An investigation of differential reinforcement effectiveness as a function of type of task

Two tasks and four reinforcers were used to determine whether or not reinforcer effectiveness is in part dependent upon the type of task involved. An equal number (40) fifth and sixth grade children performed under each task condition for 20 trials (arithmetic and sequential processing) and received one of four possible reinforcers (candy , good , grad e A, no­ reinforcer). The two dependent variables measured were time to complete either task and the number of errors mad e while performing upon one or the other task. A significant F was not obtained for either time or error scores at the .05 level of significance. Indications of a hierarchical arrangement of reinforcer effectiveness were obtained from looking at trend effects, but this should be viewed with caution. The unanticipated effectiveness with which the setting operation performed its function and the low difficulty level of the arithmetic task are discussed. Suggestions for further research are given

An investigation of differential reinforcement effectiveness as a function of type of task

Two tasks and four reinforcers were used to determine whether or not reinforcer effectiveness is in part dependent upon the type of task involved. An equal number (40) fifth and sixth grade children performed under each task condition for 20 trials (arithmetic and sequential processing) and received one of four possible reinforcers (candy , good , grad e A, no­ reinforcer). The two dependent variables measured were time to complete either task and the number of errors mad e while performing upon one or the other task. A significant F was not obtained for either time or error scores at the .05 level of significance. Indications of a hierarchical arrangement of reinforcer effectiveness were obtained from looking at trend effects, but this should be viewed with caution. The unanticipated effectiveness with which the setting operation performed its function and the low difficulty level of the arithmetic task are discussed. Suggestions for further research are given

Service-learning in preservice teacher education

This national study was designed to gain an understanding of the status of service-learning in teacher education programs. Results indicate that service-learning is introduced to preservice teachers in the majority of teacher education institutions (59%), while 37% prepare their teacher candidates to use service-learning as a teaching method. Although service-learning exists in the language and curriculum of the majority of teacher education programs, it still resides largely on the periphery. The quality, depth, and integration of service-learning are very limited. Teacher educators need increased institutional support and a deeper understanding of service-learning theory and practice for it to become a more fully integrated component of teacher education

From AAHE\u27s Series on Service-Learning in the Disciplines, Teacher Education Volume

Progressive teacher educators face a pair of daunting yet crucial tasks. New teachers must be prepared to function successfully in schools as they exist today and also be educated to take a leadership role in the improvement and reculturing of K-12 education to more fully meet the needs of individual students and resolve societal problems. One approach that can address both these tasks is the integration of service-learning experiences into teacher preparation programs

Signifying on the Greeks: the use of rhetorical devices in jazz improvisation analysis

Rhetoric is the art of effective and persuasive communication. Building upon and bringing together musical and rhetorical scholarship from both Western and Afrological perspectives, this study lays out a theoretical framework and analytical process for applying the principles and devices of rhetoric to jazz improvisation analysis. Taken from both Western and Afrological sources, approximately four dozen rhetorical devices are defined, translated into musical figures, and applied to the transcribed solos of six jazz artists. These musicians, Lester Young, Jim Hall, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, and Steve Lacy, are master communicators; their ability to craft a “message” and communicate effectively and persuasively is reflected in their significant use of rhetorical figures in these improvisations. These six analyses show how a rhetorical approach to jazz improvisation analysis is unique in jazz scholarship and offers new insights that existing forms of analysis do not provide. By combining both European and African rhetorical traditions, this study moves beyond traditional musical analysis, based primarily on Western music theory concepts, to incorporate the unique qualities and semantics of African American musical and rhetorical culture. Along with the solo analysis, this study provides a historical background of the two rhetorical and musical-rhetorical traditions upon which jazz draws: the Western European, via the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the African American, via the Africans and ancient Egyptians. Additionally, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” is transcribed and analyzed for its rhetorical and musical-rhetorical use; the solo analysis draws on this speech for comparative purposes

A portable device for nucleic acid quantification powered by sunlight, a flame or electricity.

A decentralized approach to diagnostics can decrease the time to treatment of infectious diseases in resource-limited settings. Yet most modern diagnostic tools require stable electricity and are not portable. Here, we describe a portable device for isothermal nucleic-acid quantification that can operate with power from electricity, sunlight or a flame, and that can store heat from intermittent energy sources, for operation when electrical power is not available or reliable. We deployed the device in two Ugandan health clinics, where it successfully operated through multiple power outages, with equivalent performance when powered via sunlight or electricity. A direct comparison between the portable device and commercial qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) machines for samples from 71 Ugandan patients (29 of which were tested in Uganda) for the presence of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus DNA showed 94% agreement, with the four discordant samples having the lowest concentration of the herpesvirus DNA. The device's flexibility in power supply provides a needed solution for on-field diagnostics

A microflow cytometer for optical analysis of phytoplankton

Analysis of the intrinsic scatter and fluorescence profiles of marine algae can be used for general classification of organisms based on cell size and fluorescence properties. We describe the design and fabrication of a Microflow Cytometer on a chip for characterization of phytoplankton. The Microflow Cytometer measured distinct side-scatter and fluorescence properties of Synechococcus sp., Nitzschia d., and Thalassiosira p. Measurements were confirmed using the benchtop Accuri C6 flow cytometer. The Microflow Cytometer proved sensitive enough to detect and characterize picoplankton with diameter approximately 1 mm and larger phytoplankton of up to 80 mm in length. The wide range in size discrimination coupled with detection of intrinsic fluorescent pigments suggests that this Microflow Cytometer will be able to distinguish different populations of phytoplankton on unmanned underwater vehicles. Reversing the orientation of the grooves in the channel walls returns the sample stream to its original unsheathed position allowing separation of the sample stream from the sheath streams and the recycling of the sheath fluid

Relationships of Chute-Side Measurements to Carcass Measurements

Three data sets were compiled to determine the relationship of weight, performance, hip height and ultrasound-measured fat thickness to hot carcass weight and fat thickness. Weight is generally the best predictor of relative differences in carcass weight at any time in the production system. Hip heights do not predict relative differences in carcass weight. Although the combination of hip height and weight is a more precise indicator of carcass weight than is hip height alone, generally this combination is inferior to weight alone. Only ultrasound-measured fat thickness predicted relative differences in fat thickness. Prediction of relative differences in carcass weight from body weight and fat thickness from ultrasound scans improved as marketing date approached

Sorting Strategies for Yearlings

One hundred sixty medium-framed English-cross steers were used in each year of a two-year study to determine effects of three sorting strategies on performance, carcass characteristics and profitability in an extensive beef production system. Sorting by weight before the grazing period or entering the feedlot decreased variation in carcass weight. Sorting by weight before the grazing period increased marbling scores and resulted in significantly higher premiums. However, no sorting strategy significantly increased carcass weight or improved profitability

Sorting Strategies for Yearlings

One hundred sixty medium-framed English-cross steers were used in each year of a two-year study to determine effects of three sorting strategies on performance, carcass characteristics and profitability in an extensive beef production system. Sorting by weight before the grazing period or entering the feedlot decreased variation in carcass weight. Sorting by weight before the grazing period increased marbling scores and resulted in significantly higher premiums. However, no sorting strategy significantly increased carcass weight or improved profitability