Differential Item Functioning in Asian-Americans on the Stanford-Binet Standardization Fifth Edition Verbal Subtests

This research examined the Standardization Edition of the Stanford-Binet, Fifth Edition (SB5), in order to assess the cultural validity of items using an index of differential item functioning (DIF) among Asian American and White/Caucasian American children. Archival data, obtained from the SB5 publisher, was used to determine DIF of items for the 101 Asian American and 200 White/Caucasian American children, ages 4-18. Potential bias was determined through the use of partial correlation. A significant correlation between item and an ethnicity code (with overall ability partialed out) indicated that, in general, one group performed better on a particular item than the other group. For the purpose of this study, those items that showed a significant partial correlation between item and ethnicity were examined for possible bias in favor of a particular group. Of the 178 items analyzed, only 10 were found to show DIF in favor of one of the two groups. Seven functioned differentially in favor of White/Caucasian children and three functioned differentially toward Asian American children. Evidence of true bias was judged by graduate students and a professor of psychology who examined the content of the DIF items. There was no specific pattern in regards to the type of items that showed DIF, or in the size of effects. These findings suggest that the Standardization Edition of the SB5 did not show substantial bias toward Asian American children. Six of the items with small DIF effects remain in the final published edition of the SB5. Three of those items favored White/Caucasian Americans and three favored Asian Americans. Thus, the effects of the DIF for each group cancel one another out, thereby indicating that the published SB5 shows little evidence of bias at the item level for Asian Americans

Interactions between respiratory oscillators in adult rats

Breathing in mammals is hypothesized to result from the interaction of two distinct oscillators: the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC) driving inspiration and the lateral parafacial region (pFL) driving active expiration. To understand the interactions between these oscillators, we independently altered their excitability in spontaneously breathing vagotomized urethane-anesthetized adult rats. Hyperpolarizing preBötC neurons decreased inspiratory activity and initiated active expiration, ultimately progressing to apnea, i.e., cessation of both inspiration and active expiration. Depolarizing pFL neurons produced active expiration at rest, but not when inspiratory activity was suppressed by hyperpolarizing preBötC neurons. We conclude that in anesthetized adult rats active expiration is driven by the pFL but requires an additional form of network excitation, i.e., ongoing rhythmic preBötC activity sufficient to drive inspiratory motor output or increased chemosensory drive. The organization of this coupled oscillator system, which is essential for life, may have implications for other neural networks that contain multiple rhythm/pattern generators

Human Performance Contributions to Safety in Commercial Aviation

In the commercial aviation domain, large volumes of data are collected and analyzed on the failures and errors that result in infrequent incidents and accidents, but in the absence of data on behaviors that contribute to routine successful outcomes, safety management and system design decisions are based on a small sample of non- representative safety data. Analysis of aviation accident data suggests that human error is implicated in up to 80% of accidents, which has been used to justify future visions for aviation in which the roles of human operators are greatly diminished or eliminated in the interest of creating a safer aviation system. However, failure to fully consider the human contributions to successful system performance in civil aviation represents a significant and largely unrecognized risk when making policy decisions about human roles and responsibilities. Opportunities exist to leverage the vast amount of data that has already been collected, or could be easily obtained, to increase our understanding of human contributions to things going right in commercial aviation. The principal focus of this assessment was to identify current gaps and explore methods for identifying human success data generated by the aviation system, from personnel and within the supporting infrastructure

Uso de hidrolizados de pescado en la acuicultura: una revisión de algunos resultados beneficiosos en dietas acuícolas

Las industrias pesqueras y de acuicultura generan, cada año, un conjunto de residuos o desechos que incluyen piel, cabeza, vísceras, recortes y espinazos, representando más del 60% en volumen productivo. Estos residuos tienen altos contenidos de proteínas, y normalmente son procesados en productos de bajo valor comercial, como alimentos para animales, harina de residuos y fertilizantes. En los últimos años, se han venido desarrollando tecnologías para el aprovechamiento de éstos residuos y convertirlos en bioproductos de mayor valor agregado, como son los hidrolizados de proteínas, con interesantes aplicaciones en la alimentación animal. Los hidrolizados proteicos de pescado son productos obtenidos de la degradación enzimática o química de las proteínas de pescado en péptidos más pequeños, aminoácidos libres y nucleótidos, obteniéndose un alto contenido proteico con buen balance de aminoácidos, alta digestibilidad y mejor aprovechamiento de sus nutrientes. La inclusión de éstos hidrolizados en los alimentos acuícolas puede mejorar el crecimiento y la eficiencia alimentaria de los organismos acuáticos en cultivo. Este artículo presenta una revisión sobre investigaciones de la inclusión de hidrolizados proteicos de pescado en dietas experimentales para peces, crustáceos, moluscos y algas, y los efectos en los desempeños productivos, en los últimos veinte años

Forward Analysis and Model Checking for Trace Bounded WSTS

We investigate a subclass of well-structured transition systems (WSTS), the bounded---in the sense of Ginsburg and Spanier (Trans. AMS 1964)---complete deterministic ones, which we claim provide an adequate basis for the study of forward analyses as developed by Finkel and Goubault-Larrecq (Logic. Meth. Comput. Sci. 2012). Indeed, we prove that, unlike other conditions considered previously for the termination of forward analysis, boundedness is decidable. Boundedness turns out to be a valuable restriction for WSTS verification, as we show that it further allows to decide all $\omega$-regular properties on the set of infinite traces of the system

Prey and Non-prey Arthropods Sharing a Host Plant: Effects on Induced Volatile Emission and Predator Attraction

It is well established that plants infested with a single herbivore species can attract specific natural enemies through the emission of herbivore-induced volatiles. However, it is less clear what happens when plants are simultaneously attacked by more than one species. We analyzed volatile emissions of lima bean and cucumber plants upon multi-species herbivory by spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) and caterpillars (Spodoptera exigua) in comparison to single-species herbivory. Upon herbivory by single or multiple species, lima bean and cucumber plants emitted volatile blends that comprised mostly the same compounds. To detect additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects, we compared the multi-species herbivory volatile blend with the sum of the volatile blends induced by each of the herbivore species feeding alone. In lima bean, the majority of compounds were more strongly induced by multi-species herbivory than expected based on the sum of volatile emissions by each of the herbivores separately, potentially caused by synergistic effects. In contrast, in cucumber, two compounds were suppressed by multi-species herbivory, suggesting the potential for antagonistic effects. We also studied the behavioral responses of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis, a specialized natural enemy of spider mites. Olfactometer experiments showed that P. persimilis preferred volatiles induced by multi-species herbivory to volatiles induced by S. exigua alone or by prey mites alone. We conclude that both lima bean and cucumber plants effectively attract predatory mites upon multi-species herbivory, but the underlying mechanisms appear different between these species

Knowledge management in distributed software development: a systematic review

Software development is characterized as a knowledge intensive activity. Particularly, Distributed Software Development (DSD) is an approach that demands more attention for coordination and communication among members of distributed team, due to regional, cultural and infrastructure differences. Knowledge has being, increasingly, seen as the most important strategic resource in organizations. So, the management of this knowledge is critical to organizational success. Knowledge Management (KM) is a set of processes directed at creating, capturing, storing, sharing, apply, and reuse of knowledge, which are useful to decision making. The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic review carried out to identify the processes, techniques, methods, practices and/or tools adopted for Knowledge Management in Distributed Software Development. With this systematic review some interesting points for research were identified.WIS - X Workshop ingeniería de softwareRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Intravesical oxybutinin chloride in children with intermittent catheterization: Sonographic findings

The sonographic findings in the bladder are presented in four children with myelomeningocele and neurogenic dysfunction of the bladder, who were treated with intermittent self-catheterization and intravesical oxybutinin chloride. All were referred for routine sonography of the urinary tract. Each had infused a crushed tablet of oxybutinin chloride intravesically 30–120 min before the examination. In two children, brightly echogenic, non-shadowing particles were suspended in the bladder urine. In one of these, the particles swirled giving the impression of a “snowstorm”; in the other, most of the particles gradually settled forming an irregular clump on the bladder base. In the remaining two children, the urine appeared diffusely hazy with innumerable tiny particles giving the impression of a fine mist filling the bladder. The sonographic appearance of the urine in the bladder after intravesical instillation of crushed tablets can be dramatic and can simulate pus, blood, fungus, or other debris in the bladder lumen. In the absence of clinical symptoms or hematuria, a history of recent infusion of medication into the bladder should be sought.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46706/1/247_2005_Article_BF02012126.pd

Fungal volatile organic compounds: emphasis on their plant growth-promoting

Fungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) commonly formed bioactive interface between plants and countless of microorganisms on the above- and below-ground plant-fungus interactions. Fungal-plant interactions symbolize intriguingly biochemical complex and challenging scenarios that are discovered by metabolomic approaches. Remarkably secondary metabolites (SMs) played a significant role in the virulence and existence with plant-fungal pathogen interaction; only 25% of the fungal gene clusters have been functionally identified, even though these numbers are too low as compared with plant secondary metabolites. The current insights on fungal VOCs are conducted under lab environments and to apply small numbers of microbes; its molecules have significant effects on growth, development, and defense system of plants. Many fungal VOCs supported dynamic processes, leading to countless interactions between plants, antagonists, and mutualistic symbionts. The fundamental role of fungal VOCs at field level is required for better understanding, so more studies will offer further constructive scientific evidences that can show the cost-effectiveness of ecofriendly and ecologically produced fungal VOCs for crop welfare