Leer Para Triunfar: An Action Research Evaluating the Effects of Parent Involvement in Reading Proficiency of Third-grade ELLs

Numerous studies have shown that, on average, English Language Learners underperform academically compared to non-ELLs, and that the achievement gap tends to increase as students move on to upper-grade levels; only 29.5% of all third-grade ELLs in Alpha County were reading at grade level in the fiscal year 2021-2022. This pre-experimental action research aimed to examine whether the parent involvement program “Leer para Triunfar” had any significant differences in third-grade ELLs’ Winter Progress Monitoring Assessment reading test scores, and in parents’ perceptions about parent involvement, before and after the intervention. This study utilized descriptive and inferential statistical protocols to address the above outcomes. Participants filled out a survey before and after completing the workshops. The sample for this investigation consisted of 36 Hispanic parents with limited or non-English language skills of third-grade ELLs attending a public elementary school in Southeast Florida. Throughout three workshops of one hour each and additional information provided through social media, parents learned about effective strategies to implement at home that could boost their child’s first language development. Also, parents learned about community events and other critical topics that could help develop their children’s reading proficiency. Although the results were statistically significant for the pre and post-intervention reading test scores, the researchers preferred to opt for a conservative approach and resolved this finding is inconclusive because of internal and external factors that could have impacted the reading test results. Question one in the pre and post-intervention surveys covering parents’ perceptions about their involvement in their child’s education proved to be statistically significant by comparing the group’s results before and after the intervention. The rest of the responses in the pre and post-intervention surveys did not have statistical significance. This study also served as a pilot for future experimental work on this topic

Author Correction: The CaMKII/NMDA receptor complex controls hippocampal synaptic transmission by kinase-dependent and independent mechanisms.

The originally published version of this Article contained errors in Figure 5, for which we apologise. In panel c, the scatter graph was inadvertently replaced with a scatter graph comprising a subset of data points from panel d. Furthermore, the legends to Figures 5c and 5d were inverted. These errors have now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article, and the incorrect version of Fig. 5c is presented in the Author Correction associated with this Article

The CaMKII/NMDA receptor complex controls hippocampal synaptic transmission by kinase-dependent and independent mechanisms.

CaMKII is one of the most studied synaptic proteins, but many critical issues regarding its role in synaptic function remain unresolved. Using a CRISPR-based system to delete CaMKII and replace it with mutated forms in single neurons, we have rigorously addressed its various synaptic roles. In brief, basal AMPAR and NMDAR synaptic transmission both require CaMKIIα, but not CaMKIIβ, indicating that, even in the adult, synaptic transmission is determined by the ongoing action of CaMKIIα. While AMPAR transmission requires kinase activity, NMDAR transmission does not, implying a scaffolding role for the CaMKII protein instead. LTP is abolished in the absence of CaMKIIα and/or CaMKIIβ and with an autophosphorylation impaired CaMKIIα (T286A). With the exception of NMDAR synaptic currents, all aspects of CaMKIIα signaling examined require binding to the NMDAR, emphasizing the essential role of this receptor as a master synaptic signaling hub

Understanding the 8 micron vs. Pa-alpha relationship on sub-arcsecond scales in Luminous Infrared Galaxies

This work explores in detail the relation between the 8 micron and the Pa-alpha emissions for 122 HII regions identified in a sample of 10 low-z LIRGs with nearly constant metallicity (12 + log (O/H) ~ 8.8). We use Gemini/T-ReCS high-spatial resolution (<~ 0.4" ~ 120 pc for the average distance of 60 Mpc of our sample) mid-infrared imaging (at 8.7 micron or 10.3 micron) together with HST/NICMOS continuum and Pa-alpha images. The LIRG HII regions extend the L_8micron vs. L_Pa-alpha relation found for HII knots in the high-metallicity SINGS galaxies by about two orders of magnitude to higher luminosities. Since the metallicity of the LIRG sample is nearly constant, we can rule out this effect as a cause for the scatter seen in the relationship. In turn, it is attributed to two effects: age and PAH features. The L_8micron/L_Pa-alpha ratio, which varies by a factor of ten for the LIRG HII regions, is reproduced by a model with instantaneous star formation and ages ranging from ~ 4 to 7.5 Myr. The remaining dispersion around the model predictions for a given age is probably due to differential contributions of the PAH features (the 8.6 micron, in our case) to the 8 micron emission from galaxy to galaxy.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ; paper with full-resolution figures can be found at: http://damir.iem.csic.es/extragalactic

Technology: a strategic imperative for successful retailers

This author accepted manuscript is deposited under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC) licence. This means that anyone may distribute, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes, subject to full attribution. If you wish to use this manuscript for commercial purposes, please contact [email protected]: In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, technology is rewriting the way consumers shop as well as the retail operating models. In this context, investment in new technologies is a strategic imperative for retailers striving to remain relevant and profitable. Using Kahn's Retail Success Matrix as the conceptual framework, the aim of the study is to propose a classification of emerging technologies based on their potential for sustaining retailers' competitive strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Following an initial qualitative study based on in-depth interviews and focus groups with 20 retail managers, the authors collected survey data from a sample of 168 retail and technology professionals. To achieve the research objectives, content, descriptive and multiple correspondence factor analyses were carried out. Findings: The data analyses result on a map that plots the technological solutions that retail experts identify as enablers of four key competitive strategies: product superiority, enhanced customer experience, frictionless shopping experience and operational excellence. Practical implications: This research work provides valuable insight into how retail companies can capitalise on technology to create or reinforce their competitive positioning. The framework acts as a guide for retail companies to assess their technology priorities. Originality/value: This exploratory empirical study is the result of a collaboration between academic researchers and retail professionals. Thus, it addresses challenges experienced by key stakeholders. The encompassing classification enables a better understanding of the impact of technology on retailers' competitive positioning.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Funding Agency #1) under Grant PID2020-113561RB-I00. This study benefited from the Professorship Excellence Program in accordance with the multi-year agreement signed by the Government of Madrid and the Autonomous University of Madrid (Line #3)

La diversidad cultural como enriquecimiento del aula de Educación Infantil: investigación cualitativa realizada a través de la observación directa

Nuestra sociedad es muy diversa por lo que esa diversidad se refleja también en nuestras aulas. Lejos de empobrecer nuestras vidas aportan una variedad que nos enriquece. Por este motivo nos centramos en que los alumnos de 5 años del grupo B del Colegio Pedro Jaime Rubio de Huesca, aprendan a tomar esas diferencias como algo natural y a valorarlas como algo positivo, evitando los prejuicios En este trabajo de fin de grado se lleva a cabo una investigación cualitativa para verificar si nuestras prácticas han ayudado a reducir los prejuicios que tienen los alumnos respecto a la diversidad cultural. Se realiza una evaluación inicial para conocer las opiniones de los alumnos respecto al tema. Tras esto, se hacen dos prácticas, la primera para la mejora de la convivencia y la segunda para conocer las culturas que componen el aula. Una vez finalizadas las prácticas se lleva a cabo una evaluación final para comprobar si hemos conseguido nuestros objetivos. Se utilizará la observación directa durante todo el proceso de la investigación

Extramadura and the end of the electricity oligopoly in western Spain during Franco’s rule

El presente artículo describe el proceso de electrificación en el suroeste peninsular, en concreto en la región de Extremadura. Esta zona de España pasó de una carencia casi absoluta de potencia eléctrica a comienzos de la década de 1950 a ser excedentaria durante los inicios de la de 1970. La investigación se centra en los orígenes de este proceso, de larga gestación a lo largo del siglo XX, pero no concretados hasta bien entrada la década de 1950, justo cuando el país parece dejar por fin atrás el legado económico de la guerra civil. Posteriormente, se realiza un análisis de los intereses estatales y empresariales entrecruzados en este asunto, donde dos de las actuales empresas que dominan el mercado eléctrico español, alcanzan cada una en torno a un gran río (Tajo y Guadiana) sus objetivos de expansión. El artículo termina con una reflexión de cómo justo cuando se alcanza la autonomía energética, nuevos intereses, derivados de la energía nuclear, cambian por completo el panorama eléctrico.This article describes the electrification process in the southwest of the peninsula, specifically in the Extremadura region. This area of Spain went from a lack of electrical power in the early 1950s to a surplus during the early 1970s. Research focuses on the origins of this process, long-standing throughout the 20th century but not concretized until well into the 1950s, just when the country seems to finally leave behind the economic legacy of the Civil War. Subsequently, an analysis of the intersecting state and business interests in this matter is carriedout, where two of the current companies that dominate the Spanish electricity market each reach a large river (Tajo and Guadiana) in their expansion objectives. The article ends with a reflection on how just when energy autonomy is reached, new interests, derived from nuclear energy, completely change the electrical landscape.peerReviewe

A High Spatial Resolution Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Study of the Nuclei and Star-Forming Regions in Luminous Infrared Galaxies

We present a high spatial (diffraction-limited) resolution (~0.3") mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic study of the nuclei and star-forming regions of 4 local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) using T-ReCS on the Gemini South telescope. We investigate the spatial variations of the features seen in the N-band spectra of LIRGs on scales of ~100 pc, which allow us to separate the AGN emission from that of the star formation (SF). We compare our Gemini T-ReCS nuclear and integrated spectra of LIRGs with those obtained with Spitzer IRS. The 9.7um silicate absorption feature is weaker in the nuclei of the LIRGs than in the surrounding regions. This is probably due to the either clumpy or compact environment of the central AGN or young, nuclear starburst. We find that the [NeII] luminosity surface density is tightly and directly correlated with that of Pa-alpha for the LIRG star-forming regions (slope of 1.00+-0.02). Although the 11.3um PAH feature shows also a trend with Pa-alpha, this is not common for all the regions. We also find that the [NeII]\Pa-alpha ratio does not depend on the Pa-alpha equivalent width (EW), i.e., on the age of the ionizing stellar populations, suggesting that, on the scales probed here, the [NeII] emission line is a good tracer of the SF activity in LIRGs. On the other hand, the 11.3um PAH\Pa-alpha ratio increases for smaller values of the Pa-alpha EW (increasing ages), indicating that the 11.3um PAH feature can also be excited by older stars than those responsible for the Pa-alpha emission. Additional high spatial resolution observations are essential to investigate, in a statistical way, the star formation in local LIRGs at the smallest scales and to probe ultimately whether they share the same physical properties as high-z LIRGs, ULIRGs and submillimiter galaxies.Comment: 23 pages (apjstyle), 19 figures, accepted for publicacion in Ap

Sistema de medición de niveles de presión acústica con envío y recepción de datos vía wifi, controlado por aplicación móvil para sistema operativo android

El presente trabajo presenta el desarrollo de un sistema de medición inalámbrica que tiene como función la adquisición y procesamiento de señales acústicas. Una vez analizado los sistemas de medición y su acondicionamiento necesario de la señal para la conversión análoga digital, se inicia la etapa de construcción de la tarjeta de adquisición de señales acústicas propio, para finalmente ser comparada con sistemas de medición profesionales (SVANTEK - RION) y observar su correcto funcionamiento en cuanto adquisición de la señal acústica y la transmisión inalámbrica de los datos.Universidad de San Buenaventura Bogot