3,928 research outputs found
The development of reading tests for use in a regularly spelled language.
Data are presented on the development of tests of reading skill in rural Tanzanian primary school pupils. Instruction in these schools is in Kiswahili, a regularly spelt language. Using a translation of a standard reading test, children could read aloud all words once they had learnt sound-letter correspondences, regardless of comprehension. In addition, children can appear to pass traditional comprehension tasks by decoding only some of the words. Three graded tests were developed which allow testing of children who either have only some letter knowledge, can read single words, or are proficient readers. The tests require children to both decode and understand the reading material in order to achieve high scores. The tests correlated well with scores on other educational achievement tests, and showed age and school grade differences. It is suggested that these tests are useful measures of reading development in a regularly spelt language. Adaptation to English and validation against standardised instruments is planned
Prevalence of the vanB2 gene cluster in VanB glycopeptide-resistant enterococci in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and its association with a Tn5382-like element
A total of 204 vanB enterococcal isolates, isolated between 1989 and 1999 from patients in 59 different hospitals in England, Wales, and Scotland and from a single hospital in the Republic of Ireland, were examined. Nucleotide sequencing and HhaI digestion of a fragment of the vanB gene was used to distinguish between the vanB1, vanB2, andvanB3 gene clusters (7). Based on theirvanB-HhaI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) profiles, 202 (99%) isolates contained vanB2. The presence of vanB1 in two isolates was confirmed by sequence analysis
Acute inhibition of MEK suppresses congenital melanocytic nevus syndrome in a murine model driven by activated NRAS and Wnt signaling
Congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN) syndrome is the association of pigmented melanocytic nevi with extra-cutaneous features, classically melanotic cells within the central nervous system, most frequently caused by a mutation of NRAS codon 61. This condition is currently untreatable and carries a significant risk of melanoma within the skin, brain, or leptomeninges. We have previously proposed a key role for Wnt signaling in the formation of melanocytic nevi, suggesting that activated Wnt signaling may be synergistic with activated NRAS in the pathogenesis of CMN syndrome. Some familial pre-disposition suggests a germ-line contribution to CMN syndrome, as does variability of neurological phenotypes in individuals with similar cutaneous phenotypes. Accordingly, we performed exome sequencing of germ-line DNA from patients with CMN to reveal rare or undescribed Wnt-signaling alterations. A murine model harboring activated NRASQ61K and Wnt signaling in melanocytes exhibited striking features of CMN syndrome, in particular neurological involvement. In the first model of treatment for this condition, these congenital, and previously assumed permanent, features were profoundly suppressed by acute post-natal treatment with a MEK inhibitor. These data suggest that activated NRAS and aberrant Wnt signaling conspire to drive CMN syndrome. Post-natal MEK inhibition is a potential candidate therapy for patients with this debilitating condition
Addition of the apical oblique projection increases the detection of acute traumatic shoulder abnormalities in adults
Purpose Plain radiographic evaluation of acute shoulder trauma in adults requires a minimum of two projections, commonly the anteroposterior (AP) and lateral scapular projections, with additional projections taken for diagnosis. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether the addition of the apical oblique (AO) projection to the AP and lateral scapular projections increases the number and/or alters the types of abnormalities detected in the examination of acute shoulder trauma. Methods Examinations of 56 adults who had undergone three-projection (AP, lateral scapular, AO) radiographic shoulder examination for acute trauma were allocated into two-projection (AP, lateral scapular) and three-projection cases and assessed by a radiologist. The differences in number and types of abnormalities between the two-projection and three-projection cases were quantified using the one-tailed t test and chi-square goodness-of-fit test, respectively. Results Test-retest reliability was moderate (intra-class correlation coefficient [95%CI], 0.56 [0.15 to 0.80]) for number, and almost perfect (kappa [95%CI], 0.94 [0.85 to 1.00]) for types, of abnormalities detected. There was a significant increase in the number of abnormalities detected across all three-projection versus two-projection cases (difference in means [95%CI], 0.20 [0.01 to 0.39]) and for fractures (difference in means [95%CI], 0.30 [0.11 to 0.49]), but no difference in the types of abnormalities detected (Ï 2 = 4.7, p = 0.19). Conclusion This study suggests that adding the AO projection to two-projection examination of acute shoulder trauma increases the number of abnormalities detected; this has potential implications for patient management. Further research investigating differences in types of abnormalities detected between two-projection and three-projection cases is warranted
Infrared Photometry of Red Supergiants in Young Clusters in the Magellanic Clouds
We present broad-band infrared photometry for 52 late-type supergiants in the
young Magellanic Clouds clusters NGC 330, NGC 1818, NGC 2004 and NGC 2100.
Standard models are seen to differ in the temperature they predict for the red
supergiant population on the order of 300K. It appears that these differences
most probably due to the calibration of the mixing-length parameter,
, in the outermost layers of the stellar envelope. Due to the
apparent model dependent nature of we do not quantitatively
compare between models. Qualitatively, we find that
decreases with increased stellar mass within standard models. We do not find
evidence for a metallicity dependence of .Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. AJ accepte
Procedure to determine the impact of the surface film resistance on the hygric properties of composite clay/fibre plasters
International audienc
The mineralogy, geometry and mass-loss history of IRAS 16342-3814
We present the 2-200 um Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) spectrum and 3.8-20
um ISAAC and TIMMI2 images of the extreme OH/IR star IRAS 16342-3814. Amorphous
silicate absorption features are seen, together with crystalline silicate
absorption features up to almost 45 um. No other OH/IR star is known to have
crystalline silicate features in absorption up to these wavelengths. This
suggests that IRAS 16342-3814 must have, or recently had, an extremely high
mass-loss rate. Preliminary radiative transfer calculations suggest that the
mass-loss rate may be as large as 10^{-3} Msun/yr. The 3.8 um ISAAC image shows
a bipolar reflection nebula with a dark equatorial waist or torus, similar to
that seen in optical Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. The position angle of
the nebula decreases significantly with increasing wavelength, suggesting that
the dominant source of emission changes from scattering to thermal emission.
Still, even up to 20 um the nebula is oriented approximately along the major
axis of the nebula seen in the HST and ISAAC images, suggesting that the torus
must be very cold, in agreement with the very red ISO spectrum. The 20 um image
shows a roughly spherically symmetric extended halo, approximately 6'' in
diameter, which is probably due to a previous phase of mass-loss on the AGB,
suggesting a transition from a (more) spherically symmetric to a (more) axial
symmetric form of mass-loss at the end of the AGB. We estimate the maximum dust
particle sizes in the torus and in the reflection nebula to be 1.3 and 0.09 um
respectively. The size of the particles in the torus is large compared to
typical ISM values, but in agreement with high mass-loss rate objects like AFGL
4106 and HD161796. We discuss the possible reason for the difference in
particle size between the torus and the reflection nebula.Comment: Accepted for publication by A&
Spatially Resolved Molecular Hydrogen Emission in the Inner 200AU Environments of Classical T Tauri Stars
We present 2.0-2.4micron integral field spectroscopy at adaptive optics
spatial resolution (~0.''1) obtained with the Near-infrared Integral Field
Spectrograph (NIFS) at Gemini North Observatory of six Classical T Tauri stars:
T Tau, DG Tau, XZ Tau, HL Tau, RW Aur and HV Tau C. In all cases, the v=1-0
S(1) (2.12 micron) emission is detected at spatially extended distances from
the central stars. The bulk of the H_2 emission is typically not spatially
coincident with the location of continuum flux. Multiple transitions detected
in the K-band spectra show that H_2 level populations are typical of gas in
thermal equilibrium with excitation temperatures in the 1800K-2300 K range.
Three of the stars have H_2 velocity profiles that are centered at the stellar
radial velocity, and three show velocity shifts with respect to the system.
Each of the stars studied here show observed excitation temperatures, spatial
extents, and kinematics of the H_2 that are most consistent with shock excited
emission from the inner regions of the known Herbig-Haro energy flows or from
wide-angle winds encompassing the outflows rather than predominantly from UV or
X-ray stimulated emission from the central stars. The data presented in this
study highlights the sensitivity of adaptive optics-fed integral field
spectroscopy for spatially resolving emission line structures in the
environments of bright young stars.Comment: 50 pages, 13 Figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal. Full Resolution paper available at:
http://www.astro.sunysb.edu/tracy/pubs/Beck07.pd
Delivering Parenting Interventions through Health Services in the Caribbean
Integrating early childhood interventions with health and nutrition services has been recommended, however there is limited information on interventions that are effective and feasible for delivery through health services. In this trial we developed and evaluated a parenting program that could be integrated into primary health center visits
Extragalactic Fields Optimized for Adaptive Optics
In this paper we present the coordinates of 67 55' x 55' patches of sky which
have the rare combination of both high stellar surface density (>0.5
arcmin^{-2} with 13<R<16.5 mag) and low extinction (E(B-V)<0.1). These fields
are ideal for adaptive-optics based follow-up of extragalactic targets. One
region of sky, situated near Baade's Window, contains most of the patches we
have identified. Our optimal field, centered at RA: 7h24m3s, Dec: -1deg27'15",
has an additional advantage of being accessible from both hemispheres. We
propose a figure of merit for quantifying real-world adaptive optics
performance, and use this to analyze the performance of multi-conjugate
adaptive optics in these fields. We also compare our results to those that
would be obtained in existing deep fields. In some cases adaptive optics
observations undertaken in the fields given in this paper would be orders of
magnitude more efficient than equivalent observations undertaken in existing
deep fields.Comment: 28 pages, 15 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in PAS
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