I Became a Teacher for the Money and Fame: An Examination of the Effects of Humor on Student Perceptions and Attitudes towards Mathematics

Students may not find their mathematics classes interesting and could attribute this lack of interest to the subject matter. Along with this disinterest, students may display a lack of motivation and may struggle to understand the material (Ames, 1992). These students may not connect with their teacher or identify as a learner of mathematics, which could be stressful for students. However, humor can be implemented in the classroom to provide a relaxed atmosphere in which students can learn and reduce the level of stress (Girdlefanny, 2004)). Humor also allows students to better connect with their teachers, gain understanding and connection to material, and increase student interest (Huss, 2008). This thesis explores how students’ perceptions and attitudes towards mathematics class changed over time when humor was implemented in the classroom. Students completed pre and post surveys regarding mathematics and the use of humor in the classroom, with the implementation of humor occurring between the two surveys. A paired t-test was then used to compare surveys and determine that humor had a significant impact on students’ perceptions and attitudes towards mathematics. Students indicated that they felt more relaxed and comfortable participating in class, as well as better able to remember and understand the material, when humor was present in the classroom

Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) of Minnesota: An Annotated Checklist and New State Records

Pentatomidae have been relatively poorly documented in Minnesota. Based on literature and museum records, an annotated checklist of the Pentatomidae of Minnesota was created. State-level and county-level records for Minnesota and the distribution of each species in North America are provided. Fifty-one species of Pentatomidae (12 Asopinae, 37 Pentatominae, and 2 Podopinae) are recorded for Minnesota. Of this total, 15 species are newly recorded for the state. Knowledge of the fauna of Pentatomidae in Minnesota will be important for providing baseline data for monitoring of potential shifts in the fauna resulting from the invasions of exotic Pentatomidae. Furthermore, a list of native Pentatomidae will be necessary for monitoring non-target impacts, if classical biological control is implemented for management of exotic Pentatomidae

Reactive Inkjet Printing of Regenerated Silk Fibroin Films for Use as Dental Barrier Membranes

Current commercially available barrier membranes for oral surgery have yet to achieve a perfect design. Existing materials used are either non-resorbable and require a second surgery for their extraction, or alternatively are resorbable but suffer from poor structural integrity or degrade into acidic by-products. Silk has the potential to overcome these issues and has yet to be made into a commercially available dental barrier membrane. Reactive inkjet printing (RIJ) has recently been demonstrated to be a suitable method for assembling silk in its regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) form into different constructs. This paper will establish the properties of RSF solutions for RIJ and the suitability of RIJ for the construction of RSF barrier membranes. Printed RSF films were characterised by their crystallinity and surface properties, which were shown to be controllable via RIJ. RSF films degraded in either phosphate buffered saline or protease XIV solutions had degradation rates related to RSF crystallinity. RSF films were also printed with the inclusion of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA). As reactive inkjet printing could control RSF crystallinity and hence its degradation rate, as well as offering the ability to incorporate bioactive nHA inclusions, reactive inkjet printing is deemed a suitable alternative method for RSF processing and the production of dental barrier membranes

Concentric left ventricular remodeling and aortic stiffness: A comparison of obesity and hypertension

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives Licens

Measurement and Compensation of Horizontal Crabbing at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring Test Accelerator

In storage rings, horizontal dispersion in the rf cavities introduces horizontal-longitudinal (xz) coupling, contributing to beam tilt in the xz plane. This coupling can be characterized by a "crabbing" dispersion term {\zeta}a that appears in the normal mode decomposition of the 1-turn transfer matrix. {\zeta}a is proportional to the rf cavity voltage and the horizontal dispersion in the cavity. We report experiments at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring Test Accelerator (CesrTA) where xz coupling was explored using three lattices with distinct crabbing properties. We characterize the xz coupling for each case by measuring the horizontal projection of the beam with a beam size monitor. The three lattice configurations correspond to a) 16 mrad xz tilt at the beam size monitor source point, b) compensation of the {\zeta}a introduced by one of two pairs of RF cavities with the second, and c) zero dispersion in RF cavities, eliminating {\zeta}a entirely. Additionally, intrabeam scattering (IBS) is evident in our measurements of beam size vs. rf voltage.Comment: 5 figures, 10 page

Report on the Bihar PRI Finance Study

The Report on the Bihar Panchayat Raj Institution Finance Study examines the autonomy, capacity, and accountability of local self-governments in the State of Bihar. This report is based on data collected from a set of 3 surveys conducted on a stratified random sample of 5 Zila Parishads, 10 Panchayat Samitis, and 50 Gram Panchayats, during the period beginning on the 15th of March 2009 and ending on the 31st of July 2009. Chapter 1 describes the sampling methodology, questionnaires, and the scope of work for this study in greater detail. Chapter 2 provides an overview of recent elections in the State of Bihar; explains the structure of local governments; and describes the demographic profile of elected officials. Chapter 3 begins with an overview of the economic criteria commonly used to evaluate expenditure assignments in a multi-tiered government system like that in the State of Bihar. On the basis of these economic principles, the chapter then evaluates the clarity and appropriateness of functional assignments to the Panchayats. Finally, this chapter describes the decision making arrangements across different Gram Panchayats and various activities undertaken by the Gram Panchayats, based on data collected from the surveys. Chapter 4 describes the availability to the Gram Panchayats of human and physical resources, such as the number of employees, the extent of their training and education, and availability, condition, and use of the Panchayat Bhavans, which is the administrative headquarters of the Gram Panchayats. Chapter 5 discusses the expenditure priorities of the Gram Panchayats, using the survey data. Chapter 6 analyses the revenue sources of the Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, and Zila Parishads, based on data collected from the survery of Panchayats. Chapter 7 provides a brief description of the accountability system, discusses its performance and adequacy, and provides some recommendations for improvement it. Chapter 8 concludes the report