Assessing the Benefits of Extended Learning Programs: A Study of Georgia Public Elementary Schools

The purpose of this study was to determine and describe the prevalence, characteristics, and structure of funding for extended learning programs in small, medium, and large public elementary schools in Georgia. The researcher also sought to identify principals’ perceptions of the benefits of extended learning programs. Although some data and literature exist relating the effect of extended learning programs to student achievement, additional data are needed at the state level. This study provides valuable information related to the characteristics and benefits of extended learning programs in Georgia elementary schools. The researcher compared third-grade mathematics Criterion Reference Competency Test mean pass rates, as measured by the Georgia CRCT, between schools that implemented an extended learning program and those that did not. The researcher also compared third-grade mathematics CRCT mean pass rates, as measured by the Georgia CRCT, among small, medium, and large Georgia public elementary schools. The researcher used a causal-comparative research design. A single survey instrument was used to collect data from elementary school principals across the state of Georgia. Two hypotheses were proposed to examine the effects of extended learning programs on mean third-grade mathematics CRCT pass percentages. Neither hypothesis was supported. An overall comparison of schools, either by program utilization or size, suggested no group experienced any greater degree of increased mathematics pass rate. However, principals surveyed in this study indicated that these types of programs were beneficial to their schools. Principals perceived that student performance had increased in mathematics and reading. According to principals surveyed in this study, extended learning programs provide students with opportunities to improve basic skills not available during the regular school day. One must consider if program success can solely be determined by standardized test score improvement.Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 -- Statement of the Problem 3 -- Conceptual Framework for the Study 6 -- Purpose of the Study 9 -- Research Questions 10 -- Research Question 1 10 -- Research Question 2 10 -- Research Question 3 10 -- Research Question 4 10 -- Research Question 5 10 -- Research Question 6 11 -- Research Design 11 -- Procedures 12 -- Definitions 12 -- Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) 12 -- Characteristics 12 -- Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) 12 -- CRCT Pass Score 13 -- Extended Learning Programs 13 -- Prevalence 13 -- School Size 13 -- Structure of Funding 13 -- Staff Qualification 14 -- 21ST Century Community Learning Center 14 -- Significance of the Study 14 -- Assumptions of the Study 15 -- Organization of the Study 15 -- Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 16 -- Introduction 16 -- Historical Overview of Extended Learning Programs 16 -- Development of Extended Learning Programs 17 -- Workforce Changes 18 -- Neighborhood Changes and Self-care 18 -- Social and Political Influences 19 -- Educational Reform and Extended Learning Programs 21 -- Overview of Extended Learning Programs 29 -- Funding for Extended Learning Programs 33 -- Perceptions and Outcomes of Extended Learning Program Studies 34 -- Keys to Successful Extended Learning Programs 37 -- Chapter III: RESEARCH METHOD 40 -- Research Questions 40 -- Research Question 1 41 -- Research Question 2 41 -- Research Question 3 41 -- Research Question 4 41 -- Research Question 5 41 -- Research Question 6 41 -- Research Design 42 -- Survey Design 42 -- Threats to Validity 42 -- Causal-Comparative Design 43 -- Instrumentation 44 -- Principal Data 45 -- School Data 46 -- Participants and Setting 47 -- Setting 47 -- Principal Data 47 -- School Data 48 -- Procedures 48 -- Data Analysis 48 -- Chapter IV: RESULTS 50 -- Introduction 50 -- Instrumentation 50 -- Principal Data 50 -- School Data 51 -- Data Collections Procedures 51 -- Principal Data 51 -- School Data 52 -- Sample 52 -- Quantitative Data Analysis Results 52 -- Research Question 1 51 -- Research Question 2 55 -- Research Question 3 58 -- Research Question 4 59 -- Research Question 5 61 -- Null Hypothesis 5 61 -- Research Question 6 61 -- Null Hypothesis 6 61 -- Summary 62 -- Chapter V: DISCUSSION 64 -- Introduction 64 -- Purpose 70 -- Overview of the Study 71 -- Research Questions 73 -- Research Question 1 73 -- Research Question 2 73 -- Research Question 3 73 -- Research Question 4 74 -- Research Question 5 74 -- Research Question 6 74 -- Summary of Findings 74 -- Research Question 1 74 -- Research Question 2 75 -- Research Question 3 77 -- Research Question 4 78 -- Research Question 5 79 -- Research Question 6 79 -- Conclusions 80 -- Implications for Future Practice 86 -- Limitations of the Study 88 -- Recommendations for Future Research 89 -- REFERENCES 91 -- APPENDIX A: Survey 103 -- APPENDIX B: Survey Use Approval 106 -- APPENDIX C: International Review Board Approval Letter 108 -- APPENDIX D: Participant Email 110 -- APPENDIX E: Participant Confidentiality Statement 112Pate, JameGibson, Nicole M.Wiley, Ellen W.Martin, Ellice P.Ed.D.Educational Leadershi

Practical sand transport formula for non-breaking waves and currents

Open Access funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Under a Creative Commons license Acknowledgements This work is part of the SANTOSS project (‘SANd Transport in OScillatory flows in the Sheet-flow regime’) funded by the UK's EPSRC (GR/T28089/01) and STW in The Netherlands (TCB.6586). JW acknowledges Deltares strategic research funding under project number 1202359.09. Richard Soulsby is gratefully acknowledged for valuable discussions and feedback on the formula during the SANTOSS project.Peer reviewedPostprin

Metabolic imaging across scales reveals distinct prostate cancer phenotypes

Hyperpolarised magnetic resonance imaging (HP-13C-MRI) has shown promise as a clinical tool for detecting and characterising prostate cancer. Here we use a range of spatially resolved histological techniques to identify the biological mechanisms underpinning differential [1-13C]lactate labelling between benign and malignant prostate, as well as in tumours containing cribriform and non-cribriform Gleason pattern 4 disease. Here we show that elevated hyperpolarised [1-13C]lactate signal in prostate cancer compared to the benign prostate is primarily driven by increased tumour epithelial cell density and vascularity, rather than differences in epithelial lactate concentration between tumour and normal. We also demonstrate that some tumours of the cribriform subtype may lack [1-13C]lactate labelling, which is explained by lower epithelial lactate dehydrogenase expression, higher mitochondrial pyruvate carrier density, and increased lipid abundance compared to lactate-rich non-cribriform lesions. These findings highlight the potential of combining spatial metabolic imaging tools across scales to identify clinically significant metabolic phenotypes in prostate cancer

AIRS: the Infrared Spectroscopic Instrument of ESA M4 ARIEL mission

The AIRS spectrometer will be used for Transit, eclipse and phase-curve spectroscopy methods, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, which will allow to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of 10-100 part per million (ppm) relative to the star. This will require exquisite control of the full photon to digital codes acquisition chain bias along the long duration observation sequence. The prism-based spectrometer has been specifically designed to use anamorphosis of the prisms for circularizing the PSF of the elliptical primary mirror pupil in order to ensure optimal sampling and SNR. Because of the large dynamics of the stars the detector for the long waveband in the 7.80 µm range will need to be state-of-the-art and to be operated at 40-K. <P /

Antibiotic use among patients with febrile illness in a low malaria endemicity setting in Uganda

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Uganda embraced the World Health Organization guidelines that recommend a universal 'test and treat' strategy for malaria, mainly by use of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and microscopy. However, little is known how increased parasitological diagnosis for malaria influences antibiotic treatment among patients with febrile illness.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data collection was carried out within a feasibility trial of presumptive diagnosis of malaria (control) and two diagnostic interventions (microscopy or RDT) in a district of low transmission intensity. Five primary level health centres (HCs) were randomized to each diagnostic arm (diagnostic method in a defined group of patients). All 52,116 outpatients (presumptive 16,971; microscopy 17,508; and RDT 17,638) aged 5 months to ninety five years presenting with fever (by statement or measured) were included. Information from outpatients and laboratory registers was extracted weekly from March 2010 to July 2011. The proportion of patients who were prescribed antibiotics was calculated among those not tested for malaria, those who tested positive and in those who tested negative.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seven thousand and forty (41.5%) patients in the presumptive arm were prescribed antibiotics. Of the patients not tested for malaria, 1,537 (23.9%) in microscopy arm and 810 (56.2%) in RDT arm were prescribed antibiotics. Among patients who tested positive for malaria, 845 (25.8%) were prescribed antibiotics in the RDT and 273(17.6%) in the microscopy arm. Among patients who tested negative for malaria, 7809 (61.4%) were prescribed antibiotics in the RDT and 3749 (39.3%) in the microscopy arm. Overall the prescription of antibiotics was more common for children less than five years of age 5,388 (63%) compared to those five years and above 16798 (38.6%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Prescription of antibiotics in patients with febrile illness is high. Testing positive for malaria reduces antibiotic treatment but testing negative for malaria increases use of antibiotics.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00565071">NCT00565071</a></p

On gene dosage balance in protein complexes: a comment on Semple JI, Vavouri T, Lehner B. A simple principle concerning the robustness of protein complex activity to changes in gene expression.

A comment on Semple JI, Vavouri T, Lehner B. A simple principle concerning the robustness of protein complex activity to changes in gene expression. BMC Syst Biol. 2008;2:

Effect of eplerenone on extracellular cardiac matrix biomarkers in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction without heart failure: insights from the randomized double-blind REMINDER Study

Objective: Aldosterone stimulates cardiac collagen synthesis. Circulating biomarkers of collagen turnover provide a useful tool for the assessment of cardiac remodeling in patients with an acute myocardial infarction (MI).  Methods: The REMINDER trial assessed the effect of eplerenone in patients with an acute ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) without known heart failure (HF), when initiated within 24 h of symptom onset. The primary outcome was almost totally (>90%) driven by natriuretic peptide (NP) thresholds after 1-month post-MI (it also included a composite of cardiovascular death or re-hospitalization or new onset HF or sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation or LVEF ≤40% after 1-month post-MI). This secondary analysis aims to assess the extracellular matrix marker (ECMM) levels with regards to: (1) patients` characteristics; (2) determinants; (3) and eplerenone effect.  Results: Serum levels of ECMM were measured in 526 (52%) of the 1012 patients enrolled in the REMINDER trial. Patients with procollagen type III N-terminal propeptide (PIIINP) above the median were older and had worse renal function (p < 0.05). Worse renal function was associated with increased levels of PIIINP (standardized β ≈ 0.20, p < 0.05). Eplerenone reduced PIIINP when the levels of this biomarker were above the median of 3.9 ng/mL (0.13 ± 1.48 vs. -0.37 ± 1.56 ng/mL, p = 0.008). Higher levels of PIIINP were independently associated with higher proportion of NP above the prespecified thresholds (HR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.16-3.29, p = 0.012).  Conclusions: Eplerenone effectively reduces PIIINP levels when baseline values were above the median. Eplerenone may limit ECMM formation in post-MI without HF

Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) - Design, Development and Delivery of a Small Asteroid Lander Aboard Hayabusa2

MASCOT is a small asteroid lander launched on December 3rd, 2014, aboard the Japanese HAYABUSA2 asteroid sample-return mission towards the 980 m diameter C-type near-Earth asteroid (162173) 1999 JU3. MASCOT carries four full-scale asteroid science instruments and an uprighting and relocation device within a shoebox-sized 10 kg spacecraft; a complete lander comparable in mass and volume to a medium-sized science instrument on interplanetary missions. Asteroid surface science will be obtained by: MicrOmega, a hyperspectral near- to mid-infrared soil microscope provided by IAS; MASCAM, a wide-angle Si CMOS camera with multicolour LED illumination unit; MARA, a multichannel thermal infrared surface radiometer; the magnetometer, MASMAG, provided by the Technical University of Braunschweig. Further information on the conditions at or near the lander‘s surfaces is generated as a byproduct of attitude sensors and other system sensors. MASCOT uses a highly integrated, ultra-lightweight truss-frame structure made from a CFRP-foam sandwich. It has three internal mechanisms: a preload release mechanism, to release the structural preload applied for launch across the separation mechanism interface; a separation mechanism, to realize the ejection of MASCOT from the semi-recessed stowed position within HAYABUSA2; and the mobility mechanism, for uprighting and hopping. MASCOT uses semi-passive thermal control with Multi-Layer Insulation, two heatpipes and a radiator for heat rejection during operational phases, and heaters for thermal control of the battery and the main electronics during cruise. MASCOT is powered by a primary battery during its on-asteroid operational phase, but supplied by HAYABUSA2 during cruise for check-out and calibration operations as well as thermal control. All housekeeping and scientific data is transmitted to Earth via a relay link with the HAYABUSA2 main-spacecraft, also during cruise operations. The link uses redundant omnidirectional UHF-Band transceivers and patch antennae on the lander. The MASCOT On-Board Computer is a redundant system providing data storage, instrument interfacing, command and data handling, as well as autonomous surface operation functions. Knowledge of the lander’s attitude on the asteroid is key to the success of its uprighting and hopping function. The attitude is determined by a threefold set of sensors: optical distance sensors, photo electric cells and thermal sensors. A range of experimental sensors is also carried. MASCOT was build by the German Aerospace Center, DLR, with contributions from the French space agency, CNES. The system design, science instruments, and operational concept of MASCOT will be presented, with sidenotes on the development of the mission and its integration with HAYABUSA2