Enacted task design: tasks as written in the classroom

This paper presents and describes the construct of enacted task design, which considers the way tasks are “written” (designed) by teachers. Two enactments by different teachers based on the same written algebra task were analyzed and compared using the math story framework (Dietiker, 2015). Variations in these stories highlight four dimensions of the teacher’s design work

'With Many Hands, the Burden Isn't Heavy': Creole Proverbs and Political Rhetoric in Haiti's Presidential Elections

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Standard Measurement and Verification Plan for Lighting Retrofit Projects for Buildings and Building Sites

This document provides a framework for standard measurement and verification (M&V) of lighting retrofit and replacement projects. It was developed to provide site owners, contractors, and other involved organizations with the essential elements of a robust M&V plan for lighting projects. It includes details on all aspects of effectively measuring light levels of existing and post-retrofit projects, conducting power measurement, and developing cost-effectiveness analysis. This framework M&V plan also enables consistent comparison among similar lighting projects, and may be used to develop M&V plans for non--lighting-technology retrofits and new installations

Relative Foraging Value to Lesser Scaup Ducks of Native and Exotic Clams from San Francisco Bay

Invasions of exotic invertebrates have greatly altered many aquatic communities, but impacts on the foraging energetics of predators seldom have been assessed. In San Francisco Bay, California (USA), a major community change occurred with introduction of the Asian clam (Potamocorbula amurensis) in 1986. This species now greatly outnumbers the previous clam prey of a variety of sharks, rays, sturgeon, flatfish, and crabs, as well as several diving duck species for which the bay is the most important wintering area on the U.S. Pacific Coast. P. amurensis also accumulates much higher levels of some contaminants than the formerly dominant prey. Because alteration of the food base or contaminated foods on wintering areas may be factors in the population decline of scaup ducks, effects of this exotic invasion are important to assess. For Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis), we studied effects of differences in nutrient content, digestibility, crushing resistance of shells, areal density, size, and depth in the sediments on the relative foraging value of exotic P. amurensis vs. the formerly dominant native clam Macoma balthica. P. amurensis, including shells, had higher nitrogen and energy content per clam of the same length class, and higher digestibility of energy, than M. balthica. Gut retention time did not differ between clam species, so their relative profitability for scaup was determined mainly by the intake rate of digestible nutrients during short, costly dives. For scaup foraging in an aquarium 1.8 m deep, intake rates (number of prey per second) of food items buried in sand-filled trays increased with increasing prey density up to at least 4000 prey/m2. For items buried 3 cm deep, intake rates did not differ for prey \u3c6 mm long vs. prey\u3e6–12 mm long; however, intake rates were much lower when prey were deeper in the sediments (6 cm vs. 3 cm). In the field, a much higher percentage of P. amurensis were in the length range most commonly eaten by Lesser Scaup (\u3c12 \u3emm), and unlike M. balthica, almost all P. amurensis were in the top 5 cm of sediments where scaup intake rates are highest. In tensometer measurements, shells of P. amurensis were much harder to crush than shells of M. balthica, which might partly offset the apparent energetic advantages of P. amurensis. In many respects, the exotic P. amurensis appears to be a more valuable food than the native M. balthica for Lesser Scaup. However, because P. amurensis accumulates much higher levels of some contaminants, this exotic invasion increases the risk of toxicity to scaup and a range of other benthic predators

Simulation Studies of Corn Hybrid-Climate Response in Nebraska

Crop development models can be used to determine the expected phenological responses of corn hybrids to different planting dates and locations. The number of days from planting to maturity for a particular hybrid varies considerably between different dates of planting at a single location and between locations at the same planting date

Expert Testimony on Proximate Cause

Expert testimony is common in tort litigation, especially on issues of standard of care and cause-in-fact. Rule 704 of the Federal Rules of Evidence and its state counterparts abolished the prohibition of testimony on ultimate issues, leading to the possibility of expert testimony on the often crucial issue of proximate cause. The situation is easy to imagine. After counsel has qualified an expert witness and elicited an opinion that the particular act or omission caused the injury in question, counsel might very well be tempted to inquire whether the witness has an opinion as to whether the act or omission was a proximate or legal cause of the accident. Or, counsel may merge the two lines of inquiry and ask whether the act or omission proximately resulted in the accident or injury to the plaintiff. The inquiry seems harmless. The term proximate is commonly understood to mean only near or close to. The question is not innocuous, however. The issue of expert testimony on the question of proximate cause implicates several restrictions on expert testimony that survive the broad permission of Rule 704, and touches upon the serious issue of the proper roles of expert and fact-finder in the application of law to facts. The few published cases that have considered the issue of expert testimony on proximate cause are split.\u27 The question arises far more often, however, than is indicated by the relative scarcity of reported decisions. This Article addresses the usefulness and propriety of expert testimony on the issue of proximate cause. After briefly defining the concept of proximate cause, this Article argues that expert testimony on proximate cause is inadmissible under Rule 704, despite the general admissibility of testimony on ultimate issues. In addition, opinion on proximate cause is inadmissible because it fails to clear the separate hurdles of Rules 702\u27 and 4036 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. A technical expert on standard of care or actual cause is not qualified to opine on the issue of proximate cause and thus fails the expertise test of Rule 702. Furthermore, even the testimony of a genuine expert on the issue of proximate cause should be excluded because such testimony fails the helpfulness test of Rule 702. Finally, expert testimony on the issue of proximate cause is inadmissible under Rule 403 because its probative value is substantially outweighed by the possibility that such testimony will confuse the issues and mislead the jury

Deletion Mutant Library for Investigation of Functional Outputs of Cyclic Diguanylate Metabolism in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa PA14

We constructed a library of in-frame deletion mutants targeting each gene in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 predicted to participate in cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) metabolism (biosynthesis or degradation) to provide a toolkit to assist investigators studying c-di-GMP-mediated regulation by this microbe. We present phenotypic assessments of each mutant, including biofilm formation, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, swimming motility, swarming motility, and twitch motility, as a means to initially characterize these mutants and to demonstrate the potential utility of this library

Michigan State Code Adoption Analysis: Cost-Effectiveness of Lighting Requirements - ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2004

This report documents PNNL's analysis of the potential energy effect and cost-effectiveness of the lighting requirements in ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2004 if this energy code is adopted in the state of Michigan, instead of the current standard