Educating English-Language Learners with Special Needs: Beyond Cultural and Linguistic Considerations

English-language learners (ELLs) with special needs consistently languish in the American school system.  The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) included ELLs as a minority group and required to hold schools accountable for reducing the achievement gap between ELLs and their white peers, however the act did not provide a specific direction for educators on how to help these students in the school context.  A conceptual review was conducted to compiles information on critical issues and challenges ELLs with special needs face as well as useful tips for assessment and instruction.  Critical issues and challenges include assessment and identification, teacher preparation and professional development, and legal and policy issues. The useful tips discussed rely on the utilization of guidelines for assessment, Response to Intervention (RTI), and the support of all stakeholders. Keywords: English language learners with disabilities, assessment, identification, Response to Intervention, overrepresentatio

Manganese based layered oxides with modulated electronic and thermodynamic properties for sodium ion batteries

Manganese based layered oxides have received increasing attention as cathode materials for sodium ion batteries due to their high theoretical capacities and good sodium ion conductivities. However, the Jahn–Teller distortion arising from the manganese (III) centers destabilizes the host structure and deteriorates the cycling life. Herein, we report that zinc-doped Na0.833[Li0.25Mn0.75]O2 can not only suppress the Jahn–Teller effect but also reduce the inherent phase separations. The reduction of manganese (III) amount in the zinc-doped sample, as predicted by first-principles calculations, has been confirmed by its high binding energies and the reduced octahedral structural variations. In the viewpoint of thermodynamics, the zinc-doped sample has lower formation energy, more stable ground states, and fewer spinodal decomposition regions than those of the undoped sample, all of which make it charge or discharge without any phase transition. Hence, the zinc-doped sample shows superior cycling performance, demonstrating that zinc doping is an effective strategy for developing high-performance layered cathode materials

The Scalable Modeling of Multi-layer Embedded Capacitor based on LTCC Substrate

Abstract Low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology is the preferred platform for integrating multi-layer capacitors due to excellent high frequency performance and low-loss dielectric properties. This letter describes a novel approach to perform modeling of multi-layer capacitors in LTCC technology. This hybrid approach combines both analytical modeling and numerical modeling to provide a scalable circuit model predicting the self-resonance frequency of the multiple dielectric and electrode layers. Good correlation between the simulation results and network analyzer measurements has been also achieved. Introduction Recently, as an alternative solution for the low cost and highly integrated system with multiple functionalities, System-on-Package (SoP) technology has emerged [1] [2]. The SoP brings multiple semiconductor dies of various semiconductor processes and materials, and passive devices such as termination resistors, decoupling capacitors, inductors, waveguide, filters, and antennas into a threedimensional package, to create highly integrated products with optimized cost, size and performance. Markets for the SoP solution include wireless communication, networking, computing, and sensor and storage system applications. To integrate these multiple dies and passive devices into a tiny 3-D SoP, adoption of high-density multilayer substrate design is a common approach to mount the multiple dies on a substrate with the embedded passives, which are laterally or vertically integrated onto the package substrate. Low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) technology is the preferred platform for integrating multi-layer passives due to excellent high frequency performance and low-loss dielectric properties In this paper, we propose a scalable modeling method for multi-layer embedded capacitor. Even if many papers have published to accurately model capacitors and their model are quite accurate, none of them has considered the scalability of the model for the multi-layer capacito

Correlation between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and sugar consumption, quality of diet, and dietary behavior in school children

This study investigated the correlation between consumption of sugar intake by fifth grade students in primary schools and development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A total of 107 students participated, and eight boys and one girl (8.4% of the total) categorized as high risk for ADHD according to diagnostic criteria. There were significant differences in the occupations and drinking habits of the respondents' fathers between the normal group and risk group. In a comparison of students' nutrition intake status with daily nutrition intake standards for Koreans, students consumed twice as much protein as the recommended level, whereas their calcium intake was only 60% of the recommended DRI (dietary reference intake). Regarding intake volume of vitamin C, the normal group posted 143.9% of the recommended DRI, whereas the risk group showed only 65.5% of the recommended DRI. In terms of simple sugar intake from snacks, students in the normal group consumed 58.4 g while the risk group consumed 50.2 g. These levels constituted 12.5% of their total daily volume of sugar intake from snacks, which is higher than the 10% standard recommended by the WHO. In conclusion, children who consumed less sugar from fruit snacks or whose vitamin C intake was less than RI was at increased risks for ADHD (P < 0.05). However, no significant association was observed between total volume of simple sugar intake from snacks and ADHD development

The Quality of Evidence in Reading Fluency Intervention for Korean Readers With Reading Difficulties and Disabilities

This study aimed to provide information about the quality of the evidence on reading fluency instruction for at-risk students and students with reading/learning disabilities as a way to evaluate whether an instructional strategy is evidence-based and has potential for classroom use. An extensive search process with inclusion and exclusion criteria yielded a total of 18 studies to be included in the present study: 12 group design studies and six single-subject design studies. The quality indicators proposed by Gersten et al. (Except Child 71:149–164, 2005) and Horner et al. (Except Child 71:165–179, 2005) were applied to evaluate the quality of selected fluency intervention studies. Results revealed that (a) most group design studies provided little information about the intervention and agent for the comparison group, (b) internal and social validity were not clearly stated in single-subject design studies, and (c) procedural fidelity in assessment and intervention implementation was inadequately addressed in both group design and single-subject design studies. Lack of methodological rigor, which hampers determinations of the effectiveness of fluency instruction, the current status of intervention studies, and future directions are discussed

Mobile Phone Dependency and Its Impacts on Adolescents\u27 Social and Academic Behaviors

This study aimed to examine the possible intrapersonal (i.e., attention, depression) and interpersonal (i.e., social relationships with friends, social relationships with teachers) problems related to mobile phone dependency and their impacts on academic achievement in adolescents in South Korea using a national sample of 2159 middle and high school students (1074 male and 1085 female). A structural equation modeling approach with mediation analysis was employed to test the seven hypotheses drawn from conceptual and empirical bases. Results showed that mobile phone dependency negatively predicted attention and positively predicted depression, which in turn, affect social relationships with friends and both Korean language arts and mathematics achievement. Also, the mediating roles of attention, depression, and relationships with friends were found between mobile phone dependency and the academic achievement of middle and high school students in S. Korea. Based on the findings, implications of the current study and future directions for research were discussed

The Use of Computer-Assisted Instruction to Improve the Reading Comprehension of Students With Learning Disabilities: An Evaluation of the Evidence Base According to the What Works Clearinghouse Standards

The purpose of this study was to investigate the evidence base for using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to improve the reading comprehension of students with learning disabilities (LD). Twelve peer-reviewed studies (seven comparison group studies, five single-case studies) met selection criteria and were evaluated according to the relevant What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) procedures and standards. Results showed that seven studies (five comparison group and two single-case studies) met WWC standards with or without reservations. Key instructional features employed in CAI studies meeting the WWC standards without reservations included practice opportunities, self-correction and immediate corrective feedback, teacher-directed instruction, and contingencies for enhancing student motivation and engagement. Implications for future research and suggestions for using quality indicators to improve the rigor of future CAI investigations are discussed

Simultaneous reduction of multi-dimensional defects in Sn-excess BaSnO3 epitaxial films induced by surface chemical reconstruction

Multi-dimensional defects created by thermodynamic and mechanical condition strongly limit electron mobility by the scattering of charged carriers in semiconducting BaSnO3 (BSO) epitaxial films. Here, we demonstrate that the density of both extended and point defects in heteroepitaxial BSO films can be decreased simultaneously by exploiting surface phase instability and a subsequent redistribution of cations at thermal treatment under different oxygen chemical potentials. By delicately controlling both cation ratio and ambient oxygen partial pressure p(O-2), distinct surface topography and cation redistribution (i.e., BaO segregation or SnO evaporation) were observed along with effective healing of extended defects. Simultaneous control of extended and point defects in La-doped BaSnO3 (LBSO) films during treatment under reducing atmosphere decreased their scattering of charged carriers and yielded an increase in room-temperature electron mobility mu(e) by similar to 104% (55-112 cm(2) V-1 s(-1)) in initially Sn-excess LBSO films as a result of a complex interplay with the removal of Sn-related species at the surface. Our finding suggests a versatile strategy to further enhance electron transport of perovskite-type stannate films by exploiting chemical heterogeneity on the surface interfacing with the p(O-2)-controlled ambient.11Nsciescopu

Population Genetic Structure of Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Korea

Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a serious polyphagous agricultural pest worldwide. In the present study, we used eight microsatellite markers to investigate the genetic structure and diversity of A. gossypii populations in Korea. Samples were collected from 37 locations in Korea (18 populations in 2016, 14 populations in 2017, and five populations in 2018) from pepper plants. A. gossypii had low to moderate genetic diversity, and expected heterozygosity (HE) ranged from 0.354 to 0.719. A Mantel test of isolation by distance indicated no relationship between genetic structure and geographic distance among all populations (r2 = 0.0004, p = 0.370), suggesting high gene flow among populations in Korea. Populations of A. gossypii in Korea were divided into two distinct genetic clusters (&Delta;K = 2). In 2016 and 2017, the genetic clusters changed into opposite genetic structures within one year mostly in northwest and southeast parts of Korea. Possible relevance of study results was discussed. Chemical control, cyclical parthenogenesis, and immigrants from the exterior might have resulted in this low genetic diversity and opposite genetic clusters

Recommendation system with minimized transaction data

This paper deals with the recommendation system in the so-called user-centric payment environment where users, i.e., the payers, can make payments without providing self-information to merchants. This service maintains only the minimum purchase information such as the purchased product names, the time of purchase, the place of purchase for possible refunds or cancellations of purchases. This study aims to develop AI-based recommendation system by utilizing the minimum transaction data generated by the user-centric payment service. First, we developed a matrix-based extrapolative collaborative filtering algorithm based on open transaction data. The recommendation methodology was verified with the real transaction data. Based on the experimental results, we confirmed that the recommendation performance is satisfactory only with the minimum purchase information