A classroom-based investigation of reciprocal teaching at the grade seven level

This study assessed the effectiveness of a reciprocal teaching program as a method of teaching reading comprehension, using narrative text material in a t.ypical grade seven classroom. In order to determine the effectiveness of the reciprocal teaching program, this method was compared to two other reading instruction approaches that, unlike rcciprocal teaching, did not include social interaction components. Two intact grade scven classes, and a grade seven teacher, participated in this study. Students were appropriately assigned to three treatment groups by reading achievement level as determined from a norm-referenced test. Training proceeded for a five week intervention period during regularly scheduled English periods. Throughout the program curriculum-based tests were administered. These tests were designed to assess comprehension in two distinct ways; namely, character analysis components as they relate to narrative text, and strategy use components as they contribute to student understanding of narrative and expository text. Pre, post, and maintenance tests were administered to measure overall training effects. Moreover, during intervention, training probes were administered in the last period of each week to evaluate treatment group performance. AU curriculum-based tests were coded and comparisons of pre, post, maintenance tests and training probes were presented in graph form. Results showed that the reciprocal group achieved some improvement in reading comprehension scores in the strategy use component of the tests. No improvements were observed for the character analysis components of the curriculum-based tests and the norm-referenced tests. At pre and post intervention, interviews requiring students to respond to questions that addressed metacomprehension awareness of study strategies were administered. The intelviews were coded and comparisons were made between the two intelVicws. No significant improvements were observed regarding student awareness of ten identified study strategies . This study indicated that reciprocal teaching is a viable approach that can be utilized to help students acquire more effective comprehension strategies. However, the maximum utility of the technique when administered to a population of grade seven students performing at average to above average levels of reading achievement has yet to be determined. In order to explore this issue, the refinement of training materials and curriculum-based measurements need to be explored. As well, this study revealed that reciprocal teaching placed heavier demands on the classroom teacher when compared to other reading instruction methods. This may suggest that innovative and intensive teacher training techniques are required before it is feasible to use this method in the classroom.

Palvelun laadun dimensiot ja asiakastyytyväisyys osuuskuntamuotoisissa opinnoissa

Saimaan ammattikorkeakoulun uudessa Luotsi-toimintamallissa opiskelijat oppivat yritysten antamia toimeksiantoja toteuttamalla. Opiskelijat perustavat oman osuuskuntamuotoisen tiimiyrityksen. Suuri osa opetussuunnitelman opintojaksoista toteutetaan tehden asiakasprojekteja. Tutkielman päätavoitteena on selvittää, mitkä ovat palvelun laadun dimensiot osuuskuntamuotoisissa opinnoissa ja millaisina opiskelijat ne kokevat. Tavoitteina on myös käsitellä tapaa, joilla palvelun laatu muodostuu korkeakouluissa sekä tutkia miksi asiakastyytyväisyyttä mitataan ja millaiseksi se koetaan. Teorian pohjalta päädytään tarkastelemaan viittä koulutuksen dimensiota, jotka ovat osa korkeakoulun palvelun laatua ja vaikuttavat asiakastyytyväisyyteen: opetussuunnitelma, oppimisympäristöt, opetusmenetelmät, ohjaus ja opetus sekä osaamisen arviointi. Empiirisen tutkimuksen kohderyhmänä on Luotsi-mallissa aloittanut liiketalouden pilottiryhmä. Tutkimuksessa käytetään kyselylomaketta sekä teemahaastattelua ryh-mälle. Kyselylomake koostuu 108 kysymyksestä, jotka on jaettu kolmeen osaan: tärkeyden, odotusten ja nykytilan arviointiin seitsenportaisella Li-kert-asteikolla. Haastattelun avulla syvennetään aineistoa. Tulokseksi saadaan attribuuttien ja dimensioiden tärkeysjärjestys sekä arvot nykytilalle, odotuksille ja niiden erotukselle. Tulosten pohjalta nostetaan esiin attribuutit, jotka tarvitsevat eniten kehitystoimia. Tutkimusten perusteella voidaan todeta, että eniten kehitystä vaatii ope-tussuunnitelma ja siihen välillisesti liittyvät attribuutit muista dimensioista. Suurin kynnys Luotsi-toimintamallin onnistumiselle on saavuttaa opiskelijoiden ja opettajien välille toimiva keskusteluyhteys sekä kehittää jatkuvasti opetussuunnitelmaa työelämälähtöisemmäksi.

Identification of structural damage in flexible structures using system norm and neural networks

Nowadays there is great interest in damage identification using non destructive tests. Predictive maintenance is one of the most important techniques that are based on analysis of vibrations and it consists basically of monitoring the condition of structures or machines. A complete procedure should be able to detect the damage, to foresee the probable time of occurrence and to diagnosis the type of fault in order to plan the maintenance operation in a convenient form and occasion. In practical problems, it is frequent the necessity of getting the solution of non linear equations. These processes have been studied for a long time due to its great utility. Among the methods, there are different approaches, as for instance numerical methods (classic), intelligent methods (artificial neural networks), evolutions methods (genetic algorithms), and others. The characterization of damages, for better agreement, can be classified by levels. A new one uses seven levels of classification: detect the existence of the damage; detect and locate the damage; detect, locate and quantify the damages; predict the equipment's working life; auto-diagnoses; control for auto structural repair; and system of simultaneous control and monitoring. The neural networks are computational models or systems for information processing that, in a general way, can be thought as a device black box that accepts an input and produces an output. Artificial neural nets (ANN) are based on the biological neural nets and possess habilities for identification of functions and classification of standards. In this paper a methodology for structural damages location is presented. This procedure can be divided on two phases. The first one uses norms of systems to localize the damage positions. The second one uses ANN to quantify the severity of the damage. The paper concludes with a numerical application in a beam like structure with five cases of structural damages with different levels of severities. The results show the applicability of the presented methodology. A great advantage is the possibility of to apply this approach for identification of simultaneous damages.

Modelling Lake Kivu water level variations over the last seven decades

This study aimed at analysing the hydrological changes in the Lake Kivu Basin over the last seven decades with focus on the response of the lake water level to meteorological factors and hydropower dam construction. Historical precipitation and lake water levels were acquired from literature, local agencies and from global databases in order to compile a coherent dataset. The net lake inflow was modelled using a soil water balance model and the water levels were reconstructed using a parsimonious lake water balance model. The soil water balance shows that 370 mm yr−1 (25%) of the precipitation in the catchment contributes to the runoff and baseflow whereas 1100 mm yr−1 (75%) contributes to the evapotranspiration. A review of the lake water balance resulted in the following estimates of hydrological contributions: 55%, 25%, and 20% of the overall inputs from precipitation, surface inflows, and subaquatic groundwater discharge, respectively. The overall losses were 58% and 42% for lake surface evaporation and outflow discharge, respectively. The hydrological model used indicated a remarkable sensitivity of the lake water levels to hydrometeorological variability up to 1977, when the outflow bed was artificially widened.

Is sympathectomy at T4 level better than at T3 level for treating palmar hyperhidrosis?

Purpose: We compared the results from a video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy (VTS) at the T4 denervation level with those from a VTS at the T3 level for the treatment of palmar hyperhydrosis (PH). Methods: Seventy patients with PH were prospectively followed for VTS at the T3 or T4 denervation levels for 6 months. The end points of this study were: absence of PH, compensatory hyperhydrosis (CH), and quality-of-life assessment. Results: Sixty-seven patients reported a complete resolution of PH after surgery. One failure occurred in the T3 group and 2 in the T4 group. When anhydrosis was obtained, we noticed totally dry hands in 26 patients in the T3 group and 6 patients in the T4 group. The other 27 patients in the T4 group and 8 in the T3 group maintained a small level of sweating and were also considered to be therapeutic successes. At 6 months, 25 patients in the T4 group had some degree of CH (71.42%) and all patients in the T3 group (100%), though the T4 group had a lower degree of severity of CH at the 6-month follow-up (P < 0.05). After the operation, quality of life was improved similarly in both groups. Conclusions: VTS at either the T3 or T4 level provides an effective treatment for PH. VTS at the T4 level is associated with a less severe form of CH. Despite the occurrence of CH, patients' quality of life is significantly improved following VTS at the T3 or T4 levels. For this reason, the T4 resection can now be used as a treatment for PH.

Comparison of the Effects of Electrical Field Stimulation and Low-Level Laser Therapy on Bone Loss in Spinal Cord-Injured Rats

Objective: This study investigated the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and electrical stimulation (ES) on bone loss in spinal cord-injured rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty-seven male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: standard control group (CG); spinal cord-injured control (SC); spinal cord-injured treated with laser (SCL; GaAlAs, 830 nm, CW, 30mW/cm, 250 J/cm(2)); and spinal cord-injured treated with electrical field stimulation (SCE; 1.5 MHz, 1: 4 duty cycles, 30 mW, 20 min). Biomechanical, densitometric, and morphometric analyses were performed. Results: SC rats showed a significant decrease in bone mass, biomechanical properties, and morphometric parameters (versus CG). SCE rats showed significantly higher values of inner diameter and internal and external areas of tibia diaphyses; and the SCL group showed a trend toward the same result (versus SC). No increase was found in either mechanical or densitometric parameters. Conclusion: We conclude that the mentioned treatments were able to initiate a positive bone-tissue response, maybe through stimulation of osteoblasts, which was able to determine the observed morphometric modifications. However, the evoked tissue response could not determine either biomechanical or densitometric modifications.

Application of Low-Level Laser Irradiation (LLLI) and rhBMP-2 in Critical Bone Defect of Ovariectomized Rats: Histomorphometric Evaluation

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteogenic potential of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) and low-level laser irradiation (LLLI), isolated or combined in critical bone defects (5mm) in parietal bone using ovariectomized female rats as an experimental animal model. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine female Wistar rats, bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX), were divided into seven treatment groups of seven animals each: (I) laser in a single application, (II) 7 mu g of pure rhBMP-2, (III) laser and 7 mu g of pure rhBMP-2, (IV) 7 mu g of rhBMP-2/monoolein gel, (V) laser and 7 mu g of rhBMP-2/monoolein gel, (VI) laser and pure monoolein gel, and (VII) critical bone defect controls. The low-level laser source used was a gallium aluminum arsenide semiconductor diode laser device (lambda = 780 nm, D = 120 J/cm(2)). Results: Groups II and III presented higher levels of newly formed bone than all other groups with levels of 40.57% and 40.39%, respectively (p < 0.05). The levels of newly formed bone of groups I, IV, V, and VI were similar with levels of 29.67%, 25.75%, 27.75%, and 30.64%, respectively (p > 0.05). The area of new bone formation in group VII was 20.96%, which is significantly lower than groups I, II, III, and VI. Conclusions: It was concluded that pure rhBMP-2 and a single dose of laser application stimulated new bone formation, but the new bone formation area was significantly increased when only rhBMP-2 was used. Additionally, the laser application in combination with other treatments did not influence the bone formation area.

High-level and phonological awareness abilities of children following management for supratentorial tumour: Part II

Background. Limited information is available regarding the impact of childhood tumour on the cerebral hemispheres and supratentorial cranial fossa. However, a recent study found that children managed for a tumour located in this region may demonstrate reduced general language abilities. However, the indirect or direct impact of a tumour in this region on higher-level language abilities in childhood is at present largely unknown. Materials and methods. The present study examined the higher language and phonological awareness abilities of five children treated for supratentorial tumour ranging in age from seven to fourteen years in age. Assessments included measures of receptive and expressive semantic abilities, inferencing, figurative language, and problem solving, as well as a comprehensive pre-literacy test. Results. As a group, reductions were evident in problem solving, and in the ability to receive and decode content of high-level language when compared to a group of age- and gender-matched peers. At an individual level, only two of five children managed for supratentorial tumour demonstrated language deficits. These two cases were noted to be the same children previously identified as also having general language deficits. More widespread findings were noted in phonological awareness, with four of the five children previously managed for supratentorial tumour demonstrating weaknesses in one or more areas. Conclusions. Findings demonstrated that weaknesses in general language ability in children managed for supratentorial tumour may indicate higher-level language difficulties. Language abilities beyond general measures of language should be monitored, as well as long-term consideration of phonological awareness abilities in this population.

A checklist for patient safety rounds at the care pathway level

Objective - To define a checklist that can be used to assess the performance of a department and evaluate the implementation of quality management (QM) activities across departments or pathways in acute care hospitals. Design - We developed and tested a checklist for the assessment of QM activities at department level in a cross-sectional study using on-site visits by trained external auditors. Setting and Participants - A sample of 292 hospital departments of 74 acute care hospitals across seven European countries. In every hospital, four departments for the conditions: acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, hip fracture and deliveries participated. Main outcome measures - Four measures of QM activities were evaluated at care pathway level focusing on specialized expertise and responsibility (SER), evidence-based organization of pathways (EBOP), patient safety strategies and clinical review (CR). Results - Participating departments attained mean values on the various scales between 1.2 and 3.7. The theoretical range was 0-4. Three of the four QM measures are identical for the four conditions, whereas one scale (EBOP) has condition-specific items. Correlations showed that every factor was related, but also distinct, and added to the overall picture of QM at pathway level. Conclusion - The newly developed checklist can be used across various types of departments and pathways in acute care hospitals like AMI, deliveries, stroke and hip fracture. The anticipated users of the checklist are internal (e.g. peers within the hospital and hospital executive board) and external auditors (e.g. healthcare inspectorate, professional or patient organizations).

The dynamics of interfaces: Seven authors in search of encounters across levels of description of an event involving a mother, father, and baby

The interfaces between the intrapsychic, interactional, and intergenerational domains are a new frontier. As a pilot, we exposed ourselves to a complex but controllable situation as viewed by people whose main interest is in one of the three interfaces; we also fully integrated the subjects in the team, to learn about their subjective perspectives and to provide them with an enriching experience. We started with a brief "triadification" sequence (i.e., moving from a "two plus one" to a "three together" family organization). Considering this sequence as representing at a micro level many larger family transitions, we proceeded with a microanalytic interview, a psychodynamic investigation, and a family interview. As expected, larger patterns of correspondences are emerging. Central questions under debate are: What are the most appropriate units at each level of description and what are their articulations between these levels? What is the status of "triadification"? Les interfaces entre les domaines intrapsychiques, interactionnels et intergénérationnels représentent une nouvelle frontiére. A titre exploratoire, nous nous sommes exposés à une situation complexe mais contrǒlable ainsi que le voient ceux dont I'intérět principal se porte sur l'une de ces trois interfaces. Nous avons aussi entièrement intégré les sujets dans l'équipe, de facon à comprendre leur perspective subjective et à leur offrir une expérience enrichissante. Nous avons commencé avec une brève séquence de "triadification," c'est-à-dire passer d'une organisation familiale "deux plus un" à Ltne organisation familiale "trois (add sentenc)ensemble." Considérant cette séquence comme representative à un niveau microscopique de transitions familiales bien plus larges, nous avons procedé à l'entretien microanalytique, à une enquěte psychodynamique et à un entretien familial. Comme prévu, de grands patterns de correspondances émergent. Les questions essentielles sur lesquelles portent le débat sont: quelles les unités les plus appropiées à chaque niveau de description et quelles sont les articulations entre ces niveaux? Quel est le statut de la "triadification"?

Systematics and Population Level Analysis of Anopheles darlingi

A new phylogenetic analysis of the Nyssorhynchus subgenus (Danoff-Burg and Conn, unpub. data) using six data sets {morphological (all life stages); scanning electron micrographs of eggs; nuclear ITS2 sequences; mitochondrial COII, ND2 and ND6 sequences} revealed different topologies when each data set was analyzed separately but no heterogeneity between the data sets using the arn test. Consequently, the most accurate estimate of the phylogeny was obtained when all the data were combined. This new phylogeny supports a monophyletic Nyssorhynchus subgenus but both previously recognized sections in the subgenus (Albimanus and Argyritarsis) were demonstrated to be paraphyletic relative to each other and four of the seven clades included species previously placed in both sections. One of these clades includes both Anopheles darlingi and An. albimanus, suggesting that the ability to vector malaria effectively may have originated once in this subgenus. Both a conserved (315 bp) and a variable (425 bp) region of the mitochondrial COI gene from 15 populations of An. darlingi from Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Peru and Venezuela were used to examine the evolutionary history of this species and to test several analytical assumptions. Results demonstrated (1) parsimony analysis is equally informative compared to distance analysis using NJ; (2) clades or clusters are more strongly supported when these two regions are combined compared to either region separately; (3) evidence (in the form of remnants of older haplotype lineages) for two colonization events; and (4) significant genetic divergence within the population from Peixoto de Azevedo (State of Mato Grosso, Brazil). The oldest lineage includes populations from Peixoto, Boa Vista (State of Roraima) and Dourado (State of São Paulo).

Inverse relation between FASN expression in human adipose tissue and the insulin resistance level.

BACKGROUND Adipose tissue is a key regulator of energy balance playing an active role in lipid storage and may be a dynamic buffer to control fatty acid flux. Just like PPARgamma, fatty acid synthesis enzymes such as FASN have been implicated in almost all aspects of human metabolic alterations such as obesity, insulin resistance or dyslipemia. The aim of this work is to investigate how FASN and PPARgamma expression in human adipose tissue is related to carbohydrate metabolism dysfunction and obesity. METHODS The study included eighty-seven patients which were classified according to their BMI and to their glycaemia levels in order to study FASN and PPARgamma gene expression levels, anthropometric and biochemical variables. RESULTS The main result of this work is the close relation between FASN expression level and the factors that lead to hyperglycemic state (increased values of glucose levels, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, BMI and triglycerides). The correlation of the enzyme with these parameters is inversely proportional. On the other hand, PPARgamma is not related to carbohydrate metabolism. CONCLUSIONS We can demonstrate that FASN expression is a good candidate to study the pathophysiology of type II diabetes and obesity in humans.

Physical activity level and health-related quality of life in the general adult population: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known regarding health-related quality of life and its relation with physical activity level in the general population. Our primary objective was to systematically review data examining this relationship. METHODS: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for health-related quality of life and physical activity related keywords in titles, abstracts, or indexing fields. RESULTS: From 1426 retrieved references, 55 citations were judged to require further evaluation. Fourteen studies were retained for data extraction and analysis; seven were cross-sectional studies, two were cohort studies, four were randomized controlled trials and one used a combined cross sectional and longitudinal design. Thirteen different methods of physical activity assessment were used. Most health-related quality of life instruments related to the Medical Outcome Study SF-36 questionnaire. Cross-sectional studies showed a consistently positive association between self-reported physical activity and health-related quality of life. The largest cross-sectional study reported an adjusted odds ratio of "having 14 or more unhealthy days" during the previous month to be 0.40 (95% Confidence Interval 0.36-0.45) for those meeting recommended levels of physical activity compared to inactive subjects. Cohort studies and randomized controlled trials tended to show a positive effect of physical activity on health-related quality of life, but similar to the cross-sectional studies, had methodological limitations. CONCLUSION: Cross-sectional data showed a consistently positive association between physical activity level and health-related quality of life. Limited evidence from randomized controlled trials and cohort studies precludes a definitive statement about the nature of this association.

Variations of the carcinoembryonic antigen level in the plasma of patients with gynecologie cancers during therapy

In 63 patients with histologically proved gynecologie carcinoma, circulating carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was determined by radioimmunoassay before and at two intervals after treatment. Thirty-one patients of 63 had CEA values over 2.5 ng. per milliliter before treatment. In general, the CEA levels were low compared to those found in endodermal carcinoma. The percentage of elevated CEA values was slightly higher in cases of carcinoma of the cervix and corpus uteri than in those of carcinoma of the ovary. All patients with CEA levels greater than 2.5 ng. per milliliter treated by complete surgical resection of tumor showed a drop of CEA levels to below 2.5 ng. per milliliter seven weeks after operation. In contrast, patients with palliative therapy showed no change in CEA values. About half of the patients treated with a complete course of internal and external radiotherapy showed a drop of CEA levels to below 2.5 ng. per milliliter, whereas the other patients showed fluctuating CEA values. No correlation between clinical status and evolution of CEA levels in these patients could be drawn at the present time. The CEA test seems to be of little value for the earl of diagnosis of gynecologie carcinoma but appears to be interesting for the evaluation of therapy and the follow-up of patients with diagnosed cases.

Woody community dynamics in two fragments of "cerrado" stricto sensu over a seven-year period (1995-2002), MA, Brazil

This study was conducted in two fragments of "cerrado" stricto sensu in the Gerais de Balsas Colonization Project, located in southern Maranhão, Brazil. The objective was to evaluate the dynamics of the woody plant community, over seven years (1995-2002). Four transects of 160 × 20 m were monitored. All woody plants with a stem diameter > 3 cm, at 0.30 m above ground level, were recorded. In 1995, 983 and 1,177 stems were sampled in fragments 1 and 2, respectively; in 2002, 1057 and 1406 stems were sampled in the same fragments. In 1995, the Shannon diversity indices (H') were 3.07 and 3.33, in fragments 1 and 2, respectively, reaching their maximum value in 2002 of 3.11 and 3.35. The community of fragment 1 showed an increase of 7.5% in density and 4.4% in basal area between 1995 and 2002, while in fragment 2 there was an increment of 19.4% in density and 23.5% in basal area, over the same period. The annual increment in diameter was 0.13 cm year-1 and 0.17 cm year-1 in fragments 1 and 2, respectively. The mortality rate was 2.73% per year in fragment 1 and 4.88% per year in fragment 2, while the recruitment rate was 3.25% per year and 5.86% per year, respectively. The community presented high recruitment and mortality rates compared to the studies conducted in other sites, indicating a community that was highly dynamic in the period studied.