The Strategies and Assignment of Teaching and Learning of Speaking Ability in an Educational Institution

This research is conducted to describe the implementation of teaching and learning strategies and the assignment of innovative speaking ability for formal school. The research method used in this study is qualitative research with library research. The learning strategies for the students may consist of direct and indirect method. The teaching strategies can be a part of the activities available done in the class, such as; role plays, simulation, telling story, interview, conversation, discussion, and using the target language outside the classroom. The assignment form of speaking ability may be grouped as; Imitative Speaking (word repetition task and phone pass test), Intensive Speaking (directed response test and read-aloud test), responsive speaking (question and answer and giving interaction and direction), interactive speaking (interview and discussion conversation), and extensive speaking (oral presentation and retelling story and news

X-ray polarimetry with an active-matrix pixel proportional counter

We report the first results from an X-ray polarimeter with a micropattern gas proportional counter using an amorphous silicon active matrix readout. With 100% polarized X-rays at 4.5 keV, we obtain a modulation factor of 0.33 +/- 0.03, confirming previous reports of the high polarization sensitivity of a finely segmented pixel proportional counter. The detector described here has a geometry suitable for the focal plane of an astronomical X-ray telescope. Amorphous silicon readout technology will enable additional extensions and improvements.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

MEASURING CONSUMER BENEFITS OF FOOD SAFETY RISK REDUCTIONS

Microbial pathogens and pesticide residues in food pose a financial burden to society which can be reduced by incurring costs to reduce these food safety risks. We explore three valuation techniques that place a monetary value on food safety risk reductions, and we present a case study for each: a contingent valuation survey on pesticide residues, an experimental auction market for a chicken sandwich with reduced risk of Salmonella, and a cost-of-illness analysis for seven foodborne pathogens. Estimates from these techniques can be used in cost/benefit analyses for policies that reduce food safety risks.Contingent valuation, Cost of illness, Experimental auction market, Food safety, Risk reduction, Salmonella, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Discrete model for laser driven etching and microstructuring of metallic surfaces

We present a unidimensional discrete solid-on-solid model evolving in time using a kinetic Monte Carlo method to simulate micro-structuring of kerfs on metallic surfaces by means of laser-induced jet-chemical etching. The precise control of the passivation layer achieved by this technique is responsible for the high resolution of the structures. However, within a certain range of experimental parameters, the microstructuring of kerfs on stainless steel surfaces with a solution of $\mathrm{H}_3\mathrm{PO}_4$ shows periodic ripples, which are considered to originate from an intrinsic dynamics. The model mimics a few of the various physical and chemical processes involved and within certain parameter ranges reproduces some morphological aspects of the structures, in particular ripple regimes. We analyze the range of values of laser beam power for the appearance of ripples in both experimental and simulated kerfs. The discrete model is an extension of one that has been used previously in the context of ion sputtering and is related to a noisy version of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation used extensively in the field of pattern formation.Comment: Revised version. Etching probability distribution and new simulations adde

Optimizing Gait Outcomes in Parkinson\u27s Disease with Auditory Cues: The Effects of Synchronization, Groove, and Beat Perception Ability

This dissertation explores a common, rehabilitative strategy for mitigating gait impairments in Parkinson’s disease (PD) called Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS). The effects of this intervention on gait in PD are well documented but highly variable, which poses difficulty for appropriate therapeutic application. Part of this variability may be related to individual musical abilities, such as beat perception accuracy, as most RAS interventions involve synchronizing with a beat. However, music is complex and variable. Therefore, factors inherent in the music itself may play a role in these differences, such as how much the music makes you want to move (groove), or how familiar it is. The studies in this thesis address these questions by examining the effects of different musical features (e.g., groove, familiarity) in auditory stimuli on the gait of different populations (younger adults, older adults, people with PD). The immediate effects of instructions to synchronize or to walk freely to the auditory stimuli on spatiotemporal gait parameters were compared between those with good beat perception and with poor beat perception in each of the populations. This research supports overall that high groove music and metronome cues have markedly different effects on spatiotemporal gait parameters than low groove cues, and that low groove cues have the potential to hinder spatial and temporal gait parameters. This indicates that music in RAS should be carefully assessed before use. This thesis also supports that synchronizing to RAS may be helpful to maximize the effects of cueing on temporal gait parameters across healthy adults and the PD group. However, these studies also highlight the various ways in which synchronizing can potentially compromise gait (e.g., shortening strides, increasing variability) and that this is not necessarily dependent on how well one can find a musical beat. Further research is required to understand what additional factors can be manipulated to best individualize music-based RAS for optimal gait management in clinical populations

Recent Decisions

Comments on recent decisions by Thomas D. Ready, Martin F. Idzik, James E. Hakes, Stephen A. Seall, and Michael J. Schimberg