A longitudinal study of phonological processing skills and reading in bilingual children

French/English bilingual children (N=40) in French language schools participated in an 8-month longitudinal study of the relation between phonological processing skills and reading in French and English. Participants were administered measures of phonological awareness, working memory, naming speed, and reading in both languages. The results of the concurrent analyses show that phonological awareness skills in both French and English were uniquely predictive of reading performance in both languages after accounting for the influences of cognitive ability, reading ability, working memory, and naming speed. These findings support the hypothesis that phonological awareness is strongly related to beginning word reading skill in an alphabetic orthography. The results of the longitudinal analyses also suggest that orthographic depth influences phonological factors related to reading

Reading-related skills of kindergarteners from diverse linguistic backgrounds

This study examined whether measures used to identify children at risk for reading failure are appropriate for children from different language backgrounds. Tasks assessing literacy and phonological and language processing at the beginning and end of kindergarten were administered to 540 native English speakers (NS), 59 bilingual children (BL), and 60 children whose initial exposure to English was when they began school (ESL). Although the BL and ESL children performed more poorly than the NS children on most measures of phonological and linguistic processing, the acquisition of basic literacy skills for children with different language backgrounds developed in a similar manner. Furthermore, planned contrasts between the language groups did not explain the variance in the children’s literacy performance in May. Instead, alphabetic knowledge and phonological processing were important contributors to early reading skill. Therefore, children learning English may acquire literacy skills in English in a similar manner to NS children, although their alphabetic knowledge may precede and facilitate the acquisition of phonological awareness in English

Higgs Pair Production: Choosing Benchmarks With Cluster Analysis

New physics theories often depend on a large number of free parameters. The precise values of those parameters in some cases drastically affect the resulting phenomenology of fundamental physics processes, while in others finite variations can leave it basically invariant at the level of detail experimentally accessible. When designing a strategy for the analysis of experimental data in the search for a signal predicted by a new physics model, it appears advantageous to categorize the parameter space describing the model according to the corresponding kinematical features of the final state. A multi-dimensional test statistic can be used to gauge the degree of similarity in the kinematics of different models; a clustering algorithm using that metric may then allow the division of the space into homogeneous regions, each of which can be successfully represented by a benchmark point. Searches targeting those benchmark points are then guaranteed to be sensitive to a large area of the parameter space. In this document we show a practical implementation of the above strategy for the study of non-resonant production of Higgs boson pairs in the context of extensions of the standard model with anomalous couplings of the Higgs bosons. A non-standard value of those couplings may significantly enhance the Higgs pair production cross section, such that the process could be detectable with the data that the Large Hadron Collider will collect in Run 2.Comment: Editorial changes, improvements in figures and changes in the appendi

Sociocultural Models of Second-Language Learning of Young Immigrants in Canada

The most significant challenge for the minority immigrant is learning a new language. They arrive in a new culture and community hoping to master English quickly in order to achieve their academic and career goals. However, many immigrants have mentioned general barriers resulting from being unable to communicate with peers outside their cultural and linguistic group. Recent research has identified several cognitive variables such as vocabulary, reading aloud, and grammatical judgment related to second-language learning in immigrants; however, little attention was given to sociocultural factors such as acculturation, motivation, and cultural learning because learning a language is a necessary aspect of being socialized into a particular culture. This chapter reviews research of sociocultural models in relation to second-language learning of immigrant youth in Canada. We address this paradigm for research by incorporating both acculturation and sociolinguistic approaches, as well as more traditional cognitive-linguistic approaches, to models of second-language learning in immigrants

The Role of Print Exposure in ReadingSkills of Postsecondary Students With andWithout Reading Disabilities

Exposure to print is a significant predictor of vocabulary growth and declarative knowledge in normally achieving readers (Stanovich,West,&Harrison, 1995). Research has also shown that initial differences in print exposure can be used to predict differences in reading comprehension in children studied ten years after initial assessment (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1997). The present study seeks to broaden this research by using print exposure to explore similarities and differences in both reading comprehension and vocabulary in a sample of students with well-documented learning disabilities in the area of reading (RD), and a control group without reading disabilities. Print exposure was related to untimed reading comprehension scores and vocabulary scores for the students with RD and to timed comprehension scores and vocabulary scores for the control group

MOTHER-CHILD SHARED STORY TELLING OF WORDLESS AND WORDED PICTURE BOOKS: A WITHIN-SUBJECT DESIGN STUDY OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Issues pertinent to developmental psychology and education often intersect. For example, both literatures can inform the assessment of differences in early literacy and school readiness, as well as how to bridge the literacy gap for children coming from different backgrounds. In times of COVID-19, it is especially important that we research the impact of strategies that are accessible to all, and can be utilized both in the home, and in more formal learning environments. This study assessed how the use of wordless picture books impacted the quality and quantity of language output, and engagement in dialogue between mother and child. This behaviour was examined on an individual level and on an interaction level. Mothers received a questionnaire prior to the study session to measure for demographic variables, literacy levels, education, and first-languages/languages spoken in the home. Mother-child dyads were instructed to engage in two shared book reading tasks, one using a worded picture book and one using a wordless picture book, while being observed remotely. The child was also asked to tell their own story using the wordless picture book. The key findings of the study were that in the wordless condition, mother’s morpheme production significantly contributed to both the child’s word type production and utterances. None of the mother’s language production variables were significantly related to the child’s word type in the worded condition, but the mother’s production of utterances in addition to the words in the text was significantly related to the child’s utterances in the worded condition. This study informs the field of developmental psychology and education, specifically child language and literacy development, by providing insight on potential strategies that may encourage dialogic teaching and learning. Keywords: dialogic teaching and learning, wordless picture book, language and literac

Second language acquisition and acculturation: similarities and differences between immigrants and refugees

Refugees and immigrants differ in their reasons for migration and their criteria for entry into Canada. While economic immigrants migrate to other countries voluntarily, refugees are forced to leave their countries due to fear of death or persecution. Due to the difference in the nature of resettlement, assumptions exist that immigrants and refugees may differ in terms of emotional well-being, social adjustment and acculturation, and second language learning outcomes. To assess these assumptions, this study was conducted on a sample (N = 45) of newcomer Iranian immigrants (Mage = 19.24, SD = 2.06) and refugees (Mage = 23.15, SD = 4.02). The participants completed a series of questionnaires regarding their English language and literacy skills, acculturation, socioeconomic status, emotional well-being, and potential traumatic experiences in the past. This study examined the relationships among these variables for the two groups. The refugees scored lower on variables related to socioeconomic status and had lower English skills than the immigrant group. English word reading and vocabulary were related to second language reading comprehension for immigrants, but only word reading was related to reading comprehension for refugees. The experienced trauma was significantly higher among the refugees. However, the trauma was not a significant predictor for any of the English proficiency skills. Acculturation was related to English reading comprehension, and enculturation was negatively associated with English vocabulary and reading comprehension for refugees but not for immigrants. The findings point to similarities and differences between refugees and immigrants. Recommendations to facilitate resettlement are discussed

Mapping Nanomedicine Terminology in the Regulatory Landscape

A common terminology is essential in any field of science and technology for a mutual understanding among different communities of experts and regulators, harmonisation of policy actions, standardisation of quality procedures and experimental testing, and the communication to the general public. It also allows effective revision of information for policy making and optimises research fund allocation. In particular, in emerging scientific fields with a high innovation potential, new terms, descriptions and definitions are quickly generated, which are then ambiguously used by stakeholders having diverse interests, coming from different scientific disciplines and/or from various regions. The application of nanotechnology in health -often called nanomedicine- is considered as such emerging and multidisciplinary field with a growing interest of various communities. In order to support a better understanding of terms used in the regulatory domain, the Nanomedicines Working Group of the International Pharmaceutical Regulators Forum (IPRF) has prioritised the need to map, compile and discuss the currently used terminology of regulatory scientists coming from different geographic areas. The JRC has taken the lead to identify and compile frequently used terms in the field by using web crawling and text mining tools as well as the manual extraction of terms. Websites of 13 regulatory authorities and clinical trial registries globally involved in regulating nanomedicines have been crawled. The compilation and analysis of extracted terms demonstrated sectorial and geographical differences in the frequency and type of nanomedicine related terms used in a regulatory context. Finally 31 relevant and most frequently used terms deriving from various agencies have been compiled, discussed and analysed for their similarities and differences. These descriptions will support the development of harmonised use of terminology in the future. The report provides necessary background information to advance the discussion among stakeholders. It will strengthen activities aiming to develop harmonised standards in the field of nanomedicine, which is an essential factor to stimulate innovation and industrial competitiveness.JRC.F.2-Consumer Products Safet

Immune response in Eimeria sp. and E. coli challenged broilers supplemented with amino acids

The aim of this study was to evaluate the immune response of broiler chickens in Eimeria sp. and E. coli challengedbroilers supplemented with glutamine, arginine and threonine. There were six hundred one-day-old male Cobb 500 broiler chickens. The design was completely randomised using a 2 x 3 factorial design (unchallenged and challenged x 3 diets). A commercial diet was used as a control and two other diets were formulated with glutamine (1.5 and 3% Aminogut®), arginine (1 and 2% L-Arginine), and threonine (1 and 2% L-threonine). At day 28, the birds fed the highest level of amino acid showed lower levels of IgA (P<0.05) compared to the control group, and resulted in an increased number of goblet cells. In the period of 1 week after the challenge, the challenged birds showed lower measures (P<0.05) of the thymus compared to the birds that had not undergone challenge. At day 28, unchallenged birds showed a reduction (P<0.05) in splenic measures in the treatment with the highest level of amino acids. The highest measures were correlated to control birds that were not challenged. At day 21, blood urea levels were increased (P<0.05) for birds fed amino acids supplementation compared to those which received no supplementation. After 28 days, uric acid levels were similar between the two supplemented diets. These results suggest that diet supplementation with amino acids above the recommended levels for growth may be necessary to improve the immune response against an Eimeria and E. coli challenge

Assessment of Cannabidiol and ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabiol in Mouse Models of Medulloblastoma and Ependymoma

Children with medulloblastoma and ependymoma are treated with a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy; however, overall survival rates for patients with high-risk disease remain unsatisfactory. Data indicate that plant-derived cannabinoids are effective against adult glioblastoma; however, preclinical evidence supporting their use in pediatric brain cancers is lacking. Here we investigated the potential role for ∆9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in medulloblastoma and ependymoma. Dose- dependent cytotoxicity of medulloblastoma and ependymoma cells was induced by THC and CBD in vitro, and a synergistic reduction in viability was observed when both drugs were combined. Mechanistically, cannabinoids induced cell cycle arrest, in part by the production of reactive oxygen species, autophagy, and apoptosis; however, this did not translate to increased survival in orthotopic transplant models despite being well tolerated. We also tested the combination of cannabinoids with the medulloblastoma drug cyclophosphamide, and despite some in vitro synergism, no survival advantage was observed in vivo. Consequently, clinical benefit from the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of high-grade medulloblastoma and ependymoma is expected to be limited. This study emphasizes the importance of preclinical models in validating therapeutic agent efficacy prior to clinical trials, ensuring that enrolled patients are afforded the most promising therapies available