Oral language enrichment in preschool improves children's language skills : a cluster randomised controlled trial

Background. Oral language skills provide the foundation for formal education, yet many children enter school with language weaknesses. This study evaluated the efficacy of a new language enrichment programme, the Nuffield Early Language Intervention—Preschool (NELI Preschool), delivered to children in the year before they enter formal education. Methods. We conducted a preregistered cluster randomised controlled trial in 65 nursery schools in England (https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN29838552). NELI Preschool consists of a 20-week whole-class language enrichment programme delivered by a teacher each day for 20 min. In addition, children with the weakest language skills in each class are allocated to receive additional targeted support delivered by classroom assistants (whole-class + targeted). The language skills of all children (n = 1,586) in participating classrooms were assessed using the LanguageScreen automated app (https://oxedandassessment.com/languagescreen/). Settings were then randomly allocated to an intervention or control group. The children with the weakest language in each class (whole-class + targeted children n = 438), along with four randomly selected children in each class allocated to the whole-class only programme (n = 288) were individually tested on a range of language measures. Results. Children receiving NELI Preschool made larger gains than children in the control group on an oral language latent variable (whole-class children d = .26; whole-class + targeted children d = .16). Conclusions. This study provides good evidence that whole-class intervention delivered in preschool can produce educationally significant improvements in children's language skills. The intervention is scaleable and relatively low cost. These findings have important implications for educational and social policy

Highly Regio- and Stereoselective Diels-Alder Cycloadditions via Two-Step and Multicomponent Reactions Promoted by Infrared Irradiation under Solvent-Free Conditions

Infrared irradiation promoted the Diels-Alder cycloadditions of exo-2-oxazolidinone dienes 1–3 with the Knoevenagel adducts 4–6, as dienophiles, leading to the synthesis of new 3,5-diphenyltetrahydrobenzo[d]oxazol-2-one derivatives (7, 9, 11 and 13–17), under solvent-free conditions. These cycloadditions were performed with good regio- and stereoselectivity, favoring the para-endo cycloadducts. We also evaluated the one-pot three-component reaction of active methylene compounds 20, benzaldehydes 21 and exo-2-oxazolidinone diene 2 under the same reaction conditions. A cascade Knoevenagel condensation/Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction was observed, resulting in the final adducts 13–16 in similar yields. These procedures are environmentally benign, because no solvent and no catalyst were employed in these processes. The regioselectivity of these reactions was rationalized by Frontier Molecular Orbital (FMO) calculations

Breakthroughs in medicinal chemistry: New targets and mechanisms, new drugs, new hopes-6

Breakthroughs in Medicinal Chemistry: New Targets and Mechanisms, New Drugs, New Hopes is a series of Editorials that is published on a biannual basis by the Editorial Board of the Medicinal Chemistry section of the journal Molecules [...]

Healthcare Reform in Puerto Rico: Managed Care in a Unique Environment

To reduce healthcare costs, Puerto Rico has adopted an innovative managed-care program to replace its old public healthcare system. Under the new program, healthcare funding for the medically indigent is being transferred from government-run hospitals and clinics to contracted private insurers who provide a wide range of services on a capitated payment plan. This well-planned initiative addresses the need to cut healthcare costs in Puerto Rico, but whether it will successfully meet the healthcare needs of beneficiaries in the long run is up for debate

Workshop Laboratorios Compartidos

Workshop Laboratorios Compartidos Se invita a toda la comunidad CUDI a participar en el Workshop Laboratorios Compartidos que se llevará a cabo los días 23 y 24 de Mayo con sede en el Auditorio Alejandra Jaidar del IFUNAM.Miércoles 23 de Mayo, Bienvenida: Dra. Patricia Santiago Jacinto IFUNAM, Microscopía Electrónica de Transmisión a Control Remoto El caso de los óxidos complejos Dra. Patricia Santiago Jacinto IFUNAM Centelt Alvarado, Luis Rendon. Focus Ion Beam Nanofábrica virtual y estudio de nanofósiles Vicente Garibay (IMP) curriculum Eduardo Palacios González, Edgar Peralta, El proyecto LemDist Perspectivas de los laboratorios a distancia Demostración virtual, Presentación Jesús Cruz UNAM, Manipulación Remota de un Equipo NMR Hulme Rios (FES Cuatitlán), Manipulación Remota para Tecnología de Alimentos José Luis Arjona, La Tecnología de Información como Apoyo al Proceso de Enseñanza Aprendizaje: La solución Netlab para el acceso remoto a laboratorios de redes. Luis A. Trejo Rodríguez (ITESM)workshopDeLaboratorios23.wmv/Workshop Laboratorios 23.fl