The Relationship between Visual and Auditory Attention Networks, Phonological Processing and Reading in Typically Developing and Disordered Reading Populations

This research examined the interaction between attention and phonology in predicting reading. Auditory orienting attention predicts reading mediated by phonological processing in beginning readers. In fluent readers, mediated and unmediated routes involve visual (orienting and executive) and auditory orienting attention. Visual alerting, visual and auditory orienting, and auditory executive attention predict reading accuracy for disordered readers through mediated and unmediated routes. Thus, reading ability determines reading pathway. Implications for theory and diagnostic approaches are addressed

On the atomic structure of cocaine in solution

Cocaine is an amphiphilic drug which has the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Here, a combination of neutron diffraction and computation has been used to investigate the atomic scale structure of cocaine in aqueous solutions. Both the observed conformation and hydration of cocaine appear to contribute to its ability to cross hydrophobic layers afforded by the BBB, as the average conformation yields a structure which might allow cocaine to shield its hydrophilic regions from a lipophilic environment. Specifically, the carbonyl oxygens and amine group on cocaine, on average, form ~5 bonds with the water molecules in the surrounding solvent, and the top 30% of water molecules within 4 Å of cocaine are localized in the cavity formed by an internal hydrogen bond within the cocaine molecule. This water mediated internal hydrogen bonding suggests a mechanism of interaction between cocaine and the BBB that negates the need for deprotonation prior to interaction with the lipophilic portions of this barrier. This finding also has important implications for understanding how neurologically active molecules are able to interact with both the blood stream and BBB and emphasizes the use of structural measurements in solution in order to understand important biological function.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Indigeneity, Environment, and Governance in the Amazon: The Impact of Indigenous Movements on Environmental Conservation Policy in Nation-States of the Amazon Rainforest

This paper traces the environmental movements by indigenous peoples in indigenous territories in the Amazon. It shows the gaps between the policy that exists and the policy that should exist to best preserve the Amazon including the reasons this divergence exists. In looking for the best way to remedy this inconsistency, it becomes clear that the state often acts against the environmental interests of indigenous peoples, and against the Amazon in general, in the name of development and economic growth. Despite nominal protections, indigenous peoples tend to have little access to national or international legal recourse. As such, this paper concludes the most effective and practical way to protect indigenous rights and ensure conservation of the Amazon is to return significant to full collective property rights over as much of the land as possible to indigenous peoples

A multi‐country comparison of lower secondary students' critical thinking under the International Baccalaureate and national curricula

Critical thinking is an essential skill for life-long learning, and, given its increasing importance as a graduate attribute, it is vital to evaluate how educational systems can best improve students' critical thinking through their curricula and classroom practices. This study evaluates the differences in the critical thinking skills of students in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP), which explicitly emphasises critical thinking development in its curriculum and has been shown to facilitate classroom strategies to develop critical thinking, versus students enrolled in the national curricula in Australia, England and Norway. The study comprised 870 students across the MYP (n = 386) and non-MYP (n = 484) curricula in Grades 9 and 10 across 21 schools. Data were remotely collected on their critical thinking skills, and several other relevant cognitive, non-cognitive and background characteristics. A propensity score matching approach was used to match the MYP and non-MYP groups on these characteristics and their critical thinking skills were compared using weighted regression. Findings showed that, overall, MYP students possessed higher levels of critical thinking skills than their non-MYP peers with a moderate effect size (β = 0.38). This advantage also held at both grade levels and across Australian and English students, with no difference for Norwegian students. Thus, the MYP appears to be a promising exemplar for enhancing critical thinking among secondary-aged students, although context needs to be considered. Based on these findings, recommendations of specific instructional strategies are offered, as well as future research to inform criticalthinking pedagogy

Improving Housing Quality to Reduce Asthma Rates and Healthcare Costs in Athens-Clarke County, GA

Background: Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that often develops from controllable environmental factors, such as poor air quality. Our study examined the relationship between mold in the home, which compromises indoor air quality, and asthma prevalence in Athens-Clarke County (ACC), Georgia. Methods: Data from the Athens Wellbeing Project’s 2016 survey of 1,354 households in ACC was employed to examine indoor air quality and asthma prevalence in ACC. We provided descriptive statistics to examine asthma prevalence and asthma predictors, including the proportion of respondents reporting mold and pest problems, smoking prevalence, and the proportion of households reporting clinical obesity. We also examined demographic characteristics including race and ethnicity, educational attainment, home ownership status, and the percent of households in poverty at the 185% federal poverty line. We then employed a logistic regression analysis to assess the relationship between asthma and housing quality. Results: The descriptive statistics showed that seven percent of the ACC population, 17% of households, reported there was at least one individual in the home diagnosed with asthma and nine percent of the county population experienced mold problems in the home. Logistic regression analysis showed households that reported mold problems were 11% more likely to report at least one person in the household had been diagnosed with asthma. Educational attainment and obesity were also significantly associated with asthma, though not as predictive of asthma as mold. Conclusions: Strong statistical associations were found between indoor air quality and asthma prevalence in ACC. Improving housing quality by intervening on mold has the potential to reduce asthma rates, thereby increasing individual and community wellbeing. Our results have implications for the state of Georgia and the United States, as asthma prevalence is comparable throughout. This research adds to the body of literature focusing on the link between indoor air quality and asthma

Nurturing curiosity and creativity in primary school classrooms

Creativity and curiosity are recognised as vital skills to prepare students to engage with the significant challenges and opportunities of the future. To address the research question “What practices do teachers enact with the aim of encouraging creativity and curiosity in primary classrooms?”, 21 teachers were interviewed about their teaching practices; this data was triangulated with self-captured classroom videos from 19 classrooms in nine countries. Results of the analysis demonstrated a variety of promising classroom practices. These findings and implications for practice are discussed in terms of diverse feedback pathways, nurturing inquisitive minds, supporting self-regulatory learning and self-expression

CHAITok: a proof-of-concept system supporting children's sense of data autonomy on social media

Social media has become a primary source of entertainment and education for children globally. While much attention has been given to children’s online well-being, a pressing concern often goes unnoticed: the pervasive data harvesting underlying social media and its manipulative impact on undermining children’s autonomy. In this paper, we present CHAITok, an Android mobile application designed to enhance children’s sense of autonomy over their data on social media. Through 27 user study sessions with 109 children aged 10–13, we offer insights into the current lack of data autonomy among children regarding their online information, and how we can foster children’s sense of data autonomy through a socio-technical journey. Our findings inspire design recommendations to respect children’s values, support children’s evolving autonomy, and design for children’s digital rights. We emphasize data autonomy as a fundamental right for children, call for further research, design innovation, and policy changes on this critical issue