A multiarchitecture parallel-processing development environment

A description is given of the hardware and software of a multiprocessor test bed - the second generation Hypercluster system. The Hypercluster architecture consists of a standard hypercube distributed-memory topology, with multiprocessor shared-memory nodes. By using standard, off-the-shelf hardware, the system can be upgraded to use rapidly improving computer technology. The Hypercluster's multiarchitecture nature makes it suitable for researching parallel algorithms in computational field simulation applications (e.g., computational fluid dynamics). The dedicated test-bed environment of the Hypercluster and its custom-built software allows experiments with various parallel-processing concepts such as message passing algorithms, debugging tools, and computational 'steering'. Such research would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve on shared, commercial systems

LIVED EXPERIENCE OF NEWLY APPOINTED ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS WHO RECEIVE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP COACHING

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographic study was to understand how leadership coaching supported personal growth for new assistant principals. Newly appointed assistant principals from a suburban school district outside metro Atlanta, Georgia were interviewed as part of a professional development model which incorporated leadership coaching into the support mechanisms for new administrators. The professional development model, known as a leadership academy, was instituted by the school district and comprised of multiple learning opportunities of which leadership coaching was one component. This study gathered perceptions of newly appointed assistant principals regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of leadership coaching and the leadership academy for their personal leadership growth. From a constructivist worldview, in which reality is formed from personal experiences and has multiple meanings, a phenomenographic approach was used to gather data from assistant principals in the form of interviews. Those interviews were transcribed and analyzed through both open and axial coding for variations of participant perceptions toward the effectiveness of leadership coaching. The results show strong, positive perceptions toward the effect of leadership coaching on the reduction of stress, the ability to cope with new obstacles, and the overall positive use of leadership coaching for newly appointed school leaders. Keywords: Assistant Principals, Executive Leadership Coaching, Professional Development, Phenomenology, Phenomenograph

The effects of feedback on the behavioral profile of preservice teachers across three educational levels of the physical education student teaching experience.

The student teaching experience represents one of the most important components of a novice physical educator\u27s preservice preparation. However, current research raises several important issues regarding the cooperating teacher\u27s role as clinical supervisor. At the present time a less than complete picture exists of the effect of feedback using systematic behavioral data by cooperating teachers on their assigned preservice teacher in a variety of settings. This study adds to a research base that has rarely used behavior analytic designs in the past decade. A reversal to baseline research design was used to determine whether cooperating teachers could provide systematically collected data in combination with prescriptive feedback and change the behavioral profile of student teachers and their pupils at three different educational levels, specifically elementary, middle, and high school. The participants were two student teachers who each taught at the same high school and elementary schools, but differing middle schools. Results showed that in regards to the student teacher\u27s behavior and that of their students, the cooperating teacher made positive changes by providing data only and also by providing data augmented by prescriptive feedback. Furthermore, each intervention was successful across all three levels of education. On particular intervention did not necessarily out perform the other and there were no order effects observed. However, while no order effects were present, the variable of time did appear to be an issue in relation to the performance of the independent variables

Measuring the Effects of a Student Teaching-Based Unit on 3rd Graders’ Perceptions of Engineers and Engineering

Measuring the Effects of a Student Teaching-Based Unit on 3rd Graders’ Perceptions of Engineers and Engineering Taylor Cobb Dr. Scott Townsend, Department of Education Abstract This paper explores previous findings on this topic and extends the level of research to lower grades of students. The research articles vary in finding for some upper elementary grade but eventually reach the same overall general consensus. Majority of researchers found that students do not have a clear understanding of what engineers are or what they do. They often confuse engineers with scientists, vocational workers, and train conductors. Of all the varying studies conducted on this subject, many researchers have used upper elementary aged students as subjects (4th and 5th grade). This project differs from them in the age of the subjects (3rd grade) and the process in conducting the research. Students are given a similar assessment as in other studies , called the Draw an Engineer Test (DAET), but they are also taught a week-long unit that focuses on the engineering practices laid out in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as well as a focus on engineers in general. The goal of this project is to exemplify the importance of including engineering in all elementary classrooms rather than just upper elementary classes. Keywords: Engineering, Draw an Engineer Test (DAET), Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), standards

Turbomachinery CFD on parallel computers

The role of multistage turbomachinery simulation in the development of propulsion system models is discussed. Particularly, the need for simulations with higher fidelity and faster turnaround time is highlighted. It is shown how such fast simulations can be used in engineering-oriented environments. The use of parallel processing to achieve the required turnaround times is discussed. Current work by several researchers in this area is summarized. Parallel turbomachinery CFD research at the NASA Lewis Research Center is then highlighted. These efforts are focused on implementing the average-passage turbomachinery model on MIMD, distributed memory parallel computers. Performance results are given for inviscid, single blade row and viscous, multistage applications on several parallel computers, including networked workstations

Coexpression of rat P2X2 and P2X6 subunits in Xenopus oocytes.

Transcripts for P2X(2) and P2X(6) subunits are present in rat CNS and frequently colocalize in the same brainstem nuclei. When rat P2X(2) (rP2X(2)) and rat P2X(6) (rP2X(6)) receptors were expressed individually in Xenopus oocytes and studied under voltage-clamp conditions, only homomeric rP2X(2) receptors were fully functional and gave rise to large inward currents (2-3 microA) to extracellular ATP. Coexpression of rP2X(2) and rP2X(6) subunits in Xenopus oocytes resulted in a heteromeric rP2X(2/6) receptor, which showed a significantly different phenotype from the wild-type rP2X(2) receptor. Differences included reduction in agonist potencies and, in some cases (e.g., Ap(4)A), significant loss of agonist activity. ATP-evoked inward currents were biphasic at the heteromeric rP2X(2/6) receptor, particularly when Zn(2+) ions were present or extracellular pH was lowered. The pH range was narrower for H(+) enhancement of ATP responses at the heteromeric rP2X(2/6) receptor. Also, H(+) ions inhibited ATP responses at low pH levels (<pH 6.3). The pH-dependent blocking activity of suramin was changed at this heteromeric receptor, although the potentiating effect of Zn(2+) on ATP responses was unchanged. Thus, the rP2X(2/6) receptor is a functionally modified P2X(2)-like receptor with a distinct pattern of pH modulation of ATP activation and suramin blockade. Although homomeric P2X(6) receptors function poorly, the P2X(6) subunit can contribute to functional heteromeric P2X channels and may influence the phenotype of native P2X receptors in those cells in which it is expressed

Response to a rabies epidemic in Bali, Indonesia

Emergency vaccinations and culling failed to contain an outbreak of rabies in Bali, Indonesia, during 2008–2009. Subsequent island-wide mass vaccination (reaching 70% coverage, &#62;200,000 dogs) led to substantial declines in rabies incidence and spread. However, the incidence of dog bites remains high, and repeat campaigns are necessary to eliminate rabies in Bali

A New Species of Andesipolis Whitfield & Choi from the Eastern Andes of Ecuador with Notes on Biology and Classification (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rhysipolinae)

A new species of braconid wasp, Andesipolis yanayacu, is described from the eastern Andes of Ecuador. Andesipolis yanayacu was reared as a gregarious koinobiont parasitoid of shelter building Pyralidae (Lepidoptera) larvae feeding on Urticaceae (Phenax rugosus and Boehmeria bullata). These are the first biological observations for the genus Andesipolis and the first species recorded from Ecuador. This is also the northern-most record for the genus as previously described species are from Chile. Based on morphological attributes and the newly discovered biology, Andesipolis is re-classified from the subfamily Mesostoinae into the subfamily Rhysipolinae

Nine New Species of Aleiodes Wesmael Reared at Yanayacu Biological Station (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rogadinae) in Eastern Ecuador

Nine new species of Aleiodes (Braconidae: Rogadinae) are described and illustrated: A. aclydis, A. albiterminus, A. arbitrium, A. atripileatus, A. capillosus, A. greeneiyi, A. nebulosus, A. speciosus and A. stilpnos. Because of the difficulties in distinguishing Neotropical species that belong to the circumscriptus and gastritor species-groups, a larger species-group combining the two, termed the circumscriptus/gastritor species-group, is created. The new species described in this study belonged to the seriatus, albitibia, gressitti, and circumscnptus/gastritor species-groups, respectively. Aldodes capillosus represents the first Neotropical species belonging to the gressitti species-group. Of the 34 previously described Neotropical species in Aldodes, only 13 have known biologies. The Aleiodes species in this study were reared from the families Geometridae and Noctuidae, two of the most common host families of other Aleiodes species worldwide