Considerations for the development of Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL) teacher training course: a practical experience from a CALL course development in Indonesia

The need for technology training for teachers will keep on growing in line with the development of technology itself. Although technology nowadays is more and more user friendly and may need no specific training on how to use it, teachers need to possess the knowledge that underpins the idea of using it for teaching and learning process. Teachers need to have solid pedagogical knowledge on how to use the technology to deliver contents to their students. Therefore, a technology-training course for teachers is always necessary. This paper presents the partial results of a design based study/research (DBR) on the development of online technology training for teachers with focus on CALL in Indonesia. Questions regarding factors affecting online CALL course and ways to improve the course in terms of training materials, activities, as well as the administration of the training are addressed in the study. Based on the study, some considerations on how to design such technology-training course are proposed. The considerations are ranging from aspects associated with technology competence for teacher standards, constructivism in online learning, adult learning theory, online instructional models, the technology, pedagogy and content knowledge (TPACK) framework and open educational resources (OER). Information regarding those aspects will be useful to assist other CALL teacher training course developers later to inform their decision in the development of the course which is based on a good theoretical understanding as well as highly practical in learning activitie

Serum PFAS and Urinary Phthalate Biomarker Concentrations and Bone Mineral Density in 12-19 Year Olds: 2011-2016 NHANES

CONTEXT: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalates are 2 families of environmental endocrine disruptors that may be associated with areal lower bone mineral density (aBMD). OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between serum PFAS and urinary phthalate biomarker concentrations and their mixtures with aBMD Z-scores in adolescents. DESIGN, PATIENTS, AND MEASURES: We examined serial cross-sectional data from male (n = 453) and female (n = 395) 12- to 19-year-old participants in the 2011 through 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with measures of serum PFAS, urinary phthalate metabolites, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry aBMD Z-scores (total body less head). In sex-specific models, we used linear regression to examine associations of individual PFAS and phthalate biomarkers with aBMD Z-scores, and Bayesian kernel machine regression to examine the association of the overall PFAS/phthalate biomarker mixture with aBMD Z-scores. We replicated the analysis, stratifying by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Participants were (mean ± SD) 15 ± 2.1 years of age. In males, each doubling of serum perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate, urinary mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate, and the overall PFAS/phthalate mixture was associated with a lower aBMD Z-score (eg, for PFOA: -0.24; 95% CI, -0.41 to -0.06). Serum PFOA and urinary MiBP were associated with higher aBMD Z-scores in females (eg, for PFOA: 0.09; 95% CI, -0.07 to 0.25). Findings did not differ by race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Certain PFAS and phthalates may be associated with reduced bone mineral density in adolescent males. Bone mineral density tracks across the life course, so if replicated in longitudinal cohorts, this finding may have implications for lifelong skeletal health

Childhood Fish Consumption and Learning and Behavioral Disorders

Fish is a major source of nutrients critical for brain development during early life. The importance of childhood fish consumption is supported by several studies reporting associations of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation with better behavior and school performance. However, fish may have a different effect than n-3 PUFA alone due to the neurotoxic effects of methylmercury, a frequent contaminant. We investigated associations of childhood fish consumption with learning and behavioral disorders in birth cohort study of the neurotoxic effects of early life exposure to solvent-contaminated drinking water. Childhood (age 7–12 years) fish consumption and learning and behavioral problems were reported in self-administered questionnaires (age 23–41 at questionnaire completion). Fish consumption was not meaningfully associated with repeating a grade, tutoring, attending summer school, special class placement, or low educational attainment. However, participants who ate fish several times a week had an elevated odds of Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (odds ratio: 5.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.5–18) compared to participants who did not eat fish. While these findings generally support the safety of the observed level of fish consumption, the absence of a beneficial effect may be attributed to insufficient fish intake or the choice of relatively low n-3 PUFA fish

Maternal opioid use disorder at delivery hospitalization in a rural state: Maine, 2009-2018.

OBJECTIVES: A multistate analysis found Maine had the second highest average annual increase in maternal opioid use disorder (OUD) at delivery hospitalization during 1999-2012. The objective of our analysis was to estimate the prevalence, maternal characteristics, and geographic distribution of OUD at delivery hospitalization in Maine using recent state-level data. STUDY DESIGN: Serially collected cross-sectional population-based data. METHODS: We used diagnosis and procedure codes to identify deliveries among hospital discharges in Maine, 2009-2018 (n = 120,764), and to categorize deliveries according to the prevalence of maternal OUD and selected conditions. We assessed linear trends in OUD at delivery and calculated prevalence ratios (PR) for co-occurring maternal conditions. RESULTS: The prevalence of maternal OUD per 1000 deliveries in Maine increased from 22.7 in 2009 to 34.9 in 2018 (linear trend P value \u3c 0.01), with a mean annual increase of 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9 to 2.4). The following conditions were more prevalent among women with OUD at delivery: hepatitis C, PR = 45.8 (95% CI: 38.8 to 54.2); other drug abuse or dependence, PR = 16.8 (13.4 to 20.9); alcohol abuse and dependence, PR = 8.5 (5.8 to 12.5); nicotine use, PR = 6.0 (5.9 to 6.2); cannabis use, PR = 5.2 (4.6 to 5.9); anxiety, PR = 2.7 (2.5 to 3.2); and depression, PR = 2.7 (2.4 to 3.1). Women with OUD at delivery were also more likely to reside in small rural areas (27.3% vs 22.5%) and deliver in a hospital with a level III nursery (50.6% vs 34.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal OUD now accounts for 1 in 29 deliveries in Maine and commonly occurs with other medical conditions. Prevention and treatment of OUD among reproductive age women in Maine remains needed