The Advantages of an Inquiry Approach for Science Instruction in Middle Grades

The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the Iowa Chautauqua Professional Development Program in terms of changes in concept mastery, use of process skills, application of science concept and skills, student attitudes toward science, student creativity, and student perceptions regarding their science classrooms. Participants were 12 teachers who agreed to participate in an experimental study where an inquiry approach was utilized with one section and traditional strategies in another section. A total of 24 sections of students were enrolled in inquiry sections (365 students) and traditional sections (359 students). The data collected were analyzed using quantitative methods. The results are tabulated and contrasted for students enrolled in the two sections for each teacher. The results indicate that student use and understanding of science skills and concepts in the inquiry sections increased significantly more than they did for students enrolled in typical sections in terms of process skills, creativity skills, ability to apply science concepts, and the development of more positive attitudes.     

Investigation of Separation and Identification Possibilities of Some Metal-Dithizonate Complexes by Sequential TLC-IR System

The separation and identification possibilities of a number of metal–dithizonate complexes were investigated by means of a TLC-IR sequential system. Dithizonate complexes of some metal cations were pre-pared in a predetermined optimum pH or pH range. Optimum separation conditions of these complexes and the reproducibility of their R _f values were investigated on a series of precoated or laboratory-made TLC plates. R _f values were determined by using the one-dimensional ascending technique. The precision of the procedures was determined for replicates in terms of standard deviation. Detection limits were also determined for each metal complex. The IR spectra were scanned and interpreted for precise identification after preconcentration with the wick-stick procedure for complexes giving overlapped R _f values. The complexes were able to be identified with the aid of IR absorption bands. It has been determined that these IR absorption bands will also be able to be used as reference spectral bands in possible quantitative studies. It has been concluded that an effective and successful qualitative analysis will be executable for incompletely separated complex compounds using an IR spectrophotometer as a TLC detector.     

A preliminary approach to the separation of Leishmania cell-surface antigens

The purpose of the current study was to characterize Leishmania cell-surface antigens by two different methods established for the purification of glycoproteins and proteins, and to point out a useful approach to define their size and mass heterogeneity. L. tropica parasites were initially isolated from patients with active cutaneous leishmaniasis and were then cultured in vitro. The parasite-cell layer was solubilised with 6 M guanidinium chloride (GuHCl) and subsequently prepared for the purification procedure. The methods used in this work were gel filtration chromatography and isopycnic density-gradient centrifugation. Because of the presence of a substantial amount of non-specific proteins in the culture medium, these methods were not effective alone in distinguishing these antigens. However, a good idea of their N-glycosylated structures could be obtained by using Periodic acid-Schiffs (PAS) and Con A lectin, and also size and mass heterogeneity. A combination of these methods effected a clear separation of the antigens. Amino acid analysis of the purified antigens was performed to positively identify them as well-known Leishmania cell-surface antigen gene products. The results confirmed the presence of more than one cell-surface antigen on the Leishmania parasite and the combination of gel chromatography and density-gradient centrifugation could be useful for their isolation.     

Spectral shaping to improve the point spread function in optical coherence tomography

We demonstrate inhibition of the sidelobes of the axial point spread function in optical coherence tomography by shaping the power spectrum of the light source with a remaining power of 4.54 mW. A broadband amplified spontaneous emission source radiating at 1565 +/- 40 nm is employed in a free-space optical coherence tomography system. The axial point spread functions before and after optical spectral shaping are presented. Results show that spectral shaping of the source can inhibit sidelobes of the point spread function up to 12.9 dB, with an associated small increase of 2.2 dB in noise floor in the far field. The effect of spectral shaping on axial resolution is demonstrated according to three metrics. Image quality improvement is also illustrated with optical coherence tomography images of an onion before and after spectral shaping.     

Approximate Analytical Solutions of Dirac Equation with Spin and Pseudo Spin Symmetries for the Diatomic Molecular Potentials Plus a Tensor Term with Any Angular Momentum

Approximate analytical solutions of the Dirac equation are obtained for some diatomic molecular potentials plus a tensor interaction with spin and pseudospin symmetries with any angular momentum. We find the energy eigenvalue equations in the closed form and the spinor wave functions by using an algebraic method. We also perform numerical calculations for the Pöschl-Teller potential to show the effect of the tensor interaction. Our results are consistent with ones obtained before.     

Evidence for separatrix formation and sustainment with steady inductive helicity injection

The first sustainment of toroidal plasma current of 50 kA at up to 3 times the injected currents, added in quadrature, using steady inductive helicity injection is described. Separatrix currents-currents not linking the helicity injectors-are sustained up to 40 kA. Decreases in the n=1 toroidal mode of the poloidal magnetic field at higher current amplifications indicate more quiescent, direct toroidal current drive. Results are achieved in HIT-SI (with a spheromak of major radius 0.3 m) during deuterium operations immediately after helium operation. These results represent a breakthrough in the development of this new current drive method for magnetic confinement fusion.     

Area invariance of apparent horizons under arbitrary Lorentz boosts

It is a well known analytic result in general relativity that the 2-dimensional area of the apparent horizon of a black hole remains invariant regardless of the motion of the observer, and in fact is independent of the t = constant slice, which can be quite arbitrary in general relativity. Nonetheless the explicit computation of horizon area is often substantially more difficult in some frames (complicated by the coordinate form of the metric), than in other frames. Here we give an explicit demonstration for very restricted metric forms of (Schwarzschild and Kerr) vacuum black holes. In the Kerr–Schild coordinate expression for these spacetimes they have an explicit Lorentz-invariant form. We consider boosted versions with the black hole moving through the coordinate system. Since these are stationary black hole spacetimes, the apparent horizons are two dimensional cross sections of their event horizons, so we compute the areas of apparent horizons in the boosted space with (boosted) t = constant, and obtain the same result as in the unboosted case. Note that while the invariance of area is generic, we deal only with black holes in the Kerr–Schild form, and consider only one particularly simple change of slicing which amounts to a boost. Even with these restrictions we find that the results illuminate the physics of the horizon as a null surface and provide a useful pedagogical tool. As far as we can determine, this is the first explicit calculation of this type demonstrating the area invariance of horizons. Further, these calculations are directly relevant to transformations that arise in computational representation of moving black holes. We present an application of this result to initial data for boosted black holes.     

Analytical solutions of Schr?dinger equation for the diatomic molecular potentials with any angular momentum

Analytical solutions of the Schrodinger equation are obtained for some diatomic molecular potentials with any angular momentum. The energy eigenvalues and wave functions are calculated exactly. The asymptotic form of the equation is also considered. Algebraic method is used in the calculations.