Metabolic studies on effect of fiber: Effect on digestibility of energy related nutrients

Dietary fiber alone or coupled with other factors affects the utilization of nutrients. In the present investigation, response of 4 men consuming diets at 3 levels of energy and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was studied. Pooled ANOVA for 3 experiments with 4 subjects showed significant differences between the experiments within the subject (P< .01) for digestibility of fat, carbohydrate, nitrogen and NDF. Results indicate that habitual NDF intakes of about 40 grams per day have digestibility of 49% and that amount and source of fiber modify the fat digestibility.     

Componential Model of Reading (CMR): Validation Studies

The three current models of identifying learning disabilities: discrepancy model, RtI, and Componential Model of reading are discussed in terms of their utility.     

The influence of context,timing, and duration of risk experiences for the passage from childhood to midadulthood

This study investigated the long-term effects of social disadvantage on academic achievement and on subsequent attainments in adulthood. The study drew on data collected for over 30,000 individuals born 12 years apart, following their development from birth to adulthood. The pathways that link social disadvantage to individual development across the life course were analyzed in a developmental-contextual systems model. The results showed that the influence of risk factors associated with socioeconomic disadvantage depended on the developmental stage of the individual, the experience of long-term or continuous disadvantage, and the overall sociohistorical context. Early risk had a moderate influence on the formation of individual competences. The greatest risk was associated with persisting and accumulating experiences of socioeconomic disadvantage throughout childhood and adolescence. Material conditions improved for the later-born cohort, yet pervasive social inequalities existed that affected outcomes during childhood and were consequently reflected in adult attainment.     

Gender Differences in the Use and Effectiveness of Personal Response Devices

The use of personal response devices (or “clickers”) in the classroom has increased in recent years. While few quantitative studies on the effectiveness of clickers have been published, it is generally reported that clickers have been well-received by the students who use them. Two separate populations (Winter 2006 and Spring 2006) of engineering students were given clickers to use during a general chemistry class. Clicker use was compared to student grades for each course. During both terms, a higher percentage of female students than male students “actively participated” in the lectures, where active participation was defined as answering more than 75% of the clicker questions over the course of the term. Active male students earned final grades about 10 points higher than non-active male students. Active female students, however, scored only about 5 points higher than non-active female students. Student learning was assessed by comparing performance on exam questions and clicker questions with similar content. Students who answered clicker questions correctly were 11–13% more likely to answer the corresponding exam questions correctly than were students who did not answer the clicker question. In this paper, we demonstrate the effectiveness of clicker use in the classroom and examine gender differences associated with this use.     

The Relationships Among Perfectionism,Acculturation, and Stress in Asian International Students

This study examined relationships among perfectionism, acculturation, and stress in 76 Asian international students. Results showed that perfectionism and acculturation predicted stress, together accounting for 50% of the variance in stress. Furthermore, acculturation explained students' experience of stress above and beyond perfectionism, and 1 specific acculturation variable examined, perceived prejudice, revealed the strongest relationship with stress. Implications for providing counseling services to international students and for future research are described.     

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium and the foundations of evolutionary genetics 1. The dance of the genes

The year 2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the debut of the concept of natural selection as a mechanism of adaptive evolution through the reading of papers by Darwin and Wallace to the Linnaean Society. It also marks the 100th anniversary of the enunciation of the principle defining the inertial state of populations from a genetic viewpoint through the independent publication of papers on the topic by G H Hardy and W Weinberg. In this four-part series, we will examine the significance of the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium as a basic model of population genetics that, in turn, forms the foundation for evolutionary genetics. In Part I of this series, we first discuss the historical backdrop to the work of Hardy and Weinberg, and introduce the basic notion of genetic equilibrium.     

Private supplementary tutoring among primary students in Bangladesh

Using the databases created under Education Watch, a civil society initiative to monitor primary and basic education in Bangladesh, this paper explores trends, socioeconomic differentials and cost in private supplementary tutoring among primary students and its impact on learning achievement. The rate of primary school students getting access to private supplementary tutoring is increasing at two percentage points per year and reached 31% in 2005. Incidence of private tutoring was greater among boys and urban students than respective counterparts. Educated parents and well‐off families were more likely to arrange supplementary tutoring for their children. A wide variation in the cost for private tutoring prevailed. The tutees spent 46% of their total private expenditure for education on supplementary tutoring. Supplementary tutoring helped students learn more than those who had no such support. Private tutors for primary school students have become a well‐accepted norm. Finally, a number of social implications are discussed.