A need for motivation : increasing engagement to bolster success

Educators want to create a sustained, life-long reader in their students. This overview of the literature will share with educators valuable insight into how increasing motivation and student engagement will help create more involved readers. Key themes in the literature include: increasing literacy motivation, increasing literacy engagement, and applying thoughtful literacy practices. This review will also highlight several helpful strategies on how educators in today\u27s classrooms can help increase student motivation and engagement related to literacy

Analytical and experimental investigations of dual-plane PIV

In its 'classical' form particle image velocimetry (PIV) extracts two components of the flow velocity vector by measuring the displacement of tracer particles within a double-pulsed laser light sheet. The method described in this paper is based on the additional recording of a third exposure of the tracer particles in a parallel light sheet, which is slightly displaced with respect to the first one. The particle images resulting from these three exposures are stored on separate frames. The locations of the correlation peaks, as obtained by cross-correlation methods, are used to determine the projections of the velocity vectors onto the plane between both light sheets. In the manner described below, the amplitudes of these peaks are used to obtain information about the velocity component perpendicular to the light sheet planes. The mathematical background of this method is described in the paper. Numerical simulations show the influence of the main parameters (e.g. light sheet thickness, light sheet displacement and out-of-plane component) on the resolution and reliability of the new method. Two different recording procedures and their results will be shown to demonstrate the ease of operation when applying this technique to liquid flows

Addressing social, emotional, and organizational goals for a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have social, emotional, and organizational skill deficits which are frequently addressed through behavioral based skills training. However, these approaches often do not result in generalization of skills. This case study sought to understand if the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP), a problem-solving approach, is effective for addressing social, emotional, and organizational goals with a child with an ASD. Pre and post-intervention assessments indicated an improvement on all three client-centered goals, with the client transferring his goals and problem-based strategies to the community. Analysis of video recordings of the intervention sessions indicated the global strategies Goal-PlanDo-Check were effective, with the participant spending most time in “plan.” A majority of the domain specific strategies did not apply to this case study. Additionally, the participant utilized “verbal guidance by therapist” most often and spent a majority of dimension of time on task “talking about the task.

Computational optimization of gas compressor stations: MINLP models versus continuous reformulations

When considering cost-optimal operation of gas transport networks, compressor stations play the most important role. Proper modeling of these stations leads to nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problems. In this article, we give an isothermal and stationary description of compressor stations, state MINLP and GDP models for operating a single station, and discuss several continuous reformulations of the problem. The applicability and relevance of different model formulations, especially of those without discrete variables, is demonstrated by a computational study on both academic examples and real-world instances. In addition, we provide preliminary computational results for an entire network.German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technolog

EGFR is required for Wnt9a-Fzd9b signalling specificity in haematopoietic stem cells.

Wnt signalling drives many processes in development, homeostasis and disease; however, the role and mechanism of individual ligand-receptor (Wnt-Frizzled (Fzd)) interactions in specific biological processes remain poorly understood. Wnt9a is specifically required for the amplification of blood progenitor cells during development. Using genetic studies in zebrafish and human embryonic stem cells, paired with in vitro cell biology and biochemistry, we determined that Wnt9a signals specifically through Fzd9b to elicit β-catenin-dependent Wnt signalling that regulates haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell emergence. We demonstrate that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is required as a cofactor for Wnt9a-Fzd9b signalling. EGFR-mediated phosphorylation of one tyrosine residue on the Fzd9b intracellular tail in response to Wnt9a promotes internalization of the Wnt9a-Fzd9b-LRP signalosome and subsequent signal transduction. These findings provide mechanistic insights for specific Wnt-Fzd signals, which will be crucial for specific therapeutic targeting and regenerative medicine

Comparative quantitative survey of patient experience in Barrett's oesophagus and other gastrointestinal disorders

Objective To assess health-related quality of life in patients with non-dysplastic Barrett’s oesophagus (NDBO) and endoscopically treated dysplastic Barrett’s oesophagus (DBO). Design This quantitative, self-administered questionnaire study was conducted across three National Health Service hospitals. Data were collected from three other cohorts; gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), colonic polyp surveillance and healthy individuals. Fisher’s exact and Spearman’s rank correlation tests were used for analysis. Propensity score matching adjusted for age, sex and comorbidities. Results 687 participants were eligible for analysis (NDBO n=306, DBO n=49, GORD n=132, colonic polyps n=152 and healthy n=48). 53% of NDBO participants reported similarly high cancer worry, comparable to DBO (50%, p=0.933) and colonic polyp participants (51%, p=0.355). Less cancer worry was reported in GORD participants (43.4%, p=0.01 vs NDBO). NDBO participants reported anxiety in 15.8% and depression in 8.6% of cases, which was similar to the other disease cohorts. Moderate or severe heartburn or acid regurgitation was found in 11% and 10%, respectively, in the NDBO cohort, comparable to DBO participants (heartburn 2% p=0.172, acid regurgitation 4% p=0.31) but lower (better) than GORD participants (heartburn 31% p=<0.001, acid regurgitation 25% p=0.001). NDBO participants with moderate or severe GORD symptoms were associated with higher rates of anxiety (p=<0.001), depression (p=<0.001) and cancer worry (p=<0.001). NDBO patients appropriately perceiving their cancer risk as low had lower rates of cancer worry (p=<0.001). Conclusion This study provides insight into the problems Barrett’s oesophagus patients may face. Future care pathways must be more patient focussed to address misconceptions of cancer risk, oesophageal cancer related worry and GORD symptom control

Gap width modification on fully screen-printed coplanar Zn|MnO2 batteries

Fully printed primary zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn|MnO2) batteries in coplanar configuration were fabricated by sequential screen printing. While electrode dimensions and transferred active masses were kept at constant levels, electrode separating gaps were incrementally enlarged from 1 mm to 5 mm. Calendering of solely zinc anodes increased interparticle contact of active material within the electrodes while the porosity of manganese dioxide based electrodes was maintained by non-calendering. Chronopotentiometry revealed areal capacities for coplanar batteries up to 2.8 mAh cm−2. Galvanostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements and short circuit measurements were used to comprehensively characterise the effect of gap width extension on bulk electrolyte resistance and charge transfer resistance values. Linear relationships between nominal gap widths, short circuit currents and internal resistances were evidenced, but showed only minor impact on actual discharge capacities. The findings contradict previous assumptions to minimise gap widths of printed coplanar batteries to a sub-millimetre range in order to retain useful discharge capacities. The results presented in this study may facilitate process transfer of printed batteries to an industrial environment

Mathematical modelling of polyamine metabolism in bloodstream-form trypanosoma brucei: An application to drug target identification

© 2013 Gu et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are creditedThis article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.We present the first computational kinetic model of polyamine metabolism in bloodstream-form Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of human African trypanosomiasis. We systematically extracted the polyamine pathway from the complete metabolic network while still maintaining the predictive capability of the pathway. The kinetic model is constructed on the basis of information gleaned from the experimental biology literature and defined as a set of ordinary differential equations. We applied Michaelis-Menten kinetics featuring regulatory factors to describe enzymatic activities that are well defined. Uncharacterised enzyme kinetics were approximated and justified with available physiological properties of the system. Optimisation-based dynamic simulations were performed to train the model with experimental data and inconsistent predictions prompted an iterative procedure of model refinement. Good agreement between simulation results and measured data reported in various experimental conditions shows that the model has good applicability in spite of there being gaps in the required data. With this kinetic model, the relative importance of the individual pathway enzymes was assessed. We observed that, at low-to-moderate levels of inhibition, enzymes catalysing reactions of de novo AdoMet (MAT) and ornithine production (OrnPt) have more efficient inhibitory effect on total trypanothione content in comparison to other enzymes in the pathway. In our model, prozyme and TSHSyn (the production catalyst of total trypanothione) were also found to exhibit potent control on total trypanothione content but only when they were strongly inhibited. Different chemotherapeutic strategies against T. brucei were investigated using this model and interruption of polyamine synthesis via joint inhibition of MAT or OrnPt together with other polyamine enzymes was identified as an optimal therapeutic strategy.The work was carried out under a PhD programme partly funded by Prof. Ray Welland, School of Computing Science, University of Glasgo

Dynamics of intracellular mannan and cell wall folding in the drought responses of succulent <i>Aloe</i> species

Plants have evolved a multitude of adaptations to survive extreme conditions. Succulent plants have the capacity to tolerate periodically dry environments, due to their ability to retain water in a specialized tissue, termed hydrenchyma. Cell wall polysaccharides are important components of water storage in hydrenchyma cells. However, the role of the cell wall and its polysaccharide composition in relation to drought resistance of succulent plants are unknown. We investigate the drought response of leaf-succulent Aloe (Asphodelaceae) species using a combination of histological microscopy, quantification of water content, and comprehensive microarray polymer profiling. We observed a previously unreported mode of polysaccharide and cell wall structural dynamics triggered by water shortage. Microscopical analysis of the hydrenchyma cell walls revealed highly regular folding patterns indicative of predetermined cell wall mechanics in the remobilization of stored water and the possible role of homogalacturonan in this process. The in situ distribution of mannans in distinct intracellular compartments during drought, for storage, and apparent upregulation of pectins, imparting flexibility to the cell wall, facilitate elaborate cell wall folding during drought stress. We conclude that cell wall polysaccharide composition plays an important role in water storage and drought response in Aloe

A fully-printed electrochemical platform for assisted colorimetric detection of phosphate in saliva: Greenness and whiteness quantification by the AGREE and RGB tools

Herein, we report the environmental impact quantification of a newly developed fully printed electrochemical device to assist a colorimetric detection of phosphate in saliva. The evaluation of the analytical procedure was per formed according to the principles of Green Analytical Chemistry and White Analytical Chemistry. The standard method for phosphate detection relies on a reaction between phosphate and molybdate in presence of antimony potassium tartrate and ascorbic acid, using strong acid conditions and high volumes of reagents (100–500 mL). To deliver an eco-friendly method, we have combined a screen-printed electrode with a liquid electrolyte battery and inkjet-printed conductive paths to develop a fully printed device on a flexible polymer substrate avoiding the use of ascorbic acid and using a small amount of reagents. The printed sensor was first developed and optimized for phosphate detection in saliva, allowing for a detection limit equal to 26 μM and satisfactory repeatability (relative standard deviation value of 7.5%). Finally, the AGREE and the RGB assessment tools were applied for a quantitative evaluation of the proposed sensor and reference method, in agreement with the Green Analytical and White Analytical principles. The results demonstrated the lower environmental impact of the proposed sensor, as well as the suitability of this novel approach for phosphate detection in saliv