Linking Executive Functions and Written Language Intervention for Students with Language Learning Disorders

Purpose: School based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) has an important role in the identification and intervention of problems in oral and written language. In collaboration with classroom teachers, they often are asked to develop intervention plans that include evidence-based practices for those students with language learning disabilities (LLD) who have language deficits. The purpose of this article is to bridge theory to practice by explaining an evidence-based instructional model, the self-regulated strategy development model (SRSD), for SLPs to consider as they deliver instruction to support the written language deficits of students with LLD. Method: The authors examine critically the relationship between executive functions (EFs) and written expression. They discuss the EFs researchers have identified as important to students’ development of written expression and the difficulties students with LLD encounter in completing written expression tasks. The authors outline a model of EFs in relationship to the Not-So-Simple view of writing model which provides a framework for viewing the multiple components of the writing system. Conclusion: Based on the review of the literature, the SRSD is an effective evidence-based teaching model for instructing students with LLD that integrates and scaffolds the EFs essential for developing written expression skills

The Role of Executive Functions in Classroom Instruction of Students with Learning Disabilities

In this article, we describe executive functions and their role in determining student academic success. We focus on the executive function difficulties of students with learning disabilities and explain how executive dysfunctions can negatively affect different academic areas (e.g., reading comprehension, mathematics). Finally, we offer ways teachers can modify their instruction to better address the diverse needs of students with learning disabilities who are struggling to perform various academic tasks

To what extent can decommissioning options for marine artificial structures move us toward environmental targets?

Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy is key to international energy transition efforts and the move toward net zero. For many nations, this requires decommissioning of hundreds of oil and gas infrastructure in the marine environment. Current international, regional and national legislation largely dictates that structures must be completely removed at end-of-life although, increasingly, alternative decommissioning options are being promoted and implemented. Yet, a paucity of real-world case studies describing the impacts of decommissioning on the environment make decision-making with respect to which option(s) might be optimal for meeting international and regional strategic environmental targets challenging. To address this gap, we draw together international expertise and judgment from marine environmental scientists on marine artificial structures as an alternative source of evidence that explores how different decommissioning options might ameliorate pressures that drive environmental status toward (or away) from environmental objectives. Synthesis reveals that for 37 United Nations and Oslo-Paris Commissions (OSPAR) global and regional environmental targets, experts consider repurposing or abandoning individual structures, or abandoning multiple structures across a region, as the options that would most strongly contribute toward targets. This collective view suggests complete removal may not be best for the environment or society. However, different decommissioning options act in different ways and make variable contributions toward environmental targets, such that policy makers and managers would likely need to prioritise some targets over others considering political, social, economic, and ecological contexts. Current policy may not result in optimal outcomes for the environment or society

Inferring the Demographic History of African Farmers and Pygmy Hunter–Gatherers Using a Multilocus Resequencing Data Set

The transition from hunting and gathering to farming involved a major cultural innovation that has spread rapidly over most of the globe in the last ten millennia. In sub-Saharan Africa, hunter–gatherers have begun to shift toward an agriculture-based lifestyle over the last 5,000 years. Only a few populations still base their mode of subsistence on hunting and gathering. The Pygmies are considered to be the largest group of mobile hunter–gatherers of Africa. They dwell in equatorial rainforests and are characterized by their short mean stature. However, little is known about the chronology of the demographic events—size changes, population splits, and gene flow—ultimately giving rise to contemporary Pygmy (Western and Eastern) groups and neighboring agricultural populations. We studied the branching history of Pygmy hunter–gatherers and agricultural populations from Africa and estimated separation times and gene flow between these populations. We resequenced 24 independent noncoding regions across the genome, corresponding to a total of ∼33 kb per individual, in 236 samples from seven Pygmy and five agricultural populations dispersed over the African continent. We used simulation-based inference to identify the historical model best fitting our data. The model identified included the early divergence of the ancestors of Pygmy hunter–gatherers and farming populations ∼60,000 years ago, followed by a split of the Pygmies' ancestors into the Western and Eastern Pygmy groups ∼20,000 years ago. Our findings increase knowledge of the history of the peopling of the African continent in a region lacking archaeological data. An appreciation of the demographic and adaptive history of African populations with different modes of subsistence should improve our understanding of the influence of human lifestyles on genome diversity

Looking for a pattern: Error analysis as a diagnostic assessment for making instructional decisions to promote academic success

We examined the type of errors on multiplication and division computation problems of 326 rising fifth graders enrolled in four elementary schools in Northern Portugal. We further examined whether there was a difference in the number of errors across age and whether there was an association between students' performance on number knowledge and multiplication and division computation problems. Error analysis of students' responses indicated that miscalculation and no attempt to solve the problem were the two most frequent error types. We found that older students made more errors compared to younger students. We argue that knowledge of individual student error types is critical to making sound instructional decisions. Based on the results of the present study, we discuss implications for future research and classroom practice.This research was sponsored by a research award to the second author from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program

A global horizon scan of issues impacting marine and coastal biodiversity conservation.

The biodiversity of marine and coastal habitats is experiencing unprecedented change. While there are well-known drivers of these changes, such as overexploitation, climate change and pollution, there are also relatively unknown emerging issues that are poorly understood or recognized that have potentially positive or negative impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems. In this inaugural Marine and Coastal Horizon Scan, we brought together 30 scientists, policymakers and practitioners with transdisciplinary expertise in marine and coastal systems to identify new issues that are likely to have a significant impact on the functioning and conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity over the next 5-10 years. Based on a modified Delphi voting process, the final 15 issues presented were distilled from a list of 75 submitted by participants at the start of the process. These issues are grouped into three categories: ecosystem impacts, for example the impact of wildfires and the effect of poleward migration on equatorial biodiversity; resource exploitation, including an increase in the trade of fish swim bladders and increased exploitation of marine collagens; and new technologies, such as soft robotics and new biodegradable products. Our early identification of these issues and their potential impacts on marine and coastal biodiversity will support scientists, conservationists, resource managers and policymakers to address the challenges facing marine ecosystems.This Marine and Coastal Horizon Scan was funded by Oceankind. SNRB is supported by EcoStar (DM048) and Cefas (My time). RC acknowledges FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020, UIDB/50017/2020, LA/P/0094/2020) through national funds. OD is supported by CSIC Uruguay and Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. JH-R is supported by the Whitten Lectureship in Marine Biology. SAK is supported by a Natural Environment Research Council grant (NE/S00050X/1). PIM is supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant (DP200100575). DMP is supported by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS). ARP is supported by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. WJS is funded by Arcadia. AT is supported by Oceankind. MY is supported by the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative and bioDISCOVERY