Metacognitive Systematic Inquiry Utilizing Individualized Cognitive Profiles Causes Reading Comprehension Achievement

The positive effects of systematic metacognitive instruction on reading achievement have been demonstrated, but that research has generally not been translated into classroom practice. This mixed methods research study sought to facilitate reading comprehension by involving subjects metacognitively with profiles of their own cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The study was conducted with 196 intermediate elementary students in the naturalized setting of 10 classrooms. Student scores from Woodcock-Johnson III cognitive clusters were utilized to generate individual cognitive profiles. In each classroom there were three experimental levels: 1. cognitive assessment only (control group) vs. 2. cognitive assessment+ profile awareness (profile awareness group) vs. 3. cognitive assessment + cognitive profile awareness + metacognitive systematic inquiry (metacognitive systematic inquiry group). The metacognitive systematic inquiry treatment occurred as part of classroom independent reading instruction with judgments of learning, feedback, self-reflection, and comprehension questions related to those individual cognitive strengths and weaknesses which have been shown to correlate with reading comprehension. This treatment yielded significantly higher comprehension on a state standardized reading test, but not on an informal reading inventory. In a qualitative analysis, the treatment groups seemed to be more proficient at articulating declarative knowledge about individual cognitive abilities and reading strengths, as well as procedural knowledge about the connection between reading comprehension and cognitive ability. This study provides an example of how research findings in metacognition and metacomprehension can be generalized into classroom practice

Reducing patients’ exposures to asthma and allergy triggers in their homes: an evaluation of effectiveness of grades of forced air ventilation filters

Objective: Many interventions to reduce allergen levels in the home are recommended to asthma and allergy patients. One that is readily available and can be highly effective is the use of high performing filters in forced air ventilation systems. Methods: We conducted a modeling analysis of the effectiveness of filter-based interventions in the home to reduce airborne asthma and allergy triggers. This work used “each pass removal efficiency” applied to health-relevant size fractions of particles to assess filter performance. We assessed effectiveness for key allergy and asthma triggers based on applicable particle sizes for cat allergen, indoor and outdoor sources of particles 70% for cat dander particles, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and respiratory virus can lower concentrations of those asthma triggers and allergens in indoor air of the home by >50%. Very high removal efficiency filters, such as those rated a 16 on the nationally recognized Minimum Efficiency Removal Value (MERV) rating system, tend to be only marginally more effective than MERV12 or 13 rated filters. Conclusions: The results of this analysis indicate that use of a MERV12 or higher performing air filter in home ventilation systems can effectively reduce indoor levels of these common asthma and allergy triggers. These reductions in airborne allergens in turn may help reduce allergy and asthma symptoms, especially if employed in conjunction with other environmental management measures recommended for allergy and asthma patients

Clinical-dosimetric analysis of measures of dysphagia including gastrostomy-tube dependence among head and neck cancer patients treated definitively by intensity-modulated radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>To investigate the association between dose to various anatomical structures and dysphagia among patients with head and neck cancer treated by definitive intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy.</p> <p>Methods and materials</p> <p>Thirty-nine patients with squamous cancer of the head and neck were treated by definitive concurrent chemotherapy and IMRT to a median dose of 70 Gy (range, 68 to 72). In each patient, a gastrostomy tube (GT) was prophylacticly placed prior to starting treatment. Prolonged GT dependence was defined as exceeding the median GT duration of 192 days. Dysphagia was scored using standardized quality-of-life instruments. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) data incorporating the superior/middle pharyngeal constrictors (SMPC), inferior pharyngeal constrictor (IPC), cricoid pharyngeal inlet (CPI), and cervical esophagus (CE) were analyzed in relation to prolonged GT dependence, dysphagia, and weight loss.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At 3 months and 6 months after treatment, 87% and 44% of patients, respectively, were GT dependent. Spearman's ρ analysis identified statistical correlations (p < 0.05) between prolonged GT dependence or high grade dysphagia with IPC V65, IPC V60, IPC Dmean, and CPI Dmax. Logistic regression model showed that IPC V65 > 30%, IPC V60 > 60%, IPC Dmean > 60 Gy, and CPI Dmax > 62 Gy predicted for greater than 50% probability of prolonged GT dependence.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our analysis suggests that adhering to the following parameters may decrease the risk of prolonged GT dependence and dysphagia: IPC V65 < 15%, IPC V60 < 40%, IPC Dmean < 55 Gy, and CPI Dmax < 60 Gy.</p

The flavonoid nobiletin inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis of ovarian cancers via the Akt pathway

Despite its importance, the death rate of ovarian cancer has remained unchanged over the past five decades, demanding an improvement in prevention and treatment of this malignancy. With no known carcinogens, targeted prevention is currently unavailable, and efforts in early detection of this malignancy by screening biomarkers have failed. The inhibition of angiogenesis, also known as angioprevention, is a promising strategy to limit the growth of solid tumors, including ovarian cancers. Nobiletin, a polymethoxy flavonoid compound isolated from the tiansheng plant, has been shown to inhibit the growth of multiple types of human cancers. However, there are no reports involving the effect on nobiletin on human ovarian cancer. The present report shows that nobiletin potently decreases the viability of ovarian cancer cells in vitro. However, nobiletin does not affect the viability of normal ovarian epithelial cells at \u3c40 µM. The antitumor activity of nobiletin was also observed in athymic mouse models and in chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) models. The anti-neoplastic activity of nobiletin was due to its ability to inhibit angiogenesis. We also studied the molecular mechanisms by which nobiletin suppresses angiogenesis. We observed that nobiletin inhibits secretion of the key angiogenesis mediators, Akt, HIF-1α, NF-κB and vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF) by ovarian cancer cells. Transient transfection experiments showed that nobiletin inhibits production of HIF-1α by downregulation of Akt. Such decreased levels of HIF-1α were responsible for nobiletin-induced suppression of VEGF. Our data suggest that nobiletin may be a promising anti-angiogenic agent relevant for therapy of ovarian cancers

Lck is a relevant target in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells whose expression variance is unrelated to disease outcome.

Pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is contingent upon antigen receptor (BCR) expressed by malignant cells of this disease. Studies on somatic hypermutation of the antigen binding region, receptor expression levels and signal capacity have all linked BCR on CLL cells to disease prognosis. Our previous work showed that the src-family kinase Lck is a targetable mediator of BCR signalling in CLL cells, and that variance in Lck expression associated with ability of BCR to induce signal upon engagement. This latter finding makes Lck similar to ZAP70, another T-cell kinase whose aberrant expression in CLL cells also associates with BCR signalling capacity, but also different because ZAP70 is not easily pharmacologically targetable. Here we describe a robust method of measuring Lck expression in CLL cells using flow cytometry. However, unlike ZAP70 whose expression in CLL cells predicts prognosis, we find Lck expression and disease outcome in CLL are unrelated despite observations that its inhibition produces effects that biologically resemble the egress phenotype taken on by CLL cells treated with idelalisib. Taken together, our findings provide insight into the pathobiology of CLL to suggest a more complex relationship between expression of molecules within the BCR signalling pathway and disease outcome

Macrosystems ecology: Understanding ecological patterns and processes at continental scales

Macrosystems ecology is the study of diverse ecological phenomena at the scale of regions to continents and their interactions with phenomena at other scales. This emerging subdiscipline addresses ecological questions and environmental problems at these broad scales. Here, we describe this new field, show how it relates to modern ecological study, and highlight opportunities that stem from taking a macrosystems perspective. We present a hierarchical framework for investigating macrosystems at any level of ecological organization and in relation to broader and finer scales. Building on well-established theory and concepts from other subdisciplines of ecology, we identify feedbacks, linkages among distant regions, and interactions that cross scales of space and time as the most likely sources of unexpected and novel behaviors in macrosystems. We present three examples that highlight the importance of this multiscaled systems perspective for understanding the ecology of regions to continents

Altered Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Cardiac Proteins Prompts Contractile Dysfunction in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Altered Serine/Threonine phosphorylation of the cardiac proteome is an established hallmark of heart failure (HF). However, the contribution of tyrosine phosphorylation to the pathogenesis of these diseases remains unclear. The cardiac proteome was explored by global mapping to discover and quantify site-specific tyrosine phosphorylation in two cardiac hypertrophic models; cardiac overexpression of ErbB2 (TgErbB2) and cardiac expression of a-Myosin heavy chain R403Q (R403Q-aMyHCTg) compared to control hearts. Phosphoproteomic changes found in R403Q-aMyHC Tg mice indicated EGFR1, Focal Adhesion, VEGF, ErbB signaling, and Chemokine signaling pathways activity were likely to be activated. On the other hand, TgErbB2 mice findings displayed significant overrepresentation of Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) KEGG Pathways. In silico kinase-substrate enrichment analysis (KSEA) highlighted a marked downregulation of canonical MAPK Pathway Activity downstream of k-Ras in TgErbB2 mice and activation of EGFR, PP2 inhibition of c-Src, and Hepatocyte growth factor stimulation. In vivo ErbB2 inhibition by AG-825 decreased cardiac fibrosis, cardiomyocyte disarray, and rescued contractile function on TgErbB2 mice. These results suggest that altered tyrosine phosphorylation may play a regulatory role in cardiac hypertrophic models, suggesting that tyrosine kinase inhibitors could be used therapeutically in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy