Why Word Problems are Hard for High School Math Students: Problem Formulation and Disciplinary Literacy

This thesis is an extensive literature review designed to better understand the obstacles high school math students encounter when solving word problems (WPs). While many high school students find math difficult in general, students especially struggle with WPs. Often they are unable to provide correct solutions to WPs even when they are successful in solving computational problems using the same mathematical concepts (Cummins, 1988). Data from the 2007 National Survey of Algebra Teachers suggests that solving WPs is one of the skills that students are most unprepared for when entering Algebra 1 (Hoffer et al.). Additionally, many students try to avoid WPs or want to use a simple formula to solve them without understanding the context of the problems (Meyer, 2010). This thesis explores empirical studies and research from the last forty years to discuss problem solving, problem formulation, and disciplinary literacy as factors that contribute to why WPs hard for high school math students. Finally, it provides recommendations for ways to modify existing resources to craft better WPs and to develop a math classroom curriculum that addresses the challenges presented above and begins to integrate the theory of disciplinary literacy into classroom pedagogy

Phenology of the Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) in the UK and provision of decision support for brassica growers

In the UK, severe infestations by Plutella xylostella occur sporadically and are due mainly to the immigration of moths. The aim of this study was to develop a more detailed understanding of the phenology of P. xylostella in the UK and investigate methods of monitoring moth activity, with the aim of providing warnings to growers. Plutella xylostella was monitored using pheromone traps, by counting immature stages on plants, and by accessing citizen science data (records of sightings of moths) from websites and Twitter. The likely origin of migrant moths was investigated by analysing historical weather data. The study confirmed that P. xylostella is a sporadic but important pest, and that very large numbers of moths can arrive suddenly, most often in early summer. Their immediate sources are countries in the western part of continental Europe. A network of pheromone traps, each containing a small camera sending images to a website, to monitor P. xylostella remotely provided accessible and timely information, but the particular system tested did not appear to catch many moths. In another approach, sightings by citizen scientists were summarised on a web page. These were accessed regularly by growers and, at present, this approach appears to be the most effective way of providing timely warnings

HUMMINGBIRD FRUGIVORY IN A COSTA RICAN CLOUD FOREST

Four species of hummingbirds Ppurple-crowned Fairy, Heliothryx barroti; Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Eupherusa eximia; White-tailed Emerald, Elvira chionura; and White-throated Mountain-gem, Lampornis castaneoventris) were observed feeding on the fruits of the tree Saurauia montana (Actinidiaceae) in secondary cloud forest in the Talamanca mountains of Costa Rica. These fruits are small (1 cm) berries with mucilaginous pulp; feeding occurred via repeated puncture of the epicarp. This is the first record of frugivory in any of these hummingbird species and one of the few records of hummingbird frugivory on plants other than Cactaceae

Free speech, tolerance, offence and diversity: A comparative study of France and Denmark using the cases of Dieudonné and Yahya Hassan

This thesis examines how notions of freedom of speech, tolerance, and diversity are negotiated and tested by media controversies prompted by provocative speech acts. The study draws upon two cases from the creative realm: French comedian Dieudonné and Danish poet Yahya Hassan, both of whom have engaged in transgressive speech acts. As country cases, France has a history of immigration and cultural diversity, but Denmark is relatively new to this; yet in recent years, both have engaged in debates about freedom of speech and minority groups. The ways that these issues are then addressed sheds light on how changing societies respond to controversy. This is where the research questions are located: How are the parameters of freedom of speech, tolerance and offence renegotiated in times of change? How do such renegotiations take shape in different national contexts, such as in France and Denmark? How do provocative speech acts in the creative realm test the boundaries of freedom of speech? Finally, how do nationhood, identity and diversity impact public debates about these provocative speech acts? Using a Thematic Analysis of 95 articles from one centre-left and one centre-right newspaper per country about the cases, as well as 21 in-person interviews held in Paris and Copenhagen with activists, journalists, politicians, lawyers and artists, the findings highlight how an expressive act might originate from one individual, but it can create tensions in different ways as it travels through various modes of interpretation and social discourse. What the findings show is that this mediated dynamic tests democratic values such as freedom of speech, because its parameters are being challenged, questioned, or renegotiated through these types of embodied communication, and they reveal how consensus on the acceptable parameters of speech must shift in order to accommodate the diversification of culture in each country context

EXAMINING MENTAL HEALTH FACTORS AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH CYBERBULLYING AND OTHER FORMS OF ADOLESCENT VICTIMIZA TION

Objective: To update the current state of knowledge by examining the individual effects multiple types of adolescent victimization (e.g., being threatened or injured by a weapon; being a victim of partner violence; face-to-face bullying; and cyberbullying) have on mental health factors, participation in delinquent behaviors, and substance use and abuse. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). SPSS v20.0 was used to complete McNemar’s Tests, chi-square tests, binary logistic regressions, and Spearman’s Rank Order Correlations. Results: The proportion of traditional bullying was greater than the proportion of cyberbullying; victimization was positively and significantly associated with alcohol use, drug use, feeling sad or hopeless, considering or planning suicide, and attempting suicide; regarding cumulative victimization, greater victimization was associated with a greater amount of delinquency and substance use behaviors, greater victimization was associated with lesser mental health factors, and greater delinquency and substance use behavior was associated with lesser mental health factors. Conclusions: Victimizations during adolescence may lead to a number of adverse health outcomes and behaviors. Additional research is necessary, particularly concerning measuring and defining present and emerging forms of adolescent victimization, longitudinal studies, and evaluation of intervention and preventive efforts

Manufacture and evaluation of 3-dimensional printed sizing tools for use during intraoperative breast brachytherapy

AbstractThree-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a promising modality for the production of medical devices. Here we describe the design, production, and implementation of a series of sizing tools for use in an intraoperative breast brachytherapy program. These devices were produced using a commercially available low-cost 3D printer and software, and their implementation resulted in an immediate decrease in consumable costs without affecting the quality of care or the speed of delivery. This work illustrates the potential of 3D printing to revolutionize the field of medical devices, enabling physicians to rapidly develop and prototype novel tools

T. brucei cathepsin-L increases arrhythmogenic sarcoplasmic reticulum-mediated calcium release in rat cardiomyocytes

Aims: African trypanosomiasis, caused by Trypanosoma brucei species, leads to both neurological and cardiac dysfunction and can be fatal if untreated. While the neurological-related pathogenesis is well studied, the cardiac pathogenesis remains unknown. The current study exposed isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes and adult rat hearts to T. brucei to test whether trypanosomes can alter cardiac function independent of a systemic inflammatory/immune response. Methods and results: Using confocal imaging, T. brucei and T. brucei culture media (supernatant) caused an increased frequency of arrhythmogenic spontaneous diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)-mediated Ca2+ release (Ca2+ waves) in isolated adult rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Studies utilising inhibitors, recombinant protein and RNAi all demonstrated that this altered SR function was due to T. brucei cathepsin-L (TbCatL). Separate experiments revealed that TbCatL induced a 10–15% increase of SERCA activity but reduced SR Ca2+ content, suggesting a concomitant increased SR-mediated Ca2+ leak. This conclusion was supported by data demonstrating that TbCatL increased Ca2+ wave frequency. These effects were abolished by autocamtide-2-related inhibitory peptide, highlighting a role for CaMKII in the TbCatL action on SR function. Isolated Langendorff perfused whole heart experiments confirmed that supernatant caused an increased number of arrhythmic events. Conclusion: These data demonstrate for the first time that African trypanosomes alter cardiac function independent of a systemic immune response, via a mechanism involving extracellular cathepsin-L-mediated changes in SR function

The Evolution of Computer-based Tutorials Towards Web Delivery

The Biochemistry Department at Melbourne University has been committed to the use of computer aided learning (CAL) since the early 1980s. Limitations of early modules written in the department were increasingly apparent, as computer technology became more versatile and sophisticated. However, these modules represented considerable investment of time in academic content, multiple choice question formulation and graphic production, and in an environment of reducing resources and increasing demands, preservation of this investment was important. We explored the possibilities of salvaging the value of our early CAL modules and presenting the content to students in a more accessible format. This paper outlines our approach to preserving the academic content and increasing the versatility of early DOS based CAL modules by converting them to Windows based and web deliverable formats

Every rung counts–A retrospective analysis of global sanitation progress across the service-level ladder under the MDGs.

The household sanitation target during the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) period used a binary “Improved”/”Unimproved” metric to evaluate progress. The “Unimproved” category was divided into three service levels: Shared Sanitation (facilities acceptable), Unimproved Facilities, and Open Defecation (no facility). Despite these data being publicly available, no analysis of country-level progress across these sanitation service levels during the MDGs has been published. We propose that retrospective analysis of progress across service levels can illuminate the diverse approaches used to address particular urban and rural sanitation deficits, and may provide insight to national and global actors in their ongoing efforts to address household sanitation. Additionally, we propose that a Sanitation Ladder Score, weighted to ascribe full, partial, and no credit to use of improved, shared and unimproved, and open defecation, respectively, is essential for concise communication of progress. Our analysis required gap-filling of data missing from the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) dataset; our final dataset consists of 190 countries representing 99.8% of global population. 149 countries achieved greater progress on the Sanitation Ladder Score than on the MDG metric. Using the four JMP progress categories, 144 countries fell into the same progress category and 41 achieved a higher category of Ladder Score progress. Countries with large gains in shared sanitation tended to have much greater progress on the Sanitation Ladder Score than on the MDG metric. A more detailed analysis is reported for six countries, with insight from the literature into their approaches. This Sanitation Ladder Score could be modified to incorporate the new “Safely Managed” service level tracked under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and likewise could be modified for other SDG targets for which multiple levels of service/achievement are reported. We encourage others to build upon our analysis; our complete dataset is freely available online (https://melliott.people.ua.edu/data.html)

"For me, the anorexia is just a symptom, and the cause is the autism” – Investigating restrictive eating disorders in autistic women

Autistic women are overrepresented among people in treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The current study aimed to: (1) better understand how AN develops and persists in autistic individuals from the perspective of autistic women, parents and healthcare professionals; (2) derive a theoretical model of restrictive eating difficulties in autism. We conducted 44 semi-structured interviews and used Thematic Analysis to identify patterns of meaning across the data. Themes related to sensory sensitivities, social interaction and relationships, sense of self and identity, difficulties with emotions, thinking styles, and a need for control and predictability. We developed a model of potential autism-specific mechanisms underlying restrictive eating difficulties. This study generated novel insights, which have the potential to inform treatment adaptations following empirical testing