Reading comprehension performance as a function of individual differences in working memory for texts of varying reading difficulty.

PsychologyDoctor of Philosophy (PhD

Mobile learning in higher education: An empirical assessment of a new educational tool

ABSTRACT Mobile Learning, or M-learning as it is often called, is a relatively new tool in the pedagogical arsenal to assist students and teachers as they navigate the options available in the expanding distance learning world. This article assesses some of the possible methods, challenges and future potential of using this approach in a college classroom and describes an empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of M-learning in a college classroom. One hundred twelve students in an introductory survey course in sociology were given the opportunity to use an MLearning product developed by HotLava Software for the purpose of assisting them in preparation for two scheduled exams. Both practice and review questions were made available on Smart Phones, Web enabled phones, PDAs and other Internet capable mobile devices via Learning Mobile Author. Forty-two of the 112 students in the class chose to access these data via their personal devices and their responses were collected and recorded. The results of their performance, as indicated by a final grade in the course, were compared to the outcomes for those students who chose not to use the M-Learning tool. Students using the software demonstrated a higher level of knowledge of the subject matter covered in the course when compared to students choosing not to use the tools (p<.01). Conclusions and a discussion of these outcomes are offered as well as some inferences and speculation regarding the future of M-Learning in the classroom and beyond

A construct validity study of the sentence verification technique as a method of measuring reading comprehension.

The primary purpose of this thesis is to investigate the construct validity of the sentence verification technique as a method of measuring reading comprehension. The thesis is organized into two chapters. The first chapter presents research suggesting that two of the most common methods of assessing reading comprehension on norm referenced reading comprehension tests are inadequate. The two methods critiqued in chapter one are the close procedure and the multiple choice procedure. The second chapter presents an experiment investigating the construct validity of the sentence verification techniqu

All-optical pulse processing for advanced photonic communication system

This paper investigates the use of a two-photon absorption photodetector for high speed processing of ultrashort optical pulses in advanced photonic communication systems. Specifically the paper describes how the two-photon absorption photodetector maybe employed for chromatic dispersion monitoring in high-speed, wavelength division multiplexed networks, and also for reducing multiple access interference noise in an optical code division multiplexed system

Chromatic dispersion monitoring for high-speed WDM systems using two-photon absorption in a semiconductor microcavity

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental investigation into the use of a two-photon absorption (TPA) photodetector for use in chromatic dispersion (CD) monitoring in high-speed, WDM network. In order to overcome the inefficiency associated with the nonlinear optical-to-electrical TPA process, a microcavity structure is employed. An interesting feature of such a solution is the fact that the microcavity enhances only a narrow wavelength range determined by device design and angle at which the signal enters the device. Thus, a single device can be used to monitor a number of different wavelength channels without the need for additional external filters. When using a nonlinear photodetector, the photocurrent generated for Gaussian pulses is inversely related to the pulsewidth. However, when using a microcavity structure, the cavity bandwidth also needs to be considered, as does the shape of the optical pulses incident on the device. Simulation results are presented for a variety of cavity bandwidths, pulse shapes and durations, and spacing between adjacent wavelength channels. These results are verified experimental using a microcavity with a bandwidth of 260 GHz (2.1 nm) at normal incident angle, with the incident signal comprising of two wavelength channels separated by 1.25 THz (10 nm), each operating at an aggregate data rate of 160 Gb/s. The results demonstrate the applicability of the presented technique to monitor accumulated dispersion fluctuations in a range of 3 ps/nm for 160 Gb/s RZ data channel

Synchronous genitourinary lichen sclerosus signals a distinct urinary microbiome profile in men with urethral stricture disease.

PurposeAlterations in the urinary microbiome have been associated with urological diseases. The microbiome of patients with urethral stricture disease (USD) remains unknown. Our objective is to examine the microbiome of USD with a focus on inflammatory USD caused by lichen sclerosus (LS).MethodsWe collected mid-stream urine samples from men with LS-USD (cases; n = 22) and non-LS USD (controls; n = 76). DNA extraction, PCR amplification of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene, and sequencing was done on the samples. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were defined using a > 97% sequence similarity threshold. Alpha diversity measurements of diversity, including microbiome richness (number of different OTUs) and evenness (distribution of OTUs) were calculated and compared. Microbiome beta diversity (difference between microbial communities) relationships with cases and controls were also assessed.ResultsFifty specimens (13 cases and 37 controls) produced a 16S rRNA amplicon. Mean sample richness was 25.9 vs. 16.8 (p = 0.076) for LS-USD vs. non-LS USD, respectively. LS-USD had a unique profile of bacteria by taxonomic order including Bacillales, Bacteroidales and Pasteurellales enriched urine. The beta variation of observed bacterial communities was best explained by the richness.ConclusionsMen with LS-USD may have a unique microbiologic richness, specifically inclusive of Bacillales, Bacteroidales and Pasteurellales enriched urine compared to those with non-LS USD. Further work will be required to elucidate the clinical relevance of these variations in the urinary microbiome

Two-photon-absorption-based OSNR monitor for NRZ-PSK transmission systems

A two-photon absorption microcavity-based technique for monitoring in-band optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) in nonreturn-to-zero phase-shift-keying systems is presented. Experiments using a 10-Gb/s differential phase-shift-keying system showed that accurate measurements ( 1 dB) were possible for OSNRs in excess of 20 dB

The Purdue Extension and Indiana CTSI's Community Health Partnerships collaboration: An innovative, generalizable, state-wide model to help communities build a culture of health

The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute's Community Engagement Partners-Purdue Extension collaborative model demonstrates tremendous potential for creating state-wide programmatic efforts and improvements in both the health culture and status of Indiana residents across the state. It can serve as a prototype not only for others interested in pursuing wide geographic health improvements through Clinical and Translational Sciences Award-Cooperative Extension partnerships but also for broader collaborations among United States Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local health departments, and health foundation efforts to improve population health

Gut microbiota in HIV-pneumonia patients is related to peripheral CD4 counts, lung microbiota, and in vitro macrophage dysfunction.

Pneumonia is common and frequently fatal in HIV-infected patients, due to rampant, systemic inflammation and failure to control microbial infection. While airway microbiota composition is related to local inflammatory response, gut microbiota has been shown to correlate with the degree of peripheral immune activation (IL6 and IP10 expression) in HIV-infected patients. We thus hypothesized that both airway and gut microbiota are perturbed in HIV-infected pneumonia patients, that the gut microbiota is related to peripheral CD4+ cell counts, and that its associated products differentially program immune cell populations necessary for controlling microbial infection in CD4-high and CD4-low patients. To assess these relationships, paired bronchoalveolar lavage and stool microbiota (bacterial and fungal) from a large cohort of Ugandan, HIV-infected patients with pneumonia were examined, and in vitro tests of the effect of gut microbiome products on macrophage effector phenotypes performed. While lower airway microbiota stratified into three compositionally distinct microbiota as previously described, these were not related to peripheral CD4 cell count. In contrast, variation in gut microbiota composition significantly related to CD4 cell count, lung microbiota composition, and patient mortality. Compared with patients with high CD4+ cell counts, those with low counts possessed more compositionally similar airway and gut microbiota, evidence of microbial translocation, and their associated gut microbiome products reduced macrophage activation and IL-10 expression and increased IL-1β expression in vitro. These findings suggest that the gut microbiome is related to CD4 status and plays a key role in modulating macrophage function, critical to microbial control in HIV-infected patients with pneumonia

Characterizing the gut microbiome in trauma: significant changes in microbial diversity occur early after severe injury.

Background:Recent studies have demonstrated the vital influence of commensal microbial communities on human health. The central role of the gut in the response to injury is well described; however, no prior studies have used culture-independent profiling techniques to characterize the gut microbiome after severe trauma. We hypothesized that in critically injured patients, the gut microbiome would undergo significant compositional changes in the first 72 hours after injury. Methods:Trauma stool samples were prospectively collected via digital rectal examination at the time of presentation (0 hour). Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (n=12) had additional stool samples collected at 24 hours and/or 72 hours. Uninjured patients served as controls (n=10). DNA was extracted from stool samples and 16S rRNA-targeted PCR amplification was performed; amplicons were sequenced and binned into operational taxonomic units (OTUs; 97% sequence similarity). Diversity was analyzed using principle coordinates analyses, and negative binomial regression was used to determine significantly enriched OTUs. Results:Critically injured patients had a median Injury Severity Score of 27 and suffered polytrauma. At baseline (0 hour), there were no detectable differences in gut microbial community diversity between injured and uninjured patients. Injured patients developed changes in gut microbiome composition within 72 hours, characterized by significant alterations in phylogenetic composition and taxon relative abundance. Members of the bacterial orders Bacteroidales, Fusobacteriales and Verrucomicrobiales were depleted during 72 hours, whereas Clostridiales and Enterococcus members enriched significantly. Discussion:In this initial study of the gut microbiome after trauma, we demonstrate that significant changes in phylogenetic composition and relative abundance occur in the first 72 hours after injury. This rapid change in intestinal microbiota represents a critical phenomenon that may influence outcomes after severe trauma. A better understanding of the nature of these postinjury changes may lead to the ability to intervene in otherwise pathological clinical trajectories. Level of evidence:III. Study type:Prognostic/epidemiological