An Analysis of Rx for Discovery Reading for Elementary Students Below Grade Level in Reading

Abstract Rx for Discovery Reading® is an intervention developed by the National Institute for Learning Development to impact the reading abilities of students below grade level in reading. For this study, the areas of phonological processing, decoding, and fluency were investigated using pre- and post-test scores from the KTEA-II, GORT, and DIBELS. The problem studied was whether Rx for Discovery Reading® would raise the mean standard scores in these three areas. Using a small-group format, twenty-nine students were involved in the intervention for fifty forty-five minute sessions over one school year. Eight NILD educational therapists in a variety of geographical areas implemented the intervention. At the conclusion of the field test, the data were examined, discovering that the students had significantly higher post-test standard scores compared to the pre-test standard scores. These results demonstrate that this intervention may contribute greatly in enabling students become more proficient readers, overcoming a reading deficit

Pair Production Constraints on Superluminal Neutrinos Revisited

We revisit the pair creation constraint on superluminal neutrinos considered by Cohen and Glashow in order to clarify which types of superluminal models are constrained. We show that a model in which the superluminal neutrino is effectively light-like can evade the Cohen-Glashow constraint.Comment: 5 pages, typo fixed, footnote on sterile neutrinos added, refs. adde

A Study of Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion in the Dog

A review of thermoregulation in the dog is presented, which is followed by a study of heat stroke and heat exhaustion. The etiology, clinical signs, secondary complications, treatment, predisposing factors, and prevention of heat stroke and heat exhaustion are discussed. Two clinical cases are then presented to illustrate both disorders

Promoting Persuasion Knowledge in Third and Fourth Graders Through Advertising Literacy and Argumentation Interventions

The goal of this study was to promote the development of persuasion knowledge in third and fourth graders by examining children’s interpretation and production of persuasive messages through an instructional intervention. Two interventions were delivered to students that focused on the skills associated with critical thinking (e.g., evaluating effectiveness of arguments, writing a persuasive argument using valid reasoning, and understanding the persuasive intentions and tactics of advertisements). One intervention used advertising as the instructional tool, such that students were taught about the purpose of advertising, advertising tactics, and the companies and advertisers behind the ads. Students learned that ads are created to persuade people to think or do something. Additionally, students learned to ask questions about what information may be missing from the ad. A separate group of students participated in the Argumentation Intervention, which taught the basic components of an argument and the concept of biases. Students were taught the importance of using compelling evidence to support their side of a topic and how others’ perspectives must be acknowledged when developing an effective argument. Both studies assessed the same areas to examine the scope of each intervention. Measures of children’s conceptual advertising knowledge and attitudes toward advertising in a pre-posttest design were used to identify changes in these areas. Students also participated in tasks that measured changes in their ability to evaluate argumentative messages and develop a written persuasive argument. These activities measured their use of tactics to create a persuasive argument and their ability to identify the more effective argument. Beyond improving their written persuasive arguments, participants in the Argumentation Intervention significantly increased their understanding of selling intentions and understanding of persuasive tactics used in advertising . Those in the Advertising Literacy Intervention showed a significant improvement on their inclusion of others’ perspectives when writing a persuasive argument in addition to making gains to their understanding of selling and persuasive intent and skepticism toward advertising. The ability of participants in both interventions to generalize what was explicitly taught to new domains is encouraging for educators who aim to instill critical thinking skills in students. The current study provides important insights into effective instructional strategies for increasing children’s understanding and application of persuasion knowledge in everyday contexts

Washington Title Insurers\u27 Duty to Search and Disclose

This comment explores possible non-statutory sources of a title insurer\u27s duty to search and disclose. After reviewing the historical background of title insurance and comparing it with other title assurance methods, this comment examines Washington case law, where the supreme court has failed to impose the duty. It then considers the need to impose and examines the theoretical bases of such a duty to search and disclose: whether it should lie in tort or in contract. Finally, this comment concludes that Washington courts should allow home buyers to sue title insurers for negligence in failing to reasonably search and disclose

The effects of an advertising-based intervention on critical thinking and media literacy in third and fourth graders

The goal of this study was to assess whether a short, media literacy intervention could effectively support third- and fourth-graders’ abilities to interpret and produce persuasive arguments. The intervention was delivered to students (N = 50) and focused on the knowledge and skills associated with advertising literacy. Students participated in tasks that measured changes in their advertising knowledges, their abilities to evaluate argumentative messages, and their abilities to develop a written persuasive argument. Results indicate that the instructional intervention boosted students’ advertising knowledge and their abilities to evaluate and produce effective arguments. This study provides important insights into the impact of media literacy lessons on children’s understanding and application of persuasion knowledge in everyday contexts

A Case Study of Urban Streamside Salamander Persistence in Staten Island, NY

We monitored salamander populations in four stream segments on Staten Island, New York, from 2000 to 2012. We found three salamander species in our study. Two streams had all three species: a headwater stream (Reed’s Basket Willow) and a third-order stream (BloodrootValley). We found Eurycea bislineata and Desmognathus fuscus in all streams, although the frequency of occurrence and densities of these species differed markedly among streams. Reed’s Basket Willow had significantly greater populations of E.bislineata and D. fuscus than the other three, higher order, streams. Pseudotriton ruber was found only on two occasions each in Reed’s Basket Willow and Bloodroot Valley. We found lower population densities than that reported in other studies for both Eurycea bislineata and Desmognathus fuscus. The maximum density we recorded for E. bislineata was 14.4 individuals/m2 on one occasion in one stream and for D. fuscus 0.3 individuals/m2 on several occasions. Despite the low densities, and seasonal and yearly variability, the populations have not shown any noticeable trends in the twelve years of our study and appear stable. We measured sediment deposition and found the highest amount deposited in Reed’s Basket Willow. Because this stream also has the highest population densities, our results suggest that sediment does not always have a negative impact on streamside salamanders. We measured impervious cover in the watershed and found that it did not correspond to increased salamander densities; Reed’s Basket Willow had the highest salamander densities despite having the highest percent impervious cover. However, Reed’s had the lowest percent impervious cover in its buffer. The stream with the lowest densities was a second-order stream downstream from a dam in place for at least 80 years at the start of our study. Egbertville Ravine, which lies below a dam constructed in 2003, has not shown a declining trend in population densities, although the 2012 sampling showed a decrease that was not experienced at the other three sites. Within urban areas, local impacts such as stream order, dams and adjacent land cover may obscure effects of landscape scale factors

Doing the Creative Frontier: A Scientist and a Humanist Learn to Teach Humanities Together

This paper relates the story of two professors that have made a bridge between the two cultures, science and humanities. They teach a humanities course together

Ergonomic Models of Anthropometry, Human Biomechanics and Operator-Equipment Interfaces

The Committee on Human Factors was established in October 1980 by the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education of the National Research Council. The committee is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation. The workshop discussed the following: anthropometric models; biomechanical models; human-machine interface models; and research recommendations. A 17-page bibliography is included