The Interpretation and Value of the Six Analytical Traits of Writing by Sixth Grade Students

This research study\u27s purpose is to interpret and describe the extent in which children define, and value the Six Analytical Traits of Writing within their own work. Data was collected through several sources; observational notes, pre and post surveys, writing group activities and self scored pieces of writing. The research question guiding this study was do children understand and what do they find valuable in relation to the Six Analytical Traits of Writing. Sixth grade students who participated in the study completed assignments over a nine week study and were observed in several different situations. The data analyzed found children were able to define each trait by the end of the study; mainly in generalities. Only a few children demonstrated the ability to internalize the traits and use them in discussing their work. The majority of the children were unable to communication how the traits were applied in their writing effectively. They also were unable to convey specifically how they evaluated their writing. This was supported by the data from the surveys. Hence, the traits were not internalized for many students

The Optical - Infrared Colors of CORALS QSOs: Searching for Dust Reddening Associated With High Redshift Damped Lyman Alpha Systems

The presence of dust in quasar absorbers, such as damped Lyman alpha (DLA) systems, may cause the background QSO to appear reddened. We investigate the extent of this potential reddening by comparing the optical-to-infrared (IR) colors of QSOs with and without intervening absorbers. Our QSO sample is based on the Complete Optical and Radio Absorption Line System (CORALS) survey of Ellison et al (2001). We have obtained near-simultaneous B and K band magnitudes for subset of the CORALS sample and supplemented our observations with further measurements published in the literature. To account for redshift-related color changes, the B-K colors are normalized using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) QSO composite. The mean normalized B-K color of the DLA sub-sample is +0.12, whereas the mean for the no-DLA sample is -0.10; both distributions have RMS scatters ~0.5. Neither a student's T-test nor a KS test indicate that there is any significant difference between the two color distributions. Based on simulations which redden the colors of QSOs with intervening DLAs, we determine a reddening limit which corresponds to E(B-V) < 0.04 (SMC-like extinction) at 99% confidence (3 sigma), assuming that E(B-V) is the same for all DLAs. Finally, we do not find any general correlation between absorber properties (such as [Fe/Zn] or neutral hydrogen column density) and B-K color. One of these two QSOs shows evidence for strong associated absorption from X-ray observations, an alternative explanation for its very red color. We conclude that the presence of intervening galaxies causes a minimal reddening of the background QSO.Comment: Accepted for publication in A

Detection of ESKAPE bacterial pathogens at the point of care using isothermal DNA-based assays in a portable degas-actuated microfluidic diagnostic assay platform

An estimated 1.5 billion microbial infections occur globally each year and result in ~4.6 million deaths. A technology gap associated with commercially available diagnostic tests in remote and underdeveloped regions prevents timely pathogen identification for effective antibiotic chemotherapies for infected patients. The result is a trial-and-error approach that is limited in effectiveness, increases risk for patients while contributing to antimicrobial drug resistance, and reduces the lifetime of antibiotics. This paper addresses this important diagnostic technology gap by describing a low-cost, portable, rapid, and easy-to-use microfluidic cartridgebased system for detecting the ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) bacterial pathogens that are most commonly associated with antibiotic resistance. The point-of-care molecular diagnostic system consists of a vacuumdegassed microfluidic cartridge preloaded with lyophilized recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays and a small portable battery-powered electronic incubator/ reader. The isothermal RPA assays detect the targeted ESKAPE pathogens with high sensitivity (e.g., a limit of detection of ~10 nucleic acid molecules) that is comparable to that of current PCR-based assays, and they offer advantages in power consumption, engineering, and robustness, which are three critical elements required for the point-of-care setting

Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Hepatocarcinogenesis with Parent-of-Origin Effects in A×B Mice

Insulin resistance is a defining feature of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus but also may occur independently of these conditions. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the hepatic manifestation of these disorders, increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, mechanisms linking hyperinsulinemia to NAFLD and HCC require clarification. We describe a novel model of primary insulin resistance and HCC with strong parent-of-origin effects. Male AB6F1 (A/JCr dam × C57BL/6 sire) but not B6AF1 (B6 dam × A/J sire) mice developed spontaneous insulin resistance, NAFLD, and HCC without obesity or diabetes. A survey of mitochondrial, imprinted, and sex-linked traits revealed modest associations with X-linked genes. However, a diet-induced obesity study, including B6.A chromosome substitution–strain (consomic) mice, showed no segregation by sex chromosome. Thus, parent-of-origin effects were specified within the autosomal genome. Next, we interrogated mechanisms of insulin-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. Steatotic hepatocytes exhibited adipogenic transition characterized by vacuolar metaplasia and up-regulation of vimentin, adipsin, fatty acid translocase (CD36), peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ, and related products. This profile was largely recapitulated in insulin-supplemented primary mouse hepatocyte cultures. Importantly, pyruvate kinase M2, a fetal anabolic enzyme implicated in the Warburg effect, was activated by insulin in vivo and in vitro. Thus, our study reveals parent-of-origin effects in heritable insulin resistance, implicating adipogenic transition with acquired anabolic metabolism in the progression from NAFLD to HCC.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant AA016563)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant CA067529)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant P01CA0267)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant P30ES02109)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant RR007036)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant CA158661)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant CA016086

The information revolution, innovation diffusion and economic growth : an examination of causal links in European countries

Over the last 5 decades, the economic landscape in Europe has been transformed rapidly due to innovation, digitisation of the economy, and emergence of new sources of growth. However, the complex dynamics among diffusion of innovation, penetration of information and communication technology (ICT), and economic growth have not been adequately studied. This paper investigates the relationships among these three variables for European countries over 1961–2016. The goal is to determine whether the direction of causality among the variables runs both ways, one way, or not at all. Using a vector error-correction model, we find that in the long run, both innovation diffusion and ICT penetration stimulate economic growth. In the short run, however, the causal links are not always uniform and depend on proxies that are used for innovation diffusion and ICT penetration. The results provide valuable insights on the types of policies and strategies that would sustain economic growth in European economies.http://link.springer.com/journal/11135hj2020Financial Managemen

Interface between energy consumption, CO2 emissions, economic growth, and macroeconomic openness in financial action task force countries through the lens of a causality approach

Please read abstract in the article.http://link.springer.com/journal/11356hj2024Financial ManagementSDG-07:Affordable and clean energ

Vestibular Stimulation for ADHD: Randomized Controlled Trial of Comprehensive Motion Apparatus

Objective: This research evaluates effects of vestibular stimulation by Comprehensive Motion Apparatus (CMA) in ADHD. Method: Children ages 6 to 12 (48 boys, 5 girls) with ADHD were randomized to thrice-weekly 30-min treatments for 12 weeks with CMA, stimulating otoliths and semicircular canals, or a single-blind control of equal duration and intensity, each treatment followed by a 20-min typing tutorial. Results: In intent-to-treat analysis (n = 50), primary outcome improved significantly in both groups (p = .0001, d = 1.09 to 1.30), but treatment difference not significant (p = .7). Control children regressed by follow-up (difference p = .034, d = 0.65), but overall difference was not significant (p = .13, d = .47). No measure showed significant treatment differences at treatment end, but one did at follow-up. Children with IQ-achievement discrepancy ≥ 1 SD showed significantly more CMA advantage on three measures. Conclusion: This study illustrates the importance of a credible control condition of equal duration and intensity in trials of novel treatments. CMA treatment cannot be recommended for combined-type ADHD without learning disorder

Direct Evidence for Termination of Obscured Star Formation by Radiatively Driven Outflows in Reddened QSOs

We present optical to far-infrared photometry of 31 reddened QSOs that show evidence for radiatively driven outflows originating from AGN in their rest-frame UV spectra. We use these data to study the relationships between the AGN-driven outflows, and the AGN and starburst infrared luminosities. We find that FeLoBAL QSOs are invariably IR-luminous, with IR luminosities exceeding 10^{12} Solar luminosities in all cases. The AGN supplies 76% of the total IR emission, on average, but with a range from 20% to 100%. We find no evidence that the absolute luminosity of obscured star formation is affected by the AGN-driven outflows. Conversely, we find an anticorrelation between the strength of AGN-driven outflows, as measured from the range of outflow velocities over which absorption exceeds a minimal threshold, and the contribution from star formation to the total IR luminosity, with a much higher chance of seeing a starburst contribution in excess of 25% in systems with weak outflows than in systems with strong outflows. Moreover, we find no convincing evidence that this effect is driven by the IR luminosity of the AGN. We conclude that radiatively driven outflows from AGN can have a dramatic, negative impact on luminous star formation in their host galaxies. We find that such outflows act to curtail star formation such that star formation contributes less than ~25% of the total IR luminosity. We also propose that the degree to which termination of star formation takes place is not deducible from the IR luminosity of the AGN.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Hubble Space Telescope Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Fourteen Low-Redshift Quasars

We present low-resolution ultraviolet spectra of 14 low redshift (z<0.8) quasars observed with HST/STIS as part of a Snap project to understand the relationship between quasar outflows and luminosity. By design, all observations cover the CIV emission line. Nine of the quasars are from the Hamburg-ESO catalog, three are from the Palomar-Green catalog, and one is from the Parkes catalog. The sample contains a few interesting quasars including two broad absorption line (BAL) quasars (HE0143-3535, HE0436-2614), one quasar with a mini-BAL (HE1105-0746), and one quasar with associated narrow absorption (HE0409-5004). These BAL quasars are among the brightest known (though not the most luminous) since they lie at z<0.8. We compare the properties of these BAL quasars to the z1.4 Large Bright Quasar samples. By design, our objects sample luminosities in between these two surveys, and our four absorbed objects are consistent with the v ~ L^0.62 relation derived by Laor & Brandt (2002). Another quasar, HE0441-2826, contains extremely weak emission lines and our spectrum is consistent with a simple power-law continuum. The quasar is radio-loud, but has a steep spectral index and a lobe-dominated morphology, which argues against it being a blazar. The unusual spectrum of this quasar resembles the spectra of the quasars PG1407+265, SDSSJ1136+0242, and PKS1004+13 for which several possible explanations have been entertained.Comment: Uses aastex.cls, 21 pages in preprint mode, including 6 figures and 2 tables; accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal (projected vol 133

Predicting progression of mild cognitive impairment to dementia using neuropsychological data: a supervised learning approach using time windows

Background: Predicting progression from a stage of Mild Cognitive Impairment to dementia is a major pursuit in current research. It is broadly accepted that cognition declines with a continuum between MCI and dementia. As such, cohorts of MCI patients are usually heterogeneous, containing patients at different stages of the neurodegenerative process. This hampers the prognostic task. Nevertheless, when learning prognostic models, most studies use the entire cohort of MCI patients regardless of their disease stages. In this paper, we propose a Time Windows approach to predict conversion to dementia, learning with patients stratified using time windows, thus fine-tuning the prognosis regarding the time to conversion. Methods: In the proposed Time Windows approach, we grouped patients based on the clinical information of whether they converted (converter MCI) or remained MCI (stable MCI) within a specific time window. We tested time windows of 2, 3, 4 and 5 years. We developed a prognostic model for each time window using clinical and neuropsychological data and compared this approach with the commonly used in the literature, where all patients are used to learn the models, named as First Last approach. This enables to move from the traditional question "Will a MCI patient convert to dementia somewhere in the future" to the question "Will a MCI patient convert to dementia in a specific time window". Results: The proposed Time Windows approach outperformed the First Last approach. The results showed that we can predict conversion to dementia as early as 5 years before the event with an AUC of 0.88 in the cross-validation set and 0.76 in an independent validation set. Conclusions: Prognostic models using time windows have higher performance when predicting progression from MCI to dementia, when compared to the prognostic approach commonly used in the literature. Furthermore, the proposed Time Windows approach is more relevant from a clinical point of view, predicting conversion within a temporal interval rather than sometime in the future and allowing clinicians to timely adjust treatments and clinical appointments.FCT under the Neuroclinomics2 project [PTDC/EEI-SII/1937/2014, SFRH/BD/95846/2013]; INESC-ID plurianual [UID/CEC/50021/2013]; LASIGE Research Unit [UID/CEC/00408/2013