Improving literacy and metacognition with electronic portfolios: Teaching and learning with ePEARL

Can an electronic portfolio that is both a multimedia container for student work and a tool to support key learning processes have a positive impact on the literacy practices and self-regulated learning skills of students? This article presents the findings of a yearlong study conducted in three Canadian provinces during the 2007–2008 school year initially involving 32 teachers and 388 students. Due to varying levels of implementation our final data set included 14 teachers and 296 students. Using a non-equivalent pre-test/post-test design, we found that grade 4–6 students who were in classrooms where the teacher provided regular and appropriate use of the electronic portfolio tool ePEARL (i.e., medium–high implementation condition, n = 7 classrooms and 121 students), compared to control students (n = 7 classrooms and 175 students) who did not use ePEARL, showed significant improvements (p < .05) in their writing skills on a standardized literacy measure (i.e., the constructed response subtest of the Canadian Achievement Test-4th ed.) and certain metacognitive skills measured via student self-report. The results of this study indicate that teaching with ePEARL has positive impacts on students’ literacy and self-regulated learning skills when the tool is used regularly and integrated into classroom instruction.     

An Analytical Approach to the Concept of Counter-UA Operations (CUAOPS)

Unmanned Aircraft (UA) have become an integral part of the present-day joint air operations. UA have potential to be employed across the full spectrum of Air Force functions. On the other hand, UA technology could be a subject of an asymmetric use by state actors in high or low density conflict, and/or by non-state actors in many ways including terrorism, drug smuggling, and limited attack with unconventional payloads i.e. biological or chemical agents. Therefore countering the threat associated with the hostile UA use could be necessary in the future. First part of the research revealed that UA can be a threat in the future. In the second part of the research, the SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis supplemented with the Tree analysis (SWOT+Tree) provided a broader look for investigating the factors related to hostile UA use analytically. In literature, there is little information about the concepts for CUAOPS. The final goal of the paper is to find possible solutions and means for a better understanding of the nature of CUAOPS.     

Lipoprotein Subfraction Profile and HDL-Associated Enzymes in Sickle Cell Disease Patients

Although hypocholesterolemia is a reported finding in sickle cell disease (SCD), low-density lipoprotein (LDL)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions and HDL-associated enzymes have not been determined in SCD patients. Blood was collected from 38 hemoglobin (Hb)A volunteers and 45 homozygous HbSS patients who had not received blood transfusions in the last 3 months. Serum lipids were measured by automated analyzer while LDL and HDL subfraction analysis was done by continuous disc polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Serum levels of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), apolipoprotein B (apoB) and apolipoprotein A-1 (apoA-I) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were significantly decreased, while TG levels were significantly increased in SCD patients compared to controls. A significant decrease in intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL)-C, IDL-B, IDL-A and LDL-1 fractions were seen in SCD patients, while no significant difference was observed in small dense LDL particles. A significant decrease was seen in HDL-large, HDL-intermediate and HDL-small fractions in SCD patients versus controls. Levels of LCAT and ApoA-1 protein measured in SCD patients were significantly lower while no significant difference was observed in CETP and ApoB protein levels compared to controls. The reduction observed in LDL- and HDL-C in SCD patients was reflected as significantly decreased IDL, LDL-1 and HDL-subfractions. Decreased HDL subfractions may possibly lead to the reduced ApoA-1 and LCAT protein levels observed in SCD patients.     

Effect of different denture adhesives on retention of complete dentures: an in vivo study

The increase in prevalence of tooth loss with the effect of population aging produces the growing need for complete dentures. The success and acceptance of complete dentures by the patient depends on sufficient retention and stability. Therefore, denture adhesives are regularly used by denture wearers to improve the function of complete denture. We evaluated the effect of three different denture adhesives (Corega, Protefix, Fittydent) on the retention of maxillary complete denture (MCD) using with digital dynamometer (DD). For this purpose, denture adhesives were applied on MCDs of 30 participants. After chewing procedure, the force was applied at 45° to the palatal surface of denture by DD. Dislodgement force was recorded by means of Newton. There were four measurements on each patient including; group of control: Group C; Group CR: Corega; Group F: Fittydent; Group P: Protefix. The result of the study was statistically evaluated by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey HSD test. Statistics of ANOVA showed a significant difference among all the four groups (p = 0.00, <0.05). Tukey HSD test indicated that there was a statistical difference between Group F and the other groups, but there was not a significant difference between the other groups. The highest adhesive strength value was observed in group F, the lowest in group C. Use of denture adhesives improved the retentive strength of complete denture.     

Escherichia coli, enterococci, and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron qPCR signals through wastewater and septage treatment

Fecal indicators such as Escherichia coli and enterococci are used as regulatory tools to monitor water with 24 h cultivation techniques for possible input of sewage or feces and presence of potential enteric pathogens yet their source (human or animal) cannot be determined with routine methods. This critical uncertainty has furthered water pollution science toward new molecular approaches. Members of Bacteroides genus, such as Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron are found to have features that allow their use as alternative fecal indicators and for Microbial Source Tracking (MST). The overall aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration and fate of B. thetaiotaomicron, throughout a wastewater treatment facility and septage treatment facility. A large number of samples were collected and tested for E. coli and enterococci by both cultivation and qPCR assays. B. thetaiotaomicron qPCR equivalent cells (mean: 1.8 × 10⁷/100 mL) were present in significantly higher concentrations than E. coli or enterococci in raw sewage and at the same levels in raw septage. The removal of B. thetaiotaomicron target qPCR signals was similar to E. coli and enterococci DNA during the treatment of these wastes and ranged from 3 to 5 log₁₀ for wastewater and was 7 log₁₀ for the septage. A significant correlation was found between B. thetaiotaomicron marker and each of the conventional indicators throughout the waste treatment process for both raw sewage and septage. A greater variability was found with enterococci when compared to E. coli, and CFU and equivalent cells could be contrasted by various treatment processes to examine removal and inactivation via septage and wastewater treatment. These results are compared and contrasted with other qPCR studies and other targets in wastewater samples providing a view of DNA targets in such environments.     

Study of hourly solar radiation data in Istanbul

This paper presents a study of the solar radiation data measured in Istanbul (41.1°N, 29.0°E) during 1992 and 1993. The monthly and annual average values of total solar radiation and clearness index are analysed. The monthly averages of daily total radiation are 1.23 kW h m⁻² day⁻¹ for January and 6.55 kW h m⁻² day⁻¹ for July. The annual average value of daily total radiation is 3.81 kW h m⁻² day⁻¹. The monthly averages of clearness index for January and July are 0.28 and 0.50, respectively. The annual average value of clearness index is 0.38. In the second part of the study, the seasonal relative frequency of hourly total radiation and clearness index is studied. 46% of the annual data corresponds to a value greater than 300 W m⁻². The annual average frequency of clear hours is 24%. The analysis points to the conclusion that solar radiation will be efficient and useful between April and September for heating purposes. A polynomial relationship is developed between hourly clearness index and hourly fractional sunshine duration. Some statistical tests are used to check this relationship for four different ranges of optical air mass.     

Strength variability of single flax fibres

Due to the typical large variability in the measured mechanical properties of flax fibres, they are often employed only in low grade composite applications. The present study aims to investigate the reasons for the variability in tensile properties of flax fibres. It is found that an inaccuracy in the determination of the cross-sectional area of the fibres is one major reason for the variability in properties. By applying a typical circular fibre area assumption, a considerable error is introduced into the calculated mechanical properties. Experimental data, together with a simple analytical model, are presented to show that the error is increased when the aspect ratio of the fibre cross-sectional shape is increased. A variability in properties due to the flax fibres themselves is found to originate from the distribution of defects along the fibres. Two distinctive types of stress–strain behaviours (linear and nonlinear) of the fibres are found to be correlated with the amount of defects. The linear stress–strain curves tend to show a higher tensile strength, a higher Young’s modulus, and a lower strain to failure than the nonlinear curves. Finally, the fibres are found to fracture by a complex microscale failure mechanism. Large fracture zones are governed by both surface and internal defects; and these cause cracks to propagate in the transverse and longitudinal directions.     

Tracker-aware adaptive detection: An efficient closed-form solution for the Neyman–Pearson case

A promising line of research for radar systems attempts to optimize the detector thresholds so as to maximize the overall performance of a radar detector–tracker pair. In the present work, we attempt to move in a direction to fulfill this promise by considering a particular dynamic optimization scheme which relies on a non-simulation performance prediction (NSPP) methodology for the probabilistic data association filter (PDAF), namely, the modified Riccati equation (MRE). By using a suitable functional approximation, we propose a closed-form solution for the special case of a Neyman–Pearson (NP) detector. The proposed solution replaces previously proposed iterative solution formulations and results in dramatic improvement in computational complexity without sacrificed system performance. Moreover, it provides a theoretical lower bound on the detection signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) concerning when the whole tracking system should be switched to the track before detect (TBD) mode.     

Formation of Hybrid Inorganic/Organic Nanocomposites

Hybrid inorganic/organic nanocomposites were produced by the exposure of spun films of octa-(benzo-15-crown-5)-substituted phthalocyanine of Cd(II) to an environment of hydrogen sulfide gas. The formation of cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots in the metal free phthalocyanine matrix was identified in the phthalocyanine matrix from atomic force microscopy images. The mean size of CdS quantum dots was estimated to be 2–3 nm, from optical absorption and Raman spectra for the nanocomposites.     

Carpal tunnel syndrome: comparison of intraoperative structural changes with clinical and electrodiagnostic severity

The aim of this study is to grade the intraoperative findings seen in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) based on severity, and compare it with clinical and electrodiagnostic severity.Thirty-one hands surgically treated for CTS were graded according to the severity of clinical signs, and electrodiagnostic tests. Oedema, vascularisation, and fibrosis were graded on a scale of 1–3. Pseudoneuroma or ‘hour-glass’ formation were graded as either 0 or 1. The hands were allocated by an observer into an assumptive severity group, from grade 1 to 3. Clinical severity and electrodiagnostic severity were statistically compared with each other, and with each intraoperative severity criteria.A high statistical correlation (p<0.01) was found between clinical severity and vascularisation, fibrosis, and the assumptive intraoperative severity. No correlation could be demonstrated between electrodiagnostic severity and the intraoperative criteria.Intraoperative grading should be regarded as a supportive measure to the clinical evaluation in order to obtain a sound base for surgical intervention and internal neurolysis.