Theory and Practie: Searching for Critical Literacy Skills in Urban Middle School Students

This action research study examined the critical literacy skills that seventh grade students in an urban middle school demonstrated while reading and discussing Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Three themes were identified and analyzed using the four dimension model of critical literacy developed Lewison, Flint, and Van Sluys (2002). These themes include: identity construction, bringing culture and personal experience to bear on text interpretation, and the recognition of unequal power distribution including suggestions for social action. Analysis of the data collected indicates that students are entering the middle school classroom with at least a rudimentary critical literacy skill set

Erklärungsmodell zur Beurteilung der betriebswirtschaftlichen Vorteilhaftigkeit von E-Business-Transaktionen im BTOC-Bereich unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Gestaltung des Frontend-Bereiches

Mängel in der Ergonomie können Online-Angebote hinsichtlich der Intensität ihrer Inanspruchnahme durch Bankkunden erheblich negativ beeinflussen und das selbst dann, wenn die Grundvoraussetzung – das Offerieren eines Nutzens - erfüllt ist. Damit werden wichtige Potenziale zur Kundenbindung sowie zur Automatisierung banktechnischer Prozesse verschenkt. Die durchgeführte Untersuchung deckte häufig auftretende Gestaltungsmängel auf, welche die Benutzerfreundlichkeit und Gebrauchstauglichkeit von Websites beeinträchtigen. Die vorgenommene Auswahl aus der Gesamtheit aufgedeckter Normverletzungen sollte die Vielschichtigkeit von Aspekten veranschaulichen, die bei der Entwicklung kundenfreundlicher Online-Angebote im Finanzdienstleistungsbereich zu berücksichtigen sind. Sie sind jedoch bei weitem nicht erschöpfend. Die häufigsten Verstöße gegen die Normen zur Gestaltung ergonomischer Benutzerschnittstellen wurden bei der Informationsdarstellung, in der Benutzerführung sowie bei der Dialogführung mittels Menü registriert. Wie gezeigt werden konnte, bot das ErgoNorm-Prüfverfahren eine praktikable Vorgehensweise, um Nutzungsprobleme festzustellen, deren Ursachen zu untersuchen und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Nutzungsqualität zu beurteilen. Die software-ergonomischen Normen lieferten eine geeignete Basis zur Ableitung von Gestaltungsempfehlungen, um vorliegende Mängel zu beseitigen. Die konsequente Einhaltung von Normen hilft, schwere Usability-Fehler und teure Redesign-Zyklen zu vermeiden. --

HIV and Hepatitis C Mortality in Massachusetts, 2002–2011: Spatial Cluster and Trend Analysis of HIV and HCV Using Multiple Cause of Death

Background: Infectious diseases, while associated with a much smaller proportion of deaths than they were 50 years ago, still play a significant role in mortality across the state of Massachusetts. Most analysis of infectious disease mortality in the state only take into account the underlying cause of death, rather than contributing causes of death, which may not capture the full extent of mortality trends for infectious diseases such as HIV and the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Methods: In this study we sought to evaluate current trends in infectious disease mortality across the state using a multiple cause of death methodology. We performed a mortality trend analysis, identified spatial clusters of disease using a 5-step geoprocessing approach and examined spatial-temporal clustering trends in infectious disease mortality in Massachusetts from 2002–2011, with a focus on HIV/AIDS and HCV. Results: Significant clusters of high infectious disease mortality in space and time throughout the state were detected through both spatial and space time cluster analysis. The most significant clusters occurred in Springfield, Worcester, South Boston, the Merrimack Valley, and New Bedford with other smaller clusters detected across the state. Multiple cause of death mortality rates were much higher than underlying cause mortality alone, and significant disparities existed across race and age groups. Conclusions: We found that our multi-method analyses, which focused on contributing causes of death, were more robust than analyses that focused on underlying cause of death alone. Our results may be used to inform public health resource allocation for infectious disease prevention and treatment programs, provide novel insight into the current state of infectious disease mortality throughout the state, and benefited from approaches that may more accurately document mortality trends

A qualitative investigation of major urinary proteins in relation to the onset of aggressive behavior and dispersive motivation in male wild house mice ( Mus musculus domesticus )

The physiological basis for population differentiation of dispersal timing during individual development in male wild house mice is still unknown. As major urinary proteins (MUPs) are known to convey information about competitive ability in male mice, we examined individual MUP profiles defined by isoelectric-focusing (IEF) patterns in relation to developmental timing of dispersive motivation. As an experimental paradigm marking the development of the dispersal propensity, we used agonistic onset between litter mate brothers when kept in pairs under laboratory conditions. Agonistic onset is known to reflect the initiation of dispersive motivation. Hence, we compared individual MUP IEF patterns between fraternal pairs that did or did not develop agonistic relationships before the age of 2months. Urine was collected on the day of weaning and at the beginning of adulthood. We investigated whether there was a significant co-occurrence of particular MUP IEF patterns with the agonistic onset in male mice. We assumed that, based on this co-occurrence, particular MUP IEF patterns and/or a particular dynamic of MUP IEF expression from weaning to adulthood may be considered a physiological predictor of a specific behavioral strategy in male mice (i.e. submissive-philopatric or agonistic-dispersive strategy). We found that agonistic males expressed more MUP IEF bands than amicable ones at weaning, but these differences disappeared later on. The presence of two particular IEF bands at weaning was significantly associated with early agonistic onset. Our study suggests that MUPs could have a predictive value for the onset of aggressive behavior and dispersal tendency in male wild house mic

Robustness of Light-Transport Processes to Bending Deformations in Graded-Index Multimode Waveguides

Light transport through a multimode optical waveguide undergoes changes when subjected to bending deformations. We show that optical waveguides with a perfectly parabolic refractive index profile are almost immune to bending, conserving the structure of propagation-invariant modes. Moreover, we show that changes to the transmission matrix of parabolic-index fibers due to bending can be expressed with only two free parameters, regardless of how complex a particular deformation is. We provide detailed analysis of experimentally measured transmission matrices of a commercially available graded-index fiber as well as a gradient-index rod lens featuring a very faithful parabolic refractive index profile. Although parabolic-index fibers with a sufficiently precise refractive index profile are not within our reach, we show that imaging performance with standard commercially available graded-index fibers is significantly less influenced by bending deformations than step-index types under the same conditions. Our work thus predicts that the availability of ultraprecise parabolic-index fibers will make endoscopic applications with flexible probes feasible and free from extremely elaborate computational challenges

Pod wspólnym niebem : narody dawnej Rzeczypospolitej

Zbiór tekstów opisujących grupy etniczne i religijne zamieszkujące Rzeczpospolitą Obojga Narodów, czyli Litwinów, Białorusinów, Ukraińców, Niemców, Żydów, Ormian, Tatarów, Karaimów, Cygan-Romów, Włochów, Szkotów i holenderskich Menonitów.Michał Kopczyński - WSTĘP; Andrzej Rachuba - LITWINI; Oleg Łatyszonek - BIAŁORUSINI; Mirosław Nagielski - UKRAIŃCY; Igor Kąkolewski - NIEMCY; Andrzej Żbikowski - ŻYDZI; Krzysztof Stopka - ORMIANIE; Jan Tyszkiewicz TATARZY; Anna Klimowicz - KARAIMI; Lech Mróz - CYGANIE-ROMOWIE; Wojciech Tygielski - WŁOSI; Jacek Wijaczka - SZKOCI; Edmund Kizik - MENNONICI; Wojciech Tygielski - A GDZIE POLACY? BIOGRAMY AUTORÓW.Agnieszka Uziębł

Draft to Implement a Logistics Information System for Corporate Management Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods

This manuscript is focused on describing and analyzing certain logistics processes and activities in a chosen light manufacture, warehouse and distribution enterprise, and subsequently a proposal for implementing a suitable logistics information system for corporate management providing interconnection among all the logistics activities of such an enterprise. The first two chapters outline the basic concepts related to the issue of logistics processes, electronic information systems as well as a brief description of the analyzed enterprise. The following chapters consist of the most important parts of this research study. An advanced logistics information system is specified and thereafter implemented on the basis of a predefined set of criteria and by implementing certain opted methods included into the Operations Research, particularly the multi-criteria decision making problems. Specifically, the Scoring Method is utilized, and subsequently the results obtained are compared using the Saaty quantitative pairwise comparison method.This manuscript is focused on describing and analyzing certain logistics processes and activities in a chosen light manufacture, warehouse and distribution enterprise, and subsequently a proposal for implementing a suitable logistics information system for corporate management providing interconnection among all the logistics activities of such an enterprise. The first two chapters outline the basic concepts related to the issue of logistics processes, electronic information systems as well as a brief description of the analyzed enterprise. The following chapters consist of the most important parts of this research study. An advanced logistics information system is specified and thereafter implemented on the basis of a predefined set of criteria and by implementing certain opted methods included into the Operations Research, particularly the multi-criteria decision making problems. Specifically, the Scoring Method is utilized, and subsequently the results obtained are compared using the Saaty quantitative pairwise comparison method

Modelling Distribution Routes in City Logistics by Applying Operations Research Methods

The article focuses on the up-to-date subject from the practical as well as scientific point of view. It specifically discusses a proposal of an approach concerning transport or distribution problems in the range of city logistics and investigates possibilities to use opted operations research methods in this particular area. Specific suggestions lie first and foremost in using selected tools of operations research (i.e. a set of methods concerning vehicle routing problem) to model multiple variants of distribution paths from a determined hub to multiple spokes in order to minimise the overall travelled distance in an urban area. As far as the very research goes, to define distribution paths to supply multiple logistics objects in the range of city logistics, ensuing methods are step by step used: Clarke-Wright algorithm, Mayer algorithm and the nearest neighbour algorithm. The article consists of a conceptual section, describing the relevant theory as well as data and methods used, the practical part and the section encompassing an assessment of the key findings, along with the discussion. A suitable combination of adequate operations research methods and their application to city logistics issues is where an innovative solution of this research lies

Optimization of Warehouse Management in the Specific Assembly and Distribution Company: a Case Study

This paper discusses the optimization of warehouse management in the assembly and distribution company. As part of complex logistics system, warehouse management plays a significant role in every company, connecting the areas of storage, material flow, production, record keeping and dispatch with the company´s economic objectives. It also has a significant impact on business operations and can be of an important competitive advantage. It may be argued that well-managed logistics, including a continuous material flow, cost minimization as well as overall streamlining of individual processes associated with manufacturing of products, are powerful strategic tools for companies and lead to their strong market position. It is almost an imperative for them to use modern knowledge in this area and strive for improvement. After the introducing chapters, paper includes an optimization proposal using particular methods of multi-criteria evaluation of variants which consists of determining the criteria for variants evaluation, developing the basic multi-criteria matrix and selecting as well as applying the specific method for final evaluation (in our case, the comparison with WSA and TOPSIS methods has been carried out). Final part of the paper outlines the most appropriate option regarding the introduction of an automatic identification system to optimize the warehouse management system