Reading Program Evaluation: A Plan for Effective Implementation

In recent years schools have increasingly been faced with the question of accountability. Parents, as well as the general public, are concerned about the quality of instruction which is currently being provided, often noting the decrease in standardized test scores nationally as a primary indicator of fundamental problems in education. Nowhere has this concern been more evident than in the area of reading instruction. Current reading practices and procedures are frequently cited as being ineffective and unworkable. The slogan return to the basics is a rallying cry heard throughout the land. In response to these criticisms, schools have found themselves being placed on the degensive with increased importance being given to various forms of curriculum evaluation

Evaluation of the reading program : decisions for improvement

As noted throughout this monograph, any reading program evaluation is largely dependent for its eventual outcome upon the knowledge and attitudes each classroom teacher has concerning both the total reading program in a school as well as their own individual efforts. Without a commitment by each member of the teaching staff to not only be willing to participate in the evaluation process but in the final analysis to honestly consider appropriate changes when they are indicated, any reading program evaluation becomes little more than organized "busywork." The authors of this monograph encourage school teachers to consider the benefits of a carefully developed reading evaluation.--Conclusio

Bystander B cells rapidly acquire antigen receptors from activated B cells by membrane transfer: a novel mechanism for enhancing specific antigen presentation

The B cell antigen receptor (BCR) efficiently facilitates the capture and processing of a specific antigen for presentation on MHC class II molecules to antigen specific CD4+ T cells (1). Despite this, the majority of B cells are only thought to play a limited role in CD4+ T cell activation since BCRs are clonotypically expressed. Here we show, however, that activated B cells can, both in vitro and in vivo, rapidly donate their BCR to bystander B cells, a process that is mediated by direct membrane transfer between adjacent B cells and is amplified by the interaction of the BCR with specific antigen. This results in a dramatic expansion in the number of antigen-binding B cells in vivo, with the transferred BCR endowing recipient B cells with the ability to present specific antigen to antigen-specific CD4+ T cells

Three flavors of extremal Betti tables

We discuss extremal Betti tables of resolutions in three different contexts. We begin over the graded polynomial ring, where extremal Betti tables correspond to pure resolutions. We then contrast this behavior with that of extremal Betti tables over regular local rings and over a bigraded ring.Comment: 20 page

Positron microanalysis with high intensity beams

One of the more common applications for a high intensity slow positron facility will be microanalysis of solid materials. In the first section of this paper some examples are given of procedures that can be developed. Since most of the attendees of this workshop are experts in positron spectroscopy, comprehensive descriptions will be omitted. With the exception of positron emission microscopy, most of the procedures will be based on those already in common use with broad beams. The utility of the methods have all been demonstrated, but material scientists use very few of them because positron microbeams are not generally available. A high intensity positron facility will make microbeams easier to obtain and partially alleviate this situation. All microanalysis techniques listed below will have a common requirement, which is the ability to locate the microscopic detail or area of interest and to focus the positron beam exclusively on it. The last section of this paper is a suggestion of how a high intensity positron facility might be designed so as to have this capability built in. The method will involve locating the specimen by scanning it with the microbeam of positrons and inducing a secondary electron image that will immediately reveal whether or not the positron beam is striking the proper portion of the specimen. This scanning positron microscope' will be a somewhat prosaic analog of the conventional SEM. It will, however, be an indispensable utility that will enhance the practicality of positron microanalysis techniques. 6 refs., 1 fig

Leukocyte Heparanase: A Double-Edged Sword in Tumor Progression

Heparanase is a β-D-endoglucuronidase that cleaves heparan sulfate, a complex glycosaminoglycan found ubiquitously throughout mammalian cells and tissues. Heparanase has been strongly associated with important pathological processes including inflammatory disease and tumor metastasis, through its ability to promote various cellular functions such as cell migration, invasion, adhesion, and cytokine release. A number of cell types express heparanase including leukocytes, cells of the vasculature as well as tumor cells. However, the relative contribution of heparanase from these different cell sources to these processes is poorly defined. It is now well-established that the immune system plays a critical role in shaping tumor progression. Intriguingly, leukocyte-derived heparanase has been shown to either assist or impede tumor progression, depending on the setting. This review covers our current knowledge of heparanase in immune regulation of tumor progression, as well as the potential applications and implications of exploiting or inhibiting heparanase in cancer therapy

The ionization of organic molecules by slow positrons

The ionization of organic molecules by positrons having energies above and below their positronium formation thresholds is reviewed. The sensitivity of sub-positronium ionization yields to chemical and structural properties of the molecules is discussed, and possible mechanisms for ionization and fragmentation are suggested. Plans are presented for future experiments to further elucidate mechanisms and to search for evidence of positronium compound formation

Positron-molecule interactions: resonant attachment, annihilation, and bound states

This article presents an overview of current understanding of the interaction of low-energy positrons with molecules with emphasis on resonances, positron attachment and annihilation. Annihilation rates measured as a function of positron energy reveal the presence of vibrational Feshbach resonances (VFR) for many polyatomic molecules. These resonances lead to strong enhancement of the annihilation rates. They also provide evidence that positrons bind to many molecular species. A quantitative theory of VFR-mediated attachment to small molecules is presented. It is tested successfully for selected molecules (e.g., methyl halides and methanol) where all modes couple to the positron continuum. Combination and overtone resonances are observed and their role is elucidated. In larger molecules, annihilation rates from VFR far exceed those explicable on the basis of single-mode resonances. These enhancements increase rapidly with the number of vibrational degrees of freedom. While the details are as yet unclear, intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution to states that do not couple directly to the positron continuum appears to be responsible for these enhanced annihilation rates. Downshifts of the VFR from the vibrational mode energies have provided binding energies for thirty species. Their dependence upon molecular parameters and their relationship to positron-atom and positron-molecule binding energy calculations are discussed. Feshbach resonances and positron binding to molecules are compared with the analogous electron-molecule (negative ion) cases. The relationship of VFR-mediated annihilation to other phenomena such as Doppler-broadening of the gamma-ray annihilation spectra, annihilation of thermalized positrons in gases, and annihilation-induced fragmentation of molecules is discussed.Comment: 50 pages, 40 figure