202 research outputs found
A Meta-Analysis of Teacher and Student-Centered Practices and Processes in Undergraduate Science Education
This meta-analysis investigates the effects of four instructional dimensions rated on a scale from more Teacher-centered (T-C) to more Student-centered (S-C) plus several coded moderator variables on the achievement of undergraduate students in science education courses. More student-centered conditions served as the âtreatmentâ while more teacher-centered conditions were considered the âcontrol.â Hedgesâ g, operationalized as the adjusted standardized differences between treatment and control means, served as the outcome measure. The weighted average difference between groups was gÌ
= 0.34, k = 140 (random effects analysis), indicating an overall difference in favor of student-centered instruction. Out of four rated dimensions (Pacing, Teacherâs Role, Flexibility, and Adaptation) only Flexibility was significant in metaregression as a negative predictor of effect size. Two demographic variables (i.e., class size & subject matter), and one instructional moderator variables (i.e., technology use) were also significant when added to Flexibility, producing a model that accounted for 36% of total variation in effect size
Nature of Intra-night Optical Variability of BL Lacertae
We present the results of extensive multi-band intra-night optical monitoring
of BL Lacertae during 2010--2012. BL Lacertae was very active in this period
and showed intense variability in almost all wavelengths. We extensively
observed it for a total for 38 nights; on 26 of them observations were done
quasi-simultaneously in B, V, R and I bands (totaling 113 light curves), with
an average sampling interval of around 8 minutes. BL Lacertae showed
significant variations on hour-like timescales in a total of 19 nights in
different optical bands. We did not find any evidence for periodicities or
characteristic variability time-scales in the light curves.
The intranight variability amplitude is generally greater at higher
frequencies and decreases as the source flux increases.
We found spectral variations in BL Lacertae in the sense that the optical
spectrum becomes flatter as the flux increases but in several flaring states
deviates from the linear trend suggesting different jet components contributing
to the emission at different times.Comment: 12 Pages, 5 figures, 3 Tables, Accepted for Publication in MNRA
UBVRI observations of the flickering of RS Ophiuchi at Quiescence
We report observations of the flickering variability of the recurrent nova RS
Oph at quiescence on the basis of simultaneous observations in 5 bands (UBVRI).
RS Oph has flickering source with (U-B)_0=-0.62 \pm 0.07, (B-V)_0=0.15 \pm
0.10, (V-R)_0=0.25 \pm 0.05. We find for the flickering source a temperature
T_fl = 9500 \pm 500 K, and luminosity L_fl = 50 - 150 L_sun (using a distance
of d=1.6kpc). We also find that on a (U-B) vs (B-V) diagram the flickering of
the symbiotic stars differs from that of the cataclysmic variables. The
possible source of the flickering is discussed. The data are available upon
request from the authors and on the web
www.astro.bas.bg/~rz/RSOph.UBVRI.2010.MNRAS.tar.gz.Comment: 7 pages, MNRAS (accepted
Skeletal MuscleâDerived Cell Implantation for the Treatment of Fecal Incontinence: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study
Background and Aims: Fecal incontinence (FI) improvement following injection of autologous skeletal muscleâderived cells has been previously suggested. This study aimed to test the efficacy and safety of said cells through a multicenter, placebo-controlled study, to determine an appropriate cell dose, and to delineate the target patient population that can most benefit from cell therapy. Methods: Patients experiencing FI for at least 6 months were randomized to receive a cell-free medium or low or high dose of cells. All patients received pelvic floor electrical stimulation before and after treatment. Incontinence episode frequency (IEF), FI quality of life, FI burden assessed on a visual analog scale, Wexner score, and parameters reflecting anorectal physiological function were all assessed for up to 12 months. Results: Cell therapy improved IEF, FI quality of life, and FI burden, reaching a preset level of statistical significance in IEF change compared with the control treatment. Post hoc exploratory analyses indicated that patients with limited FI duration and high IEF at baseline are most responsive to cells. Effects prevailed or increased in the high cell count group from 6 to 12 months but plateaued or diminished in the low cell count and control groups. Most physiological parameters remained unaltered. No unexpected adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Injection of a high dose of autologous skeletal muscleâderived cells followed by electrical stimulation significantly improved FI, particularly in patients with limited FI duration and high IEF at baseline, and could become a valuable tool for treatment of FI, subject to confirmatory phase 3 trial(s). (ClinicalTrialRegister.eu; EudraCT Number: 2010-021463-32)
Duality for the Jordanian Matrix Quantum Group
We find the Hopf algebra dual to the Jordanian matrix quantum group
. As an algebra it depends only on the sum of the two parameters
and is split in two subalgebras: (with three generators) and
(with one generator). The subalgebra is a central Hopf subalgebra of
. The subalgebra is not a Hopf subalgebra and its coalgebra
structure depends on both parameters. We discuss also two one-parameter special
cases: and . The subalgebra is a Hopf algebra and
coincides with the algebra introduced by Ohn as the dual of . The
subalgebra is isomorphic to as an algebra but has a
nontrivial coalgebra structure and again is not a Hopf subalgebra of
.Comment: plain TeX with harvmac, 16 pages, added Appendix implementing the ACC
nonlinear ma
Removal of power-line interference from the ECG: a review of the subtraction procedure
BACKGROUND: Modern biomedical amplifiers have a very high common mode rejection ratio. Nevertheless, recordings are often contaminated by residual power-line interference. Traditional analogue and digital filters are known to suppress ECG components near to the power-line frequency. Different types of digital notch filters are widely used despite their inherent contradiction: tolerable signal distortion needs a narrow frequency band, which leads to ineffective filtering in cases of larger frequency deviation of the interference. Adaptive filtering introduces unacceptable transient response time, especially after steep and large QRS complexes. Other available techniques such as Fourier transform do not work in real time. The subtraction procedure is found to cope better with this problem. METHOD: The subtraction procedure was developed some two decades ago, and almost totally eliminates power-line interference from the ECG signal. This procedure does not affect the signal frequency components around the interfering frequency. Digital filtering is applied on linear segments of the signal to remove the interference components. These interference components are stored and further subtracted from the signal wherever non-linear segments are encountered. RESULTS: Modifications of the subtraction procedure have been used in thousands of ECG instruments and computer-aided systems. Other work has extended this procedure to almost all possible cases of sampling rate and interference frequency variation. Improved structure of the on-line procedure has worked successfully regardless of the multiplicity between the sampling rate and the interference frequency. Such flexibility is due to the use of specific filter modules. CONCLUSION: The subtraction procedure has largely proved advantageous over other methods for power-line interference cancellation in ECG signals
Dissecting the long-term emission behaviour of the BL Lac object Mrk 421
We report on long-term multiwavelengthmonitoring of blazar Mrk 421 by the GLAST-AGILE
Support Program of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (GASP-WEBT) collaboration and
Steward Observatory, and by the Swift and Fermi satellites. We study the source behaviour in
the period 2007â2015, characterized by several extreme flares. The ratio between the optical,
X-ray and Îł -ray fluxes is very variable. The Îł -ray flux variations show a fair correlation with
the optical ones starting from 2012.We analyse spectropolarimetric data and find wavelengthdependence
of the polarization degree (P), which is compatible with the presence of the
host galaxy, and no wavelength dependence of the electric vector polarization angle (EVPA).
Optical polarimetry shows a lack of simple correlation between P and flux and wide rotations of
the EVPA.We build broad-band spectral energy distributions with simultaneous near-infrared
and optical data from the GASP-WEBT and ultraviolet and X-ray data from the Swift satellite.
They show strong variability in both flux and X-ray spectral shape and suggest a shift of
the synchrotron peak up to a factor of âŒ50 in frequency. The interpretation of the flux and
spectral variability is compatible with jet models including at least two emitting regions that
can change their orientation with respect to the line of sight.http://10.0.4.69/mnras/stx2185Accepted manuscrip
Stars and dark matter in the spiral gravitational lens 2237+0305
We construct a mass model for the spiral lens galaxy 2237+0305, at redshift
z_l=0.04, based on gravitational-lensing constraints, HI rotation, and new
stellar-kinematic information, based on data taken with the ESI spectrograph on
the 10m Keck-II Telescope. High resolution rotation curves and velocity
dispersion profiles along two perpendicular directions, close to the major and
minor axes of the lens galaxy, were obtained by fitting the Mgb-Fe absorption
line region. The stellar rotation curve rises slowly and flattens at r~1.5"
(~1.1 kpc). The velocity dispersion profile is approximately flat. A
combination of photometric, kinematic and lensing information is used to
construct a mass model for the four major mass components of the system -- the
dark matter halo, disc, bulge, and bar. The best-fitting solution has a dark
matter halo with a logarithmic inner density slope of gamma=0.9+/-0.3 for
rho_DM propto r^-gamma, a bulge with M/L_B=6.6+/-0.3 Upsilon_odot, and a disc
with M/L_B =1.2+/-0.3 Upsilon_odot, in agreement with measurements of late-type
spirals. The bulge dominates support in the inner regions where the multiple
images are located and is therefore tightly constrained by the observations.
The disc is sub-maximal and contributes 45+/-11 per cent of the rotational
support of the galaxy at 2.2r_d. The halo mass is (2.0+/-0.6) x 10^12 M_odot,
and the stellar to virial mass ratio is 7.0+/-2.3 per cent, consistent with
typical galaxies of the same mass.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, MNRAS, in pres
A new activity phase of the blazar 3C 454.3. Multifrequency observations by the WEBT and XMM-Newton in 2007-2008
We present and analyse the WEBT multifrequency observations of 3C 454.3 in
the 2007-2008 observing season, including XMM-Newton observations and near-IR
spectroscopic monitoring, and compare the recent emission behaviour with the
past one. In the optical band we observed a multi-peak outburst in July-August
2007, and other faster events in November 2007 - February 2008. During these
outburst phases, several episodes of intranight variability were detected. A mm
outburst was observed starting from mid 2007, whose rising phase was
contemporaneous to the optical brightening. A slower flux increase also
affected the higher radio frequencies, the flux enhancement disappearing below
8 GHz. The analysis of the optical-radio correlation and time delays, as well
as the behaviour of the mm light curve, confirm our previous predictions,
suggesting that changes in the jet orientation likely occurred in the last few
years. The historical multiwavelength behaviour indicates that a significant
variation in the viewing angle may have happened around year 2000. Colour
analysis reveals a complex spectral behaviour, which is due to the interplay of
different emission components. All the near-IR spectra show a prominent Halpha
emission line, whose flux appears nearly constant. The analysis of the
XMM-Newton data indicates a correlation between the UV excess and the
soft-X-ray excess, which may represent the head and the tail of the big blue
bump, respectively. The X-ray flux correlates with the optical flux, suggesting
that in the inverse-Compton process either the seed photons are synchrotron
photons at IR-optical frequencies or the relativistic electrons are those that
produce the optical synchrotron emission. The X-ray radiation would thus be
produced in the jet region from where the IR-optical emission comes.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures (7 included in the text, 5 in GIF format),
accepted for publication in A&
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