815 research outputs found
Determination of aerodynamic sensitivity coefficients for wings in transonic flow
The quasianalytical approach is applied to the 3-D full potential equation to compute wing aerodynamic sensitivity coefficients in the transonic regime. Symbolic manipulation is used to reduce the effort associated with obtaining the sensitivity equations, and the large sensitivity system is solved using 'state of the art' routines. The quasianalytical approach is believed to be reasonably accurate and computationally efficient for 3-D problems
Assessing English Language Instructorsâ Knowledge and Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) In Taif University Campuses (TUCs)
The success of the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into the teaching and learning of English language depends largely on the level of knowledge of ICT possessed by the instructors and actual utilization of these in the classroom. The study therefore assessed Taif University (TU) English Language instructorsâ knowledge and use of ICT in English Language classrooms. Attempt was made to provide answers to these four research questions using survey research design: (1) What is the level of knowledge of English language instructor about ICT? (2) Are ICT facilities available in Taif University Campuses (TUCs) for the teaching and learning of English? (3) Do English language instructors use ICT in English? (4) Is there any significant difference in the knowledge of ICT between male and female English language instructors? The participants were 94 English Language instructors from 4 university campuses in and around Taif City. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect pertinent data which were analyzed using frequency counts, simple percentage and t-test. Findings revealed that the level of knowledge of ICT possessed by English Language instructors was poor and as such, they rarely use ICT in English Language instruction. It was also found that there was significant difference in the male and female instructorsâ knowledge of ICT with the males demonstrating a higher level of knowledge than their female counterparts. Based on these findings, it is recommended, among others, that English language instructors must attend periodic seminars, workshops and in-service trainings to equip them with knowledge of ICT and its utilization in classroom instruction while instructor education programs in tertiary establishments must be reviewed to incorporate ICT-assisted instruction. Keywords: language assessment, English language teaching, information technology, and language communication
The Development of a Predictive Theory of Science Education Based Upon Information Processing Theory
This thesis describes the establishment of a new predictive theory for science education which can give direction to the improvement and transformation of science teaching at all levels. It is based upon Information Processing Theory. It has the ability to predict performance in science on the basis of independent psychological tests and to provide a framework for understanding how scientific learning takes place. The development of the theory has resulted from empirical work on 529 school pupils at "0" Grade (age 16) and on 440 Glasgow University students, through two series of experiments in addition to two confirmatory studies in the U.S.A. and Egypt. The first series related to students performance in individual questions, and the second related to students over-all performance in conventional examinations. Throughout this empirical work, a constant pattern has emerged showing that the students' holding-thinking space limited their ability to solve problems of different complexity. As soon as there was an overload on students' holding-thinking space, their performance fell away. In addition, the students' holding-thinking space is considered to be a good predictor for success in the conventional "0" Grade examinations, as well as the university examinations not only in chemistry, but also in physics, biology and mathematics. Where the theory and the empirical measurements have not agreed exactly, further investigation has been done to examine the disparities. In some cases new understanding has occurred which has allowed the theory to be modified. This thesis illustrates the importance of the teaching of learning strategies. In fact, it raises the teaching of strategies on to a par with the teaching of content. Three ways of successfully reducing the load on the students' holding-thinking space have been described and tested. The effect of the limitation of students' perceptual fields and of holding-thinking space on learning and problem solving tasks is also explored. The theory, which has been established in this thesis, answered some of the questions that educators have concerning students' limitations in learning and in problem solving. The outworking of this theory in terms of instructional methods, design of computer programs, books and laboratory experiences, is forming the basis of several follow-up studies
Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
To the Editor: Although more than 10% of the patients in the CheckMate 227 trial conducted by Hellmann et al. (Nov. 21 issue)(1) had never smoked, the effect of smoking status on survival was not fully discussed. Striking differences in the clinical and molecular characteristics of lung cancers between smokers and those who have never smoked have been identified, suggesting that the cancers are separate entities.(2) In one trial,(3) patients who had never smoked had poorer responses to nivolumab (as compared with docetaxel) than current or former smokers (hazard ratio for overall survival, 1.02 vs. 0.70). In a meta-analysis involving . .
Effect of a text intervention during pregnancy on birth weight in participants of the WIC program in Hawaii.
ObjectivesThere
are limited studies testing the effect of a pregnancy educational
intervention on infantsâ birth weight. This study investigated the
effect of a short message service (SMS), or text message, intervention
for promoting adequate gestational weight gain on infantsâ birth weight
in a sample of pregnant women in Hawaiâi.MethodsA
randomized clinical trial was conducted among women participating in
the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and
Children (WIC) program in Hawaiâi (n = 83). The intervention group (n = 42) received weekly SMS about appropriate energy intake and physical activity and the control group (n = 41)
received weekly SMS about general health issues for 4 months during
pregnancy. Weight and length at birth were obtained from the
participant's chart in WIC and compared between groups. Birthweight was
categorized as small (SGA), appropriate (AGA) or large (LGA) for
gestational age.ResultsWomen
were age 27.7 ± 5.3y on average, 65.5% were Native Hawaiian, Pacific
Islander or American Indian, 54.8% had some college or more and 37.8%
were employed. Infant birth weight was similar in the intervention
(3431 ± 682 g) and control groups (3232 ± 599 g; P > 0.05).
Mothers in the control group had higher odds of having a SGA baby (OR:
2.21; 95% CI 0.40, 12.2) but similar risk of having a LGA baby (0.27;
95% CI 0.07, 1.05) compared to the intervention group. After adjusting
for mothersâ age, education level and employment status, results were
similar for SGA (OR: 2.34; 95% CI 0.43, 14.7) and LGA (OR: 0.35; 95% CI
0.08, 1.49).ConclusionsThere
was no significant difference in birth weight between groups in mothers
from the WIC program in Hawaiâi. More intensive educational
interventions may be needed to observe an impact on birth weight
Examining plausibility of self-report energy intake data: considerations for method selection.
Self-reported dietary intake data contain valuable information and have long been used
in the development of nutrition programs and policy. Some degree of measurement error
is always present in such data. Biological plausibility, assessed by determining whether
self-reported energy intake (rEI) reflects physiological status and physical activity level,
must be examined and accounted for before drawing conclusions about intake. Methods
that may be used to account for plausibility of rEI include crude methods such as excluding
participants reporting EIs at the extremes of a range of intake and individualized
methods such as statistical adjustment and applying cutoffs that account for the errors
associated with within-participant variation in EI and total energy expenditure (TEE). These
approaches allow researchers to determine how accounting for under- and overreporting
affects study results and to appropriately address misreporting in drawing conclusions
with data collected and in interpreting reported research. In selecting a procedure to
assess and account for plausibility of intake, there are a number of key considerations,
such as resources available, the dietary-report instrument, as well as the advantages and
disadvantages of each method. While additional studies are warranted to recommend
one procedure as superior to another, researchers should apply one of the available
methods to address the issue of implausible rEI. If no method is applied, then at minimum,
mean TEE or rEI/TEE should be reported to allow readers to ascertain the degree
of misreporting at a gross level and better interpret the data and results provided
Effects of cyclic loading on the shear bond strength of metal orthodontic brackets bonded to resin composite veneer surface using different conditioning protocols
INCOME ANALYSIS AND CONSTRAINTS OF BROILER CHICKEN BUSINESS IN DEWANTARA DISTRICT, ACEH UTARA REGENCY (CASE STUDY IN UD. KARYA CIPTA)
Livestock business is part of the development of the agricultural sector which has strategic values, among others in providing food needs. The purpose of this study were to determine the constraints of broiler business in Gampong Ulee Reuleung, Dewantara Sub-district, Aceh Utara District. The research methods used are quantitative and qualitative descriptive analysis. The results showed that the gross income and the net income obtained by UD.Cipta Karya broiler chicken business are Rp 43,290,000,- and Rp.2.263,362,91,- in production process. The R/C ratio of 1.05 and the B/C ratio of 0.05. Therefore it can be concluded that the broiler chicken business UD. Cipta Karya is feasible and profitable. Generally that the constraints faced by UD Karya Cipta broiler chicken business are seeds, capital, labor and climate
Opportunities for interactivity in public health websites: a content analysis approach
The Internet has many advantages over other media in the provision of information services in the area of public health. However many designers are not yet taking full advantage of its potential for interactivity. This paper examines the development of interactivity in public health websites in the increasingly important area of Palliative Care. Content analysis is used here to map the interactivity in a sample of 30 existing websites along with Heeterâs six dimensions (content and availability of choice, effort users must exert, responsiveness to the users, and the ease of adding information, monitoring the information and the system use, and facilitation of interpersonal communication). The results of this study show that the effort users must currently exert in finding information .The presence of content as well as the availability of choice are the most prevalent options currently found in these websites. However, the overall level of opportunities for interactivity was low. This suggests that online palliative care sites are not as interactive as they could be. Designers are not yet taking full advantage of the range of opportunities that the Internet offers to promote health and the benefits that would come from using interactive tools for more active communication
Amount, preparation and type of formula consumed and its association with weight gain in infants participating in the WIC Program in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
The aim of this study was to assess the association between amount (below or above recommendations), preparation (liquid vs. powder), and type (regular vs. hydrolysate) of infant formula consumed and weight in infants participating in the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program in Hawaii (HI) and Puerto Rico (PR). This was a secondary analysis of 162 caregivers with healthy term 0-2-month-old infants. Socio-demographics, infant food frequency questionnaires, and weight and length were assessed at baseline and after four months. Infant feeding practices were associated with weight-for-length z-scores using multivariable logistic regression. In total, 37.7% were exclusively breastfed and 27.2% were exclusively formula-fed. Among formula users, regular (63.6%) and powder (87.0%) formula were the most common; 43.2% consumed formula above recommendations. Most infants had rapid weight gain (61.1%). Infants fed regular formula had higher odds of overweight after four months (adjusted OR = 8.77, 95% CI: 1.81-42.6) and higher odds of rapid weight gain (adjusted OR = 3.10, 95% CI: 1.12, 8.61). Those exclusively formula fed had higher odds of slow weight gain (adjusted OR = 4.07, 95% CI: 1.17-14.2). Formula preparation and amount of formula were not associated with weight. These results could inform the WIC program's nutrition education messages on infant feeding. Studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these results
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