Teacher-Student Relationships, Student Engagement, and Academic Achievement for Early Adolescents in General and Latino Youth: A Review of the Research

I critically reviewed and synthesized research on teacher-student relationships in relation to student engagement and academic achievement for early adolescents in general and Latino youth. I situated my review within an integrative theoretical framework involving self-determination theory and ecological theory. Teacher-student relationships (teacher emotional support, instrumental help, clear expectations, and classroom safety) and student engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive) were both conceptualized as multidimensional constructs. In general, findings were more similar than different for early adolescents in general and Latino youth, with positive associations between teacher-student relationships and student engagement and academic achievement. The results on the moderation effect of gender for early adolescents in general were mixed. The quality of the literature for early adolescents in general was more rigorous and stronger, although both bodies of literature featured theoretical framework and reasonably rigorous methodologies. Future directions are provided by focusing on the overall findings and quality of the literature.Master of Art

Reading growth of first- and second-grade English language learners: achievement, subprocesses, and attitude

The research questions were a) How does first- and second-grade English-language learners’ reading growth in Instructional Reading Level compare to their monolingual native-English-speaking peers’ growth across two years; b) How does first- and second-grade English-language learners’ reading growth in selected reading subprocesses (word- and sound-level subprocesses, Comprehension, Fluency) compare to their monolingual native-English-speaking peers’ growth across two years; and c) How does first- and second-grade English-language learners’ growth in Attitude toward Reading compare to their monolingual native-English-speaking peers’ growth across two years? Using a two-year repeated measures design, data were collected from 746 monolingual native English-speaking students and 154 English-language learners in first and second grade at 16 schools. Students who began Year 1 in first and second grade were followed into second and third grade in Year 2. Five reading assessments were administered at the beginning, middle, and end of each year (except for phonological awareness, which was assessed on students who began Year 1 in first grade in Year 1 only), including Oral Reading, Basic Sight Vocabulary, Hearing Sounds in Words, Phonics Knowledge, and Attitude toward Reading. A series of hierarchical linear models was conducted. Main conclusions were a) The growth pattern of Instructional Reading Level for the English-language learners was different from that for their monolingual native-English-speaking peers. b) For growth in sound- and word-level reading subprocesses, the growth pattern of Phonological Awareness for the first-grade English-language learners was different from that for their monolingual native-English-speaking peers. The growth pattern of Phonics Knowledge for the English-language learners was different from that for their monolingual native-English-speaking peers. Similarity or difference in the growth in Reading Words in Isolation for the English-language learners and their monolingual native-English-speaking peers depended on cohort. c) The growth pattern and performance level of Fluency for the English-language learners were similar to that for their monolingual native-English-speaking peers. d) The growth pattern and performance level of Comprehension for the English-language learners were similar to that for their monolingual native-English-speaking peers. e) The growth pattern of Attitude toward Reading for the English-language learners was different from that for their monolingual native-English-speaking peers

Edaravone mitigates cognitive impairment and hippocampal injury in juvenile rats with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome via regulation of cAMP/PKACREB pathway

Purpose: To investigate the influence of edaravone on cognitive impairment and hippocampal injury in juvenile rats with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), and the mechanism involved.Methods: Fifty-four young Wistar rats were randomly selected into control, intermittent hypoxia and edaravone groups. The contents of the antioxidants CAT, Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn SOD and oxidative stress products malondialdehyde (MDA) in hippocampus were assayed and compared. The expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Bcl-2, CREB, p-CREB and PKAc were determined.Results: The times taken to cross the target quadrant and the platform; levels of CAT and Mn-SOD, as well as protein levels of BNDF, Bcl-2, p-CREB and PKAc were markedly lower in intermittent hypoxia group than in controls; and MDA contents, 8-OHdG and protein hydroxyl were markedly higher in intermittent hypoxic rats group than in controls. Time taken to cross the platform and quadrant; activities of CAT and Mn-SOD, and protein concentrations of BDNF, Bcl-2, p-CREB and PKAc were markedly higher in the edaravone-treated rats than in intermittent hypoxia rats.Conclusion: Edaravone significantly mitigated cognitive damage and hippocampal lesions in OSAHS rats via a mechanism related to alleviation of oxidative stress and up-regulation of the expressions of p-CREB and its downstream proteins BDNF and Bcl-2. This finding provides a theoretical basis for research and development of new drugs against OSAHS

Study on Pricing Model of Air Freight Based on Revenue Management

At present, the air freight rate does not match with the current competitive environment, and the revenue level of air freight is not ideal. How to improve the level of income management and balance the relationship between quantity and price has become an urgent problem for China’s air freight. In this context, this paper constructs an air freight pricing model based on revenue management. We review the application models of the air freight, and select the parameters for pricing model. Then the pricing model is constructed based on the revenue management and the status quo of China’s air freight industry. Finally, the model is tested by simulation analysis. This paper aims to provide a scientific and reasonable decision-making reference for air freight pricing through the improvement of pricing model

Vanadium-Enriched Cordyceps sinensis, a Contemporary Treatment Approach to Both Diabetes and Depression in Rats

This article studies a contemporary treatment approach toward both diabetes and depression management by vanadium-enriched Cordyceps sinensis (VECS). Streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats were used in the study. After the rats were administered with VECS, a significant reduction in blood glucose levels was seen (P < .05) and the levels of serum insulin increased significantly (P < .05). At the same time, the study revealed a significant decrease in immobility with a corresponding increase in the swimming and climbing behavior in hyperglycemic rats following VECS treatment. The results described herein demonstrate that VECS is a contemporary treatment approach that advocates an aggressive stance toward both diabetes and depression management

Combination of dexmedetomidine and diazepam in treatment of a patient with severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome complicated with fever

Long-term alcoholic individuals may develop alcohol withdrawal syndrome （AWS） after abrupt cessation or reduction of alcohol intake. Mild symptoms include involuntary limb trembling， sweating， nausea and vomiting， anxiety and disorder of sleep rhythm， and severe signs consist of hallucination， delirium and even coma. AWS is likely to progress into severe AWS when unrecognized or untreated， which is a potential cause of death. Benzodiazepines are the optimal drugs for the treatment of AWS. Nevertheless， large-dose benzodiazepines alone fail to completely control the symptoms of acute-stage AWS， and it should be combined with other drugs when necessary. In this article， we reported one 41-year-old male case of acute AWS complicated with fever who progressed into severe AWS. The disease condition was finally controlled by combined use of dexmedetomidine and diazepam， a widely prescribed benzodiazepine. The diagnosis and treatment of this case prompt that dexmedetomidine can decrease the dosage of diazepam， ease respiratory depression and mitigate the disorder of sleep rhythm

Determination of the Critical Concentration of Neutrophils Required to Block Bacterial Growth in Tissues

We showed previously that the competition between bacterial killing by neutrophils and bacterial growth in stirred serum-containing suspensions could be modeled as the competition between a first-order reaction (bacterial growth) and a second-order reaction (bacterial killing by neutrophils). The model provided a useful parameter, the critical neutrophil concentration (CNC), below which bacterial concentration increased and above which it decreased, independent of the initial bacterial concentration. We report here that this model applies to neutrophil killing of bacteria in three-dimensional fibrin matrices and in rabbit dermis. We measured killing of 103–108 colony forming units/ml Staphylococcus epidermidis by 105–108 human neutrophils/ml in fibrin gels. The CNC was ∼4 × 106 neutrophils/ml gel in the presence of normal serum and ∼1.6 × 107 neutrophils/ml gel in the presence of C5-deficient serum. Application of our model to published data of others on killing of ∼5 × 107 to 2 × 108 E. coli/ml rabbit dermis yielded CNCs from ∼4 × 106 to ∼8 × 106 neutrophils/ml dermis. Thus, in disparate tissues and tissuelike environments, our model fits the kinetics of bacterial killing and gives similar lower limits (CNCs) to the neutrophil concentration required to control bacterial growth