The Effects of Prereferral Intervention

[...]The number of students with learning and behavioral problems in the mainstream classroom and the urgency of readdressing failure in the regular classroom is critical. Regular educators are concerned that many students who do not meet the eligibility requirements to receive special services are experiencing problems in the classroom. The number of students referred for assessments and possible placement in special education programs has increased dramatically. Although special education has shouldered the primary responsibility for students with special needs, educational service delivery needs to be a shared responsibility of regular and special education teachers. Alternatives to traditional practices need to be explored, evaluated, and utilized. Prereferral activities and intervention strategies are one, if not the most representative, trends in the increased role of regular education in serving students with learning and behavior problems. Prereferral intervention is designed to call early attention to student learning and behavior needs, to document the problems, conduct on-site adjustments in the mainstream classroom, and monitor student progress. This review will focus on the need, the purpose, and the use of prereferral interventions. The Teacher Assistance Team (TAD and Consultation, two prereferral intervention models which may assist teachers with instructional strategies and management techniques to help students meet educational success, will be examined. In this review, prereferral intervention is defined as a service delivery designed to assist the classroom teacher in providing needed classroom support, assistance, and instructional strategies to instruct and manage students with learning or behavior problems, thereby reducing the number of students referred for formal assessment and possible placement in special programs

Does the 8−N8-N bonding rule break down in As2_2Se3_3 glass?

The local coordination numbers of As$_2$Se$_3$ glass were determined by a combination of anomalous x-ray scattering experiments, reverse Monte Carlo calculations, and {\it ab initio} molecular dynamics simulations. The well-known `8-$N$ bonding rule' proposed by Mott breaks down around the As atoms, exceeding the rule by 7--26%. An experimental prediction based on mean-field theory agrees with the present experimental and theoretical results. The fourfold coordinated As atoms likely form As-As wrong bond chains rather than ethan-like configurations, which is identified as the origin for the breakdown of the `8-$N$ bonding rule'.Comment: 6 pages, 6figures, 1table, submitted to Europhysics Letter

At the Start of the Sarcomere: A Previously Unrecognized Role for Myosin Chaperones and Associated Proteins during Early Myofibrillogenesis

The development of striated muscle in vertebrates requires the assembly of contractile myofibrils, consisting of highly ordered bundles of protein filaments. Myofibril formation occurs by the stepwise addition of complex proteins, a process that is mediated by a variety of molecular chaperones and quality control factors. Most notably, myosin of the thick filament requires specialized chaperone activity during late myofibrillogenesis, including that of Hsp90 and its cofactor, Unc45b. Unc45b has been proposed to act exclusively as an adaptor molecule, stabilizing interactions between Hsp90 and myosin; however, recent discoveries in zebrafish and C. elegans suggest the possibility of an earlier role for Unc45b during myofibrillogenesis. This role may involve functional control of nonmuscle myosins during the earliest stages of myogenesis, when premyofibril scaffolds are first formed from dynamic cytoskeletal actin. This paper will outline several lines of evidence that converge to build a model for Unc45b activity during early myofibrillogenesis

Evaluating the multiple benefits of multi-layered agroforestry systems

This is the final version. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordGlobally, the contribution of own-growers' to food security is over-looked.We explore a novel temperate, own-growing, agroforestry method that originates from Britain; the forest garden. Inspired by ancient tropical multi-layered homegardens, forest gardens integrate nature and food production. Consequently, they have spread globally despitebeing little researched. We sub-sampled 51 British forest gardens described as: Mature (≥15 years old), Young (≤10 years old) or Mixed (Young forest garden with an experienced manager). Using a semi-structured telephone questionnaire, we characterise forest gardens as: diverse food systems containing on average 64.2 (±6.65) predominantly perennial plant species; spread over at least four layers. Typically, they are ≤0.8 ha; on sloping, low value agricultural land. Forest gardeners are principally motivated by environmental protection and a lifestyle that enhances well-being. Their diet is broadened by foraging wild plants and common garden species, considered a delicacy in other cultures; thereby reducing their reliance on environmentally challenging annual crops. Forest gardens, like homegardens, could deliver social, economic and environmental benefits. They also illustrate that exploring ancient cultures and techniques can provide ideas and solutions to our modern food conundrums. However, combing a holistic academic approach with forest and homegarden practitioner knowledge will enhance our understanding of their alternative crops.Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC

Resolving selfish and spiteful interdependent conflict

This project/publication was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. A.J.S. is also supported by the John Templeton Foundation grant no. 62281. N.J.R. is also supported by the Royal Society and the Leverhulme Trust.Interdependence occurs when individuals have a stake in the success or failure of others, such that the outcomes experienced by one individual also generate costs or benefits for others. Discussion on this topic has typically focused on positive interdependence (where gains for one individual result in gains for another) and on the consequences for cooperation. However, interdependence can also be negative (where gains for one individual result in losses for another), which can spark conflict. In this article, we explain when negative interdependence is likely to arise and, crucially, the role played by (mis)perception in shaping an individual’s understanding of their interdependent relationships. We argue that, owing to the difficulty in accurately perceiving interdependence with others, individuals might often be mistaken about the stake they hold in each other’s outcomes, which can spark needless, resolvable forms of conflict. We then discuss when and how reducing misperceptions can help to resolve such conflicts. We argue that a key mechanism for resolving interdependent conflict, along with better sources of exogenous information, is to reduce reliance on heuristics such as stereotypes when assessing the nature of our interdependent relationships.Peer reviewe

Transformer Oil Passivation and Impact of Corrosive Sulphur

In recent years a significant volume of research has been undertaken in order to understand the recent failures in oil insulated power apparatus due to deposition of copper sulphide on the conductors and in the insulation paper. Dibenzyl Disulfide (DBDS) has been found to be the leading corrosive sulphur compound in the insulation oil [1]. The process of copper sulphide formation and the deposition in the paper is still being investigated, but a recently proposed method seems to be gaining some confidence [1]. This method suggests a two-step process; initially the DBDS and some oil soluble copper complexes are formed. Secondly the copper complexes are absorbed in the paper insulation, where they then decompose into copper sulphide [2]. The most commonly used mitigating technique for corrosive sulphur contaminated oil is passivation, normally using Irgamet 39 or 1, 2, 3-benzotriazole (BTA). The passivator is diluted into the oil to a concentration of around 100ppm, where it then reacts with the copper conductors to form a complex layer around the copper, preventing it from interacting with DBDS compounds and forming copper sulphide. This research project will investigate the electrical properties of HV transformers which have tested positive for corrosive sulphur, and the evolution of those properties as the asset degrades due to sulphur corrosion. Parallel to this the long term properties of transformers with passivated insulation oil will be analysed in order to understand the passivator stability and whether it is necessary to keep adding the passivator to sustain its performance. Condition monitoring techniques under investigation will include dielectric spectroscopy, frequency response analysis, recovery voltage method (aka interfacial polarisation) amongst others. Partial discharge techniques will not be investigated, as the voltage between the coil plates is low and therefore it will not contribute significantly to the overall insulation breakdown, in corrosive oil related faults [3]. The goal of this research is to establish key electrical properties in both passivated and non-passivated power transformers that demonstrate detectable changes as the equipment degrades due to the insulation oil being corrosive

Thurston's pullback map on the augmented Teichm\"uller space and applications

Let $f$ be a postcritically finite branched self-cover of a 2-dimensional topological sphere. Such a map induces an analytic self-map $\sigma_f$ of a finite-dimensional Teichm\"uller space. We prove that this map extends continuously to the augmented Teichm\"uller space and give an explicit construction for this extension. This allows us to characterize the dynamics of Thurston's pullback map near invariant strata of the boundary of the augmented Teichm\"uller space. The resulting classification of invariant boundary strata is used to prove a conjecture by Pilgrim and to infer further properties of Thurston's pullback map. Our approach also yields new proofs of Thurston's theorem and Pilgrim's Canonical Obstruction theorem.Comment: revised version, 28 page