An Evaluation of the Convergent Validity of Multi-Source Feedback with Situational Assessment of Leadership - Student Assessment (SALSA©)

The current study assessed the convergent validity of the Situational Assessment of Leadership – Student Assessment (SALSA©), a situational judgment test (SJT), with multi-source ratings. The SALSA© was administered to ROTC cadets via Blackboard; multi-source ratings, which paralleled the leadership dimensions of the SALSA©, were administered via paper. Each cadet completed the SALSA© and was rated by 10 peers, his/herself, and at least one cadre (superior). SALSA© scores were not correlated with any of the corresponding dimensions on multi-source ratings, with one exception. Cadre ratings of Consideration/Team Skills were positively correlated with SALSA© scores on the same dimension. This finding suggests that the multi-source ratings and the SALSA© are not measuring the same leadership construct. Self-ratings were significantly higher than peer or cadre ratings. Senior ROTC cadets scored significantly higher on SALSA© than did Junior ROTC cadets. Future research should focus on differences between autocratic styles of leadership and democratic styles of leadership and whether different SJTs are needed to measure each style

First-year survival and growth of bareroot and container water oak and willow oak seedlings grown at different levels of mineral nutrition

Bareroot and container water oak (Quercus nigra) and willow oak (Quercus phellos) seedlings were treated with 3 different levels of nitrogen (N) mineral fertilizer applied during the growing season in the nursery. Comparisons were made between species, N treatments, and stock-types for seedling morphology, first-year survival and height growth, and seedling water relations. Water oak seedlings were shorter, heavier, and more first-order lateral roots than the willow oak seedlings. The N fertilizer treatments did not have a statistically significant effect on seedling morphology. Bareroot seedlings were taller, had greater root-collar diameters, and were heavier than the container seedlings. The seedlings were hand-planted on an old pasture site located near Nacogdoches, TX. First-year survival was about 80 percent regardless of species, N treatment, or stocktype. Bareroot seedlings had less first-year height growth than container seedlings. Container seedlings fertilized at the highest N rate had greater stomata1 conductance and transpiration rates early in the growing season than the container seedlings fertilized at the lowest rate

Cu and Cu2In nanoparticles supported on amorphised zeolites for the selective reduction of biomass derived carboxylic acids to alcohols

Octanoic acid (OA) was used as reactant with medium chain length to model the aliphatic carboxylic acids which can be produced by catalytic, thermochemical or biological degradation of biomass. A flow through reactor was applied at 21 bar total pressure (in general at 20 bar hydrogen and 1 bar octanoic acid partial pressures) and 330-380 °C. Cu A-, X- and Y-zeolite based catalysts were pretreated in hydrogen flow at 450 °C. During reduction/dehydration A- and X-zeolite structures collapsed and aluminosilicate supported copper catalysts were formed, which contain copper nanoparticles in high dispersion. The catalyst samples were modified by In2O3 co-catalyst. Fatty acid conversion activity of amorphized zeolite supported Cu catalysts and the yield of selectively produced alcohol can be increased drastically by In2O3 addition. Appearance of metallic indium can effectively rein in the step by step catalytic reduction at alkanol formation previous to dehydration of alcohols to alkenes and ethers

Cooperative Three-Robot System for Traversing Steep Slopes

Teamed Robots for Exploration and Science in Steep Areas (TRESSA) is a system of three autonomous mobile robots that cooperate with each other to enable scientific exploration of steep terrain (slope angles up to 90 ). Originally intended for use in exploring steep slopes on Mars that are not accessible to lone wheeled robots (Mars Exploration Rovers), TRESSA and systems like TRESSA could also be used on Earth for performing rescues on steep slopes and for exploring steep slopes that are too remote or too dangerous to be explored by humans. TRESSA is modeled on safe human climbing of steep slopes, two key features of which are teamwork and safety tethers. Two of the autonomous robots, denoted Anchorbots, remain at the top of a slope; the third robot, denoted the Cliffbot, traverses the slope. The Cliffbot drives over the cliff edge supported by tethers, which are payed out from the Anchorbots (see figure). The Anchorbots autonomously control the tension in the tethers to counter the gravitational force on the Cliffbot. The tethers are payed out and reeled in as needed, keeping the body of the Cliffbot oriented approximately parallel to the local terrain surface and preventing wheel slip by controlling the speed of descent or ascent, thereby enabling the Cliffbot to drive freely up, down, or across the slope. Due to the interactive nature of the three-robot system, the robots must be very tightly coupled. To provide for this tight coupling, the TRESSA software architecture is built on a combination of (1) the multi-robot layered behavior-coordination architecture reported in "An Architecture for Controlling Multiple Robots" (NPO-30345), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 10 (October 2004), page 65, and (2) the real-time control architecture reported in "Robot Electronics Architecture" (NPO-41784), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 32, No. 1 (January 2008), page 28. The combination architecture makes it possible to keep the three robots synchronized and coordinated, to use data from all three robots for decision- making at each step, and to control the physical connections among the robots. In addition, TRESSA (as in prior systems that have utilized this architecture) , incorporates a capability for deterministic response to unanticipated situations from yet another architecture reported in Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing (NPO-43635), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 32, No. 10 (October 2008), page 40. Tether tension control is a major consideration in the design and operation of TRESSA. Tension is measured by force sensors connected to each tether at the Cliffbot. The direction of the tension (both azimuth and elevation) is also measured. The tension controller combines a controller to counter gravitational force and an optional velocity controller that anticipates the motion of the Cliffbot. The gravity controller estimates the slope angle from the inclination of the tethers. This angle and the weight of the Cliffbot determine the total tension needed to counteract the weight of the Cliffbot. The total needed tension is broken into components for each Anchorbot. The difference between this needed tension and the tension measured at the Cliffbot constitutes an error signal that is provided to the gravity controller. The velocity controller computes the tether speed needed to produce the desired motion of the Cliffbot. Another major consideration in the design and operation of TRESSA is detection of faults. Each robot in the TRESSA system monitors its own performance and the performance of its teammates in order to detect any system faults and prevent unsafe conditions. At startup, communication links are tested and if any robot is not communicating, the system refuses to execute any motion commands. Prior to motion, the Anchorbots attempt to set tensions in the tethers at optimal levels for counteracting the weight of the Cliffbot; if either Anchorbot fails to reach its optimal tension level within a specified time, it sends message to the other robots and the commanded motion is not executed. If any mechanical error (e.g., stalling of a motor) is detected, the affected robot sends a message triggering stoppage of the current motion. Lastly, messages are passed among the robots at each time step (10 Hz) to share sensor information during operations. If messages from any robot cease for more than an allowable time interval, the other robots detect the communication loss and initiate stoppage

Rigor and Responsiveness in Classroom Activity

Background/Context: There are few examples from classrooms or the literature that provide a clear vision of teaching that simultaneously promotes rigorous disciplinary activity and is responsive to all students. Maintaining rigorous and equitable classroom discourse is a worthy goal, yet there is no clear consensus of how this actually works in a classroom. Focus of Study: What does highly rigorous and responsive talk sound like and how is this dialogue embedded in the social practices and activities of classrooms? Our aim was to examine student and teacher interactions in classroom episodes (warm-ups, small group conversations, whole group conversation, etc.) and contribute to a growing body of research that specifies equity in classroom practice. Research Design: This mixed-method study examines differences in discourse within and across classroom episodes (warm-ups, small group conversations, whole group conversation, etc.) that elevated, or failed to elevate, students’ explanatory rigor in equitable ways. Data include 222 secondary science lessons (1,174 episodes) from 37 novice teachers. Lessons were videotaped and analyzed for the depth of students’ explanatory talk and the quality of responsive dialogue. Findings: The findings support three statistical claims. First, high levels of rigor cannot be attained in classrooms where teachers are unresponsive to students’ ideas or puzzlements. Second, the architecture of a lesson matters. Teachers and students engaging in highly rigorous and responsive lessons turned potentially trivial episodes (such as warm-ups) of science activity into robust learning experiences, connected to other episodes in the same lesson. Third, episodes featuring one or more forms of responsive talk elevated rigor. There were three forms of responsive talk observed in classrooms: building on students’ science ideas, attending to students’ participation in the learning community, and folding in students’ lived experiences. Small but strategic moves within these forms were consequential for supporting rigor. Conclusions/Recommendations: This paper challenges the notion that rigor and responsiveness are attributes of curricula or individual teachers. Rigorous curriculum is necessary but not sufficient for ambitious and equitable science learning experiences; the interactions within the classroom are essential for sustaining the highest quality of scientific practice and sense-making. The data supported the development of a framework that articulates incremental differences in supporting students’ explanatory rigor and three dimensions of responsiveness. We describe implications for using this framework in the design of teacher programs and professional development models

VFW Still At Odds With VA Integration

Article on Jackson, Miss., Veterans Administration manager A. W. Woolford\u27s insistence upon integrating the VA hospital in accordance with federal orders, despite complaints from area Veterans of Foreign Wars; Source: unknown; Unknown datehttps://egrove.olemiss.edu/jws_clip/1222/thumbnail.jp

In vitro fusion of single synaptic and dense core vesicles reproduces key physiological properties.

Regulated exocytosis of synaptic vesicles is substantially faster than of endocrine dense core vesicles despite similar molecular machineries. The reasons for this difference are unknown and could be due to different regulatory proteins, different spatial arrangements, different vesicle sizes, or other factors. To address these questions, we take a reconstitution approach and compare regulated SNARE-mediated fusion of purified synaptic and dense core chromaffin and insulin vesicles using a single vesicle-supported membrane fusion assay. In all cases, Munc18 and complexin are required to restrict fusion in the absence of calcium. Calcium triggers fusion of all docked vesicles. Munc13 (C1C2MUN domain) is required for synaptic and enhanced insulin vesicle fusion, but not for chromaffin vesicles, correlating inversely with the presence of CAPS protein on purified vesicles. Striking disparities in calcium-triggered fusion rates are observed, increasing with curvature with time constants 0.23 s (synaptic vesicles), 3.3 s (chromaffin vesicles), and 9.1 s (insulin vesicles) and correlating with rate differences in cells

The Relationship Among Lifestyle, Self-Esteem, And Body Mass Index In Children

Current research demonstrated that childhood obesity has dramatically increased, especially in the rural South. Current research suggests that 25% of children are currently obese while there has been a 75% increase in relative obesity in children over the past three decades. A correlational, descriptive design was utilized to examine the following hypothesis : There will be a significant correlation among the variables of selfesteem, lifestyle, and body mass index in children. The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant correlation exists among body mass index, lifestyles, and self-esteem in children. Erickson, Tomlin, and Swain\u27s Modeling-Role Modeling Theory was the theoretical framework that guided this study. The sample {N = 51) consisted of middle-elementary students in a rural northeast Mississippi school. Permission was obtained from the school principal to conduct the study. Perceptions were assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the researcher-developed Stroupe Lifestyle Assessment Survey. Pearson r correlations were used to answer the 1 1 1 research hypothesis. Responses indicated there was no significant difference in mean body mass between male and female participants. However, the males had a higher lifestyle score than females as well as a higher selfesteem score, indicating a more positive lifestyle for males as well as a more positive sense of self-esteem. Based on findings from the study, several nursing practice recommendations were made. The nurse should perform routine assessments of levels of self-esteem among children and educate overweight children and families regarding the problems and issues that overweight children experience

Theater and Film Through the 20th Century: The Positive Impact

20th Century theater and film overall had a positive impact on society. This essay will cover how theater and film can positively but also how some events negatively had an impact or affect on theater and film itself. Here, you will be led through the many things related to theater and film that have affected all countries and cultures, in ways some have, and some have never realized. All matters of economic, political and social events will be discussed as they relate to theater and film. The reader will be led through in decades. The reader will first be informed of the very start of theater and film, where it began and how it was expanded upon in the following decades that will be covered. Here they will learn of the technological advancements that were made in order to evolve theater and film. The goal is to give the reader good, reliable information and knowledge on theater and film, as well as society and by the end of this research paper, they will have much more knowledge of the 20th century

Prevention of Infection During Hemodialysis Treatment Initiation

Infection in the dialysis access of a patient can be detrimental to the health of a dialysis patient. For this reason, infection control is extremely important in the outpatient hemodialysis setting. The goal of this project is to prevent infection during dialysis treatment initiation. This goal will be achieved during a 5-week project in which staff of an outpatient hemodialysis unit will be directly observed and then educated on the importance of infection control during treatment initiation. Staff will be given education on areas that need improvement regarding infection control during treatment initiation. The staff will be able to use this information to educate future staff members, as well as patients. The staff will be observed before and after the continuing education is presented. This project will provide better patient outcomes for the dialysis clinic because staff will be more competent regarding infection control measures and practices