Search

MRO-MARCI daily global mapping images from 16 November 2006 (Ls = 111.4°) through 15 July 2017 (Ls = 33.5°), covering portions of seven consecutive Martian years (MY 28 – MY 34), were used in a survey of dust storm activity within 2000 km radius of the final three candidate sites for the 2020 Mars Rover mission (Columbia Hills at 14.59° S 175.53° E, North East Syrtis at 17.89° N 77.16° E, and Jezero at 18.39° N 77.54° E). A total of 1321 dust storms (1228 local, 93 regional) were observed. Storms were observed in all seasons, but showed distinct seasonal trends. Columbia Hills monitoring area experienced eastward traversing polar hood/seasonal cap edge storms during southern autumn and winter, with a gradual transition during southern spring to northern hemisphere storms along the Elysium and Arcadia-Amazonis tracks with winter dominated by the northern hemisphere storms. Syrtis sitess were dominated by cap edge storms during northern spring, transitioning to subtropical (Syrtis Major and north of Hellas Basin) storms in both hemispheres during northern summer, with autumn bringing continued storm activity in the southern subtropics and increased activity along the Utopia cross-equatorial storm-track, followed in winter by a transition back to north polar hood/seasonal cap edge storms. Peak storm frequency occurs during autumn for the Syrtis sites and winter for Columbia Hills site. During the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) season, Ls = 345–25°, the daily probability of dust storm activity at the landing sites ranged from ≤ 1.6% for the Columbia Hills to ≤ 3.2% for Syrtis sites. For EDL sol (Ls ∼ 6°), storm probabilities drop to approximately 0.0% for Columbia Hills and ranged from 0.6–1.2% for the other sites, indicating that storms are of minimum concern for EDL.

Daily, global wide angle imaging of Mars clouds in MARCI (MARs Color Imager, (Malin et al., 2008)) ultraviolet and visible bands reveals the spatial/seasonal distributions and physical characteristics of perihelion cloud trails (PCT); a class of high altitude (40–50 km), horizontally extended (200–1000 km, trending W to WSW) water ice clouds formed over specific southern low-to-mid latitude (5S-40S), mesoscale ( ∼ 50 km) locations during the Mars perihelion, southern summer season. PCT were first reported in association with rim regions of Valles Marineris (Clancy et al., 2009). The current study employs MARCI 2007–2011 imaging to sample the broader distributions and properties of PCT; and indicates several distinct locations of peak occurrences, including SW Arsia Mons, elevated regions of Syria, Solis, and Thaumasia Planitia, along Valles Marineris margins, and the NE rim of Hellas Basin. PCT are present over Mars solar longitudes ( L S ) of 210–310 ° , in late morning to mid afternoon hours (10 am–3 pm), and are among the brightest and most distinctive clouds exhibited during the perihelion portion of the Mars orbit. Their locations ( i.e. , eastern margin origins) correspond to strong local elevation gradients, and their timing to peak solar heating conditions (perihelion, subsolar latitudes and midday local times). They occur approximately on a daily basis among all locations identified ( i.e. , not daily at a single location). Based on cloud surface shadow analyses, PCT form at 40–50 km aeroid altitudes, where water vapor is generally at near-saturation conditions in this perihelion period (e.g. Millour et al., 2014). They exhibited notable absences during periods of planet encircling and regional dust storm activity in 2007 and 2009, respectively, presumably due to reduced water saturation conditions above 35–40 km altitudes associated with increased dust heating over the vertically extended atmosphere (e.g. Neary et al., 2019). PCT exhibit smaller particle sizes (R e f f =0.2-0.5 μ m ) than typically exhibited in the lower atmosphere, and incorporate significant fractions of available water vapor at these altitudes. PCT ice particles are inferred to form continuously (over ∼ 4 h) at their PCT eastern origins, associated with localized updrafts, and are entrained in upper level zonal/meridional winds (towards W or WSW with ∼ 50 m/s speeds at 40–50 km altitudes) to create long, linear cloud trails. PCT cloud formation is apparently forced in the lower atmosphere ( ≤ 10–15 km) by strong updrafts associated with distinctive topographic gradients, such as simulated in mesoscale studies (e.g., Tyler and Barnes, 2015) and indicated by the surface-specific PCT locations. These lower scale height updrafts are proposed to generate vertically propagating gravity waves (GW), leading to PCT formation above ∼ 40 km altitudes where water vapor saturation conditions promote vigorous cloud ice formation. Recent mapping of GW amplitudes at ∼ 25 km altitudes, from Mars Climate Sounder 15 μ m radiance variations (Heavens et al., 2020) in fact demonstrates close correspondences to the detailed spatial distributions of observed PCT, relative to other potential factors such as surface albedo and surface elevation (or related boundary layer depths).

This chapter offers an overview of optical mapping concepts and provides details related to various applications of this technique to visualize the normal and abnormal rhythms of the heart. It enables the visualization of activation propagation and determination of relative conduction velocity of electrical activity of the heart and can be used to assess action potential duration at various levels of repolarization. Optical mapping can also be utilized to visualize different types of arrhythmias in the heart, such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. This technique has been widely employed to visualize, predict, and control the onset of abnormal cardiac rhythms such as alternans. Optical mapping can also be beneficial in studying acute changes in cardiac electrophysiological properties of the heart during various disease states and also to develop and evaluate therapeutic strategies.

Erosion of pits in the residual south polar cap (RSPC) of Mars concurrent with deposition and fluctuating cap boundaries raises questions about the mass balance and long term stability of the cap. Determining a mass balance by measurement of a net gain or loss of atmospheric CO 2 by direct pressure measurements (Haberle, R.M. et al. [2014]. Secular climate change on Mars: An update using one Mars year of MSL pressure data. American Geophysical Union (Fall). Abstract 3947), although perhaps the most direct method, has so far given ambiguous results. Estimating volume changes from imaging data faces challenges, and has previously been attempted only in isolated areas of the cap. In this study we use 6 m/pixel Context Imager (CTX) data from Mars year 31 to map all the morphologic units of the RSPC, expand the measurement record of pit erosion rates, and use high resolution images to place limits on vertical changes in the surface of the residual cap. We find the mass balance in Mars years 9–31 to be −6 to +4 km 3 /♂y, or roughly −0.039% to +0.026% of the mean atmospheric CO 2 mass/♂y. The indeterminate sign results chiefly from uncertainty in the amounts of deposition or erosion on the upper surfaces of deposits (as opposed to scarp retreat). Erosion and net deposition in this period appear to be controlled by summertime planetary scale dust events, the largest occurring in MY 9, another, smaller one in MY 28. The rates of erosion and the deposition observed since MY 9 appear to be consistent with the types of deposits and erosional behavior found in most of the residual cap. However, small areas ( 100 ♂y) of depositional and/or erosional conditions different from those occurring in the period since MY 9, although these environmental differences could be subtle.

A plethora of literature suggests that collaborative partnerships among families, educators, and outside service providers are necessary and beneficial to address behavior problems, but there continues to be a lack of coordination among these stakeholders. The current study used conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) to facilitate the development and implementation of collaborative intervention plans. Parents, teachers, and an outside mental health provider worked together to create and support behavioral intervention plans that were implemented at home and school. The results of this multiple baseline study indicate that collaborative interventions developed through the CBC process were effective in improving behavior at home and school. More specifically, visual analysis of the data, along with calculated effect sizes, showed an increase in the percentage of time that all 3 participants complied with expectations during problematic routines at home and school. Implications, limitations, and futu...

Diminished parasympathetic influence is central to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure and hypertension. Stimulation of the vagus nerve has shown promise in treating cardiovascular disease, prompting renewed interest in understanding the signaling pathway(s) that mediate the vagal influence on cardiac physiology. Here, we evaluated the contribution of G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK/Kir3) channels to the effect of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), and arrhythmogenesis in anesthetized mice. As parasympathetic fibers innervate both atria and ventricle, and GIRK channels contribute to the cholinergic impact on atrial and ventricular myocytes, we collected in vivo electrocardiogram recordings from mice lacking either atrial or ventricular GIRK channels, during VNS. VNS decreased HR and increased HRV in control mice, in a muscarinic receptor-dependent manner. This effect was preserved in mice lacking ventricular GIRK channels, but was nearly completely absent in mice lacking GIRK channels in the atria. In addition, atrial-specific ablation of GIRK channels conferred resistance to arrhythmic episodes induced by VNS. These data indicate that atrial GIRK channels are the primary mediators of the impact of VNS on HR, HRV, and arrhythmogenesis in the anesthetized mouse.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project successfully landed the rover Curiosity in Gale crater in August 5, 2012, thus demonstrating and validating a series of technical innovations and advances which resulted in a quantum leap in Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) performance relative to previous missions. These included the first use at Mars of Entry Guidance to reduce the size of the landing ellipse and the first use of the SkyCrane landing architecture to enable the placement of a 1 ton class rover on the surface of the red planet. Both of these advances required innovations in the design, analysis and testing of the Guidance, Navigation, and Control system. This paper will start with a high-level description of the MSL EDL/GN&C system design and performance requirements, followed by a brief discussion of the risks and uncertainties as they were understood prior to landing, and the actual in-flight GN&C performance as reconstructed from telemetry. Finally, this paper will address areas of improvements for future Mars EDL missions.

Cardiac alternans, a beat-to-beat alternation in action potential duration (APD), can lead to fatal arrhythmias. During periodic pacing, changes in diastolic interval (DI) depend on subsequent changes in APD, thus enhancing cardiac instabilities through a ‘feedback’ mechanism. Recently, an anti-arrhythmic Constant DI pacing protocol was proposed and shown to be effective in suppressing alternans in 0D and 1D in silico studies. However, previous experimental validation of Constant DI pacing in the heart has been unsuccessful due to the spatio-temporal complexity of 2D cardiac tissue and the technical challenges in its real-time implementation. Here, we developed a novel closed loop system to detect T-waves from real-time ECG data, enabling successful implementation of Constant DI pacing protocol, and performed high-resolution optical mapping experiments on isolated whole rabbit hearts to validate its anti-arrhythmic effects. The results were compared with: (1) Periodic pacing (feedback inherent) and (2) pacing with heart rate variability (HRV) (feedback modulation) introduced by using either Gaussian or Physiological patterns. We observed that Constant DI pacing significantly suppressed alternans in the heart, while maintaining APD spatial dispersion and flattening the slope of the APD restitution curve, compared to traditional Periodic pacing. In addition, introduction of HRV in Periodic pacing failed to prevent cardiac alternans, and was arrhythmogenic.

Clinically, healthy hearts have been associated with a high ventricular heart rate variability (HRV) while diseased hearts have been known to exhibit low ventricular HRV. Hence, low HRV is suggested to be a marker of cardiac ventricular arrhythmias. Over the past few years, there has been considerable amount of interest in incorporating HRV in pacing to emulate healthy heart conditions and re-stabilize the electrical activity in diseased hearts. Recently, we used single cell numerical simulations to demonstrate that HRV incorporated into periodic pacing promotes alternans formation and thus, can be pro-arrhythmic. Here, we performed high-resolution optical mapping experiments on Langendorff perfused, healthy whole mice hearts to validate our numerical findings. Our results indeed demonstrate that HRV promoted the onset of cardiac alternans, which is believed to be a precursor of fatal cardiac rhythms. Hence, our present study suggests that incorporating HRV into periodic pacing while addressing several clinical needs may not be safe. There is a pressing need to better understand paced cardiac dynamics and develop anti-arrhythmic pacing techniques that would prevent cardiac arrhythmias.

International audience; Since July of 2009, The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectral Mapper (CRISM) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has periodically obtained pole-to-pole observations (i.e., full MRO orbits) of limb scanned visible/near IR spectra (λ=0.4-4.0 μm, △λ ∼ 10 nm- Murchie et al., 2007). These CRISM limb observations support the first seasonally and spatially extensive set of Mars 1.27 μm O2(1△g)dayglow profile retrievals (∼ 1100) over ≥ 8 to 80 km altitudes. Their comparison to Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) global climate model (GCM) simulated O2(1△g)volume emission rate (VER) profiles, as a function of altitude, latitude, and season (solar longitude, Ls), supports several key conclusions regarding Mars atmospheric water vapor (which is derived from O2(1△g)emission rates), Mars O3, and the collisional de-excitation of O2(1△g)in the Mars CO2 atmosphere. Current (Navarro et al., 2014) LMDGCM simulations of Mars atmospheric water vapor fall 2-3 times below CRISM derived water vapor abundances at 20-40 km altitudes over low-to-mid latitudes in northern spring (Ls=30-60°), and northern mid-to-high latitudes over northern summer (Ls=60-140°). In contrast, LMDGCM simulated water vapor is 2-5 times greater than CRISM derived values at all latitudes and seasons above 40 km, within the aphelion cloud belt (ACB), and over high-southern to mid-northern latitudes in southern summer (Ls=190-340°) at 15-35 km altitudes. Overall, the solstitial summer-to-winter hemisphere gradients in water vapor are reversed between the LMDGCM modeled versus the CRISM derived water vapor abundances above 10-30 km altitudes. LMDGCM-CRISM differences in water vapor profiles correlate with LMDGCM-CRISM differences in cloud mixing profiles; and likely reflect limitations in simulating cloud microphysics and radiative forcing, both of which restrict meridional transport of water from summer-to-winter hemispheres on Mars (Clancy et al., 1996; Montmessin et al., 2004; Steele et al., 2014; Navarro et al., 2014) and depend on uncertain cloud microphysical properties (Navarro et al., 2014). The derived low-to-mid latitude changes in Mars water vapor vertical distributions should reduce current model-data disagreements in column O3 and H2O2 abundances over low-to-mid latitudes (e.g., within the ACB; Lefèvre et al., 2008; Encrenaz et al., 2015; Clancy et al., 2016). Lastly, the global/seasonal average comparison of CRISM and LMDGCM O2(1△g)VER below 20 km altitudes indicates a factor of ∼ 3 times lower value (0.25 x 10−20 cm3sec−1) for the CO2 collisional de-excitation rate coefficient of O2(1△g)than derived recently by Guslyakova et al. (2016).

Cardiovascular disease degrades the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system. Cyclic vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an already FDA‐approved therapy for drug‐resistant epilepsy and depression, and has been shown to normalize autonomic function and improve objective measures of heart function and subjective measures of heart failure symptoms. However, it remains unclear whether VNS may induce negative effects in patients with potentially healthy hearts where VNS can be used for epileptic patients. Hence, this study aims to investigate the effects of VNS on the hearts of healthy rats with normal autonomic balance. Sprague–Dawley rats were implanted with stimulators and randomized to either Sham or VNS groups. Rats in VNS group received 10 weeks of chronic intermittent VNS via stimulation of the right cervical vagus nerve. Echocardiography was performed at Baseline (prior to VNS), Week 2, and Week 9. After 10 weeks, high‐resolution optical mapping was performed in ex vivo perfused hearts to evaluate the electrophysiological remodeling that occurs in the heart as a result of the VNS therapy. Chronic VNS modified the electrophysiological properties of healthy rat hearts by reducing the action potential duration at 50% (APD 50) and 80% (APD 80) repolarization. Chronic VNS also affected the restitution properties of the heart at the APD 50 level and increased myocardial conduction velocity (CV). VNS did not induce any significant changes to ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and spatial dispersion of APD, thus indicating that VNS did not negatively affect cardiac function. VNS also reduced the susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias (ventricular fibrillation [VF] and ventricular tachycardia [VT]) during ex vivo programmed electrical stimulation. In summary, chronic application of cyclic VNS induces changes to the electrophysiological properties of healthy rat hearts. The observed decrease in APD and increase in CV suggest that the beneficial effects of VNS do not require the presence of existing autonomic imbalance.

Evaluators are frequently asked to assess the effectiveness of school programs implemented to improve academic achievement. School connectedness has been shown to be directly related to academic achievement (McNeely, Nonnemaker, & Blum, 2002) and is therefore of interest to evaluators. The construct of school connectedness has been shown to consist of 3 elements: connectedness to adults in schools, connectedness to peers, and connectedness to the school (Karcher & Lee, 2002). This paper reports the psychometric properties and factor analyses findings from a School Connectedness Scale (SCS) given to adolescents in 2 very different high schools in the Northeast, one a large urban school and one a medium-sized suburban school. The results indicate that the SCS is highly reliable with a stable factor structure across diverse populations. The broad applications of use for the instrument are discussed.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an approved therapy for treatment of epilepsy and depression. While also shown to be promising in several preclinical and clinical studies to treat cardiovascular diseases, optimal therapeutic stimulation paradigms are still under investigation. Traditionally, parameters such as frequency, current, and duty cycle are used to adjust the efficacy of VNS therapy. This study explored the effect of novel stochastic VNS (S-VNS) on acute heart rate (HR) dynamics. The effect of S-VNS was evaluated in Sprague Dawley rats by comparing the acute HR and HR variability (HRV) responses to standard, periodic VNS (P-VNS) across different frequencies (FREQs, 10–30 Hz). Our results demonstrate that both S-VNS and P-VNS produced negative chronotropic effects in a FREQ-dependent manner with S-VNS inducing a significantly smaller drop in HR at 10 Hz and 20 Hz compared to P-VNS (p

This study examined two areas. First, the authors looked at whether secondary individualized education program (IEP) teams who used the Transition Planning Inventory (TPI) in conjunction with a structured IEP meeting that based discussions and decisions on TPI data as a planning intervention generated significantly more transition-related IEP goals. Second, the authors examined (a) whether parents reported after IEP meetings that they felt they had been heard and valued in their structured IEP process and (b) if all legally required transition-related IEP components had been discussed. From a convenience sample of three high schools in one large Midwestern suburban special education cooperative, 56 students and their families were randomly assigned to a control or an experimental (TPI and structured IEP process) group. Results indicated significantly more transition-related goals for the experimental group. In addition, parents of students in the experimental group were likely to report more satisfaction with the IEP process.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the relationship among different dimensions of trait anxiety (social concerns, physiological anxiety, and worry/oversensitivity), demographic variables (age and gender), and school adjustment (attitude to school and attitude to teachers) in children and adolescents. The study participants, consisting of 206 children and adolescents (100 males and 106 females), ages 9 to 19, in grades 4 through 12, completed several self-report measures of anxiety and school adaptation. Results of two multiple-regression analyses revealed that (a) the social concerns dimension of trait anxiety and age were significant predictors of attitude to teachers and (b) the dimensions of social concerns and physiological anxiety, and gender were significant predictors of attitude to school. Implications of the findings for school personnel are discussed.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter observes Mars from a nearly circular, polar orbit. From this vantage point, the Mars Color Imager extends the ∼5 Mars years record of Mars Global Surveyor global, visible-wavelength multi-color observations of meteorological events and adds measurements at three additional visible and two ultraviolet wavelengths. Observations of the global distribution of ozone (which anti-correlates with water vapor) and water ice and dust clouds allow tracking of atmospheric circulation. Regional and local observations emphasize smaller scale atmospheric dynamics, especially those related to dust lifting and subsequent motion. Polar observations detail variations related to the polar heat budget, including changes in polar frosts and ices, and storms generated at high thermal contrast boundaries.

The Test Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adolescents (TAICA) is a new multidimensional measure used to assess test anxiety in elementary and secondary school students. The TAICA is a 45-item self-report measure consisting of a Total Test Anxiety scale, four debilitating test anxiety subscales (Cognitive Obstruction/Inattention, Physiological Hyperarousal, Social Humiliation, and Worry), a facilitating test anxiety scale (Performance Enhancement/ Facilitation Anxiety), and a Lie scale. In the present study, the psychometric properties of the TAICA scores are examined with a volunteer sample of 206 children and adolescents. Results of the study indicate that the TAICA scores have strong to very strong internal consistency reliability and temporal stability (1- to 3-week test-retest interval). Evidence supporting the construct validity of the TAICA scores was found.

Hypertension (HTN) is the single greatest risk factor for potentially fatal cardiovascular diseases. One cause of HTN is inappropriately increased sympathetic nervous system activity, suggesting that restoring the autonomic nervous balance may be an effective means of HTN treatment. Here, we studied the potential of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to treat chronic HTN and cardiac arrhythmias through stimulation of the right cervical vagus nerve in hypertensive rats. Dahl salt-sensitive rats (n = 12) were given a high salt diet to induce HTN. After 6 weeks, rats were randomized into two groups: HTN-Sham and HTN-VNS, in which VNS was provided to HTN-VNS group for 4 weeks. In vivo blood pressure and electrocardiogram activities were monitored continuously by an implantable telemetry system. After 10 weeks, rats were euthanized and their hearts were extracted for ex vivo electrophysiological studies using high-resolution optical mapping. Six weeks of high salt diet significantly increased both mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure, demonstrating successful induction of HTN in all rats. After 4 weeks of VNS treatment, the increase in MAP and the number of arrhythmia episodes in HTN-VNS rats was significantly attenuated when compared to those observed in HTN-Sham rats. VNS treatment also induced changes in electrophysiological properties of the heart, such as reduction in action potential duration (APD) during rapid drive pacing, slope of APD restitution, spatial dispersion of APD, and increase in conduction velocity of impulse propagation. Overall, these results provide further evidence for the therapeutic efficacy of VNS in HTN and HTN-related heart diseases.

This exploratory study included functional behavioral assessment (FBA) within the student assistance team (SAT) process to examine: (a) whether SATs could select interventions related to behavior function; (b) at what stage (i.e., referral, descriptive, interpretative, verification) SAT members most accurately selected interventions related to behavior function; and (c) potential patterns of statements made by team members using the Consultation Analysis Record (Bergan & Tombari, 1975). Results of this exploratory study suggest that SAT members selected interventions related to the identified behavior function without a final trial intervention (i.e., verification stage). The use of FBA in the SAT process seemed to influence patterns of verbal interactions among team members. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity landed on Mars on August 5th, 2012. In the past year of surface operations, MSL has accomplished complex post-landing subsystem checkouts of all of its subsystems and achieved many of its primary mission goals. While much of MSL’s operations process is based on Mars Exploration Rover (MER) operations, the Supratactical process is new to MSL. Like MER, the MSL rover is commanded every sol (Martian day) through a ‘tactical’ planning process, with the plan for a sol dependent on evaluation of the results from the prior sol. However, unlike MER, many MSL activities require coordinated multi-sol campaigns involving engineering and science instrument teams distributed around the world. The MSL Supratactical process was thus developed to coordinate strategic inputs to tactical planning and assess upcoming rover activities in light of the latest rover conditions. The Supratactical process provides a way to manage complexity and discover issues early, decreasing the chance that the tactical process will get overloaded and therefore have to reject activities, or that any threats to the rover ever reach the vehicle. The Supratactical process helps mitigate risks and identify opportunities in the upcoming rover activity plans by coordinating science and engineering priorities and constraints prior to the tactical process. As a result, it facilitates more optimal planning of rover activities during multi-sol campaigns. With a rover and payload significantly more complex than that of MER, and many operational constraints, the Supratactical process enables MSL to implement complicated plans on a MER-style tactical timeline. The Supratactical process has evolved to meet changing needs during the first year of MSL surface operations. Many of the lessons learned while applying the process during the early MSL checkout phase have enabled more efficient operations during the first sampling campaigns. That experience is now informing new changes to the process, as it is adapted during the long drive campaign to Mount Sharp. In all of the different phases of MSL surface operations to date, the Supratactical process has contributed to the rich science return of the mission by helping optimize rover plans and working constraints early. Future planetary surface missions of MSL-level complexity, which require both tactical planning as well as coordinated multi-sol campaigns, may benefit from a similar Supratactical process to enhance their mission return.

This study examined the psychometric properties of a set of preliteracy measures modified from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) with a sample of 75 kindergarten students. The modified battery (called DIBELS-M) includes measures of Letter Naming Fluency, Sound Naming Fluency, Initial Phoneme Ability, and Phonemic Segmentation Ability. These measures were assessed through repeated administrations in 2-week intervals at the end of the kindergarten year. Interrater reliability estimates and coefficients of stability and equivalence for three of the measures ranged from .80 to the mid .90s with about one-half of the coefficients above .90. Correlations between DIBELSM scores and criterion measures of phonological awareness, standardized achievement measures, and teacher ratings of achievement yielded concurrent validity coefficients ranging from .60 to .70. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the four DIBELS-M measures accounted for 73% of the variance in scores on the Skills Cluster of the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery--Revised (WJ-R). The results of the analysis support the use of the DIBELS-M measures for identification of kindergarten students who are at-risk for reading failure and for progress monitoring. The contributions of the study, including psychometric analysis of the DIBELS-M with a new sample and formation of composite scores, are discussed in relation to the extant literature. Within the current climate of school reform initiatives, alternative assessment methods have been widely promoted in the field of education (Bagnato, Neisworth, & Munson, 1989; Miller, 1995). This pressure for changes in the nature of assessments has grown from the assumption that good assessment is an integral part of good instruction and that conventional child assessments do not yield instructionally relevant information (Herman, Aschbacher, & Winters, 1992). The pressure for changes in assessment practices for very young children has been more pronounced than for older school-aged students because of the limited technical adequacy of current developmental and readiness instruments (Drieling & Copeland, 1988; Meisels, Wiske, & Tivnan; 1984; Tramontana, Hooper, & Selzer, 1988). This emphasis on the inseparability of curriculum and assessment and the premise that assessment activities should contribute to instructional improvement has raised major challenges for educational measurement. Many of the alternative assessment methods have not been evaluated for technical adequacy or have yielded low reliability and/or validity estimates (Koretz, Stecher, Klein, & McCaffrey, 1994; Linn & Baker, 1996; Moss, 1992; Shavelson, Baxter, & Pine, 1992). Performance-based assessment, student portfolios, authentic assessment, curriculum-based assessment, and curriculum-based measurement have all been described in the literature and used by school psychologists as forms of alternative assessment (Shinn, 1995). However, considerable variability remains in the technical attributes and feasibility of implementation for these instruments (Burstein, 1994; Lane, Stone, Ankenmann, & Liu, 1992). Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is one of the few alternative forms of assessment where an impressive body of data supports the technical adequacy and the practical application of these techniques in the assessment of young children (Deno, 1985; Deno & Fuchs, 1987; Fuchs, Deno, & Mirkin, 1984; Fuchs & Fuchs, 1997; Germann & Tindal, 1985; Marston & Magnusson, 1985; Shinn, 1989). School psychologists have used curriculum-based measurement as a form of performance assessment that features measurement of student proficiency across core areas of the curriculum. Curriculum-based measures were developed and standardized in order to facilitate frequent, ongoing assessment of basic skills and formative evaluation of student progress. …

On-task behavior is frequently measured by school psychologists during classroom observations. Unfortunately, the obtained on-task percentage is difficult to interpret because (1) the relationship between on-task behavior and school work completion and quality are unknown and (2) generalizability of the observations is limited. In this study, percentage of time on task was related to work completion and quality using the newly developed Kansas Classroom Observation Form. The obtained data, while preliminary, suggest a general “rule-of-thumb” for expectations of work completion based on various observed on/off-task behavior. Other findings, limitations of the study, and directions for research are discussed.

Low levels of agreement between adolescents and their parents or teachers on various cross-informant behavior rating scales have been reported in the literature. It is unclear whether one source of this inconsistency is adolescents’ tendency to underreport or overreport their behavioral problems relative to adult informants. The Child Behavior Checklist and its related forms were completed for a group of boys referred for school-based assessments due to academic and/or behavioral problems. Comparisons between the ratings of adolescents and their parents and teachers revealed little correspondence among informants, especially between adolescents and either their parents or teachers. Adolescents consistently under-reported behavioral problems relative to parents and teachers regardless of sub-sequent diagnosis (i.e., behavioral disorder, learning disability, or not diagnosed). Implications of this lack of agreement between adolescents’ self-reports and adult ratings in the school-based diagnosis of behavioral disorders are discussed.

This study examined differences in written expression between a sample of learning-disabled and nondisabled middle school students, matched by grade and sex, using eight curriculum-based measures. All of the learning-disabled students had been identified as having written language deficits as part of their handicapping conditions. The nondisabled students showed superior written expression skills, especially on the production-independent measures. Implications of these results are discussed in relation to psycho educational assessment, the use of CBM for ongoing assessment of written expression, and future studies.

[1] The Mars Color Imager (MARCI) instrument aboard the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft is a wide-angle, multispectral Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) “push frame” imaging camera designed to provide frequent, synoptic-scale color imaging of the Martian atmosphere and surface. MARCI uses a 1024 × 1024 pixel interline transfer CCD detector that has seven narrowband interference filters bonded directly to the CCD. Five of the filters are in the visible to short-wave near-infrared wavelength range (437, 546, 604, 653, and 718 nm) and two are in the ultraviolet range (258 and 320 nm). Here we describe the scientific objectives of the MARCI investigation and the basic characteristics, calibration, and in-flight performance of the MARCI instrument. We include several examples of early scientific results and investigations enabled by an extensive preflight and in-flight calibration program and by validation of the performance of the instrument in flight.

A single case experimental design was used to examine the effects of behavioral consultation in improving educational recommendations for school-aged children at an inpatient psychiatric unit. A school psychologist provided consultation services to a chief child psychiatrist. A multiple baseline design was used to analyze changes on two dependent variables: quantity and quality of educational recommendations written in psychiatric discharge summaries. The study was conducted over consecutive 4-week periods of no consultation, consultation focused on increasing the quantity of educational recommendations, and consultation regarding specific recommendations on individual cases, followed by a 4-week return to the no consultation condition. Results show increases in numbers of recommendations during treatment and follow-up. Quality of recommendations improved as quantity increased. It was recommended that future research investigate replications with various types of consultees in different settings, includin...

The present study used a sample of thirty-two preschool children to evaluate the temporal stability and the concurrent validity of the Cognitive Levels Test (Algozzine, Eaves, Mann & Vance, 1988), which was recently developed as a cognitive assessment tool. The Stanford-Binet: Fourth Edition (SB:FE) (Thorndike, Hagen & Sattler, 1986) was used as the criterion instrument for the concurrent validity study. The results indicated good temporal stability for the CLT-Cognitive Index. In addition, high and significant correlations between the SB:FE and the CLT-Cognitive Index were found within the sample.

The process of individualizing education for at-risk students is discussed. Three approaches to individualizing education are presented. Applied behavior analysis literature is examined from the perspective of what is known about managing student behavior and the learning process in the regular classroom settings for at-risk students. Examples of how applied behavior analysis can be utilized to individualize education are presented. The position is taken that the use of the principles and procedures gleaned from the applied behavior analysis research permits the teacher to individualize the education experience without the need for substantial additional resources.

In the present study, the relationship between students with and without learning disabilities (LD) and different aspects of test anxiety was examined on a new multidimensional measure of test anxiety. A sample of 774 elementary and secondary school students—195 students with LD and 579 students not identified with LD—completed the Test Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adolescents (TAICA), a new multidimensional measure of test anxiety for elementary and secondary school students in Grades 4 through 12. Examination of the factor structure of the TAICA scores across LD status to determine whether accurate test score interpretation was possible revealed that the majority of the coefficient of congruence values between each pair of six corresponding factors of the TAICA (Cognitive Obstruction/ Inattention, Performance Enhancement/Facilitation Anxiety, Physiological Hyperarousal, Social Humiliation, Worry, and Lie) and the Total Test Anxiety factor were above .90, and the salient variable similarity index values were statistically significant, suggesting that the factor structure of the TAICA was similar across groups. The results of seven multiple regression analyses revealed that LD predicted higher Cognitive Obstruction/Inattention and Worry scores and lower Performance Enhancement/Facilitation Anxiety and Lie scores. Implications of the findings for school personnel who work with students with LD are discussed.

[1] The Context Camera (CTX) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a Facility Instrument (i.e., government-furnished equipment operated by a science team not responsible for design and fabrication) designed, built, and operated by Malin Space Science Systems and the MRO Mars Color Imager team (MARCI). CTX will (1) provide context images for data acquired by other MRO instruments, (2) observe features of interest to NASA's Mars Exploration Program (e.g., candidate landing sites), and (3) conduct a scientific investigation, led by the MARCI team, of geologic, geomorphic, and meteorological processes on Mars. CTX consists of a digital electronics assembly; a 350 mm f/3.25 Schmidt-type telescope of catadioptric optical design with a 5.7° field of view, providing a ∼30-km-wide swath from ∼290 km altitude; and a 5000-element CCD with a band pass of 500–700 nm and 7 μm pixels, giving ∼6 m/pixel spatial resolution from MRO's nearly circular, nearly polar mapping orbit. Raw data are transferred to the MRO spacecraft flight computer for processing (e.g., data compression) before transmission to Earth. The ground data system and operations are based on 9 years of Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera on-orbit experience. CTX has been allocated 12% of the total MRO data return, or about ≥3 terabits for the nominal mission. This data volume would cover ∼9% of Mars at 6 m/pixel, but overlapping images (for stereo, mosaics, and observation of changes and meteorological events) will reduce this area. CTX acquired its first (instrument checkout) images of Mars on 24 March 2006.

The adolescent drug treatment outcome research literature primarily focuses on short-term follow-up periods (e.g., 1 year). This study extends the said literature by describing the pattern of drug use at 1, 4, and 5.5 years in three groups of adolescents: a Treatment group, which underwent a 12-step-based drug treatment program (n = 159); a Waiting List group (n = 62); and a Community Control group (n = 94). The Treatment group consistently showed significantly lower levels of drug involvement than the Waiting List group. However, at all points, both the Treatment and Waiting List groups showed higher levels of drug use than the Community Controls. Within the Treatment group, completing treatment and involvement in aftercare were positively associated with improved outcomes. The treatment implications of the study are discussed.

Intermittent vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) has recently been shown to reduce arrhythmia in animals and humans with chronic heart failure (CHF). The electrophysiological changes underpinning these benefits remain largely uncharacterized. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the electrophysiological remodeling resulting from long-term intermittent VNS therapy in the CHF rat. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced via LAD ligation in n=10 male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300g). Rats were randomized into two groups: MI-SS rats (n = 5) were implanted with non-functional VNS stimulators, and MI-VNS rats (n = 5) were implanted with functional VNS stimulators and received chronic intermittent VNS treatment during 12 weeks. In Sham rats (n = 4) neither MI nor VNS were performed. At 13 weeks, hearts were explanted and Langendorff perfused. Optical mapping of right ventricle (RV) during periodic pacing and right atrium (RA) during sinus rhythm was then performed. First, we confirmed that long-term intermittent VNS therapy has clear antiarrhythmic benefits. Indeed, our results demonstrate that no MI-VNS rats (0/5) exhibited ventricular fibrillation, compared to Sham (2/4) and MI-SS (5/5) rats. Nevertheless, the maximum slope of the RV action potential duration (APD) restitution curve was larger (2.07±0.63) in MI-VNS rats compared to MI-SS (0.65±0.19, p

Summary.-The present study provided some needed test-retest reliability data for the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 2-3. The Checklist 2-3 was developed by Achenbach and Edelbrock in 1986 to detect behavior problems in toddlers and preschool children. For this study, 30 parents completed the checklist twice over 4 to 6 weeks. Testretest reliability coefficients for the Total Behavior Problems score, Internalizing and Externaltzing scores, and the narrow-band behavior factors were all significant. These data indicate generally satisfactory temporal stability For broad-band syndromes; however, mixed results were found for the narrow-band syndromes of the Child Behavior Checklist Ages 2-3. Numerous behavior rating scales have been developed to assess child psychopathology. Scales, such as the Conners Scales (Goyette, Conners, & Ulrich, 1978), the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale (Spivak & Swift, 1967), and the Chlld Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983), have been frequently used in school settings. Many of these scales were designed for use with school-age children (K-12); however, with the passage of P.L. 99-457, an increased need exists for reliable behavior rating scales for infants, toddlers, and preschool children. The Child Behavior Checklist Ages 2 and 3 was developed as one such scale. The Child Behavior Checklist and its related forms were developed through factor analytic studies (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1979, 1981) and have identified broad- and narrow-band syndromes of behavior problems. Broad-band syndromes refer to macro factors such as internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, while narrow-band syndromes denote more specific groupings (i.e., anxiety, depression, aggression). The development of the Checklist 2-3 paralleled the development of the previous scales in item construction and test (factor) analysis (Achenbach, Edelbrock, & Howell, 1987). The Checklist 2-3 was developed to obtain parents' behavior ratings on the 99 items that comprise the scale. The Checklist 2-3 has broad- (Total Problem Behavior Score, Internalizing Score, and Externalizing Score) and narrow- (Social Withdrawal, Depressed, Sleep Problems, Somatic Problems, Aggressive, and Destructive) band syndromes. Item ratings made by the parents are compiled on the broad- and narrow-band

The increasing need to mitigate pollutants produced by liquid fired combustion systems is leading to critical assessment of current systems in an effort to sufficiently refine them. These systems typically feature complex aerodynamic flows which serve to stabilize the reaction and are often the result of years of trail and error testing. In order to advance current systems suitable for future environmentally sensitive applications, basic understanding of the processes occurring is required. Recent developments in optical diagnostic techniques are providing the opportunity to attain such understanding. The present work applies a relatively well established technique (phase Doppler interferometry - PDI) to study the complex behavior of two-phase flows. PDI provides a wealth of information about the droplet size and velocity distributions as well as droplet concentration at discrete points within the flow. In addition, a relatively new technique (planar liquid laser induced fluorescence - PLLIF) is applied in order to extend the understanding of the structure of the flow. The PLLIF technique provides, in principle, the spatial distribution of liquid mass within a plane through the spray. This information is important because, in combustion systems, the homogeneity of the spatial distribution of fuel can play a significant role in the formation of pollutants. The results demonstrate the utility and potential limitations of the PLLIF technique. In addition, basic understanding of the complex flow structure is provided by combining the results from the two techniques.

Hyperactivity is a significant problem for which no causal theories have been unequivocally substantiated and one in which treatment approaches have met with limited success. Recent research in behavioral medicine has brought biofeedback into use as a treatment for disorders that are mediated by physiologic functioning, with hyperactivity as one such disorder. 36 studies are reviewed in which biofeedback was used as a treatment for hyperactivity. This review indicated that biofeedback treatments alone have not been effectively evaluated, and methodological problems with the current studies severely limit generalizations that may be made to hyperactive populations. Biofeedback in conjunction with other techniques appears to have promise for reducing some of the behavioral symptoms of the hyperactivity syndrome. Directions for further research are presented.