Sample records for written expression scale

  1. The Reliability of the OWLS Written Expression Scale with ESL Kindergarten Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrison, Gina L.; Ogle, Keira C.; Keilty, Megan

    2011-01-01

    A reliability analysis was conducted on the Written Expression Scale from the Oral and Written Language Scales, (OWLS, Carrow-Woolfolk, 1996), with 68 ESL and 56 non-ESL kindergarten students. Interrater and internal consistency estimates for the Written Expression Scale were examined separately for each language group. Despite lower oral English…

  2. Scale and time dependence of serial correlations in word-length time series of written texts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodriguez, E.; Aguilar-Cornejo, M.; Femat, R.; Alvarez-Ramirez, J.

    2014-11-01

    This work considered the quantitative analysis of large written texts. To this end, the text was converted into a time series by taking the sequence of word lengths. The detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) was used for characterizing long-range serial correlations of the time series. To this end, the DFA was implemented within a rolling window framework for estimating the variations of correlations, quantified in terms of the scaling exponent, strength along the text. Also, a filtering derivative was used to compute the dependence of the scaling exponent relative to the scale. The analysis was applied to three famous English-written literary narrations; namely, Alice in Wonderland (by Lewis Carrol), Dracula (by Bram Stoker) and Sense and Sensibility (by Jane Austen). The results showed that high correlations appear for scales of about 50-200 words, suggesting that at these scales the text contains the stronger coherence. The scaling exponent was not constant along the text, showing important variations with apparent cyclical behavior. An interesting coincidence between the scaling exponent variations and changes in narrative units (e.g., chapters) was found. This suggests that the scaling exponent obtained from the DFA is able to detect changes in narration structure as expressed by the usage of words of different lengths.

  3. Technical analysis of the Slosson Written Expression Test.

    PubMed

    Erford, Bradley T; Hofler, Donald B

    2004-06-01

    The Slosson Written Expression Test was designed to assess students ages 8-17 years at risk for difficulties in written expression. Scores from three independent samples were used to evaluate the test's reliability and validity for measuring students' written expression. Test-retest reliability of the SWET subscales ranged from .80 to .94 (n = 151), and .95 for the Written Expression Total Standard Scores. The median alternate-form reliability for students' Written Expression Total Standard Scores was .81 across the three forms. Scores on the Slosson test yielded concurrent validity coefficients (n = 143) of .60 with scores from the Woodcock-Johnson: Tests of Achievement-Third Edition Broad Written Language Domain and .49 with scores on the Test of Written Language-Third Edition Spontaneous Writing Quotient. Exploratory factor analytic procedures suggested the Slosson test is comprised of two dimensions, Writing Mechanics and Writing Maturity (47.1% and 20.1% variance accounted for, respectively). In general, the Slosson Written Expression Test presents with sufficient technical characteristics to be considered a useful written expression screening test.

  4. The Written Expression Abilities of Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Molitor, Stephen J.; Langberg, Joshua M.; Evans, Steve W.

    2016-01-01

    Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often experience deficits in academic achievement. Written expression abilities in this population have not been extensively studied but existing prevalence estimates suggest that rates of comorbid writing underachievement may be substantially higher than rates of comorbid reading and mathematics underachievement. The current study examined written expression abilities in a school-based sample of 326 middle school age students with ADHD. The prevalence of written expression impairment, the associations between written expression and academic outcomes, and specific patterns of written expression were investigated. Students with ADHD in this sample experienced written expression impairment (17.2% – 22.4%) at a similar rate to reading impairment (17.0% – 24.3%) and at a slightly lower rate than mathematics impairment (24.7% – 36.3%). Students’ written expression abilities were significantly associated with school grades and parent ratings of academic functioning, above and beyond the influence of intelligence. Analyses of patterns suggest that students with ADHD exhibit greater deficits in written expression tasks requiring organization and attention to detail, especially in the context of a complex task. PMID:26802631

  5. Mapping out the Details: Supporting Struggling Writers' Written Expression with Concept Mapping

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flanagan, Sara M.; Bouck, Emily C.

    2015-01-01

    Written expression is a key component of the secondary curriculum, but many students struggle to produce effective written expression passages. However, written expression can be supported through prewriting strategies such as concept mapping. Using a counterbalanced group design, 19 secondary students alternated between using paper- or…

  6. Written Expression Performance in Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeBono, Tony; Hosseini, Armita; Cairo, Cassandra; Ghelani, Karen; Tannock, Rosemary; Toplak, Maggie E.

    2012-01-01

    We examined written expression performance in a sample of adolescents with ADHD and subthreshold ADHD using two different strategies: examining performance on standardized measures of written expression and using other indicators of written expression developed in this study. We examined associations between standardized measures of written…

  7. Thinking aloud during idea generating and planning before written translation: Developmental changes from ages 10 to 12 in expressing and defending opinions.

    PubMed

    Davidson, Matt; Berninger, Virginia

    2016-01-01

    This interdisciplinary research, drawing on cognitive psychology and linguistics, extended to middle childhood past research during early childhood or adulthood on thinking aloud prior to written composing. In year 5 of a longitudinal study of typical writing, when cohort 1 was in grade 5 ( n = 110 ten year-olds) and cohort 2 in grade 7 ( n = 97 twelve year-olds), a cross-sectional study was conducted. Children were first asked to think aloud while they generated ideas and second while they planned their essays to express and defend their opinions on a controversial topic in the region of the United States where they lived. Third, they wrote their essays. Their think-aloud protocols were audio-recorded and later transcribed into writing for analysis. The authors developed and applied rating scales for quality of idea generating and planning in the written transcriptions and quality of opinion expression, opinion defense, organization, and content in the essays children wrote after thinking aloud; total number of words in essays was also counted. Seventh graders scored significantly higher than fifth graders on quality of idea generation but not planning, and higher on all variables rated for quality in the written essays including length. Quality of expressing opinions and defending opinions were uncorrelated in grade 5, but moderately correlated in grade 7. Whether idea generating or planning quality explained unique variance in essays varied with coded written essay variables and grade. Educational applications of results for assessment, assessment-instruction links, instruction in social studies, and theory of mind in persuasive essay writing are discussed.

  8. Thinking aloud during idea generating and planning before written translation: Developmental changes from ages 10 to 12 in expressing and defending opinions

    PubMed Central

    Davidson, Matt; Berninger, Virginia

    2017-01-01

    This interdisciplinary research, drawing on cognitive psychology and linguistics, extended to middle childhood past research during early childhood or adulthood on thinking aloud prior to written composing. In year 5 of a longitudinal study of typical writing, when cohort 1 was in grade 5 (n = 110 ten year-olds) and cohort 2 in grade 7 (n = 97 twelve year-olds), a cross-sectional study was conducted. Children were first asked to think aloud while they generated ideas and second while they planned their essays to express and defend their opinions on a controversial topic in the region of the United States where they lived. Third, they wrote their essays. Their think-aloud protocols were audio-recorded and later transcribed into writing for analysis. The authors developed and applied rating scales for quality of idea generating and planning in the written transcriptions and quality of opinion expression, opinion defense, organization, and content in the essays children wrote after thinking aloud; total number of words in essays was also counted. Seventh graders scored significantly higher than fifth graders on quality of idea generation but not planning, and higher on all variables rated for quality in the written essays including length. Quality of expressing opinions and defending opinions were uncorrelated in grade 5, but moderately correlated in grade 7. Whether idea generating or planning quality explained unique variance in essays varied with coded written essay variables and grade. Educational applications of results for assessment, assessment-instruction links, instruction in social studies, and theory of mind in persuasive essay writing are discussed. PMID:28203613

  9. 29 CFR 790.9 - “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.”

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... non- written contract” in section 4(b) of the Portal Act offers no difficulty where a written contract... 29 Labor 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false âCompensable * * * by an express provision of a written or... § 790.9 “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.” (a) Where an...

  10. 29 CFR 790.9 - “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.”

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... non- written contract” in section 4(b) of the Portal Act offers no difficulty where a written contract... 29 Labor 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false âCompensable * * * by an express provision of a written or... § 790.9 “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.” (a) Where an...

  11. 29 CFR 790.9 - “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.”

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... non- written contract” in section 4(b) of the Portal Act offers no difficulty where a written contract... 29 Labor 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false âCompensable * * * by an express provision of a written or... § 790.9 “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.” (a) Where an...

  12. 29 CFR 790.9 - “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.”

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... non- written contract” in section 4(b) of the Portal Act offers no difficulty where a written contract... 29 Labor 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false âCompensable * * * by an express provision of a written or... § 790.9 “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.” (a) Where an...

  13. 29 CFR 790.9 - “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.”

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... non- written contract” in section 4(b) of the Portal Act offers no difficulty where a written contract... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false âCompensable * * * by an express provision of a written or... § 790.9 “Compensable * * * by an express provision of a written or nonwritten contract.” (a) Where an...

  14. Feasibility of an expressive-disclosure group intervention for post-treatment colorectal cancer patients: results of the Healthy Expressions study.

    PubMed

    Carmack, Cindy L; Basen-Engquist, Karen; Yuan, Ying; Greisinger, Anthony; Rodriguez-Bigas, Miguel; Wolff, Robert A; Barker, Trina; Baum, George; Pennebaker, James W

    2011-11-01

    Adjusting to cancer requires effective cognitive and emotional processing. Written and verbal disclosure facilitate processing and have been studied independently in cancer survivors. Combined written and verbal expression may be more effective than either alone, particularly for patients with difficult to discuss or embarrassing side effects. Thus, the authors developed and tested the efficacy of a 12-session combined written and verbal expression group program for psychologically distressed colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Forty post-treatment patients with CRC (stages I-III) identified as psychologically distressed using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) were randomized to an intervention group (Healthy Expressions; n = 25) or standard care (control group; n = 15). Assessments were completed at baseline, Month 2, and Month 4 (postintervention). Primary outcomes were psychological functioning and quality of life (QOL). Most participants were women (63%), white (63%), and non-Hispanic (75%). The Healthy Expressions group demonstrated significantly greater changes in distress compared with the control group at Month 2 on the BSI Global Severity Index (GSI) and the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) scores (P < .05 for each); differences in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) global QOL scores approached significance (P = .063). The BSI GSI and Positive Symptom Total, CES-D, and EORTC emotional functioning subscale scores were all significant at Month 4 (P < .05 for each). The Healthy Expressions program improved psychological functioning in CRC patients who reported experiencing distress. Findings demonstrate the program's feasibility and provide strong support for conducting a larger randomized trial. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

  15. Kinetic Modeling of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxin and Dibenzofuran Formation Based on Carbon Degradation Reactions

    EPA Science Inventory

    Combustion experiments in a laboratory-scale fixed bed reactor were performed to determine the role of temperature and time in PCDD/F formation allowing a global kinetic expression to be written for PCDD/F formation due to soot oxidation in fly ash deposits. Rate constants were c...

  16. [Specific learning disabilities - from DSM-IV to DSM-5].

    PubMed

    Schulte-Körne, Gerd

    2014-09-01

    The publication of the DSM-5 means changes in the classification and recommendations for diagnosis of specific learning disabilities. Dyslexia and dyscalculia have been reintroduced into the DSM. Three specific learning disorders - impairment in reading, impairment in the written expression, and impairment in mathematics, described by subskills - are now part of the DSM-5. Three subcomponents of the reading disorder are expressly differentiated: word reading accuracy, reading rate, and fluency and reading comprehension. Impaired subskills of the specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression are spelling accuracy, grammar and punctuation accuracy, and clarity and organization of written expression. Four subskills are found in the mathematics disorder: number sense, memorization of arithmetic facts, accurate or fluent calculation, and accurate math reasoning. Each impaired academic domain and subskill should be recorded. A description of the severity degree was also included. The diagnosis is based on a variety of methods, including medical history, clinical interview, school report, teacher evaluation, rating scales, and psychometric tests. The IQ discrepancy criterion was abandoned, though that of age or class discrepancy criterion was retained. The application of a discrepancy is recommended by 1 to 2.5 SD. All three specific developmental disorders are common (prevalence 5 %-15 %), occur early during the first years of formal schooling, and persist into adulthood.

  17. A Qualitative Case Study Exploring Best Practices for Accommodating Students with Written Expressive Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samuels, Cecelia

    2013-01-01

    A qualitative case study was conducted to explore best practices for accommodating elementary, middle, and high school students with written expressive disorders. Students with disorders of written expression experience significant impairments in writing for their age, intelligence, and educational experience. Accommodations are crucial…

  18. Scaling laws and model of words organization in spoken and written language

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bian, Chunhua; Lin, Ruokuang; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Ma, Qianli D. Y.; Ivanov, Plamen Ch.

    2016-01-01

    A broad range of complex physical and biological systems exhibits scaling laws. The human language is a complex system of words organization. Studies of written texts have revealed intriguing scaling laws that characterize the frequency of words occurrence, rank of words, and growth in the number of distinct words with text length. While studies have predominantly focused on the language system in its written form, such as books, little attention is given to the structure of spoken language. Here we investigate a database of spoken language transcripts and written texts, and we uncover that words organization in both spoken language and written texts exhibits scaling laws, although with different crossover regimes and scaling exponents. We propose a model that provides insight into words organization in spoken language and written texts, and successfully accounts for all scaling laws empirically observed in both language forms.

  19. Relationship between Legible Handwriting and Level of Success of Third Grade Students in Written Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bayat, Seher; Küçükayar, Hasan

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to identify third-grade students' performance levels for written expression and handwriting and to find the relationship between these performances. The study is based on relational screening model. It is carried out with 110 third grade students. Students' levels of success in handwriting and in written expression are evaluated…

  20. WISC-IV Intellectual Profiles in Italian Children With Specific Learning Disorder and Related Impairments in Reading, Written Expression, and Mathematics.

    PubMed

    Poletti, Michele

    2016-01-01

    The fifth edition of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disordersgrouped specific learning disabilities in the single diagnostic category of specific learning disorder (SLD), with specifiers for impairments in reading, written expression, and mathematics. This study aimed at investigating the intellectual profile, assessed with the fourth edition of theWechsler Intelligence Scale for Children(WISC-IV), of 172 children with a diagnosis of SLD, compared to 74 clinical referral controls. WISC-IV intellectual functioning in children with SLD was characterized by a significant discrepancy between general ability and cognitive proficiency (General Ability Index [GAI] > Cognitive Proficiency Index [CPI]), and worse performances on the Similarities, Digit Span, Letter-Number Sequencing, and Coding subtests, supporting models of multiple cognitive deficits at the basis of neurodevelopmental disorders as SLD. GAI was the best and more conservative measure provided by the WISC-IV to identify intellectual functioning in children with SLD, and the intellectual discrepancy between GAI and CPI could be considered a "cognitive sign" for the presence of SLD in a single diagnostic category. Cognitive deficits differed in subtypes of impairment (reading, written expression, and mathematics), supporting their distinction for empirical, educational, and rehabilitative purposes. These findings need further replication in larger samples and in comparison to typically developing children. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

  1. The Written Expression Performance of Students with Hearing Loss: Results from an Implementation of the Auditory-Oral Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karasu, H. Pelin

    2017-01-01

    Written expression skills play an important role in the development of the linguistic, academic and social skills of individuals from their school years onwards. The aim of this study was to evaluate the written expression performance of hearing-impaired students who receive auditory-oral education, and examine the student characteristics that…

  2. Effects of Self-Graphing on Written Expression of Fourth Grade Students with High-Incidence Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stotz, Kate E.; Itoi, Madoka; Konrad, Moira; Alber-Morgan, Sheila R.

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of self-graphing on the writing of 3 fourth grade students with high-incidence disabilities. Measures of written expression included total number of words written and number of correct word sequences. During intervention, students self-graphed their total number of words written in response to…

  3. Childhood Predictors of Written Expression in Late Adolescents with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: A Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamsho, N.; Antshel, K. M.; Eckert, T. L.; Kates, W. R.

    2017-01-01

    Background: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is the second most prevalent genetic syndrome and has a characteristic academic and behavioural phenotype. The primary objective of the current study was to examine the childhood predictors of written expression achievement in adolescents with 22q11DS. Written expression is an important skill that…

  4. Dysgraphia

    MedlinePlus

    Written expression disorder; Specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression ... can have dysgraphia only or along with other learning disabilities, such as: Developmental coordination disorder (includes poor handwriting) ...

  5. Concurrent Validity and Classification Accuracy of Curriculum-Based Measurement for Written Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furey, William M.; Marcotte, Amanda M.; Hintze, John M.; Shackett, Caroline M.

    2016-01-01

    The study presents a critical analysis of written expression curriculum-based measurement (WE-CBM) metrics derived from 3- and 10-min test lengths. Criterion validity and classification accuracy were examined for Total Words Written (TWW), Correct Writing Sequences (CWS), Percent Correct Writing Sequences (%CWS), and Correct Minus Incorrect…

  6. Writing Abilities Longitudinally Predict Academic Outcomes of Adolescents with ADHD

    PubMed Central

    Molitor, Stephen J.; Langberg, Joshuah M.; Bourchtein, Elizaveta; Eddy, Laura D.; Dvorsky, Melissa R.; Evans, Steven W.

    2016-01-01

    Students with ADHD often experience a host of negative academic outcomes and deficits in reading and mathematics abilities contribute to these academic impairments. Students with ADHD may also have difficulties with written expression but there has been minimal research in this area and it is not clear whether written expression abilities uniquely contribute to the academic functioning of students with ADHD. The current study included a sample of 104 middle school students diagnosed with ADHD (grades 6–8). Participants were followed longitudinally to evaluate whether written expression abilities at baseline predicted student GPA and parent ratings of academic impairment 18 months later, after controlling for reading ability and additional relevant covariates. Written expression abilities longitudinally predicted both academic outcomes above and beyond ADHD and ODD symptoms, medication use, reading ability, and baseline values of GPA and parent-rated academic impairment. Follow-up analyses revealed that no single aspect of written expression was demonstrably more impactful on academic outcomes than the others, suggesting that writing as an entire process should be the focus of intervention. PMID:26783650

  7. Faust: Flexible Acquistion and Understanding System for Text

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-07-01

    second version is still underway and it will continue in development as part of the DARPA DEFT program; it is written in Java and Clojure with MySQL and...SUTime, a Java library that recognizes and normalizes temporal expressions using deterministic patterns [101]. UIUC made another such framework... Java -based, large-scale inference engine called Tuffy. It leverages the full power of a relational optimizer in an RDBMS to perform the grounding of MLN

  8. Improving Written Expression of Seventh Grade Mildly Intellectually Disabled Students Utilizing a Basal Reading Program, Journal Writing and Computer Applications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wimberly, Sabrenai R.

    A practicum was designed to increase mildly intellectually disabled students' written communication skills by demonstrating functional written expression skills in daily assignments and in social communication. A sequenced reading and language program with the integration of journal writing and computer applications was utilized. Seventh- and…

  9. Writing abilities longitudinally predict academic outcomes of adolescents with ADHD.

    PubMed

    Molitor, Stephen J; Langberg, Joshua M; Bourchtein, Elizaveta; Eddy, Laura D; Dvorsky, Melissa R; Evans, Steven W

    2016-09-01

    Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience a host of negative academic outcomes, and deficits in reading and mathematics abilities contribute to these academic impairments. Students with ADHD may also have difficulties with written expression, but there has been minimal research in this area and it is not clear whether written expression abilities uniquely contribute to the academic functioning of students with ADHD. The current study included a sample of 104 middle school students diagnosed with ADHD (Grades 6-8). Participants were followed longitudinally to evaluate whether written expression abilities at baseline predicted student grade point average (GPA) and parent ratings of academic impairment 18 months later, after controlling for reading ability and additional relevant covariates. Written expression abilities longitudinally predicted both academic outcomes above and beyond ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms, medication use, reading ability, and baseline values of GPA and parent-rated academic impairment. Follow-up analyses revealed that no single aspect of written expression was demonstrably more impactful on academic outcomes than the others, suggesting that writing as an entire process should be the focus of intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. The Relationship of Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Pregnancy Weight Gain to Neurocognitive Function at Age 10 Years among Children Born Extremely Preterm.

    PubMed

    Jensen, Elizabeth T; van der Burg, Jelske W; O'Shea, Thomas M; Joseph, Robert M; Allred, Elizabeth N; Heeren, Tim; Leviton, Alan; Kuban, Karl C K

    2017-08-01

    To assess the association between maternal prepregnancy body mass index and adequacy of pregnancy weight gain in relation to neurocognitive function in school-aged children born extremely preterm. Study participants were 535 ten-year-old children enrolled previously in the prospective multicenter Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns cohort study who were products of singleton pregnancies. Soon after delivery, mothers provided information about prepregnancy weight. Prepregnancy body mass index and adequacy of weight gain were characterized based on this information. Children underwent a neurocognitive evaluation at 10 years of age. Maternal prepregnancy obesity was associated with increased odds of a lower score for Differential Ability Scales-II Verbal IQ, for Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment-II measures of processing speed and visual fine motor control, and for Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-III Spelling. Children born to mothers who gained an excessive amount of weight were at increased odds of a low score on the Oral and Written Language Scales Oral Expression assessment. Conversely, children whose mother did not gain an adequate amount of weight were at increased odds of a lower score on the Oral and Written Language Scales Oral Expression and Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-III Word Reading assessments. In this cohort of infants born extremely preterm, maternal obesity was associated with poorer performance on some assessments of neurocognitive function. Our findings are consistent with the observational and experimental literature and suggest that opportunities may exist to mitigate risk through education and behavioral intervention before pregnancy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. 45 CFR 1386.107 - Unsponsored written material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Unsponsored written material. 1386.107 Section... Requirements Hearing Procedures § 1386.107 Unsponsored written material. Letters expressing views or urging action and other unsponsored written material regarding matters in issue in a hearing is placed in the...

  12. 34 CFR 101.80 - Unsponsored written material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Unsponsored written material. 101.80 Section 101.80 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, DEPARTMENT OF... Unsponsored written material. Letters expressing views or urging action and other unsponsored written material...

  13. How Do Finnish Children Express Care and Justice in Comic Strips and Written Narratives?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johansson, Juha; Hannula, Markku S.

    2014-01-01

    This case study explored how children's moral expressions like love and violence differ according to the mode of narrative, comic strips or written narratives. Sixteen third-grade children from a primary school in Finland took part in the study. Children's moral expressions were divided into justice and care. Reading frequency of fairy tales and…

  14. 38 CFR 18b.59 - Unsponsored written material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Unsponsored written... Hearing Procedures § 18b.59 Unsponsored written material. Letters expressing views or urging action and other unsponsored written material regarding matters in issue in a hearing will be placed in the...

  15. 42 CFR 430.92 - Unsponsored written material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Unsponsored written material. 430.92 Section 430.92... Conformity of State Medicaid Plans and Practice to Federal Requirements § 430.92 Unsponsored written material. Letters expressing views or urging action and other unsponsored written material regarding matters in...

  16. 45 CFR 213.27 - Unsponsored written material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Unsponsored written material. 213.27 Section 213... Procedures § 213.27 Unsponsored written material. Letters expressing views or urging action and other unsponsored written material regarding matters in issue in a hearing will be placed in the correspondence...

  17. 45 CFR 81.80 - Unsponsored written material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Unsponsored written material. 81.80 Section 81.80... HEARINGS UNDER PART 80 OF THIS TITLE Hearing Procedures § 81.80 Unsponsored written material. Letters expressing views or urging action and other unsponsored written material regarding matters in issue in a...

  18. 37 CFR 11.51 - Depositions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... of any written cross-questions will be served by hand or “Express Mail” not less than five days... upon oral or written questions, upon not less than ten days' written notice to the other party, before... witness at a time and place mutually agreed to by the parties. When a deposition is taken upon written...

  19. Written Emotional Expression as an Intervention for Asthma: A Replication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bray, Melissa A.; Kehle, Thomas J.; Peck, Heather L.; Margiano, Suzanne G.; Dobson, Robin; Peczynski, Kate; Gardner, Kate; Theodore, Lea A.; Alric, Jolie M.

    2006-01-01

    There is a great deal of research revealing how asthma is influenced by psychological variables such as symptom perception and negative emotions. Psychologically based treatments including biofeedback, yoga, hypnosis, stress management, relaxation and guided imagery, and written-emotional expression have all been effective in improving pulmonary…

  20. Written Emotional Expression as an Intervention for Asthma

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bray, Melissa A.; Theodore, Lea A.; Patwa, Shamim S.; Margiano, Suzanne G.; Alric, Jolie M.; Peck, Heather L.

    2003-01-01

    This investigation employed a multiple baseline design across five participants to examine written emotional expression as an intervention to improve lung function in high school-aged students, college students, and adults with asthma. The predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV[subscript 1] measure of large airway functioning) and…

  1. Technical Features of Curriculum-Based Measurement in Writing: A Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMaster, Kristen; Espin, Christine

    2007-01-01

    This article reviews research examining technical features of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in written expression. Twenty-eight technical reports and published articles are included in this review. Studies examining the development and technical adequacy of measures of written expression are summarized, beginning with research conducted at…

  2. Written Expression in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finnegan, Elizabeth; Accardo, Amy L.

    2018-01-01

    Although studies exist measuring the effectiveness of writing interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), research assessing the writing skills for this group is sparse. The present study identified differences in the written expression of individuals with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) peers, using variables…

  3. Examining the contribution of handwriting and spelling to written expression in kindergarten children

    PubMed Central

    AlOtaiba, Stephanie

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we examined the development of beginning writing skills in kindergarten children and the contribution of spelling and handwriting to these writing skills after accounting for early language, literacy, cognitive skills, and student characteristics. Two hundred and forty two children were given a battery of cognitive, oral language, reading, and writing measures. They exhibited a range of competency in spelling, handwriting, written expression, and in their ability to express ideas. Handwriting and spelling made statistically significant contributions to written expression, demonstrating the importance of these lower-order transcription skills to higher order text-generation skills from a very early age. The contributions of oral language and reading skills were not significant. Implications of these findings for writing development and instruction are addressed. PMID:23087544

  4. The Relationship among Measures of Written Expression Using Curriculum-Based Measurement and the Arizona Instrument to Measure Skills (AIMS) at the Middle School Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez, Francesca A.; Thompson, Sandra S.

    2011-01-01

    The authors examined the predictor-criterion relationship between measures of written expression using spring curriculum-based measures (W-CBM) and the spring administration of the state-mandated high-stakes test the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) in writing. Students (N = 83) in Grades 6, 7, and 8 wrote expressive narratives for 3…

  5. Determining Appropriate Accommodations for Postsecondary Students with Reading and Written Expression Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindstrom, Jennifer H.

    2007-01-01

    One of the most significant barriers facing postsecondary students with reading and written expression disorders who are eligible to receive specific accommodations is the lack of professional knowledge pertaining to issues surrounding accommodations. Though guided by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with…

  6. Using Curriculum-Based Measurement to Drive IEPs and Instruction in Written Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hessler, Terri; Konrad, Moira

    2008-01-01

    Setting meaningful individualized education program (IEP) goals and objectives is one of the challenges that special education teachers face. In written expression, this task is even more difficult. Not only is assessing writing a subjective and difficult endeavor, but writing itself is a complicated task. Because many students with disabilities…

  7. 47 CFR 13.203 - Examination elements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Examination elements. (a) A written examination (written Element) must prove that the examinee possesses the... pass the examination. Each written examination must consist of questions relating to the pertinent... be able to express oneself satisfactorily both orally and in writing; knowledge of and ability to...

  8. 47 CFR 13.203 - Examination elements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Examination elements. (a) A written examination (written Element) must prove that the examinee possesses the... pass the examination. Each written examination must consist of questions relating to the pertinent... be able to express oneself satisfactorily both orally and in writing; knowledge of and ability to...

  9. Gravitational field of static p -branes in linearized ghost-free gravity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boos, Jens; Frolov, Valeri P.; Zelnikov, Andrei

    2018-04-01

    We study the gravitational field of static p -branes in D -dimensional Minkowski space in the framework of linearized ghost-free (GF) gravity. The concrete models of GF gravity we consider are parametrized by the nonlocal form factors exp (-□/μ2) and exp (□2/μ4) , where μ-1 is the scale of nonlocality. We show that the singular behavior of the gravitational field of p -branes in general relativity is cured by short-range modifications introduced by the nonlocalities, and we derive exact expressions of the regularized gravitational fields, whose geometry can be written as a warped metric. For large distances compared to the scale of nonlocality, μ r →∞ , our solutions approach those found in linearized general relativity.

  10. 47 CFR 13.203 - Examination elements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Examination elements. (a) A written examination (written Element) must prove that the examinee possesses the... pass the examination. Each written examination must consist of questions relating to the pertinent... knowledge of English to be able to express oneself satisfactorily both orally and in writing; knowledge of...

  11. 47 CFR 13.203 - Examination elements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Examination elements. (a) A written examination (written Element) must prove that the examinee possesses the... pass the examination. Each written examination must consist of questions relating to the pertinent... knowledge of English to be able to express oneself satisfactorily both orally and in writing; knowledge of...

  12. Written Forms of Self-Expression: Changes from 1985 to 2016

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramos, Jacqueline; Linstrum, Karen S.

    2017-01-01

    This study sought to compare the results of a 1985 study by Roscoe, Krug, and Schmidt, who surveyed high school students and their use of written forms of self-expression, with university undergraduates and graduate students in 2016. This study also sought to develop an updated survey instrument for use in obtaining information concerning a…

  13. What about Metaphors in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories" Written by Ernest Hemingway

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Na'imah

    2015-01-01

    It is discovered plenty of various interesting metaphors in the book of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories" which were written by Ernest Hemingway. By the metaphorical expressions, one can describe everything much more expressively, imaginatively, effectively, and poetically. Each of the metaphors has always a specific style and…

  14. WISC-IV Intellectual Profiles in Italian Children with Specific Learning Disorder and Related Impairments in Reading, Written Expression, and Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poletti, Michele

    2016-01-01

    The fifth edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" grouped specific learning disabilities in the single diagnostic category of specific learning disorder (SLD), with specifiers for impairments in reading, written expression, and mathematics. This study aimed at investigating the intellectual profile,…

  15. Effect of Jigsaw I Technique on Achievement in Written Expression Skill

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maden, Sedat

    2011-01-01

    This study aims to compare the effects of Jigsaw I technique from the cooperative learning methods and traditional teaching method on academic achievement and retrieval of Turkish teacher candidates in the matter of written expression. The sample of the study consists of 70 students studying at the Department of Turkish teaching in the academic…

  16. Analysis of Written Expression Revision Skills of the Students in Faculty of Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Can, Remzi

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to analyze written expression revision skills of students in Turkish Education Department, Education Faculty. This study was done using qualitative research method. The study group of the research consisted of 3rd grade students. The research data were collected by means of document review, a qualitative research technique. The…

  17. The Use of Standard Tasks to Measure Achievement in Reading, Spelling, and Written Expression: A Normative and Developmental Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deno, Stanley; And Others

    Simple measures of reading, spelling, and written expression were administered to 566 elementary students from the states of Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Each child was individually administered three reading word lists, three reading passages, two dictated spelling lists, and two story starters. Approximately 25 minutes was needed for…

  18. Generalizability Theory Reliability of Written Expression Curriculum-Based Measurement in Universal Screening

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keller-Margulis, Milena A.; Mercer, Sterett H.; Thomas, Erin L.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of written expression curriculum-based measurement (WE-CBM) in the context of universal screening from a generalizability theory framework. Students in second through fifth grade (n = 145) participated in the study. The sample included 54% female students, 49% White students, 23% African…

  19. Literacy outcomes of children with early childhood speech sound disorders: impact of endophenotypes.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Barbara A; Avrich, Allison A; Freebairn, Lisa A; Hansen, Amy J; Sucheston, Lara E; Kuo, Iris; Taylor, H Gerry; Iyengar, Sudha K; Stein, Catherine M

    2011-12-01

    To demonstrate that early childhood speech sound disorders (SSD) and later school-age reading, written expression, and spelling skills are influenced by shared endophenotypes that may be in part genetic. Children with SSD and their siblings were assessed at early childhood (ages 4-6 years) and followed at school age (7-12 years). The relationship of shared endophenotypes with early childhood SSD and school-age outcomes and the shared genetic influences on these outcomes were examined. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that oral motor skills, phonological awareness, phonological memory, vocabulary, and speeded naming have varying influences on reading decoding, spelling, spoken language, and written expression at school age. Genetic linkage studies demonstrated linkage for reading, spelling, and written expression measures to regions on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, and 15 that were previously linked to oral motor skills, articulation, phonological memory, and vocabulary at early childhood testing. Endophenotypes predict school-age literacy outcomes over and above that predicted by clinical diagnoses of SSD or language impairment. Findings suggest that these shared endophenotypes and common genetic influences affect early childhood SSD and later school-age reading, spelling, spoken language, and written expression skills.

  20. Literacy Outcomes of Children With Early Childhood Speech Sound Disorders: Impact of Endophenotypes

    PubMed Central

    Lewis, Barbara A.; Avrich, Allison A.; Freebairn, Lisa A.; Hansen, Amy J.; Sucheston, Lara E.; Kuo, Iris; Taylor, H. Gerry; Iyengar, Sudha K.; Stein, Catherine M.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose To demonstrate that early childhood speech sound disorders (SSD) and later school-age reading, written expression, and spelling skills are influenced by shared endophenotypes that may be in part genetic. Method Children with SSD and their siblings were assessed at early childhood (ages 4–6 years) and followed at school age (7–12 years). The relationship of shared endophenotypes with early childhood SSD and school-age outcomes and the shared genetic influences on these outcomes were examined. Results Structural equation modeling demonstrated that oral motor skills, phonological awareness, phonological memory, vocabulary, and speeded naming have varying influences on reading decoding, spelling, spoken language, and written expression at school age. Genetic linkage studies demonstrated linkage for reading, spelling, and written expression measures to regions on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, and 15 that were previously linked to oral motor skills, articulation, phonological memory, and vocabulary at early childhood testing. Conclusions Endophenotypes predict school-age literacy outcomes over and above that predicted by clinical diagnoses of SSD or language impairment. Findings suggest that these shared endophenotypes and common genetic influences affect early childhood SSD and later school-age reading, spelling, spoken language, and written expression skills. PMID:21930616

  1. Appropriating Written French: Literacy Practices in a Parisian Elementary Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rockwell, Elsie

    2012-01-01

    In this article, I examine French language instruction in an elementary classroom serving primarily children of Afro-French immigrants in Paris. I show that a prevalent French language ideology privileges written over oral expression and associates full mastery of written French with rational thought and full inclusion in the French polity. This…

  2. The Copyright Handbook: How To Protect and Use Written Works. Third Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fishman, Stephen

    Based on the premise that anyone who works with words needs to understand copyright law, this handbook provides forms and step-by-step instructions for protecting all types of written expression under United States and international copyright law. The handbook discusses: (1) how to register a written work with the copyright office; (2) what types…

  3. Concurrent and Longitudinal Neuropsychological Contributors to Written Language Expression in First and Second Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hooper, Stephen R.; Costa, Lara-Jeane; McBee, Matthew; Anderson, Kathleen L.; Yerby, Donna C.; Knuth, Sean B.; Childress, Amy

    2011-01-01

    The primary purpose of this study was to examine several key questions related to the neuropsychological contributors to early written language. First, can we develop an empirical measurement model that encompasses many of the neuropsychological components that have been deemed as important to the development of written language? Second, once…

  4. Total Score Reliability in Large-Scale Writing Assessment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bunch, Michael B.; Littlefair, Wendy

    A total of 2,000 essays written by 1,000 students was submitted to generalizability analyses for domain-referenced tests. Each student had written one essay on each of two prompts representing two models of discourse. Each essay was read by six readers and judged on a scale of from 1 to 4. No reader read essays from both prompts. Reader agreement…

  5. Constructing a Scale to Assess L2 Written Speech Act Performance: WDCT and E-Mail Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Yuan-shan; Liu, Jianda

    2016-01-01

    This study reports the development of a scale to evaluate the speech act performance by intermediate-level Chinese learners of English. A qualitative analysis of the American raters' comments was conducted on learner scripts in response to a total of 16 apology and request written discourse completion task (WDCT) situations. The results showed…

  6. WISC-IV and WIAT-II profiles in children with high-functioning autism.

    PubMed

    Mayes, Susan Dickerson; Calhoun, Susan L

    2008-03-01

    Children with high-functioning autism earned above normal scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) Perceptual Reasoning and Verbal Comprehension Indexes and below normal scores on the Working Memory and Processing Speed Indexes and Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II) Written Expression. Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) and reading and math scores were similar to the norm. Profiles were consistent with previous WISC-III research, except that the new WISC-IV motor-free visual reasoning subtests (Matrix Reasoning and Picture Concepts) were the highest of the nonverbal subtests. The WISC-IV may be an improvement over the WISC-III for children with high-functioning autism because it captures their visual reasoning strength, while identifying their attention, graphomotor, and processing speed weaknesses. FSIQ was the best single predictor of academic achievement.

  7. Executive functions in becoming writing readers and reading writers: note taking and report writing in third and fifth graders.

    PubMed

    Altemeier, Leah; Jones, Janine; Abbott, Robert D; Berninger, Virginia W

    2006-01-01

    Results are reported for a study of 2 separate processes of report writing-taking notes while reading source material and composing a report from those notes-and related individual differences in executive functions involved in integrating reading and writing during these writing activities. Third graders (n = 122) and 5th graders (n = 106; overall, 127 girls and 114 boys) completed two reading-writing tasks-read paragraph (mock science text)-write notes and use notes to generate written report, a reading comprehension test, a written expression test, four tests of executive functions (inhibition, verbal fluency, planning, switching attention), and a working memory test. For the read-take notes task, the same combination of variables was best (explained the most variance and each variable added unique variance) for 3rd graders and 5th graders: Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II) Reading Comprehension, Process Assessment of the Learner Test for Reading and Writing (PAL) Copy Task B, WIAT-II Written Expression, and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Inhibition. For the use notes to write report task, the best combinations of variables depended on grade level: For 3rd graders, WIAT-II Reading Comprehension, WIAT-II Written Expression, D-KEFS Verbal Fluency, and Tower of Hanoi; for 5th graders, WIAT-II Reading Comprehension, D-KEFS Verbal Fluency, WIAT-II Written Expression, and PAL Alphabet Task. These results add to prior research findings that executive functions contribute to the writing development of elementary-grade students and additionally support the hypothesis that executive functions play a role in developing reading-writing connections.

  8. Large-Scale Assessment of Change in Student Achievement: Dutch Primary School Students' Results on Written Division in 1997 and 2004 as an Example

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Marja; Robitzsch, Alexander; Treffers, Adri; Koller, Olaf

    2009-01-01

    This article discusses large-scale assessment of change in student achievement and takes the study by Hickendorff, Heiser, Van Putten, and Verhelst (2009) as an example. This study compared the achievement of students in the Netherlands in 1997 and 2004 on written division problems. Based on this comparison, they claim that there is a performance…

  9. Communication training in mute autistic adolescents using the written work.

    PubMed

    LaVigna, G W

    1977-06-01

    The expressive and receptive use of three written words was taught to three mute autistic adolescents using a procedure based on Terrace's errorless discrimination model and Premack's language training with chimps. Expressive language was measured by the subject's selection of the appropriate word card from among the available alternatives when the corresponding object was presented. Receptive language was measured by the subject's selection of the appropriate object from among the available alternatives when the corresponding word card was presented. The sequence of the presentations and the order of placement of the available alternatives were randomized. The three subjects required 979, 1,791, and 1,644 trails, respectively, to master both the expressive and receptive use of the three words. The correct response rates for the three subjects over the entire training program were 92, 92, and 90%, respectively. It was concluded that, as concrete visual symbols, written words may provide a viable communication system for the mute autistic. The implications for treatment are discussed and suggestions for future research are made.

  10. Investigating the technical adequacy of curriculum-based measurement in written expression for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Shu-Fen; Rose, Susan

    2009-01-01

    This study investigated the technical adequacy of curriculum-based measures of written expression (CBM-W) in terms of writing prompts and scoring methods for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Twenty-two students at the secondary school-level completed 3-min essays within two weeks, which were scored for nine existing and alternative curriculum-based measurement (CBM) scoring methods. The technical features of the nine scoring methods were examined for interrater reliability, alternate-form reliability, and criterion-related validity. The existing CBM scoring method--number of correct minus incorrect word sequences--yielded the highest reliability and validity coefficients. The findings from this study support the use of the CBM-W as a reliable and valid tool for assessing general writing proficiency with secondary students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The CBM alternative scoring methods that may serve as additional indicators of written expression include correct subject-verb agreements, correct clauses, and correct morphemes.

  11. Vector and tensor contributions to the curvature perturbation at second order

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

    Carrilho, Pedro; Malik, Karim A., E-mail: p.gregoriocarrilho@qmul.ac.uk, E-mail: k.malik@qmul.ac.uk

    2016-02-01

    We derive the evolution equation for the second order curvature perturbation using standard techniques of cosmological perturbation theory. We do this for different definitions of the gauge invariant curvature perturbation, arising from different splits of the spatial metric, and compare the expressions. The results are valid at all scales and include all contributions from scalar, vector and tensor perturbations, as well as anisotropic stress, with all our results written purely in terms of gauge invariant quantities. Taking the large-scale approximation, we find that a conserved quantity exists only if, in addition to the non-adiabatic pressure, the transverse traceless part ofmore » the anisotropic stress tensor is also negligible. We also find that the version of the gauge invariant curvature perturbation which is exactly conserved is the one defined with the determinant of the spatial part of the inverse metric.« less

  12. Chromatin Computation

    PubMed Central

    Bryant, Barbara

    2012-01-01

    In living cells, DNA is packaged along with protein and RNA into chromatin. Chemical modifications to nucleotides and histone proteins are added, removed and recognized by multi-functional molecular complexes. Here I define a new computational model, in which chromatin modifications are information units that can be written onto a one-dimensional string of nucleosomes, analogous to the symbols written onto cells of a Turing machine tape, and chromatin-modifying complexes are modeled as read-write rules that operate on a finite set of adjacent nucleosomes. I illustrate the use of this “chromatin computer” to solve an instance of the Hamiltonian path problem. I prove that chromatin computers are computationally universal – and therefore more powerful than the logic circuits often used to model transcription factor control of gene expression. Features of biological chromatin provide a rich instruction set for efficient computation of nontrivial algorithms in biological time scales. Modeling chromatin as a computer shifts how we think about chromatin function, suggests new approaches to medical intervention, and lays the groundwork for the engineering of a new class of biological computing machines. PMID:22567109

  13. Cognitive ability influences on written expression: Evidence for developmental and sex-based differences in school-age children.

    PubMed

    Hajovsky, Daniel B; Villeneuve, Ethan F; Reynolds, Matthew R; Niileksela, Christopher R; Mason, Benjamin A; Shudak, Nicholas J

    2018-04-01

    Some studies have demonstrated that the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) cognitive abilities influence writing; however, little research has investigated whether CHC cognitive abilities influence writing the same way for males and females across grades. We used multiple group structural equation models to investigate whether CHC cognitive ability influences on written expression differed between grades or sex using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition and the Kaufman Tests of Educational Achievement, Second Edition co-normed standardization sample data (N=2117). After testing for consistent measurement of cognitive abilities across grades and sex, we tested whether the cognitive ability influences on written expression were moderated by grade level or sex. An important developmental shift was observed equally across sex groups: Learning Efficiency (Gl) influences decreased whereas Crystallized Ability (Gc) influences increased after fourth grade. Further, Short-Term Memory (Gsm) and Retrieval Fluency (Gr) influences on written expression depended on sex at grades 1-4, with larger Gr influences for females and larger Gsm influences for males. We internally replicated our main findings using two different cognitive explanatory models, adding further support for the developmental and sex-based differential cognitive ability influences on writing. Explanatory cognitive models of writing need to incorporate development, and possibly, sex to provide an expanded understanding of writing development and guard against potential generalizability issues characteristic of special population (i.e., male-female) studies. Copyright © 2017 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. 78 FR 25074 - Elba Liquefaction Company, L.L.C., Southern LNG Company, L.L.C., Elba Express Company, L.L.C...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-29

    ... in written form or verbally. Further details on how to submit written comments are provided in the...). The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy (DOE) has agreed to participate as a...

  15. 44 CFR 61.13 - Standard Flood Insurance Policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... use. (e) Oral and written binders. No oral binder or contract shall be effective. No written binder shall be effective unless issued with express authorization of the Federal Insurance Administrator. (f...” (WYO) property insurance companies, based upon flood insurance applications and renewal forms, all of...

  16. Evaluation of Written Language.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hillerich, Robert L.

    An evaluation procedure was formulated to ascertain the effectiveness of an emphasis on the clarity and interest appeal of a composition as opposed to its mechanical correctness in improving a child's written expression. A random sample of themes were submitted to a general evaluation of content by six criteria and a linguistic analysis by nine…

  17. 14 CFR 259.7 - Response to consumer problems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... covered carrier shall acknowledge in writing receipt of each complaint regarding its scheduled service to the complainant within 30 days of receiving it and shall send a substantive written response to each complainant within 60 days of receiving the complaint. A complaint is a specific written expression of...

  18. 14 CFR 259.7 - Response to consumer problems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... covered carrier shall acknowledge in writing receipt of each complaint regarding its scheduled service to the complainant within 30 days of receiving it and shall send a substantive written response to each complainant within 60 days of receiving the complaint. A complaint is a specific written expression of...

  19. 14 CFR 259.7 - Response to consumer problems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... covered carrier shall acknowledge in writing receipt of each complaint regarding its scheduled service to the complainant within 30 days of receiving it and shall send a substantive written response to each complainant within 60 days of receiving the complaint. A complaint is a specific written expression of...

  20. A Study of English Acknowledgements Written by EFL Thai Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaroenkitboworn, Kandaporn

    2014-01-01

    This research investigates English acknowledgements in dissertations written by Thai PhD students, particularly the generic structure and linguistic patterns of gratitude expressions used in the acknowledgements. Following the line of the move analysis in acknowledgements of Hyland (2004), this article analyzed 70 acknowledgements accompanying PhD…

  1. Written Language Expression: Assessment Instruments and Teacher Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Penner-Williams, Janet; Smith, Tom E. C.; Gartin, Barbara C.

    2009-01-01

    Written language is a complex set of skills that facilitate communication and that are developed in a predictable sequence. It is therefore possible to analyze current skills, identify deficits, plan interventions, and determine the effectiveness of the intervention. To effectively accomplish these tasks, educators need to choose appropriate…

  2. CASPER: A GENERALIZED PROGRAM FOR PLOTTING AND SCALING DATA

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

    Lietzke, M.P.; Smith, R.E.

    A Fortran subroutine was written to scale floating-point data and generate a magnetic tape to plot it on the Calcomp 570 digital plotter. The routine permits a great deal of flexibility, and may be used with any type of FORTRAN or FAP calling program. A simple calling program was also written to permit the user to read in data from cards and plot it without any additional programming. Both the Fortran and binary decks are available. (auth)

  3. The moderating role of autonomy and control on the benefits of written emotion expression.

    PubMed

    Weinstein, Netta; Hodgins, Holley S

    2009-03-01

    Two studies examined the hypothesis that relative to control motivation, autonomy motivation is associated with effective written expression and regulation, leading to positive emotional, physical, and cognitive outcomes over time. Participants viewed a Hiroshima-Nagasaki documentary in each of two sessions. Study 1 showed that dispositionally autonomous participants, particularly those who expressed, had positive well-being, energy, and memory after the second viewing. Study 2 explored benefits of situational motivation by priming autonomy and control. Results showed that dispositionally controlled individuals received the same benefits as autonomous individuals only when primed with autonomy and encouraged to express. Coding of writing content revealed that the benefits of autonomy were mediated by nondefensive and effective emotional processing, as reflected in greater use of self-referencing and cognitive mechanism words and lower use of concrete words. Results support the expectation that autonomy relates to effective expression and emotion regulation, leading to positive functioning over time.

  4. How Do Kindergarteners Express Their Mathematics Understanding?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johns, Kyoko

    2015-01-01

    This article describes how kindergarten students represent their understanding of mathematical knowledge. The study examines the students' use of oral expressions, drawings, written language, and gestures when communicating mathematically with their classmates and teacher.

  5. Exploring Speech Recognition Technology: Children with Learning and Emotional/Behavioral Disorders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Faris-Cole, Debra; Lewis, Rena

    2001-01-01

    Intermediate grade students with disabilities in written expression and emotional/behavioral disorders were trained to use discrete or continuous speech input devices for written work. The study found extreme variability in the fidelity of the devices, PowerSecretary and Dragon NaturallySpeaking ranging from 49 percent to 87 percent. Both devices…

  6. Improving Written Language Skills in the Primary Grades.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benischek, Donna; Vejr, Mary Jean; Wetzel, Susan

    This report describes a program for advancing written expression skills in the primary grades. Extensive research over the past years has shown that an emphasis on mechanics and conventions inhibits the process of writing in primary students. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students in a middle class community, located…

  7. Writing Process Products in Intermediate-Grade Children with and without Language-Based Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koutsoftas, Anthony D.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Difficulties with written expression are an important consideration in the assessment and treatment of school-age children. This study evaluated how intermediate-grade children with and without written language difficulties fared on a writing task housed within the Hayes and Berninger (2014) writing process framework. Method: Sixty-four…

  8. Neuroplasticity-Based Cognitive and Linguistic Skills Training Improves Reading and Writing Skills in College Students

    PubMed Central

    Rogowsky, Beth A.; Papamichalis, Pericles; Villa, Laura; Heim, Sabine; Tallal, Paula

    2013-01-01

    This study reports an evaluation of the effect of computer-based cognitive and linguistic training on college students’ reading and writing skills. The computer-based training included a series of increasingly challenging software programs that were designed to strengthen students’ foundational cognitive skills (memory, attention span, processing speed, and sequencing) in the context of listening and higher level reading tasks. Twenty-five college students (12 native English language; 13 English Second Language), who demonstrated poor writing skills, participated in the training group. The training group received daily training during the spring semester (11 weeks) with the Fast ForWord Literacy (FFW-L) and upper levels of the Fast ForWord Reading series (Levels 3–5). The comparison group (n = 28) selected from the general college population did not receive training. Both the training and comparison groups attended the same university. All students took the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test (GMRT) and the Oral and Written Language Scales (OWLS) Written Expression Scale at the beginning (Time 1) and end (Time 2) of the spring college semester. Results from this study showed that the training group made a statistically greater improvement from Time 1 to Time 2 in both their reading skills and their writing skills than the comparison group. The group who received training began with statistically lower writing skills before training, but exceeded the writing skills of the comparison group after training. PMID:23533100

  9. Using Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Written Expression with Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reid, Robert; Hagaman, Jessica L.; Graham, Steve

    2014-01-01

    This review assessed the use of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) for teaching written composition strategies to students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. We examined the participants and the settings in which SRSD has been used, the writing strategies tested, genres addressed, and the effects of SRSD on outcome measures.…

  10. Students' Perception of Value of Interactive Oral Communication as Part of Writing Course Papers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krych-Appelbaum, Meredyth; Musial, Joanna

    2007-01-01

    Every day students are able to discuss complex ideas relatively easily in spontaneous conversation, yet when they attempt to express complex ideas in a written paper, students often experience great difficulty. The features of face-to-face conversation and of written communication differ in a number of respects. This study examines student's…

  11. Using Online Studio Groups to Improve Writing Competency: A Pilot Study in a Quality Improvement Methods Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kovach, Jamison V.; Miley, Michelle; Ramos, Miguel A.

    2012-01-01

    Communication skills are a significant contributor to an individual's success in the workplace. Unfortunately, students often have trouble expressing their ideas in written form and the poor quality of students' written work often impedes the learning process. This pilot study investigates the use of online writing studios within a quality…

  12. [Our Book T-O'Ohana Nuestro Libro and Vocabulary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saxton, Dean, Comp.; Hogan, Lawrence, Comp.

    The book was written by first and second grade pupils at San Xavier Mission School in Tucson, Arizona. Ideas of the Papago and Yuqui Indian culture are expressed in the children's own words. It is written in Papago, Spanish and English and has pictures depicting every passage. The passages concern the children's families, school, play, everyday…

  13. Individual Differences in the "Myside Bias" in Reasoning and Written Argumentation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolfe, Christopher R.

    2012-01-01

    Three studies examined the "myside bias" in reasoning, evaluating written arguments, and writing argumentative essays. Previous research suggests that some people possess a fact-based argumentation schema and some people have a balanced argumentation schema. I developed reliable Likert scale instruments (1-7 rating) for these constructs…

  14. Assessment of Online Patient Education Materials from Major Dermatologic Associations

    PubMed Central

    John, Ann M.; John, Elizabeth S.; Hansberry, David R.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Patients increasingly use the internet to find medical information regarding their conditions and treatments. Physicians often supplement visits with written education materials. Online patient education materials from major dermatologic associations should be written at appropriate reading levels to optimize utility for patients. The purpose of this study is to assess online patient education materials from major dermatologic associations and determine if they are written at the fourth to sixth grade level recommended by the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health. Design: This is a descriptive and correlational design. Setting: Academic institution. Participants/measurements: Patient education materials from eight major dermatology websites were downloaded and assessed using 10 readability scales. A one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s Honestly Statistically Different post hoc analysis were performed to determine the difference in readability levels between websites. Results: Two hundred and sixty patient education materials were assessed. Collectively, patient education materials were written at a mean grade level of 11.13, with 65.8 percent of articles written above a tenth grade level and no articles written at the American Medical Association/National Institutes of Health recommended grade levels. Analysis of variance demonstrated a significant difference between websites for each reading scale (p<0.001), which was confirmed with Tukey’s Honestly Statistically Different post hoc analysis. Conclusion: Online patient education materials from major dermatologic association websites are written well above recommended reading levels. Associations should consider revising patient education materials to allow more effective patient comprehension. (J ClinAesthet Dermatol. 2016;9(9):23–28.) PMID:27878059

  15. Assessment of Online Patient Education Materials from Major Dermatologic Associations.

    PubMed

    John, Ann M; John, Elizabeth S; Hansberry, David R; Lambert, William Clark

    2016-09-01

    Objective: Patients increasingly use the internet to find medical information regarding their conditions and treatments. Physicians often supplement visits with written education materials. Online patient education materials from major dermatologic associations should be written at appropriate reading levels to optimize utility for patients. The purpose of this study is to assess online patient education materials from major dermatologic associations and determine if they are written at the fourth to sixth grade level recommended by the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health. Design: This is a descriptive and correlational design. Setting: Academic institution. Participants/measurements: Patient education materials from eight major dermatology websites were downloaded and assessed using 10 readability scales. A one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's Honestly Statistically Different post hoc analysis were performed to determine the difference in readability levels between websites. Results: Two hundred and sixty patient education materials were assessed. Collectively, patient education materials were written at a mean grade level of 11.13, with 65.8 percent of articles written above a tenth grade level and no articles written at the American Medical Association/National Institutes of Health recommended grade levels. Analysis of variance demonstrated a significant difference between websites for each reading scale (p<0.001), which was confirmed with Tukey's Honestly Statistically Different post hoc analysis. Conclusion: Online patient education materials from major dermatologic association websites are written well above recommended reading levels. Associations should consider revising patient education materials to allow more effective patient comprehension. (J ClinAesthet Dermatol. 2016;9(9):23-28.).

  16. Job Language Performance Requirements for MOS 62F, Lifting and Loading Equipment Operator, Reference Soldier’s Manual Dated 11 April 1979.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-04-11

    8217 .,aced -lecture 1.4 -lecture -rating (scale) -written (test) -self-paced -A 4’ --- hands-on -rating (scale) -written (tes . I E -performance -rating ( scall ...a u W. - i it LL SAL~ &K 4 I- >.M Z CL -0 1-. A _jJ 9I.0 N Q~ A.. A4 SIA 0 0 . r &Ca a-A="- JI- " - - -.Z8 -A~ -4 MOSn -r. Z WL~ 4 S. -a Wa. -J W

  17. Literacy Skills in Children With Cochlear Implants: The Importance of Early Oral Language and Joint Storybook Reading

    PubMed Central

    Ambrose, Sophie E.; Eisenberg, Laurie S.

    2009-01-01

    The goal of this study was to longitudinally examine relationships between early factors (child and mother) that may influence children's phonological awareness and reading skills 3 years later in a group of young children with cochlear implants (N = 16). Mothers and children were videotaped during two storybook interactions, and children's oral language skills were assessed using the “Reynell Developmental Language Scales, third edition.” Three years later, phonological awareness, reading skills, and language skills were assessed using the “Phonological Awareness Test,” the “Woodcock–Johnson-III Diagnostic Reading Battery,” and the “Oral Written Language Scales.” Variables included in the data analyses were child (age, age at implant, and language skills) and mother factors (facilitative language techniques) and children's phonological awareness and reading standard scores. Results indicate that children's early expressive oral language skills and mothers’ use of a higher level facilitative language technique (open-ended question) during storybook reading, although related, each contributed uniquely to children's literacy skills. Individual analyses revealed that the children with expressive standard scores below 70 at Time 1 also performed below average (<85) on phonological awareness and total reading tasks 3 years later. Guidelines for professionals are provided to support literacy skills in young children with cochlear implants. PMID:18417463

  18. Fiches pratiques: expression ecrite, civilisation, litterature, medias (Practice File: Written Expression, Civilization, Literature, Media).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loesel, Bernard; And Others

    1987-01-01

    Language class activities are outlined, including a class project to develop a detective story, a study of political advertising, creative story-writing, and the viewing of Italian television films about France. (MSE)

  19. Approaching the Linguistic Complexity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drożdż, Stanisław; Kwapień, Jarosław; Orczyk, Adam

    We analyze the rank-frequency distributions of words in selected English and Polish texts. We compare scaling properties of these distributions in both languages. We also study a few small corpora of Polish literary texts and find that for a corpus consisting of texts written by different authors the basic scaling regime is broken more strongly than in the case of comparable corpus consisting of texts written by the same author. Similarly, for a corpus consisting of texts translated into Polish from other languages the scaling regime is broken more strongly than for a comparable corpus of native Polish texts. Moreover, based on the British National Corpus, we consider the rank-frequency distributions of the grammatically basic forms of words (lemmas) tagged with their proper part of speech. We find that these distributions do not scale if each part of speech is analyzed separately. The only part of speech that independently develops a trace of scaling is verbs.

  20. Novel candidate genes for alcoholism--transcriptomic analysis of prefrontal medial cortex, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens of Warsaw alcohol-preferring and non-preferring rats.

    PubMed

    Stankiewicz, Adrian M; Goscik, Joanna; Dyr, Wanda; Juszczak, Grzegorz R; Ryglewicz, Danuta; Swiergiel, Artur H; Wieczorek, Marek; Stefanski, Roman

    2015-12-01

    Animal models provide opportunity to study neurobiological aspects of human alcoholism. Changes in gene expression have been implicated in mediating brain functions, including reward system and addiction. The current study aimed to identify genes that may underlie differential ethanol preference in Warsaw High Preferring (WHP) and Warsaw Low Preferring (WLP) rats. Microarray analysis comparing gene expression in nucleus accumbens (NAc), hippocampus (HP) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was performed in male WHP and WLP rats bred for differences in ethanol preference. Differential and stable between biological repeats expression of 345, 254 and 129 transcripts in NAc, HP and mPFC was detected. Identified genes and processes included known mediators of ethanol response (Mx2, Fam111a, Itpr1, Gabra4, Agtr1a, LTP/LTD, renin-angiotensin signaling pathway), toxicity (Sult1c2a, Ces1, inflammatory response), as well as genes involved in regulation of important addiction-related brain systems such as dopamine, tachykinin or acetylcholine (Gng7, Tac4, Slc5a7). The identified candidate genes may underlie differential ethanol preference in an animal model of alcoholism. Names of genes are written in italics, while names of proteins are written in standard font. Names of human genes/proteins are written in all capital letters. Names of rodent genes/proteins are written in capital letter followed by small letters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. A Jumpstart to Literacy: Using Written Conversation To Help Developing Readers and Writers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallagher, Pat; Norton, Gloria

    Suggesting that, given the right tools and encouragement to do so, all children will write, this book describes the technique of "written conversation" in which two partners write back and forth to each other. This coproduced book serves as both a means for communication and expression and as a source of data about the child's knowledge of the…

  2. A Discussion on an Expression Written about Dimensional Analysis in a Physics Textbook

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yildiz, Ali

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to discuss a wrong statement written about dimensional analysis in a physics text book prepared for the students who are studying in science, engineering and teaching undergraduate programs at universities and who have to take compulsory physics courses, to analyse the use of the text book including the wrong…

  3. Critical Issues in the Understanding of Young Elementary School Students at Risk for Problems in Written Expression: Introduction to the Special Series.

    PubMed

    Coker, David L; Kim, Young-Suk Grace

    In this introduction to the special series "Critical Issues in the Understanding of Young Elementary School Students at Risk for Problems in Written Expression," we consider some of the contextual factors that have changed since a similar special issue was published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities in 2002. We also explore how the five articles included in this special series address the following important themes: early writing development, identification of students with writing difficulties, and effective interventions for struggling writers. In conclusion, we envision future directions to advance the field.

  4. Equivalent model of a dually-fed machine for electric drive control systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ostrovlyanchik, I. Yu; Popolzin, I. Yu

    2018-05-01

    The article shows that the mathematical model of a dually-fed machine is complicated because of the presence of a controlled voltage source in the rotor circuit. As a method of obtaining a mathematical model, the method of a generalized two-phase electric machine is applied and a rotating orthogonal coordinate system is chosen that is associated with the representing vector of a stator current. In the chosen coordinate system in the operator form the differential equations of electric equilibrium for the windings of the generalized machine (the Kirchhoff equation) are written together with the expression for the moment, which determines the electromechanical energy transformation in the machine. Equations are transformed so that they connect the currents of the windings, that determine the moment of the machine, and the voltages on these windings. The structural diagram of the machine is assigned to the written equations. Based on the written equations and accepted assumptions, expressions were obtained for the balancing the EMF of windings, and on the basis of these expressions an equivalent mathematical model of a dually-fed machine is proposed, convenient for use in electric drive control systems.

  5. Expressive writing in people with traumatic brain injury and learning disability.

    PubMed

    Wheeler, Lisa; Nickerson, Sherry; Long, Kayla; Silver, Rebecca

    2014-01-01

    There is a dearth of systematic studies of expressive writing disorder (EWD) in persons with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It is unclear if TBI survivors' written expression differs significantly from that experienced by persons with learning disabilities. It is also unclear which cognitive or neuropsychological variables predict problems with expressive writing (EW) or the EWD. This study investigated the EW skill, and the EWD in adults with mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI) relative to those with learning disabilities (LD). It also determined which of several cognitive variables predicted EW and EWD. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) of writing samples from 28 LD participants and 28 TBI survivors revealed four components of expressive writing skills: Reading Ease, Sentence Fluency, Grammar and Spelling, and Paragraph Fluency. There were no significant differences between the LD and TBI groups on any of the expressive writing components. Several neuropsychological variables predicted skills of written expression. The best predictors included measures of spatial perception, verbal IQ, working memory, and visual memory. TBI survivors and persons with LD do not differ markedly in terms of expressive writing skill. Measures of spatial perception, visual memory, verbal intelligence, and working memory predict writing skill in both groups. Several therapeutic interventions are suggested that are specifically designed to improve deficits in expressive writing skills in individuals with TBI and LD.

  6. Poetic Expressions: Students of Color Express Resiliency through Metaphors and Similes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Horace R.

    2007-01-01

    The after-school City School Outreach youth program captured the attention of high school male students by offering them a physically and psychologically safe environment to talk about issues they faced. The students of color who attended the program used various forms of creative written expression (i.e., poetry, spoken word, and hip hop) to…

  7. "I Like to Plan Events": A Document Analysis of Essays Written by Applicants to a Public Relations Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Ronald E.

    2016-01-01

    A document analysis of 249 essays written during a 5-year period by applicants to a public relations program at a major state university in the southeast suggests that there are enduring reasons why students choose to major in public relations. Public relations is described as a major that allows for and encourages creative expression and that…

  8. Written Parental Consent and the Use of Incentives in a Youth Smoking Prevention Trial: A Case Study from Project SPLASH

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leakey, Tricia; Lunde, Kevin B.; Koga, Karin; Glanz, Karen

    2004-01-01

    More Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are requiring written parental consent in school health intervention trials. Because this requirement presents a formidable challenge in conducting large-scale research, it is vital for investigators to share effective strategies learned from completed trials. Investigators for the recently completed Project…

  9. The Oral and Written Language Scales: Is It Useful for Older Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hartley, Sigan L.; Buckendorf, G. Robert; Haines, Kristin; Hall, Trevor A.; Sikora, Darryn M.

    2008-01-01

    Communication impairment is a defining feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Little research attention has been devoted to establishing standardized methods for defining and identifying language impairment in children with known or suspected ASD. The present study examines the feasibility and utility of the Oral and Written Language Scales…

  10. 75 FR 5853 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Form 13803

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-04

    ... 13803, Income Verification Express Service Application and Employee Delegation Form. DATES: Written... Application and Employee Delegation Form. OMB Number: 1545-2032. Form Number: Form 13803. Abstract: Form 13803, Income Verification Express Service Application and Employee Delegation Form, is used to submit the...

  11. How do I love thee? Let me count the words: the social effects of expressive writing.

    PubMed

    Slatcher, Richard B; Pennebaker, James W

    2006-08-01

    Writing about emotional experiences is associated with a host of positive outcomes. This study extended the expressive-writing paradigm to the realm of romantic relationships to examine the social effects of writing. For 3 consecutive days, one person from each of 86 dating couples either wrote about his or her deepest thoughts and feelings about the relationship or wrote about his or her daily activities. In the days before and after writing, instant messages were collected from the couples. Participants who wrote about their relationship were significantly more likely to still be dating their romantic partners 3 months later. Linguistic analyses of the instant messages revealed that participants and their partners used significantly more positive and negative emotion words in the days following the expressive-writing manipulation if the participants had written about their relationship than if they had written about their daily activities. Increases in positive emotion words partially mediated the relation between expressive writing and relationship stability.

  12. Bugen's Coping with Death Scale: Reliability and Further Validation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbins, Rosemary A.

    1991-01-01

    Tested Bugen's Coping with Death Scale. Individuals who had written wills, planned estates and funerals, and signed organ donor cards scored higher on the Coping with Death Scale. Because Coping with Death scores were more consistently different in those who prepared for death, this scale may help in efforts to predict those who will engage in…

  13. Analysis of online patient education materials in pediatric ophthalmology.

    PubMed

    John, Ann M; John, Elizabeth S; Hansberry, David R; Thomas, Prashant J; Guo, Suqin

    2015-10-01

    Patients increasingly consult online resources for healthcare information. The American Medical Association (AMA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that online education resources be written between a 3rd- and 7th-grade level. This study assesses whether online health information abides by these guidelines. Ten pediatric ophthalmology conditions were entered into a commonly used search engine, Google.com, and analyzed using 10 validated readability scales. Scientific articles and articles written on patient forums were excluded. The 10 conditions--amblyopia, cataract, conjunctivitis, corneal abrasion, nystagmus, retinoblastoma, retinopathy of prematurity, strabismus, stye, and glaucoma--were also searched and analyzed separately from widely used websites, including Wikipedia and WebMD, as well as those of professional societies, including the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) and the American Optometric Association (AOA). The majority of articles were written above recommended guidelines. All scales showed that the 100 articles were written at a mean grade-level of 11.75 ± 2.72. Only 12% of articles were written below a 9th-grade level and only 3% met recommended criteria. The articles accrued separately from Wikipedia, WebMD, AAPOS, and AOA also had average grade levels above the recommended guidelines. The readability of online patient education material exceeds NIH and AMA guidelines. This disparity can adversely affect caregiver comprehension of such resources and contribute to poor decision making. Pediatric ophthalmology online articles are generally written at a level too high for average caregiver comprehension. Revision of articles can increase satisfaction, improve outcomes, and facilitate the patient-ophthalmologist relationship. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  14. Improving the Factor Structure of Psychological Scales: The Expanded Format as an Alternative to the Likert Scale Format

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Xijuan; Savalei, Victoria

    2016-01-01

    Many psychological scales written in the Likert format include reverse worded (RW) items in order to control acquiescence bias. However, studies have shown that RW items often contaminate the factor structure of the scale by creating one or more method factors. The present study examines an alternative scale format, called the Expanded format,…

  15. The Audience of One: In Weakness, Strength.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seymour, Thom

    1981-01-01

    Two approaches to the teaching of composition at the college level have evolved: concern with correctness and concern with expression. If the place of the audience in written communication is emphasized, it will be easier to make students see the difference between self-expression and self-indulgence. (MLW)

  16. Gestalt Imagery: A Critical Factor in Language Comprehension.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Nanci

    1991-01-01

    Lack of gestalt imagery (the ability to create imaged wholes) can contribute to language comprehension disorder characterized by weak reading comprehension, weak oral language comprehension, weak oral language expression, weak written language expression, difficulty following directions, and a weak sense of humor. Sequential stimulation using an…

  17. Programming Details for MDPLOT: A Program for Plotting Multi-Dimensional Data

    Treesearch

    W.L. Nance; B.H. Polmer; G.C. Keith

    1975-01-01

    The program is written in ASA FORTRAN IV and consists of the main program (MAIN) with 14 subroutines. Subroutines SETUP, PLOT, GRID, SCALE, and 01s are microfilm-dependent and therefore must be replaced with the equivalent routines written for the high resolution plotting device available at the user's installation. The calls to these subroutines are flagged...

  18. ExpressionDB: An open source platform for distributing genome-scale datasets.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Laura D; Lewis, Scott A; Hughes, Michael E

    2017-01-01

    RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and microarrays are methods for measuring gene expression across the entire transcriptome. Recent advances have made these techniques practical and affordable for essentially any laboratory with experience in molecular biology. A variety of computational methods have been developed to decrease the amount of bioinformatics expertise necessary to analyze these data. Nevertheless, many barriers persist which discourage new labs from using functional genomics approaches. Since high-quality gene expression studies have enduring value as resources to the entire research community, it is of particular importance that small labs have the capacity to share their analyzed datasets with the research community. Here we introduce ExpressionDB, an open source platform for visualizing RNA-seq and microarray data accommodating virtually any number of different samples. ExpressionDB is based on Shiny, a customizable web application which allows data sharing locally and online with customizable code written in R. ExpressionDB allows intuitive searches based on gene symbols, descriptions, or gene ontology terms, and it includes tools for dynamically filtering results based on expression level, fold change, and false-discovery rates. Built-in visualization tools include heatmaps, volcano plots, and principal component analysis, ensuring streamlined and consistent visualization to all users. All of the scripts for building an ExpressionDB with user-supplied data are freely available on GitHub, and the Creative Commons license allows fully open customization by end-users. We estimate that a demo database can be created in under one hour with minimal programming experience, and that a new database with user-supplied expression data can be completed and online in less than one day.

  19. Transforming student's discourse as a method of teaching science inquiry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Livingston, David

    2005-07-01

    A qualitative case study on the instructional practice of one secondary science teacher addresses the persistent reluctance of many science teachers to integrate the cultural resources and social practices of professional science communities into the science content they teach. The literature has shown that teachers' hesitation to implement a social and locally situated learning strategy curtails students' ability to draw upon the language of science necessary to co-construct and shape authentic science inquiry and in particular appropriate argument schemes. The study hypothesized that a teacher's dialogic facilitation of a particular social context and instructional practices enhances a students' ability to express verbally the claims and warrants that rise from evidence taken from their inquiries of natural phenomena. The study also tracks students' use of the Key Words and Ideas of this science curriculum for the purpose of assessing the degree of students' assimilation of these terms into their speech and written expressions of inquiry. The theoretical framework is Vygotskian (1978) and the analysis of the qualitative data is founded on Toulmin (1958), Walton (1996), Jimenez-Alexandre et al. (2000) and Shavelson (1996). The dialogic structure of this teacher's facilitation of student's science knowledge is shown to utilize students' presumptive statements to hone their construction of inductive or deductive arguments. This instructional practice may represent teacher-student activity within the zone of proximal development and supports Vygotsky's notion that a knowledgeable other is instrumental in transforming student's spontaneous talk into scientific speech. The tracking of the curriculum's Key Words and Ideas into students' speech and writing indicated that this teachers' ability to facilitate students' presumptuous reasoning into logic statements did not necessarily guarantee that they could post strong written expressions of this verbal know-how in written forms. Thus how students come to assimilate their knowledge verbally may be very different than how students assimilate and express their knowledge in written forms.

  20. A written language intervention for at-risk second grade students: a randomized controlled trial of the process assessment of the learner lesson plans in a tier 2 response-to-intervention (RtI) model.

    PubMed

    Hooper, Stephen R; Costa, Lara-Jeane C; McBee, Matthew; Anderson, Kathleen L; Yerby, Donna Carlson; Childress, Amy; Knuth, Sean B

    2013-04-01

    In a randomized controlled trial, 205 students were followed from grades 1 to 3 with a focus on changes in their writing trajectories following an evidence-based intervention during the spring of second grade. Students were identified as being at-risk (n=138), and then randomized into treatment (n=68) versus business-as-usual conditions (n=70). A typical group also was included (n=67). The writing intervention comprised Lesson Sets 4 and 7 from the Process Assessment of the Learner (PAL), and was conducted via small groups (three to six students) twice a week for 12 weeks in accordance with a response-to-intervention Tier 2 model. The primary outcome was the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II Written Expression Scale. Results indicated modest support for the PAL lesson plans, with an accelerated rate of growth in writing skills following treatment. There were no significant moderator effects, although there was evidence that the most globally impaired students demonstrated a more rapid rate of growth following treatment. These findings suggest the need for ongoing examination of evidence-based treatments in writing for young elementary students.

  1. Stifling Student Expression: A Lesson Taught, A Lesson Learned.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eveslage, Thomas E.

    1995-01-01

    Substantive student publications can bring the democratic process to life in high schools. The article presents examples of student censorship by high school teachers and advisors, noting that the attempt to inhibit students' written expression may short-circuit a useful learning tool that can prepare students for productive citizenship. (SM)

  2. Developing Critical Thinking Skills and Improving Expressive Language through Creative Writing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodman, Harriet E.

    A practicum was conducted to develop critical thinking and improve expression through creative written language utilizing precision teaching as an evaluation of student performance. Six students (grades second through sixth) with low idea generation and few organization skills were trained by three teachers and a teacher advisor using…

  3. Strategic Persuasive Writing Instruction for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mastropieri, Margo A.; Scruggs, Thomas E.; Irby Cerar, Nancy; Guckert, Mary; Thompson, Catherine; Bronaugh, Danette Allen; Jakulski, Jill; Abdulalim, Latif; Mills, Sara; Evmenova, Anya; Regan, Kelley; Cuenca-Carlino, Yojanna

    2015-01-01

    Expressive writing is important for school and life success, but remains challenging for many students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Emerging evidence reveals promise for teaching students with learning and behavioral issues to improve written expression with self-regulated strategy development instruction. In that research, students…

  4. Handbook for Spoken Mathematics: (Larry's Speakeasy).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Lawrence A.; And Others

    This handbook is directed toward those who have to deal with spoken mathematics, yet have insufficient background to know the correct verbal expression for the written symbolic one. It compiles consistent and well-defined ways of uttering mathematical expressions so listeners will receive clear, unambiguous, and well-pronounced representations.…

  5. 77 FR 72830 - Request for Comments on Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Practice

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-06

    ... the submission of written comments using a Web-based collaboration tool called IdeaScale[supreg]; and... collaboration tool called IdeaScale[supreg]. The tool allows users to post comments on a topic, and view and...

  6. The daily lives of people with HIV infection: A qualitative study of the control group in an expressive writing intervention

    PubMed Central

    Metaweh, Maria; Ironson, Gail; Barroso, Julie

    2016-01-01

    Emotional disclosure is an expressive writing technique used in psychotherapy to process traumatic and stressful life experiences. While emotional disclosure interventions frequently use control groups, there are few qualitative analyses of these control groups. Our study's purpose was to analyze the control essays written by HIV-infected informants about their daily activities in an augmented written emotional disclosure intervention. Latent and manifest qualitative content analyses revealed prevalent contextual themes within the data. The emergent themes were socioeconomic status (SES), self-care, religiosity/spirituality, and social support. Emotional disclosure control subjects contributed substantial findings in terms of SES, self-care, resiliency, religiosity/spirituality, and social support and altruism. PMID:27426408

  7. Scale-by-scale energy budgets which account for the coherent motion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    F, Thiesset; L, Danaila; A, Antonia R.; T, Zhou

    2011-12-01

    Scale-by-scale energy budget equations are written for flows where coherent structures may be prominent. Both general and locally isotropic formulations are provided. In particular, the contribution to the production, diffusion and energy transfer terms associated with the coherent motion is highlighted. Preliminary results are presented in the intermediate wake of a circular cylinder for phase-averaged second-and third-order structure functions. The experimental data provide adequate support for the scale-by-scale budgets.

  8. [Oral and written affective expression in children of low socioeconomic status].

    PubMed

    Larraguibel, M; Lolas Stepke, F

    1991-06-01

    Descriptive data on affective expression of 58 children (33 girls and 25 boys) of low socioeconomic status (Graffar index), with ages between 8 and 12 are presented. Intelligence was assessed by means of Raven Progressive Matrixes Test, all subjects exhibiting mean level. Evaluated were the six forms of anxiety and the four hostility forms defined by the Gottschalk method of verbal content analysis. Hope scores, positive and negative, were also obtained from the same verbal samples. The oral sample consisted in speech produced spontaneously during 5 minutes, in response to a standard instruction, and the written sample consisted in brief stories produced under standardized conditions during 15 minutes. The most frequently expressed form of anxiety was separation anxiety, while the most frequently expressed form of hostility was directed outwards covert hostility. "Positive" hope was expressed more frequently than "negative" hope. Data are discussed in terms of their contribution to the establishment of population norms in Spanish-speaking populations for the psychological constructs explored. It is concluded that the method of content analysis of verbal behavior may represent a useful tool for the study of child psychology in different contexts.

  9. The Contribution of Verbal Working Memory to Deaf Children’s Oral and Written Production

    PubMed Central

    Arfé, Barbara; Rossi, Cristina; Sicoli, Silvia

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the contribution of verbal working memory to the oral and written story production of deaf children. Participants were 29 severely to profoundly deaf children aged 8–13 years and 29 hearing controls, matched for grade level. The children narrated a picture story orally and in writing and performed a reading comprehension test, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition forward digit span task, and a reading span task. Oral and written stories were analyzed at the microstructural (i.e., clause) and macrostructural (discourse) levels. Hearing children’s stories scored higher than deaf children’s at both levels. Verbal working memory skills contributed to deaf children’s oral and written production over and above age and reading comprehension skills. Verbal rehearsal skills (forward digit span) contributed significantly to deaf children’s ability to organize oral and written stories at the microstructural level; they also accounted for unique variance at the macrostructural level in writing. Written story production appeared to involve greater verbal working memory resources than oral story production. PMID:25802319

  10. An Examination of Expressive Functions in a Constructivist Model of Written Composing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    West, Martha Meyer

    Based on constructivist theory (emphasizing meaning generation rather than communication), the study described in this report clarifies and elaborates on the definition of the term "expressive writing." First, the paper offers a rationale for the study and a discussion of the research methodology, which combined analysis of texts and…

  11. 76 FR 76478 - Request for Comments on Japan's Expression of Interest in the Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-07

    ... towards joining the TPP negotiations. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is assessing Japan's expression of interest in the TPP negotiations in light of the TPP's high standards for... the TPP negotiations. DATES: Written comments are due by noon, January 13, 2012. ADDRESSES...

  12. Contributions to the revision of the 'Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement'

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kyriazis, G. A.

    2015-01-01

    Some inconsistencies of the current version of the 'Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement' are discussed and suggestions to make this document consistent are commented. The paper is written taking into account the terminology of the third version of the 'International vocabulary of metrology'.

  13. Interpreting Visual Texts: Use of an Analytic Rubric to Evaluate Student Responses to Writing Prompts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sundeen, Todd H.; O'Neil, Kathleen; Fanselow, Stephanie A.

    2017-01-01

    Younger students' visual texts are statements and stories conveyed through drawings or other artwork and often convey meaning beyond the child's capability to communicate with written expression. Although opportunities for expression through drawing are routinely offered to children in the initial and middle stages of early childhood literacy…

  14. Picture Partners: A Co-Creative Journey into Visual Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soundy, Cathleen S.; Drucker, Marilyn F.

    2010-01-01

    This article describes an integrated art and early literacy project entitled, Picture Partners". The main purpose of the project was to explore how young children create and express meaning through art. Children's responses, both written and spoken, were included because accompanying modes of expression expand the nature and content of their…

  15. The semantics of verbs in the dissolution and development of language.

    PubMed

    Lahey, M; Feier, C D

    1982-03-01

    Evidence of the dissolution (DL) of verbs was examined in the written logs kept daily for 4 1/2 years by a woman (Mrs. W) who suffered from cerebral atrophy of unknown origin. Results were compared with similar analyses of written samples obtained from elementary school children (CWL), from normal adults (AWL) and from the literature on early oral language development (COL). The major finding of this study was that the sequence of the dissolution of verbs, in terms of the meanings expressed, mirrored the sequence of early acquisition. In the DL data reported here, Mrs. W continued to write about dynamic events after she ceased writing about stative events; in COL, children talk about dynamic events before stative events. Based on the AWL and CWL data, frequency of use is rejected as an explanation for the dominance and stability of dynamic relations in DL. Rather, it is suggested that the expression of dynamic relations may be less complex than the expression of stative relations due to possible differences in imagery and implication, but particularly due to the linguistic contexts in which each can be expressed.

  16. Donepezil for treatment of cognitive dysfunction in children with Down syndrome aged 10-17.

    PubMed

    Kishnani, Priya S; Heller, James H; Spiridigliozzi, Gail A; Lott, Ira; Escobar, Luis; Richardson, Sharon; Zhang, Richard; McRae, Thomas

    2010-12-01

    The objective of this 10-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study was to assess the efficacy and safety of donepezil for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction exhibited by children with Down syndrome (DS). Intervention comprised donepezil (2.5-10 mg/day) in children (aged 10-17 years) with DS of mild-to-moderate severity. The primary measures were the Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS-II) Parent/Caregiver Rating Form (PCRF) the sum of nine subdomain standardized scores and standard safety measures. Secondary measures included the VABS-II/PCRF scores on the following domains and their respective individual subdomains: Communication (receptive, expressive, and written); Daily Living Skills (personal, domestic, and community); Socialization (interpersonal relationships, play and leisure time, and coping skills), and scores on the Test of Verbal Expression and Reasoning, a subject-performance-based measure of expressive language. At baseline, 129 participants were assigned treatment with donepezil or placebo. During the double-blind phase, VABS II/PCRF sum of the nine subdomain standardized scores, called v-scores, improved significantly from baseline in both groups (P < 0.0001), with no significant between-group differences. This trial failed to demonstrate any benefit for donepezil versus placebo in children and adolescents with DS, although donepezil appeared to be well tolerated. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  17. Comparison of directed and weighted co-occurrence networks of six languages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Yuyang; Liang, Wei; Shi, Yuming; Huang, Qiuling

    2014-01-01

    To study commonalities and differences among different languages, we select 100 reports from the documents of the United Nations, each of which was written in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish languages, separately. Based on these corpora, we construct 6 weighted and directed word co-occurrence networks. Besides all the networks exhibit scale-free and small-world features, we find several new non-trivial results, including connections among English words are denser, and the expression of English language is more flexible and powerful; the connection way among Spanish words is more stringent and this indicates that the Spanish grammar is more rigorous; values of many statistical parameters of the French and Spanish networks are very approximate and this shows that these two languages share many commonalities; Arabic and Russian words have many varieties, which result in rich types of words and a sparse connection among words; connections among Chinese words obey a more uniform distribution, and one inclines to use the least number of Chinese words to express the same complex information as those in other five languages. This shows that the expression of Chinese language is quite concise. In addition, several topics worth further investigating by the complex network approach have been observed in this study.

  18. Modeling the development of written language

    PubMed Central

    Puranik, Cynthia S.; Foorman, Barbara; Foster, Elizabeth; Wilson, Laura Gehron; Tschinkel, Erika; Kantor, Patricia Thatcher

    2011-01-01

    Alternative models of the structure of individual and developmental differences of written composition and handwriting fluency were tested using confirmatory factor analysis of writing samples provided by first- and fourth-grade students. For both groups, a five-factor model provided the best fit to the data. Four of the factors represented aspects of written composition: macro-organization (use of top sentence and number and ordering of ideas), productivity (number and diversity of words used), complexity (mean length of T-unit and syntactic density), and spelling and punctuation. The fifth factor represented handwriting fluency. Handwriting fluency was correlated with written composition factors at both grades. The magnitude of developmental differences between first grade and fourth grade expressed as effect sizes varied for variables representing the five constructs: large effect sizes were found for productivity and handwriting fluency variables; moderate effect sizes were found for complexity and macro-organization variables; and minimal effect sizes were found for spelling and punctuation variables. PMID:22228924

  19. Biological Differences Between Prostate Cancer Cells that Metastasize to Bone Versus Soft Tissue Sites

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-12-01

    regulations of the United States Government and the University of Michigan. If the descriptive paragraph indicates that a "Comprehensive Written" informed...tumor samples expressing >50% AR and 41.5% (100/265) expressing ᝺% AR. Overall expression of AR was down regulated with median AR expression of...A. et al. Cancer statistics, 2003. CA Cancer J Clin 53, 5-26 (2003). 2. Rubin, M.A. et al. Rapid ("warm") autopsy study for procurement of

  20. Do Junior High School Students Perceive Their Learning Environment as Constructivist?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moustafa, Asely; Ben-Zvi-Assaraf, Orit; Eshach, Haim

    2013-08-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the manner in which the features of a constructivist learning environment, and the mechanisms at its base, are expressed in junior high school students' conceptions. Our research is based on an integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches, deigned to provide a wider ranging and deeper understanding. Eight hundred and forty eighth- and ninth-grade students from over 15 schools participated in the study. Of the 840 students who completed the questionnaire, the explanations of 200 well-written questionnaires were further analyzed qualitatively. The findings of the study are presented in terms of the four scales employed in the CLES, namely the autonomy scale, the prior knowledge scale, the negotiation scale, and the student-centeredness scale. The quantitative results achieved here concur with parallel studies conducted around the world. The findings indicate that a considerable portion of the students perceive their learning environment as a constructivist one and report positive attitudes toward the way they are being taught. In terms of the qualitative results, however, it appears that in some cases, the students' explanations reveal that in fact, and contrary to the bare quantitative results, some students do not perceive their learning environment as being constructivist. This raises the question of whether the fact that students recognize the factors associated with constructivist teaching is indeed an indication that such teaching exists in practice. This finding emphasizes the importance of combining qualitative and quantitative methods for arriving at a balanced view of classroom occurrences.

  1. The effects of reading personal narratives written by an individual who uses AAC on the attitudes of pre-professionals in business.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, John W; Donofrio-Horwitz, Lacey M; Smucker, Laura M D

    2010-06-01

    A Solomon Four-Group Design was used to study the effects of reading personal narratives written by an individual with complex communication needs on the attitudes, potential future behaviors, and general experiences of 109 undergraduate business majors. The Attitudes Toward Nonspeaking Persons Scale (ATNP) and a scale of behavioral intentions modeled according to Ajzen's ( 1991 ) Theory of Planned Behavior were used as dependent variables. A sub-group of individuals in the experimental group participated in individual follow-up interviews. Results revealed individuals who read the narratives had more positive attitudes than those who did not; however, there were potentially reactive effects for pre-testing evident on one subscale of the ATNP scale. Interviews revealed a need for more explicit information about the workings of AAC and a need to change expectations about working with individuals with disabilities.

  2. Revised calibration of the Sm:SrB{sub 4}O{sub 7} pressure sensor using the Sm-doped yttrium-aluminum garnet primary pressure scale

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

    Rashchenko, Sergey V., E-mail: rashchenko@igm.nsc.ru; Litasov, Konstantin D.; Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk

    2015-04-14

    The pressure-induced shift of Sm:SrB{sub 4}O{sub 7} fluorescence was calibrated in a quasi-hydrostatic helium medium up to 60 GPa using the recent Sm-doped yttrium-aluminum garnet primary pressure scale as a reference. The resulting calibration can be written as P = −2836/14.3 [(1 + Δλ/685.51){sup −14.3 }− 1]. Previous calibrations based on the internally inconsistent primary scales are revised, and, after appropriate correction, found to agree with the proposed one. The calibration extended to 120 GPa was also performed using corrected previous data and can be written as P = 4.20 Δλ (1 + 0.020 Δλ)/(1 + 0.036 Δλ)

  3. 76 FR 76480 - Request for Comments on Canada's Expression of Interest in the Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-07

    ...) countries towards joining the TPP negotiations. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is assessing Canada's expression of interest in the TPP negotiations in light of the TPP's high... Canada's interest in the TPP negotiations. DATES: Written comments are due by noon, January 13, 2012...

  4. 76 FR 76479 - Request for Comments on Mexico's Expression of Interest in the Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-07

    ...) countries towards joining the TPP negotiations. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is assessing Mexico's expression of interest in the TPP negotiations in light of the TPP's high... Mexico's interest in the TPP negotiations. DATES: Written comments are due by noon, January 13, 2012...

  5. Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bak, Nicole; Asaro-Saddler, Kristie

    2013-01-01

    Writing is a foundational skill that can support and extend student learning across the curriculum. Writing is used to communicate stories, opinions, and information, and to express one's understanding of concepts and ideas during an individual's K-12 educational career and well beyond. Despite written expression's importance and…

  6. How to Use Ear Drops Properly

    MedlinePlus

    ... of children Copyright 2013, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of the ...

  7. How to Use Rectal Suppositories Properly

    MedlinePlus

    ... of children Copyright 2013, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of the ...

  8. How to Use Eye Drops Properly

    MedlinePlus

    ... of children Copyright 2013, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of the ...

  9. How to Use Nose Drops Properly

    MedlinePlus

    ... of children Copyright 2013, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of the ...

  10. Determination of spatial scale of response unit for WASSI-C eco–hydrological model—a case study on the upper Zagunao River watershed of China

    Treesearch

    Ning Liu; Peng-Sen Sun; Shi-Rong Liu; Ge Sun

    2013-01-01

    Main publication is written in Chinese.Aims: Optimal spatial scale of hydrological response unit (HRU) is a precondition for eco-hydrological modeling as it is essential to improve accuracy. Our objective was to evaluate the spatial scale of HRU for application of the WASSSI-C model.Methods: We determined the best HRU scale for the eco-...

  11. 14 CFR 259.7 - Response to consumer problems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... of receiving the complaint. A complaint is a specific written expression of dissatisfaction concerning a difficulty or problem which the person experienced when using or attempting to use an airline's...

  12. 40 CFR 85.2108 - Dealer certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... that: (1) Based upon written notification furnished by the manufacturer, the dealer has knowledge that... representation or a warranty, express or implied, by the dealer that the emission control system or any part...

  13. 40 CFR 85.2108 - Dealer certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... that: (1) Based upon written notification furnished by the manufacturer, the dealer has knowledge that... representation or a warranty, express or implied, by the dealer that the emission control system or any part...

  14. 40 CFR 85.2108 - Dealer certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... that: (1) Based upon written notification furnished by the manufacturer, the dealer has knowledge that... representation or a warranty, express or implied, by the dealer that the emission control system or any part...

  15. 40 CFR 85.2108 - Dealer certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... that: (1) Based upon written notification furnished by the manufacturer, the dealer has knowledge that... representation or a warranty, express or implied, by the dealer that the emission control system or any part...

  16. 40 CFR 85.2108 - Dealer certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... that: (1) Based upon written notification furnished by the manufacturer, the dealer has knowledge that... representation or a warranty, express or implied, by the dealer that the emission control system or any part...

  17. How to Use Eye Ointments and Gels Properly

    MedlinePlus

    ... of children Copyright 2013, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of the ...

  18. How to Use Nasal Sprays Properly (With Images)

    MedlinePlus

    ... here [PDF] Copyright 2013, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of the ...

  19. Validity of Scores for a Developmental Writing Scale Based on Automated Scoring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Attali, Yigal; Powers, Donald

    2009-01-01

    A developmental writing scale for timed essay-writing performance was created on the basis of automatically computed indicators of writing fluency, word choice, and conventions of standard written English. In a large-scale data collection effort that involved a national sample of more than 12,000 students from 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade,…

  20. The network of concepts in written texts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caldeira, S. M. G.; Petit Lobão, T. C.; Andrade, R. F. S.; Neme, A.; Miranda, J. G. V.

    2006-02-01

    Complex network theory is used to investigate the structure of meaningful concepts in written texts of individual authors. Networks have been constructed after a two phase filtering, where words with less meaning contents are eliminated and all remaining words are set to their canonical form, without any number, gender or time flexion. Each sentence in the text is added to the network as a clique. A large number of written texts have been scrutinised, and it is found that texts have small-world as well as scale-free structures. The growth process of these networks has also been investigated, and a universal evolution of network quantifiers have been found among the set of texts written by distinct authors. Further analyses, based on shuffling procedures taken either on the texts or on the constructed networks, provide hints on the role played by the word frequency and sentence length distributions to the network structure.

  1. Aptitude-treatment interactions revisited: effect of metacognitive intervention on subtypes of written expression in elementary school students.

    PubMed

    Hooper, Stephen R; Wakely, Melissa B; de Kruif, Renee E L; Swartz, Carl W

    2006-01-01

    We examined the effectiveness of a metacognitive intervention for written language performance, based on the Hayes model of written expression, for 73 fourth-grade (n = 38) and fifth-grade (n = 35) students. The intervention consisted of twenty 45-min writing lessons designed to improve their awareness of writing as a problem-solving process. Each of the lessons addressed some aspect of planning, translating, and reflecting on written products; their self-regulation of these processes; and actual writing practice. All instruction was conducted in intact classrooms. Prior to the intervention, all students received a battery of neurocognitive tests measuring executive functions, attention, and language. In addition, preintervention writing samples were obtained and analyzed holistically and for errors in syntax, semantics, and spelling. Following the intervention, the writing tasks were readministered and cluster analysis of the neurocognitive data was conducted. Cluster analytic procedures yielded 7 reliable clusters: 4 normal variants, 1 Problem Solving weakness, 1 Problem Solving Language weaknesses, and 1 Problem Solving strength. The response to the single treatment by these various subtypes revealed positive but modest findings. Significant group differences were noted for improvement in syntax errors and spelling, with only spelling showing differential improvement for the Problem Solving Language subtype. In addition, there was a marginally significant group effect for holistic ratings. These findings provide initial evidence that Writing Aptitude (subtype) x Single Treatment interactions exist in writing, but further research is needed with other classification schemes and interventions.

  2. The evolution of dispersal in a Levins' type metapopulation model.

    PubMed

    Jansen, Vincent A A; Vitalis, Renaud

    2007-10-01

    We study the evolution of the dispersal rate in a metapopulation model with extinction and colonization dynamics, akin to the model as originally described by Levins. To do so we extend the metapopulation model with a description of the within patch dynamics. By means of a separation of time scales we analytically derive a fitness expression from first principles for this model. The fitness function can be written as an inclusive fitness equation (Hamilton's rule). By recasting this equation in a form that emphasizes the effects of competition we show the effect of the local competition and the local population size on the evolution of dispersal. We find that the evolution of dispersal cannot be easily interpreted in terms of avoidance of kin competition, but rather that increased dispersal reduces the competitive ability. Our model also yields a testable prediction in term of relatedness and life-history parameters.

  3. Evolution of the most common English words and phrases over the centuries.

    PubMed

    Perc, Matjaz

    2012-12-07

    By determining the most common English words and phrases since the beginning of the sixteenth century, we obtain a unique large-scale view of the evolution of written text. We find that the most common words and phrases in any given year had a much shorter popularity lifespan in the sixteenth century than they had in the twentieth century. By measuring how their usage propagated across the years, we show that for the past two centuries, the process has been governed by linear preferential attachment. Along with the steady growth of the English lexicon, this provides an empirical explanation for the ubiquity of Zipf's law in language statistics and confirms that writing, although undoubtedly an expression of art and skill, is not immune to the same influences of self-organization that are known to regulate processes as diverse as the making of new friends and World Wide Web growth.

  4. Written pain neuroscience education in fibromyalgia: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    van Ittersum, Miriam W; van Wilgen, C Paul; van der Schans, Cees P; Lambrecht, Luc; Groothoff, Johan W; Nijs, Jo

    2014-11-01

    Mounting evidence supports the use of face-to-face pain neuroscience education for the treatment of chronic pain patients. This study aimed at examining whether written education about pain neuroscience improves illness perceptions, catastrophizing, and health status in patients with fibromyalgia. A double-blind, multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial with 6-month follow-up was conducted. Patients with FM (n = 114) that consented to participate were randomly allocated to receive either written pain neuroscience education or written relaxation training. Written pain neuroscience education comprised of a booklet with pain neuroscience education plus a telephone call to clarify any difficulties; the relaxation group received a booklet with relaxation education and a telephone call. The revised illness perception questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire were used as outcome measures. Both patients and assessors were blinded. Repeated-measures analyses with last observation carried forward principle were performed. Cohen's d effect sizes (ES) were calculated for all within-group changes and between-group differences. The results reveal that written pain neuroscience education does not change the impact of FM on daily life, catastrophizing, or perceived symptoms of patients with FM. Compared with written relaxation training, written pain neuroscience education improved beliefs in a chronic timeline of FM (P = 0.03; ES = 0.50), but it does not impact upon other domains of illness perceptions. Compared with written relaxation training, written pain neuroscience education slightly improved illness perceptions of patients with FM, but it did not impart clinically meaningful effects on pain, catastrophizing, or the impact of FM on daily life. Face-to-face sessions of pain neuroscience education are required to change inappropriate cognitions and perceived health in patients with FM. © 2013 World Institute of Pain.

  5. Listening to Students' Voices: Educational Materials Written by and for LEP Adult Literacy Learners. NCLE Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peyton, Joy Kreeft

    Students at all levels of literacy learning can express their ideas in print. Teachers working with student writers have found that the attempt to express, organize, and understand personal experience is also a powerful language learning device. When students publish their writings, they can see their own thoughts and concerns, and those of others…

  6. Student Interpretations of Equations Related to the First Law of Thermodynamics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hadfield, Linda C.; Wieman, Carl E.

    2010-01-01

    Student interpretations of the equation for the first law of thermodynamics, [delta]U = q + w, an expression defining work done on or by a gas, w = -[image omitted]PdV, and an expression defining heat, q = [image omitted]C[subscript v]dT were investigated through a multiple-choice survey, a free-response written survey, and interviews. The…

  7. Type Specialization in Aldor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dragan, Laurentiu; Watt, Stephen M.

    Computer algebra in scientific computation squarely faces the dilemma of natural mathematical expression versus efficiency. While higher-order programming constructs and parametric polymorphism provide a natural and expressive language for mathematical abstractions, they can come at a considerable cost. We investigate how deeply nested type constructions may be optimized to achieve performance similar to that of hand-tuned code written in lower-level languages.

  8. Associations between anxiety and love scripts.

    PubMed

    Gawda, Barbara

    2012-08-01

    Relations between trait anxiety and love scripts expressed in narratives were examined to assess how anxiety affects the perception of love. Stories about love (N = 160) written by 80 men and 80 women were analyzed. The content of the scripts was evaluated in terms of descriptions of actors, partners, expressed emotions of actor and of partner, importance of love, and the ending of the scenario. To test the differences between men and women on content of scripts and associations between trait anxiety level and frequencies of love script elements, a two-way analysis of variance was used. The main effect for sex was significant. There was an effect of trait anxiety on content of love scripts: high anxiety was associated with more frequent negative descriptions of the actor as well as more frequent negative descriptions of the partner's emotions, only in scripts written by women.

  9. Online palliative care and oncology patient education resources through Google: Do they meet national health literacy recommendations?

    PubMed

    Prabhu, Arpan V; Crihalmeanu, Tudor; Hansberry, David R; Agarwal, Nitin; Glaser, Christine; Clump, David A; Heron, Dwight E; Beriwal, Sushil

    The Google search engine is a resource commonly used by patients to access health-related patient education information. The American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend that patient education resources be written at a level between the third and seventh grade reading levels. We assessed the readability levels of online palliative care patient education resources using 10 readability algorithms widely accepted in the medical literature. In October 2016, searches were conducted for 10 individual terms pertaining to palliative care and oncology using the Google search engine; the first 10 articles written for the public for each term were downloaded for a total of 100 articles. The terms included palliative care, hospice, advance directive, cancer pain management, treatment of metastatic disease, treatment of brain metastasis, treatment of bone metastasis, palliative radiation therapy, palliative chemotherapy, and end-of-life care. We determined the average reading level of the articles by readability scale and Web site domain. Nine readability assessments with scores equivalent to academic grade level found that the 100 palliative care education articles were collectively written at a 12.1 reading level (standard deviation, 2.1; range, 7.6-17.3). Zero articles were written below a seventh grade level. Forty-nine (49%) articles were written above a high school graduate reading level. The Flesch Reading Ease scale classified the articles as "difficult" to read with a score of 45.6 of 100. The articles were collected from 62 Web site domains. Seven domains were accessed 3 or more times; among these, www.mskcc.org had the highest average reading level at a 14.5 grade level (standard deviation, 1.4; range, 13.4-16.1). Most palliative care education articles readily available on Google are written above national health literacy recommendations. There is need to revise these resources to allow patients and their families to derive the most benefit from these materials. Copyright © 2017 729. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Prospective audit of postoperative instructions to patients undergoing root canal treatment in the DDUH and re-audit following introduction of a written patient information sheet.

    PubMed

    Moorthy, A; Alkadhimi, A F; Stassen, Leo F; Duncan, H F

    2016-01-01

    Concerns were expressed that postoperative written instructions following endodontic treatment are not available in the Dublin Dental University Hospital. Data was collected in three phases: retrospective analysis of clinical notes for evidence of the delivery of postoperative instructions; a randomly distributed questionnaire to patients undergoing root canal treatment prior to the introduction of a written postoperative advice sheet; and, another survey following introduction of the advice sheet. Some 56% of patients' charts documented that postoperative advice was given. Analysis of phase two revealed that patients were not consistently informed of any key postoperative messages. In phase 3 analysis, the proposed benchmarks were met in four out of six categories. Postoperative advice after root canal treatment in the DDUH is both poorly recorded and inconsistently delivered. A combination of oral postoperative instructions and written postoperative advice provided the most effective delivery of patient information.

  11. Stochastic cooling of bunched beams from fluctuation and kinetic theory

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

    Chattopadhyay, S.

    1982-09-01

    A theoretical formalism for stochastic phase-space cooling of bunched beams in storage rings is developed on the dual basis of classical fluctuation theory and kinetic theory of many-body systems in phase-space. The physics is that of a collection of three-dimensional oscillators coupled via retarded nonconservative interactions determined by an electronic feedback loop. At the heart of the formulation is the existence of several disparate time-scales characterizing the cooling process. Both theoretical approaches describe the cooling process in the form of a Fokker-Planck transport equation in phase-space valid up to second order in the strength and first order in the auto-correlationmore » of the cooling signal. With neglect of the collective correlations induced by the feedback loop, identical expressions are obtained in both cases for the coherent damping and Schottky noise diffusion coefficients. These are expressed in terms of Fourier coefficients in a harmonic decomposition in angle of the generalized nonconservative cooling force written in canonical action-angle variables of the particles in six-dimensional phase-space. Comparison of analytic results to a numerical simulation study with 90 pseudo-particles in a model cooling system is presented.« less

  12. Acculturation and Depression among Puerto Ricans in the Mainland

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramos, Blanca M.

    2005-01-01

    The relationship between acculturation and depression in a sample of 1,510 Puerto Ricans residing in the U.S. was examined. Acculturation was measured by assessing subjects' spoken, preferred, read, and written language. Depression was evaluated by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The scale yielded a three-factor structure…

  13. Facility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Guidebook: Bureau of Reclamation

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

    Kiatreungwattana, Kosol; VanGeet, Otto; Stoltenberg, Blaise

    2016-09-01

    This guidebook was written for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to explore the use of non-hydro renewable energy resources to meet the U.S. Department of Interior's objectives and Reclamation's mission. This guidebook presents readers with the processes and steps needed to assess and successfully implement facility-scale solar projects.

  14. The large scale microelectronics Computer-Aided Design and Test (CADAT) system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gould, J. M.

    1978-01-01

    The CADAT system consists of a number of computer programs written in FORTRAN that provide the capability to simulate, lay out, analyze, and create the artwork for large scale microelectronics. The function of each software component of the system is described with references to specific documentation for each software component.

  15. Floating-point function generation routines for 16-bit microcomputers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mackin, M. A.; Soeder, J. F.

    1984-01-01

    Several computer subroutines have been developed that interpolate three types of nonanalytic functions: univariate, bivariate, and map. The routines use data in floating-point form. However, because they are written for use on a 16-bit Intel 8086 system with an 8087 mathematical coprocessor, they execute as fast as routines using data in scaled integer form. Although all of the routines are written in assembly language, they have been implemented in a modular fashion so as to facilitate their use with high-level languages.

  16. The Ideology and Practices of "Seikatsu-Tsuzurikata": Education by Teaching of Expressive Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hiraoka, Satsuki

    2011-01-01

    Seikatsu-Tsuzurikata is an educational method related to teaching of written expression for children that was pioneered in elementary school education settings throughout the 1920s and 1930s, and which was widely adopted in Japan in the 1930s. It is a unique method developed in Japan that uses both school and non-school resources, not only in…

  17. AceTree: a tool for visual analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis

    PubMed Central

    Boyle, Thomas J; Bao, Zhirong; Murray, John I; Araya, Carlos L; Waterston, Robert H

    2006-01-01

    Background The invariant lineage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has potential as a powerful tool for the description of mutant phenotypes and gene expression patterns. We previously described procedures for the imaging and automatic extraction of the cell lineage from C. elegans embryos. That method uses time-lapse confocal imaging of a strain expressing histone-GFP fusions and a software package, StarryNite, processes the thousands of images and produces output files that describe the location and lineage relationship of each nucleus at each time point. Results We have developed a companion software package, AceTree, which links the images and the annotations using tree representations of the lineage. This facilitates curation and editing of the lineage. AceTree also contains powerful visualization and interpretive tools, such as space filling models and tree-based expression patterning, that can be used to extract biological significance from the data. Conclusion By pairing a fast lineaging program written in C with a user interface program written in Java we have produced a powerful software suite for exploring embryonic development. PMID:16740163

  18. AceTree: a tool for visual analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis.

    PubMed

    Boyle, Thomas J; Bao, Zhirong; Murray, John I; Araya, Carlos L; Waterston, Robert H

    2006-06-01

    The invariant lineage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has potential as a powerful tool for the description of mutant phenotypes and gene expression patterns. We previously described procedures for the imaging and automatic extraction of the cell lineage from C. elegans embryos. That method uses time-lapse confocal imaging of a strain expressing histone-GFP fusions and a software package, StarryNite, processes the thousands of images and produces output files that describe the location and lineage relationship of each nucleus at each time point. We have developed a companion software package, AceTree, which links the images and the annotations using tree representations of the lineage. This facilitates curation and editing of the lineage. AceTree also contains powerful visualization and interpretive tools, such as space filling models and tree-based expression patterning, that can be used to extract biological significance from the data. By pairing a fast lineaging program written in C with a user interface program written in Java we have produced a powerful software suite for exploring embryonic development.

  19. Primary FRCS Eng

    PubMed Central

    Tresidder, Gerald

    1974-01-01

    The importance of establishing that a candidate can communicate in English—spoken and written—is stressed. The value of written answers is that they show a candidate's understanding of the subject and his ability to express himself lucidly and logically. PMID:4417892

  20. The Development and Scaling of the easyCBM CCSS Middle School Mathematics Measures. Technical Report #1207

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Daniel; Irvin, P. Shawn; Patarapichayatham, Chalie; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2012-01-01

    In the following technical report, we describe the development and scaling of the easyCBM CCSS middle school mathematics measures, designed for use within a response to intervention framework. All items were developed in collaboration with experienced middle school mathematics teachers and were written to align with the Common Core State…

  1. BASIC Computer Scoring Program for the Leadership Scale for Sports.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garland, Daniel J.

    This paper describes a computer scoring program, written in Commodore BASIC, that offers an efficient approach to the scoring of the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS). The LSS measures: (1) the preferences of athletes for specific leader behaviors from the coach; (2) the perception of athletes regarding the actual leader behavior of their coach;…

  2. Erratum: Erratum to: Effects of self-attraction and loading at a regional scale: a test case for the Northwest European Shelf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irazoqui Apecechea, Maialen; Verlaan, Martin; Zijl, Firmijn; Le Coz, Camille; Kernkamp, Herman

    2017-12-01

    The article Effects of self-attraction and loading at a regional scale: a test case for the Northwest European Shelf, written by Maialen Irazoqui Apecechea, Martin Verlaan, Firmijn Zijl, Camille Le Coz and Herman Kernkamp, was originally published Online First without open access.

  3. Unilateral hearing loss is associated with a negative effect on language scores in adolescents.

    PubMed

    Fischer, Caroline; Lieu, Judith

    2014-10-01

    To determine if adolescents with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) demonstrate worse language skills than their siblings with normal hearing (NH). Case-control study of 12-17-year-old adolescents with UHL (20 cases) compared with sibling controls with NH (13 controls). Scores on the oral portion of the Oral and Written Language Scales (OWLS) and the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF) were the primary outcome measure. Wechsler's Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence (WASI) scores were also used as an outcome measure. Adolescents with UHL demonstrated worse overall and expressive language scores than controls, (98 vs. 114, P=0.001; 100 vs. 114, P=0.006) and had significantly lower full scale (98 vs. 112, P=0.017), verbal (101 vs. 113, P=0.032), and performance IQ (95 vs. 107, P=0.037). These findings suggest that UHL in adolescents is associated with a negative effect on standardized language scores and IQ. They also demonstrate that the developmental gap between children with UHL and children with NH does not resolve as the children progress into adolescence and may even widen as the children grow older. Therefore, these results strongly encourage implementation of early intervention for children with UHL to prevent speech-language delays. More studies in adolescents are warranted to evaluate educational outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Impaired emotional facial expression decoding in alcoholism is also present for emotional prosody and body postures.

    PubMed

    Maurage, Pierre; Campanella, Salvatore; Philippot, Pierre; Charest, Ian; Martin, Sophie; de Timary, Philippe

    2009-01-01

    Emotional facial expression (EFE) decoding impairment has been repeatedly reported in alcoholism (e.g. Philippot et al., 1999). Nevertheless, several questions are still under debate concerning this alteration, notably its generalization to other emotional stimuli and its variation according to the emotional valence of stimuli. Eighteen recently detoxified alcoholic subjects and 18 matched controls performed a decoding test consisting in emotional intensity ratings on various stimuli (faces, voices, body postures and written scenarios) depicting different emotions (anger, fear, happiness, neutral, sadness). Perceived threat and difficulty were also assessed for each stimulus. Alcoholic individuals had a preserved decoding performance for happiness stimuli, but alcoholism was associated with an underestimation of sadness and fear, and with a general overestimation of anger. More importantly, these decoding impairments were observed for faces, voices and postures but not for written scenarios. We observed for the first time a generalized emotional decoding impairment in alcoholism, as this impairment is present not only for faces but also for other visual (i.e. body postures) and auditory stimuli. Moreover, we report that this alteration (1) is mainly indexed by an overestimation of anger and (2) cannot be explained by an 'affect labelling' impairment, as the semantic comprehension of written emotional scenarios is preserved. Fundamental and clinical implications are discussed.

  5. Difficulties in initial algebra learning in Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jupri, Al; Drijvers, Paul; van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Marja

    2014-12-01

    Within mathematics curricula, algebra has been widely recognized as one of the most difficult topics, which leads to learning difficulties worldwide. In Indonesia, algebra performance is an important issue. In the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007, Indonesian students' achievement in the algebra domain was significantly below the average student performance in other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. This fact gave rise to this study which aims to investigate Indonesian students' difficulties in algebra. In order to do so, a literature study was carried out on students' difficulties in initial algebra. Next, an individual written test on algebra tasks was administered, followed by interviews. A sample of 51 grade VII Indonesian students worked the written test, and 37 of them were interviewed afterwards. Data analysis revealed that mathematization, i.e., the ability to translate back and forth between the world of the problem situation and the world of mathematics and to reorganize the mathematical system itself, constituted the most frequently observed difficulty in both the written test and the interview data. Other observed difficulties concerned understanding algebraic expressions, applying arithmetic operations in numerical and algebraic expressions, understanding the different meanings of the equal sign, and understanding variables. The consequences of these findings on both task design and further research in algebra education are discussed.

  6. Bias and uncertainty in regression-calibrated models of groundwater flow in heterogeneous media

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cooley, R.L.; Christensen, S.

    2006-01-01

    Groundwater models need to account for detailed but generally unknown spatial variability (heterogeneity) of the hydrogeologic model inputs. To address this problem we replace the large, m-dimensional stochastic vector ?? that reflects both small and large scales of heterogeneity in the inputs by a lumped or smoothed m-dimensional approximation ????*, where ?? is an interpolation matrix and ??* is a stochastic vector of parameters. Vector ??* has small enough dimension to allow its estimation with the available data. The consequence of the replacement is that model function f(????*) written in terms of the approximate inputs is in error with respect to the same model function written in terms of ??, ??,f(??), which is assumed to be nearly exact. The difference f(??) - f(????*), termed model error, is spatially correlated, generates prediction biases, and causes standard confidence and prediction intervals to be too small. Model error is accounted for in the weighted nonlinear regression methodology developed to estimate ??* and assess model uncertainties by incorporating the second-moment matrix of the model errors into the weight matrix. Techniques developed by statisticians to analyze classical nonlinear regression methods are extended to analyze the revised method. The analysis develops analytical expressions for bias terms reflecting the interaction of model nonlinearity and model error, for correction factors needed to adjust the sizes of confidence and prediction intervals for this interaction, and for correction factors needed to adjust the sizes of confidence and prediction intervals for possible use of a diagonal weight matrix in place of the correct one. If terms expressing the degree of intrinsic nonlinearity for f(??) and f(????*) are small, then most of the biases are small and the correction factors are reduced in magnitude. Biases, correction factors, and confidence and prediction intervals were obtained for a test problem for which model error is large to test robustness of the methodology. Numerical results conform with the theoretical analysis. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. An Educational Implementation Process Staff Survey: Lessons Learned.

    PubMed

    Delmore, Barbara; Kent, Martha

    2018-05-01

    To evaluate the education process for the effective use of the Munro Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale by practicing perioperative staff at an urban tertiary medical center. Given that pressure injury formation is tied to the surgical process, there is a need for a pressure injury risk assessment scale that addresses the uniqueness of the perioperative process. Participants were staff who worked in the surgical admissions area, the main operating room, and the main postanesthesia care unit. The authors' facility was 1 of 8 participants in a multisite study. Each site was required to educate staff using standard written instructions and an instructional webinar. However, sites were also encouraged to consider any other methods that would successfully engage the staff in the learning process. After the education process, staff were surveyed and asked to evaluate the educational interventions. Findings indicated that the staff did not prefer written instructions alone but rather preferred a combination of different learning modalities and media to assist them in using the Munro Scale effectively. This article discusses the strategies required to engage staff in the implementation process of this scale, the barriers encountered during this implementation, and the implications for perioperative nursing using this scale. The lessons learned from conducting this research provided insight into engaging and educating the adult learner in a new process.

  8. Tainted love: content analysis of documents written by accused spousal abusers to their victims.

    PubMed

    Dukes, Richard L; Borega, Karoline N; Clayton, Stephanie L; Dukes, Cynthia K; Fox, Carol; McCombs, Jerry; Miller, Thomas L; Rodgers, Susan E

    2002-04-01

    This study analyzed themes in documents written by 22 male accused spousal abusers to their female victims. Using Pence's Power and Equity model (1998), 86% of the themes denied equity and expressed power and control in the relation. Of these, 28% minimized or denied the abuse, 24% used the children to manipulate the victim, 16% showed disrespect for the victim, and 14% invoked male privilege (including God's ordination of the abusive relation). These hallmarks of tainted love are rooted in the desire of the accused abuser to maintain power and control over the victim.

  9. Pautas para Programas de Asesoramiento Gestional para Microempresas (Guidelines for Management Consulting Programs for Small-Scale Enterprise). Appropriate Technologies for Development. Peace Corps Information Collection & Exchange Manual Series No. M-27.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughan, Gary L.

    Written in Spanish, this manual is designed to assist management consultants in working with small-scale entrepreneurs in developing countries. Addressed in an overview of the small-scale enterprise (SSE) are the role of the SSE in Third World development, problems of SSEs, and target firms. The second chapter deals with various forms of…

  10. The Development of the Post-Divorce Parental Conflict Scale.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sonnenblick, Renee; Schwarz, J. Conrad

    One difficulty in studying the long-term impact of divorce on children has been the lack of a reliable and valid measure of parental conflict for divorced parents. Items for a post-divorce conflict scale were written and tested using 32 male and 63 female college students from divorced families for Study 1 and 60 male and 75 female students from…

  11. Automated Scoring of Teachers' Open-Ended Responses to Video Prompts: Bringing the Classroom-Video-Analysis Assessment to Scale

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kersting, Nicole B.; Sherin, Bruce L.; Stigler, James W.

    2014-01-01

    In this study, we explored the potential for machine scoring of short written responses to the Classroom-Video-Analysis (CVA) assessment, which is designed to measure teachers' usable mathematics teaching knowledge. We created naïve Bayes classifiers for CVA scales assessing three different topic areas and compared computer-generated scores to…

  12. Some Thoughts on "Using Learning Progressions to Design Vertical Scales That Support Coherent Inferences about Student Growth"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kingston, Neal M.; Broaddus, Angela; Lao, Hongling

    2015-01-01

    Briggs and Peck (2015) have written a thought-provoking article on the use of learning progressions in the design of vertical scales that support inferences about student growth. Organized learning models, including learning trajectories, learning progressions, and learning maps have been the subject of research for many years, but more recently…

  13. PoMiN: A Post-Minkowskian N-Body Solver

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Justin; Baumann, Mark; Hall, Bryton; Doss, Joel; Spencer, Lucas; Matzner, Richard

    2018-05-01

    PoMiN is a lightweight N-body code based on the Post-Minkowskian N-body Hamiltonian of Ledvinka, Schafer, and Bicak, which includes General Relativistic effects up to first order in Newton's constant G, and all orders in the speed of light c. PoMiN is a single file written in C and uses a fourth-order Runge-Kutta integration scheme. PoMiN has also been written to handle an arbitrary number of particles (both massive and massless) with a computational complexity that scales as O(N^2).

  14. The Influence of Spelling Ability on Vocabulary Choices When Writing for Children With Dyslexia.

    PubMed

    Sumner, Emma; Connelly, Vincent; Barnett, Anna L

    2016-01-01

    Spelling is a prerequisite to expressing vocabulary in writing. Research has shown that children with dyslexia are hesitant spellers when composing. This study aimed to determine whether the hesitant spelling of children with dyslexia, evidenced by frequent pausing, affects vocabulary choices when writing. A total of 31 children with dyslexia, mean age 9 years, were compared to typically developing groups of children: the first matched by age, the second by spelling ability. Oral vocabulary was measured and children completed a written and verbal compositional task. Lexical diversity comparisons were made across written and verbal compositions to highlight the constraint of having to select and spell words. A digital writing tablet recorded the writing. Children with dyslexia and the spelling-ability group made a high proportion of spelling errors and within-word pauses, and had a lower lexical diversity within their written compositions compared to their verbal compositions. The age-matched peers demonstrated the opposite pattern. Spelling ability and pausing predicted 53% of the variance in written lexical diversity of children with dyslexia, demonstrating the link between spelling and vocabulary when writing. Oral language skills had no effect. Lexical diversity correlated with written and verbal text quality for all groups. Practical implications are discussed and related to writing models. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

  15. Demeter-W

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

    2017-09-27

    Demeter-W, an open-access software written in Python, consists of extensible module packages. It is developed with statistical downscaling algorithms, to spatially and temporally downscale water demand data into finer scale. The spatial resolution will be downscaled from region/basin scale to grid (0.5 geographic degree) scale and the temporal resolution will be downscaled from year to month. For better understanding of the driving forces and patterns for global water withdrawal, the researchers is able to utilize Demeter-W to reconstruct the data sets to examine the issues related to water withdrawals at fine spatial and temporal scales.

  16. 42 CFR 460.120 - Grievance process.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... written or oral, expressing dissatisfaction with service delivery or the quality of care furnished. (a... proceedings. This information must be used in the PACE organization's internal quality assessment and... Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED...

  17. On Some Conjuncts Signalling Dissonance in Written Expository English.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Autonomous Metropolitan Univ., Mexico City (Mexico).

    Traditional studies of contrastive connectives (for example "yet,""in contrast,""however,""nevertheless," and "on the other hand") emphasized the logical relationship expressed by these connectives as they connect two sections of text. In harmony with this approach, constrastive connectives are…

  18. 46 CFR 515.31 - General duties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... principal or shipper without the express written authority of such principal or shipper. (i) Accounting to... MARITIME COMMISSION REGULATIONS AFFECTING OCEAN SHIPPING IN FOREIGN COMMERCE LICENSING, FINANCIAL...) have been reported to the Commission in writing; and (2) are covered by increased financial...

  19. Persuasive communication about AIDS prevention: need for cognition determines the impact of message format.

    PubMed

    Bakker, A B

    1999-04-01

    Adolescents were classified as being high or low in need for cognition (NFC) (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982) and expressed their knowledge about AIDS, attitudes toward condom use, and perceived supportive norms after being exposed to a cartoon or a written message about safe sex. Both messages have a positive impact on knowledge and attitudes. Theoretically interesting is the finding that the cartoon message is more effective in bringing about change in attitudes and subjective norms than the written message for low-NFC adolescents, and that the written message is more effective than the cartoon message for high-NFC adolescents. These results are consistent with the theory-based prediction that a persuasive communication will be most effective when the format of the message is tailored to people's information-processing proclivities. The practical implications of the findings for AIDS education are discussed.

  20. Contributions to a neurophysiology of meaning: the interpretation of written messages could be an automatic stimulus-reaction mechanism before becoming conscious processing of information

    PubMed Central

    Convertini, Livia S.; Quatraro, Sabrina; Ressa, Stefania; Velasco, Annalisa

    2015-01-01

    Background. Even though the interpretation of natural language messages is generally conceived as the result of a conscious processing of the message content, the influence of unconscious factors is also well known. What is still insufficiently known is the way such factors work. We have tackled interpretation assuming it is a process, whose basic features are the same for the whole humankind, and employing a naturalistic approach (careful observation of phenomena in conditions the closest to “natural” ones, and precise description before and independently of data statistical analysis). Methodology. Our field research involved a random sample of 102 adults. We presented them with a complete real world-like case of written communication using unabridged message texts. We collected data (participants’ written reports on their interpretations) in controlled conditions through a specially designed questionnaire (closed and opened answers); then, we treated it through qualitative and quantitative methods. Principal Findings. We gathered some evidence that, in written message interpretation, between reading and the attribution of conscious meaning, an intermediate step could exist (we named it “disassembling”) which looks like an automatic reaction to the text words/expressions. Thus, the process of interpretation would be a discontinuous sequence of three steps having different natures: the initial “decoding” step (i.e., reading, which requires technical abilities), disassembling (the automatic reaction, an unconscious passage) and the final conscious attribution of meaning. If this is true, words and expressions would firstly function like physical stimuli, before being taken into account as symbols. Such hypothesis, once confirmed, could help explaining some links between the cultural (human communication) and the biological (stimulus-reaction mechanisms as the basis for meanings) dimension of humankind. PMID:26528419

  1. Getting Preschoolers Ready To Read and Write.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keith, Lori; Morrison, George S.; Brown, Karon

    2002-01-01

    Discusses the increased literacy emphasis in schools and how early childhood programs can provide an enriched literacy environment. Defines and provides suggestions for activities related to basic literacy concepts: listening comprehension, phonological awareness, reading motivation, written expression, letter and early word recognition, and…

  2. Directives Relatives a l'Elaboration de Programmes de Conseil en Gestion pour Petites Entreprises (Guidelines for Management Consulting Programs for Small-Scale Enterprise). Appropriate Technologies for Development. Peace Corps Information Collection & Exchange Manual Series No. M-29.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughan, Gary L.

    Written in French, this manual is designed to assist management consultants in working with small-scale entrepreneurs in developing countries. Addressed in an overview of the small-scale enterprise (SSE) are the role of the SSE in Third World development, problems of SSEs, and target firms. The second chapter deals with various forms of management…

  3. Event-related brain responses to emotional words, pictures, and faces – a cross-domain comparison

    PubMed Central

    Bayer, Mareike; Schacht, Annekathrin

    2014-01-01

    Emotion effects in event-related brain potentials (ERPs) have previously been reported for a range of visual stimuli, including emotional words, pictures, and facial expressions. Still, little is known about the actual comparability of emotion effects across these stimulus classes. The present study aimed to fill this gap by investigating emotion effects in response to words, pictures, and facial expressions using a blocked within-subject design. Furthermore, ratings of stimulus arousal and valence were collected from an independent sample of participants. Modulations of early posterior negativity (EPN) and late positive complex (LPC) were visible for all stimulus domains, but showed clear differences, particularly in valence processing. While emotion effects were limited to positive stimuli for words, they were predominant for negative stimuli in pictures and facial expressions. These findings corroborate the notion of a positivity offset for words and a negativity bias for pictures and facial expressions, which was assumed to be caused by generally lower arousal levels of written language. Interestingly, however, these assumed differences were not confirmed by arousal ratings. Instead, words were rated as overall more positive than pictures and facial expressions. Taken together, the present results point toward systematic differences in the processing of written words and pictorial stimuli of emotional content, not only in terms of a valence bias evident in ERPs, but also concerning their emotional evaluation captured by ratings of stimulus valence and arousal. PMID:25339927

  4. [Examination of relationship between level of hearing and written language skills in 10-14-year-old hearing impaired children].

    PubMed

    Turğut, Nedim; Karlıdağ, Turgut; Başar, Figen; Yalçın, Şinasi; Kaygusuz, İrfan; Keleş, Erol; Birkent, Ömer Faruk

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to review the relationship between written language skills and factors which are thought to affect this skill such as mean hearing loss, duration of auditory deprivation, speech discrimination score, and pre-school education attendance and socioeconomic status of hearing impaired children who attend 4th-7th grades in primary school in inclusive environment. The study included 25 hearing impaired children (14 males, 11 females; mean age 11.4±1.4 years; range 10 to 14 years) (study group) and 20 children (9 males, 11 females; mean age 11.5±1.3 years; range 10 to 14 years) (control group) with normal hearing in the same age group and studying in the same class. Study group was separated into two subgroups as group 1a and group 1b since some of the children with hearing disability used hearing aid while some used cochlear implant. Intragroup comparisons and relational screening were performed for those who use hearing aids and cochlear implants. Intergroup comparisons were performed to evaluate the effect of the parameters on written language skills. Written expression skill level of children with hearing disability was significantly lower than their normal hearing peers (p=0.001). A significant relationship was detected between written language skills and mean hearing loss (p=0.048), duration of auditory deprivation (p=0.021), speech discrimination score (p=0.014), and preschool attendance (p=0.005), when it comes to socioeconomic status we were not able to find any significant relationship (p=0.636). It can be said that hearing loss affects written language skills negatively and hearing impaired individuals develop low-level written language skills compared to their normal hearing peers.

  5. Measuring large scale space perception in literary texts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rossi, Paolo

    2007-07-01

    A center and radius of “perception” (in the sense of environmental cognition) can be formally associated with a written text and operationally defined. Simple algorithms for their computation are presented, and indicators for anisotropy in large scale space perception are introduced. The relevance of these notions for the analysis of literary and historical records is briefly discussed and illustrated with an example taken from medieval historiography.

  6. Imaging with hypertelescopes: a simple modal approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aime, C.

    2008-05-01

    Aims: We give a simple analysis of imaging with hypertelescopes, a technique proposed by Labeyrie to produce snapshot images using arrays of telescopes. The approach is modal: we describe the transformations induced by the densification onto a sinusoidal decomposition of the focal image instead of the usual point spread function approach. Methods: We first express the image formed at the focus of a diluted array of apertures as the product R_0(α) X_F(α) of the diffraction pattern of the elementary apertures R_0(α) by the object-dependent interference term X_F(α) between all apertures. The interference term, which can be written in the form of a Fourier Series for an extremely diluted array, produces replications of the object, which makes observing the image difficult. We express the focal image after the densification using the approach of Tallon and Tallon-Bosc. Results: The result is very simple for an extremely diluted array. We show that the focal image in a periscopic densification of the array can be written as R_0(α) X_F(α/γ), where γ is the factor of densification. There is a dilatation of the interference term while the diffraction term is unchanged. After de-zooming, the image can be written as γ2 X_F(α)R_0(γ α), an expression which clearly indicates that the final image corresponds to the center of the Fizeau image intensified by γ2. The imaging limitations of hypertelescopes are therefore those of the original configuration. The effect of the suppression of image replications is illustrated in a numerical simulation for a fully redundant configuration and a non-redundant one.

  7. Robust continuous clustering

    PubMed Central

    Shah, Sohil Atul

    2017-01-01

    Clustering is a fundamental procedure in the analysis of scientific data. It is used ubiquitously across the sciences. Despite decades of research, existing clustering algorithms have limited effectiveness in high dimensions and often require tuning parameters for different domains and datasets. We present a clustering algorithm that achieves high accuracy across multiple domains and scales efficiently to high dimensions and large datasets. The presented algorithm optimizes a smooth continuous objective, which is based on robust statistics and allows heavily mixed clusters to be untangled. The continuous nature of the objective also allows clustering to be integrated as a module in end-to-end feature learning pipelines. We demonstrate this by extending the algorithm to perform joint clustering and dimensionality reduction by efficiently optimizing a continuous global objective. The presented approach is evaluated on large datasets of faces, hand-written digits, objects, newswire articles, sensor readings from the Space Shuttle, and protein expression levels. Our method achieves high accuracy across all datasets, outperforming the best prior algorithm by a factor of 3 in average rank. PMID:28851838

  8. A parallel computer implementation of fast low-rank QR approximation of the Biot-Savart law

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

    White, D A; Fasenfest, B J; Stowell, M L

    2005-11-07

    In this paper we present a low-rank QR method for evaluating the discrete Biot-Savart law on parallel computers. It is assumed that the known current density and the unknown magnetic field are both expressed in a finite element expansion, and we wish to compute the degrees-of-freedom (DOF) in the basis function expansion of the magnetic field. The matrix that maps the current DOF to the field DOF is full, but if the spatial domain is properly partitioned the matrix can be written as a block matrix, with blocks representing distant interactions being low rank and having a compressed QR representation.more » The matrix partitioning is determined by the number of processors, the rank of each block (i.e. the compression) is determined by the specific geometry and is computed dynamically. In this paper we provide the algorithmic details and present computational results for large-scale computations.« less

  9. Automated Performance Prediction of Message-Passing Parallel Programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Block, Robert J.; Sarukkai, Sekhar; Mehra, Pankaj; Woodrow, Thomas S. (Technical Monitor)

    1995-01-01

    The increasing use of massively parallel supercomputers to solve large-scale scientific problems has generated a need for tools that can predict scalability trends of applications written for these machines. Much work has been done to create simple models that represent important characteristics of parallel programs, such as latency, network contention, and communication volume. But many of these methods still require substantial manual effort to represent an application in the model's format. The NIK toolkit described in this paper is the result of an on-going effort to automate the formation of analytic expressions of program execution time, with a minimum of programmer assistance. In this paper we demonstrate the feasibility of our approach, by extending previous work to detect and model communication patterns automatically, with and without overlapped computations. The predictions derived from these models agree, within reasonable limits, with execution times of programs measured on the Intel iPSC/860 and Paragon. Further, we demonstrate the use of MK in selecting optimal computational grain size and studying various scalability metrics.

  10. Readability analysis of internet-based patient information regarding skull base tumors.

    PubMed

    Misra, Poonam; Kasabwala, Khushabu; Agarwal, Nitin; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Liu, James K

    2012-09-01

    Readability is an important consideration in assessing healthcare-related literature. In order for a source of information to be the most beneficial to patients, it should be written at a level appropriate for the audience. The National Institute of Health recommends that health literature be written at a maximum level of sixth grade. This is not uniformly found in current health literature, putting patients with lower reading levels at a disadvantage. In February 2012, healthcare-oriented education resources were retrieved from websites obtained using the Google search phrase skull base tumors. Of the first 25 consecutive, unique website hits, 18 websites were found to contain information for patients. Ten different assessment scales were utilized to assess the readability of the patient-specific web pages. Patient-oriented material found online for skull base tumors was written at a significantly higher level than the reading level of the average US patient. The average reading level of this material was found to be at a minimum of eleventh grade across all ten scales. Health related material related to skull base tumors available through the internet can be improved to reach a larger audience without sacrificing the necessary information. Revisions of this material can provide significant benefit for average patients and improve their health care.

  11. Work Habits Are Valid Components of Evaluations of Anesthesia Residents Based on Faculty Anesthesiologists' Daily Written Comments About Residents.

    PubMed

    Dexter, Franklin; Masursky, Danielle; Szeluga, Debra; Hindman, Bradley J

    2016-05-01

    In our department, faculty anesthesiologists routinely evaluate the resident physicians with whom they worked in an operative setting the day before, providing numerical scores to questions. The faculty can also enter a written comment if so desired. Because residents' work habits are important to anesthesiology program directors, and work habits can improve with feedback, we hypothesized that faculty comments would include the theme of the anesthesia resident's work habits. We analyzed all 6692 faculty comments from January 1, 2011, to June 30, 2015. We quantified use of the theme of Dannefer et al.'s work habit scale, specifically the words and phrases in the scale, and synonyms to the words. Approximately half (50.7% [lower 99.99% confidence limit, 48.4%]) of faculty comments contained the theme of work habits. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed excluding individual faculty, residents, and words. The lower confidence limits for comments containing the theme were each >42.7%. Although faculty anesthesiologists completed (numerical) questions based on the American College of Graduate Medical Education competencies to evaluate residents, an important percentage of written comments included the theme of work habits. The implication is that the theme has validity as one component of the routine evaluation of anesthesia residents.

  12. Analysis of Children's Errors in Comprehension and Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hatcher, Ryan C.; Breaux, Kristina C.; Liu, Xiaochen; Bray, Melissa A.; Ottone-Cross, Karen L.; Courville, Troy; Luria, Sarah R.; Langley, Susan Dulong

    2017-01-01

    Children's oral language skills typically begin to develop sooner than their written language skills; however, the four language systems (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) then develop concurrently as integrated strands that influence one another. This research explored relationships between students' errors in language comprehension of…

  13. Mechanisms of Chemical Modulation and Toxicity of the Immune System.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-05-15

    expressing the L3T4 surface antigens and suppressor/cytotoxic cells bearing Lyt-2 surface antigens. Autoimmune or immunodeficient diseases have been...Ill. Written Publications (cumulative list) A. Suppression of mitogen-induced blastogenesis of feline lymphocytes by in vitro incubation with

  14. Coping with Constraints: Reflecting on Responsibilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Nancy J.

    2001-01-01

    Discusses common threads found in the four articles written by teachers in this themed journal issue on coping with mandated curriculum. Discusses the teachers' commitment to professional responsibility expressed as their responsibility to: learn about learning, demonstrate how learning works, make the best teaching decisions possible, remain…

  15. Micropropagation, genetic engineering, and molecular biology of Populus

    Treesearch

    N. B. Klopfenstein; Y. W. Chun; M. -S. Kim; M. A. Ahuja; M. C. Dillon; R. C. Carman; L. G. Eskew

    1997-01-01

    Thirty-four Populus biotechnology chapters, written by 85 authors, are comprised in 5 sections: 1) in vitro culture (micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, protoplasts, somaclonal variation, and germplasm preservation); 2) transformation and foreign gene expression; 3) molecular biology (molecular/genetic characterization); 4) biotic and abiotic resistance (disease,...

  16. Protection of Computer Programs--A Dilemma.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carnahan, William H.

    Computer programs, as legitimate original inventions or creative written expressions, are entitled to patent or copyright protection. Understanding the legal implications of this concept is crucial to both computer programmers and their employers in our increasingly computer-oriented way of life. Basically the copyright or patent procedure…

  17. LD College Writers: An Annotated Bibliography.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Best, Linda

    Seven research-based papers on writing disorders of learning-disabled college students are listed and reviewed. The papers deal with persistent auditory language deficits in adults with learning disabilities; error patterns and instructional alternatives relating to college learning-disabled writers; syntactic complexity in written expression;…

  18. A comme... (A as in...).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rolle, Rosalba; And Others

    1981-01-01

    Contains five articles concerning: (1) exploitation of commercials to enhance comprehension and oral/written expression; (2) a game involving matching picture and text in advertisements; (3) a vocabulary-development game used in teacher training; (4) comprehension and analysis of literary texts in intermediate classes; and (5) techniques for…

  19. Effectiveness of a co-taught handwriting program for first grade students.

    PubMed

    Case-Smith, Jane; Holland, Terri; White, Susan

    2014-02-01

    Our study examined the effects of Write Start, a classroom-embedded handwriting/writing program on handwriting and writing fluency for first grade students, co-taught by occupational therapists and teachers. Two first grade classrooms received the Write Start and two received standard handwriting instruction. This co-taught program included specific feedback during handwriting practice, small group activities, student self-evaluation, and peer supports. The students were evaluated on handwriting legibility, fluency, and written expression at baseline, immediately after the program, and 6 months later. When performance was compared between the two groups, the students in the Write Start program improved significantly more in legibility (d = .57) and fluency (d = .75) than students who received standard instruction. Gains in handwriting speed (d = .18), average legibility (d = .26), and written expression (d = .25) did not differ significantly between the two groups. A co-taught, inclusive handwriting/writing program can promote first grade students' achievement of lower case legibility and writing fluency.

  20. Finding Meaning in Written Emotional Expression by Family Caregivers of Persons With Dementia.

    PubMed

    Butcher, Howard K; Gordon, Jean K; Ko, Ji Woon; Perkhounkova, Yelena; Cho, Jun Young; Rinner, Andrew; Lutgendorf, Susan

    2016-12-01

    This study tested the effect of written emotional expression on the ability to find meaning in caregiving and the effects of finding meaning on emotional state and psychological burden in 91 dementia family caregivers. In a pretest-posttest design, participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a comparison group. Experimental caregivers (n = 57) wrote about their deepest thoughts and feelings about caring for a family member with dementia, whereas those in the comparison group (n = 34) wrote about nonemotional topics. Results showed enhanced meaning-making abilities in experimental participants relative to comparison participants, particularly for those who used more positive emotion words. Improved meaning-making ability was in turn associated with psychological benefits at posttest, but experimental participants did not show significantly more benefit than comparison participants. We explore the mediating roles of the meaning-making process as well as some of the background characteristics of the individual caregivers and their caregiving environments. © The Author(s) 2016.

  1. LOOS: an extensible platform for the structural analysis of simulations.

    PubMed

    Romo, Tod D; Grossfield, Alan

    2009-01-01

    We have developed LOOS (Lightweight Object-Oriented Structure-analysis library) as an object-oriented library designed to facilitate the rapid development of tools for the structural analysis of simulations. LOOS supports the native file formats of most common simulation packages including AMBER, CHARMM, CNS, Gromacs, NAMD, Tinker, and X-PLOR. Encapsulation and polymorphism are used to simultaneously provide a stable interface to the programmer and make LOOS easily extensible. A rich atom selection language based on the C expression syntax is included as part of the library. LOOS enables students and casual programmer-scientists to rapidly write their own analytical tools in a compact and expressive manner resembling scripting. LOOS is written in C++ and makes extensive use of the Standard Template Library and Boost, and is freely available under the GNU General Public License (version 3) LOOS has been tested on Linux and MacOS X, but is written to be portable and should work on most Unix-based platforms.

  2. CGO: utilizing and integrating gene expression microarray data in clinical research and data management.

    PubMed

    Bumm, Klaus; Zheng, Mingzhong; Bailey, Clyde; Zhan, Fenghuang; Chiriva-Internati, M; Eddlemon, Paul; Terry, Julian; Barlogie, Bart; Shaughnessy, John D

    2002-02-01

    Clinical GeneOrganizer (CGO) is a novel windows-based archiving, organization and data mining software for the integration of gene expression profiling in clinical medicine. The program implements various user-friendly tools and extracts data for further statistical analysis. This software was written for Affymetrix GeneChip *.txt files, but can also be used for any other microarray-derived data. The MS-SQL server version acts as a data mart and links microarray data with clinical parameters of any other existing database and therefore represents a valuable tool for combining gene expression analysis and clinical disease characteristics.

  3. Changes in spirituality among ayahuasca ceremony novice participants.

    PubMed

    Trichter, Stephen; Klimo, Jon; Krippner, Stanley

    2009-06-01

    Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic plant brew from the Amazon basin used as part of healing ceremonies by the local indigenous people of the region for centuries, is now being consumed by growing numbers of people throughout the world. Anecdotal evidence and previous research suggest that there are spiritual effects experienced among participants who take part in ayahuasca ceremonies. The current study examined whether novice participants' spirituality was affected through participation in an ayahuasca ceremony, and if so, how. A mixed-design method was used, comparing those participating in an ayahuasca ceremony to those who did not participate. This investigation used the Peak Experience Profile, the Spiritual Well-being Scale, and the Mysticism Scale as quantitative measures. Participant interviews and written accounts of ceremony experiences were analyzed. Results showed that neither the SWB score nor the M-Scale score increased significantly after participating in an ayahuasca ceremony. However, it was found that the higher the PEP score, the greater the positive change in SWB and M-Scale scores. Qualitative data revealed common spiritual themes in many of the participants' interviews and written accounts. Experiential differences were displayed within the ayahuasca ceremony group, warranting continued investigation into, and identification of, various confounding variables that prompt reported changes in spirituality within some participants while not in others.

  4. Educational Supports for Students with Special Needs: Preservice Music Educators' Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whipple, Jennifer; VanWeelden, Kimberly

    2012-01-01

    Historically, music educators have expressed concerns about inadequate preparation to work with students with special needs, specifically desiring skills related to instruction adaptation. Research has indicated that educational supports (written words, color coding, icons, echoing, buddy system, and other visual aids) can be particularly…

  5. 9 CFR 206.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... pricing determination included in a contract that establishes a minimum and/or maximum level of base price... premiums or discounts, expressed in dollars per unit. Contract. Any agreement, whether written or verbal... accrues a running positive or negative balance as a result of a pricing determination included in a...

  6. Engaging Students with Audio Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cann, Alan

    2014-01-01

    Students express widespread dissatisfaction with academic feedback. Teaching staff perceive a frequent lack of student engagement with written feedback, much of which goes uncollected or unread. Published evidence shows that audio feedback is highly acceptable to students but is underused. This paper explores methods to produce and deliver audio…

  7. Number Guessing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sezin, Fatin

    2009-01-01

    It is instructive and interesting to find hidden numbers by using different positional numeration systems. Most of the present guessing techniques use the binary system expressed as less-than, greater-than or present-absent type information. This article describes how, by employing four cards having integers 1-64 written in different colours, one…

  8. Evidence-Based Diagnosis and Treatment for Specific Learning Disabilities Involving Impairments in Written and/or Oral Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berninger, Virginia W.; May, Maggie O'Malley

    2011-01-01

    Programmatic, multidisciplinary research provided converging brain, genetic, and developmental support for evidence-based diagnoses of three specific learning disabilities based on hallmark phenotypes (behavioral expression of underlying genotypes) with treatment relevance: dysgraphia (impaired legible automatic letter writing, orthographic…

  9. The Underlying Message in LD Intervention Research: Findings from Research Syntheses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughn, Sharon; Gersten, Russell; Chard, David J.

    2000-01-01

    This article summarizes the critical findings of recent research syntheses concerning intervention with students who have learning disabilities. The syntheses examined research on higher-order processing and problem- solving, reading comprehension, written expression, and grouping practices associated with improved outcomes in reading. Principles…

  10. 39 CFR 3020.35 - Further proceedings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... scheduled to consider the concerns expressed by the Commission. Written statements commenting on the Commission's concerns shall be requested, to be filed 7 days prior to the conference. Upon conclusion of the...) Explain the reasons for not going forward with additional proceedings and approve the request to modify...

  11. Language-Based Curriculum Analysis: A Collaborative Assessment and Intervention Process.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prelock, Patricia A.

    1997-01-01

    Presents a systematic process for completing a language-based curriculum analysis to address curriculum expectations that may challenge students with communication impairments. Analysis of vocabulary and the demands for comprehension, oral, and written expression within specific content areas provides a framework for collaboration between teachers…

  12. Modifying Learning Strategies for Classroom Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Brien, Chris

    2005-01-01

    Students with Learning Disabilities (LD) often experience significant difficulty with academic content at the secondary level due to weaknesses in reading comprehension, written expression, math skills, and vocabulary learning skills. This article will highlight the usefulness of learning strategies for ensuring success of students with LD in the…

  13. "Magnetic Reconnection Code: Applications to Sawtooth Oscillations, Error-Field Induced Islands, and the Dynamo Effect" - Final Technical Report

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

    Fitzpatrick, Richard

    2007-09-24

    Dr. Fitzpatrick has written an MHD code in order to investigate the interaction of tearing modes with flow and external magnetic perturbations, which has been successfully benchmarked against both linear and nonlinear theory and used to investigate error-field penetration in flowing plasmas. The same code was used to investigate the so-called Taylor problem. He employed the University of Chicago's FLASH code to further investigate the Taylor problem, discovering a new aspect of the problem. Dr. Fitzpatrick has written a 2-D Hall MHD code and used it to investigate the collisionless Taylor problem. Dr. Waelbroeck has performed an investigation of themore » scaling of the error-field penetration threshold in collisionless plasmas. Paul Watson and Dr. Fitzpatrick have written a fully-implicit extended-MHD code using the PETSC framework. Five publications have resulted from this grant work.« less

  14. Hidden scaling patterns and universality in written communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Formentin, M.; Lovison, A.; Maritan, A.; Zanzotto, G.

    2014-07-01

    The temporal statistics exhibited by written correspondence appear to be media dependent, with features which have so far proven difficult to characterize. We explain the origin of these difficulties by disentangling the role of spontaneous activity from decision-based prioritizing processes in human dynamics, clocking all waiting times through each agent's "proper time" measured by activity. This unveils the same fundamental patterns in written communication across all media (letters, email, sms), with response times displaying truncated power-law behavior and average exponents near -3/2. When standard time is used, the response time probabilities are theoretically predicted to exhibit a bimodal character, which is empirically borne out by our newly collected years-long data on email. These perspectives on the temporal dynamics of human correspondence should aid in the analysis of interaction phenomena in general, including resource management, optimal pricing and routing, information sharing, and emergency handling.

  15. Radiology Online Patient Education Materials Provided by Major University Hospitals: Do They Conform to NIH and AMA Guidelines?

    PubMed

    Prabhu, Arpan V; Donovan, Ashley L; Crihalmeanu, Tudor; Hansberry, David R; Agarwal, Nitin; Beriwal, Sushil; Kale, Hrishikesh; Heller, Matthew

    The internet creates opportunities for Americans to access medical information about imaging tests and modalities to guide them in their medical decision-making. Owing to health literacy variations in the general population, the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend patient education resources to be written between the third and seventh grade levels. Our purpose is to quantitatively assess the readability levels of online radiology educational materials, written for the public, in 20 major university hospitals. In September and October 2016, we identified 20 major university hospitals with radiology residency-affiliated hospital systems. On each hospital׳s website, we downloaded all radiology-related articles written for patient use. A total of 375 articles were analyzed for readability level using 9 quantitative readability scales that are well validated in the medical literature. The 375 articles from 20 hospital systems were collectively written at an 11.4 ± 3.0 grade level (range: 8.4-17.1). Only 11 (2.9%) articles were written at the recommended third to seventh grade levels. Overall, 126 (33.6%) were written above a full high-school reading level. University of Washington Medical Center׳s articles were the most readable with a reading level corresponding to 7.9 ± 0.9. The vast majority of websites at major academic hospitals with radiology residencies designed to provide patients with information about imaging were written above the nationally recommended health literacy guidelines to meet the needs of the average American. This may limit the benefit that patients can derive from these educational materials. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Feasibility of a shorter Goal Attainment Scaling method for a pediatric spasticity clinic - The 3-milestones GAS.

    PubMed

    Krasny-Pacini, A; Pauly, F; Hiebel, J; Godon, S; Isner-Horobeti, M-E; Chevignard, M

    2017-07-01

    Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) is a method for writing personalized evaluation scales to quantify progress toward defined goals. It is useful in rehabilitation but is hampered by the experience required to adequately "predict" the possible outcomes relating to a particular goal before treatment and the time needed to describe all 5 levels of the scale. Here we aimed to investigate the feasibility of using GAS in a clinical setting of a pediatric spasticity clinic with a shorter method, the "3-milestones" GAS (goal setting with 3 levels and goal rating with the classical 5 levels). Secondary aims were to (1) analyze the types of goals children's therapists set for botulinum toxin treatment and (2) compare the score distribution (and therefore the ability to predict outcome) by goal type. Therapists were trained in GAS writing and prepared GAS scales in the regional spasticity-management clinic they attended with their patients and families. The study included all GAS scales written during a 2-year period. GAS score distribution across the 5 GAS levels was examined to assess whether the therapist could reliably predict outcome and whether the 3-milestones GAS yielded similar distributions as the original GAS method. In total, 541 GAS scales were written and showed the expected score distribution. Most scales (55%) referred to movement quality goals and fewer (29%) to family goals and activity domains. The 3-milestones GAS method was feasible within the time constraints of the spasticity clinic and could be used by local therapists in cooperation with the hospital team. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. Miss Heroin.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riley, Bernice

    This script, with music, lyrics and dialog, was written especially for youngsters to inform them of the potential dangers of various drugs. The author, who teaches in an elementary school in Harlem, New York, offers Miss Heroin as her answer to the expressed opinion that most drug and alcohol information available is either too simplified and…

  18. Curriculum-Based Measurement for Beginning Writers (K-2)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dombek, Jennifer L.; Al Otaiba, Stephanie

    2016-01-01

    Assessment and instruction of reading tend to dominate current discussions of early literacy. Shifting the focus to writing, this article addresses the assessment of writing for students in kindergarten through second grade. Using curriculum-based measurement of written expression for beginning writers, teachers can measure growth of smaller…

  19. Communicative Skills Acquisition: A Recommended Resource.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lang, Margaret

    Communication in written and oral discourse can be enhanced by cohesive devices, linguistic structures independent of grammar. One cohesive device is that of enumeration or listing. In French, the means of expressing enumeration include such structures as: "avant...puis.../d'une part...d'autre part.../enfin.../ensuite..." and in idiolectal use,…

  20. Creating Vocative Texts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nicol, Jennifer J.

    2008-01-01

    Vocative texts are expressive poetic texts that strive to show rather than tell, that communicate felt knowledge, and that appeal to the senses. They are increasingly used by researchers to present qualitative findings, but little has been written about how to create such texts. To this end, excerpts from an inquiry into the experience and meaning…

  1. Summer's End and Sad Goodbyes: Children's Picturebooks about Death and Dying

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiseman, Angela M.

    2013-01-01

    This article explores children's picturebooks about death and grieving by considering both psychological and literary aspects. Two questions frame this analysis: How can picturebooks, particularly written for young children, support children's grief when someone dies? How do the illustrations and text of picture books express and convey the…

  2. Elementary School Students' Perceptions of Technology in their Pictorial Representations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eristi, Suzan Duygu; Kurt, Adile Askim

    2011-01-01

    The current study aimed to reveal elementary school students' perceptions of technology through their pictorial representations and their written expressions based on their pictorial representations. Content analysis based on the qualitative research method along with art-based inquiry was applied. The "coding system for the concepts revealed…

  3. Non-Leveled English Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hagler, Howard

    This curriculum guide is divided into two parts, genre and language skills. Genre involves the specific explorations of the spoken and written word: drama, public speaking, non-fiction, the short story, the novel, and creative expression. Language skills directs itself to the mastery of the mechanics of English. For each course outline included in…

  4. Improving Written Expression in the Elementary Schools; A Rationale and Plan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brouillet, Frank B.

    This booklet is intended to help people establish goals, objectives, activities, and evaluation tools for teaching elementary writing. The following topics are discussed: practical writing, invention, writing games, voice, personal writing, strategies and techniques teachers can use to enhance personal writing, teaching grammar and writing,…

  5. BioImaging Database

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

    David Nix, Lisa Simirenko

    2006-10-25

    The Biolmaging Database (BID) is a relational database developed to store the data and meta-data for the 3D gene expression in early Drosophila embryo development on a cellular level. The schema was written to be used with the MySQL DBMS but with minor modifications can be used on any SQL compliant relational DBMS.

  6. Attitudes to Educational Issues: Development of an Instrument.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lemke, Jay L.; And Others

    To obtain a test which could be used for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data on teachers' attitudes toward contemporary educational issues, the Attitudes to Educational Issues instrument (AEI) was developed. Statements were written in five-choice Likert format to express attitudes toward these six educational issues: (1)…

  7. Self-Willed Learning: Experiments in Wild Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jickling, Bob

    2015-01-01

    This paper is comprised of written text and photographs of wild experiences that relive a series of ontological experiments. The text represents reflections on these experiences. The photographs, artistic expressions of the same experiences, have been made with a homemade pinhole camera--without a lens and viewfinder--thus demanding special…

  8. Learning How to Lead: A Lifetime Journey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baugher, Shirley L.

    2005-01-01

    Much has been written about theories of leadership, leadership qualities, and the development of leadership. In this article, the author focuses on the work of Kevin Cashman, who proposed the following "Five Touchstones" that are crucial to authentic leadership: (1) Know Yourself Authentically; (2) Listen Authentically; (3) Express Authentically;…

  9. A Painful Remembrance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pember, Mary Annette

    2007-01-01

    Many in Indian country have expressed that the trauma from the boarding school experience continues to terrorize the hearts of American Indians. Although much has been written about this history that looms so large in the North American indigenous experience, it remains an obscure topic in mainstream America. Dr. Eulynda J. Toledo, a member of the…

  10. Energy is Not the Ability to do Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lehrman, Robert L.

    1973-01-01

    The common definition is shown to be false. A modern definition must be based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics and in terms of a set of algebraic expressions written in such a way that their sum does not change when a system is isolated. (DF)

  11. Manuel Gonzalez Prada and Rigoberta Menchu: Measuring "Indigenismo" through Indigenous Thought

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Much has been written about "indianismo" and "indigenismo" and their literary and social meaning, but rarely have these two "criollo" movements been positioned face to face with actual Indigenous expression. This article attempts a preliminary pass at just such an approach by comparing four indigenous themes…

  12. Comparison of Teacher-Rated Achievement Levels of Behaviorally Disordered, Learning Disabled, and Nonhandicapped Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luebke, Jerry; And Others

    1989-01-01

    Teacher ratings on reading recognition, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and written expression revealed that behaviorally disordered and learning-disabled adolescents (N=200) were seen as performing significantly below expected levels of achievement. Differences between behaviorally disordered and learning-disabled students appeared to depend…

  13. Teaching Writing for Keeps

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alber-Morgan, Sheila R.; Hessler, Terri; Konrad, Moira

    2007-01-01

    Proficiency with written expression is critical for students' academic success. Unfortunately, writing presents a challenge for both students and teachers. Recent data suggest that many students in U.S. schools fail to meet even the most basic writing standards. And even when students receive effective (i.e., evidence-based) writing instruction,…

  14. ACCESS! Teaching Writing Skills to Students with Intellectual Disability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cannella-Malone, Helen I.; Konrad, Moira; Pennington, Robert C.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to provide teachers with tools that they can use to teach written expression to school-age students with intellectual disabilities. These tools are presented around the mnemonic ACCESS: accommodations and assistive technologies, concrete topics, critical skills, explicit instruction, strategy instruction, systematic…

  15. Voluntary Religious Activities in Public Schools: Policy Guidelines. Fastback 253.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbins, Jan C.

    This booklet was written to help school officials understand the law concerning public forums and voluntary religious activities in public schools. Compliance dilemmas arising from the First Amendment establishment of religion clause and the accompanying free speech and free expression clauses, along with 14th Amendment equal protection…

  16. Dissecting Student Dialogue

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanford, Angela; Henderson, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    Although written expression is a valuable tool for both teacher and student to assess learning, teachers must be mindful that writing skills are often delayed for many youth. Through brain research, educators have not only learned that reading and writing skills must be acquired, but even some advanced students have deficiencies in processing…

  17. Narrative Representations of Asperger's Syndrome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Connell, Julie

    2010-01-01

    This discussion focuses on literary works written by individuals with Asperger's Syndrome (AS), a Pervasive Developmental Disorder that causes severe impairment in social development. Individuals with AS have trouble understanding their own emotions as well as the feelings of others; they are not able to read social cues and facial expressions;…

  18. Literature Circles. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Chia-Hui

    The use of literature circles has been discussed in a variety of academic journals, conference papers, and workshops. Teachers at all grade levels use literature circles as a vehicle through which students learn to: think critically about literature; express their thoughts in oral and written forms; and better enjoy their literacy experiences.…

  19. Cosmic Sense, Sensibility, and Written Expression: From Childhood to Adolescence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahn, David

    2001-01-01

    Compares and connects the cosmic awareness emerging in the elementary classroom to adolescent cosmic sensibility embedded in the experience of the Hershey Montessori Farm School. Provides examples of students' poetry to support Montessori's concept of valorization of personality as each individual turns toward maturity. (Author/TJQ)

  20. The Legal Implications of Statewide Pupil Performance Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tractenberg, Paul L.

    About half the states in the U.S., either by legislative or administrative action, have moved toward the imposition of statewide performance standards in their elementary and secondary schools. Typically these standards pertain to the basic skills--reading, mathematical computation, and written and oral expression. Almost all of these programs…

  1. Exploring Critical Themes through the Human Figure

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, Lynette K.

    2013-01-01

    A primary goal of substantive art education is to communicate visually--to decipher art for meaning and to construct meaning through images and objects. Strategies available to engage students are the interdisciplinary activities found in performance, visual and written forms of creative expression, and related disciplines such as ethnography,…

  2. Disabilities in Written Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, Teresa J.

    2011-01-01

    Regular education teachers may have received inadequate preparation to work with the variety of student disabilities encountered in the classroom, or they may have received limited training regarding the full range of learning disabilities and their effects on classroom performance. Along with problems in the area of math, students may also have…

  3. Gender Differences in Gifted Students' Advice on Solving the World's Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malin, Jenessa; Makel, Matthew C.

    2012-01-01

    Gender differences in interests and preferences are among the currently accepted potential explanations for the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In an attempt to analyze the development of such preferences, gender differences expressed in essays written by gifted elementary students…

  4. 78 FR 27025 - Modification of Class B Airspace; Philadelphia, PA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-09

    ... invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal. Three... determination on this final rule. Discussion of Comments All three commenters expressed concern over the effect... the airspace boundary essentially where it is today. The current corridor is only 4 miles wide...

  5. University Student Conceptions of Learning Science through Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Robert A.; Taylor, Charlotte E.; Drury, Helen

    2006-01-01

    First-year undergraduate science students experienced a writing program as an important part of their assessment in a biology subject. The writing program was designed to help them develop both their scientific understanding as well as their written scientific expression. Open-ended questionnaires investigating the quality of the experience of…

  6. MANUAL: BIOVENTING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE VOLUME II. BIOVENTING DESIGN

    EPA Science Inventory

    The results from bioventing research and development efforts and from the pilot-scale bioventing systems have been used to produce this two-volume manual. Although this design manual has been written based on extensive experience with petroleum hydrocarbons (and thus, many exampl...

  7. Program Manipulates Plots For Effective Display

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bauer, F.; Downing, J.

    1990-01-01

    Windowed Observation of Relative Motion (WORM) computer program primarily intended for generation of simple X-Y plots from data created by other programs. Enables user to label, zoom, and change scales of various plots. Three-dimensional contour and line plots provided. Written in PASCAL.

  8. Spiral trajectory design: a flexible numerical algorithm and base analytical equations.

    PubMed

    Pipe, James G; Zwart, Nicholas R

    2014-01-01

    Spiral-based trajectories for magnetic resonance imaging can be advantageous, but are often cumbersome to design or create. This work presents a flexible numerical algorithm for designing trajectories based on explicit definition of radial undersampling, and also gives several analytical expressions for charactering the base (critically sampled) class of these trajectories. Expressions for the gradient waveform, based on slew and amplitude limits, are developed such that a desired pitch in the spiral k-space trajectory is followed. The source code for this algorithm, written in C, is publicly available. Analytical expressions approximating the spiral trajectory (ignoring the radial component) are given to characterize measurement time, gradient heating, maximum gradient amplitude, and off-resonance phase for slew-limited and gradient amplitude-limited cases. Several numerically calculated trajectories are illustrated, and base Archimedean spirals are compared with analytically obtained results. Several different waveforms illustrate that the desired slew and amplitude limits are reached, as are the desired undersampling patterns, using the numerical method. For base Archimedean spirals, the results of the numerical and analytical approaches are in good agreement. A versatile numerical algorithm was developed, and was written in publicly available code. Approximate analytical formulas are given that help characterize spiral trajectories. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Handwriting and Common Core State Standards: Teacher, Occupational Therapist, and Administrator Perceptions From New York State Public Schools.

    PubMed

    Collette, Debra; Anson, Kylie; Halabi, Nora; Schlierman, April; Suriner, Allison

    Handwriting is the cornerstone of written performance and communication for school-age children. This mixed-methods study explored the impact of Common Core State Standards on handwriting instruction and its effects on perceptions regarding children's written responses in elementary school. Using surveys and interviews of elementary teachers, occupational therapists, and administrators in New York State public schools, we sought to understand current trends in handwriting instruction, changes in time spent on handwriting instruction in the classroom, supports offered to students who did not meet expectations for handwriting, and the impact of Common Core on children's written expression. Themes emerged revealing decreased handwriting instruction time and inconsistent use of handwriting instructional programs in the classroom after implementation of Common Core. Handwriting should be considered as a greater component in the foundational standards in Common Core. Occupational therapy services can support handwriting instruction implementation. Copyright © 2017 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

  10. Written content indicators of problematic approach behavior toward political officials.

    PubMed

    Schoeneman, Katherine A; Scalora, Mario J; Darrow, Charles D; McLawsen, Julia E; Chang, Grace H; Zimmerman, William J

    2011-01-01

    Those charged with assessing and managing threatening communications must utilize risk factors that are behavioral, operational, and reasonably attainable during investigations. This project examined 326 written correspondence cases of an inappropriate, disruptive, or threatening nature that targeted political officials, with the specific goal of identifying written content indicators of problematic approach behavior. Results revealed that subjects who engaged in problematic approach activity toward their targets had more criminal history, past threat assessment activity, familiarity with firearms, past substance use, and indicators of serious mental illness. Approachers were more likely to engage in multiple contact methods, target dispersion, more overall contacts, and prior contact with their target. Numerous content themes were associated with future problematic approach, including longer handwritten correspondence, referencing specific events, making demands, mentioning stressors, focus on personal themes, feeling their rights were violated, and expressing an intention to approach. Harassing, insulting, and threatening language was not related to approach behavior. The implications of these findings are wide-ranging for the practice of threat assessment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Assessing Anger Expression: Construct Validity of Three Emotion Expression-Related Measures

    PubMed Central

    Jasinski, Matthew J.; Lumley, Mark A.; Latsch, Deborah V.; Schuster, Erik; Kinner, Ellen; Burns, John W.

    2016-01-01

    Self-report measures of emotional expression are common, but their validity to predict objective emotional expression, particularly of anger, is unclear. We tested the validity of the Anger Expression Inventory (AEI; Spielberger et al., 1985)), Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EAC; Stanton, Kirk, Cameron & Danoff-Burg, 2000), and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20; Bagby, Taylor, & Parker, 1994) to predict objective anger expression in 95 adults with chronic back pain. Participants attempted to solve a difficult computer maze by following the directions of a confederate who treated them rudely and unjustly. Participants then expressed their feelings for 4 minutes. Blinded raters coded the videos for anger expression, and a software program analyzed expression transcripts for anger-related words. Analyses related each questionnaire to anger expression. The AEI anger-out scale predicted greater anger expression, as expected, but AEI anger-in did not. The EAC emotional processing scale predicted less anger expression, but the EAC emotional expression scale was unrelated to anger expression. Finally, the TAS-20 predicted greater anger expression. Findings support the validity of the AEI anger-out scale but raise questions about the other measures. The assessment of emotional expression by self-report is complex and perhaps confounded by general emotional experience, the specificity or generality of the emotion(s) assessed, and self-awareness limitations. Performance-based or clinician-rated measures of emotion expression are needed. PMID:27248355

  12. S2LET: A code to perform fast wavelet analysis on the sphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leistedt, B.; McEwen, J. D.; Vandergheynst, P.; Wiaux, Y.

    2013-10-01

    We describe S2LET, a fast and robust implementation of the scale-discretised wavelet transform on the sphere. Wavelets are constructed through a tiling of the harmonic line and can be used to probe spatially localised, scale-dependent features of signals on the sphere. The reconstruction of a signal from its wavelets coefficients is made exact here through the use of a sampling theorem on the sphere. Moreover, a multiresolution algorithm is presented to capture all information of each wavelet scale in the minimal number of samples on the sphere. In addition S2LET supports the HEALPix pixelisation scheme, in which case the transform is not exact but nevertheless achieves good numerical accuracy. The core routines of S2LET are written in C and have interfaces in Matlab, IDL and Java. Real signals can be written to and read from FITS files and plotted as Mollweide projections. The S2LET code is made publicly available, is extensively documented, and ships with several examples in the four languages supported. At present the code is restricted to axisymmetric wavelets but will be extended to directional, steerable wavelets in a future release.

  13. Literature Review: Herbal Medicine Treatment after Large-Scale Disasters.

    PubMed

    Takayama, Shin; Kaneko, Soichiro; Numata, Takehiro; Kamiya, Tetsuharu; Arita, Ryutaro; Saito, Natsumi; Kikuchi, Akiko; Ohsawa, Minoru; Kohayagawa, Yoshitaka; Ishii, Tadashi

    2017-01-01

    Large-scale natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and typhoons, occur worldwide. After the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, our medical support operation's experiences suggested that traditional medicine might be useful for treating the various symptoms of the survivors. However, little information is available regarding herbal medicine treatment in such situations. Considering that further disasters will occur, we performed a literature review and summarized the traditional medicine approaches for treatment after large-scale disasters. We searched PubMed and Cochrane Library for articles written in English, and Ichushi for those written in Japanese. Articles published before 31 March 2016 were included. Keywords "disaster" and "herbal medicine" were used in our search. Among studies involving herbal medicine after a disaster, we found two randomized controlled trials investigating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), three retrospective investigations of trauma or common diseases, and seven case series or case reports of dizziness, pain, and psychosomatic symptoms. In conclusion, herbal medicine has been used to treat trauma, PTSD, and other symptoms after disasters. However, few articles have been published, likely due to the difficulty in designing high quality studies in such situations. Further study will be needed to clarify the usefulness of herbal medicine after disasters.

  14. Gradient design for liquid chromatography using multi-scale optimization.

    PubMed

    López-Ureña, S; Torres-Lapasió, J R; Donat, R; García-Alvarez-Coque, M C

    2018-01-26

    In reversed phase-liquid chromatography, the usual solution to the "general elution problem" is the application of gradient elution with programmed changes of organic solvent (or other properties). A correct quantification of chromatographic peaks in liquid chromatography requires well resolved signals in a proper analysis time. When the complexity of the sample is high, the gradient program should be accommodated to the local resolution needs of each analyte. This makes the optimization of such situations rather troublesome, since enhancing the resolution for a given analyte may imply a collateral worsening of the resolution of other analytes. The aim of this work is to design multi-linear gradients that maximize the resolution, while fulfilling some restrictions: all peaks should be eluted before a given maximal time, the gradient should be flat or increasing, and sudden changes close to eluting peaks are penalized. Consequently, an equilibrated baseline resolution for all compounds is sought. This goal is achieved by splitting the optimization problem in a multi-scale framework. In each scale κ, an optimization problem is solved with N κ  ≈ 2 κ variables that are used to build the gradients. The N κ variables define cubic splines written in terms of a B-spline basis. This allows expressing gradients as polygonals of M points approximating the splines. The cubic splines are built using subdivision schemes, a technique of fast generation of smooth curves, compatible with the multi-scale framework. Owing to the nature of the problem and the presence of multiple local maxima, the algorithm used in the optimization problem of each scale κ should be "global", such as the pattern-search algorithm. The multi-scale optimization approach is successfully applied to find the best multi-linear gradient for resolving a mixture of amino acid derivatives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Representing and reasoning about program in situation calculus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Bo; Zhang, Ming-yi; Wu, Mao-nian; Xie, Gang

    2011-12-01

    Situation calculus is an expressive tool for modeling dynamical system in artificial intelligence, changes in a dynamical world is represented naturally by the notions of action, situation and fluent in situation calculus. Program can be viewed as a discrete dynamical system, so it is possible to model program with situation calculus. To model program written in a smaller core programming language CL, notion of fluent is expanded for representing value of expression. Together with some functions returning concerned objects from expressions, a basic action theory of CL programming is constructed. Under such a theory, some properties of program, such as correctness and termination can be reasoned about.

  16. Evaluating the complexity of online patient education materials about brain aneurysms published by major academic institutions.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Raghav; Adeeb, Nimer; Griessenauer, Christoph J; Moore, Justin M; Patel, Apar S; Kim, Christopher; Thomas, Ajith J; Ogilvy, Christopher S

    2017-08-01

    OBJECTIVE Health care education resources are increasingly available on the Internet. A majority of people reference these resources at one point or another. A threshold literacy level is needed to comprehend the information presented within these materials. A key component of health literacy is the readability of educational resources. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Medical Association have recommended that patient education materials be written between a 4th- and a 6th-grade education level. The authors assessed the readability of online patient education materials about brain aneurysms that have been published by several academic institutions across the US. METHODS Online patient education materials about brain aneurysms were downloaded from the websites of 20 academic institutions. The materials were assessed via 8 readability scales using Readability Studio software (Oleander Software Solutions), and then were statistically analyzed. RESULTS None of the patient education materials were written at or below the NIH's recommended 6th-grade reading level. The average educational level required to comprehend the texts across all institutions, as assessed by 7 of the readability scales, was 12.4 ± 2.5 (mean ± SD). The Flesch Reading Ease Scale classified the materials as "difficult" to understand, correlating with a college-level education or higher. An ANOVA test found that there were no significant differences in readability among the materials from the institutions (p = 0.215). CONCLUSIONS Brain aneurysms affect 3.2% of adults 50 years or older across the world and can cause significant patient anxiety and uncertainty. Current patient education materials are not written at or below the NIH's recommended 4th- to 6th-grade education level.

  17. Written Communication Skills for Scientists and Engineers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narayanan, M.

    2016-12-01

    Lord Chancellor, Francis Bacon of England said: Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. Even after his death, Francis Bacon remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution. Written communication skills are extremely important for scientists and engineers because it helps them to achieve their goals effectively and meet stipulated deadlines according to a pre-established schedule. Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa claim that American students are learning very little during their first two years of college (Arum and Roksa, 2011). Written communication involves expressing yourself clearly, using language with precision; constructing a logical argument; taking notes; editing and summarizing; and writing reports. There are three main elements to written communication. First and foremost is the structure because this in principle outlines clearly the way the entire content is laid out. Second, the style which primarily indicates the way it is written and how communication is made effective and vibrant. Third, the content which should document in complete detail, what you are writing about. Some researchers indicate that colleges and universities are failing to prepare the students to meet the demanding challenges of the present day workforce and are struggling to maintain an international status (Johnson, K. 2013). In this presentation, the author provides some guidelines to help students improve their written communication skills. References: Johnson, Kristine (2013) "Why Students Don't Write: Educating in the Era of Credentialing: Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses," Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol. 43, Article 9. Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol43/iss1/9 Arum, Richard and Roksa, Josipa (2011) Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. (ISBN 9780226028569)

  18. Where do interjections come from? A psycholinguistic analysis of Shaw's Pygmalion.

    PubMed

    O'Connell, Daniel C; Kowal, Sabine

    2005-09-01

    Starting from our recent findings regarding emotional and initializing functions of interjections in TV and radio interviews (Kowal & O'Connell, 2004b; O'Connell & Kowal, in press; O'Connell, Kowal, & Ageneau, 2005), we used the book and script of Shaw (1916/1969) and the audiotape of the motion picture (Pascal, Asquith, & Howard, 1938) Pygmalion to investigate how actors use interjections to express emotions. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) The actors use the written cues selectively in their oral performance by substituting, adding, and deleting interjections; (2) primary interjections added by the actors are less conventional than those in the written text; (3) durations and number of syllables of Eliza Doolittle's spoken renditions of her signature interjection ah-ah-ah-ow-ow-ow-oo do not correlate with the length in letters and syllables of the written versions; and (4) there is no evidence for Ameka's (1992b, 1994) characterization of interjections as temporally isolated, i.e., preceded and followed by silent pauses, in consequence of their syntactic isolation. Our findings confirmed all the hypotheses except for one unexpectedly significant correlation between number of syllables in Eliza Doolittle's signature interjection in the written version and duration in seconds of the spoken version thereof. The common thread throughout these data is the actor's need to personalize emotions in a dramatic performance--by means of interjections other than those provided in the written text. In this process of personalization, the emotional and initializing functions of interjections are confirmed.

  19. Evaluation of a visual risk communication tool: effects on knowledge and perception of blood transfusion risk.

    PubMed

    Lee, D H; Mehta, M D

    2003-06-01

    Effective risk communication in transfusion medicine is important for health-care consumers, but understanding the numerical magnitude of risks can be difficult. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a visual risk communication tool on the knowledge and perception of transfusion risk. Laypeople were randomly assigned to receive transfusion risk information with either a written or a visual presentation format for communicating and comparing the probabilities of transfusion risks relative to other hazards. Knowledge of transfusion risk was ascertained with a multiple-choice quiz and risk perception was ascertained by psychometric scaling and principal components analysis. Two-hundred subjects were recruited and randomly assigned. Risk communication with both written and visual presentation formats increased knowledge of transfusion risk and decreased the perceived dread and severity of transfusion risk. Neither format changed the perceived knowledge and control of transfusion risk, nor the perceived benefit of transfusion. No differences in knowledge or risk perception outcomes were detected between the groups randomly assigned to written or visual presentation formats. Risk communication that incorporates risk comparisons in either written or visual presentation formats can improve knowledge and reduce the perception of transfusion risk in laypeople.

  20. Patient counseling materials: The effect of patient health literacy on the comprehension of printed prescription drug information.

    PubMed

    Patel, Amit; Bakina, Daria; Kirk, Jim; von Lutcken, Scott; Donnelly, Tom; Stone, William; Ashley-Collins, Heather; Tibbals, Karen; Ricker, Lynn; Adler, Jeffrey; Ewing, John; Blechman, Michelle; Fox, Sherry; Leopold, Will; Ryan, Daniel; Wray, Donna; Turkoz, Heather

    2018-05-16

    Counseling patients with written materials relies equally on patients' health literacy to understand their disease and its treatment, and the written materials' effectiveness communicating clearly in accessible and actionable ways. Only about 12% of the US population is adequately health literate. To explore the impact of reducing the health literacy demands of written patient health information. 805 patients were screened for health literacy, and recruited for balanced cohorts of adequate and low literacy, and high and normal blood pressure. Half of each patient cohort received either standard or "health literacy-friendly" drug summaries (i.e. Patient Package Inserts, or PPIs or "leaflets") along with a standardized health literacy assessment scale. The literacy-friendly drug summary improved comprehension of drug-related information overall from 50% to 71% correct responses. Adequate literacy patients improved from 58% correct to 90%, while lower literacy patients improved from 42% to 52% correct in response to the health literacy-friendly PPIs. Health literacy demands require special attention in developing and using written drug summary materials. Additionally, pharmacists should be provided additional information and counseling support materials to facilitate communications with low health literacy level patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. libNeuroML and PyLEMS: using Python to combine procedural and declarative modeling approaches in computational neuroscience.

    PubMed

    Vella, Michael; Cannon, Robert C; Crook, Sharon; Davison, Andrew P; Ganapathy, Gautham; Robinson, Hugh P C; Silver, R Angus; Gleeson, Padraig

    2014-01-01

    NeuroML is an XML-based model description language, which provides a powerful common data format for defining and exchanging models of neurons and neuronal networks. In the latest version of NeuroML, the structure and behavior of ion channel, synapse, cell, and network model descriptions are based on underlying definitions provided in LEMS, a domain-independent language for expressing hierarchical mathematical models of physical entities. While declarative approaches for describing models have led to greater exchange of model elements among software tools in computational neuroscience, a frequent criticism of XML-based languages is that they are difficult to work with directly. Here we describe two Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) written in Python (http://www.python.org), which simplify the process of developing and modifying models expressed in NeuroML and LEMS. The libNeuroML API provides a Python object model with a direct mapping to all NeuroML concepts defined by the NeuroML Schema, which facilitates reading and writing the XML equivalents. In addition, it offers a memory-efficient, array-based internal representation, which is useful for handling large-scale connectomics data. The libNeuroML API also includes support for performing common operations that are required when working with NeuroML documents. Access to the LEMS data model is provided by the PyLEMS API, which provides a Python implementation of the LEMS language, including the ability to simulate most models expressed in LEMS. Together, libNeuroML and PyLEMS provide a comprehensive solution for interacting with NeuroML models in a Python environment.

  2. libNeuroML and PyLEMS: using Python to combine procedural and declarative modeling approaches in computational neuroscience

    PubMed Central

    Vella, Michael; Cannon, Robert C.; Crook, Sharon; Davison, Andrew P.; Ganapathy, Gautham; Robinson, Hugh P. C.; Silver, R. Angus; Gleeson, Padraig

    2014-01-01

    NeuroML is an XML-based model description language, which provides a powerful common data format for defining and exchanging models of neurons and neuronal networks. In the latest version of NeuroML, the structure and behavior of ion channel, synapse, cell, and network model descriptions are based on underlying definitions provided in LEMS, a domain-independent language for expressing hierarchical mathematical models of physical entities. While declarative approaches for describing models have led to greater exchange of model elements among software tools in computational neuroscience, a frequent criticism of XML-based languages is that they are difficult to work with directly. Here we describe two Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) written in Python (http://www.python.org), which simplify the process of developing and modifying models expressed in NeuroML and LEMS. The libNeuroML API provides a Python object model with a direct mapping to all NeuroML concepts defined by the NeuroML Schema, which facilitates reading and writing the XML equivalents. In addition, it offers a memory-efficient, array-based internal representation, which is useful for handling large-scale connectomics data. The libNeuroML API also includes support for performing common operations that are required when working with NeuroML documents. Access to the LEMS data model is provided by the PyLEMS API, which provides a Python implementation of the LEMS language, including the ability to simulate most models expressed in LEMS. Together, libNeuroML and PyLEMS provide a comprehensive solution for interacting with NeuroML models in a Python environment. PMID:24795618

  3. Adolescent Loneliness.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldenberg, Sheila

    Research has suggested that the incidence of loneliness peaks at adolescence and decreases with age. Changes in the determinants of loneliness during adolescence were investigated for grade 8, grade 11, and university students. Subjects (N=410) completed a written questionnaire which included ten items from the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the…

  4. Operations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkins, Jesse L. M.; Norton, Anderson; Boyce, Steven J.

    2013-01-01

    Previous research has documented schemes and operations that undergird students' understanding of fractions. This prior research was based, in large part, on small-group teaching experiments. However, written assessments are needed in order for teachers and researchers to assess students' ways of operating on a whole-class scale. In this study,…

  5. If You're House Is Still Available, Send Me an Email: Personality Influences Reactions to Written Errors in Email Messages.

    PubMed

    Boland, Julie E; Queen, Robin

    2016-01-01

    The increasing prevalence of social media means that we often encounter written language characterized by both stylistic variation and outright errors. How does the personality of the reader modulate reactions to non-standard text? Experimental participants read 'email responses' to an ad for a housemate that either contained no errors or had been altered to include either typos (e.g., teh) or homophonous grammar errors (grammos, e.g., to/too, it's/its). Participants completed a 10-item evaluation scale for each message, which measured their impressions of the writer. In addition participants completed a Big Five personality assessment and answered demographic and language attitude questions. Both typos and grammos had a negative impact on the evaluation scale. This negative impact was not modulated by age, education, electronic communication frequency, or pleasure reading time. In contrast, personality traits did modulate assessments, and did so in distinct ways for grammos and typos.

  6. If You’re House Is Still Available, Send Me an Email: Personality Influences Reactions to Written Errors in Email Messages

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    The increasing prevalence of social media means that we often encounter written language characterized by both stylistic variation and outright errors. How does the personality of the reader modulate reactions to non-standard text? Experimental participants read ‘email responses’ to an ad for a housemate that either contained no errors or had been altered to include either typos (e.g., teh) or homophonous grammar errors (grammos, e.g., to/too, it’s/its). Participants completed a 10-item evaluation scale for each message, which measured their impressions of the writer. In addition participants completed a Big Five personality assessment and answered demographic and language attitude questions. Both typos and grammos had a negative impact on the evaluation scale. This negative impact was not modulated by age, education, electronic communication frequency, or pleasure reading time. In contrast, personality traits did modulate assessments, and did so in distinct ways for grammos and typos. PMID:26959823

  7. Reconsidering English Grammar Teaching for Improving Non-English Majors' English Writing Ability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shen, Yuru

    2012-01-01

    With the globalization of world economy, English learners' writing ability has been attached less and less importance. As a result, many college students in China, especially the non-English majors, cannot express themselves effectively in written English. They make various kinds of mistakes, mostly grammar mistakes, such as writing sentence…

  8. Due Process Hearing Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bateman, David F.

    2008-01-01

    Chris resides with his parents and attends school in an unnamed district ("the District"). During the second half of second grade, Chris started to have problems with reading and written expression. The District evaluated Chris and did not find problems significant enough to identify him as having a learning disability. At about the same time his…

  9. Comic Books: A Learning Tool for Meaningful Acquisition of Written Sign Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guimarães, Cayley; Oliveira Machado, Milton César; Fernandes, Sueli F.

    2018-01-01

    Deaf people use Sign Language (SL) for intellectual development, communications and other human activities that are mediated by language--such as the expression of complex and abstract thoughts and feelings; and for literature, culture and knowledge. The Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) is a complete linguistic system of visual-spatial manner,…

  10. Adolescents and Inclusion: Transforming Secondary Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bauer, Anne M.; Brown, Glenda Myree

    Written with teachers, administrators, and students of Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, this book is grounded in a 2-year action research project that created an inclusive high school. Chapter 1 provides snapshots of interactions in an inclusive high school and refutes some of the concerns expressed by teachers and administrators.…

  11. Analyzing the Language of Struggle in Search of Hope for Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt, Renita; Whitmore, Kathryn F.

    2010-01-01

    This article presents a detailed case study analysis of oral and written language expressed by Jacqueline Meyer, a teacher of elementary English Language Learners (ELL),as she struggled to navigate the current political terrain with her students. Ms. Meyer's district adopted commercial materials and increased the amount and substance of testing…

  12. Story Map: How to Improve Writing Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sidekli, Sabri

    2013-01-01

    The aim of written expression studies is to have students explain their knowledge, feelings, ideas and imaginations in a correct and effective manner. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of story map on story writing skills of first grade teacher candidates who study at the Department of Elementary Education. The…

  13. Oral and Written Expression in Children with Reading Comprehension Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carretti, Barbara; Motta, Eleonora; Re, Anna Maria

    2016-01-01

    Several studies have highlighted that children with reading comprehension difficulties also have problems in tasks that involve telling a story, in writing or verbally. The main differences identified regard poor comprehenders' lower level of coherence in their productions by comparison with good comprehenders. Only one study has compared poor and…

  14. Home on the Wide-Open Range of Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beemyn, Genny

    2011-01-01

    Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman's "Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation" is a collection of narratives written by individuals with a wide range of gender identities and expressions from around the world. The text shows how gender-nonconforming people are changing how society looks at gender. As many of the individuals who are challenging gender…

  15. Conscious and Unconscious Intent in the Creative Process: A Letter from Eugene Ionesco.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coleman, Ingrid H.

    1981-01-01

    Introduces a letter written by Eugene Ionesco in answer to questions on the interpretation of his plays. In his letter Ionesco discusses the creative process as a blend of ideological and emotional motifs, seen, respectively, as the expression of the conscious and the unconscious (or subconscious) mind. (MES)

  16. Writing Abilities Longitudinally Predict Academic Outcomes of Adolescents with ADHD

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molitor, Stephen J.; Langberg, Joshua M.; Bourchtein, Elizaveta; Eddy, Laura D.; Dvorsky, Melissa R.; Evans, Steven W.

    2016-01-01

    Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience a host of negative academic outcomes, and deficits in reading and mathematics abilities contribute to these academic impairments. Students with ADHD may also have difficulties with written expression, but there has been minimal research in this area and it is not clear…

  17. 76 FR 38401 - National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Revision to Proposed Collection...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-30

    ... Methodology Studies for the National Children's Study SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of Section... comments expressed support for the broad scope of the study. The written comments were identical and questioned the cost and utility of the study specifically and of federally funded biomedical research overall...

  18. Attention and Written Expression in School-Aged, High-Functioning Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zajic, Matthew C.; McIntyre, Nancy; Swain-Lerro, Lindsay; Novotny, Stephanie; Oswald, Tasha; Mundy, Peter

    2016-01-01

    High-functioning children with autism spectrum disorders often find writing challenging. These writing difficulties may be specific to autism spectrum disorder or to a more general clinical effect of attention disturbance, as these children are often comorbid for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology (and children with…

  19. Attention and Written Expression in School-Age, High-Functioning Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zajic, Matthew C.; McIntyre, Nancy; Swain-Lerro, Lindsay; Novotny, Stephanie; Oswald, Tasha; Mundy, Peter

    2018-01-01

    High-functioning children with autism spectrum disorders often find writing challenging. These writing difficulties may be specific to autism spectrum disorder or to a more general clinical effect of attention disturbance, as these children are often comorbid for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology (and children with…

  20. The Peer Counselor's Pocket Book.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sturkie, Joan; Gibson, Valerie

    Peer counselors are individuals who have been trained in communication skills and who have learned how to apply these skills in helping another person. This booklet was written by a peer counselor and peer counseling teacher to fill a frequently expressed need for a quick, easy-to-read reference. Its purpose is to make available to peer counselors…

  1. A Study on the Affordances and Constraints of the Instructional Use of Project Read

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cosgrove, Margaret

    2017-01-01

    This research study was designed and conducted to evaluate the regular education teacher's perspective on the effective use of Project Read to adequately instruct spelling mastery at the first grade level. The Project Read curriculum is divided into three major strands including phonics, reading comprehension, and written expression. Project…

  2. Morbid and Insight Poetry: A Glimpse at Schizophrenia through the Window of Poetry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bakare, Muideen Owolabi

    2009-01-01

    Creativity, language, and psychotic disorders may share a common neurological and evolutionary background. These processes are uniquely human and may converge in poetic expression that illuminates the inner world of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Two types of poetry that may be written by patients with schizophrenia are identified as…

  3. Methodologies for Effective Writing Instruction in EFL and ESL Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Mahrooqi, Rahma, Ed.; Thakur, Vijay Singh; Roscoe, Adrian

    2015-01-01

    Educators continue to strive for advanced teaching methods to bridge the gap between native and non-native English speaking students. Lessons on written forms of communication continue to be a challenge recognized by educators who wish to improve student comprehension and overall ability to write clearly and expressively. "Methodologies for…

  4. Predictive Efficiency of Direct, Repeated Measurement: An Analysis of Cost and Accuracy in Classification.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marston, Doug; And Others

    Two studies were conducted to examine the efficacy of direct measurement, standardized achievement tests, and aptitude-achievement discrepancy scores in distinguishing learning disabled (LD) and nonlearning disabled (NLD) students in grades 3 to 6. For both reading (Study I) and written expression (Study II), students' scores on direct and…

  5. TEACHING COMPOSITION. WHAT RESEARCH SAYS TO THE TEACHER, NUMBER 18.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BURROWS, ALVINA T.

    ALTHOUGH CHILDREN'S NEEDS FOR WRITTEN EXPRESSION PROBABLY PARALLEL THOSE OF ADULTS, THE REASON BEHIND CHILDREN'S CHOICE OF WRITING OVER SPEAKING IN GIVEN INSTANCES IS OPEN TO CONJECTURE. MOREOVER, THE COMMON ASSUMPTION BY TEACHERS THAT CHILDREN CAN AND SHOULD WRITE ABOUT PERSONAL INTERESTS OUGHT TO BE TEMPERED BY THE IDEA THAT MANY INTERESTS ARE…

  6. Cultural Barriers in Educational Evaluation: A Comparative Study on School Report Cards in Japan and Germany

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Urabe, Masashi

    2006-01-01

    This paper discusses cultural barriers in educational assessment by comparing Japanese and German school report cards. The discussions on assessment fluctuate between two intellectual extremes: objectified selection or educational diagnosis. In Japan, many teachers make written comments on school report cards with ambiguous expressions to avoid…

  7. Comparing the Lexical Features of EAP Students' Essays by Prompt and Rating

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lavallée, Maxime; McDonough, Kim

    2015-01-01

    Previous research has shown that high frequency lexical items, such as AWL words and formulaic expressions, may differentiate between texts written by expert and novice writers (Chen & Baker, 2010; Hancioglu, 2009), and that lexical features related to breadth, depth, and accessibility differentiate among texts from L2 writers of different…

  8. Proceduracy: Computer Code Writing in the Continuum of Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vee, Annette

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation looks at computer programming through the lens of literacy studies, building from the concept of code as a written text with expressive and rhetorical power. I focus on the intersecting technological and social factors of computer code writing as a literacy--a practice I call "proceduracy". Like literacy, proceduracy is a human…

  9. The Assessment of Composition Skills. Pre/Post Results: Group I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Morris D.

    The initial stimulus for measuring the composition skills of students in the Des Moines (IA) Independent Community School District came in 1980-81 when the school board adopted a goal for the year which stated: "The district should have school programs that improve pupils' competency in written expression." The intent of the original…

  10. Writing Techniques in the English Love and Lyric Poems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Xiaoying

    2009-01-01

    In the poetry creation, poets use many different writing techniques. This paper expounds the image expressions in British love poems and lyrics from four aspects: description, symbolism, figure of speech and personification. Man has been singing for love since written language was invented. Love has been the eternal subject theme of poems and…

  11. Momentum and Kinetic Energy: Confusable Concepts in Secondary School Physics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryce, T. G. K.; MacMillan, K.

    2009-01-01

    Researchers and practitioners alike express concerns about the conceptual difficulties associated with the concepts of momentum and kinetic energy currently taught in school physics. This article presents an in-depth analysis of the treatment given to them in 44 published textbooks written for UK secondary school certificate courses. This is set…

  12. Why Write Like a College Graduate?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morse, J. Mitchell

    With the growing belief that any style of speaking and writing is as good as any other, English teachers must, on the one hand, admit the connection of so-called "correct" English with snob appeal, and, on the other, defend the intellectual and aesthetic superiority of clear, well-written English and learn to express contempt for circular…

  13. DECODAGE DE LA CHAINE PARLEE ET APPRENTISSAGE DES LANGUES (SPEECH DECODING AND LANGUAGE LEARNING).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    COMPANYS, EMMANUEL

    THIS PAPER WRITTEN IN FRENCH, PRESENTS A HYPOTHESIS CONCERNING THE DECODING OF SPEECH IN SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING. THE THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DISCUSSION CONSISTS OF WIDELY ACCEPTED LINGUISTIC CONCEPTS SUCH AS THE PHONEME, DISTINCTIVE FEATURES, NEUTRALIZATION, LINGUISTIC LEVELS, FORM AND SUBSTANCE, EXPRESSION AND CONTENT, SOUNDS, PHONEMES,…

  14. Write Makes Might: A Case for the Neglected Skill.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duncan, Annelise M.

    Of all the language skills, writing is the most difficult challenge for language teachers because students have less experience with written expression. Stimulated by audio-visual materials throughout their lives, students are novices in the discipline of writing. Making writing an ongoing part of foreign language acquisition from the first day in…

  15. Digitalk: Community, Convention, and Self-Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turner, Kristen Hawley

    2011-01-01

    Teens write all the time: They post messages to social networks; they chat via instant message (IM); they communicate by text. In all of these digital spaces, they write. However, the language that they use in these venues often does not follow the rules of standard written English (SWE). They experiment with language, manipulating SWE in ways…

  16. Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ackerman, Ernest; Hartman, Karen

    This book focuses on formulating Internet search strategies, understanding how to form search expressions, critically evaluating information, and citing resources. It is written for users who are acquainted with the fundamental operations of a personal computer, as well as those with more online experience. The book is arranged so that the…

  17. Emotionality and Composition in Thai and English

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chamcharatsri, Pisarn Bee

    2012-01-01

    This empirical study examined the perceptions and experiences of nine Thai college student writers' expression of emotions in poetry, narrative, and opinionated writing written in their first (L1) and second (L2) languages: Thai and English. The study focused on the participants' perspectives in order to gain more understanding of the phenomenon…

  18. Parametrizing growth in dark energy and modified gravity models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Resco, Miguel Aparicio; Maroto, Antonio L.

    2018-02-01

    It is well known that an extremely accurate parametrization of the growth function of matter density perturbations in Λ CDM cosmology, with errors below 0.25%, is given by f (a )=Ωmγ(a ) with γ ≃0.55 . In this work, we show that a simple modification of this expression also provides a good description of growth in modified gravity theories. We consider the model-independent approach to modified gravity in terms of an effective Newton constant written as μ (a ,k )=Geff/G and show that f (a )=β (a )Ωmγ(a ) provides fits to the numerical solutions with similar accuracy to that of Λ CDM . In the time-independent case with μ =μ (k ), simple analytic expressions for β (μ ) and γ (μ ) are presented. In the time-dependent (but scale-independent) case μ =μ (a ), we show that β (a ) has the same time dependence as μ (a ). As an example, explicit formulas are provided in the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) model. In the general case, for theories with μ (a ,k ), we obtain a perturbative expansion for β (μ ) around the general relativity case μ =1 which, for f (R ) theories, reaches an accuracy below 1%. Finally, as an example we apply the obtained fitting functions in order to forecast the precision with which future galaxy surveys will be able to measure the μ parameter.

  19. [The linguistic marks in the theory of mind: intersubjectivity and enunciation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].

    PubMed

    Gallardo-Paúls, B

    2008-01-01

    The tests that are commonly used to analyse whether a subject has developed mentalistic and intersubjective capacities (theory of mind) are restricted to tasks that assess comprehension, without taking into account the active, expressive marks of those capacities. Taking Benveniste's pragmatic theory of enunciation as our framework, we analyse texts written by children who have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in order to confirm the presence of formal marks of enunciation. We distinguish between the explicit marks in a text (verb or noun phrases that refer to mental states and also diction) and marks embedded within the text (dialogues, allusions to other texts, textual polyphony). The corpus of data used for this analysis consisted of 170 narrative and argumentative texts written by children aged between 9 and 11 years, of whom those who had been diagnosed as suffering from combined-type ADHD constituted a subgroup. The theory of enunciation provides a suitable framework for studying the expressive, active manifestation of the intersubjective capacity of children.

  20. Evaluating the Impact of Feedback on Elementary Aged Students’ Fluency Growth in Written Expression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    PubMed Central

    Truckenmiller, Adrea J.; Eckert, Tanya L.; Codding, Robin S.; Petscher, Yaacov

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate elementary-aged students’ writing fluency growth in response to (a) instructional practices, (b) sex differences, and (c) student’s initial level of writing fluency. Third-grade students (n=133) in three urban elementary schools were randomly assigned to either an individualized performance feedback condition (n=46), a practice-only condition (i.e., weekly writing practice; n = 39), or an instructional control condition (n = 48) for 8 weeks. Findings included support for use of performance feedback as an instructional component in general education classrooms (Hedges’ g = 0.66), whereas simple practice with curriculum-based measurement in written expression did not produce growth significantly greater than standard instructional practices. The hypothesis that girls write significantly more than boys was supported. However, girls and boys did not differ in their rate of growth. Finally, students’ initial risk status in writing fluency did not differentially predict growth in writing fluency over the course of the study. Implications for incorporating feedback as a basic component of intervention in writing are discussed. PMID:25432270

  1. The WRITTEN-HEART study (expressive writing for heart healing): rationale and design of a randomized controlled clinical trial of expressive writing in coronary patients referred to residential cardiac rehabilitation

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Coronary heart disease (CHD) is typically associated with many cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., elevated blood pressure), low health-related quality of life, depression, anxiety and psychological stress. Expressive writing (EW) has shown beneficial effects on such variables in both people from the community and in patients with a variety of chronic illnesses. However, no study to date has evaluated the physical and psychological effects of the expressive writing procedure on coronary patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Methods The clinical effectiveness of a 2-week disease-related expressive writing procedure (writing about one's deepest thoughts and feelings regarding the experience with heart disease) compared with the standard writing task (writing about one's deepest thoughts and feelings about the most traumatic or negative event experienced in the life), a neutral writing condition (writing about the facts regarding heart disease and its treatment) and an empty control condition will be evaluated in a randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) with repeated follow-up measurements at 3, 6 and 12 months after discharge from CR. The primary outcome is health-related quality of life (SF-12). Secondary outcome measures are depression (BDI-II), anxiety (BAI) and post-traumatic growth (PTGI). Furthermore, the study will explore the moderating effects of coping styles, type D personality, perceived emotional support and participants' evaluative ratings of the writing interventions on the main experimental effects in order to identify sub-groups of patients showing different results. Discussion The WRITTEN-HEART study aims to explore and expand the frontiers of the expressive writing research enterprise by investigating the feasibility, safety and clinical efficacy of brief and cost-effective expressive writing interventions in patients with CHD referred to CR. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01253486 PMID:21740564

  2. Clarification to "Examining Rater Errors in the Assessment of Written Composition with a Many-Faceted Rasch Model."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Englehard, George, Jr.

    1996-01-01

    Data presented in figure three of the article cited may be misleading in that the automatic scaling procedure used by the computer program that generated the histogram highlighted spikes that would look different with different histogram methods. (SLD)

  3. Politics, Economics, and Testing: Some Reflections

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feuer, Michael J.

    2011-01-01

    In this keynote address, the author shares his reflections on politics, economics, and testing. He focuses on assessment and accountability and begins with some data from large scale written educational testing, "circa 1840". The author argues that people's penchant for accountability and their appetite for standardized testing are, in…

  4. Tethys – A Python Package for Spatial and Temporal Downscaling of Global Water Withdrawals

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

    Li, Xinya; Vernon, Chris R.; Hejazi, Mohamad I.

    Downscaling of water withdrawals from regional/national to local scale is a fundamental step and also a common problem when integrating large scale economic and integrated assessment models with high-resolution detailed sectoral models. Tethys, an open-access software written in Python, is developed with statistical downscaling algorithms, to spatially and temporally downscale water withdrawal data to a finer scale. The spatial resolution will be downscaled from region/basin scale to grid (0.5 geographic degree) scale and the temporal resolution will be downscaled from year to month. Tethys is used to produce monthly global gridded water withdrawal products based on estimates from the Globalmore » Change Assessment Model (GCAM).« less

  5. Tethys – A Python Package for Spatial and Temporal Downscaling of Global Water Withdrawals

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Xinya; Vernon, Chris R.; Hejazi, Mohamad I.; ...

    2018-02-09

    Downscaling of water withdrawals from regional/national to local scale is a fundamental step and also a common problem when integrating large scale economic and integrated assessment models with high-resolution detailed sectoral models. Tethys, an open-access software written in Python, is developed with statistical downscaling algorithms, to spatially and temporally downscale water withdrawal data to a finer scale. The spatial resolution will be downscaled from region/basin scale to grid (0.5 geographic degree) scale and the temporal resolution will be downscaled from year to month. Tethys is used to produce monthly global gridded water withdrawal products based on estimates from the Globalmore » Change Assessment Model (GCAM).« less

  6. Let's 'play' with molecular pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Choudhury, Supriyo; Pradhan, Richeek; Sengupta, Gairik; Das, Manisha; Chatterjee, Manojit; Roy, Ranendra Kumar; Chatterjee, Suparna

    2015-01-01

    Understanding concepts of molecular mechanisms of drug action involves sequential visualization of physiological processes and drug effects, a task that can be difficult at an undergraduate level. Role-play is a teaching-learning methodology whereby active participation of students as well as clear visualization of the phenomenon is used to convey complex physiological concepts. However, its use in teaching drug action, a process that demands understanding of a second level of complexity over the physiological process, has not been investigated. We hypothesized that role-play can be an effective and well accepted method for teaching molecular pharmacology. In an observational study, students were guided to perform a role-play on a selected topic involving drug activity. Students' gain in knowledge was assessed comparing validated pre- and post-test questionnaires as well as class average normalized gain. The acceptance of role-play among undergraduate medical students was evaluated by Likert scale analysis and thematic analysis of their open-ended written responses. Significant improvement in knowledge (P < 0.001) was noted in the pre- to post-test knowledge scores, while a high gain in class average normalized score was evident. In Likert scale analysis, most students (93%) expressed that role-play was an acceptable way of teaching. In a thematic analysis, themes of both strengths and weaknesses of the session emerged. Role-play can be effectively utilized while teaching selected topics of molecular pharmacology in undergraduate medical curricula.

  7. A Large-Scale Analysis of Variance in Written Language.

    PubMed

    Johns, Brendan T; Jamieson, Randall K

    2018-01-22

    The collection of very large text sources has revolutionized the study of natural language, leading to the development of several models of language learning and distributional semantics that extract sophisticated semantic representations of words based on the statistical redundancies contained within natural language (e.g., Griffiths, Steyvers, & Tenenbaum, ; Jones & Mewhort, ; Landauer & Dumais, ; Mikolov, Sutskever, Chen, Corrado, & Dean, ). The models treat knowledge as an interaction of processing mechanisms and the structure of language experience. But language experience is often treated agnostically. We report a distributional semantic analysis that shows written language in fiction books varies appreciably between books from the different genres, books from the same genre, and even books written by the same author. Given that current theories assume that word knowledge reflects an interaction between processing mechanisms and the language environment, the analysis shows the need for the field to engage in a more deliberate consideration and curation of the corpora used in computational studies of natural language processing. Copyright © 2018 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  8. Nuclear Medicine and Resources for Patients: How Complex are Online Patient Educational Materials?

    PubMed

    Hansberry, David R; Shah, Kush; Agarwal, Nitin; Kim, Sung M; Intenzo, Charles M

    2018-02-02

    The Internet is a major source of healthcare information for patients. The American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend that consumer healthcare websites be written between a 3rd and 7th grade level. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of readability of patient education websites pertaining to nuclear medicine. Methods: Ten search terms were Googled and the top 10 links for each term were collected and analyzed for their level of readability using 10 well-established readability scales. Results: Collectively the 99 articles were written at an 11.8 grade level (standard deviation of 3.4). Only 5 of the 99 articles were written at the NIH and AMA recommended 3rd to 7th grade. Conclusion: There is a clear discordance between the readability level of nuclear medicine related imaging terms with the NIH and AMA guidelines. This disconnect may negatively impact patient understanding contributing to poor health outcomes. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  9. Schnek: A C++ library for the development of parallel simulation codes on regular grids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmitz, Holger

    2018-05-01

    A large number of algorithms across the field of computational physics are formulated on grids with a regular topology. We present Schnek, a library that enables fast development of parallel simulations on regular grids. Schnek contains a number of easy-to-use modules that greatly reduce the amount of administrative code for large-scale simulation codes. The library provides an interface for reading simulation setup files with a hierarchical structure. The structure of the setup file is translated into a hierarchy of simulation modules that the developer can specify. The reader parses and evaluates mathematical expressions and initialises variables or grid data. This enables developers to write modular and flexible simulation codes with minimal effort. Regular grids of arbitrary dimension are defined as well as mechanisms for defining physical domain sizes, grid staggering, and ghost cells on these grids. Ghost cells can be exchanged between neighbouring processes using MPI with a simple interface. The grid data can easily be written into HDF5 files using serial or parallel I/O.

  10. Gender Differences in Academic Achievement: Is Writing an Exception to the Gender Similarities Hypothesis?

    PubMed

    Reynolds, Matthew R; Scheiber, Caroline; Hajovsky, Daniel B; Schwartz, Bryanna; Kaufman, Alan S

    2015-01-01

    The gender similarities hypothesis by J. S. Hyde ( 2005 ), based on large-scale reviews of studies, concludes that boys and girls are more alike than different on most psychological variables, including academic skills such as reading and math (J. S. Hyde, 2005 ). Writing is an academic skill that may be an exception. The authors investigated gender differences in academic achievement using a large, nationally stratified sample of children and adolescents ranging from ages 7-19 years (N = 2,027). Achievement data were from the conormed sample for the Kaufman intelligence and achievement tests. Multiple-indicator, multiple-cause, and multigroup mean and covariance structure models were used to test for mean differences. Girls had higher latent reading ability and higher scores on a test of math computation, but the effect sizes were consistent with the gender similarities hypothesis. Conversely, girls scored higher on spelling and written expression, with effect sizes inconsistent with the gender similarities hypothesis. The findings remained the same after controlling for cognitive ability. Girls outperform boys on tasks of writing.

  11. Performance of low-rank QR approximation of the finite element Biot-Savart law

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

    White, D; Fasenfest, B

    2006-10-16

    In this paper we present a low-rank QR method for evaluating the discrete Biot-Savart law. Our goal is to develop an algorithm that is easily implemented on parallel computers. It is assumed that the known current density and the unknown magnetic field are both expressed in a finite element expansion, and we wish to compute the degrees-of-freedom (DOF) in the basis function expansion of the magnetic field. The matrix that maps the current DOF to the field DOF is full, but if the spatial domain is properly partitioned the matrix can be written as a block matrix, with blocks representingmore » distant interactions being low rank and having a compressed QR representation. While an octree partitioning of the matrix may be ideal, for ease of parallel implementation we employ a partitioning based on number of processors. The rank of each block (i.e. the compression) is determined by the specific geometry and is computed dynamically. In this paper we provide the algorithmic details and present computational results for large-scale computations.« less

  12. A Case Study on Audio Feedback with Geography Undergraduates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodway-Dyer, Sue; Knight, Jasper; Dunne, Elizabeth

    2011-01-01

    Several small-scale studies have suggested that audio feedback can help students to reflect on their learning and to develop deep learning approaches that are associated with higher attainment in assessments. For this case study, Geography undergraduates were given audio feedback on a written essay assignment, alongside traditional written…

  13. A Large-Scale Analysis of Variance in Written Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johns, Brendan T.; Jamieson, Randall K.

    2018-01-01

    The collection of very large text sources has revolutionized the study of natural language, leading to the development of several models of language learning and distributional semantics that extract sophisticated semantic representations of words based on the statistical redundancies contained within natural language (e.g., Griffiths, Steyvers,…

  14. Instructional Support Software System. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. - East, St. Louis, MO.

    This report describes the development of the Instructional Support System (ISS), a large-scale, computer-based training system that supports both computer-assisted instruction and computer-managed instruction. Written in the Ada programming language, the ISS software package is designed to be machine independent. It is also grouped into functional…

  15. Defining Administrative Tasks, Evaluating Performance, and Developing Skills.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herman, Janice L.; Herman, Jerry J.

    1995-01-01

    To ensure high performance, administrators should develop an articulated structure and process systems approach that identifies the critical success factors (CSFs) of performance for each position; appropriate indicators and scales; and a personal-improvement plan based on last year's evaluation. Once CSFs are identified and written into the…

  16. Knock-on Effects of Mode Change on Academic Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, Sheena

    2004-01-01

    Factors such as increases in student numbers and technological developments are threatening the luxury of one-on-one tutorials and bringing changes in modes of academic discourse. This small scale exploratory study identifies characteristics of taped oral, compared to written, feedback that are attributable to its spoken nature (longer, less…

  17. 5 CFR 532.307 - Determinating whether a dominant industry exists in a wage area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS Determining Rates for Principal Types of Positions... survey is conducted so that organizations and individuals may submit written recommendations and... opportunity to make such recommendations. (b)(1) Before conducting a full-scale wage survey an occupational...

  18. Lexical Diversity in Writing and Speaking Task Performances

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yu, Guoxing

    2010-01-01

    In the rating scales of major international language tests, as well as in automated evaluation systems (e.g. e-rater), a positive relationship is often claimed between lexical diversity, holistic quality of written or spoken discourses, and language proficiency of candidates. This article reports a "posteriori" validation study that analysed a…

  19. [Understanding of medical information provided during orthognathic surgery consultations].

    PubMed

    Poynard, S; Pare, A; Bonin Goga, B; Laure, B; Goga, D

    2014-06-01

    A prospective study was conducted from November 2012 to May 2013 to assess what patients had understood after their preoperative consultations for orthognathic surgery. We studied the impact of a written document created in the department, containing the information given during the consultation. Fifty patients were asked to complete 2 questionnaires given to the patient the day before surgery. The first was used to assess what the patients had understood; it included 20 multiple-choice questions on information given during consultation and in the written document. For each item, the patient had to check what he thought to be the right answer. Each correct answer was graded at 1 and each incorrect answer or no answer was graded at 0. The maximum score was 20/20. The second was to assess the written document. Each item was graded from 1 to 10 (Likert-type scale). Thirty-two patients answered both questionnaires. The average score for the first was 15.03/20 (P<0.05), significantly higher than the theoretical average set at 10 (P<0.05). The written document was found understandable (score 8.47/10) and information easy to find (score 7.28/10). The document provided answers to the patients' questions (score 7.50/10), using information given during consultation (score 7.56/10). The 2 consultations and the written document helped patients better understand orthognatic care and surgery. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  20. QX MAN: Q and X file manipulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Krein, Mark A.

    1992-01-01

    QX MAN is a grid and solution file manipulation program written primarily for the PARC code and the GRIDGEN family of grid generation codes. QX MAN combines many of the features frequently encountered in grid generation, grid refinement, the setting-up of initial conditions, and post processing. QX MAN allows the user to manipulate single block and multi-block grids (and their accompanying solution files) by splitting, concatenating, rotating, translating, re-scaling, and stripping or adding points. In addition, QX MAN can be used to generate an initial solution file for the PARC code. The code was written to provide several formats for input and output in order for it to be useful in a broad spectrum of applications.

  1. Graphics-Printing Program For The HP Paintjet Printer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Atkins, Victor R.

    1993-01-01

    IMPRINT utility computer program developed to print graphics specified in raster files by use of Hewlett-Packard Paintjet(TM) color printer. Reads bit-mapped images from files on UNIX-based graphics workstation and prints out three different types of images: wire-frame images, solid-color images, and gray-scale images. Wire-frame images are in continuous tone or, in case of low resolution, in random gray scale. In case of color images, IMPRINT also prints by use of default palette of solid colors. Written in C language.

  2. Geometry of the scalar sector

    DOE PAGES

    Alonso, Rodrigo; Jenkins, Elizabeth E.; Manohar, Aneesh V.

    2016-08-17

    The S-matrix of a quantum field theory is unchanged by field redefinitions, and so it only depends on geometric quantities such as the curvature of field space. Whether the Higgs multiplet transforms linearly or non-linearly under electroweak symmetry is a subtle question since one can make a coordinate change to convert a field that transforms linearly into one that transforms non-linearly. Renormalizability of the Standard Model (SM) does not depend on the choice of scalar fields or whether the scalar fields transform linearly or non-linearly under the gauge group, but only on the geometric requirement that the scalar field manifoldmore » M is flat. Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) and Higgs Effective Field Theory (HEFT) have curved M, since they parametrize deviations from the flat SM case. We show that the HEFT Lagrangian can be written in SMEFT form if and only ifMhas a SU(2) L U(1) Y invariant fixed point. Experimental observables in HEFT depend on local geometric invariants of M such as sectional curvatures, which are of order 1/Λ 2 , where Λ is the EFT scale. We give explicit expressions for these quantities in terms of the structure constants for a general G → H symmetry breaking pattern. The one-loop radiative correction in HEFT is determined using a covariant expansion which preserves manifest invariance of M under coordinate redefinitions. The formula for the radiative correction is simple when written in terms of the curvature of M and the gauge curvature field strengths. We also extend the CCWZ formalism to non-compact groups, and generalize the HEFT curvature computation to the case of multiple singlet scalar fields.« less

  3. The Relationship Between Temperature and Gas Concentration Fluctuation Rates at an Air-Water Interface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asher, W. E.; Jessup, A. T.; Liang, H.; Zappa, C. J.

    2008-12-01

    The air-sea flux, F, of a sparingly soluble nonreactive gas can be expressed as F = kG(CS-CW), where kG is the gas transfer velocity, CS is the concentration of gas that would be expected in the water if the system were in Henry's Gas Law equilibrium, and CW is the gas concentration in the bulk water. An analogous relationship for the net heat flux can also be written using the heat transfer velocity, kH, and the bulk-skin temperature difference in the aqueous phase. Surface divergence theory for the air-water transfer of gas and heat predicts that kG and kH will scale as the square root of the surface divergence rate, r. However, because of the interaction between diffusivity and the scale depth of the surface divergences, the scale factor for heat is likely to be different from the scale factor for gases. Infrared imagery was used to measure the timescales of variations in temperature at a water surface and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) was used to measure temporal fluctuations in aqueous-phase concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) at a water surface. The rate at which these temperature and concentration fluctuations occur is then assumed to be related to r. The divergence rates derived for temperature from the IR images can be compared to the rates for gas derived from the LIF measurements to understand how r estimated from the two measurements differ. The square root of r is compared to concurrently measured kG for helium and sulfur hexafluoride to test the assumption that r1/2 scales with kG. Additionally, we measured kH using the active controlled flux technique, and those heat transfer velocities can also be used to test for a r1/2 dependence. All measurements reported here were made in the APL-UW synthetic jet array facility.

  4. Vocabulary Teaching in Action-Oriented Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gunday, Rifat; Atmaca, Hasan

    2016-01-01

    The words are called as basic building blocks of language. It is impossible to discuss the language system without words. It is related to the vocabulary whether a language is rich or not. It is also related to the peoples' vocabulary to understand what is said and written or to express effectively their thoughts and their feelings verbally or in…

  5. Composing in a Second Language: A Case Study of a Russian College Student.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Anna Charr

    The case study examined the development of English writing skills in a native Russian-speaking college student with no previous instruction in English as a Second Language. It drew on writing samples from 2 years of English language instruction. Theories of first and second language acquisition, especially in written expression, are analyzed in…

  6. Examining the Contribution of Handwriting and Spelling to Written Expression in Kindergarten Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Puranik, Cynthia S.; AlOtaiba, Stephanie

    2012-01-01

    In this study, we examined the development of beginning writing skills in kindergarten children and the contribution of spelling and handwriting to these writing skills after accounting for early language, literacy, cognitive skills, and student characteristics. Two hundred and forty two children were given a battery of cognitive, oral language,…

  7. The Common Core State Standards and Evidence-Based Educational Practices: The Case of Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Troia, Gary A.; Olinghouse, Natalie G.

    2013-01-01

    Although writing plays an important role in the academic, psychosocial, and economic success of individuals, typical writing instruction and assessment in the United States generally does not reflect evidence-based practices. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) place a great deal of emphasis on written expression and may encourage an increased…

  8. Linguistic Markers of Stance in Early and Advanced Academic Writing: A Corpus-Based Comparison

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aull, Laura L.; Lancaster, Zak

    2014-01-01

    This article uses corpus methods to examine linguistic expressions of stance in over 4,000 argumentative essays written by incoming first-year university students in comparison with the writing of upper-level undergraduate students and published academics. The findings reveal linguistic stance markers shared across the first-year essays despite…

  9. Students' Expressions of Uncertainty in Making Informal Inference When Engaged in a Statistical Investigation Using TinkerPlots

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henriques, Ana; Oliveira, Hélia

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports on the results of a study investigating the potential to embed Informal Statistical Inference in statistical investigations, using TinkerPlots, for assisting 8th grade students' informal inferential reasoning to emerge, particularly their articulations of uncertainty. Data collection included students' written work on a…

  10. An Essay Is Being Written: Between Aggression and "Just Words"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farley, Lisa

    2012-01-01

    If education tends to be viewed as an antidote to social violence, this paper turns to Freud's study of the "beating fantasy" to consider the fictional representation of psychical aggression in scenes of schooling and being schooled. It is argued that such representations both express and fend off libidinal passions at the heart of…

  11. A Mathematica program for the calculation of five-body Moshinsky brackets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Shuyuan; Mu, Xueli; Liu, Tingting; Chen, Hong

    2016-06-01

    Five-body Moshinsky brackets that relate harmonic oscillator wavefunctions in two different sets of Jacobi coordinates make it straightforward to calculate some matrix elements in the variational calculations of five-body systems. The analytical expression of these transformation coefficients and the computer code written in the Mathematica language are presented here for accurate calculations.

  12. Of Dirty Sheets and Worse: Administration Costs and Staffing Matters.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keigher, Sharon M.

    1993-01-01

    Considers article written by professor of social welfare in 1981 in which job security of social workers is addressed. Compares views expressed in 1981 with situation faced by social workers today. Considers danger of administration costs resulting in short-staffing of hospitals serving the poor and discusses case of 22-year-old obstetrics patient…

  13. Practitioner Action Research on Writing Center Tutor Training: Critical Discourse Analysis of Reflections on Video-Recorded Sessions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pigliacelli, Mary

    2017-01-01

    Training writing center tutors to work collaboratively with students on their writing is a complex and challenging process. This practitioner action research uses critical discourse analysis (Gee, 2014a) to interrogate tutors' understandings of their work, as expressed in their written reflections on video-recorded tutoring sessions, to facilitate…

  14. Polysemous Verbs and Modality in Native and Non-Native Argumentative Writing: A Corpus-Based Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salazar, Danica; Verdaguer, Isabel

    2009-01-01

    The present study is a corpus-based analysis of a selection of polysemous lexical verbs used to express modality in student argumentative writing. Twenty-three lexical verbs were searched for in three 100,000-word corpora of argumentative essays written in English by American, Filipino and Spanish university students. Concordance lines were…

  15. SCDC Spanish Curricula Units. Language Arts Strand, Unit 9, Grade 3, Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spanish Curricula Development Center, Miami Beach, FL.

    Instructional and assessment activities are presented in this teacher's guide to unit nine's language arts strand for third graders. Activities in reading, language analysis, and creative expression, both oral and written, are formulated in kits 33-36; they center around the basic theme of the nation as a community. Focus, objectives, and…

  16. An Open Letter to President Barack Obama from C. Frederick Risinger

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Risinger, C. Frederick

    2010-01-01

    This article presents an open letter to President Barack Obama written by the author to express his concerns about the increasing emphasis on mathematics and science education along with the continued emphasis on reading/language arts while a fourth major curriculum area--social studies--is being marginalized by lack of funding and reduced…

  17. Moths, Candles and Fires: Examining Dance as Creative Practice Research in a Master's degree

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rowe, Nicholas; Buck, Ralph

    2013-01-01

    This article reflects on the purposes and functions of examination criteria for Masters' research degrees with creative practice components. With a particular focus on dance projects that incorporate both a performed and a written expression of the research, we consider how a rubric for creative practice research degrees might address formative…

  18. Persuasive Writing with Mobile-Based Graphic Organizers in Inclusive Classrooms across the Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Regan, Kelley; Evmenova, Anya S.; Good, Kevin; Legget, Alicia; Ahn, Soo Y.; Gafurov, Boris; Mastropieri, Margo

    2018-01-01

    As writing instruction expands beyond the language arts classroom, students with disabilities, English language learners, and others who struggle with writing continue to need support with written expression. A timely practice to support student writing is the use of technology. This study used a quasi-experimental group design to examine the…

  19. Does Expressive Writing Reduce Stress and Improve Health for Family Caregivers of Older Adults?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mackenzie, Corey S.; Wiprzycka, Ursula J.; Hasher, Lynn; Goldstein, David

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: We examined whether written emotional disclosure reduces stress and improves health outcomes for family caregivers of physically frail and cognitively impaired older adults, as it has been shown to do for certain student and clinical populations. Design and Methods: Primary caregivers of older adults attending a day program were randomly…

  20. Enhancing Students' Creative Writing Skills: An Action Research Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nasir, Laraib; Naqvi, Syeda Meenoo; Bhamani, Shelina

    2013-01-01

    This research aimed to improve written expression (composition) skills of 5th grade students of an elite private school. The research was designed under the paradigm of action research. A total sample of 39 students' from the same grade was chosen for the study. The baseline assessment was carried out to explore the pre-intervention writing skill…

  1. How Do Finnish Pre-Adolescents Perceive Religion and Spirituality?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ubani, Martin; Tirri, Kirsi

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate how Finnish pre-adolescents perceive religion and spirituality. The participants of the study are 12- to 13-year-old Grade 6 pupils (N=102). The pupils were asked to give their meanings of religion and spirituality. The data includes over 700 written expressions on the two concepts. The qualitative…

  2. Being Bright Is Not Enough: The Unwritten Rules of Doctoral Study. Third Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawley, Peggy

    2010-01-01

    This third edition has been well revised and continues with the ideas expressed in the previous two editions. The details and reactions in light of experiences of the intervening years have been updated and expanded. This particularly interesting book is written from a student advocacy perspective, intended to speak to non-traditional students as…

  3. Story Telling or Storied Telling? Media's Pedagogical Ability to Shape Narrative as a Form of "Knowing"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blevins, Dean G.

    2007-01-01

    Storytellers know that stories are "formed" in their telling. Stories, whether oral or written, personal or mass communicated, ultimately express the boundaries of their medium (their "embodiment" through mediated forms). Religious Educators must always address the medium as well as the message in any theory of narrative accounting. Media often…

  4. Reading Youth Writing: Grazing in the Pastures of Cultural Studies and Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoechsmann, Michael

    2004-01-01

    Reading youth writing is an avenue for the youth where they can express their opinions and ideas. In this article, the author questions whether practitioners in the field of cultural studies are actually engaged in this particular dialogue. The author has examined several articles written by young people from "Toronto Star." He realized…

  5. Adopting a Strategy for Enhancing Generic Skills in Engineering Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krassadaki, Evangelia; Lakiotaki, Kleanthi; Matsatsinis, Nilolaos F.

    2014-01-01

    It is remarkable how often academic staff discover students' weaknesses in expressing their thoughts in written and oral contexts, and in team working. To examine these weaknesses, a study was conducted in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 of students taking an engineering course. Students self-reported an initial high level of weakness in both…

  6. Creating Ripples: An Exploration of Sansei Women's Experiences of Expressive Practices in a Holistic Approach to Learning about Oppression and Privilege

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaya, Katherine

    2013-01-01

    Although much has been written recently about holistic orientations to transformative learning, including its theoretical foundations and frameworks for designing learning experiences that engage multiple epistemologies, little is known about learners' experiences and about how engaging multiple epistemologies can foster learning that is…

  7. A Qualitative Analysis of School Concept on Primary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yildiz, S. Armagan

    2012-01-01

    Child drawing, known as language of thinking, is as an effective tool of expression as written language. The use of paper, composition, and colors are meaningful for professionals. In this research, it is intended to determine the primary school students' perception of the school and schemas with their drawings of school. Case study which is one…

  8. The Writing Performance of Elementary Students Receiving Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolbers, Kimberly A.; Dostal, Hannah M.; Graham, Steve; Cihak, David; Kilpatrick, Jennifer R.; Saulsburry, Rachel

    2015-01-01

    Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) has led to improved writing and language outcomes among deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) middle grades students. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of SIWI on the written expression of DHH elementary students across recount/personal narrative, information report, and persuasive…

  9. 29 CFR 785.50 - Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... which are incidental to the use of such vehicle for commuting shall not be considered part of the employee's principal activities if the use of such vehicle for travel is within the normal commuting area... by either: (1) An express provision of a written or nonwritten contract in effect, at the time of...

  10. 29 CFR 785.50 - Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... which are incidental to the use of such vehicle for commuting shall not be considered part of the employee's principal activities if the use of such vehicle for travel is within the normal commuting area... by either: (1) An express provision of a written or nonwritten contract in effect, at the time of...

  11. 29 CFR 785.50 - Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... which are incidental to the use of such vehicle for commuting shall not be considered part of the employee's principal activities if the use of such vehicle for travel is within the normal commuting area... by either: (1) An express provision of a written or nonwritten contract in effect, at the time of...

  12. 29 CFR 785.50 - Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... which are incidental to the use of such vehicle for commuting shall not be considered part of the employee's principal activities if the use of such vehicle for travel is within the normal commuting area... by either: (1) An express provision of a written or nonwritten contract in effect, at the time of...

  13. Understanding Writing Problems in Young Children: Contributions of Cognitive Skills to the Development of Written Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Childress, Amy

    2011-01-01

    While several models of adult writing have been proposed and studied, the development of writing skills in young children has only recently garnered attention. Using measures of fine-motor, language, working memory, and attention/executive functions, the current study explored motor and cognitive skills that may contribute to writing skill in…

  14. Exploring Doctoral Students' Perceptions of Language Use in Supervisory Written Feedback Practices--Because "Feedback Is Hard to Have"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stracke, Elke; Kumar, Vijay

    2016-01-01

    The mastery of academic writing is essential in doctoral writing. Supervisory feedback provides opportunities for students to improve their writing. It is a communicative tool that can be categorised based on fundamental functions of speech: referential, directive, and expressive. This study provides some understanding of the impact that language…

  15. 76 FR 40931 - In the Matter of Certain Flash Memory and Products Containing Same; Notice of Commission...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-12

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Inv. No. 337-TA-685] In the Matter of Certain Flash Memory and... for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain flash memory and... other agreements, written or oral, express or implied, between the parties concerning the subject matter...

  16. 77 FR 41547 - Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2013...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-13

    ... comment period. 3. By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to the following address..., generally beginning approximately 3 weeks after publication of a document, at the headquarters of the... Reconciliation Act of 1987, Pub. L. 100-2-3, enacted December 22, 1987 OCESAA Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency...

  17. 75 FR 43235 - Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-23

    ... comment period. 3. By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to the following address... approximately 3 weeks after publication of a document, at the headquarters of the Centers for Medicare... 2. Regulatory Update 3. Statutory Update 4. Outlier Cap 5. Loss Sharing Ratio and Fixed Dollar Ratio...

  18. What Works in Girls' Education: Evidence for the World's Best Investment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sperling, Gene B.; Winthrop, Rebecca

    2015-01-01

    Gene Sperling, author of the seminal 2004 report published by the Council on Foreign Relations, and Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education, have written this definitive book on the importance of girls' education. As Malala Yousafzai expresses in her foreword, the idea that any child could be denied an education due to…

  19. Good Guys and "Bad" Girls: Gendered Identity Construction in a Writing Workshop.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orellana, Marjorie Faulstich

    As part of a larger ethnographic project addressing the construction of gender through literacy, this study focused on understanding how the children in one writing process classroom expressed their social selves in their written compositions, as well as how those compositions were engineered within the social dynamics of the classroom. The study…

  20. Teacher-Recommended Methods and Materials for Teaching Penmanship and Spelling to the Learning Disabled.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stein, Regina A.

    A questionnaire sent to 274 Michigan special education teachers in resource rooms and self-contained classrooms were dsigned to identify the treatment methods and materials used by these teachers to teach penmanship and spelling to learning-disabled students. A review of the literature examines the theoretical background of written expression,…

  1. Dancing in the Rain: Leading with Compassion, Vitality, and Mindfulness in Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Jerome T.

    2016-01-01

    "Dancing in the Rain" offers a lively and accessible guide aimed at helping education leaders thrive under pressure by developing the inner strengths of mindfulness and self-compassion, expressing emotions wisely, and maintaining a clear focus on the values that matter most. Jerome T. Murphy, a scholar and former dean who has written and…

  2. Free Computer-Based Assistive Technology to Support Students with High-Incidence Disabilities in the Writing Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouck, Emily C.; Meyer, Nancy K.; Satsangi, Rajiv; Savage, Melissa N.; Hunley, Megan

    2015-01-01

    Written expression is a neglected but critical component of education; yet, the writing process--from prewriting, to writing, and postwriting--is often an area of struggle for students with disabilities. One strategy to assist students with disabilities struggling with the writing process is the use of computer-based technology. This article…

  3. Temperature control simulation for a microwave transmitter cooling system. [deep space network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yung, C. S.

    1980-01-01

    The thermal performance of a temperature control system for the antenna microwave transmitter (klystron tube) of the Deep Space Network antenna tracking system is discussed. In particular the mathematical model is presented along with the details of a computer program which is written for the system simulation and the performance parameterization. Analytical expressions are presented.

  4. Evaluating Writing Instruction through an Investigation of Students' Experiences of Learning through Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Robert A.; Taylor, Charlotte E.; Drury, Helen

    2005-01-01

    Learning through writing is a way of learning not only the appropriate written expression of disciplinary knowledge, but also the knowledge itself through reflection and revision. This study investigates the quality of a writing experience provided to university students in a first-year biology subject. The writing instruction methodology used is…

  5. Towards a Transcription System of Sign Language for 3D Virtual Agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Do Amaral, Wanessa Machado; de Martino, José Mario

    Accessibility is a growing concern in computer science. Since virtual information is mostly presented visually, it may seem that access for deaf people is not an issue. However, for prelingually deaf individuals, those who were deaf since before acquiring and formally learn a language, written information is often of limited accessibility than if presented in signing. Further, for this community, signing is their language of choice, and reading text in a spoken language is akin to using a foreign language. Sign language uses gestures and facial expressions and is widely used by deaf communities. To enabling efficient production of signed content on virtual environment, it is necessary to make written records of signs. Transcription systems have been developed to describe sign languages in written form, but these systems have limitations. Since they were not originally designed with computer animation in mind, in general, the recognition and reproduction of signs in these systems is an easy task only to those who deeply know the system. The aim of this work is to develop a transcription system to provide signed content in virtual environment. To animate a virtual avatar, a transcription system requires explicit enough information, such as movement speed, signs concatenation, sequence of each hold-and-movement and facial expressions, trying to articulate close to reality. Although many important studies in sign languages have been published, the transcription problem remains a challenge. Thus, a notation to describe, store and play signed content in virtual environments offers a multidisciplinary study and research tool, which may help linguistic studies to understand the sign languages structure and grammar.

  6. Maximum entropy approach to H -theory: Statistical mechanics of hierarchical systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vasconcelos, Giovani L.; Salazar, Domingos S. P.; Macêdo, A. M. S.

    2018-02-01

    A formalism, called H-theory, is applied to the problem of statistical equilibrium of a hierarchical complex system with multiple time and length scales. In this approach, the system is formally treated as being composed of a small subsystem—representing the region where the measurements are made—in contact with a set of "nested heat reservoirs" corresponding to the hierarchical structure of the system, where the temperatures of the reservoirs are allowed to fluctuate owing to the complex interactions between degrees of freedom at different scales. The probability distribution function (pdf) of the temperature of the reservoir at a given scale, conditioned on the temperature of the reservoir at the next largest scale in the hierarchy, is determined from a maximum entropy principle subject to appropriate constraints that describe the thermal equilibrium properties of the system. The marginal temperature distribution of the innermost reservoir is obtained by integrating over the conditional distributions of all larger scales, and the resulting pdf is written in analytical form in terms of certain special transcendental functions, known as the Fox H functions. The distribution of states of the small subsystem is then computed by averaging the quasiequilibrium Boltzmann distribution over the temperature of the innermost reservoir. This distribution can also be written in terms of H functions. The general family of distributions reported here recovers, as particular cases, the stationary distributions recently obtained by Macêdo et al. [Phys. Rev. E 95, 032315 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevE.95.032315] from a stochastic dynamical approach to the problem.

  7. Maximum entropy approach to H-theory: Statistical mechanics of hierarchical systems.

    PubMed

    Vasconcelos, Giovani L; Salazar, Domingos S P; Macêdo, A M S

    2018-02-01

    A formalism, called H-theory, is applied to the problem of statistical equilibrium of a hierarchical complex system with multiple time and length scales. In this approach, the system is formally treated as being composed of a small subsystem-representing the region where the measurements are made-in contact with a set of "nested heat reservoirs" corresponding to the hierarchical structure of the system, where the temperatures of the reservoirs are allowed to fluctuate owing to the complex interactions between degrees of freedom at different scales. The probability distribution function (pdf) of the temperature of the reservoir at a given scale, conditioned on the temperature of the reservoir at the next largest scale in the hierarchy, is determined from a maximum entropy principle subject to appropriate constraints that describe the thermal equilibrium properties of the system. The marginal temperature distribution of the innermost reservoir is obtained by integrating over the conditional distributions of all larger scales, and the resulting pdf is written in analytical form in terms of certain special transcendental functions, known as the Fox H functions. The distribution of states of the small subsystem is then computed by averaging the quasiequilibrium Boltzmann distribution over the temperature of the innermost reservoir. This distribution can also be written in terms of H functions. The general family of distributions reported here recovers, as particular cases, the stationary distributions recently obtained by Macêdo et al. [Phys. Rev. E 95, 032315 (2017)10.1103/PhysRevE.95.032315] from a stochastic dynamical approach to the problem.

  8. Moyamoya disease: impact on the performance of oral and written language.

    PubMed

    Lamônica, Dionísia Aparecida Cusin; Ribeiro, Camila da Costa; Ferraz, Plínio Marcos Duarte Pinto; Tabaquim, Maria de Lourdes Merighi

    Moyamoya disease is an unusual form of occlusive, cerebrovascular disorder that affects the arteries of the central nervous system, causing acquired language alterations and learning difficulties. The study aim was to describe the oral/written language and cognitive skills in a seven-year-and-seven-month-old girl diagnosed with Moyamoya disease. The assessment consisted of interviews with her parents and application of the following instruments: Observation of Communicative Behavior, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Academic Performance Test, Profile of Phonological Awareness, Raven's Progressive Matrices Test, Special Scale, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Two episodes of stroke in the left and right temporal-parietal and left frontal areas occurred until the age of six years and five months. Revascularization surgery and medication treatment were conducted. The audiologic and ophthalmologic assessments indicated normality. At the time of the study, the girl was attending the second grade of elementary school. She presented changes in oral and written language (syllabic-alphabetic), non-naming of all graphemes, low arithmetic and writing means, reading skill below first grade level and psycholinguistic delay, and pre-school level phonological processing skills. The psychological evaluation indicated satisfactory intellectual level; however, it also showed cognitive performance impairment in verbal and execution tasks and limitations on graphic-perceptual-motor skills and sequential logic organization. The stroke episodes influenced the performance of learning processes, affecting the analysis, integration, and interpretation of relevant visual and auditory information.

  9. Fast large scale structure perturbation theory using one-dimensional fast Fourier transforms

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

    Schmittfull, Marcel; Vlah, Zvonimir; McDonald, Patrick

    The usual fluid equations describing the large-scale evolution of mass density in the universe can be written as local in the density, velocity divergence, and velocity potential fields. As a result, the perturbative expansion in small density fluctuations, usually written in terms of convolutions in Fourier space, can be written as a series of products of these fields evaluated at the same location in configuration space. Based on this, we establish a new method to numerically evaluate the 1-loop power spectrum (i.e., Fourier transform of the 2-point correlation function) with one-dimensional fast Fourier transforms. This is exact and a fewmore » orders of magnitude faster than previously used numerical approaches. Numerical results of the new method are in excellent agreement with the standard quadrature integration method. This fast model evaluation can in principle be extended to higher loop order where existing codes become painfully slow. Our approach follows by writing higher order corrections to the 2-point correlation function as, e.g., the correlation between two second-order fields or the correlation between a linear and a third-order field. These are then decomposed into products of correlations of linear fields and derivatives of linear fields. In conclusion, the method can also be viewed as evaluating three-dimensional Fourier space convolutions using products in configuration space, which may also be useful in other contexts where similar integrals appear.« less

  10. Fast large scale structure perturbation theory using one-dimensional fast Fourier transforms

    DOE PAGES

    Schmittfull, Marcel; Vlah, Zvonimir; McDonald, Patrick

    2016-05-01

    The usual fluid equations describing the large-scale evolution of mass density in the universe can be written as local in the density, velocity divergence, and velocity potential fields. As a result, the perturbative expansion in small density fluctuations, usually written in terms of convolutions in Fourier space, can be written as a series of products of these fields evaluated at the same location in configuration space. Based on this, we establish a new method to numerically evaluate the 1-loop power spectrum (i.e., Fourier transform of the 2-point correlation function) with one-dimensional fast Fourier transforms. This is exact and a fewmore » orders of magnitude faster than previously used numerical approaches. Numerical results of the new method are in excellent agreement with the standard quadrature integration method. This fast model evaluation can in principle be extended to higher loop order where existing codes become painfully slow. Our approach follows by writing higher order corrections to the 2-point correlation function as, e.g., the correlation between two second-order fields or the correlation between a linear and a third-order field. These are then decomposed into products of correlations of linear fields and derivatives of linear fields. In conclusion, the method can also be viewed as evaluating three-dimensional Fourier space convolutions using products in configuration space, which may also be useful in other contexts where similar integrals appear.« less

  11. Effect of age and social connection on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

    PubMed

    Hidaka, Tomoo; Kakamu, Takeyasu; Hayakawa, Takehito; Kumagai, Tomohiro; Jinnouchi, Takanobu; Sato, Sei; Tsuji, Masayoshi; Nakano, Shinichi; Koyama, Kikuo; Fukushima, Tetsuhito

    2016-05-25

    To reveal the effect of age and other factors on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. A survey questionnaire was sent to 1505 workers, with questions regarding age, presence of a written employment contract, previous residence, radiation passbook ownership, presence of close persons for consultation, knowledge of how to access public assistance, and a four-point scale of radiation-related anxiety (1= "Very much," 2= "Somewhat," 3= "A little bit," and 4= "None" ). The relationships between the degree of anxiety and variables were analyzed using the chi-square test and residual analysis. In all, 512 participants responded to the questionnaire. The mean age of participants was 46.2 years (SD: 13.1, range: 18-77). Of them, 50, 233, 168, and 61 workers chose "Very much," "Somewhat," "A little bit," and "None," respectively, on the anxiety scale. Chi-square test showed that participants aged 61 years and over had higher degrees of anxiety (p<0.001). Ordinal logistic regression showed that the degree of anxiety increased if they did not have a written contract (p=0.042) or persons to consult (p=0.034) and if they routinely checked the dose rate (p=0.046). Decontamination workers who do not have a written contract or who are in socially isolated situations have greater anxiety over radiation exposure. Thus, it is important to both create supportive human relationships for consultation and enhance labor management in individual companies.

  12. Willingness to communicate organ donation intention.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Deborah Dillon; Ferreri, Ruth; Jin, Carol; Mendez, Anthea; Smail, Julie; Balcom, Patricia; Shoemaker, Sheila; Kamuzora, Paul Lwekaza; Durham, Rebecca; Dibble, Jaqueline

    2007-01-01

    The study tested an intervention exposing people who planned to donate organs to written information about communicating with family their intention to donate organs. A pretest posttest double-blind experiment compared participants given written information about communicating with family and basic organ donation information, with participants given written information about only basic organ donation information. Participants included 109 adults who had not yet communicated their plans with family. Participants first responded to previous experience with organ donation, thoughts about organ donation, willingness to communicate with family about organ donation, and knowledge about organ donation. After reading the respective pamphlet, participants again responded to thoughts about communicating with their family and willingness to communicate with family. Both groups responded with the same high willingness to communicate before the intervention and a small but significant increase in willingness to communicate afterwards. Participants expressed a high degree of willingness to communicate about their organ donation intentions even though they had thus far not communicated their intentions. Factors in addition to willingness to communicate need to be identified in order to encourage better communication about organ donation intentions.

  13. Movement Issues Identified in Movement ABC2 Checklist Parent Ratings for Students with Persisting Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, and OWL LD and Typical Literacy Learners.

    PubMed

    Nielsen, Kathleen; Henderson, Sheila; Barnett, Anna L; Abbott, Robert D; Berninger, Virginia

    2018-01-01

    Movement, which draws on motor skills and executive functions for managing them, plays an important role in literacy learning (e.g., movement of mouth during oral reading and movement of hand and fingers during writing); but relatively little research has focused on movement skills in students with specific learning disabilities as the current study did. Parents completed normed Movement Assessment Battery for Children Checklist, 2nd edition (ABC-2), ratings and their children in grades 4 to 9 ( M = 11 years, 11 months; 94 boys, 61 girls) completed diagnostic assessment used to assign them to diagnostic groups: control typical language learning ( N = 42), dysgraphia (impaired handwriting) ( N = 29), dyslexia (impaired word decoding/reading and spelling) ( N = 65), or oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD) (impaired syntax in oral and written language) ( N = 19). The research aims were to (a) correlate the Movement ABC-2 parent ratings for Scale A Static/Predictable Environment (15 items) and Scale B Dynamic/Unpredictable Environment (15 items) with reading and writing achievement in total sample varying within and across different skills; and (b) compare each specific learning disability group with the control group on Movement ABC-2 parent ratings for Scale A, Scale B, and Scale C Movement-Related (Non-Motor Executive Functions, or Self-Efficacy, or Affect) (13 items). At least one Movement ABC-2 parent rating was correlated with each assessed literacy achievement skill. Each of three specific learning disability groups differed from the control group on two Scale A (static/predictable environment) items (fastens buttons and forms letters with pencil or pen) and on three Scale C items (distractibility, overactive, and underestimates own ability); but only OWL LD differed from control on Scale B (dynamic/unpredictable environment) items. Applications of findings to assessment and instruction for students ascertained for and diagnosed with persisting specific learning disabilities in literacy learning, and future research directions are discussed.

  14. Development of Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Scale for Indians (AHSI).

    PubMed

    Ahuja, Kanika K

    2017-01-01

    Attitudes toward homosexuality vary across cultures, with the legal and societal position being rather complicated in India. This study describes the process of developing and validating a Likert-type scale to assess attitudes toward homosexuality among heterosexuals. Phase 1 describes the development of the scale. Items were written based on thematic analysis of narratives generated from 50 college students and reviewing existing scales. After administering the 70-item scale to 68 participants, item analysis yielded 20 statements with item-total correlations over .70. Cronbach's alpha was .97. In Phase 2, the 20-item Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Scale for Indians (AHSI) was administered to 142 participants. Analysis yielded a corrected split-half correlation of .91. Further, AHSI discriminated between women and men; between liberal arts and STEM/business students; and those who reported interpersonal contact with gay men and lesbian women and those who did not. The scale has satisfactory reliability and shows promising construct validity.

  15. Improving the Factor Structure of Psychological Scales

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xijuan; Savalei, Victoria

    2015-01-01

    Many psychological scales written in the Likert format include reverse worded (RW) items in order to control acquiescence bias. However, studies have shown that RW items often contaminate the factor structure of the scale by creating one or more method factors. The present study examines an alternative scale format, called the Expanded format, which replaces each response option in the Likert scale with a full sentence. We hypothesized that this format would result in a cleaner factor structure as compared with the Likert format. We tested this hypothesis on three popular psychological scales: the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale, the Conscientiousness subscale of the Big Five Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory II. Scales in both formats showed comparable reliabilities. However, scales in the Expanded format had better (i.e., lower and more theoretically defensible) dimensionalities than scales in the Likert format, as assessed by both exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses. We encourage further study and wider use of the Expanded format, particularly when a scale’s dimensionality is of theoretical interest. PMID:27182074

  16. Discussion on how to implement a verbal scale in a forensic laboratory: Benefits, pitfalls and suggestions to avoid misunderstandings.

    PubMed

    Marquis, Raymond; Biedermann, Alex; Cadola, Liv; Champod, Christophe; Gueissaz, Line; Massonnet, Geneviève; Mazzella, Williams David; Taroni, Franco; Hicks, Tacha

    2016-09-01

    In a recently published guideline for evaluative reporting in forensic science, the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) recommended the use of the likelihood ratio for the measurement of the value of forensic results. As a device to communicate the probative value of the results, the ENFSI guideline mentions the possibility to define and use a verbal scale, which should be unified within a forensic institution. This paper summarizes discussions held between scientists of our institution to develop and implement such a verbal scale. It intends to contribute to general discussions likely to be faced by any forensic institution that engages in continuous monitoring and improving of their evaluation and reporting format. We first present published arguments in favour of the use of such verbal qualifiers. We emphasise that verbal qualifiers do not replace the use of numbers to evaluate forensic findings, but are useful to communicate the probative value, since the weight of evidence in terms of likelihood ratio are still apprehended with difficulty by both the forensic scientists, especially in the absence of hard data, and the recipient of information. We further present arguments that support the development of the verbal scale that we propose. Recognising the limits of the use of such a verbal scale, we then discuss its disadvantages: it may lead to the spurious view according to which the value of the observations made in a given case is relative to other cases. Verbal qualifiers are also prone to misunderstandings and cannot be coherently combined with other evidence. We therefore recommend not using the verbal qualifier alone in a written statement. While scientists should only report on the probability of the findings - and not on the probability of the propositions, which are the duty of the Court - we suggest showing examples to let the recipient of information understand how the scientific evidence affects the probabilities of the propositions. To avoid misunderstandings, we also advise to mention in the statement what the results do not mean. Finally, we are of the opinion that if experts were able to coherently articulate numbers, and if recipients of information could properly handle such numbers, then verbal qualifiers could be abandoned completely. At that time, numerical expressions of probative value will be appropriately understood, as other numerical measures that most of us understand without the need of any further explanation, such as expressions for length or temperature. Copyright © 2016 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Pairwise-Comparison Software

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ricks, Wendell R.

    1995-01-01

    Pairwise comparison (PWC) is computer program that collects data for psychometric scaling techniques now used in cognitive research. It applies technique of pairwise comparisons, which is one of many techniques commonly used to acquire the data necessary for analyses. PWC administers task, collects data from test subject, and formats data for analysis. Written in Turbo Pascal v6.0.

  18. 1:100,000-scale Counties of the United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    1993-01-01

    This is a coverage of the county boundaries of the conterminous United States (AK, HI and Puerto Rico are available separately). The lines were extracted from U.S. Census TIGER/line files using an AML program (see 4.), written by Doug Nebert and Mark Negri, running on two Data General 6220 servers.

  19. 27. PLAN OF STRINGERS TO BE REPLACED (with 'Present Stringers' ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    27. PLAN OF STRINGERS TO BE REPLACED (with 'Present Stringers' written over the word 'stringers' in the original) SOUTH HADLEY FALLS BRIDGE, HOLYOKE, MASS. Scale 11/2' = 1' 1/1/23 P.E. Bond City Engr. - Holyoke Bridge, Spanning Connecticut River, between Holyoke & South Hadley Falls, Holyoke, Hampden County, MA

  20. Rating Written Performance: What Do Raters Do and Why?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuiken, Folkert; Vedder, Ineke

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates the relationship in L2 writing between raters' judgments of communicative adequacy and linguistic complexity by means of six-point Likert scales, and general measures of linguistic performance. The participants were 39 learners of Italian and 32 of Dutch, who wrote two short argumentative essays. The same writing tasks…

  1. Ways of Knowing as Learning Styles: Learning MAGIC with a Partner.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galotti, Kathleen M.; Drebus, David W.; Reimer, Rebecca L.

    2001-01-01

    College student pairs learned a complex card game using a scripted set of turns and written explanations, played the game, rated perceptions of and reactions to the learning session and their partner, and completed the Attitudes Toward Thinking and Learning Scale. Significant differences in perceptions of partners and sessions related to…

  2. To Live on Earth. Man and His Environment in Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brubaker, Sterling

    In this text, written for the general reader rather than for the specialist, the accelerating use of man's environment is considered from agricultural, economic, demographic, and land and other resource use, with principal reference to the United States situation, but with reference to the world scale when appropriate. Environmental threats are…

  3. Assessment Criteria: Reflections on Current Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woolf, Harvey

    2004-01-01

    This article reviews the findings of a small-scale investigation into the criteria used by a number of SACWG departments for assessing final-year project modules in business and history and other written history assignments. The findings provide the basis for a broader discussion of the issues relating to the formulation and use of assessment…

  4. Sensitivity to Disgust and Perceptions of Natural Bodies of Water and Watercraft Activities

    Treesearch

    Robert D. Bixler; Gwynn Powell

    2003-01-01

    A written 7-item self-report scale on sensitivity to disgust and participation in watercraft activities was administered to 450 seasonal park employees. Correlations indicate that nonparticipation in seven different watercraft sports was weakly related with reactions of disgust to contact with natural bodies of water (rpbis...

  5. Low-Reynolds Number Aerodynamics of an 8.9 Percent Scale Semispan Swept Wing for Assessment of Icing Effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Broeren, Andy; Woodard, Brian; Diebold, Jeff; Moens, Frederic

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents the results of an experimental and computational study of low-Reynolds number swept wing aerodynamics. This work has been conducted in preparation for icing effects on a swept wing. A complete abstract will be written for the final paper.

  6. History and distribution of lynx in the contiguous United States [Chapter 8

    Treesearch

    Kevin S. McKelvey

    2000-01-01

    Using written accounts, trapping records, and spatially referenced occurrence data, the authors reconstructed the history and distribution of lynx in the contiguous United States from the 1800s to the present. Records show lynx occurrence in 24 states. Data over broad scales of space and time show lynx distribution...

  7. Instrumentation for noninvasive express-diagnostics bacteriophages and viruses by optical method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moguilnaia, Tatiana A.; Andreev, Gleb I.; Agibalov, Andrey A.; Botikov, Andrey G.; Kosenkov, Evgeniy; Saguitova, Elena

    2004-03-01

    The theoretical and the experimental researches of spectra of absent-minded radiation in medium containing viruses were carried out. The information on spectra luminescence 31 viruses was written down.The new method the express - analysis of viruses in organism of the man was developed. It shall be mentioned that the proposed method of express diagnostics allows detection of infection agent in the organism several hours after infection. It makes it suitable for high efficient testing in blood services for detection and rejection of potential donors infected with such viruses as hepatitis, herpes, Epstein-Barre, cytomegalovirus, and immunodeficiency. Methods of serum diagnostics used for that purpose can detect antibodies to virus only 1-3 months after the person has been infected. The device for the express analysis of 31 viruses of the man was created.

  8. Differential Diagnosis of Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, and OWL LD: Behavioral and Neuroimaging Evidence

    PubMed Central

    Berninger, Virginia W.; Richards, Todd; Abbott, Robert D.

    2015-01-01

    In Study 1, children in grades 4 to 9 (N= 88, 29 females and 59 males) with persisting reading and/or writing disabilities, despite considerable prior specialized instruction in and out of school, were given an evidence-based comprehensive assessment battery at the university while parents completed questionnaires regarding past and current history of language learning and other difficulties. Profiles (patterns) of normed measures for different levels of oral and written language used to categorize participants into diagnostic groups for dysgraphia (impaired subword handwriting) (n=26), dyslexia (impaired word spelling and reading) (n=38), or oral and written language learning disability OWL LD (impaired oral and written syntax comprehension and expression) (n=13) or control oral and written language learners (OWLs) without SLDs (n=11) were consistent withreported history. Impairments in working memory components supporting language learning were also examined. In Study 2, right handed children from Study 1 who did not wear braces (controls, n=9, dysgraphia, n= 14; dyslexia, n=17, OWL LD, n=5) completed an fMRI functional connectivity brain imaging study in which they performed a word-specific spelling judgment task, which is related to both word reading and spelling, and may be impaired in dysgraphia, dyslexia, and OWL LD for different reasons. fMRI functional connectivity from 4 seed points in brain locations involved in written word processing to other brain regions also differentiated dysgraphia, dyslexia, and OWL LD; both specific regions to which connected and overall number of functional connections differed. Thus, results provide converging neurological and behavioral evidence, for dysgraphia, dyslexia, and OWL LD being different, diagnosable specific learning disabilities (SLDs) for persisting written language problems during middle childhood and early adolescence. Translation of the research findings into practice at policy and administrative levels and at local school levels is discussed. PMID:26336330

  9. Facial expression drawings and the full cup test: valid tools for the measurement of swelling after dental surgery.

    PubMed

    Al-Samman, A A; Othman, H A

    2017-01-01

    Assessment of postoperative swelling is subjective and depends on the patient's opinion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of facial expression drawings and the full cup test and to compare their performance with that of other scales in measuring postoperative swelling. Fifty patients who had one of several procedures were included. All patients were asked to fill in a form for six days postoperatively (including the day of operation) that contained four scales to rate the amount of swelling: facial expression drawings, the full cup test, the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the verbal rating scale (VRS). Seven patients did not know how to use some of the scales. However, all patients successfully used the facial expression drawings. There was a significant difference between the scale that patients found easiest to use and the others (p<0.008). Fourteen patients selected facial expression drawings and five the VRS. The results showed that the correlations between the scales were good (p<0.01). Facial expression drawings and the full cup test are valid tools and could be used to assess postoperative swelling interchangeably with other scales for rating swelling, and some patients found facial expression drawings were the easiest to use. Copyright © 2016 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The Effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development on the Writing of Expository Essays for Adults with Written Expression Difficulties: Preparing for the GED

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berry, Ann Bassett; Mason, Linda H.

    2012-01-01

    A multiple-probe, multiple-baseline, across-subjects design was used to examine the writing performance of four low-achieving adult students with and without disabilities enrolled in general equivalency diploma (GED) preparatory classes. Students' writing was evaluated before instruction and after self-regulated strategy development (SRSD)…

  11. 78 FR 740 - Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: The Development of Gene Expression Signatures of Neoplasm...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-04

    ... inhibitor and an mTOR inhibitor in the treatment of multiple myeloma, breast cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, and prostate cancer. DATES: Only written comments or applications for a license, or both, which are received by... applicable to several cancer subtypes, the detection of such signatures in a tumor could be used to identify...

  12. Cross-Cultural Competency and Special Education: Perceptions and Experiences of Korean Parents of Children with Special Needs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Jiyeon; Turnbull, Ann P.

    2001-01-01

    A study investigated the perceptions, levels of satisfaction, and concerns of 8 Korean parents of children with disabilities in regard to U.S. special education services. Participants expressed their satisfaction with certain aspects of the special education system, agreed they had been sent too many written materials, and used mediators.…

  13. Establishing Reader Involvement in Transnational Marketing Communications: Relative Focus on Speech-Like or Written-Like Strategy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frank, Jane

    A study examined the use of three linguistic features imitating speech found in two groups of direct-mail marketing texts, in order to show differences in the ways U.S.-based and transnational efforts exploit readers' expectations regarding "literate" versus "oral" modes of expression. Two groups of sales letters, 25 U.S.-based…

  14. Methods of Reflection about Service Learning: Guided vs. Free, Dialogic vs. Expressive, and Public vs. Private

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sturgill, Amanda; Motley, Phillip

    2014-01-01

    Reflection is a key component of service learning, but research shows that in order to maximize learning, the reflection must be of high quality. This paper compares the affordances of three different models of written reflection in engendering students' higher-order thought processes. Student reflections were compared across axes of guided versus…

  15. iPad versus Handwriting: Pilot Study Exploring the Writing Abilities of Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corkett, Julie K.; Benevides, Tina

    2016-01-01

    Written expression is an essential skill to actively function in today's society. For many learners, especially those with a learning disability (LD), writing can be a source of frustration. Technology in its various forms, holds promise to assist students in this area. The current study examines the role that tablet technology, specifically,…

  16. Utilizing Curriculum-Based Measurements of Writing in Third and Fifth Grade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dombek, Jennifer Lucas

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to address the utility of curriculum-based measurements of written expression (CBM-W) for predicting writing growth longitudinally and address the extent to which CBM-W relate to other academic and behavior measures. CBM-W has been shown to be an appropriate and useful method for assessing and monitoring writing skill…

  17. Assessment and Treatment of Short-Term and Working Memory Impairments in Stroke Aphasia: A Practical Tutorial

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salis, Christos; Kelly, Helen; Code, Chris

    2015-01-01

    Background: Aphasia following stroke refers to impairments that affect the comprehension and expression of spoken and/or written language, and co-occurring cognitive deficits are common. In this paper we focus on short-term and working memory impairments that impact on the ability to retain and manipulate auditory-verbal information. Evidence from…

  18. Using Google as a Super Corpus to Drive Written Language Learning: A Comparison with the British National Corpus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sha, Guoquan

    2010-01-01

    Data-driven learning (DDL), or corpus-based language learning, involves the learner in an exploratory task to discover appropriate expressions or collocates regarding his writing. However, the problematic units of meaning in each learner's writing are so diverse that conventional corpora often prove futile. The search engine Google with the…

  19. On "Developing a Framework for Critical Science Agency through Case Study in a Conceptual Physics Context"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reveles, John M.

    2009-01-01

    This paper provides a review of research that examines the development and expression of agency in and through high-school physics. The interchange offers realizations and questions brought to mind by the reading of the research and provides written comments connected to specific sections of the paper germane to my own theoretical perspective.…

  20. Writing Instruction and Self-Regulation for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review of the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asaro-Saddler, Kristie

    2016-01-01

    Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may struggle to self-regulate their learning, and such difficulty may be especially notable in the area of written expression. One intervention that has explored self-regulation in writing is the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) approach. In this article, a review of the research using SRSD…

  1. Gendered Family Lives through the Eyes of Young People: Diversity, Permanence and Change of Gender Representations in Portugal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    das Dores Guerreiro, Maria; Caetano, Ana; Rodrigues, Eduardo

    2014-01-01

    This article examines gender representations of family and parental roles among young people aged 11 to 14 years. It is based on the qualitative analysis of 792 essays written by Portuguese girls and boys attending compulsory education. The adolescents' texts express normative images and cultural representations about gender that are plural and…

  2. Literacy Outcomes of Children with Early Childhood Speech Sound Disorders: Impact of Endophenotypes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Barbara A.; Avrich, Allison A.; Freebairn, Lisa A.; Hansen, Amy J.; Sucheston, Lara E.; Kuo, Iris; Taylor, H. Gerry; Iyengar, Sudha K.; Stein, Catherine M.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To demonstrate that early childhood speech sound disorders (SSD) and later school-age reading, written expression, and spelling skills are influenced by shared endophenotypes that may be in part genetic. Method: Children with SSD and their siblings were assessed at early childhood (ages 4-6 years) and followed at school age (7-12 years).…

  3. Pupils' Fear in the Classroom: Portraits from Palestine and England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hargreaves, Eleanore; Affouneh, Saida

    2017-01-01

    This article explores the concept of fear related to the authoritarian classroom and how children express its influence on their learning. Its investigations draw on the comments of four classes of primary-age pupils, two from a school near London, England, and two from boys' and girls' schools in the West Bank, Palestine. It is written by one…

  4. The Effects of a Color-Embedded Writing Strategy on the Written Expression Skills of Students with Mild-Moderate Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Otto, Claudia Cecilia

    2013-01-01

    This research is a classroom case study to determine the effectiveness of a color-embedded writing strategy on the writing performance of adolescents with mild-moderate disabilities. Assessment and documentation of students' composition skills progress was made using the TOWL-4 writing assessments. Comparisons were made between those students who…

  5. Narrative Writing Competence and Internal State Terms of Young Adults Clinically Diagnosed with Childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miranda, Ana; Baixauli, Inmaculada; Colomer, Carla

    2013-01-01

    Objective: The first objective of this study was to compare the written expression competence of young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with that of young adults without ADHD on three types of measures: indicators of the story's microstructure with regard to productivity and morphosyntax; indicators of the macrostructure…

  6. A Model of the Writing Process for Use in Teaching and Remediating Written Expression.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rager, John J.

    The writing process depends heavily on linguistic, psycho-perceptual, and psycho-motor abilities. If a student has a significant weakness in one of these major trait clusters, then thinking will suffer and he or she may experience great difficulty in writing. The process of writing can be broken down into four main phases, which can be labeled…

  7. Being a Competent Athlete or a Competent Teacher? Aesthetic Experiences in Physical Education Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maivorsdotter, Ninitha; Lundvall, Suzanne; Quennerstedt, Mikael

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore physical education teacher education students' meaning-making of participating in lessons--in this case gymnastics and basketball--based on their aesthetic judgements, expressed in written stories. A transactional approach, drawing on the work of John Dewey, was used in the study and the empirical data was…

  8. The Language of Request: Annual Giftgiving to the University. ASHE 1983 Annual Meeting Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tobin, Katherine

    The organization of culture and the language of gift-giving used by a university development office were studied using an ethnographic approach. Attention was directed to the way that an academic institution selects, designs, and expresses its written and oral fund-raising messages, as well as the variety of factors that precede, structure, and…

  9. Literatura chicana: Vida en busca de forma (Chicano Literature: Life in Search of Form).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rivera, Tomas

    The Chicano culture is searching for appropriate expression in art forms and literature. The Chicano novel and essay, often written in English, seem directed toward the North American public. The short story is the most varied in viewpoint and most versatile in form. Poetry captures the Chicano sensitivity. It is almost impossible to note the…

  10. Before You Bring Back School Dress Codes, Recognize that the Courts Frown upon Attempts to "Restrict" Students' Rights.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sparks, Richard K.

    1983-01-01

    Courts will support school boards' dress codes if based on needs rather than opinions. Courts have affirmed that minors have constitutional rights. Hair length, clothing style, and beards may be protected by students' right to freedom of expression. Codes must be carefully written and consistent with schools' legitimate goals. (PB)

  11. Attitudes, Writing Fluency, Reading Achievement--A Comparison Between i. t. a. and T. O. Trained Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trost, David McRoberts-Adair

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether children learning to read in the initial teaching alphabet (i.t.a.) and traditional orthography (TO) differ in general attitudes toward reading, in fluency in written expression, and in reading vocabulary and comprehension at the end of their second-grade school experience. Further, this study…

  12. Examining the Effects of SRSD in Combination with Video Self-Modeling on Writing by Third Grade Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Katie M.; Little, Mary E.

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an instructional package, Self-Regulated Strategy Development, a cognitive strategy instructional model (POW + TREE), in combination with video self-modeling (VSM) on the improvement on the written expression of three third-grade students with learning disabilities (LD). This…

  13. Participants in Adult Basic Skills Classes Using Intertextual and Metacognitive Skills and Strategies to Aid Reading Comprehension and Written Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacMonagle, William Peter

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to seek evidence of awareness of metacognitive processes and intertextuality in the reading comprehension of students in an adult basic education class. Its purpose was to interweave several strands of research investigation and theory to explain the reading and writing capabilities of a representative population…

  14. The Future Is More than Just Tomorrow: Higher Education, the Economy and the Longer Term

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crossick, Geoffrey

    2010-01-01

    In this commentary the author reflects on longer-term issues facing higher education in the context of recession and crisis in public finance. The views expressed are written from a personal perspective with the aim of stimulating and encouraging a wider and ongoing debate around the themes presented. The author draws upon the findings of three…

  15. DyNAVacS: an integrative tool for optimized DNA vaccine design.

    PubMed

    Harish, Nagarajan; Gupta, Rekha; Agarwal, Parul; Scaria, Vinod; Pillai, Beena

    2006-07-01

    DNA vaccines have slowly emerged as keystones in preventive immunology due to their versatility in inducing both cell-mediated as well as humoral immune responses. The design of an efficient DNA vaccine, involves choice of a suitable expression vector, ensuring optimal expression by codon optimization, engineering CpG motifs for enhancing immune responses and providing additional sequence signals for efficient translation. DyNAVacS is a web-based tool created for rapid and easy design of DNA vaccines. It follows a step-wise design flow, which guides the user through the various sequential steps in the design of the vaccine. Further, it allows restriction enzyme mapping, design of primers spanning user specified sequences and provides information regarding the vectors currently used for generation of DNA vaccines. The web version uses Apache HTTP server. The interface was written in HTML and utilizes the Common Gateway Interface scripts written in PERL for functionality. DyNAVacS is an integrated tool consisting of user-friendly programs, which require minimal information from the user. The software is available free of cost, as a web based application at URL: http://miracle.igib.res.in/dynavac/.

  16. Journal of Glenn T. Seaborg (Chairman, US Atomic Energy Commission, 1961 through 1971), July 1, 1961--December 31, 1961

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

    Seaborg, G.T.

    1989-01-01

    This introduction to my journal of 1961--1971, covering my years of service as Chairman of the US Atomic Energy Commission, is written from the perspective of 1971, in order to reflect the attitudes expressed in my journal, which was written on a daily basis during that period. Thus, I express the points of view of that time rather than those of today (1988), which might occasionally be somewhat different. The journal consists of 25 volumes, averaging 700 pages each. This comprises about 15,000 items consisting of the approximately 4,000 daily journal entries and the average of about three attachments permore » day. The journal has three sections corresponding to each of the three presidents I served as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission -- the first six volumes covering the John F. Kennedy years (February 1, 1961--November 22, 1963), the next 11 volumes covering the Lyndon B. Johnson years (November 22, 1963--January 20, 1969) and the final eight volumes, the Richard M. Nixon years and a few months of post-AEC chairman activities in Washington (January 20, 1969--November 6, 1971).« less

  17. Journal of Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman of the US Atomic Energy Commission, 1961--1971: Volume 1, February 1, 1961--June 30, 1961

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

    Seaborg, G.T.

    1989-01-01

    This introduction to my journal of 1961--1971, covering my years of service as Chairman of the US Atomic Energy Commission, is written from the perspective of 1971, in order to reflect the attitudes expressed in my journal, which was written on a daily basis during that period. Thus, I express the points of view of that time rather than those of today (1988), which might occasionally be somewhat different. The journal consists of 25 volumes, averaging 700 pages each. This comprises about 15,000 items consisting of the approximately 4000 daily entries and the average of about three attachments per day.more » The journal has three sections corresponding to each of the three presidents I served as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission -- the first six volumes covering the John F. Kennedy years (February 1, 1961--November 22, 1963), the next 11 volumes covering the Lyndon B. Johnson years (November 22, 1963--January 20, 1969) and the final eight volumes, the Richard M. Nixon years and a few months of post-AEC chairman activities in Washington (January 20, 1969--November 6, 1971.)« less

  18. Heart rate and sentiment experimental data with common timeline.

    PubMed

    Salamon, Jaromír; Mouček, Roman

    2017-12-01

    Sentiment extraction and analysis using spoken utterances or written corpora as well as collection and analysis of human heart rate data using sensors are commonly used techniques and methods. On the other hand, these have been not combined yet. The collected data can be used e.g. to investigate the mutual dependence of human physical and emotional activity. The paper describes the procedure of parallel acquisition of heart rate sensor data and tweets expressing sentiment and difficulties related to this procedure. The obtained datasets are described in detail and further discussed to provide as much information as possible for subsequent analyses and conclusions. Analyses and conclusions are not included in this paper. The presented experiment and provided datasets serve as the first basis for further studies where all four presented data sources can be used independently, combined in a reasonable way or used all together. For instance, when the data is used all together, performing studies comparing human sensor data, acquired noninvasively from the surface of the human body and considered as more objective, and human written data expressing the sentiment, which is at least partly cognitively interpreted and thus considered as more subjective, could be beneficial.

  19. Neuropsychological Profiles of Written Expression Learning Disabilities Determined by Concordance-Discordance Model Criteria.

    PubMed

    Fenwick, Melanie E; Kubas, Hanna A; Witzke, Justin W; Fitzer, Kim R; Miller, Daniel C; Maricle, Denise E; Harrison, Gina L; Macoun, Sarah J; Hale, James B

    2016-01-01

    Children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) have disparate neuropsychological processing deficits that interfere with academic achievement in spelling, writing fluency, and/or written expression (WE). Although there are multiple potential causes of WE SLD, there is a paucity of research exploring this critical academic skill from a neuropsychological perspective. This study examined the neuropsychological profiles of WE SLD subtypes defined using the concordance-discordance model (C-DM) of SLD identification. Participants were drawn from a sample of 283 children (194 boys, 89 girls) aged 6 years to 16 years old (M(age) = 9.58 years, SD = 2.29 years) referred for comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations in school settings and subsequently selected based on C-DM determined spelling, writing fluency, and WE SLD. WE SLD subtypes differed on several psychomotor, memory, and executive function measures (F range = 2.48-5.07, p range = .049 to <.001), suggesting that these children exhibit distinct patterns of neuropsychological processing strengths and weaknesses. Findings have relevance for differential diagnosis of WE subtypes, discriminating WE SLD subtypes from low WE achievement, and developing differentiated evidence-based instruction and intervention for children with WE SLD. Limitations and future research will be addressed.

  20. PoMiN: A Post-Minkowskian N-body Solver

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Justin; Baumann, Mark; Hall, Bryton; Doss, Joel; Spencer, Lucas; Matzner, Richard

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, we introduce PoMiN, a lightweight N-body code based on the post-Minkowskian N-body Hamiltonian of Ledvinka et al., which includes general relativistic effects up to first order in Newton’s constant G, and all orders in the speed of light c. PoMiN is written in C and uses a fourth-order Runge–Kutta integration scheme. PoMiN has also been written to handle an arbitrary number of particles (both massive and massless), with a computational complexity that scales as O(N 2). We describe the methods we used to simplify and organize the Hamiltonian, and the tests we performed (convergence, conservation, and analytical comparison tests) to validate the code.

  1. An Integrated Unix-based CAD System for the Design and Testing of Custom VLSI Chips

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deutsch, L. J.

    1985-01-01

    A computer aided design (CAD) system that is being used at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the design of custom and semicustom very large scale integrated (VLSI) chips is described. The system consists of a Digital Equipment Corporation VAX computer with the UNIX operating system and a collection of software tools for the layout, simulation, and verification of microcircuits. Most of these tools were written by the academic community and are, therefore, available to JPL at little or no cost. Some small pieces of software have been written in-house in order to make all the tools interact with each other with a minimal amount of effort on the part of the designer.

  2. Calculating potential fields using microchannel spatial light modulators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reid, Max B.

    1993-01-01

    We describe and present experimental results of the optical calculation of potential field maps suitable for mobile robot navigation. The optical computation employs two write modes of a microchannel spatial light modulator (MSLM). In one mode, written patterns expand spatially, and this characteristic is used to create an extended two dimensional function representing the influence of the goal in a robot's workspace. Distinct obstacle patterns are written in a second, non-expanding, mode. A model of the mechanisms determining MSLM write mode characteristics is developed and used to derive the optical calculation time for full potential field maps. Field calculations at a few hertz are possible with current technology, and calculation time vs. map size scales favorably in comparison to digital electronic computation.

  3. The impact of written information and counseling (WOMAN-PRO II Program) on symptom outcomes in women with vulvar neoplasia: A multicenter randomized controlled phase II study.

    PubMed

    Raphaelis, Silvia; Mayer, Hanna; Ott, Stefan; Mueller, Michael D; Steiner, Enikö; Joura, Elmar; Senn, Beate

    2017-07-01

    To determine whether written information and/or counseling based on the WOMAN-PRO II Program decreases symptom prevalence in women with vulvar neoplasia by a clinically relevant degree, and to explore the differences between the 2 interventions in symptom prevalence, symptom distress prevalence, and symptom experience. A multicenter randomized controlled parallel-group phase II trial with 2 interventions provided to patients after the initial diagnosis was performed in Austria and Switzerland. Women randomized to written information received a predefined set of leaflets concerning wound care and available healthcare services. Women allocated to counseling were additionally provided with 5 consultations by an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) between the initial diagnosis and 6months post-surgery that focused on symptom management, utilization of healthcare services, and health-related decision-making. Symptom outcomes were simultaneously measured 5 times to the counseling time points. A total of 49 women with vulvar neoplasia participated in the study. Symptom prevalence decreased in women with counseling by a clinically relevant degree, but not in women with written information. Sporadically, significant differences between the 2 interventions could be observed in individual items, but not in the total scales or subscales of the symptom outcomes. The results indicate that counseling may reduce symptom prevalence in women with vulvar neoplasia by a clinically relevant extent. The observed group differences between the 2 interventions slightly favor counseling over written information. The results justify testing the benefit of counseling thoroughly in a comparative phase III trial. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. The incidence and severity of errors in pharmacist-written discharge medication orders.

    PubMed

    Onatade, Raliat; Sawieres, Sara; Veck, Alexandra; Smith, Lindsay; Gore, Shivani; Al-Azeib, Sumiah

    2017-08-01

    Background Errors in discharge prescriptions are problematic. When hospital pharmacists write discharge prescriptions improvements are seen in the quality and efficiency of discharge. There is limited information on the incidence of errors in pharmacists' medication orders. Objective To investigate the extent and clinical significance of errors in pharmacist-written discharge medication orders. Setting 1000-bed teaching hospital in London, UK. Method Pharmacists in this London hospital routinely write discharge medication orders as part of the clinical pharmacy service. Convenient days, based on researcher availability, between October 2013 and January 2014 were selected. Pre-registration pharmacists reviewed all discharge medication orders written by pharmacists on these days and identified discrepancies between the medication history, inpatient chart, patient records and discharge summary. A senior clinical pharmacist confirmed the presence of an error. Each error was assigned a potential clinical significance rating (based on the NCCMERP scale) by a physician and an independent senior clinical pharmacist, working separately. Main outcome measure Incidence of errors in pharmacist-written discharge medication orders. Results 509 prescriptions, written by 51 pharmacists, containing 4258 discharge medication orders were assessed (8.4 orders per prescription). Ten prescriptions (2%), contained a total of ten erroneous orders (order error rate-0.2%). The pharmacist considered that one error had the potential to cause temporary harm (0.02% of all orders). The physician did not rate any of the errors with the potential to cause harm. Conclusion The incidence of errors in pharmacists' discharge medication orders was low. The quality, safety and policy implications of pharmacists routinely writing discharge medication orders should be further explored.

  5. Evaluation of internet-based patient education materials from internal medicine subspecialty organizations: will patients understand them?

    PubMed

    Hansberry, David R; Agarwal, Nitin; John, Elizabeth S; John, Ann M; Agarwal, Prateek; Reynolds, James C; Baker, Stephen R

    2017-06-01

    The majority of Americans use the Internet daily, if not more often, and many search online for health information to better understand a diagnosis they have been given or to research treatment options. The average American reads at an eighth-grade level. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the readability of online patient education materials on the websites of 14 professional organizations representing the major internal medicine subspecialties. We used ten well-established quantitative readability scales to assess written text from patient education materials published on the websites of the major professional organizations representing the following subspecialty groups: allergy and immunology, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatrics, hematology, hospice and palliative care, infectious disease, nephrology, oncology, pulmonology and critical care, rheumatology, sleep medicine, and sports medicine. Collectively the 540 articles analyzed were written at an 11th-grade level (SD 1.4 grade levels). The sleep medicine and nephrology websites had the most readable materials, written at an academic grade level of 8.5 ± 1.5 and 9.0 ± 0.2, respectively. Material at the infectious disease site was written at the most difficult level, with average readability corresponding to grades 13.9 ± 0.3. None of the patient education materials we reviewed conformed to the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines requiring that patient education articles be written at a third- to seventh-grade reading level. If these online resources were rewritten, it is likely that more patients would derive benefit from reading them.

  6. Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines: How Readable Are Internet-Based Patient Education Resources?

    PubMed

    Hansberry, David Richard; White, Michael D; D'Angelo, Michael; Prabhu, Arpan V; Kamel, Sarah; Lakhani, Paras; Sundaram, Baskaran

    2018-04-30

    Following the findings of the National Lung Screening Trial, several national societies from multiple disciplines have endorsed the use of low-dose chest CT to screen for lung cancer. Online patient education materials are an important tool to disseminate information to the general public regarding the proven health benefits of lung cancer screening. This study aims to evaluate the reading level at which these materials related to lung cancer screening are written. The four terms "pulmonary nodule," "radiation," "low-dose CT," and "lung cancer screening" were searched on Google, and the first 20 online resources for each term were downloaded, converted into plain text, and analyzed using 10 well-established readability scales. If the websites were not written specifically for patients, they were excluded. The 80 articles were written at a 12.6 ± 2.7 (mean ± SD) grade level, with grade levels ranging from 4.0 to 19.0. Of the 80 articles, 62.5% required a high school education to comprehend, and 22.6% required a college degree or higher (≥ 16th grade) to comprehend. Only 2.5% of the analyzed articles adhered to the recommendations of the National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association that patient education materials be written at a 3rd- to 7th-grade reading level. Commonly visited online lung cancer screening-related patient education materials are written at a level beyond the general patient population's ability to comprehend and may be contributing to a knowledge gap that is inhibiting patients from improving their health literacy.

  7. Face-to-face or face-to-screen? Undergraduates' opinions and test performance in classroom vs. online learning

    PubMed Central

    Kemp, Nenagh; Grieve, Rachel

    2014-01-01

    As electronic communication becomes increasingly common, and as students juggle study, work, and family life, many universities are offering their students more flexible learning opportunities. Classes once delivered face-to-face are often replaced by online activities and discussions. However, there is little research comparing students' experience and learning in these two modalities. The aim of this study was to compare undergraduates' preference for, and academic performance on, class material and assessment presented online vs. in traditional classrooms. Psychology students (N = 67) at an Australian university completed written exercises, a class discussion, and a written test on two academic topics. The activities for one topic were conducted face-to-face, and the other online, with topics counterbalanced across two groups. The results showed that students preferred to complete activities face-to-face rather than online, but there was no significant difference in their test performance in the two modalities. In their written responses, students expressed a strong preference for class discussions to be conducted face-to-face, reporting that they felt more engaged, and received more immediate feedback, than in online discussion. A follow-up study with a separate group (N = 37) confirmed that although students appreciated the convenience of completing written activities online in their own time, they also strongly preferred to discuss course content with peers in the classroom rather than online. It is concluded that online and face-to-face activities can lead to similar levels of academic performance, but that students would rather do written activities online but engage in discussion in person. Course developers could aim to structure classes so that students can benefit from both the flexibility of online learning, and the greater engagement experienced in face-to-face discussion. PMID:25429276

  8. Face-to-face or face-to-screen? Undergraduates' opinions and test performance in classroom vs. online learning.

    PubMed

    Kemp, Nenagh; Grieve, Rachel

    2014-01-01

    As electronic communication becomes increasingly common, and as students juggle study, work, and family life, many universities are offering their students more flexible learning opportunities. Classes once delivered face-to-face are often replaced by online activities and discussions. However, there is little research comparing students' experience and learning in these two modalities. The aim of this study was to compare undergraduates' preference for, and academic performance on, class material and assessment presented online vs. in traditional classrooms. Psychology students (N = 67) at an Australian university completed written exercises, a class discussion, and a written test on two academic topics. The activities for one topic were conducted face-to-face, and the other online, with topics counterbalanced across two groups. The results showed that students preferred to complete activities face-to-face rather than online, but there was no significant difference in their test performance in the two modalities. In their written responses, students expressed a strong preference for class discussions to be conducted face-to-face, reporting that they felt more engaged, and received more immediate feedback, than in online discussion. A follow-up study with a separate group (N = 37) confirmed that although students appreciated the convenience of completing written activities online in their own time, they also strongly preferred to discuss course content with peers in the classroom rather than online. It is concluded that online and face-to-face activities can lead to similar levels of academic performance, but that students would rather do written activities online but engage in discussion in person. Course developers could aim to structure classes so that students can benefit from both the flexibility of online learning, and the greater engagement experienced in face-to-face discussion.

  9. Computational design of RNA parts, devices, and transcripts with kinetic folding algorithms implemented on multiprocessor clusters.

    PubMed

    Thimmaiah, Tim; Voje, William E; Carothers, James M

    2015-01-01

    With progress toward inexpensive, large-scale DNA assembly, the demand for simulation tools that allow the rapid construction of synthetic biological devices with predictable behaviors continues to increase. By combining engineered transcript components, such as ribosome binding sites, transcriptional terminators, ligand-binding aptamers, catalytic ribozymes, and aptamer-controlled ribozymes (aptazymes), gene expression in bacteria can be fine-tuned, with many corollaries and applications in yeast and mammalian cells. The successful design of genetic constructs that implement these kinds of RNA-based control mechanisms requires modeling and analyzing kinetically determined co-transcriptional folding pathways. Transcript design methods using stochastic kinetic folding simulations to search spacer sequence libraries for motifs enabling the assembly of RNA component parts into static ribozyme- and dynamic aptazyme-regulated expression devices with quantitatively predictable functions (rREDs and aREDs, respectively) have been described (Carothers et al., Science 334:1716-1719, 2011). Here, we provide a detailed practical procedure for computational transcript design by illustrating a high throughput, multiprocessor approach for evaluating spacer sequences and generating functional rREDs. This chapter is written as a tutorial, complete with pseudo-code and step-by-step instructions for setting up a computational cluster with an Amazon, Inc. web server and performing the large numbers of kinefold-based stochastic kinetic co-transcriptional folding simulations needed to design functional rREDs and aREDs. The method described here should be broadly applicable for designing and analyzing a variety of synthetic RNA parts, devices and transcripts.

  10. Conceptual boundaries and distances: Students' and experts' concepts of the scale of scientific phenomena

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tretter, Thomas R.; Jones, M. Gail; Andre, Thomas; Negishi, Atsuko; Minogue, James

    2006-03-01

    To reduce curricular fragmentation in science education, reform recommendations include using common, unifying themes such as scaling to enhance curricular coherence. This study involved 215 participants from five groups (grades 5, 7, 9, and 12, and doctoral students), who completed written assessments and card sort tasks related to their conceptions of size and scale, and then completed individual interviews. Results triangulated from the data sources revealed the boundaries between and characteristics of scale size ranges that are well distinguished from each other for each group. Results indicate that relative size information was more readily understood than exact size, and significant size landmarks were used to anchor this relational web of scales. The nature of past experiences situated along two dimensions - from visual to kinesthetic in one dimension, and wholistic to sequential in the other - were shown to be key to scale cognition development. Commonalities and differences between the groups are highlighted and discussed.

  11. Professional self-concept and professional values of senior students of the nursing department.

    PubMed

    Çöplü, Mehtap; Tekinsoy Kartın, Pınar

    2018-01-01

    This study was carried out in order to determine professional self-concept and professional values in the students, who were studying in the final year of the nursing department in schools providing undergraduate education in the Inner Anatolia Region. This cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 619 senior students of nursing departments in the Inner Anatolia Region. Data were collected using a Student Information Form, Professional Self-Concept Scale for the Student Nurses, and The Nurses' Professional Values Scale. Descriptive statistics, the Shapiro-Wilk test, the t-test, analysis of variance, and the Bonferroni tests were used for data analysis. Ethical Considerations: A written consent was obtained from Ethics Board of Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine and from nursing schools participating in the study. Prior to data collection, students were informed about the purpose of the study and gave written and verbal consents. Participation in the study was on voluntary basis. In the study, students' total and sub-dimension scores from the Professional Self-Concept Scale for the Student Nurses and total scores from the Nurses' Professional Values Scale were moderately high. It was detected that women received higher scores than men from the sub-dimension of professional attributes; the students who had positive perception of the nursing image and voluntarily selected their department received high scores from professional satisfaction, professional competence, and professional attributes sub-dimensions of the Professional Self-Concept Scale for the Student Nurses ( p < 0.001). In order to improve students' perceptions of professional self-concept and professional values, it is thought that students' awareness should be increased on these topics.

  12. A Java program for LRE-based real-time qPCR that enables large-scale absolute quantification.

    PubMed

    Rutledge, Robert G

    2011-03-02

    Linear regression of efficiency (LRE) introduced a new paradigm for real-time qPCR that enables large-scale absolute quantification by eliminating the need for standard curves. Developed through the application of sigmoidal mathematics to SYBR Green I-based assays, target quantity is derived directly from fluorescence readings within the central region of an amplification profile. However, a major challenge of implementing LRE quantification is the labor intensive nature of the analysis. Utilizing the extensive resources that are available for developing Java-based software, the LRE Analyzer was written using the NetBeans IDE, and is built on top of the modular architecture and windowing system provided by the NetBeans Platform. This fully featured desktop application determines the number of target molecules within a sample with little or no intervention by the user, in addition to providing extensive database capabilities. MS Excel is used to import data, allowing LRE quantification to be conducted with any real-time PCR instrument that provides access to the raw fluorescence readings. An extensive help set also provides an in-depth introduction to LRE, in addition to guidelines on how to implement LRE quantification. The LRE Analyzer provides the automated analysis and data storage capabilities required by large-scale qPCR projects wanting to exploit the many advantages of absolute quantification. Foremost is the universal perspective afforded by absolute quantification, which among other attributes, provides the ability to directly compare quantitative data produced by different assays and/or instruments. Furthermore, absolute quantification has important implications for gene expression profiling in that it provides the foundation for comparing transcript quantities produced by any gene with any other gene, within and between samples.

  13. A Java Program for LRE-Based Real-Time qPCR that Enables Large-Scale Absolute Quantification

    PubMed Central

    Rutledge, Robert G.

    2011-01-01

    Background Linear regression of efficiency (LRE) introduced a new paradigm for real-time qPCR that enables large-scale absolute quantification by eliminating the need for standard curves. Developed through the application of sigmoidal mathematics to SYBR Green I-based assays, target quantity is derived directly from fluorescence readings within the central region of an amplification profile. However, a major challenge of implementing LRE quantification is the labor intensive nature of the analysis. Findings Utilizing the extensive resources that are available for developing Java-based software, the LRE Analyzer was written using the NetBeans IDE, and is built on top of the modular architecture and windowing system provided by the NetBeans Platform. This fully featured desktop application determines the number of target molecules within a sample with little or no intervention by the user, in addition to providing extensive database capabilities. MS Excel is used to import data, allowing LRE quantification to be conducted with any real-time PCR instrument that provides access to the raw fluorescence readings. An extensive help set also provides an in-depth introduction to LRE, in addition to guidelines on how to implement LRE quantification. Conclusions The LRE Analyzer provides the automated analysis and data storage capabilities required by large-scale qPCR projects wanting to exploit the many advantages of absolute quantification. Foremost is the universal perspective afforded by absolute quantification, which among other attributes, provides the ability to directly compare quantitative data produced by different assays and/or instruments. Furthermore, absolute quantification has important implications for gene expression profiling in that it provides the foundation for comparing transcript quantities produced by any gene with any other gene, within and between samples. PMID:21407812

  14. Effect of age and social connection on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

    PubMed Central

    Hidaka, Tomoo; Kakamu, Takeyasu; Hayakawa, Takehito; Kumagai, Tomohiro; Jinnouchi, Takanobu; Sato, Sei; Tsuji, Masayoshi; Nakano, Shinichi; Koyama, Kikuo; Fukushima, Tetsuhito

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: To reveal the effect of age and other factors on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Methods: A survey questionnaire was sent to 1505 workers, with questions regarding age, presence of a written employment contract, previous residence, radiation passbook ownership, presence of close persons for consultation, knowledge of how to access public assistance, and a four-point scale of radiation-related anxiety (1= "Very much," 2= "Somewhat," 3= "A little bit," and 4= "None" ). The relationships between the degree of anxiety and variables were analyzed using the chi-square test and residual analysis. Results: In all, 512 participants responded to the questionnaire. The mean age of participants was 46.2 years (SD: 13.1, range: 18-77). Of them, 50, 233, 168, and 61 workers chose "Very much," "Somewhat," "A little bit," and "None," respectively, on the anxiety scale. Chi-square test showed that participants aged 61 years and over had higher degrees of anxiety (p<0.001). Ordinal logistic regression showed that the degree of anxiety increased if they did not have a written contract (p=0.042) or persons to consult (p=0.034) and if they routinely checked the dose rate (p=0.046). Conclusions: Decontamination workers who do not have a written contract or who are in socially isolated situations have greater anxiety over radiation exposure. Thus, it is important to both create supportive human relationships for consultation and enhance labor management in individual companies. PMID:27010088

  15. Taking the Reins: Institutional Transformation in Higher Education. The ACE Series on Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eckel, Peter D.; Kezar, Adrianna

    2011-01-01

    Peter Eckel and Adrianna Kezar have written this book to offer insight to campus leaders who face transformational change--to help them mount a proactive, rather than a reactive, process to effect transformation. They believe that most institutional leaders have little to no experience with implementing large-scale change and lack a solid…

  16. Majority Teachers' Perceptions of Urban Adolescents and Their Abilities: Probes from Self-Reflection and Teacher Autobiographies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harushimana, Immaculee

    2010-01-01

    This article presents a small scale, qualitative study of nine majority alternate-route teachers and the perceptions they hold about themselves as urban educators and their urban students' academic abilities. Data for this study was collected through self-reflective, written interviews and meta-reflective responses to two published teacher…

  17. Karaoke Night at the Tower of Babel: The Cacophonous Discourse of School Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seidel, Steve

    2014-01-01

    Written for the general public, this article unpacks the "dialogue gap" in education and raises concerns about what can happen when groups dependent on one another are not talking. Part of the problem involves a matter of scale; policymakers rarely talk about children as individuals as opposed to as aggregates. The larger policy context…

  18. Language in Transitional Hong Kong: Perspectives from the Public and Private Sectors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Stephen

    2010-01-01

    This article explores the impact of Hong Kong's transition from British colony to Chinese Special Administrative Region on patterns of language use in the domain of professional employment. In particular, it presents the findings of a large-scale multifaceted investigation into the roles of Putonghua, Cantonese, written Chinese and English in the…

  19. Program Helps Generate Boundary-Element Mathematical Models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goldberg, R. K.

    1995-01-01

    Composite Model Generation-Boundary Element Method (COM-GEN-BEM) computer program significantly reduces time and effort needed to construct boundary-element mathematical models of continuous-fiber composite materials at micro-mechanical (constituent) scale. Generates boundary-element models compatible with BEST-CMS boundary-element code for anlaysis of micromechanics of composite material. Written in PATRAN Command Language (PCL).

  20. Reliability and Validation of a Short Scale to Measure Situational Emotions in Science Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Randler, Christoph; Hummel, Eberhard; Glaser-Zikuda, Michaela; Vollmer, Christian; Bogner, Franz X.; Mayring, Philipp

    2011-01-01

    Research has shown that emotions play a significant role in the learning process and academic achievement. However, the fact that measurement of emotions during or after instruction usually requires written responses on lengthy research instruments has been given as a reason why researchers have tended to avoid research on this topic in…

  1. Math Snacks: Using Animations and Games to Fill the Gaps in Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valdiz, Alfred; Trujillo, Karen; Wiburg, Karin

    2013-01-01

    Math Snacks animations and support materials were developed for use on the web and mobile technologies to teach ratio, proportion, scale factor, and number line concepts using a multi-modal approach. Included in Math Snacks are: Animations which promote the visualization of a concept image; written lessons which provide cognitive complexity for…

  2. Variations in University Students' Scientific Reasoning Skills across Majors, Years, and Types of Institutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ding, Lin; Wei, Xin; Liu, Xiufeng

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates three aspects--university major, year, and institution type--in relation to student scientific reasoning. Students from three majors (science, engineering, and education), four year levels (years 1 through 4), and two tiers of Chinese universities (tiers 1 and 2) participated in the study. A large-scale written assessment…

  3. Colorectal cancer screening patient education materials-how effective is online health information?

    PubMed

    John, Elizabeth Sheena; John, Ann M; Hansberry, David R; Thomas, Prashant J; Agarwal, Prateek; Deitch, Christopher; Chokhavatia, Sita

    2016-12-01

    Patients screened for colorectal cancer (CRC) frequently turn to the Internet to improve their understanding of tests used for detection, including colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, fecal occult blood test (FOBT), and CT colonography. It was of interest to determine the quality and readability levels of online health information. The screening tools were googled, and the top 20 results of each test were analyzed for readability, accessibility, usability, and reliability. The 80 articles excluded scientific literature and blogs. We used ten validated readability scales to measure grade levels, and one-way ANOVA and Tukey's honestly statistical different (HSD) post hoc analyses to determine any statistically significant differences among the four diagnostic tests. The LIDA tool assessed overall quality by measuring accessibility, usability, and reliability. The 80 articles were written at an 11.7 grade level, with CT colonography articles written at significantly higher levels than FOBT articles, F(3, 75) = 3.07, p = 0.033. LIDA showed moderate percentages in accessibility (83.9 %), usability (73.0 %), and reliability (75.9 %). Online health information about CRC screening tools are written at higher levels than the National Institute of Health (NIH) and American Medical Association (AMA) recommended third to seventh grade levels. More patients could benefit from this modality of information if it were written at a level and quality that would better facilitate understanding.

  4. Is appreciation of written education about pain neurophysiology related to changes in illness perceptions and health status in patients with fibromyalgia?

    PubMed

    van Ittersum, M W; van Wilgen, C P; Groothoff, J W; van der Schans, C P

    2011-11-01

    To investigate the appreciation of written education about pain neurophysiology in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and its effects on illness perceptions and perceived health status. A booklet explaining pain neurophysiology was sent to participants with FM. Appreciation was assessed with 10 questions addressing relevance (0-30) and reassurance (0-30). Illness perceptions, catastrophizing and health status were measured with the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) at baseline (T0), after a 2-week control period (T1) and 6 weeks after the intervention (T2). Forty-one patients participated. Mean (SD) scores for relevance and reassurance were 21.6 (5.6) and 18.7 (5.7), respectively. Only illness coherence, emotional representations, pain and fatigue changed significantly between T0 and T2. Correlations between appreciation and changes in outcomes ranged between r=0.00 and r=0.34. Although a majority of subjects appreciated the written information, it did not have clinically relevant effects on illness perceptions, catastrophizing or impact of FM on daily life. Written education about pain neurophysiology is inadequate toward changing illness perceptions, catastrophizing or perceived health status of participants with FM; education should be incorporated into a broader multidisciplinary self-management program. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. mESAdb: microRNA Expression and Sequence Analysis Database

    PubMed Central

    Kaya, Koray D.; Karakülah, Gökhan; Yakıcıer, Cengiz M.; Acar, Aybar C.; Konu, Özlen

    2011-01-01

    microRNA expression and sequence analysis database (http://konulab.fen.bilkent.edu.tr/mirna/) (mESAdb) is a regularly updated database for the multivariate analysis of sequences and expression of microRNAs from multiple taxa. mESAdb is modular and has a user interface implemented in PHP and JavaScript and coupled with statistical analysis and visualization packages written for the R language. The database primarily comprises mature microRNA sequences and their target data, along with selected human, mouse and zebrafish expression data sets. mESAdb analysis modules allow (i) mining of microRNA expression data sets for subsets of microRNAs selected manually or by motif; (ii) pair-wise multivariate analysis of expression data sets within and between taxa; and (iii) association of microRNA subsets with annotation databases, HUGE Navigator, KEGG and GO. The use of existing and customized R packages facilitates future addition of data sets and analysis tools. Furthermore, the ability to upload and analyze user-specified data sets makes mESAdb an interactive and expandable analysis tool for microRNA sequence and expression data. PMID:21177657

  6. mESAdb: microRNA expression and sequence analysis database.

    PubMed

    Kaya, Koray D; Karakülah, Gökhan; Yakicier, Cengiz M; Acar, Aybar C; Konu, Ozlen

    2011-01-01

    microRNA expression and sequence analysis database (http://konulab.fen.bilkent.edu.tr/mirna/) (mESAdb) is a regularly updated database for the multivariate analysis of sequences and expression of microRNAs from multiple taxa. mESAdb is modular and has a user interface implemented in PHP and JavaScript and coupled with statistical analysis and visualization packages written for the R language. The database primarily comprises mature microRNA sequences and their target data, along with selected human, mouse and zebrafish expression data sets. mESAdb analysis modules allow (i) mining of microRNA expression data sets for subsets of microRNAs selected manually or by motif; (ii) pair-wise multivariate analysis of expression data sets within and between taxa; and (iii) association of microRNA subsets with annotation databases, HUGE Navigator, KEGG and GO. The use of existing and customized R packages facilitates future addition of data sets and analysis tools. Furthermore, the ability to upload and analyze user-specified data sets makes mESAdb an interactive and expandable analysis tool for microRNA sequence and expression data.

  7. Department of Defense Basic Research Program.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-08-01

    Oamond Laboratories, ERADCOM. Foreword This report has been prepared by the Research Office, ffice of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for... Research and Engineering ( Research and Advanced Technology~jlt is the first report ever written for the express purpose of describing the Department of...Defense basic research program. The report is part of an overall effort to improve communications with the national research community by increasing the

  8. The Globalisation of Higher Education and the Sojourner Academic: Insights into Challenges Experienced by Newly Appointed International Academic Staff in a UK University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    The increasingly diverse nature of the higher education academic community in the United Kingdom is under-researched and under-theorised. This article presents an exploratory study of the lived experiences of newly appointed international academic staff as expressed in their written reflections on their professional practice and interpreted by the…

  9. The influence of communication mode on written language processing and beyond.

    PubMed

    Barca, Laura; Pezzulo, Giovanni

    2017-01-01

    Empirical evidence suggests a broad impact of communication mode on cognition at large, beyond language processing. Using a sign language since infancy might shape the representation of words and other linguistic stimuli - for example, incorporating in it the movements and signs used to express them. Once integrated into linguistic representations, this visuo-motor content can affect deaf signers' linguistic and cognitive processing.

  10. Test Content Specifications for the Survey of Basic Skills; Mathematics, Grades Six and Twelve.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.

    Under the California Assembly Bill 665 of 1972, the state assessment program must test all students in grades 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 in reading skills, and those in grades 6 and 12 to assess their skills in effectiveness of written expression, spelling, and mathematics. The state may develop its own tests, and a matrix sampling approach may be used…

  11. Efficacy of Thematic Units on Language and Literacy: A Collaborative Study of a Shelter Unit Intervention with Struggling First Graders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hale, Suzan L.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of using thematic units in small group instructional settings for struggling readers to increase oral language in the areas of receptive, expressive, and written vocabulary. This research examined the efficacy of using thematic units in small group instructional settings for struggling readers…

  12. Oral Interpretation of C.S. Lewis'"Narnia Tales": A Refracting of "Pictures."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keefe, Carolyn

    "The Chronicles of Narnia" are a series of seven fairy tales written by C.S. Lewis that have become popular with both children and adults. Lewis points to five aspects of the fairy tale form that made the form suitable for expressing the images he saw. The aspects are: (1) no love interest; (2) no close psychology; (3) severe restraints…

  13. The Effect of a Computer-Based Cartooning Tool on Children's Cartoons and Written Stories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Madden, M.; Chung, P. W. H.; Dawson, C. W.

    2008-01-01

    This paper reports a study assessing a new computer tool for cartoon storytelling, created by the authors for a target audience in the upper half of the English and Welsh Key Stage 2 (years 5 and 6, covering ages 9-11 years). The tool attempts to provide users with more opportunities for expressive visualisation than previous educational software;…

  14. I Too Have a Voice: The Literacy Experiences of Black Boys Engaging with and Responding to African American Literature Depicting Black Males

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rumble, Merle B.

    2013-01-01

    This study examined how the use of African American literature that depicts Black males influences the reading comprehension and the reading motivation of Black boys as demonstrated through oral, written, and creative expressions. Studies have been conducted using children's literature with Black boys to examine their social interaction with the…

  15. To the Moon!--A Launch Pad for Encouraging Students to Express Their Opinions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burkhalter, Nancy

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the author discusses a four-part exercise called "To the Moon!" The exercise encourages students to develop and orally defend their choice of four volunteers who will be part of a team to colonize Earth's moon. This oral exercise prepares them for subsequent written work. As Bean (1996, 7) states, "Good writing...grows out of good…

  16. Two-point resistance of the Möbius ladder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chair, Noureddine; Dannoun, Elham Mohammed Ali

    2015-03-01

    Exact formulas for the two-point resistance and the Kirchhoff index of the Möbius ladder are given based on the recently developed analytical approach by Chair (2012 Ann. Phys. 327 2899). The expression for the two-point resistance is written in terms of the two-point resistance of N/2-cycle graph and the Bejaia and the Pisa numbers recently introduced by the first author.

  17. Mathematics Evaluation Procedures K-2. For Use by Teachers With Children in Years K-4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Australian Council for Educational Research, Hawthorn.

    This book was written in response to a need expressed by Infant's Mistresses in the North Sydney Region of the New South Wales Department of Education. They felt there was a need to evaluate children's progress in mathematics in order to diagnose the causes of individual failures, and they discovered there was no readily available information on…

  18. The Comparison of Fourth Grade Students' Essays Based on Free and Guided Writing Technique in Terms of the Quality of Written Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Calp, Mehrali

    2015-01-01

    Writing exercises are more effective than grammar rules in terms of making children acquire language skills. Knowing the characteristics of text genres and the rules of writing are not enough to improve writing skills of teacher candidates and to acquire necessary strategies for teaching how to write. Teachers would be uncertain about assessment…

  19. A Project Manager’s Personal Attributes as Predictors for Success

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-03-01

    Northouse (2004) explains that leadership is highly a researched topic with much written. Yet, a definitive description of this phenomenon is difficult to...express because of its complexity. Even though leadership has varied descriptions and conceptualizations, Northouse states that the concept of...characteristic of leadership is not an accurate predictor of performance. Leadership is a complex, multi-faceted attribute ( Northouse , 2004) and specific

  20. A National Hero or a Wily Politician? Students' Ideas about the Origins of the Nation in Sweden

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samuelsson, Johan; Wendell, Joakim

    2017-01-01

    The topic of this article is how primary school students express ideas about the "origins of the nation." The study is based on texts written by Swedish students aged 12-13 about a historical event well embedded in Swedish national mythology, the rise to power of Swedish "founding father" Gustav Vasa. The analysis is inspired…

  1. Using Technology to Support Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Writing Process: A Pilot Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asaro-Saddler, Kristie; Knox, Haley Muir; Meredith, Holly; Akhmedjanova, Diana

    2015-01-01

    Writing is an important content area that pervades all subject areas and is required for post-school success, yet many students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often struggle in written expression. In this article we discuss the characteristics of students with ASD that make writing difficult, and the strengths, such as the use of technology,…

  2. Does Speech-to-Text Assistive Technology Improve the Written Expression of Students with Traumatic Brain Injury?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noakes, Michaela Ann

    2017-01-01

    Traumatic Brain Injury outcomes vary by individual due to age at the onset of injury, the location of the injury, and the degree to which the deficits appear to be pronounced, among other factors. As an acquired injury to the brain, the neurophysiological consequences are not homogenous; they are as varied as the individuals who experience them.…

  3. Fluorescent in situ sequencing (FISSEQ) of RNA for gene expression profiling in intact cells and tissues

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Je Hyuk; Daugharthy, Evan R.; Scheiman, Jonathan; Kalhor, Reza; Ferrante, Thomas C.; Terry, Richard; Turczyk, Brian M.; Yang, Joyce L.; Lee, Ho Suk; Aach, John; Zhang, Kun; Church, George M.

    2014-01-01

    RNA sequencing measures the quantitative change in gene expression over the whole transcriptome, but it lacks spatial context. On the other hand, in situ hybridization provides the location of gene expression, but only for a small number of genes. Here we detail a protocol for genome-wide profiling of gene expression in situ in fixed cells and tissues, in which RNA is converted into cross-linked cDNA amplicons and sequenced manually on a confocal microscope. Unlike traditional RNA-seq our method enriches for context-specific transcripts over house-keeping and/or structural RNA, and it preserves the tissue architecture for RNA localization studies. Our protocol is written for researchers experienced in cell microscopy with minimal computing skills. Library construction and sequencing can be completed within 14 d, with image analysis requiring an additional 2 d. PMID:25675209

  4. A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior.

    PubMed

    Grant, Adam M; Gino, Francesca

    2010-06-01

    Although research has established that receiving expressions of gratitude increases prosocial behavior, little is known about the psychological mechanisms that mediate this effect. We propose that gratitude expressions can enhance prosocial behavior through both agentic and communal mechanisms, such that when helpers are thanked for their efforts, they experience stronger feelings of self-efficacy and social worth, which motivate them to engage in prosocial behavior. In Experiments 1 and 2, receiving a brief written expression of gratitude motivated helpers to assist both the beneficiary who expressed gratitude and a different beneficiary. These effects of gratitude expressions were mediated by perceptions of social worth and not by self-efficacy or affect. In Experiment 3, we constructively replicated these effects in a field experiment: A manager's gratitude expression increased the number of calls made by university fundraisers, which was mediated by social worth but not self-efficacy. In Experiment 4, a different measure of social worth mediated the effects of an interpersonal gratitude expression. Our results support the communal perspective rather than the agentic perspective: Gratitude expressions increase prosocial behavior by enabling individuals to feel socially valued. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

  5. AztecOO user guide.

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

    Heroux, Michael Allen

    2004-07-01

    The Trilinos{trademark} Project is an effort to facilitate the design, development, integration and ongoing support of mathematical software libraries. AztecOO{trademark} is a package within Trilinos that enables the use of the Aztec solver library [19] with Epetra{trademark} [13] objects. AztecOO provides access to Aztec preconditioners and solvers by implementing the Aztec 'matrix-free' interface using Epetra. While Aztec is written in C and procedure-oriented, AztecOO is written in C++ and is object-oriented. In addition to providing access to Aztec capabilities, AztecOO also provides some signficant new functionality. In particular it provides an extensible status testing capability that allows expression of sophisticatedmore » stopping criteria as is needed in production use of iterative solvers. AztecOO also provides mechanisms for using Ifpack [2], ML [20] and AztecOO itself as preconditioners.« less

  6. Adverse event reporting in Czech long-term care facilities.

    PubMed

    Hěib, Zdenřk; Vychytil, Pavel; Marx, David

    2013-04-01

    To describe adverse event reporting processes in long-term care facilities in the Czech Republic. Prospective cohort study involving a written questionnaire followed by in-person structured interviews with selected respondents. Long-term care facilities located in the Czech Republic. Staff of 111 long-term care facilities (87% of long-term care facilities in the Czech Republic). None. Sixty-three percent of long-term health-care facilities in the Czech Republic have adverse event-reporting processes already established, but these were frequently very immature programs sometimes consisting only of paper recording of incidents. Compared to questionnaire responses, in-person interview responses only partially tended to confirm the results of the written survey. Twenty-one facilities (33%) had at most 1 unconfirmed response, 31 facilities (49%) had 2 or 3 unconfirmed responses and the remaining 11 facilities (17%) had 4 or more unconfirmed responses. In-person interviews suggest that use of a written questionnaire to assess the adverse event-reporting process may have limited validity. Staff of the facilities we studied expressed an understanding of the importance of adverse event reporting and prevention, but interviews also suggested a lack of knowledge necessary for establishing a good institutional reporting system in long-term care.

  7. Longitudinal qualitative study describing family physicians’ experiences with attempting to integrate physical activity prescriptions in their practice: ‘It’s not easy to change habits’

    PubMed Central

    Bélanger, Mathieu; Phillips, Emily Wolfe; O’Rielly, Connor; Mallet, Bertin; Aubé, Shane; Doucet, Marylène; Couturier, Jonathan; Mallet, Maxime; Martin, Jessica; Gaudet, Christine; Murphy, Nathalie; Brunet, Jennifer

    2017-01-01

    Objective Physical activity (PA) prescriptions provided by family physicians can promote PA participation among patients, but few physicians regularly write PA prescriptions. The objective of this study was to describe family physicians’ experiences of trying to implement written PA prescriptions into their practice. Design Longitudinal qualitative study where participants were interviewed four times during a 12-month period. After the first interview, they were provided with PA prescription pads. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Setting Family medicine clinics in New Brunswick, Canada. Participants Family physicians (n=11) with no prior experience writing PA prescriptions, but who expressed interest in changing their practice to implement written PA prescriptions. Results Initially, participants exhibited confidence in their ability to write PA prescriptions in the future and intended to write prescriptions. However, data from the follow-up interviews indicated that the rate of implementation was lower than anticipated by participants and prescriptions were not part of their regular practice. Two themes emerged as factors explaining the gap between their intentions and behaviours: (1) uncertainty about the effectiveness of written PA prescription, and (2) practical concerns (eg, changing well-established habits, time constraints, systemic institutional barriers). Conclusion It may be effective to increase awareness among family physicians about the effectiveness of writing PA prescriptions and address barriers related to how their practice is organised in order to promote written PA prescription rates. PMID:28710228

  8. Art as a scaffolding teaching strategy in baccalaureate nursing education.

    PubMed

    Hydo, Sharon K; Marcyjanik, Diane L; Zorn, CeCelia R; Hooper, Nicole M

    2007-01-01

    Although the use of art in nursing education is well highlighted, most of the literature is anecdotal or focuses on development of a reflective nursing practice with clients. In this study, art was used as a scaffold to infuse liberal nursing education by helping baccalaureate nursing students (n = 91) create a personal expression of nursing and move toward greater self-awareness. Scaffolding is a metaphor for supporting learners as they develop higher levels of thinking. Using naturalistic inquiry to analyze students' written responses in a course activity, four themes emerged from the data: art and creativity, teamwork, boundaries and horizons within self, and boundaries and horizons in the profession. Student's individual expressions of art served as the "calling forth" of processes that opened the door to each student's personal expression.

  9. Dynamic ductile fracture of a central crack

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tsai, Y. M.

    1976-01-01

    A central crack, symmetrically growing at a constant speed in a two dimensional ductile material subject to uniform tension at infinity, is investigated using the integral transform methods. The crack is assumed to be the Dugdale crack, and the finite stress condition at the crack tip is satisfied during the propagation of the crack. Exact expressions of solution are obtained for the finite stress condition at the crack tip, the crack shape, the crack opening displacement, and the energy release rate. All those expressions are written as the product of explicit dimensional quantities and a nondimensional dynamic correction function. The expressions reduce to the associated static results when the crack speed tends to zero, and the nondimensional dynamic correction functions were calculated for various values of the parameter involved.

  10. Effects of the oceans on polar motion: Extended investigations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dickman, Steven R.

    1986-01-01

    A method was found for expressing the tide current velocities in terms of the tide height (with all variables expanded in spherical harmonics). All time equations were then combined into a single, nondifferential matrix equation involving only the unknown tide height. The pole tide was constrained so that no tidewater flows across continental boundaries. The constraint was derived for the case of turbulent oceans; with the tide velocities expressed in terms of the tide height. The two matrix equations were combined. Simple matrix inversion then yielded the constrained solution. Programs to construct and invert the matrix equations were written. Preliminary results were obtained and are discussed.

  11. The Effective Resistance of the -Cycle Graph with Four Nearest Neighbors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chair, Noureddine

    2014-02-01

    The exact expression for the effective resistance between any two vertices of the -cycle graph with four nearest neighbors , is given. It turns out that this expression is written in terms of the effective resistance of the -cycle graph , the square of the Fibonacci numbers, and the bisected Fibonacci numbers. As a consequence closed form formulas for the total effective resistance, the first passage time, and the mean first passage time for the simple random walk on the the -cycle graph with four nearest neighbors are obtained. Finally, a closed form formula for the effective resistance of with all first neighbors removed is obtained.

  12. Automation photometer of Hitachi U–2000 spectrophotometer with RS–232C–based computer

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, K. Senthil; Lakshmi, B. S.; Pennathur, Gautam

    1998-01-01

    The interfacing of a commonly used spectrophotometer, the Hitachi U2000, through its RS–232C port to a IBM compatible computer is described. The hardware for data acquisation was designed by suitably modifying readily available materials, and the software was written using the C programming language. The various steps involved in these procedures are elucidated in detail. The efficacy of the procedure was tested experimentally by running the visible spectrum of a cyanine dye. The spectrum was plotted through a printer hooked to the computer. The spectrum was also plotted by transforming the abscissa to the wavenumber scale. This was carried out by using another module written in C. The efficiency of the whole set-up has been calculated using standard procedures. PMID:18924834

  13. Gene Expression Dynamics Inspector (GEDI): for integrative analysis of expression profiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eichler, Gabriel S.; Huang, Sui; Ingber, Donald E.

    2003-01-01

    Genome-wide expression profiles contain global patterns that evade visual detection in current gene clustering analysis. Here, a Gene Expression Dynamics Inspector (GEDI) is described that uses self-organizing maps to translate high-dimensional expression profiles of time courses or sample classes into animated, coherent and robust mosaics images. GEDI facilitates identification of interesting patterns of molecular activity simultaneously across gene, time and sample space without prior assumption of any structure in the data, and then permits the user to retrieve genes of interest. Important changes in genome-wide activities may be quickly identified based on 'Gestalt' recognition and hence, GEDI may be especially useful for non-specialist end users, such as physicians. AVAILABILITY: GEDI v1.0 is written in Matlab, and binary Matlab.dll files which require Matlab to run can be downloaded for free by academic institutions at http://www.chip.org/ge/gedihome.html Supplementary information: http://www.chip.org/ge/gedihome.html.

  14. Measuring ability to enhance and suppress emotional expression: The Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression (FREE) Scale.

    PubMed

    Burton, Charles L; Bonanno, George A

    2016-08-01

    Flexibility in self-regulatory behaviors has proved to be an important quality for adjusting to stressful life events and requires individuals to have a diverse repertoire of emotion regulation abilities. However, the most commonly used emotion regulation questionnaires assess frequency of behavior rather than ability, with little evidence linking these measures to observable capacity to enact a behavior. The aim of the current investigation was to develop and validate a Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression (FREE) Scale that measures a person's ability to enhance and suppress displayed emotion across an array of hypothetical contexts. In Studies 1 and 2, a series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the FREE Scale consists of 4 first-order factors divided by regulation and emotional valence type that can contribute to 2 higher order factors: expressive enhancement ability and suppression ability. In Study 1, we also compared the FREE Scale to other commonly used emotion regulation measures, which revealed that suppression ability is conceptually distinct from suppression frequency. In Study 3, we compared the FREE Scale with a composite of traditional frequency-based indices of expressive regulation to predict performance in a previously validated emotional modulation paradigm. Participants' enhancement and suppression ability scores on the FREE Scale predicted their corresponding performance on the laboratory task, even when controlling for baseline expressiveness. These studies suggest that the FREE Scale is a valid and flexible measure of expressive regulation ability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Psychological Distress and Emotional Expression on Facebook.

    PubMed

    Bazarova, Natalya N; Choi, Yoon Hyung; Whitlock, Janis; Cosley, Dan; Sosik, Victoria

    2017-03-01

    Social network sites (SNS) are a novel social environment for college students with psychological distress to connect with their peers, but the nature and effects of these interactions are not well understood. This study reports findings from a Facebook study among 238 college students reporting nonspecific psychological distress using the K-6 scale. Behavioral data included Facebook status updates containing affect words written by participants within the past 60 days and the number of responses (comments and likes) each update received. The updates were also coded for depression symptoms. Self-report data included participants' self-presentational concerns, the affective valence of each post, effects of responses on mood, and satisfaction with the responses to and outcome of each status update. Higher psychological distress was associated with displaying depression language on Facebook, with higher self-presentational concerns, and with less satisfaction with audiences' responses and less overall satisfaction with the outcome of the interaction. These results offer a unique glimpse into the social world of college students with psychological distress through their everyday use of Facebook, and how the interplay of this novel environment and students' mental health impacts their social behaviors and interaction meaning-making on Facebook.

  16. The Effects of Massage Therapy on Multiple Sclerosis Patients' Quality of Life and Leg Function

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background. Massage therapy is a noninvasive treatment that many individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) use to supplement their conventional treatment. Objective. We hypothesize that massage therapy will improve the leg function and overall quality of life (QoL) of MS patients. Design. A two-period (rest, massage) crossover design was used. Twenty-four individuals with MS ranging from 3.0 to 7.0 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) received Swedish massage treatments for four weeks. Exercise capacity and leg function as well as QoL were assessed using the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and the Hamburg Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis (HAQUAMS) instrument, respectively. Assessments were measured before and after a massage period and a rest period where no massages were employed. Results. The results displayed no significant changes in 6MWT distances or HAQUAMS scores. However, the participants perceived improvement in overall health as expressed in written comments. Conclusions. Massage is a safe, noninvasive treatment that may assist MS patients in managing the stress of their symptoms. Future studies with larger sample size and cortisol measures are warranted. PMID:24949078

  17. Proteogenomic database construction driven from large scale RNA-seq data.

    PubMed

    Woo, Sunghee; Cha, Seong Won; Merrihew, Gennifer; He, Yupeng; Castellana, Natalie; Guest, Clark; MacCoss, Michael; Bafna, Vineet

    2014-01-03

    The advent of inexpensive RNA-seq technologies and other deep sequencing technologies for RNA has the promise to radically improve genomic annotation, providing information on transcribed regions and splicing events in a variety of cellular conditions. Using MS-based proteogenomics, many of these events can be confirmed directly at the protein level. However, the integration of large amounts of redundant RNA-seq data and mass spectrometry data poses a challenging problem. Our paper addresses this by construction of a compact database that contains all useful information expressed in RNA-seq reads. Applying our method to cumulative C. elegans data reduced 496.2 GB of aligned RNA-seq SAM files to 410 MB of splice graph database written in FASTA format. This corresponds to 1000× compression of data size, without loss of sensitivity. We performed a proteogenomics study using the custom data set, using a completely automated pipeline, and identified a total of 4044 novel events, including 215 novel genes, 808 novel exons, 12 alternative splicings, 618 gene-boundary corrections, 245 exon-boundary changes, 938 frame shifts, 1166 reverse strands, and 42 translated UTRs. Our results highlight the usefulness of transcript + proteomic integration for improved genome annotations.

  18. Temporality of Features in Near-Death Experience Narratives

    PubMed Central

    Martial, Charlotte; Cassol, Héléna; Antonopoulos, Georgios; Charlier, Thomas; Heros, Julien; Donneau, Anne-Françoise; Charland-Verville, Vanessa; Laureys, Steven

    2017-01-01

    Background: After an occurrence of a Near-Death Experience (NDE), Near-Death Experiencers (NDErs) usually report extremely rich and detailed narratives. Phenomenologically, a NDE can be described as a set of distinguishable features. Some authors have proposed regular patterns of NDEs, however, the actual temporality sequence of NDE core features remains a little explored area. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency distribution of these features (globally and according to the position of features in narratives) as well as the most frequently reported temporality sequences of features. Methods: We collected 154 French freely expressed written NDE narratives (i.e., Greyson NDE scale total score ≥ 7/32). A text analysis was conducted on all narratives in order to infer temporal ordering and frequency distribution of NDE features. Results: Our analyses highlighted the following most frequently reported sequence of consecutive NDE features: Out-of-Body Experience, Experiencing a tunnel, Seeing a bright light, Feeling of peace. Yet, this sequence was encountered in a very limited number of NDErs. Conclusion: These findings may suggest that NDEs temporality sequences can vary across NDErs. Exploring associations and relationships among features encountered during NDEs may complete the rigorous definition and scientific comprehension of the phenomenon. PMID:28659779

  19. Temporality of Features in Near-Death Experience Narratives.

    PubMed

    Martial, Charlotte; Cassol, Héléna; Antonopoulos, Georgios; Charlier, Thomas; Heros, Julien; Donneau, Anne-Françoise; Charland-Verville, Vanessa; Laureys, Steven

    2017-01-01

    Background: After an occurrence of a Near-Death Experience (NDE), Near-Death Experiencers (NDErs) usually report extremely rich and detailed narratives. Phenomenologically, a NDE can be described as a set of distinguishable features. Some authors have proposed regular patterns of NDEs, however, the actual temporality sequence of NDE core features remains a little explored area. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency distribution of these features (globally and according to the position of features in narratives) as well as the most frequently reported temporality sequences of features. Methods: We collected 154 French freely expressed written NDE narratives (i.e., Greyson NDE scale total score ≥ 7/32). A text analysis was conducted on all narratives in order to infer temporal ordering and frequency distribution of NDE features. Results: Our analyses highlighted the following most frequently reported sequence of consecutive NDE features: Out-of-Body Experience, Experiencing a tunnel, Seeing a bright light, Feeling of peace. Yet, this sequence was encountered in a very limited number of NDErs. Conclusion: These findings may suggest that NDEs temporality sequences can vary across NDErs. Exploring associations and relationships among features encountered during NDEs may complete the rigorous definition and scientific comprehension of the phenomenon.

  20. Harnessing Reddit to Understand the Written-Communication Challenges Experienced by Individuals With Mental Health Disorders: Analysis of Texts From Mental Health Communities.

    PubMed

    Park, Albert; Conway, Mike

    2018-04-10

    Mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are common, incapacitating, and have the potential to be fatal. Despite the prevalence and gravity of mental disorders, our knowledge concerning everyday challenges associated with them is relatively limited. One of the most studied deficits related to everyday challenges is language impairment, yet we do not know how mental disorders can impact common forms of written communication, for example, social media. The aims of this study were to investigate written communication challenges manifest in online mental health communities focusing on depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, as well as the impact of participating in these online mental health communities on written communication. As the control, we selected three online health communities focusing on positive emotion, exercising, and weight management. We examined lexical diversity and readability, both important features for measuring the quality of writing. We used four well-established readability metrics that consider word frequencies and syntactic complexity to measure writers' written communication ability. We then measured the lexical diversity by calculating the percentage of unique words in posts. To compare lexical diversity and readability among communities, we first applied pairwise independent sample t tests, followed by P value adjustments using the prespecified Hommel procedure to adjust for multiple comparison. To measure the changes, we applied linear least squares regression to the readability and lexical diversity scores against the interaction sequence for each member, followed by pairwise independent sample t tests and P value adjustments. Given the large sample of members, we also report effect sizes and 95% CIs for the pairwise comparisons. On average, members of depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia communities showed indications of difficulty expressing their ideas compared with three other online health communities. Our results also suggest that participating in these platforms has the potential to improve members' written communication. For example, members of all three mental health communities showed statistically significant improvement in both lexical diversity and readability compared with members of the OHC focusing on positive emotion. We provide new insights into the written communication challenges faced by individuals suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. A comparison with three other online health communities suggests that written communication in mental health communities is significantly more difficult to read, while also consisting of a significantly less diverse lexicon. We contribute practical suggestions for utilizing our findings in Web-based communication settings to enhance members' communicative experience. We consider these findings to be an important step toward understanding and addressing everyday written communication challenges among individuals suffering from mental disorders. ©Albert Park, Mike Conway. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 10.04.2018.

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