Acquisition of the present perfect and the simple past by Malaysian Chinese ESL learners

The simple past and present perfect are two areas of English grammar that are introduced to Malaysian learners at an early stage at primary school level. However, many Malaysian learners seem to have persistent difficulty distinguishing between the two and using them even at an advanced level of proficiency. This persistent difficulty raises the question of whether or not such difficulty is directly attributable to fist language (L1) influence. Since competing hypotheses attempting to explain this phenomenon have received limited testing particularly in the Malaysian context, this study considers the implications of the FFFH approach, (Hawkins & Chan, 1997) to explain how the L1 might influence the L2 acquisition of the English present perfect. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the persistent difficulty in the use of the present perfect and the simple past is directly attributable to L1 influence. In addition, the study also investigated whether or not Chinese speakers experience syntactic deficits in the L2 if specified parameterised features present in the functional categories of the L2 are not specified in the L1. Participants involved in this study were 30 Chinese ESL learners whose proficiency in English ranged from intermediate to advanced levels based on their combination scores in the Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT). The instruments used for this study was a Paradigm Task, which was taken from Liszka's work (2005), and an oral production task. The study was in part a replication of Liszka's study (2005) which was the acquisition of form-meaning relations of the English present perfect among L2 learners. The results of the present study suggest that the Chinese ESL learners persistently face difficulty in their production of the present perfect and simple past forms. The finding would have implications for the Malaysian ESL classroom

A mammalian Wnt5a-Ror2-Vangl2 axis controls the cytoskeleton and confers cellular properties required for alveologenesis.

Alveolar formation increases the surface area for gas-exchange and is key to the physiological function of the lung. Alveolar epithelial cells, myofibroblasts and endothelial cells undergo coordinated morphogenesis to generate epithelial folds (secondary septa) to form alveoli. A mechanistic understanding of alveologenesis remains incomplete. We found that the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway is required in alveolar epithelial cells and myofibroblasts for alveologenesis in mammals. Our studies uncovered a Wnt5a-Ror2-Vangl2 cascade that endows cellular properties and novel mechanisms of alveologenesis. This includes PDGF secretion from alveolar type I and type II cells, cell shape changes of type I cells and migration of myofibroblasts. All these cellular properties are conferred by changes in the cytoskeleton and represent a new facet of PCP function. These results extend our current model of PCP signaling from polarizing a field of epithelial cells to conferring new properties at subcellular levels to regulate collective cell behavior

Can Religion Trump Race? Interracial Friendship in Protestant Churches.

This dissertation uses a mixed methods approach to investigate the factors that influence interracial friendship formation, with particular attention to the role of identity and organizational context. Specifically, I examine interracial friendship in the context of Protestant, racially heterogeneous churches because of their importance as sites for the formation of social relationships and as sites for identity construction. Further, as voluntary organizations, they provide an opportunity to assess the role of self-selection in the friendship formation process. First, I use a nationally representative dataset, the Panel Study of American Race and Ethnicity (Emerson and Sikkink 2006) to assess the role of racial and religious identity salience and organizational demographic composition on individuals’ propensity to form close cross race friends within their church communities. The results indicate that race persists as important influence on the decision to join racially heterogeneous churches, having close church friends, and whether those friends are of a different race. Accounting for selection into racially heterogeneous churches and having close church friends, whites show greater in-group preference than other racial groups. The analyses also suggest that the salience of racial identity negatively affects the formation of cross-race ties, and the salience of religious identity positively affects the formation of cross-race ties. In addition, the larger the size of one’s racial group and the more racially heterogeneous the congregation, the less likely one is to have interracial friends in church. Secondly, using a combination of survey data and qualitative data including interviews, participant observation, and sermons, I conduct in-depth analyses of two multiracial churches, each with two congregational sites, in order to understand the ways in which church organizations influence the formation of close cross-race ties. I find that organizational context influences interracial friendship formation among its members by attracting a selected membership and by shaping congregational, racial, and religious identities in relation to religious goals. I also show how leadership establishes an environment conducive to interrace relationships through its role as a racial bridge and ingroup prototype. Moreover, the analyses show how the organization develops the value of social capital in the form of interracial ties.Ph.D.SociologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64803/1/eryu_1.pd

Using Developmental Frameworks to Implement Focus Groups in School-Aged Children

This poster describes the use of virtual focus groups with school-aged children in the development of a pediatric wellbeing picture scale to screen for mental health and wellbeing. Children\u27s opinions, creative ideas, and insights allow acquisition of new data and knowledge, but unfortunately, are frequently overlooked. When using developmentally-based principles, focus groups have been shown to be a successful and reliable method for collecting data from this age group and a novel way to better understand the child’s interactions and experiences. Focus groups have a number of advantages, allowing for in-depth exploration of discussion by the participants. Students in Nursing 499 conducted developmentally-based focus groups with children grades 3-5 to develop the Pediatric Well Being Picture Scale. Basing focus groups on theoretical frameworks of Piaget, Erikson, and Kohlberg creates an environment conducive to open discussion and expression of children’s ideas. These focus groups give children the opportunity to connect to one another and feel more comfortable in talking about items about emotional wellbeing. This allowed the researcher to gain an understanding of the children’s perspective for the items on the wellbeing scale. Limitations noted due to the virtual environment included maintaining the child’s attention, adequacy of technology, and assuring that each child had the opportunity to equally participate. Benefits include more openness and candor due a sense of anonymity from not being in the same location.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2022/1066/thumbnail.jp

2000-2020 NHIS Studies: Factors affecting medication adherence rate in the pediatric population with medical complexity

Introduction Children with medical complexity belong to a vulnerable patient population group that is defined by the interplay of chronic health conditions, high healthcare utilization, and severe limitations in cognitive and/or physical functioning. Members of this patient population often require a complex management and/or treatment regimen with the use of more than one medication. Pediatric nonadherence in medication can lead to increases in microbial resistance, adverse drug reactions, morbidity, and mortality. The consequences of this medication nonadherence may also cause slower recovery times, increased number of emergency department visits, and hospitalizations, which subsequently substantiates higher medical costs for families along with the healthcare system. General factors for pediatric medical adherence include age, culture, family structure, socioeconomic status, schedule of medication therapy, and taste/formulation of therapy. Continual studies on these medical adherence factors are of the utmost importance to mitigate nonadherence improving quality of life and reducing medical costs. This study examines the variables and confounding factors that may be responsible for the prevalence of nonadherence in this patient population. Methods Twelve primary articles using data collected through the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) – focused on medication adherence secondary to medication therapy management (MTM) in the pediatric population across various chronic disease states –were examined and analyzed to collect the variables and factors of interest. Each article in the review was chosen to analyze a national representation of U.S. children between the years 2000-2020. The age perimeter was between ages zero (infants) to eighteen. Results Among the fifteen NHIS papers measuring medication adherence outcomes, three addressed financial and family disparities, three focused on the racial disparities’ association, and the remaining nine papers address other confounding factors (including but not limited to geographic location, patient education, and healthcare access). Results from the analysis confirmed the influence that racial/ethnic and/or socioeconomic disparities have on the medication adherence rate of the US pediatric population with medical complexity. Conclusion The medication adherence rate is affected by racial and ethnic disparities, financial hardships, socioeconomic status, family background education, poverty status, children’s health status, quality of patient education, and religious beliefs. This calls for more public health policies to alleviate the financial burden of medication costs, as well as efforts to improve medication education for the caregivers of children with medical complexity population in the U.S. The data-collecting phase of this research reveals the scarcity of studies on this topic – as reflected in the small number of articles found and reviewed. For a better understanding of the medication adherence rate among the medically complex pediatric population of the U.S., further research on this topic should be conducted

Knotted and Linked Products of recombination on T(2,n)#T(2,m) Substrates

We develop a topological model of site-specific recombination that applies to substrates which are the connected sum of two torus links of the form T(2,n)#T(2,m). Then we use our model to prove that all knots and links that can be produced by site-specific recombination on such substrates are contained in one of two families, which we illustrate

Cognitive correlates of abnormal myelination in psychosis

Psychotic illness has consistently been associated with deficits in cognitive function and reduced white matter integrity in the brain. However, the link between white matter disruptions and deficits in cognitive domains remains poorly understood. We assessed cognitive performance and white matter myelin water fraction (MWF) using multicomponent driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T1 and T2 (mcDESPOT) in recent-onset psychosis patients and age-matched healthy controls (HC). Psychosis patients showed deficits in working memory, phonological and semantic fluency, general intelligence quotient and reduced MWF in the left temporal white matter compared to HC. MWF in the left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus was positively associated with intelligence quotient and verbal fluency in patients, and fully mediated group differences in performance in both phonological and semantic verbal fluency. There was no association between working memory and MWF in the left temporal white matter. Negative symptoms demonstrated a negative association with MWF within the left inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi. These findings indicate that psychosis-related deficits in distinct cognitive domains, such as verbal fluency and working memory, are not underpinned by a single common dysfunction in white matter connectivity

HIV Exploits Antiviral Host Innate GCN2-ATF4 Signaling for Establishing Viral Replication Early in Infection.

Antiviral innate host defenses against acute viral infections include suppression of host protein synthesis to restrict viral protein production. Less is known about mechanisms by which viral pathogens subvert host antiviral innate responses for establishing their replication and dissemination. We investigated early innate defense against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and viral evasion by utilizing human CD4+ T cell cultures in vitro and a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) model of AIDS in vivo Our data showed that early host innate defense against the viral infection involves GCN2-ATF4 signaling-mediated suppression of global protein synthesis, which is exploited by the virus for supporting its own replication during early viral infection and dissemination in the gut mucosa. Suppression of protein synthesis and induction of protein kinase GCN2-ATF4 signaling were detected in the gut during acute SIV infection. These changes diminished during chronic viral infection. HIV replication induced by serum deprivation in CD4+ T cells was linked to the induction of ATF4 that was recruited to the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) to promote viral transcription. Experimental inhibition of GCN2-ATF4 signaling either by a specific inhibitor or by amino acid supplementation suppressed the induction of HIV expression. Enhancing ATF4 expression through selenium administration resulted in reactivation of latent HIV in vitro as well as ex vivo in the primary CD4+ T cells isolated from patients receiving suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). In summary, HIV/SIV exploits the early host antiviral response through GCN2-ATF4 signaling by utilizing ATF4 for activating the viral LTR transcription to establish initial viral replication and is a potential target for HIV prevention and therapy.IMPORTANCE Understanding how HIV overcomes host antiviral innate defense response in order to establish infection and dissemination is critical for developing prevention and treatment strategies. Most investigations focused on the viral pathogenic mechanisms leading to immune dysfunction following robust viral infection and dissemination. Less is known about mechanisms that enable HIV to establish its presence despite rapid onset of host antiviral innate response. Our novel findings provide insights into the viral strategy that hijacks the host innate response of the suppression of protein biosynthesis to restrict the virus production. The virus leverages transcription factor ATF4 expression during the GCN2-ATF4 signaling response and utilizes it to activate viral transcription through the LTR to support viral transcription and production in both HIV and SIV infections. This unique viral strategy is exploiting the innate response and is distinct from the mechanisms of immune dysfunction after the critical mass of viral loads is generated

The impact of medication therapy management services on pediatric patients with medical complexities

Introduction Medication Therapy Management (MTM) is a service provided by healthcare providers to ensure the best medical outcomes, particularly for those with multiple chronic conditions. It is often provided for senior populations supported under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Studies show that patients provided with MTM services have higher medication adherence rates and experience fewer complications. However, there are few studies on MTM counseling in pediatric populations. In this literature review study, we investigated the potential impact of MTM services for underserved pediatric populations with chronic conditions or disabilities who are likely to benefit from MTM services. Methods A multivariate review analysis was performed. Data was sourced from National Library of Medicine Pubmed and Google Scholar for the collection of primary literature. Inclusion criteria included terms such as pediatric population (patients less than 20 years of age), children with medical complexities or children with disabilities. MTM eligibility, MTM intervention, medication adherence, barriers to adherence were also included in search criteria. The chronic disease states this study included are: epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, leukemia, asthma, and diabetes. Exclusion criteria were the adult population over 20 years old, and ‘acute care’. Results A total of 17 primary research articles that met the criteria were identified in this literature review study. The articles were sorted into four criteria based on whether they included: children with disabilities, chronic diseases and medical complexities, multiple medication use complications and interventions, and population health disparities. Thirteen articles satisfied children with disabilities as the target population (age less than 18 years old with chronic physical/developmental/behavioral/emotional conditions that require health interventions). Eleven articles satisfied population health disparities: featuring notable differences in opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. Eight articles satisfied medication use complications and interventions, presenting an ongoing need and use of multiple prescriptions. Seven articles represented chronic diseases and medical complexities: chronic conditions with functional limitations lasting more than a year. Conclusion In total, there were seven articles found that discussed MTM service and medication adherence in the special population that required multiple medication therapy. The disease states that were focused on included epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, leukemia, asthma, and diabetes. Of the articles, two had documented MTM services and adherence monitoring for their patient population. The papers demonstrated that patients with chronic diseases, such as asthma and diabetes in adolescents, received benefits from MTM service and an increased rate of medication adherence. Therefore, our review emphasizes the need for further research on the impact of MTM service in a socially vulnerable population