The Effect of Varied Gender Groupings on Argumentation Skills among Middle School Students in Different Cultures

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the effect of varied gender groupings on argumentation skills among middle school students in Taiwan and the United States in a project-based learning environment that incorporated a graph-oriented computer-assisted application (GOCAA). A total of 43 students comprised the treatment condition and were engaged in the collaborative argumentation process in same-gender groupings. Of these 43 students, 20 were located in the U.S. and 23 were located in Taiwan. A total of 40 students comprised the control condition and were engaged in the collaborative argumentation process in mixed-gender groupings. Of these 40 students, 19 were in the U.S. and 21 were in Taiwan. In each country, verbal collaborative argumentation was recorded and the students’ post essays were collected. Among females in Taiwan, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that statistically a significant gender-grouping effect was evident on the total argumentation skills outcome, while MANOVA indicated no significant gender-grouping effect on the combined set of skill outcomes. Among females in the U.S., MANOVA indicated statistically significant gender-grouping effect on the combined set of argumentation skills outcomes Specifically, U.S. female students in mixed-gender groupings (the control condition) significantly outperformed female students in single-gender groupings (the treatment condition) in the counterargument and rebuttal skills. No significant group differences were observed among males. A qualitative analysis was conducted to examine how the graph-oriented computer-assisted application supported students’ development of argumentation skills in different gender groupings in both countries. In each country, all teams in both conditions demonstrated a similar pattern of collaborative argumentation with the exception of three female teams in the U.S. Female teams, male teams, (the treatment condition) and mixed-gender teams (the control condition) demonstrated metacognition regulation skills in different degrees and with different scaffolding

Cone Monotonicity: Structure Theorem, Properties, and Comparisons to Other Notions of Monotonicity

In search of a meaningful 2-dimensional analog to mono- tonicity, we introduce two new definitions and give examples of and dis- cuss the relationship between these definitions and others that we found in the literature. Note: After we published the article in Abstract and Applied Analysis and after we searched multiple times for previous work, we discovered that Clarke at al. had introduced the definition of cone monotonicity and given a characterization. See the addendum at the end of this paper for full reference information

Cosmological Beliefs About Origins Related to Science Achievement Among Junior High-School Students in South Bend, Indiana

Problem. American high-school students score lower in science achievement tests than their peers in other developed nations. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranked the scientific achievement of American high-school students as ―very low‖ in comparison to high-school students in other industrialized nations—only 29th out of 57 developed countries. Research has indicated that achievement declines as U.S. students progress to higher grades and take on more rigorous science courses. A variety of factors have been documented that may account for U.S. students‘ lower science achievement rankings. These include socioeconomic status, race, and gender. One area only marginally explored is the role of cosmological beliefs—such as New Earth Creationism—on science achievement. Some studies indicate that these cosmological beliefs correlate to low science achievement, while others show little to no correlation between cosmological beliefs and science achievement. Americans are unique in their high rate of belief in divine special creation, as opposed to origin by evolution through natural selection. This cosmological view of origins differs from mainstream scientific thought, research, and publications. Some wonder whether this view of creation might partially explain the lower science achievement reported in American students. This problem needs to be more thoroughly investigated. Research on cosmological beliefs has focused mostly on college students in biology courses, but this study sought to understand this problem at the junior-high level of science education. Research Design. A quasi-experimental design was used. The entire study took place at Clay Intermediate Center, a public school within the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC) in South Bend, Indiana. A treatment group of 47 middle-school students participated in a three-session after-school science program. Their science achievement within the program was compared to their cosmological beliefs and other socio-demographic and instructional variables. Posttests were used to measure students‘ science achievement. The pretest and posttest were constructed using a test bank available from the publisher of the science unit. A control group of similar students took the pretest and posttest but did not participate in the after-school sessions. The students‘ level of science achievement from the posttest scores were then compared to their responses to statements from Eugenie Scott‘s Spectrum of Creationism scale, which measures cosmological beliefs related to origins (creationism to natural evolution). The quantitative data were represented in structural equation model(s). Students were debriefed with questions regarding their feelings of how their cosmological beliefs might affect their science achievement both within the course and in general. Results. The study found no significance between science achievement and cosmological beliefs, but very strong multiple correlations of socioeconomic status and previous science knowledge to science achievement, as well as evidence that the instruction was effective in raising posttest scores. Recommendations were made that: (a) The significance of poverty status to science achievement of SBCSC students be further studied, (b) the study be extended to other middle schools and high schools within SBCSC, (c) SBCSC recognize the efficacy of after-school programs and consider further funding for these programs, and (d) SBCSC consider a unit that emphasizes empirical evidence, how things evolve, and the process of science through guided inquiry upon its next science adoption

Career Fairs: What Does the Industry Want

Career fairs are a popular function with hospitality schools. Recruiters\u27 perceptions of these events are important to ensuring their success. The authors report on the results of their survey of recruiters participating in a 1990 career fair at the University of South Carolina, indicating directions other schools may wish to consider

Direct Evidence for a Magnetic f-electron Mediated Cooper Pairing Mechanism of Heavy Fermion Superconductivity in CeCoIn5

To identify the microscopic mechanism of heavy-fermion Cooper pairing is an unresolved challenge in quantum matter studies; it may also relate closely to finding the pairing mechanism of high temperature superconductivity. Magnetically mediated Cooper pairing has long been the conjectured basis of heavy-fermion superconductivity but no direct verification of this hypothesis was achievable. Here, we use a novel approach based on precision measurements of the heavy-fermion band structure using quasiparticle interference (QPI) imaging, to reveal quantitatively the momentum-space (k-space) structure of the f-electron magnetic interactions of CeCoIn5. Then, by solving the superconducting gap equations on the two heavy-fermion bands $E_k^{\alpha,\beta}$ with these magnetic interactions as mediators of the Cooper pairing, we derive a series of quantitative predictions about the superconductive state. The agreement found between these diverse predictions and the measured characteristics of superconducting CeCoIn5, then provides direct evidence that the heavy-fermion Cooper pairing is indeed mediated by the f-electron magnetism.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, Supplementary Information: 31 pages, 5 figure

Three-dimensional flow field from a radial vortex filament in a cylindrical annulus

Three dimensional flow field from radial vortex filament in cylindrical annulus of axial flow turbin

Fast-slow asymptotic for semi-analytical ignition criteria in FitzHugh-Nagumo system

We study the problem of initiation of excitation waves in the FitzHugh-Nagumo model. Our approach follows earlier works and is based on the idea of approximating the boundary between basins of attraction of propagating waves and of the resting state as the stable manifold of a critical solution. Here, we obtain analytical expressions for the essential ingredients of the theory by singular perturbation using two small parameters, the separation of time scales of the activator and inhibitor, and the threshold in the activator's kinetics. This results in a closed analytical expression for the strength-duration curve.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, as accepted to Chaos on 2017/06/2

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey Of 53 Acres Along Seber Road In Harris County, Texas

HRA Gray & Pape, LLC., of Houston, Texas performed an intensive archaeological pedestrian and reconnaissance-level walkover survey on an estimated 21.4-hectare (53-acre) property designated for residential development in Harris County, Texas. The project is being conducted on private property in anticipation of potential United States Army Corps of Engineers permitting requirements. All fieldwork and reporting activities were completed with reference to the Texas Antiquities Code 26.24, Council of Texas Archeologists guidelines, federal (National Historic Preservation Act) laws and guidelines (United States Department of the Interior 1981), and guidance for conducting cultural resources surveys pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 2001). Site file research was completed using the online Texas Archaeological Sites Atlas maintained by the Texas Historical Commission. No previously recorded historic properties, historic markers, National Register of Historic Places, or archaeological sites were identified within a 1.6-kilometer (1-mile) radius during the background research. The review of the Texas Historical Commission files online did identify 2 areas that had been previously surveyed within the 1.6-kilometers (1-mile) search radius; however, these surveys did not identify archaeological resources. Field investigations were conducted on March 10, 2014 and required approximately 48 person hours to complete. All fieldwork and reporting activities were conducted and completed with reference to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended and Texas survey Standards. The survey consisted of walkover, shovel testing, and photo-documentation of the permit area/Area of Potential Effects. Subsurface investigation included the excavation of 42 shovel tests, all of which were negative. During this investigation, no new or previously identified archaeological sites were recorded. Shovel testing identified soil profiles that gave no indication of buried cultural horizons. One extant historic-age storage barn was identified along the northwestern boundary of the property. The structure, constructed sometime after 1944, includes walls made of lumber and the roof was constructed of corrugated metal. None of the construction materials or methods appeared to be of unique design. Based on the negative results of this survey, HRA Gray & Pape, LLC. recommends no further cultural resources investigations within the property, and that the project be allowed to proceed as planned

A clinical evaluation of the Hydrocurve and Naturvue hydrogel contact lenses

Seven patients were fit with two types of hydrogel lenses. Right eyes were fit with Naturvue lenses and left eyes were fit with Hydrocurve II lenses. Each patient was followed for approximately two months to determine which lens was performing better based on several criteria. At the end of the study it was found that Hydrocurve II performed better for three patients, Naturvue performed better for two, and both lenses performed equally well on the remaining two