Cognition in the classroom : exploring the role of working memory in children's mathematical learning at Key Stage 2

Although responsible for their pupils' learning, most teachers do not have a clear understanding of the cognitive processes that mediate that learning. Working memory is one model that has proved to be useful in explaining the role of cognition in learning and there has been a lot of research exploring the nature of its involvement in complex tasks such as mathematics. This evidence suggests an important role for working memory, but is not consistent in determining which areas of working memory are recruited when performing the varied tasks that comprise mathematics.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Personality-sensitive pedagogies: A study of small group interactive behaviours among 9- to 10-year-olds

The learning and social development benefits associated with pupils collaborating in small groups have been well documented over recent decades; however, research exploring personality as a mediating factor in small group learning is sparse. In this study we identified pupils who self-reported low levels of extraversion and/or high levels of neuroticism (tendency to worry) as personality traits and observed them working in small group collaborative learning situations. Using mixed methods social network analysis as a way of understanding group interactions, we combined a degree centrality measure and a novel concept of ‘provocatory participation’ with a qualitative analysis of group interactions. Data integration facilitated in-depth interpretations of relationships between personality and pupil interactions. Findings suggest that low levels of extraversion and/or high levels of neuroticism can be, but are not always, associated with lower levels of participation and that a range of other factors, notably the personality traits of all pupils in a small group, affect participation. These findings are used to suggest ways that teachers could employ more personality-sensitive pedagogies, particularly with respect to small group activities

A Complete Perturbative Expansion for Constrained Quantum Dynamics

A complete perturbative expansion for the Hamiltonian describing the motion of a quantomechanical system constrained to move on an arbitrary submanifold of its configuration space $R^n$ is obtained.Comment: 18 pages, LaTe

Quantum theory of massless (p,0)-forms

We describe the quantum theory of massless (p,0)-forms that satisfy a suitable holomorphic generalization of the free Maxwell equations on Kaehler spaces. These equations arise by first-quantizing a spinning particle with a U(1)-extended local supersymmetry on the worldline. Dirac quantization of the spinning particle produces a physical Hilbert space made up of (p,0)-forms that satisfy holomorphic Maxwell equations coupled to the background Kaehler geometry, containing in particular a charge that measures the amount of coupling to the U(1) part of the U(d) holonomy group of the d-dimensional Kaehler space. The relevant differential operators appearing in these equations are a twisted exterior holomorphic derivative and its hermitian conjugate (twisted Dolbeault operators with charge q). The particle model is used to obtain a worldline representation of the one-loop effective action of the (p,0)-forms. This representation allows to compute the first few heat kernel coefficients contained in the local expansion of the effective action and to derive duality relations between (p,0) and (d-p-2,0)-forms that include a topological mismatch appearing at one-loop.Comment: 32 pages, 3 figure

Inner structure and dynamics of microgels with low and medium crosslinker content prepared via surfactant-free precipitation polymerization and continuous monomer feeding approach

The preparation of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels via classical precipitation polymerization (batch method) and a continuous monomer feeding approach (feeding method) leads to different internal crosslinker distributions, i.e., from core–shell-like to a more homogeneous one. The internal structure and dynamics of these microgels with low and medium crosslinker concentrations are studied with dynamic light scattering and small-angle neutron scattering in a wide q-range below and above the volume phase transition temperature. The influence of the preparation method, and crosslinker and initiator concentration on the internal structure of the microgels is investigated. In contrast to the classical conception where polymer microgels possess a core–shell structure with the averaged internal polymer density distribution within the core part, a detailed view of the internal inhomogeneities of the PNIPAM microgels and the presence of internal domains even above the volume phase transition temperature, when polymer microgels are in the deswollen state, are presented. The correlation between initiator concentration and the size of internal domains that appear inside the microgel with temperature increase is demonstrated. Moreover, the influence of internal inhomogeneities on the dynamics of the batch- and feeding-microgels studied with neutron spin-echo spectroscopy is reported.TU Berlin, Open-Access-Mittel - 201

Exploring Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Interstitial Lung Diseases: Rationale, Aims, and Design of a Nationwide Prospective Registry-The EXCITING-ILD Registry

Despite a number of prospective registries conducted in past years, the current epidemiology of interstitial lung diseases (ILD) is still not well defined, particularly regarding the prevalence and incidence, their management, healthcare utilisation needs, and healthcare-associated costs. To address these issues in Germany, a new prospective ILD registry, "Exploring Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Interstitial Lung Diseases" (EXCITING-ILD), is being conducted by the German Centre for Lung Research in association with ambulatory, inpatient, scientific pulmonology organisations and patient support groups. This multicentre, noninterventional, prospective, and observational ILD registry aims to collect comprehensive and validated data from all healthcare institutions on the incidence, prevalence, characteristics, management, and outcomes regarding all ILD presentations in the real-world setting. Specifically, this registry will collect demographic data, disease-related data such as ILD subtype, treatments, diagnostic procedures (e.g., HRCT, surgical lung biopsy), risk factors (e.g., familial ILD), significant comorbidities, ILD managements, and disease outcomes as well as healthcare resource consumption. The EXCITING-ILD registry will include in-patient and out-patient ILD healthcare facilities in more than 100 sites. In summary, this registry will document comprehensive and current epidemiological data as well as important health economic data for ILDs in Germany

Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Initiation of Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents for Hepatitis C Virus in an Insured Population

Abstract Background: The high cost of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may present a barrier to access, thus contributing to disparities in treatment. However, few real-world data exist on factors associated with DAA uptake. Methods: We conducted an observational study of Kaiser Permanente Northern California members with HCV infection, defined as a positive HCV RNA test or an HCV genotype, during the recent DAA era (i.e., October 2014–December 2016). To evaluate factors independently associated with DAA initiation, an adjusted Poisson model included age, sex, race/ethnicity, census-based neighborhood deprivation index, HCV genotype, advanced fibrosis (i.e., Fibroscan ≥9.5 kPa, if available; else FIB-4 >3.25), prior HCV treatment, drug abuse diagnosis, smoking, alcoholic drinks per week, HIV infection, and hepatitis B virus infection. Results: We identified 18,140 HCV-infected individuals, of whom 6167 (34%) initiated DAA treatment. Treatment was less likely among Black (risk ratio [RR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.79-0.88) and Hispanic individuals (RR 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87-0.98) compared with White individuals, and among individuals with greater neighborhood-level economic disadvantage (quartile 3 vs. 1: RR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.85-0.94; quartile 4 vs. 1: RR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.75-0.83). Treatment was also less likely among those with a history of drug abuse (RR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.82-0.91), smoking (RR 0.84, 95% CI: 0.80-0.87), or more alcoholic drinks per week (1–7 vs. 0 drinks: RR 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82-0.93; 8-16 vs. 0 drinks: RR 0.72, 0.63-0.82); ≥17 vs. 0 drinks: RR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49-0.80). There was a higher likelihood of treatment among individuals with advanced fibrosis (RR 1.39, 95% CI: 1.34-1.44), HCV genotype 1 (RR 1.97, 95% CI: 1.87-2.08), no prior HCV treatment (RR 1.44, 95% CI: 1.37-1.52), or HIV infection (RR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.08-1.30). Conclusion: Although clinical factors appear to drive HCV treatment decisions, racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities exist in DAA uptake. Lifestyle factors, such as alcohol use and drug abuse, may also influence patient or provider decision-making regarding DAA initiation. Strategies are needed to ensure equitable access to DAAs, even in insured populations. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures

The Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM): alternative to the PCL-R?

Psychopathic personality disorder is the subject of many research papers and in particular in the context of forensic settings, where its link to risk of future violence has been established. This topic is well examined but there is still considerable debate about the nature of the construct and how psychopathy is measured. Contemporary models such as the triarchic theory (Patrick, Fowles & Krueger, 2009) have been put forward yet the research into psychopathy tends to rely on one assessment tool, the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 2003) that is argued not to capture elements of psychopathy such as boldness. The Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM; Patrick, 2010) is a measure that is based on the triarchic theory, and it places an equal focus on boldness when measuring psychopathy. It is however a self-report instrument, and this approach has many limitations. This paper aims to review the scientific support for the TriPM and to discuss its potential application to clinical practice. It concludes that the TriPM may not yet be a contender for the PCL-R throne as the sole tool of choice for psychopathy measurement, but the research into the application of the TriPM is expanding our understanding of psychopathy as a construct

Identification of transdiagnostic psychiatric disorder subtypes using unsupervised learning

Psychiatric disorders show heterogeneous symptoms and trajectories, with current nosology not accurately reflecting their molecular etiology and the variability and symptomatic overlap within and between diagnostic classes. This heterogeneity impedes timely and targeted treatment. Our study aimed to identify psychiatric patient clusters that share clinical and genetic features and may profit from similar therapies. We used high-dimensional data clustering on deep clinical data to identify transdiagnostic groups in a discovery sample (N = 1250) of healthy controls and patients diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and other psychiatric disorders. We observed five diagnostically mixed clusters and ordered them based on severity. The least impaired cluster 0, containing most healthy controls, showed general well-being. Clusters 1-3 differed predominantly regarding levels of maltreatment, depression, daily functioning, and parental bonding. Cluster 4 contained most patients diagnosed with psychotic disorders and exhibited the highest severity in many dimensions, including medication load. Depressed patients were present in all clusters, indicating that we captured different disease stages or subtypes. We replicated all but the smallest cluster 1 in an independent sample (N = 622). Next, we analyzed genetic differences between clusters using polygenic scores (PGS) and the psychiatric family history. These genetic variables differed mainly between clusters 0 and 4 (prediction area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 81%;significant PGS: cross-disorder psychiatric risk, schizophrenia, and educational attainment). Our results confirm that psychiatric disorders consist of heterogeneous subtypes sharing molecular factors and symptoms. The identification of transdiagnostic clusters advances our understanding of the heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders and may support the development of personalized treatments

Are dishonest extraverts more harmful than dishonest introverts? The interaction effects of honesty-humility and extraversion in predicting workplace deviance

Honesty-Humility, one of the six major personality dimensions included in the HEXACO model of personality structure, has previously been found to show negative correlations with workplace deviance. In this study, we hypothesised that Extraversion would moderate the relationship between Honesty-Humility and workplace deviance. In particular, we posited that the relation between Honesty-Humility and workplace deviance would be stronger among employees who are high on Extraversion than among those low on Extraversion. The hypothesis was tested using three different samples across Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands. It was found in two of the three samples that high levels of Extraversion did indeed amplify the relationship between (low) Honesty-Humility and workplace deviance. Results suggest a potentially important role for multiplicative effects of personality variables on workplace criteria. © 2011 The Authors. Applied Psychology: An International Review © 2011 International Association of Applied Psychology