Philippine Classroom Teachers as Researchers: Teachers’ Perceptions, Motivations, and Challenges

This study explores teachers’ perceptions and motivations, challenges, and needs of 50 teachers in Agusan del Norte, Philippines with regards to doing research. Methodologies used were survey questionnaire, and group and individual interviews. Findings revealed that teacher-respondents had a positive perceptions towards doing research and its benefits to their teaching practice and students’ learning process. Thus, job promotion is the motivating factor why teachers did research. However, reported challenges such as lack of research knowledge and skills, heavy teaching loads, and lack of financial support from the schools obstructed them from doing it. Attending and participating to research trainings, receiving research incentives, and having lighter teaching timetable were what the teachers perceived they need to do research. The implication is for the policy makers, researchers, and school’s officials to consider the findings of this study and address the needs of these teachers in order to create a community of teacher-researchers

Acceleration of the Universe driven by the Casimir force

We investigate an evolutional scenario of the FRW universe with the Casimir energy scaling like $(-)(1+z)^4$. The Casimir effect is used to explain the vacuum energy differences (its value measured from astrophysics is so small compared to value obtained from quantum field theory calculations). The dynamics of the FRW model is represented in terms of a two-dimensional dynamical system to show all evolutional paths of this model in the phase space for all admissible initial conditions. We find also an exact solution for non flat evolutional paths of Universe driven by the Casimir effect. The main difference between the FRW model with the Casimir force and the $\Lambda$CDM model is that their generic solutions are a set of evolutional paths with a bounce solution and an initial singularity, respectively. The evolutional scenario are tested by using the SNIa data, FRIIb radiogalaxies, baryon oscillation peak and CMB observation. We compare the power of explanation of the model considered and the $\Lambda$CDM model using the Bayesian information criterion and Bayesian factor. Our investigation of the information criteria of model selection showed the preference of the $\Lambda$CDM model over the model considered. However the presence of negative like the radiation term can remove a tension between the theoretical and observed primordial ${}^4$He and D abundance.Comment: RevTeX4, 17 pages, 9 figure

Draft Genome Sequence of the Principal Etiological Agent of Farmer?s Lung Disease, Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula

Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula is the main cause of farmer's lung disease. The development of recombinant antigens to standardize the serodiagnosis of the disease requires knowledge of the S. rectivirgula genome. We sequenced the genome of an environmental strain, S. rectivirgula DSM 43113. A total of 3,221 proteins were found to be encoded in a short 3.9-Mb genome

Battery Study for the Shuttle Orbiter EAPU Upgrade

The use of Electric Auxiliary Power Unit (EAPU) in commercial, and military aviation, and in commercial electric automobiles, is reviewed. The specifications of the battery to be used in the space shuttle are reviewed, and the possible vendors discussed. The testing activity and the reliability and the safety features are presented

Effective electronic response of a system of metallic cylinders

The electronic response of a composite consisting of aligned metallic cylinders in vacuum is investigated, on the basis of photonic band structure calculations. The effective long-wavelength dielectric response function is computed, as a function of the filling fraction. A spectral representation of the effective response is considered, and the surface mode strengths and positions are analyzed. The range of validity of a Maxwell-Garnett-like approach is discussed, and the impact of our results on absorption spectra and electron energy-loss phenomena is addressed.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Mujeres

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Patrones de actividad física en una muestra española

Este trabajo pretende describir la frecuencia y las actividades físicas y deportivas que realiza una muestra de hombres y mujeres de la provincia de Granada (lo que denominamos perfil de actividad física). Nos interesaba además, ver la frecuencia de práctica de actividades físicas y deportivas que cada uno de los sujetos de la muestra ha realizado a lo largo de su vida (niveles de actividad física). Para ello seleccionamos una muestra de 625 sujetos de ambos sexos, de diferentes niveles culturales y de práctica de actividades físicas y deportivas. Los resultados indican diferencias entre grupos en la práctica de actividades físicas y que los sujetos que en la actualidad realizan más actividad física son también los que más actividad física han realizado a lo largo de su vidaThis work attempted to describe the frequency and type of physical and sports activities in a sample of men and women in the province of Granada (which we call profile of physical activity). We were also interested in seeing the frequency of physical and sports activities for each of the subjects in our sample throughout the course of their lives (levels of physical activity). The sample consisted of 625 men and women of varying socio-cultural levels and different levels of physical and sports activities. The results show between group differences in the practice of physical activities and that those subjects who currently engage in higher levels of physical activity are those who engage in higher levels through the course of their live

TBW Assessment by Deuterium Dilution in Spanish Adolescents

Congreso para especialistas en Nutrición, Actividad Física y Composición CorporalINTRODUCTION: Total body water (TBW) assessment is a cornerstone in order to validate equations to estimate body composition components as fat mass and fat free mass. Deuterium dilution technique (D2DT) is considered the gold standard method to assess TBW, however in Spain there are not any reference data using D2DT. The knowledge of specific references for Spanish population must be a goal for the biological studies of Spanish people. OBJECTIVE: It was our aim to assess TBW using the D2DT in a sample of Spanish adolescents. METHODS: 224 specimens of urine from 150 adolescents (113 girls and 111 boys) were taken to analyze. A dose of 0.1 grams of 2D2O per Kg of body weight was administrated; afterwards it was followed by 4-hours stabilization period. The isotope (deuterium oxide (D2O)) dilution method was used to measure TBW with an isotope-ratio mass-spectrometer. Averages by sex and Tanner stages were calculated for %TBW and TBW. General lineal model were used to analyze differences and interactions between groups. RESULTS: %TBW was significantly different between boys and girls (58.98_5.59% vs 55.5_4.28%, P0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study has been the first in Spain, which have measured TBW in vivo using D2DT. These data can be useful to validate new methods and equations from bioimpedance analysis to estimate TBW.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Coca-Col

Ionisation and discharge in cloud-forming atmospheres of brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets

The authors highlight financial support of the European Community under the FP7 by the ERC starting grant 257431.Brown dwarfs and giant gas extrasolar planets have cold atmospheres with a rich chemical compositions from which mineral cloud particles form. Their properties, like particle sizes and material composition, vary with height, and the mineral cloud particles are charged due to triboelectric processes in such dynamic atmospheres. The dynamics of the atmospheric gas is driven by the irradiating host star and/or by the rotation of the objects that changes during its lifetime. Thermal gas ionisation in these ultra-cool but dense atmospheres allows electrostatic interactions and magnetic coupling of a substantial atmosphere volume. Combined with a strong magnetic field ≫ BEarth, a chromosphere and aurorae might form as suggested by radio and X-ray observations of brown dwarfs. Non-equilibrium processes like cosmic ray ionisation and discharge processes in clouds will increase the local pool of free electrons in the gas. Cosmic rays and lighting discharges also alter the composition of the local atmospheric gas such that tracer molecules might be identified. Cosmic rays affect the atmosphere through air showers which was modelled with a 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to be able to visualise their spacial extent. Given a certain degree of thermal ionisation of the atmospheric gas, we suggest that electron attachment to charge mineral cloud particles is too inefficient to cause an electrostatic disruption of the cloud particles. Cloud particles will therefore not be destroyed by Coulomb explosion for the local temperature in the collisional dominated brown dwarf and giant gas planet atmospheres. However, the cloud particles are destroyed electrostatically in regions with strong gas ionisation. The potential size of such cloud holes would, however, be too small and might occur too far inside the cloud to mimic the effect of, e.g., magnetic field induced star spots.PostprintPeer reviewe