How Challenging? Using Bloom's Taxonomy To Assess Learning Objectives In A Degree Completion Program

This paper describes the analysis of learning objectives in Philosophy classes in an adult learner degree completion program. The goal of the research was to determine if the level of cognitive challenge in the learning objectives was consistent with the course level. Using Blooms Taxonomy as the criteria, learning objectives were subjected to content analysis (Bloom et al., 1956).  Unexpectedly Understanding, a lower level cognitive skill, was the most emphasized of the cognitive skills. Given the nature of the students as adult learners one might have reasonably expected Application, also a lower level skill, to be most emphasized. Analysis, an upper level cognitive skill was next most emphasized. However, Synthesis, which is an upper level skill, was least emphasized. As a result of the study, the school conducted faculty training sessions emphasizing the importance of developing higher level cognitive skills in students by offering appropriate cognitive challenges in the learning objectives and in the course content and assessment associated with those objectives. A follow-up study is scheduled for Fall 2005

Fatigue Resistance of Self-hardening Aluminium Cast Alloy

Cast aluminium alloys are widely used in fatigue critical structural applications, such as engine blocks, cylinder heads, chassis and suspension components, to improve automotive fuel economy. However, it may be difficult to use these alloys for parts that require a high fatigue strength and high reliability because of a large number of casting defects as porosity and microshrinkages exist in them. Fatigue properties of cast aluminium components are controlled by maximum defect size in the material. The larger maximum defect size, the lower the fatigue strength and life.Self-hardening Al-alloys (Al-Zn-Si-Mg alloys) introduce an innovative class of light Al-alloys. Fatigue properties of AlZn10Si8Mg cast alloy in the high cycle region were tested by rotating bending fatigue loading in a high cycle region with the used of parameters - frequency f = 40 Hz, temperature T = 20 +/- 5 degrees C and stress ratio R = -1. Because of that large pores are near or at specimen's surface and its dominant reason of fatigue crack initiation and propagation. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

A comparative study on residential solid waste management in selected developing and developed countries: Guyana and United States

Solid waste is a global issue. As developing countries strive to improve their economic situations and standings in the world community, they face extreme underfunding in vital areas of local infrastructure, especially solid waste management. As populations continue to grow, solid waste and its management will become a very serious issue. This dissertation addressed the problems of insufficient available data and inadequate funding in an urban center in a small developing country with respect to future solid waste management. The aim was to develop a quick, simple and cost-effective check-list that could be used by decision-makers in developing countries of similar characteristics, in dealing with current and future planning for improved solid waste management. Residential municipal solid waste (RMSW) was analysed from three main locations, which where Georgetown, Guyana and Tucson and Sells, Arizona in the United States. Due to the lack of data available in Guyana, several other locations were used for lesser comparisons. These were Miami, Florida, and the Kaibab-Paiute Indian Reservation and Patagonia, Arizona. The waste streams of each were compared, as were the physical, social and economic situations of the main three locations. Past and current solid waste management practises were also compared. Results indicated that RMSW in all places contained little hazardous component. The waste in Georgetown comprised mostly of organic food waste, as has been found in other developing nations. Based on reports of foreign consultants, many solutions and improvements suggested for solid waste management in Georgetown have not been feasible and technologies brought from developed countries have been too high-tech. Solutions in developing countries need to be low-tech and those who try to solve problems must take into consideration local limiting factors and work within their constraints. Since data are seldom available, it is important to communicate with those who work in solid waste management as they are an invaluable source of information

Immunocytochemical investigations on the circadian and developmental neuropeptides in the central nervous system of insects.

This comparative study based on immunocytochemical methods demonstrates occurrence of the circadian and developmental regulators Period protein, Pigment dispersing hormone, Prothoracicotropic hormone. and Eclosion hormone in the central nervous system of the representatives of major insect clades. A special examination focused on the daily rhythm in per gene expression, cellular distribution of the PER protein, and circadian osciallation of the PER amount in the brain-suboesophageal ganglion complex of the firebrat, Thermobia domestica that was entrained to the light - darkness photoperiodAvailable from STL, Prague, CZ / NTK - National Technical LibrarySIGLECZCzech Republi

The Filippi’s Glands of Giant Silk Moths: To Be or Not to Be?

The Filippi’s glands (FGs), formerly “Lyonet’s glands”, are paired accessory organs associated with the silk glands. They are unique to Lepidoptera caterpillars and their exact role is not clear. The FGs are thought to be involved in the construction of a silk cocoon in bombycoid moths. FGs can differ in size and shape, therefore, in this study we attempt to find a correlation between FG morphology and phylogenetic position within the Bombycoidea. We use light and electron microscopy to examine the presence and morphology of FGs in a range of wild (giant) silk moths and several related species. Our results confirm that the majority of studied silk moth species have complex type of FGs that continuously increase in size during larval development. We identified several species of giant silk moths and two hawk moth species that completely lack FGs throughout their larval development. Finally, in several hawk moth species in which FGs are well developed during the first larval stage, these glands do not grow and remain small during later larval growth. Our results suggest that FGs are not critical for spinning and that loss of FGs occurred several times during the evolution of saturniids and sphingids. Comparison of FGs in different moths is an important first step in the elucidation of their physiological significance

The Role of Filippi’s Glands in the Silk Moths Cocoon Construction

Filippi’s glands (FGs), formerly also called Lyonet’s glands, are accessory secretory structures of the labial (silk) glands of lepidopteran caterpillars, which were implicated to play an important role in the maturation of the silk material and the construction of the cocoon. In our previous study, we have identified several species of giant silk moths that completely lack the FGs. Interestingly, the absence of FGs in these species correlates with the construction of a loose cocoon architecture. We investigated the functions of FGs by their surgical extirpation in the last instar larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. We found that the absence of FGs altered the structure of the resulting cocoon, in which the different layers of silk were separated. In further experiments, we found no effects of the absence of FGs on larval cocoon formation behavior or on changes in cocoon mass or lipid content. Differential proteomic analysis revealed no significant contribution of structural proteins from FGs to silk cocoon material, but we identified several low abundance proteins that may play a role in posttranslational modifications of some silk proteins. Proteomic analysis also revealed a difference in phosphorylation of the N-terminal sequence of fibroin-heavy chain molecule. Thus, FGs appear to affect silk stickiness during spinning by regulating posttranslational modifications. This could also explain the link that exists between the absence of these glands and the formation of loose cocoons in some giant silk moth species

Contributions of the Geophysical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Series of meteorology

Available from Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, under signature: A559682 / Slovenska Technicka Univerzita v BratislaveSIGLESKSlovak Republi

The release of a pheromonotropic neuropeptide, PBAN, in the turnip moth Agrotis segetum, exhibits a circadian rhythm

In the female turnip moth, Agrotis segetum, a pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) stimulates sex pheromone biosynthesis which exhibits a daily rhythm. Here we show data supporting a circadian rhythm in PBAN release from the corpora cardiaca, which we propose regulates the endogenous rhythm in sex pheromone biosynthesis. This conclusion is drawn as the observed daily rhythm in PBAN-like immunoreactivity, in the hemolymph is persistent in constant darkness and is phase-shifted by an advanced light:dark cycle. PBAN-like immunoreactivity was found in the brain, the optic lobe, the suboesophageal ganglion and in the retrocerebral complex. In each hemisphere ca. 10 immunopositive neurons were observed in the pars intercerebralis and a pair of stained somata in the dorso-lateral protocerebrum. A cluster of cells containing PBAN-like immunoreactive material was found in the tritocerebrum and three clusters of such cells were found in the SOG. Their processes reach the corpora cardiaca via nervi corporis cardiaci and the dorsal surface of the corpora allata via the nervi corporis allati. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The Fatigue lifetime of AlZn10Si8Mg cast alloy with different percentage of iron

To increase the proportion of Al-cast alloys in a variety of industrial applications, it appears useful to control their fatigue behavior. In general, that behavior is affected by many factors, such as chemical composition, heat treatment, inclusions etc. The problem with utilization of the Al-scrap as a material for casting the Al-Si alloys lies in the fact that the scrap, unfortunately as a rule, is contaminated with iron. The Fe-rich intermetallics, formed during the solidification process, appear in a great variety of shapes and sizes. The most important are platelets or needles Al 5 FeSi, because they greatly decrease mechanical and corrosion properties of Al-cast alloys. The effect of the brittle Fe-rich phases on the fatigue properties in the secondary self-hardening AlZn10Si8Mg cast alloys with different percentage of iron (0.150 and 0.559 wt. %) was studied. Microstructure of alloys and the 3D-morphology of phases were analyzed by the optical and SEM microscopy. Rotating bending fatigue tests were realized for a defined number of cycles 3 x 10 6 . The results show that with increasing the content of Fe, the area proportion and the average length of Al 5 FeSi phases increased a significant influenced on the fatigue life and pores formation