Examining comprehension strategy instruction with English learners' problem solving: study findings and educator preparation implications

Educator preparation in comprehension strategy instruction (CSI) is essential to meeting the needs of English learners (ELs) in contemporary schools. This article provides teacher educators and professional developers with concrete examples of practices to prepare classroom teachers in comprehensive strategy instruction, based on an experimental study that examined the effect (.37) of CSI on third-grade students’ (n = 78) word-problem-solving (WPS) performance. CSI included problem-solving strategies that (a) helped students to understand the relevant and irrelevant information in a word problem’s question; (b) helped students to restate the problem orally, which allowed them to understand, to construct meaning, and to clarify any misunderstanding about the question; and (c) provided instructional feedback with student collaboration for problem solving and solution. Findings indicate that a focus on CSI may help facilitate WPS skills developing for ELs at risk of mathematics-learning difficulties (MLD). Educator preparation recommendations are embedded throughout with implications for future research and practice also discussed

Culturally Responsive Evidence-based Practices with English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities: A Qualitative Case Study

This study describes the instruction of one special education teacher with English Language Learners (ELLs) with learning disabilities in an urban elementary school setting. This study was situated in a culturally responsive, evidence-based teaching framework. In investigating this instruction with ELLs, this study focused on how one teacher’s knowledge of culturally responsive pedagogy and evidence-based practices impacted her special education instruction. Findings resulted in three major themes that were aligned with the literature in this area: The Garment of Diversity, Culture Matters in Special Education, and Their Collaborative Spirit. The results indicated that the success of special education with ELLs at the elementary education level may be dependent on how well the teacher integrates culturally responsive and evidence-based instruction with ELLs’ sociocultural needs.Este estudio describe la enseñanza de una maestra de educación especial y sus aprendientes de inglés (ELLs) con discapacidades de aprendizaje en una primaria urbana. Este estudio se situó en un marco de enseñanza culturalmente relevante y basada en la evidencia. Al investigar la instrucción de la maestra con ELLs, este estudio se enfocó en cómo su conocimiento de pedagogía culturalmente sensible y de las prácticas basadas en la evidencia impactaron su instrucción de educación especial. Los resultados dieron lugar a tres temas principales que se alinearon con la literatura en este campo: La Túnica de la Diversidad, La Cultura Importa en la Educación Especial, y Su Espíritu Colaborativo. Los resultados indicaron que el éxito de la educación especial con ELLs en el nivel de primaria puede depender de cuán bien el maestro integre la instrucción culturalmente sensible y basada en la evidencia con las necesidades socioculturales de ELLs

Temporal and spatial variations of atmospheric radiocarbon in the Mexico City metropolitan area

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.-- et al.Proceedings of the 1st International Radiocarbon in the Environment Conference 18–22 August 2014, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK).The Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) produces a complex mixture of gases and aerosols from diverse sources, including burning of fossil fuels, biomass, and wastes, with a significant biogenic contribution. We present the first results of ongoing projects to study temporal and spatial variations of 14CO2 in the area. Temporal variations reconstructed from tree rings of Taxodium mucronatum indicate a considerable radiocarbon depletion, in accordance to the vast amount of fossil fuels burnt inside Mexico Valley, with values between 62 and 246‰ lower than background values for the 1962–1968 period, and lower by 51–88‰ for the 1983–2010 period. The lower dilution found for the last decades might indicate an increase in enriched 14CO2 sources. Results from the spatial distribution, as revealed from integrated CO2 samples and grasses from six points within the MCMA collected during the 2013 dry season, show variations between sites and sample types. For integrated CO2 samples, values range from 35.6‰ to 54.0‰, and for grasses between –86.8‰ and 40.7‰. For three of the sampling points, the grasses are significantly depleted, by up to ~133‰, as compared to the corresponding integrated CO2 sample. This may result from differences in the carbon assimilation period and exposure to different CO2 sources. Higher-than-background Δ14C values were found for all integrated CO2 samples, presumably resulting from 14C-enriched CO2 derived from forest fires in the mountains during the sampling period. Results obtained so far confirm the complexity of the 14C cycle in the MCMA.This research is funded by DGAPA-UNAM through project PAPIIT-IN106113. Scholarships from CONACyT for AMJ and AMR and from Instituto de Geología and DGAPA-UNAM for AGS are gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Loss of Wdfy3 in mice alters cerebral cortical neurogenesis reflecting aspects of the autism pathology.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex and heterogeneous developmental disabilities affecting an ever-increasing number of children worldwide. The diverse manifestations and complex, largely genetic aetiology of ASDs pose a major challenge to the identification of unifying neuropathological features. Here we describe the neurodevelopmental defects in mice that carry deleterious alleles of the Wdfy3 gene, recently recognized as causative in ASDs. Loss of Wdfy3 leads to a regionally enlarged cerebral cortex resembling early brain overgrowth described in many children on the autism spectrum. In addition, affected mouse mutants display migration defects of cortical projection neurons, a recognized cause of epilepsy, which is significantly comorbid with autism. Our analysis of affected mouse mutants defines an important role for Wdfy3 in regulating neural progenitor divisions and neural migration in the developing brain. Furthermore, Wdfy3 is essential for cerebral expansion and functional organization while its loss-of-function results in pathological changes characteristic of ASDs

Meningeal defects alter the tangential migration of cortical interneurons in Foxc1hith/hith mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tangential migration presents the primary mode of migration of cortical interneurons translocating into the cerebral cortex from subpallial domains. This migration takes place in multiple streams with the most superficial one located in the cortical marginal zone. While a number of forebrain-expressed molecules regulating this process have emerged, it remains unclear to what extent structures outside the brain, like the forebrain meninges, are involved.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We studied a unique <it>Foxc1 </it>hypomorph mouse model (<it>Foxc1^hith/hith</it>) with meningeal defects and impaired tangential migration of cortical interneurons. We identified a territorial correlation between meningeal defects and disruption of interneuron migration along the adjacent marginal zone in these animals, suggesting that impaired meningeal integrity might be the primary cause for the observed migration defects. Moreover, we postulate that the meningeal factor regulating tangential migration that is affected in homozygote mutants is the chemokine Cxcl12. In addition, by using chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis, we provide evidence that the <it>Cxcl12 </it>gene is a direct transcriptional target of Foxc1 in the meninges. Further, we observe migration defects of a lesser degree in Cajal-Retzius cells migrating within the cortical marginal zone, indicating a less important role for Cxcl12 in their migration. Finally, the developmental migration defects observed in <it>Foxc1^hith/hith</it>mutants do not lead to obvious differences in interneuron distribution in the adult if compared to control animals.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest a critical role for the forebrain meninges to promote during development the tangential migration of cortical interneurons along the cortical marginal zone and Cxcl12 as the factor responsible for this property.</p

Oxidative Stress and Regulation of Pink1 in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

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Positive Surgical Margins in the 10 Most Common Solid Cancers.

A positive surgical margin (PSM) following cancer resection oftentimes necessitates adjuvant treatments and carries significant financial and prognostic implications. We sought to compare PSM rates for the ten most common solid cancers in the United States, and to assess trends over time. Over 10 million patients were identified in the National Cancer Data Base from 1998-2012, and 6.5 million had surgical margin data. PSM rates were compared between two time periods, 1998-2002 and 2008-2012. PSM was positively correlated with tumor category and grade. Ovarian and prostate cancers had the highest PSM prevalence in women and men, respectively. The highest PSM rates for cancers affecting both genders were seen for oral cavity tumors. PSM rates for breast cancer and lung and bronchus cancer in both men and women declined over the study period. PSM increases were seen for bladder, colon and rectum, and kidney and renal pelvis cancers. This large-scale analysis appraises the magnitude of PSM in the United States in order to focus future efforts on improving oncologic surgical care with the goal of optimizing value and improving patient outcomes

Real time optical immunosensing with flow-through porous alumina membranes

Through the presentation of analytical data from bioassay experiments, measured by polarimetry, we demonstrate for the first time a real time immunoassay within a free standing macroporous alumina membrane. The 200 nm nominal pore diameter of the membrane enables flow-through, thereby providing an ideal fluidic platform for the targeted delivery of analytes to bioreceptors immobilized on the pore walls, enabling fast sensing response times and the use of small sample volumes (<100 μL). For the immunoassay, the pore walls were first coated with the functional copolymer, copoly(DMA-NAS) using a novel coupling process, before immobilization of the allergen protein, β-lactoglobulin, by spotting. The immuno-assay then proceeded with the binding of the primary and secondary antibody cognates, rabbit anti-β-lactoglobulin and anti-rabbit IgG respectively. Through the use of streptavidin coated quantum dots as refractive index signal enhancers, a noise floor for individual measurements of 3.7 ng/mL (25 pM) was obtained, with an overall statistical, or formal assay LOD of 33.7 ng/mL (225 pM), for total assay time below 1 h

A Mendelian Randomization Analysis Investigates Causal Associations between Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Variable Risk Factors

The question of whether variable risk factors and various nutrients are causally related to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) has remained unanswered so far. Thus, this study investigated whether genetically predicted risk factors and nutrients play a function in the occurrence of inflammatory bowel diseases, including ulcerative colitis (UC), non-infective colitis (NIC), and Crohn’s disease (CD), using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Utilizing the data of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) with 37 exposure factors, we ran Mendelian randomization analyses based on up to 458,109 participants. Univariable and multivariable MR analyses were conducted to determine causal risk factors for IBD diseases. Genetic predisposition to smoking and appendectomy as well as vegetable and fruit intake, breastfeeding, n-3 PUFAs, n-6 PUFAs, vitamin D, total cholesterol, whole-body fat mass, and physical activity were related to the risk of UC (p < 0.05). The effect of lifestyle behaviors on UC was attenuated after correcting for appendectomy. Genetically driven smoking, alcohol consumption, appendectomy, tonsillectomy, blood calcium, tea intake, autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, cesarean delivery, vitamin D deficiency, and antibiotic exposure increased the risk of CD (p < 0.05), while vegetable and fruit intake, breastfeeding, physical activity, blood zinc, and n-3 PUFAs decreased the risk of CD (p < 0.05). Appendectomy, antibiotics, physical activity, blood zinc, n-3 PUFAs, and vegetable fruit intake remained significant predictors in multivariable MR (p < 0.05). Besides smoking, breastfeeding, alcoholic drinks, vegetable and fruit intake, vitamin D, appendectomy, and n-3 PUFAs were associated with NIC (p < 0.05). Smoking, alcoholic drinks, vegetable and fruit intake, vitamin D, appendectomy, and n-3 PUFAs remained significant predictors in multivariable MR (p < 0.05). Our results provide new and comprehensive evidence demonstrating that there are approving causal effects of various risk factors on IBDs. These findings also supply some suggestions for the treatment and prevention of these diseases