamilial victims (97.8%), while the criminal justice sample had a majority of extrafamilial victims (63.3%). The CPS sample also showed significantly more female victims (63.7%), while the criminal justice sample had mostly male victims (62.1%). There were significant differences in the victim's age, the victim's gender and the perpetrator-victim relationship between cases managed in the CPS and the criminal justice system. The results highlight the need for further research into child welfare and law enforcement collaboration.

Reliability and construct validity of the Participation in Life Activities Scale for children and adolescents with asthma: an instrument evaluation study.

PubMed

Kintner, Eileen K; Sikorskii, Alla

2008-06-04

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and construct validity of the Participation in Life Activities Scale, an instrument designed to measure older school-age child and early adolescent level of involvement in chosen pursuits. A cross-sectional design was used. The convenience sample consisted of 313 school-age children and early adolescents with asthma, ages 9-15 years. The self-report summative scale of interest is a 3-indicator survey. Higher scores are reflective of higher levels of participation. Internal consistency reliability and construct validity for the entire sample and sub groups of the sample were evaluated. The instrument was deemed sound for the entire sample as well as sub groups based on sex, race, age, socioeconomic status, and severity of illness. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency reliability for the entire sample was .74. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a single component solution (loadings .79-.85) accounting for 66% of the explained variance. Construct validity was established by testing the posed relationship between participation in life activities scores and severity of illness. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit between the data and specified model, chi2(10, n = 302) = 8.074, p = .62. This instrument could be used (a) in clinical settings to diagnose restricted participation in desired activities, guide decision-making about treatment plans to increase participation, and motivate behavioral change in the management of asthma; and (b) in research settings to explore factors influencing and consequences of restricted and unrestricted participation, and as an outcome measure to evaluate the effectiveness of programs designed to foster child and early adolescent management of asthma.

Correlates of Graduating with a Full-Time Job versus a Full-Time Job Consistent with Major

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blau, Gary; Hill, Theodore L.; Halbert, Terry A.; Snell, Corinne; Atwater, Graig A.; Kershner, Ronald; Zuckerman, M. Michael

2016-01-01

This is an exploratory study that compares the correlates of securing a full-time job at graduation to securing a full-time job at graduation consistent with one's major. Results are drawn from a sample of 310 graduating business school seniors who filled out a Fall 2014 survey. Results showed three positive correlates to graduating with a…

A Multiple Cross-Cultural Comparison of Approaches to Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowden, Mark P.; Abhayawansa, Subhash; Manzin, Gregoria

2015-01-01

This study compares learning approaches of local English-speaking students and students from Asian countries studying at an Australian metropolitan university. The sample consists of students across 13 different countries. Unlike previous studies, students from Asian countries are subdivided into two categories: students from Confucian Heritage…

Virus occurrence in private and public wells in a fractured dolostone aquifer in Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Amy S.; Borchardt, Mark A.; Kieke, Burney A.; Dunfield, Kari E.; Parker, Beth L.

2017-06-01

Groundwater samples from 22 wells completed in a regional fractured dolostone aquifer in the Guelph region of southern Ontario, Canada, were collected over an 8-month period and analyzed for viruses and Campylobacter jejuni. Only 8% of the 118 samples exhibited viruses at extremely low concentrations, but of the 22 wells sampled, 10 (45%) were positive for human enteric viruses (polyomavirus, adenovirus A, and GII norovirus) including 5 of the 8 public supply wells (62.5%) and 5 of the 11 private wells (45%). Each virus-positive well had only one virus occurrence with six sampling events during the 8-month sampling campaign and only one virus type was detected in each well. The probability of virus detection was positively associated with well open-interval length. Virus concentration (in the wells that were virus-positive) was negatively associated with well depth and open-interval length and positively associated with overburden thickness (i.e., the thickness of unconsolidated materials overlying bedrock facies) and the amount of precipitation 8-14 and 15-21 days prior to the sampling date. The ephemeral nature of the virus detections and the low detection rate on a per sample basis were consistent with previous studies. The percentage of virus-positive wells, however, was much higher than previous studies, but consistent with the fact that the hydrogeologic conditions of fractured bedrock aquifers create wide capture zones and short groundwater travel times to wells making them more vulnerable to contamination occurrence but at very low concentrations.

TraitEnactments as Density Distributions: The Role of Actors, Situations, and Observers in Explaining Stability and Variability

PubMed Central

Fleeson, William; Law, Mary Kate

2015-01-01

The purposes of this paper were to determine (i)whether the high consistency of individual differences in average aggregated behavior is due to actors’ personalities or to consistency in the situations those actors encounter; and(ii)whether the surprisingly high within-person variability in trait enactment is a real phenomenon corroborated by observers, or merely in individuals’ heads. Although traits are supposed to describe what individuals are like in everyday life, little evidence exists about the enactment of trait content in everyday life. Past experience-sampling studies have found both highly variable and highly consistent trait enactment, but were restricted to self-report data and to naturally occurring situations. The current study used experience-sampling in controlled lab environments with 97 targets and 183 observers to address these shortcomings. Targets attended hour-long lab sessions 20x each and observers rated targets’ behavior. Parameters of distributions were highly consistent (r’s ~ .80), revealing that actors were responsible for consistency, not situations. Nonetheless, observer ratings revealed that most variability in trait enactment was within-person, confirming that even when people put it on the line in ways that affect others, they still varied rapidly in the traits they enacted. In the face of two historically vexing objections to traits, this paper supports the density distributions model of traits and argues that trait conceptualizations must accommodate large within-person variability. PMID:26348598

Relationships among abilities in elderly adults: a time lag analysis.

PubMed

Hayslip, B; Brookshire, R G

1985-11-01

Previous research has suggested that relationships among primary abilities said to measure crystallized (Gc) and fluid (Gf) intelligences remain the same across cohorts if age is held constant, despite generational changes in the levels of abilities. The present study assessed differences in relationship among several components of Gf/Gc in two independent samples of elderly adults, tested in 1975 and 1979 by the same investigator. The 1975 sample consisted of 54 elderly adults aged 59 to 76 years (M = 67.7); the 1979 sample of 50 elderly adults was aged 55 to 82 (M = 69.4). Time-lagged differences in relationships among abilities measuring Gf and Gc (induction, figural relations, and verbal comprehension) were investigated using confirmatory factor analytic procedures. Although a two factor (Gf, Gc) model was common to both the 1975 and 1979 samples, significant differences in unique variances were observed across samples. Some, albeit weaker, evidence was found suggesting time-lagged differences in factor covariances. These data, for the most part, support previous research with younger individuals, suggesting consistency in factor structure across time and cohort.

Avoidance of Affect Mediates the Effect of Invalidating Childhood Environments on Borderline Personality Symptomatology in a Non-Clinical Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sturrock, Bonnie A.; Francis, Andrew; Carr, Steven

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to test the Linehan (1993) proposal regarding associations between invalidating childhood environments, distress tolerance (e.g., avoidance of affect), and borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms. The sample consisted of 141 non-clinical participants (51 men, 89 women, one gender unknown), ranging in age from 18 to…

An investigation of hardwood plywood markets. Part 2. Fixture manufacturers

Treesearch

Craig L. Forbes; Larry G. Jahn; Philip A. Araman

2001-01-01

This is the second part of a two-part study investigating markets for hardwood plywood. Part 1 dealt with architectural woodworkers. North American fixture manufacturers were surveyed to better understand the structure and use of wood-based panels in the industry. A questionnaire was mailed to a sample of U.S. and Canadian fixture manufacturers. The sample consisted of...

Psychometric Properties of the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist for High-Functioning Children with ASD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopata, Christopher; Rodgers, Jonathan D.; Donnelly, James P.; Thomeer, Marcus L.; McDonald, Christin A.; Volker, Martin A.

2017-01-01

This study examined the reliability and criterion-related validity of parent ratings on the Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist (ASC) for a sample of 275 high-functioning children, ages 6-12 years, with ASD. Internal consistency for the total sample was 0.92. For two subsamples, test-retest reliability was very good at the 6-week and good at the…

Factorial Validity and Invariance of the GHQ-12 among Clinical and Nonclinical Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandes, Helder Miguel; Vasconcelos-Raposo, Jose

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the internal reliability, factorial validity, and measurement invariance of a Brazilian-Portuguese version of the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) across clinical and nonclinical groups. The clinical sample consisted of 228 chronic hemodialysis patients (41.7% female), with a mean age of 48.23 (SD =…

Low-frequency creep in CoNiFe films.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartran, D. S.; Bourne, H. C., Jr.; Chow, L. G.

1972-01-01

Domain wall motion excited by slow rise-time, bipolar, hard-axis pulses in vacuum deposited CoNiFe films from 1500 to 2000 A thick is studied. The results are consistent with those of comparable NiFe films. Furthermore, the wall coercivity is found to be the most significant sample property correlated to the low-frequency creep properties of all the samples.

The Impact of Science Teachers' Beliefs on Teaching Science: The Case of Saudi Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabdulkareem, Saleh Abdullah

2016-01-01

The researcher aims to investigate Saudi science teachers' beliefs about learning and teaching issues. The sample consisted of 247 middle school teachers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study conducted in the academic school year 2014/2015, and utilized a questionnaire and an interview that included 10% of the sample. The questionnaire targeted the…

Relationship Level of Individual Value Perceptions and Competence Beliefs of Classroom Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kop, Yasar; Tasdan, Murat; Alibeyoglu, Aytekin

2017-01-01

The main aim of this study is to reveal classroom teachers' personal value perceptions and the level of their efficiencies. The quantitative research method was used in the research. The target population of the research consisted of 335 classroom teachers in Kars. Multi stage sampling model was selected in order to determine the sampling in the…

Factors Affecting Individual Education Demand at the Entrance to University: Adnan Menderes University Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarpkaya, Ruhi

2010-01-01

The aim of this research is to determine the factors affecting individual education demands at the entrance to university. The research is in survey model. The universe of the study consists of 1630 freshmen at the faculties and vocational schools of Adnan Menderes University, Aydin. 574 students from 7 schools were included in the sample. The…

Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of a 10-Item Decisional Balance Scale: Longitudinal and Subgroup Examination within an Adult Diabetic Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pickering, Michael A.; Plotnikoff, Ronald C.

2009-01-01

This study explores the longitudinal and subgroup measurement properties of a 10-item, physical activity decisional balance scale, previously published by Plotnikoff, Blanchard, Hotz, and Rhodes (2001), within a diabetic sample of Canadian adults. Results indicated that a three-factor measurement model consistently improved model fit compared to…

Survey Response in a Statewide Social Experiment: Differences in Being Located and Collaborating, by Race and Hispanic Origin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nam, Yunju; Mason, Lisa Reyes; Kim, Youngmi; Clancy, Margaret; Sherraden, Michael

2013-01-01

This study examined whether and how survey response differs by race and Hispanic origin, using data from birth certificates and survey administrative data for a large-scale statewide experiment. The sample consisted of mothers of infants selected from Oklahoma birth certificates using a stratified random sampling method (N = 7,111). This study…

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR EXTRACTION OF SOIL AND HOUSE DUST SAMPLES FOR GC/MS ANALYSIS OF PESTICIDE AND PAH (BCO-L-28.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe procedures for extracting and preparing a dust or soil sample for gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of pesticides and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data retrieval durin...

An Investigation of High School Students' Online Game Addiction with Respect to Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Müezzin, Emre

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate high school students' online game addiction with respect to gender. The sample which was selected through the criterion sampling method, consists of 81 female (61.8%) female, and 50 male (38.2%), total 131 high school students. The "Online Game Addiction Scale" which was developed by Kaya and Basol…

Schools' Openness to Change According to Teachers' Views: A Sample of Turkey/Kocaeli

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konakli, Tugba

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research is to examine teachers' views about schools' openness to change The sample of the research consists of 397 teachers working in 18 elementary and 12 secondary schools in the central district of Kocaeli. Faculty Change Orientation Scale -FCOS which was developed by Smith & Hoy (2007) was used for the study. The…

WISC-IV and Clinical Validation of the Four- and Five-Factor Interpretative Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Lawrence G.; Keith, Timothy Z.; Zhu, Jianjun; Chen, Hsinyi

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the constructs measured by the WISC-IV and the consistency of measurement across large normative and clinical samples. Competing higher order four- and five-factor models were analyzed using the WISC-IV normative sample and clinical subjects. The four-factor solution is the model published with the test…

Diet- and Body Size-related Attitudes and Behaviors Associated with Vitamin Supplement Use in a Representative Sample of Fourth-grade Students in Texas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this research was to examine diet- and body size-related attitudes and behaviors associated with supplement use in a representative sample of fourth-grade students in Texas. The research design consisted of cross-sectional data from the School Physical Activity and Nutrition study, ...

Monte carlo simulations of Yttrium reaction rates in Quinta uranium target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suchopár, M.; Wagner, V.; Svoboda, O.; Vrzalová, J.; Chudoba, P.; Tichý, P.; Kugler, A.; Adam, J.; Závorka, L.; Baldin, A.; Furman, W.; Kadykov, M.; Khushvaktov, J.; Solnyshkin, A.; Tsoupko-Sitnikov, V.; Tyutyunnikov, S.; Bielewicz, M.; Kilim, S.; Strugalska-Gola, E.; Szuta, M.

2017-03-01

The international collaboration Energy and Transmutation of Radioactive Waste (E&T RAW) performed intensive studies of several simple accelerator-driven system (ADS) setups consisting of lead, uranium and graphite which were irradiated by relativistic proton and deuteron beams in the past years at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia. The most recent setup called Quinta, consisting of natural uranium target-blanket and lead shielding, was irradiated by deuteron beams in the energy range between 1 and 8 GeV in three accelerator runs at JINR Nuclotron in 2011 and 2012 with yttrium samples among others inserted inside the setup to measure the neutron flux in various places. Suitable activation detectors serve as one of possible tools for monitoring of proton and deuteron beams and for measurements of neutron field distribution in ADS studies. Yttrium is one of such suitable materials for monitoring of high energy neutrons. Various threshold reactions can be observed in yttrium samples. The yields of isotopes produced in the samples were determined using the activation method. Monte Carlo simulations of the reaction rates leading to production of different isotopes were performed in the MCNPX transport code and compared with the experimental results obtained from the yttrium samples.

Quantifying Antimicrobial Resistance at Veal Calf Farms

PubMed Central

Bosman, Angela B.; Wagenaar, Jaap; Stegeman, Arjan; Vernooij, Hans; Mevius, Dik

2012-01-01

This study was performed to determine a sampling strategy to quantify the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance on veal calf farms, based on the variation in antimicrobial resistance within and between calves on five farms. Faecal samples from 50 healthy calves (10 calves/farm) were collected. From each individual sample and one pooled faecal sample per farm, 90 selected Escherichia coli isolates were tested for their resistance against 25 mg/L amoxicillin, 25 mg/L tetracycline, 0.5 mg/L cefotaxime, 0.125 mg/L ciprofloxacin and 8/152 mg/L trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (tmp/s) by replica plating. From each faecal sample another 10 selected E. coli isolates were tested for their resistance by broth microdilution as a reference. Logistic regression analysis was performed to compare the odds of testing an isolate resistant between both test methods (replica plating vs. broth microdilution) and to evaluate the effect of pooling faecal samples. Bootstrap analysis was used to investigate the precision of the estimated prevalence of resistance to each antimicrobial obtained by several simulated sampling strategies. Replica plating showed similar odds of E. coli isolates tested resistant compared to broth microdilution, except for ciprofloxacin (OR 0.29, p≤0.05). Pooled samples showed in general lower odds of an isolate being resistant compared to individual samples, although these differences were not significant. Bootstrap analysis showed that within each antimicrobial the various compositions of a pooled sample provided consistent estimates for the mean proportion of resistant isolates. Sampling strategies should be based on the variation in resistance among isolates within faecal samples and between faecal samples, which may vary by antimicrobial. In our study, the optimal sampling strategy from the perspective of precision of the estimated levels of resistance and practicality consists of a pooled faecal sample from 20 individual animals, of which 90 isolates are tested for their susceptibility by replica plating. PMID:22970313

Separation-Individuation of Late Adolescents : A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aslan, Sevda; Gelbal, Selahattin

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the change in separation-individuation between late adolescents in the first, second, third and fourth year of higher education. The study sample used for this longitudinal study consisted of 148 students attending class studies, computer education and science education departments of Kirikkale University.…

Self-Regulation of Behavior: Students versus Other Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakesova, Jitka; Gavora, Peter; Kalenda, Jan

2016-01-01

The objective of this research is to compare self-regulation of behaviour of two Czech samples. The first one was the representative sample of Czech adults that consisted of 1060 respondents. The second sample was university students and consisted of 1244 respondents. The measuring tool was an adapted Self-Regulation Questionnaire of which two…

Nanoscale surface characterization and miscibility study of a spray-dried injectable polymeric matrix consisting of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

PubMed

Meeus, Joke; Chen, Xinyong; Scurr, David J; Ciarnelli, Valeria; Amssoms, Katie; Roberts, Clive J; Davies, Martyn C; van Den Mooter, Guy

2012-09-01

Injectable controlled-release formulations are of increasing interest for the treatment of chronic diseases. This study aims to develop and characterize a polymeric matrix for intramuscular or subcutaneous injection, consisting of two biocompatible polymers, particularly suitable for formulating poorly soluble drugs. For this matrix, the water-insoluble polymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is combined with the water-soluble polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Microparticles of these two polymers were prepared by spray drying. The phase behavior of the samples was studied by means of modulated differential scanning calorimetry and the results showed that phase separation occurred in the bulk sample through evidence of two mixed amorphous phases, namely, a PLGA-rich phase and a PVP-rich phase. Characterization of the samples by scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the spray-dried particles were hollow with a thin shell. Because of the importance in relation to stability and drug release, information about the surface of the microparticles was collected by different complementary surface analysis techniques. Atomic force microscopy gathered information about the morphology and phase behavior of the microparticle surface. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis of the particles revealed that the surface consisted mainly of the PLGA-rich phase. This was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at an increased sampling depth (≈ 10 nm). Nanothermal analysis proved to be an innovative way to thermally detect the presence of the PLGA-dominated surface layer and the underlying PVP phase. Taken together, this information provides a rational basis for predicting the likely drug release behavior this formulation will display. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on family functioning.

PubMed

Kanervisto, Merja; Paavilainen, Eija; Astedt-Kurki, Päivi

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to ascertain family dynamics of Finnish patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on the basis of Barnhill's framework for healthy family functioning. This study used description and comparison and an interview-administered questionnaire and survey. Participants were patients with COPD and their family members (n = 65) living in the Tampere University Hospital catchment area. The sample consisted of families of home oxygen therapy patients (n = 36) and families of inpatients (n = 29). Families consisted of patients and their family members. Data were collected from patients by interview-administered questionnaires and from family members by survey. The instrument used was the Family Dynamics Measure 2, operationalized and tested by the American Family Research Group. Families of home oxygen therapy patients experienced significantly more mutuality (P =.03) and made decisions about their illness and life significantly more independently (P =.05) than families of inpatients. Families of home oxygen therapy patients handled change significantly more flexibly (P =.03) than families of inpatients. For the most part, families of both patient groups functioned well, but overall family functioning was clearly better in families of home oxygen therapy patients. The sample included some dysfunctional and even severely dysfunctional families. The results of this study cannot be generalized beyond the study sample because of the small sample size, but they provide suggestions for developing the care of patients with COPD and their families.

Guidelines for Design and Sampling for Cyanobacterial Toxin and Taste-and-Odor Studies in Lakes and Reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graham, Jennifer L.; Loftin, Keith A.; Ziegler, Andrew C.; Meyer, Michael T.

2008-01-01

Cyanobacteria and associated toxins and taste-and-odor compounds are of increasing environmental concern. However, consistent guidelines for the development of studies assessing cyanobacterial toxins and taste-and-odor compounds presently are not available. This report provides guidance for the development of scientific studies of cyanobacteria and associated by-products in lakes and reservoirs. Topics include: background information on cyanobacteria, toxins, and taste-and-odor compounds; spatial and temporal considerations that are unique to the cyanobacteria in lakes and reservoirs; common study types, objectives, and approaches for studies of cyanobacteria and associated toxins and taste-and-odor compounds; general guidelines for collecting samples; and information on sample handling, preparation, processing, and shipping.

Time-domain terahertz spectroscopy of artificial skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corridon, Peter M.; Ascázubi, Ricardo; Krest, Courtney; Wilke, Ingrid

2006-02-01

Time-domain Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and imaging is currently evaluated as a novel tool for medical imaging and diagnostics. The application of THz-pulse imaging of human skin tissues and related cancers has been demonstrated recently in-vitro and in-vivo. With this in mind, we present a time-domain THz-transmission study of artificial skin. The skin samples consist of a monolayer of porous matrix of fibers of cross-linked bovine tendon collagen and a glycosaminoglycan (chondroitin-6-sulfate) that is manufactured with a controlled porosity and defined degradation rate. Another set of samples consists of the collagen monolayer covered with a silicone layer. We have measured the THz-transmission and determined the index of refraction and absorption of our samples between 0.1 and 3 THz for various states of hydration in distilled water and saline solutions. The transmission of the THz-radiation through the artificial skin samples is modeled by electromagnetic wave theory. Moreover, the THz-optical properties of the artificial skin layers are compared to the THz-optical properties of freshly excised human skin samples. Based on this comparison the potential use of artificial skin samples as photo-medical phantoms for human skin is discussed.

Apollo 14 rock samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlson, I. C.

1978-01-01

Petrographic descriptions of all Apollo 14 samples larger than 1 cm in any dimension are presented. The sample description format consists of: (1) an introductory section which includes information on lunar sample location, orientation, and return containers, (2) a section on physical characteristics, which contains the sample mass, dimensions, and a brief description; (3) surface features, including zap pits, cavities, and fractures as seen in binocular view; (4) petrographic description, consisting of a binocular description and, if possible, a thin section description; and (5) a discussion of literature relevant to sample petrology is included for samples which have previously been examined by the scientific community.

Direct PCR amplification of DNA from human bloodstains, saliva, and touch samples collected with microFLOQ® swabs.

PubMed

Ambers, Angie; Wiley, Rachel; Novroski, Nicole; Budowle, Bruce

2018-01-01

Previous studies have shown that nylon flocked swabs outperform traditional fiber swabs in DNA recovery due to their innovative design and lack of internal absorbent core to entrap cellular materials. The microFLOQ ® Direct swab, a miniaturized version of the 4N6 FLOQSwab ® , has a small swab head that is treated with a lysing agent which allows for direct amplification and DNA profiling from sample collection to final result in less than two hours. Additionally, the microFLOQ ® system subsamples only a minute portion of a stain and preserves the vast majority of the sample for subsequent testing or re-analysis, if desired. The efficacy of direct amplification of DNA from dilute bloodstains, saliva stains, and touch samples was evaluated using microFLOQ ® Direct swabs and the GlobalFiler™ Express system. Comparisons were made to traditional methods to assess the robustness of this alternate workflow. Controlled studies with 1:19 and 1:99 dilutions of bloodstains and saliva stains consistently yielded higher STR peak heights than standard methods with 1ng input DNA from the same samples. Touch samples from common items yielded single source and mixed profiles that were consistent with primary users of the objects. With this novel methodology/workflow, no sample loss occurs and therefore more template DNA is available during amplification. This approach may have important implications for analysis of low quantity and/or degraded samples that plague forensic casework. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of landslide-triggering factors using clay minerals, ASTER satellite image and GIS in the Busan area, southeastern Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, G. C.; Kim, M. G.; Choi, J. J.; Ryu, J. O.; Nho, J. G.; Choo, C. O.

2016-12-01

This study aims at estimating landslide-inducing factors such as extreme rainfall, slope, and geological factors in Busan city, southeastern Korea, using clay mineralogy, DM analysis and DB construction in order to develop the landslide evaluation standards suitable for the country. GIS-based data collected from the study area include geological maps, topological maps, soil maps, forest maps and others in the DB construction. Data extraction and processing for landslide-induced factors consist of expandable clay minerals identified using XRD, along with XRF and weathering sensitivity analysis and fundamental soil analysis on 38 bulk samples composed of weathered rocks and soils. Finally landslide sensibility maps were constructed using ArcGIS, together with ASTER satellite images for identifying clay minerals on regional areas helpful for saving time and money. In Mt. Cheonma, 16 samples are composed of quartz, albite, illite, vermiculite, and kaolinite, with little difference in mineralogy. In Mt. Hwangryeong and Mt. Geumryeun, 12 samples consist of quartz, albite, illite, vermiculite, kaolinite and hornblende, with little difference in mineralogy. In Mt. Songhak, 10 samples are composed of quartz, illite, vermiculite, and kaolinite. Quartz, albite and illite are abundant in most samples, regardless of sites studied. IDW interpolation method was applied to the Busan area. The resolution of space grids consists of 5 m x 5 m. Especially, illite was used as the most effective factor that induces landslide using IDW interpolation and ASTER satellite images. In conclusion, sensibility maps constructed using 16 layers including illite content, weathered sensibility are well in accordance with the real sites where landslides took place, showing that areas with high sensibility are closely related to the high frequencies of landslide. This research was supported by the Public Welfare & Safety Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (grant number 2012M3A2A1050976)

Technological, rheological and sensory characterizations of a yogurt containing an exopolysaccharide extract from Lactobacillus fermentum Lf2, a new food additive.

PubMed

Ale, Elisa C; Perezlindo, Marcos J; Pavón, Yanina; Peralta, Guillermo H; Costa, Silvia; Sabbag, Nora; Bergamini, Carina; Reinheimer, Jorge A; Binetti, Ana G

2016-12-01

Lactobacillus fermentum Lf2, an autochthonous strain isolated as a non starter culture in Cremoso cheese, produces high EPS levels (~1g/L) in optimized conditions (SDM broth, pH6.0, 30°C, 72h). Technological (texture profile and rheological analysis) and sensory properties of non-fat yogurts with 300 and 600mg EPS/L were studied at 3 and 25days after manufacture. Yogurts with different EPS concentrations showed higher hardness values than the control group at both periods of time, being the only significant difference that remained stable during time. The consistency index was also higher for the treated samples at both times evaluated, being significantly different for samples with 300mg/L of EPS extract, while the flow behavior index was lower for EPS-added yogurts. The thixotropic index was lower (P<0.05) for samples with the highest EPS extract concentration at the end of the storage time. Regarding the sensory analysis, those yogurts with 600mg/L of EPS extract presented the highest values of consistency at 3days of storage. No considerable differences for defects (milk powder, acid, bitter and cooked milk flavors) were perceived between treated and control samples at both times evaluated. Syneresis was also studied and samples with 600mg/L of EPS extract presented the lowest syneresis values at 25days of storage, which considerably decreased with the time of storage. In conclusion, the EPS from L. fermentum Lf2, used as an additive, provided yogurt with creamy consistency and increased hardness, without the presence of unwanted defects and improving the water holding capacity of the product. All the analysis done showed the potential of this extract to be used as a technofunctional natural ingredient, and it should be considered its positive impact on health, according to previous studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Summary of results of frictional sliding studies, at confining pressures up to 6.98 kb, in selected rock materials

USGS Publications Warehouse

Summers, R.; Byerlee, J.

1977-01-01

This report is a collection of stress-strain charts which were produced by deforming selected simuiated fault gouge materials. Several sets of samples consisted of intact cylinders, 1.000 inch in diameter and 2.500 inches long. The majority of the samples consisted of thin layers of the selected sample material, inserted within a diagonal sawcut in a 1.000-inch by 2.500-inch Westerly Granite cylinder. Two sorts of inserts were used. The first consisted of thin wafers cut from 1.000-inch-diameter cores of the rock being tested. The other consisted of thin layers of crushed material packed onto the sawcut surface. In several groups of tests using various thicknesses (0.010 inch to 0.160 inch) of a given type material there were variations in the stress level and/or stability of sliding as a function of the fault zone width. Because of this we elected to use a standard 0.025-inch width fault zone to compare the frictional properties of many of the different types of rock materials. This 0.025-inch thickness was chosen partially because this thickness of crushed granite behaves approximately the same as a fractured sample of initially intact granite, and also because this is near the lower limit at which we could cut intact wafers for those samples that were prepared from thin slices of rock. One series of tests was done with saw cut granite cylinders without fault gouge inserts. All of these tests were done in a hydraulically operated triaxial testing machine. The confining pressure (δ1, least principal stress) was applied by pumping petroleum ether into a pressure vessel. The differential stress (δ3-δ1) was applied by a hydraulically operated ram that could be advanced into the pressure vessel at any of several strain rates (10-4sec-1, 10-5sec-1, 10-6sec-1, 10-7sec-1, or 10-8sec-1). All samples were jacketed in polyurethane tubing to exclude the confining pressure medium from the samples. The majority of the samples, with the exception of some of the initially intact rocks, also had thin copper jackets. These served to hold the saw cut parts of the granite sample holders in alignment while the samples were handled and pushed into the polyurethane jackets.

Dynamics of airborne fungal populations in a large office building

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burge, H. A.; Pierson, D. L.; Groves, T. O.; Strawn, K. F.; Mishra, S. K.

2000-01-01

The increasing concern with bioaerosols in large office buildings prompted this prospective study of airborne fungal concentrations in a newly constructed building on the Gulf coast. We collected volumetric culture plate air samples on 14 occasions over the 18-month period immediately following building occupancy. On each sampling occasion, we collected duplicate samples from three sites on three floors of this six-story building, and an outdoor sample. Fungal concentrations indoors were consistently below those outdoors, and no sample clearly indicated fungal contamination in the building, although visible growth appeared in the ventilation system during the course of the study. We conclude that modern mechanically ventilated buildings prevent the intrusion of most of the outdoor fungal aerosol, and that even relatively extensive air sampling protocols may not sufficiently document the microbial status of buildings.

Nursing Faculty Perceptions on Teaching Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Doris A.

2010-01-01

The perceptions of nursing faculty teaching critical thinking (CT) affective attributes and cognitive skills are described in this quantitative, descriptive study. The study sample consisted of nurse educators from the National League of Nursing database. The purpose of the study was to gain nursing faculty perception of which teaching strategies…

Explaining the Long Reach of Fathers' Prenatal Involvement on Later Paternal Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabrera, Natasha J.; Fagan, Jay; Farrie, Danielle

2008-01-01

The present study examined the association between unmarried fathers' prenatal involvement and fathers' engagement later in the child's life. The study sample consisted of 1,686 fathers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Findings using multiple regressions revealed that fathers' prenatal involvement is significantly and…

Awareness on Learning Disabilities among Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menon K. P., Seema

2016-01-01

The study aims to find out the awareness on learning disabilities among elementary school teachers. The sample for the present study consisted of 500 elementary school teachers of Kerala. In this study the investigator used an Awareness Test on Learning Disabilities to measure the Awareness on Learning Disabilities among Elementary School…

A maximum pseudo-profile likelihood estimator for the Cox model under length-biased sampling

PubMed Central

Huang, Chiung-Yu; Qin, Jing; Follmann, Dean A.

2012-01-01

This paper considers semiparametric estimation of the Cox proportional hazards model for right-censored and length-biased data arising from prevalent sampling. To exploit the special structure of length-biased sampling, we propose a maximum pseudo-profile likelihood estimator, which can handle time-dependent covariates and is consistent under covariate-dependent censoring. Simulation studies show that the proposed estimator is more efficient than its competitors. A data analysis illustrates the methods and theory. PMID:23843659

The AIDS Memorial Quilt as preventative education: a developmental analysis of the Quilt.

PubMed

Knaus, C S; Austin, E W

1999-12-01

This study consisted of a survey given to college students (N = 560) at a rural university in the Pacific Northwest. The sample was randomly assigned into four groups, following the Solomon four-group study design. The two levels of treatment included interventions consisting of a visit to the AIDS Memorial Quilt for the experimental groups and attendance at an unrelated event for the control groups. Pretests were completed 4 weeks prior to interventions; posttests were completed by the entire sample 4 weeks after the interventions. Results confirmed expected differences among the four groups in terms of social distance, perceptions of people with AIDS, self-efficacy, and discussion of risky behavior. The results suggest that the AIDS Memorial Quilt addresses issues centrally related to behavior change and indicates support for the message interpretation process and stages of change models.

Assessment of the validity of the CUDIT-R in a subpopulation of cannabis users.

PubMed

Loflin, Mallory; Babson, Kimberly; Browne, Kendall; Bonn-Miller, Marcel

2018-01-01

The Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test-Revised (CUDIT-R) is an 8-item measure used to screen for cannabis use disorders (CUD). Despite widespread use of the tool, assessments of the CUDIT-R's validity in subpopulations are limited. The current study tested the structural validity and internal consistency of one of the most widely used screening measures for CUD (i.e., CUDIT-R) among a sample of military veterans who use cannabis for medicinal purposes. The present study used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the internal consistency and validity of the single-factor structure of the original screener among a sample of veterans who use cannabis for medicinal purposes (n = 90 [90% male]; M age  = 55.31, SD = 15.37). Measures included demographics and the CUDIT-R, obtained from the baseline assessment of an ongoing longitudinal study. The CFA revealed that the single-factor model previously validated in recreational using samples only accounted for 38.34% of total variance in responses on the CUDIT-R (χ 2  = 66.09, df = 28, p < 0.05; RMSEA = 0.06) and demonstrated acceptable but modest internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.73). More psychometric work is needed to determine the reliability and validity of using the CUDIT-R to screen for CUD among military veterans who use medicinal cannabis and other subpopulations of cannabis users.

Mineralogical and chemical characteristics of some natural jarosites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Desborough, G.A.; Smith, K.S.; Lowers, H.A.; Swayze, G.A.; Hammarstrom, J.M.; Diehl, S.F.; Leinz, R.W.; Driscoll, R.L.

2010-01-01

This paper presents a detailed study of the mineralogical, microscopic, thermal, and spectral characteristics of jarosite and natrojarosite minerals. Systematic mineralogic and chemical examination of a suite of 32 natural stoichiometric jarosite and natrojarosite samples from diverse supergene and hydrothermal environments indicates that there is only limited solid solution between Na and K at low temperatures, which suggests the presence of a solvus in the jarosite-natrojarosite system at temperatures below about 140 ??C. The samples examined in this study consist of either end members or coexisting end-member pairs of jarosite and natrojarosite. Quantitative electron-probe microanalysis data for several natural hydrothermal samples show only end-member compositions for individual grains or zones, and no detectable alkali-site deficiencies, which indicates that there is no hydronium substitution within the analytical uncertainty of the method. In addition, there is no evidence of Fe deficiencies in the natural hydrothermal samples. Hydronium-bearing jarosite was detected in only one relatively young supergene sample suggesting that terrestrial hydronium-bearing jarosites generally are unstable over geologic timescales. Unit-cell parameters of the 20 natural stoichiometric jarosites and 12 natural stoichiometric natrojarosites examined in this study have distinct and narrow ranges in the a- and c-cell dimensions. There is no overlap of these parameters at the 1?? level for the two end-member compositions. Several hydrothermal samples consist of fine-scale (2-10 ??m) intimate intergrowths of jarosite and natrojarosite, which could have resulted from solid-state diffusion segregation or growth zoning due to variations in the Na/K activity ratio of hydrothermal solutions.

Associations of the vaginal microbiota with HIV infection, bacterial vaginosis, and demographic factors.

PubMed

Chehoud, Christel; Stieh, Daniel J; Bailey, Aubrey G; Laughlin, Alice L; Allen, Shannon A; McCotter, Kerrie L; Sherrill-Mix, Scott A; Hope, Thomas J; Bushman, Frederic D

2017-04-24

We sought to investigate the effects of HIV infection on the vaginal microbiota and associations with treatment and demographic factors. We thus compared vaginal microbiome samples from HIV-infected (HIV+) and HIV-uninfected (HIV-) women collected at two Chicago area hospitals. We studied vaginal microbiome samples from 178 women analyzed longitudinally (n = 324 samples) and collected extensive data on clinical status and demographic factors. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the bacterial lineages present, then UniFrac, Shannon diversity, and other measures to compare community structure with sample metadata. Differences in microbiota measures were modest in the comparison of HIV+ and HIV- samples, in contrast to several previous studies, consistent with effective antiretroviral therapy. Proportions of healthy Lactobacillus species were not higher in HIV- patients overall, but were significantly higher when analyzed within each hospital in isolation. Rates of bacterial vaginosis were higher among African-American women and HIV+ women. Bacterial vaginosis was associated with higher frequency of HIV+. Unexpectedly, African-American women were more likely to switch bacterial vaginosis status between sampling times; switching was not associated with HIV+ status. The influence of HIV infection on the vaginal microbiome was modest for this cohort of well suppressed urban American women, consistent with effective antiretroviral therapy. HIV+ was found to be associated with bacterial vaginosis. Although bacterial vaginosis has previously been associated with HIV transmission, most of the women studied here became HIV+ many years before our test for bacterial vaginosis, thus implicating additional mechanisms linking HIV infection and bacterial vaginosis.

Groundwater-quality data for the Sierra Nevada study unit, 2008: Results from the California GAMA program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shelton, Jennifer L.; Fram, Miranda S.; Munday, Cathy M.; Belitz, Kenneth

2010-01-01

Groundwater quality in the approximately 25,500-square-mile Sierra Nevada study unit was investigated in June through October 2008, as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The Sierra Nevada study was designed to provide statistically robust assessments of untreated groundwater quality within the primary aquifer systems in the study unit, and to facilitate statistically consistent comparisons of groundwater quality throughout California. The primary aquifer systems (hereinafter, primary aquifers) are defined by the depth of the screened or open intervals of the wells listed in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database of wells used for public and community drinking-water supplies. The quality of groundwater in shallower or deeper water-bearing zones may differ from that in the primary aquifers; shallow groundwater may be more vulnerable to contamination from the surface. In the Sierra Nevada study unit, groundwater samples were collected from 84 wells (and springs) in Lassen, Plumas, Butte, Sierra, Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Madera, Mariposa, Fresno, Inyo, Tulare, and Kern Counties. The wells were selected on two overlapping networks by using a spatially-distributed, randomized, grid-based approach. The primary grid-well network consisted of 30 wells, one well per grid cell in the study unit, and was designed to provide statistical representation of groundwater quality throughout the entire study unit. The lithologic grid-well network is a secondary grid that consisted of the wells in the primary grid-well network plus 53 additional wells and was designed to provide statistical representation of groundwater quality in each of the four major lithologic units in the Sierra Nevada study unit: granitic, metamorphic, sedimentary, and volcanic rocks. One natural spring that is not used for drinking water was sampled for comparison with a nearby primary grid well in the same cell. Groundwater samples were analyzed for organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOC], pesticides and pesticide degradates, and pharmaceutical compounds), constituents of special interest (N-nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA] and perchlorate), naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major ions, total dissolved solids, and trace elements), and radioactive constituents (radium isotopes, radon-222, gross alpha and gross beta particle activities, and uranium isotopes). Naturally occurring isotopes and geochemical tracers (stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water, stable isotopes of carbon, carbon-14, strontium isotopes, and tritium), and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the sources and ages of the sampled groundwater. Three types of quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, and samples for matrix spikes) each were collected at approximately 10 percent of the wells sampled for each analysis, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the groundwater samples. Field blanks rarely contained detectable concentrations of any constituent, suggesting that contamination from sample collection, handling, and analytical procedures was not a significant source of bias in the data for the groundwater samples. Differences between replicate samples were within acceptable ranges, with few exceptions. Matrix-spike recoveries were within acceptable ranges for most compounds. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, groundwater typically is treated, disinfected, or blended with other waters to maintain water quality. Regulatory benchmarks apply to finished drinking water that is served to the consumer, not to untre

A review and evaluation of the internal structure and consistency of the Approaches to Teaching Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harshman, Jordan; Stains, Marilyne

2017-05-01

This study presents a review from 39 studies that provide evidence for the structural validity and internal consistency of the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI). In addition to this review, we evaluate many alternative factor structures on a sample of 267 first- and second-year chemistry faculty members participating in a professional development, a sample of instructors for which the ATI was originally designed. A total of 26 unique factor structures were evaluated. Through robust checking of assumptions, compilations of existing evidence, and new exploratory and confirmatory analyses, we found that there is greater evidence for the structural validity and internal consistency for the 22-item ATI than the 16-item ATI. Additionally, evidence supporting the original two-factor and four-factor structures proposed by the ATI authors (focusing on information transmission and conceptual change) were not reproducible and while alternative models were empirically viable, more theoretical justification is warranted. Recommendations for ATI use and general comments regarding best practices of reporting psychometrics in educational research contexts are discussed.

[GSTP1, APC and RASSF1 gene methylation in prostate cancer samples: comparative analysis of MS-HRM method and Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip beadchiparray diagnostic value].

PubMed

Skorodumova, L O; Babalyan, K A; Sultanov, R; Vasiliev, A O; Govorov, A V; Pushkar, D Y; Prilepskaya, E A; Danilenko, S A; Generozov, E V; Larin, A K; Kostryukova, E S; Sharova, E I

2016-11-01

There is a clear need in molecular markers for prostate cancer (PC) risk stratification. Alteration of DNA methylation is one of processes that occur during ÐÑ progression. Methylation-sensitive PCR with high resolution melting curve analysis (MS-HRM) can be used for gene methylation analysis in routine laboratory practice. This method requires very small amounts of DNA for analysis. Numerous results have been accumulated on DNA methylation in PC samples analyzed by the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip (HM450). However, the consistency of MS-HRM results with chip hybridization results has not been examined yet. The aim of this study was to assess the consistency of results of GSTP1, APC and RASSF1 gene methylation analysis in ÐÑ biopsy samples obtained by MS-HRM and chip hybridization. The methylation levels of each gene determined by MS-HRM were statistically different in the group of PC tissue samples and the samples without signs of tumor growth. Chip hybridization data analysis confirmed the results obtained with the MS-HRM. Differences in methylation levels between tumor tissue and histologically intact tissue of each sample determined by MS-HRM and chip hybridization, were consistent with each other. Thus, we showed that the assessment of GSTP1, APC and RASSF1 gene methylation analysis using MS-HRM is suitable for the design of laboratory assays that will differentiate the PC tissue from the tissue without signs of tumor growth.

X-Ray Temperatures, Luminosities, and Masses from XMM-Newton Follow-up of the First Shear-selected Galaxy Cluster Sample

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

Deshpande, Amruta J.; Hughes, John P.; Wittman, David, E-mail: amrejd@physics.rutgers.edu, E-mail: jph@physics.rutgers.edu, E-mail: dwittman@physics.ucdavis.edu

We continue the study of the first sample of shear-selected clusters from the initial 8.6 square degrees of the Deep Lens Survey (DLS); a sample with well-defined selection criteria corresponding to the highest ranked shear peaks in the survey area. We aim to characterize the weak lensing selection by examining the sample’s X-ray properties. There are multiple X-ray clusters associated with nearly all the shear peaks: 14 X-ray clusters corresponding to seven DLS shear peaks. An additional three X-ray clusters cannot be definitively associated with shear peaks, mainly due to large positional offsets between the X-ray centroid and the shearmore » peak. Here we report on the XMM-Newton properties of the 17 X-ray clusters. The X-ray clusters display a wide range of luminosities and temperatures; the L {sub X} − T {sub X} relation we determine for the shear-associated X-ray clusters is consistent with X-ray cluster samples selected without regard to dynamical state, while it is inconsistent with self-similarity. For a subset of the sample, we measure X-ray masses using temperature as a proxy, and compare to weak lensing masses determined by the DLS team. The resulting mass comparison is consistent with equality. The X-ray and weak lensing masses show considerable intrinsic scatter (∼48%), which is consistent with X-ray selected samples when their X-ray and weak lensing masses are independently determined.« less

Study Skills of Arts and Science College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sekar, J. Master Arul; Rajendran, K. K.

2015-01-01

The main objective of this study is to find out the level of study skills of arts and science college students. Study Skills Check List developed and standardized by Virginia University, Australia (2006) is used to collect the relevant data. The sample consists of 216 Government arts and science college students of Tiruchirappalli district, Tamil…

The Differentiation and Promotion of Students' Rights in Portugal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veiga, Feliciano; Garcia, Fernando; Neto, Felix; Almeida, Leandro

2009-01-01

This investigation includes a differential study (Study 1) and a quasi-experimental research (Study 2). In Study 1, the objective was to establish to what extent students' rights existed and analyse the differentiation between students' rights with Portuguese and immigrant mothers, throughout school years. The sample consisted of 537 students with…

Barriers of Using Educational Games in Jordanian Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aljaraideh, Yousef Ahmed

2014-01-01

This study aimed to identify the barriers that prevent Jordanian teachers at primary schools in Jerash governorate from using computer games into the classroom. To achieve this goal, a descriptive analysis procedure was used in this study. The sample of study consisted of (240) English, Mathematics and social studies teachers. The questionnaire…

An Investigation into the Discipline Approaches of School Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kadioglu, Serkan; Kadioglu Ates, Hatice; Kanbay A. K., Güler

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the discipline approaches of school managers. The study employed qualitative research methods and techniques. The sample of the study consists of the school managers employed in the secondary schools in the district of Basaksehir, Istanbul, in the 2014-2015 educational year. The study unveiled the opinions…

A topological analysis of large-scale structure, studied using the CMASS sample of SDSS-III

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

Parihar, Prachi; Gott, J. Richard III; Vogeley, Michael S.

2014-12-01

We study the three-dimensional genus topology of large-scale structure using the northern region of the CMASS Data Release 10 (DR10) sample of the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. We select galaxies with redshift 0.452 < z < 0.625 and with a stellar mass M {sub stellar} > 10{sup 11.56} M {sub ☉}. We study the topology at two smoothing lengths: R {sub G} = 21 h {sup –1} Mpc and R {sub G} = 34 h {sup –1} Mpc. The genus topology studied at the R {sub G} = 21 h {sup –1} Mpc scale results in the highest genusmore » amplitude observed to date. The CMASS sample yields a genus curve that is characteristic of one produced by Gaussian random phase initial conditions. The data thus support the standard model of inflation where random quantum fluctuations in the early universe produced Gaussian random phase initial conditions. Modest deviations in the observed genus from random phase are as expected from shot noise effects and the nonlinear evolution of structure. We suggest the use of a fitting formula motivated by perturbation theory to characterize the shift and asymmetries in the observed genus curve with a single parameter. We construct 54 mock SDSS CMASS surveys along the past light cone from the Horizon Run 3 (HR3) N-body simulations, where gravitationally bound dark matter subhalos are identified as the sites of galaxy formation. We study the genus topology of the HR3 mock surveys with the same geometry and sampling density as the observational sample and find the observed genus topology to be consistent with ΛCDM as simulated by the HR3 mock samples. We conclude that the topology of the large-scale structure in the SDSS CMASS sample is consistent with cosmological models having primordial Gaussian density fluctuations growing in accordance with general relativity to form galaxies in massive dark matter halos.« less

A Predictive Model for Toxicity Effects Assessment of Biotransformed Hepatic Drugs Using Iterative Sampling Method.

PubMed

Tharwat, Alaa; Moemen, Yasmine S; Hassanien, Aboul Ella

2016-12-09

Measuring toxicity is one of the main steps in drug development. Hence, there is a high demand for computational models to predict the toxicity effects of the potential drugs. In this study, we used a dataset, which consists of four toxicity effects:mutagenic, tumorigenic, irritant and reproductive effects. The proposed model consists of three phases. In the first phase, rough set-based methods are used to select the most discriminative features for reducing the classification time and improving the classification performance. Due to the imbalanced class distribution, in the second phase, different sampling methods such as Random Under-Sampling, Random Over-Sampling and Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique are used to solve the problem of imbalanced datasets. ITerative Sampling (ITS) method is proposed to avoid the limitations of those methods. ITS method has two steps. The first step (sampling step) iteratively modifies the prior distribution of the minority and majority classes. In the second step, a data cleaning method is used to remove the overlapping that is produced from the first step. In the third phase, Bagging classifier is used to classify an unknown drug into toxic or non-toxic. The experimental results proved that the proposed model performed well in classifying the unknown samples according to all toxic effects in the imbalanced datasets.

Ability of Children with Learning Disabilities and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Recognize Feelings from Facial Expressions and Body Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Girli, Alev; Dogmaz, Sila

2018-01-01

In this study, children with learning disability (LD) were compared with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in terms of identifying emotions from photographs with certain face and body expressions. The sample consisted of a total of 82 children aged 7-19 years living in Izmir in Turkey. A total of 6 separate sets of slides, consisting of…

Evaluation of Personality Traits of Physical Education Teachers Working in Secondary Schools and High Schools in Çanakkale According to Their Sports Branch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir, Erdal

2015-01-01

The sampling of the present study consists of 92 volunteer physical education teachers (59 male and 33 female) who work at state and private primary schools (of the Ministry of Education) in Canakkale in the academic year 2013-2014. To identify the personality traits of the participants, Personality Inventory (PERI) was utilized. PERI consists of…

The Level of Test-Wiseness for the Students of Arts and Science Faculty at Sharourah and Its Relationship with Some Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otoum, Abedalqader; Khalaf, Hisham Bani; Bajbeer, Abedalqader; Hamad, Hassan Bani

2015-01-01

This study aimed to identify the level of using Test-wiseness strategies for the students of arts and sciences Faculty at Sharourah and its relationship with some variables. a questionnaire was designed which consisted of (29) items measuring three domains of Test-wiseness strategies. It was applied on a sample which consisted of (299) students.…

A discrimination index for selecting markers of tumor growth dynamic across multiple cancer studies with a cure fraction.

PubMed

Rouam, Sigrid; Broët, Philippe

2013-08-01

To identify genomic markers with consistent effect on tumor dynamics across multiple cancer series, discrimination indices based on proportional hazards models can be used since they do not depend heavily on the sample size. However, the underlying assumption of proportionality of the hazards does not always hold, especially when the studied population is a mixture of cured and uncured patients, like in early-stage cancers. We propose a novel index that quantifies the capability of a genomic marker to separate uncured patients, according to their time-to-event outcomes. It allows to identify genomic markers characterizing tumor growth dynamic across multiple studies. Simulation results show that our index performs better than classical indices based on the Cox model. It is neither affected by the sample size nor the cure rate fraction. In a cross-study of early-stage breast cancers, the index allows to select genomic markers with a potential consistent effect on tumor growth dynamics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychometric characteristics and dimensionality of a Persian version of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale.

PubMed

Shapurian, R; Hojat, M; Nayerahmadi, H

1987-08-01

The Rosenberg Self-esteem scale was translated into Persian and 12 Iranian bilingual judges confirmed the soundness of translation. The psychometric properties of the Persian version of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale were studied in two samples of Iranian college students separately. Sample I consisted of 232 Iranian students in American universities, and Sample II comprised 305 Iranian students in Iranian universities. Criterion measures of loneliness, depression, anxiety, neuroticism, psychoticism, misanthropy, locus of control, tendency to dissimulate, and measures of relationship with parents, peers, and academic achievement were obtained. Item-total score correlations and alpha reliabilities supported the internal consistency of the scale. Test-retest reliabilities indicated the stability of the scores, and correlations between scores of the scale, and criterion measures supported the concurrent validity of the Rosenberg scale. Factor analysis of the Rosenberg scores confirmed the unidimensionality of the scale.

Reliability and validity of the Modified Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory in diverse samples.

PubMed

Leidy, N K; Darling-Fisher, C S

1995-04-01

The Modified Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory (MEPSI) is a relatively simple survey measure designed to assess the strength of psychosocial attributes that arise from progression through Erikson's eight stages of development. The purpose of this study was to employ secondary analysis to evaluate the internal-consistency reliability and construct validity of the MEPSI across four diverse samples: healthy young adults, hemophilic men, healthy older adults, and older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Special attention was given to the performance of the measure across gender, with exploratory analyses examining possible age cohort and health status effects. Internal-consistency estimates for the aggregate measure were high, whereas subscale reliability levels varied across age groups. Construct validity was supported across samples. Gender, cohort, and health effects offered interesting psychometric and theoretical insights and direction for further research. Findings indicated that the MEPSI might be a useful instrument for operationalizing and testing Eriksonian developmental theory in adults.

The Use of the Miller Analogies Test as a Screening Device for Mexican-American Graduate Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duling, John A.

The determination of whether or not the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) is a valid screening device to use with a culturally diverse populace was examined. The study was conducted at New Mexico State University (NMSU) using 2 sample groups. Sample A consisted of 560 Anglos and 101 Mexican Americans tested by the NMSU Counseling Center during a 2-year…

Perfectionism and Bulimic Symptoms in African American College Women: Dimensions of Perfectionism and Their Interactions with Perceived Weight Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bardone-Cone, Anna M.; Weishuhn, Amanda S.; Boyd, Clarissa A.

2009-01-01

This study had 2 primary aims: (a) to examine the unique relations between maladaptive and adaptive dimensions of perfectionism and bulimic symptoms and (b) to test an interactive model of perfectionism and perceived weight status for bulimic symptoms in a sample of African American female undergraduates. The sample consisted of 97 women at Time 1…

Are Cross-National Differences in IQ Profiles Stable? A Comparison of Finnish and U.S. WAIS Norms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roivainen, Eka

2013-01-01

To study the concept of national IQ profile, we compared U.S. and Finnish WAIS, WAIS-R, and WAIS III nonverbal and working memory subtest norms. The U.S. standardization samples had consistently higher scores on the Coding and Digit span subtests, while the Finnish samples had higher scores on the Block design subtest. No stable cross-national…

Evaluation of various soil water samplers for virological sampling.

PubMed Central

Wang, D S; Lance, J C; Gerba, C P

1980-01-01

Two commercially available soil water samplers and a ceramic sampler constructed in our laboratories were evaluated for their ability to recover viruses from both tap water and secondary sewage effluent. The ceramic sampler consistently gave the best recoveries of viruses from water samples. Soil columns containing ceramic samplers at various depths provide a simple method for studying virus transport through sewage-contaminated soils. Images PMID:6247976

A Pilot Investigation Comparing Instructional Packages for MTS Training: "Manual Alone" vs. "Manual-Plus-Computer-Aided Personalized System of Instruction"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliveira, Marileide; Goyos, Celso; Pear, Joseph

2012-01-01

Matching-to-sample (MTS) training consists of presenting a stimulus as a sample followed by stimuli called comparisons from which a subject makes a choice. This study presents results of a pilot investigation comparing two packages for teaching university students to conduct MTS training. Two groups--control and experimental--with 2 participants…

The Contribution of Parenting Practices and Parent Emotion Factors in Children at Risk for Disruptive Behavior Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncombe, Melissa E.; Havighurst, Sophie S.; Holland, Kerry A.; Frankling, Emma J.

2012-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the impact of different parenting characteristics on child disruptive behavior and emotional regulation among a sample of at-risk children. The sample consisted of 373 Australian 5- to 9-year-old children who were screened for serious behavior problems. Seven parenting variables based on self-report were…

Comparison of Online Game Addiction in High School Students with Habitual Computer Use and Online Gaming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Müezzin, Emre

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare the online game addiction in high school students with the habitual computer use and online gaming. The sample selected through the criterion sampling method, consists of 61.8% (n = 81) female, 38.2% (n = 50) male, 131 high school students. The "Online Game Addiction Scale" developed by Kaya and Basol…

Construct Validity of the Nutrition and Activity Knowledge Scale in a French Sample of Adolescents with Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maiano, Christophe; Begarie, Jerome; Morin, Alexandre J. S.; Garbarino, Jean-Marie; Ninot, Gregory

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability (i.e. internal consistency and test-retest reliability) and construct validity (i.e. content validity, factor validity, measurement invariance, and latent mean invariance) of the Nutrition and Activity Knowledge Scale (NAKS) in a sample of French adolescents with mild to moderate Intellectual…

Vividness and Control of Mental Imagery and the Components of In-Depth Drawing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pérez-Fabello, María José; Campos, Alfredo; Meana, Juan Carlos

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the associations of control and vividness of mental imagery on performance in several components of in-depth drawing in a sample of fine arts undergraduates. The sample consisted of 56 second-year undergraduates (44 women and 12 men, mean age = 21.18 years) from the Fine Arts Faculty of Vigo University,…

Towards a Better Understanding of the Relationship between Executive Control and Theory of Mind: An Intra-Cultural Comparison of Three Diverse Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahaeian, Ameneh; Henry, Julie D.; Razmjoee, Maryam; Teymoori, Ali; Wang, Cen

2015-01-01

Previous research has consistently indicated that theory of mind (ToM) is associated with executive control in the preschool years. However, interpretation of this literature is limited by the fact that most studies have focused exclusively on urbanized Western cultural samples. Consequently, it is not clear whether the association between ToM and…

Impact of the School Outreach Tour Program of Citizens Archive of Pakistan on Students' Perceptions and Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alam, Qutbi

2017-01-01

This paper examines the impact of School Outreach Tour (SOT-A) program,one of the projects of the Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP), a non-profit organisation on the perceptions and attitudes of Grade-8 Students of partners' schools. The sample in this study consists of (n = 139) students of Grade-8, selected by convenience sampling from five…

Validity and reliability of the Tibetan version of s-EMBU for measuring parenting styles.

PubMed

Yangzong, Ciren; Lerkiatbundit, Sanguan; Luobu, Ouzhu; Cui, Chaoying; Liabsuetrakul, Tippawan; Kangzhuo, Baima; Quzong, Deji; Zhandui, Luobu; Zhen, Pu; Chongsuvivatwong, Virasakdi

2017-01-01

Parenting style experienced during childhood has profound effects on children's futures. Scales developed in other countries have never been validated in the Tibetan context. The present study aimed to examine the construct validity and reliability of a Tibetan translation of the 23-item short form of the Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran [One's Memories of Upbringing] (s-EMBU) and to test the correlation between the parenting styles of fathers and mothers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 847 students aged 12-21 years from Lhasa, Tibet, during September and October 2015 with a participation rate of 97.7%. The Tibetan translation of self-completed s-EMBU was administered. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to test the scale's validity on the first half of the sample and was then cross-validated with the second half of the sample. The final model consisted of six factors: three (rejection, emotional warmth, and overprotection) for each parent, equality constrained on factor loadings, factor correlations, and error variance between father and mother. Father-mother correlation coefficients ranged from 0.81 to 0.86, and the level of consistency ranged from 0.62 to 0.82. Thus, the slightly modified s-EMBU is suitable for use in the Tibetan culture where both the father and the mother have consistent parenting styles.

Evaluation of Lama glama semen viscosity with a cone-plate rotational viscometer.

PubMed

Casaretto, C; Martínez Sarrasague, M; Giuliano, S; Rubin de Celis, E; Gambarotta, M; Carretero, I; Miragaya, M

2012-05-01

Llama semen is highly viscous. This characteristic is usually evaluated subjectively by measuring the thread formed when carefully pippeting a sample of semen. The aims of this study were (i) to objectively determine and analyse llama semen viscosity, (ii) to compare semen viscosity between ejaculates of the same male as well as between different males, (iii) to study the correlation between viscosity and other semen characteristics and (iv) to evaluate the effect of collagenase on semen viscosity. Semen viscosity was evaluated using a cone-plate Brookfield rotational viscometer. A non Newtonian, pseudoplastic behaviour was observed in the 45 semen samples evaluated. Rheological parameters were determined obtaining the following results (mean ± SD): apparent viscosity at 11.5 s(-1): 46.71 ± 26.8 cpoise and at 115 s(-1): 12.61 ± 4.1 cpoise; structural viscosity (K) (dyne s cm(-2)): 2.18 ± 1.4 and coefficient of consistency (n): 0.45 ± 0.1. Statistical differences were found between different ejaculates of the same male for structural viscosity and apparent viscosity at 11.5 s(-1) (P < 0.01). Correlation was found only between coefficient of consistency (n) and sperm concentration (P < 0.01). Significant differences for coefficient of consistency (n) and viscosity at 115 s(-1) were found between samples incubated with and without collagenase (P < 0.05). © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Validity and reliability of the Tibetan version of s-EMBU for measuring parenting styles

PubMed Central

Yangzong, Ciren; Lerkiatbundit, Sanguan; Luobu, Ouzhu; Cui, Chaoying; Liabsuetrakul, Tippawan; Kangzhuo, Baima; Quzong, Deji; Zhandui, Luobu; Zhen, Pu; Chongsuvivatwong, Virasakdi

2017-01-01

Parenting style experienced during childhood has profound effects on children’s futures. Scales developed in other countries have never been validated in the Tibetan context. The present study aimed to examine the construct validity and reliability of a Tibetan translation of the 23-item short form of the Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran [One’s Memories of Upbringing] (s-EMBU) and to test the correlation between the parenting styles of fathers and mothers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 847 students aged 12–21 years from Lhasa, Tibet, during September and October 2015 with a participation rate of 97.7%. The Tibetan translation of self-completed s-EMBU was administered. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to test the scale’s validity on the first half of the sample and was then cross-validated with the second half of the sample. The final model consisted of six factors: three (rejection, emotional warmth, and overprotection) for each parent, equality constrained on factor loadings, factor correlations, and error variance between father and mother. Father–mother correlation coefficients ranged from 0.81 to 0.86, and the level of consistency ranged from 0.62 to 0.82. Thus, the slightly modified s-EMBU is suitable for use in the Tibetan culture where both the father and the mother have consistent parenting styles. PMID:28053560

The Meaning of Marriage According to University Students: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koçyigit Özyigit, Melike

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to reveal the meanings university students attribute to marriage. The sample of the study consists of 14 final year students (7 males and 7 females), whose ages range between 22 and 32, studying in the Education Faculty at Ege University. The study is of "phenomenological research design". "Semi-structured…

Negligible Sex Differences in General Intelligence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colom, Roberto; Juan-Espinosa, Manuel; Abad, Francisco; Garcia, Luis F.

2000-01-01

Studied sex differences in general intelligence in 10,475 adults taking cognitive test batteries. Results suggest a negligible difference in general intelligence, a finding consistent with findings from quite different test batteries and subject samples. (SLD)

Stratigraphy of a proposed wind farm site southeast of Block Island: Utilization of borehole samples, downhole logging, and seismic profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheldon, Dane P. H.

Seismic stratigraphy, sedimentology, lithostratigraphy, downhole geophysical logging, mineralogy, and palynology were used to study and interpret the upper 70 meters of the inner continental shelf sediments within a proposed wind farm site located approximately two to three nautical miles to the southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island. Core samples and downhole logging collected from borings drilled for geotechnical purposes at proposed wind turbine sites along with seismic surveys in the surrounding area provide the data for this study. Cretaceous coastal plain sediments that consist of non-marine to marine sand, silt, and clay are found overlying bedrock at a contact depth beyond the sampling depth of this study. The upper Cretaceous sediments sampled in borings are correlated with the Magothy/Matawan formations described regionally from New Jersey to Nantucket. An unconformity formed through sub-aerial, fluvial, marine, and glacial erosion marks the upper strata of the Cretaceous sediments separating them from the overlying deposits. The majority of Quaternary deposits overlying the unconformity represent the advance, pulsing, and retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet that reached its southern terminus in the area of Block Island approximately 25,000 to 21,000 years before present. The sequence consists of a basal glacial till overlain by sediments deposited by meltwater environments ranging from deltaic to proglacial lakefloor. A late Pleistocene to early Holocene unconformity marks the top of the glacial sequence and was formed after glacial retreat through fluvial and subaerial erosion/deposition. Overlying the glacial sequence are sediments deposited during the late Pleistocene and Holocene consisting of interbedded gravel, sand, silt, and clay. Sampling of these sediments was limited and surficial reflectors in seismic profiles were masked due to a hard bottom return. However, two depositional periods are interpreted as representing fluvial and estuarine/marine environments respectively. One sample recovered at five meters contained shell fragments within a gray fine to coarse sand possibly representing a shallow estuarine to marine environment. A coarse near surface deposit described but not recovered in all borings may represent a transgressive unconformity and resulting lag deposit however due to lack of sampling and seismic resolution in the upper 5 meters, the nature of this deposit is merely speculation. In areas where depth to the glacial surface increased, sediments ranging from sand to fine-grained silt and clay were encountered in borings. In summary, the upper 70 meters of the inner continental shelf section within the study site consists of unconsolidated sediments spanning three major depositional periods. Sediments derived from glacial activity represent the bulk of samples collected. The glacial sequences represent various depositional environments, although most samples are interpreted to be the product of glacial meltwater deposition with distribution determined by source as well as highs and lows present in the antecedent topography. Finely laminated (varved) sediment to the south of Block Island indicates the presence of proglacial lakes in the area during the time of glacial retreat. Overlying sediments represent environments ranging from fluvial to marine.

Targeted Data Extraction of the MS/MS Spectra Generated by Data-independent Acquisition: A New Concept for Consistent and Accurate Proteome Analysis*

PubMed Central

Gillet, Ludovic C.; Navarro, Pedro; Tate, Stephen; Röst, Hannes; Selevsek, Nathalie; Reiter, Lukas; Bonner, Ron; Aebersold, Ruedi

2012-01-01

Most proteomic studies use liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the peptides generated by the proteolysis of a biological sample. However, with the current methods it remains challenging to rapidly, consistently, reproducibly, accurately, and sensitively detect and quantify large fractions of proteomes across multiple samples. Here we present a new strategy that systematically queries sample sets for the presence and quantity of essentially any protein of interest. It consists of using the information available in fragment ion spectral libraries to mine the complete fragment ion maps generated using a data-independent acquisition method. For this study, the data were acquired on a fast, high resolution quadrupole-quadrupole time-of-flight (TOF) instrument by repeatedly cycling through 32 consecutive 25-Da precursor isolation windows (swaths). This SWATH MS acquisition setup generates, in a single sample injection, time-resolved fragment ion spectra for all the analytes detectable within the 400–1200 m/z precursor range and the user-defined retention time window. We show that suitable combinations of fragment ions extracted from these data sets are sufficiently specific to confidently identify query peptides over a dynamic range of 4 orders of magnitude, even if the precursors of the queried peptides are not detectable in the survey scans. We also show that queried peptides are quantified with a consistency and accuracy comparable with that of selected reaction monitoring, the gold standard proteomic quantification method. Moreover, targeted data extraction enables ad libitum quantification refinement and dynamic extension of protein probing by iterative re-mining of the once-and-forever acquired data sets. This combination of unbiased, broad range precursor ion fragmentation and targeted data extraction alleviates most constraints of present proteomic methods and should be equally applicable to the comprehensive analysis of other classes of analytes, beyond proteomics. PMID:22261725

Evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention intervention messages on a rural sam- ple of South African youth's knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours over a period of 15 months.

PubMed

Peltzer, Karl; Seoka, Phillip

2004-10-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate HIV/AIDS prevention intervention messages in a large rural youth population (15-24 years) in South Africa over a period of 15 months. A representative community sample of 421 youth at time one and 416 at time two participated in the study using a three-stage cluster sampling method for a household survey. Results show that over a period of 15 months sexual risk behaviour reduced (multiple partners) and the number of sexually transmitted symptoms reduced. Attitudes towards persons living with HIV/AIDS improved partly due to mass media and to a lesser extent through community interventions and partly determined by the high level of mortality experienced in the studied communities. Peer educators had a significant impact on HIV/AIDS knowledge and favourable attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS, magazines on lower HIV risk behaviour and exposure to HIV/AIDS radio messages on consistent condom use. In this African sample of youth the reduction of sexual partners seem to be more feasible than (consistent) condom use to prevent STD and HIV infection.

Bed-sediment grain-size and morphologic data from Suisun, Grizzly, and Honker Bays, CA, 1998-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hampton, Margaret A.; Snyder, Noah P.; Chin, John L.; Allison, Dan W.; Rubin, David M.

2003-01-01

The USGS Place Based Studies Program for San Francisco Bay investigates this sensitive estuarine system to aid in resource management. As part of the inter-disciplinary research program, the USGS collected side-scan sonar data and bed-sediment samples from north San Francisco Bay to characterize bed-sediment texture and investigate temporal trends in sedimentation. The study area is located in central California and consists of Suisun Bay, and Grizzly and Honker Bays, sub-embayments of Suisun Bay. During the study (1998-2002), the USGS collected three side-scan sonar data sets and approximately 300 sediment samples. The side-scan data revealed predominantly fine-grained material on the bayfloor. We also mapped five different bottom types from the data set, categorized as featureless, furrows, sand waves, machine-made, and miscellaneous. We performed detailed grain-size and statistical analyses on the sediment samples. Overall, we found that grain size ranged from clay to fine sand, with the coarsest material in the channels and finer material located in the shallow bays. Grain-size analyses revealed high spatial variability in size distributions in the channel areas. In contrast, the shallow regions exhibited low spatial variability and consistent sediment size over time.

SLEPR: A Sample-Level Enrichment-Based Pathway Ranking Method — Seeking Biological Themes through Pathway-Level Consistency

PubMed Central

Yi, Ming; Stephens, Robert M.

2008-01-01

Analysis of microarray and other high throughput data often involves identification of genes consistently up or down-regulated across samples as the first step in extraction of biological meaning. This gene-level paradigm can be limited as a result of valid sample fluctuations and biological complexities. In this report, we describe a novel method, SLEPR, which eliminates this limitation by relying on pathway-level consistencies. Our method first selects the sample-level differentiated genes from each individual sample, capturing genes missed by other analysis methods, ascertains the enrichment levels of associated pathways from each of those lists, and then ranks annotated pathways based on the consistency of enrichment levels of individual samples from both sample classes. As a proof of concept, we have used this method to analyze three public microarray datasets with a direct comparison with the GSEA method, one of the most popular pathway-level analysis methods in the field. We found that our method was able to reproduce the earlier observations with significant improvements in depth of coverage for validated or expected biological themes, but also produced additional insights that make biological sense. This new method extends existing analyses approaches and facilitates integration of different types of HTP data. PMID:18818771

78 FR 28597 - State Median Income Estimates for a Four-Person Household: Notice of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-15

....gov/acs/www/ or contact the Census Bureau's Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division at (301...) Sampling Error, which consists of the error that arises from the use of probability sampling to create the... direction; and (2) Sampling Error, which consists of the error that arises from the use of probability...

Cytological changes in the oral mucosa after use of a mouth rinse with alcohol: A prospective double blind control study

PubMed Central

Vera-Sempere, Francisco; Marzal, Cristina; Pellín-Carcelén, Ana; Martí-Bonmatí, Ezequiel; Bagan, Leticia

2012-01-01

Aim: The aim of this preliminary study was to detect cytological changes in the oral mucosa after using a mouth wash with alcohol. Material and Methods: A prospective double-blind, controlled study was performed, for 6 months. Group 1 consisted of 30 subjects who used a mouth rinse with 26.9% of alcohol [Listerine®] and Group 2 consisted of 30 subjects who used a mouth rinse with the same ingredients but with no alcohol. We obtained three cytological samples from the oral mucosa. The presence of cytological atypia, binucleation and karyorrhesis, and type of cells were studied. We also used a fluorescent in situ hybridization technique (FISH) in 15 samples in each group, for the micronucleus. Results: We found no clinical mucosal alteration after using the mouth wash at the end of the study in either group. We observed no cytological differences between the groups at the end of the study (p>0.05). Regarding the study of the micronucleus by FISH, we observed no significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: Our results showed no cytological alteration in patients using a mouth rinse with alcohol, but these findings should be considered preliminary results, to be confirmed in a greater sample of patients. Key words:Mouth wash, oral mucosa, cytological change, alcohol. PMID:23085712

Score Reliability of Adolescent Alcohol Screening Measures: A Meta-Analytic Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Alan L.; Campfield, Delia C.; Miller, Christopher S.; Howell, Ryan T.; Wallace, Kimberly; Weiss, Roger D.

2008-01-01

This study describes the reliability reporting practices in empirical studies using eight adolescent alcohol screening tools and characterizes and explores variability in internal consistency estimates across samples. Of 119 observed administrations of these instruments, 40 (34%) reported usable reliability information. The Personal Experience…

Preservice Science Teachers' Attitudes towards Chemistry and Misconceptions about Chemical Kinetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çam, Aylin; Topçu, Mustafa Sami; Sülün, Yusuf

2015-01-01

The present study investigates preservice science teachers' attitudes towards chemistry; their misconceptions about chemical kinetics; and relationships between pre-service science teachers' attitudes toward chemistry and misconceptions about chemical kinetics were examined. The sample of this study consisted of 81 freshman pre-service science…

Gender Differences in Self-Regulated Online Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yukselturk, Erman; Bulut, Safure

2009-01-01

This study analyzed gender differences in self-regulated learning components, motivational beliefs and achievement in self-regulated online learning environment. Sample of the study consisted of 145 participants from an online programming course which is based on synchronous and asynchronous communication methods over the Internet. Motivated…

Visually observed mold and moldy odor versus quantitatively measured microbial exposure in homes

PubMed Central

Reponen, Tiina; Singh, Umesh; Schaffer, Chris; Vesper, Stephen; Johansson, Elisabet; Adhikari, Atin; Grinshpun, Sergey A.; Indugula, Reshmi; Ryan, Patrick; Levin, Linda; LeMasters, Grace

2010-01-01

The main study objective was to compare different methods for assessing mold exposure in conjunction with an epidemiologic study on the development of children’s asthma. Homes of 184 children were assessed for mold by visual observations and dust sampling at child’s age 1 (Year 1). Similar assessment supplemented with air sampling was conducted in Year 7. Samples were analyzed for endotoxin, (1–3)-β-D-glucan, and fungal spores. The Mold Specific Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction assay was used to analyze 36 mold species in dust samples, and the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) was calculated. Homes were categorized based on three criteria: 1) visible mold damage, 2) moldy odor, and 3) ERMI. Even for homes where families had not moved, Year 7 endotoxin and (1–3)-β-D-glucan exposures were significantly higher than those in Year 1 (p<0.001), whereas no difference was seen for ERMI (p=0.78). Microbial concentrations were not consistently associated with visible mold damage categories, but were consistently higher in homes with moldy odor and in homes that had high ERMI. Low correlations between results in air and dust samples indicate different types or durations of potential microbial exposures from dust vs. air. Future analysis will indicate which, if any, of the assessment methods is associated with the development of asthma. PMID:20810150

Implications of the admixture process in skin color molecular assessment.

PubMed

Cerqueira, Caio Cesar Silva de; Hünemeier, Tábita; Gomez-Valdés, Jorge; Ramallo, Virgínia; Volasko-Krause, Carla Daiana; Barbosa, Ana Angélica Leal; Vargas-Pinilla, Pedro; Dornelles, Rodrigo Ciconet; Longo, Danaê; Rothhammer, Francisco; Bedoya, Gabriel; Canizales-Quinteros, Samuel; Acuña-Alonzo, Victor; Gallo, Carla; Poletti, Giovanni; González-José, Rolando; Salzano, Francisco Mauro; Callegari-Jacques, Sídia Maria; Schuler-Faccini, Lavínia; Ruiz-Linares, Andrés; Cátira Bortolini, Maria

2014-01-01

The understanding of the complex genotype-phenotype architecture of human pigmentation has clear implications for the evolutionary history of humans, as well as for medical and forensic practices. Although dozens of genes have previously been associated with human skin color, knowledge about this trait remains incomplete. In particular, studies focusing on populations outside the European-North American axis are rare, and, until now, admixed populations have seldom been considered. The present study was designed to help fill this gap. Our objective was to evaluate possible associations of 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), located within nine genes, and one pseudogene with the Melanin Index (MI) in two admixed Brazilian populations (Gaucho, N = 352; Baiano, N = 148) with different histories of geographic and ethnic colonization. Of the total sample, four markers were found to be significantly associated with skin color, but only two (SLC24A5 rs1426654, and SLC45A2 rs16891982) were consistently associated with MI in both samples (Gaucho and Baiano). Therefore, only these 2 SNPs should be preliminarily considered to have forensic significance because they consistently showed the association independently of the admixture level of the populations studied. We do not discard that the other two markers (HERC2 rs1129038 and TYR rs1126809) might be also relevant to admixed samples, but additional studies are necessary to confirm the real importance of these markers for skin pigmentation. Finally, our study shows associations of some SNPs with MI in a modern Brazilian admixed sample, with possible applications in forensic genetics. Some classical genetic markers in Euro-North American populations are not associated with MI in our sample. Our results point out the relevance of considering population differences in selecting an appropriate set of SNPs as phenotype predictors in forensic practice.

Implications of the Admixture Process in Skin Color Molecular Assessment

PubMed Central

de Cerqueira, Caio Cesar Silva; Hünemeier, Tábita; Gomez-Valdés, Jorge; Ramallo, Virgínia; Volasko-Krause, Carla Daiana; Barbosa, Ana Angélica Leal; Vargas-Pinilla, Pedro; Dornelles, Rodrigo Ciconet; Longo, Danaê; Rothhammer, Francisco; Bedoya, Gabriel; Canizales-Quinteros, Samuel; Acuña-Alonzo, Victor; Gallo, Carla; Poletti, Giovanni; González-José, Rolando; Salzano, Francisco Mauro; Callegari-Jacques, Sídia Maria; Schuler-Faccini, Lavínia; Ruiz-Linares, Andrés; Cátira Bortolini, Maria

2014-01-01

The understanding of the complex genotype-phenotype architecture of human pigmentation has clear implications for the evolutionary history of humans, as well as for medical and forensic practices. Although dozens of genes have previously been associated with human skin color, knowledge about this trait remains incomplete. In particular, studies focusing on populations outside the European-North American axis are rare, and, until now, admixed populations have seldom been considered. The present study was designed to help fill this gap. Our objective was to evaluate possible associations of 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), located within nine genes, and one pseudogene with the Melanin Index (MI) in two admixed Brazilian populations (Gaucho, N = 352; Baiano, N = 148) with different histories of geographic and ethnic colonization. Of the total sample, four markers were found to be significantly associated with skin color, but only two (SLC24A5 rs1426654, and SLC45A2 rs16891982) were consistently associated with MI in both samples (Gaucho and Baiano). Therefore, only these 2 SNPs should be preliminarily considered to have forensic significance because they consistently showed the association independently of the admixture level of the populations studied. We do not discard that the other two markers (HERC2 rs1129038 and TYR rs1126809) might be also relevant to admixed samples, but additional studies are necessary to confirm the real importance of these markers for skin pigmentation. Finally, our study shows associations of some SNPs with MI in a modern Brazilian admixed sample, with possible applications in forensic genetics. Some classical genetic markers in Euro-North American populations are not associated with MI in our sample. Our results point out the relevance of considering population differences in selecting an appropriate set of SNPs as phenotype predictors in forensic practice. PMID:24809478

A lower occurrence rate of bright X-ray flares in SN-GRBs than z < 1 GRBs: evidence of energy partitions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mu, Hui-Jun; Gu, Wei-Min; Mao, Jirong; Liu, Tong; Hou, Shu-Jin; Lin, Da-Bin; Wang, Junfeng; Fang, Taotao; Liang, En-Wei

2018-05-01

The occurrence rates of bright X-ray flares in z < 1 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with or without observed supernovae (SNe) association were compared. Our Sample I: the z < 1 long GRBs (LGRBs) with SNe association (SN-GRBs) and with early Swift/X-Ray Telescope (XRT) observations, consists of 18 GRBs, among which only two GRBs have bright X-ray flares. Our Sample II: for comparison, all the z < 1 LGRBs without observed SNe association and with early Swift/XRT observations, consists of 45 GRBs, among which 16 GRBs present bright X-ray flares. Thus, the study indicates a lower occurrence rate of bright X-ray flares in Sample I (11.1%) than in Sample II (35.6%). In addition, if dim X-ray fluctuations are included as flares, then 16.7% of Sample I and 55.6% of Sample II are found to have flares, again showing the discrepancy between these two samples. We examined the physical origin of these bright X-ray flares and found that most of them are probably related to the central engine reactivity. To understand the discrepancy, we propose that such a lower occurrence rate of flares in the SN-GRB sample may hint at an energy partition among the GRB, SNe, and X-ray flares under a saturated energy budget of massive star explosion.

What is the optimum sample size for the study of peatland testate amoeba assemblages?

PubMed

Mazei, Yuri A; Tsyganov, Andrey N; Esaulov, Anton S; Tychkov, Alexander Yu; Payne, Richard J

2017-10-01

Testate amoebae are widely used in ecological and palaeoecological studies of peatlands, particularly as indicators of surface wetness. To ensure data are robust and comparable it is important to consider methodological factors which may affect results. One significant question which has not been directly addressed in previous studies is how sample size (expressed here as number of Sphagnum stems) affects data quality. In three contrasting locations in a Russian peatland we extracted samples of differing size, analysed testate amoebae and calculated a number of widely-used indices: species richness, Simpson diversity, compositional dissimilarity from the largest sample and transfer function predictions of water table depth. We found that there was a trend for larger samples to contain more species across the range of commonly-used sample sizes in ecological studies. Smaller samples sometimes failed to produce counts of testate amoebae often considered minimally adequate. It seems likely that analyses based on samples of different sizes may not produce consistent data. Decisions about sample size need to reflect trade-offs between logistics, data quality, spatial resolution and the disturbance involved in sample extraction. For most common ecological applications we suggest that samples of more than eight Sphagnum stems are likely to be desirable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Pituitary gland volumes in bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Clark, Ian A; Mackay, Clare E; Goodwin, Guy M

2014-12-01

Bipolar disorder has been associated with increased Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis function. The mechanism is not well understood, but there may be associated increases in pituitary gland volume (PGV) and these small increases may be functionally significant. However, research investigating PGV in bipolar disorder reports mixed results. The aim of the current study was twofold. First, to assess PGV in two novel samples of patients with bipolar disorder and matched healthy controls. Second, to perform a meta-analysis comparing PGV across a larger sample of patients and matched controls. Sample 1 consisted of 23 established patients and 32 matched controls. Sample 2 consisted of 39 medication-naïve patients and 42 matched controls. PGV was measured on structural MRI scans. Seven further studies were identified comparing PGV between patients and matched controls (total n; 244 patients, 308 controls). Both novel samples showed a small (approximately 20mm(3) or 4%), but non-significant, increase in PGV in patients. Combining the two novel samples showed a significant association of age and PGV. Meta-analysis showed a trend towards a larger pituitary gland in patients (effect size: .23, CI: -.14, .59). While results suggest a possible small difference in pituitary gland volume between patients and matched controls, larger mega-analyses with sample sizes greater even than those used in the current meta-analysis are still required. There is a small but potentially functionally significant increase in PGV in patients with bipolar disorder compared to controls. Results demonstrate the difficulty of finding potentially important but small effects in functional brain disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The development of the Pictorial Thai Quality of Life.

PubMed

Phattharayuttawat, Sucheera; Ngamthipwatthana, Thienchai; Pitiyawaranun, Buncha

2005-11-01

"Quality of life" has become a main focus of interest in medicine. The Pictorial Thai Quality of Life (PTQL) was developed in order to measure the Thai mental illness both in a clinical setting and community. The purpose of this study was to develop the Pictorial Thai Quality of Life (PTQL), having adequate and sufficient construct validity, discriminant power, concurrent validity, and reliability. To develop the Pictorial Thai Quality of Life Test, two samples groups were used in the present study: (1) pilot study samples: 30 samples and (2) survey samples were 672 samples consisting of normal, and psychiatric patients. The developing tests items were collected from a review of the literature in which all the items were based on the WHO definition of Quality of Life. Then, experts judgment by the Delphi technique was used in the first stage. After that a pilot study was used to evaluate the testing administration, and wording of the tests items. The final stage was collected data from the survey samples. The results of the present study showed that the final test was composed 25 items. The construct validity of this test consists of six domains: Physical, Cognitive, Affective, Social Function, Economic and Self-Esteem. All the PTQL items have sufficient discriminant power It was found to be statistically significant different at the. 001 level between those people with mental disorders and normal people. There was a high level of concurrent validity association with WHOQOL-BREF, Pearson correlation coefficient and Area under ROC curve were 0.92 and 0.97 respectively. The reliability coefficients for the Alpha coefficients of the PTQL total test was 0.88. The values of the six scales were from 0.81 to 0:91. The present study was directed at developing an effective psychometric properties pictorial quality of life questionnaire. The result will be a more direct and meaningful application of an instrument to detect the mental health illness poor quality of life in Thai communities.

The Relationship between Teachers' Occupational Professionalism and Organizational Alienation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yorulmaz, Yilmaz Ilker; Altinkurt, Yahya; Yilmaz, Kursad

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between occupational professionalism and organizational alienation levels of teachers. The study is designed as a survey model. The sample of the study consists of 303 teachers working in the Mugla province of Turkey. Participants were selected by using the disproportionate cluster…

Derived Basic Ability Factors: A Factor Analysis Replication Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mickey, M.; Lee, Lynda Newby

The purpose of this study was to replicate the study conducted by Potter, Sagraves, and McDonald to determine whether their recommended analysis could separate criterion variables into similar factors that were stable from year to year and from school to school. The replication samples consisted of all students attending Louisiana State University…

A Study of the Female Life Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sugaya, Yoshiko

1985-01-01

A study examined the historical changes that have occurred in the female life course pattern in rural communities in Japan. The family and career patterns of two generations of women were studied from a generation-lineage and age cohort perspective. The older-generation sample consisted of women between the ages of 50 and 79, and the…

Study on Instructional Paradigms of Virtual Education in Pakistan: A Learners' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussain, Irshad

2012-01-01

The present study is aimed at examining instructional paradigms of virtual education in Pakistan. The population of the study consisted of learners from Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program at Virtual University (VU) of Pakistan. The researcher adopted convenient sampling technique and collected data from 600 learners through five-point…

The New Workforce Generation: Understanding the Problems Facing Parental Involvement in Jordanian Kindergartens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ihmeideh, Fathi; Khasawneh, Samer; Mahfouz, Safi; Khawaldeh, Moustafa

2008-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the problems facing parental involvement in Jordanian kindergartens from the parents' perspectives. A 36-item questionnaire that addressed five domains was designed by the researchers and distributed among the study participants. The study sample consisted of 297 parents of kindergarten children from various…

Correlational Study of Leadership Style and Teacher Job Satisfaction in Two Head Start Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miles, Wanda L.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between leadership style and teacher job satisfaction. The population sample consisted of teachers within two preschool programs. The research study sought to understand the leadership styles of preschool program directors while examining concerns related to preschool teachers' job…

Service Learning: High School Social Studies Students "Building Bridges" to the Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cranford, Sara L.

2011-01-01

This case study examined the relationships between the programmatic features of service learning and student willingness to participate in and development during a service learning opportunity in the secondary, Social Studies classroom. The sample included two sections of Advanced Placement Psychology which consisted of 58 junior and senior…

A Comparison between Students' Self-Assessment and Teachers' Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thawabieh, Ahmad M.

2017-01-01

This study aimed to compare between the students' self-assessment and teachers' assessment. The study sample consisted of 71 students at Tafila Technical University studying Introduction to Psychology course. The researcher used 2 students' self-assessment tools and 2 tests. The results indicated that students can assess themselves accurately if…

Chemical Literacy Levels of Science and Mathematics Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celik, Suat

2014-01-01

The goal of this study was to investigate Turkish science and mathematics teacher candidates' levels of attainment in chemical literacy. These candidates had all studied the new Turkish chemistry curriculum in high school. The sample of the study consisted of 112 students, who were first-year students in the Department of Secondary Science and…

The Relation between Lifelong Learning Tendency and Educational Philosophies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaygin, Hüseyin; Yilmaz, Emrullah; Semerci, Çetin

2017-01-01

This study aims to reveal the relationship between lifelong learning and philosophies of education. The sampling of the study consisted of 570 prospective teachers attending a pedagogical formation course at Bartin University and Bülent Ecevit University in 2016. Relational screening model was used in the study and the data were collected through…

The Jackson Career Explorer: Two Further Validity Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schermer, Julie Aitken

2012-01-01

The present report consists of two further validity studies using the Jackson Career Explorer (JCE), a short form and continuous version of the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey, measuring 34 interests. The first study examined the relationships between the JCE and five personality factors, from a sample of 528 individuals. The correlations found…

Effects of Educational Beliefs on Attitudes towards Using Computer Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onen, Aysem Seda

2012-01-01

This study, aiming to determine the relationship between pre-service teachers' beliefs about education and their attitudes towards utilizing computers and internet, is a descriptive study in scanning model. The sampling of the study consisted of 270 pre-service teachers. The potential relationship between the beliefs of pre-service teachers about…

An Evaluation of a Parent Training Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Quynh T.

2013-01-01

This study examined the effectiveness of a parent training program whose children are diagnosed with autism. The sample consisted of families who are currently participating in a parent training program. The study examined the stress levels of parents utilizing the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress at the beginning of the study and then again…

Effects of Leadership Styles in Technical and Vocational Students, UTHM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Razak, Nur Afifah Binti Abdul; Hamidon, Nur Izeanty Binti

2015-01-01

Effective leadership helps our nation through times become a developed country. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of leadership style among students in Technical and Vocational at University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. Descriptive study carried out to evaluate student leadership. The study sample consisted of 319 Technical and…

High School Physical Education: What Contributes to the Experience of Flow?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stormoen, Sidsel; Urke, Helga Bjørnøy; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Wold, Bente; Diseth, Åge

2016-01-01

This study seeks to identify factors that promote positive experiences in high school physical education (PE). The study combines elements of Self-determination Theory (SDT) with the theory of "flow". Special attention is given to gender differences. The study sample consisted of 167 Norwegian senior high school students (78 females and…

Relationship between High School Students' Facebook Addiction and Loneliness Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karakose, Turgut; Yirci, Ramazan; Uygun, Harun; Ozdemir, Tuncay Yavuz

2016-01-01

This study was conducted in order to analyze the relation between high school students' Facebook addiction and loneliness levels. The study was conducted with the relational screening model. The sample of the study consists of 712 randomly selected high school students. The data was collected using the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) to…

The Relation between Lifelong Learning Tendency and Achievement Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Emrullah; Kaygin, Hüseyin

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to reveal the relation between lifelong learning tendency and achievement motivation. The sampling of the study consisted of 570 prospective teachers attending a pedagogical formation course at two universities in Turkey in 2016. Relational screening model was used in the study and the data were collected through…

Academic Procrastinators, Strategic Delayers and Something Betwixt and Between: An Interview Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindblom-Ylänne, Sari; Saariaho, Emmi; Inkinen, Mikko; Haarala-Muhonen, Anne; Hailikari, Telle

2015-01-01

The study explored university undergraduates' dilatory behaviour, more precisely, procrastination and strategic delaying. Using qualitative interview data, we applied a theory-driven and person-oriented approach to test the theoretical model of Klingsieck (2013). The sample consisted of 28 Bachelor students whose study pace had been slow during…

Investigating Predictive Role of Critical Thinking on Metacognition with Structural Equation Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arslan, Serhat

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between critical thinking and metacognition. The sample of study consists of 390 university students who were enrolled in different programs at Sakarya University, in Turkey. In this study, the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale and Metacognitive Thinking Scale were used. The relationships…

A Study on the Relationship between Teacher Self Efficacy and Burnout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savas, Ahmet Cezmi; Bozgeyik, Yunus; Eser, Ismail

2014-01-01

The major purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between teacher self efficacy and burnout. In order to collect the related data, "Maslach Burnout Inventory" and "Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale" were used. The sample of the study consisted of 163 randomly chosen teachers who worked in various primary and…

An Investigation of Relations among Academic Enablers and Reading Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Lyndsay N.; Demaray, Michelle Kilpatrick

2015-01-01

The current study examined the link between academic enablers and different types of reading achievement measures. Academic enablers are skills and behaviors that support, or enable, students to perform well academically, such as engagement, interpersonal skills, motivation, and study skills. The sample in this study consisted of 61 third-,…

Comparison of Critical Thinking Dispositions of Prospective Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turan, Hakan

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the critical thinking dispositions of prospective teachers. In the study, survey model, which is a descriptive research method, was used. The sample of the research consisted of 1123 students studying at the Department of Physical Education and Sports Teacher at the Schools of Physical Education and Sports…

Who Goes to University in Kenya? A Study of Social Background of Kenyan Undergraduate Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eshiwani, George S.

The social and educational background and the educational and occupational aspirations of undergraduate students in Kenya were studied. The study sample consisted of 232 male and 210 female undergraduate students at Kenyatta University College. A questionnaire was administered to determine: students' characteristics, including sex, age, marital…

Clarifying the Link between Parental Psychological Control and Adolescents' Depressive Symptoms: Reciprocal versus Unidirectional Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soenens, Bart; Luyckx, Koen; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Duriez, Bart; Goossens, Luc

2008-01-01

Research has demonstrated consistent positive associations between perceived parental psychological control and adolescents' depressive symptoms, but the direction of influence remains unclear. Using a cross-lagged longitudinal design in two samples of late (Study 1, N = 396) and middle (Study 2, N = 724) adolescents, this study compared three…

Analytical results for minicipal biosolids samples from a monitoring program near Deer Trail, Colorado (U.S.A.) 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crock, J.G.; Smith, D.B.; Yager, T.J.B.; Berry, C.J.; Adams, M.G.

2011-01-01

Since late 1993, Metro Wastewater Reclamation District of Denver (Metro District), a large wastewater treatment plant in Denver, Colo., has applied Grade I, Class B biosolids to about 52,000 acres of nonirrigated farmland and rangeland near Deer Trail, Colo., U.S.A. In cooperation with the Metro District in 1993, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began monitoring groundwater at part of this site. In 1999, the USGS began a more comprehensive monitoring study of the entire site to address stakeholder concerns about the potential chemical effects of biosolids applications to water, soil, and vegetation. This more comprehensive monitoring program was recently extended through the end of 2010 and is now completed. Monitoring components of the more comprehensive study include biosolids collected at the wastewater treatment plant, soil, crops, dust, alluvial and bedrock groundwater, and stream-bed sediment. Streams at the site are dry most of the year, so samples of stream-bed sediment deposited after rain were used to indicate surface-water runoff effects. This report summarizes analytical results for the biosolids samples collected at the Metro District wastewater treatment plant in Denver and analyzed for 2010. In general, the objective of each component of the study was to determine whether concentrations of nine trace elements ("priority analytes") (1) were higher than regulatory limits, (2) were increasing with time, or (3) were significantly higher in biosolids-applied areas than in a similar farmed area where biosolids were not applied (background). Previous analytical results indicate that the elemental composition of biosolids from the Denver plant was consistent during 1999-2009, and this consistency continues with the samples for 2010. Total concentrations of regulated trace elements remain consistently lower than the regulatory limits for the entire monitoring period. Concentrations of none of the priority analytes appear to have increased during the 12 years of this study.

Analytical results for municipal biosolids samples from a monitoring program near Deer Trail, Colorado (U.S.A.), 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crock, J.G.; Smith, D.B.; Yager, T.J.B.; Berry, C.J.; Adams, M.G.

2010-01-01

Since late 1993, Metro Wastewater Reclamation District of Denver, a large wastewater treatment plant in Denver, Colo., has applied Grade I, Class B biosolids to about 52,000 acres of nonirrigated farmland and rangeland near Deer Trail, Colo., U.S.A. In cooperation with the Metro District in 1993, the U.S. Geological Survey began monitoring groundwater at part of this site. In 1999, the Survey began a more comprehensive monitoring study of the entire site to address stakeholder concerns about the potential chemical effects of biosolids applications to water, soil, and vegetation. This more comprehensive monitoring program has recently been extended through the end of 2010. Monitoring components of the more comprehensive study include biosolids collected at the wastewater treatment plant, soil, crops, dust, alluvial and bedrock groundwater, and stream-bed sediment. Streams at the site are dry most of the year, so samples of stream-bed sediment deposited after rain were used to indicate surface-water effects. This report presents analytical results for the biosolids samples collected at the Metro District wastewater treatment plant in Denver and analyzed for 2009. In general, the objective of each component of the study was to determine whether concentrations of nine trace elements ('priority analytes') (1) were higher than regulatory limits, (2) were increasing with time, or (3) were significantly higher in biosolids-applied areas than in a similar farmed area where biosolids were not applied. Previous analytical results indicate that the elemental composition of biosolids from the Denver plant was consistent during 1999-2008, and this consistency continues with the samples for 2009. Total concentrations of regulated trace elements remain consistently lower than the regulatory limits for the entire monitoring period. Concentrations of none of the priority analytes appear to have increased during the 11 years of this study.

Consistent assignment of nursing staff to residents in nursing homes: a critical review of conceptual and methodological issues.

PubMed

Roberts, Tonya; Nolet, Kimberly; Bowers, Barbara

2015-06-01

Consistent assignment of nursing staff to residents is promoted by a number of national organizations as a strategy for improving nursing home quality and is included in pay for performance schedules in several states. However, research has shown inconsistent effects of consistent assignment on quality outcomes. In order to advance the state of the science of research on consistent assignment and inform current practice and policy, a literature review was conducted to critique conceptual and methodological understandings of consistent assignment. Twenty original research reports of consistent assignment in nursing homes were found through a variety of search strategies. Consistent assignment was conceptualized and operationalized in multiple ways with little overlap from study to study. There was a lack of established methods to measure consistent assignment. Methodological limitations included a lack of control and statistical analyses of group differences in experimental-level studies, small sample sizes, lack of attention to confounds in multicomponent interventions, and outcomes that were not theoretically linked. Future research should focus on developing a conceptual understanding of consistent assignment focused on definition, measurement, and links to outcomes. To inform current policies, testing consistent assignment should include attention to contexts within and levels at which it is most effective. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America 2013.

Hair MDMA samples are consistent with reported ecstasy use: findings from a study investigating effects of ecstasy on mood and memory.

PubMed

Scholey, A B; Owen, L; Gates, J; Rodgers, J; Buchanan, T; Ling, J; Heffernan, T; Swan, P; Stough, C; Parrott, A C

2011-01-01

Our group has conducted several Internet investigations into the biobehavioural effects of self-reported recreational use of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or Ecstasy) and other psychosocial drugs. Here we report a new study examining the relationship between self-reported Ecstasy use and traces of MDMA found in hair samples. In a laboratory setting, 49 undergraduate volunteers performed an Internet-based assessment which included mood scales and the University of East London Drug Use Questionnaire, which asks for history and current drug use. They also provided a hair sample for determination of exposure to MDMA over the previous month. Self-report of Ecstasy use and presence in hair samples were consistent (p < 0.00001). Both subjective and objective measures predicted lower self-reported ratings of happiness and higher self-reported stress. Self-reported Ecstasy use, but not presence in hair, was also associated with decreased tension. Different psychoactive drugs can influence long-term mood and cognition in complex and dynamically interactive ways. Here we have shown a good correspondence between self-report and objective assessment of exposure to MDMA. These data suggest that the Internet has potentially high utility as a useful medium to complement traditional laboratory studies into the sequelae of recreational drug use. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Experiments with central-limit properties of spatial samples from locally covariant random fields

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barringer, T.H.; Smith, T.E.

1992-01-01

When spatial samples are statistically dependent, the classical estimator of sample-mean standard deviation is well known to be inconsistent. For locally dependent samples, however, consistent estimators of sample-mean standard deviation can be constructed. The present paper investigates the sampling properties of one such estimator, designated as the tau estimator of sample-mean standard deviation. In particular, the asymptotic normality properties of standardized sample means based on tau estimators are studied in terms of computer experiments with simulated sample-mean distributions. The effects of both sample size and dependency levels among samples are examined for various value of tau (denoting the size of the spatial kernel for the estimator). The results suggest that even for small degrees of spatial dependency, the tau estimator exhibits significantly stronger normality properties than does the classical estimator of standardized sample means. ?? 1992.

The structure and transformation of the nanomineral schwertmannite: a synthetic analog representative of field samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, Rebecca A.; Monsegue, Niven; Murayama, Mitsuhiro; Hochella, Michael F.

2014-04-01

The phase transformation of schwertmannite, an iron oxyhydroxide sulfate nanomineral synthesized at room temperature and at 75 °C using H2O2 to drive the precipitation of schwertmannite from ferrous sulfate (Regenspurg et al. in Geochim Cosmochim Acta 68:1185-1197, 2004), was studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results of this study suggest that schwertmannite synthesized using this method should not be described as a single phase with a repeating unit cell, but as a polyphasic nanomineral with crystalline areas spanning less than a few nanometers in diameter, within a characteristic `pin-cushion'-like amorphous matrix. The difference in synthesis temperature affected the density of the needles on the schwertmannite surface. The needles on the higher-temperature schwertmannite displayed a dendritic morphology, whereas the needles on the room-temperature schwertmannite were more closely packed. Visible lattice fringes in the schwertmannite samples are consistent with the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern taken on the bulk schwertmannite and also matched d-spacings for goethite, indicating a close structural relationship between schwertmannite and goethite. The incomplete transformation from schwertmannite to goethite over 24 h at 75 °C was tracked using XRD and TEM. TEM images suggest that the sample collected after 24 h consists of aggregates of goethite nanocrystals. Comparing the synthetic schwertmannite in this study to a study on schwertmannite produced at 85 °C, which used ferric sulfate, reveals that synthesis conditions can result in significant differences in needle crystal structure. The bulk powder XRD patterns for the schwertmannite produced using these two samples were indistinguishable from one another. Future studies using synthetic schwertmannite should account for these differences when determining schwertmannite's structure, reactivity, and capacity to take up elements like arsenic. The schwertmannite synthesized by the Regenspurg et al. method produces a mineral that is consistent with the structure and morphology of natural schwertmannite observed in our previous study using XRD and TEM, making this an ideal synthetic method for laboratory-based mineralogical and geochemical studies that intend to be environmentally relevant.

CIHR Candrive Cohort Comparison with Canadian Household Population Holding Valid Driver's Licenses.

PubMed

Gagnon, Sylvain; Marshall, Shawn; Kadulina, Yara; Stinchcombe, Arne; Bédard, Michel; Gélinas, Isabelle; Man-Son-Hing, Malcolm; Mazer, Barbara; Naglie, Gary; Porter, Michelle M; Rapoport, Mark; Tuokko, Holly; Vrkljan, Brenda

2016-06-01

We investigated whether convenience sampling is a suitable method to generate a sample of older drivers representative of the older-Canadian driver population. Using equivalence testing, we compared a large convenience sample of older drivers (Candrive II prospective cohort study) to a similarly aged population of older Canadian drivers. The Candrive sample consists of 928 community-dwelling older drivers from seven metropolitan areas of Canada. The population data was obtained from the Canadian Community Health Survey - Healthy Aging (CCHS-HA), which is a representative sample of older Canadians. The data for drivers aged 70 and older were extracted from the CCHS-HA database, for a total of 3,899 older Canadian drivers. Two samples were demonstrated as equivalent on socio-demographic, health, and driving variables that we compared, but not on driving frequency. We conclude that convenience sampling used in the Candrive study created a fairly representative sample of Canadian older drivers, with a few exceptions.

A new experimental correlation for non-Newtonian behavior of COOH-DWCNTs/antifreeze nanofluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izadi, Farhad; Ranjbarzadeh, Ramin; Kalbasi, Rasool; Afrand, Masoud

2018-04-01

In this paper, the rheological behavior of nano-antifreeze consisting of 50%vol. water, 50%vol. ethylene glycol and different quantities of functionalized double walled carbon nanotubes has been investigated experimentally. Initially, nano-antifreeze samples were prepared with solid volume fractions of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1% using two-step method. Then, the dynamic viscosity of the nano-antifreeze samples was measured at different shear rates and temperatures. At this stage, the results showed that base fluid had the Newtonian behavior, while the behavior of all nano-antifreeze samples was non-Newtonian. Since the behavior of the samples was similar to power law model, it was attempted to find the constants of this model including consistency index and power law index. Therefore, using the measured viscosity and shear rates, consistency index and power law index were obtained by curve-fitting method. The obtained values showed that consistency index amplified with increasing volume fraction, while reduced with enhancing temperature. Besides, the obtained values for power law index were less than 1 for all samples which means shear thinning behavior. Lastly, new correlations were suggested to estimate the consistency index and power law index using curve-fitting.

Using a Pattern-Centered Approach to Assess Sexual Risk-Taking in Study Abroad Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcantonio, Tiffany; Angelone, D. J.; Sledjeski, Eve

2016-01-01

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of several potential factors related to sexually risky behaviors in study abroad students. The authors utilized a pattern-centered analysis to identify specific groups that can be targeted for intervention. Participants: The sample consisted of 173 students who studied abroad in a…

Understanding of Prospective Mathematics Teachers of the Concept of Diagonal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayvaz, Ülkü; Gündüz, Nazan; Bozkus, Figen

2017-01-01

This study aims to investigate the concept images of prospective mathematics teachers about the concept of diagonal. With this aim, case study method was used in the study. The participants of the study were consisted of 7 prospective teachers educating at the Department of Mathematics Education. Criterion sampling method was used to select the…

Truancy and Its Influence on Students' Learning in Dormaa Senior High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Gyimah; Yelkpieri, Daniel

2017-01-01

The study instigated the incidence of truancy among students and its influence on learning in the Dormaa Senior High School. A descriptive survey design was adopted in carrying out the study. The study population consisted of teachers, students, parents and opinion leaders in the study area. The simple random and purposive samplings were used in…

The Role of Attachment Style in Facebook Use and Social Capital: Evidence from University Students and a National Sample

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Abstract Social networking sites (SNSs) can be beneficial tools for users to gain social capital. Although social capital consists of emotional and informational resources accumulated through interactions with strong or weak social network ties, the existing literature largely ignores attachment style in this context. This study employed attachment theory to explore individuals' attachment orientations toward Facebook usage and toward online and offline social capital. A university student sample (study 1) and a representative national sample (study 2) showed consistent results. Secure attachment was positively associated with online bonding and bridging capital and offline bridging capital. Additionally, secure attachment had an indirect effect on all capital through Facebook time. Avoidant attachment was negatively associated with online bonding capital. Anxious–ambivalent attachment had a direct association with online bonding capital and an indirect effect on all capital through Facebook. Interaction frequency with good friends on Facebook positively predicted all online and offline capital, whereas interaction frequency with average friends on Facebook positively predicted online bridging capital. Interaction frequency with acquaintances on Facebook was negatively associated with offline bonding capital. The study concludes that attachment style is a significant factor in guiding social orientation toward Facebook connections with different ties and influences online social capital. The study extends attachment theory among university students to a national sample to provide more generalizable evidence for the current literature. Additionally, this study extends attachment theory to the SNS setting with a nuanced examination of types of Facebook friends after controlling extraversion. Implications for future research are discussed. PMID:25751049

The role of attachment style in Facebook use and social capital: evidence from university students and a national sample.

PubMed

Lin, Jih-Hsuan

2015-03-01

Social networking sites (SNSs) can be beneficial tools for users to gain social capital. Although social capital consists of emotional and informational resources accumulated through interactions with strong or weak social network ties, the existing literature largely ignores attachment style in this context. This study employed attachment theory to explore individuals' attachment orientations toward Facebook usage and toward online and offline social capital. A university student sample (study 1) and a representative national sample (study 2) showed consistent results. Secure attachment was positively associated with online bonding and bridging capital and offline bridging capital. Additionally, secure attachment had an indirect effect on all capital through Facebook time. Avoidant attachment was negatively associated with online bonding capital. Anxious-ambivalent attachment had a direct association with online bonding capital and an indirect effect on all capital through Facebook. Interaction frequency with good friends on Facebook positively predicted all online and offline capital, whereas interaction frequency with average friends on Facebook positively predicted online bridging capital. Interaction frequency with acquaintances on Facebook was negatively associated with offline bonding capital. The study concludes that attachment style is a significant factor in guiding social orientation toward Facebook connections with different ties and influences online social capital. The study extends attachment theory among university students to a national sample to provide more generalizable evidence for the current literature. Additionally, this study extends attachment theory to the SNS setting with a nuanced examination of types of Facebook friends after controlling extraversion. Implications for future research are discussed.

Pre-Service Teachers' Problems of Improvisation of Instructional Materials in Social Studies in Ekiti State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdu-Raheem, B. O.; Oluwagbohunmi, M. F.

2015-01-01

This study examined problems of improvisation of instructional materials in Social Studies by pre-service teachers in Ekiti State University. The population for the study comprised all Social Studies pre-service teachers in the Faculty of Education. The sample consisted of 90 Social Studies pre-service teachers selected from 200, 300 and 400…

Experience of elder abuse among older Korean immigrants.

PubMed

Chang, Miya

2016-01-01

Studies on the scope and nature of Asian American elder abuse conducted with older immigrants are extremely limited. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the extent and type of elder abuse among older Korean immigrants, and to investigate critical predictors of elder abuse in this population. The sample consisted of 200 older Korean immigrants aged 60 to 90 years who resided in Los Angeles County in 2008. One of the key findings indicated that 58.3% of respondents experienced one or more types of elder abuse. Logistic regression indicated that the victims' health status and educational level were statistically significant predictors of the likelihood of experiencing abuse. The present study, although limited in sample size, measures, sampling methods, and population representation, has contributed to this important area of knowledge. It is recommended that future studies conduct research on elder abuse with more representative national samples that can measure the extent of abuse and neglect more accurately.

Analytical performance of reciprocal isotope labeling of proteome digests for quantitative proteomics and its application for comparative studies of aerobic and anaerobic Escherichia coli proteomes.

PubMed

Lo, Andy; Weiner, Joel H; Li, Liang

2013-09-17

Due to limited sample amounts, instrument time considerations, and reagent costs, only a small number of replicate experiments are typically performed for quantitative proteome analyses. Generation of reproducible data that can be readily assessed for consistency within a small number of datasets is critical for accurate quantification. We report our investigation of a strategy using reciprocal isotope labeling of two comparative samples as a tool for determining proteome changes. Reciprocal labeling was evaluated to determine the internal consistency of quantified proteome changes from Escherichia coli grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Qualitatively, the peptide overlap between replicate analyses of the same sample and reverse labeled samples were found to be within 8%. Quantitatively, reciprocal analyses showed only a slight increase in average overall inconsistency when compared with replicate analyses (1.29 vs. 1.24-fold difference). Most importantly, reverse labeling was successfully used to identify spurious values resulting from incorrect peptide identifications and poor peak fitting. After removal of 5% of the peptide data with low reproducibility, a total of 275 differentially expressed proteins (>1.50-fold difference) were consistently identified and were then subjected to bioinformatics analysis. General considerations and guidelines for reciprocal labeling experimental design and biological significance of obtained results are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Study on ITS sequences of Aconitum vilmorinianum and its medicinal adulterant].

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-nan; Du, Chun-hua; Fu, De-huan; Gao, Li; Zhou, Pei-jun; Wang, Li

2012-09-01

To analyze and compare the ITS sequences of Aconitum vilmorinianum and its medicinal adulterant Aconitum austroyunnanense. Total genomic DNA were extracted from sample materials by improved CTAB method, ITS sequences of samples were amplified using PCR systems, directly sequenced and analyzed using software DNAStar, ClustalX1.81 and MEGA 4.0. 299 consistent sites, 19 variable sites and 13 informative sites were found in ITS1 sequences, 162 consistent sites, 2 variable sites and 1 informative sites were found in 5.8S sequences, 217 consistent sites, 3 variable sites and 1 informative site were found in ITS2 sequences. Base transition and transversion was not found only in 5.8S sequences, 2 sites transition and 1 site transversion were found in ITS1 sequences, only 1 site transversion was found in ITS2 sequences comparting the ITS sequences data matrix. By analyzing the ITS sequences data matrix from 2 population of Aconitum vilmorinianum and 3 population of Aconitum austroyunnanense, we found a stable informative site at the 596th base in ITS2 sequences, in all the samples of Aconitum vilmorinianum the base was C, and in all the samples of Aconitum austroyunnanense the base was A. Aconitum vilmorinianum and Aconitum austroyunnanense can be identified by their characters of ITS sequences, and the variable sites in ITS1 sequences are more than in ITS2 sequences.

Ar-40/Ar-39 Studies of Martian Meteorite RBT 04262 and Terrestrial Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, J.; Herzog, G. F.; Turrin, B.; Lindsay, F. N.; Delaney, J. S.; Swisher, C. C., III; Nagao, K.; Nyquist, L. E.

2014-01-01

Park et al. recently presented an Ar-40/Ar-39 dating study of maskelynite separated from the Martian meteorite RBT 04262. Here we report an additional study of Ar-40/Ar-39 patterns for smaller samples, each consisting of only a few maskelynite grains. Considered as a material for Ar-40/Ar-39 dating, the shock-produced glass maskelynite has both an important strength (relatively high K concentration compared to other mineral phases) and some potentially problematic weaknesses. At Rutgers, we have been analyzing small grains consisting of a single phase to explore local effects that might be averaged and remain hidden in larger samples. Thus, to assess the homogeneity of the RBT maskelynite and for comparison with the results of, we analyzed six approx. 30 microgram samples of the same maskelynite separate they studied. Furthermore, because most Ar-40/Ar-39 are calculated relative to the age of a standard, we present new Ar-40/Ar-39 age data for six standards. Among the most widely used standards are sanidine from Fish Canyon (FCs) and various hornblendes (hb3gr, MMhb-1, NL- 25), which are taken as primary standards because their ages have been determined by independent, direct measurements of K and A-40.

Borderline Personality Disorder as a Female Phenotypic Expression of Psychopathy?

PubMed Central

Sprague, Jenessa; Javdani, Shabnam; Sadeh, Naomi; Newman, Joseph P.; Verona, Edelyn

2011-01-01

Evidence suggests that the combination of the interpersonal-affective (F1) and impulsive-antisocial (F2) features of psychopathy may be associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD), specifically among women (e.g., Coid, 1993; Hicks, Vaidyana-than, & Patrick, 2010). However, empirical research explicitly examining gendered relationships between BPD and psychopathy factors is lacking. To further inform this area of research, we investigated the hypothesis that the interplay between the two psychopathy factors is associated with BPD among women across two studies. Study 1 consisted of a college sample of 318 adults (51% women), and Study 2 consisted of a large sample of 488 female prisoners. The interpersonal-affective (F1) and impulsiveantisocial psychopathy (F2) scores, measured with self-report and clinician-rated indices, respectively, were entered as explanatory variables in regression analyses to investigate their unique contributions to BPD traits. Across two independent samples, results indicated that the interaction of high F1 and F2 psychopathy scores was associated with BPD in women. This association was found to be specific to women in Study 1. These results suggest that BPD and psychopathy, at least as they are measured by current instruments, overlap in women and, accordingly, may reflect gender-differentiated phenotypic expressions of similar dispositional vulnerabilities. PMID:22452756

75 FR 34423 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-17

... collections. The revision consists of a new survey universe, to a probability sample from a panel study, and... universe, the F-73 component is being renamed to the Quarterly Survey of Non-Property Taxes from the...

The two-sample problem with induced dependent censorship.

PubMed

Huang, Y

1999-12-01

Induced dependent censorship is a general phenomenon in health service evaluation studies in which a measure such as quality-adjusted survival time or lifetime medical cost is of interest. We investigate the two-sample problem and propose two classes of nonparametric tests. Based on consistent estimation of the survival function for each sample, the two classes of test statistics examine the cumulative weighted difference in hazard functions and in survival functions. We derive a unified asymptotic null distribution theory and inference procedure. The tests are applied to trial V of the International Breast Cancer Study Group and show that long duration chemotherapy significantly improves time without symptoms of disease and toxicity of treatment as compared with the short duration treatment. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed tests, with a wide range of weight choices, perform well under moderate sample sizes.

Artificial meteor ablation studies - Iron oxides.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanchard, M. B.

1972-01-01

Artificial meteor ablation was performed on natural minerals composed predominantly of magnetite and hematite by using an arc-heated plasma stream of air. Analysis indicates that most of the ablated debris was composed of two or more minerals. Wustite, a metastable mineral, was found to occur as a common product. The 'magnetite' sample, which was 80% magnetite, 14% hematite, 4% apatite, and 2% quartz, yielded ablated products consisting of more than 12 different minerals. Magnetite occurred in 91% of the specimens examined, hematite in 16%, and wustite in 30%. The 'hematite' sample, which was 96% hematite and 3% quartz, yielded ablated products consisting of more than 13 different minerals. Hematite occurred in 47% of the specimens examined, magnetite in 60%, and wustite in 28%. The more volatile elements (Si, P, and Cl) were depleted by about 50%. This study has shown that artificially created ablation products from iron oxides exhibit unique properties that can be used for identification.

Global Reach of an Internet Smoking Cessation Intervention among Spanish- and English-Speaking Smokers from 157 Countries

PubMed Central

Barrera, Alinne Z.; Pérez-Stable, Eliseo J.; Delucchi, Kevin L.; Muñoz, Ricardo F.

2009-01-01

This investigation is a secondary analysis of demographic, smoking, and depression information in a global sample of Spanish- and English-speaking smokers who participated in a series of randomized controlled smoking cessation trials conducted via the Internet. The final sample consisted of 17,579 smokers from 157 countries. Smoking profiles were similar across languages and world regions and consistent with characteristics of participants in traditional smoking cessation studies. Participants were predominantly Spanish-speakers, evenly divided between men and women and relatively few indicated using traditional smoking cessation methods (e.g., groups or medication). This study demonstrates that substantial numbers of smokers from numerous countries seek Web-based smoking cessation resources and adds to the growing support for Web-assisted tobacco interventions as an additional tool to address the need for global smoking cessation efforts. PMID:19440423

Rearing Environmental Influences on Religiousness: An Investigation of Adolescent Adoptees.

PubMed

Koenig, Laura B; McGue, Matt; Iacono, William G

2009-10-01

Religiousness is widely considered to be a culturally transmitted trait. However, twin studies suggest that religiousness is genetically influenced in adulthood, although largely environmentally influenced in childhood/adolescence. We examined genetic and environmental influences on a self-report measure of religiousness in a sample consisting of 284 adoptive families (two adopted adolescent siblings and their rearing parents); 208 biological families (two full biological adolescent siblings and their parents); and 124 mixed families (one adopted and one biological adolescent sibling and their parents). A sibling-family model was fit to the data to estimate genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental effects on religiousness, as well as cultural transmission and assortative mating effects. Religiousness showed little evidence of heritability and large environmental effects, which did not vary significantly by gender. This finding is consistent with the results of twin studies of religiousness in adolescent and preadolescent samples.

Rearing Environmental Influences on Religiousness: An Investigation of Adolescent Adoptees

PubMed Central

Koenig, Laura B.; McGue, Matt; Iacono, William G.

2009-01-01

Religiousness is widely considered to be a culturally transmitted trait. However, twin studies suggest that religiousness is genetically influenced in adulthood, although largely environmentally influenced in childhood/adolescence. We examined genetic and environmental influences on a self-report measure of religiousness in a sample consisting of 284 adoptive families (two adopted adolescent siblings and their rearing parents); 208 biological families (two full biological adolescent siblings and their parents); and 124 mixed families (one adopted and one biological adolescent sibling and their parents). A sibling-family model was fit to the data to estimate genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental effects on religiousness, as well as cultural transmission and assortative mating effects. Religiousness showed little evidence of heritability and large environmental effects, which did not vary significantly by gender. This finding is consistent with the results of twin studies of religiousness in adolescent and preadolescent samples. PMID:20161346

Genetic Analysis of Association Between Calcium Signaling and Hippocampal Activation, Memory Performance in the Young and Old, and Risk for Sporadic Alzheimer Disease.

PubMed

Heck, Angela; Fastenrath, Matthias; Coynel, David; Auschra, Bianca; Bickel, Horst; Freytag, Virginie; Gschwind, Leo; Hartmann, Francina; Jessen, Frank; Kaduszkiewicz, Hanna; Maier, Wolfgang; Milnik, Annette; Pentzek, Michael; Riedel-Heller, Steffi G; Spalek, Klara; Vogler, Christian; Wagner, Michael; Weyerer, Siegfried; Wolfsgruber, Steffen; de Quervain, Dominique J-F; Papassotiropoulos, Andreas

2015-10-01

Human episodic memory performance is linked to the function of specific brain regions, including the hippocampus; declines as a result of increasing age; and is markedly disturbed in Alzheimer disease (AD), an age-associated neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects the hippocampus. Exploring the molecular underpinnings of human episodic memory is key to the understanding of hippocampus-dependent cognitive physiology and pathophysiology. To determine whether biologically defined groups of genes are enriched in episodic memory performance across age, memory encoding-related brain activity, and AD. In this multicenter collaborative study, which began in August 2008 and is ongoing, gene set enrichment analysis was done by using primary and meta-analysis data from 57 968 participants. The Swiss cohorts consisted of 3043 healthy young adults assessed for episodic memory performance. In a subgroup (n = 1119) of one of these cohorts, functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify gene set-dependent differences in brain activity related to episodic memory. The German Study on Aging, Cognition, and Dementia in Primary Care Patients cohort consisted of 763 elderly participants without dementia who were assessed for episodic memory performance. The International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project case-control sample consisted of 54 162 participants (17 008 patients with sporadic AD and 37 154 control participants). Analyses were conducted between January 2014 and June 2015. Gene set enrichment analysis in all samples was done using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism data. Episodic memory performance in the Swiss cohort and German Study on Aging, Cognition, and Dementia in Primary Care Patients cohort was quantified by picture and verbal delayed free recall tasks. In the functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment, activation of the hippocampus during encoding of pictures served as the phenotype of interest. In the International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project sample, diagnosis of sporadic AD served as the phenotype of interest. In the discovery sample, we detected significant enrichment for genes constituting the calcium signaling pathway, especially those related to the elevation of cytosolic calcium (P = 2 × 10-4). This enrichment was replicated in 2 additional samples of healthy young individuals (P = .02 and .04, respectively) and a sample of healthy elderly participants (P = .004). Hippocampal activation (P = 4 × 10-4) and the risk for sporadic AD (P = .01) were also significantly enriched for genes related to the elevation of cytosolic calcium. By detecting consistent significant enrichment in independent cohorts of young and elderly participants, this study identified that calcium signaling plays a central role in hippocampus-dependent human memory processes in cognitive health and disease, contributing to the understanding and potential treatment of hippocampus-dependent cognitive pathology.

Validity and reliability of a self-report instrument to assess social support and physical environmental correlates of physical activity in adolescents

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity and predictive validity of a new German self-report instrument to assess the influence of social support and the physical environment on physical activity in adolescents. Methods Based on theoretical consideration, the short scales on social support and physical environment were developed and cross-validated in two independent study samples of 9 to 17 year-old girls and boys. The longitudinal sample of Study I (n = 196) was recruited from a German comprehensive school, and subjects in this study completed the questionnaire twice with a between-test interval of seven days. Cronbach’s alphas were computed to determine the internal consistency of the factors. Test-retest reliability of the latent factors was assessed using intra-class coefficients. Factorial validity of the scales was assessed using principle components analysis. Construct validity was determined using a cross-validation technique by performing confirmatory factor analysis with the independent nationwide cross-sectional sample of Study II (n = 430). Correlations between factors and three measures of physical activity (objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), self-reported habitual MVPA and self-reported recent MVPA) were calculated to determine the predictive validity of the instrument. Results Construct validity of the social support scale (two factors: parental support and peer support) and the physical environment scale (four factors: convenience, public recreation facilities, safety and private sport providers) was shown. Both scales had moderate test-retest reliability. The factors of the social support scale also had good internal consistency and predictive validity. Internal consistency and predictive validity of the physical environment scale were low to acceptable. Conclusions The results of this study indicate moderate to good reliability and construct validity of the social support scale and physical environment scale. Predictive validity was only confirmed for the social support scale but not for the physical environment scale. Hence, it remains unclear if a person’s physical environment has a direct or an indirect effect on physical activity behavior or a moderation function. PMID:22928865

Validity and reliability of a self-report instrument to assess social support and physical environmental correlates of physical activity in adolescents.

PubMed

Reimers, Anne K; Jekauc, Darko; Mess, Filip; Mewes, Nadine; Woll, Alexander

2012-08-29

The purpose of this study was to examine the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity and predictive validity of a new German self-report instrument to assess the influence of social support and the physical environment on physical activity in adolescents. Based on theoretical consideration, the short scales on social support and physical environment were developed and cross-validated in two independent study samples of 9 to 17 year-old girls and boys. The longitudinal sample of Study I (n = 196) was recruited from a German comprehensive school, and subjects in this study completed the questionnaire twice with a between-test interval of seven days. Cronbach's alphas were computed to determine the internal consistency of the factors. Test-retest reliability of the latent factors was assessed using intra-class coefficients. Factorial validity of the scales was assessed using principle components analysis. Construct validity was determined using a cross-validation technique by performing confirmatory factor analysis with the independent nationwide cross-sectional sample of Study II (n = 430). Correlations between factors and three measures of physical activity (objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), self-reported habitual MVPA and self-reported recent MVPA) were calculated to determine the predictive validity of the instrument. Construct validity of the social support scale (two factors: parental support and peer support) and the physical environment scale (four factors: convenience, public recreation facilities, safety and private sport providers) was shown. Both scales had moderate test-retest reliability. The factors of the social support scale also had good internal consistency and predictive validity. Internal consistency and predictive validity of the physical environment scale were low to acceptable. The results of this study indicate moderate to good reliability and construct validity of the social support scale and physical environment scale. Predictive validity was only confirmed for the social support scale but not for the physical environment scale. Hence, it remains unclear if a person's physical environment has a direct or an indirect effect on physical activity behavior or a moderation function.

Mass Spectrometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for Analysis of Biological Materials

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

Anderson, Timothy J.

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry along with statistical analysis was utilized to study metabolic profiles among rats fed resistant starch (RS) diets. Fischer 344 rats were fed four starch diets consisting of 55% (w/w, dbs) starch. A control starch diet consisting of corn starch was compared against three RS diets. The RS diets were high-amylose corn starch (HA7), HA7 chemically modified with octenyl succinic anhydride, and stearic-acid-complexed HA7 starch. A subgroup received antibiotic treatment to determine if perturbations in the gut microbiome were long lasting. A second subgroup was treated with azoxymethane (AOM), a carcinogen. At the end of the eight weekmore » study, cecal and distal-colon contents samples were collected from the sacrificed rats. Metabolites were extracted from cecal and distal colon samples into acetonitrile. The extracts were then analyzed on an accurate-mass time-of-flight mass spectrometer to obtain their metabolic profile. The data were analyzed using partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The PLS-DA analysis utilized a training set and verification set to classify samples within diet and treatment groups. PLS-DA could reliably differentiate the diet treatments for both cecal and distal colon samples. The PLS-DA analyses of the antibiotic and no antibiotic treated subgroups were well classified for cecal samples and modestly separated for distal-colon samples. PLS-DA analysis had limited success separating distal colon samples for rats given AOM from those not treated; the cecal samples from AOM had very poor classification. Mass spectrometry profiling coupled with PLS-DA can readily classify metabolite differences among rats given RS diets.« less

High-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry fingerprinting of metabolites from cecum and distal colon contents of rats fed resistant starch

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

Anderson, Timothy J.; Jones, Roger W.; Ai, Yongfeng

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry along with statistical analysis was utilized to study metabolic profiles among rats fed resistant starch (RS) diets. Fischer 344 rats were fed four starch diets consisting of 55 % (w/w, dbs) starch. A control starch diet consisting of corn starch was compared against three RS diets. The RS diets were high-amylose corn starch (HA7), HA7 chemically modified with octenyl succinic anhydride, and stearic-acid-complexed HA7 starch. A subgroup received antibiotic treatment to determine if perturbations in the gut microbiome were long lasting. A second subgroup was treated with azoxymethane (AOM), a carcinogen. At the end of the 8-weekmore » study, cecal and distal colon content samples were collected from the sacrificed rats. Metabolites were extracted from cecal and distal colon samples into acetonitrile. The extracts were then analyzed on an accurate-mass time-of-flight mass spectrometer to obtain their metabolic profile. The data were analyzed using partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The PLS-DA analysis utilized a training set and verification set to classify samples within diet and treatment groups. PLS-DA could reliably differentiate the diet treatments for both cecal and distal colon samples. The PLS-DA analyses of the antibiotic and no antibiotic-treated subgroups were well classified for cecal samples and modestly separated for distal colon samples. PLS-DA analysis had limited success separating distal colon samples for rats given AOM from those not treated; the cecal samples from AOM had very poor classification. Mass spectrometry profiling coupled with PLS-DA can readily classify metabolite differences among rats given RS diets.« less

Religion and survival in a secular region. A twenty year follow-up of 734 Danish adults born in 1914.

PubMed

la Cour, Peter; Avlund, Kirsten; Schultz-Larsen, Kirsten

2006-01-01

The aim of the study was to analyse associations of religiosity and mortality in a secular region. The sample consisted of 734 Danish, community dwelling elderly persons, living in a secular culture, and all aged 70 when primary data were collected. Secondary data consisted of a 20 year follow-up on vital status or exact age of death. The study was designed to be highly comparable to studies conducted in more religious environments in order to compare results. Three variables of religion were investigated in relation to survival: importance of affiliation, church attendance and listening to religious media. Relative hazards (RH) of dying were controlled in models including gender, education, medical and mental health, social relations, help given and received, and health behaviour. The results showed significant and positive associations between claiming religious affiliation important and survival (relative hazard of dying=RH .70; 95% CI .58-.85) and church attendance and survival (RH .73; 95% CI .64-.87). Results decreased and only stayed significant regarding church attendance when controlled for covariates. Nearly all significant effects were seen in women, but not in men. The effect size of the full sample is less than in more religious environments in United States samples. Although the positive overall RHs are comparable to those of other studies, the mediating variables and pathways of effects seem dissimilar in this sample from a secular environment. Receiving and especially giving help to others are suggested as variables of explanatory value.

Introducing English and German versions of the Adolescent Time Attitude Scale.

PubMed

Worrell, Frank C; Mello, Zena R; Buhl, Monika

2013-08-01

In this study, the authors report on the development of English and German versions of the Adolescent Time Attitude Scale (ATAS). The ATAS consists of six subscales assessing Past Positive, Past Negative, Present Positive, Present Negative, Future Positive, and Future Negative time attitudes. The authors describe the development of the scales and present data on the reliability and structural validity of ATAS scores in samples of American (N = 300) and German (N = 316) adolescents. Internal consistency estimates for scores on the English and German versions of the ATAS were in the .70 to .80 range. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a six-factor structure yielded the best fit for scores and that the scores were invariant across samples.

Generalizability of causal inference in observational studies under retrospective convenience sampling.

PubMed

Hu, Zonghui; Qin, Jing

2018-05-20

Many observational studies adopt what we call retrospective convenience sampling (RCS). With the sample size in each arm prespecified, RCS randomly selects subjects from the treatment-inclined subpopulation into the treatment arm and those from the control-inclined into the control arm. Samples in each arm are representative of the respective subpopulation, but the proportion of the 2 subpopulations is usually not preserved in the sample data. We show in this work that, under RCS, existing causal effect estimators actually estimate the treatment effect over the sample population instead of the underlying study population. We investigate how to correct existing methods for consistent estimation of the treatment effect over the underlying population. Although RCS is adopted in medical studies for ethical and cost-effective purposes, it also has a big advantage for statistical inference: When the tendency to receive treatment is low in a study population, treatment effect estimators under RCS, with proper correction, are more efficient than their parallels under random sampling. These properties are investigated both theoretically and through numerical demonstration. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

A measure of the signal-to-noise ratio of microarray samples and studies using gene correlations.

PubMed

Venet, David; Detours, Vincent; Bersini, Hugues

2012-01-01

The quality of gene expression data can vary dramatically from platform to platform, study to study, and sample to sample. As reliable statistical analysis rests on reliable data, determining such quality is of the utmost importance. Quality measures to spot problematic samples exist, but they are platform-specific, and cannot be used to compare studies. As a proxy for quality, we propose a signal-to-noise ratio for microarray data, the "Signal-to-Noise Applied to Gene Expression Experiments", or SNAGEE. SNAGEE is based on the consistency of gene-gene correlations. We applied SNAGEE to a compendium of 80 large datasets on 37 platforms, for a total of 24,380 samples, and assessed the signal-to-noise ratio of studies and samples. This allowed us to discover serious issues with three studies. We show that signal-to-noise ratios of both studies and samples are linked to the statistical significance of the biological results. We showed that SNAGEE is an effective way to measure data quality for most types of gene expression studies, and that it often outperforms existing techniques. Furthermore, SNAGEE is platform-independent and does not require raw data files. The SNAGEE R package is available in BioConductor.

The Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) Data Standard specification

PubMed Central

Droege, G.; Barker, K.; Seberg, O.; Coddington, J.; Benson, E.; Berendsohn, W. G.; Bunk, B.; Butler, C.; Cawsey, E. M.; Deck, J.; Döring, M.; Flemons, P.; Gemeinholzer, B.; Güntsch, A.; Hollowell, T.; Kelbert, P.; Kostadinov, I.; Kottmann, R.; Lawlor, R. T.; Lyal, C.; Mackenzie-Dodds, J.; Meyer, C.; Mulcahy, D.; Nussbeck, S. Y.; O'Tuama, É.; Orrell, T.; Petersen, G.; Robertson, T.; Söhngen, C.; Whitacre, J.; Wieczorek, J.; Yilmaz, P.; Zetzsche, H.; Zhang, Y.; Zhou, X.

2016-01-01

Genomic samples of non-model organisms are becoming increasingly important in a broad range of studies from developmental biology, biodiversity analyses, to conservation. Genomic sample definition, description, quality, voucher information and metadata all need to be digitized and disseminated across scientific communities. This information needs to be concise and consistent in today’s ever-increasing bioinformatic era, for complementary data aggregators to easily map databases to one another. In order to facilitate exchange of information on genomic samples and their derived data, the Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) Data Standard is intended to provide a platform based on a documented agreement to promote the efficient sharing and usage of genomic sample material and associated specimen information in a consistent way. The new data standard presented here build upon existing standards commonly used within the community extending them with the capability to exchange data on tissue, environmental and DNA sample as well as sequences. The GGBN Data Standard will reveal and democratize the hidden contents of biodiversity biobanks, for the convenience of everyone in the wider biobanking community. Technical tools exist for data providers to easily map their databases to the standard. Database URL: http://terms.tdwg.org/wiki/GGBN_Data_Standard PMID:27694206

Particle-associated contaminants in street dust, parking lot dust, soil, lake-bottom sediment, and suspended and streambed sediment, Lake Como and Fosdic Lake watersheds, Fort Worth, Texas, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Jennifer T.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Werth, Charles J.; Yang, Yanning

2006-01-01

A previous study by the U.S. Geological Survey of impaired water bodies in Fort Worth, Texas, reported elevated but variable concentrations of particle-associated contaminants (PACs) comprising chlorinated hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and trace elements in suspended and bed sediment of lakes and streams affected by urban land use. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Fort Worth, collected additional samples during October 2004 to investigate sources of PACs in the watersheds of two impaired lakes: Lake Como and Fosdic Lake. Source materials and aquatic sediment were sampled and analyzed for PACs. Source materials sampled consisted of street dust and soil from areas with residential and commercial land use and parking lot dust from sealed and unsealed parking lots. Aquatic sediment sampled consisted of bottom-sediment cores from the two lakes and suspended and streambed sediment from the influent stream of each lake. Samples were analyzed for chlorinated hydrocarbons (organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, major and trace elements, organic carbon, grain size, and radionuclides.

Medical Students' Impressions and Satisfactions from Medical Professional Skill Education Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ongel, Kurtulus; Mergen, Haluk; Kayacan, Hacer; Yildizhan, Alpaslan

2008-01-01

(Background) To help us understand the medical students' reflections about professional skill educations we conducted a study on medical students' conceptions of selected medical phenomena, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR. (Methods) The study was conducted in January 2008, using a sample consisting of medical students from one of the…

The Rise and Fall of Diversity Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Easter, Marilyn

The effectiveness of diversity training in eliminating racial stereotypes in the workplace and modifying employees' negative attitudes toward diversity was examined in a study conducted at a private nonprofit college in the San Francisco Bay area. The study sample consisted of 80 nontraditional students from 4 sections of a course titled Managing…

An Investigation of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horzum, Mehmet Baris

2013-01-01

This study investigates whether pre-service teachers' learning approach and gender are related to their technological knowledge, their technological content knowledge, their technological pedagogical knowledge and their technological pedagogical content knowledge. The sample of the study consisted of 239 pre-service teachers. It was found that an…

Examining the Relationship between Teacher Leadership and School Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilinc, Ali Çagatay

2014-01-01

Teacher leadership has recently become the centre of educational research on improving educational practices. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between primary school teachers' perceptions of school climate and teacher leadership. The study sample consisted of 259 primary school teachers who participated in an educational…

The MEE Report: Reaching the Hip-Hop Generation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MEE Productions Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Research Div.

Effective communications strategies for delivering substance abuse and other prosocial behavior messages to African American inner city teenagers were studied. After pilot studies, the final sample consisted of middle school and high school students from the urban centers of New York City; Washington, D.C.; Camden (New Jersey); Philadelphia…

Inclusive Science Education: Learning from Wizard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koomen, Michele Hollingsworth

2016-01-01

This case study reports on a student with special education needs in an inclusive seventh grade life science classroom using a framework of disability studies in education. Classroom data collected over 13 weeks consisted of qualitative (student and classroom observations, interviews, student work samples and video-taped classroom teaching and…

Teaching Leadership: Do Students Remember and Utilize the Concepts We Teach?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Jennifer R.; Townsend, Christine D.; Linder, James R.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how leadership competencies are remembered and utilized following instruction in a structured collegiate leadership course. The population for this study consisted of experienced collegiate leaders who completed an introductory leadership theory course. The purposive sample included 74 students who…

The Relationship between the Emotional Intelligence of Secondary Public School Principals and School Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashworth, Stephanie R.

2013-01-01

The study examined the relationship between secondary public school principals' emotional intelligence and school performance. The correlational study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods model. The non-probability sample consisted of 105 secondary public school principals in Texas. The emotional intelligence characteristics of the…

Potato stem cuttings to study Verticillium dahliae infection for resistance breeding and ‘omics’ studies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The use of consistent and effective methods for early discrimination of resistance to pathogens and selection of appropriate times for tissue sampling are important for experiments focused on global gene expression and metabolomics. Assays for resistance to the vascular pathogen Verticillium dahliae...

Science and Technology Teachers' Views of Primary School Science and Technology Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz-Duban, Nil

2013-01-01

This phenomenographic study attempts to explicit science and technology teachers' views of primary school science and technology curriculum. Participants of the study were selected through opportunistic sampling and consisted of 30 science and technology teachers teaching in primary schools in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Data were collected through an…

Profiles of Acculturative Adjustment Patterns among Chinese International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Kenneth T.; Heppner, Puncky Paul; Fu, Chu-Chun; Zhao, Ran; Li, Feihan; Chuang, Chih-Chun

2012-01-01

This is the first study to empirically identify distinct acculturative adjustment patterns of new international students over their first 3 semesters in the United States. The sample consisted of 507 Chinese international students studying in the United States. Using psychological distress as an indicator of acculturative adjustment, measured over…

Promoting Kindergarten Children's Creativity in the Classroom Environment in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dababneh, Kholoud; Ihmeideh, Fathi M.; Al-Omari, Aieman A.

2010-01-01

This study aimed at investigating teachers' classroom practices, which either stimulate or inhibit the development of the creative environment of classrooms in Jordan, and determining the differences between practices according to educational level, experience level and type of teaching. The sample of the study consisted of 215 kindergarten…

Students Evaluation of Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thawabieh, Ahmad M.

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate how students evaluate their faculty and the effect of gender, expected grade, and college on students' evaluation. The study sample consisted of 5291 students from Tafila Technical University Faculty evaluation scale was used to collect data. The results indicated that student evaluation of faculty was high (mean =…

Teacher Perceptions of Principals' Leadership Qualities: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hauserman, Cal P.; Ivankova, Nataliya V.; Stick, Sheldon L.

2013-01-01

This mixed methods sequential explanatory study utilized the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire, responses to open-ended questions, and in-depth interviews to identify transformational leadership qualities that were present among principals in Alberta, Canada. The first quantitative phase consisted of a random sample of 135 schools (with…

Genetic associations with lipoprotein subfraction measures differ by ethnicity in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A recent genome-wide association study associated 62 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 43 genomic loci, with fasting lipoprotein subfractions in European–Americans (EAs) at genome-wide levels of significance across three independent samples. Whether these associations are consistent across...

Geometrical Sense Making: Findings of Analysis Based on the Characteristics of the van Hiele Theory among a Sample of South African Grade 10 Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alex, Jogymol K.; Mammen, Kuttickattu J.

2016-01-01

This paper reports on one part of a large study which attempted to identify the linguistic and hierarchical characteristics of van Hiele theory amongst grade 10 learners. The sample consisted of a total of 359 participants from five purposively selected schools from Mthatha District in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The performance of…

Investigation of Problem Solving Ability of Students in School of Physical Education and Sports (Kafkas University Sample)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozmutlu, Ilker

2014-01-01

The aim of this research is to examine the problem solving abilities of School of Physical Education and Sports students. To achieve this aim, in the academic year 2013-2014, a research group did a study of 433 students of the School of Physical Education and Sports, Kafkas University. This sample consisted of 184 female and 249 male students.…

Subjective Well-Being: The Constructionist Point of View. A Longitudinal Study to Verify the Predictive Power of Top-Down Effects and Bottom-Up Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonardi, Fabio; Spazzafumo, Liana; Marcellini, Fiorella

2005-01-01

Based on the constructionist point of view applied to Subjective Well-Being (SWB), five hypotheses were advanced about the predictive power of the top-down effects and bottom-up processes over a five years period. The sample consisted of 297 respondents, which represent the Italian sample of a European longitudinal survey; the first phase was…

Gender Differences in Divergent Thinking: Use of the Test of Creative Thinking-Drawing Production on an Egyptian Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sayed, Emam Moustafa; Mohamed, Ahmed Hassan Hemdan

2013-01-01

The issue of gender differences in creativity has been a controversial and much-disputed subject for decades. The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in divergent thinking and the effect of gender-grade level interaction on divergent thinking. The sample consisted of 901 (367 boys and 534 girls), from K to 6, who were recruited…

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Experiencing of Self Scale (EOSS) for assessment in Functional Analytic Psychotherapy.

PubMed

Valero-Aguayo, Luis; Ferro-García, Rafael; López-Bermúdez, Miguel Ángel; Selva-López de Huralde, María de los Ángeles

2014-01-01

The Experiencing of Self Scale (EOSS) was created to evaluate the experience of the personal self, within the field of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy. This paper presents a study of the reliability and validity of the EOSS in a Spanish sample. The study sample, chosen from 24 different centres, comprised 1,040 participants aged between 18-75, of whom 32% were men and 68% women. The clinical sample was made up of 32.7%, whereas 67.3% had no known problem. To obtain evidence of convergent validity, other questionnaires related to the self (EPQ-R, DES, RSES) were used for comparison. The EOSS showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .941) and significantly high correlations with the EPQ-R Neuroticism scale and the DES Dissociation scale, while showing negative correlations with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The EOSS revealed 4 principal factors: a self in close relationships, a self with casual social relationships, a self in general and a positive self-concept. Significant statistical differences were found between the clinical and standard sample, the former showing a higher average. The EOSS had high internal consistency, showing evidence of convergent validity with similar scales and proving useful for the assessment of people with psychological problems related to the self.

Conodont color and surface textural alteration in the Muschelkalk (Triassic) of the Silesian-Cracow Zn-Pb district, Poland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Repetski, J.E.; Narkiewicz, M.

1996-01-01

Limestone and dolostone samples were collected from sites within and adjacent to ore zones in the Trzebionka mine, Silesia-Cracow zinc-lead mining district, southern Poland, to assess the level of thermal alteration of the enclosed conodonts, via the color alteration index (CAI) technique, and to study any surface alteration effects on these microfossils. Additional conodont sampling from stratigraphic levels correlative with the horizons being mined in the Trzebionka mine was accomplished at four surface and two borehole localities in the district, to compare the CAI and surface alteration effects at these, commercially non-mineralized, localities with those effects in the mine. Data show that: 1. The overall background thermal level of the Triassic strata studied, presumably due to only shallow burial, is very low: CAI = 1; in the range of 50 to 80??C. 2. CAI values in the ore zones in the Trzebionka mine are slightly higher than this regional background: 1+ to 1.5 (in the range ???50 to 90??C minimum heating over geologic time of about 0.1 to more than 1 m. y.). This implies that heating "events" of higher temperatures affecting the conodonts, including the passage of the local ore-bearing solutions, were of rather short duration(s), on the order of about 1,000 to 50,000 years. CAI data from the Trzebionka Mine is consistent with temperature data from fluid inclusions, indicating ore-bearing fluid temperatures in the 100 to 138??C range, and the scenario that these fluids were resident in these strata for a geologically short period. 3. Conodonts from both surface and subsurface samples rarely show surface corrosion effects, but tend to show apatite overgrowths. These overgrowths vary in degree of development, but are consistent for each morphological type of conodont element, and qualitatively are consistent in each sample observed. 4. Ichthyoliths (fish teeth, spines, and scales), found in most of the samples, do not exhibit either mineral overgrowths or apparent corrosion effects to the extent seen in the conodont elements. 5. Ichthyoliths show color alteration effects that are consistent within-sample but which are very different from the CAI values of conodonts in the same sample. The color alteration of the fish teeth might be of value as a thermal maturation index in the future, if and when calibrated through controlled laboratory experimental testing, but at present cannot and should not be used as equivalent to conodont CAI.

Separation techniques for the clean-up of radioactive mixed waste for ICP-AES/ICP-MS analysis

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

Swafford, A.M.; Keller, J.M.

1993-03-17

Two separation techniques were investigated for the clean-up of typical radioactive mixed waste samples requiring elemental analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) or Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). These measurements frequently involve regulatory or compliance criteria which include the determination of elements on the EPA Target Analyte List (TAL). These samples usually consist of both an aqueous phase and a solid phase which is mostly an inorganic sludge. Frequently, samples taken from the waste tanks contain high levels of uranium and thorium which can cause spectral interferences in ICP-AES or ICP-MS analysis. The removal of these interferences ismore » necessary to determine the presence of the EPA TAL elements in the sample. Two clean-up methods were studied on simulated aqueous waste samples containing the EPA TAL elements. The first method studied was a classical procedure based upon liquid-liquid extraction using tri-n- octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) dissolved in cyclohexane. The second method investigated was based on more recently developed techniques using extraction chromatography; specifically the use of a commercially available Eichrom TRU[center dot]Spec[trademark] column. Literature on these two methods indicates the efficient removal of uranium and thorium from properly prepared samples and provides considerable qualitative information on the extraction behavior of many other elements. However, there is a lack of quantitative data on the extraction behavior of elements on the EPA Target Analyte List. Experimental studies on these two methods consisted of determining whether any of the analytes were extracted by these methods and the recoveries obtained. Both methods produced similar results; the EPA target analytes were only slightly or not extracted. Advantages and disadvantages of each method were evaluated and found to be comparable.« less

Using Lunar Sample Disks and Resources to Promote Scientific Inquiry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, Paige; Allen, Jaclyn; Runco, Susan

2014-01-01

This poster presentation will illustrate the use of NASA Lunar Sample Disks and resources to promote scientific inquiry and address the Next Generation Science Standards. The poster will present information on the Lunar Sample Disks, housed and managed by the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate at the NASA Johnson Space Center. The poster will also present information on an inquiry-based planetary sample and impact cratering unit designed to introduce students in grades 4-10 to the significance of studying the rocks, soils, and surfaces of a planetary world. The unit, consisting of many hands-on activities, provides context and background information to enhance the impact of the Lunar Sample Disks.

Civic Education as a Collaborative Dimension of Social Studies Education in Attainment of Political Ethics in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dania, Peter

2015-01-01

The paper investigated Civic Education as a collaborative dimension of Social Studies Education in attainment of political ethics in Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research design. The sample for the study consisted of 580 Social Studies teachers selected from thirty secondary schools in the three senatorial districts of Delta State. The…

Effects of Problem-Solving Method on Secondary School Students' Achievement and Retention in Social Studies, in Ekiti State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdu-Raheem, B. O.

2012-01-01

This study investigated the effects of problem-solving method of teaching on secondary school students' achievement and retention in Social Studies. The study adopted the quasi-experimental, pre-test, post-test, control group design. The sample for the study consisted of 240 Junior Secondary School Class II students randomly selected from six…

Is Soliciting Important in Science? an Investigation of Science Teacher-Student Questioning Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patrick, Ajaja O.; Urhievwejire, Eravwoke Ochuko

2012-01-01

The major purpose of this study was to determine the questioning patterns of teachers in science classes. The design employed for the study was a case study. To guide this study, five research questions were asked and answered. The samples of the study consisted of 20 senior secondary schools and 60 science teachers. The instruments used for data…

Activity-Based Teaching in Social Studies Education: An Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akkus, Zekerya

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine pre-service social studies teachers' skills to plan and apply the activity-based teaching and contribute to their development of these skills. In the study, the action research design of qualitative research was used. The sample of the study consisted of 6 pre-service teachers who were 4th year students at…

X-Ray Temperatures, Luminosities, and Masses from XMM-Newton Follow-upof the First Shear-selected Galaxy Cluster Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshpande, Amruta J.; Hughes, John P.; Wittman, David

2017-04-01

We continue the study of the first sample of shear-selected clusters from the initial 8.6 square degrees of the Deep Lens Survey (DLS); a sample with well-defined selection criteria corresponding to the highest ranked shear peaks in the survey area. We aim to characterize the weak lensing selection by examining the sample’s X-ray properties. There are multiple X-ray clusters associated with nearly all the shear peaks: 14 X-ray clusters corresponding to seven DLS shear peaks. An additional three X-ray clusters cannot be definitively associated with shear peaks, mainly due to large positional offsets between the X-ray centroid and the shear peak. Here we report on the XMM-Newton properties of the 17 X-ray clusters. The X-ray clusters display a wide range of luminosities and temperatures; the L X -T X relation we determine for the shear-associated X-ray clusters is consistent with X-ray cluster samples selected without regard to dynamical state, while it is inconsistent with self-similarity. For a subset of the sample, we measure X-ray masses using temperature as a proxy, and compare to weak lensing masses determined by the DLS team. The resulting mass comparison is consistent with equality. The X-ray and weak lensing masses show considerable intrinsic scatter (˜48%), which is consistent with X-ray selected samples when their X-ray and weak lensing masses are independently determined. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Derivation and Applicability of Asymptotic Results for Multiple Subtests Person-Fit Statistics

PubMed Central

Albers, Casper J.; Meijer, Rob R.; Tendeiro, Jorge N.

2016-01-01

In high-stakes testing, it is important to check the validity of individual test scores. Although a test may, in general, result in valid test scores for most test takers, for some test takers, test scores may not provide a good description of a test taker’s proficiency level. Person-fit statistics have been proposed to check the validity of individual test scores. In this study, the theoretical asymptotic sampling distribution of two person-fit statistics that can be used for tests that consist of multiple subtests is first discussed. Second, simulation study was conducted to investigate the applicability of this asymptotic theory for tests of finite length, in which the correlation between subtests and number of items in the subtests was varied. The authors showed that these distributions provide reasonable approximations, even for tests consisting of subtests of only 10 items each. These results have practical value because researchers do not have to rely on extensive simulation studies to simulate sampling distributions. PMID:29881053

Correcting for Microbial Blooms in Fecal Samples during Room-Temperature Shipping.

PubMed

Amir, Amnon; McDonald, Daniel; Navas-Molina, Jose A; Debelius, Justine; Morton, James T; Hyde, Embriette; Robbins-Pianka, Adam; Knight, Rob

2017-01-01

The use of sterile swabs is a convenient and common way to collect microbiome samples, and many studies have shown that the effects of room-temperature storage are smaller than physiologically relevant differences between subjects. However, several bacterial taxa, notably members of the class Gammaproteobacteria , grow at room temperature, sometimes confusing microbiome results, particularly when stability is assumed. Although comparative benchmarking has shown that several preservation methods, including the use of 95% ethanol, fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and FTA cards, and Omnigene-GUT kits, reduce changes in taxon abundance during room-temperature storage, these techniques all have drawbacks and cannot be applied retrospectively to samples that have already been collected. Here we performed a meta-analysis using several different microbiome sample storage condition studies, showing consistent trends in which specific bacteria grew (i.e., "bloomed") at room temperature, and introduce a procedure for removing the sequences that most distort analyses. In contrast to similarity-based clustering using operational taxonomic units (OTUs), we use a new technique called "Deblur" to identify the exact sequences corresponding to blooming taxa, greatly reducing false positives and also dramatically decreasing runtime. We show that applying this technique to samples collected for the American Gut Project (AGP), for which participants simply mail samples back without the use of ice packs or other preservatives, yields results consistent with published microbiome studies performed with frozen or otherwise preserved samples. IMPORTANCE In many microbiome studies, the necessity to store samples at room temperature (i.e., remote fieldwork) and the ability to ship samples without hazardous materials that require special handling training, such as ethanol (i.e., citizen science efforts), is paramount. However, although room-temperature storage for a few days has been shown not to obscure physiologically relevant microbiome differences between comparison groups, there are still changes in specific bacterial taxa, notably, in members of the class Gammaproteobacteria , that can make microbiome profiles difficult to interpret. Here we identify the most problematic taxa and show that removing sequences from just a few fast-growing taxa is sufficient to correct microbiome profiles.

Correcting for Microbial Blooms in Fecal Samples during Room-Temperature Shipping

PubMed Central

Amir, Amnon; McDonald, Daniel; Navas-Molina, Jose A.; Debelius, Justine; Morton, James T.; Hyde, Embriette; Robbins-Pianka, Adam

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The use of sterile swabs is a convenient and common way to collect microbiome samples, and many studies have shown that the effects of room-temperature storage are smaller than physiologically relevant differences between subjects. However, several bacterial taxa, notably members of the class Gammaproteobacteria, grow at room temperature, sometimes confusing microbiome results, particularly when stability is assumed. Although comparative benchmarking has shown that several preservation methods, including the use of 95% ethanol, fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and FTA cards, and Omnigene-GUT kits, reduce changes in taxon abundance during room-temperature storage, these techniques all have drawbacks and cannot be applied retrospectively to samples that have already been collected. Here we performed a meta-analysis using several different microbiome sample storage condition studies, showing consistent trends in which specific bacteria grew (i.e., “bloomed”) at room temperature, and introduce a procedure for removing the sequences that most distort analyses. In contrast to similarity-based clustering using operational taxonomic units (OTUs), we use a new technique called “Deblur” to identify the exact sequences corresponding to blooming taxa, greatly reducing false positives and also dramatically decreasing runtime. We show that applying this technique to samples collected for the American Gut Project (AGP), for which participants simply mail samples back without the use of ice packs or other preservatives, yields results consistent with published microbiome studies performed with frozen or otherwise preserved samples. IMPORTANCE In many microbiome studies, the necessity to store samples at room temperature (i.e., remote fieldwork) and the ability to ship samples without hazardous materials that require special handling training, such as ethanol (i.e., citizen science efforts), is paramount. However, although room-temperature storage for a few days has been shown not to obscure physiologically relevant microbiome differences between comparison groups, there are still changes in specific bacterial taxa, notably, in members of the class Gammaproteobacteria, that can make microbiome profiles difficult to interpret. Here we identify the most problematic taxa and show that removing sequences from just a few fast-growing taxa is sufficient to correct microbiome profiles. PMID:28289733

Determinants of Practice Patterns and Quality Gaps in Lung Cancer Staging and Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Niu, Jiangong; Elting, Linda S.; Buchholz, Thomas A.; Giordano, Sharon H.

2014-01-01

Background: Guidelines recommend mediastinal lymph node sampling as the first invasive diagnostic procedure in patients with suspected lung cancer with mediastinal lymphadenopathy without distant metastases. Methods: Patients were a retrospective cohort of 15,316 patients with lung cancer with regional spread without metastatic disease in the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) or Texas Cancer Registry Medicare-linked databases. Patients were categorized based on the sequencing of invasive diagnostic tests performed: (1) evaluation consistent with guidelines, mediastinal sampling done first; (2) evaluation inconsistent with guidelines, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) present, mediastinal sampling performed but not as part of the first invasive test; (3) evaluation inconsistent with guidelines, NSCLC present, mediastinal sampling never done; and (4) evaluation inconsistent with guidelines, small cell lung cancer. The primary outcome was whether guideline-consistent care was delivered. Secondary outcomes included whether patients with NSCLC ever had mediastinal sampling and use of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) among pulmonologists. Results: Only 21% of patients had a diagnostic evaluation consistent with guidelines. Only 56% of patients with NSCLC had mediastinal sampling prior to treatment. There was significant regional variability in guideline-consistent care (range, 12%-29%). Guideline-consistent care was associated with lower patient age, metropolitan areas, and if the physician ordering or performing the test was male, trained in the United States, had seen more patients with lung cancer, and was a pulmonologist or thoracic surgeon who had graduated more recently. More recent pulmonary graduates were also more likely to perform TBNA (P < .001). Conclusions: Guideline-consistent care varied regionally and was associated with physician-level factors, suggesting that a lack of effective physician training may be contributing to the quality gaps observed. PMID:24202651

Spectroscopic Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter in Afforestation Forest Soil of Miyun District, Beijing

PubMed Central

Zhao, Chen; Shi, Zong-Hai; Zhong, Jun; Liu, Jian-Guo; Li, Jun-Qing

2016-01-01

In this study, soil samples collected from different plain afforestation time (1 year, 4 years, 10 years, 15 years, and 20 years) in Miyun were characterized, including total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available K (K+), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The DOM in the soil samples with different afforestation time was further characterized via DOC, UV-Visible spectroscopy, excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The results suggested that the texture of soil sample was sandy. The extracted DOM from soil consisted mainly of aliphatic chains and only a minor aromatic component. It can be included that afforestation can improve the soil quality to some extent, which can be partly reflected from the indexes like TOC, TN, TP, K+, MBC, and DOC. And the characterization of DOM implied that UV humic-like substances were the major fluorophores components in the DOM of the soil samples, which consisted of aliphatic chains and aromatic components with carbonyl, carboxyl, and hydroxyl groups. PMID:27433371

Analgesic efficacy of lysine clonixinate, paracetamol and dipyrone in lower third molar extraction: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Noronha, Vladimir-Reimar-Augusto-de Souza; Gurgel, Gladson-de Souza; Alves, Luiz-César-Fonseca; Noman-Ferreira, Luiz-Cláudio; Mendonça, Lisette-Lobato; Aguiar, Evandro-Guimarães de; Abdo, Evandro-Neves

2009-08-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the analgesic effect of lysine clonixinate, paracetamol and dipyrone after lower third molar extraction. The sample consisted of 90 individuals with clinical indication for inferior third molar extraction. The mean age of the sample was 22.3 years (DP +/-2.5). The individuals received the medication in unidentified bottles along with the intake instructions. The postoperative pain parameters were measured according to the Visual Analogical Scale (VAS) and the data was evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis Test and Friedman Test, with the latter used to test different time intervals for each one of the drugs. The final sample consisted of 64 individuals, including 23 males (45.9%) and 41 females (64.1%) The mean age of the entire sample was 22.3 years (+/-2.5). The average length of the procedures was 33.9 minutes (+/-9.8). The distribution of mean values for this variable showed little variance for the different drugs (p=0.07). Lysine Clonixinate did not show any substantial impact on the postoperative pain control when compared to other drugs.

Psychometric properties of the Plutchik´s Violence Risk Scale on adolescent sample of Spanish-speaking population.

PubMed

Alcázar-Córcoles, Miguel Á; Verdejo-García, Antonio; Bouso-Sáiz, José C

2016-01-01

The objective of the present study was the validation and scaling of the Plutchik's Violence Risk Scale (EV) in adolescent Spanish-speaking population. For this purpose, a sample of adolescents from El Salvador, Mexico and Spain was obtained. The sample consisted of 1035 participants with a mean age of 16.2. There were 450 adolescents from forensic population (those who committed crime) and 585 adolescents from normal population (no crime committed). The internal consistency of the EV was estimated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and with a value of 0.782. As for validity, the factorial structures found explain a large proportion of the variance (53.385%); the convergent validity was estimated by the correlation between the dimensions found, the EV and sociodemographic, criminological and personality variables. The developed scales are presented, for the first time in a cross-cultural sample, differentiating between gender and continent. Consequently, the obtained results suggest that the EV is a valid and reliable instrument within adolescent Spanish-speaking population. Furthermore, it is a quick scale, easy to apply, which is something valuable in forensic assessment.

Psychometric properties of a short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D-10) scale for screening depressive symptoms in healthy community dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Mohebbi, Mohammadreza; Nguyen, Van; McNeil, John J; Woods, Robyn L; Nelson, Mark R; Shah, Raj C; Storey, Elsdon; Murray, Anne M; Reid, Christopher M; Kirpach, Brenda; Wolfe, Rory; Lockery, Jessica E; Berk, Michael

The 10-item Center for the Epidemiological Studies of Depression Short Form (CES-D-10) is a widely used self-report measure of depression symptomatology. The aim of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of the CES-D-10 in healthy community dwelling older adults. The sample consists of 19,114 community-based individuals residing in Australia and the United States who participated in the ASPREE trial baseline assessment. All individuals were free of any major illness at the time. We evaluated construct validity by performing confirmatory factor analysis, examined measurement invariance across country and gender followed by evaluating item discrimination bias in age, gender, race, ethnicity and education level, and assessing internal consistency. High item-total correlations and Cronbach's alpha indicated high internal consistency. The factor analyses suggested a unidimensional factor structure. Construct validity was supported in the overall sample, and by country and gender sub-groups. The CES-D-10 was invariant across countries, and although evidence of marginal gender non-invariance was observed there was no evidence of notable gender specific item discrimination bias. No notable differences in discrimination parameters or group membership measurement non-invariance were detected by gender, age, race, ethnicity, and education level. These findings suggest the CES-D-10 is a reliable and valid measure of depression in a volunteer sample. No noteworthy evidence of invariance and/or item discrimination bias is observed across gender, age, race, language and ethnic groups. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Profiling of the compounds absorbed in human plasma and urine after oral administration of a traditional Japanese (kampo) medicine, daikenchuto.

PubMed

Iwabu, Jun; Watanabe, Junko; Hirakura, Kazuhiro; Ozaki, Yoshinori; Hanazaki, Kazuhiro

2010-11-01

Daikenchuto (DKT), a pharmaceutical-grade traditional Japanese (Kampo) medicine, has been widely used for the treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders including postoperative ileus and has been integrated into the modern medical care system in Japan as a prescription drug. DKT is a multiherbal medicine consisting of Japanese pepper (zanthoxylum fruit), processed ginger, and ginseng with maltose as an additive. Despite substantial research on the pharmacological activities of DKT and its ingredients, the lack of studies on absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of DKT has made it difficult to obtain a consistent picture of its mechanism of action. In the present study, we constructed an analysis procedure consisting of seven conditions of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometric analysis, which enabled the identification of 44 ingredients of DKT component herbs. We investigated the plasma and urine profiles of these ingredients 0.5 to 8 h after oral administration of 15.0 g of DKT in four healthy volunteers. The results indicated that 1) hydroxy-α-sanshool and [6]-shogaol, the prominent peaks in plasma derived from Japanese pepper and ginger, respectively, were detected at 0.5 h and thereafter decreased throughout the sampling period; 2) ginsenoside Rb(1), a prominent peak derived from ginseng, increased gradually during the sampling period; 3) glucuronide conjugates of hydroxy-sanshools, shogaols, and gingerols were detected in plasma and urine; and 4) no obvious differences between samples from the two male and the two female individuals were observed. These results provide a strong basis for future studies on pharmacokinetics and pharmacology of DKT.

Investigations on genotoxic effects of groundwater from the Mitterndorfer Senke and from the vicinity of Wiener Neustadt.

PubMed

Knasmüller, S; Helma, C; Eckl, P M; Gottmann, E; Steinkellner, H; Kassie, F; Haider, T; Parzefall, W; Schulte-Hermann, R

1998-12-11

This report describes the first study on genotoxic effects of Austrian ground- and drinking waters. Samples from the Mitterndorfer Senke (MS) and the vicinity of Wiener Neustadt were tested over a three years period. The MS is the largest aquifer in Austria. Due to deposition of industrial and community wastes, chemicals have polluted the groundwater in this area. Aim of the present study was to elucidate if consumption of these waters might pose a carcinogenic risk to humans. 43 Water samples were tested in a test battery which consisted of bacterial gene mutation assays (Salmonella strains TA100 and TA98), micronucleus (MN) assays with cultures of primary rat hepatocytes and plant bioassays (MN tests with Tradescantia and Vicia faba). For the bacterial assays, the water samples were extracted with XAD resins. In total, 27.9% of the samples caused positive effects; 8 samples were active in Salmonella microsome assays, Strain TA100 was particularly sensitive upon addition of metabolic activation mix (6 positive samples). Four samples were positive exclusively in MN assays with cultures of primary rat hepatocytes; one sample gave positive results in all three bioassays. Finished waters from waterworks were consistently devoid of mutagenic activity under all experimental conditions. Overall, only a small fraction of the groundwaters caused mutagenic effects and in all cases the activities were moderate. Comparison of the results of the present study with data obtained in other investigations under similar experimental conditions shows that the genotoxicity of groundwaters of the MS area are lower than the effects caused by ground- and drinking waters from other countries. The fact that no genotoxic activity was detected in any of the finished drinking waters can be taken as an indication that consumption of these waters does not pose a health hazard arising from contamination with genotoxic carcinogens to humans.

Natural Ca Isotope Composition of Urine as a Rapid Measure of Bone Mineral Balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skulan, J.; Gordon, G. W.; Morgan, J.; Romaniello, S. J.; Smith, S. M.; Anbar, A. D.

2011-12-01

Naturally occurring stable Ca isotope variations in urine are emerging as a powerful tool to detect changes in bone mineral balance. Bone formation depletes soft tissue of light Ca isotopes while bone resorption releases isotopically light Ca into soft tissue. Previously published work found that variations in Ca isotope composition could be detected at 4 weeks of bed rest in a 90-day bed rest study (data collected at 4, 8 and 12 weeks). A new 30-day bed rest study involved 12 patients on a controlled diet, monitored for 7 days prior to bed rest and 7 days post bed rest. Samples of urine, blood and food were collected throughout the study. Four times daily blood samples and per void urine samples were collected to monitor diurnal or high frequency variations. An improved chemical purification protocol, followed by measurement using multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) allowed accurate and precise determinations of mass-dependent Ca isotope variations in these biological samples to better than ±0.2% (δ44/42Ca) on <25 μg of Ca. Results from this new study show that Ca isotope ratios shift in a direction consistent with net bone loss after just 7 days, long before detectible changes in bone density by X-ray measurements occur. Consistent with this interpretation, the Ca isotope variations track changes observed in N-teleopeptide, a bone resorption biomarker. Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, a bone formation biomarker, is unchanged over this period. Ca isotopes can in principle be used to quantify net changes in bone mass. Using a mass-balance model, our results indicate an average loss of 0.62 ± 0.16 % in bone mass over the course of this 30-day study. This is consistent with the rate of bone loss in longer-term studies as seen by X-ray measurements. This Ca isotope technique should accelerate the pace of discovery of new treatments for bone disease and provide novel insights into the dynamics of bone metabolism.

Anopheles sinensis mosquito insecticide resistance: comparison of three mosquito sample collection and preparation methods and mosquito age in resistance measurements.

PubMed

Xu, Tielong; Zhong, Daibin; Tang, Linhua; Chang, Xuelian; Fu, Fengyang; Yan, Guiyun; Zheng, Bin

2014-01-28

Insecticide resistance monitoring in malaria mosquitoes is essential for guiding the rational use of insecticides in vector control programs. Resistance bioassay is the first step for insecticide monitoring and it lays an important foundation for molecular examination of resistance mechanisms. In the literature, various mosquito sample collection and preparation methods have been used, but how mosquito sample collection and preparation methods affect insecticide susceptibility bioassay results is largely unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine whether mosquito sample collection and preparation methods affected bioassay results, which may cause incorrect classification of mosquito resistance status. The study was conducted in Anopheles sinensis mosquitoes in two study sites in central China. Three mosquito sample collection and preparation methods were compared for insecticide susceptibility, kdr frequencies and metabolic enzyme activities: 1) adult mosquitoes collected from the field; 2) F1 adults from field collected, blood-fed mosquitoes; and 3) adult mosquitoes reared from field collected larvae. Mosquito sample collection and preparation methods significantly affected mortality rates in the standard WHO tube resistance bioassay. Mortality rate of field-collected female adults was 10-15% higher than in mosquitoes reared from field-collected larvae and F1 adults from field collected blood-fed females. This pattern was consistent in mosquitoes from the two study sites. High kdr mutation frequency (85-95%) with L1014F allele as the predominant mutation was found in our study populations. Field-collected female adults consistently exhibited the highest monooxygenase and GST activities. The higher mortality rate observed in the field-collected female mosquitoes may have been caused by a mixture of mosquitoes of different ages, as older mosquitoes were more susceptible to deltamethrin than younger mosquitoes. Female adults reared from field-collected larvae in resistance bioassays are recommended to minimize the effect of confounding factors such as mosquito age and blood feeding status so that more reliable and reproducible mortality may be obtained.

Effect of resin infiltration on the thermal and mechanical properties of nano-sized silica-based thermal insulation.

PubMed

Lee, Jae Chun; Kim, Yun-Il; Lee, Dong-Hun; Kim, Won-Jun; Park, Sung; Lee, Dong Bok

2011-08-01

Several kinds of nano-sized silica-based thermal insulation were prepared by dry processing of mixtures consisting of fumed silica, ceramic fiber, and a SiC opacifier. Infiltration of phenolic resin solution into the insulation, followed by hot-pressing, was attempted to improve the mechanical strength of the insulation. More than 22% resin content was necessary to increase the strength of the insulation by a factor of two or more. The structural integrity of the resin-infiltrated samples could be maintained, even after resin burn-out, presumably due to reinforcement from ceramic fibers. For all temperature ranges and similar sample bulk density values, the thermal conductivities of the samples after resin burn-out were consistently higher than those of the samples obtained from the dry process. Mercury intrusion curves indicated that the median size of the nanopores formed by primary silica aggregates in the samples after resin burn-out is consistently larger than that of the sample without resin infiltration.

An audit of the statistics and the comparison with the parameter in the population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bujang, Mohamad Adam; Sa'at, Nadiah; Joys, A. Reena; Ali, Mariana Mohamad

2015-10-01

The sufficient sample size that is needed to closely estimate the statistics for particular parameters are use to be an issue. Although sample size might had been calculated referring to objective of the study, however, it is difficult to confirm whether the statistics are closed with the parameter for a particular population. All these while, guideline that uses a p-value less than 0.05 is widely used as inferential evidence. Therefore, this study had audited results that were analyzed from various sub sample and statistical analyses and had compared the results with the parameters in three different populations. Eight types of statistical analysis and eight sub samples for each statistical analysis were analyzed. Results found that the statistics were consistent and were closed to the parameters when the sample study covered at least 15% to 35% of population. Larger sample size is needed to estimate parameter that involve with categorical variables compared with numerical variables. Sample sizes with 300 to 500 are sufficient to estimate the parameters for medium size of population.

Astronomical community: The power of being counted

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuttle, Sarah

2017-06-01

Using a sample of more than 200,000 publications over a 65-year period, it is found that astronomy papers led by women receive 10% fewer citations than those led by men, consistent with studies in other related disciplines.

FACILITATED TRANSPORT OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN GROUNDWATER: PART II. COLLOIDAL TRANSPORT

EPA Science Inventory

This project consisted of both field and laboratory components. Field studies evaluated routine sampling procedures for determination of aqueous inorganicgeochemistry and assessment of contaminant transport by colloidal mobility. Research at three different metal-contaminated sit...

Dual Protection and Dual Methods in Women Living with HIV: The Brazilian Context

PubMed Central

Barbosa, Regina María; Pinho, Adriana de Araujo

2013-01-01

The cooccurrence of HIV and unintended pregnancy has prompted a body of work on dual protection, the simultaneous protection against HIV and unintended pregnancy. This study examines dual protection and dual methods as a risk-reduction strategy for women living with HIV. Data are from a cross-sectional sample of HIV-positive women attended in Specialized STI/AIDS Public Health Service Clinics in 13 municipalities from all five regions of Brazil 2003-2004 (N = 834). Descriptive techniques and logistic regression were used to examine dual protection among women living with HIV. We expand the definition of dual protection to include consistent condom use and reversible/irreversible contraceptive methods, we test the dual methods hypothesis that women who use dual methods will use condoms less consistently than women who use only condoms, and we identify predictors of dual protection. Dual protection is common in our sample. Women who use dual methods have lower odds of consistent condom use than women who only use condoms. Among dual method users, we find that women who use an irreversible method use condoms more consistently than women who use a reversible method. Women on ART and with an HIV-serodiscordant partner have greater odds of consistent condom use than their counterparts. PMID:26316959

A Trade Study and Metric for Penetration and Sampling Devices for Possible Use on the NASA 2003 and 2005 Mars Sample Return Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McConnell, Joshua B.

2000-01-01

The scientific exploration of Mars will require the collection and return of subterranean samples to Earth for examination. This necessitates the use of some type of device or devices that possesses the ability to effectively penetrate the Martian surface, collect suitable samples and return them to the surface in a manner consistent with imposed scientific constraints. The first opportunity for such a device will occur on the 2003 and 2005 Mars Sample Return missions, being performed by NASA. This paper reviews the work completed on the compilation of a database containing viable penetrating and sampling devices, the performance of a system level trade study comparing selected devices to a set of prescribed parameters and the employment of a metric for the evaluation and ranking of the traded penetration and sampling devices, with respect to possible usage on the 03 and 05 sample return missions. The trade study performed is based on a select set of scientific, engineering, programmatic and socio-political criterion. The use of a metric for the various penetration and sampling devices will act to expedite current and future device selection.

Influence of various water quality sampling strategies on load estimates for small streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Dale M.; Roerish, Eric D.

1999-01-01

Extensive streamflow and water quality data from eight small streams were systematically subsampled to represent various water‐quality sampling strategies. The subsampled data were then used to determine the accuracy and precision of annual load estimates generated by means of a regression approach (typically used for big rivers) and to determine the most effective sampling strategy for small streams. Estimation of annual loads by regression was imprecise regardless of the sampling strategy used; for the most effective strategy, median absolute errors were ∼30% based on the load estimated with an integration method and all available data, if a regression approach is used with daily average streamflow. The most effective sampling strategy depends on the length of the study. For 1‐year studies, fixed‐period monthly sampling supplemented by storm chasing was the most effective strategy. For studies of 2 or more years, fixed‐period semimonthly sampling resulted in not only the least biased but also the most precise loads. Additional high‐flow samples, typically collected to help define the relation between high streamflow and high loads, result in imprecise, overestimated annual loads if these samples are consistently collected early in high‐flow events.

A comparative study of the antacid effect of some commonly consumed foods for hyperacidity in an artificial stomach model.

PubMed

Panda, Vandana; Shinde, Priyanka; Deora, Jyoti; Gupta, Pankaj

2017-10-01

The incorporation of certain alkalinizing vegetables, fruits, milk and its products in the diet has been known to alleviate hyperacidity. These foods help to restore the natural gastric balance and function, curb acid reflux, aid digestion, reduce the burning sensation due to hyperacidity and soothe the inflamed mucosa of the stomach. The present study evaluates and compares the antacid effect of broccoli, kale, radish, cucumber, lemon juice, cold milk and curd in an artificial stomach model. The pH of the test samples and their neutralizing effect on artificial gastric acid was determined and compared with that of water, the active control sodium bicarbonate and a marketed antacid preparation ENO. A modified model of Vatier's artificial stomach was used to determine the duration of consistent neutralization of artificial gastric acid by the test samples. The neutralizing capacity of the test samples was determined in vitro using the classical titration method of Fordtran. All test samples except lemon showed significantly higher (p<0.05 for cucumber and p<0.001 for the rest) acid neutralizing effect than water. All test samples also exhibited a significantly (p<0.001) higher duration of consistent neutralization and higher antacid capacity than water. Highest antacid activity was demonstrated by cold milk and broccoli which was comparable with ENO and sodium bicarbonate. It may be concluded that the natural food ingredients used in this study exhibited significant antacid activity, justifying their use as essential dietary components to counter hyperacidity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Southworth, G.R.; Loar, J.M.; Ryon, M.G.

Ecological studies of the Bear Creek watershed, which drains the area surrounding several Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant waste disposal facilities, were initiated in May 1984 and are continuing at present. These studies consisted of an initial, detailed characterization of the benthic invertebrate and fish communities in Bear Creek, and they were followed by a presently ongoing monitoring phase that involves reduced sampling intensities. The characterization phase utilized two approaches: (1) instream sampling of benthic invertebrate and fish communities in Bear Creek to identify spatial and temporal patterns in distribution and abundance and (2) laboratory bioassays on water samples from Bearmore » Creek and selected tributaries to identify potential sources of toxicity to biota. The monitoring phase of the ecological program relates to the long-term goals of identifying and prioritizing contaminant sources and assessing the effectiveness of remedial actions. It continues activities of the characterization phase at less frequent intervals. The Bear Greek Valley is a watershed that drains the area surrounding several closed Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant waste disposal facilities. Past waste disposal practices in Bear Creek Valley resulted in contamination of Bear Creek and consequent ecological damage. Extensive remedial actions have been proposed at waste sites, and some of the have been implemented or are now underway. The proposed study plan consists of an initial, detailed characterization of the benthic invertebrate and fish communities in Bear Creek in the first year followed by a reduction in sampling intensity during the monitoring phase of the plan. The results of sampling conducted from May 1984 through early 1989 are presented in this report.« less

The Swedish version of the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS)--a psychometric evaluation study in women with hirsutism and nursing students.

PubMed

Ekbäck, Maria; Benzein, Eva; Lindberg, Magnus; Arestedt, Kristofer

2013-10-10

The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is a short instrument, developed to assess perceived social support. The original English version has been widely used. The original scale has demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties in different settings, but no validated Swedish version has been available. The aim was therefore to translate, adapt and psychometrically evaluate the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support for use in a Swedish context. In total 281 participants accepted to join the study, a main sample of 127 women with hirsutism and a reference sample of 154 nursing students. The MSPSS was translated and culturally adapted according to the rigorous official process approved by WHO. The psychometric evaluation included item analysis, evaluation of factor structure, known-group validity, internal consistency and reproducibility. The original three-factor structure was reproduced in the main sample of women with hirsutism. An equivalent factor structure was demonstrated in a cross-validation, based on the reference sample of nursing students. Known-group validity was supported and internal consistency was good for all scales (α = 0.91-0.95). The test-retest showed acceptable to very good reproducibility for the items (κw = 0.58-0.85) and the scales (ICC = 0.89-0.92; CCC = 0.89-0.92). The Swedish version of the MSPSS is a multidimensional scale with sound psychometric properties in the present study sample. The simple and short format makes it a useful tool for measuring perceived social support.