Adolescent readers' self-perceptions of affective factors related to performance on standardized tests

The purpose of this study was to investigate which affective factors of adolescent high school readers were related to high-level readers, middle-level readers and low-level readers. The research problem was to determine the relationship between adolescent high school students' self-perceived reading self-efficacy factors and the students' reading performance on a standardized reading assessment considering demographic factors of age, gender and socio-economic status as covariates. The research design was ex post facto making inferences without direct intervention. The sample was obtained from one large, diverse, urban high school, consisting of 9th and 10th grade adolescent students (N = 176). Students voluntarily completed a self-report, reading self-efficacy survey. School records were used to obtain standardized reading level scores, age, gender, and socio-economic status data. An exploratory factor analysis of the self-efficacy survey responses resulted in the identification of 7 underlying factors. The striving (low-level) readers had significantly lower self-perceptions on 5 of the 7 affective factors than the middle-level readers, and strong (high-level) readers, p < .05. The 5 affective factors on which the striving readers had significantly lower self-perceptions were: (a) Observational Comparison, (b) Progress, (c) Lack of Progress, (d) Lack of Anxiety, and (e) Positive Social Feedback. The 2 affective factors which were not significantly different for reader level were Anxiety and Negative Social Feedback. Girls had significantly less anxiety than boys for both of the factors in the Anxiety category. Statistical results showed that none of the demographic covariates tested; age, gender, or socio-economic status, moderated the relationship between affective reader self-efficacy factors and reader level. This study concluded that there were distinguishable differences for striving, middle, and strong readers' self-efficacy factors. Determining affective factors related to reading can be used to create better instructional environments and instruction for adolescent students.

Origin of salinity variations in Florida Bay

This note presents a method of distinguishing the source of freshwater that causes reductions in salinity in the coastal environment of South Florida. This technique, which uses the 18O and D of the water, allows for differentiation of the freshwater derived from precipitation as opposed to runoff, because surface waters in the Everglades have been highly evaporated and therefore have elevated 18O and dD values relative to precipitation. A time series of monthly 18O and D values of surface waters, collected from stations in Florida Bay between 1993 and 1999, has shown that, during this time, the major source of freshwaters causing depressions in the salinity in the western portion of Florida Bay was derived from precipitation rather than from the runoff of water from the Everglades. In the eastern portion of Florida Bay, close to the boundary between peninsular Florida and the Bay, the proportion of freshwater derived from precipitation drops steadily, reaching <10%. This method not only allows differentiation between the sources of freshwater but can, in a temporal sense, ascertain the effectiveness of water management practices on the salinity of the estuarine ecosystems of South Florida.

The Study of Sonar for Imaging of the Solid-Liquid Interface Inside Large Tanks

Retrieval, treatment, and disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) is expected to cost between 100 and 300 billion dollars. The risk to workers, public health, and the environment are also a major area of concern for HLW. Visualization of the interface between settled solids and the optically opaque liquid is needed for retrieval of the waste from underground storage tanks. A Profiling sonar selected for this research generates 2-D image of the interface. Multiple experiments were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of sonar in real-time monitoring the interface inside HLW tanks. First set of experiments demonstrated that objects shapes could be identified even when 30% of solids entrained in liquid, thereby mapping the interface. Simulation of sonar system validated these results. Second set of experiments confirmed the sonar’s ability in detecting the solids with density similar to the immersed liquid. Third set of experiments determined the affects of near by objects on image resolution. Final set of experiments proved the functional and chemical capabilities of sonar in caustic solution.