Bilingual Narrative Assessment: Evaluation of the Kindergarten Language Benchmark Assessment in Native Spanish-Speaking Children

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Kindergarten Language Benchmark Assessment (KLBA) (Preschern & Konikoff, 2013) in identifying at risk narrative abilities in English Language Learners (ELLs) whose primary language is Spanish, as well as in monolingual English speakers. In addition, the study compared the effectiveness of the KLBA scoring system with the established measure of high point analysis for Spanish ELLs, and examined the performance of English monolinguals on the same assessment. The KLBA was administered in September, and again in January. The children\u27s narratives were scored using the KLBA measure, transcribed, and coded for elements and narrative pattern using high point analysis. Participants included nine children, three in a Spanish group and six in an English comparison group . Six of the nine participants, four English and two Spanish, passed the KLBA during both administrations. High point analysis results revealed that none of the participants in either group produced an age-appropriate narrative. The children who produced the least sophisticated narrative patterns failed the KLBA. Results suggested that the KLBA Narrative Story Retell Subtest effectively identified highly at-risk narratives, but did not consistently identify all at risk narratives. With further modification, the KLBA could be an effective screening tool for narrative language abilities in both monolingual and bilingual populations

Establishing a Neonatal Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) Team

Infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have a plethora of diagnoses, including prematurity and newborns with genetic, neurological, surgical, and cardiac problems. The nature of these disease processes usually precludes enteral feedings and providing the infant with appropriate nutrition and hydration is a priority. This requires central venous access and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement allows for a reliable route of administration for intravenous nutrition and medications. The purpose of this project was to develop a nurse-led neonatal PICC team to provide timely placement of PICC lines while maintaining cost-effectiveness and maintaining a minimal number of adverse events, such as central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). A nurse-led neonatal PICC line team was created at one local Midwestern Level III NICU. Five-day shift and five-night shift NICU registered nurses (RNs) were recruited to join the neonatal PICC line team. This allowed the team to provide 24-hour PICC line coverage year-round. The initial qualifications for membership were 4+ years of Level III NICU experience, expert peripheral IV insertion skills, excellent communication and organizational skills, and flexibility of shift scheduling. Results showed a decrease in the length of time between PICC line consultation to successful PICC line placement and a decrease in the number of peripheral IV attempts between the time of PICC line consultation to successful PICC line placement without an increase in adverse patient events while maintaining cost-effectiveness. This project can be utilized among other nursing units to establish and maintain a successful PICC line team to improve patient outcomes without increasing cost or adverse patient events

Spanish-English Bilingual Adolescents\u27 Attitude towards Home Language: Effects on Narrative Language

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between use of English as a second language in academic and social settings, and attitude towards home language (Spanish) in bilingual adolescents in a Central Illinois high school. In addition, the study evaluated the possible relationship between home language attitude and the structure of a personal narrative. Participants included include 11 Spanish-English bilingual high school students who resided in Spanish-speaking homes. Participants completed a questionnaire pertaining to self-rated proficiency of English and Spanish, frequency of use in various settings, and attitude towards English, Spanish, and bilingualism. English narrative samples were obtained and transcribed. Each narrative was coded for instances of Spanish influence. Narratives and survey data were then analyzed using SPSS to evaluate a possible relationship between narrative structure and attitude. All 11 participants reported their English proficiency as average or better. Three of the 11 participants did not display any of the linguistic and cultural differences examined in this study. All of the students, regardless of the presence of linguistic and cultural features in the narrative samples, identified as having either a neutral or positive attitude towards Spanish, English, and bilingualism. A positive correlation was found between self-rated English proficiency and use of Spanish in the community setting. A negative correlation was also found between attitude towards Spanish and the use of orientation and evaluation statements in personal narratives. No other significant correlations were found between language use, attitude, or personal narrative structure. However, these results aligned with previous research suggesting that bilingual children who feel positively towards L2 will become sufficiently proficient in that language, as well as potentially adopt the structural conventions of a personal narrative in L2

The Phonology of the Canadian Shift Revisited: Thunder Bay & Cape Breton

Previous accounts of the Canadian Shift, which have interpreted this diachronic process as a purely phonetic consequence of the low back LOT-THOUGHT vowel merger, have not clearly explained the strong connection between phonetic TRAP vowel retraction and the phonological process of the low back merger. This paper addresses this issue in several ways. Relying on the Modified Contrastive Specification theory (Dresher et al. 1994) and the Contrastive Hierarchy approach (Dresher 2009), two phonological frameworks, as well as phonetic insights from Vowel Dispersion theory (Liljencrants and Lindblom 1972) and Dispersion-Focalization theory (Schwartz et al. 1997, Schwartz et al. 2007), we propose that the catalyst of the Canadian Shift is a three-way merger of the PALM, LOT and THOUGHT lexical sets, in combination with a simultaneous change in the underlying feature specifications of the TRAP vowel. This results in a phonology that allows for the TRAP and DRESS vowels, in particular, to undergo the influence of the phonetic principles of dispersion and focalization, which lead to lowering and retraction in the acoustic vowel space. Comparison of data from speakers in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, lends support to this hypothesis because the Cape Breton data reveals evidence of two concurrent phonological systems, despite no evidence of change over apparent time. Some Cape Breton speakers display the Ontario (i.e., inland Canada) Canadian Shifted vowel system, while others display a system that bears much greater resemblance to the Eastern New England non-shift dialect, where PALM merges with TRAP instead of LOT-THOUGHT. The current analysis thus predicts that the Canadian Shift or a similar change to the TRAP, DRESS, and KIT vowels will occur in any North American dialect where the PALM-LOT-THOUGHT merger occurs, unless an intervening phonological change alters the contrasts within the phonological system

RF cavity design for a low cost 1 MeV proton source

In this paper we present the design for a low-cost RF cavity capable of accelerating protons from 100 keV to 1 MeV. The system is designed to meet the specifications from the proposed Alceli LTD medical proton therapy linac, to deliver a 1 nA proton beam current with a 1 kHz repetition rate. We present a design of an RF normal conducting (NC) re-entrant Cu cavity operating at 40MHz consisting of a coupled two cavity system, both driven by a single Marx generator. The choice of such a low operating frequency for the cavity system enables us to use a relatively low-cost cost Marx Generator as the RF source. Marx generators work in a similar fashion to a Cockcroft-Walton accelerator (without the expensive components), creating a high-voltage pulse by charging a number of capacitors relatively slowly in parallel, then rapidly discharging in series, via spark gaps. Marx generators can deliver 2.5GW, 1 ns pulses, with rise times of 200 ps, and (relatively) low jitter

Creating in a Participatory Culture: Perceptions of Digital Tools Among Teachers

The following embedded case study examines teachers’ perceptions of using digital and Web 2.0 tools for literacy instruction. These perceptions are important if teachers hope to enact a more participatory culture of creation rather than consumption called for by scholars such as the New London Group and the New Media Literacies scholars. Case study participants were teachers involved in a NWP site’s Invitational Summer Institute (ISI), with embedded cases of rural teachers in a high-poverty school district. The findings suggest teachers still face extrinsic barriers to enacting a participatory culture, and professional development is needed to help teachers effectively use digital and Web 2.0 tools in their literacy instruction

Identification of cis-regulatory sequence variations in individual genome sequences

Functional contributions of cis-regulatory sequence variations to human genetic disease are numerous. For instance, disrupting variations in a HNF4A transcription factor binding site upstream of the Factor IX gene contributes causally to hemophilia B Leyden. Although clinical genome sequence analysis currently focuses on the identification of protein-altering variation, the impact of cis-regulatory mutations can be similarly strong. New technologies are now enabling genome sequencing beyond exomes, revealing variation across the non-coding 98% of the genome responsible for developmental and physiological patterns of gene activity. The capacity to identify causal regulatory mutations is improving, but predicting functional changes in regulatory DNA sequences remains a great challenge. Here we explore the existing methods and software for prediction of functional variation situated in the cis-regulatory sequences governing gene transcription and RNA processing

An Incident Control Centre in action: Response to the Rena oil spill in New Zealand

Following the Rena grounding and oil spill in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, an Incident Command Centre was established which, among other tasks, coordinated a volunteer clean-up effort. We interviewed volunteers and organisers to gain insight into the efficacy of the volunteer coordination effort. Volunteers praised the system of communication and the involvement of indigenous groups. They expressed a desire for better training, more flexibility and community autonomy, a quicker uptake of volunteer support, and the use of social media. Locating the Incident Command Centre in a single site aided interaction between experts, and the sharing of resources. Overall, the volunteer coordination was considered a success