A synthesis of fluency interventions for secondary struggling readers

Previous research studies examining the effects of fluency interventions on the fluency and comprehension outcomes for secondary struggling readers are synthesized. An extensive search of the professional literature between 1980 and 2005 yielded a total of 19 intervention studies that provided fluency interventions to secondary struggling readers and measured comprehension and/or fluency outcomes. Findings revealed fluency outcomes were consistently improved following interventions that included listening passage previewing such as listening to an audiotape or adult model of good reading before attempting to read a passage. In addition, there is preliminary evidence that there may be no differential effects between repeated reading interventions and the same amount of non-repetitive reading with older struggling readers for increasing reading speed, word recognition, and comprehension.     

Social information processing and emotional understanding in children with LD

The present study aimed to comprehensively examine social cognition processes in children with and without learning disabilities (LD), focusing on social information processing (SIP) and complex emotional understanding capabilities such as understanding complex, mixed, and hidden emotions. Participants were 50 children with LD (age range 9.4-12.7; 35 boys, 15 girls) and 50 children without LD matched on grade, age, and gender. Children analyzed 4 social vignettes using Dodge's SIP model and completed 2 emotional recognition tasks (pictures and stories) and 4 emotional knowledge tasks, such as providing definitions and examples for 5 emotions (e.g., loneliness, pride, embarrassment). Study results demonstrated that children with LD had major difficulties in SIP processes and consistent difficulties with the different tasks in the understanding of complex emotions and in higher emotional understanding capabilities, such as understanding that 2 conflicting emotions (love and hate) can be simultaneously experienced. We discuss the implications of such difficulties for the understanding of social competence in children with LD as well as their implications for social skills intervention.     

Serum protein fingerprinting coupled with artificial neural network distinguishes glioma from healthy population or brain benign tumor

To screen and evaluate protein biomarkers for the detection of gliomas (Astrocytoma grade Ⅰ-Ⅳ) from healthy individuals and gliomas from brain benign tumors by using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) coupled with an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm. SELDI-TOF-MS protein fingerprinting of serum from 105 brain tumor patients and healthy individuals, included 28 patients with glioma (Astrocytoma Ⅰ-Ⅳ), 37 patients with brain benign tumor, and 40 age-matched healthy individuals. Two thirds of the total samples of every compared pair as training set were used to set up discriminating patterns, and one third of total samples of every compared pair as test set were used to cross-validate; simultaneously, discriminate-cluster analysis derived SPSS 10.0 software was used to compare Astrocytoma grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ with grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ ones. An accuracy of 95.7%, sensitivity of 88.9%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 90% and negative predictive value of 100% were obtained in a blinded test set comparing gliomas patients with healthy individuals; an accuracy of 86.4%, sensitivity of 88.9%, specificity of 84.6%, positive predictive value of 90% and negative predictive value of 85.7% were obtained when patient's gliomas was compared with benign brain tumor. Total accuracy of 85.7%, accuracy of grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ Astrocytoma was 86.7%, accuracy ofⅢ-Ⅳ Astrocytoma was 84.6% were obtained when grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ Astrocytoma was compared with grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ ones (discriminant analysis). SELDI-TOF-MS combined with bioinformatics tools, could greatly facilitate the discovery of better biomarkers. The high sensitivity and specificity achieved by the use of selected biomarkers showed great potential application for the discrimination of gliomas patients from healthy individuals and glioma from brain benign tumors.     

唯科学的西方马克思主义认识方法评析

唯科学的西方马克思主义代表阿尔都塞认为人们误解马克思著作,与他们采用直接阅读、表现阅读等错误的阅读方法有关。正确理解马克思思想应当采用"征候阅读"法,从"文本"的双重结构及其联系中,发掘出最深层次的理论框架。阿尔都塞的认识方法有合理性也有局限性。     

Isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium for methyldichlorosilane-dimethyldichlorosilane-benzene system

INTRODUCTION Vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data are veryimportant in the design and operation of separationprocesses in the chemical industry. Such informationcan be obtained experimentally or estimated by usinggeneralized methods for calculation of the propertiesof mixtures. For ideal system, it is relatively easy toestimate vapor-liquid equilibrium. However, mostsystems of industrial interest show deviations fromthe ideal behavior.The methyldichlorosilane-dimethyldichlorosi- lane-ben…     

“魔法妈妈”J·K·罗琳自述——在梦幻与现实之间旅行

上期本刊介绍了《哈利·波特》,受到了广大读者的热烈欢迎,本期,我们又为大家带来了“魔法妈妈”J·K·罗琳阿姨的小档案,还有一篇平实而感人的“罗琳自述”。相信你看了以后会更加喜欢这位“魔法妈妈”,更加喜欢《哈利·波特》。     

Effect of cadmium on growth and photosynthesis of tomato seedlings

A hydroponic experiment carried out to study the effect of five Cd levels on growth and photosynthesis of two tomato cultivars showed that the addition of 0.1 μmol/L Cd induced a slight increase in plant height of Hezuo 903 and the SPAD (the Soil-Plant Analyses Development) value of the 2 cultivars. However, at higher Cd levels, i.e., 1 and 10 μmol/L, root length and volume, plant height, and SPAD value were all significantly reduced. On an average of the 2 cultivars, exposure to 1 and 10μmol/L Cd for 33 d reduced plant height by 18.9% and 46.4% and SPAD value by 11.2% and 31.6%, compared with control,respectively. Similarly, root length was reduced by 41.1% and 25.8% and root volume by 45.2% and 63.7%, respectively. The addition of Cd in the growth medium also had significant deleterious effect on net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and intracellular CO2concentration (Ci), with Pn being reduced by 27.2% and 62.1% at 1 μmol/L and 10 μmol/L Cd treatments compared to the control,respectively, while Ci increased correspondingly by 28.4% and 39.3%.     

Students classified as LD and the college foreign language requirement: replication and comparison studies

Two studies examined students classified as having learning disabilities (LD) who had received course substitutions for the college foreign language (FL) requirement. In the first study, 42 students at one university were divided into groups and compared on measures of IQ, academic achievement, FL aptitude, college grade point average (GPA), and FL and English grades. Findings showed that most of the 42 students had been classified as LD in college after experiencing problems in FL courses. Comparisons based on students' performance on measures of FL aptitude, native language skill, and performance in FL courses showed few significant group differences. In the second study, the 42 students from the first study were compared with 86 students at another university who had also been classified as LD and received course substitutions for the college FL requirement. Comparisons on demographic information and measures of IQ, academic achievement, FL aptitude, college GPA, and FL GPA showed few significant differences between the two groups. Both studies suggest that students classified as LD at different universities exhibit similar demographic, cognitive, academic achievement, and FL aptitude profiles and that educators should not make the a priori assumption that students classified as LD require course substitutions for the FL requirement or experience problems with FL learning.     

#3: continuous labor support

In this position paper-one of six care practice papers published by Lamaze International and reprinted here with permission-the benefit of continuous labor support is discussed and presented as an evidence-based practice that helps promote, protect, and support normal birth. The paper is written for childbearing women and their families. Women with continuous support are less likely to have a cesarean, an instrument delivery, and regional anesthesia. They are also less likely to report dissatisfaction with or negatively rate their childbirth experience. The value of the doula for both the laboring woman and her labor partner is discussed. The accompanying commentary-written by a leading proponent of maternity care practices-supports evidence that promotes continuous labor support. Lamaze International encourages women to plan for a supportive birth environment that includes continuous support.