Accurate Comprehension Research Articles

Governança e estratégia de cursos de graduação em administração na perspectiva da teoria ator-rede

Este trabalho, procurando uma maior compreensão do modo de fazer estratégias nas organizações e da constituição das relações formadas entre os atores e as redes de governança, contribui para as teorias Redes de Governança, Estratégia como Prática Social, Resultados Estratégicos e Teoria Ator-Rede, por meio do objetivo: delinear como a articulação do strategizing, como o processo de translação, com a teoria das redes de governança, configuram a governança e os resultados estratégicos de cursos de graduação em Administração de Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) particulares de Curitiba (Paraná, Brasil). Realizou-se um estudo comparativo de cinco casos por meio de vinte e nove entrevistas semiestruturadas e em profundidade, além de observações não participantes e levantamento de dados de documentos. A análise dos dados foi feita em duas fases: (a) Análise de Narrativas; e (b) Análise Qualitativa Comparativa (Qualitative Comparative Analysis [QCA]). Os resultados mostraram que o processo de strategizinge o entrelaçamento de atores humanos e não humanos são essenciais para a compreensão da governança e dos resultados estratégicos das instituições estudadas. Acredita-se que a articulação teórica proposta no trabalho e os achados da pesquisa empírica formam um corpo de conhecimento consistente e elucidam questões atuais relevantes para compreender nuances relativas às redes de governança, à estratégia como prática social, ao fazer estratégia (e seus resultados) e às questões sociomateriais (atores humanos e não humanos).

Modelling and simulation of complex sociotechnical systems: envisioning and analysing work environments

Accurate comprehension and analysis of complex sociotechnical systems is a daunting task. Empirically examining, or simply envisioning the structure and behaviour of such systems challenges traditional analytic and experimental approaches as well as our everyday cognitive capabilities. Computer-based models and simulations afford potentially useful means of accomplishing sociotechnical system design and analysis objectives. From a design perspective, they can provide a basis for a common mental model among stakeholders, thereby facilitating accurate comprehension of factors impacting system performance and potential effects of system modifications. From a research perspective, models and simulations afford the means to study aspects of sociotechnical system design and operation, including the potential impact of modifications to structural and dynamic system properties, in ways not feasible with traditional experimental approaches. This paper describes issues involved in the design and use of such models and simulations and describes a proposed path forward to their development and implementation.

Focal breast edema associated with malignancy on T2-weighted images of breast MRI: peritumoral edema, prepectoral edema, and subcutaneous edema.

Edema, defined as high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, is a useful breast MRI finding, which compensates for the moderate specificity of breast MRI. Although diffuse breast edema can be caused by benign and malignant etiologies, focal edema is commonly associated with malignancy except for previous procedures including biopsy and surgery. For more accurate comprehension of the appropriate usage of breast edema, focal breast edema should be divided into three different types: peritumoral edema, prepectoral edema, and subcutaneous edema. It is useful to review and clarify these types of focal breast edema based on pathological findings as this may help predict the likelihood of malignancy in breast MRI lesions.

Experimental confirmation of long-memory correlations in star-wander data.

In this Letter we have analyzed the temporal correlations of the angle-of-arrival fluctuations of stellar images. Experimentally measured data were carefully examined by implementing multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis. This algorithm is able to discriminate the presence of fractal and multifractal structures in recorded time sequences. We have confirmed that turbulence-degraded stellar wavefronts are compatible with a long-memory correlated monofractal process. This experimental result is quite significant for the accurate comprehension and modeling of the atmospheric turbulence effects on the stellar images. It can also be of great utility within the adaptive optics field.

Spatial Variability in Litterfall, Litter Standing Crop and Litter Quality in a Tropical Rain Forest Region

AbstractUnderstanding the spatial variability in plant litter processes is essential for accurate comprehension of biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem function. We assessed spatial patterns in litter processes from local to regional scales, at sites throughout the wet tropical rain forests of northern Australia. We aimed to determine the controls (e.g., climate, soil, plant community composition) on annual litter standing crop, annual litterfall rate and in situ leaf litter decomposability. The level of spatial variance in these components, and leaf litter N, P, Ca, lignin, α‐cellulose and total phenolics, was determined from within the scale of subregion, to site (1 km transects) to local/plot (~30 m2). Overall, standing crop was modeled with litterfall and its chemical composition, in situ decomposability, soil Na, and topography (r2 = 0.69, 36 plots). Litterfall was most closely aligned with plant species richness and stem density (negative correlation); leaf decomposability with leaf‐P and lignin, soil Na, and dry season moisture (r2 = 0.89, 40 plots). The predominant scale of variability in litterfall rates was local (plot), while litter standing crop and α‐cellulose variability was more evenly distributed across spatial scales. Litter decomposability, N, P and phenolics were more aligned with subregional differences. Leaf litter C, lignin and Ca varied most at the site level, suggesting more local controls. We show that variability in litter quality and decomposability are more easily accounted for spatially than litterfall rates, which vary widely over short distances possibly in response to idiosyncratic patterns of disturbance.

Improving Reading Comprehension One Word at a Time…

A group of seventh grade teachers and administrators work to improve reading through careful yet intense formative assessment focused on enhanced vocabulary instruction as an integral building block for success.The challenge of literacy in middle schoolFor years, teachers and administrators at our Los Angeles middle school have grappled with the poor reading skills of our middle school students. Discouraged by the reading scores on standardized tests and frustrated with the limits of our readers, we struggled to improve reading comprehension in our heterogeneous classrooms. Our professional mandate was clear: We needed to develop accurate comprehension assessments of our students beyond annual standardized testing, and we needed to learn to translate this knowledge into practice across the curriculum. Based on our student population and the research on reading in middle schools, we focused our work on vocabulary development, improving reading comprehension one word at a time.We knew that our local challenge was embedded within a distressing national context. In fact, reading failure has been called a national health problem. Joshi and colleagues (2009) reported that in the United States, roughly 6 million secondary students read far below grade level, and approximately 3,000 students drop out of U.S. high schools every day.Our particular challenge assumed a greater sense of urgency because middle school provides the last chance for many students to build the sufficient reading skills necessary to succeed in demanding courses (Biancarosa & Snow, 2006). Propelled by reading-focused accountability programs and by the growing recognition of the widespread need to address literacy in later stages of schooling, schools in the United States are increasingly providing reading instruction to a large portion of middle school students (Palincsar, Nair, Deshler, & Biancarosa, 2007). Yet, in spite of the burgeoning national concern about late literacy development, limited understanding plagues administrators and the teaching profession regarding the particular challenges students in middle school face when they encounter texts in the classroom. We face a shortage of academic exploration of the different profiles of readers in middle school who are typically, and often inaccurately, clustered into high, medium, or low groups. Middle school teachers know all too well that middle school readers exhibit characteristics that defy simple categorization; students possess strengths and weaknesses in the realms of vocabulary, accuracy, motivation, and higher-order thinking (Guthrie, & Humenick, 2004; Moje, 2006; Primor, Pierce, & Katzir, 2011; Snow, 2010). Over the past year, we implemented an assessment system that revealed the strengths and weaknesses of our readers in these subskills, and we developed a research-based approach to changing our classroom practice to improve reading comprehension across the curriculum.The misconception of reading development in middle schoolRemarkably, a systematic, wide-ranging review of the research on reading comprehension in middle school does not exist (Vaughn et al., 2010). The What Works Clearinghouse (2007), published by the U.S. Department of Education (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/ PLATO_030210.pdf) has completed a review of research on elementary school reading programs; however, its long-term plans do not even include a review of research on secondary reading programs. Of course, despite the horrors of this deficit, given the emphasis that federal mandatory testing places on reading at all levels, please note the multilayered professional neglect found here in the absence of explicit attention given to reading at the middle level. Indeed, middle grades teachers often focus more on content than on developing reading comprehension skills and subskills. This longstanding trend stems from older, theoretical models of how we learn to read (Chall & Conard, 1991) and from similar malpractice that comes from lingering persistence of the old junior high model, where strict concern for academic matters result in neglecting the importance of relevance and the whole child that comes in the wake of the middle school movement. …

The Cannabinoids Switch of Oxidative Stress: A Double-Edged Sword

Oxidative Stress, deriving from a perturbation of the cellular balance between pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant molecules, has been involved in the patho-physiology of multiple diseases, and anti-oxidant supplementation are largely studied for therapeutic purposes. The Cannabis sativa derivates, the cannabinoids (CBs), are widely used as a recreational drug, but pharmacological activities also prompt to therapeutic use. Exposure to CBs rises physical and psychic effects which can evolve in both short-term and long-term toxicity. High inter-individual variation exists in the susceptibility to these effects. Many evidences show a complex modulator action of CBs on cellular oxidative stress, with different outcomes according to cellular type, microenvironment, time and dose of exposition. The subtle balance between anti-oxidant or pro-oxidant action of CBs should be taken into account to achieve a more accurate comprehension of the molecular mechanisms involved in toxicity, considering that OS is not merely a damaging factor, but is also involved in protective pathways.

Impaired Comprehension of Alternating Syntactic Constructions in Autism

Individuals on the higher-functioning end of the autism spectrum have significant impairments in communication. Language delay can occur, particularly in syntactic or structural linguistic knowledge. However, classically observed semantic deficits generally overshadow these structural deficits. This research examined the potential effects on comprehension of dative expressions that exhibited syntactic alternation versus those that were restricted, whether in syntactic construction or through marked semantic differences in construction. Children with autism and matched neurotypical control participants were presented with a sentence battery of dative statements representing these variations in construction and were asked to display basic comprehension of the sentence meaning by identifying the recipient, or indirect object, of the dative verb. Construction, restriction, and semantic differentiation variables were analyzed for potential effects on the rate of accurate comprehension. Both groups performed with greater accuracy when dative expressions used a prepositional phrase than when the dative action was expressed in the syntax. The autism group performed more poorly when the dative expression could syntactically alternate than when it was restricted. These effects improve our knowledge of how children with autism understand alternating grammatical constructions. Autism Res 2014, 7: 314–321. © 2013 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Interventions for Accurate Comprehension Monitoring at University Class: The Effects of Review Test and Self-Grading

Interventions for Accurate Comprehension Monitoring at University Class: The Effects of Review Test and Self-Grading

Comparison between experimental and 2-D numerical studies of multiple scattering in Inconel600® by means of array probes

Ultrasonic non-destructive testing of polycrystalline structures can be disturbed by scattering at grain boundaries. Understanding and modeling this so-called “structural noise” is crucial for characterization as well as detection purposes. Structural noise can be considered as a fingerprint of the material under investigation, since it contains information about its microstructure. The interpretation of experimental data necessitates an accurate comprehension of complex phenomena that occur in multiple scattering media and thus robust scattering models. In particular, numerical models can offer the opportunity to realize parametrical studies on controlled microstructures. However, the ability of the model to simulate wave propagation in complex media must be validated. In that perspective, the main objective of the present work is to evaluate the ability of the finite-element code ATHENA 2D to reproduce typical features of multiple wave scattering in the context of ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation, with an array of sources and receivers. Experiments were carried out with a 64-element array, around 2MHz. The sample was a mock-up of Inconel600® exhibiting a coarse grain structure with a known grain size distribution. The numerical model of this microstructure is based on Voronoi diagrams. Two physical parameters were used to compare numerical and experimental data: the coherent backscattering peak, and the singular value distribution of the array response matrix. Though the simulations are 2-D, a good agreement was found between simulated and experimental data.

Relatives and passive object relatives in Italian-speaking children and adults: Intervention in production and comprehension

ABSTRACTWe investigate the production of relative clauses in Italian children aged 3 years, 4 months to 8 years, 10 months and in adults, focusing on object relatives (ORs). For both adults and older children, we test the production of passive ORs (PORs) as an alternative to the production of active ORs. We also test the comprehension of active ORs and PORs in older children, showing that the comprehension of the latter is significantly more accurate than the former. The persistent difficulty that children experience with ORs is interpreted as due to intervention, following Friedmann, Belletti, and Rizzi (2009). We assume Collins’ (2005) approach to passive and account for the increasing use and more accurate comprehension of PORs as a consequence of lack of intervention, as in Belletti (2009a).

从语言使用者的动态认知角度确定常规英语名词的可数性<br>Towards Countability of Normal English Nouns from a Language User’s Dynamic Perspective

为了对英语中大量存在的常规名词在可数性方面灵活运用这一现象做出统一解释，本文结合动态认知观点，提出英语常规名词的可数性无法预先设定，而需从语言使用者所要表达的动态认知角度加以确定，其可数性取决于是否用于表达对个体有界性或分门别类的认知。这一观点理论上符合以使用为基础的认知语法模式，同时在实践上将对EFL学习者准确理解和使用常规英语名词具有重要意义。 For a unified account of the dynamic countability of abundant normal nouns in English, this paper, following the assumption of dynamic cognition, proposes that countability should not be a pre-established feature of the normal noun; rather, its countability be approached from an English user’s dynamic perspective, depending on whether the noun is intended to denote an individuated unit or a particular sort. Theoretically, the proposal is thus made in accordance with usage-based cognitive grammar, and practically it will be of significance for EFL learners in their accurate comprehension and expression of the normal English nouns.

Smart grid forensic science: applications, challenges, and open issues

Smart grid forensic science is a newly flourishing research area that is tightly coupled with cyber and physical security of the smart grid. Post-mortem analysis of a power system after a cyber attack or natural disaster generally provides the most accurate comprehension of the real-world vulnerabilities of the system and helps to protect the grid against similar attacks in the future as well as avoid failures during disasters. Besides increasing the security level of the smart grid, smart grid forensics aids evidence collection for the service of criminal justice. For instance, data extracted from smart meters and data collectors can provide evidence to legal proceedings in electricity theft matters. Furthermore, authentication and timestamping audio recordings using power grid frequency have been employed in several recent academic studies, as well as by the Metropolitan Police Forensic Audio Laboratory in London. Briefly, smart grid forensic science is emerging as a powerful security component of the power system. On the other hand, storage and processing of the enormous amount of data introduce significant challenges together with the privacy issue. In this article, we introduce the emerging application areas of smart grid forensic science, discuss the challenges, and outline the open issues in the topic. This article aims to serve as a roadmap for future smart grid forensic studies.

Towards a comprehensive integration of obesity from an interdisciplinar perspective

This article summarizes the current situation of one of the most important XXI century epidemics. The high rates of obesity in all countries and specially in our country at early ages are worrying. Traditionally, investigations have focused on the most nutritional aspects, such us dietary factors, metabolism, calory intake and energy expenditure. However, other sciences -such as Psychology- point out new influencing factors, such as food addiction, depression, stress and anxiety. In this piece of work, more than 80 articles from all disciplines and different databases and related to obesity are analyzed, as well as a new theoretical approach is proposed to ensure a more accurate comprehension. The literature review shows the necessary evidence to introduce a new model of obesity named edorexia, and raise issues to be resolved in future research oriented from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Effects of Hypertension and Diabetes on Sentence Comprehension in Aging

To assess the impact of hypertension and diabetes mellitus on sentence comprehension in older adults. Two hundred and ninety-five adults aged 55 to 84 (52% men) participated in this study. Self-report mail survey combined with medical evaluations were used to determine eligibility. Multiple sources were used to determine whether hypertension and diabetes were present or absent and controlled or uncontrolled. Sentence comprehension was evaluated with two tasks: embedded sentences (ES) and sentences with multiple negatives (MN). Outcome measures were percent accuracy and mean reaction time of correct responses on each task. Regression models adjusted for age, gender, and education showed that the presence of hypertension impaired comprehension on the multiple negatives task (p < .01), whereas the presence of diabetes impaired the comprehension of embedded sentences (p < .05). Uncontrolled diabetes significantly impaired accurate comprehension of sentences with multiple negatives (p < .05). No significant patterns were found for reaction time. The presence of hypertension and diabetes adversely affected sentence comprehension, but the relative contribution of each was different. These findings support the researchers' earlier speculations on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the effects of hypertension and diabetes on language and cognition in aging. Uncontrolled disease status demonstrated more complicated age-related effects on sentence processing, highlighting the clinical importance for cognitive aging of identifying and managing vascular risk factors.

Dynamics of phytoplankton community structure in the South China Sea in response to the East Asian aerosol input

Abstract. Recent studies have demonstrated atmospheric deposition as an important source of bioreactive compounds to the ocean. The South China Sea (SCS), where aerosol loading is among the highest in the world, however, is poorly studied, particularly on the in situ response of phytoplankton community structures to atmospheric deposition. By conducting a series of microcosm bioassays at different hydrographical locations and simulating different aerosol event scales, we observed both positive and negative responses to the input of East Asian (EA) aerosol with high nitrogen (N) and trace metal contents, in terms of biomass, composition and physiological characteristics of phytoplankton communities. High levels of aerosol loading relieved phytoplankton nitrogen and trace metal limitations in SCS, and thus increased total phytoplankton biomass, enhanced their physiological indicators (e.g. photosynthetic efficiency) and shifted phytoplankton assemblages from being dominated by picoplankton to microphytoplanton, especially diatoms. However, under low levels of aerosol loading, the composition shift and biomass accumulation were not apparent, suggesting that the stimulation effects might be counterbalanced by enhanced grazing mortality indicated by increased abundance of protist grazers. Trace metal toxicity of the aerosols might also be the reason for the reduction of picocyanobacteria when amended with high EA aerosols. The magnitude and duration of the deposition event, as well as the hydrographical and trophic conditions of receiving waters are also important factors when predicting the influence of an aerosol deposition event. Our results demonstrated different responses of phytoplankton and microbial food web dynamics to different scales of atmospheric input events in SCS and highlighted the need for achieving an accurate comprehension of atmospheric nutrient on the biogeochemical cycles of the oceans.

The Accuracy Rate in Comprehension of Aspects of Nasal Bone Fracture Based on Simple X-ray and 2D CT Compared with 3D Image

Purpose: The nasal bone fracture is known as the most common facial fracture, with the postoperative results and the patient’s satisfaction known to be lower than other facial fractures. The patient’s satisfaction is firstly related to the accurate comprehension of the spatial relationship in the fractured nasal bone and secondly to the accurate reduction based on accurate comprehension. The aim of this study is to evaluate the objective usefulness of the three-dimensional (3D) imaging. Methods: The survey was conducted on 10 randomly selected cases of nasal bone fractures among the 46 cases with 3D computed tomography (CT) during the past one year. It was requested upon 4 plastic residents and 4 plastic surgeons to draw 3D aspect of fractured nasal bone directly on the printed photos of cadaver nasal bone, based on simple X-ray and twodimensional (2D) CT. They were compared with the real fractured nasal bone aspects based on the 3D image and marked the difference in the 10-point scale of 0 to 10. Results: The average score of the 4 residents was 1.62 and that of the 4 surgeons was 4.47 out of 10 by simple X-ray. The average score of the 4 residents was 5.67 and that of the 4 surgeons was 7.25 out of 10 by 2D CT. Conclusion: It was surmised that the precise analysis and accurate comprehension of the spatial relationship of the fractured nasal bone using the 3D image, as based on the 2D CT images, can produce more favorable satisfaction levels in the patients.

Discussions and Implications of the Recent Enactment &amp; Revision of the Healthcare Law

Recently, there have been many changes in the area of healthcare. There is no certainty how these changes will affect the healthcare system and public health. However, to at least have these changes positively implemented, it is clear that evaluation through continuous monitoring is necessary. The enforcement of the Medical Institution Accreditation and Medical Dispute Mediation Law as well as legal revisions regarding the public healthcare system are changes to improve the quality of healthcare, while at the same time, provide penalties for infractions of the new law such as medicine/medical device rebates; moreover, legal revisions regarding telemedicine are anticipated to impartially vitalize technical development as well as the pharmaceutical industry. For these changes to have a positive effect on the medical field and people's lives, an accurate comprehension of the system and understanding of the details is necessary to be able to respond sensitively to any changes in the future. Therefore, this paper examined the background information on the current discussion on the changes in the healthcare system, examined the detailed content of the system, and reviewed the areas that were in dispute as well as the main issues to contemplate the expected effects of the changes and future tasks that may be generated as a result. These considerations will act as foundation for an in depth understanding of recent trends in the healthcare system.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection: a challenge for the urologist

&lt;p&gt;The role of &lt;em&gt;Chlamydia trachomatis&lt;/em&gt; (Ct) in everyday clinical practice is now on the increase because Ct infections are the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial infections worldwide. Ct can cause urethritis, cervicitis, pharyngitis, or epididymitis, although asymptomatic infections are quite common. Ct infection remains asymptomatic in approximately 50% of infected men and 70% of infected women, with risk for reproductive tract sequelae both in women and men. A proper early diagnosis and treatment is essential in order to prevent persistent consequences. An accurate comprehension of the pathology, diagnosis and treatment of this entity is essential for the urologist. We review the literature about the new findings in diagnosis and treatment of Ct infection in sexually active young men.&lt;/p&gt;

Functions of the Pointing Gesture in Mothers and their 12 to 36-Month-Old Children during Everyday Activities

This study longitudinally examined the production of pointing in four Spanish 1-year-old and four Spanish 2-year-old children in interactive situations with their mothers at home over the course of one year. Three aspects were analyzed: a) the functions of the pointing gesture, their accurate comprehension by the interlocutor (mother or child), and their order of emergence in the child; b) whether or not there were differences in the production of pointing according to who initiated the interaction; and c) whether maternal and child speech were related to maternal and child pointing production. The results showed that the pointing function of showing is the most frequent for both children and mothers from groups 1 and 2, and the first to emerge followed by the informing, requesting object, requesting action, and requesting cooperation functions. The accuracy with which these intentions were comprehended was found to be very high for both mother and child. Pointing production was greater when the speaker initiated the interaction than when the other person did, indicating that gestures follow the turn-taking system. Finally, the production of pointing to showing in children and mothers was found to be related to maternal and child speech, while pointing to request cooperation triggered the process of joint activity between mother and child.