1,849 research outputs found
Angular Changes and Impaction Incidence of Mandibular Second Molars in Mixed Dentition LLHA Treatment
The lower lingual arch (LLA) is the most conservative treatment modality to resolve lower incisor crowding by preserving arch length in the mixed dentition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the angular changes and incidence of impaction of the permanent second molar
Code or (Not Code): Separating Formal and Natural Language in CS Education
This paper argues that the "institutionalised understanding" of pseudo-code as a blend of formal and natural languages makes it an unsuitable choice for national assessment where the intention is to test program comprehension skills. It permits question-setters to inadvertently introduce a level of ambiguity and consequent confusion. This is not in keeping with either good assessment practice or an argument developed in the paper that CS education should be clearly fostering the skills needed for understanding formal, as distinct from natural, languages. The argument is backed up by an analysis of 49 questions drawn from the national school CS examinations of a single country, spanning a period of six years and two phases -- the first in which no formal pseudo-code was defined, the second in which a formal reference language, referred to as a "formally-defined pseudo-code", was provided for teachers and exam setters. The analysis demonstrates that in both phases, incorrect, confusing or ambiguous code was presented in questions. The paper concludes by recommending that the term reference language should be used in place of pseudo-code, and an appropriate formally-defined language specified, in national exam settings where a common language of assessment is required. This change of terms emphasises the characteristics required of a language to be used for assessment of program comprehension. The reference language used in the study is outlined. It was designed by the authors for human readability and also to make absolutely explicit the demarcation between formal and informal language, in such a way that automated checking can be carried out on programs written in the language. Formal specifications and a checker for the language are available
Patient Information on Benign Colorectal Disease:An Assessment of the Value and Effectiveness of Traditional Methods
Health literacy is the best predictor of health status, with patient information leaflets (PILs) commonly used to improve information access. However, they can often be inconsistent. Benign colorectal disease can be challenging for patients and ensuring they are accurate and understandable is important. Available PILs in a tertiary unit were assessed. The Flesch reading ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade level scores were used to calculate objective readability. Subjective assessment of readability, understandability, and patient opinion was assessed using a questionnaire. All PILs had objective readability scores at age 14 or older, above recommended advice. Three hundred sixty patient questionnaires were collected. The relationship between subjective readability and understandability was significant (P < .05); the easier a patient was able to read the information the more likely they were to understand it. There was no link between objective and subjective readability-a more difficult calculated reading score didn't correspond to the patient finding it harder to read. Patients preferring paper information were significantly older than patients who preferred online information (P = .01). Patient information leaflets remain valued by patients, and PILs that patients find easier to read are then better understood; however, ease of reading is not related to objective readability scoring and there was no consensus that a shift to online information is merited.</p
Field Instrumentation and Long-Term Monitoring of the FRP Bridge over Dubois Creek in Great Bend, PA
Comparison of water-sensitive paper, Kromekote and Mylar collectors for droplet deposition with a visible fluorescent dye solution
The study was conducted at the University of Nebraska Pesticide Application and Tech-nology Laboratory in North Platte, Nebraska in July 2015. Two application volume rates (100 and 200 l · ha−1) and three nozzle types (XR, AIXR, TTI) were selected at two flow rates (0.8 and 1.6 l · min−1) and at a single application speed of 7.7 km · h−1. Each collec-tor type [Mylar washed (MW), Mylar image analysis (MIA), water-sensitive paper (WSP), and Kromekote (KK)] was arranged in a randomized complete block design. Each nozzle treatment was replicated twice, providing six cards of each collector type for each nozzle treatment. A water + 0.4% v/v Rhodamine WT spray solution was applied, given the fluo-rescent and visible qualities of Rhodamine, which allows it to be applied over all the collec-tor types. MW had the highest coverage at 18.3% across nozzle type, followed by WSP at 18%, KK at 12% and lastly by MIA at 4%. MW resulted in a 58% increase in coverage, WSP in a 56% increase, and KK only an increase of 39% when the volume rate was doubled from 100 l · ha−1 to 200 l · ha−1 across nozzle type. MW coverage was similar to KK for half of the nozzles (XR 11002, XR 11004, AIXR 11002). Droplet number density fixed effects were all significant for nozzle type and collector type (p \u3c 0.001) as was the interaction of nozzle type and collector type (p \u3c 0.001). Results from this study suggest a strong correlation to data produced with WSP and MW collectors, as there was full agreement between both types except for the TTI 11004. Using both collector types in the same study would allow for a visual understanding of the distribution of the spray, while also giving an idea of the concentration of that distribution
Comparison of an ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayer against a conventional sprayer, for foliar fertiliser and fungicide applications in turfgrass
Two field studies (I and II) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: John Seaton Anderson Turfgrass Research Facility near Mead, NE, USA, were conducted to determine if a new ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayer can apply foliar nutrient, growth regulator, and fungicide treatments, in a manner similar to that of a conventional sprayer. Treatments were applied over creeping bentgrass ‘L-93’ (Agrostis stolonifera L.) managed as a fairway at 561 l · ha−1 and 47 l · ha−1 with the conventional and ULV sprayer, respectfully. Data were collected for chlorophyll content with a chlorophyll meter, and for the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a turf colour meter. Each plot was harvested for biomass at 21 days after treatment. Study II compared the ULV sprayer and a conventional sprayer, for the control of brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn) in creeping bentgrass. The treatments were propiconazole and azoxystrobin. Spray volume was 561 l · ha−1 for the conventional sprayer, and 19 l · ha−1 for the ULV sprayer. Statistical differences in turf quality or dry weight reductions between the conventional and ULV sprayer were not detected. Brown patch control was also similar between the two sprayers, but azoxystrobin provided better control than propiconazole. Even with a 30-fold decrease in application volume, the results indicated that the Kamterter ULV sprayer may be a useful and effective management option for foliar fertiliser and fungicide applications in turfgrass
Comparison of an ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayer against a conventional sprayer, for foliar fertiliser and fungicide applications in turfgrass
Two field studies (I and II) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: John Seaton Anderson Turfgrass Research Facility near Mead, NE, USA, were conducted to determine if a new ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayer can apply foliar nutrient, growth regulator, and fungicide treatments, in a manner similar to that of a conventional sprayer. Treatments were applied over creeping bentgrass ‘L-93’ (Agrostis stolonifera L.) managed as a fairway at 561 l · ha−1 and 47 l · ha−1 with the conventional and ULV sprayer, respectfully. Data were collected for chlorophyll content with a chlorophyll meter, and for the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a turf colour meter. Each plot was harvested for biomass at 21 days after treatment. Study II compared the ULV sprayer and a conventional sprayer, for the control of brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn) in creeping bentgrass. The treatments were propiconazole and azoxystrobin. Spray volume was 561 l · ha−1 for the conventional sprayer, and 19 l · ha−1 for the ULV sprayer. Statistical differences in turf quality or dry weight reductions between the conventional and ULV sprayer were not detected. Brown patch control was also similar between the two sprayers, but azoxystrobin provided better control than propiconazole. Even with a 30-fold decrease in application volume, the results indicated that the Kamterter ULV sprayer may be a useful and effective management option for foliar fertiliser and fungicide applications in turfgrass
Calibrating CHIME, A New Radio Interferometer to Probe Dark Energy
The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) is a transit
interferometer currently being built at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical
Observatory (DRAO) in Penticton, BC, Canada. We will use CHIME to map neutral
hydrogen in the frequency range 400 -- 800\,MHz over half of the sky, producing
a measurement of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) at redshifts between 0.8 --
2.5 to probe dark energy. We have deployed a pathfinder version of CHIME that
will yield constraints on the BAO power spectrum and provide a test-bed for our
calibration scheme. I will discuss the CHIME calibration requirements and
describe instrumentation we are developing to meet these requirements
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