Repeated-reading-based instructional strategy and vocabulary acquisition: A case study of a heritage speaker of Chinese

Repeated reading, a procedure involving repetition of the same text, has received copious attention from first language reading research providing highly converging evidence of its potency for reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. In contrast, second language research on repeated reading has been scarce. The very few studies extant have, nevertheless, shown similar, albeit inconclusive, findings. The present study was an attempt to foray into a hitherto uncharted area in both first and second language research, by investigating vocabulary gains from implementing a set of repeated-reading-based pedagogical and learning procedures. Using one heritage speaker of Chinese as its subject, the study administered 20 sessions of assisted repeated reading over three weeks. Results indicated both intentional and incidental vocabulary gains that would not otherwise have been possible through conventional reading or vocabulary instruction

Kinematic characteristics of gait with different myopia: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundMyopia, a condition affecting approximately one-quarter of the world' s population, has been projected to double in prevalence by the year 2050. It can have an impact on postural control during walking and can increase the risk of falls and injuries.Objective(1) To examine the abnormal performance of postural control during walking in male college students who used convex lenses for myopia intervention from a kinematic perspective; (2) to establish theoretical foundation for preventing falls and injuries in the myopic population.MethodsA total of 22 male college students participated in this study. The center of gravity (COG), the percentage of gait cycle (PGC) and the joint angle(JT) were collected as indications of postural control during walking. A quantitative analysis was conducted using a One-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA to examine the variations among the three groups.ResultsDuring myopic interventions, (1) the range of vertical COG changes is significant to be greater compared with normal vision (P < 0.05). (2) there was an significant increase in the PGC in single-legged support, accompanied by a decrease in the PGC in double-legged support, compared with normal vision (P < 0.05). (3) The myopic intervention leads to increased variability in JT of the hip and the knee during the single-leg support and swing, as compared to individuals with normal vision (P < 0.05). Severe myopic interventions result in more changes in JT of ankle.ConclusionMyopia has been found to have a negative impact on postural control during walking, leading to changes in balance, increased instability, and an elevated risk of injury

Nonlinear Optical Properties Of GeSbS Chalcogenide Waveguides

We characterize the nonlinear optical properties of GeSbS chalcogenide glasses with fiber-based experiments. A waveguide nonlinear parameter of 7 W-1/m and nonlinear refractive index of 3.71 x 10-18 m2/W are estimated by self-phase modulation. A GeSbS waveguide could also generate a supercontinuum from 1280 to 2120 nm at the -30 dB level for maximum coupled power of 340 W, showing a 14-fold spectral broadening of the input spectrum explained by cascaded stimulated Raman scattering

Nonlinear characterization of GeSbS chalcogenide glass waveguides

GeSbS ridge waveguides have recently been demonstrated as a promising mid – infrared platform for integrated waveguide – based chemical sensing and photodetection. To date, their nonlinear optical properties remain relatively unexplored. In this paper, we characterize the nonlinear optical properties of GeSbS glasses, and show negligible nonlinear losses at 1.55 μm. Using self – phase modulation experiments, we characterize a waveguide nonlinear parameter of 7 W[subscript −1]/m and nonlinear refractive index of 3.71 × 10[superscript −18] m[superscript 2]/W. GeSbS waveguides are used to generate supercontinuum from 1280 nm to 2120 nm at the −30 dB level. The spectrum expands along the red shifted side of the spectrum faster than on the blue shifted side, facilitated by cascaded stimulated Raman scattering arising from the large Raman gain of chalcogenides. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic measurements show that these glasses are optically transparent up to 25 μm, making them useful for short – wave to long – wave infrared applications in both linear and nonlinear optics.SUTD-MIT International Design Centre (IDC

Towards on-chip spectroscopy based on a single microresonator

Frequency comb generation in the mid-infrared (mid-IR)region is attractive recently. Here, we propose the Ge-on-Si microresonator for power-efficient frequency comb generation in the mid-IR. An octave-spanning comb can be obtained with power reduced to 190 mW. The robustness of the frequency comb generation with localized spectral loss is also analyzed. Based on the analysis, we propose a novel architecture of on-chip spectroscopy systems in the mid-IR

Long-term antiplatelet therapy in medically managed non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes: The EPICOR Asia study

OBJECTIVES: To describe long-term antithrombotic management patterns (AMPs) in medically managed Asian patients with non-ST-segment myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or unstable angina (UA). BACKGROUND: Current guidelines support an early invasive strategy in NSTEMI and UA patients, but many are medically managed, and data are limited on long-term AMPs in Asia. METHODS: Data were analyzed from medically managed NSTEMI and UA patients included in the prospective, observational EPICOR Asia study (NCT01361386). Survivors to hospital discharge were enrolled (June 2011 to May 2012) from 8 countries/regions across Asia. Baseline characteristics and AMP use up to 2 years post-discharge were collected. Outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and death) and bleeding. RESULTS: Among 2289 medically managed patients, dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) use at discharge was greater in NSTEMI than in UA patients (81.8% vs 65.3%), and was significantly associated with male sex, positive cardiac markers, and prior cardiovascular medications (p < 0.0001). By 2 years, 57.9% and 42.6% of NSTEMI and UA patients, respectively, were on DAPT. On multivariable Cox regression analysis, risk of MACE at 2 years was most significantly associated with older age (HR [95% CI] 1.85 [1.36, 2.50]), diagnosis of NSTEMI vs UA (1.96 [1.47, 2.61]), and chronic renal failure (2.14 [1.34, 3.41]), all p ≤ 0.001. Risk of bleeding was most significantly associated with region (East Asia vs Southeast/South Asia) and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately half of all patients were on DAPT at 2 years. MACE were more frequent in NSTEMI than UA patients during follow-up

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Feedback on Corrective Feedback --- A Case Study

Introduction The role of explicit instruction in second language acquisition has been the subject of much debate over the past decades (For a recent review of different theoretical positions, see Dekeyser, 1994; Hulstijn and DeGraaff, 1994). Although theorists are still divided over the issue, increasing evidence from second language empirical studies shows that explicit instruction does facilitate acquisition (see, e.g., Doughty, 1991; Pica, 1983; Carroll and Swain, 1993). Inspired by positive findings and theoretical insights, researchers make further inquiries into the explicit learning process in attempt to enhance the quality of teaching and learning. The now-popular instances include VanPatten and Cadierno&apos;s (1993a; 1993b) input processing Feedback on Corrective Feedback 2 approach to L2 instruction; Sharwood Smith &apos;s (1991, 1993) concept of input enhancement. Explicit instruction is usually connected with the teaching of formal aspects of the