Rendezvous with IQ: Metacognition in real-life situations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between metacognition as measured in real-life situations and IQ scores as reflected by performance on the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices Scale. It is also intended in this study to report on whether or not there were significant differences in performance on the metacognitive instrument (i.e. metacognitive test, reaction time, and metacognitive test scores divided by mean reaction time) among participants with typical development, deaf and hard-of-hearing (dhh), and low-achieving individuals with and without the influence of IQ. Analysis showed significant correlations between IQ, metacognitive test, and metacognitive test scores divided by mean reaction time but not with reaction time itself. Results revealed the influence of IQ on metacognition being greater than the influence of metacognition on IQ. Results showed when controlling for the effect of IQ, differences among the three groups of participants on the metacognitive instrument become non-significant. Implications and suggestions are presented.     

Metacognitive Performances of Hearing Students and of Students who are Deaf and Hard‐of‐Hearing on Two Types of Measures: Visual–voiced and visual–visual stimuli

A small sample of 20 hearing students and 20 students who are deaf and hard‐of‐hearing participated in this study, which compared their performances on two measures of metacognition. The first measure required participants to visually analyse real‐life pictures and then to choose a response from four options (voiced or signed) indicating which was the best explanation of what was depicted. The second measure required participants to look at five pictures and then to point to the picture that was different. Results identified no significant differences between the performances of the two groups of students on either measure. Males in both groups performed at comparable levels on the two measures, whereas females who were hearing and those who were deaf or hard‐of‐hearing performed significantly better on the visual–voiced measure than on the visual–visual measure. Limitations of this study and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Confirmatory studies on the antioxidant and antidiabetic effect of quercetin in rats

Quercetin (QE), one of natural flavanoid group, was widely distributed as a secondary metabolite in plant kingdom. It has been believed that oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of the present study was the evaluation of possible effects of QE on blood glucose and antioxidant enzymes in experimental streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats. STZ was injected intraperitoneally with single dose of 50 mg/kg for diabetes induction. QE (15 mg/kg bw day, intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection) was injected for 3 days prior to STZ administration; these injections were continued to the end of the study (for 25 days). Glucose tolerance test and random plasma glucose were done for all animals. Cellular antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were measured in pancreatic homogenates. Quercetin had no effect on plasma glucose level of normal animals but its pre- treatment was able to prevent diabetes induced by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozocintreated rats. Antioxidant enzyme activity significantly decreased in STZ induced diabetic group. QE treatment significantly increased the antioxidant enzyme activities. It could be concluded that quercetin, a flavonoid with antioxidant properties, exerting its beneficial antidiabetic effects.     

Demonstrations in Visual Frames: Syntagmatic Analysis of Online Photo Albums of Two Egyptian Revolutions

Photos of demonstrations in Egypt have been overwhelmingly used in online news since the revolution of January 25, 2011. This article explores the visual aspects of demonstration photo albums during the political conflicts in Egypt that led to two Egyptian revolutions.¹¹ This article adopts the term “revolution” because the new Egyptian Constitution issued in 2014 described events of January 25, 2011, and June 30, 2013, as revolutions.View all notes It scrutinizes the different types of photo albums, considers the differences and similarities between photo album frames and still photograph frames, and implements syntagmatic analysis of demonstration albums. The article concludes that visual framing occurs through nonchronological and sequential syntagmas.     

‘Much ado about something’ how school leaders affect attitudes towards inclusive education: the case of Oman

The development of inclusive education (IE) is arguably the biggest challenge currently facing school systems in Oman. School leadership (SL) was argued to be a determinant of organisational effectiveness and an antecedent of organisational commitment (OC). The current study investigated how SL affects teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education (TATIE). A total of 378 teachers from both genders responded to the Principal Leadership Style (PLS), Scale of Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC), and the Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ). Using structural modeling, we tested a set of hypotheses drawn from a conceptualised model which we developed from previous research evidence. Results supported our conceptualised model. OC was found to mediate the relationship between PLS and TATIE. Further, different PLSs showed different indirect effects on TATIE through OC. Results are discussed in relation to the context of Oman.     

Cope,Conform, or Resist? Functions of a Black American Identity at a Predominantly White University

This study organized five black American undergraduate students into a participatory action research (PAR) team to examine Cross and Strauss’ (1998) and Cross, Smith, and Payne's (2002) functions of blackness theory (i.e., bonding, code switching, and individualism) within a sample of black American students, frontline staff (i.e., janitors), and faculty at a predominantly white institution (PWI) or university. The racial-ethnic lived experiences of black Americans at a PWI can reveal outcomes in terms of employee performance and student academic and social experience. Data were collected from four student focus groups (i.e., general student body, students in Greek organizations, student athletes, and student leaders), one frontline staff focus group, five individual faculty interviews, and one individual interview with a female student athlete. Each participant completed a demographic survey. Also, extensive field observations were taken of participants at this particular PWI. Findings revealed how black Americans use bonding, code switching and individualism as functions of a racial identity when navigating a PWI as a mainstream environment. Data suggest very little bonding took place across the three subsamples (i.e., students, frontline staff, and faculty) and bonding practiced by black Americans at this PWI was found to exist most often within subpopulations, specifically within students and frontline staff. Participants, overall, were comfortable with code switching between a professional identity and a more racial, black American and/or social identity. Also, a number of participants understood their individuality to be more salient than a racial or black American identity. Implications for PAR projects with black American college students are also discussed within this article.     

Clinical Examination of Three Methods of Teaching Reading Comprehension to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students: From Research to Classroom Applications

This study shows how to integrate research-based teaching methods in reading comprehension with real classroom teaching activities. The performance of 30 male (n = 13; mean age = 11.51 years) and female (n = 17; mean age = 12.11 years) deaf and hard-of-hearing students from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was examined under three teaching conditions: the key word strategy, modified reciprocal teaching, and the basic reading approach. Analyses showed that the key word strategy and modified reciprocal teaching significantly enhanced students' overall performance in reading comprehension scores. Results revealed that any one of these three methods would be adequate for teaching factual information. However, results indicated that the key word strategy and modified reciprocal teaching would be better for teaching factual information, comprehension, and memorization skills than the basic reading approach.     

Metacognitive ability from a theory-of-mind perspective: a cross-cultural study of students with and without hearing loss

Theory of Mind (see, e.g., Bartsch & Estes, 1996) is a concept that can help educators understand how students think about their state of mind and that of others involved in various life situations. To examine the impact of culture and the impact of hearing loss on metacognition as explained by Theory of Mind, two samples of students with and without hearing losses who were from two different cultures were compared on their ability to choose pictures representing their perspectives on specific life situations. The two groups did not differ in their metacognitive interpretations of the experiences when they were from the same culture, although students from different cultures did differ, indicating that culture may have a greater impact on metacognition as explained by Theory of Mind than hearing loss. Data collected in the present study affirmed previous research showing that students with hearing losses could make metacognitive decisions about life situations just as ably as their hearing peers from the same culture.     

Inflammatory Cytokines,Apoptotic, Tissue Injury and Remodeling Biomarkers in Children with Congenital Heart Disease

The present study aims to evaluate specific biomarkers involved in congenital heart disease (CHD), and whether there is a significant differences between the levels of these biomarkers in the cyanotic CHD (CCHD) and acyanotic CHD (ACHD). We prospectively measured tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), vasoendothelial growth factor (VEGF), troponin T, creatin kinase MB (CKMB), and Caspase 3 levels in 120 consecutive children with CHD (60 cyanotic and 60 a cyanotic with age 1:4 years), and 30 healthy control children. Significant elevated levels of inflammatory markers; TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP was detected in CHD, with percentage increase in cyanotic than a cyanotic subjects as compared to the normal one. Apoptotic biomarker; caspase 3 showed also significant increases in CCHD than ACHD. In addition, tissue injury mechanisms included troponin T and CKMB, exhibited significant increase in cyanotic than a cyanotic CHD. The present results demonstrate also, significant enhancement in remodeling process (VEGF), in cyanotic than a cyanotic patients. Thus, it could be concluded that, the children with CCHD were shown to have elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines, caspase 3, troponin T, and CKMB as these biomarkers may implicated in cardiac functional status.