An action research investigation into the effectiveness of number testing of a group of young adults with learning difficulties in a further education setting

This was an investigation into the testing of number skills of young adults with learning difficulties in the further education sector. Four male students were tested for a range of numeracy skills using recognized methods. The participants’ ability to count non-concrete sets was also explored using drumbeats and counting using only touch was explored using a feely-box. The participants’ ability and the adequacies of the tests were assessed with regard to the participants’ results. There was the conclusion of the need for further education educators to recognize the elemental steps involved in developing the ability to count, the need for more targeted tests for subitising, numerosity and ordinality

GPU LSM: A Dynamic Dictionary Data Structure for the GPU

We develop a dynamic dictionary data structure for the GPU, supporting fast insertions and deletions, based on the Log Structured Merge tree (LSM). Our implementation on an NVIDIA K40c GPU has an average update (insertion or deletion) rate of 225 M elements/s, 13.5x faster than merging items into a sorted array. The GPU LSM supports the retrieval operations of lookup, count, and range query operations with an average rate of 75 M, 32 M and 23 M queries/s respectively. The trade-off for the dynamic updates is that the sorted array is almost twice as fast on retrievals. We believe that our GPU LSM is the first dynamic general-purpose dictionary data structure for the GPU.Comment: 11 pages, accepted to appear on the Proceedings of IEEE International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium (IPDPS'18

Compton Dragged Gamma--Ray Bursts associated with Supernovae

It is proposed that the gamma-ray photons that characterize the prompt emission of Gamma-Ray Bursts are produced through the Compton drag process, caused by the interaction of a relativistic fireball with a very dense soft photon bath. If gamma-ray bursts are indeed associated with Supernovae, then the exploding star can provide enough soft photons for radiative drag to be effective. This model accounts for the basic properties of gamma-ray bursts, i.e. the overall energetics, the peak frequency of the spectrum and the fast variability, with an efficiency which can exceed 50%. In this scenario there is no need for particle acceleration in relativistic collisionless shocks. Furthermore, though Poynting flux may be important in accelerating the outflow, no magnetic field is required in the gamma-ray production. The drag also naturally limits the relativistic expansion of the fireball to Gamma < 10^4.Comment: Minor changes, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters, 18/11/199

Diffractive parton distributions from H1 data

We analyse the latest H1 large rapidity gap data to obtain diffractive parton distributions, using a procedure based on perturbative QCD, and compare them with distributions obtained from the simplified Regge factorisation type of analysis. The diffractive parton densities and structure functions are made publically available.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. Fortran code for diffractive parton densities and structure functions can be found at http://durpdg.dur.ac.uk/hepdata/mrw.html . Version to appear in Phys. Lett. B; final paragraph added, with curves from H1 incl.+dijet fit added to Fig.

Formal control influence on franchisee trust and brand-supportive behavior within franchise networks

Although management scholars recognize that intention of formalization influences the manner in which formal controls are applied within organizations, this issue has been largely overlooked in research on strategic alliances including franchise networks. We investigate formalization intent (the way in which controls are initiated and executed) by asking: How do franchisor formal controls promote trust and brand-supportive behavior among franchisees? On the basis of case study research involving retail franchises, we develop a framework that explains how formal controls counter-intuitively promote franchisee brand-supportive behavior via trust-building. Our study contributes to understanding the complementary relationship between formal and social control on promoting partner trust and co-operation. These insights move research beyond the present preoccupation with the complementary influence of formalization degree and content

Developing Evidence-Based Practice in Chaplaincy: A Study of Unit and Chaplain-Specific Integration

Health care chaplains provide spiritual care across diverse hospital units. As a result of the complex and interprofessional nature of health care services, different units are associated with unique integration and collaboration needs. Effective chaplain practice and patient-centered care are enhanced by sensitivity to unit differences. Our research, aimed at quality improvement, examined unit and chaplain integration to promote unit-specific evidence-based practice. Integration was conceptualized by five dimensions: interdependence, newly created professional activities, flexibility, collective ownership of goals, reflection on process. data was collected using the Interprofessional Integration and Collaboration Instrument (Bronstein, 2002), which has appropriate measurement quality (Bainbridge et al., 2015). Addition questions captured chaplain-specific integration and methods of chaplain engagement (charting, referrals). The survey was available in electronic and paper format. Over 150 staff from 10 units participated in the 2017 convenience survey. Survey results were used to develop profiles of unit and chaplain-specific integration; of chaplain engagement; and of perceived contributions of chaplains to patient care. Demographic information was summarized to determine representativeness. The findings contribute to quality improvement and evidence-based practice by identifying how chaplains can effectively integrated within specific units. The findings are being disseminated to unit stakeholders, hospital administration, and other chaplains.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1026/thumbnail.jp

International Entrepreneurship from Emerging to Developed Markets: an institutional perspective

Purpose The authors explore how home and host market institutions impact emerging market (EM) international entrepreneurship (IE) into developed markets. Design/methodology/approach Based on four case studies of Nigerian entrepreneurs expanding into the USA, this qualitative research adopts an institutional perspective to the study of EM IE. Findings The findings show home and host formal and informal institutions simultaneously enable and constrain the IE process. Weak home institutions shape the international opportunity recognition decision but seriously impede international opportunity development and exploitation activities in the developed market. EM entrepreneurs benefit from highly functioning regulation in the developed market whilst also experiencing discriminatory treatment from institutions. The findings of the study further show the positive and constraining effects of host institutions throughout the process. Originality/value Based on the findings, the paper details future research ideas, managerial implications and recommendation for policymakers

Quartz-amethyst hosted hydrocarbon-bearing fluid inclusions from the green ridge breccia in the snoqualmie granite, North Cascades,WA, USA

We wish to acknowledge the constructive criticisms made by the three anonymous reviewers.Their suggestions and comments greatly improved the first version of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Novel sol–gel preparation of (PO)–(CaO)–(NaO)–(TiO) bioresorbable glasses (X = 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15)

Quaternary phosphate-based glasses in the PO–CaO–NaO–TiO system with a fixed PO and CaO content of 40 and 25 mol% respectively have been successfully synthesised via sol–gel method and bulk, transparent samples were obtained. The structure, elemental proportion, and thermal properties of stabilised sol–gel glasses have been characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), P nuclear magnetic resonance (P NMR), titanium K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The XRD results confirmed the amorphous nature for all stabilized sol–gel derived glasses. The EDX result shows the relatively low loss of phosphorus during the sol–gel process and Ti K-edge XANES confirmed titanium in the glass structure is in mainly six-fold coordination environment. The P NMR and FTIR results revealed that the glass structure consist of mainly Q and Q phosphate units and the Ti cation was acting as a cross-linking between phosphate units. In addition DTA results confirmed a decrease in the glass transition and crystallisation temperature with increasing NaO content. Ion release studies also demonstrated a decrease in degradation rates with increasing TiO content therefore supporting the use of these glasses for biomedical applications that require a degree of control over glass degradation. These sol–gel glasses also offer the potential to incorporate proactive molecules for drug delivery application due to the low synthesis temperature employed

Glutamine supports the protection of tissue cells against the damage caused by cholesterol-dependent cytolysins from pathogenic bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria often damage tissues by secreting toxins that form pores in cell membranes, and the most common pore-forming toxins are cholesterol-dependent cytolysins. During bacterial infections, glutamine becomes a conditionally essential amino acid, and glutamine is an important nutrient for immune cells. However, the role of glutamine in protecting tissue cells against pore-forming toxins is unclear. Here we tested the hypothesis that glutamine supports the protection of tissue cells against the damage caused by cholesterol-dependent cytolysins. Stromal and epithelial cells were sensitive to damage by the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins, pyolysin and streptolysin O, as determined by leakage of potassium and lactate dehydrogenase from cells, and reduced cell viability. However, glutamine deprivation increased the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase and reduced the viability of cells challenged with cholesterol-dependent cytolysins. Without glutamine, stromal cells challenged with pyolysin leaked lactate dehydrogenase (control vs. pyolysin, 2.6 ± 0.6 vs. 34.4 ± 4.5 AU, n = 12), which was more than three-fold the leakage from cells supplied with 2 mM glutamine (control vs. pyolysin, 2.2 ± 0.3 vs. 9.4 ± 1.0 AU). Glutamine cytoprotection did not depend on glutaminolysis, replenishing the Krebs cycle via succinate, changes in cellular cholesterol, or regulators of cell metabolism (AMPK and mTOR). In conclusion, although the mechanism remains elusive, we found that glutamine supports the protection of tissue cells against the damage caused by cholesterol-dependent cytolysins from pathogenic bacteria