Carbon partitioning and export in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana with altered capacity for sucrose synthesis grown at low temperature: a role for metabolite transporters

We investigated the role of metabolite transporters in cold acclimation by comparing the responses of wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis thaliana (Heynh.) with that of transgenic plants over-expressing sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPSox) or with that of antisense repression of cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPas). Plants were grown at 23 degrees C and then shifted to 5 degrees C. We compared the leaves shifted to 5 degrees C for 3 and 10 d with new leaves that developed at 5 degrees C with control leaves on plants at 23 degrees C. At 23 degrees C, ectopic expression of SPS resulted in 30% more carbon being fixed per day and an increase in sucrose export from source leaves. This increase in fixation and export was supported by increased expression of the plastidic triose-phosphate transporter AtTPT and, to a lesser extent, the high-affinity Suc transporter AtSUC1. The improved photosynthetic performance of the SPSox plants was maintained after they were shifted to 5 degrees C and this was associated with further increases in AtSUC1 expression but with a strong repression of AtTPT mRNA abundance. Similar responses were shown by WT plants during acclimation to low temperature and this response was attenuated in the low sucrose producing FBPas plants. These data suggest that a key element in recovering flux through carbohydrate metabolism in the cold is to control the partitioning of metabolites between the chloroplast and the cytosol, and Arabidopsis modulates the expression of AtTPT to maintain balanced carbon flow. Arabidopsis also up-regulates the expression of AtSUC1, and to lesser extent AtSUC2, as down-stream components facilitate sucrose transport in leaves that develop at low temperatures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Long-term outcomes of early reading intervention

This study explores the long-term effectiveness of two differing models of early intervention for children with reading difficulties: Reading Recovery and a specific phonological training. Approximately 400 children were pre-tested, 95 were assigned to Reading Recovery, 97 to Phonological Training and the remainder acted as controls. In the short and medium term both interventions significantly improved aspects of children's reading, Reading Recovery having a broader and more powerful effect. In the long-term, 31/2 years after intervention, there were no significant effects on reading overall, though Reading Recovery had a significant effect for a subgroup of children who were complete non-readers at 6 years old. Phonological Training had a significant effect on spelling. The short and medium-term effects demonstrate that it is possible substantially to reduce children's reading problems. The long-term effects raise doubts about relying on early intervention alone. © United Kingdom Literacy Association 2007

The identification of speech and language problems in elementary school: Diagnosis and co-occurring needs

BACKGROUND: Oral language skills are the foundation for success at school and in employment. A significant minority of children experience difficulties in the acquisition of oral language resulting in speech and language needs (SLN). There are disjunctures between clinical studies using standardised assessment and educational studies. The current study examines teacher reported SLN alongside assessments of language and cognitive skills to explore children's profiles of needs, developmental trajectories and risk factors. PROCEDURE: Data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study were used to examine teacher identification of SLN at seven (n = 8658) and 11 years (n = 7275). RESULTS: There were high levels of co-occurrence between SLN and other special educational needs at seven and 11 years, with SLN being less common at 11. Vocabulary levels and parental concerns at three and five and educational attainment at seven were highly predictive of SLN at seven, slightly less so at 11. However, a significant proportion of parents of children who scored in the bottom 2nd centile on vocabulary measures did not report their child as experiencing a language problem. Gender and disadvantage were also predictive of SLN but were mediated by the cognitive and behavioural variables. IMPLICATIONS: These results raise questions about whether children's language needs at age 11 are recognised in schools. The extent of co-occurrence challenges the way diagnostic categories should be used and supports the value of profiling of dimensions of need

Supporting pupils in school with social, emotional and mental health needs: a scoping review of the literature

This article reports on a scoping review of the academic and related literature published between 2000 and 2015 that addressed the education provision for secondary aged pupils with social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties (SEMH) conducted over a six week period in 2015. A total of 168 documents met the inclusion criteria for the review, including 110 peer reviewed journal articles. The authors found an emerging evidence base to support more effective provision for pupils with SEMH, but there remains, particularly at the group and individual level a dearth of literature. Underpinning all the successful programmes in this review was a positive approach adopted by teachers and school leaders to pupils with SEMH. There was an overlap in practice between approaches used at universal, group and individual level but the majority of effective approaches were common to mainstream and specialist settings

Literacy difficulties and emotional and behaviour disorders: causes and consequences

Background: There is a well-established association between literacy difficulties and emotional and behavior disorders (EBD). However, the scarcity of experimental studies means directions of causality are not clear. Aims: This study investigates causal relationships between literacy and EBD, and implications of co-morbidity for intervention. Sample and method: In the first year of a quasi-experimental study of 258 six-year-olds with reading difficulties: 87 received Phonological Training (PT), 81 received Reading Recovery (RR), and 90 in the control group received standard tuition. Children were followed up immediately post-intervention and four years later. Results: Immediately post-intervention, RR significantly improved children’s literacy (Cohen’s d = .89). Four years later both RR and PT had small effects on literacy (Cohen’s d = .25 and .26 respectively). These effects provided the opportunity to test the hypothesis that literacy difficulties cause or exacerbate EBD. This hypothesis was not supported as neither intervention reduced EBD. There was an interaction between hyperactivity symptoms at baseline and the effectiveness of PT, with PT being effective for children with few or no symptoms but ineffective for those with symptoms. EBD did not moderate the effectiveness of RR. Conduct disorder and hyperactivity at baseline had negative effects on literacy progress. Conclusions: Literacy difficulties do not appear to be a cause of EBD but conduct disorder and hyperactivity exacerbate literacy difficulties. This may be due to EBD interfering with the effectiveness of instruction. If children have more than one problem they probably need more or different support

Reading intervention at age 6: Long-term effects of Reading Recovery in the UK on qualifications and support at age 16

One argument for early intervention for reading difficulties is that it can sustainably improve children’s reading competence trajectory (the ‘inoculation model’), but there are virtually no studies on sustained effects at the end of compulsory schooling. This study reports on a 10-year follow-up of a widely used early literacy intervention, Reading Recovery. UK schools adopting Reading Recovery enrol selected teachers for a year’s training, after which they provide one-to-one tutoring and typically act as literacy advisors. In a quasi-experimental, intention to treat, design, 293 6-year-olds with reading difficulties in 42 London schools were assigned to Reading Recovery (RR), standard provision in Reading Recovery schools (RRS) or standard provision in comparison schools (CS). Children were traced at ages 14 (204) and 16 (271) and data collected from the National Pupil Database. At age 14 and 16, significantly fewer RR than CS pupils were officially identified as having special educational needs, a potential consequence of reading difficulties. Using multi-level modelling and controlling for baseline reading and Free School Meal status (an indicator of poverty), at age 16 the RR group significantly outperformed the CS group on academic qualifications (GCSEs) (d = 0.52). However, the RRS group also performed significantly better than the CS group (d = 0.37), consistent with the fact that standard provision for weaker readers in RR schools differed from that provided in CS. Thus, these results support the long-term effects of early intervention but raise questions about the importance of whole-school effects and systemic intervention

Review of assessment measures in the early years: Language and literacy, numeracy and social emotional development and mental health

We completed a systematic search of measures to assess language, literacy, numeracy, and socialemotional development for children up to the age of six. These included individual assessments of children’s competencies in these areas and assessments of the children’s home and early years environment. A review of the relevant competencies for these four core domains provides the basis for identifying appropriate assessments. Norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests of children’s performance were included. At this point in their development, the majority of direct assessments of children’s competencies involve one-to-one assessments. Measures completed by proxy (by parents, care staff, or teachers) were also included and typically used for social-emotional aspects of development and assessments of the environment. All measures were evaluated for developmental appropriateness and psychometric features. One hundred and forty-six individual child assessments were identified, of which 13 had no published information and were excluded from further evaluation. For the remaining 133 assessments, a qualitative synthesis was completed where there were appropriate U.K. norms for the measure and where data was provided on reliability and validity (N = 47). We also included criterion-referenced assessments that included the key domains. In addition, we identified nine published tools reporting psychometric information for evaluating home and early learning environments. A wide range of language measures with established norms was identified. By contrast, for the domains of numeracy and literacy, fewer measures were available. However, for children in the target age range, criterion-referenced measures may be more appropriate for identifying early literacy and numeracy skills. Although there are many measures of social-emotional development available, the majority failed to meet the psychometric selection criteria. Four measures of social-emotional development captured a range of key elements of the domain. A set of questions to consider when choosing a measure to evaluate children’s abilities was developed from the review process

The relationship between learning mathematics and general cognitive ability in primary school

Three relationships between learning mathematics and general cognitive ability have been hypothesized: The educational hypothesis that learning mathematics develops general cognitive skills, the psychometric hypothesis that differences in general cognitive ability cause differences in mathematical attainment, and the reciprocal influence hypothesis that developments in mathematical ability and general cognitive ability influence each other. These hypotheses are assessed with a sample of 948 children from the Twins Early Development Study who were assessed at 7, 9, and 10 years on mathematics, English, and general cognitive ability. A cross-lagged path analysis with mathematics and general cognitive ability measures supports the reciprocal influence hypothesis between 7 and 9 and between 9 and 10. A second analysis including English assessments only provides evidence of a reciprocal relationship between 7 and 9. Statement of Contribution What is already known on this subject? The correlations between mathematical attainment, literacy, and measures of general cognitive skills are well established. The role of literacy in developing general cognitive skills is emerging. What the present study adds? Mathematics contributes to the development of general cognitive skills. General cognitive ability contributes to mathematical development between 7 and 10. These findings support the hypothesis of reciprocal influence between mathematics and general cognitive ability, at least between 7 and 9