The Development of Instruments for Assessment of Instructional Practices in Standards-Based Teaching

We provide a description and rationale for the development of two instruments: 1) a classroom observation protocol; and, 2) a teacher interview protocol—designed to document the impact of reform-based professional development with undergraduate mathematics and science faculty, and its impact on the resultant preparation of teachers. Constructed upon review of the research on teaching and standards documents in mathematics and science, these instruments form the basis for data collection in a three-year longitudinal study of teaching practice among early career teachers as well as undergraduate college faculty. In addition, we suggest further applications of the observation protocol beyond the original purpose of our research study

Confirmation of the presence of viable but non-cultureable bacteria in the stratosphere

The presence of viable, but non-cultureable, bacteria on membranes through which stratospheric air samples were passed has been confirmed using viable fluorescent staining

Exhaust jet wake and thrust characteristics of several nozzles designed for VTOL DOWNWASH suppression. Tests in and out of ground effect with 70 deg F and 1200 deg F nozzle discharge temperatures

Jet wake degradation and thrust characteristics of exhaust nozzles designed for VTOL downwash suppression and fuselage and ground effect

Bianchi VIII Empty Futures

Using a qualitative analysis based on the Hamiltonian formalism and the orthonormal frame representation we investigate whether the chaotic behaviour which occurs close to the initial singularity is still present in the far future of Bianchi VIII models. We describe some features of the vacuum Bianchi VIII models at late times which might be relevant for studying the nature of the future asymptote of the general vacuum inhomogeneous solution to the Einstein field equations.Comment: 22 pages, no figures, Latex fil

Self-similar Bianchi models: I. Class A models

We present a study of Bianchi class A tilted cosmological models admitting a proper homothetic vector field together with the restrictions, both at the geometrical and dynamical level, imposed by the existence of the simply transitive similarity group. The general solution of the symmetry equations and the form of the homothetic vector field are given in terms of a set of arbitrary integration constants. We apply the geometrical results for tilted perfect fluids sources and give the general Bianchi II self-similar solution and the form of the similarity vector field. In addition we show that self-similar perfect fluid Bianchi VII$_0$ models and irrotational Bianchi VI$_0$ models do not exist.Comment: 14 pages, Latex; to appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit

Bidirectional relationships and disconnects between NAFLD and features of the metabolic syndrome

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a wide spectrum of liver disease from simple steatosis, to steatohepatitis, (both with and without liver fibrosis), cirrhosis and end-stage liver failure. NAFLD also increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and both HCC and end stage liver disease may markedly increase risk of liver-related mortality. NAFLD is increasing in prevalence and is presently the second most frequent indication for liver transplantation. As NAFLD is frequently associated with insulin resistance, central obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and hyperglycaemia, NAFLD is often considered the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. There is growing evidence that this relationship between NAFLD and metabolic syndrome is bidirectional, in that NAFLD can predispose to metabolic syndrome features, which can in turn exacerbate NAFLD or increase the risk of its development in those without a pre-existing diagnosis. Although the relationship between NAFLD and metabolic syndrome is frequently bidirectional, recently there has been much interest in genotype/phenotype relationships where there is a disconnect between the liver disease and metabolic syndrome features. Such potential examples of genotypes that are associated with a dissociation between liver disease and metabolic syndrome are patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein-3 (PNPLA3) (I148M) and transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2 protein (TM6SF2) (E167K) genotypes. This review will explore the bidirectional relationship between metabolic syndrome and NAFLD, and will also discuss recent insights from studies of PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 genotypes that may give insight into how and why metabolic syndrome features and liver disease are linked in NAFLD

Global dynamics of the mixmaster model

The asymptotic behaviour of vacuum Bianchi models of class A near the initial singularity is studied, in an effort to confirm the standard picture arising from heuristic and numerical approaches by mathematical proofs. It is shown that for solutions of types other than VIII and IX the singularity is velocity dominated and that the Kretschmann scalar is unbounded there, except in the explicitly known cases where the spacetime can be smoothly extended through a Cauchy horizon. For types VIII and IX it is shown that there are at most two possibilities for the evolution. When the first possibility is realized, and if the spacetime is not one of the explicitly known solutions which can be smoothly extended through a Cauchy horizon, then there are infinitely many oscillations near the singularity and the Kretschmann scalar is unbounded there. The second possibility remains mysterious and it is left open whether it ever occurs. It is also shown that any finite sequence of distinct points generated by iterating the Belinskii-Khalatnikov-Lifschitz mapping can be realized approximately by a solution of the vacuum Einstein equations of Bianchi type IX.Comment: 16 page

Virtual outreach: economic evaluation of joint teleconsultations for patients referred by their general practitioner for a specialist opinion

Objectives To test the hypotheses that, compared with conventional outpatient consultations, joint teleconsultation (virtual outreach) would incur no increased costs to the NHS, reduce costs to patients, and reduce absences from work by patients and their carers.Design Cost consequences study alongside randomised controlled trial.Setting Two hospitals in London and Shrewsbury and 29 general practices in inner London and Wales.Participants 3170 patients identified; 2094 eligible for inclusion and willing to participate. 1051 randomised to virtual outreach and 1043 to standard outpatient appointments.Main outcome measures NHS costs, patient costs, health status (SF-12), time spent attending index consultation, patient satisfaction.Results Overall six month costs were greater for the virtual outreach consultations (pound724 per patient) than for conventional outpatient appointments (pound625): difference in means pound99 ($162; is not an element of138) (95% confidence interval pound10 to pound187, P=0.03). if the analysis is restricted to resource items deemed "attributable" to the index consultation, six month costs were still greater for virtual outreach: difference in means pound108 (pound73 to pound142, P < 0.0001). In both analyses the index consultation accounted for the excess cost. Savings to patients in terms of costs and time occurred in both centres: difference in mean total patient cost 8 pound (5 pound to 10 pound, P < 0.0001). Loss of productive time was less in the virtual outreach group: difference in mean cost pound11 (pound10 to pound12, P < 0.0001).Condusion The main hypothesis that virtual outreach would be cost neutral is rejected, but the hypotheses that costs to patients and losses in productivity would be lower are supported

Cosmic No Hair for Collapsing Universes

It is shown that all contracting, spatially homogeneous, orthogonal Bianchi cosmologies that are sourced by an ultra-stiff fluid with an arbitrary and, in general, varying equation of state asymptote to the spatially flat and isotropic universe in the neighbourhood of the big crunch singularity. This result is employed to investigate the asymptotic dynamics of a collapsing Bianchi type IX universe sourced by a scalar field rolling down a steep, negative exponential potential. A toroidally compactified version of M*-theory that leads to such a potential is discussed and it is shown that the isotropic attractor solution for a collapsing Bianchi type IX universe is supersymmetric when interpreted in an eleven-dimensional context.Comment: Extended discussion to include Kantowski-Sachs universe. In press, Classical and Quantum Gravit

Design and performance of a multicentre, randomized controlled trial of teleconsulting.

We have designed and performed a multicentre, randomized controlled trial of teleconsulting. The trial investigated the effectiveness and cost implications in rural and inner-city settings of using videoconferencing as an alternative to general practitioner referral to a hospital specialist. The participating general practitioners referred a total of 3170 patients who satisfied the entry criteria. Of these, 1040 (33%) failed to provide consent or otherwise refused to participate in the trial. Of the patients recruited to the trial, a total of 1902 (91%) completed and returned the baseline questionnaire. Although the trial was successful in recruiting sufficient patients and in obtaining high questionnaire response rates, the findings will require careful interpretation to take account of the limits which the protocol placed on the ability of general practitioners to select patients for referral