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The present study investigated the effects of teaching experience on teachers' self-efficacy in Kenyan secondary schools. The study used a sequential explanatory design and the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale. This scale consisted of a total of 24 items with eight items measuring each of the three domains of teacher self-efficacy: student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management. The face and content validities of the modified Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale were ascertained by two experts in Educational Psychology from a Kenyan university. The sample size of the study comprised 327 teachers obtained using stratified random sampling technique. The quantitative data was analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) but qualitative data from interviews was analyzed thematically. The MANOVA results demonstrate that the effects of experience on teachers' self-efficacy was significant, Wilk's [lambda] (7, 319 = 0.945, p = 0.019). The article concludes that Kenyan Teachers' Service Commission should utilize experienced teachers as resource persons who are attached to several schools.

The virtual classroom and distance education have created new teaching pedagogy. This study was carried out to investigate Virtual Classroom Instruction on Academic Performance of Educational Technology Students in Distance Education, Enugu State. The population for this study was limited to the Students in National Open University, Enugu study Centre. Simple random sampling technique was used to select forty respondents from the educational technology students. A researcher developed questionnaire was used to gather the needed data. Collected data were analyzed using frequency counts and percentage. The findings from this paper suggested that the students' acknowledged that the availability and use of virtual classroom influenced their academic performance. Although the virtual classroom available was adequate, it was not often utilized for instruction. Thus, the researcher recommended that the virtual classroom should be utilized for maximum learning.

Human blood exposed to irradiation absorbs electromagnetic energy which consequently effect temperature variation. The evaluation of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of human blood helps to ascertain the values for optimum laser power, time, and temperature variation for fair therapy to avoid blood-irradiation pollution but to enhance its rheological properties when using lasers. Prior knowledge of blood SAR evaluating its dielectric properties is significant, but this is under investigation. We investigate the appropriate SAR threshold value as affected by temperature variation using fundamental blood dielectric parameters to optimize the effect of low-level laser therapy based on physiological and morphological changes of the stimulated diabetic blood. Studies were carried out with Agilent 4294A impedance analyser at frequencies (40Hz – 30 MHz) and designed cells (cuvettes) comprises of electrodes were used in the pre- and post-irradiations measurements. At different laser power outputs, blood samples were subjected to various irradiation durations using portable laser diode-pumped solid state of wavelength 532 nm. Results showed laser at low energy is capable of moderating morphologically the proportion of abnormal diabetic red blood cells. Hence, there is a significant effect using a laser at low energy, as non-medicinal therapy in controlling diabetic health conditions. The positive biostimulation effects on the irradiated diabetic blood occurred within absorbance threshold SAR values range of 0.140?0.695 W/kg and average temperatures range of 24.2?28.0 0C before blood saturation absorbance peak. There is morphological stimulation at a laser power of 50 mW for an exposure time of 10–15 minutes and 60 mW for 5–10 minutes of laser therapy that demonstrates better blood rejuvenated conditions. This occurred within the threshold SAR of 0.140?0.695 W/kg and average temperatures range of 24.2?28.0 0C. Therefore, the diabetic blood irradiated using laser output powers of 70 and 80 mW during exposure durations of 5,10, 15 and 20 minutes rather bio-inhibits positive blood stimulation which has resulted to crenation due to excessive irradiation.

The aims of this MOU were to create an integrated environment for modeling traffic flow, sensor data, and the communications infrastructure for ATMIS. The research plan was to build separate tools for measuring the communications requirements of ATMIS traffic, modeling a mobile radio communications environment, and communications network design, and then to integrate them in an object-oriented environment from which one could also access existing or new road traffic simulation packages.Section 1 of the report presents a framework for estimating the vehicle-roadside communications requirements taking the San Francisco East Bay region as a case study and for determining whether existing wide-area wireless technologies can be used to support those requirements. The study should be viewed within the contexts provided by the National ITS Architecture and the California ITS System Architecture as presented in Caltrans’ Advanced Transportation Systems Program Plan. When completed, the study can serve as an example to follow for developing the communications needs for ITS deployment in California metropolitan regions.The second part of the report is prepared through a sub-contract to the University of Southern California and presented as a separate volume. It provides a modeling framework for the mobile radio communications environment.Section 2 of the report describes enhancements made to the NetPlan planning tool. NetPlan is a tool for designing wireline communication networks. It has models of LANs (eg. Ethernet) and WANs; standard communication protocols (eg. CSWCD, TCP/IP); and various simulation and network optimization tools. The NetPlan enhancements made under this project deal with incorporating ATM networks in NetPlan libraries. The detailed results appear in a PhD thesis.For reasons outlined in Section 3, the aim of integrating these tools in an object-oriented environment that could access traffic simulation packages was abandoned. In its place we have developed the framework presented in Section 1.

Despite dramatic advances in genomics, connecting genotypes to phenotypes is still challenging. Sexual genetics combined with linkage analysis is a powerful solution to this problem but generally unavailable in bacteria. We build upon a strong negative selection system to invent mass allelic exchange (MAE), which enables hybridization of arbitrary (including pathogenic) strains of Escherichia coli. MAE reimplements the natural phenomenon of random cross-overs, enabling classical linkage analysis. We demonstrate the utility of MAE with virulence-related gain-of-function screens, discovering that transfer of a single operon from a uropathogenic strain is sufficient for enabling a commensal E. coli to form large intracellular bacterial collections within bladder epithelial cells. MAE thus enables assaying natural allelic variation in E. coli (and potentially other bacteria), complementing existing loss-of-function genomic techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass wasting plays an important role in carbon cycling and sequestration by exposing fresh bedrock and delivering hillslope sediments to lowlands and fluvial systems. Chemical weathering signatures of landslide‐derived fluvial sediments can be used to understand linkages between hillslope and fluvial processes and thus to characterize spatiotemporal dynamics of sediments. However, chemical signatures of fluvial sediments derived by landslides are yet to be fully understood. Here, we compare the bulk chemistry, mineralogy, and grain size of fluvial sediments collected pre‐ and post‐Hurricane Maria in the Rio Guayanés and Rio Guayabo watersheds in southeastern Puerto Rico to help fill this knowledge gap. Comparison of the mud fraction (<63 μm) of fluvial sediments collected before Hurricane Maria with similar mud fractions collected after the storm reveals that the post‐hurricane muds exhibit a wider range and higher average weathering index values, but coarser grain size modes. We infer that small landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria transported slope materials from shallow depths, including weathered topsoil and saprolite, as opposed to previous deep‐seated landslides, which likely sampled regolith and bedrock. Variances in weathering indices observed that pre‐ and post‐hurricanes do not necessarily reflect average climate signatures, but rather reflect subtle differences in a transport mechanism, which produce significant differences in weathering indices recorded by fluvial sediments. We propose that weathering indices provide a means to understand sediment dynamics in mountainous regions, particularly for sediment transported immediately after landslides triggered by extreme events, such as precipitation and earthquakes, and also provide important data sets required for mapping potential carbon sequestration across landscapes. Plain Language Summary: Hurricane Maria caused heavy precipitation and widespread damage across Puerto Rico, including numerous landslides. We mapped the location and size of landslides that occurred in the 6 months following Hurricane Maria and compared sediments collected in June 2018 to samples collected in June 2014 to determine how hurricane‐induced landslides affect stream sediments. We found that numerous shallow landslides occurred immediately after Hurricane Maria. Sediments in the stream were more highly weathered than those collected before the hurricane, suggesting that the landslides delivered highly weathered soils to the stream system. This significant change in chemical weathering indices over less than a decade is not indicative of a significant shift in climate, instead the change is likely due to subtle changes in how sediments are delivered to streams via landslides. In addition, changes in stream chemistry post‐hurricane suggest that small landslides may lead to significant carbon sequestration as cations released via silicate weathering precipitate carbonate minerals downstream. Key Points: Hurricane Maria caused shallow landslides that delivered highly weathered soil to streamsChemical weathering values were higher in post‐hurricane sediments compared to sediments collected before the hurricaneShallow landslides due to hurricanes can expose fresh sediment to chemical weathering, thus sequestering carbon via carbonate precipitation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There aren't many mysteries about the financial challenges posed by the aging of America's population. While little consensus exists on how to shore up Social Security, there is widespread understanding [...]

THERE AREN'T MANY MYSTERIES ABOUT THE FINANCIAL challenges posed by the aging of America's population. While little consensus exists on how to shore up Social Security, there is widespread understanding […]