The effects of student journal writing on the mathematics anxiety of female algebra and geometry students.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of student journal writing with teacher feedback on the mathematics anxiety levels of female algebra and geometry students. The one semester study was a pretest-posttest, equivalent-groups design. Two Algebra I and two Geometry classes at a private girls\u27 high school were involved. One Algebra I class and one Geometry class served as control groups and were taught with common techniques (lecture/discussion, cooperative learning, non-journal writing) of the teacher. The remaining Algebra I and Geometry classes formed the experimental groups and were also taught with common techniques. In addition, the experimental groups made regular journal entries in response to teacher written prompts or gave open form comments which were read by the teacher who wrote comments related to the student reflections. The hypothesis that was investigated in this study is as follows: Implementation of regular student journal writing, with teacher commentary, in Algebra I and Geometry classes will help reduce mathematics anxiety in female students as compared to female students who do not participate in journal writing exercises. Investigation results of the one semester study were based on pretest-posttest data gathered through the use of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-A and the Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Scale along with anecdotal information from the students in the study. While quantitative data did not produce evidence that one semester of journaling was sufficient to bring about significant change in mathematics anxiety levels, qualitative results were more supportive of the study\u27s hypothesis. At the end of the study, a majority of students in the experimental groups indicated they would like to continue journaling and commented in positive terms regarding their journaling experience. The results of this study encourage further research in the use of journaling with students who experience mathematics anxiety. Overcoming the negative effects of mathematics anxiety, especially on females, can promote several positive effects including additional study in mathematics and an enjoyment and appreciation of this field of study

Clinical evaluation of the QuickVet®/RapidVet® canine dog erythrocyte antigen 1.1 blood-typing test

In transfusion medicine, blood typing is an integral part of pretransfusion testing. The objective of the current study was the clinical evaluation of an automated canine cartridge dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 1.1 blood-typing method (QuickVet/RapidVet) and comparison of the results with a gel column- based method (ID-Gel Test Canine DEA 1.1). Ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid- anticoagulated blood samples from 11 healthy and 85 sick dogs were available for typing. Before blood typing, all samples were tested for agglutination and hemolysis. All samples were tested once or multiple times with both methods according to the manufacturer's guidelines. With the gel method, 53 dogs tested DEA 1.1 positive and 42 dogs DEA 1.1 negative; blood typing was not possible due to erythrocyte autoagglutination in 1 dog. With the cartridge test, 53 samples tested DEA 1.1 positive, 34 samples tested DEA 1.1 negative, and 6 results were inconclusive (3 samples were not included due to autoagglutination or severe hemolysis). Without taking the inconclusive samples into account, the agreement between both methods was 96.5%. The sensitivity and specificity for samples that were definitively typed by both methods were 100% and 91.9%, respectively. The cartridge test was suitable for in-clinic canine DEA 1.1 blood typing, although some discrepancies compared to the gel method existed. The cartridge test is software-directed, is easy to use, and does not require user interpretation, but preanalytical guidelines (sample evaluation for agglutination and hemolysis) have to be followed. For inconclusive results, an alternate blood-typing method should be performed

Beitrag zur Steigerung der Flexibilität automatisierter Montagesysteme durch Sensorintegration und erweiterte Steuerungskonzepte

Die aktuelle Problemstellung in der Montage ist vom Spannungsverhältnis zwischen weitreichenden Automatisierungsbestrebungen und wachsender Variantenvielfalt gekennzeichnet. Verstärkt durch den Einfluß abnehmender Produktlebensdauer werden steigende Flexibilitätsforderungen an automatisierte Montagesysteme gestellt, die zu erfüllen es in jedem Fall einer Vielzahl aufeinander abgestimmter Maßnahmen bedarf. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde daraus der Aspekt der steuerungstechnischen Maßnahmen aufgegriffen. Es wurde eine Methode zur Sensorauswahl entworfen, die den Planer von Montagesystemen unterstützen soll. Sie geht von den Aufgaben und Funktionen der gesuchten Sensoren im Montagesystem aus und schränkt auf systematische Art und Weise das Spektrum fraglicher Sensoren ein. Die Frage der erforderlichen Sensorausstattung ist bereits in einem relativ frühen Stadium der Planung relevant, weil unter Umständen der mechanische Aufbau durch Einbeziehung von Sensoren vereinfacht und die Systemverfügbarkeit erhöht werden kann. Zur Berücksichtigung eines möglichst breiten Marktangebotes wurde besonderer Wert auf durchgängige Herstellerneutralität gelegt. Für den Planer stellt ein darauf basierendes, rechnergestütztes Auswahlsystem mit Zugriff auf eine Sensordatenbank ein wertvolles Hilfsmittel dar, um den jeweils neuesten Entwicklungsstand im Sensorbereich berücksichtigen zu können. Über den automatischen Anlagenbetrieb hinaus lassen sich Sensoren sehr wirkungsvoll zur Erleichterung von Anpassungsarbeiten an Montagesystemen verwenden, die in der Folge von Produktänderungen nötig werden. Neben Vermessungs- und Kontrollarbeiten eignen sich Sensoren unter Einbeziehung geeigneter Steuerungs- und Regelungsmechanismen auch für die Bewegungsprogrammerstellung der Roboter. Ein neues sensorgestütztes Programmierverfahren wurde entwickelt, das mit minimalem Vorbereitungsaufwand auskommt und prinzipiell ohne manuelle Eingriffe betrieben werden kann. Praktische Untersuchungen zeigen in Übereinstimmung mit den Ergebnissen einer Simulationsstudie, daß der Programmiervorgang auch unter dem Einfluß von Störungen beherrschbar bleibt. Steuerungsmaßnahmen zur Kompensation bekannter Störungen können allerdings sowohl das Abtastverhalten als auch insgesamt die Qualität des Programmierergebnisses spürbar verbessern. Im Allgemeinen wird die Programmiermethode erst durch die Reduktion der aufgenommenen Meßdaten praktisch verwendbar. Der geringe Umfang der verbleibenden Datensätze begünstigt die Verwaltung der Bewegungsprogramme in den Steuerungen und ist Voraussetzung für ihre effiziente Archivierung. Die Datenreduktion muß in der Art erfolgen, daß später mit Hilfe des steuerungsinternen Interpolators die Meßkurve ausreichend gut wiederhergestellt werden kann. Bei einem Vergleich verschiedener Interpolationsverfahren hat sich dabei die HERMITEsche Spline-Interpolation als die universellste erwiesen. Die übliche Montagezellengrundausstattung mit einem Roboter und mehreren Peripheriegeräten eignet sich nicht für alle Montageaufgaben. In bestimmten Fällen erscheint ein neuer Losungsansatz vielversprechend, der in Anlehnung an die manuelle Arbeitsweise zwei Roboterarme vorsieht, deren Bewegungen nach den Forderungen der Montageaufgabe miteinander koordiniert werden. Die Wirksamkeit dieses Ansatzes konnte bestätigt werden anhand einer Problemgruppe der automatischen Montage, den forminstabilen Werkstücken und Baugruppen, für die bisher kaum Automatisierungslösungen bekannt geworden sind. Für dieses Aufgabenspektrum wurden einige Typen koordinierter Bewegungen zusammengestellt und geeignete Algorithmen zur steuerungstechnischen Umsetzung abgeleitet. Da die Beschreibung derart aufeinander abgestimmter Armbewegungen mit konventionellen Programmiersprachen sehr umständlich ist und zu langen Programmerstellungszeiten führt, wurde ein einfaches Sprachkonzept für die Duplexmontage entworfen, das sich bei Versuchen an Beispielaufgaben bewährt hat. Als möglicher Realisierungsweg wurde die Struktur des Steuerungssystems vorgestellt, das eigens für den praktischen Test der Algorithmen erstellt wurde. Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit konnte verdeutlicht werden, daß Sensoren und spezifische Steuerungsfunktionen maßgeblich die Flexibilität automatisierter Montagesysteme erhöhen können. Die Weiterentwicklung beider Elemente erscheint als notwendige Voraussetzung dafür, daß auch bei hoher Produkt- und Variantenvielfalt künftige Montagesysteme wirtschaftlich betreibbar sein können.The current problem in assembly is characterized by the tension between far-reaching automation efforts and growing variety of variants. Increased by the influence of decreasing product life, increasing flexibility demands are placed on automated assembly systems, which in any case require a large number of coordinated measures. In this work, the aspect of control measures was taken up. A sensor selection method was designed to support the planner of assembly systems. It is based on the tasks and functions of the sensors sought in the assembly system and systematically limits the range of sensors in question. The question of the required sensor equipment is relevant at a relatively early stage of planning, because under certain circumstances the mechanical structure can be simplified by including sensors and the system availability can be increased. In order to take into account, the broadest possible market offer, special emphasis was placed on consistent manufacturer neutrality. For the planner, a computer-based selection system based on this and with access to a sensor database is a valuable tool in order to be able to take into account the latest developments in the field of sensors. In addition to the automatic system operation, sensors can be used very effectively to facilitate adjustment work on assembly systems that are necessary as a result of product changes. In addition to measurement and control work, sensors, including suitable control mechanisms, are also suitable for the movement program creation of the robots. A new sensor-based programming process was developed that requires minimal preparation and can in principle be operated without manual intervention. Practical investigations, in accordance with the results of a simulation study, show that the programming process can still be controlled under the influence of disturbances. Control measures to compensate for known disturbances can, however, noticeably improve both the scanning behavior and the overall quality of the programming result. In general, the programming method can only be used practically by reducing the recorded measurement data. The small volume of the remaining data sets favors the management of the movement programs in the controls and is a prerequisite for their efficient archiving. The data must be reduced in such a way that the measurement curve can be restored sufficiently well later with the help of the control interpolator. When comparing different interpolation methods, HERMITE spline interpolation has proven to be the most universal. The usual assembly cell basic equipment with a robot and several peripheral devices is not suitable for all assembly tasks. In certain cases, a new solution approach appears promising, which, based on the manual mode of operation, provides for two robot arms, the movements of which are coordinated with one another according to the requirements of the assembly task. The effectiveness of this approach could be confirmed on the basis of a problem group of automatic assembly, the dimensionally unstable workpieces and assemblies, for which hardly any automation solutions have been known so far. For this range of tasks, several types of coordinated movements were compiled and suitable algorithms for control technology implementation were derived. Since the description of arm movements coordinated in this way with conventional programming languages is very cumbersome and leads to long program creation times, a simple language concept for duplex assembly was designed, which has proven itself in tests on sample tasks. The structure of the control system, which was created especially for the practical test of the algorithms, was presented as a possible implementation path. The present work made it clear that sensors and specific control functions can significantly increase the flexibility of automated assembly systems. The further development of both elements appears to be a necessary prerequisite for future assembly systems to be economically operable, even with a large variety of products and variants

Pipes of the Past: Registration Practices of Selected Composers for the American Centennial Era Organ

American organ music prior to the twentieth century is a somewhat neglected area of organ study due to biases of early-twentieth-century academia. This lecture seeks to better familiarize the audience with a small section of that neglected study by examining the relationship between the organs, composers, and compositions of the Centennial era (ca. 1870–1900) through the lens of organ registration. This particular period of nineteenth-century American music became the era when American composers developed a quintessentially American culture around the organ—a culture which would provide the foundation for much of what came after it. By examining this period and its contributions, we gain a better understanding of later musical developments in the organ world and an appreciation for what came before

The Impact of Community Rotations on the Cultural Competence of Texas Dental Hygiene Students

A rise in oral health disparities among ethnic minority groups calls for dental professionals to be culturally competent. This study investigated the role of community rotations on the cultural competence of second-year dental hygiene students. Program directors were emailed a preliminary inventory to collect their student demographics and programmatic information regarding community rotations. An adapted paper version of the validated Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ) that self-assesses cultural competence was given to students at twelve Texas dental hygiene programs with a response rate of 100% (239/239). Data analysis was performed using the Kendall tau correlation for associations and the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests for differences among and between groups. Students scored in the 60-65th percentile in knowledge, skill, and comfort and in the 86th percentile for attitude. This study found that the amount of time spent in community rotations (p=0.009), number of community rotations (p=0.028), ethnic diversity of patients in program clinics (p=0.042), and cultural competence training hours (p=0.044) were associated with increased cultural competence scores in Texas dental hygiene students. Those participating in over 50 hours of community rotations (p=0.006) scored significantly higher than students with less than 50 hours. Generally, those with four rotations (p=0.002) scored higher than students with other numbers of rotations. Those with public clinic (p=0.049) and school (p=0.044) rotations scored significantly higher than those without these rotation experiences. Those with experience in nursing homes (p=0.009) and hospitals (p=0.026) scored lower than those without experience in these rotations. Students seeing the most ethnically diverse patients in program clinics scored higher (p=0.014) than students who saw a less diverse pool of patients. Those with 6-10 training hours scored higher (p=0.013) than those with fewer than 6 hours or more than 10 hours of training. All ethnic minorities, excluding Asians, scored higher than Whites (p=0.008, p=0.020). Based on these results, it is recommended that dental hygiene programs invest significant time in cultural competence training and carefully choose a robust program of community rotations. Furthermore, efforts to improve the diversity of the faculty, student body and clinic patient pool may enhance the cultural competence of graduates

Cena de caracteres na épica arcaica e na tragédia grega clássica

Este artigo investigou o uso de uma técnica narrativa presente na épica homérica e na tragédia Ifigênia em Áulis, de Eurípides, a fim de demonstrar os efeitos produzidos por tal expediente.  O resultado da investigação apontou não só a diferença entre os níveis narrativos épico e trágico, mas também a produção de um quadro narrativo específico em ambas narrativas: a cena de caracteres

Caracterização Dinâmica e Estática no Édipo Tirano de Sófocles

This thesis addresses two conceptions of characterization in the play “Oedipus Tyrannus” of Sophocles. The first conception of characterization was extracted from the poetics of Aristotle. From the Poetic, we collected facts on the concept of character (ἦθος), along with all the implications that it is associated with. The same concept, by the inadequacy of the Poetic text, was compared with other statements from the Rhetoric and from The Nicomachean Ethics so that we could clarify certain main passages in the definition of the concept. The first conception of characterization we call dynamic characterization. Regarding the second conception of characterization, we started from Aristotle, going through other modern authors including: Tomachevsky, Robert Scholes, De Termemann, among others, so we could not only demonstrate the limits of Aristotelian characterization, but also seize another phenomenon of characterization in the epic and tragic works of authors, such as Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. The second conception of characterization we term as static characterization. In the third part of the thesis, we undertook an analysis of the characters of Oedipus, on the Sophocles play, based on the theory proposed in the two theoretical chapters. Finally, based on the analysis, we demonstrate the insufficiency of the Aristotelian theory of characterization in relation to the potentialities of the tragic genre, addressing the complex structure in which Sophocles built the piece and the characterization of his character.NenhumaEsta tese, dividida em três partes, aborda duas concepções de caracterização na peça Édipo Tirano de Sófocles. Na primeira parte, a concepção de caracterização foi extraída da Poética de Aristóteles. Dessa obra foram utilizados os dados sobre o conceito de caráter (ἦθος), juntamente com todas as implicações que lhe estão associadas. O mesmo conceito ainda, pela insuficiência do texto da Poética, foi cotejado com outras passagens encontradas na Retórica e na Ética a Nicômaco, para que se pudesse esclarecer certas passagens capitais em sua definição. Essa primeira concepção de caracterização foi denominada de caracterização dinâmica. Na segunda parte, partiu-se de Aristóteles para outros autores modernos: Tomachevsky, Robert Scholes, De Termemann, dentre outros, a fim de não só demonstrar os limites da caracterização aristotélica, como também apreender outros fenômenos de caracterização nas obras épicas e trágicas de autores como Homero, Ésquilo, Sófocles e Eurípides. Essa segunda concepção foi denominada de caracterização estática. Na terceira parte desta tese foi feita a análise dos caracteres de Édipo, na obra homônima de Sófocles, com base na teoria proposta nos dois capítulos anteriores. No epílogo da tese, após a análise, demonstra-se a insuficiência da teoria aristotélica acerca da caracterização no tocante às potencialidades do gênero trágico, abordando a complexa estrutura com a qual Sófocles erigiu a peça e a caracterização de sua personagem