The Pluto debate: Influence of emotions on belief, attitude, and knowledge change

In line with the warming trend (Sinatra, 2005), this study examined the influence of emotions during controversial conceptual change. Issues in science may trigger highly emotional responses (e.g., evolutionary theory). However, it is unclear whether these emotions facilitate or inhibit change; I investigated the nature of emotions engendered when learning about a controversial science topic, Pluto\u27s reclassification, including the valence (positive/negative) and activation (activating/deactivating) of emotions (Pekrun et al., 2002). I also investigated whether belief, attitude, and/or conceptual change could be facilitated through rereading a refutation text and/or rereading during small group discussions. Refutation texts directly state a common misconception, refute it, and provide the scientific explanation as a plausible alternative (Hynd, 2001). Participants were randomly assigned to a group (reread text; reread text plus small group discussions). Participants in both groups read the same refutational text regarding the recent change in the definition of planet and Pluto\u27s reclassification; The findings show that students\u27 experienced a range of emotions towards Pluto\u27s reclassification. Students reported experiencing more negative than positive emotions. Both positive and negative emotions were shown to be predictive of student\u27s attitudes and attitude change. Emotions were also predictive of students\u27 knowledge of planets and conceptual change. This suggests that emotions may have promoted deep engagement and critical thinKing Negative emotions may also be linked with resistance to attitude and conceptual change; The refutation text was effective in promoting belief change, attitude change, and conceptual change across both conditions. Students in both conditions reported more constructivist nature of science beliefs after rereading the text. Students also reported a greater level of acceptance about Pluto\u27s reclassification. Conceptual change was promoted through the text as students\u27 initial misconceptions about why scientists rewrote the definition of planet. Students in the reread plus discussion group showed greater conceptual change regarding the reasons for rewriting the definition of planet than those in the reread group; This study supports the warming trend (Sinatra, 2005) in conceptual change research because it shows the interplay between emotions and the change process. The findings also suggest that belief, attitude, and conceptual change can be fostered through small group discussions

Our Boys At The Front

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/5419/thumbnail.jp

Five Years Experience of Ureterovaginal Fistulae Following Obstetric or Gynecological Intervention in Ethiopia

Objectives: To study the etiology, presentation and outcome of women presenting to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital with an ureterovaginal fistula.Patients and Methods: Women presenting with ureterovaginal fistulae following obstetric or gynecological intervention. The operating register from June 2004 to July 2009 was studied to identify women who had undergone ureteric re-implantation. Patient files were reviewed and onlywomen with fistulae resulting from iatrogenic injury were included.Results: Ureterovaginal fistulae were found in 89 women, 64 after Caesarean section, of which 43 were for a stillborn baby, 12 women have uterine rupture, 6 with instrumental delivery and only 7 with abdominal hysterectomy. The left ureter was most frequently injured (54). The number of patients seen has doubled over the past two years. Using one of four methods of repair, 88 women were continent at discharge from hospital. One died from a suspected pulmonary embolism.Conclusion: The incidence of iatrogenic ureteric injury is increasing in Ethiopia and most result from Caesarean section. The reasons should be studied. Using a variety of repair techniques, all patients can be cured. However, surgeons undertaking this surgery should have a wide range of urological training.Key Words : Ureter, vagina, fistula, latrogenic, caesarean section, hysterectomy, complicatio

The Nature of the Refutation Text Effect: An Investigation of Attention Allocation

Students often hold misconceptions that conflict with scientific explanations. Research has shown that refutation texts are effective for facilitating conceptual change in these cases (Guzzetti, Snyder, Glass, & Gamas, 1993). The process through which refutation texts have their effect is not clear. The authors replicated and extended previous research investigating cognitive processes involved in the refutation text effect. Undergraduates read either a refutation or an expository text on seasonal change. Individual reading times were recorded. Participants’ conceptions were measured at pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest. Results showed that readers spent less time reading the refutation paragraph compared to the expository paragraph. The refutation text group had fewer misconceptions at posttest. These findings suggest that refutation text processing differences mirror similar findings in the attention literature, which may account for their effectiveness

Environmental Site Characterization and Risk-Based Evaluation of a Site Contaminated with Tetrachloroethene (PCE) and Trichloroethene (TCE)

A healthcare company purchased property in eastern Iowa for a facility expansion. Before the purchase, a Phase I environmental site assessment (ESA) revealed that the property was the site of a former dry cleaning business. Phase II sampling and testing indicated that tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) had affected site soil and groundwater. Maximum concentrations of PCE and TCE in groundwater were 538 and 209 µg/L, respectively, and 105 and 1.51 mg/kg in soil. Additional sampling delineated the vertical and horizontal extent of contamination in the soil. The concentrations of the chlorinated solvents in both the soil and groundwater were below levels of regulatory concern. However, the company was concerned that the Iowa statewide standard for PCE in soil (780 mg/kg) might not provide adequate protection for several exposure pathways and wanted to assess the risk to the public from the contamination at the site. The results of a receptor survey were used to develop site-specific target levels (SSTLs) for contamination, using accepted human health exposure factors, models, and chemical-specific toxicity values. The recommended remedial options allowed the company to minimize the human health risks posed by contamination at the site

Ipratropium bromide delivered by metered-dose aerosol to infant wheezers

Two methods of administration of ipratropium bromide (Atrovent; Boehringer Ingelheim) to wheezing children'< 25 months of age were compared: (i) the conventional nebulisation (15 children); and (ii) a metered-dose aerosol plus spacer and mask (MDA group, 17 children). The drug induced a significant and similar fall in respiratory rate in both groups. Transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure was also reduced significantly but was more marked in the MDA group. This increase in alveolar ventilation was 'similar in those < 12 months as in older children; in those with recurrent or with first time wheezing; and in those with radiological evidence of pneumonia. Clinical assessment of bronchospasm and recession was recorded as improved' in over 80% of both groups. The MDA delivery of ipratropium bromide was as effective as nebulisation and was more convenient, since it required less time and equipment. It was also well accepted by the small patients

Million-atom molecular dynamics simulation by order-N electronic structure theory and parallel computation

Parallelism of tight-binding molecular dynamics simulations is presented by means of the order-N electronic structure theory with the Wannier states, recently developed (J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 69,3773 (2000)). An application is tested for silicon nanocrystals of more than millions atoms with the transferable tight-binding Hamiltonian. The efficiency of parallelism is perfect, 98.8 %, and the method is the most suitable to parallel computation. The elapse time for a system of $2\times 10^6$ atoms is 3.0 minutes by a computer system of 64 processors of SGI Origin 3800. The calculated results are in good agreement with the results of the exact diagonalization, with an error of 2 % for the lattice constant and errors less than 10 % for elastic constants.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure