A Teacher’s Use of Video to Train Paraprofessionals in Pivotal Response Techniques

Research has shown that students with moderate-severe disabilities need direct and frequent social instruction in order to communicate and play with their peers. At the same time, there is little commensurate support for the paraprofessionals tasked with providing this support. It is imperative, then, that paraprofessionals have effective strategies in their repertoire of practices to facilitate social interaction. This investigation examined one classroom teacher\u27s use of video to train two paraprofessionals in Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), an evidence based practice for students with autism. Findings suggest that the teacher-provided video training was effective in improving paraprofessionals’ PRT implementation, and subsequently, the social interactions of their students with disabilities other than autism, namely cerebral palsy and Down\u27s syndrome. Findings along with future directions for video-based training in the school setting are discussed

A Mixed Method Study of Teachers\u27 Perception of Positive Reinforcement for Behavior Management

Abstract Positive reinforcement is a behavior management technique supported by empirical evidence, known to enhance student performance and their outcomes (Alberto et al., 2022; Fabiano & Pelham, 2003; Scheuermann, 2022). However, many teachers encounter difficulties in effectively implementing this tool in their everyday classroom teaching practices. This mixed methods study aimed to contribute to existing literature focusing on instructional behavior of credentialed teachers. The findings revealed that teachers who received training in PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) observed the following: (1) the overall benefits of rewarding appropriate student behavior with activities, (2) the significance of having adequate resources and school supports to reinforce desirable student behavior, and (3) the necessity of providing reinforcement exclusively for engaging in appropriate behavior. Additionally, the number of years of teaching experience demonstrated significant correlations with: (1) the ease with which teachers found rewarding students, (2) the availability of time to reinforce on-task behavior, and (3) the availability of resources to reinforce desirable behavior. Teachers who reported prior experience in special education classrooms exhibited significant correlations with: (1) the helpfulness of using individual rewards to motivate their students, and (2) the presence of staff in supporting and reinforcing appropriate behavior in the classroom. Interestingly, male participants expressed lower agreement regarding the feasibility of rewarding appropriate behaviors

Discovery and Rossiter-McLaughlin Effect of Exoplanet Kepler-8b

We report the discovery and the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect of Kepler-8b, a transiting planet identified by the NASA Kepler Mission. Kepler photometry and Keck-HIRES radial velocities yield the radius and mass of the planet around this F8IV subgiant host star. The planet has a radius RP = 1.419 RJ and a mass, MP = 0.60 MJ, yielding a density of 0.26 g cm^-3, among the lowest density planets known. The orbital period is P = 3.523 days and orbital semima jor axis is 0.0483+0.0006/-0.0012 AU. The star has a large rotational v sin i of 10.5 +/- 0.7 km s^-1 and is relatively faint (V = 13.89 mag), both properties deleterious to precise Doppler measurements. The velocities are indeed noisy, with scatter of 30 m s^-1, but exhibit a period and phase consistent with the planet implied by the photometry. We securely detect the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, confirming the planet's existence and establishing its orbit as prograde. We measure an inclination between the projected planetary orbital axis and the projected stellar rotation axis of lambda = -26.9 +/- 4.6 deg, indicating a moderate inclination of the planetary orbit. Rossiter-McLaughlin measurements of a large sample of transiting planets from Kepler will provide a statistically robust measure of the true distribution of spin-orbit orientations for hot jupiters in general.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables; In preparation for submission to the Astrophysical Journa

Catching Element Formation In The Act

Gamma-ray astronomy explores the most energetic photons in nature to address some of the most pressing puzzles in contemporary astrophysics. It encompasses a wide range of objects and phenomena: stars, supernovae, novae, neutron stars, stellar-mass black holes, nucleosynthesis, the interstellar medium, cosmic rays and relativistic-particle acceleration, and the evolution of galaxies. MeV gamma-rays provide a unique probe of nuclear processes in astronomy, directly measuring radioactive decay, nuclear de-excitation, and positron annihilation. The substantial information carried by gamma-ray photons allows us to see deeper into these objects, the bulk of the power is often emitted at gamma-ray energies, and radioactivity provides a natural physical clock that adds unique information. New science will be driven by time-domain population studies at gamma-ray energies. This science is enabled by next-generation gamma-ray instruments with one to two orders of magnitude better sensitivity, larger sky coverage, and faster cadence than all previous gamma-ray instruments. This transformative capability permits: (a) the accurate identification of the gamma-ray emitting objects and correlations with observations taken at other wavelengths and with other messengers; (b) construction of new gamma-ray maps of the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies where extended regions are distinguished from point sources; and (c) considerable serendipitous science of scarce events -- nearby neutron star mergers, for example. Advances in technology push the performance of new gamma-ray instruments to address a wide set of astrophysical questions.Comment: 14 pages including 3 figure

Pathologic Assessment of Bladder Cancer and Pitfalls in Staging

The classification of tumors of the bladder falls into three basic categories, histology, patterns of growth (e.g., papillary vs nonpapillary, invasive vs noninvasive), and malignancy grade. The histological tumor types primary to the urinary bladder epithelium are urothelial (transitional), squamous, glandular, and small cell. By far the most common histologic type is urothelial (transitional) (approximately 90%). The bulk of this discussion will therefore deal with this tumor type. However, as they comprise approximately 10% of primary bladder tumors a brief overview of some of the other tumor types is also indicated