Phonic Faces as a Method for Improving Decoding for Children with Persistent Decoding Deficits

Background: Decoding is a foundational skill for reading, contributing to both reading fluency and comprehension (Lyon et al., 2003). Visual enhancements of alphabetic letters such as shaping letters to resemble words beginning with that sound (e.g., “f” drawn as a flower) (Handler & Fierson, 2011) and associating photographs of lips producing the sounds (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998) have been shown to improve decoding skills. This study investigated whether a more direct pictured association using faces with alphabet letters placed in the mouth to cue speech sounds, termed Phonic Faces (Norris,2001), would enable students with persistent decoding impairment to acquire orthographic patterns in pseudowords, real words, and reading passages. Methods: A multiple baseline single subject design assessed the effects of Phonic Faces on learning to decode two orthographic patterns. Three participants were taught the short vowel CVC pattern for five weeks using words and pseudowords displayed using Phonic Faces while two long-vowel patterns (CVCe and CVVC) remained in an untrained baseline condition. On week six, a five-week intervention was introduced for the long vowel pattern showing the lowest scores on daily pseudoword probes. Results: The results of the study were suggestive but not conclusive. The graphs of daily probe scores for all three subjects showed significant gains for all three patterns using the two standard deviation method of analysis. However, in all three cases, one or more of the control variables made changes prior to the introduction of treatment. Additionally, pre-to-posttest gains in measures of decoding and contextualized reading showed scores greater than the SEM, indicating true gains. Discussion: Analysis of patterns of change showed generalization of learning across patterns. Once the long vowel Phonic Faces were introduced, improvements were shown for both long vowel patterns. Likewise, the long and short vowels were embedded in similar patterns of 2-3 letter consonant blends and digraphs, all of which scored at low levels at pretest. However, once the consonant patterns were learned in the CVC words, they generalized quickly to long vowel words, especially for participants who scored higher on vowel knowledge at pretest. Replication with decoders exhibiting greater impairment is recommended

A proposal for testing Quantum Gravity in the lab

Attempts to formulate a quantum theory of gravitation are collectively known as {\it quantum gravity}. Various approaches to quantum gravity such as string theory and loop quantum gravity, as well as black hole physics and doubly special relativity theories predict a minimum measurable length, or a maximum observable momentum, and related modifications of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle to a so-called generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). We have proposed a GUP consistent with string theory, black hole physics and doubly special relativity theories and have showed that this modifies all quantum mechanical Hamiltonians. When applied to an elementary particle, it suggests that the space that confines it must be quantized, and in fact that all measurable lengths are quantized in units of a fundamental length (which can be the Planck length). On the one hand, this may signal the breakdown of the spacetime continuum picture near that scale, and on the other hand, it can predict an upper bound on the quantum gravity parameter in the GUP, from current observations. Furthermore, such fundamental discreteness of space may have observable consequences at length scales much larger than the Planck scale. Because this influences all the quantum Hamiltonians in an universal way, it predicts quantum gravity corrections to various quantum phenomena. Therefore, in the present work we compute these corrections to the Lamb shift, simple harmonic oscillator, Landau levels, and the tunneling current in a scanning tunneling microscope.Comment: v1: 10 pages, REVTeX 4, no figures; v2: minor typos corrected and a reference added. arXiv admin note: has substantial overlap with arXiv:0906.5396 , published in a different journa

Drag On Non-Spherical Particles In Non-Newtonian Fluids

The drag coefficient (CD ) was determined for three different non-spherical particles (cubes, rectangles and cylinders) of different sizes falling in two different non-Newtonian fluids (glycerol and polymer - paraffin oil mixture) using the terminal velocity technique. The variation of the drag coefficient with the variation of non-spherical particle size was explained. Also the relation between CD and Reo (0.25-5) is graphically compared with those previously published in the literature for discs and cylinders with infinite length. Moreover some mathematical relations, previously published in the literature, are verified for the three tested non-spherical particles

Synthesis of Some new 2-(4-Aryliminophenoxy)N-Arylacetamide Via p-hydroxy benzaldehyde.

Chloroacetamide derivatives (2a-g) have been prepared through reaction of chloroacetyl chloride(1) (which prepared by the reaction of chloroacetic acid with thionyl chloride) with primary aromatic amines and sulfa compounds to afford compounds (2a-g) which then reacted with p-hydroxy benzaldehyde via Williamson reaction to obtaine the new compounds 2-(4-formyl phenoxy)-N-aryl acetamide (3a-g). Finally , compounds (3a-g) will be use as a good synthon to prepare the Schiff bases represented by compounds 2-(4-aryliminophenoxy)-N-arylacetamide (4a-g). through , reaction with some primary aromatic amine. All the prepared compounds were investigated by the available physical and spectroscopic methods

Reliability and Validity Studies of Externality of Happiness Scale Among Turkish Adults

Externality of happiness is a psychological construct that refers to the degree to which individuals perceive their level of happiness as beyond their control and mostly dependent to external factors. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Externality of Happiness scale (EOH) among a Turkish adult sample. A total of 230 participants (152 males and 78 females; mean age = 37.8 years, SD = 9.1) completed self-report measures of externality of happiness, life satisfaction, flouring, self-esteem, and fear of happiness. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a one-factor structure for the EOH. The EOH was found to be negatively correlated with life satisfaction, flourishing, and self-esteem and positively correlated with fear of happiness. The scale also showed incremental value over self-esteem in predicting life satisfaction. Furthermore, the scale was found to be discriminated from fear of happiness. Moreover, evidence was provided for internal-consistency reliability. Overall, the findings suggested that Turkish version of EOH had adequate reliability and validity scores and that it can be used as a useful measurement tool to assess externality of happiness beliefs in future clinical practice and research

Apixaban Enhances Endogenous Fibrinolysis in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.AIMS: Approximately 20% of ischaemic stroke patients exhibit spontaneous arterial recanalization, attributable to endogenous fibrinolysis, which strongly relates to improved functional outcome. The impact of oral anticoagulants on endogenous fibrinolysis is unknown. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that apixaban enhances endogenous fibrinolysis in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). METHODS AND RESULTS: In a prospective cross-sectional analysis, we compared endogenous fibrinolysis in NVAF patients (n = 180) taking aspirin, warfarin, or apixaban. In a prospective longitudinal study, patients were tested before and after apixaban (n = 80). Endogenous fibrinolysis was assessed using the Global Thrombosis Test (GTT) and thromboelastography (TEG). Endogenous fibrinolysis [measured by GTT lysis time (LT)] was shorter on apixaban compared with warfarin or aspirin [median 1850 (IQR 1591-2300) vs. 2758 (2014-3502) vs. 2135 (1752-2463) s, P < 0.0001]. Among TEG indices, a small but significant difference in clot lysis time (CLT) was observed [apixaban 60.0 (45.0-61.0) vs. warfarin 61.0 (57.0-62.0) vs. aspirin 61.0 (59.0-61.0) min, P = 0.036]. Apixaban improved endogenous fibrinolysis measured using the GTT [LT pre-treatment 2204 (1779-2738) vs. on-treatment 1882 (1607-2374) s, P = 0.0003], but not by using TEG. Change in LT (ΔLT) with apixaban correlated with baseline LT (r = 0.77, P < 0.0001). There was weak correlation between ΔLT and ΔCLT in response to apixaban (r = 0.28, P = 0.02) and between on-apixaban LT and CLT (r = 0.25, P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Apixaban enhances endogenous fibrinolysis, with maximal effect in those with impaired fibrinolysis pre-treatment. Apixaban-treated patients exhibit more favourable fibrinolysis profiles than those taking warfarin or aspirin. Whether apixaban may confer additional thrombotic risk reduction in NVAF patients with impaired fibrinolysis, compared to warfarin, merits further study.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio