Active student engagement by using cooperative learning strategies

The purpose of this study was to explore possible solutions to student interaction and product quality in a ninth grade English class by using strategies in cooperative learning. Reciprocal learning, jigsaw, and skills practice were used to promote student interaction and cooperation during a lesson on William Shakespeare\u27s Romeo and Juliet. The data reveals that the three student participants have the skills necessary to succeed and excel in cooperative learning strategies, and previous student achievements may not necessarily indicate an ability or inability to master a cooperative learning activity. Implications for using cooperative learning strategies in the classroom are discussed

A Comparison of the Diagnostic Accuracy of Three Diagnostic Tests for ACL Lesions

In Volume 3, Issue 1 of the JSMAHS you will find Professional research abstracts, as well as Under Graduate student research abstracts, case reports, and critically appraised topics. Thank you for viewing this 3rd Annual OATA Special Edition

Post-aragonite phases of CaCO3_{3} at lower mantle pressures

The stability, structure and properties of carbonate minerals at lower mantle conditions has significant impact on our understanding of the global carbon cycle and the composition of the interior of the Earth. In recent years, there has been significant interest in the behavior of carbonates at lower mantle conditions, specifically in their carbon hybridization, which has relevance for the storage of carbon within the deep mantle. Using high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell coupled with direct laser heating of CaCO$_{3}$ using a CO$_{2}$ laser, we identify a crystalline phase of the material above 40 GPa $-$ corresponding to a lower mantle depth of around 1,000 km $-$ which has first been predicted by \textit{ab initio} structure predictions. The observed $sp^{2}$ carbon hybridized species at 40 GPa is monoclinic with $P2_{1}/c$ symmetry and is stable up to 50 GPa, above which it transforms into a structure which cannot be indexed by existing known phases. A combination of \textit{ab initio} random structure search (AIRSS) and quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA) calculations are used to re-explore the relative phase stabilities of the rich phase diagram of CaCO$_{3}$. Nudged elastic band (NEB) calculations are used to investigate the reaction mechanisms between relevant crystal phases of CaCO$_{3}$ and we postulate that the mineral is capable of undergoing $sp^{2}$-$sp^{3}$ hybridization change purely in the $P2_{1}/c$ structure $-$ forgoing the accepted post-aragonite $Pmmn$ structure.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Thermostatistics based on Kolmogorov-Nagumo averages: Unifying framework for extensive and nonextensive generalizations

We show that extensive thermostatistics based on Renyi entropy and Kolmogorov-Nagumo averages can be expressed in terms of Tsallis non- extensive thermostatistics. We use this correspondence to generalize thermostatistics to a large class of Kolmogorov-Nagumo means and suitably adapted definitions of entropy.Comment: 4 pages revte

Hierarchical Shape Construction and Complexity for Slidable Polyominoes under Uniform External Forces

Advances in technology have given us the ability to create and manipulate robots for numerous applications at the molecular scale. At this size, fabrication tool limitations motivate the use of simple robots. The individual control of these simple objects can be infeasible. We investigate a model of robot motion planning, based on global external signals, known as the tilt model. Given a board and initial placement of polyominoes, the board may be tilted in any of the 4 cardinal directions, causing all slidable polyominoes to move maximally in the specified direction until blocked. We propose a new hierarchy of shapes and design a single configuration that is strongly universal for any w × h bounded shape within this hierarchy (it can be reconfigured to construct any w × h bounded shape in the hierarchy). This class of shapes constitutes the most general set of buildable shapes in the literature, with most previous work consisting of just the first-level of our hierarchy. We accompany this result with a O(n4 log n)-time algorithm for deciding if a given hole-free shape is a member of the hierarchy. For our second result, we resolve a long-standing open problem within the field: We show that deciding if a given position may be covered by a tile for a given initial board configuration is PSPACEcomplete, even when all movable pieces are 1 × 1 tiles with no glues. We achieve this result by a reduction from Non-deterministic Constraint Logic for a one-player unbounded game

Full Tilt: Universal Constructors for General Shapes with Uniform External Forces

We investigate the problem of assembling general shapes and patterns in a model in which particles move based on uniform external forces until they encounter an obstacle. In this model, corresponding particles may bond when adjacent with one another. Succinctly, this model considers a 2D grid of “open” and “blocked” spaces, along with a set of slidable polyominoes placed at open locations on the board. The board may be tilted in any of the 4 cardinal directions, causing all slidable polyominoes to move maximally in the specified direction until blocked. By successively applying a sequence of such tilts, along with allowing different polyominoes to stick when adjacent, tilt sequences provide a method to reconfigure an initial board configuration so as to assemble a collection of previous separate polyominoes into a larger shape. While previous work within this model of assembly has focused on designing a specific board configuration for the assembly of a specific given shape, we propose the problem of designing universal configurations that are capable of constructing a large class of shapes and patterns. For these constructions, we present the notions of weak and strong universality which indicate the presence of “excess” polyominoes after the shape is constructed. In particular, for given integers h, w, we show that there exists a weakly universal configuration with O(hw) 1 × 1 slidable particles that can be reconfigured to build any h × w patterned rectangle. We then expand this result to show that there exists a weakly universal configuration that can build any h × w-bounded size connected shape. Following these results, which require an admittedly relaxed assembly definition, we go on to show the existence of a strongly universal configuration (no excess particles) which can assemble any shape within a previously studied “drop” class, while using quadratically less space than previous results. Finally, we include a study of the complexity of deciding if a particle within a configuration may be relocated to another position, and deciding if a given configuration may be transformed into a second given configuration. We show both problems to be PSPACE-complete even when no particles stick to one another and movable particles are restricted to 1 × 1 tiles and a single 2 × 2 polyomino

Does Diet Self Efficacy and Stress Affect Body Composition in College Students?

Body composition is influenced by many variables, including stress and nutrition, which in turn is affected by the person’s belief in his or her ability to manage a diet even in the face of obstacles (Nastaskin, 2015). PURPOSE: This study examined the influence of college students’ dietary self-efficacy and responses to stress on body weight and body fat percentage from their freshman to senior year. METHODS: Fourteen participants (11W/3M, 18.1 ± 0.4 yrs, 165.3 ± 7.7 cm, 64.9 ± 14.2 kg at Year 1) underwent whole-body dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA, Hologic W). They also completed 2 questionnaires: 1) Diet Self-Efficacy (Knäuper, 2013), which assesses three factors that could negatively impact diet: high caloric food temptation (HCF), social/internal factors (SIF), and negative emotional events (NEE) (0-100 range for each score) and 2) the Vanderbilt Responses to Stress - Peer Stress College, which is a 57-question survey measuring coping and involuntary stress responses to specific situations (0-50 range). All assessments were completed annually from the students’ freshman to senior year. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation. RESULTS: Overall, participants gained 5.1 ± 5.7 kg (6.6 ± 8.1%) of body weight and 0.5 ± 4.0% of body fat over the 4 years. At Year 1, diet self-efficacy scores were moderate (HCF 47.8 ± 22.1, SIF 56.7 ± 21.7, NEE 64.9 ± 22.0). Over four years, there was a strong negative correlation between NEE and body weight in 3 participants(r = -0.98, r = -0.96, r = -0.86), indicating that when these participants were better able to resist eating temptation when faced with a negative emotional event, they had a lower body weight. Also, SIF was trending towards a significant inverse relationship with body fat percentage (p = 0.07). Stress scores were inversely related with body fat percentage in the majority of the participants with the strongest correlation at (r = -0.96). CONCLUSION: Nutritional self-efficacy could influence weight changes in college students. However, any influence is highly individualized. Based on the limited number of participants in our study, it is too early to make generalized statements

Fitness Correlates to Firefighter Job Tasks

Firefighters have their focus on rescuing and responding in any emergency and fire situations (Antolini, 2015). The demand for firefighting includes a need for both aerobic and anaerobic fitness, along with muscular strength, endurance, explosive power, and reaction time (Xu, 2020). PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between fitness assessments and job task simulations in firefighter cadets. METHODS: 21 firefighter academy students performed fitness assessments and job task simulations on different days. Fitness assessments included vertical jump, lateral medicine ball throw, push up, horizontal row, and 300-yard shuttle run. Job task simulations were conducted in a sequential format, i.e., physical agility course and consisted of equipment carry, stair climb, ladder carry and raise, bear crawl, kneeling hose drag, over shoulder hose drag, tire strike, hose deploy, victim drag, and charged line. Pearson r correlation analyses were conducted to determine relationships between all variables in fitness assessments versus time to complete job task simulations. RESULTS: Positive correlations were found between the 300-yard shuttle run time and stair climb (r = .495, p = .023), ladder carry and raise (r = .433, p = .050), bear crawl (r = .516, p = .017), over shoulder hose drag (r = .486, p = .030), tire strike (r = .656, p = .002), hose deploy (r = .486, p = .030), and victim drag (r = .686, p \u3c .001). Negative correlations existed between the vertical jump and stair climb (r = .511, p = .018), ladder carry and raise (r = .439, p = .047), kneeling hose drag (r = .560, p = .008), hose deploy (r = .458, p = .042), and charged line (r = .645, p = .002). Negative correlations were found between the lateral medicine ball throw right and equipment carry (r = .529, p = .014), stair climb (r = .481, p = .027), ladder carry and raise (r = .489, p = .025), kneeling hose drag (r = .498, p = .021), and charged line (r = .486, p = .030). With the left side of the lateral medicine ball throw, negative correlations existed with stair climb (r = .465, p = .034), ladder carry and raise (r = .445, p = .043), kneeling hose drag (r = .508, p = .019), and charged line (r = .471, p = .036). Negative correlations were found between push up and stair climb (r = .616, p = .003), ladder carry and raise (r = .608, p = .003), bear crawl (r = .571, p = .007), kneeling hose drag (r = .594, p = .005), over shoulder hose drag (r = .629, p = .003), hose deploy (r = .539, p = .014), victim drag (r = .587, p = .006), and charged line (r = .511, p = .021). Finally, a negative correlation was evident between the horizontal row and over shoulder hose drag (r = .487, p = .029). CONCLUSION: Job task simulation scores are highly associated with a number of fitness assessments. Firefighters and academy instructors should focus on improving fitness, especially power, agility, and muscular endurance to improve specific job tasks