The Impact of Self-Regulated Strategy Development on Upper Elementary Students\u27 Opinion Writing Performance

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of SRSD opinion writing instruction provided by teachers who completed SRSD Writing to Learn™ online training on the writing performance of students with and without specific learning disabilities (SLD) in third, fourth, and fifth grade. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine teachers\u27 perceptions of SRSD Writing to Learn™ online training and the impact of the training on their knowledge of SRSD. A pretest-postest, cluster randomized control design was used to determine the effects of SRSD opinion writing instruction, following teachers\u27 completion of SRSD Writing to Learn™ training, on students\u27 writing achievement. Differential effects for students with SLD and student acceptability of instruction were also examined. Results indicated that students in experimental classes wrote longer essays that contained more elements of opinion essays compared to students in comparison classes. While students with SLD performed below their typically performing peers on measures of elements and length of writing samples, students with SLD in the comparison group wrote longer essays that contained more elements of opinion essays compared to students with SLD in comparison classrooms. Students provided generally positive responses regarding questions of acceptability. To address the secondary purpose of the study, teachers\u27 content knowledge of SRSD was measured, and teachers\u27 provided feedback regarding their perceptions of the online training. Results indicated that after completion of SRSD Writing to Learn™ training and implementation of SRSD instruction with moderate to high levels of fidelity, teachers were able to identify some stages of SRSD and the corresponding instructional components of each stage. Teachers generally reported positive perceptions of the online training. They found the training modules to be applicable and relevant, although they found the information to be somewhat overwhelming and difficult to navigate. A discussion of results addresses limitations of the study, implications for practice, and directions future research. While the results of the study demonstrate that teachers who have completed online training are able to implement SRSD and positively impact opinion writing performance for upper elementary students with and without SLD, specific consideration should be given to the differential effects for students with SLD. When providing SRSD instruction in the general education setting, all students\u27 needs should be considered. Struggling writers, and specifically those with SLD, will likely require more intensive instruction. Differentiating instruction within the general education setting and supplementing and intensifying instruction in intervention or special education settings may allow students with SLD to benefit even more from instruction within an SRSD framework

Basic science232. Certolizumab pegol prevents pro-inflammatory alterations in endothelial cell function

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a major comorbidity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a leading cause of death. Chronic systemic inflammation involving tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) could contribute to endothelial activation and atherogenesis. A number of anti-TNF therapies are in current use for the treatment of RA, including certolizumab pegol (CZP), (Cimzia ®; UCB, Belgium). Anti-TNF therapy has been associated with reduced clinical cardiovascular disease risk and ameliorated vascular function in RA patients. However, the specific effects of TNF inhibitors on endothelial cell function are largely unknown. Our aim was to investigate the mechanisms underpinning CZP effects on TNF-activated human endothelial cells. Methods: Human aortic endothelial cells (HAoECs) were cultured in vitro and exposed to a) TNF alone, b) TNF plus CZP, or c) neither agent. Microarray analysis was used to examine the transcriptional profile of cells treated for 6 hrs and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysed gene expression at 1, 3, 6 and 24 hrs. NF-κB localization and IκB degradation were investigated using immunocytochemistry, high content analysis and western blotting. Flow cytometry was conducted to detect microparticle release from HAoECs. Results: Transcriptional profiling revealed that while TNF alone had strong effects on endothelial gene expression, TNF and CZP in combination produced a global gene expression pattern similar to untreated control. The two most highly up-regulated genes in response to TNF treatment were adhesion molecules E-selectin and VCAM-1 (q 0.2 compared to control; p > 0.05 compared to TNF alone). The NF-κB pathway was confirmed as a downstream target of TNF-induced HAoEC activation, via nuclear translocation of NF-κB and degradation of IκB, effects which were abolished by treatment with CZP. In addition, flow cytometry detected an increased production of endothelial microparticles in TNF-activated HAoECs, which was prevented by treatment with CZP. Conclusions: We have found at a cellular level that a clinically available TNF inhibitor, CZP reduces the expression of adhesion molecule expression, and prevents TNF-induced activation of the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, CZP prevents the production of microparticles by activated endothelial cells. This could be central to the prevention of inflammatory environments underlying these conditions and measurement of microparticles has potential as a novel prognostic marker for future cardiovascular events in this patient group. Disclosure statement: Y.A. received a research grant from UCB. I.B. received a research grant from UCB. S.H. received a research grant from UCB. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interes