Evaluation of an Extended Day Program in the Netherlands: A Randomized Field Experiment

Policies that aim at improving student achievement frequently increase instructional time, for example by means of an extended day program. There is, however, hardly any evidence that these programs are effective, and the few studies that allow causal inference indicate that we should expect neutral to small effects of such programs. This study conducts a randomized field experiment to estimate the effect of an extended day program in seven Dutch elementary schools on math and reading achievement. The empirical results show that this three-month program had a modest but non-significant effect on math, and no significant effect on reading achievement.Extended Day; Increased Instructional Time; Random Assignment; Field Experiment

Effects of Crust Ingestion on Mixer Pump Performance in Tank

In August 1999, a workshop was held at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to discuss the effects of crust ingestion on mixer pump performance in Hanford Waste Tank 241-SY-101. The main purpose of the workshop was to evaluate the potential for crust ingestion to degrade mixing and/or damage the mixer pump. The need for a previously determined 12-inch separation between the top of the mixer pump inlet and the crust base was evaluated. Participants included a representative from the pump manufacturer, an internationally known expert in centrifugal pump theory, Hanford scientists and engineers, and operational specialists representing relevant fields of expertise. The workshop focused on developing an understanding of the pump design, addressing the physics of entrainment of solids and gases into the pump, and assessing the effects of solids and gases on pump performance. The major conclusions are summarized as follows: * Entrainment of a moderate amount of solids or gas from the crust should not damage the pump or reduce its lifetime, though mixing effectiveness will be somewhat reduced. * Air binding should not damage the pump. Vibration due to ingestion of gas, solids, and objects potentially could cause radial loads that might reduce the lifetime of bearings and seals. However, significant damage would require extreme conditions not associated with the small bubbles, fine solids, and chunks of relatively weak material typical of the crust. * The inlet duct extension opening, 235 inches from the tank bottom, should be considered the pump inlet, not the small gap at 262 inches. * A suction vortex exists at the inlet of all pumps. The characteristics of the inlet suction vortex in the mixer pump are very hard to predict, but its effects likely extend upward several feet. Because of this, the current 12-inch limit should be replaced with criteria based on actual monitored pump performance. The most obvious criterion (in addition to current operational constraints) is to monitor discharge pressure and cease pump operation if it falls below a predetermined amount. * There are no critically necessary tests to prove pump operability or performance before initiating the transfer and back-dilution sequence

The Weekend School Effect on Perceived Cognitive and Social Competences: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Experiment

This study reports the results of a randomized controlled experiment in the Netherlands that was conducted in 2005 to examine if a Weekend School did positively affect perceived competences. For this purpose, 216 Dutch 7thgraders (aged 10/11) were randomly assigned to a Weekend School program and a waiting list. This study focuses on the following competences: scholastic competence, social acceptance, behavioral conduct, global self-worth and outspokenness. These competences are measured before and 10 months after the start of the Weekend School program. Experimental results suggest that the Weekend School program did not affect children's perceived competences.Weekend School, Perceived Competence, Random Assignment

Why Customers Value Mass-customized Products: The Importance of Process Effort and Enjoyment

We test our hypotheses on 186 participants designing their own scarves with an MC toolkit. After completing the process, they submitted binding bids for "their" products in Vickrey auctions. We therefore observe real buying behavior, not merely stated intentions. We find that the subjective value of a self-designed product (i.e., one's bid in the course of the auction) is indeed not only impacted by the preference fit the customer expects it to deliver, but also by (1) the process enjoyment the customer reports, (2) the interaction of preference fit and process enjoyment, and (3) the interaction of preference fit and perceived process effort. In addition to its main effect, we interpret preference fit as a moderator of the valuegenerating effect of process evaluation: In cases where the outcome of the process is perceived as positive (high preference fit), the customer also interprets process effort as a positive accomplishment, and this positive affect adds (further) value to the product. It appears that the perception of the self-design process as a good or bad experience is partly constructed on the basis of the outcome of the process. In the opposite case (low preference fit), effort creates a negative affect which further reduces the subjective value of the product. Likewise, process enjoyment is amplified by preference fit, although enjoyment also has a significant main effect, which means that regardless of the outcome, customers attribute higher value to a self-designed product if they enjoy the process. The importance of the self-design process found in this study bears clear relevance for companies which offer or plan to offer MC systems. It is not sufficient to design MC toolkits in such a way that they allow customers to design products according to their preferences. The affect caused by this process is also highly important. Toolkits should therefore stimulate positive affective reactions and at the same time keep negative affect to a minimum. (authors' abstract

Acoustical evaluation of the NASA Langley full-scale wind tunnel

Determining types of acoustical measurements suitable for test section of NASA Langley wind tunne

From Graphene constrictions to single carbon chains

We present an atomic-resolution observation and analysis of graphene constrictions and ribbons with sub-nanometer width. Graphene membranes are studied by imaging side spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy at 80 kV. Holes are formed in the honeycomb-like structure due to radiation damage. As the holes grow and two holes approach each other, the hexagonal structure that lies between them narrows down. Transitions and deviations from the hexagonal structure in this graphene ribbon occur as its width shrinks below one nanometer. Some reconstructions, involving more pentagons and heptagons than hexagons, turn out to be surprisingly stable. Finally, single carbon atom chain bridges between graphene contacts are observed. The dynamics are observed in real time at atomic resolution with enough sensitivity to detect every carbon atom that remains stable for a sufficient amount of time. The carbon chains appear reproducibly and in various configurations from graphene bridges, between adsorbates, or at open edges and seem to represent one of the most stable configurations that a few-atomic carbon system accomodates in the presence of continuous energy input from the electron beam.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure