A Comparison Of Traditional And Blended Learning In Introductory Principles Of Accounting Course

This paper examines whether a blended course that introduces lower-level education online learned by students before they come into class and after class online assignments and online discussions enhances student performance for an introductory principles of accounting course over the period 2009-2010. The blended course design includes (1) before-class online quizzes, (2) after-class online homework assignments and online quizzes, (3) after-class comments postings, and (4) company case and project online postings. The regression results show that the above designed blended course improves the student final examination/course performance through in-depth in class activities after controlling for prior GPA, math grade, gender, transfer, homework grade, online quiz grade, and in-class exercise grade

School Principal Profiles: Comparing China and the United States

By comparing principal profiles in China and the United States) this study would contribute to a better understanding of school leadership in the two countries. Participating principals included 144 from two states in the United States and 77 from seven provinces of China. A researcher designed Likert-scale questionnaire covered the principals) profiles in seven leadership areas: character) professional knowledge) professional skill) administrative style) administrative duties) personnel management) and student affairs management. This was supplemented by a survey of three open-ended questions on principal\u27s responsibilities) challenges) and fulfillment. The findings of quantitative data were compared with those of qualitative data. Results of data analysis indicated significant differences in four leadership areas: principals) administrative skills) duties) personnel management) and student affairs management. In almost all areas of the profile) Chinese principals were found to be more reserved in their responses

School Principal Profiles: Comparing China and the United States

By comparing principal profiles in China and the United States) this study would contribute to a better understanding of school leadership in the two countries. Participating principals included 144 from two states in the United States and 77 from seven provinces of China. A researcher designed Likert-scale questionnaire covered the principals) profiles in seven leadership areas: character) professional knowledge) professional skill) administrative style) administrative duties) personnel management) and student affairs management. This was supplemented by a survey of three open-ended questions on principal\u27s responsibilities) challenges) and fulfillment. The findings of quantitative data were compared with those of qualitative data. Results of data analysis indicated significant differences in four leadership areas: principals) administrative skills) duties) personnel management) and student affairs management. In almost all areas of the profile) Chinese principals were found to be more reserved in their responses

Rapid, large-scale, and effective detection of COVID-19 via non-adaptive testing.

There is a one-year embargo from 9 August 2020 before this publication can be made publicly available when uploading the file on a university/institutional repository.Pooling of samples can increase lab capacity when using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect diseases such as COVID-19. However, pool testing is typically performed via an adaptive testing strategy which requires a feedback loop in the lab and at least two PCR runs to confirm positive results. This can cost precious time. We discuss a non-adaptive testing method where each sample is distributed in a prescribed manner over several pools, and which yields reliable results after one round of testing. More precisely, assuming knowledge about the overall incidence rate, we calculate explicit error bounds on the number of false positives which scale favourably with pool size and sample multiplicity. This allows for hugely streamlined PCR testing and cuts in detection times for a large-scale testing scenario. A viable consequence of this method could be real-time screening of entire communities, frontline healthcare workers and international flight passengers, for example, using the PCR machines currently in operation

CEO Turnover, Equity-Based Compensation And Firms Investment Decisions

This paper examines the impact of the newly appointed CEOs on firms future investment decisions and whether the relation is affected by the equity-based compensation, corporate governance provisions and other CEO characteristics. Using CEO turnover data from 1992-2004, the results show that new CEOs with high options-based compensation, following forced turnover and with shorter organization tenure, are associated with high R&D and advertisement investments. These results are consistent with the managerial incentive effect and the dismissal effect

Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Cells with Corneal Keratocyte Phenotype

Corneal transparency depends on a unique extracellular matrix secreted by stromal keratocytes, mesenchymal cells of neural crest lineage. Derivation of keratocytes from human embryonic stem (hES) cells could elucidate the keratocyte developmental pathway and open a potential for cell-based therapy for corneal blindness. This study seeks to identify conditions inducing differentiation of pluripotent hES cells to the keratocyte lineage. Neural differentiation of hES cell line WA01(H1) was induced by co-culture with mouse PA6 fibroblasts. After 6 days of co-culture, hES cells expressing cell-surface NGFR protein (CD271, p75NTR) were isolated by immunoaffinity adsorption, and cultured as a monolayer for one week. Keratocyte phenotype was induced by substratum-independent pellet culture in serum-free medium containing ascorbate. Gene expression, examined by quantitative RT-PCR, found hES cells co-cultured with PA6 cells for 6 days to upregulate expression of neural crest genes including NGFR, SNAI1, NTRK3, SOX9, and MSX1. Isolated NGFR-expressing cells were free of PA6 feeder cells. After expansion as a monolayer, mRNAs typifying adult stromal stem cells were detected, including BMI1, KIT, NES, NOTCH1, and SIX2. When these cells were cultured as substratum-free pellets keratocyte markers AQP1, B3GNT7, PTDGS, and ALDH3A1 were upregulated. mRNA for keratocan (KERA), a cornea-specific proteoglycan, was upregulated more than 10,000 fold. Culture medium from pellets contained high molecular weight keratocan modified with keratan sulfate, a unique molecular component of corneal stroma. These results show hES cells can be induced to differentiate into keratocytes in vitro. Pluripotent stem cells, therefore, may provide a renewable source of material for development of treatment of corneal stromal opacities. © 2013 Chan et al