Programmed instruction for creativity

The aim of the research was to discover if it was possible to use Programmed Instructional methods to increase Creative Ability; with particular reference to the visual creative field. Test instruments for measuring creative ability were found by correlating scores on possible test instruments with scores on Art Works judged for creativity. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (Figural Form: Originality and Elaboration scores) were found to be indicators of levels of creative ability. The subjects involved in this section of the research were eighty-six pupils (males and females: 1st and 3rd Years) of a rural secondary school in England. A Creativity Programme was developed that was administered to an experimental form of 3rd Year pupils during the normal school timetable. A second 3rd Year form was used as a control group: normal teaching methods were used with this group. The Creativity Programme was comprised of a number of Elements and Units which led the learners from the evaluation of products - as more creative or less creative - through the acquisition of knowledge concerning the creative personality and creative processes to the use of the 'deferred judgement' method of solving problems creatively. Finally the learners used this method to produce a painting. Following the administration of the programme to the experimental group of 3rd Year male and female pupils (they were 1st Year pupils when the test instruments had been selected), the Tests and Art Works were administered as post-tests to both 3rd Year groups. The scores obtained when the pupils were 1st Years were used as pre-test data. The data gathered from the pre-test and post-test administrations were analysed. The main instrument for analysis "being the Analysis of Variance. The differences between the means for the control and experimental groups, males and females, from the first test administration to the second test administration were found to be significant. These differences between the means indicated that the experimental group had increased its creative ability, as measured by the test instruments. It was concluded that in all probability this increase was due to the intervening administration of the Creativity Programme; and that there were grounds for believing that it was possible to increase Creative Ability through the use of Programmed Instructional methods

Water-Induced Surface Failures on I 65, Hardin County, Kentucky

This report documents an investigation of water-related distress on portions of I 65 in Hardin County, Kentucky, on Muldraugh Hill. An open-graded surface placed on a full-depth asphaltic concrete pavement had shown areas of flushing and shallow shear failures in the outer lanes after one year of service. Cores were obtained from the outer lanes in areas exhibiting no problems to shear and flow failures. Core sites also were chosen across the lane to represent edge, wheel track, and between wheel track conditions. Visual inspection of the cores was made under normal lighting and an ultraviolet light and photographs were taken. Construction data and records indicated no abnormal construction problems. Results of laboratory density, extraction, and gradation tests coupled with nuclear density tests and visual inspection of the cores indicate water had caused the asphalt to be stripped from the aggregate. Soft particles in the dense-graded surface course below the open-graded course had deteriorated. The stripped asphalt and deteriorated soft particles had migrated toward the surface causing the pores to be filled in most locations. Where the asphalt/matrix was particularly weak, heavy truck tireloads had caused the material to move laterally over the adjacent stiffer material. Water is being held in the pores of the open-graded course and allowing the dense-graded surface course below to become saturated causing the asphalt to be stripped from the aggregate and softer particles to become deteriorated

The resummation of inter-jet energy flow for gaps-between-jets processes at HERA

We calculate resummed perturbative predictions for gaps-between-jets processes and compare to HERA data. Our calculation of this non-global observable needs to include the effects of primary gluon emission (global logarithms) and secondary gluon emission (non-global logarithms) to be correct at the leading logarithm (LL) level. We include primary emission by calculating anomalous dimension matrices for the geometry of the specific event definitions and estimate the effect of non-global logarithms in the large $N_c$ limit. The resulting predictions for energy flow observables are consistent with experimental data.Comment: 31 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Associations among ancestry, geography and breast cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in Trinidad and Tobago

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common newly diagnosed cancer among women in Trinidad and Tobago (TT) and BC mortality rates are among the highest in the world. Globally, racial/ethnic trends in BC incidence, mortality and survival have been reported. However, such investigations have not been conducted in TT, which has been noted for its rich diversity. In this study, we investigated associations among ancestry, geography and BC incidence, mortality and survival in TT. Data on 3767 incident BC cases, reported to the National Cancer Registry of TT, from 1995 to 2007, were analyzed in this study. Women of African ancestry had significantly higher BC incidence and mortality rates (Incidence: 66.96; Mortality: 30.82 per 100,000) compared to women of East Indian (Incidence: 41.04, Mortality: 14.19 per 100,000) or mixed ancestry (Incidence: 36.72, Mortality: 13.80 per 100,000). Geographically, women residing in the North West Regional Health Authority (RHA) catchment area followed by the North Central RHA exhibited the highest incidence and mortality rates. Notable ancestral differences in survival were also observed. Women of East Indian and mixed ancestry experienced significantly longer survival than those of African ancestry. Differences in survival by geography were not observed. In TT, ancestry and geographical residence seem to be strong predictors of BC incidence and mortality rates. Additionally, disparities in survival by ancestry were found. These data should be considered in the design and implementation of strategies to reduce BC incidence and mortality rates in TT

Nicotinamide provides neuroprotection in glaucoma by protecting against mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a REDOX cofactor and metabolite essential for neuronal survival. Glaucoma is a common neurodegenerative disease in which neuronal levels of NAD decline. We assess the effects of nicotinamide (a precursor to NAD) on retinal ganglion cells (the affected neuron in glaucoma) in normal physiological conditions and across a range of glaucoma relevant insults including mitochondrial stress and axon degenerative insults. We demonstrate retinal ganglion cell somal, axonal, and dendritic neuroprotection by nicotinamide in rodent models which represent isolated ocular hypertensive, axon degenerative, and mitochondrial degenerative insults. We performed metabolomics enriched for small molecular weight metabolites for the retina, optic nerve, and superior colliculus which demonstrates that ocular hypertension induces widespread metabolic disruption, including consistent changes to α-ketoglutaric acid, creatine/creatinine, homocysteine, and glycerophosphocholine. This metabolic disruption is prevented by nicotinamide. Nicotinamide provides further neuroprotective effects by increasing oxidative phosphorylation, buffering and preventing metabolic stress, and increasing mitochondrial size and motility whilst simultaneously dampening action potential firing frequency. These data support continued determination of the utility of long-term nicotinamide treatment as a neuroprotective therapy for human glaucoma

US Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter 2017: Community Report

This white paper summarizes the workshop "U.S. Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter" held at University of Maryland on March 23-25, 2017.Comment: 102 pages + reference

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy