The nature of primary teachers’ mathematical self-concept and its influence on classroom practice

Mathematical self-concept refers to the perceived ability that one has in being able to do mathematics. While it has been shown to be a significant predictor for how students learn and apply mathematics, little research has been conducted into the relationship between the mathematical self-concept of teachers and their pedagogical practices in the mathematics classroom. This research study used a mixed methods approach to ascertain the nature of primary teachers’ mathematical self-concept and how it is related to their teaching practices. Marsh and O’Neill’s (1984) Self-Description Questionnaire III was used to provide a broad picture of teachers’ mathematical self-concept and how it varies by teaching experience and school type. This questionnaire assisted in identifying three case study teachers who participated in individual interviews and two classroom observations. Attard’s (2014) framework for Engagement with Mathematics as well as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2014) framework for Effective Mathematics Teaching Practice were used as analytical tools when interrogating interview transcripts and as observational tools when observing teacher practice. Results from the study indicate that mathematical self- concept does not always reflect the mathematics practices evident in the classroom. Additionally, personal experiences with mathematics in childhood appear to have the potential to affect one’s self-concept. This study has potential implications for the focus of targeted professional learning and the development of targeted strategies to support and enhance a teacher’s mathematical self-concept

Reducing Restraints through Patient Involvement in Care Plans

Abstract Background: Restraint use has been demonstrated to pose a risk of psychological and physical injury to both clients and staff in health care facilities and programs. Evidence from the literature suggests that including patients in the planning of their care has been demonstrated to reduce problem behaviors, violent outbursts, instances of self-harm, and the need for restraint. Purpose: The aim of this quality improvement project was to promote collaborative care through the attainment of provider knowledge of best practices to prevent and reduce restraint use at three group homes in St. Petersburg, Florida. Methods: The intervention involved presenting evidence-based information from the literature to group home leadership, counselors and staff regarding the importance of patient involvement in care plans, and the correlation of decreased use of restraints when care is collaborative. Additionally, a tool kit was presented inclusive of best practice guidelines to reduce restraint use applying the Tidal Model framework. Acquisition of the material presented was measured by the DNP student’s analysis of changes in restraint report data, as well as the use of descriptive statistics to assess participant feedback regarding the educational intervention at two month follow-up. Results: At two month follow-up, restraint use had decreased by 16% across all group homes, and feedback received from the participant questionnaire was largely positive in nature. Keywords: Phil Barker, Tidal Model, Mental Health, Restraints, Patient Centered Car

Low Intensity Vibrations Restore Nuclear YAP Levels and Acute YAP Nuclear Shuttling in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Subjected to Simulated Microgravity

The bone deterioration that astronauts experience in microgravity environments is known to occur in response to the lack of gravity-based tissue stress. Mechanical forces are crucial to maintain healthy bone mass by regulating the function of bone-making osteoblasts as well as the proliferation and differentiation of their progenitors, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) which replenish osteoblastic cells. Regulation of proliferative function of MSCs in response to mechanical force is in part controlled by the “mechanotransducer” protein YAP (Yes-associated protein) which is shuttled into the nucleus in response to mechanical challenge to induce gene expression necessary for cell proliferation. Our group had recently reported that altered gravity conditions under simulated microgravity (SMG) decreases proliferation of MSCs and that application of daily low intensity vibrations (LIV) during SMG reverses this effect on proliferation. While these findings suggest that LIV may be a promising countermeasure for altered loading, the specific SMG and LIV effects on YAP mechanosignaling are unknown. Therefore, here we tested the effects of SMG and daily LIV treatment on basal nuclear YAP levels as well as on the acute YAP nuclear entry in response to both mechanical and soluble factors in MSCs. MSCs subjected to 72h of SMG, despite decreased nuclear YAP levels across all groups, responded to both LIV and Lysophosphohaditic acid (LPA) treatments by increasing nuclear YAP levels within 6hrs by 49.52% and 87.34%, respectively. Additionally, daily LIV restored the basal decrease seen in SMG as well as nuclear YAP levels as well as restored in part the YAP nuclear entry response to subsequently applied acute LIV and LPA treatments. These results show that rescue of basal YAP levels by LIV may explain previously found proliferative effects of MSCs under SMG and demonstrates that daily LIV is capable of alleviating the inhibition caused by SMG of YAP nuclear shuttling in response to subsequent mechanical and soluble challenge

Thermal Conductance Measurement and Flexibility Enhancement of Flexible Thermal Links

Introduction • Flexible thermal links provide a thermally conductive path with low mechanical stiffness • Scope of this work is to characterize – Uncertainty in thermal conductance measurements – Compliance improvements gained by slitting foil

The GRB-SLSN Connection: mis-aligned magnetars, weak jet emergence, and observational signatures

Multiple observational lines of evidence support a connection between hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) and long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Both events require a powerful central energy source, usually attributed to a millisecond magnetar or an accreting black hole. The GRB-SLSN link raises several theoretical questions: What distinguishes the engines responsible for these different phenomena? Can a single engine power both a GRB and a luminous SN in the same event? We propose a new unifying model for magnetar thermalization and jet formation: misalignment between the rotation (${\bf \Omega}$) and magnetic dipole (${\bf \mu}$) axes thermalizes a fraction of the spindown power by reconnection in the striped equatorial wind, providing a guaranteed source of "thermal" emission to power the supernova. The remaining un-thermalized power energizes a relativistic jet. In this picture, the GRB-SLSN dichotomy is directly linked to ${\bf \Omega \cdot \mu}$. We extend earlier work to show that even weak relativistic jets of luminosity $\sim10^{46}$ erg s$^{-1}$ can escape the expanding SN ejecta hours after the explosion, implying that escaping relativistic jets may accompany many SLSNe. We calculate the observational signature of these jets. We show that they may produce transient UV cocoon emission lasting a few hours when the jet breaks out of the ejecta surface. A longer-lived optical/UV signal may originate from a mildly-relativistic wind driven from the interface between the jet and the ejecta walls. This provides a new explanation for the secondary early-time maximum observed in some SLSNe light curves, such as LSQ14bdq. This scenario also predicts a population of GRB from on-axis jets with extremely long durations, potentially similar to the population of "jetted tidal disruption events", in coincidence with a small subset of SLSNe.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, submitted to MNRA