Self-efficacy and learning experience of information education: in case of junior high school

The purpose of this study is to make clear the relationships between student’s self-efficacy and learning experience of information education in case of junior high school. Two investigations were implemented in this study. The aim of first investigation was to grasp the present status of students’ feeling of effectiveness of their learning experience in information education. Also, the aim of second investigation was to verify the relationships between students’ self-efficacy and the abilities for information utilizing that promoted in information education. The first investigation with a question: “What kind of a learning experience do you feel is useful in your life?” was conducted on 426 junior high school students. As a result, almost half of the students feel effectiveness of gaining computer-operating skills in “Information and Computer” class. Also, it is suggested that utilization of Internet could promote the feeling of effectiveness in current daily lives. In second investigation, the relationship between self-efficacy and abilities for information utilizing was examined by using multi-regression analysis on 544 junior high school students. As a result, abilities for information utilizing were affected from self-evaluation of “social position of abilities” and “positive attitude to activities” in self-efficacy. Also, self-efficacy was affected from “processing ability of information” and “creation ability of information” in abilities for information utilizing. By the results of these investigations, it is suggested that these two factors are formed as a gradual cycle which promote each other. From these results, some suggestions for improvement of classroom activities in information education were proposed.     

Improvement of tribological characteristics under water lubrication of DLC-coatings by surface polishing

To achieve a hydraulic power system, it is important to control tribology because water has a lack of lubricity. Therefore, coated surface is necessary under water lubrication. Diamond-like-carbon (DLC)-coating is known as a useful material because of its high hardness and low friction, therefore it can be used as a coating durable for the water lubrication. Deposition methods of DLC-coating are developed in various ways. Particles called “droplets” are observed on the surface of DLC-coating depends on deposition methods and it can affect friction and wear properties. In this study, DLC-coating was prepared using a multi-cathode unbalanced magnetron sputtering (UBMS) system. The surface was polished with diamond slurry solution and aero lap to remove droplets. DLC-coatings were evaluated by tribo-tests before and after polishing. It is considered that some surface modification occurred. Moreover, the results of tribo-tests show that friction coefficients became lower and more stable than before polishing. Although partial delamination was observed after tribo-tests without polishing, no appreciable wear was observed after polishing.     

Swelling of hydrophilic polymers. II

The swelling of five types of Sephadex that are either nonionic (G) or possess one of four different ionic groups [sodium carboxymethyl (CM), sodium sulfopropyl (SP), diethyl-aminoethyl chloride (DEAE), diethyl - (2-hydroxypropyl) aminoethyl chloride (QAE)] in the same skeleton of the molecule has been studied by picture analysis and by calorimetry. Inducing dissociation of the ionic group in the polymer skeleton increased the water swelling. By the addition of sodium chloride, the maximum swelling volume of nonionic Sephadex was only slightly decreased. However, that of ionic polymers was considerably decreased. The variation of the apparent first-order rate constant of the swelling and that of the maximum swelling volume show the same tendency. The maximum heats of swelling were 93.2 ± 7.1 J g^?1 for G, 128.8 ± 9.1 J g^?1 for CM, 92.3 ± 8.0 J g^?1 for SP, 68.8 ± 10.5 J g^?1 for DEAE, and 67.0 ± 7.2 J g^?1 for QAE and did not depend on the concentration of sodium chloride. From the results obtained, we conclude that the nonionic Sephadex swells only by hydration but that ionic Sephadexes swell mainly by the osmotic pressure due to the counterions of the ionic groups and that the swelling ratio is not dependent on the kinds of ions but on the ionic concentration. Most of the water in the gels of ionic Sephadexes is free water that does not interact with the Sephadexes. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Development of a three-dimensional CDA analysis code: SIMMER-IV and its first application to reactor case

For the transition phase analysis of core disruptive accidents, the development of a three-dimensional reactor safety analysis code, SIMMER-IV, has been carried out based on the technology of the two-dimensional SIMMER-III code. The world first application of SIMMER-IV to a small-sized sodium-cooled fast reactor has also been attempted to clarify event progression in the early stage of the transition phase. This SIMMER-IV calculation is compared to the two-dimensional case calculated by SIMMER-III, neglecting the presence of control rod guide tubes. The present analysis with the three-dimensional representation suggests that the conventional scenario leading to rather early high-mobility fuel pool formation is unrealistic and the degraded core tends to keep low mobility in the early stage of transition phase.     

Crisscross addition polymerization of alkyl aldazines and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate

Crisscross addition polymerization of alkyl aldazines (i.e., acetaldehyde azine, propionaldehyde azine, and butyraldehyde azine (BuAz)) and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate (Ph(IC)₂) was investigated under various conditions. The crisscross addition polymerizations in pyridine yielded polymers in higher yields. The polymers obtained in the present study exhibited very limited solubilities and contained fractions insoluble in conventional organic solvents. However, since the BuAz/Ph(IC)₂ polymers obtained at 24 and 48 h were soluble in pyridine, the M_w values for these polymers were determined to be 2.2 × 10³ and 4.4 × 10³, respectively, by small angle X-ray scattering. These data indicated that molecular weights of the pyridine-insoluble polymers were as high as or close to 10⁴. IR, ¹H NMR, and MALDI-TOF-MS data confirmed the formation of linear polymers by crisscross addition polymerization. Thermogravimetric analyses indicated that the polymers were considerably decomposed in the region of 300-400 °C, but the polymers exhibited residual weights of 15-25% even at 500 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry data indicated that glass transition temperatures for the polymers were higher than the onset of decomposition presumably because of the rigid backbone.     

Synthesis, thermal and mechanical properties and biodegradation of branched polyamide 4

A series of linear and branched polyamide 4 were prepared and characterized in order to study the effect of the structure on thermal and mechanical properties. Polybasic acid chlorides were effective initiators for the synthesis of the branched polyamide 4. The melting points of the polyamide 4 for the high molecular weight region were near 265 °C and showed no significant difference depending on their chain structure. On the other hand, it was found that the branched polyamide 4 showed remarkable increase of tensile strength, compared to similar molecular weight of the linear polyamide 4 (e.g. four-branched type M_w=9.28×10⁴, tensile strength=72 MPa).When the initiator having branched structure were used, gel was also formed at the initiator concentration over a certain value (e.g. 3.0 mol% for 4-branched type).The biodegradation of the branched polyamide 4 was evaluated using a standard activated sludge (e.g. four-branched type M_w=8.25×10⁴, biodegradation 41%).     

Senescence Marker Protein-30 (SMP30) Deficiency Impairs Myocardium-Induced Dilation of Coronary Arterioles Associated with Reactive Oxygen Species

Senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) decreases with aging. Mice with SMP30 deficiency, a model of aging, have a short lifespan with increased oxidant stress. To elucidate SMP30’s effect on coronary circulation derived from myocytes, we measured the changes in the diameter of isolated coronary arterioles in wild-type (WT) mice exposed to supernatant collected from isolated paced cardiac myocytes from SMP30 KO or WT mice. Pacing increased hydrogen peroxide in myocytes, and hydrogen peroxide was greater in SMP30 KO myocytes compared to WT myocytes. Antimycin enhanced and FCCP (oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler in mitochondria) decreased superoxide production in both groups. Addition of supernatant from stimulated myocytes, either SMP30 KO or WT, caused vasodilation. The degree of the vasodilation response to supernatant was smaller in SMP30 KO mice compared to WT mice. Administration of catalase to arterioles eliminated vasodilation in myocyte supernatant of WT mice and converted vasodilation to vasoconstriction in myocyte supernatant of SMP30 KO mice. This vasoconstriction was eliminated by olmesartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist. Thus, SMP30 deficiency combined with oxidant stress increases angiotensin and hydrogen peroxide release from cardiac myocytes. SMP30 plays an important role in the regulation of coronary vascular tone by myocardium.     

Hydrothermal Corrosion and Strength Degradation of Aluminum Nitride Ceramics

The hydrothermal corrosion and strength degradation of aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics were investigated. The weight gain in AlN ceramics after corrosion occurred because of the formation of boehmite. The reaction kinetics of AlN with water were diffusion controlled through the boehmite product layer. At 180°C, immersion in water caused no strength degradation, and water vapor caused a 20% strength degradation. At 300°C, immersion in water caused a 20% strength degradation, and water vapor caused a 30% strength degradation.     

The multilevel measurement model: introduction to the special issue

An introduction to the special issue on the multilevel measurement model (MMM) is provided. The two- and three-level multilevel models for continuous outcomes are reviewed. The extension to the hierarchical generalized linear model and its use as a multilevel measurement model for dichotomous measurement indicators is demonstrated. The six articles in the special issue are described.