Sport education and extracurricular sport participation: an examination using the trans-contextual model of motivation

In this study, we used the trans-contextual model of motivation (TCM) to examine the effect of Sport Education (SE) on students' participation in a voluntary lunch recess sport club. A total of 192 participants (ages 9-14 years) completed measures of the TCM constructs before and after a 12-week SE intervention period. Participants had the opportunity to participate in weekly, voluntary lunch recess sport club sessions during the intervention period. SE elicited a moderate increase in autonomous motives in physical education. The TCM accounted for a significant proportion of the explained variance in lunch recess sport club intention and participation. Autonomy-supportive curricular models, such as SE, may have the potential to facilitate transfer of motivation and participation in physical activity from a physical education to an extracurricular context.     

Advances in Data Capture for Museum Collections

The article presents and compares three methodologies for the capture, or digitization, of data associated with specimens or artifacts in museum collections and describes the “grassroots” level application of computer technology. This approach of data capture is strategic and businesslike, uses the best tools available at the time, and is highly cost-effective. We suggest that the benefits are so significant that getting up-to-date equipment and training workers to use it should be given a high priority. Such equipment is frequently present, but is being used in a way that provides far less real benefit than is possible using the techniques described in this article.     

Bifurcation analysis of a microcantilever in AFM system

The atomic force microscope system (AFM) has become a popular and useful instrument to measure the intermolecular forces with atomic resolution that can be applied in electronics, biological analysis, materials, semiconductors, etc. This paper studies the bifurcation phenomenon and complex nonlinear dynamic behavior of the probe tip between the sample and microcantilever of an atomic force microscope using the differential transformation method. The dynamic behavior of the probe tip is characterized with reference to bifurcation diagrams, phase portraits, power spectra, Poincaré maps, and maximum Lyapunov exponent plots produced using the time-series data obtained from differential transformation method. The results indicate that the probe tip behavior is significantly dependent on the magnitude of the vibrational amplitude. Specifically, the probe tip motion changes from T-periodic to 3T-periodic, then from 6T-periodic to multi-periodic, and finally to chaotic motion with windows of periodic motion as the vibrational amplitude is increased from 0 to 5.0. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the differential transformation method is in good agreement for the considered system.     

Subordination and superordination properties of multivalent functions defined by certain integral operator

For normalized multivalent functions, we study different applications of the theory of differential subordination and superordination, that are connected to a recent linear operator defined by Liu and Owa.     

Three Cases of Lead Toxicity Associated with Consumption of Ayurvedic Medicines

Ayurveda is a traditional form of medicine used by majority of the Indians. Here we report three cases of lead toxicity, following intake of Ayurvedic medicines. Three patients presented with blood lead levels (BLLs) of 122.4, 115 and 42.8 μg/dl respectively at the time of hospitalization. The first case was chelated with D- penicillamine, the second with calcium disodium ethylene diamino tetra acetate (EDTA) and the third with environmental intervention and education. Associated Ayurvedic products were collected from patients and analyzed for metallic concentration. Cessation of Ayurvedic medication along with chelation, nutritional intervention and education, reduced the BLL to 27.4 μg/dl in the first case after 1 year, 21.1 μg/dl after 9 months in the second and 18.2 μg/dl after 6 months in the third case.     

Biochemical and genetic studies on cardiometabolic syndrome

Cardiometabolic syndrome is one of the major public health issues of this century which describes a cluster of clinical characteristics. Seventy two patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and cardiometabolic syndrome and forty healthy age and sex matched normal controls were selected for this study. Detailed clinical epidemiological and anthropometric characteristics were noted. Lipid profile and Cytokinesis-block micronuclei (CBMN) assay using cytochalasin B were carried out in all the subjects. Serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol was significantly higher and HDL cholesterol was significantly lower in patients compared to their normal counter-parts (P<0.05). CBMN frequency of the patients was significantly higher at all ages compared to their normal counter parts (P<0.05). Various risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, smoking and alcoholism were found influenced the CBMN frequency; but the changes were not significant. From this study it can be concluded that DNA damage was found to be higher in patients with cardiometabolic syndrome which may be attributed to the generation of free radicals associated with alcohol consumption, tobacco use, dyslipidemia and glucose intolerance and the accumulation of free radicals with increase in age.     

An Automated Item Pool Assembly Framework for Maximizing Item Utilization for CAT

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has gained deserved popularity in the administration of educational and professional assessments, but continues to face test security challenges. To ensure sustained quality assurance and testing integrity, it is imperative to establish and maintain multiple stable item pools that are consistent in terms of psychometric characteristics and content specifications. This study introduces the Honeycomb Pool Assembly (HPA) framework, an innovative solution for the construction of multiple parallel item pools for CAT that maximizes item utilization in the item bank. The HPA framework comprises two stages—cell assembly and pool assembly—and uses a mixed integer programming modeling approach. An empirical study demonstrated HPA's effectiveness in creating a large number of parallel pools using a real-world high-stakes CAT assessment item bank. The HPA framework offers several advantages, including (a) simultaneous creation of multiple parallel pools, (b) simplification of item pool maintenance, and (c) flexibility in establishing statistical and operational constraints. Moreover, it can help testing organizations efficiently manage and monitor the health of their item banks. Thus, the HPA framework is expected to be a valuable tool for testing professionals and organizations to address test security challenges and maintain the integrity of high-stakes CAT assessments.     

美国加州:阳光照耀的留学生活(三) 母语和韩国白领李尚美

与此女的认识过程显然要轻松许多,原因是我能够在一定程度上使用她的母语。除了课堂以外,和她一起工作的经历,也成了我宝贵的留学回忆。她便是赴美进修的韩国白领李尚美。     

Developing experience-based (tacit) knowledge through reflection

This investigation examined the effectiveness of reflection methods derived from Sternberg's theory of practical intelligence [Sternberg, R.J., and Hedlund, J. (2002). Practical intelligence, g, and work psychology. Human Performance 15(1/2), 143–160.; Sternberg, R.J., Forsythe, G.B., Hedlund, J., Horvath, H.A., Wagner, R.K., Williams, W.M., et al. (2000). Practical intelligence in everyday life. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2000] on the acquisition of experience-based, tacit knowledge. Two related experimental studies were conducted to test the effect of brief tacit-knowledge reflection training on practical problem solving. Reflection methods were developed based on Sternberg's conceptualized condition–action structure of tacit knowledge. In the first study, 101 U.S. Army officers participated in a reflection intervention or practice control. Results showed an effect of reflection condition on post-test tacit-knowledge scores (F [3, 91] = 3.74, p = .01, 2 = .03). In the second study, 235 college students participated in a reflection intervention or an academic-type reflection control. Results showed that the reflection condition approached significance on post-test scores (F [1, 233] = 3.47, p = .06, p = .06, 2 = .01). The investigation suggests this line of inquiry warrants continued study.