Vision and learning: A survey of what education students and professors know about these two processes and how they interrelate

Vision and learning: A survey of what education students and professors know about these two processes and how they interrelat

Criminal Recidivism after Imprisonment Among Sex Offenders and Violent Offenders : A Comparison between Self-reported and Officially Recorded Reoffending Behavior

One of the key issues in criminology is the investigation of criminal recidivism. Reoffence rates are used inter alia to examine the effects of criminal sanctions, to evaluate the effectiveness of reintegration measures, to analyse the development of crime rates, and to map criminal careers. In so doing, the study of reoffending behaviour largely depends on officially recorded criminal sanctions. Thus, the analysis of reoffence rates is, in most cases, restricted to crimes that authorities have become aware of. This paper examines the proportion of officially recorded reoffences and self-reported crimes among a sample of sex offenders and violent offenders who participated in a longitudinal study evaluating the impact of correctional treatment on criminal recidivism. In addition, it is investigated whether the discrepancy between officially recorded and self-reported criminal recidivism is influenced by individual factors such as age, impulsivity, self-esteem, and intelligence. The study is based on a sample of 140 sex and violent offenders for whom officially recorded reoffence data was collected. Data was also collected at follow-up (on average, 1.5 years after prison release) when offenders were asked to complete a self-reported delinquency questionnaire

Irpa's contribution to e&t activities for radiation protection professionals

The International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) promotes excellence in the practice of radiation protection through national and regional Associate Societies for radiation protection professionals. IRPA has recently prepared and E&T Plan structured around three main lines: the cooperation with international and regional organizations dealing with E&T in Radiation Protection; the internal stimulation of E&T by organizing discussion forums during IRPA Congresses; and the stimulation and support to the organization of E&T activities either by IRPA or by its Associate Societies. The main innovations are in the possibility of undertaking common activities by two or more Associate Societies; the promotion of E&T networks sharing language or regional proximity; and the emergence of activities to attract young generations to the profession

NASA's Space Launch System: An Evolving Capability for Exploration

Designed to enable human space exploration missions, including eventually landings on Mars, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) represents a unique launch capability with a wide range of utilization opportunities, from delivering habitation systems into the lunar vicinity to high-energy transits through the outer solar system. The vehicle will be able to deliver greater mass to orbit than any contemporary launch vehicle. SLS will also be able to carry larger payload fairings than any contemporary launch vehicle, and will offer opportunities for co-manifested and secondary payloads

NASA's Space Launch System: An Evolving Capability for Exploration

Designed to enable human space exploration missions, including eventually landings on Mars, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) represents a unique launch capability with a wide range of utilization opportunities, from delivering habitation systems into the "proving ground" of lunar-vicinity space to enabling high-energy transits through the outer solar system. Substantial progress has been made toward the first launch of the initial configuration of SLS, which will be able to deliver more than 70 metric tons of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). Preparations are also underway to evolve the vehicle into more powerful configurations, culminating with the capability to deliver more than 130 metric tons to LEO. Even the initial configuration of SLS will be able to deliver greater mass to orbit than any contemporary launch vehicle, and the evolved configuration will have greater performance than the Saturn V rocket that enabled human landings on the moon. SLS will also be able to carry larger payload fairings than any contemporary launch vehicle, and will offer opportunities for co-manifested and secondary payloads. Because of its substantial mass-lift capability, SLS will also offer unrivaled departure energy, enabling mission profiles currently not possible. The basic capabilities of SLS have been driven by studies on the requirements of human deep-space exploration missions, and continue to be validated by maturing analysis of Mars mission options, including the Global Exploration Roadmap. Early collaboration with science teams planning future decadal-class missions have contributed to a greater understanding of the vehicle's potential range of utilization. As SLS draws closer to its first launch, the Program is maturing concepts for future capability upgrades, which could begin being available within a decade. These upgrades, from multiple unique payload accommodations to an upper stage providing more power for inspace propulsion, have ramifications for a variety of missions, from human exploration to robotic science

A Case Study of a Professional Learning Community: An Investigation of Sustainability within a Rural Elementary School

Literature supports the role of professional learning communities as a means of effective professional development for teachers and as a vital factor in increased student achievement. Research pertaining to the sustainability of the professional learning community is limited; therefore, this study was designed to provide insight into the sustainability of a professional learning community. The qualitative study was designed to investigate the type of culture that supported sustainability, the role leadership played in creating the conditions that support sustainability, and if changed teacher practices played a part in the sustainability of a professional learning community. The study’s methodology applied the use of focus groups, individual interviews, participant observations, and document review. Data from the participant observations, focus group interviews, individual interviews, and document review were analyzed using the principles of grounded theory. Based on the analysis of the data, four overriding themes emerged: 1) Learning Focused, 2) Collaboration, 3) Leadership, and 4) Barriers. The four emerging concepts were used as the framework for discussion. The findings endorsed that professional learning communities can be can be sustained when a school’s culture shifts to one that is collaborative and focused on learning, leadership is shared and distributed throughout the school, logistical and supportive conditions are in place, and teaching practices change as a result of using data to drive instruction

The design and development of a third generation OSEE instrument

Optically Stimulated Electron Emission (OSEE) has been used to quantify surface contamination in the aerospace community. As advances are made towards the understanding of OSEE, it is desirable to incorporate technological advances with succeeding generations of instrumentation, so that improvements in the practical application of OSEE may be disseminated among the user community. Several studies undertaken by Yost, Welch, Abedin and others have expanded the knowledge base related to the underlying principles of OSEE. The conclusions of these studies, together with inputs from the user community were the foundation upon which the development of a third generation OSEE instrument was based. This manuscript describes the significant improvements incorporated into a third generation OSEE instrument as well as the elements unique to its design

Symmetric data-driven fusion of diffusion tensor MRI: Age differences in white matter

In the past 20 years, white matter (WM) microstructure has been studied predominantly using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Decreases in fractional anisotropy (FA) and increases in mean (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) have been consistently reported in healthy aging and neurodegenerative diseases. To date, DTI parameters have been studied individually (e.g., only FA) and separately (i.e., without using the joint information across them). This approach gives limited insights into WM pathology, increases the number of multiple comparisons, and yields inconsistent correlations with cognition. To take full advantage of the information in a DTI dataset, we present the first application of symmetric fusion to study healthy aging WM. This data-driven approach allows simultaneous examination of age differences in all four DTI parameters. We used multiset canonical correlation analysis with joint independent component analysis (mCCA + jICA) in cognitively healthy adults (age 20-33

Sharīʻa, Islamism and Arab support for democracy

The Arab Spring and its aftermath reignited the debate over the relationship between Islamism and democracy. This analysis improves upon previous research by demonstrating the crucial contribution which a more precise understanding of the multiple meanings of the concept of Sharīʻa can have on our assessment of the future of democracy in the Arab world. While support for the Sharīʻa-conformity of laws has a positive impact on the preference for democracy, the insistence that Sharīʻa represents the word of God as opposed to the human attempt to interpret it reduces support for democracy. These findings are of considerable significance for academics and policy-makers interested in the future of democracy in the Arab world as it suggests that generic expressions of support for Sharīʻa are less relevant in explaining support for democracy than what Arab women and men consider to be its essence

Microstructural Study of CMR Films as a Function of Growth Temperature, As-Deposited and Annealed

The properties encompassed by the family of complex metal oxides span the spectrum from superconductors to insulating ferroelectrics. Included in this family are the new colossal magneto-resistive perovskites with potential applications in advanced high density magnetic data storage devices based on single or multilayer thin films units of these materials fabricated by vapor phase deposition (PVD) methods. The realization of this potential requires solving basic thin film materials problems requiring understanding and controlling the growth of these materials. Toward this end, we have grown La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} and La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0. 3}MnO{sub 3} on LaAIO{sub 3} single crystal substrates by pulsed laser and RF sputter deposition at 500 to 900 C and annealed at over 900 C for about 10 hours. The evolution of the microstructure of these films was studied by scanning probe microscopies and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results of SPM characterization showed that at the lower end of the growth temperature range, the as-grown films were polygranular with grain size increasing with temperature. The 500 C as-grown films appeared to be amorphous while the 750 C film grains were layered with terrace steps often one unit cell high. In contrast, films grown at 900 C consisted of coalesced islands with some 3-D surface crystals. After annealing, all films had coalesced into very large extended layered islands. The change in microstructure was reflected in a decreased resistivity of coalesced films over their unannealed granular precursors. Previous reported work on the growth of La{sub 0. 84}Sr{sub 0.16}MnO{sub 3} and La{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}CoO{sub 3} grown demonstrated the sensitivity of the microstructure to substrate and deposition conditions. Films grown on an ``accidental`` vicinal surface grew by a step flow mechanism