Use of iPad and mobile devices in children with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability often associated with challenges in behavior and communication (Center for Disease Control; CDC, 2016a). Approximately 1 in 42 children have ASD and its prevalence is expected to remain constant based on current trends (Xu, Strathearn, Liu, & Bao, 2018). Children with ASD can have a range of communication skills including being completely nonverbal to having a large vocabulary and being able to converse about certain topics in rich detail (NIDCD, 2017). Children with ASD have been reported to learn more effectively from computerized assistance compared to traditional methods (Williams et al., 2002). With 95% of people in the United States owning some form of mobile device, this modality of intervention can be easily accessed by most individuals (Pew Research Center, 2017). Although prior researchers have examined the possible benefits of iPad-based intervention among individuals with ASD, the overall evidence for these types of intervention is currently lacking. The current study is therefore an attempt to determine the existing evidence for the use of iPad and mobile devices as the primary language intervention method for children with ASD. Language interventions could include receptive and expressive language based activities with focus on areas of pragmatics, semantics, and syntax. A thorough electronic search was conducted utilizing 14 databases followed by the screening of articles based on pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results of this review suggest that iPads and mobile devices may be effective for language intervention among children with ASD. However, the existing literature has some limitations. It is thus important that the current findings are interpreted with caution

1950 Schoolma\u27am

The Schoolma\u27am is the yearbook of Madison College.https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/allyearbooks/1043/thumbnail.jp

Atmospheric ice nuclei in the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash plume

We have sampled atmospheric ice nuclei (IN) and aerosol in Germany and in Israel during spring 2010. IN were analyzed by the static vapor diffusion chamber FRIDGE, as well as by electron microscopy. During the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption of April 2010 we have measured the highest ice nucleus number concentrations (>600 l−1) in our record of 2 yr of daily IN measurements in central Germany. Even in Israel, located about 5000 km away from Iceland, IN were as high as otherwise only during desert dust storms. The fraction of aerosol activated as ice nuclei at −18 °C and 119% rhice and the corresponding area density of ice-active sites per aerosol surface were considerably higher than what we observed during an intense outbreak of Saharan dust over Europe in May 2008. Pure volcanic ash accounts for at least 53–68% of the 239 individual ice nucleating particles that we collected in aerosol samples from the event and analyzed by electron microscopy. Volcanic ash samples that had been collected close to the eruption site were aerosolized in the laboratory and measured by FRIDGE. Our analysis confirms the relatively poor ice nucleating efficiency (at −18 °C and 119% ice-saturation) of such "fresh" volcanic ash, as it had recently been found by other workers. We find that both the fraction of the aerosol that is active as ice nuclei as well as the density of ice-active sites on the aerosol surface are three orders of magnitude larger in the samples collected from ambient air during the volcanic peaks than in the aerosolized samples from the ash collected close to the eruption site. From this we conclude that the ice-nucleating properties of volcanic ash may be altered substantially by aging and processing during long-range transport in the atmosphere, and that global volcanism deserves further attention as a potential source of atmospheric ice nuclei

Applying Graduate Tracer Surveys as an Integrated Education Quality Management Tool: A Case Study of St. Augustine University of Tanzania

Based on the heavy increase of tertiary enrolment in sub-sahara Africa and the massive proliferation of Higher Education Institutions in the East African region, quality assurance has become more important for institutions of tertiary education. Especially, graduate tracer studies can support Higher Education Institutions to orient their study programmes towards the needs of the labour market and thus to decrease unemployment or inadequate employment of their graduates. The article on hand describes the process and summarizes selected results of a recently conducted tracer study at St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT). The study was carried out in the framework of a partnership project between SAUT and the University of Duisburg-Essen, which focusses on the establishment of an integrated quality assurance system at SAUT. The paper gives some practical information for those involved in higher education quality assurance on how to conduct a graduate tracer study. A critical reflection in the end summarizes challenges and sketches a potential way forward for graduate tracer studies in East Africa of comparable contexts. Keywords: Graduate Tracer Study, Quality Assurance, Higher Education, Survey, Social Sciences

Streamer discharge inception in a sub-breakdown electric field from a dielectric body with a frequency dependent dielectric permittivity

We study positive streamer inception from the tip of an elongated ice particle. The dielectric permittivity of ice drops from 93 to 3 for electric fields changing on the millisecond timescale [1]. We demonstrate that this effect can be important on the nanosecond time scale of streamer discharge development. The effect makes the streamer propagate with only half the velocity it would have for the dielectric permittivity fixed to 9

FePO4/SiO2 catalysts for propylene glycol oxidation

FePО4/SiO2 supported catalysts with a different content of iron phosphate are prepared. The properties of the catalyst are changed by the introduction of alkali metal compounds (Na or Cs) on its surface. The samples obtained are characterized by X-ray diffraction, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, temperatureprogrammed reduction by hydrogen, and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia. The catalytic properties are investigated in the reaction of gas-phase propylene glycol oxidation. It is shown that the selectivity of methylglyoxal formation on the unmodified catalysts is determined by the state of the supported active component and by its reduction–oxidation ability under the action of a reaction mixture

Soziale und akademische Integration beim Studieneinstieg in einem digitalen Semester

Ausgehend von der Prämisse, dass gelungene soziale und akademische Integration die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Studienabbruchs verringern kann, stellt sich die Frage, was nötig ist, damit sich Studierende in ihrem ersten Semester erfolgreich in die Hochschule und den akademischen Kontext integrieren. Diese Frage ist vor dem Hintergrund eines nahezu ausschließlich digitalen Semesters noch virulenter. Mithilfe befragungsbasierter Daten von Studienanfänger/innen der Universität Duisburg-Essen wird ein Modell vorgestellt und analysiert, das sich Bedingungsfaktoren sozialer und akademischer Integration beim Studieneinstieg in einem digitalen Semester widmet. Im Ergebnis wird die Bedeutung von Kommunikation, Interaktion und Information für Studienanfänger/innen noch einmal bekräftigt

The Missing Link?! Verbindungen zwischen konzeptionellen und empirischen Zugängen zur Kompetenzmodellierung an Hochschulen

Kompetenzen werden in der Evaluation und Qualitätssicherung von Hochschule und Hochschulpolitik unterschiedlich konzeptioniert und empirisch erfasst. Einschätzungen zu individuellen Kompetenzen in Absolventinnen- und Absolventenstudien dienen als empirische Indikatoren für eine erfolgte Kompetenzentwicklung im Studium. Inwieweit die verwendeten Items eine geeignete Form der Beschreibung sind und wie diese zu den Konzeptionen des Deutschen Qualifikationsrahmens für Hochschulabschlüsse, des Deutschen Qualifikationsrahmens und einem weiteren Kompetenzmodell passen, wird anhand von konfirmatorischen Faktoranalysen untersucht. Hierüber werden konzeptionelle Schwachstellen, empirische Hürden und Überarbeitungsbedarf der Kompetenzmodellierung sichtbar. 19.10.2012 | Bernadette Dilger, Anna Ebert & Mareike Landmann (Köln