One academic English for all: The study of the cueing systems used in reading academic texts

Students from low-income homes and students who are learning English as an additional language both tend to struggle with reading comprehension. This study investigates whether the reasons for the reading challenges faced by low-income students and English Learners are due to the same aspects of reading. To investigate this, this study examined the number and types of miscues created by fourth grade students at a suburban school in Oklahoma and examined student explanations for the miscues that occurred during a retrospective miscue analysis. Miscues were tallied in total, by type and by the cueing systems used to create them. In addition, explanations for the miscues that students gave during the retrospective miscue analysis were classified into categories. Students were divided into groups based on language status as either English Only (EO) or English Learners (EL). Students were also divided based on whether they come from homes above or below the median income in Oklahoma. The results showed that the EO students from low-income homes produced a far greater number of miscues than any of the other groups. In addition, the EO low-income students and the EL students from both income groups relied more heavily on visual cues than did the high income EO students. Lastly, the retrospective miscue analysis suggests a distinction in the ways that the students viewed the miscues that they created. EO students from higher-income homes often indicated that the miscues that they created were improvements on the original text by improving the word choice or fluency. On the other hand, the other groups most often blamed their miscues on mistakes like blinking, blurry eyes, or reading too quickly. This suggests that there may be differences in reader identity and confidence based on income level

The Grizzly, December 14, 1999

A Miracle of Science: Missing Link to Graduation and Real World Reappears for UC Bio Majors • Debate and Discussion Hailed a Success by College Dems • Final Exam Schedule • Winners From the Holiday Decorating Contest • Men\u27s Basketball Wins 3 Straight • First Win for Women\u27s Basketball Teamhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1455/thumbnail.jp

Seismic Anisotropy and Mantle Dynamics Beneath the Malawi Rift Zone, East Africa

SKS, SKKS, and PKS splitting parameters measured at 34 seismic stations that we deployed in the vicinity of the Cenozoic Malawi Rift Zone (MRZ) of the East African Rift System demonstrate systematic spatial variations with an average splitting time of 1.0 ± 0.3 s. The overall NE-SW fast orientations are consistent with absolute plate motion (APM) models of the African Plate constructed under the assumption of no-net rotation of the global lithosphere and are inconsistent with predicted APM directions from models employing a fixed hot spot reference frame. They also depart considerably from the trend of most of the major tectonic features. These observations, together with the results of anisotropy depth estimation using the spatial coherency of the splitting parameters, suggest a mostly asthenospheric origin of the observed azimuthal anisotropy. The single-layered anisotropy observed at 30 and two-layered anisotropy observed at 4 of the 34 stations can be explained by APM-related simple shear within the rheologically transitional layer between the lithosphere and asthenosphere, as well as by the horizontal deflection of asthenospheric flow along the southern and western edges of a continental block with relatively thick lithosphere revealed by previous seismic tomography and receiver function investigations. This first regional-scale shear wave splitting investigation of the MRZ suggests the absence of rifting-related active mantle upwelling or small-scale mantle convection and supports a passive-rifting process for the MRZ

The Mantle Transition Zone beneath the Afar Depression and Adjacent Regions: Implications for Mantle Plumes and Hydration

The Afar Depression and its adjacent areas are underlain by an upper mantle marked by some of the world\u27s largest negative velocity anomalies, which are frequently attributed to the thermal influences of a lower-mantle plume. In spite of numerous studies, however, the existence of a plume beneath the area remains enigmatic, partially due to inadequate quantities of broad-band seismic data and the limited vertical resolution at the mantle transition zone (MTZ) depth of the techniques employed by previous investigations. In this study, we use an unprecedented quantity (over 14 500) of P-to-S receiver functions (RFs) recorded by 139 stations from 12 networks to image the 410 and 660 km discontinuities and map the spatial variation of the thickness of the MTZ. Non-linear stacking of the RFs under a 1-D velocity model shows robust P-to-S conversions from both discontinuities, and their apparent depths indicate the presence of an upper-mantle low-velocity zone beneath the entire study area. The Afar Depression and the northern Main Ethiopian Rift are characterized by an apparent 40- 60 km depression of both MTZ discontinuities and a normal MTZ thickness. The simplest and most probable interpretation of these observations is that the apparent depressions are solely caused by velocity perturbations in the upper mantle and not by deeper processes causing temperature or hydration anomalies within the MTZ. Thickening of the MTZ on the order of 15 km beneath the southern Arabian Plate, southern Red Sea and western Gulf of Aden, which comprise the southward extension of the Afro-Arabian Dome, could reflect long-term hydration of the MTZ. A 20 km thinning of the MTZ beneath the western Ethiopian Plateau is observed and interpreted as evidence for a possible mantle plume stem originating from the lower mantle

No Thermal Anomalies in the Mantle Transition Zone beneath an Incipient Continental Rift: Evidence from the First Receiver Function Study Across the Okavango Rift Zone, Botswana

Mechanisms leading to the initiation and early-stage development of continental rifts remain enigmatic, in spite of numerous studies. Among the various rifting models, which were developed mostly based on studies of mature rifts, far-field stresses originating from plate interactions (passive rifting) and nearby active mantle upwelling (active rifting) are commonly used to explain rift dynamics. Situated atop of the hypothesized African Superplume, the incipient Okavango Rift Zone (ORZ) of northern Botswana is ideal to investigate the role of mantle plumes in rift initiation and development, as well as the interaction between the upper and lower mantle. The ORZ developed within the Neoproterozoic Damara belt between the Congo Craton to the northwest and the Kalahari Craton to the southeast. Mantle structure and thermal status beneath the ORZ are poorly known, mostly due to a complete paucity of broadband seismic stations in the area. As a component of an interdisciplinary project funded by the United States National Science Foundation, a broad-band seismic array was deployed over a 2-yr period between mid-2012 and mid-2014 along a profile 756 km in length. Using P-to-S receiver functions (RFs) recorded by the stations, the 410 and 660 km discontinuities bordering the mantle transition zone (MTZ) are imaged for the first time. When a standard Earth model is used for the stacking of RFs, the apparent depths of both discontinuities beneath the Kalahari Craton are about 15 km shallower than those beneath the Congo Craton. Using teleseismic Pand S-wave traveltime residuals obtained by this study and lithospheric thickness estimated by previous studies, we conclude that the apparent shallowing is the result of a 100-150 km difference in the thickness of the lithosphere between the two cratons. Relative to the adjacent tectonically stable areas, no significant anomalies in the depth of the MTZ discontinuities or in teleseismic P- and S-wave traveltime residuals are found beneath the ORZ. These observations imply an absence of significant thermal anomalies in the MTZ and in the upper mantle beneath the incipient rift, ruling out the role of mantle plumes in the initiation of the ORZ. We propose that the initiation and development of the ORZ were the consequences of relative movements between the South African block and the rest of the African plate along a zone of lithospheric weakness between the Congo and Kalahari cratons. An area of thinner-than-normal MTZ is found at the SW corner of the study area. This anomaly, if confirmed by future studies, could suggest significant transferring of heat from the lower to the upper mantle

Cellular and molecular remodeling of inguinal adipose tissue mitochondria by dietary methionine restriction

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. Dietary methionine restriction (MR) produces a coordinated series of biochemical and physiological responses that improve biomarkers of metabolic health, increase energy expenditure, limit fat accretion and improve overall insulin sensitivity. Inguinal white adipose tissue (IWAT) is a primary target and site of action where the diet initiates transcriptional programs linked to enhancing both synthesis and oxidation of lipid. Using a combination of ex vivo approaches to assess dietary effects on cell morphology and function, we report that dietary MR produced a fourfold increase in multilocular, UCP1-expressing cells within this depot in conjunction with significant increases in mitochondrial content, size and cristae density. Dietary MR increased expression of multiple enzymes within the citric acid cycle, as well as respiratory complexes I, II and III. The physiological significance of these responses, evaluated in isolated mitochondria by high-resolution respirometry, was a significant increase in respiratory capacity measured using multiple substrates. The morphological, transcriptional and biochemical remodeling of IWAT mitochondria enhances the synthetic and oxidative capacity of this tissue and collectively underlies its expanded role as a significant contributor to the overall increase in metabolic flexibility and uncoupled respiration produced by the diet

The characterization and manipulation of the bacterial microbiome of the Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni

BACKGROUND: In North America, ticks are the most economically impactful vectors of human and animal pathogens. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni (Acari: Ixodidae), transmits Rickettsia rickettsii and Anaplasma marginale to humans and cattle, respectively. In recent years, studies have shown that symbiotic organisms are involved in a number of biochemical and physiological functions. Characterizing the bacterial microbiome of D. andersoni is a pivotal step towards understanding symbiont-host interactions. FINDINGS: In this study, we have shown by high-throughput sequence analysis that the composition of endosymbionts in the midgut and salivary glands in adult ticks is dynamic over three generations. Four Proteobacteria genera, Rickettsia, Francisella, Arsenophonus, and Acinetobacter, were identified as predominant symbionts in these two tissues. Exposure to therapeutic doses of the broad-spectrum antibiotic, oxytetracycline, affected both proportions of predominant genera and significantly reduced reproductive fitness. Additionally, Acinetobacter, a free-living ubiquitous microbe, invaded the bacterial microbiome at different proportions based on antibiotic treatment status suggesting that microbiome composition may have a role in susceptibility to environmental contaminants. CONCLUSIONS: This study characterized the bacterial microbiome in D. andersoni and determined the generational variability within this tick. Furthermore, this study confirmed that microbiome manipulation is associated with tick fitness and may be a potential method for biocontrol

No Change in Executive Function or Stress Hormones Following a Bout of Moderate Treadmill Exercise in Preadolescent Children

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(5): 1650-1666, 2020. Several studies suggest that acute bouts of exercise improve executive function in preadolescent children. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not completely understood. Specifically, no studies have examined the relationship between the stress hormone response to exercise and improvements in executive function in preadolescent children. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a bout of moderate intensity exercise versus rest on working memory (List Sorting Working Memory Task) and selective inhibition/attention (Eriksen flanker task) in preadolescent children, as well as to investigate whether changes in stress hormones (salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase) could explain any differences in performance on these tasks. Twenty-four children completed both a 30-minute moderate intensity bout of treadmill walking and seated rest in a laboratory setting. Tests of executive function and salivary stress hormone analyses were completed before and after each condition. 2x2 Repeated Measures ANOVAs were used to test the effects of time, condition, and time*condition on all executive function and hormonal outcomes. Linear regression models were used to determine if changes in executive function measures were related to changes in stress hormones in the exercise condition. Likely due to methodological limitations, there were no effects of time, condition, nor an interactive effect on working memory, selective inhibition, salivary cortisol, or salivary alpha-amylase. However, there was a trend observed, where the magnitude of the increase in salivary alpha-amylase levels in the exercise condition marginally predicted the improvement in reaction time on the Eriksen flanker task. This suggests that exercise-induced changes in alpha-amylase may underlie improvements in executive function and highlights the need for additional research to more fully understand these relationships in preadolescent children