Writing Instruction and Standardized Reading Scores Among Secondary Students

The reading scores on the Nation\u27s Report Card for 2007 indicate that not all children share the same proficiency in literacy. Reading and writing require the use of similar cognitive processes, yet few studies focus on this relationship or how writing can be a tool for reading remediation. The research questions in this study addressed the extent to which: (a) differences occur in the time spent on writing instruction by genre, instructional methodology, and the phase of writing between middle and high school teachers (b) the amount of time teachers provide writing instruction, the instructional methodology, the genre addressed in the instruction, the process of writing discussed, and students\u27 gender predict change in standardized reading test scores and (b) the amount of time students spend writing, the genre of writing, the part of the writing process used, and students\u27 gender predict change in standardized reading test scores. Data were obtained for 307 middle and high school students on the Scholastic Reading Inventory and the results of a daily survey completed by teacher participants that measured the amount of time spent on writing instruction, the methodology, the genre of writing, and the phase of the writing process used. A one-way ANOVA indicated statistically significant differences between middle and high school instruction for academic writing and phases of the writing process other than writing. A stepwise regression indicated that ethnicity, instruction on the writing phase of the writing process, formal instruction, instruction on academic writing, and instruction on journals were statistically significant predictors of reading scores. A stepwise regression analyzed the relationship of student writing activity and reading scores ethnicity, grade level, the phases of the writing process, writing without formal conventions, and time spent on writing journals were statistically significant predictors of reading scores. The results provide suggestions for future practice and research. Future

Writing Instruction and Standardized Reading Scores Among Secondary Students

The reading scores on the Nation\u27s Report Card for 2007 indicate that not all children share the same proficiency in literacy. Reading and writing require the use of similar cognitive processes, yet few studies focus on this relationship or how writing can be a tool for reading remediation. The research questions in this study addressed the extent to which: (a) differences occur in the time spent on writing instruction by genre, instructional methodology, and the phase of writing between middle and high school teachers (b) the amount of time teachers provide writing instruction, the instructional methodology, the genre addressed in the instruction, the process of writing discussed, and students\u27 gender predict change in standardized reading test scores and (b) the amount of time students spend writing, the genre of writing, the part of the writing process used, and students\u27 gender predict change in standardized reading test scores. Data were obtained for 307 middle and high school students on the Scholastic Reading Inventory and the results of a daily survey completed by teacher participants that measured the amount of time spent on writing instruction, the methodology, the genre of writing, and the phase of the writing process used. A one-way ANOVA indicated statistically significant differences between middle and high school instruction for academic writing and phases of the writing process other than writing. A stepwise regression indicated that ethnicity, instruction on the writing phase of the writing process, formal instruction, instruction on academic writing, and instruction on journals were statistically significant predictors of reading scores. A stepwise regression analyzed the relationship of student writing activity and reading scores ethnicity, grade level, the phases of the writing process, writing without formal conventions, and time spent on writing journals were statistically significant predictors of reading scores. The results provide suggestions for future practice and research. Future

Fungal iron availability during deep seated candidiasis is defined by a complex interplay involving systemic and local events

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Educational Experiences and Shifts in Group Consciousness: Studying Women

This study takes a multifaceted approach to group consciousness. The authors assessed changes in women’s feminist consciousness due to their exposure to feminism through women’s studies. Feminist consciousness was measured at the beginning and end of a semester during which some research participants were enrolled in an introductory women’s studies course. Women’s studies students were compared with students who were interested, but not enrolled, in women’s studies. As expected, women’s studies students showed an increase on several aspects of feminist consciousness, whereas non-women’s studies students did not. Non-women’s studies students became less sensitive to sexism. It is also noteworthy that, although they became more feminist, women’s studies students did not become more negative toward men.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69064/2/10.1177_0146167299025003010.pd

Spontaneous DNA damage to the nuclear genome promotes senescence,redox imbalance and aging

Accumulation of senescent cells over time contributes to aging and age-related diseases. However, what drives senescence in vivo is not clear. Here we used a genetic approach to determine if spontaneous nuclear DNA damage is sufficient to initiate senescence in mammals. Ercc1-/Δ mice with reduced expression of ERCC1-XPF endonuclease have impaired capacity to repair the nuclear genome. Ercc1-/Δ mice accumulated spontaneous, oxidative DNA damage more rapidly than wild-type (WT) mice. As a consequence, senescent cells accumulated more rapidly in Ercc1-/Δ mice compared to repair-competent animals. However, the levels of DNA damage and senescent cells in Ercc1-/Δ mice never exceeded that observed in old WT mice. Surprisingly, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were increased in tissues of Ercc1-/Δ mice to an extent identical to naturally-aged WT mice. Increased enzymatic production of ROS and decreased antioxidants contributed to the elevation in oxidative stress in both Ercc1-/Δ and aged WT mice. Chronic treatment of Ercc1-/Δ mice with the mitochondrial-targeted radical scavenger XJB-5–131 attenuated oxidative DNA damage, senescence and age-related pathology. Our findings indicate that nuclear genotoxic stress arises, at least in part, due to mitochondrial-derived ROS, and this spontaneous DNA damage is sufficient to drive increased levels of ROS, cellular senescence, and the consequent age-related physiological decline

Spontaneous DNA damage to the nuclear genome promotes senescence, T redox imbalance and aging

Accumulation of senescent cells over time contributes to aging and age-related diseases. However, what drives senescence in vivo is not clear. Here we used a genetic approach to determine if spontaneous nuclear DNA damage is sufficient to initiate senescence in mammals. Ercc1-/Δ mice with reduced expression of ERCC1-XPF endonuclease have impaired capacity to repair the nuclear genome. Ercc1-/Δ mice accumulated spontaneous, oxidative DNA damage more rapidly than wild-type (WT) mice. As a consequence, senescent cells accumulated more rapidly in Ercc1-/Δ mice compared to repair-competent animals. However, the levels of DNA damage and senescent cells in Ercc1-/Δ mice never exceeded that observed in old WT mice. Surprisingly, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were increased in tissues of Ercc1-/Δ mice to an extent identical to naturally-aged WT mice. Increased enzymatic production of ROS and decreased antioxidants contributed to the elevation in oxidative stress in both Ercc1-/Δ and aged WT mice. Chronic treatment of Ercc1-/Δ mice with the mitochondrial-targeted radical scavenger XJB-5–131 attenuated oxidative DNA damage, senescence and age-related pathology. Our findings indicate that nuclear genotoxic stress arises, at least in part, due to mitochondrial-derived ROS, and this spontaneous DNA damage is sufficient to drive increased levels of ROS, cellular senescence, and the consequent age-related physiological decline

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin