Sample records for target grade level

  1. Teaching the Middle School Grade-Level Outcomes with Standards-Based Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avery, Marybell; Rettig, Brad

    2015-01-01

    This article focuses on the grade-level outcomes to be assessed on middle school (grades 6-8) physical education. Specifically, the article describes how to teach basic tactics and strategies while applying fundamental movement patterns to the various game and movement categories (invasion, net/wall, target, fielding/striking, dance/rhythms, &…

  2. Connective tissue growth factor as a novel therapeutic target in high grade serous ovarian cancer.

    PubMed

    Moran-Jones, Kim; Gloss, Brian S; Murali, Rajmohan; Chang, David K; Colvin, Emily K; Jones, Marc D; Yuen, Samuel; Howell, Viive M; Brown, Laura M; Wong, Carol W; Spong, Suzanne M; Scarlett, Christopher J; Hacker, Neville F; Ghosh, Sue; Mok, Samuel C; Birrer, Michael J; Samimi, Goli

    2015-12-29

    Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death among women with gynecologic cancer. We examined molecular profiles of fibroblasts from normal ovary and high-grade serous ovarian tumors to identify novel therapeutic targets involved in tumor progression. We identified 2,300 genes that are significantly differentially expressed in tumor-associated fibroblasts. Fibroblast expression of one of these genes, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. CTGF protein expression in ovarian tumor fibroblasts significantly correlated with gene expression levels. CTGF is a secreted component of the tumor microenvironment and is being pursued as a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. We examined its effect in in vitro and ex vivo ovarian cancer models, and examined associations between CTGF expression and clinico-pathologic characteristics in patients. CTGF promotes migration and peritoneal adhesion of ovarian cancer cells. These effects are abrogated by FG-3019, a human monoclonal antibody against CTGF, currently under clinical investigation as a therapeutic agent. Immunohistochemical analyses of high-grade serous ovarian tumors reveal that the highest level of tumor stromal CTGF expression was correlated with the poorest prognosis. Our findings identify CTGF as a promoter of peritoneal adhesion, likely to mediate metastasis, and a potential therapeutic target in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. These results warrant further studies into the therapeutic efficacy of FG-3019 in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

  3. Connective tissue growth factor as a novel therapeutic target in high grade serous ovarian cancer

    PubMed Central

    Moran-Jones, Kim; Gloss, Brian S.; Murali, Rajmohan; Chang, David K.; Colvin, Emily K.; Jones, Marc D.; Yuen, Samuel; Howell, Viive M.; Brown, Laura M.; Wong, Carol W.; Spong, Suzanne M.; Scarlett, Christopher J.; Hacker, Neville F.; Ghosh, Sue; Mok, Samuel C.; Birrer, Michael J.; Samimi, Goli

    2015-01-01

    Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death among women with gynecologic cancer. We examined molecular profiles of fibroblasts from normal ovary and high-grade serous ovarian tumors to identify novel therapeutic targets involved in tumor progression. We identified 2,300 genes that are significantly differentially expressed in tumor-associated fibroblasts. Fibroblast expression of one of these genes, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. CTGF protein expression in ovarian tumor fibroblasts significantly correlated with gene expression levels. CTGF is a secreted component of the tumor microenvironment and is being pursued as a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. We examined its effect in in vitro and ex vivo ovarian cancer models, and examined associations between CTGF expression and clinico-pathologic characteristics in patients. CTGF promotes migration and peritoneal adhesion of ovarian cancer cells. These effects are abrogated by FG-3019, a human monoclonal antibody against CTGF, currently under clinical investigation as a therapeutic agent. Immunohistochemical analyses of high-grade serous ovarian tumors reveal that the highest level of tumor stromal CTGF expression was correlated with the poorest prognosis. Our findings identify CTGF as a promoter of peritoneal adhesion, likely to mediate metastasis, and a potential therapeutic target in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. These results warrant further studies into the therapeutic efficacy of FG-3019 in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. PMID:26575166

  4. Practical target location and accuracy indicator in digital close range photogrammetry using consumer grade cameras

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moriya, Gentaro; Chikatsu, Hirofumi

    2011-07-01

    Recently, pixel numbers and functions of consumer grade digital camera are amazingly increasing by modern semiconductor and digital technology, and there are many low-priced consumer grade digital cameras which have more than 10 mega pixels on the market in Japan. In these circumstances, digital photogrammetry using consumer grade cameras is enormously expected in various application fields. There is a large body of literature on calibration of consumer grade digital cameras and circular target location. Target location with subpixel accuracy had been investigated as a star tracker issue, and many target location algorithms have been carried out. It is widely accepted that the least squares models with ellipse fitting is the most accurate algorithm. However, there are still problems for efficient digital close range photogrammetry. These problems are reconfirmation of the target location algorithms with subpixel accuracy for consumer grade digital cameras, relationship between number of edge points along target boundary and accuracy, and an indicator for estimating the accuracy of normal digital close range photogrammetry using consumer grade cameras. With this motive, an empirical testing of several algorithms for target location with subpixel accuracy and an indicator for estimating the accuracy are investigated in this paper using real data which were acquired indoors using 7 consumer grade digital cameras which have 7.2 mega pixels to 14.7 mega pixels.

  5. The Relationship between Delivery Models and the Grade-Level Reading Development of Sixth-Grade English Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arnold, Holly Weber

    2013-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between delivery models (the class size reduction model and the sheltered instruction model) and language development levels on the grade-level reading development of sixth-grade English learners (ELs) attending public middle schools in metro Atlanta, Georgia. The instrument used to measure grade-level mastery…

  6. Teachers' Grade-Level Reassignments: Evidence From Michigan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brummet, Quentin; Gershenson, Seth; Hayes, Michael S.

    2017-01-01

    Teacher churning likely harms student achievement. However, the phenomenon of within-school grade-level teacher reassignments is understudied. The current study provides descriptive evidence on the frequency and predictors of within-school teacher grade switching using both longitudinal administrative data from Michigan and nationally…

  7. Comparing Dropout Predictors for Two State-Level Panels Using Grade 6 and Grade 8 Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Franklin, Bobby J.; Trouard, Stephen B.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of dropout predictors across time. Two state-level high school graduation panels were selected to begin with the seventh and ninth grades but end at the same time. The first panel (seventh grade) contained 29,554 students and used sixth grade predictors. The second panel (ninth grade)…

  8. O-Level Grades and Teachers' Estimates as Predictors of the A-Level Results of UCCA Applicants.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, R. J. L.

    1981-01-01

    This investigation studied the relationship between both GCE O-level examination grades and teachers' estimates of A-level examination grades, and actual A-level grades obtained by a sample of university applicants. Moderate levels of correlation were reported in both cases, although teachers' estimates appeared to be slightly better predictors.…

  9. Grade-Level Retention in Texas Public Schools, 2015-16

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas Education Agency, 2017

    2017-01-01

    This annual report provides information for the 2015-16 school year on grade-level retention in the Texas public school system. Data on retention are provided by student characteristics, including grade level; race/ethnicity; gender; degree of English proficiency; and economic, at-risk, immigrant, migrant, and overage statuses. Data also are…

  10. Choosing the Adequate Level of Graded Readers--Preliminary Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prtljaga, Jelena; Palinkaševic, Radmila; Brkic, Jovana

    2015-01-01

    Graded readers have been used as second language teaching material since the end of the Second World War. They are an important source of simplified material which provides comprehensible input on all levels. It is of crucial importance for a successful usage of graded readers in the classroom and in studies which focus on graded readers, that an…

  11. Social Studies and Grade Level Content Expectations in Michigan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeChano-Cook, Lisa M.

    2012-01-01

    In 2007 the Michigan Department of Education (MDOE) unveiled Social Studies Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) that went into implementation during the 2008-2009 academic year. The purpose of this research was to examine social studies teaching in grades K-8 and what effects, if any, the GLCEs had on the curriculum in these grades.…

  12. Targeted Therapeutics in Patients With High-Grade Gliomas: Past, Present, and Future.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ricky; Cohen, Adam L; Colman, Howard

    2016-08-01

    High-grade gliomas remain incurable despite current therapies, which are plagued by high morbidity and mortality. Molecular categorization of glioma subtypes using mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (IDH1/2), TP53, and ATRX; codeletion of chromosomes 1p and 19q; DNA methylation; and amplification of genes such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor, alpha polypeptide provides a more accurate prognostication and biologic classification than classical histopathological diagnoses, and a number of molecular markers are being incorporated in the new World Health Organization classification of gliomas. However, despite the improved understanding of the molecular subtypes of gliomas and the underlying alterations in specific signaling pathways, these observations have so far failed to result in the successful application of targeted therapies, as has occurred in other solid tumors. To date, the only targeted therapy for gliomas approved by the US Food and Drug Administration is bevacizumab, which targets vascular endothelial growth factor. EGFR remains a dominant molecular alteration in specific glioma subtypes and represents a potentially promising target, with drugs of multiple types targeting EGFR in development including vaccines, antibody drug conjugates, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, despite the prior failures of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Immune therapies under investigation include checkpoint inhibitors, vaccines against tumor-associated antigens and tumor-specific antigens, pulsed dendritic cells, heat shock protein-tumor conjugates, and CAR T cells. Mutations in the IDH1/2 genes are central to gliomagenesis in a high proportion of grade II and III gliomas, and ongoing trials are examining vaccines against IDH1, small molecular inhibitors of IDH1 and IDH2, and metabolic components including NAD+ depletion to target IDH-mutated gliomas. The central role of DNA methylation in a subset of

  13. Teens on Target Violence Prevention Curriculum for Grades 6-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, Marla G.; Calhoun, Deane

    This curriculum is designed to help schools implement programs to prevent violence among students in grades 6-12. It is a six-session, school based curriculum intended for adolescents who are living in communities experiencing high rates of violence. It is facilitated by trained Teens on Target (TNT) members/peer educators, young people who are…

  14. Beginning Reading at All Grade Levels.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naumann, Nancy

    1980-01-01

    A third-grade teacher's account of her struggle to determine the most appropriate methods for teaching reading skills includes grouping techniques, methods for creating interest in reading among the students, techniques for diagnosing reading levels, and a fifth dimensional approach to teaching beginning reading. (JN)

  15. Impact of Leveled Reading Books on the Fluency and Comprehension Levels of First Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seals, Melissa Paige

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this nonequivalent, control group, pretest-posttest design study was to evaluate the effectiveness of leveled book programs on first-grade students' oral reading fluency rates and comprehension levels. This study was conducted over a 10-week time span with four first-grade classes. All of the students in each class were given a…

  16. Relationships between Grade Levels, Personal Factors, and Instructional Variation among 4th-12th Grade Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Jacquelyn M.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate relationships between grade levels, personal factors of teachers, and instructional variety used by 4th-12th grade teachers in Kern County, California. The population under investigation included 2,844 teachers. 235 elementary, middle school/junior high, and secondary teachers…

  17. Enhancing Literacy Instruction for Grade Level Readers in the Early Elementary Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warren, Marie

    2010-01-01

    Local school districts are under pressure to have elementary reading teachers understand how phonics, during teacher-led small group literacy instruction, can help students who read below grade level. Elementary teachers need research-based strategies regarding which reading instructions of letter-sound components are necessary to help students…

  18. Grade Level and Gender Differences in a School-Based Reading Tutoring Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Sau Hou

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of the present study is to investigate the grade level and gender differences in a school-based reading tutoring program. The treatment group included 10 first-grade and 12 second-grade struggling readers, and the control group included 41 first-grade and 63 second-grade nonstruggling readers. The tutors were teacher candidates in an…

  19. Grade Level Differences in Factors of Self-Esteem

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kokenes, Barbara

    1974-01-01

    Investigated the construct validity of the Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory, using approximately 1500 elementary school students. Also investigated grade level differences in preadolescent and adolescent children. (Author/ED)

  20. Nuclear Security: Target Analysis-rev

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Singh, Surinder Paul; Gibbs, Philip W.; Bultz, Garl A.

    2014-03-01

    The objectives of this presentation are to understand target identification, including roll-up and protracted theft; evaluate target identification in the SNRI; recognize the target characteristics and consequence levels; and understand graded safeguards.

  1. Increasing Oral Reading Fluency of below Grade-Level Elementary Students through Parent Involvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Royal, Louise I.

    2012-01-01

    An increasing number of elementary students in a rural school were promoted to a higher grade without having grade-level reading fluency skills, thereby becoming at risk of not reaching or maintaining their academic grade level reading skills. The purpose of this ex post facto quantitative study involving archival data analysis was to investigate…

  2. Asking the Right Questions: Developing Thinking Skills through Wisconsin's Grade Level Foundations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ratway, Beth

    2008-01-01

    In an attempt to deal with the problem of generating the thinking skills needed for the 21st century, this article discusses how a statewide of 30 teachers developed Grade Level Foundations. The core component of the Grade Level Foundations for Social Studies consists of a set of questions that are designed to stimulate higher level thinking about…

  3. (Biased) Grading of Students’ Performance: Students’ Names, Performance Level, and Implicit Attitudes

    PubMed Central

    Bonefeld, Meike; Dickhäuser, Oliver

    2018-01-01

    Biases in pre-service teachers’ evaluations of students’ performance may arise due to stereotypes (e.g., the assumption that students with a migrant background have lower potential). This study examines the effects of a migrant background, performance level, and implicit attitudes toward individuals with a migrant background on performance assessment (assigned grades and number of errors counted in a dictation). Pre-service teachers (N = 203) graded the performance of a student who appeared to have a migrant background statistically significantly worse than that of a student without a migrant background. The differences were more pronounced when the performance level was low and when the pre-service teachers held relatively positive implicit attitudes toward individuals with a migrant background. Interestingly, only performance level had an effect on the number of counted errors. Our results support the assumption that pre-service teachers exhibit bias when grading students with a migrant background in a third-grade level dictation assignment. PMID:29867618

  4. (Biased) Grading of Students' Performance: Students' Names, Performance Level, and Implicit Attitudes.

    PubMed

    Bonefeld, Meike; Dickhäuser, Oliver

    2018-01-01

    Biases in pre-service teachers' evaluations of students' performance may arise due to stereotypes (e.g., the assumption that students with a migrant background have lower potential). This study examines the effects of a migrant background, performance level, and implicit attitudes toward individuals with a migrant background on performance assessment (assigned grades and number of errors counted in a dictation). Pre-service teachers ( N = 203) graded the performance of a student who appeared to have a migrant background statistically significantly worse than that of a student without a migrant background. The differences were more pronounced when the performance level was low and when the pre-service teachers held relatively positive implicit attitudes toward individuals with a migrant background. Interestingly, only performance level had an effect on the number of counted errors. Our results support the assumption that pre-service teachers exhibit bias when grading students with a migrant background in a third-grade level dictation assignment.

  5. Alterations of the levels of primary antioxidant enzymes in different grades of human astrocytoma tissues.

    PubMed

    Yen, Hsiu-Chuan; Lin, Chih-Lung; Chen, Bing-Shian; Chen, Chih-Wei; Wei, Kuo-Chen; Yang, Mei-Lin; Hsu, Jee-Ching; Hsu, Yung-Hsing

    2018-06-03

    Malignant astrocytoma is the most commonly occurring brain tumor in humans. Oxidative stress is implicated in the development of cancers. Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) was found to exert tumor suppressive effect in basic research, but increased SOD2 protein level was associated with higher aggressiveness of human astrocytomas. However, studies reporting alterations of antioxidant enzymes in human astrocytomas often employed less accurate methods or included different types of tumors. Here we analyzed the mRNA levels, activities, and protein levels of primary antioxidant enzymes in control brain tissues and various grades of astrocytomas obtained from 40 patients. SOD1 expression, SOD1 activity, and SOD1 protein level were lower in Grade IV astrocytomas. SOD2 expression was lower in low-grade (Grades I and II) and Grade III astrocytomas than in controls, but SOD2 expression and SOD2 protein level were higher in Grade IV astrocytomas than in Grade III astrocytomas. Although there was no change in SOD2 activity and a lower activity of citrate synthase (CS), the MnSOD:CS ratio increased in Grade IV astrocytomas compared with controls and low-grade astrocytomas. Furthermore, SOD1 activity, CS activity, SOD1 expression, GPX4 expression, and GPX4 protein level were inversely correlated with the malignancy, whereas catalase activity, catalase protein, SOD2 protein level, and the SOD2:CS ratio were positively correlated with the degree of malignancy. Lower SOD2:CS ratio was associated with poor outcomes for Grade IV astrocytomas. This is the first study to quantify changes of various primary antioxidant enzymes in different grades of astrocytomas at different levels concurrently in human astrocytomas.

  6. Readability Levels of Second Grade Hi-Lo Reading Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hllgendorff, Patricia H.

    The revised Spache Readability Formula and the Fry Readability Formula were applied to 20 selected reading materials designed for adolescents reading at second grade level. Three samples from each text were examined. The results using the Spache formula corresponded to the publisher's stated readability levels, with no significant variability…

  7. Health Grades K-6. Skills-Based Scope and Sequence Guide. Target Skills and Sample Assessment Methods.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williamson, Anne; Beegle, Jenny; Gilbert, Lisa; Safaii, SeAnne; Eck, Paul; Remaley, Renea; Hasselquist, Claudia; Hatch, Kathy C.; Thompson, Kay

    This guide is organized around a suggested list of health skills that all students should know and be able to do at each grade level from kindergarten through grade 6. The guide will help provide parents, teachers, and students with knowledge of what is being taught in a logical scope and sequence by grade level. It is designed to help build a…

  8. Effects of multisensory resources on the achievement and science attitudes of seventh-grade suburban students taught science concepts on and above grade level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roberts, Patrice Helen

    This research was designed to determine the relationships among students' achievement scores on grade-level science content, on science content that was three years above-grade level, on attitudes toward instructional approaches, and learning-styles perceptual preferences when instructional approaches were multisensory versus traditional. The dependent variables for this investigation were scores on achievement posttests and scores on the attitude survey. The independent variables were the instructional strategy and students' perceptual preferences. The sample consisted of 74 educationally oriented seventh-grade students. The Learning Styles Inventory (LSI) (Dunn, Dunn, & Price, 1990) was administered to determine perceptual preferences. The control group was taught seventh-grade and tenth-grade science units using a traditional approach and the experimental group was instructed on the same units using multisensory instructional resources. The Semantic Differential Scale (SDS) (Pizzo, 1981) was administered to reveal attitudinal differences. The traditional unit included oral reading from the textbook, completing outlines, labeling diagrams, and correcting the outlines and diagrams as a class. The multisensory unit included five instructional stations established in different sections of the classroom to allow students to learn by: (a) manipulating Flip Chutes, (b) using Electroboards, (c) assembling Task Cards, (d) playing a kinesthetic Floor Game, and (e) reading an individual Programmed Learning Sequence. Audio tapes and scripts were provided at each location. Students circulated in groups of four from station to station. The data subjected to statistical analyses supported the use of a multisensory, rather than a traditional approach, for teaching science content that is above-grade level. T-tests revealed a positive and significant impact on achievement scores (p < 0.0007). No significance was detected on grade-level achievement nor on the perceptual

  9. Gender and Grade-Level Comparisons in the Structure of Problem Behaviors among Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chun, Heejung; Mobley, Michael

    2010-01-01

    Based on Jessor's theory (1987) the comparability of a second-order problem behavior model (SPBM) was investigated across gender and grade-level among adolescents. In addition, gender and grade-level differences in problem behavior engagement were addressed examining latent mean differences. Using a sample of 6504 adolescents drawn from the…

  10. Nuclear Safety via Commercial Grade Dedication - Hitting the Right Target - 12163

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kindred, Greg

    2012-07-01

    S.A.Technology has developed and implemented a highly effective Commercial Grade Dedication program that has been used to qualify a variety of equipment to the rigorous requirements of ASTM NQA-1. In specific cases, S.A.Technology personnel have worked closely with clients to develop complex Commercial Grade Dedication plans that satisfy the scrutiny of the US Department of Energy. These projects have been as simple as Passive Mechanical systems, and as complicated as Active Mechanical and Electrical systems. S.A.Technology's Commercial Grade Dedication plans have even been used as presentation materials to a client's internal departments encompassing Engineering, Quality and Procurement. This is themore » new target of today's CGD: exposing the reasoning behind the dedication process. Previously, only test and inspection results were expected. Today's CGD now needs to show how the decisions presented are the right decisions to make. We must be willing to undergo the process of learning how each new piece of equipment is affected by the system it is placed into, as well as understanding how that equipment can affect the system itself. It is a much more complicated and time-consuming endeavor to undertake. On top of it all, we must be able to voice those discoveries and rationalizations in a clear and concise manner. Unless we effectively communicate our intentions to the reader, we will not be understood. If researched correctly and presented properly, today's Commercial Grade Dedication plans will answer the appropriate questions before they are asked. (authors)« less

  11. The Purdue Elementary Problem-Solving Inventory (PEPSI), Grade Level, and Socioeconomic Status: A Preliminary Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cox, David W.

    1985-01-01

    The effects of grade level and socioeconomic status upon Purdue Elementary Problem-Solving Inventory (PEPSI) scores were investigated with 123 elementary students. It was concluded that the PEPSI is usable with most grade two through grade six pupils at both lower and middle socioeconomic levels, and has potential utility in teaching…

  12. Predicting Third Grade Reading Achievement for Mexican-American Students from Lower Socioeconomic Levels.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stevens, Frances Ann Bennett

    The purpose of this study was to determine if measures of first grade readiness, scholastic aptitude, and reading achievement were significant predictors of third grade reading achievement for Mexican-American students from two lower socioeconomic levels. The sample included 94 third grade students for whom the following measurements had been…

  13. Middle School Students' Statistical Literacy: Role of Grade Level and Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yolcu, Ayse

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the role of gender and grade level on middle school students' statistical literacy. The study was conducted in the spring semester of the 2012-2013 academic year with 598 middle-school students (grades 6-8) from three public schools in Turkey. The data were collected using the Statistical Literacy Test, developed based on…

  14. Variation in Strategy Use across Grade Level by Pattern Generalization Types

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    El Mouhayar, Rabih; Jurdak, Murad

    2015-01-01

    This paper explored variation of strategy use in pattern generalization across different generalization types and across grade level. A test was designed to assess students' strategy use in pattern generalization tasks. The test was given to a sample of 1232 students from grades 4 to 11 from five schools in Lebanon. The findings of this study…

  15. Readability Levels of First and Second Grade Basal Texts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langan, Yvette

    The Fry Readability Formula was used to determine the readability levels of 12 first and second grade basal texts. These texts were part of the Ginn 360, Ginn 720, and Macmillan Series "r" basal reader series. The results showed that 4 of the 12 books tested did not correspond closely to the publisher's readability levels. The Ginn 720 text for…

  16. The Effects of Control for Ability Level on EFL Reading of Graded Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wan-a-rom, Udorn

    2012-01-01

    The study was aimed to examine how EFL learners of English reacted to graded readers in terms of reading strategy use, comprehension, speed, and attitude as well as motivation when control for ability level was determined. Eighty Thai high school students placed into their own reading level of graded readers by the scores gained from the graded…

  17. Relationship of the Van Herick Grading System with Peripheral Iris Configuration and Level of Iris Insertion.

    PubMed

    Khan, Faisal Aziz; Niazi, Shafaq Pervez Khan; Khan, Assad Zaman

    2017-09-01

    To determine the relationship of the van Herick angle grading system with the level of iris insertion and peripheral iris configuration. Observational study. Eye department, Combined Military Hospital, Malir Cantt., Karachi, from May to October 2015. Sixty-five eyes of 65 patients were recruited. Anterior chamber depth at the temporal limbus was measured as a fraction of corneal section thickness using van Herick technique and graded on the standard 4-point scale of the van Herick grading system. Gonioscopy of the temporal quadrant was performed with a Posner 4 mirror goniolens and both the true level of iris insertion and peripheral iris configuration were recorded on a 4-point scale so as to equate with the van Herick 4-point grading system. Spearman's rho test was applied to determine the relationship of the van Herick grading system with level of iris root insertion and peripheral iris configuration. Amoderate positive correlation between van Herick grade and peripheral iris configuration was found which was statistically significant (rs=0.42, p < 0.001). Astatistically significant and moderate positive correlation was also detected between van Herick grade and the level of iris insertion (rs=0.45, p < 0.001). The van Herick grade has a moderately positive relationship with the peripheral iris configuration and true level of iris insertion.

  18. Student selection: are the school-leaving A-level grades in biology and chemistry important?

    PubMed

    Green, A; Peters, T J; Webster, D J

    1993-01-01

    This study determined the relationships of grades in A-level biology and chemistry with examination success or failure during the medical course. By inspection of medical student records, A-level grades at entry to medical school and examination performance were obtained for 128 (91%) of the students who sat their final MBBCh examination at the University of Wales College of Medicine in June 1988. The majority, 92 (72%), completed their medical school careers with no professional examination failures; 15 failed examinations just in the period up to 2nd MB; 11 failed examinations in the clinical period only and 10 failed examinations in both periods. Whereas grade achieved in A-level chemistry was not associated with undergraduate examination performance, students with a grade A or B in A-level biology were less likely to have problems than the others (21% compared with 47%; the difference of 26% has a 95% confidence interval of 7% to 44%). Specifically, there appears to be a strong relationship between a low grade in biology and difficulties in the preclinical examinations. Moreover, for those who have difficulties at this stage, this association continues later in the course.

  19. The Analysis of Reading Skills and Visual Perception Levels of First Grade Turkish Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Memis, Aysel; Sivri, Diler Ayvaz

    2016-01-01

    In this study, primary school first grade students' reading skills and visual perception levels were investigated. Sample of the study, which was designed with relational scanning model, consisted of 168 first grade students studying at three public primary schools in Kozlu, Zonguldak, in 2013-2014 education year. Students' reading level, reading…

  20. Defining the optimal method for reporting prostate cancer grade and tumor extent on magnetic resonance/ultrasound fusion-targeted biopsies.

    PubMed

    Gordetsky, Jennifer B; Schultz, Luciana; Porter, Kristin K; Nix, Jeffrey W; Thomas, John V; Del Carmen Rodriguez Pena, Maria; Rais-Bahrami, Soroush

    2018-06-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR)/ultrasound fusion-targeted biopsy (TB) routinely samples multiple cores from each MR lesion of interest. Pathologists can evaluate the extent of cancer involvement and grade using an individual core (IC) or aggregate (AG) method, which could potentially lead to differences in reporting. We reviewed patients who underwent TB followed by radical prostatectomy (RP). TB cores were evaluated for grade and tumor extent by 2 methods. In the IC method, the grade for each TB lesion was based on the core with the highest Gleason score. Tumor extent for each TB was based on the core with the highest percent of tumor involvement. In the AG method, the tumor from all cores within each TB lesion was aggregated to determine the final composite grade and percentage of tumor involvement. Each method was compared with MR lesional volume, MR lesional density (lesion volume/prostate volume), and RP. Fifty-five patients underwent TB followed by RP. Extent of tumor by the AG method showed a better correlation with target lesion volume (r= 0.27,P= .022) and lesional density (r = 0.32, P = .008) than did the IC method (r= 0.19 [P = .103] andr= 0.22 [P = .062]), respectively. Extent of tumor on TB was associated with extraprostatic extension on RP by the AG method (P= .04), but not by the IC method. This association was significantly higher in patients with a grade group (GG) of 3 or higher (P= .03). A change in cancer grade occurred in 3 patients when comparing methods (2 downgraded GG3 to GG2, 1 downgraded GG4 to GG3 by the AG method). For multiple cores obtained via TB, the AG method better correlates with target lesion volume, lesional density, and extraprostatic extension. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. The Impact of School Environment and Grade Level on Student Delinquency: A Multilevel Modeling Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lo, Celia C.; Kim, Young S.; Allen, Thomas M.; Allen, Andrea N.; Minugh, P. Allison; Lomuto, Nicoletta

    2011-01-01

    Effects on delinquency made by grade level, school type (based on grade levels accommodated), and prosocial school climate were assessed, controlling for individual-level risk and protective factors. Data were obtained from the Substance Abuse Services Division of Alabama's state mental health agency and analyzed via hierarchical linear modeling,…

  2. The Potential of Targeting Ribosome Biogenesis in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Yan, Shunfei; Frank, Daniel; Son, Jinbae; Hannan, Katherine M.; Hannan, Ross D.; Chan, Keefe T.; Pearson, Richard B.; Sanij, Elaine

    2017-01-01

    Overall survival for patients with ovarian cancer (OC) has shown little improvement for decades meaning new therapeutic options are critical. OC comprises multiple histological subtypes, of which the most common and aggressive subtype is high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). HGSOC is characterized by genomic structural variations with relatively few recurrent somatic mutations or dominantly acting oncogenes that can be targeted for the development of novel therapies. However, deregulation of pathways controlling homologous recombination (HR) and ribosome biogenesis has been observed in a high proportion of HGSOC, raising the possibility that targeting these basic cellular processes may provide improved patient outcomes. The poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib has been approved to treat women with defects in HR due to germline BRCA mutations. Recent evidence demonstrated the efficacy of targeting ribosome biogenesis with the specific inhibitor of ribosomal RNA synthesis, CX-5461 in v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (MYC)-driven haematological and prostate cancers. CX-5461 has now progressed to a phase I clinical trial in patients with haematological malignancies and phase I/II trial in breast cancer. Here we review the currently available targeted therapies for HGSOC and discuss the potential of targeting ribosome biogenesis as a novel therapeutic approach against HGSOC. PMID:28117679

  3. The influence of target erosion grade in the optoelectronic properties of AZO coatings growth by magnetron sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zubizarreta, C.; G-Berasategui, E.; Ciarsolo, I.; Barriga, J.; Gaspar, D.; Martins, R.; Fortunato, E.

    2016-09-01

    Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) transparent conductor coating has emerged as promising substitute to tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) as electrode in optoelectronic applications such as photovoltaics or light emitting diodes (LEDs). Besides its high transmission in the visible spectral region and low resistivity, AZO presents a main advantage over other candidates such as graphene, carbon nanotubes or silver nanowires; it can be deposited using the technology industrially implemented to manufacture ITO layers, the magnetron sputtering (MS). This is a productive, reliable and green manufacturing technique. But to guarantee the robustness, reproducibility and reliability of the process there are still some issues to be addressed, such as the effect and control of the target state. In this paper a thorough study of the influence of the target erosion grade in developed coatings has been performed. AZO films have been deposited from a ceramic target by RF MS. Structure, optical transmittance and electrical properties of the produced coatings have been analyzed as function of the target erosion grade. No noticeable differences have been found neither in optoelectronic properties nor in the structure of the coatings, indicating that the RF MS is a stable and consistent process through the whole life of the target.

  4. The Effects of a Peer Tutoring Intervention Program on the Reading Levels of Underachieving Fifth Grade Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perry, Marie J.

    A practicum addressed the cognitive and affective needs of underachieving fifth grade students in a suburban school in southwest Florida. Twelve fifth grade students (the target group) were paired with same age tutors who provided supplemental reading instruction four times a week over a 12-week period. They also participated in weekly…

  5. Effects of Classroom-Based Energizers on Primary Grade Students' Physical Activity Levels

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bailey, Catherine Goffreda; DiPerna, James Clyde

    2015-01-01

    The primary aim of this study was to determine the effects of classroom-based exercise breaks (Energizers; Mahar, Kenny, Shields, Scales, & Collins, 2006) on students' physical activity levels during the school day. A multiple baseline design across first grade (N = 3) and second grade (N = 3) classrooms was used to examine the effects of the…

  6. Factors in seventh grade academics associated with performance levels on the tenth grade biology end of course test in selected middle and high schools in northwest Georgia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ward, Jennifer Henry

    This study attempted to identify factors in seventh grade academics that are associated with overall success in tenth grade biology. The study addressed the following research questions: Are there significant differences in performance levels in seventh grade Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores in science, math, reading, and language arts associated with performance categories in tenth grade biology End of Course Test (EOCT) and the following demographic variables : gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability category, and English language proficiency level? Is there a relationship among the categorical variables on the tenth grade biology EOCT and the same five demographic variables? Retrospective causal comparative research was used on a representative sample from the middle schools in three North Georgia counties who took the four CRCTs in the 2006-2007 school year, and took the biology EOCT in the 2009-2010 school year. Chi square was used to determine the relationships of the various demographic variables on three biology EOCT performance categories. Twoway ANOVA determined relationships between the seventh grade CRCT scores of students in the various demographic groups and their performance levels on the biology EOCT. Students' performance levels on the biology EOCT matched their performance levels on the seventh grade CRCTs consistently. Females performed better than males on all seventh grade CRCTs. Black and Hispanic students did worse than White and Asian/Asian Indian students on the math CRCT. Students living in poverty did worse on reading and language arts CRCTs than students who were better off. Special education students did worse on science, reading, and language arts CRCTs than students not receiving special education services. English language learners did worse than native English speakers on all seventh grade CRCTs. These findings suggest that remedial measures may be taken in the seventh grade that could impact

  7. Grade Inflation: Reality or Myth? Student Preparation Level vs. Grades at Brigham Young University, 1975-1994. AIR 1997 Annual Forum Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olsen, Danny R.

    This study was designed to investigate the extent to which grade inflation has existed at Brigham Young University (BYU) after accounting for increased preparation levels of entering students over time. Analyses were conducted for the university at large and individual colleges. The study first developed a model to forecast student grade point…

  8. Realization of high heat flux tungsten monoblock type target with graded interlayer for application to DEMO divertor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richou, M.; Gallay, F.; Böswirth, B.; Chu, I.; Lenci, M.; Loewenhoff, Th; Quet, A.; Greuner, H.; Kermouche, G.; Meillot, E.; Pintsuk, G.; Visca, E.; You, J. H.

    2017-12-01

    The divertor is the key in-vessel plasma-facing component being in charge of power exhaust and removal of impurity particles. In DEMO, divertor targets must survive an environment of high heat fluxes (˜up to 20 MW m-2 during slow transients) and neutron irradiation. One advanced concept for components in monoblock configuration concerns the insertion of a compositionally graded layer between tungsten and CuCrZr instead of the soft copper interlayer. As a first step, a thin graded layer (˜25 μm) was developed. As a second step, a thicker graded layer (˜500 μm), which is actually being developed, will also be inserted to study the compliant role of a macroscopic graded layer. This paper reports the results of cyclic high heat flux loading tests up to 20 MW m-2 and to heat flux higher than 25 MW m-2 that mock-ups equipped with thin graded layer survived without visible damage. First feedback on manufacturing steps is also presented. Moreover, the first results obtained on the development of the thick graded layer and its integration in a monoblock configuration are shown.

  9. Signal transduction molecules in gliomas of all grades.

    PubMed

    Ermoian, Ralph P; Kaprealian, Tania; Lamborn, Kathleen R; Yang, Xiaodong; Jelluma, Nannette; Arvold, Nils D; Zeidman, Ruth; Berger, Mitchel S; Stokoe, David; Haas-Kogan, Daphne A

    2009-01-01

    To interrogate grade II, III, and IV gliomas and characterize the critical effectors within the PI3-kinase pathway upstream and downstream of mTOR. Experimental design Tissues from 87 patients who were treated at UCSF between 1990 and 2004 were analyzed. Twenty-eight grade II, 17 grade III glioma, 26 grade IV gliomas, and 16 non-tumor brain specimens were analyzed. Protein levels were assessed by immunoblots; RNA levels were determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification. To address the multiple comparisons, first an overall analysis was done comparing the four groups using Spearman's Correlation Coefficient. Only if this analysis was statistically significant were individual pairwise comparisons done. Multiple comparison analyses revealed a significant correlation with grade for all variables examined, except phosphorylated-S6. Expression of phosphorylated-4E-BP1, phosphorylated-PKB/Akt, PTEN, TSC1, and TSC2 correlated with grade (P < 0.01 for all). We extended our analyses to ask whether decreases in TSC proteins levels were due to changes in mRNA levels, or due to changes in post-transcriptional alterations. We found significantly lower levels of TSC1 and TSC2 mRNA in GBMs than in grade II gliomas or non-tumor brain (P < 0.01). Expression levels of critical signaling molecules upstream and downstream of mTOR differ between non-tumor brain and gliomas of any grade. The single variable whose expression did not differ between non-tumor brain and gliomas was phosphorylated-S6, suggesting that other protein kinases, in addition to mTOR, contribute significantly to S6 phosphorylation. mTOR provides a rational therapeutic target in gliomas of all grades, and clinical benefit may emerge as mTOR inhibitors are combined with additional agents.

  10. Grade-Level Declines in Perceived Academic Support from Peers: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Altermatt, Ellen Rydell

    2017-01-01

    Prior research demonstrates that perceived academic support from peers positively predicts school adjustment. In this cross-sectional study, we provide evidence that perceived academic support from peers declines from 3rd to 8th grade and that this decline is partially mediated by grade-level declines in perceptions that academic success…

  11. Comparison of Different Methods of Grading a Level Turn Task on a Flight Simulator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heath, Bruce E.; Crier, tomyka

    2003-01-01

    With the advancements in the computing power of personal computers, pc-based flight simulators and trainers have opened new avenues in the training of airplane pilots. It may be desirable to have the flight simulator make a quantitative evaluation of the progress of a pilot's training thereby reducing the physical requirement of the flight instructor who must, in turn, watch every flight. In an experiment, University students conducted six different flights, each consisting of two level turns. The flights were three minutes in duration. By evaluating videotapes, two certified flight instructors provided separate letter grades for each turn. These level turns were also evaluated using two other computer based grading methods. One method determined automated grades based on prescribed tolerances in bank angle, airspeed and altitude. The other method used was deviations in altitude and bank angle for performance index and performance grades.

  12. Relationship between Legible Handwriting and Level of Success of Third Grade Students in Written Expression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bayat, Seher; Küçükayar, Hasan

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to identify third-grade students' performance levels for written expression and handwriting and to find the relationship between these performances. The study is based on relational screening model. It is carried out with 110 third grade students. Students' levels of success in handwriting and in written expression are evaluated…

  13. Students' Attitudes toward Chemistry Lessons: The Interaction Effect between Grade Level and Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheung, Derek

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the interaction effect between grade level and gender with respect to students' attitudes toward chemistry lessons taught in secondary schools. The sample consisted of 954 chemistry students in grades Secondary 4-7 (approximately 16-19 years of age) in Hong Kong. Students' attitudes were…

  14. A brief randomized controlled intervention targeting parents improves grades during middle school.

    PubMed

    Destin, Mesmin; Svoboda, Ryan C

    2017-04-01

    Despite a growing number of brief, psychosocial interventions that improve academic achievement, little research investigates how to leverage parents during such efforts. We designed and tested a randomized controlled intervention targeting parents to influence important discussions about the future and responses to academic difficulty experienced by their adolescent during eighth grade in the United States. We recruited experienced parents to convey the main messages of the intervention in a parent panel format. As expected, current parents who were randomly assigned to observe the parent panel subsequently planned to talk with their adolescents sooner about future opportunities and to respond more positively to experiences of academic difficulty than parents who were randomly assigned to a control group. The intervention also led to a significant increase in student grades, which was mediated by parents' responses to academic difficulty. We suggest an increase in experimental research that utilizes parents to influence student achievement. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Confidence level estimation in multi-target classification problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Shi; Isaacs, Jason; Fu, Bo; Shin, Jaejeong; Zhu, Pingping; Ferrari, Silvia

    2018-04-01

    This paper presents an approach for estimating the confidence level in automatic multi-target classification performed by an imaging sensor on an unmanned vehicle. An automatic target recognition algorithm comprised of a deep convolutional neural network in series with a support vector machine classifier detects and classifies targets based on the image matrix. The joint posterior probability mass function of target class, features, and classification estimates is learned from labeled data, and recursively updated as additional images become available. Based on the learned joint probability mass function, the approach presented in this paper predicts the expected confidence level of future target classifications, prior to obtaining new images. The proposed approach is tested with a set of simulated sonar image data. The numerical results show that the estimated confidence level provides a close approximation to the actual confidence level value determined a posteriori, i.e. after the new image is obtained by the on-board sensor. Therefore, the expected confidence level function presented in this paper can be used to adaptively plan the path of the unmanned vehicle so as to optimize the expected confidence levels and ensure that all targets are classified with satisfactory confidence after the path is executed.

  16. Professional Staffing Levels and Fourth-Grade Student Research in Rural Schools with High-Poverty Levels

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krueger, Karla Steege; Donham, Jean

    2013-01-01

    Rural schools in high-poverty areas are often understaffed. This descriptive phenomenological study examined fourth-grade state research projects in high-poverty rural Iowa schools to reveal the influence of school librarians' staffing levels on student learning of research skills. To determine evidence of students' critical literacy, ethical use…

  17. An Analysis of Grades, Class Level and Faculty Evaluation Scores in the United Arab Emirates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waller, Lee

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the results of a student evaluation of faculty against the grades awarded and the level of the course for a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates. The purpose of the study was to determine if the grades awarded in the course and/or level of the course impacted the evaluation scores awarded to the faculty…

  18. Students' Level of Boredom, Boredom Coping Strategies, Epistemic Curiosity, and Graded Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eren, Altay; Coskun, Hamit

    2016-01-01

    The authors examined the relationships among students' levels of boredom, boredom coping strategies, epistemic curiosity, and graded performance regarding mathematics lessons, with the intention to explore the mediating roles of boredom coping strategies and epistemic curiosity in the relationship between the level of boredom and graded…

  19. Analyzing the Reading Skills and Visual Perception Levels of First Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çayir, Aybala

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyze primary school first grade students' reading levels and correlate their visual perception skills. For this purpose, students' reading speed, reading comprehension and reading errors were determined using The Informal Reading Inventory. Students' visual perception levels were also analyzed using…

  20. Two Disciplines of Examiners? The Effect of Professional Background and Level of Experience in Grade-Setting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Havik, Odd Erik

    1980-01-01

    Focuses on the influence of examiners' level of experience and professional background on grades given in oral and written undergraduate examinations in psychology. Level of experience was found to have no significant effect. Clinical psychologists gave more laudabilis grades on oral exams and academic psychologists on essay exams. (JD)

  1. High Interest - Low Vocabulary Science Books, Reading Level Grades 1-4 (Prepared for the Remedial Reading Teacher).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gott, Margaret E., Comp.; Wailes, James R., Comp.

    This booklist is intended for elementary school science students with high interest and low vocabulary skills. The Spache Readability Scale, Dale-Chall formula, sentence structure, paragraph flow, illustration, and diagram analysis or publishers stated grade level were used to determine grade level designations. The included interest level varies…

  2. Serum endocan levels before and after surgery on low-grade gliomas.

    PubMed

    Tanriverdi, Taner; Kemerdere, Rahsan; Inal, Berrin B; Yuksel, Odhan; Emre, Humeyra O; Ahmedov, Merdin; Baran, Oguz; Ates, Seda

    2017-01-01

    Endocan has been shown to be a marker for several cancers and may show degree of malignancy. The aim of this study is to assess serum levels of endocan before and after surgery on low-grade gliomas (LGGs). Endocan was assayed by commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits in a total of 19 patients and 12 controls. Serial serum samples were obtained before and after surgery (1 st day, 1 st week, and 1 st month of surgery). Control samples were collected from cord blood during cesarean section. The results were compared with control brain tissues. Controls showed significantly lower serum endocan levels compared to before and after surgery ( P < 0.05). There is a trend of increase in mean serum levels from before surgery and during the very early period after surgery (during first week); however, in the first month, mean serum levels became lower. Endocan, a vital molecule for angiogenesis, is highly expressed before and after surgery in LGGs, but long-term data is needed. Furthermore, future studies should include high-grade gliomas to discuss whether endocan is associated with recurrence and response to treatment.

  3. Variation of student numerical and figural reasoning approaches by pattern generalization type, strategy use and grade level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El Mouhayar, Rabih; Jurdak, Murad

    2016-02-01

    This paper explored variation of student numerical and figural reasoning approaches across different pattern generalization types and across grade level. An instrument was designed for this purpose. The instrument was given to a sample of 1232 students from grades 4 to 11 from five schools in Lebanon. Analysis of data showed that the numerical reasoning approach seems to be more dominant than the figural reasoning approach for the near and far pattern generalization types but not for the immediate generalization type. The findings showed that for the recursive strategy, the numerical reasoning approach seems to be more dominant than the figural reasoning approach for each of the three pattern generalization types. However, the figural reasoning approach seems to be more dominant than the numerical reasoning approach for the functional strategy, for each generalization type. The findings also showed that the numerical reasoning was more dominant than the figural reasoning in lower grade levels (grades 4 and 5) for each generalization type. In contrast, the figural reasoning became more dominant than the numerical reasoning in the upper grade levels (grades 10 and 11).

  4. Grade Level Differences in High School Students' Conceptions of and Motives for Learning Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ya-Ling; Tsai, Chin-Chung

    2017-08-01

    Students' conceptions of learning science and their relations with motive for learning may vary as the education level increases. This study aimed to compare the quantitative patterns in students' conceptions of learning science (COLS) and motives for learning science (MLS) across grade levels by adopting two survey instruments. A total of 768 high school students were surveyed in Taiwan, including 204 eighth graders, 262 tenth graders, and 302 12th graders. In the current research, memorizing, testing, and calculating and practicing were categorized as reproductive conceptions of learning science, while increase of knowledge, applying, understanding and seeing-in-a-new-way were regarded as constructivist conceptions. The results of multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) revealed that conceptions of learning science are more constructivist as education level increases. Both tenth graders and 12th graders endorsed understanding, seeing-in-a-new-way, and the constructivist COLS composite more strongly than the eighth graders did. In addition, the results of multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicated that the positive relations between testing and reproductive COLS were stronger as the grade level increased, while the negative relations between reproductive COLS and deep motive were tighter with the increase in grade level.

  5. Vocabulary Teaching Strategies: Effects on Vocabulary Recognition and Comprehension at the First Grade Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peitz, Patricia; Vena, Patricia

    A study examined teaching methods for vocabulary at the first grade level. The study compared teaching vocabulary in context and teaching vocabulary in isolation. Subjects were 32 culturally diverse first-grade students from varying socio-economic backgrounds. The sample consisted of 14 boys and 18 girls, heterogeneously grouped. Two teacher-made…

  6. HGG-22. TARGETING NEURONAL ACTIVITY-REGULATED NEUROLIGIN-3 DEPENDENCY FOR HIGH-GRADE GLIOMA THERAPY

    PubMed Central

    Venkatesh, Humsa S; Tam, Lydia T; Woo, Pamelyn J; Monje, Michelle

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Neuronal activity promotes high-grade glioma (HGG) growth. An important mechanism mediating this neural regulation of brain cancer is activity-dependent cleavage and secretion of the synaptic molecule and glioma mitogen neuroligin-3 (Nlgn3), but the therapeutic potential of targeting Nlgn3 in glioma remains to be defined. Here, we demonstrate a striking dependence of HGG growth on microenvironmental Nlgn3 and determine a targetable mechanism of secretion. Patient-derived orthotopic xenografts of pediatric glioblastoma (pGBM) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) fail to grow in Nlgn3 knockout mice. Using genetic mouse models, we illustrate that Nlgn3 is cleaved from both neurons and oligodendrocyte precursor cells via the ADAM10 sheddase. Administration of an ADAM10 inhibitor robustly blocks pGBM and DIPG xenograft growth via modulation of the tumor microenvironment. This work defines the therapeutic potential of and a promising strategy for targeting Nlgn3 secretion in the glioma microenvironment, which could prove transformative for treatment of HGG.

  7. Constitutively Activated STAT3 Frequently Coexpresses with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in High-Grade Gliomas and Targeting STAT3 Sensitizes Them to Iressa and Alkylators

    PubMed Central

    Lo, Hui-Wen; Cao, Xinyu; Zhu, Hu; Ali-Osman, Francis

    2009-01-01

    Purpose The goals of this study are to elucidate the relationship of the oncogenic transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) with glioma aggressiveness and to understand the role of high STAT3 activity in the resistance of malignant gliomas and medulloblastomas to chemotherapy. Experimental Design Immunohistochemical staining and biochemical methods were used to examine the extent of STAT3 activation and EGFR expression in primary specimens and cell lines, respectively. Cellular response to drug treatments was determined using cell cytotoxicity and clonogenic growth assays. Results We found STAT3 to be constitutively activated in 60% of primary high-grade/malignant gliomas and the extent of activation correlated positively with glioma grade. High levels of activated/phosphorylated STAT3 were also present in cultured human malignant glioma and medulloblastoma cells. Three STAT3-activating kinases, Janus-activated kinase 2 (JAK2), EGFR, and EGFRvIII, contributed to STAT3 activation. An inhibitor toJAK2/STAT3, JSI-124, significantly reduced expression of STAT3 target genes, suppressed cancer cell growth, and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that STAT3 constitutive activation coexisted with EGFR expression in 27.2% of primary high-grade/malignant gliomas and such coexpression correlated positively with glioma grade. Combination of an anti-EGFR agent Iressa and a JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor synergistically suppressed STAT3 activation and potently killed glioblastoma cell lines that expressed EGFR or EGFRvIII. JSI-124 also sensitized malignant glioma and medulloblastoma cells to temozolomide, 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, and cisplatin in which a synergism existed between JSI-124 and cisplatin. Conclusion STAT3 constitutive activation, alone and in concurrence with EGFR expression, plays an important role in high-grade/malignant gliomas and targeting STAT3/JAK2 sensitizes these tumors to anti-EGFR and alkylating agents. PMID

  8. Examining the target levels of state renewable portfolio standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Helwig, Laurence Douglas

    At present 37 U.S. states have passed Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) or have a legislative driven goal that supports investment in renewable energy (RE) technologies. Previous research has identified economic, governmental, ideological and infrastructural characteristics as key predictors of policy adoption and renewable energy deployment efforts (Carley, 2009; Davis & Davis, 2009; Bohn & Lant, 2009; Lyon & Yin, 2010). To date, only a few studies have investigated the target levels of renewable portfolio standards. Carley & Miller (2012) found that policies of differing stringencies were motivated by systematically different factors that included governmental ideology. The purpose of this dissertation is to replicate and expand upon earlier models that predicted RPS adoption and RE deployment efforts by adding regulatory, infrastructural and spatial characteristics to predict RPS target levels. Hypotheses were tested using three alternative measurements of RPS target level strength to determine to what extent a combination of explanatory variables explain variation in policy target levels. Multivariate linear regression and global spatial autocorrelation results indicated that multiple state internal determinants influenced RPS target level including average electricity price, state government ideology and to a lesser extent actual RE potential capacity. In addition, some diffusion effects were found to exist that indicated that states are setting their RPS target levels lower than their neighboring states and a local geo-spatial clustering effect was observed in the target levels for a grouping of northeastern states.

  9. Potential of MR spectroscopy for assessment of glioma grading.

    PubMed

    Bulik, Martin; Jancalek, Radim; Vanicek, Jiri; Skoch, Antonin; Mechl, Marek

    2013-02-01

    Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is an imaging diagnostic method based that allows non-invasive measurement of metabolites in tissues. There are a number of metabolites that can be identified by standard brain proton MRS but only a few of them has a clinical significance in diagnosis of gliomas including N-acetylaspartate, choline, creatine, myo-inositol, lactate, and lipids. In this review, we describe potential of MRS for grading of gliomas. Low-grade gliomas are generally characterized by a relatively high concentration of N-acetylaspartate, low level of choline and absence of lactate and lipids. The increase in creatine concentration indicates low-grade gliomas with earlier progression and malignant transformation. Progression in grade of a glioma is reflected in the progressive decrease in the N-acetylaspartate and myo-inositol levels on the one hand and elevation in choline level up to grade III on the other. Malignant transformation of the glial tumors is also accompanied by the presence of lactate and lipids in MR spectra of grade III but mainly grade IV gliomas. It follows that MRS is a helpful method for detection of glioma regions with aggressive growth or upgrading due to favorable correlation of the choline and N-acetylaspartate levels with histopathological proliferation index Ki-67. Thus, magnetic resonance spectroscopy is also a suitable method for the targeting of brain biopsies. Gliomas of each grade have some specific MRS features that can be used for improvement of the diagnostic value of conventional magnetic resonance imaging in non-invasive assessment of glioma grade. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. The Correlation between the Fourth Grade Students' Level of Functional Literacy and Metacognitive Awareness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Özenç, Emine Gül; Dikici, Hidayet

    2016-01-01

    The present study aims at presenting the relationship between the fourth grade primary school students' level of functional literacy and metacognitive awareness. The study group of the research is made up of 406 fourth grade students attending school during 2015-2016 academic year in Nigde. This study adopts survey model and its data collection…

  11. Predictors of cultural capital on science academic achievement at the 8th grade level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Misner, Johnathan Scott

    The purpose of the study was to determine if students' cultural capital is a significant predictor of 8th grade science achievement test scores in urban locales. Cultural capital refers to the knowledge used and gained by the dominant class, which allows social and economic mobility. Cultural capital variables include magazines at home and parental education level. Other variables analyzed include socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and English language learners (ELL). This non-experimental study analyzed the results of the 2011 Eighth Grade Science National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The researcher analyzed the data using a multivariate stepwise regression analysis. The researcher concluded that the addition of cultural capital factors significantly increased the predictive power of the model where magazines in home, gender, student classified as ELL, parental education level, and SES were the independent variables and science achievement was the dependent variable. For alpha=0.05, the overall test for the model produced a R2 value of 0.232; therefore the model predicted 23.2% of variance in science achievement results. Other major findings include: higher measures of home resources predicted higher 2011 NAEP eighth grade science achievement; males were predicted to have higher 2011 NAEP 8 th grade science achievement; classified ELL students were predicted to score lower on the NAEP eight grade science achievement; higher parent education predicted higher NAEP eighth grade science achievement; lower measures of SES predicted lower 2011 NAEP eighth grade science achievement. This study contributed to the research in this field by identifying cultural capital factors that have been found to have statistical significance on predicting eighth grade science achievement results, which can lead to strategies to help improve science academic achievement among underserved populations.

  12. Grade-Level Differences in Future-Oriented Self-Concept During Early Adolescence: Potential Relevance to School Nursing

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    The middle school and early high school years are a time of significant development, including an increasing ability to envision oneself in the future. Little is known about how adolescents’ future-oriented self-concept (i.e., possible selves) differs across grade levels, although this knowledge may aid in establishing rapport with students and building effective health-promotion and risk reduction interventions. Therefore, this study explored grade-level differences in hoped for and feared possible selves in a sample of 6th – 9th grade students (n = 2,498; Mage = 12.72, SD = 1.15; 51.3% female). Findings suggest that adolescents list a variety of possible selves, and the content differs according to grade-level. These findings offer helpful insight for intervention work aimed at improving student outcomes and preventing risk behavior. Understanding what adolescents hope and fear for themselves in the future may be particularly beneficial for school nurses in identifying the unique challenges students experience and tailoring health-promotion efforts. PMID:27222444

  13. Grade-Level Differences in Future-Oriented Self-Concept During Early Adolescence: Potential Relevance to School Nursing.

    PubMed

    Stoddard, Sarah A; Pierce, Jennifer; Schmidt, Carissa J

    2016-12-01

    The middle school and early high school years are a time of significant development, including an increasing ability to envision oneself in the future. Little is known about how adolescents' future-oriented self-concept (i.e., possible selves) differs across grade levels, although this knowledge may aid in establishing rapport with students and building effective health promotion and risk reduction interventions. Therefore, this study explored grade-level differences in hoped for and feared possible selves in a sample of sixth- to ninth-grade students (n = 2,498; M age = 12.72, SD = 1.15; 51.3% female). Findings suggest that adolescents list a variety of possible selves, and the content differs according to grade level. These findings offer helpful insight for intervention work aimed at improving student outcomes and preventing risk behavior. Understanding what adolescents hope and fear for themselves in the future may be particularly beneficial for school nurses in identifying the unique challenges students experience and tailoring health promotion efforts. © The Author(s) 2016.

  14. A visual grading study for different administered activity levels in bone scintigraphy.

    PubMed

    Gustafsson, Agnetha; Karlsson, Henrik; Nilsson, Kerstin A; Geijer, Håkan; Olsson, Anna

    2015-05-01

    The aim of the study is to assess the administered activity levels versus visual-based image quality using visual grading regression (VGR) including an assessment of the newly stated image criteria for whole-body bone scintigraphy. A total of 90 patients was included and grouped in three levels of administered activity: 400, 500 and 600 MBq. Six clinical image criteria regarding image quality was formulated by experienced nuclear medicine physicians. Visual grading was performed in all images, where three physicians rated the fulfilment of the image criteria on a four-step ordinal scale. The results were analysed using VGR. A count analysis was also made where the total number of counts in both views was registered. The administered activity of 600 MBq gives significantly better image quality than 400 MBq in five of six criteria (P<0·05). Comparing the administered activity of 600 MBq to 500 MBq, four criteria of six show significantly better image quality (P<0·05). The administered activity of 500 MBq gives no significantly better image quality than 400 Mbq (P<0·05). The count analysis shows that none of the three levels of administrated activity fulfil the recommendations by the EANM. There was a significant improvement in perceived image quality using an activity level of 600 MBq compared to lower activity levels in whole-body bone scintigraphy for the gamma camera equipment end set-up used in this study. This type of visual-based grading study seems to be a valuable tool and easy to implement in the clinical environment. © 2014 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Exploring How Second Grade Elementary Teachers Translate Their Nature of Science Views into Classroom Practice After a Graduate Level Nature of Science Course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deniz, Hasan; Adibelli, Elif

    2015-12-01

    The main purpose of this study was to explore the factors mediating the translation of second grade teachers' nature of science (NOS) views into classroom practice after completing a graduate level NOS course. Four second grade in-service elementary teachers comprised the sample of this study. Data were collected from several sources during the course of this study. The primary data sources were (a) assessment of the elementary teachers' NOS views before and after the graduate level NOS course using the Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire Version B (VNOS-B) (Lederman et al., 2002) coupled with interviews, and (b) a classroom observation and videotaped recording of the elementary teachers' best NOS lessons coupled with interview. We identified three distinct but related factors that mediated the translation of NOS views into classroom practice: the teachers' perspectives about the developmental appropriateness of the NOS aspect, the teachers' selection of target NOS aspects, and the relative importance placed by teachers on each NOS aspect.

  16. EMMPRIN expression positively correlates with WHO grades of astrocytomas and meningiomas.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Wen-Chiuan; Chen, Ying; Huang, Li-Chun; Lee, Herng-Sheng; Ma, Hsin-I; Huang, Shih-Ming; Sytwu, Huey-Kang; Hueng, Dueng-Yuan

    2013-09-01

    High-grade primary brain tumors possessed poor outcome due to invasiveness. Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) stimulates peri-tumoral fibroblasts to secrete matrix metalloproteinase and promote invasiveness. This study hypothesized that high-grade brain tumors overexpress EMMPRIN. Analyzing the public delinked database from the Gene Expression Omnibus profile, the results showed that the EMMPRIN mRNA level was higher in WHO grade IV (n = 81) than in grade III (n = 19, p < 0.0005) astrocytomas and non-tumor brain tissue controls (n = 23, p < 0.00001). The results of tissue microarray-based immunohistochemical (IHC) staining revealed that EMMPRIN levels positively correlated with WHO grades for astrocytomas (p = 0.008) and meningiomas (p = 0.048). EMMPRIN mRNA levels in conventional glioma cell lines (n = 36) was not less than those in glioma primary culture cells (n = 27) and glioblastoma stem-like cells (n = 12). The GBM8401, U87MG, and LN229 human glioma cell lines also overexpressed EMMPRIN. Hematoxylin and eosin, IHC, and immunofluorescence staining of xenografts confirmed that high-grade brain tumors overexpressed EMMPRIN. Lastly, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed poorer survival in WHO grade IV (n = 56) than in grade III astrocytomas (n = 21, by log-rank test; p = 0.0001, 95 % CI: 1.842-3.053). However, in high-grade astrocytomas, there was no difference in survival between high and low EMMPRIN mRNA levels. Thus, this study identified that high-grade brain tumors overexpress EMMPRIN, which positively correlates with WHO grades in human astrocytomas and meningiomas, and suggests that EMMPRIN may be a therapeutic target of brain tumor.

  17. Students' Attitudes toward School Chemistry: The Effect of Interaction between Gender and Grade Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belge Can, Hatice

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of interaction between gender and grade level on secondary school students' attitudes toward chemistry as a school subject. The sample is composed of 197 students across Grades 9 to 11. The Attitude Scale Toward Chemistry, developed by Geban & Ertepinar (1994), is used to collect data.…

  18. Evaluation of the Level of Food Safety Protection Provided by the U.S. Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and Its Associated Cooperative Grade "A" Milk Safety Program.

    PubMed

    Ma, Yinqing; Klontz, Karl C; DiNovi, Michael J; Edwards, Alison J; Hennes, Robert F

    2015-08-01

    The present study was conducted to evaluate the level of food safety protection provided to consumers of Grade "A" milk and milk products in the United States by the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) Grade "A" Milk Safety Program through its implementation and enforcement of the U.S. Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). The number of reported illnesses associated with Grade "A" milk and milk products in the United States was obtained from state and federal agencies and published articles. The consumption of Grade "A" milk and milk products in the United States was estimated from food consumption survey data for individuals. The level of food safety protection was measured quantitatively using the metric of annual illness attack rate. During a 15-year period (1999 through 2013), the estimated annual illness attack rate was 0.41 reported illnesses per 1 billion exposures (estimated using person-day intake data) or 0.52 reported illnesses per 1 billion lb (454 million kg) of Grade "A" milk and milk products consumed. Food safety protection provided to consumers of Grade "A" milk and milk products by the NCIMS through its implementation and enforcement of the PMO is important given the common consumption of Grade "A" milk and milk products in the United States.

  19. Exploring the Relationship between Early Childhood and Elementary Grade-Level Overlap and Early Childhood Teacher Output

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fowler, R. Clarke

    2017-01-01

    This study explores the relationship between grade-level overlap between elementary education (ELED) and early childhood education (ECED) licenses and ECED teacher output. Analysis of Title 2 data indicates that ECED/ELED overlap is extensive, as evidenced by the number of states with grade-level overlaps of 5 (n = 2), 4 (n = 24), 3 (n = 10), and…

  20. Chemotherapy and target therapy in the management of adult high- grade gliomas.

    PubMed

    Spinelli, Gian Paolo; Miele, Evelina; Lo Russo, Giuseppe; Miscusi, Massimo; Codacci-Pisanelli, Giovanni; Petrozza, Vincenzo; Papa, Anselmo; Frati, Luigi; Della Rocca, Carlo; Gulino, Alberto; Tomao, Silverio

    2012-10-01

    Adult high grade gliomas (HGG) are the most frequent and fatal primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Despite recent advances in the knowledge of the pathology and the molecular features of this neoplasm, its prognosis remains poor. In the last years temozolomide (TMZ) has dramatically changed the life expectancy of these patients: the association of this drug with radiotherapy (RT), followed by TMZ alone, is the current standard of care. However, malignant gliomas often remain resistant to chemotherapy (CHT). Therefore, preclinical and clinical research efforts have been directed on identifying and understanding the different mechanisms of chemo-resistance operating in this subset of tumors,in order to develop effective strategies to overcome resistance. Moreover, the evidence of alterations in signal transduction pathways underlying tumor progression, has increased the number of trials investigating molecular target agents, such as anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anti- vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling. The purpose of this review is to point out the current standard of treatment and to explore new available target therapies in HGG.

  1. Serum C-reactive protein level in COPD patients stratified according to GOLD 2011 grading classification

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Yi-Hua; Wang, Wan-Yu; Hu, Su-Xian; Shi, Yong-Hong

    2016-01-01

    Background and Objective: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2011 grading classification has been used to evaluate the severity of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, little is known about the relationship between the systemic inflammation and this classification. We aimed to study the relationship between serum CRP and the components of the GOLD 2011 grading classification. Methods: C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured in 391 clinically stable COPD patients and in 50 controls from June 2, 2015 to October 31, 2015 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University. The association between CRP levels and the components of the GOLD 2011 grading classification were assessed. Results: Correlation was found with the following variables: GOLD 2011 group (0.240), age (0.227), pack year (0.136), forced expiratory volume in one second % predicted (FEV1%; -0.267), forced vital capacity % predicted (-0.210), number of acute exacerbations in the past year (0.265), number of hospitalized exacerbations in the past year (0.165), British medical Research Council dyspnoea scale (0.121), COPD assessment test score (CAT, 0.233). Using multivariate analysis, FEV1% and CAT score manifested the strongest negative association with CRP levels. Conclusions: CRP levels differ in COPD patients among groups A-D based on GOLD 2011 grading classification. CRP levels are associated with several important clinical variables, of which FEV1% and CAT score manifested the strongest negative correlation. PMID:28083044

  2. School-based exposure to hazardous air pollutants and grade point average: A multi-level study.

    PubMed

    Grineski, Sara E; Clark-Reyna, Stephanie E; Collins, Timothy W

    2016-05-01

    The problem of environmental health hazards around schools is serious but it has been neglected by researchers and analysts. This is concerning because children are highly susceptible to the effects of chemical hazards. Some ecological studies have demonstrated that higher school-level pollution is associated with lower aggregate school-level standardized test scores likely, related to increased respiratory illnesses and/or impaired cognitive development. However, an important question remains unexamined: How do school-level exposures impact individual children's academic performance? To address this, we obtained socio-demographic and grades data from the parents of 1888 fourth and fifth grade children in the El Paso (Texas, USA) Independent School District in 2012. El Paso is located on the US-side of the Mexican border and has a majority Mexican-origin population. School-based hazardous air pollution (HAP) exposure was calculated using census block-level US Environmental Protection Agency National Air Toxics Assessment risk estimates for respiratory and diesel particulate matter (PM). School-level demographics were obtained from the school district. Multi-level models adjusting for individual-level covariates (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, English proficiency, and economic deprivation) and school-level covariates (e.g., percent of students economically disadvantaged and student-teacher ratio) showed that higher school-level HAPs were associated with lower individual-level grade point averages. An interquartile range increase in school-level HAP exposure was associated with an adjusted 0.11-0.40 point decrease in individual students' grade point averages (GPAs), depending on HAP type and emission source. Respiratory risk from HAPs had a larger effect on GPA than did diesel PM risk. Non-road mobile and total respiratory risk had the largest effects on children's GPA of all HAP variables studied and only mother's level of education had a larger effect than those

  3. Determining the Impact of Remediation on College Level Course Grades, Retention and Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norman, Thomas Kelvin

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine whether varying levels of prior remediation affected grades, success, and retention in online college level courses. Traditional and online sections completed a demographics survey to identify background characteristics along with the amount and type of developmental class. Instructors…

  4. The Relationship between Five Aspects of the Home Environment and Students Reading above Grade Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wynstra, Jennifer E.

    A study investigated five aspects of the home environment (time spent viewing television, time spent doing homework, time involved in recreational reading, time spent with a non-parental caregiver, and bedtime) of first- through fifth-grade students to see if any common experience existed among those students reading above grade level. Subjects…

  5. Increasing Fluency in Disabled Middle School Readers: Repeated Reading Utilizing above Grade Level Reading Passages

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paige, David D.

    2006-01-01

    This study examined the effects of repeated reading using above grade level narrative passages on: (a) reading rate as measured in words per minute (wpm) and (b) reading miscues. A single group, pretest-posttest design was used to measure the treatment effects. The study group consisted of 11, sixth grade African-American students with learning…

  6. Advantages and Disadvantages of Cross Grade Level Collaboration to Improve Collegial Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Fidelia

    2013-01-01

    Researchers have connected student achievement to teacher collaboration; however, there is a paucity of studies conducted on how teachers use identified advantages and disadvantages of cross grade level collaboration to improve collegial interactions to achieve better student performance, professional development, teacher effectiveness, and job…

  7. The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction: VII. Topological rearrangement of hypothalamic aging networks.

    PubMed

    Derous, Davina; Mitchell, Sharon E; Green, Cara L; Wang, Yingchun; Han, Jing Dong J; Chen, Luonan; Promislow, Daniel E L; Lusseau, David; Speakman, John R; Douglas, Alex

    2016-05-01

    Connectivity in a gene-gene network declines with age, typically within gene clusters. We explored the effect of short-term (3 months) graded calorie restriction (CR) (up to 40 %) on network structure of aging-associated genes in the murine hypothalamus by using conditional mutual information. The networks showed a topological rearrangement when exposed to graded CR with a higher relative within cluster connectivity at 40CR. We observed changes in gene centrality concordant with changes in CR level, with Ppargc1a, and Ppt1 having increased centrality and Etfdh, Traf3 and Abcc1 decreased centrality as CR increased. This change in gene centrality in a graded manner with CR, occurred in the absence of parallel changes in gene expression levels. This study emphasizes the importance of augmenting traditional differential gene expression analyses to better understand structural changes in the transcriptome. Overall our results suggested that CR induced changes in centrality of biological relevant genes that play an important role in preventing the age-associated loss of network integrity irrespective of their gene expression levels.

  8. The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction: VII. Topological rearrangement of hypothalamic aging networks

    PubMed Central

    Derous, Davina; Mitchell, Sharon E.; Green, Cara L.; Wang, Yingchun; Han, Jing Dong J.; Chen, Luonan; Promislow, Daniel E.L.; Lusseau, David; Speakman, John R.; Douglas, Alex

    2016-01-01

    Connectivity in a gene-gene network declines with age, typically within gene clusters. We explored the effect of short-term (3 months) graded calorie restriction (CR) (up to 40 %) on network structure of aging-associated genes in the murine hypothalamus by using conditional mutual information. The networks showed a topological rearrangement when exposed to graded CR with a higher relative within cluster connectivity at 40CR. We observed changes in gene centrality concordant with changes in CR level, with Ppargc1a, and Ppt1 having increased centrality and Etfdh, Traf3 and Abcc1 decreased centrality as CR increased. This change in gene centrality in a graded manner with CR, occurred in the absence of parallel changes in gene expression levels. This study emphasizes the importance of augmenting traditional differential gene expression analyses to better understand structural changes in the transcriptome. Overall our results suggested that CR induced changes in centrality of biological relevant genes that play an important role in preventing the age-associated loss of network integrity irrespective of their gene expression levels. PMID:27115072

  9. Hierarchical Effects of School-, Classroom-, and Student-Level Factors on the Science Performance of Eighth-Grade Taiwanese Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsai, Liang-Ting; Yang, Chih-Chien

    2015-05-01

    This study was conducted to understand the effect of student-, classroom-, and school-level factors on the science performance of 8th-grade Taiwanese students in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 by using multilevel analysis. A total of 5,042 students from 153 classrooms of 150 schools participated in the TIMSS 2011 study, in which they were required to complete questionnaires. A 3-level multilevel analysis was used to assess the influence of factors at 3 levels on the science performance of 8th-grade Taiwanese students. The results showed that the provision of education resources at home, teachers' level of education, and school climate were the strongest predictor of science performance at the student, classroom, and school level, respectively. It was concluded that the science performance of 8th-grade Taiwanese students is driven largely by individual factors. Classroom-level factors accounted for a smaller proportion of the total variance in science performance than did school-level factors.

  10. The Revised School Culture Elements Questionnaire: Gender and Grade Level Invariant?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeVaney, Thomas A.; Adams, Nan B.; Hill-Winstead, Flo; Trahan, Mitzi P.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of the RSCEQ with respect to invariance across gender and grade level, using a sample of 901 teachers from 44 schools in southeast Louisiana. Reliability estimates were consistent with previous research and ranged from 0.81 to 0.90 on the actual and 0.83 to 0.92 on the…

  11. Effect of Academic Grade Level on Return to Athletic Competition After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

    PubMed

    Bauer, Matthew; Feeley, Brian T; Gallo, Robert A

    2016-11-07

    After anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, 63% to 87% of high school athletes return to competition. Although physical and psychological factors are known contributors for failure to return to play, little attention has been paid to effect of academic grade level. Our purpose was to determine the influence of effect of academic grade level on return to competitive play. The primary hypothesis is that high school seniors who undergo ACL reconstruction or knee arthroscopy will be less likely to return to competitive play at 1 year than those in grades 9 to 11. We retrospectively reviewed high school athletes who injured their knee during competitive athletic activity and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, including ACL reconstruction. We included those 14 to 18 years old at time of surgery and analyzed records for grade level, sporting activity, surgery details, and date of return to play. The definition of return to competitive play was return to same preinjury sport within 1 year of surgery and the sport had to be organized. Our study group included 225 patients that underwent an ACL reconstruction and 74 had knee arthroscopy. Athletes undergoing ACL reconstructions were less likely to return to preinjury sport within 1 year than those undergoing knee arthroscopy (P=0.0163). Seniors were significantly less likely to return to play at 1 year than athletes in grades 9 to 11 after both ACL reconstruction (P<0.0001) and knee arthroscopy (P=0.0335). Although return to competitive play rates remained fairly constant within grades 9 to 11, a precipitous decline by 28.9% and 29.4% in return to play rates occurred in the ACL reconstruction and knee arthroscopy groups, respectively, between the junior and senior years of high school. Although return to competition rates were lower for high school athletes undergoing ACL reconstruction than those undergoing knee arthroscopy, both had declines in return when the surgery occurs during their senior season. These

  12. Family LIfe Education Curriculum: Grade 7 through Grade 9 Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cumberland County Schools, Fayetteville, NC.

    This document presents a curriculum unit in family life education for students in grades 7 through 9 that encompasses learning about human sexuality, interpersonal relationships, and roles within the family. The unit is designed to attain the following goals: (1) to help students gain a detailed knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, and uniqueness…

  13. Antiglioma effects of cytarabine on leptomeningeal metastasis of high-grade glioma by targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Kai-Hong; Zhang, Can; Bai, Yue; Li, Yan; Kang, Xun; Chen, Jian-Xin; Yao, Kun; Jiang, Tao; Zhong, Xiao-Song; Li, Wen-Bin

    2017-01-01

    Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) of high-grade glioma is a highly lethal disease requiring new effective therapeutic measures. For both de novo or relapsed glioma with LM, intrathecal cytarabine chemotherapy is not frequently used for first-line and relapse protocols. We encountered a clinical case demonstrating effective application of cytarabine in high-grade glioma with LM, prompting us to explore the effects of cytarabine on malignant glioma and molecular mechanisms of such effects through in vivo and in vitro experiments. The U87 cell line was selected to represent human glioma for studies. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay, plate colony formation assay, and trypan-blue dye exclusion test. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Protein expression levels were detected by Western blot assay and immunohistochemistry. mRNA expression was examined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Cytarabine inhibited tumor growth during the in vivo experiment. The present study confirmed that cytarabine inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of U87 cells, and molecular analysis of this effect showed that cytarabine significantly reduces expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/serine/threonine kinase also known as the protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway, Ki-67, BCL2, and 4-1BB, and upregulates Bax and cleaved caspase-3. Our findings indicated that intrathecal administration of cytarabine manifests potential in prophylaxis and treatment of malignant glioma with LM. Effective medications for high-grade glioma with LM should contain cytarabine.

  14. No Time for Tea (Grade Level: Elementary Grades, 3-5)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Social Education, 2005

    2005-01-01

    Designed for Grades 3-5, this lesson plan aims to let the students learn how the Constitution of the United States provided the framework for the country's democratic form of government. Students will learn how the Constitution provided for representation within the government. A short story about the Boston Tea Party gives the background related…

  15. Helping Students with Moderate and Severe Intellectual Disability Access Grade-Level Text

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudson, Melissa E.; Browder, Diane; Wakeman, Shawnee

    2013-01-01

    Teaching students with moderate and severe intellectual disability who are early readers or nonreaders to engage with grade-level text is challenging. For this reason, purposeful thought must be given to promoting text accessibility and teaching text comprehension. Whenever possible, text should be used as it is originally written without…

  16. Relationship of word- and sentence-level working memory to reading and writing in second, fourth, and sixth grade.

    PubMed

    Berninger, Virginia W; Abbott, Robert D; Swanson, H Lee; Lovitt, Dan; Trivedi, Pam; Lin, Shin-Ju Cindy; Gould, Laura; Youngstrom, Marci; Shimada, Shirley; Amtmann, Dagmar

    2010-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of working memory at the word and sentence levels of language to reading and writing outcomes. Measures of working memory at the word and sentence levels, reading and writing, were administered to 2nd (N = 122), 4th (N = 222), and 6th (N = 105) graders. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate whether the 2 predictor working memory factors contributed unique variance beyond their shared covariance to each of 5 outcome factors: handwriting, spelling, composing, word reading, and reading comprehension. At each grade level, except for handwriting and composing in 6th grade, the word-level working memory factor contributed unique variance to each reading and writing outcome. The text-level working memory factor contributed unique variance to reading comprehension in 4th and 6th grade. The clinical significance of these findings for assessment and intervention is discussed.

  17. Career Aspirations of Adolescent Girls: Effects of Achievement Level, Grade, and Single-Sex School Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Cary M.; Quatman, Teri; Edler, Erik

    2002-01-01

    Compared high achieving adolescent girls' ideal and real career aspirations to adolescent boys' aspirations, examining the influence of grade level, achievement level, and an all-girls school environment. At all achievement levels, girls were commensurate with boys in ideal and realistic career aspirations. High achieving girls exceeded the…

  18. Systems for grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations I: Critical appraisal of existing approaches The GRADE Working Group

    PubMed Central

    Atkins, David; Eccles, Martin; Flottorp, Signe; Guyatt, Gordon H; Henry, David; Hill, Suzanne; Liberati, Alessandro; O'Connell, Dianne; Oxman, Andrew D; Phillips, Bob; Schünemann, Holger; Edejer, Tessa Tan-Torres; Vist, Gunn E; Williams, John W

    2004-01-01

    Background A number of approaches have been used to grade levels of evidence and the strength of recommendations. The use of many different approaches detracts from one of the main reasons for having explicit approaches: to concisely characterise and communicate this information so that it can easily be understood and thereby help people make well-informed decisions. Our objective was to critically appraise six prominent systems for grading levels of evidence and the strength of recommendations as a basis for agreeing on characteristics of a common, sensible approach to grading levels of evidence and the strength of recommendations. Methods Six prominent systems for grading levels of evidence and strength of recommendations were selected and someone familiar with each system prepared a description of each of these. Twelve assessors independently evaluated each system based on twelve criteria to assess the sensibility of the different approaches. Systems used by 51 organisations were compared with these six approaches. Results There was poor agreement about the sensibility of the six systems. Only one of the systems was suitable for all four types of questions we considered (effectiveness, harm, diagnosis and prognosis). None of the systems was considered usable for all of the target groups we considered (professionals, patients and policy makers). The raters found low reproducibility of judgements made using all six systems. Systems used by 51 organisations that sponsor clinical practice guidelines included a number of minor variations of the six systems that we critically appraised. Conclusions All of the currently used approaches to grading levels of evidence and the strength of recommendations have important shortcomings. PMID:15615589

  19. Fifth-Grade Turkish Elementary School Students' Listening and Reading Comprehension Levels with Regard to Text Types

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yildirim, Kasim; Yildiz, Mustafa; Ates, Seyit; Rasinski, Timothy

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine fifth grade elementary school students' listening and reading comprehension levels with regard to text types. This study was conducted on 180 fifth grade elementary school students in Sincan-Ankara in the spring semester of the academic year 2008-2009. The comprehension test was administered to students. The…

  20. Targeting neuronal activity-regulated neuroligin-3 dependency in high-grade glioma.

    PubMed

    Venkatesh, Humsa S; Tam, Lydia T; Woo, Pamelyn J; Lennon, James; Nagaraja, Surya; Gillespie, Shawn M; Ni, Jing; Duveau, Damien Y; Morris, Patrick J; Zhao, Jean J; Thomas, Craig J; Monje, Michelle

    2017-09-28

    High-grade gliomas (HGG) are a devastating group of cancers, and represent the leading cause of brain tumour-related death in both children and adults. Therapies aimed at mechanisms intrinsic to glioma cells have translated to only limited success; effective therapeutic strategies will need also to target elements of the tumour microenvironment that promote glioma progression. Neuronal activity promotes the growth of a range of molecularly and clinically distinct HGG types, including adult and paediatric glioblastoma (GBM), anaplastic oligodendroglioma, and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). An important mechanism that mediates this neural regulation of brain cancer is activity-dependent cleavage and secretion of the synaptic adhesion molecule neuroligin-3 (NLGN3), which promotes glioma proliferation through the PI3K-mTOR pathway. However, the necessity of NLGN3 for glioma growth, the proteolytic mechanism of NLGN3 secretion, and the further molecular consequences of NLGN3 secretion in glioma cells remain unknown. Here we show that HGG growth depends on microenvironmental NLGN3, identify signalling cascades downstream of NLGN3 binding in glioma, and determine a therapeutically targetable mechanism of secretion. Patient-derived orthotopic xenografts of paediatric GBM, DIPG and adult GBM fail to grow in Nlgn3 knockout mice. NLGN3 stimulates several oncogenic pathways, such as early focal adhesion kinase activation upstream of PI3K-mTOR, and induces transcriptional changes that include upregulation of several synapse-related genes in glioma cells. NLGN3 is cleaved from both neurons and oligodendrocyte precursor cells via the ADAM10 sheddase. ADAM10 inhibitors prevent the release of NLGN3 into the tumour microenvironment and robustly block HGG xenograft growth. This work defines a promising strategy for targeting NLGN3 secretion, which could prove transformative for HGG therapy.

  1. Targeting neuronal activity-regulated neuroligin-3 dependency in high-grade glioma

    PubMed Central

    Venkatesh, Humsa S.; Tam, Lydia T.; Woo, Pamelyn J.; Lennon, James; Nagaraja, Surya; Gillespie, Shawn M.; Ni, Jing; Duveau, Damien Y.; Morris, Patrick J.; Zhao, Jean J.; Thomas, Craig J.; Monje, Michelle

    2017-01-01

    Summary High-grade gliomas (HGG) are a devastating group of cancers, representing the leading cause of brain tumor-related death in both children and adults. Therapies aimed at mechanisms intrinsic to the glioma cell have translated to only limited success; effective therapeutic strategies will need to also target elements of the tumor microenvironment that promote glioma progression. We recently demonstrated that neuronal activity robustly promotes the growth of a range of molecularly and clinically distinct HGG types, including adult glioblastoma (GBM), anaplastic oligodendroglioma, pediatric GBM, and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG)1. An important mechanism mediating this neural regulation of brain cancer is activity-dependent cleavage and secretion of the synaptic molecule neuroligin-3 (NLGN3), which promotes glioma proliferation through the PI3K-mTOR pathway1. However, neuroligin-3 necessity to glioma growth, proteolytic mechanism of secretion and further molecular consequences in glioma remain to be clarified. Here, we demonstrate a striking dependence of HGG growth on microenvironmental neuroligin-3, elucidate signaling cascades downstream of neuroligin-3 binding in glioma and determine a therapeutically targetable mechanism of secretion. Patient-derived orthotopic xenografts of pediatric GBM, DIPG and adult GBM fail to grow in Nlgn3 knockout mice. Neuroligin-3 stimulates numerous oncogenic pathways, including early focal adhesion kinase activation upstream of PI3K-mTOR, and induces transcriptional changes including upregulation of numerous synapse-related genes in glioma cells. Neuroligin-3 is cleaved from both neurons and oligodendrocyte precursor cells via the ADAM10 sheddase. ADAM10 inhibitors prevent release of neuroligin-3 into the tumor microenvironment and robustly block HGG xenograft growth. This work defines a promising strategy for targeting neuroligin-3 secretion, which could prove transformative for HGG therapy. PMID:28959975

  2. Content, format, gender and grade level differences in elementary students' ability to read science materials as measured by the cloze procedure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Richard L.; Yore, Larry D.

    Present instructional trends in science indicate a need to reexamine a traditional concern in science education: the readability of science textbooks. An area of reading research not well documented is the effect of color, visuals, and page layout on readability of science materials. Using the cloze readability method, the present study explored the relationships between page format, grade level, sex, content, and elementary school students ability to read science material. Significant relationships were found between cloze scores and both grade level and content, and there was a significant interaction effect between grade and sex in favor of older males. No significant relationships could be attributed to page format and sex. In the area of science content, biological materials were most difficult in terms of readability followed by earth science and physical science. Grade level data indicated that grade five materials were more difficult for that level than either grade four or grade six materials were for students at each respective level. In eight of nine cases, the science text materials would be classified at or near the frustration level of readability. The implications for textbook writers and publishers are that science reading materials need to be produced with greater attention to readability and known design principles regarding visual supplements. The implication for teachers is that students need direct instruction in using visual materials to increase their learning from text material. Present visual materials appear to neither help nor hinder the student to gain information from text material.

  3. Orbit targeting specialist function: Level C formulation requirements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dupont, A.; Mcadoo, S.; Jones, H.; Jones, A. K.; Pearson, D.

    1978-01-01

    A definition of the level C requirements for onboard maneuver targeting software is provided. Included are revisions of the level C software requirements delineated in JSC IN 78-FM-27, Proximity Operations Software; Level C Requirements, dated May 1978. The software supports the terminal phase midcourse (TPM) maneuver, braking and close-in operations as well as supporting computation of the rendezvous corrective combination maneuver (NCC), and the terminal phase initiation (TPI). Specific formulation is contained here for the orbit targeting specialist function including the processing logic, linkage, and data base definitions for all modules. The crew interface with the software is through the keyboard and the ORBIT-TGT display.

  4. Effects of the 'Consumer Game' on Learning and Attitudes of Selected Seventh Grade Students in A Target-Area School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Karen C.

    The following report describes one teacher's use of the Consumer Game in a class of seventh grade students in a target area school. These students were not highly motivated and displayed poor attitudes toward school, and it was hoped that a game experience might interest them. Despite unusual administrative conditions, the game appears to have…

  5. CBM Maze-Scores as Indicators of Reading Level and Growth for Seventh-Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chung, Siuman; Espin, Christine A.; Stevenson, Claire E.

    2018-01-01

    The technical adequacy of CBM maze-scores as indicators of reading level and growth for seventh-grade secondary-school students was examined. Participants were 452 Dutch students who completed weekly maze measures over a period of 23 weeks. Criterion measures were school level, dyslexia status, scores and growth on a standardized reading test.…

  6. Laparoscopic Surgical Skills programme: preliminary evaluation of Grade I Level 1 courses by trainees.

    PubMed

    Buzink, Sonja; Soltes, Marek; Radonak, Jozef; Fingerhut, Abe; Hanna, George; Jakimowicz, Jack

    2012-08-01

    New training models are needed to maintain safety and quality of surgical performance. A simulated setting using virtual reality, synthetic, and/or organic models should precede traditional supervised training in the operating room. The aim of the paper is to describe the Laparoscopic Surgical Skills (LSS) programme and to provide information about preliminary evaluation of Grade I Level 1 courses, including overall quality, applicability of the course content in practice and the balance between theory and hands-on training modules, by participating trainees. During 5 accredited LSS Grade I Level 1 courses held in Eindhoven (the Netherlands), Kosice (Slovak Republic), and Lisbon (Portugal) between April 2011 and January 2012, demographic data and pre-course surgical experience in laparoscopic surgery of the participants were recorded. The final course evaluation form was completed by each participant after the course (anonymous) to evaluate course progress, course materials, assessment, staff, location and overall impression of the course on a 1-10 scale to obtain feedback information. Forty-seven surgeons of 5 different nationalities were enrolled in an LSS Grade I Level 1 programme. Most participants were first or second year residents (n = 25), but also already established surgeons took part (n = 6). The mean age of the participants was 31.2 years (SD = 2.86), the male/female ratio was 32/15, and previous experience with laparoscopic surgery was limited. Overall impression of the course was rated with 8.7 points (SD = 0.78). The applicability of the course content in practice and the balance between theory and hands-on training were also rated very well - mean 8.8 (SD = 1.01) and 8.1 points (SD = 0.80) respectively. Laparoscopic Surgical Skills Grade I Level 1 courses are evaluated as well balanced, with content applicable in clinical practice, meeting the expectations of individual participants. International interest in the programme suggests that LSS might

  7. Bullying and victimization: prevalence and relationship to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression.

    PubMed

    Seals, Dorothy; Young, Jerry

    2003-01-01

    This study investigated the prevalence of bullying and victimization among students in grades 7 and 8. It also explored the relationship of bullying and victimization to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression. Three survey instruments were used to obtain data from a convenience sample of 454 public school students. Twenty-four percent reported bullying involvement. Chi-square tests indicated significantly more male than female bullying involvement, seventh graders reported more involvement than did eighth graders, and there were no statistically significant differences in involvement based on ethnicity. Both bullies and victims manifested higher levels of depression than did students who were neither bullies nor victims. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of self-esteem.

  8. Antiglioma effects of cytarabine on leptomeningeal metastasis of high-grade glioma by targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Kai-Hong; Zhang, Can; Bai, Yue; Li, Yan; Kang, Xun; Chen, Jian-Xin; Yao, Kun; Jiang, Tao; Zhong, Xiao-Song; Li, Wen-Bin

    2017-01-01

    Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) of high-grade glioma is a highly lethal disease requiring new effective therapeutic measures. For both de novo or relapsed glioma with LM, intrathecal cytarabine chemotherapy is not frequently used for first-line and relapse protocols. We encountered a clinical case demonstrating effective application of cytarabine in high-grade glioma with LM, prompting us to explore the effects of cytarabine on malignant glioma and molecular mechanisms of such effects through in vivo and in vitro experiments. The U87 cell line was selected to represent human glioma for studies. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay, plate colony formation assay, and trypan-blue dye exclusion test. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Protein expression levels were detected by Western blot assay and immunohistochemistry. mRNA expression was examined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Cytarabine inhibited tumor growth during the in vivo experiment. The present study confirmed that cytarabine inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of U87 cells, and molecular analysis of this effect showed that cytarabine significantly reduces expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/serine/threonine kinase also known as the protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway, Ki-67, BCL2, and 4-1BB, and upregulates Bax and cleaved caspase-3. Our findings indicated that intrathecal administration of cytarabine manifests potential in prophylaxis and treatment of malignant glioma with LM. Effective medications for high-grade glioma with LM should contain cytarabine. PMID:28721010

  9. The Classification of the Probability Unit Ability Levels of the Eleventh Grade Turkish Students by Cluster Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ozyurt, Ozcan

    2014-01-01

    In this study, the probability unit ability levels of the eleventh grade Turkish students were classified through cluster analysis. The study was carried out in a high school located in Trabzon, Turkey during the fall semester of the 2011-2012 academic years. A total of 84 eleventh grade students participated. Students were taught about…

  10. Variation of Student Numerical and Figural Reasoning Approaches by Pattern Generalization Type, Strategy Use and Grade Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    El Mouhayar, Rabih; Jurdak, Murad

    2016-01-01

    This paper explored variation of student numerical and figural reasoning approaches across different pattern generalization types and across grade level. An instrument was designed for this purpose. The instrument was given to a sample of 1232 students from grades 4 to 11 from five schools in Lebanon. Analysis of data showed that the numerical…

  11. ESCOLEX: a grade-level lexical database from European Portuguese elementary to middle school textbooks.

    PubMed

    Soares, Ana Paula; Medeiros, José Carlos; Simões, Alberto; Machado, João; Costa, Ana; Iriarte, Álvaro; de Almeida, José João; Pinheiro, Ana P; Comesaña, Montserrat

    2014-03-01

    In this article, we introduce ESCOLEX, the first European Portuguese children's lexical database with grade-level-adjusted word frequency statistics. Computed from a 3.2-million-word corpus, ESCOLEX provides 48,381 word forms extracted from 171 elementary and middle school textbooks for 6- to 11-year-old children attending the first six grades in the Portuguese educational system. Like other children's grade-level databases (e.g., Carroll, Davies, & Richman, 1971; Corral, Ferrero, & Goikoetxea, Behavior Research Methods, 41, 1009-1017, 2009; Lété, Sprenger-Charolles, & Colé, Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36, 156-166, 2004; Zeno, Ivens, Millard, Duvvuri, 1995), ESCOLEX provides four frequency indices for each grade: overall word frequency (F), index of dispersion across the selected textbooks (D), estimated frequency per million words (U), and standard frequency index (SFI). It also provides a new measure, contextual diversity (CD). In addition, the number of letters in the word and its part(s) of speech, number of syllables, syllable structure, and adult frequencies taken from P-PAL (a European Portuguese corpus-based lexical database; Soares, Comesaña, Iriarte, Almeida, Simões, Costa, …, Machado, 2010; Soares, Iriarte, Almeida, Simões, Costa, França, …, Comesaña, in press) are provided. ESCOLEX will be a useful tool both for researchers interested in language processing and development and for professionals in need of verbal materials adjusted to children's developmental stages. ESCOLEX can be downloaded along with this article or from http://p-pal.di.uminho.pt/about/databases .

  12. The Relationship between Multiplication Fact Speed-Recall and Fluency and Higher Level Mathematics Learning with Eighth Grade Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curry, Steven James

    2012-01-01

    This quantitative study investigated relationships between higher level mathematics learning and multiplication fact fluency, multiplication fact speed-recall, and reading grade equivalency of eighth grade students in Algebra I and Pre-Algebra. Higher level mathematics learning was indicated by an average score of 80% or higher on first and second…

  13. Analysis of EZH2: micro-RNA network in low and high grade astrocytic tumors.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Vikas; Purkait, Suvendu; Takkar, Sonam; Malgulwar, Prit Benny; Kumar, Anupam; Pathak, Pankaj; Suri, Vaishali; Sharma, Mehar C; Suri, Ashish; Kale, Shashank Sharad; Kulshreshtha, Ritu; Sarkar, Chitra

    2016-04-01

    Enhancer of Zeste homologue2 (EZH2) is an epigenetic regulator that functions as oncogene in astrocytic tumors, however, EZH2 regulation remains little studied. In this study, we measured EZH2 levels in low (Gr-II,DA) and high grade (Gr-IV,GBM) astrocytic tumors and found significant increased EZH2 transcript level with grade(median DA-8.5, GBM-28.9).However, a different trend was reflected in protein levels, with GBMs showing high EZH2 LI(median-26.5) compared to DA (median 0.3). This difference in correlation of EZH2 protein and RNA levels suggested post-transcriptional regulation of EZH2, likely mediated by miRNAs. We selected eleven miRNAs that strongly predicted to target EZH2 and measured their expression. Three miRNAs (miR-26a-5p,miR27a-3p and miR-498) showed significant correlation with EZH2 protein, suggesting them as regulators of EZH2, however miR-26a-5p levels decreased with grade. ChIP analyses revealed H3K27me3 modifications in miR-26a promoter suggesting feedback loop between EZH2 and miR26a. We further measured six downstream miRNA targets of EZH2 and found significant downregulation of four (miR-181a/b and 200b/c) in GBM. Interestingly, EZH2 associated miRNAs were predicted to target 25 genes in glioma-pathway, suggesting their role in tumor formation or progression. Collectively, our work suggests EZH2 and its miRNA interactors may serve as promising biomarkers for progression of astrocytic tumors and may offer novel therapeutic strategies.

  14. Effect of Gender, Achievement in Mathematics, and Grade Level on Attitudes toward Mathematics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tapia, Martha; Marsh, George E., II

    The effects of gender, math achievement, and grade level on attitudes toward mathematics were examined by use of an inventory, Attitudes Toward Mathematics Instrument. Subjects were 803 bilingual, middle and high school students. The data were analyzed using a multivariate factorial model with four factors of Mathematics Attitudes as dependent…

  15. Graded levels of FGF protein span the midbrain and can instruct graded induction and repression of neural mapping labels

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Yao; Mohammadi, Moosa; Flanagan, John G.

    2009-01-01

    Summary Graded guidance labels are widely used in neural map formation, but it is not well understood which potential strategy leads to their graded expression. In midbrain tectal map development, FGFs can induce an entire midbrain, but their protein distribution is unclear, nor is it known whether they may act instructively to produce graded gene expression. Using a receptor-alkaline phosphatase fusion probe, we find a long-range posterior>anterior FGF protein gradient spanning the midbrain. Heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) is required for this gradient. To test whether graded FGF concentrations can instruct graded gene expression, a quantitative tectal explant assay was developed. Engrailed-2 and ephrin-As, normally in posterior>anterior tectal gradients, showed graded upregulation. Moreover, EphAs, normally in anterior>posterior countergradients, showed coordinately graded downregulation. These results provide a mechanism to establish graded mapping labels, and more generally provide a developmental strategy to coordinately induce a structure and pattern its cell properties in gradients. PMID:19555646

  16. First grade classroom-level adversity: Associations with teaching practices, academic skills, and executive functioning.

    PubMed

    Abry, Tashia; Granger, Kristen L; Bryce, Crystal I; Taylor, Michelle; Swanson, Jodi; Bradley, Robert H

    2018-05-24

    Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development and a model-building approach, the authors examined direct and indirect associations between first-grade (G1) classroom-level adversity (CLA), G1 teaching practices, and student (N = 1,073; M = 6.64 years; 49% girls; 82% White) academic skills and executive functioning in G1 and third grades (G3). Teachers reported the prevalence of adversity among their students (e.g., poor home/family life, poor academic/social readiness). Observers rated G1 teaching practices: teachers' classroom management, controlling instruction, and amount of academic instruction (classroom observation system). Children completed literacy and math assessments at 54 months, G1, and G3 (Woodcock Johnson Letter-Word Identification and Applied Problems), and executive functioning at G1 and G3 (Tower of Hanoi). Direct associations emerged between CLA and controlling instruction (positive), classroom management, and academic instruction (both negative). In addition, CLA was related to G1 literacy (but not math) directly and indirectly via classroom management (negatively) and controlling instruction (positively). The addition of G3 outcomes revealed a negative direct longitudinal association between CLA and G3 executive functioning, and indirect associations with G3 literacy and math through G1 teaching practices and literacy. Results support the notion that collective student characteristics influence student outcomes in part through teaching practices and suggest that teachers and students may benefit from the diffusion of high-adversity classroom compositions when possible. Moreover, in high-adversity classrooms teachers and students may benefit from supports targeting classroom management and foundational student competencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. Correlation between the Physical Activity Level and Grade Point Averages of Faculty of Education Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Imdat, Yarim

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the study is to find the correlation that exists between physical activity level and grade point averages of faculty of education students. The subjects consist of 359 (172 females and 187 males) under graduate students To determine the physical activity levels of the students in this research, International Physical Activity…

  18. Comparative Effectiveness of Targeted Prostate Biopsy Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Ultrasound Fusion Software and Visual Targeting: a Prospective Study.

    PubMed

    Lee, Daniel J; Recabal, Pedro; Sjoberg, Daniel D; Thong, Alan; Lee, Justin K; Eastham, James A; Scardino, Peter T; Vargas, Hebert Alberto; Coleman, Jonathan; Ehdaie, Behfar

    2016-09-01

    We compared the diagnostic outcomes of magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion and visually targeted biopsy for targeting regions of interest on prostate multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging. Patients presenting for prostate biopsy with regions of interest on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging underwent magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsy. For each region of interest 2 visually targeted cores were obtained, followed by 2 cores using a magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion device. Our primary end point was the difference in the detection of high grade (Gleason 7 or greater) and any grade cancer between visually targeted and magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion, investigated using McNemar's method. Secondary end points were the difference in detection rate by biopsy location using a logistic regression model and the difference in median cancer length using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. We identified 396 regions of interest in 286 men. The difference in the detection of high grade cancer between magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion biopsy and visually targeted biopsy was -1.4% (95% CI -6.4 to 3.6, p=0.6) and for any grade cancer the difference was 3.5% (95% CI -1.9 to 8.9, p=0.2). Median cancer length detected by magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion and visually targeted biopsy was 5.5 vs 5.8 mm, respectively (p=0.8). Magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion biopsy detected 15% more cancers in the transition zone (p=0.046) and visually targeted biopsy detected 11% more high grade cancer at the prostate base (p=0.005). Only 52% of all high grade cancers were detected by both techniques. We found no evidence of a significant difference in the detection of high grade or any grade cancer between visually targeted and magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion biopsy. However, the performance of each technique varied in specific biopsy locations and the outcomes of both techniques were complementary. Combining visually targeted biopsy and magnetic resonance

  19. School-Level Contextual Effects of Parent Involvement on Children's Achievement during Elementary Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oh, Yoonkyung

    2012-01-01

    This study used the ECLS-K to examine the contextual influences of parent involvement on children's achievement growth in reading and math during elementary grades. The study used Rasch models and HLM measurement models to develop reliable and valid constructs of parent involvement both at the student and at the school level. Piecewise linear…

  20. Formative Assessment of Collaborative Teams (FACT): Development of a Grade-Level Instructional Team Checklist

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Matthew J.; Hallam, Pamela R.; Charlton, Cade T.; Wall, D. Gary

    2014-01-01

    Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have become increasingly popular in schools. PLCs are groups of teachers, administrators, parents, and students who collaborate to improve their practices and focus on results (DuFour, 2004). Grade-level and department teachers participate in regularly scheduled collaborative team meetings; however, many…

  1. Predictive relationship of osteopathic manual medicine grades and COMLEX-USA Level 1 total scores and osteopathic principles and practice subscores.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Drew D; Johnson, Mary T; Finnerty, Edward P

    2014-06-01

    Osteopathic manual medicine (OMM) encompasses hands-on diagnosis and treatment as part of patient care. The area of osteopathic principles and practice (OPP) is considered a core competency for students and practitioners of this medical tradition. The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination-USA (COMLEX-USA) is a useful tool for assessing candidates' competency. To examine the relationship of COMLEX-USA Level 1 total scores and OPP subscores with OMM course grades, and to determine if these grades are predictive of COMLEX-USA Level 1 OPP performance. The authors collected data-COMLEX-USA Level 1 total and OPP subscores, OMM grades (written, practical, and total for first and second academic years), sex, and age-for a cohort of osteopathic medical students at a single institution, and these data were then analyzed by means of correlation analysis. Records were obtained from a second-year class of osteopathic medical students (N=217). The authors' analysis of total scores and OPP subscores on COMLEX-USA Level 1 yielded a statistically significant correlation with all variables. Although the correlations were moderate, second-year written examination grades showed the strongest association with the COMLEX-USA Level 1 OPP subscores (r=0.530) and total scores (r=0.566). Performance in the second-year OMM written examination could identify students potentially at risk for poor performance on COMLEX-USA Level 1. © 2014 The American Osteopathic Association.

  2. High pre-transplant soluble CD30 levels are predictive of the grade of rejection.

    PubMed

    Rajakariar, Ravindra; Jivanji, Naina; Varagunam, Mira; Rafiq, Mohammad; Gupta, Arun; Sheaff, Michael; Sinnott, Paul; Yaqoob, M M

    2005-08-01

    In renal transplantation, serum soluble CD30 (sCD30) levels in graft recipients are associated with increased rejection and graft loss. We investigated whether pre-transplant sCD30 concentrations are predictive of the grade of rejection. Pre-transplant sera of 51 patients with tubulointerstitial rejection (TIR), 16 patients with vascular rejection (VR) and an age-matched control group of 41 patients with no rejection (NR) were analyzed for sCD30. The transplant biopsies were immunostained for C4d. The median sCD30 level was significantly elevated in the group with VR (248 Units (U)/mL, range: 92-802) when compared with TIR (103 U/mL, range: 36-309, p<0.001) and NR (179 U/mL, range: 70-343, p<0.03). Moreover, patients with TIR had significantly lower sCD30 levels compared to NR. Based on C4d staining, a TH2 driven process, the median sCD30 levels were significantly raised in C4d+ patients compared with C4d- group (177 U/mL vs. 120 U/mL, p<0.05). sCD30 levels measured at time of transplantation correlate with the grade of rejection. High pre-transplant levels are associated with antibody-mediated rejection which carries a poorer prognosis. sCD30 could be another tool to assess immunological risk prior to transplantation and enable a patient centered approach to immunosuppression.

  3. Enteral nutrition increases interstitial brain glucose levels in poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.

    PubMed

    Kofler, Mario; Schiefecker, Alois J; Beer, Ronny; Gaasch, Maxime; Rhomberg, Paul; Stover, John; Pfausler, Bettina; Thomé, Claudius; Schmutzhard, Erich; Helbok, Raimund

    2018-03-01

    Low brain tissue glucose levels after acute brain injury are associated with poor outcome. Whether enteral nutrition (EN) reliably increases cerebral glucose levels remains unclear. In this retrospective analysis of prospectively collected observational data, we investigate the effect of EN on brain metabolism in 17 poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients undergoing cerebral microdialysis (CMD) monitoring. CMD-values were obtained hourly. A nutritional intervention was defined as the clinical routine administration of EN without supplemental parenteral nutrition. Sixty-three interventions were analyzed. The mean amount of EN per intervention was 472.4 ± 10.7 kcal. CMD-glucose levels significantly increased from 1.59 ± 0.13 mmol/l at baseline to a maximum of 2.03 ± 0.2 mmol/l after 5 h (p < 0.001), independently of insulin-treatment, baseline serum glucose, baseline brain metabolic distress (CMD-lactate-to-pyruvate-ratio (LPR) > 40) and the microdialysis probe location. The increase in CMD-glucose was directly dependent on the magnitude of increase of serum glucose levels (p = 0.007). No change in CMD-lactate, CMD-pyruvate, CMD-LPR, or CMD-glutamate (p > 0.4) was observed. Routine EN also increased CMD-glucose even if baseline concentrations were critically low ( < 0.7 mmol/l, neuroglucopenia; p < 0.001). These results may have treatment implications regarding glucose management of poor-grade aneurysmal SAH patients.

  4. The Prediction of Reading Levels between Second and Third Grade Limited English Proficient Students in a Bilingual Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moses, Britani Creel

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to predict the third grade English reading TAKS scores while considering the same students' native language, Spanish, reading level as assessed by a state-approved reading assessment, the Evaluacion del desarrollo de la lectura (EDL), from the end of the second grade year. In addition, this study was been designed to…

  5. HER2 over-expressing high grade endometrial cancer expresses high levels of p95HER2 variant.

    PubMed

    Growdon, Whitfield B; Groeneweg, Jolijn; Byron, Virginia; DiGloria, Celeste; Borger, Darrell R; Tambouret, Rosemary; Foster, Rosemary; Chenna, Ahmed; Sperinde, Jeff; Winslow, John; Rueda, Bo R

    2015-04-01

    Subsets of high grade endometrial cancer (EnCa) over-express HER2 (ERBB2), yet clinical trials have failed to demonstrate any anti-tumor activity utilizing trastuzumab, an approved platform for HER2 positive breast cancer (BrCa). A truncated p95HER2 variant lacking the trastuzumab binding site may confer resistance. The objective of this investigation was to characterize the expression of the p95HER2 truncated variant in EnCa. With institutional approval, 86 high grade EnCa tumors were identified with tumor specimens from surgeries performed between 2000 and 2011. Clinical data were collected and all specimens underwent tumor genotyping, HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC, HercepTest®), HER2 fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), along with total HER2 (H2T) and p95HER2 assessment with VeraTag® testing. Regression models were used to compare a cohort of 86 breast tumors selected for equivalent HER2 protein expression. We identified 44 high grade endometrioid and 42 uterine serous carcinomas (USC). IHC identified high HER2 expression (2+ or 3+) in 59% of the tumors. HER2 gene amplification was observed in 16 tumors (12 USC, 4 endometrioid). Both HER2 gene amplification and protein expression correlated with H2T values. High p95HER2 expression above 2.8RF/mm2 was observed in 53% (n=54) with significant correlation with H2T levels. When matched to a cohort of 107 breast tumors based on HercepTest HER2 expression, high grade EnCa presented with higher p95 levels (p<0.001). These data demonstrate that compared to BrCa, high grade EnCa expresses higher levels of p95HER2 possibly providing rationale for the trastuzumab resistance observed in EnCa. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. What's in a Grade?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughey, Jim D.; Harper, Bena

    A study explored the processes and attitudes that occur when assigning students a final course grade. The final grades for 1,578 students in a basic communication course were used in discriminant analyses. The level (the mean of all grades given) and the spread (standard deviation of all grades given) were estimated for each of 17 instructors. The…

  7. Perceptions of Classroom Assessment Tasks: An Interplay of Gender, Subject Area, and Grade Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alkharusi, Hussain Ali; Al-Hosni, Salim

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates students' perceptions of classroom assessment tasks as a function of gender, subject area, and grade level. Data from 2753 students on Dorman and Knightley's (2006) Perceptions of Assessment Tasks Inventory (PATI) were analyzed in a MANOVA design. Results showed that students tended to hold positive perceptions of their…

  8. Micro and macro level safety analysis at railroad grade crossings.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-03-01

    Railroad grade crossings are potential conflict points between train and highway vehicles, and train and pedestrians. Grade crossings pose a risk to all the travelers and the degree of risk depends on factors such as train and vehicle volumes, presen...

  9. Grade Inflation Marches On: Grade Increases from the 1990s to 2000s

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kostal, Jack W.; Kuncel, Nathan R.; Sackett, Paul R.

    2016-01-01

    Grade inflation threatens the integrity of college grades as indicators of academic achievement. In this study, we contribute to the literature on grade inflation by providing the first estimate of the size of grade increases at the student level between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s. By controlling for student characteristics and course-taking…

  10. An elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level in hepatic metastases of grade 1 and 2 gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors is unusual and of prognostic value.

    PubMed

    Andriantsoa, Maeva; Hoibian, Solene; Autret, Aurelie; Gilabert, Marine; Sarran, Anthony; Niccoli, Patricia; Raoul, Jean-Luc

    2017-01-01

    In our clinical practice we have observed that despite a high hepatic metastatic tumor burden, serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels are frequently normal in cases of metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET). We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with grade 1 and 2 NETs with liver metastases but without bone metastases seen at our institution in 2013. In total, 49 patients were included (22 female), with a median age of 60 years (range: 28 to 84 years). The primary tumors were located in the duodenum/pancreas (n = 29), small bowel (n = 17) or colon/rectum (n = 3); 10 cases were grade 1 and 39 grade 2. Hepatic involvement was bulky, with more than 10 lesions in 23 patients and a tumor burden above 10% of the liver volume in 26 patients. Serum AP levels were elevated (≥ upper limit of normal (ULN)) in 16 patients. In multiparametric analysis, elevated serum AP levels were not associated with the primary site, grade, or number or volume of metastases. In multiparametric analysis, progression-free survival was only correlated with grade (p = 0.010) and AP level (p = 0.017). Serum AP levels are frequently normal in liver metastases from NET, even in the event of a major tumor burden, and the serum AP level can be of prognostic value.

  11. Evaluating the Effectiveness of First Grade Literacy Interventions: Reading Recovery and Leveled Literacy Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Heidi Thomson

    2014-01-01

    This is a quantitative research project utilizing secondary data. Reading Recovery and Leveled Literacy Intervention are two early literacy interventions based on a whole language and phonetic approach to reading instruction. For the purposes of this study, the end-of-first-grade benchmark is a Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) 18 and the…

  12. The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction: XI. Evaluation of the main hypotheses underpinning the life extension effects of CR using the hepatic transcriptome.

    PubMed

    Derous, Davina; Mitchell, Sharon E; Wang, Lu; Green, Cara L; Wang, Yingchun; Chen, Luonan; Han, Jing-Dong J; Promislow, Daniel E L; Lusseau, David; Douglas, Alex; Speakman, John R

    2017-07-31

    Calorie restriction (CR) may extend longevity by modulating the mechanisms involved in aging. Different hypotheses have been proposed for its main mode of action. We quantified hepatic transcripts of male C57BL/6 mice exposed to graded levels of CR (0% to 40% CR) for three months, and evaluated the responses relative to these various hypotheses. Of the four main signaling pathways implied to be linked to the impact of CR on lifespan (insulin/insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-ĸB), mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and sirtuins (SIRTs)), all the pathways except SIRT were altered in a manner consistent with increased lifespan. However, the expression levels of SIRT4 and SIRT7 were decreased with increasing levels of CR. Changes consistent with altered fuel utilization under CR may reduce reactive oxygen species production, which was paralleled by reduced protection. Downregulated major urinary protein (MUP) transcription suggested reduced reproductive investment. Graded CR had a positive effect on autophagy and xenobiotic metabolism, and was protective with respect to cancer signaling. CR had no significant effect on fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) transcription but affected transcription in the hydrogen sulfide production pathway. Responses to CR were consistent with several different hypotheses, and the benefits of CR on lifespan likely reflect the combined impact on multiple aging related processes.

  13. The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction: XI. Evaluation of the main hypotheses underpinning the life extension effects of CR using the hepatic transcriptome

    PubMed Central

    Derous, Davina; Mitchell, Sharon E.; Wang, Lu; Green, Cara L.; Wang, Yingchun; Chen, Luonan; Han, Jing-Dong J.; Promislow, Daniel E.L.; Lusseau, David; Douglas, Alex; Speakman, John R.

    2017-01-01

    Calorie restriction (CR) may extend longevity by modulating the mechanisms involved in aging. Different hypotheses have been proposed for its main mode of action. We quantified hepatic transcripts of male C57BL/6 mice exposed to graded levels of CR (0% to 40% CR) for three months, and evaluated the responses relative to these various hypotheses. Of the four main signaling pathways implied to be linked to the impact of CR on lifespan (insulin/insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-ĸB), mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and sirtuins (SIRTs)), all the pathways except SIRT were altered in a manner consistent with increased lifespan. However, the expression levels of SIRT4 and SIRT7 were decreased with increasing levels of CR. Changes consistent with altered fuel utilization under CR may reduce reactive oxygen species production, which was paralleled by reduced protection. Downregulated major urinary protein (MUP) transcription suggested reduced reproductive investment. Graded CR had a positive effect on autophagy and xenobiotic metabolism, and was protective with respect to cancer signaling. CR had no significant effect on fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) transcription but affected transcription in the hydrogen sulfide production pathway. Responses to CR were consistent with several different hypotheses, and the benefits of CR on lifespan likely reflect the combined impact on multiple aging related processes. PMID:28768896

  14. The Impacts of the Voice Change, Grade Level, and Experience on the Singing Self-Efficacy of Emerging Adolescent Males

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, Ryan A.

    2014-01-01

    The purposes of the study are to describe characteristics of the voice change in sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade choir students using Cooksey's voice-change classification system and to determine if the singing self-efficacy of adolescent males is affected by the voice change, grade level, and experience. Participants (N = 80) consisted of…

  15. The Role of the A* Grade at a Level as a Predictor of University Performance in the United Kingdom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen; Zanini, Nadir

    2015-01-01

    In summer 2010, the A* grade at A level was awarded for the first time. This grade was introduced to help higher education institutions to differentiate between the highest achieving candidates and to promote and reward greater stretch and challenge. Exploring data from the Higher Education Statistics Service and making use of multilevel…

  16. Fourth-grade children's dietary recall accuracy is influenced by retention interval (target period and interview time).

    PubMed

    Baxter, Suzanne Domel; Hardin, James W; Guinn, Caroline H; Royer, Julie A; Mackelprang, Alyssa J; Smith, Albert F

    2009-05-01

    For a 24-hour dietary recall, two possible target periods are the prior 24 hours (24 hours immediately preceding the interview time) and previous day (midnight to midnight of the day before the interview), and three possible interview times are morning, afternoon, and evening. Target period and interview time determine the retention interval (elapsed time between to-be-reported meals and the interview), which, along with intervening meals, can influence reporting accuracy. The effects of target period and interview time on children's accuracy for reporting school meals during 24-hour dietary recalls were investigated. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS/SETTING: During the 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007 school years in Columbia, SC, each of 374 randomly selected fourth-grade children (96% African American) was observed eating two consecutive school meals (breakfast and lunch) and interviewed to obtain a 24-hour dietary recall using one of six conditions defined by crossing two target periods with three interview times. Each condition had 62 or 64 children (half boys). Accuracy for reporting school meals was quantified by calculating rates for omissions (food items observed eaten but unreported) and intrusions (food items reported eaten but unobserved); a measure of total inaccuracy combined errors for reporting food items and amounts. For each accuracy measure, analysis of variance was conducted with target period, interview time, their interaction, sex, interviewer, and school year in the model. There was a target-period effect and a target-period by interview-time interaction on omission rates, intrusion rates, and total inaccuracy (six P values <0.004). For prior-24-hour recalls compared to previous-day recalls, and for prior-24-hour recalls in the afternoon and evening compared to previous-day recalls in the afternoon and evening, omission rates were better by one third, intrusion rates were better by one half, and total inaccuracy was better by one third. To enhance

  17. Principal Leadership: How Knowledge, Agency, and Beliefs Influence Grade-Level K-8 Student Retention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Matthew Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Despite voluminous research on the detrimental effects of grade-level retention, it continues as a regular practice in American public schools as an intervention for struggling students. While research has been done on the roles and influences of teachers on the retention process, little has been done to measure the influence of the school…

  18. An Investigation of Selected Readiness Variables As Predictors of Reading Achievement at Second Grade Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seals, Caryl Neman

    This study was designed to determine the relationship of selected readiness variables to achievement in reading at the second grade level. The readiness variables were environment, mathematics, letters and sounds, aural comprehension, visual perception, auditory perception, vocabulary and concepts, word meaning, listening, matching, alphabet,…

  19. Unmet Needs of Low Academic Level Adult (0-4th Grade Level) Students: A Follow-Up Study. A Special Demonstration/Teacher Training Project. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Portage Township Schools, IN.

    An Indiana 310 Project was conducted to determine the needs of very low level adult basic education students (0-4th grade). Specifically, the study sought to answer the following four questions: (1) What brings low academic level students into ABE programs? (2) What aspects of the ABE programs do low academic level students dislike? (3) Why do low…

  20. Anthropometric and Athletic Performance Combine Test Results Among Positions Within Grade Levels of High School-Aged American Football Players.

    PubMed

    Leutzinger, Todd J; Gillen, Zachary M; Miramonti, Amelia M; McKay, Brianna D; Mendez, Alegra I; Cramer, Joel T

    2018-05-01

    Leutzinger, TJ, Gillen, ZM, Miramonti, AM, McKay, BD, Mendez, AI, and Cramer, JT. Anthropometric and athletic performance combine test results among positions within grade levels of high school-aged American football players. J Strength Cond Res 32(5): 1288-1296, 2018-The purpose of this study was to investigate differences among player positions at 3 grade levels in elite, collegiate-prospective American football players. Participants' data (n = 7,160) were analyzed for this study (mean height [Ht] ± SD = 178 ± 7 cm, mass [Bm] = 86 ± 19 kg). Data were obtained from 12 different high school American football recruiting combines hosted by Zybek Sports (Boulder, Colorado). Eight 2-way (9 × 3) mixed factorial analysis of variances {position (defensive back [DB], defensive end, defensive lineman, linebacker, offensive lineman [OL], quarterback, running back, tight end, and wide receiver [WR]) × grade (freshmen, sophomores, and juniors)} were used to test for differences among the mean test scores for each combine measure (Ht, Bm, 40-yard [40 yd] dash, proagility [PA] drill, L-cone [LC] drill, vertical jump [VJ], and broad jump [BJ]). There were position-related differences (p ≤ 0.05) for Ht, 40 yd dash, and BJ, within each grade level and for Bm, PA, LC, and VJ independent of grade level. Generally, the results showed that OL were the tallest, weighed the most, and exhibited the lowest performance scores among positions. Running backs were the shortest, whereas DBs and WRs weighed the least and exhibited the highest performance scores among positions. These results demonstrate the value of classifying high school-aged American football players according to their specific position rather than categorical groupings such as "line" vs. "skill" vs. "big skill" when evaluating anthropometric and athletic performance combine test results.

  1. Patterns of Victimization Locations in Elementary School Children: Effects of Grade Level and Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fite, Paula J.; Williford, Anne; Cooley, John L.; DePaolis, Kathryn; Rubens, Sonia L.; Vernberg, Eric M.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Little research has examined the locations in which youth are victimized, particularly outside the school context. Further, it is not clear if the locations in which youth are victimized vary as a function of grade level or gender. Objective: The goals of the current study were to: (1) Determine the locations inside and outside of the…

  2. An elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level in hepatic metastases of grade 1 and 2 gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors is unusual and of prognostic value

    PubMed Central

    Andriantsoa, Maeva; Hoibian, Solene; Autret, Aurelie; Gilabert, Marine; Sarran, Anthony; Niccoli, Patricia

    2017-01-01

    Background In our clinical practice we have observed that despite a high hepatic metastatic tumor burden, serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels are frequently normal in cases of metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET). Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with grade 1 and 2 NETs with liver metastases but without bone metastases seen at our institution in 2013. In total, 49 patients were included (22 female), with a median age of 60 years (range: 28 to 84 years). The primary tumors were located in the duodenum/pancreas (n = 29), small bowel (n = 17) or colon/rectum (n = 3); 10 cases were grade 1 and 39 grade 2. Hepatic involvement was bulky, with more than 10 lesions in 23 patients and a tumor burden above 10% of the liver volume in 26 patients. Results Serum AP levels were elevated (≥ upper limit of normal (ULN)) in 16 patients. In multiparametric analysis, elevated serum AP levels were not associated with the primary site, grade, or number or volume of metastases. In multiparametric analysis, progression-free survival was only correlated with grade (p = 0.010) and AP level (p = 0.017). Conclusions Serum AP levels are frequently normal in liver metastases from NET, even in the event of a major tumor burden, and the serum AP level can be of prognostic value. PMID:28562682

  3. There were no differences in serum HBV DNA level between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B with same liver histological necroinflammation grade but differences among grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume.

    PubMed

    Ke, W-M; Xie, S-B; Li, X-J; Zhang, S-Q; Lai, J; Ye, Y-N; Gao, Z-L; Chen, P-J

    2011-09-01

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels and liver histological necroinflammation grades are correlated with the antiviral efficacy. It is necessary to clarify the relationship between HBV replication levels apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume and severity of liver histological necroinflammation grades in both hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. The serum HBV DNA levels apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume were compared between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B as well as among liver histological necroinflammation grades 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. There were no differences in the serum HBV DNA levels between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B as well as among liver histological necroinflammation grades 1, 2, 3 and 4. However, there were differences in the serum HBV DNA levels apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume among liver histological necroinflammation grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 in both HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B, respectively. There were no differences in HBV DNA levels with the same liver histological necroinflammation grade activated by HBV wild-type and variant strains. After the differences in hepatic parenchyma cell volume for HBV replication of the same liver histological necroinflammation grade accompanied by different hepatic fibrosis stages were adjusted, the serum HBV DNA level apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume was correlated with the severity of liver histological necroinflammation grade. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  4. Teachers' Estimates of Candidates' Grades: Curriculum 2000 Advanced Level Qualifications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dhillon, Debra

    2005-01-01

    In the UK, estimated grades have long been provided to higher education establishments as part of their entry procedures. Since 1994 they have also been routinely collected by awarding bodies to facilitate the grade-awarding process. Analyses of required estimates to a British awarding body revealed that teachers' estimates of candidates'…

  5. 76 FR 12942 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Defining Target Levels for Ecosystem Components...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-09

    ... Collection; Comment Request; Defining Target Levels for Ecosystem Components: A Socio-Ecological Approach... numerous species, and a mean level of species placement within a predator/prey chain or food web can serve...-based Management, when target levels for indicators exist. Because targets are an expression of the...

  6. The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction: VI. Impact of short-term graded calorie restriction on transcriptomic responses of the hypothalamic hunger and circadian signaling pathways.

    PubMed

    Derous, Davina; Mitchell, Sharon E; Green, Cara L; Chen, Luonan; Han, Jing-Dong J; Wang, Yingchun; Promislow, Daniel E L; Lusseau, David; Speakman, John R; Douglas, Alex

    2016-04-01

    Food intake and circadian rhythms are regulated by hypothalamic neuropeptides and circulating hormones, which could mediate the anti-ageing effect of calorie restriction (CR). We tested whether these two signaling pathways mediate CR by quantifying hypothalamic transcripts of male C57BL/6 mice exposed to graded levels of CR (10 % to 40 %) for 3 months. We found that the graded CR manipulation resulted in upregulation of core circadian rhythm genes, which correlated negatively with circulating levels of leptin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). In addition, key components in the hunger signaling pathway were expressed in a manner reflecting elevated hunger at greater levels of restriction, and which also correlated negatively with circulating levels of insulin, TNF-α, leptin and IGF-1. Lastly, phenotypes, such as food anticipatory activity and body temperature, were associated with expression levels of both hunger genes and core clock genes. Our results suggest modulation of the hunger and circadian signaling pathways in response to altered levels of circulating hormones, that are themselves downstream of morphological changes resulting from CR treatment, may be important elements in the response to CR, driving some of the key phenotypic outcomes.

  7. The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction: VI. Impact of short-term graded calorie restriction on transcriptomic responses of the hypothalamic hunger and circadian signaling pathways

    PubMed Central

    Green, Cara L.; Chen, Luonan; Han, Jing‐Dong J.; Wang, Yingchun; Promislow, Daniel E.L.; Lusseau, David; Speakman, John R.; Douglas, Alex

    2016-01-01

    Food intake and circadian rhythms are regulated by hypothalamic neuropeptides and circulating hormones, which could mediate the anti‐ageing effect of calorie restriction (CR). We tested whether these two signaling pathways mediate CR by quantifying hypothalamic transcripts of male C57BL/6 mice exposed to graded levels of CR (10 % to 40 %) for 3 months. We found that the graded CR manipulation resulted in upregulation of core circadian rhythm genes, which correlated negatively with circulating levels of leptin, insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1), insulin, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α). In addition, key components in the hunger signaling pathway were expressed in a manner reflecting elevated hunger at greater levels of restriction, and which also correlated negatively with circulating levels of insulin, TNF‐α, leptin and IGF‐1. Lastly, phenotypes, such as food anticipatory activity and body temperature, were associated with expression levels of both hunger genes and core clock genes. Our results suggest modulation of the hunger and circadian signaling pathways in response to altered levels of circulating hormones, that are themselves downstream of morphological changes resulting from CR treatment, may be important elements in the response to CR, driving some of the key phenotypic outcomes. PMID:26945906

  8. The Relationship between Teacher Efficacy Levels and Virginia Standards of Learning Fifth Grade Math Achievement in One Virginia School Division

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillips, Daniel M.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teacher efficacy levels and fifth grade Virginia SOL Mathematic achievement. This study sought to determine the extent to which personal efficacy, general efficacy, and total efficacy account for fifth grade Virginia Standards of Learning Mathematic achievement over and above…

  9. Teachers' Motivating Methods to Support Thai Ninth Grade Students' Levels of Motivation and Learning in Mathematics Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nenthien, Sansanee; Loima, Jyrki

    2016-01-01

    The aims of this qualitative research were to investigate the level of motivation and learning of ninth grade students in mathematics classrooms in Thailand and to reveal how the teachers supported students' levels of motivation and learning. The participants were 333 students and 12 teachers in 12 mathematics classrooms from four regions of…

  10. Music Handbook for Primary Grades.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowman, Doris; And Others

    GRADES OR AGES: Primary grades (1, 2, and 3). SUBJECT MATTER: Music. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: This guide contains a detailed outline of the basic music concepts for elementary grades with suggestions for activities which may develop understanding of the concepts. The pages of activities are color coded by grade level. There are three…

  11. Spatial Skills as a Predictor of First Grade Girls' Use of Higher Level Arithmetic Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laski, Elida V.; Casey, Beth M.; Yu, Qingyi; Dulaney, Alana; Heyman, Miriam; Dearing, Eric

    2013-01-01

    Girls are more likely than boys to use counting strategies rather than higher-level mental strategies to solve arithmetic problems. Prior research suggests that dependence on counting strategies may have negative implications for girls' later math achievement. We investigated the relation between first-grade girls' verbal and spatial skills and…

  12. Investigations of internal noise levels for different target sizes, contrasts, and noise structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Minah; Choi, Shinkook; Baek, Jongduk

    2014-03-01

    To describe internal noise levels for different target sizes, contrasts, and noise structures, Gaussian targets with four different sizes (i.e., standard deviation of 2,4,6 and 8) and three different noise structures(i.e., white, low-pass, and highpass) were generated. The generated noise images were scaled to have standard deviation of 0.15. For each noise type, target contrasts were adjusted to have the same detectability based on NPW, and the detectability of CHO was calculated accordingly. For human observer study, 3 trained observers performed 2AFC detection tasks, and correction rate, Pc, was calculated for each task. By adding proper internal noise level to numerical observer (i.e., NPW and CHO), detectability of human observer was matched with that of numerical observers. Even though target contrasts were adjusted to have the same detectability of NPW observer, detectability of human observer decreases as the target size increases. The internal noise level varies for different target sizes, contrasts, and noise structures, demonstrating different internal noise levels should be considered in numerical observer to predict the detection performance of human observer.

  13. No differences in grades or level of satisfaction in a flipped classroom for neuroanatomy.

    PubMed

    Whillier, Stephney; Lystad, Reidar Petter

    2015-10-01

    The intensive nature of a 5- or 6-week teaching block poses unique problems for adequate delivery of content. This study was designed to compare the delivery of a unit of undergraduate neuroanatomy in a short summer school period, as a traditionally taught unit, with a rendition given in the form of the "Flipped Classroom." The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom in the intensive mode classroom. The flipped classroom encompassed the same learning outcomes, but students were responsible for covering the content at home in preparation for tutorials that applied their acquired knowledge to higher levels of thinking. The main outcome measures were the final course grades and the level of satisfaction with the course. There were no significant differences between the 2 cohorts in final grades (p = .259), self-rated knowledge (p = .182), or overall satisfaction with the course (p = .892). This particular design of the flipped classroom did not add value to the intensive mode experience. It may be that this mode of delivery is ill suited to intensive classes for subjects that carry a lot of content. The use of the flipped classroom requires further research to fully evaluate its value.

  14. Joint sparsity based heterogeneous data-level fusion for target detection and estimation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niu, Ruixin; Zulch, Peter; Distasio, Marcello; Blasch, Erik; Shen, Dan; Chen, Genshe

    2017-05-01

    Typical surveillance systems employ decision- or feature-level fusion approaches to integrate heterogeneous sensor data, which are sub-optimal and incur information loss. In this paper, we investigate data-level heterogeneous sensor fusion. Since the sensors monitor the common targets of interest, whose states can be determined by only a few parameters, it is reasonable to assume that the measurement domain has a low intrinsic dimensionality. For heterogeneous sensor data, we develop a joint-sparse data-level fusion (JSDLF) approach based on the emerging joint sparse signal recovery techniques by discretizing the target state space. This approach is applied to fuse signals from multiple distributed radio frequency (RF) signal sensors and a video camera for joint target detection and state estimation. The JSDLF approach is data-driven and requires minimum prior information, since there is no need to know the time-varying RF signal amplitudes, or the image intensity of the targets. It can handle non-linearity in the sensor data due to state space discretization and the use of frequency/pixel selection matrices. Furthermore, for a multi-target case with J targets, the JSDLF approach only requires discretization in a single-target state space, instead of discretization in a J-target state space, as in the case of the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) or the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE). Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate that the proposed JSDLF approach achieves excellent performance with near real-time accurate target position and velocity estimates.

  15. Nuclear Security: Target Analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Singh, Surinder Paul; Gibbs, Philip W.; Bultz, Garl A.

    2014-03-01

    This objectives of this session were to understand the basic steps of target identification; describe the SNRI targets in detail; characterize specific targets with more detail; prioritize targets based on guidance documents; understand the graded safeguards concept; identify roll up and understand why it is a concern; and recognize the category for different materials.

  16. The results of STEM education methods in physics at the 11th grade level: Light and visual equipment lesson

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tungsombatsanti, A.; Ponkham, K.; Somtoa, T.

    2018-01-01

    This research aimed to: 1) To evaluate the efficiency of the process and the efficiency of the results (E1 / E2) of the innovative instructional lesson plan in the form of the STEM Education method in the field of physics of secondary students at the 10th grade level in physics class to determine the efficiency of the STEM based on criteria of the 70/70 standard level. 2) To study students' critical thinking skills of secondary students at the 11th grade level, and assessing skill in criteria 80 percentage 3) To compare learning achievements between students' pre-post testing after taught in STEM Education 4) To evaluate Student' Satisfaction after using STEM Education teaching by using mean compare to 5 points Likert Scale. The participant used were 40 students from grade 11 at Borabu School, Borabu District, Mahasarakham Province, semester 2, Academic year 2016. Tools used in this study consist of: 1) STEM Education plan about the force and laws of motion for grade 11 students of 1 schemes with total of 15 hours, 2) The test of critical think skills with essay type in amount of 30 items, 3) achievement test on Light and visual equipment with multiple-choice of 4 options of 30 items, 4) satisfaction learning with 5 Rating Scale of 16 items. The statistics used in data analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation, and t-test (Dependent). The results showed that 1) The results of these findings revealed that the efficiency of the STEM based on criteria indicate that are higher than the standard level of the 70/70 at 71.51/75 2) Student has critical thinking scores that are higher than criteria 80 percentage as amount is 26 people. 3) Statistically significant of students' learning achievements to their later outcomes were differentiated between pretest and posttest at the .05 level, evidently. 4) The student' level of satisfaction toward the learning by using STEM Education plan was at a good level (X ¯ = 4.33, S.D = 0.64).

  17. The Self-Concept Target Game: A Comprehensive Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    FitzGibbon, Ann

    A Self Concept Target Game (SCTG) which was designed to measure the level of aspiration of second or third grade children who had been exposed to at least two years of the Responsive Model Follow Through (RMFT) Program, and the field testing of the game are described in this report. The game is played by throwing and pushing a bean bag along a…

  18. Master Curriculum Guide in Economics for the Nation's Schools. Part II, Strategies for Teaching Economics. Intermediate Level (Grades 4-6).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joint Council on Economic Education, New York, NY.

    This guide contains concept based lessons and activities in economics for use with students in grades 4-6. One component of a two-part publication, the guide demonstrates how the conceptual structure of the economics discipline presented in the first publication (ED 148 648) can be used to help students at the intermediate grade level make more…

  19. Sensitivity of anterior pituitary hormones to graded levels of psychological stress.

    PubMed

    Armario, A; Lopez-Calderón, A; Jolin, T; Castellanos, J M

    1986-08-04

    The effect of graded levels of stressor intensity on anterior pituitary hormones was studied in adult male rats. Corticosterone, considered as a reflection of ACTH release, and prolactin responses showed a good correlation with the intensity of the stressors. On the contrary, neither LH, GH nor TSH release showed a parallelism with the intensity of the stressors in spite of the fact that they clearly responded to all the stimuli. It appears that the hormones of the anterior pituitary might be divided into two groups: those whose response is sensitive to the levels of emotional arousal elicited by stress, and those displaying a clear but stereotyped response during stress. However, other alternative explanations might exist to justify the present results. The neural mechanisms underlying the two types of response are at present unknown. These data indicate that only the pituitary-adrenal axis and prolactin have some potential utilities as quantitative indices of emotional arousal elicited by currently applied stressors in the rat.

  20. Controlling Grade Inflation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanoyevitch, Alexander

    2008-01-01

    In this article concerning grade inflation, the author restricts his attention to the college and university level, although many of the tools and ideas developed here should be useful for high schools as well. The author considers the relationships between grades instructors assign and scores they receive on end-of-the semester student…

  1. Should there be a target level of docosahexaenoic acid in breast milk?

    PubMed

    Jackson, Kristina Harris; Harris, William S

    2016-03-01

    This article examines the evidence for and against establishing a target level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in breast milk. Two target levels for milk DHA have been recently proposed. One (∼0.3% of milk fatty acids) was based on milk DHA levels achieved in women consuming the amount of DHA recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for pregnant and lactating women (at least 200 mg DHA/day). Another (∼1.0%) was based on biomarker studies of populations with differing lifelong intakes of fish. Populations or research cohorts with milk DHA levels of 1.0% are associated with intakes that allow both the mother and infant to maintain relatively high DHA levels throughout lactation. Lower milk DHA levels may signal suboptimal maternal stores and possibly suboptimal infant intakes. Based on the current data, a reasonable milk DHA target appears to be approximately 0.3%, which is about the worldwide average. Although this may not be the 'optimal' level (which remains to be defined), it is clearly an improvement over the currently low milk DHA levels (∼0.2%) seen in many Western populations.

  2. Pediatric low-grade gliomas and the need for new options for therapy: why and how?

    PubMed Central

    Qaddoumi, Ibrahim; Sultan, Iyad; Broniscer, Alberto

    2009-01-01

    Pediatric low-grade gliomas are the most common tumors of the central nervous system in children, accounting for almost 50% of all childhood brain tumors. They are a heterogeneous group of tumors with different histologic subtypes. Most treatment studies address low-grade gliomas as a single entity, depriving us of histology-specific treatment outcomes. This is mostly due to a lack of understanding of tumor biology at the molecular level. Pediatric low-grade gliomas are not benign, and most incompletely resected tumors will progress and negatively affect quality of life. The advancements made in understanding sporadic pilocytic astrocytoma and neurofibromatosis 1-associated pilocytic astrocytoma in particular have paved the way for potential targeted therapy and biological stratification. Such progress in pilocytic astrocytoma needs to be consolidated and expanded to other histologic varieties of pediatric low-grade gliomas. PMID:19164945

  3. Grade Expectations: Redux

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miley, William M.; Gonsalves, Sonia

    2004-01-01

    We surveyed undergraduate students taking upper level psychology courses about their course and grade expectations as an extension of the work of Gaultney and Cann (2001) with introductory psychology students. More students believed success in a course was measured by good grades rather than by mastery of new material. They wanted effort to play a…

  4. Influence of Grade Level on Perceptual Learning Style Preferences and Language Learning Strategies of Taiwanese English as a Foreign Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Mei-Ling

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between grade level, perceptual learning style preferences, and language learning strategies among Taiwanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in grades 7 through 9. Three hundred and ninety junior high school students participated in this study. The instruments for data…

  5. Prognostic relevance of Fédération Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer grade and MDM2 amplification levels in dedifferentiated liposarcoma: a study of 50 cases.

    PubMed

    Jour, George; Gullet, Ashley; Liu, Mingdong; Hoch, Benjamin L

    2015-01-01

    Dedifferentiated liposarcoma represents a form of liposarcoma composed of a non-lipogenic sarcoma associated with well-differentiated liposarcoma. The prognostic significance of histological grading of the dedifferentiated component remains to be elucidated due to vague grading criteria employed in previous studies. Molecular markers of tumor behavior, including amplification levels of murine double minute-2 (MDM2) and cyclin-dependent kinase-4 (CDK4) genes, have been explored in a limited number of cases. Here we investigate whether 'Fédération Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer' (FNCLCC) grade and MDM2 gene amplification levels have prognostic value in dedifferentiated liposarcoma in terms of local recurrence and disease-specific survival. Fifty cases were retrieved, reviewed and FNCLCC grade was scored for the dedifferentiated component. Testing for MDM2 gene amplification was performed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Amplification was categorized as high level (≥20 copies) and as low level (<20 copies). Follow-up data was obtained through chart review. Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine the effect of grade and level of MDM2 amplification on outcomes. Our series includes 50 patients (male n=28, female n=22) with an average age of 63 years (range, 28-88) and a median follow-up of 28 months (range, 2-120). Tumors were graded as grade 1 (6%), grade 2 (58%), and grade 3 (36%). When adjusted for age, sex, site, tumor size, and margin status, grade 3 patients had a higher recurrence rate than grades 1 and 2 (HR=2.07, 95% CI: 1.24, 7.62; P=0.015). Patients with high-level MDM2 amplification had higher recurrence rate on univariate analysis (P=0.028), but not on multivariate analysis (HR=1.69, 95% CI: 0.73, 3.94; P=0.221). FNCLCC grade 3 dedifferentiation confers a worse prognosis in dedifferentiated liposarcoma in terms of local recurrence. MDM2 amplification level remains a useful diagnostic tool in

  6. Computer Generated Holography with Intensity-Graded Patterns

    PubMed Central

    Conti, Rossella; Assayag, Osnath; de Sars, Vincent; Guillon, Marc; Emiliani, Valentina

    2016-01-01

    Computer Generated Holography achieves patterned illumination at the sample plane through phase modulation of the laser beam at the objective back aperture. This is obtained by using liquid crystal-based spatial light modulators (LC-SLMs), which modulate the spatial phase of the incident laser beam. A variety of algorithms is employed to calculate the phase modulation masks addressed to the LC-SLM. These algorithms range from simple gratings-and-lenses to generate multiple diffraction-limited spots, to iterative Fourier-transform algorithms capable of generating arbitrary illumination shapes perfectly tailored on the base of the target contour. Applications for holographic light patterning include multi-trap optical tweezers, patterned voltage imaging and optical control of neuronal excitation using uncaging or optogenetics. These past implementations of computer generated holography used binary input profile to generate binary light distribution at the sample plane. Here we demonstrate that using graded input sources, enables generating intensity graded light patterns and extend the range of application of holographic light illumination. At first, we use intensity-graded holograms to compensate for LC-SLM position dependent diffraction efficiency or sample fluorescence inhomogeneity. Finally we show that intensity-graded holography can be used to equalize photo evoked currents from cells expressing different levels of chanelrhodopsin2 (ChR2), one of the most commonly used optogenetics light gated channels, taking into account the non-linear dependence of channel opening on incident light. PMID:27799896

  7. IR/IGF1R signaling as potential target for treatment of high-grade osteosarcoma

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background High-grade osteosarcoma is an aggressive tumor most often developing in the long bones of adolescents, with a second peak in the 5th decade of life. Better knowledge on cellular signaling in this tumor may identify new possibilities for targeted treatment. Methods We performed gene set analysis on previously published genome-wide gene expression data of osteosarcoma cell lines (n=19) and pretreatment biopsies (n=84). We characterized overexpression of the insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1R) signaling pathways in human osteosarcoma as compared with osteoblasts and with the hypothesized progenitor cells of osteosarcoma – mesenchymal stem cells. This pathway plays a key role in the growth and development of bone. Since most profound differences in mRNA expression were found at and upstream of the receptor of this pathway, we set out to inhibit IR/IGF1R using OSI-906, a dual inhibitor for IR/IGF1R, on four osteosarcoma cell lines. Inhibitory effects of this drug were measured by Western blotting and cell proliferation assays. Results OSI-906 had a strong inhibitory effect on proliferation of 3 of 4 osteosarcoma cell lines, with IC50s below 100 nM at 72 hrs of treatment. Phosphorylation of IRS-1, a direct downstream target of IGF1R signaling, was inhibited in the responsive osteosarcoma cell lines. Conclusions This study provides an in vitro rationale for using IR/IGF1R inhibitors in preclinical studies of osteosarcoma. PMID:23688189

  8. School and Child Level Predictors of Academic Success for African American Children in Third Grade: Implications for No Child Left behind

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graves, Scott

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine correlates of being at expected grade level in reading in the third grade. Participants for this study were a nationally representative sample of African American children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K). Multilevel modeling was conducted to determine significant predictors of academic…

  9. Grading A-Level Double Subject Mathematicians and the Implications for Selection.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newbould, Charles A.

    1981-01-01

    Test data were used to compare the grading of two forms of double mathematics: pure and applied math, and regular and advanced math. Results confirm expectations that in the former system, the grading is comparable, and in the latter, it is not necessarily comparable. Implications for student admission are discussed. (MSE)

  10. No differences in grades or level of satisfaction in a flipped classroom for neuroanatomy

    PubMed Central

    Whillier, Stephney; Lystad, Reidar Petter

    2015-01-01

    Objective The intensive nature of a 5- or 6-week teaching block poses unique problems for adequate delivery of content. This study was designed to compare the delivery of a unit of undergraduate neuroanatomy in a short summer school period, as a traditionally taught unit, with a rendition given in the form of the “Flipped Classroom.” The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom in the intensive mode classroom. Methods The flipped classroom encompassed the same learning outcomes, but students were responsible for covering the content at home in preparation for tutorials that applied their acquired knowledge to higher levels of thinking. The main outcome measures were the final course grades and the level of satisfaction with the course. Results There were no significant differences between the 2 cohorts in final grades (p = .259), self-rated knowledge (p = .182), or overall satisfaction with the course (p = .892). Conclusion This particular design of the flipped classroom did not add value to the intensive mode experience. It may be that this mode of delivery is ill suited to intensive classes for subjects that carry a lot of content. The use of the flipped classroom requires further research to fully evaluate its value. PMID:25902472

  11. Improving Written Language Skills in the Primary Grades.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benischek, Donna; Vejr, Mary Jean; Wetzel, Susan

    This report describes a program for advancing written expression skills in the primary grades. Extensive research over the past years has shown that an emphasis on mechanics and conventions inhibits the process of writing in primary students. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students in a middle class community, located…

  12. A Study of Grade Level and Gender Differences in Divergent Thinking among 8th and 11th Graders in a Mid-Western School District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roue, Leah Christine

    2011-01-01

    This research study compared gender and grade level differences in divergent thinking among middle school and high school students in the Midwest, in an attempt to determine whether gender or grade level-based differences exist in divergent thinking. The instrument used was based on the Wallach and Kogan Creativity Test (WKCT). There were 166…

  13. The impact of prematurity and maternal socioeconomic status and education level on achievement-test scores up to 8th grade.

    PubMed

    ElHassan, Nahed O; Bai, Shasha; Gibson, Neal; Holland, Greg; Robbins, James M; Kaiser, Jeffrey R

    2018-01-01

    The relative influence of prematurity vs. maternal social factors (socioeconomic status and education level) on academic performance has rarely been examined. To examine the impact of prematurity and maternal social factors on academic performance from 3rd through 8th grade. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of infants born in 1998 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The study sample included 58 extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGANs, 23‒<28 weeks), 171 preterm (≥28‒<34 weeks), 228 late preterm (≥34‒<37 weeks), and 967 term ((≥37‒<42 weeks) infants. Neonatal and maternal variables were collected including maternal insurance status (proxy measure for socioeconomic status) and education level. The primary outcomes were literacy and mathematics achievement-test scores from 3rd through 8th grade. Linear mixed models were used to identify significant predictors of academic performance. All two-way interactions between grade level, gestational-age (GA) groups, and social factors were tested for statistical significance. Prematurity, social factors, gender, race, gravidity, and Apgar score at one minute were critical determinants of academic performance. Favorable social factors were associated with a significant increase in both literacy and mathematic scores, while prematurity was associated with a significant decrease in mathematic scores. Examination of GA categories and social factors interaction suggested that the impact of social factors on test scores was similar for all GA groups. Furthermore, the impact of social factors varied from grade to grade for literacy, while the influence of either GA groups or social factors was constant across grades for mathematics. For example, an ELGAN with favorable social factors had a predicted literacy score 104.1 (P <.001), 98.2 (P <.001), and 76.4 (P <.01) points higher than an otherwise similar disadvantaged term infant at grades 3, 5, and 8, respectively. The difference in their

  14. Elementary Students' Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Science: Role of Grade Level, Gender, and Socio-Economic Status

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karaarslan, Guliz; Sungur, Semra

    2011-01-01

    This study examined grade level and gender difference with respect to elementary students' science and technology self-efficacy. Additionally, relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and self-efficacy was examined. A total of 145 elementary students participated in the study. Self efficacy towards Science and Technology Scale was used to…

  15. The Interaction Effects of Gender and Grade Level on Secondary School Students' Attitude towards Learning Chemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heng, Chua Kah; Karpudewan, Mageswary

    2015-01-01

    This quantitative study reports the effects of gender and grade level on secondary students' attitude towards chemistry lessons. For this purpose, the Attitude towards Chemistry Lessons Scale (ATCLS) was administered to 446 secondary school students between 16-19 years old. The ATCLS consists of four different subscales: liking for chemistry…

  16. A Canonical Correlation Analysis of the Influence of Social Comparison, Gender, and Grade Level on the Multidimensional Self-Concepts of Gifted Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rinn, Anne N.; Jamieson, Kelly M.; Gross, Candace M.; McQueen, Kand S.

    2009-01-01

    This study examines the effects of social comparison, gender, and grade level on gifted adolescents' multidimensional self-concept. Participants include 248 gifted adolescents who had completed the sixth through tenth grade during the previous academic year. Multidimensional self-concept was measured using the Self Description Questionnaire II…

  17. An Investigation of the Generalizability of Medical School Grades.

    PubMed

    Kreiter, Clarence D; Ferguson, Kristi J

    2016-01-01

    Construct/Background: Medical school grades are currently unstandardized, and their level of reliability is unknown. This means their usefulness for reporting on student achievement is also not well documented. This study investigates grade reliability within 1 medical school. Generalizability analyses are conducted on grades awarded. Grades from didactic and clerkship-based courses were treated as 2 levels of a fixed facet within a univariate mixed model. Grades from within the 2 levels (didactic and clerkship) were also entered in a multivariate generalizability study. Grades from didactic courses were shown to produce a highly reliable mean score (G = .79) when averaged over as few as 5 courses. Although the universe score correlation between didactic and clerkship courses was high (r = .80), the clerkship courses required almost twice as many grades to reach a comparable level of reliability. When grades were converted to a Pass/Fail metric, almost all information contained in the grades was lost. Although it has been suggested that the imprecision of medical school grades precludes their use as a reliable indicator of student achievement, these results suggest otherwise. While it is true that a Pass/Fail system of grading provides very little information about a student's level of performance, a multi-tiered grading system was shown to be a highly reliable indicator of student achievement within the medical school. Although grades awarded during the first 2 didactic years appear to be more reliable than clerkship grades, both yield useful information about student performance within the medical college.

  18. Bicentennial Source Book, Level II, Grades 3-5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orth, Nancy; And Others

    This study activities source book is one of a series of four developed by the Carroll County Public School System, Maryland, for celebration of the Bicentennial. It is specifically designed to generate ideas integrating the Bicentennial celebration into various disciplines, classroom activities, and school-wide events at the third grade through…

  19. Evolution of AlGaN deep level defects as a function of alloying and compositional grading and resultant impact on electrical conductivity

    DOE PAGES

    Armstrong, Andrew M.; Allerman, Andrew A.

    2017-07-24

    AlGaN:Si epilayers with uniform Al compositions of 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% were grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy along with a compositionally graded, unintentionally doped (UID) AlGaN epilayer with the Al composition varying linearly between 80% and 100%. The resistivity of AlGaN:Si with a uniform composition increased significantly for the Al content of 80% and greater, whereas the graded UID-AlGaN film exhibited resistivity equivalent to 60% and 70% AlGaN:Si owing to polarization-induced doping. Deep level defect studies of both types of AlGaN epilayers were performed to determine why the electronic properties of uniform-composition AlGaN:Si degraded with increased Al content,more » while the electronic properties of graded UID-AlGaN did not. The deep level density of uniform-composition AlGaN:Si increased monotonically and significantly with the Al mole fraction. Conversely, graded-UID AlGaN had the lowest deep level density of all the epilayers despite containing the highest Al composition. These findings indicate that Si doping is an impetus for point defect incorporation in AlGaN that becomes stronger with the increasing Al content. However, the increase in deep level density with the Al content in uniform-composition AlGaN:Si was small compared to the increase in resistivity. This implies that the primary cause for increasing resistivity in AlGaN:Si with the increasing Al mole fraction is not compensation by deep levels but rather increasing activation energy for the Si dopant. As a result, the graded UID-AlGaN films maintained low resistivity because they do not rely on thermal ionization of Si dopants.« less

  20. Evolution of AlGaN deep level defects as a function of alloying and compositional grading and resultant impact on electrical conductivity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Armstrong, Andrew M.; Allerman, Andrew A.

    AlGaN:Si epilayers with uniform Al compositions of 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% were grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy along with a compositionally graded, unintentionally doped (UID) AlGaN epilayer with the Al composition varying linearly between 80% and 100%. The resistivity of AlGaN:Si with a uniform composition increased significantly for the Al content of 80% and greater, whereas the graded UID-AlGaN film exhibited resistivity equivalent to 60% and 70% AlGaN:Si owing to polarization-induced doping. Deep level defect studies of both types of AlGaN epilayers were performed to determine why the electronic properties of uniform-composition AlGaN:Si degraded with increased Al content,more » while the electronic properties of graded UID-AlGaN did not. The deep level density of uniform-composition AlGaN:Si increased monotonically and significantly with the Al mole fraction. Conversely, graded-UID AlGaN had the lowest deep level density of all the epilayers despite containing the highest Al composition. These findings indicate that Si doping is an impetus for point defect incorporation in AlGaN that becomes stronger with the increasing Al content. However, the increase in deep level density with the Al content in uniform-composition AlGaN:Si was small compared to the increase in resistivity. This implies that the primary cause for increasing resistivity in AlGaN:Si with the increasing Al mole fraction is not compensation by deep levels but rather increasing activation energy for the Si dopant. As a result, the graded UID-AlGaN films maintained low resistivity because they do not rely on thermal ionization of Si dopants.« less

  1. School Happiness and School Success: An Investigation across Multiple Grade Levels.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parish, Joycelyn Gay; Parish, Thomas S.; Batt, Steve

    A total of 572 randomly selected sixth-grade students and 908 randomly selected ninth-grade students from a large metropolitan school district in the Midwest were asked to complete a series of survey questions designed to measure the extent to which they were happy while at school, as well as questions concerning the extent to which they treated…

  2. Examining Fifth-Grade Students' Level of Associating Some Daily-Life Events with "Changes of State"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cengiz, Ekrem; Ayvaci, Hakan Sevki

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to examine fifth grade students' level of associating daily life events with the subject "changes of state" in the science curriculum. Among the qualitative research methods, special case method was used in the study. Seven open-ended questions about the changing states of matter were used for data collection. These…

  3. Grade-Level Differences in Future-Oriented Self-Concept during Early Adolescence: Potential Relevance to School Nursing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stoddard, Sarah A.; Pierce, Jennifer; Schmidt, Carissa J.

    2016-01-01

    The middle school and early high school years are a time of significant development, including an increasing ability to envision oneself in the future. Little is known about how adolescents' future-oriented self-concept (i.e., possible selves) differs across grade levels, although this knowledge may aid in establishing rapport with students and…

  4. An investigation of gender and grade-level differences in middle school students' attitudes about science, in science process skills ability, and in parental expectations of their children's science performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    White, Terri Renee'

    The primary purpose of the study was to examine different variables (i.e. science process skill ability, science attitudes, and parents' levels of expectation for their children in science, which may impinge on science education differently for males and females in grades five, seven, and nine. The research question addressed by the study was: What are the differences between science process skill ability, science attitudes, and parents' levels of expectation in science on the academic success of fifth, seventh, and ninth graders in science and do effects differ according to gender and grade level? The subjects included fifth, seven, and ninth grade students ( n = 543) and their parents (n = 474) from six rural, public elementary schools and two rural, public middle schools in Southern Mississippi. A two-way (grade x gender) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to determine the differences in science process skill abilities of females and males in grade five, seven, and nine. An additional separate two-way multivariate analysis of variance (grade x gender) was also used to determine the differences in science attitudes of males and females in grade five, seven, and nine. A separate analysis of variance (PPSEX [parent's gender]) with the effects being parents' gender was used to determine differences in parents' levels of expectation for their childrens' performance in science. An additional separate analysis of variance (SSEX [student's gender]) with the effects being the gender of the student was also used to determine differences in parents' levels of expectation for their childrens' performance in science. Results of the analyses indicated significant main effects for grade level (p < .001) and gender (p < .001) on the TIPS II. There was no significant grade by gender interaction on the TIPS II. Results for the TOSRA also indicated a significant main effect for grade (p < .001) and the interaction of grade by sex ( p < .001). On variable ATT 5

  5. Elementary Science Curriculum, Grade 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stoneham Public Schools, MA.

    This is one of a set of curriculum guides for the Stoneham Elementary School Science Program (see SE 012 153 - SE 012 158). Each guide contains a chart illustrating the scope and sequence of the physical, life, and earth sciences introduced at each grade level. For each of the topics introduced at this grade level an overview of the topic, a list…

  6. Elementary Science Curriculum, Grade 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stoneham Public Schools, MA.

    This is one of a set of curriculum guides for the Stoneham Elementary School Science Program (see SE 012 153 - SE 012 158). Each guide contains a chart illustrating the scope and sequence of the physical, life, and earth sciences introduced at each grade level. For each of the topics introduced at this grade level an overview of the topic, a list…

  7. The Effect of Project Based Learning on the Statistical Literacy Levels of Student 8th Grade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koparan, Timur; Güven, Bülent

    2014-01-01

    This study examines the effect of project based learning on 8th grade students' statistical literacy levels. A performance test was developed for this aim. Quasi-experimental research model was used in this article. In this context, the statistics were taught with traditional method in the control group and it was taught using project based…

  8. Comparison and correlation of pelvic parameters between low-grade and high-grade spondylolisthesis.

    PubMed

    Min, Woo-Kie; Lee, Chang-Hwa

    2014-05-01

    This study was retrospectively conducted on 51 patients with L5-S1 spondylolisthesis. This study was conducted to compare a total of 11 pelvic parameters, such as the level of displacement by Meyerding method, lumbar lordosis, sacral inclination, lumbosacral angle, slip angle, S2 inclination, pelvic incidence (PI), L5 inclination, L5 slope, pelvic tilt (PT), and sacral slope (SS) between low-grade and high-grade spondylolisthesis, and to investigate a correlation of the level of displacement by Meyerding method with other pelvic parameters. Pelvic parameters were measured using preoperational erect lateral spinal simple radiographs. The patients were divided into 39 patients with low-grade spondylolisthesis and 12 patients with high-grade spondylolisthesis before analysis. In all patients of both groups, 11 radiographic measurements including the level of displacement by Meyerding method, lumbar lordosis, sacral inclination, lumbosacral angle, slip angle, S2 inclination, PI, L5 inclination, L5 slope, PT, and SS were performed. T test and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted to compare and analyze each measurement. As for the comparison between the 2 groups, a statistically great significance in the level of displacement by Meyerding method, lumbosacral angle, slip angle, L5 incidence, PI, and L5 slope (P≤0.001) was shown. Meanwhile, a statistical significance in the sacral inclination and PT (P<0.05) was also shown. However, no statistical significance in the S2 incidence and SS was shown. A correlation of the level of displacement by Meyerding method with each parameter was analyzed in the both the groups. A high correlation was observed in the lumbar lordosis, lumbosacral angle, slip angle, L5 incidence, and L5 slope (Pearson correlation coefficient, P=0.01), as well as the sacral inclination, PI, and PT (Pearson correlation coefficient, P=0.05). Meanwhile, no correlation was shown in the S2 incidence and SS. A significant difference in the lumbosacral

  9. Examining the Behavior and Thinking Levels of Secondary School Students (6th-8th Grades) towards the Environment According to Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Durkan, Nazmi

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study is to examine the behavior and thinking levels of secondary school students towards the environment according to grade and gender. Relational screening model was used for the study. The sample includes a total of 958 (512 females and 446 males) secondary school students. Of the participants, 261 (27.2%) are in 6th grade, 461…

  10. Decision-level fusion of SAR and IR sensor information for automatic target detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Young-Rae; Yim, Sung-Hyuk; Cho, Hyun-Woong; Won, Jin-Ju; Song, Woo-Jin; Kim, So-Hyeon

    2017-05-01

    We propose a decision-level architecture that combines synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and an infrared (IR) sensor for automatic target detection. We present a new size-based feature, called target-silhouette to reduce the number of false alarms produced by the conventional target-detection algorithm. Boolean Map Visual Theory is used to combine a pair of SAR and IR images to generate the target-enhanced map. Then basic belief assignment is used to transform this map into a belief map. The detection results of sensors are combined to build the target-silhouette map. We integrate the fusion mass and the target-silhouette map on the decision level to exclude false alarms. The proposed algorithm is evaluated using a SAR and IR synthetic database generated by SE-WORKBENCH simulator, and compared with conventional algorithms. The proposed fusion scheme achieves higher detection rate and lower false alarm rate than the conventional algorithms.

  11. Testing Our Assumptions: The Role of First Course Grade and Course Level in Mathematics and English

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Callahan, Janet; Belcheir, Marcia

    2017-01-01

    Methods that provide an early indicator of factors that affect student persistence are important to colleges and universities. This quantitative research focused on the role of level of entry mathematics and English and also on grades earned in those classes, as they relate to persistence after 1 year. The research showed that by far, the variable…

  12. Protocol adherence and the ability to achieve target haemoglobin levels in haemodialysis patients.

    PubMed

    Chan, Kevin; Moran, John; Hlatky, Mark; Lafayette, Richard

    2009-06-01

    Anemia management remains complicated in patients with endstage renal disease on hemodialysis. We wished to evaluate the effect of protocol adherence to EPO and intravenous iron dosing on achieving the desired range of hemoglobin levels. A cohort of hemodialysis patients was studied to evaluate the rate of adherence to EPO and iron dosing protocols over a 5 month period. A database was completed to evaluate all known comorbidities, demographic factors, and facility issues that might affect hemoglobin levels. A logistic regression model was employed to evaluate the effect of adherence to the anemia protocols on the probability of achieving a hemoglobin level below, within or above the targeted range of 11-12.5 g/dl. Among 2114 patients, we found that adherence to both the EPO and iron dosing protocol resulted in the greatest probability of achieving the target hemoglobin range (56 +/- 5% in anemia protocol adherent patients versus 42 +/- 7% in non adherent patients). This was predominantly due to a lowered risk of having above target hemoglobin levels rather than below. The use of the anemia protocols was associated with lower rates of hospitalization (9 +/- 0.7 visits/100 months in adherent group vs 15 +/- 2 in non adherent group) and lower utilization of both EPO and intravenous iron. Furthermore, patients in the adherent groups had less variability of their hemoglobin levels month by month, at least as judged by standard deviation. Adherence to anemia protocols, as practiced in the dialysis units included in this cohort, may improve hemodialysis patients' ability to achieve target hemoglobin levels, and by avoiding above target hemoglobin values, lower drug utilization and reduce variability of hemoglobin levels.

  13. Readmission after treatment of Grade 3 and 4 renal injuries at a Level I trauma center: Statewide assessment using the Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System.

    PubMed

    Winters, Brian; Wessells, Hunter; Voelzke, Bryan B

    2016-03-01

    One criticism of the existing renal trauma research is the limited outpatient follow-up after index hospitalization. We assessed readmission rates following treatment for American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Grade 3 and 4 renal injury using the Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System (CHARS). We evaluated all patients with AAST Grade 3 and 4 renal injuries admitted to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) between 1998 and 2010, the only Level 1 trauma center in Washington state. Grade 4 renal injuries were stratified by collecting system laceration (CSL) or segmental vascular injury. Data were abstracted from the CHARS database for readmissions to any Washington state hospital within 6 months of renal injury. Clinical variables, diagnoses, and procedures were queried based on DRG International Classification of Diseases-9th Rev. codes. A total of 477 Grade 3 and 159 Grade 4 renal injuries were initially treated at HMC. On admission, 111 patients required intervention: 75 (16%) of 477 Grade 3 and 36 (23%) of 159 Grade 4 injuries. Within 6 months of index hospitalization, 86 (18%) of 477 Grade 3 and 38 (24%) of 159 Grade 4 patients were readmitted to any Washington state hospital. Eighty percent of Grade 3 injuries and 66% of Grade 4 injuries returned to HMC compared with secondary hospitals (p = 0.08). At readmission, 19 (22%) of 86 Grade 3 and 16 (42%) of 38 Grade 4 injuries had a urologic diagnosis. Subsequent procedural intervention was required on readmission in 6 (7%) of 86 Grade 3 and 5 (13%) of 38 Grade 4 renal injuries (all CSL injuries). A subset of patients treated for Grade 3 and 4 renal trauma will be readmitted for further management. While urologic diagnoses and additional procedures may be low overall, readmission to outside hospitals may preclude accurate determination of renal trauma outcomes. Based on these data, patients with Grade 4 CSL injuries seem to be at the highest risk for readmission and to require a subsequent

  14. The Benefits of Standards-Based Grading: A Critical Evaluation of Modern Grading Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iamarino, Danielle L.

    2014-01-01

    This paper explores the methodology and application of an assessment philosophy known as standards-based grading, via a critical comparison of standards-based grading to other assessment philosophies commonly employed at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels of education. Evidenced by examples of increased student engagement and…

  15. Increasing the Responsibility Levels of Fourth Grade Gifted Children by Promoting Positive Character Traits and Caring Behaviors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogan, Marliese G.

    This paper describes a project to improve the responsibility levels of 16 gifted students in fourth grade attending a daily 2-hour language arts gifted education class. Students had become inconsistent about completing assignments, maintaining an orderly environment, and communicating necessary information to parents. A teacher-developed checklist…

  16. P-2 Years Targeted to Achieve Grade 3 Reading Proficiency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gewertz, Catherine

    2011-01-01

    In a bid to help more students read proficiently in 3rd grade--a skill considered critical to their future educational success--new laws and initiatives springing up around the country require educators to step up their efforts to identify and help struggling readers even before they enter kindergarten. It's not unusual for states or school…

  17. New therapeutic perspectives in irritable bowel syndrome: Targeting low-grade inflammation, immuno-neuroendocrine axis, motility, secretion and beyond

    PubMed Central

    Sinagra, Emanuele; Morreale, Gaetano Cristian; Mohammadian, Ghazaleh; Fusco, Giorgio; Guarnotta, Valentina; Tomasello, Giovanni; Cappello, Francesco; Rossi, Francesca; Amvrosiadis, Georgios; Raimondo, Dario

    2017-01-01

    Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic, recurring, and remitting functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by abdominal pain, distention, and changes in bowel habits. Although there are several drugs for IBS, effective and approved treatments for one or more of the symptoms for various IBS subtypes are needed. Improved understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms such as the role of impaired bile acid metabolism, neurohormonal regulation, immune dysfunction, the epithelial barrier and the secretory properties of the gut has led to advancements in the treatment of IBS. With regards to therapies for restoring intestinal permeability, multiple studies with prebiotics and probiotics are ongoing, even if to date their efficacy has been limited. In parallel, much progress has been made in targeting low-grade inflammation, especially through the introduction of drugs such as mesalazine and rifaximin, even if a better knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the low-grade inflammation in IBS may allow the design of clinical trials that test the efficacy and safety of such drugs. This literature review aims to summarize the findings related to new and investigational therapeutic agents for IBS, most recently developed in preclinical as well as Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies. PMID:29085207

  18. Global climate targets and future consumption level: an evaluation of the required GHG intensity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Girod, Bastien; van Vuuren, Detlef Peter; Hertwich, Edgar G.

    2013-03-01

    Discussion and analysis on international climate policy often focuses on the rather abstract level of total national and regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At some point, however, emission reductions need to be translated to consumption level. In this article, we evaluate the implications of the strictest IPCC representative concentration pathway for key consumption categories (food, travel, shelter, goods, services). We use IPAT style identities to account for possible growth in global consumption levels and indicate the required change in GHG emission intensity for each category (i.e. GHG emission per calorie, person kilometer, square meter, kilogram, US dollar). The proposed concept provides guidance for product developers, consumers and policymakers. To reach the 2 °C climate target (2.1 tCO2-eq. per capita in 2050), the GHG emission intensity of consumption has to be reduced by a factor of 5 in 2050. The climate targets on consumption level allow discussion of the feasibility of this climate target at product and consumption level. In most consumption categories products in line with this climate target are available. For animal food and air travel, reaching the GHG intensity targets with product modifications alone will be challenging and therefore structural changes in consumption patterns might be needed. The concept opens up possibilities for further research on potential solutions on the consumption and product level to global climate mitigation.

  19. Self-regulation, motivation, and math achievement in middle school: variations across grade level and math context.

    PubMed

    Cleary, Timothy J; Chen, Peggy P

    2009-10-01

    The current study examined grade level, achievement group, and math-course-type differences in student self-regulation and motivation in a sample of 880 suburban middle-school students. Analysis of variance was utilized to assess group differences in student self-regulation and motivation, and linear regression analysis was used to identify variables that best predicted students' use of regulatory strategies. A key finding was that although seventh graders exhibited a more maladaptive self-regulation and motivation profile than sixth graders, achievement groups in seventh grade (high, moderate, low) were more clearly differentiated across both self-regulation and motivation than achievement groups in sixth grade. The pattern of achievement group differences also varied across math course type, as self-regulation and motivation processes more consistently differentiated achievement groups in advanced classes than regular math courses. Finally, task interest was shown to be the primary motivational predictor of students' use of regulatory strategies during math learning. The study highlights the importance of identifying shifting student motivation and self-regulation during the early middle school years and the potential role that context may have on these processes.

  20. The Relationship of Reading Comprehension Success with Metacognitive Awareness, Motivation, and Reading Levels of Fifth Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Memis, Aysel; Bozkurt, Metin

    2013-01-01

    This research aims to investigate the relationship between metacognitive awareness, reading motivations, reading levels and reading comprehension success of fifth grade students using comparative relative scan model. There were 577 students. In the result of the research, in which data were collected with four scales, it was concluded that reading…

  1. An Analysis of Grade 11 Learners' Levels of Understanding of Functions in Terms of APOS Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chimhande, Tinoda; Naidoo, Ana; Stols, Gerrit

    2017-01-01

    This article reports on a study of six Grade 11 learners' levels of understanding of concepts related to the function definition and representation. Task-based clinical interviews were used to elicit the learners' interpretations and reasoning when working with these function-related concepts. Indicators for Action-Process-Object-Schema (APOS)…

  2. Strategic Reading Groups: Guiding Readers in the Middle Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berne, Jennifer; Degener, Sophie C.

    2012-01-01

    Strategic grouping can transform reading instruction in the middle grades from a hit-or-miss learning experience to a targeted, responsive one. This book features a practical and field-tested model for small-group differentiated reading instruction in Grades 4-8. Jennifer Berne and Sophie C. Degener offer a clear, detailed discussion of how to…

  3. Skill Schemes: Sixth Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kempf, Jerry

    The sixth grade instructional unit, part of a field-tested grade school level career education series, is designed to assist learners in understanding how present experiences relate to past and future ones. Before the main body of the lessons is described, field testing results are reported and key items are presented: the concepts, the estimated…

  4. Monitoring the Level of Students' GPAs over Time

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bakir, Saad T.; McNeal, Bob

    2010-01-01

    A nonparametric (or distribution-free) statistical quality control chart is used to monitor the cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) of students over time. The chart is designed to detect any statistically significant positive or negative shifts in student GPAs from a desired target level. This nonparametric control chart is based on the…

  5. Improving the Reading Scores of Students Who Fall below Grade Level Expectations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Varcadipane, Vincent N.

    This report describes the process used by a small, one-building kindergarten-through-grade-six school district in New Jersey to improve the reading scores of students who had fallen below their current grade in reading. Areas of need included improving the reading scores of students in regular education, special education, and…

  6. Correlation of serum intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor with tumor grading and staging in breast cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Haghi, Alireza Rastgoo; Vahedi, Amir; Shekarchi, Ali Akbar; Kamran, Aziz

    2017-01-01

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. There are several prognostic factors for this disease. The aim of this article is to explore the correlation of serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1) with tumor, node, metastasis staging and grading of breast cancer. Serum samples of 51 patients with breast cancer were assessed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the level of VEGF and ICAM1 preoperatively. After the operation, histopathologic specimens stained with hematoxylin and eosin were evaluated for tumor size, histopathologic subtype, grade, lymph node, vascular and lymphatic involvement. Then, the correlation of tumor stage and grade and serum level of markers was analyzed. There was no significant correlation between serum level of markers with vascular invasions, lymph node involvement, and menstruation. There was a weak correlation between tumor size and serum level of ICAM1 with Pearson score correlation, but there was no significant correlation with VEGF. There was no significant correlation between tumor grading and staging with the level of markers. There was a significant correlation between the level of VEGF and ICAM1 and histologic type of tumors in invasive through in situ tumors. Levels of VEGF and ICAM1 can be used as a predictor of tumor invasion and also for target therapy.

  7. Comparative Analysis of Anterior Chamber Flare Grading between Clinicians with Different Levels of Experience and Semi-automated Laser Flare Photometry.

    PubMed

    Agrawal, Rupesh; Keane, Pearse A; Singh, Jasmin; Saihan, Zubin; Kontos, Andreas; Pavesio, Carlos E

    2016-01-01

    To assess correlation for anterior chamber flare grading between clinicians with different levels of experience and with semi-automated flare reading in a cohort of patients with heterogeneous uveitic entities. Fifty-nine observations from 36 patients were recorded and analyzed for statistical association. In each patient, flare was assessed objectively using the Kowa FM-700 laser flare photometer, and subjective masked grading by two clinicians was performed. The study demonstrated disparity in flare readings between clinical graders with one step disagreement in clinical grading in 26 (44.06%) eyes (p < 0.001) and concordance between the flare readings by experienced grader and flare photometry. After review of semi-automated flare readings, management was changed in 11% of the patients. Laser flare photometry can be a valuable tool to remove the observer bias in grading flare for selected cohort of uveitis patients. It can be further applied to titrate therapy in intraocular inflammation.

  8. Children Who Desperately Want To Read, But Are Not Working at Grade Level: Use Movement Patterns as "Windows" To Discover Why.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corso, Marjorie

    A qualitative longitudinal study, first of four parts, compared developmental movement levels and academic learning levels in young children. Subjects were 28 children of various ages who were not working up to grade level but who did not qualify for learning disability services. Parents completed a detailed demographic survey and a neurological…

  9. Improving Oral Fluency, Written Accuracy, and Reading Comprehension in the 3rd Grade Using Visual Art Content.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nickell, Brian K.

    Students in the targeted school exhibited a decline in reading scores between second and fourth grade. Due to poor reading levels for 2 consecutive years the state put the school on a probationary list with in its district. Evidence for the existence of the problem included documented low reading test scores, below proficiency assessment records,…

  10. Books on Renewable Energy for Elementary Grades.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conservation and Renewable Energy Inquiry and Referral Service (DOE), Silver Spring, MD.

    Presented is a list of 20 books on renewable energy resources. These books are suitable for children in the elementary grades. Each entry includes the title, author(s) or editor(s), number of pages, price, publication date, recommended grade level(s), and source. (JN)

  11. Molecular Biology in Pediatric High-Grade Glioma: Impact on Prognosis and Treatment.

    PubMed

    Rizzo, Daniela; Ruggiero, Antonio; Martini, Maurizio; Rizzo, Valentina; Maurizi, Palma; Riccardi, Riccardo

    2015-01-01

    High-grade gliomas are the main cause of death in children with brain tumours. Despite recent advances in cancer therapy, their prognosis remains poor and the treatment is still challenging. To date, surgery followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide is the standard therapy. However, increasing knowledge of glioma biology is starting to impact drug development towards targeted therapies. The identification of agents directed against molecular targets aims at going beyond the traditional therapeutic approach in order to develop a personalized therapy and improve the outcome of pediatric high-grade gliomas. In this paper, we critically review the literature regarding the genetic abnormalities implicated in the pathogenesis of pediatric malignant gliomas and the current development of molecularly targeted therapies. In particular, we analyse the impact of molecular biology on the prognosis and treatment of pediatric high-grade glioma, comparing it to that of adult gliomas.

  12. Students Target

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2005-12-19

    Using the JMars targeting software, eighth grade students from Charleston Middle School in Charleston, IL, selected the location of -8.37N and 276.66E for capture by the THEMIS visible camera during Mars Odyssey sixth orbit of Mars on Nov. 22, 2005

  13. Analysis of facility needs level in architecture studio for students’ studio grades

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubis, A. S.; Hamid, B.; Pane, I. F.; Marpaung, B. O. Y.

    2018-03-01

    Architects must be able to play an active role and contribute to the realization of a sustainable environment. Architectural education has inherited many education research used qualitative and quantitative methods. The data were gathered by conducting (a) observation,(b) interviews, (c) documentation, (d) literature study, and (e) Questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed qualitatively to find out what equipment needed in the learning process in the Architecture Studio, USU. Questionnaires and Ms. Excel were used for the quantitative analysis. The tabulation of quantitative data would be correlated with the students’ studio grades. The result of the research showed that equipment with the highest level of needs was (1) drawing table, (2) Special room for each student, (3) Internet Network, (4) Air Conditioning, (5) Sufficient lighting.

  14. The Effects of Graded Levels of Calorie Restriction: XIII. Global Metabolomics Screen Reveals Graded Changes in Circulating Amino Acids, Vitamins, and Bile Acids in the Plasma of C57BL/6 Mice.

    PubMed

    Green, Cara L; Soltow, Quinlyn A; Mitchell, Sharon E; Derous, Davina; Wang, Yingchun; Chen, Luonan; Han, Jing-Dong J; Promislow, Daniel E L; Lusseau, David; Douglas, Alex; Jones, Dean P; Speakman, John R

    2018-04-30

    Calorie restriction (CR) remains the most robust intervention to extend life span and improve health span. Using a global mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach, we identified metabolites that were significantly differentially expressed in the plasma of C57BL/6 mice, fed graded levels of calorie restriction (10% CR, 20% CR, 30% CR, and 40% CR) compared with mice fed ad libitum for 12 hours a day. The differential expression of metabolites increased with the severity of CR. Pathway analysis revealed that graded CR had an impact on vitamin E and vitamin B levels, branched chain amino acids, aromatic amino acids, and fatty acid pathways. The majority of amino acids correlated positively with fat-free mass and visceral fat mass, indicating a strong relationship with body composition and vitamin E metabolites correlated with stomach and colon size, which may allude to the beneficial effects of investing in gastrointestinal organs with CR. In addition, metabolites that showed a graded effect, such as the sphinganines, carnitines, and bile acids, match our previous study on liver, which suggests not only that CR remodels the metabolome in a way that promotes energy efficiency, but also that some changes are conserved across tissues.

  15. An instructional package integrating science and social studies instruction at the fifth-grade level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hulley, Kathy Louise Sullivan

    Integrative education is being implemented by classroom teachers who want to immerse students in an environment rich in problem-solving skills, critical analysis skills, ethics, valuing of knowledge, and communication of learning. Several subject areas in the curriculum have been integrated, such as literature with social studies and mathematics with science. The focus of this dissertation is on the integration of science and social studies at the fifth grade level using the Mississippi State Department of Education Curriculum Guidelines and Objectives (MSDE, 1995) and the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council (NRC), 1996). An instructional package of lesson plans that teachers can use as ideas to create their own plans for an integrated curriculum of science and social studies was devised. The Mississippi State Department of Education Curriculum Guidelines and Objectives for Social Studies (MSDE, 1995) at the fifth grade level contain fifteen competencies. Three standards from the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) were chosen. They include (a) science and technology, (b) science in personal and social perspectives, and (c) the history and nature of science. Each competency for social studies has three lesson plans written that integrate the three chosen standards from the National Science Education Standards. A total of forty-five lesson plans were written integrating science and social studies. Each lesson plan includes an objective, materials, procedures, and evaluation for teachers. Teachers are encouraged to use the lesson plans as a guide in creating their own lesson plans that would correspond to their school's particular curriculum guidelines. Consideration should be given to the learning levels and styles of their classroom. This qualitative study was done to create lesson plans that integrate science and social studies with the hope that teachers will expand upon them and implement them into their curricula.

  16. Affix Meaning Knowledge in First Through Third Grade Students.

    PubMed

    Apel, Kenn; Henbest, Victoria Suzanne

    2016-04-01

    We examined grade-level differences in 1st- through 3rd-grade students' performance on an experimenter-developed affix meaning task (AMT) and determined whether AMT performance explained unique variance in word-level reading and reading comprehension, beyond other known contributors to reading development. Forty students at each grade level completed an assessment battery that included measures of phonological awareness, receptive vocabulary, word-level reading, reading comprehension, and affix meaning knowledge. On the AMT, 1st-grade students were significantly less accurate than 2nd- and 3rd-grade students; there was no significant difference in performance between the 2nd- and 3rd-grade students. Regression analyses revealed that the AMT accounted for 8% unique variance of students' performance on word-level reading measures and 6% unique variance of students' performance on the reading comprehension measure, after age, phonological awareness, and receptive vocabulary were explained. These results provide initial information on the development of affix meaning knowledge via an explicit measure in 1st- through 3rd-grade students and demonstrate that affix meaning knowledge uniquely contributes to the development of reading abilities above other known literacy predictors. These findings provide empirical support for how students might use morphological problem solving to read unknown multimorphemic words successfully.

  17. Navigating Middle Grades: Role of School Context in Students' Social Adaptation and Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Ha Yeon; Schwartz, Kate; Cappella, Elise; Seidman, Edward

    2014-01-01

    Informed by the current literature, this study examines social contexts across middle grade schools with different grade span configurations. In doing so, the authors aim to build understanding of where and how to target interventions in the middle grades to enhance maintenance of social-emotional adjustment and experiences from middle childhood…

  18. Influence of graded exercise therapy on anxiety levels and health-related quality of life in chronic fatigue syndrome.

    PubMed

    Klasnja, A; Grujic, N; Popadic Gacesa, J; Barak, O; Tomic, S; Brkic, S

    2014-04-01

    The purpose of the present study was twofold: 1) to determine to what extent graded exercise therapy (GET) improves health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and anxiety levels in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS); and 2) to correlate scores of HRQOL and anxiety levels in CFS patients. Anxiety and HRQOL were assessed in 26 CFS patients before and after 12 weeks of GET. Anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire (STAI) and HRQOL using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form questionnaire (SF-36). GET significantly decreased trait anxiety (STAI-T) levels in patients with CFS. Patients' scores on SF-36 following GET showed higher levels of functioning, but only the "vitality" subscale scores showed a statistically significant difference. A negative correlation was present between all eight subscales of SF-36 and anxiety levels. The strongest negative correlation for both state and trait anxiety scores (STAI-S and STAI-T) was found with the scores on the "Limitations due to emotional problems" subscale of SF-36 (r=-0.69 and r=-0.55, respectively), while the weakest negative correlation was with the "Physical functioning" subscale scores (r=-0.30 and r=-0.31, respectively). Graded exercise therapy has a positive effect on both physical and psychological state of CFS patients. GET can decrease anxiety and improve quality of life of CFS patients. CFS patients with higher state and trait anxiety levels have lower quality of life, and vice versa.

  19. The Variation of Work Productivity and Muscle Activities at Different Levels of Production Target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nur, Nurhayati Mohd; Dawal, Siti Zawiah Md; Dahari, Mahidzal; Zuhairah Mahmud Zuhudi, Nurul

    2017-10-01

    This paper aims to investigate the variation of work productivity and muscle activities among workers performing industrial repetitive tasks at four different levels of production target. The work productivity and muscle activities data were recorded from twenty workers at four levels of production target corresponding to “participative (PS1)”, “normal (PS2)”, “high (PS3)” and “very high (PS4)”. The results showed that worker productivity was found to increase at higher production target and there was a significant change (p < 0.005) in work productivity across the four different production targets. The muscle activities were found to increase at higher production target and correspond to more discomfort and a higher rate of muscle fatigue. The results indicated that working with a higher production target results in higher worker productivity, but could lead to higher risk of WMSDs.

  20. Encoding Dimensions in Memory: Developmental Similarities at Two Grade Levels

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geis, Mary Fulcher

    1975-01-01

    Second and sixth grade children's relative sensitivity to acoustic, semantic, and physical dimensions was inferred from the amount of release from proactive interference obtained for shifts along each dimension. (ED)

  1. Self-Perceived Levels of Responsibility in Seventh Grade Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martello, Chris

    This study, conducted at Churchill Junior High School in Royal Oak, Michigan, examined the effectiveness of the Student Responsibility Profile (SRP)and investigated the attitudes of eighth grade students and teachers toward the SRP. The profile allows staff members to evaluate student responsibility performance in 10 areas and allows students to…

  2. Molecular Biology in Pediatric High-Grade Glioma: Impact on Prognosis and Treatment

    PubMed Central

    Rizzo, Daniela; Ruggiero, Antonio; Martini, Maurizio; Rizzo, Valentina; Maurizi, Palma; Riccardi, Riccardo

    2015-01-01

    High-grade gliomas are the main cause of death in children with brain tumours. Despite recent advances in cancer therapy, their prognosis remains poor and the treatment is still challenging. To date, surgery followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide is the standard therapy. However, increasing knowledge of glioma biology is starting to impact drug development towards targeted therapies. The identification of agents directed against molecular targets aims at going beyond the traditional therapeutic approach in order to develop a personalized therapy and improve the outcome of pediatric high-grade gliomas. In this paper, we critically review the literature regarding the genetic abnormalities implicated in the pathogenesis of pediatric malignant gliomas and the current development of molecularly targeted therapies. In particular, we analyse the impact of molecular biology on the prognosis and treatment of pediatric high-grade glioma, comparing it to that of adult gliomas. PMID:26448930

  3. Characteristics of functional enrichment and gene expression level of human putative transcriptional target genes.

    PubMed

    Osato, Naoki

    2018-01-19

    Transcriptional target genes show functional enrichment of genes. However, how many and how significantly transcriptional target genes include functional enrichments are still unclear. To address these issues, I predicted human transcriptional target genes using open chromatin regions, ChIP-seq data and DNA binding sequences of transcription factors in databases, and examined functional enrichment and gene expression level of putative transcriptional target genes. Gene Ontology annotations showed four times larger numbers of functional enrichments in putative transcriptional target genes than gene expression information alone, independent of transcriptional target genes. To compare the number of functional enrichments of putative transcriptional target genes between cells or search conditions, I normalized the number of functional enrichment by calculating its ratios in the total number of transcriptional target genes. With this analysis, native putative transcriptional target genes showed the largest normalized number of functional enrichments, compared with target genes including 5-60% of randomly selected genes. The normalized number of functional enrichments was changed according to the criteria of enhancer-promoter interactions such as distance from transcriptional start sites and orientation of CTCF-binding sites. Forward-reverse orientation of CTCF-binding sites showed significantly higher normalized number of functional enrichments than the other orientations. Journal papers showed that the top five frequent functional enrichments were related to the cellular functions in the three cell types. The median expression level of transcriptional target genes changed according to the criteria of enhancer-promoter assignments (i.e. interactions) and was correlated with the changes of the normalized number of functional enrichments of transcriptional target genes. Human putative transcriptional target genes showed significant functional enrichments. Functional

  4. Cross-Grade Comparison of Students' Understanding of Energy Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saglam-Arslan, Aysegul

    2010-01-01

    The aims of this cross-grade study were (1) to determine the level of understanding of energy concepts of students at different academic grades and the differences in understanding between these grades and (2) to analyse the conceptual development of these students. Two hundred and forty-three students at 3 different levels (high school,…

  5. Recurrent high-grade glioma.

    PubMed

    Quant, Eudocia C; Drappatz, Jan; Wen, Patrick Y; Norden, Andrew D

    2010-07-01

    Opinions vary on the best treatment options for recurrent high-grade glioma. Some argue that bevacizumab should become standard of care for patients with recurrent glioblastoma, especially in light of recent FDA approval for this indication. However, this opinion is not uniformly accepted. Age, performance status, histology, tumor size and location, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation status for glioblastoma, 1p/19q status for oligodendroglial tumors, and the number and types of prior therapies are important considerations. In addition, recurrent disease must be distinguished from "pseudoprogression" due to treatment effects. Enrollment in a clinical trial is the optimal choice for most patients with recurrent high-grade glioma after failure of radiation therapy and temozolomide. For patients who are ineligible or do not have access to clinical trials, then either bevacizumab monotherapy or bevacizumab in combination with a second agent such as irinotecan is recommended. Involved-field external beam radiation should be considered for patients with anaplastic gliomas who have not received radiation. For patients with anaplastic astrocytoma who progress after radiotherapy, temozolomide may be used. For patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma who progress after radiotherapy, PCV chemotherapy and temozolomide are options. Oligodendroglial tumors with 1p/19q deletions are more likely to respond to treatment. In the past, carmustine was commonly used to treat recurrent high-grade glioma, but the utility of carmustine in the modern era is unknown because most studies were performed prior to the widespread use of temozolomide. High-precision re-irradiation such as stereotactic radiosurgery is another option in high-grade glioma, especially for patients with poor bone marrow reserve or inability to tolerate chemotherapy, but there is a paucity of studies with adequate controls. Surgery may be useful as adjuvant treatment for patients with symptoms

  6. Grade 3 Science Curriculum Specifications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Branch.

    The specific content areas and objectives from which the Alberta, Canada, Grade 3 Science Achievement Test questions were derived are outlined in this bulletin. The document contains: (1) curriculum summary (providing a general listing of the process skills, psychomotor skills, attitudes, and subject matter covered at the grade 3 level); (2) a…

  7. The Relationship between Readability Level of Mississippi's Middle Schools' Websites and Seventh Grade Language Arts MCT2 Scores

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pickard, Anna Marlene Graves

    2011-01-01

    Today's educators face the unprecedented challenge of increasing achievement for all students. One response has been to increase and improve parent involvement and school-to-home communication through the use of school websites. The quantitative section of this study analyzed the readability grade level of the website as it relates to state test…

  8. A Comparative Analysis of Multiple Intelligence Theory with Relationship to Gender and Grade Level in Selected Schools in Ghana

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oteng, Ellen N.

    2012-01-01

    This dissertation examined the relationships between Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory and students' gender, age, grade level, and enrollment into a public or private school. The research determined students' dominant intelligences and investigated whether students' intelligences may be influenced by demographic variables such as…

  9. Uses of Mathematics Textbooks for Grade (4-8) as per Basic Concepts and Questions Levels in TIMSS Test: A Study Conducted in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al Tamimi, Abdul Rehman

    2018-01-01

    This study tried to explore the degree of representation of math textbooks for grades (4-8) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concerning the key concepts, shape, and levels of questions used in the TIMSS test. The study population of this study includes both students and teachers from fourth grade to eighth grade. The goal of this study was…

  10. Doing Your Thing: Fourth Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Potter, Beverly

    The fourth grade instructional unit, part of a grade school level career education series, is designed to assist learners in relating present experiences to past and future ones. Before the main body of the lessons is described, field testing results are reported, and key items are presented: the concepts, the estimated instructional time, the…

  11. Estimating tree grades for Southern Appalachian natural forest stands

    Treesearch

    Jeffrey P. Prestemon

    1998-01-01

    Log prices can vary significantly by grade: grade 1 logs are often several times the price per unit of grade 3 logs. Because tree grading rules derive from log grading rules, a model that predicts tree grades based on tree and stand-level variables might be useful for predicting stand values. The model could then assist in the modeling of timber supply and in economic...

  12. A Comparative Analysis of the Factors Associated with Career Aspirations of Brazilian Students by Sex and Grade Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lupidi, Helena R.

    Sex-related variations in the formation of educational and occupational aspirations of fifth and ninth grade Brazilian boys and girls were assessed via comparison of their academic performance, level of occupational and educational goals, and about the influence of family, peers, and teachers in shaping these goals. Data were collected on 1,950…

  13. Expression of aquaporin8 in human astrocytomas: Correlation with pathologic grade

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhu, Shu-juan; Wang, Ke-jian; Gan, Sheng-wei

    2013-10-11

    Highlights: •AQP8 is mainly distributed in the cytoplasm of human astrocytoma cells. •AQP8 over-expressed in human astrocytomas, especially glioblastoma. •The up-regulation of AQP8 is related to the pathological grade of human astrocytomas. •AQP8 may contribute to the growth and proliferation of astrocytomas. -- Abstract: Aquaporin8 (AQP8), a member of the aquaporin (AQP) protein family, is weakly distributed in mammalian brains. Previous studies on AQP8 have focused mainly on the digestive and the reproductive systems. AQP8 has a pivotal role in keeping the fluid and electrolyte balance. In this study, we investigated the expression changes of AQP8 in 75 cases ofmore » human brain astrocytic tumors using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated that AQP8 was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm of astrocytoma cells. The expression levels and immunoreactive score of AQP8 protein and mRNA increased in low-grade astrocytomas, and further increased in high-grade astrocytomas, especially in glioblastoma. Therefore, AQP8 may contribute to the proliferation of astrocytomas, and may be a biomarker and candidate therapy target for patients with astrocytomas.« less

  14. Classification of Living Things. A Teacher's Manual for General Level Program Development. Grades 7 and 8. Science and Society Teaching Units. Informal Series/55.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Douglas A.; And Others

    This manual is one of a series designed to assist junior high school teachers in developing general level or non-academic science programs which focus on the relationship between science and society. Although designed primarily for grades 7 and 8, the content is also suitable for students in grade 6. The major portion of the manual consists of six…

  15. The Effect of Instructor Nonverbal Immediacy Behaviors and Feedback Sensitivity on Hispanic Students' Affective Learning Outcomes in Ninth-Grade Writing Conferences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Laura; Mottet, Timothy P.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to show how instructor use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors influence Hispanic students' affective learning in ninth-grade writing conferences, regardless of the level of feedback sensitivity provided. According to Kluger and DeNisi's (1996) feedback intervention theory, when feedback is direct and targeted on the…

  16. The Relationship between Grade Configuration and Standardized Science Test Scores of Fifth-Grade Students: What School Administrators Should Know

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Delonda; Jones, Lisa; Simieou, Felix; Matthew, Kathryn; Morgan, Bryan

    2013-01-01

    This study utilized a causal comparative (ex post facto) design to determine if a consistent relationship existed between fifth-grade students' success on the Science Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) at the elementary (K-5) level in comparison to fifth-grade students' success on the science TAKS at the intermediate (5-6) level. The…

  17. OPS MCC level B/C formulation requirements: Area targets and space volumes processor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bishop, M. J., Jr.

    1979-01-01

    The level B/C mathematical specifications for the area targets and space volumes processor (ATSVP) are described. The processor is designed to compute the acquisition-of-signal (AOS) and loss-of-signal (LOS) times for area targets and space volumes. The characteristics of the area targets and space volumes are given. The mathematical equations necessary to determine whether the spacecraft lies within the area target or space volume are given. These equations provide a detailed model of the target geometry. A semianalytical technique for predicting the AOS and LOS time periods is disucssed. This technique was designed to bound the actual visibility period using a simplified target geometry model and unperturbed orbital motion. Functional overview of the ATSVP is presented and it's detailed logic flow is described.

  18. Differential Item Functioning by Gender on a Large-Scale Science Performance Assessment: A Comparison across Grade Levels.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holweger, Nancy; Taylor, Grace

    The fifth-grade and eighth-grade science items on a state performance assessment were compared for differential item functioning (DIF) due to gender. The grade 5 sample consisted of 8,539 females and 8,029 males and the grade 8 sample consisted of 7,477 females and 7,891 males. A total of 30 fifth grade items and 26 eighth grade items were…

  19. Graded Course of Study, Science (K-12).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Euclid City Schools, OH.

    This course of study specifies the science skills and concepts that are to be taught in the various grades of the Euclid (Ohio) City Schools. Included are instructional objectives for the life, physical, and earth sciences for grades K to 6, suggested field trips and planetarium schedules (by elementary grade levels), and scope and sequence charts…

  20. An Ungraded Primary Level Science Program, Levels One Through Three (Grades 1-2-3).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dickinson Public Schools, ND. Instructional Media Center.

    This curriculum guide is intended for use in an ungraded science program encompassing grades one, two and three in public elementary schools in southwestern North Dakota. Five major units in the biological, physical and earth sciences and in health education are included. In each unit major concepts to be studied are stated. For each concept,…

  1. Classification of video sequences into chosen generalized use classes of target size and lighting level.

    PubMed

    Leszczuk, Mikołaj; Dudek, Łukasz; Witkowski, Marcin

    The VQiPS (Video Quality in Public Safety) Working Group, supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has been developing a user guide for public safety video applications. According to VQiPS, five parameters have particular importance influencing the ability to achieve a recognition task. They are: usage time-frame, discrimination level, target size, lighting level, and level of motion. These parameters form what are referred to as Generalized Use Classes (GUCs). The aim of our research was to develop algorithms that would automatically assist classification of input sequences into one of the GUCs. Target size and lighting level parameters were approached. The experiment described reveals the experts' ambiguity and hesitation during the manual target size determination process. However, the automatic methods developed for target size classification make it possible to determine GUC parameters with 70 % compliance to the end-users' opinion. Lighting levels of the entire sequence can be classified with an efficiency reaching 93 %. To make the algorithms available for use, a test application has been developed. It is able to process video files and display classification results, the user interface being very simple and requiring only minimal user interaction.

  2. An Examination of the Quality of Literacy Skill Assessments across Levels of Second-Grade, Spanish-Speaking, English-Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gutierrez, Gabriel

    2010-01-01

    The current study examined the quality of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) across a sample of second-grade English Language (EL) learners with varying degrees of English proficiency (e.g., students with beginning, early intermediate, intermediate, early advanced, and advanced levels). DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency…

  3. Racial/Ethnic Differences in Knowledge of Personal and Target Levels of Cardiovascular Health Indicators.

    PubMed

    Ma, Mindy; Ma, Alyson

    2015-10-01

    This study aimed to examine ethnic differences in knowledge of personal and target levels of cardiovascular health indicators between non-Hispanic whites and African Americans. A secondary objective was to evaluate the associations between knowledge of cardiovascular health indicators and health promotion behaviors. Participants (66.7% female) consisted of 265 whites and 428 African Americans, ages 18 and older recruited from primary care clinics and churches. Respondents completed a brief survey on blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol, blood glucose, body mass index (BMI), diet, and physical activity. Whites were more likely than African Americans to report knowing their personal and target levels of cardiovascular health indicators. Knowledge of personal BP and/or BMI was positively associated with actual physical activity, and awareness of personal blood glucose was positively associated with healthy dietary practices for participants in both groups. Among whites, awareness of personal BP and knowledge of target levels for BP, total cholesterol, and BMI were also associated with healthy diet. Results suggest there are racial/ethnic disparities in knowledge of personal and ideal levels of cardiovascular health indicators, and that this knowledge is related to health promotion behaviors. Targeted educational efforts are warranted to enhance knowledge of personal risk indicators among African Americans.

  4. OP17MICRORNA PROFILING USING SMALL RNA-SEQ IN PAEDIATRIC LOW GRADE GLIOMAS

    PubMed Central

    Jeyapalan, Jennie N.; Jones, Tania A.; Tatevossian, Ruth G.; Qaddoumi, Ibrahim; Ellison, David W.; Sheer, Denise

    2014-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: MicroRNAs regulate gene expression by targeting mRNAs for translational repression or degradation at the post-transcriptional level. In paediatric low-grade gliomas a few key genetic mutations have been identified, including BRAF fusions, FGFR1 duplications and MYB rearrangements. Our aim in the current study is to profile aberrant microRNA expression in paediatric low-grade gliomas and determine the role of epigenetic changes in the aetiology and behaviour of these tumours. METHOD: MicroRNA profiling of tumour samples (6 pilocytic, 2 diffuse, 2 pilomyxoid astrocytomas) and normal brain controls (4 adult normal brain samples and a primary glial progenitor cell-line) was performed using small RNA sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis included sequence alignment, analysis of the number of reads (CPM, counts per million) and differential expression. RESULTS: Sequence alignment identified 695 microRNAs, whose expression was compared in tumours v. normal brain. PCA and hierarchical clustering showed separate groups for tumours and normal brain. Computational analysis identified approximately 400 differentially expressed microRNAs in the tumours compared to matched location controls. Our findings will then be validated and integrated with extensive genetic and epigenetic information we have previously obtained for the full tumour cohort. CONCLUSION: We have identified microRNAs that are differentially expressed in paediatric low-grade gliomas. As microRNAs are known to target genes involved in the initiation and progression of cancer, they provide critical information on tumour pathogenesis and are an important class of biomarkers.

  5. Personalized Prediction of Glaucoma Progression Under Different Target Intraocular Pressure Levels Using Filtered Forecasting Methods.

    PubMed

    Kazemian, Pooyan; Lavieri, Mariel S; Van Oyen, Mark P; Andrews, Chris; Stein, Joshua D

    2018-04-01

    To generate personalized forecasts of how patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) experience disease progression at different intraocular pressure (IOP) levels to aid clinicians with setting personalized target IOPs. Secondary analyses using longitudinal data from 2 randomized controlled trials. Participants with moderate or advanced OAG from the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS) or the Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS). By using perimetric and tonometric data from trial participants, we developed and validated Kalman Filter (KF) models for fast-, slow-, and nonprogressing patients with OAG. The KF can generate personalized and dynamically updated forecasts of OAG progression under different target IOP levels. For each participant, we determined how mean deviation (MD) would change if the patient maintains his/her IOP at 1 of 7 levels (6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, or 24 mmHg) over the next 5 years. We also model and predict changes to MD over the same time horizon if IOP is increased or decreased by 3, 6, and 9 mmHg from the level attained in the trials. Personalized estimates of the change in MD under different target IOP levels. A total of 571 participants (mean age, 64.2 years; standard deviation, 10.9) were followed for a mean of 6.5 years (standard deviation, 2.8). Our models predicted that, on average, fast progressors would lose 2.1, 6.7, and 11.2 decibels (dB) MD under target IOPs of 6, 15, and 24 mmHg, respectively, over 5 years. In contrast, on average, slow progressors would lose 0.8, 2.1, and 4.1 dB MD under the same target IOPs and time frame. When using our tool to quantify the OAG progression dynamics for all 571 patients, we found no statistically significant differences over 5 years between progression for black versus white, male versus female, and CIGTS versus AGIS participants under different target IOPs (P > 0.05 for all). To our knowledge, this is the first clinical decision-making tool that generates personalized

  6. Photodynamic therapy of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) high grade

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carbinatto, Fernanda M.; Inada, Natalia M.; Lombardi, Welington; da Silva, Eduardo V.; Belotto, Renata; Kurachi, Cristina; Bagnato, Vanderlei S.

    2016-02-01

    Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is the precursor of invasive cervical cancer and associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a technique that has been used for the treatment of tumors. PDT is based on the accumulation of a photosensitizer in target cells that will generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species upon illumination, inducing the death of abnormal tissue and PDT with less damaging to normal tissues than surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy and seems to be a promising alternative procedure for CIN treatment. The CIN high grades (II and III) presents potential indications for PDT due the success of PDT for CIN low grade treatment. The patients with CIN high grade that were treated with new clinic protocol shows lesion regression to CIN low grade 60 days after the treatment. The new clinical protocol using for treatment of CIN high grade shows great potential to become a public health technique.

  7. Strategies for Achieving the New SHAPE America Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes: Bringing Obstacle Course Training into Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kulik, Keri S.; Brewer, Hannah; Windish, Lance; Carlson, Hollie

    2017-01-01

    The new SHAPE America standards and grade level outcomes for high-school physical education focus exclusively on physical activities that are suitable for lifelong participation. Some of the fastest-growing physical activities for adults in the United States are non-traditional multi-sport events and obstacle course races. As "Healthy People…

  8. A Study of Light Level Effect on the Accuracy of Image Processing-based Tomato Grading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prijatna, D.; Muhaemin, M.; Wulandari, R. P.; Herwanto, T.; Saukat, M.; Sugandi, W. K.

    2018-05-01

    Image processing method has been used in non-destructive tests of agricultural products. Compared to manual method, image processing method may produce more objective and consistent results. Image capturing box installed in currently used tomato grading machine (TEP-4) is equipped with four fluorescence lamps to illuminate the processed tomatoes. Since the performance of any lamp will decrease if its service time has exceeded its lifetime, it is predicted that this will affect tomato classification. The objective of this study was to determine the minimum light levels which affect classification accuracy. This study was conducted by varying light level from minimum and maximum on tomatoes in image capturing boxes and then investigates its effects on image characteristics. Research results showed that light intensity affects two variables which are important for classification, for example, area and color of captured image. Image processing program was able to determine correctly the weight and classification of tomatoes when light level was 30 lx to 140 lx.

  9. English Language Arts Curriculum Guide, Intermediate Elementary Level: Grade 4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saporito, Leo C., Ed.; And Others

    Prepared for use in grade four, this language arts curriculum guide bases its reading strand on "Roads to Everywhere" (Ginn 100), the English strand on "Roberts English Series" (Harcourt), the spelling strand on "Sound and Sense in Spelling" (Harcourt), and the handwriting strand on "Better Handwriting for…

  10. A Quantitative Content Analysis of the Common Core State Standards Compared to Missouri's Grade-Level Expectations Using the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallia, Toni

    2012-01-01

    With the pressure in education to develop a 21st century learner with higher-level thinking skills, many educators connected previous state curriculum to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Missouri's Department of Education experts paired the previous state's curriculum known as the Missouri Grade Level Expectations (MO GLEs) with a…

  11. A pilot study of peptide vaccines for VEGF receptor 1 and 2 in patients with recurrent/progressive high grade glioma.

    PubMed

    Shibao, Shunsuke; Ueda, Ryo; Saito, Katsuya; Kikuchi, Ryogo; Nagashima, Hideaki; Kojima, Atsuhiro; Kagami, Hiroshi; Pareira, Eriel Sandika; Sasaki, Hikaru; Noji, Shinobu; Kawakami, Yutaka; Yoshida, Kazunari; Toda, Masahiro

    2018-04-20

    Early-phase clinical studies of glioma vaccines have shown feasibility and encouraging preliminary clinical activity. A vaccine that targets tumor angiogenesis factors in glioma microenvironment has not been reported. Therefore, we performed a pilot study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a novel vaccination targeting tumor angiogenesis with synthetic peptides for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor epitopes in patients with recurrent/progressive high grade gliomas. Eight patients received intranodal vaccinations weekly at a dose of 2mg/kg bodyweight 8 times. T-lymphocyte responses against VEGF receptor (VEGFR) epitopes were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent spot assays. This treatment was well-tolerated in patients. The first four vaccines induced positive immune responses against at least one of the targeted VEGFR epitopes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 87.5% of patients. The median overall survival time in all patients was 15.9 months. Two achieved progression-free status lasting at least 6 months. Two patients with recurrent GBM demonstrated stable disease. Plasma IL-8 level was negatively correlated with overall survival. These data demonstrate the safety and immunogenicity of VEGFR peptide vaccines targeting tumor vasculatures in high grade gliomas.

  12. A pilot study of peptide vaccines for VEGF receptor 1 and 2 in patients with recurrent/progressive high grade glioma

    PubMed Central

    Shibao, Shunsuke; Ueda, Ryo; Saito, Katsuya; Kikuchi, Ryogo; Nagashima, Hideaki; Kojima, Atsuhiro; Kagami, Hiroshi; Pareira, Eriel Sandika; Sasaki, Hikaru; Noji, Shinobu; Kawakami, Yutaka; Yoshida, Kazunari; Toda, Masahiro

    2018-01-01

    Object Early-phase clinical studies of glioma vaccines have shown feasibility and encouraging preliminary clinical activity. A vaccine that targets tumor angiogenesis factors in glioma microenvironment has not been reported. Therefore, we performed a pilot study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a novel vaccination targeting tumor angiogenesis with synthetic peptides for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor epitopes in patients with recurrent/progressive high grade gliomas. Methods Eight patients received intranodal vaccinations weekly at a dose of 2mg/kg bodyweight 8 times. T-lymphocyte responses against VEGF receptor (VEGFR) epitopes were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent spot assays. Results This treatment was well-tolerated in patients. The first four vaccines induced positive immune responses against at least one of the targeted VEGFR epitopes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 87.5% of patients. The median overall survival time in all patients was 15.9 months. Two achieved progression-free status lasting at least 6 months. Two patients with recurrent GBM demonstrated stable disease. Plasma IL-8 level was negatively correlated with overall survival. Conclusion These data demonstrate the safety and immunogenicity of VEGFR peptide vaccines targeting tumor vasculatures in high grade gliomas. PMID:29765561

  13. Readability Levels of the 1975 Third Grade Macmillan Basal Readers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKinney, Ernestine Williams

    1983-01-01

    Analysis of third-grade books in the New Macmillan Reading Program reveals that the books exceeded the publisher's designation of readability and did not progress in difficulty from easy to more difficult. Findings suggest the need for more complete and reliable information from publishers concerning textbook readability. (FL)

  14. Proton irradiated graphite grades for a long baseline neutrino facility experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simos, N.; Nocera, P.; Zhong, Z.; Zwaska, R.; Mokhov, N.; Misek, J.; Ammigan, K.; Hurh, P.; Kotsina, Z.

    2017-07-01

    In search of a low-Z pion production target for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) four graphite grades were irradiated with protons in the energy range of 140-180 MeV, to peak fluence of ˜6.1 ×1020 p /cm2 and irradiation temperatures between 120 - 200 °C . The test array included POCO ZXF-5Q, Toyo-Tanso IG 430, Carbone-Lorraine 2020 and SGL R7650 grades of graphite. Irradiation was performed at the Brookhaven Linear Isotope Producer. Postirradiation analyses were performed with the objective of (a) comparing their response under the postulated irradiation conditions to guide a graphite grade selection for use as a pion target and (b) understanding changes in physical and mechanical properties as well as microstructure that occurred as a result of the achieved fluence and in particular at this low-temperature regime where pion graphite targets are expected to operate. A further goal of the postirradiation evaluation was to establish a proton-neutron correlation damage on graphite that will allow for the use of a wealth of available neutron-based damage data in proton-based studies and applications. Macroscopic postirradiation analyses as well as energy dispersive x-ray diffraction of 200 KeV x rays at the NSLS synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory were employed. The macroscopic analyses revealed differences in the physical and strength properties of the four grades with behavior however under proton irradiation that qualitatively agrees with that reported for graphite under neutrons for the same low temperature regime and in particular the increase of thermal expansion, strength and Young's modulus. The proton fluence level of ˜1020 cm-2 where strength reaches a maximum before it begins to decrease at higher fluences has been identified and it agrees with neutron-induced changes. X-ray diffraction analyses of the proton irradiated graphite revealed for the first time the similarity in

  15. Proton irradiated graphite grades for a long baseline neutrino facility experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simos, N.; Nocera, P.; Zhong, Z.

    In search of a low-Z pion production target for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) four graphite grades were irradiated with protons in the energy range of 140–180 MeV, to peak fluence of ~6.1×10 20 p/cm 2 and irradiation temperatures between 120–200 °C. The test array included POCO ZXF-5Q, Toyo-Tanso IG 430, Carbone-Lorraine 2020 and SGL R7650 grades of graphite. Irradiation was performed at the Brookhaven Linear Isotope Producer. Postirradiation analyses were performed with the objective of (a) comparing their response under the postulated irradiation conditions to guide a graphite grade selection for use asmore » a pion target and (b) understanding changes in physical and mechanical properties as well as microstructure that occurred as a result of the achieved fluence and in particular at this low-temperature regime where pion graphite targets are expected to operate. A further goal of the postirradiation evaluation was to establish a proton-neutron correlation damage on graphite that will allow for the use of a wealth of available neutron-based damage data in proton-based studies and applications. Macroscopic postirradiation analyses as well as energy dispersive x-ray diffraction of 200 KeV x rays at the NSLS synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory were employed. The macroscopic analyses revealed differences in the physical and strength properties of the four grades with behavior however under proton irradiation that qualitatively agrees with that reported for graphite under neutrons for the same low temperature regime and in particular the increase of thermal expansion, strength and Young’s modulus. The proton fluence level of ~10 20 cm -2 where strength reaches a maximum before it begins to decrease at higher fluences has been identified and it agrees with neutron-induced changes. X-ray diffraction analyses of the proton irradiated graphite revealed for the first time the

  16. Proton irradiated graphite grades for a long baseline neutrino facility experiment

    DOE PAGES

    Simos, N.; Nocera, P.; Zhong, Z.; ...

    2017-07-24

    In search of a low-Z pion production target for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) four graphite grades were irradiated with protons in the energy range of 140–180 MeV, to peak fluence of ~6.1×10 20 p/cm 2 and irradiation temperatures between 120–200 °C. The test array included POCO ZXF-5Q, Toyo-Tanso IG 430, Carbone-Lorraine 2020 and SGL R7650 grades of graphite. Irradiation was performed at the Brookhaven Linear Isotope Producer. Postirradiation analyses were performed with the objective of (a) comparing their response under the postulated irradiation conditions to guide a graphite grade selection for use asmore » a pion target and (b) understanding changes in physical and mechanical properties as well as microstructure that occurred as a result of the achieved fluence and in particular at this low-temperature regime where pion graphite targets are expected to operate. A further goal of the postirradiation evaluation was to establish a proton-neutron correlation damage on graphite that will allow for the use of a wealth of available neutron-based damage data in proton-based studies and applications. Macroscopic postirradiation analyses as well as energy dispersive x-ray diffraction of 200 KeV x rays at the NSLS synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory were employed. The macroscopic analyses revealed differences in the physical and strength properties of the four grades with behavior however under proton irradiation that qualitatively agrees with that reported for graphite under neutrons for the same low temperature regime and in particular the increase of thermal expansion, strength and Young’s modulus. The proton fluence level of ~10 20 cm -2 where strength reaches a maximum before it begins to decrease at higher fluences has been identified and it agrees with neutron-induced changes. X-ray diffraction analyses of the proton irradiated graphite revealed for the first time the

  17. The USDA quality grades may mislead consumers.

    PubMed

    DeVuyst, E A; Lusk, J L; DeVuyst, M A

    2014-07-01

    This study was designed to explore consumers' perceptions about and knowledge of USDA beef quality grades. Data were collected from over 1,000 consumers in online surveys in November and December 2013, and estimates were weighted to force the sample to mirror the U.S. population in terms of age, gender, education, and region of residence. When asked to rank Prime, Choice, and Select grades in terms of leanness, only 14.4% provided the correct ranking with 57.1% of respondents incorrectly indicating steaks grading Prime were the leanest. Despite perceptions that the Prime name indicated the leanest product, in a subsequent question, 55.6% of respondents thought Prime grade to be the juiciest of the 3 grades. In addition to inquiring about perceptions of the grade names, respondents also indicated perceptions of pictures of steaks. Only 14.5% of respondents correctly matched the steak pictures with their corresponding USDA quality grade name, an outcome that is statistically worse than would have occurred through pure random matching (P = 0.03). When asked to match pictures of steaks with expected prices, 54.8% of respondents incorrectly matched the picture of the Prime steak with the lowest price level. More highly educated consumers with greater preferences for steak consumption were more likely to provide correct answers. Results reveal substantial confusion over quality grading nomenclature and suggest the need for more education or for a transition toward more descriptive terminology at the retail level.

  18. The Use of Contract Grading in the First College Speech Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Subeck, Ronald H.

    1973-01-01

    Describes an introductory, college level speech course based on contract grading. Includes the requirements for the various grades, student reactions to contract grading, the grade contract, and a twelve item bibliography. (DD)

  19. Qualitative grading of disc degeneration by magnetic resonance in the lumbar and cervical spine: lack of correlation with histology in surgical cases.

    PubMed

    Davies, B M; Atkinson, R A; Ludwinski, F; Freemont, A J; Hoyland, J A; Gnanalingham, K K

    2016-08-01

    Clinically, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the most effective non-invasive tool for assessing IVD degeneration. Histological examination of the IVD provides a more detailed assessment of the pathological changes at a tissue level. However, very few reports have studied the relationship between these techniques. Identifying a relationship may allow more detailed staging of IVD degeneration, of importance in targeting future regenerative therapies. To investigate the relationship between MR and histological grading of IVD degeneration in the cervical and lumbar spine in patients undergoing discectomy. Lumbar (N = 99) and cervical (N = 106) IVD samples were obtained from adult patients undergoing discectomy surgery for symptomatic IVD herniation and graded to ascertain a histological grade of degeneration. The pre-operative MR images from these patients were graded for the degree of IVD (MR grade) and vertebral end-plate degeneration (Modic Changes, MC). The relationship between histological and MR grades of degeneration were studied. In lumbar and cervical IVD the majority of samples (93%) exhibited moderate levels of degeneration (ie MR grades 3-4) on pre-operative MR scans. Histologically, most specimens displayed moderate to severe grades of degeneration in lumbar (99%) and cervical spine (93%). MR grade was weakly correlated with patient age in lumbar and cervical study groups. MR and histological grades of IVD degeneration did not correlate in lumbar or cervical study groups. MC were more common in the lumbar than cervical spine (e.g. 39 versus 20% grade 2 changes; p < 0.05), but failed to correlate with MR or histological grades for degeneration. In this surgical series, the resected IVD tissue displayed moderate to severe degeneration, but there is no correlation between MR and histological grades using a qualitative classification system. There remains a need for a quantitative, non-invasive, pre-clinical measure of IVD degeneration that

  20. Activation Levels, Handling, and Storage of Activated Components in the Target Hall at FRIB

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Georgobiani, D.; Bennett, R.; Bollen, G.; Kostin, M.; Ronningen, R.

    2018-06-01

    The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) is a major new scientific user facility under construction in the United States for nuclear science research with beams of rare isotopes. 400 kW beam operations with heavy ions ranging from oxygen to uranium will create a high radiation environment for many components, particularly for the beam line components located in the target hall, where approximately 100 kW of beam power are dissipated in the target and another 300 kW are dissipated in the beam dump. Detailed studies of the component activation, their remote handling, storage, and transport, have been performed to ensure safe operation levels in this environment. Levels of activation are calculated for the beam line components within the FRIB target hall.

  1. Implementation of Standards-Based Grading at the Middle School Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Urich, Laura Jill

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to learn about the experiences of teachers as they transition from traditional grading practices to standards-based reporting (SBR). In order to achieve this overall objective, the following research questions framed this qualitative study: (1) What understandings related to practices do middle school teachers have as…

  2. Following and Giving Directions: Fifth Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Nancy

    The fifth grade instructional unit, part of a grade school level career education series, is designed to assist learners in understanding how present experiences relate to past and future ones. Before the main body of the lessons is described field test results are reported and key items are presented: the concepts, the estimated time for…

  3. An Empirical Method for Deriving Grade Equivalence for University Entrance Qualifications: An Application to A Levels and the International Baccalaureate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Francis; Vignoles, Anna

    2012-01-01

    We present a method to compare different qualifications for entry to higher education by studying students' subsequent performance. Using this method for students holding either the International Baccalaureate (IB) or A-levels gaining their degrees in 2010, we estimate an "empirical" equivalence scale between IB grade points and UCAS…

  4. Quality of breast and thigh meats when broilers are fed rations containing graded levels of sugar syrup.

    PubMed

    Hashim, I B; Hussein, A S; Afifi, H S

    2013-08-01

    The dietary energy for broiler chicken is provided through the inclusion of cereal grains and vegetable oil in the ration. The cost of corn is increasing exponentially, whereas sugar syrup (SS) is available with reasonable cost. Sugar syrup can be used as a substitute for starch/grains and vegetable oil. No research has been reported on the effect of SS on broiler meat quality. In this study, Hubbard commercial broiler chicks were fed a control basal diet (corn-soy basal diet on an ad libitum basis) alone or with graded levels of SS. A completely randomized design with 3 replications (n = 3, treatments = 4 with 4 subsamples per treatment) were used to investigate the effect of replacing part of the corn and oil in broiler chicken rations with graded levels of SS (5, 10, and 15%) on breast and thigh meat quality (proximate analysis, cooking loss, instrumental color, and texture and sensory properties). Rations containing up to 15% SS had a slight effect on proximate composition of raw and cooked broiler breast and thigh meats. Cooking loss of thigh meat decreased significantly with increasing SS but increased significantly for breast meats. No significant differences were detected (P > 0.05) among breast or thigh meats fed rations with a different level of SS on all sensory properties, except that cooked thigh meat had a slightly harder texture. Overall, results suggest that feeding broilers with SS rations (up to 15%) produced high-quality breast and thigh meats with minimal differences.

  5. 7 CFR 810.105 - Grades and grade requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARD ADMINISTRATION (FEDERAL GRAIN INSPECTION SERVICE), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN General Provisions Grades, Grade Requirements, and Grade Designations § 810.105 Grades and grade...

  6. High-grade carotid artery stenosis: A forgotten area in cardiovascular risk management.

    PubMed

    Good, Elin; Länne, Toste; Wilhelm, Elisabeth; Perk, Joep; Jaarsma, Tiny; de Muinck, Ebo

    2016-09-01

    Patients with high-grade (≥70%) carotid artery stenosis (CAS) rank in the highest risk category for future cardiovascular (CV) events, but the quality of cardiovascular risk management in this patient group is unknown. Cross-sectional retrospective study. Data were collected for all patients diagnosed with high-grade CAS in Östergötland county, Sweden between 1 January 2009 and 31 July 2012 regarding the quality of cardiovascular risk management, co-morbidity and outcomes during the 2-year follow-up period after a diagnosis of CAS with a carotid ultrasound scan. Patients were included regardless of whether they underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA). A total of 393 patients with CAS were included in the study; 133 (33.8%) underwent CEA and 260 (66.2%) were assigned to a conservative management (CM) group. In both groups of patients the prescription of platelet inhibitors, statins and antihypertensive drugs increased significantly (p < 0.001) after diagnosis. However treatment targets were not met in the majority of patients and the low-density lipoprotein level was on target in only 13.5% of patients. During follow-up, low-density lipoprotein levels were not measured in 19.8% of patients who underwent CEA and 44.2% of patients in the CM group (p < 0.001); HbA1c was not measured in 24.4% of patients with diabetes in the CEA group and in 18.8% of patients in the CM group (p = 0.560). There was no documentation of counselling on diet, exercise, smoking cessation or adherence to medication. The combined clinical event rate (all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and non-fatal cardiovascular events) was high in both groups (CEA 36.8% and CM 36.9%; p = 1.00) with no difference in the occurrence of ipsilateral ischaemic stroke. The clinical event rate was high in patients with high-grade CAS and the management of cardiovascular risk was deficient in all aspects. © The European Society of Cardiology 2016.

  7. The Effect of Arabism of Romanic Alphabets on the Development of 9th Grade English as a Foreign Language Students' Writing Skills at Secondary School Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zuhair, Ahmad

    2015-01-01

    This paper aims at investigating the effect of Arabization of Romanic Alphabets on the development of 9th Grade English as a Foreign Language students' composition writing skills at secondary school level. This experimental study includes 25 secondary school students in their 9th Grade in which English is taught as a foreign language at…

  8. Three-Year Study of Students' Attitudes Toward Physical Education: Grades 4-8.

    PubMed

    Mercier, Kevin; Donovan, Corinne; Gibbone, Anne; Rozga, Kimberly

    2017-09-01

    A relationship exists between attitudes toward physical education and future physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in attitude toward physical education as students progressed from upper elementary school (Grade 4) through middle school (Grade 8). Three cohorts of students (Cohort 1, Grades 4-6, n = 96; Cohort 2, Grades 5-7, n = 71; and Cohort 3, Grades 6-8, n = 73) were each followed for 3 years to examine changes in attitudes toward physical education. After an initial increase from Grade 4 to Grade 5, a significant decrease was observed from Grades 5 to 8 in students' positive attitudes toward physical education, with a faster rate of change for girls than boys. This longitudinal study provides further insights regarding the attitudes of students as they progress from Grade 4 to Grade 8 and expands on previous findings identifying decreasing positive attitudes toward physical education as students age, particularly for girls. The results provide evidence to support targeted interventions.

  9. Elementary Science Guide -- 6th Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wieland, Anne; And Others

    Presented is a resource book to be used with instructional kits for elementary school science students, grade 6. The individual units at this grade level are based on curriculum which has been developed by the National Science Foundation in the 1960s and revised to meet student and teacher identified needs in Anchorage, Alaska. Six units are…

  10. Elementary Science Guide -- 1st Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wieland, Anne; And Others

    Presented is a resource book to be used with instructional kits for elementary school science students, grade 1. The individual units at this grade level are based on curriculum which has been developed by the National Science Foundation in the 1960s and revised to meet student and teacher identified needs in Anchorage, Alaska. Four units are…

  11. Preparation of clinical-grade 89Zr-panitumumab as a positron emission tomography biomarker for evaluating epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapy

    PubMed Central

    Wei, Ling; Shi, Jianfeng; Afari, George; Bhattacharyya, Sibaprasad

    2014-01-01

    Panitumumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) positive colorectal cancer. Recently, panitumumab has been radiolabeled with 89Zr and evaluated for its potential to be used as immuno-positron emission tomography (PET) probe for EGFR positive cancers. Interesting preclinical results published by several groups of researchers have prompted us to develop a robust procedure for producing clinical-grade 89Zr-panitumumab as an immuno-PET probe to evaluate EGFR-targeted therapy. In this process, clinical-grade panitumumab is bio-conjugated with desferrioxamine chelate and subsequently radiolabeled with 89Zr resulting in high radiochemical yield (>70%, n=3) and purity (>98%, n=3). All quality control (QC) tests were performed according to United States Pharmacopeia specifications. QC tests showed that 89Zr-panitumumab met all specifications for human injection. Herein, we describe a step-by-step method for the facile synthesis and QC tests of 89Zr-panitumumab for medical use. The entire process of bioconjugation, radiolabeling, and all QC tests will take about 5h. Because the synthesis is fully manual, two rapid, in-process QC tests have been introduced to make the procedure robust and error free. PMID:24448743

  12. Grades 4-6: Arkansas Public School Course Content Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

    Provided as a framework for use in curriculum development are Arkansas' course content guides for the intermediate elementary grades four, five, and six. At each grade level, language arts, mathematics, reading, social studies, and science skills have been identified at three instructional levels: basic, developmental, and extensional. Basic…

  13. Adaptive bi-level programming for optimal gene knockouts for targeted overproduction under phenotypic constraints

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Optimization procedures to identify gene knockouts for targeted biochemical overproduction have been widely in use in modern metabolic engineering. Flux balance analysis (FBA) framework has provided conceptual simplifications for genome-scale dynamic analysis at steady states. Based on FBA, many current optimization methods for targeted bio-productions have been developed under the maximum cell growth assumption. The optimization problem to derive gene knockout strategies recently has been formulated as a bi-level programming problem in OptKnock for maximum targeted bio-productions with maximum growth rates. However, it has been shown that knockout mutants in fact reach the steady states with the minimization of metabolic adjustment (MOMA) from the corresponding wild-type strains instead of having maximal growth rates after genetic or metabolic intervention. In this work, we propose a new bi-level computational framework--MOMAKnock--which can derive robust knockout strategies under the MOMA flux distribution approximation. Methods In this new bi-level optimization framework, we aim to maximize the production of targeted chemicals by identifying candidate knockout genes or reactions under phenotypic constraints approximated by the MOMA assumption. Hence, the targeted chemical production is the primary objective of MOMAKnock while the MOMA assumption is formulated as the inner problem of constraining the knockout metabolic flux to be as close as possible to the steady-state phenotypes of wide-type strains. As this new inner problem becomes a quadratic programming problem, a novel adaptive piecewise linearization algorithm is developed in this paper to obtain the exact optimal solution to this new bi-level integer quadratic programming problem for MOMAKnock. Results Our new MOMAKnock model and the adaptive piecewise linearization solution algorithm are tested with a small E. coli core metabolic network and a large-scale iAF1260 E. coli metabolic network

  14. Adaptive bi-level programming for optimal gene knockouts for targeted overproduction under phenotypic constraints.

    PubMed

    Ren, Shaogang; Zeng, Bo; Qian, Xiaoning

    2013-01-01

    Optimization procedures to identify gene knockouts for targeted biochemical overproduction have been widely in use in modern metabolic engineering. Flux balance analysis (FBA) framework has provided conceptual simplifications for genome-scale dynamic analysis at steady states. Based on FBA, many current optimization methods for targeted bio-productions have been developed under the maximum cell growth assumption. The optimization problem to derive gene knockout strategies recently has been formulated as a bi-level programming problem in OptKnock for maximum targeted bio-productions with maximum growth rates. However, it has been shown that knockout mutants in fact reach the steady states with the minimization of metabolic adjustment (MOMA) from the corresponding wild-type strains instead of having maximal growth rates after genetic or metabolic intervention. In this work, we propose a new bi-level computational framework--MOMAKnock--which can derive robust knockout strategies under the MOMA flux distribution approximation. In this new bi-level optimization framework, we aim to maximize the production of targeted chemicals by identifying candidate knockout genes or reactions under phenotypic constraints approximated by the MOMA assumption. Hence, the targeted chemical production is the primary objective of MOMAKnock while the MOMA assumption is formulated as the inner problem of constraining the knockout metabolic flux to be as close as possible to the steady-state phenotypes of wide-type strains. As this new inner problem becomes a quadratic programming problem, a novel adaptive piecewise linearization algorithm is developed in this paper to obtain the exact optimal solution to this new bi-level integer quadratic programming problem for MOMAKnock. Our new MOMAKnock model and the adaptive piecewise linearization solution algorithm are tested with a small E. coli core metabolic network and a large-scale iAF1260 E. coli metabolic network. The derived knockout

  15. Arizona Academic Content Standards Social Studies Articulated by Grade Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arizona Department of Education, 2005

    2005-01-01

    The state Board of Education began the development process for the Arizona academic standards in 1996 to define what Arizona students need to know and be able to do by the end of twelfth grade. The Social Studies Standards were adopted in 2000 and partially revised in 2003. Developed by committees comprised of educators, subject matter experts,…

  16. Using Alphabet Books across Grade Levels: More than 26 Opportunities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradley, Karen Sue; Bradley, Jack

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, the popularity of alphabet books has spread into older grades, as they address a variety of themes and can be used across disciplines. Their complexity can stimulate thinking and offer a world of possibilities in the area of research. Students of all ages are motivated to create an alphabet book on a self-selected topic. The…

  17. Affective Education in the Primary Grade Levels: A Pilot Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stilwell, William E.; Barclay, James R.

    This report describes a 12-week pilot phase of an affective education program in the Stuttgart School District, Arkansas. Participating in the program were 218 children, grades 2-4, and a team of nineteen teachers who were given 12 weeks of in-service training designed to facilitate their use of the DUSO, Focus on Self-Development Human…

  18. Sex and Grade Level Differences in Marijuana Use among Youth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Keith A.; Vidourek, Rebecca A.; Hoffman, Ashlee R.

    2012-01-01

    A total of 54,361 students in seventh through twelfth grades completed a survey examining the impact of perceived harm of marijuana use, ease of access in obtaining marijuana, and perceived parent/peer disapproval of marijuana use on youth involvement in annual and recent marijuana use. Results indicated that 1 in 6 (16%) students used marijuana…

  19. MiR-300 Serves as Potential Biomarker to Screen Knee Osteoarthritis Patients by Targeting TNFα.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Zihao; Tian, Fengde; An, Ning; Zhang, Yao; Wang, Changcheng; Guo, Lin

    2018-04-01

    This study mainly explored the serum level of miR-300 with the risk of knee OA, thereby evaluating their diagnostic ability for treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients. In the current study, we evaluated the level of TNFα in KOA patients and HCs. The serum was used to quantify the level of TNF-α by way of a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Dual luciferase reporter assay was carried out to identify the possible target gene of miR-300. In line with previous studies, our data showed that serum TNFα level was increased along with K/L grades and WOMAC scoring, suggesting TNFα induced inflammatory responses correlating with the severity of KOA. We also showed that serum miR-300 level was increased with the severity of KOA according to X ray examination and K/L grades. Furthermore, we showed that serum miR-300 level positively correlated with K/L grades, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scoring and WOMAC function scoring. Bioinformatic predictions showed a conserved binding site of miR-300 in the 3'UTR of IκBα. We then carried out a dual luciferase reporter assay and found miR-300 significantly suppressed pmirGLO-IκBα-3'UTR luciferase activity. Serum miR-300 is increased with the severity of KOA according to X-ray examination and K/L grades, thereby reflecting the severity of KOA and the degree of cartilage damage. Therefore, it could be used as a potential biomarker to screen KOA patients from healthy controls.

  20. Significantly greater expression of ER, PR, and ECAD in advanced-stage low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma as revealed by immunohistochemical analysis.

    PubMed

    Wong, Kwong-Kwok; Lu, Karen H; Malpica, Anais; Bodurka, Diane C; Shvartsman, Hyun S; Schmandt, Rosemarie E; Thornton, Angela D; Deavers, Michael T; Silva, Elvio G; Gershenson, David M

    2007-10-01

    A 2-tier system that classifies ovarian serous carcinoma (OSC) as low grade or high grade is gaining acceptance. Women with low-grade OSC generally have higher 5-year survival rates than do women with high-grade OSC. We examined the expression of various markers to further understand the molecular differences between low-grade and high-grade OSCs: the potential therapeutic targets or prognostic markers Her-2/neu, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor (PR); the metastasis-associated markers cyclin D1 (BCL1), E-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2, and MMP-9; and the cell proliferation-associated markers BCL1, Ki-67 antigen (Ki-67), and p53. For this immunohistochemical analysis, we used paraffin-embedded specimens from 47 patients with advanced-stage low-grade OSC and from 49 patients with advanced-stage high-grade OSC. Our results showed that low-grade tumors expressed significantly higher levels of estrogen receptor, PR, and E-cadherin than did high-grade tumors, suggesting the involvement of gonadal steroid hormones, especially in the pathogenesis of low-grade OSC; the PR positivity was also observed in the stromal component of these low-grade tumors. On the other hand, high-grade tumors trended toward increased expression of MMP-9, BCL1, p53, and Ki-67, and robust MMP-9 positivity was observed in the stromal component of these high-grade tumors. These differences may lead to the development of different therapeutic strategies for women with either the low-grade or the high-grade form of OSC.

  1. Using the Instructional Level as a Criterion to Target Reading Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, David C.; Burns, Matthew K.

    2014-01-01

    The instructional hierarchy offers a useful framework for targeting academic interventions. Within this framework, the accuracy with which a student reads might function as an indicator that the student should receive an intervention that focuses either on accuracy or on fluency. The current study examined whether the instructional level for…

  2. Readability Levels of Dental Patient Education Brochures.

    PubMed

    Boles, Catherine D; Liu, Ying; November-Rider, Debra

    2016-02-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate dental patient education brochures produced since 2000 to determine if there is any change in the Flesch-Kincaid grade level readability. A convenience sample of 36 brochures was obtained for analysis of the readability of the patient education material on multiple dental topics. Readability was measured using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level through Microsoft Word. Pearson's correlation was used to describe the relationship among the factors of interest. Backward model selection of multiple linear regression model was used to investigate the relationship between Flesch-Kincaid Grade level and a set of predictors included in this study. A convenience sample (n=36) of dental education brochures produced from 2000 to 2014 showed a mean Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level of 9.15. Weak to moderate correlations existed between word count and grade level (r=0.40) and characters count and grade level (r=0.46); strong correlations were found between grade level and average words per sentence (r=0.70), average characters per word (r=0.85) and Flesch Reading Ease (r=-0.98). Only 1 brochure out of the sample met the recommended sixth grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 5.7). Overall, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of all brochures was significantly higher than the recommended sixth grade reading level (p<0.0001). The findings from this study demonstrated that there has generally been an improvement in the Flesch-Kincaid grade level readability of the brochures. However, the majority of the brochures analyzed are still testing above the recommended sixth grade reading level. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

  3. In search of druggable targets for GBM amino acid metabolism.

    PubMed

    Panosyan, Eduard H; Lin, Henry J; Koster, Jan; Lasky, Joseph L

    2017-02-28

    Amino acid (AA) pathways may contain druggable targets for glioblastoma (GBM). Literature reviews and GBM database ( http://r2.amc.nl ) analyses were carried out to screen for such targets among 95 AA related enzymes. First, we identified the genes that were differentially expressed in GBMs (3 datasets) compared to non-GBM brain tissues (5 datasets), or were associated with survival differences. Further, protein expression for these enzymes was also analyzed in high grade gliomas (HGGs) (proteinatlas.org). Finally, AA enzyme and gene expression were compared among the 4 TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) subtypes of GBMs. We detected differences in enzymes involved in glutamate and urea cycle metabolism in GBM. For example, expression levels of BCAT1 (branched chain amino acid transferase 1) and ASL (argininosuccinate lyase) were high, but ASS1 (argininosuccinate synthase 1) was low in GBM. Proneural and neural TCGA subtypes had low expression of all three. High expression of all three correlated with worse outcome. ASL and ASS1 protein levels were mostly undetected in high grade gliomas, whereas BCAT1 was high. GSS (glutathione synthetase) was not differentially expressed, but higher levels were linked to poor progression free survival. ASPA (aspartoacylase) and GOT1 (glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 1) had lower expression in GBM (associated with poor outcomes). All three GABA related genes -- glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1) and 2 (GAD2) and 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (ABAT) -- were lower in mesenchymal tumors, which in contrast showed higher IDO1 (indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1) and TDO2 (tryptophan 2, 3-diaxygenase). Expression of PRODH (proline dehydrogenase), a putative tumor suppressor, was lower in GBM. Higher levels predicted poor survival. Several AA-metabolizing enzymes that are higher in GBM, are also linked to poor outcome (such as BCAT1), which makes them potential targets for therapeutic inhibition. Moreover, existing drugs that deplete

  4. Social Studies Scope & Sequence Learner Outcomes: [Grades K-8].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duluth Public Schools, MN.

    The goal of this K-8 social studies curriculum guide is to ensure instructional consistency at each grade level and sequential growth in content and process skills. Within the K-6 grade levels, the curriculum objectives are itemized under the discipline areas of geography, history, cultures/ethnicity, citizenship/government, economics, and…

  5. Grades 1-3: Arkansas Public School Course Content Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

    Provided as a framework for use in curriculum development are Arkansas' course content guides for the primary grades one, two, and three. At each grade level, language arts, mathematics, and reading skills have been identified at three instructional levels: basic, developmental, and extensional. Basic skills are those which all students must…

  6. Affix Meaning Knowledge in First through Third Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Apel, Kenn; Henbest, Victoria Suzanne

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: We examined grade-level differences in 1st- through 3rd-grade students' performance on an experimenter-developed affix meaning task (AMT) and determined whether AMT performance explained unique variance in word-level reading and reading comprehension, beyond other known contributors to reading development. Method: Forty students at each…

  7. Improving Grading Consistency through Grade Lift Reporting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Millet, Ido

    2010-01-01

    We define Grade Lift as the difference between average class grade and average cumulative class GPA. This metric provides an assessment of how lenient the grading was for a given course. In 2006, we started providing faculty members individualized Grade Lift reports reflecting their position relative to an anonymously plotted school-wide…

  8. Increasing Achievement by Focusing Grade-Level Teams on Improving Classroom Learning: A Prospective, Quasi-Experimental Study of Title I Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saunders, William M.; Goldenberg, Claude N.; Gallimore, Ronald

    2009-01-01

    The authors conducted a quasi-experimental investigation of effects on achievement by grade-level teams focused on improving learning. For 2 years (Phase 1), principals-only training was provided. During the final 3 years (Phase 2), school-based training was provided for principals and teacher leaders on stabilizing team settings and using…

  9. Quantitative genome-wide methylation analysis of high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

    PubMed Central

    Kitchen, Mark O.; Bryan, Richard T.; Emes, Richard D.; Glossop, John R.; Luscombe, Christopher; Cheng, K. K.; Zeegers, Maurice P.; James, Nicholas D.; Devall, Adam J.; Mein, Charles A.; Gommersall, Lyndon; Fryer, Anthony A.; Farrell, William E.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT High-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (HG-NMIBC) is a clinically unpredictable disease with greater risks of recurrence and progression relative to their low-intermediate-grade counterparts. The molecular events, including those affecting the epigenome, that characterize this disease entity in the context of tumor development, recurrence, and progression, are incompletely understood. We therefore interrogated genome-wide DNA methylation using HumanMethylation450 BeadChip arrays in 21 primary HG-NMIBC tumors relative to normal bladder controls. Using strict inclusion-exclusion criteria we identified 1,057 hypermethylated CpGs within gene promoter-associated CpG islands, representing 256 genes. We validated the array data by bisulphite pyrosequencing and examined 25 array-identified candidate genes in an independent cohort of 30 HG-NMIBC and 18 low-intermediate-grade NMIBC. These analyses revealed significantly higher methylation frequencies in high-grade tumors relative to low-intermediate-grade tumors for the ATP5G2, IRX1 and VAX2 genes (P<0.05), and similarly significant increases in mean levels of methylation in high-grade tumors for the ATP5G2, VAX2, INSRR, PRDM14, VSX1, TFAP2b, PRRX1, and HIST1H4F genes (P<0.05). Although inappropriate promoter methylation was not invariantly associated with reduced transcript expression, a significant association was apparent for the ARHGEF4, PON3, STAT5a, and VAX2 gene transcripts (P<0.05). Herein, we present the first genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in a unique HG-NMIBC cohort, showing extensive and discrete methylation changes relative to normal bladder and low-intermediate-grade tumors. The genes we identified hold significant potential as targets for novel therapeutic intervention either alone, or in combination, with more conventional therapeutic options in the treatment of this clinically unpredictable disease. PMID:26929985

  10. Development of Chemistry Triangle Oriented Module on Topic of Reaction Rate for Senior High School Level Grade XI Chemistry Learning.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sari, D. R.; Hardeli; Bayharti

    2018-04-01

    This study aims to produce chemistry triangle oriented module on topic of reaction rate, and to reveal the validity and practicality level of the generated module. The type of research used is EducationalDesign Research (EDR) with development model is Plompmodel. This model consists of three phases, which are preliminary research, prototyping phase, and assessment phase. The instrument used in this research is questionnaire validity and practicality. The data of the research were analyzed by using Kappa Cohen formula. The chemistry triangle oriented module validation sheet was given to 5 validators consisting of 3 chemistry lecturers and 2 high school chemistry teachers, while the practicality sheet was given to 2 chemistry teachers, 6 students of SMAN 10 Padang grade XII MIA 5 on the small groupevaluation and 25 students of SMAN 10 Padang grade XII MIA 6 on the field test. Based on the questionnaire validity analysis, the validity level of the module is very high with the value of kappa moment 0.87. The level of practicality based on teacher questionnaire response is very high category with a kappa moment value 0.96. Based on the questionnaire of student responses on small group evaluation, the level of practicality is very high category with a kappa moment 0.81, and the practicality is very high category with kappa moment value 0.83 based on questionnaire of student response on field test.

  11. Private v. Public Rights (Grade Level: High School, 9-12)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fieth, Stacie; Deason, Neil

    2005-01-01

    Designed for grades 9-12, this lesson plan aims to let students learn how the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution relates to private property and how the power of eminent domain was defined in a recent Supreme Court case. Students will review summaries from Kelo v. New London to gain a better understanding of the case, which dealt with the limits…

  12. Meigo governs dendrite targeting specificity by modulating Ephrin level and N-glycosylation

    PubMed Central

    Sekine, Sayaka U; Haraguchi, Shuka; Chao, Kinhong; Kato, Tomoko; Luo, Liqun; Miura, Masayuki; Chihara, Takahiro

    2016-01-01

    Neural circuit assembly requires precise dendrite and axon targeting. We identified an evolutionarily conserved endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein, Meigo, from a mosaic genetic screen in Drosophila melanogaster. Meigo was cell-autonomously required in olfactory receptor neurons and projection neurons to target their axons and dendrites to the lateral antennal lobe and to refine projection neuron dendrites into individual glomeruli. Loss of Meigo induced an unfolded protein response and reduced the amount of neuronal cell surface proteins, including Ephrin. Ephrin overexpression specifically suppressed the projection neuron dendrite refinement defect present in meigo mutant flies, and ephrin knockdown caused a similar projection neuron dendrite refinement defect. Meigo positively regulated the level of Ephrin N-glycosylation, which was required for its optimal function in vivo. Thus, Meigo, an ER-resident protein, governs neuronal targeting specificity by regulating ER folding capacity and protein N-glycosylation. Furthermore, Ephrin appears to be an important substrate that mediates Meigo’s function in refinement of glomerular targeting. PMID:23624514

  13. Changes in the level of perforin and its transcript during effector and target cell interactions.

    PubMed

    Kim, K K; Blakely, A; Zhou, Z; Davis, J; Clark, W; Kwon, B S

    1993-05-01

    Perforin is a cytoplasmic granule protein expressed in cytotoxic lymphocytes, and is capable of lysing target cells. This protein is induced as cytotoxic T cells are activated, and the mRNA expression is modulated by various stimulators. These observations suggest possible changes in the level of perforin transcripts and protein when killer lymphocytes meet specific target cells leading to target cell death. To address this question, we examined three murine T-cell clones and primary human NK cells in perforin expression. When the cytotoxic lymphocytes were exposed to sensitive targets, perforin mRNA disappeared within 5 to 30 min and appeared within an hour thereafter. Among the murine T cell clones, L3 and OE4 showed two phases of mRNA decrease while human NK cells and the third murine T cell clone, AB.1, showed only one phase of mRNA loss during a 240 min period. The data indicate that when cytotoxic lymphocytes receive signals from a sensitive target, the cells rapidly degrade previously accumulated perforin mRNA and synthesize new transcripts. Interestingly, heat shock protein 70 mRNA was induced as the perforin mRNA levels recovered, while P55 Il-2 receptor mRNA was downregulated within 5 min after exposure to targets. The perforin protein level also rapidly decreased immediately after the interaction with the target, followed by a recovery, and then another decrease as seen in primary human NK cells, OE4 and L3 cells. However, in the AB.1 clone, no change in perforin content was detectable, despite the loss of perforin mRNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  14. Use of Severity Grades to Characterize Histopathologic Changes

    EPA Science Inventory

    The severity grade is an important component of a histopathologic diagnosis in a nonclinical toxicity study that helps distinguish treatment-related effects from background findings and aids in determining adverse dose levels during hazard characterization. Severity grades should...

  15. Basic Curriculum Guide--Science. Grades K-6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Starr, John W., 3rd., Ed.

    GRADES OR AGES: K-6. SUBJECT MATTER: Science. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is in two parts--the background, philosophy, and instructional principles of science teaching, including a resource unit model, and the development by grade level of the various basic scientific concepts. The guide also includes information of…

  16. The Association of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 1 (PAI-1) Level and PAI-1 4G/5G Gene Polymorphism with the Formation and the Grade of Endometrial Cancer.

    PubMed

    Yıldırım, Malik Ejder; Karakuş, Savas; Kurtulgan, Hande Küçük; Kılıçgün, Hasan; Erşan, Serpil; Bakır, Sevtap

    2017-08-01

    Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is a serine protease inhibitor (Serpine 1), and it inhibits both tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase plasminogen activator which are important in fibrinolysis. We aimed to find whether there is a possible association between PAI-1 level, PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism, and endometrial cancer. PAI-1 levels in peripheral blood were determined in 82 patients with endometrial carcinoma and 76 female healthy controls using an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Then, the genomic DNA was extracted and screened by reverse hybridization procedure (Strip assay) to detect PAI 1 4G/5G polymorphism. The levels of PAI-1 in the patients were higher statistically in comparison to controls (P < 0.001). The distribution of PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism was quite different between patients and controls (P = 0.008), and 4G allelic frequency was significantly higher in the patients of endometrial cancer than in controls (P = 0.026). We found significant difference between Grade 1 and Grade 2+3 patients in terms of the PAI-1 levels (P = 0.047). There was no association between PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism and the grades of endometrial cancer (P = 0.993). Our data suggest that the level of PAI-1 and PAI-1 4G/5G gene polymorphism are effective in the formation of endometrial cancer. PAI-1 levels are also associated with the grades of endometrial cancer.

  17. Measuring and Predicting Graded Reader Difficulty

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holster, Trevor A.; Lake, J. W.; Pellowe, William R.

    2017-01-01

    This study used many-faceted Rasch measurement to investigate the difficulty of graded readers using a 3-item survey. Book difficulty was compared with Kyoto Level, Yomiyasusa Level, Lexile Level, book length, mean sentence length, and mean word frequency. Word frequency and Kyoto Level were found to be ineffective in predicting students'…

  18. A Study to Develop a Scale for Determining the Social Acceptance Levels of Special-Needs Students, Participating in Inclusion Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arslan, Erdinc; Sahbaz, Umit

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study is to develop a scale of social acceptance for determining the social acceptance levels of special-needs students, participating in inclusion practices. The target population of the research is 8th grade students of all primary schools in the provincial center of Burdur in the 2008 to 2009 academic year and the target study…

  19. A Comparison of Difficulty Levels of Vocabulary in First Grade Basal Readers for Preschool Dual Language Learners and Monolingual English Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leung, Cynthia B.; Silverman, Rebecca; Nandakumar, Ratna; Qian, Xiaoyu; Hines, Sara

    2011-01-01

    The present study investigated preschoolers' knowledge of vocabulary that appears in first grade basal readers by applying Rasch modeling to data from a researcher-developed receptive picture vocabulary assessment administered to 238 children. Levels of word difficulty for dual language learners (DLLs) and monolingual English learners (MELs) were…

  20. Potential Pacific Rim demand for construction-grade softwood logs.

    Treesearch

    Donald F. Flora; Richard R. Vlosky

    1986-01-01

    Markets for small lower grade ("construction-grade"), softwood logs are projected to expand steadily through 1995. Log supplies will lag slightly behind demand until 1990, generating about a 10-percent increase in prices. Prices are expected to be level thereafter. United States exports of construction-grade logs are projected to increase 35 percent by 1990...

  1. Can First and Second Grade Students Benefit from an Alcohol Use Prevention Program?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Mary Lou; Padget, Alison; Kelley-Baker, Tara; Rider, Raamses

    2007-01-01

    Protecting You/Protecting Me (PY/PM) is a classroombased, alcohol use prevention and vehicle safety program for elementary students from first through fifth grades developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). PY/PM is one of the first alcohol prevention programs to target children as early as first grade. The focus of this study is on the…

  2. 7 CFR 810.304 - Grades and grade requirements for canola.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for canola. 810.304 Section 810.304 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) GRAIN INSPECTION... Grade Requirements § 810.304 Grades and grade requirements for canola. Grading factors Grades, U.S. Nos...

  3. 7 CFR 810.304 - Grades and grade requirements for canola.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for canola. 810.304 Section 810.304 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) GRAIN INSPECTION... Grade Requirements § 810.304 Grades and grade requirements for canola. Grading factors Grades, U.S. Nos...

  4. [Low level auditory skills compared to writing skills in school children attending third and fourth grade: evidence for the rapid auditory processing deficit theory?].

    PubMed

    Ptok, M; Meisen, R

    2008-01-01

    The rapid auditory processing defi-cit theory holds that impaired reading/writing skills are not caused exclusively by a cognitive deficit specific to representation and processing of speech sounds but arise due to sensory, mainly auditory, deficits. To further explore this theory we compared different measures of auditory low level skills to writing skills in school children. prospective study. School children attending third and fourth grade. just noticeable differences for intensity and frequency (JNDI, JNDF), gap detection (GD) monaural and binaural temporal order judgement (TOJb and TOJm); grade in writing, language and mathematics. correlation analysis. No relevant correlation was found between any auditory low level processing variable and writing skills. These data do not support the rapid auditory processing deficit theory.

  5. Grading Rigor in Counselor Education: A Specifications Grading Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bonner, Matthew W.

    2016-01-01

    According to accreditation and professional bodies, evaluation and grading are a high priority in counselor education. Specifications grading, an evaluative tool, can be used to increase grading rigor. This article describes the components of specifications grading and applies the framework of specifications grading to a counseling theories course.

  6. Predictors of word-level literacy amongst Grade 3 children in five diverse languages.

    PubMed

    Smythe, Ian; Everatt, John; Al-Menaye, Nasser; He, Xianyou; Capellini, Simone; Gyarmathy, Eva; Siegel, Linda S

    2008-08-01

    Groups of Grade 3 children were tested on measures of word-level literacy and undertook tasks that required the ability to associate sounds with letter sequences and that involved visual, auditory and phonological-processing skills. These groups came from different language backgrounds in which the language of instruction was Arabic, Chinese, English, Hungarian or Portuguese. Similar measures were used across the groups, with tests being adapted to be appropriate for the language of the children. Findings indicated that measures of decoding and phonological-processing skills were good predictors of word reading and spelling among Arabic- and English-speaking children, but were less able to predict variability in these same early literacy skills among Chinese- and Hungarian-speaking children, and were better at predicting variability in Portuguese word reading than spelling. Results were discussed with reference to the relative transparency of the script and issues of dyslexia assessment across languages. Overall, the findings argue for the need to take account of features of the orthography used to represent a language when developing assessment procedures for a particular language and that assessment of word-level literacy skills and a phonological perspective of dyslexia may not be universally applicable across all language contexts. Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. IGFBP2 is a candidate biomarker for Ink4a-Arf status and a therapeutic target for high-grade gliomas.

    PubMed

    Moore, Lynette M; Holmes, Kristen M; Smith, Sarah M; Wu, Ying; Tchougounova, Elena; Uhrbom, Lene; Sawaya, Raymond; Bruner, Janet M; Fuller, Gregory N; Zhang, Wei

    2009-09-29

    The levels of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) are elevated during progression of many human cancers. By using a glial-specific transgenic mouse system (RCAS/Ntv-a), we reported previously that IGFBP2 is an oncogenic factor for glioma progression in combination with platelet-derived growth factor-beta (PDGFB). Because the INK4a-ARF locus is often deleted in high-grade gliomas (anaplastic oligodendroglioma and glioblastoma), we investigated the effect of the Ink4a-Arf-null background on IGFBP2-mediated progression of PDGFB-initiated oligodendroglioma. We demonstrate here that homozygous deletion of Ink4a-Arf bypasses the requirement of exogenously introduced IGFBP2 for glioma progression. Instead, absence of Ink4a-Arf resulted in elevated endogenous tumor cell IGFBP2. An inverse relationship between p16(INK4a) and IGFBP2 expression was also observed in human glioma tissue samples and in 90 different cancer cell lines by using Western blotting and reverse-phase protein lysate arrays. When endogenous IGFBP2 expression was attenuated by an RCAS vector expressing antisense IGFBP2 in our mouse model, a decreased incidence of anaplastic oligodendroglioma as well as prolonged survival was observed. Thus, p16(INK4a) is a negative regulator of the IGFBP2 oncogene. Loss of Ink4a-Arf results in increased IGFBP2, which contributes to glioma progression, thereby implicating IGFBP2 as a marker and potential therapeutic target for Ink4a-Arf-deleted gliomas.

  8. IGFBP2 is a candidate biomarker for Ink4a-Arf status and a therapeutic target for high-grade gliomas

    PubMed Central

    Moore, Lynette M.; Holmes, Kristen M.; Smith, Sarah M.; Wu, Ying; Tchougounova, Elena; Uhrbom, Lene; Sawaya, Raymond; Bruner, Janet M.; Fuller, Gregory N.; Zhang, Wei

    2009-01-01

    The levels of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) are elevated during progression of many human cancers. By using a glial-specific transgenic mouse system (RCAS/Ntv-a), we reported previously that IGFBP2 is an oncogenic factor for glioma progression in combination with platelet-derived growth factor-β (PDGFB). Because the INK4a-ARF locus is often deleted in high-grade gliomas (anaplastic oligodendroglioma and glioblastoma), we investigated the effect of the Ink4a-Arf-null background on IGFBP2-mediated progression of PDGFB-initiated oligodendroglioma. We demonstrate here that homozygous deletion of Ink4a-Arf bypasses the requirement of exogenously introduced IGFBP2 for glioma progression. Instead, absence of Ink4a-Arf resulted in elevated endogenous tumor cell IGFBP2. An inverse relationship between p16INK4a and IGFBP2 expression was also observed in human glioma tissue samples and in 90 different cancer cell lines by using Western blotting and reverse-phase protein lysate arrays. When endogenous IGFBP2 expression was attenuated by an RCAS vector expressing antisense IGFBP2 in our mouse model, a decreased incidence of anaplastic oligodendroglioma as well as prolonged survival was observed. Thus, p16INK4a is a negative regulator of the IGFBP2 oncogene. Loss of Ink4a-Arf results in increased IGFBP2, which contributes to glioma progression, thereby implicating IGFBP2 as a marker and potential therapeutic target for Ink4a-Arf-deleted gliomas. PMID:19805356

  9. The Effects of Supplemental Sentence-Level Instruction for Fourth-Grade Students Identified as Struggling Writers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furey, William M.; Marcotte, Amanda M.; Wells, Craig S.; Hintze, John M.

    2017-01-01

    The Language and Writing strands of the Common Core State Standards place a heavy emphasis on sentence-level conventions including syntax/grammar and mechanics. Interventions targeting these foundational skills are necessary to support struggling writers, as poorly developed sentence construction skills inhibit more complex writing tasks. This…

  10. Secondary Schools Curriculum Guide, Mathematics, Grades 10-12, Levels 87-112.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Arnold R., Ed.; And Others

    Behavioral objectives for geometry, algebra, computer mathematics, trigonometry, analytic geometry, calculus, and probability are specified for grades 10 through 12. General objectives are stated for major areas under each topic and are followed by a list of specific objectives for that area. This work was prepared under an ESEA Title III…

  11. Health Education Resource Guide, Grades 1-3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Federal Way School District 210, WA.

    As part of a health education program for K-12, these curriculum guides for grades one, two and three provide: (1) a short overview of health education; (2) a scope and sequence chart which lists specific topics to teach on mental health, physical health, community health, and safety that are appropriate at different grade levels; (3) a list of…

  12. High-Grade Glioma Radiation Therapy Target Volumes and Patterns of Failure Obtained From Magnetic Resonance Imaging and {sup 18}F-FDOPA Positron Emission Tomography Delineations From Multiple Observers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kosztyla, Robert, E-mail: rkosztyla@bccancer.bc.ca; Chan, Elisa K.; Hsu, Fred

    Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare recurrent tumor locations after radiation therapy with pretreatment delineations of high-grade gliomas from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-L-phenylalanine ({sup 18}F-FDOPA) positron emission tomography (PET) using contours delineated by multiple observers. Methods and Materials: Nineteen patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas underwent computed tomography (CT), gadolinium contrast-enhanced MRI, and {sup 18}F-FDOPA PET/CT. The image sets (CT, MRI, and PET/CT) were registered, and 5 observers contoured gross tumor volumes (GTVs) using MRI and PET. Consensus contours were obtained by simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE). Interobserver variability was quantified bymore » the percentage of volume overlap. Recurrent tumor locations after radiation therapy were contoured by each observer using CT or MRI. Consensus recurrence contours were obtained with STAPLE. Results: The mean interobserver volume overlap for PET GTVs (42% ± 22%) and MRI GTVs (41% ± 22%) was not significantly different (P=.67). The mean consensus volume was significantly larger for PET GTVs (58.6 ± 52.4 cm{sup 3}) than for MRI GTVs (30.8 ± 26.0 cm{sup 3}, P=.003). More than 95% of the consensus recurrence volume was within the 95% isodose surface for 11 of 12 (92%) cases with recurrent tumor imaging. Ten (91%) of these cases extended beyond the PET GTV, and 9 (82%) were contained within a 2-cm margin on the MRI GTV. One recurrence (8%) was located outside the 95% isodose surface. Conclusions: High-grade glioma contours obtained with {sup 18}F-FDOPA PET had similar interobserver agreement to volumes obtained with MRI. Although PET-based consensus target volumes were larger than MRI-based volumes, treatment planning using PET-based volumes may not have yielded better treatment outcomes, given that all but 1 recurrence extended beyond the PET GTV and most were contained by a 2

  13. 49 CFR 213.347 - Automotive or railroad crossings at grade.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. 213.347 Section 213.347 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Higher § 213.347 Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. (a) There shall be no at-grade (level...

  14. 49 CFR 213.347 - Automotive or railroad crossings at grade.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. 213.347 Section 213.347 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Higher § 213.347 Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. (a) There shall be no at-grade (level...

  15. 49 CFR 213.347 - Automotive or railroad crossings at grade.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. 213.347 Section 213.347 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Higher § 213.347 Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. (a) There shall be no at-grade (level...

  16. 49 CFR 213.347 - Automotive or railroad crossings at grade.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. 213.347 Section 213.347 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Higher § 213.347 Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. (a) There shall be no at-grade (level...

  17. 7 CFR 51.1575 - U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large. 51.1575 Section 51.1575 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... Potatoes Grades § 51.1575 U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade...

  18. 7 CFR 51.1576 - U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large. 51.1576 Section 51.1576 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... Potatoes Grades § 51.1576 U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade...

  19. 7 CFR 51.1575 - U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large. 51.1575 Section 51.1575 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... Potatoes Grades § 51.1575 U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade...

  20. 7 CFR 51.1576 - U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large. 51.1576 Section 51.1576 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... Potatoes Grades § 51.1576 U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade...

  1. 7 CFR 51.1575 - U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large. 51.1575 Section 51.1575 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... Potatoes Grades § 51.1575 U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade...

  2. 7 CFR 51.1576 - U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large. 51.1576 Section 51.1576 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... Potatoes Grades § 51.1576 U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade...

  3. The Social Interactions of Students with Disabilities in a 5th Grade Level Inclusive Classroom and the Effect on Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marshall-Reed, Estella

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation is a qualitative, ethnographic case study of 3 students with disabilities. The purpose of this research study was to observe and collect descriptive accounts of the social interactions that exist between the cultures in a 5th grade level inclusive classroom, such as the interactions between the special education students, general…

  4. Improving Student Oral and Written Communication Skills through the Use of Higher Level Thinking.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kovacevich, Karen; Price, Barbara; Ronna, Vicki; Xanos, Pamela

    This study describes a program designed to increase the communication skills of at-risk students. The targeted population consists of kindergarten through third grade students in two elementary schools in a community in central Illinois. The status of family income ranges from low to high levels. Evidence for the existence of inadequate…

  5. Targeted health department expenditures benefit birth outcomes at the county level.

    PubMed

    Bekemeier, Betty; Yang, Youngran; Dunbar, Matthew D; Pantazis, Athena; Grembowski, David E

    2014-06-01

    Public health leaders lack evidence for making decisions about the optimal allocation of resources across local health department (LHD) services, even as limited funding has forced cuts to public health services while local needs grow. A lack of data has also limited examination of the outcomes of targeted LHD investments in specific service areas. This study used unique, detailed LHD expenditure data gathered from state health departments to examine the influence of maternal and child health (MCH) service investments by LHDs on health outcomes. A multivariate panel time-series design was used in 2013 to estimate ecologic relationships between 2000-2010 LHD expenditures on MCH and county-level rates of low birth weight and infant mortality. The unit of analysis was 102 LHD jurisdictions in Washington and Florida. Results indicate that LHD expenditures on MCH services have a beneficial relationship with county-level low birth weight rates, particularly in counties with high concentrations of poverty. This relationship is stronger for more targeted expenditure categories, with expenditures in each of the three specific examined MCH service areas demonstrating the strongest effects. Findings indicate that specific LHD investments in MCH have an important effect on related health outcomes for populations in poverty and likely help reduce the costly burden of poor birth outcomes for families and communities. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring the impact of these evolving investments and ensuring that targeted, beneficial investments are not lost but expanded upon across care delivery systems. Copyright © 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Teaching Strategies for Effective Fifth Grade Math Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zank, Alicia A.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to determine what effects explicit and systematic math intervention instruction will have on student's performance on math assessments. The study will focus on a small group of fifth grade students that have been identified as needing targeted intervention (tier 2) and intensive interventions (tier 1) through the…

  7. Secondary Principals' Perceptions of Grading and Grade Reporting Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akins, Jeremie

    2016-01-01

    Effective grading practices in the classroom as well as reporting practices such as standards-based grading (SBG) is one way to report learning (Marzano, 2010). The focus of this particular study was to address alternative ways to tackle the issue of grading and grade reporting in comparison to the traditional grading methods. Specifically, this…

  8. Health, Grade 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bui Van Bao; And Others

    This is the third in a series of health primers for elementary education in Vietnam. It is written for Vietnamese children at the third grade level. The fifty-three lessons are integrated into one story. Each lesson is illustrated and briefly summarized. The eight chapters are: (1) Hygiene, at home, in school and in public places; (2) Food and…

  9. Multiwavelet grading of prostate pathological images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soltanian-Zadeh, Hamid; Jafari-Khouzani, Kourosh

    2002-05-01

    We have developed image analysis methods to automatically grade pathological images of prostate. The proposed method generates Gleason grades to images, where each image is assigned a grade between 1 and 5. This is done using features extracted from multiwavelet transformations. We extract energy and entropy features from submatrices obtained in the decomposition. Next, we apply a k-NN classifier to grade the image. To find optimal multiwavelet basis, preprocessing, and classifier, we use features extracted by different multiwavelets with either critically sampled preprocessing or repeated row preprocessing and different k-NN classifiers and compare their performances, evaluated by total misclassification rate (TMR). To evaluate sensitivity to noise, we add white Gaussian noise to images and compare the results (TMR's). We applied proposed methods to 100 images. We evaluated the first and second levels of decomposition using Geronimo, Hardin, and Massopust (GHM), Chui and Lian (CL), and Shen (SA4) multiwavelets. We also evaluated k-NN classifier for k=1,2,3,4,5. Experimental results illustrate that first level of decomposition is quite noisy. They also show that critically sampled preprocessing outperforms repeated row preprocessing and has less sensitivity to noise. Finally, comparison studies indicate that SA4 multiwavelet and k-NN classifier (k=1) generates optimal results (with smallest TMR of 3%).

  10. School-Level Correlates of Adolescent Tobacco, Alcohol and Marijuana Use

    PubMed Central

    Hill, Danielle; Mrug, Sylvie

    2016-01-01

    Background School-level characteristics are related to students’ substance use, but little research systematically examined multiple school characteristics in relation to different types of substance use across grade levels. Objectives This study examines multiple school-level characteristics as correlates of students’ tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and combined substance use across three grade levels. Methods Students (N = 23,615) from 42 urban and suburban middle schools and 24 high schools in the U.S. reported on their tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. Students’ mean age was 14 years; 47% were male, 53% African American and 41% Caucasian. School-level data included poverty, racial composition, academic achievement, student-teacher ratio, absenteeism, and school size. Multilevel logistic and Poisson regressions tested associations between school-level predictors and adolescent substance use in middle school, early high school and late high school. Results School-level poverty, more ethnic minority students, low achievement, and higher absenteeism were related to alcohol, marijuana and combined substance use, particularly at lower grade levels. By contrast, cigarette smoking was more prevalent in more affluent high schools with more White students. After adjusting for other school characteristics, absenteeism emerged as the most consistent predictor of student substance use. Conclusions/Importance Interventions addressing absenteeism and truancy in middle and high schools may help prevent student substance use. Schools serving poor, urban, and mostly minority students may benefit from interventions targeting alcohol and marijuana use, whereas interventions focusing on tobacco use prevention may be more relevant for schools serving more affluent and predominantly White students. PMID:26584423

  11. Enactment of Scientific Inquiry: Observation of Two Cases at Different Grade Levels in China Mainland

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Lei; Zhang, Ronghui; Clarke, David; Wang, Weizhen

    2014-01-01

    Enactment of scientific inquiry in classroom has attracted a great attention of science educators around the world. In this study, we examined two competent teachers' (one Grade 9 chemistry teacher and one Grade 4 science teacher) enactment of scientific inquiry in selected teaching units to reveal the characteristics of enacted inquiry at…

  12. On groupoid gradings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calderón Martín, Antonio Jesús; Martín González, Cándido; Ndoye, Daouda

    2018-01-01

    We introduce the notion of groupoid grading, give some nontrivial examples and prove that groupoid gradings on simple commutative or anti-commutative algebras are necessarily group gradings. We also take advantage of the structure of groupoids to prove some results about groupoid gradings and certain coarsenings of these which turn out to be group gradings. We also study set gradings on arbitrary algebras, by characterizing their homogeneous semisimplicity and their homogeneous simplicity in terms of a property satisfied by the supports of the gradings, and also relate set gradings with groupoid gradings via coarsenings. Finally we study a class of set gradings on Mn(C) , the orthogonal gradings, and show that all of them which are fine are necessarily groupoid gradings.

  13. Comprehensive, Integrative Genomic Analysis of Diffuse Lower-Grade Gliomas.

    PubMed

    Brat, Daniel J; Verhaak, Roel G W; Aldape, Kenneth D; Yung, W K Alfred; Salama, Sofie R; Cooper, Lee A D; Rheinbay, Esther; Miller, C Ryan; Vitucci, Mark; Morozova, Olena; Robertson, A Gordon; Noushmehr, Houtan; Laird, Peter W; Cherniack, Andrew D; Akbani, Rehan; Huse, Jason T; Ciriello, Giovanni; Poisson, Laila M; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill S; Berger, Mitchel S; Brennan, Cameron; Colen, Rivka R; Colman, Howard; Flanders, Adam E; Giannini, Caterina; Grifford, Mia; Iavarone, Antonio; Jain, Rajan; Joseph, Isaac; Kim, Jaegil; Kasaian, Katayoon; Mikkelsen, Tom; Murray, Bradley A; O'Neill, Brian Patrick; Pachter, Lior; Parsons, Donald W; Sougnez, Carrie; Sulman, Erik P; Vandenberg, Scott R; Van Meir, Erwin G; von Deimling, Andreas; Zhang, Hailei; Crain, Daniel; Lau, Kevin; Mallery, David; Morris, Scott; Paulauskis, Joseph; Penny, Robert; Shelton, Troy; Sherman, Mark; Yena, Peggy; Black, Aaron; Bowen, Jay; Dicostanzo, Katie; Gastier-Foster, Julie; Leraas, Kristen M; Lichtenberg, Tara M; Pierson, Christopher R; Ramirez, Nilsa C; Taylor, Cynthia; Weaver, Stephanie; Wise, Lisa; Zmuda, Erik; Davidsen, Tanja; Demchok, John A; Eley, Greg; Ferguson, Martin L; Hutter, Carolyn M; Mills Shaw, Kenna R; Ozenberger, Bradley A; Sheth, Margi; Sofia, Heidi J; Tarnuzzer, Roy; Wang, Zhining; Yang, Liming; Zenklusen, Jean Claude; Ayala, Brenda; Baboud, Julien; Chudamani, Sudha; Jensen, Mark A; Liu, Jia; Pihl, Todd; Raman, Rohini; Wan, Yunhu; Wu, Ye; Ally, Adrian; Auman, J Todd; Balasundaram, Miruna; Balu, Saianand; Baylin, Stephen B; Beroukhim, Rameen; Bootwalla, Moiz S; Bowlby, Reanne; Bristow, Christopher A; Brooks, Denise; Butterfield, Yaron; Carlsen, Rebecca; Carter, Scott; Chin, Lynda; Chu, Andy; Chuah, Eric; Cibulskis, Kristian; Clarke, Amanda; Coetzee, Simon G; Dhalla, Noreen; Fennell, Tim; Fisher, Sheila; Gabriel, Stacey; Getz, Gad; Gibbs, Richard; Guin, Ranabir; Hadjipanayis, Angela; Hayes, D Neil; Hinoue, Toshinori; Hoadley, Katherine; Holt, Robert A; Hoyle, Alan P; Jefferys, Stuart R; Jones, Steven; Jones, Corbin D; Kucherlapati, Raju; Lai, Phillip H; Lander, Eric; Lee, Semin; Lichtenstein, Lee; Ma, Yussanne; Maglinte, Dennis T; Mahadeshwar, Harshad S; Marra, Marco A; Mayo, Michael; Meng, Shaowu; Meyerson, Matthew L; Mieczkowski, Piotr A; Moore, Richard A; Mose, Lisle E; Mungall, Andrew J; Pantazi, Angeliki; Parfenov, Michael; Park, Peter J; Parker, Joel S; Perou, Charles M; Protopopov, Alexei; Ren, Xiaojia; Roach, Jeffrey; Sabedot, Thaís S; Schein, Jacqueline; Schumacher, Steven E; Seidman, Jonathan G; Seth, Sahil; Shen, Hui; Simons, Janae V; Sipahimalani, Payal; Soloway, Matthew G; Song, Xingzhi; Sun, Huandong; Tabak, Barbara; Tam, Angela; Tan, Donghui; Tang, Jiabin; Thiessen, Nina; Triche, Timothy; Van Den Berg, David J; Veluvolu, Umadevi; Waring, Scot; Weisenberger, Daniel J; Wilkerson, Matthew D; Wong, Tina; Wu, Junyuan; Xi, Liu; Xu, Andrew W; Yang, Lixing; Zack, Travis I; Zhang, Jianhua; Aksoy, B Arman; Arachchi, Harindra; Benz, Chris; Bernard, Brady; Carlin, Daniel; Cho, Juok; DiCara, Daniel; Frazer, Scott; Fuller, Gregory N; Gao, JianJiong; Gehlenborg, Nils; Haussler, David; Heiman, David I; Iype, Lisa; Jacobsen, Anders; Ju, Zhenlin; Katzman, Sol; Kim, Hoon; Knijnenburg, Theo; Kreisberg, Richard Bailey; Lawrence, Michael S; Lee, William; Leinonen, Kalle; Lin, Pei; Ling, Shiyun; Liu, Wenbin; Liu, Yingchun; Liu, Yuexin; Lu, Yiling; Mills, Gordon; Ng, Sam; Noble, Michael S; Paull, Evan; Rao, Arvind; Reynolds, Sheila; Saksena, Gordon; Sanborn, Zack; Sander, Chris; Schultz, Nikolaus; Senbabaoglu, Yasin; Shen, Ronglai; Shmulevich, Ilya; Sinha, Rileen; Stuart, Josh; Sumer, S Onur; Sun, Yichao; Tasman, Natalie; Taylor, Barry S; Voet, Doug; Weinhold, Nils; Weinstein, John N; Yang, Da; Yoshihara, Kosuke; Zheng, Siyuan; Zhang, Wei; Zou, Lihua; Abel, Ty; Sadeghi, Sara; Cohen, Mark L; Eschbacher, Jenny; Hattab, Eyas M; Raghunathan, Aditya; Schniederjan, Matthew J; Aziz, Dina; Barnett, Gene; Barrett, Wendi; Bigner, Darell D; Boice, Lori; Brewer, Cathy; Calatozzolo, Chiara; Campos, Benito; Carlotti, Carlos Gilberto; Chan, Timothy A; Cuppini, Lucia; Curley, Erin; Cuzzubbo, Stefania; Devine, Karen; DiMeco, Francesco; Duell, Rebecca; Elder, J Bradley; Fehrenbach, Ashley; Finocchiaro, Gaetano; Friedman, William; Fulop, Jordonna; Gardner, Johanna; Hermes, Beth; Herold-Mende, Christel; Jungk, Christine; Kendler, Ady; Lehman, Norman L; Lipp, Eric; Liu, Ouida; Mandt, Randy; McGraw, Mary; Mclendon, Roger; McPherson, Christopher; Neder, Luciano; Nguyen, Phuong; Noss, Ardene; Nunziata, Raffaele; Ostrom, Quinn T; Palmer, Cheryl; Perin, Alessandro; Pollo, Bianca; Potapov, Alexander; Potapova, Olga; Rathmell, W Kimryn; Rotin, Daniil; Scarpace, Lisa; Schilero, Cathy; Senecal, Kelly; Shimmel, Kristen; Shurkhay, Vsevolod; Sifri, Suzanne; Singh, Rosy; Sloan, Andrew E; Smolenski, Kathy; Staugaitis, Susan M; Steele, Ruth; Thorne, Leigh; Tirapelli, Daniela P C; Unterberg, Andreas; Vallurupalli, Mahitha; Wang, Yun; Warnick, Ronald; Williams, Felicia; Wolinsky, Yingli; Bell, Sue; Rosenberg, Mara; Stewart, Chip; Huang, Franklin; Grimsby, Jonna L; Radenbaugh, Amie J; Zhang, Jianan

    2015-06-25

    Diffuse low-grade and intermediate-grade gliomas (which together make up the lower-grade gliomas, World Health Organization grades II and III) have highly variable clinical behavior that is not adequately predicted on the basis of histologic class. Some are indolent; others quickly progress to glioblastoma. The uncertainty is compounded by interobserver variability in histologic diagnosis. Mutations in IDH, TP53, and ATRX and codeletion of chromosome arms 1p and 19q (1p/19q codeletion) have been implicated as clinically relevant markers of lower-grade gliomas. We performed genomewide analyses of 293 lower-grade gliomas from adults, incorporating exome sequence, DNA copy number, DNA methylation, messenger RNA expression, microRNA expression, and targeted protein expression. These data were integrated and tested for correlation with clinical outcomes. Unsupervised clustering of mutations and data from RNA, DNA-copy-number, and DNA-methylation platforms uncovered concordant classification of three robust, nonoverlapping, prognostically significant subtypes of lower-grade glioma that were captured more accurately by IDH, 1p/19q, and TP53 status than by histologic class. Patients who had lower-grade gliomas with an IDH mutation and 1p/19q codeletion had the most favorable clinical outcomes. Their gliomas harbored mutations in CIC, FUBP1, NOTCH1, and the TERT promoter. Nearly all lower-grade gliomas with IDH mutations and no 1p/19q codeletion had mutations in TP53 (94%) and ATRX inactivation (86%). The large majority of lower-grade gliomas without an IDH mutation had genomic aberrations and clinical behavior strikingly similar to those found in primary glioblastoma. The integration of genomewide data from multiple platforms delineated three molecular classes of lower-grade gliomas that were more concordant with IDH, 1p/19q, and TP53 status than with histologic class. Lower-grade gliomas with an IDH mutation either had 1p/19q codeletion or carried a TP53 mutation. Most

  14. Combating Terrorism: A Conceptual Framework for Targeting at the Operational Level

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-06-17

    for Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace. The key process is the JIPB which is tried and tested , offering a very logical and clear...Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (JIPB) process, as published in Joint Publication 2-01.3, Joint Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Joint...Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace, 24 May 2000, for its application to targeting terrorism at the operational level. The

  15. Use of Severity Grades to Characterize Histopathologic Changes.

    PubMed

    Schafer, Kenneth A; Eighmy, John; Fikes, James D; Halpern, Wendy G; Hukkanen, Renee R; Long, Gerald G; Meseck, Emily K; Patrick, Daniel J; Thibodeau, Michael S; Wood, Charles E; Francke, Sabine

    2018-04-01

    The severity grade is an important component of a histopathologic diagnosis in a nonclinical toxicity study that helps distinguish treatment-related effects from background findings and aids in determining adverse dose levels during hazard characterization. Severity grades should be assigned based only on the extent (i.e., amount and complexity) of the morphologic change in the examined tissue section(s) and be clearly defined in the pathology report for critical lesions impacting study interpretation. However, the level of detail provided and criteria by which severity grades are assigned can vary, which can lead to inappropriate comparisons and confusion when evaluating pathology results. To help address this issue, a Working Group of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology's Scientific and Regulatory Policy Committee was formed to provide a "points to consider" article on the assignment and application of pathology severity grades. Overall, the Working Group supports greater transparency and consistency in the reporting of grading scales and provides recommendations to improve selection of diagnoses requiring more detailed severity criteria. This information should enhance the overall understanding by toxicologic pathologists, toxicologists, and regulatory reviewers of pathology findings and thereby improve effective communication in regulatory submissions.

  16. A better norm-referenced grading using the standard deviation criterion.

    PubMed

    Chan, Wing-shing

    2014-01-01

    The commonly used norm-referenced grading assigns grades to rank-ordered students in fixed percentiles. It has the disadvantage of ignoring the actual distance of scores among students. A simple norm-referenced grading via standard deviation is suggested for routine educational grading. The number of standard deviation of a student's score from the class mean was used as the common yardstick to measure achievement level. Cumulative probability of a normal distribution was referenced to help decide the amount of students included within a grade. RESULTS of the foremost 12 students from a medical examination were used for illustrating this grading method. Grading by standard deviation seemed to produce better cutoffs in allocating an appropriate grade to students more according to their differential achievements and had less chance in creating arbitrary cutoffs in between two similarly scored students than grading by fixed percentile. Grading by standard deviation has more advantages and is more flexible than grading by fixed percentile for norm-referenced grading.

  17. Evaluation of an automated hardwood lumber grading system

    Treesearch

    D. Earl Kline; Philip A. Araman; Chris Surak

    2001-01-01

    Over the last 10 years, scientists at the Thomas M. Brooks Forest Products Center, the Bradley Department of Electrical Engineering, and the USDA Forest Service have been working on lumber scanning systems that can accurately locate and identify defects in hardwood lumber. Current R&D efforts are targeted toward developing automated lumber grading technologies....

  18. Environmental Education Manual for Grades I to XII.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Houghton, J. R.

    This manual focuses on the interdisciplinary approach to environmental education for grades 1 to 12 by providing curriculum models for each grade level. Models, presented in a three-column format, display relationships between concepts and ideas with an environmental focus and various subjects/disciplines. The central column (headed Environmental…

  19. Linguistic Feature Development Across Grades and Genre in Elementary Writing.

    PubMed

    Hall-Mills, Shannon; Apel, Kenn

    2015-07-01

    As children develop skills in writing across academic contexts, clinicians and educators need to have a fundamental understanding of typical writing development as well as valid and reliable assessment methods. The purpose of this study was to examine the progression of linguistic elements in school-age children's narrative and expository writing development. Narrative and expository writing samples produced by 89 children in Grades 2 through 4 were analyzed at the microstructure and macrostructure levels. Measures of receptive vocabulary, word-level reading, and reading comprehension were obtained. Exploratory factor analyses revealed 4 microstructure factors (e.g., productivity, grammatical complexity, grammatical accuracy, and lexical density) and 1 macrostructure factor (e.g., a combination of organization, text structure, and cohesion). Multivariate analyses of covariance with reading comprehension as a covariate showed that productivity and macrostructure were sensitive to grade-level and genre differences and that expository grammatical complexity was sensitive to grade-level differences. Findings are discussed in light of grade-level standards for narrative and expository writing and current practices in writing assessment. Multiple suggestions are offered for clinical and educational implications, and specific directions are provided for future research.

  20. The Impact of Teacher Assigned but Not Graded Compared to Teacher Assigned and Graded Chemistry Homework on the Formative and Summative Chemistry Assessment Scores of 11th-Grade Students with Varying Chemistry Potential

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Jennifer L.

    2010-01-01

    The study analyzed 2005 posttest data compared to 2008 posttest data to determine student end of school year academic achievement outcomes across three academic levels (above average, average, and below average chemistry potential) and two teacher homework evaluation methods (assigned but not graded and assigned and graded) on teacher prepared…

  1. Medical-grade Sterilizable Target for Fluid-immersed Fetoscope Optical Distortion Calibration.

    PubMed

    Nikitichev, Daniil I; Shakir, Dzhoshkun I; Chadebecq, François; Tella, Marcel; Deprest, Jan; Stoyanov, Danail; Ourselin, Sébastien; Vercauteren, Tom

    2017-02-23

    We have developed a calibration target for use with fluid-immersed endoscopes within the context of the GIFT-Surg (Guided Instrumentation for Fetal Therapy and Surgery) project. One of the aims of this project is to engineer novel, real-time image processing methods for intra-operative use in the treatment of congenital birth defects, such as spina bifida and the twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. The developed target allows for the sterility-preserving optical distortion calibration of endoscopes within a few minutes. Good optical distortion calibration and compensation are important for mitigating undesirable effects like radial distortions, which not only hamper accurate imaging using existing endoscopic technology during fetal surgery, but also make acquired images less suitable for potentially very useful image computing applications, like real-time mosaicing. In this paper proposes a novel fabrication method to create an affordable, sterilizable calibration target suitable for use in a clinical setup. This method involves etching a calibration pattern by laser cutting a sandblasted stainless steel sheet. This target was validated using the camera calibration module provided by OpenCV, a state-of-the-art software library popular in the computer vision community.

  2. Medical-grade Sterilizable Target for Fluid-immersed Fetoscope Optical Distortion Calibration

    PubMed Central

    Chadebecq, François; Tella, Marcel; Deprest, Jan; Stoyanov, Danail; Ourselin, Sébastien; Vercauteren, Tom

    2017-01-01

    We have developed a calibration target for use with fluid-immersed endoscopes within the context of the GIFT-Surg (Guided Instrumentation for Fetal Therapy and Surgery) project. One of the aims of this project is to engineer novel, real-time image processing methods for intra-operative use in the treatment of congenital birth defects, such as spina bifida and the twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. The developed target allows for the sterility-preserving optical distortion calibration of endoscopes within a few minutes. Good optical distortion calibration and compensation are important for mitigating undesirable effects like radial distortions, which not only hamper accurate imaging using existing endoscopic technology during fetal surgery, but also make acquired images less suitable for potentially very useful image computing applications, like real-time mosaicing. In this paper proposes a novel fabrication method to create an affordable, sterilizable calibration target suitable for use in a clinical setup. This method involves etching a calibration pattern by laser cutting a sandblasted stainless steel sheet. This target was validated using the camera calibration module provided by OpenCV, a state-of-the-art software library popular in the computer vision community. PMID:28287588

  3. Physical Properties of Normal Grade Biodiesel and Winter Grade Biodiesel

    PubMed Central

    Sadrolhosseini, Amir Reza; Moksin, Mohd Maarof; Nang, Harrison Lau Lik; Norozi, Monir; Yunus, W. Mahmood Mat; Zakaria, Azmi

    2011-01-01

    In this study, optical and thermal properties of normal grade and winter grade palm oil biodiesel were investigated. Surface Plasmon Resonance and Photopyroelectric technique were used to evaluate the samples. The dispersion curve and thermal diffusivity were obtained. Consequently, the variation of refractive index, as a function of wavelength in normal grade biodiesel is faster than winter grade palm oil biodiesel, and the thermal diffusivity of winter grade biodiesel is higher than the thermal diffusivity of normal grade biodiesel. This is attributed to the higher palmitic acid C16:0 content in normal grade than in winter grade palm oil biodiesel. PMID:21731429

  4. T-lymphokine-activated killer cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) as a prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target in glioma

    PubMed Central

    Duan, Qiuhong; Yuan, Ping; Xue, Peipei; Lu, Hui; Yan, Meng; Guo, Dongsheng; Xu, Sanpeng; Zhang, Xiaohui; Lin, Xuan; Wang, Yong; Dogan, Soner; Zhang, Jianmin; Zhu, Feng; Ke, Changshu; Liu, Lin

    2018-01-01

    TOPK is overexpressed in various types of cancer and associated with poor outcomes in different types of cancer. In this study, we first found that the expression of T-lymphokine-activated killer cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) was significantly higher in Grade III or Grade IV than that in Grade II in glioma (P = 0.007 and P < 0.001, respectively). Expression of TOPK was positively correlated with Ki67 (P < 0.001). Knockdown of TOPK significantly inhibited cell growth, colony formation and increased sensitivities to temozolomide (TMZ) in U-87 MG or U-251 cells, while TOPK overexpression promoted cell growth and colony formation in Hs 683 or A-172 cells. Glioma patients expressing high levels of TOPK have poor survival compared with those expressing low levels of TOPK in high-grade or low-grade gliomas (hazard ratio = 0.2995; 95% CI, 0.1262 to 0.7108; P = 0.0063 and hazard ratio = 0.1509; 95% CI, 0.05928 to 0.3842; P < 0.0001, respectively). The level of TOPK was low in TMZ-sensitive patients compared with TMZ-resistant patients (P = 0.0056). In TMZ-resistant population, patients expressing high TOPK have two months’ shorter survival time than those expressing low TOPK. Our findings demonstrated that TOPK might represent as a promising prognostic and predictive factor and potential therapeutic target for glioma. PMID:29487691

  5. Increase Reading Fluency of 4th and 5th Grade Students with Learning Disabilities Using Readers' Theatre

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mountford, Kathy A.

    2007-01-01

    The following Action Research Project Report is to improve the oral reading fluency of the 4th and 5th grade students with learning disabilities. The targeted population participating in this study consisted of a total of ten participants of which five were 4th grade students and five were 5th grade students located in a middle class community…

  6. Angiographic flow grading and graft arrangement of arterial conduits.

    PubMed

    Nakajima, Hiroyuki; Kobayashi, Junjiro; Tagusari, Osamu; Niwaya, Kazuo; Funatsu, Toshihiro; Kawamura, Atsushi; Yagihara, Toshikatsu; Kitamura, Soichiro

    2006-11-01

    We sought to delineate the effects of competitive and reverse flow on the intermediate-term patency of arterial conduits and examined graft arrangements for maximizing antegrade bypass flow. The angiograms of 2083 bypass grafts in 570 patients who underwent off-pump total arterial revascularization without aortic manipulation since December 2000 were reviewed. The blood flow in the bypass grafts were graded A (antegrade), B (competitive), C (reverse), or O (occlusion). The mean number of distal anastomoses was 3.65 +/- 0.94 per patient. In the early angiography 91.3% (1901/2083) of the bypasses were grade A. Thirty (1.4%) bypasses were grade O, whereas 2.9% (61/2083) were grade B, and 4.4%(91/2083) were grade C. In the multivariate analysis the end-to-side anastomosis (P < .0001), 4 or more distal anastomoses of the conduit (P = .01), native coronary stenosis of less than 75% (P < .0001), and target branch location of the right coronary artery territory (P < .0001) and left circumflex artery territory (P = .02) significantly correlated with grade non-A. The patency rate in the late angiography of the bypasses graded B or C in the early angiography was 7 (28.0%) of 25, whereas that of the bypasses graded A was 164 (89.1%) of 184 (P < .0001). The actuarial graft patency rate of the bypasses graded A was 72.3% at 3 years and was significantly higher than that of the bypasses graded B or C (28.6% at 3 years after surgical intervention, P < .0001). The sufficient antegrade bypass flow had a favorable effect on the graft patency of arterial conduits. The graft arrangement should be adjusted for each patient so as to maximize the antegrade bypass flow and to confirm the advantage of arterial grafts.

  7. MRI differentiation of low-grade from high-grade appendicular chondrosarcoma.

    PubMed

    Douis, Hassan; Singh, Leanne; Saifuddin, Asif

    2014-01-01

    To identify magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features which differentiate low-grade chondral lesions (atypical cartilaginous tumours/grade 1 chondrosarcoma) from high-grade chondrosarcomas (grade 2, grade 3 and dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma) of the major long bones. We identified all patients treated for central atypical cartilaginous tumours and central chondrosarcoma of major long bones (humerus, femur, tibia) over a 13-year period. The MRI studies were assessed for the following features: bone marrow oedema, soft tissue oedema, bone expansion, cortical thickening, cortical destruction, active periostitis, soft tissue mass and tumour length. The MRI-features were compared with the histopathological tumour grading using univariate, multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses. One hundred and seventy-nine tumours were included in this retrospective study. There were 28 atypical cartilaginous tumours, 79 grade 1 chondrosarcomas, 36 grade 2 chondrosarcomas, 13 grade 3 chondrosarcomas and 23 dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that bone expansion (P = 0.001), active periostitis (P = 0.001), soft tissue mass (P < 0.001) and tumour length (P < 0.001) were statistically significant differentiating factors between low-grade and high-grade chondral lesions with an area under the ROC curve of 0.956. On MRI, bone expansion, active periostitis, soft tissue mass and tumour length can reliably differentiate high-grade chondrosarcomas from low-grade chondral lesions of the major long bones. • Accurate differentiation of low-grade from high-grade chondrosarcomas is essential before surgery • MRI can reliably differentiate high-grade from low-grade chondrosarcomas of long bone • Differentiating features are bone expansion, periostitis, soft tissue mass and tumour length • Presence of these four MRI features demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy (AUC) of 95.6 % • The findings

  8. Oncocytoma-Like Renal Tumor With Transformation Toward High-Grade Oncocytic Carcinoma

    PubMed Central

    Sirintrapun, Sahussapont J.; Geisinger, Kim R.; Cimic, Adela; Snow, Anthony; Hagenkord, Jill; Monzon, Federico; Legendre, Benjamin L.; Ghazalpour, Anatole; Bender, Ryan P.; Gatalica, Zoran

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Renal oncocytoma is a benign tumor with characteristic histologic findings. We describe an oncocytoma-like renal tumor with progression to high-grade oncocytic carcinoma and metastasis. A 74-year-old man with no family history of cancer presented with hematuria. Computed tomography showed an 11 cm heterogeneous multilobulated mass in the right kidney lower pole, enlarged aortocaval lymph nodes, and multiple lung nodules. In the nephrectomy specimen, approximately one third of the renal tumor histologically showed regions classic for benign oncocytoma transitioning to regions of high-grade carcinoma without sharp demarcation. With extensive genomic investigation using single nucleotide polymorphism-based array virtual karyotyping, multiregion sequencing, and expression array analysis, we were able to show a common lineage between the benign oncocytoma and high-grade oncocytic carcinoma regions in the tumor. We were also able to show karyotypic differences underlying this progression. The benign oncocytoma showed no chromosomal aberrations, whereas the high-grade oncocytic carcinoma showed loss of the 17p region housing FLCN (folliculin [Birt–Hogg–Dubé protein]), loss of 8p, and gain of 8q. Gene expression patterns supported dysregulation and activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (Akt), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and mechanistic target of rapamycin (serine/threonine kinase) (mTOR) pathways in the high-grade oncocytic carcinoma regions. This was partly attributable to FLCN underexpression but further accentuated by overexpression of numerous genes on 8q. In the high-grade oncocytic carcinoma region, vascular endothelial growth factor A along with metalloproteinases matrix metallopeptidase 9 and matrix metallopeptidase 12 were overexpressed, facilitating angiogenesis and invasiveness. Genetic molecular testing provided evidence for the

  9. Improving Narrative Writing Skills, Composition Skills, and Related Attitudes among Second Grade Students by Integrating Word Processing, Graphic Organizers, and Art into a Process Approach to Writing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallick-Jackson, Sheryl A.

    A practicum program was developed and implemented to improve narrative writing skills, composition skills, and related attitudes among the targeted second grade students. Objectives for the program were for: 75% of the students to increase their narrative writing skills by at least one proficiency level; 75% of the students to increase their…

  10. CCSSM: Examining the Critical Areas in Grades 5 and 6

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polly, Drew; Orrill, Chandra

    2012-01-01

    Cognitively demanding tasks are at the heart of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSI 2010). As with all the grades, teachers of grades 5 and 6 are challenged to use tasks that simultaneously address the grade-level Standards as well as the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP). Cognitively demanding tasks…

  11. Tobacco Education Curriculum: Grade 4. Health Education: Substance Abuse Prevention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Christine K.; And Others

    This teaching guide for a tobacco education curriculum at the fourth grade level is part of a coordinated K-12 educational support program for reducing smoking. It includes a tobacco curriculum matrix for grades K-12, sample teaching methods, concepts and objectives for grades 4-6, and a resource materials list. The basic instructional concepts…

  12. Career Education Activities for Subject Area Teachers. Grades 9 through 12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finn, Peter; Lawson, Jane

    Designed as a resource book which can be used to supplement the regular curriculum by integrating one or more career education activities into regularly taught courses, this volume for grades 9 through 12 is one of a series of three manuals, one each for the elementary (grades 1-6), junior high (grades 6-9), and senior high (grades 9-12) levels.…

  13. Career Education Activities for Subject Area Teachers. Grades 1 through 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawson, Jane; Finn, Peter

    Designed as a resource book which can be used to supplement the regular curriculum by integrating one or more career education activities into regularly taught courses, this volume for grades 1 through 6 is one of a series of three manuals, one each for the elementary (grades 1-6), junior high (grades 6-9), and senior high (grades 9-12) levels. It…

  14. Career Education Activities for Subject Area Teachers. Grades 6 through 9.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finn, Peter; Lawson, Jane

    Designed as a resource book which can be used to supplement the regular curriculum by integrating one or more career education activities into regularly taught courses, this volume for grades 6 through 9 is one of a series of three manuals, one each for the elementary (grades 1-6), junior high (grades 6-9), and senior high (grades 9-l2) levels. It…

  15. Quantitative CT analysis for the preoperative prediction of pathologic grade in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chakraborty, Jayasree; Pulvirenti, Alessandra; Yamashita, Rikiya; Midya, Abhishek; Gönen, Mithat; Klimstra, David S.; Reidy, Diane L.; Allen, Peter J.; Do, Richard K. G.; Simpson, Amber L.

    2018-02-01

    Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) account for approximately 5% of all pancreatic tumors, affecting one individual per million each year.1 PanNETs are difficult to treat due to biological variability from benign to highly malignant, indolent to very aggressive. The World Health Organization classifies PanNETs into three categories based on cell proliferative rate, usually detected using the Ki67 index and cell morphology: low-grade (G1), intermediate-grade (G2) and high-grade (G3) tumors. Knowledge of grade prior to treatment would select patients for optimal therapy: G1/G2 tumors respond well to somatostatin analogs and targeted or cytotoxic drugs whereas G3 tumors would be targeted with platinum or alkylating agents.2, 3 Grade assessment is based on the pathologic examination of the surgical specimen, biopsy or ne-needle aspiration; however, heterogeneity in the proliferative index can lead to sampling errors.4 Based on studies relating qualitatively assessed shape and enhancement characteristics on CT imaging to tumor grade in PanNET,5 we propose objective classification of PanNET grade with quantitative analysis of CT images. Fifty-five patients were included in our retrospective analysis. A pathologist graded the tumors. Texture and shape-based features were extracted from CT. Random forest and naive Bayes classifiers were compared for the classification of G1/G2 and G3 PanNETs. The best area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0:74 and accuracy of 71:64% was achieved with texture features. The shape-based features achieved an AUC of 0:70 and accuracy of 78:73%.

  16. 7 CFR 51.1576 - U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large. 51.1576 Section 51.1576 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of...) United States Consumer Standards for Potatoes Grades § 51.1576 U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U...

  17. 7 CFR 51.1575 - U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large. 51.1575 Section 51.1575 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of...) United States Consumer Standards for Potatoes Grades § 51.1575 U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U...

  18. 7 CFR 51.1576 - U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U.S. Grade B Medium to Large; U.S. Grade B Large. 51.1576 Section 51.1576 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of...) United States Consumer Standards for Potatoes Grades § 51.1576 U.S. Grade B Small; U.S. Grade B Medium; U...

  19. 7 CFR 51.1575 - U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U.S. Grade A Medium to Large; U.S. Grade A Large. 51.1575 Section 51.1575 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of...) United States Consumer Standards for Potatoes Grades § 51.1575 U.S. Grade A Small; U.S. Grade A Medium; U...

  20. 7 CFR 810.804 - Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. 810.804... OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Mixed Grain Grades and Grade Requirements § 810.804 Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. (a) U.S. Mixed Grain (grade). Mixed grain...

  1. 7 CFR 810.804 - Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. 810.804... OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Mixed Grain Grades and Grade Requirements § 810.804 Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. (a) U.S. Mixed Grain (grade). Mixed grain...

  2. 7 CFR 810.804 - Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. 810.804... OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Mixed Grain Grades and Grade Requirements § 810.804 Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. (a) U.S. Mixed Grain (grade). Mixed grain...

  3. 7 CFR 810.804 - Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. 810.804... OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Mixed Grain Grades and Grade Requirements § 810.804 Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. (a) U.S. Mixed Grain (grade). Mixed grain...

  4. 7 CFR 810.804 - Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. 810.804... OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Mixed Grain Grades and Grade Requirements § 810.804 Grades and grade requirements for mixed grain. (a) U.S. Mixed Grain (grade). Mixed grain...

  5. Students' Self-Grading, Professor's Grading and Negotiated Final Grading at Three University Programmes: Analysis of Reliability and Grade Difference Ranges and Tendencies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez-Pastor, Victor M.; Fernandez-Balboa, Juan-Miguel; Santos Pastor, Maria L.; Aranda, Antonio Fraile

    2012-01-01

    This study was undertaken at three teacher education programmes and was designed to determine the following within each programme: (1) the reliability correlations among students' self-grade (SSG), the grade granted by the professor (PG) and the negotiated final grade (NFG); (2) the range and frequency of grade differences between SSG and PG; and…

  6. 42 CFR 21.29 - Eligibility; grades above senior assistant grade.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Eligibility; grades above senior assistant grade... PERSONNEL COMMISSIONED OFFICERS Appointment § 21.29 Eligibility; grades above senior assistant grade. Every candidate for examination for appointment in grades above that of senior assistant shall meet the...

  7. Career Awareness: Grade 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boise City Independent School District, ID.

    A broad educational background is necessary to meet ever changing occupational fields, and career education is an approach incorporating career information within regular school curriculum. For the elementary level, career awareness is the main thrust in this program to integrate students and community. The format for grade five, performance…

  8. Evaluation du programme d'etudes de francais langue seconde en immersion a la 6e annee. La comprehension orale et la production orale, 1990. Rapport Final. (Evaluation of French as a Second Language Study Program for Grade Six Immersion. Oral Comprehension and Speaking Skills, 1990. Final Report).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theberge, Raymond

    An evaluation of Manitoba's French immersion programs at the levels of grades 3, 6, and 9 focused on program effectiveness in teaching listening comprehension and speech skills. The results for grade 6 are presented here. The first section describes the framework of the immersion curriculum and the listening and oral skills targeted in it. The…

  9. Tobacco Education Curriculum: Grade 3. Health Education: Substance Abuse Prevention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Christine K.; And Others

    This teaching guide for a tobacco education curriculum at the third-grade level is a part of a coordinated K-12 educational support program for reducing smoking. It includes a tobacco curriculum matrix for grades K-12, sample teaching methods, concepts and objectives for grades K-3, and a resource materials list. The basic instructional concepts…

  10. Tobacco Education Curriculum: Grade 1. Health Education: Substance Abuse Prevention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Christine K.; And Others

    This teaching guide for a tobacco education curriculum at the first-grade level is a part of a coordinated K-12 educational support program for reducing smoking. It includes a tobacco curriculum matrix for grades K-12, sample teaching methods, concepts and objectives for grades K-3, and a resource materials list. The basic instructional concepts…

  11. Tobacco Education Curriculum: Grade 5. Health Education: Substance Abuse Prevention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Christine K.; And Others

    This teaching guide for a tobacco education curriculum at the fifth-grade level is a part of a coordinated K-12 educational support program for reducing smoking. It includes a tobacco curriculum matrix for grades K-12, sample teaching methods, concepts and objectives for grades 4-6, and a resource list. The basic instructional concepts for the…

  12. Tobacco Education Curriculum: Grade 6. Health Education: Substance Abuse Prevention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Christine K.; And Others

    This teaching guide for a tobacco education curriculum at the sixth-grade level is a part of a coordinated K-12 educational support program for reducing smoking. It includes a tobacco curriculum matrix for grades K-12, sample teaching methods, concepts and objectives for grades 4-6, and a resource materials list. The basic instructional concepts…

  13. Understanding Factors That Influence Academic Performance in Tenth Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Denise

    2011-01-01

    This study examines factors contributing to the poor academic performance of tenth grade high school students. Throughout my eight years teaching experience at this grade-level, the one constant from class to class and year-to year is the academic decline. This decline typically starts at the end of ninth grade, becomes obvious and serious in…

  14. 7 CFR 810.404 - Grades and grade requirements for corn.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for corn. 810.404... OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Corn Principles Governing the Application of Standards § 810.404 Grades and grade requirements for corn. Grade Minimum test weight per...

  15. 7 CFR 810.404 - Grades and grade requirements for corn.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for corn. 810.404... OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Corn Principles Governing the Application of Standards § 810.404 Grades and grade requirements for corn. Grade Minimum test weight per...

  16. Student Grading Policies: Legal Issues and Administrative Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gregory, Richard A.

    2005-01-01

    This case study focuses on the legal aspects of school district grading policies. Given parental and student challenges to assigned grades, a school district and its employees must be prepared to respond appropriately to substantive and procedural claims. Moreover, when these claims cannot be resolved at the building level, administrative reviews,…

  17. Evaluation of Biomarkers in Egyptian Patients with Different Grades of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

    PubMed

    Borai, Ibrahim H; Shaker, Yehia; Kamal, Maha Moustafa; Ezzat, Wafaa M; Ashour, Esmat; Afify, Mie; Gouda, Weaam; Elbrashy, Maha M

    2017-06-28

    Background and Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a silent disease; its spectrum includes simple steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines play roles in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and insulin resistance (IR). Moreover, plasma cell antigen-1 (PC-1) is related to IR and associated with NAFLD progression. Therefore, we aimed to detect biomarkers, ultrasonographic and anthropometric findings capable of differentiating NAFLD grades, since most previous investigators were concerned more with NAFLD patients without classifying them into grades. Methods: A total of 87 NAFLD patients (31 with grade 1 (mild NAFLD), 26 with grade 2 (moderate NAFLD) and 30 with grade 3 (severe NAFLD) were included in the study, in addition to 47 controls (grade 0). All subjects underwent ultrasonographic examination for NAFLD diagnosis. Serum interleukin-10 (IL-10), plasma interleukin-18 (IL-18) and plasma PC-1 levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Homoeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-IR was higher in different NAFLD grades than in controls. Ultrasonographic and anthropometric findings and lipid profile indices (except for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which was decreased) were increased with NAFLD progression. Grade 3 patients showed significant increase in levels of IL-18 and significant decrease in IL-10 and PC-1 levels when compared to grade 1 patients. Conclusion: Anthropometric and ultrasonographic findings were valuable in differentiating NAFLD grades. IR is very important in NAFLD pathogenesis. IL-18, HOMA-index and PC-1 levels could be used to differentiate between NAFLD grades, together with other measurements.

  18. Evaluation of Biomarkers in Egyptian Patients with Different Grades of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

    PubMed Central

    Borai, Ibrahim H.; Shaker, Yehia; Kamal, Maha Moustafa; Ezzat, Wafaa M.; Ashour, Esmat; Afify, Mie; Gouda, Weaam; Elbrashy, Maha M.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background and Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a silent disease; its spectrum includes simple steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines play roles in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and insulin resistance (IR). Moreover, plasma cell antigen-1 (PC-1) is related to IR and associated with NAFLD progression. Therefore, we aimed to detect biomarkers, ultrasonographic and anthropometric findings capable of differentiating NAFLD grades, since most previous investigators were concerned more with NAFLD patients without classifying them into grades. Methods: A total of 87 NAFLD patients (31 with grade 1 (mild NAFLD), 26 with grade 2 (moderate NAFLD) and 30 with grade 3 (severe NAFLD) were included in the study, in addition to 47 controls (grade 0). All subjects underwent ultrasonographic examination for NAFLD diagnosis. Serum interleukin-10 (IL-10), plasma interleukin-18 (IL-18) and plasma PC-1 levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Homoeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-IR was higher in different NAFLD grades than in controls. Ultrasonographic and anthropometric findings and lipid profile indices (except for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which was decreased) were increased with NAFLD progression. Grade 3 patients showed significant increase in levels of IL-18 and significant decrease in IL-10 and PC-1 levels when compared to grade 1 patients. Conclusion: Anthropometric and ultrasonographic findings were valuable in differentiating NAFLD grades. IR is very important in NAFLD pathogenesis. IL-18, HOMA-index and PC-1 levels could be used to differentiate between NAFLD grades, together with other measurements. PMID:28660148

  19. Interrelating Selected Aspects of Home Economics and Physical Education for a Health Program in the Middle School at the Sixth Grade Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamb, Virginia Malzahn

    This study was conducted to develop, implement, and evaluate a 9-week unit interrelating the health aspects of home economics and physical education at the sixth grade level. The curriculum, which emphasizes physical, social, and mental health, was designed by: (1) diagnosing needs of the students, (2) formulating specific objectives, (3)…

  20. Career Awareness: Grade 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boise City Independent School District, ID.

    A broad educational background is necessary to meet ever changing occupational fields, and career education is an approach incorporating career information within the regular school curriculum. For the elementary level, career awareness is the main thrust in this program to integrate students and community. The format for grade two, performance…

  1. Targeted quantification of low ng/mL level proteins in human serum without immunoaffinity depletion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shi, Tujin; Sun, Xuefei; Gao, Yuqian

    2013-07-05

    We recently reported an antibody-free targeted protein quantification strategy, termed high-pressure, high-resolution separations with intelligent selection and multiplexing (PRISM) for achieving significantly enhanced sensitivity using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mass spectrometry. Integrating PRISM with front-end IgY14 immunoaffinity depletion, sensitive detection of targeted proteins at 50-100 pg/mL levels in human blood plasma/serum was demonstrated. However, immunoaffinity depletion is often associated with undesired losses of target proteins of interest. Herein we report further evaluation of PRISM-SRM quantification of low-abundance serum proteins without immunoaffinity depletion and the multiplexing potential of this technique. Limits of quantification (LOQs) at low ng/mL levels with a medianmore » CV of ~12% were achieved for proteins spiked into human female serum using as little as 2 µL serum. PRISM-SRM provided up to ~1000-fold improvement in the LOQ when compared to conventional SRM measurements. Multiplexing capability of PRISM-SRM was also evaluated by two sets of serum samples with 6 and 21 target peptides spiked at the low attomole/µL levels. The results from SRM measurements for pooled or post-concatenated samples were comparable to those obtained from individual peptide fractions in terms of signal-to-noise ratios and SRM peak area ratios of light to heavy peptides. PRISM-SRM was applied to measure several ng/mL-level endogenous plasma proteins, including prostate-specific antigen, in clinical patient sera where correlation coefficients > 0.99 were observed between the results from PRISM-SRM and ELISA assays. Our results demonstrate that PRISM-SRM can be successfully used for quantification of low-abundance endogenous proteins in highly complex samples. Moderate throughput (50 samples/week) can be achieved by applying the post-concatenation or fraction multiplexing strategies. We anticipate broad applications for targeted PRISM

  2. Comparison of graded exercise and graded exposure clinical outcomes for patients with chronic low back pain.

    PubMed

    George, Steven Z; Wittmer, Virgil T; Fillingim, Roger B; Robinson, Michael E

    2010-11-01

    , while change in pain catastrophizing was associated with change in disability. Physical therapy supplemented with graded exercise or graded exposure resulted in equivalent clinical outcomes for pain intensity and disability. The overall treatment effects were modest in this setting. Instead of being associated with a specific behavioral intervention, reductions in pain and disability were associated with reductions in depressive symptoms and pain catastrophizing, respectively. Therapy, level 2b–.

  3. Raman spectroscopy for grading of live osteosarcoma cells.

    PubMed

    Chiang, Yi-Hung; Wu, Stewart H; Kuo, Yi-Chun; Chen, How-Foo; Chiou, Arthur; Lee, Oscar K

    2015-04-18

    Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor, and the grading of osteosarcoma cells relies on traditional histopathology and molecular biology methods, which require RNA extraction, protein isolation and immunohistological staining. All these methods require cell isolation, lysis or fixation, which is time-consuming and requires certain amount of tumor specimen. In this study, we report the use of Raman spectroscopy for grading of malignant osteosarcoma cells. We demonstrate that, based on the detection of differential production of mineral species, Raman spectroscopy can be used as a live cell analyzer to accurately assess the grades of osteosarcoma cells by evaluating their mineralization levels. Mineralization level was assessed by measuring amount of hydroxyapatite (HA), which is highly expressed in mature osteoblasts, but not in poorly differentiated osteosarcoma cell or mesenchymal stem cells, the putative cell-of-origin of osteosarcoma. We found that under Raman spectroscopy, the level of HA production was high in MG-63 cells, which are low-grade. Moreover, hydroxyapatite production was low in high-grade osteosarcoma cells such as 143B and SaOS2 cells (p < 0.05). Matrix metalloproteinase MMP2, MMP9 were highly expressed in SaOS2, 143B and MSCs and decreased in human fetal osteoblast (FOB) and MG-63 cells as expected (p < 0.05). These results may highlight the inverse correlation between HA level and prognosis of osteosarcoma. The use of Raman spectroscopy for the measurement of HA production by the protocol reported in this study may serve as a useful tool to rapidly and accurately assess the degree of malignancy in osteosarcoma cells in a label-free manner. Such application may shorten the period of pathological diagnosis and may benefit patients who are inflicted with osteosarcoma.

  4. Targeted quantification of low ng/mL level proteins in human serum without immunoaffinity depletion

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Tujin; Sun, Xuefei; Gao, Yuqian; Fillmore, Thomas L.; Schepmoes, Athena A.; Zhao, Rui; He, Jintang; Moore, Ronald J.; Kagan, Jacob; Rodland, Karin D.; Liu, Tao; Liu, Alvin Y.; Smith, Richard D.; Tang, Keqi; Camp, David G.; Qian, Wei-Jun

    2013-01-01

    We recently reported an antibody-free targeted protein quantification strategy, termed high-pressure, high-resolution separations with intelligent selection and multiplexing (PRISM) for achieving significantly enhanced sensitivity using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mass spectrometry. Integrating PRISM with front-end IgY14 immunoaffinity depletion, sensitive detection of targeted proteins at 50–100 pg/mL levels in human blood plasma/serum was demonstrated. However, immunoaffinity depletion is often associated with undesired losses of target proteins of interest. Herein we report further evaluation of PRISM-SRM quantification of low-abundance serum proteins without immunoaffinity depletion. Limits of quantification (LOQ) at low ng/mL levels with a median coefficient of variation (CV) of ~12% were achieved for proteins spiked into human female serum. PRISM-SRM provided >100-fold improvement in the LOQ when compared to conventional LC-SRM measurements. PRISM-SRM was then applied to measure several low-abundance endogenous serum proteins, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), in clinical prostate cancer patient sera. PRISM-SRM enabled confident detection of all target endogenous serum proteins except the low pg/mL-level cardiac troponin T. A correlation coefficient >0.99 was observed for PSA between the results from PRISM-SRM and immunoassays. Our results demonstrate that PRISM-SRM can successful quantify low ng/mL proteins in human plasma or serum without depletion. We anticipate broad applications for PRISM-SRM quantification of low-abundance proteins in candidate biomarker verification and systems biology studies. PMID:23763644

  5. Antisense oligonucleotides targeting translation inhibitory elements in 5' UTRs can selectively increase protein levels.

    PubMed

    Liang, Xue-Hai; Sun, Hong; Shen, Wen; Wang, Shiyu; Yao, Joyee; Migawa, Michael T; Bui, Huynh-Hoa; Damle, Sagar S; Riney, Stan; Graham, Mark J; Crooke, Rosanne M; Crooke, Stanley T

    2017-09-19

    A variety of diseases are caused by deficiencies in amounts or activity of key proteins. An approach that increases the amount of a specific protein might be of therapeutic benefit. We reasoned that translation could be specifically enhanced using trans-acting agents that counter the function of negative regulatory elements present in the 5' UTRs of some mRNAs. We recently showed that translation can be enhanced by antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that target upstream open reading frames. Here we report the amount of a protein can also be selectively increased using ASOs designed to hybridize to other translation inhibitory elements in 5' UTRs. Levels of human RNASEH1, LDLR, and ACP1 and of mouse ACP1 and ARF1 were increased up to 2.7-fold in different cell types and species upon treatment with chemically modified ASOs targeting 5' UTR inhibitory regions in the mRNAs encoding these proteins. The activities of ASOs in enhancing translation were sequence and position dependent and required helicase activity. The ASOs appear to improve the recruitment of translation initiation factors to the target mRNA. Importantly, ASOs targeting ACP1 mRNA significantly increased the level of ACP1 protein in mice, suggesting that this approach has therapeutic and research potentials. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  6. Future Pacific Rim flows and prices of softwood logs, differentiated by grade.

    Treesearch

    Donald F. Flora; Andrea L. Anderson; Wendy J. McGInnls

    1990-01-01

    By 2000, prices are expected to rise significantly for medium-grade logs and modestly for low-grade logs. World economic cycles may obscure, however, the upward price trends. Exports from the United States of medium grades are expected to remain stable, while volumes of lower grades are projected to remain level through 1995 and then decline because of competition....

  7. Questioning Points and Percentages: Standards-Based Grading (SBG) in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buckmiller, Tom; Peters, Randal; Kruse, Jerrid

    2017-01-01

    Despite its growing use at the K-12 level, standards-based grading (alignment of grading to course standards) has been comparatively neglected in higher education. College students are often confronted with grading practices that reflect subjective, non-standardized formats incorporating a blend of academic and non-academic components. This case…

  8. A food-grade fimbrial adhesin FaeG expression system in Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus casei.

    PubMed

    Lu, W W; Wang, T; Wang, Y; Xin, M; Kong, J

    2016-03-01

    Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection is the major cause of diarrhea in neonatal piglets. The fimbriae as colonizing factor in the pathogenesis of ETEC constitute a primary target for vaccination against ETEC. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are attractive tools to deliver antigens at the mucosal level. With the safety of genetically modified LAB in mind, a food-grade secretion vector (pALRc or pALRb) was constructed with DNA entirely from LAB, including the replicon, promoter, signal peptide, and selection marker alanine racemase gene (alr). To evaluate the feasibility of the system, the nuclease gene (nuc) from Staphylococcus aureus was used as a reporter to be expressed in both Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus casei. Subsequently, the extracellular secretion of the fimbrial adhesin FaeG of ETEC was confirmed by Western blot analysis. These results showed that this food-grade expression system has potential as the delivery vehicle for the safe use of genetically modified LAB for the development of vaccines against ETEC infection.

  9. MiR-18a regulates the proliferation, migration and invasion of human glioblastoma cell by targeting neogenin

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Song, Yichen, E-mail: jeff200064017@163.com; Wang, Ping, E-mail: pingwang8000@163.com; Institute of Pathology and Pathophysiology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001

    MiR-17-92 cluster has recently been reported as an oncogene in some tumors. However, the association of miR-18a, an important member of this cluster, with glioblastoma remains unknown. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the expression of miR-18a in glioblastoma and its role in biological behavior of U87 and U251 human glioblastoma cell lines. Quantitative RT-PCR results showed that miR-18a was highly expressed in glioblastoma tissues and U87 and U251 cell lines compared with that in human brain tissues and primary normal human astrocytes, and the expression levels were increased along with the rising pathological grades of glioblastoma. Neogenin was identifiedmore » as the target gene of miR-18a by dual-luciferase reporter assays. RT-PCR and western blot results showed that its expression levels were decreased along with the rising pathological grades of glioblastoma. Inhibition of miR-18a expression was established by transfecting exogenous miR-18a inhibitor into U87 and U251 cells, and its effects on the biological behavior of glioblastoma cells were studied using CCK-8 assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry. Inhibition of miR-18a expression in U87 and U251 cells significantly up-regulated neogenin, and dramatically suppressed the abilities of cell proliferation, migration and invasion, induced cell cycle arrest and promoted cellular apoptosis. Collectively, these results suggest that miR-18a may regulate biological behavior of human glioblastoma cells by targeting neogenin, and miR-18a can serve as a potential target in the treatment of glioblastoma. - Highlights: • MiR-18a was highly expressed in glioblastoma tissues and U87 and U251 cell lines. • Neogenin was identified as the target gene of miR-18a. • Neogenin expressions were decreased along with the rising pathological grades of glioblastoma. • Inhibition of miR-18a suppressed biological behavior of glioma cells by up-regulating neogenin.« less

  10. Suggested Curriculum Guidelines for an Effective Bilingual Program, 1972-1973. Destrezas Comunicativas del Idioma Espanol. Spanish Language Skills. Third Grade, Level 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Artesia Public Schools, NM.

    This volume contains suggested curriculum guidelines for an effective bilingual program, with specific focus on Spanish language skills for the third grade level. The philosophy of the program views bilingual education as a vehicle and pedagogical tool to be used to better prepare all children to function in society. The point of departure for…

  11. Suggested Curriculum Guidelines for an Effective Bilingual Program. 1972-1973. Destrezas Comunicativas del Idioma Espanol. Spanish Language Skills. Second Grade, Level 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Artesia Public Schools, NM.

    This volume contains suggested curriculum guidelines for an effective bilingual program, with specific focus on Spanish language skills for the second grade level. The philosophy of the program views bilingual education as a vehicle and pedagogical tool to be used to better prepare all children to function in society. The point of departure for…

  12. Validating An Analytic Completeness Model for Kepler Target Stars Based on Flux-level Transit Injection Experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Catanzarite, Joseph; Burke, Christopher J.; Li, Jie; Seader, Shawn; Haas, Michael R.; Batalha, Natalie; Henze, Christopher; Christiansen, Jessie; Kepler Project, NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division

    2016-06-01

    The Kepler Mission is developing an Analytic Completeness Model (ACM) to estimate detection completeness contours as a function of exoplanet radius and period for each target star. Accurate completeness contours are necessary for robust estimation of exoplanet occurrence rates.The main components of the ACM for a target star are: detection efficiency as a function of SNR, the window function (WF) and the one-sigma depth function (OSDF). (Ref. Burke et al. 2015). The WF captures the falloff in transit detection probability at long periods that is determined by the observation window (the duration over which the target star has been observed). The OSDF is the transit depth (in parts per million) that yields SNR of unity for the full transit train. It is a function of period, and accounts for the time-varying properties of the noise and for missing or deweighted data.We are performing flux-level transit injection (FLTI) experiments on selected Kepler target stars with the goal of refining and validating the ACM. “Flux-level” injection machinery inserts exoplanet transit signatures directly into the flux time series, as opposed to “pixel-level” injection, which inserts transit signatures into the individual pixels using the pixel response function. See Jie Li's poster: ID #2493668, "Flux-level transit injection experiments with the NASA Pleiades Supercomputer" for details, including performance statistics.Since FLTI is affordable for only a small subset of the Kepler targets, the ACM is designed to apply to most Kepler target stars. We validate this model using “deep” FLTI experiments, with ~500,000 injection realizations on each of a small number of targets and “shallow” FLTI experiments with ~2000 injection realizations on each of many targets. From the results of these experiments, we identify anomalous targets, model their behavior and refine the ACM accordingly.In this presentation, we discuss progress in validating and refining the ACM, and we

  13. Conceptual Level of Understanding about Sound Concept: Sample of Fifth Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bostan Sarioglan, Ayberk

    2016-01-01

    In this study, students' conceptual change processes related to the sound concept were examined. Study group was comprises of 325 fifth grade middle school students. Three multiple-choice questions were used as the data collection tool. At the data analysis process "scientific response", "scientifically unacceptable response"…

  14. Acute gastrointestinal effects of graded levels of copper in drinking water.

    PubMed Central

    Pizarro, F; Olivares, M; Uauy, R; Contreras, P; Rebelo, A; Gidi, V

    1999-01-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the acute gastrointestinal effects caused by the consumption of drinking water containing graded levels of added copper. Sixty healthy, adult women were randomly assigned to receive copper [Cu(II)] at four concentrations in their drinking water following a Latin-square design. Each group (n = 15) received tap water with no added copper, 1, 3, and 5 mg Cu/l of added copper sulfate for a 2-week study period, followed by 1 week of standard tap water. The subjects recorded their water consumption and gastrointestinal symptoms daily on a special form. The average daily consumption of water was 1.64 liters per subject, regardless of the amount of copper added. Final serum copper, ceruloplasmin, and liver enzymes were measured in all subjects and were not different from baseline concentrations. Twenty-one subjects (35%) recorded gastrointestinal disturbances sometime during the study, 9 had diarrhea, some with abdominal pain and vomiting, and 12 subjects presented abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. There was no association between copper levels in drinking water and diarrhea. However, nausea, abdominal pain, or vomiting were significantly related to copper concentrations in water. The recorded incidence rate of these symptoms was 5, 2, 17, and 15% while ingesting water with 0, 1, 3, and 5 mg Cu/l, respectively (overall [chi]2 = 11.3, p<0.01; Cu [less than/equal to]1 mg/l versus Cu [Greater than/equal to]3 mg/l, [chi]2, p<0.01). When subjects interrupted their consumption of drinking water with added copper, most symptoms disappeared. We conclude that under the conditions of the study, there was no association between aggregate copper in drinking water within the range of 0-5 mg/l and diarrhea, but a [Greater than/equal to]3 mg Cu/l level of ionized copper was associated with nausea, abdominal pain, or vomiting. Additional studies with sufficient numbers of subjects are needed to define thresholds for specific gastrointestinal

  15. Comprehensive and Critical Review of Middle Grades Research and Practice 2000-2013

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yoon, Bogum; Malu, Kathleen F.; Schaefer, Mary Beth; Reyes, Cynthia; Brinegar, Kathleen

    2015-01-01

    This article synthesizes reports of middle grades research and practice from 2000-2013 that appeared in "Middle Grades Research Journal," "Middle School Journal," and "Research in Middle Level Education Online," 3 publications that specifically and exclusively report on middle level research and practice. This…

  16. Hardwood log grades and lumber grade yields for factory lumber logs

    Treesearch

    Leland F. Hanks; Glenn L. Gammon; Robert L. Brisbin; Everette D. Rast

    1980-01-01

    The USDA Forest Service Standard Grades for Hardwood Factory Lumber Logs are described, and lumber grade yields for 16 species and 2 species groups are presented by log grade and log diameter. The grades enable foresters, log buyers, and log sellers to select and grade those log suitable for conversion into standard factory grade lumber. By using the apropriate lumber...

  17. Technological Studies at Thomas Edison Middle School. Grades 6-7-8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Patrick N.

    This technology studies curriculum for grades 6-8 is a plan for each middle school student to experience technology education for approximately 60 days (1 trimester of a 180-day school year) in each grade. Section A provides definitions; structure or content for grade-level programs with science and technology unifiers (unifying curricular…

  18. Failing to progress or progressing to fail? Age-for-grade heterogeneity and grade repetition in primary schools in Karonga district, northern Malawi

    PubMed Central

    Sunny, Bindu S.; Elze, Markus; Chihana, Menard; Gondwe, Levie; Crampin, Amelia C.; Munkhondya, Masoyaona; Kondowe, Scotch; Glynn, Judith R.

    2018-01-01

    Timely progression through school is an important measure for school performance, completion and the onset of other life transitions for adolescents. This study examines the risk factors for grade repetition and establishes the extent to which age-for-grade heterogeneity contributes to subsequent grade repetition at early and later stages of school. Using data from a demographic surveillance site in Karonga district, northern Malawi, a cohort of 8174 respondents (ages 5–24 years) in primary school was followed in 2010 and subsequent grade repetition observed in 2011. Grade repetition was more common among those at early (grades 1–3) and later (grades 7–8) stages of school, with little variation by sex. Being under-age or over-age in school has different implications on schooling outcomes, depending on the stage of schooling. After adjusting for other risk factors, boys and girls who were under-age at early stages were at least twice as likely to repeat a grade as those at the official age-for-grade (girls: adjusted OR 2.06 p < 0.01; boys: adjusted OR 2.37 p < 0.01); while those over-age at early stages were about 30% less likely to repeat (girls: adjusted OR 0.65 p < 0.01; boys: adjusted OR 0.72 p < 0.01). Being under/over-age at later grades (4–8) was not associated with subsequent repetition but being over-age was associated with dropout. Other risk factors identified that were associated with repetition included both family-level factors (living away from their mother, having young children in the household, lower paternal education) and school-level factors (higher student-teacher ratio, proportion of female teachers and schools without access to water). Reducing direct and indirect costs of schooling for households; and improving school quality and resources at early stages of school may enable timely progression at early stages for greater retention at later stages. PMID:29391662

  19. Failing to progress or progressing to fail? Age-for-grade heterogeneity and grade repetition in primary schools in Karonga district, northern Malawi.

    PubMed

    Sunny, Bindu S; Elze, Markus; Chihana, Menard; Gondwe, Levie; Crampin, Amelia C; Munkhondya, Masoyaona; Kondowe, Scotch; Glynn, Judith R

    2017-01-01

    Timely progression through school is an important measure for school performance, completion and the onset of other life transitions for adolescents. This study examines the risk factors for grade repetition and establishes the extent to which age-for-grade heterogeneity contributes to subsequent grade repetition at early and later stages of school. Using data from a demographic surveillance site in Karonga district, northern Malawi, a cohort of 8174 respondents (ages 5-24 years) in primary school was followed in 2010 and subsequent grade repetition observed in 2011. Grade repetition was more common among those at early (grades 1-3) and later (grades 7-8) stages of school, with little variation by sex. Being under-age or over-age in school has different implications on schooling outcomes, depending on the stage of schooling. After adjusting for other risk factors, boys and girls who were under-age at early stages were at least twice as likely to repeat a grade as those at the official age-for-grade (girls: adjusted OR 2.06 p < 0.01; boys: adjusted OR 2.37 p < 0.01); while those over-age at early stages were about 30% less likely to repeat (girls: adjusted OR 0.65 p < 0.01; boys: adjusted OR 0.72 p < 0.01). Being under/over-age at later grades (4-8) was not associated with subsequent repetition but being over-age was associated with dropout. Other risk factors identified that were associated with repetition included both family-level factors (living away from their mother, having young children in the household, lower paternal education) and school-level factors (higher student-teacher ratio, proportion of female teachers and schools without access to water). Reducing direct and indirect costs of schooling for households; and improving school quality and resources at early stages of school may enable timely progression at early stages for greater retention at later stages.

  20. Master Curriculum Guide in Economics for the Nation's Schools. Part II, Strategies for Teaching Economics: Junior High School Level (Grades 7-9).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banaszak, Ronald A.; Clawson, Elmer U.

    This guide contains concept-based lessons and activities in economics for use with students in grades 7-9. One component of a two-part publication, the guide demonstrates how the conceptual structure of the economics discipline presented in the first publication (ED 148 648) can be used to help students at the junior high school level make more…

  1. ENabling Reduction of Low-grade Inflammation in SEniors Pilot Study: Concept, Rationale, and Design.

    PubMed

    Manini, Todd M; Anton, Stephen D; Beavers, Daniel P; Cauley, Jane A; Espeland, Mark A; Fielding, Roger A; Kritchevsky, Stephen B; Leeuwenburgh, Christiaan; Lewis, Kristina H; Liu, Christine; McDermott, Mary M; Miller, Michael E; Tracy, Russell P; Walston, Jeremy D; Radziszewska, Barbara; Lu, Jane; Stowe, Cindy; Wu, Samuel; Newman, Anne B; Ambrosius, Walter T; Pahor, Marco

    2017-09-01

    To test two interventions to reduce interleukin (IL)-6 levels, an indicator of low-grade chronic inflammation and an independent risk factor for impaired mobility and slow walking speed in older adults. The ENabling Reduction of low-Grade Inflammation in SEniors (ENRGISE) Pilot Study was a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized pilot trial of two interventions to reduce IL-6 levels. Five university-based research centers. Target enrollment was 300 men and women aged 70 and older with an average plasma IL-6 level between 2.5 and 30 pg/mL measured twice at least 1 week apart. Participants had low to moderate physical function, defined as self-reported difficulty walking one-quarter of a mile or climbing a flight of stairs and usual walk speed of less than 1 m/s on a 4-m usual-pace walk. Participants were randomized to losartan, omega-3 fish oil (ω-3), combined losartan and ω-3, or placebo. Randomization was stratified depending on eligibility for each group. A titration schedule was implemented to reach a dose that was safe and effective for IL-6 reduction. Maximal doses were 100 mg/d for losartan and 2.8 g/d for ω-3. IL-6, walking speed over 400 m, physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery), other inflammatory markers, safety, tolerability, frailty domains, and maximal leg strength were measured. Results from the ENRGISE Pilot Study will provide recruitment yields, feasibility, medication tolerance and adherence, and preliminary data to help justify a sample size for a more definitive randomized trial. The ENRGISE Pilot Study will inform a larger subsequent trial that is expected to have important clinical and public health implications for the growing population of older adults with low-grade chronic inflammation and mobility limitations. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

  2. On-Demand Grades: The Effect of Online Grade Book Access on Student Mastery and Performance Goal Orientations, Grade Orientation, Academic Self Efficacy, and Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seldow, Adam Lowell

    2010-01-01

    With the widespread growth of broadband Internet access, teachers, and in many cases, schools and school districts are transitioning from traditional paper-based grade books to student accessible online (Web-based) grade books. Online grade books offer students 24/7, on demand access to grades and various other student data, and have the potential…

  3. Academic Achievement of Ugandan Sixth Grade Students: Influence of Parents' Education Levels

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wamala, Robert; Kizito, Omala Saint; Jjemba, Evans

    2013-01-01

    The study investigates the influence of a father and mother's education on the academic achievement of their child. The investigation is based on data sourced from the 2009 Southern African Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality survey comprising 5,148 records of sixth grade students enrolled in Ugandan primary schools. Students' percentage…

  4. Science: Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies, K-12. [Revision].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh.

    This document was created to establish competency goals and objectives for teaching and learning science in North Carolina for grades K-12. It contains the concepts and theories, strands, skills, and processes upon which all science instruction should be based. In addition, the curriculum defines and illustrates the connections between the…

  5. Water: A Vital Resource. Environmental Education Supplementary Instructional Guide. Sixth Grade Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Donald B.; And Others

    Water related activities for sixth-grade students are presented as one possible way to incorporate environmental education into the existing curriculum of Hawaii schools. Designed as an interdisciplinary approach, the activities integrate numerous thematic and subject areas to teach that fresh water is a limited but vital natural resource. Topics…

  6. Teachers Guide to Economic Concepts: Grade 10-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCabe, Milo F.

    This grades 10-12 teachers guide is one of five resource guides developed to aid teachers in helping students in South Dakota to achieve a high degree of economic literacy. It is felt that schools must prepare students at all grade levels to develop an understanding of the economy in which they live. This guide was specifically prepared to assist…

  7. Galectin-3 Reflects the Echocardiographic Grades of Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction.

    PubMed

    Ansari, Uzair; Behnes, Michael; Hoffmann, Julia; Natale, Michele; Fastner, Christian; El-Battrawy, Ibrahim; Rusnak, Jonas; Kim, Seung Hyun; Lang, Siegfried; Hoffmann, Ursula; Bertsch, Thomas; Borggrefe, Martin; Akin, Ibrahim

    2018-07-01

    The level of Galectin-3 (Gal-3) protein purportedly reflects an ongoing cardiac fibrotic process and has been associated with ventricular remodeling, which is instrumental in the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of Gal-3 in improved characterization of the grades of diastolic dysfunction as defined by echocardiography. Seventy HFpEF patients undergoing routine echocardiography were prospectively enrolled in the present monocentric study. Blood samples for measurements of Gal-3 and amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were collected within 24 hours pre- or post-echocardiographic examination. The classification of patients into subgroups based on diastolic dysfunction grade permitted detailed statistical analyses of the derived data. The Gal-3 serum levels of all patients corresponded to echocardiographic indices, suggesting HFpEF (E/A, P=0.03 and E/E', P=0.02). Gal-3 was also associated with progressive diastolic dysfunction, and increased levels corresponded to the course of disease (P=0.012). Detailed analyses of ROC curves suggested that Gal-3 levels could discriminate patients with grade III diastolic dysfunction (area under the curve [AUC]=0.770, P=0.005). Gal-3 demonstrates remarkable effectiveness in the diagnosis of patients suffering from severe grade diastolic dysfunction. Increasing levels of Gal-3 possibly reflect the progressive course of HFpEF, as classified by the echocardiographic grades of diastolic dysfunction. © The Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine.

  8. 7 CFR 810.1804 - Grades and grade requirements for sunflower seed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for sunflower seed. 810... AGRICULTURE OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Sunflower Seed Principles Governing the Application of Standards § 810.1804 Grades and grade requirements for sunflower seed. Grade...

  9. 7 CFR 810.1804 - Grades and grade requirements for sunflower seed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Grades and grade requirements for sunflower seed. 810... AGRICULTURE OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Sunflower Seed Principles Governing the Application of Standards § 810.1804 Grades and grade requirements for sunflower seed. Grade...

  10. The results of STEM education methods for enhancing critical thinking and problem solving skill in physics the 10th grade level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soros, P.; Ponkham, K.; Ekkapim, S.

    2018-01-01

    This research aimed to: 1) compare the critical think and problem solving skills before and after learning using STEM Education plan, 2) compare student achievement before and after learning about force and laws of motion using STEM Education plan, and 3) the satisfaction of learning by using STEM Education. The sample used were 37 students from grade 10 at Borabu School, Borabu District, Mahasarakham Province, semester 2, Academic year 2016. Tools used in this study consist of: 1) STEM Education plan about the force and laws of motion for grade 10 students of 1 schemes with total of 14 hours, 2) The test of critical think and problem solving skills with multiple-choice type of 5 options and 2 option of 30 items, 3) achievement test on force and laws of motion with multiple-choice of 4 options of 30 items, 4) satisfaction learning with 5 Rating Scale of 20 items. The statistics used in data analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation, and t-test (Dependent). The results showed that 1) The student with learning using STEM Education plan have score of critical think and problem solving skills on post-test higher than pre-test with statistically significant level .01. 2) The student with learning using STEM Education plan have achievement score on post-test higher than pre-test with statistically significant level of .01. 3) The student'level of satisfaction toward the learning by using STEM Education plan was at a high level (X ¯ = 4.51, S.D=0.56).

  11. Teachers' Perceptions of Grading Practices: How Pre-Service Training Makes a Difference

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Link, Laura

    2018-01-01

    This study examines the enduring problem of inconsistent K-12 grading practices by exploring the relationship between teachers' perceptions of various grading practices, such as factoring student behavior in academic grades, as related to grade level, district locale, and training. Survey responses from 2,996 K-12 teachers from one suburban and…

  12. PET AND SPECT STUDIES IN CHILDREN WITH HEMISPHERIC LOW-GRADE GLIOMAS

    PubMed Central

    Juhász, Csaba; Bosnyák, Edit

    2016-01-01

    Molecular imaging is playing an increasing role in the pre-treatment evaluation of low-grade gliomas. While glucose positron emission tomography (PET) can be helpful to differentiate low-grade from high-grade tumors, PET imaging with amino acid radiotracers has several advantages, such as better differentiation between tumors and non-tumorous lesions, optimized biopsy targeting and improved detection of tumor recurrence. This review provides a brief overview of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies followed by a more detailed review of clinical applications of glucose and amino acid PET imaging in low-grade hemispheric gliomas. We discuss key differences in the performance of the most commonly utilized PET radiotracers and highlight the advantage of PET/MRI fusion to obtain optimal information about tumor extent, heterogeneity and metabolism. Recent data also suggest that simultaneous acquisition of PET/MR images and the combination of advanced MRI techniques with quantitative PET can further improve the pre- and post-treatment evaluation of pediatric brain tumors. PMID:27659825

  13. PET and SPECT studies in children with hemispheric low-grade gliomas.

    PubMed

    Juhász, Csaba; Bosnyák, Edit

    2016-10-01

    Molecular imaging is playing an increasing role in the pretreatment evaluation of low-grade gliomas. While glucose positron emission tomography (PET) can be helpful to differentiate low-grade from high-grade tumors, PET imaging with amino acid radiotracers has several advantages, such as better differentiation between tumors and non-tumorous lesions, optimized biopsy targeting, and improved detection of tumor recurrence. This review provides a brief overview of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies followed by a more detailed review of the clinical applications of glucose and amino acid PET imaging in low-grade hemispheric gliomas. We discuss key differences in the performance of the most commonly utilized PET radiotracers and highlight the advantage of PET/MRI fusion to obtain optimal information about tumor extent, heterogeneity, and metabolism. Recent data also suggest that simultaneous acquisition of PET/MR images and the combination of advanced MRI techniques with quantitative PET can further improve the pretreatment and post-treatment evaluation of pediatric brain tumors.

  14. Grading for Understanding--Standards-Based Grading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zimmerman, Todd

    2017-01-01

    Standards-based grading (SBG), sometimes called learning objectives-based assessment (LOBA), is an assessment model that relies on students demonstrating mastery of learning objectives (sometimes referred to as standards). The goal of this grading system is to focus students on mastering learning objectives rather than on accumulating points. I…

  15. South Carolina Word List, Grades 1-12. Basic Skills Assessment Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Instructional Objectives Exchange, Los Angeles, CA.

    Designed as a resource for reading teachers who are attempting to enhance their students' fundamental reading skills and to permit the more rigorous determination of readability levels for both instructional materials and testing devices, this word list provides a grade-by-grade set of key words students need to master for grades 1 through 12 The…

  16. Activities for Studying Ponds (Limnology), Grade Level 5-6. Environmental Education Series, Bulletin No. 247-D.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD.

    This bulletin is one in a series of environmental education activity guides for grades K-12, developed and field-tested by teachers in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools. Primarily for use in the middle grades four through six, the guides are not intended to constitute complete units in themselves. They are, rather, a compilation of…

  17. Memory load modulates graded changes in distracter filtering

    PubMed Central

    Shimi, Andria; Woolrich, Mark W.; Mantini, Dante; Astle, Duncan E.

    2015-01-01

    Our ability to maintain small amounts of information in mind is critical for successful performance on a wide range of tasks. However, it remains unclear exactly how this maintenance is achieved. One possibility is that it is brought about using mechanisms that overlap with those used for attentional control. That is, the same mechanisms that we use to regulate and optimize our sensory processing may be recruited when we maintain information in visual short-term memory (VSTM). We aimed to test this hypothesis by exploring how distracter filtering is modified by concurrent VSTM load. We presented participants with sequences of target items, the order and location of which had to be maintained in VSTM. We also presented distracter items alongside the targets, and these distracters were graded such that they could be either very similar or dissimilar to the targets. We analyzed scalp potentials using a novel multiple regression approach, which enabled us to explore the neural mechanisms by which the participants accommodated these variable distracters on a trial-to-trial basis. Critically, the effect of distracter filtering interacted with VSTM load; the same graded changes in perceptual similarity exerted effects of a different magnitude depending upon how many items participants were already maintaining in VSTM. These data provide compelling evidence that maintaining information in VSTM recruits an overlapping set of attentional control mechanisms that are otherwise used for distracter filtering. PMID:25610387

  18. Student Attitudes Toward Grades and Grading Practices.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stallings, William M.; Leslie, Elwood K.

    The result of a study designed to assess student attitudes toward grading practices are discussed. Questionnaire responses of 3439 students in three institutions were tabulated. Responses were generally negative toward conventional grading systems. (MS)

  19. 7 CFR 810.405 - Special grades and special grade requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Corn Special Grades and Special Grade Requirements § 810.405 Special grades and special grade requirements. (a) Flint corn. Corn that consists of 95 percent or more of flint corn. (b) Flint and dent corn. Corn that consists of a mixture of...

  20. 7 CFR 810.405 - Special grades and special grade requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Corn Special Grades and Special Grade Requirements § 810.405 Special grades and special grade requirements. (a) Flint corn. Corn that consists of 95 percent or more of flint corn. (b) Flint and dent corn. Corn that consists of a mixture of...

  1. Teaching for Creativity by Science Teachers in Grades 5-10

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Abdali, Nasser S.; Al-Balushi, Sulaiman M.

    2016-01-01

    This classroom observation study explored how science teachers (N = 22) teach for creativity in grades 5-10 in Oman. We designed an observation form with 4 main categories that targeted the instructional practices related to teaching for creativity: questioning strategy, teacher's responses to students' ideas, classroom activities to support…

  2. Factors Associated with the Persistence of Bullying Victimization From 10th grade to 13th Grade: A Longitudinal Study.

    PubMed

    Lien, Lars; Welander-Vatn, Audun

    2013-01-01

    Bullying among adolescents represents a major public health challenge. The aim of this study was to map the stability of bullying victimization across the transitional phase from lower to upper secondary school, and to describe the sociodemographic, academic and health-related characteristics of those bullied during the transition. 3674 Norwegian adolescents were followed longitudinally from the age of 15/16 until the age of 18/19, answering questionnaires about health, academic achievements, life events, lifestyle and sociodemography. The 337 participants reporting exposure to bullying victimization at age 15/16 were the target group, as we made comparisons between those reporting victimization only at the age of 15/16 (n=289) with the participants for whom the bullying had continued into later adolescence (n = 48). 14% of those victimized at age 15/16, reported continuation of bullying victimization into upper secondary school. These adolescents were significantly more likely to report having divorced parents, low parental educational level, poor self-perceived economy, muscle and skeletal pain, symptoms of mental distress, lower school marks in Norwegian and higher body-mass index (BMI) when group differences at age 18/19 were assessed through basic inferential statistical tests. However, the multivariate logistic regression analyses only revealed statistically significantly increased adjusted odds ratios for the variables mental distress and school-marks in Norwegian. The persistence of exposure to bullying from 10th grade to 13th grade is associated with mental health complaints and poor school performance. Preventive measures to take care of students being continuously bullied should be in place in secondary schools.

  3. Teachers Use Tools and Strategies to Engage Students in Grade-Level Assignments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2013

    2013-01-01

    This newsletter of best practices in implementing the High Schools That Work (HSTW), Making Middle Grades Work (MMGW) and Technology Centers That Work (TCTW) school improvement models is based on presentations at the 27th Annual HSTW Staff Development Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the summer of 2013. The newsletter is divided up into…

  4. Consciousness as a graded and an all-or-none phenomenon: A conceptual analysis.

    PubMed

    Windey, Bert; Cleeremans, Axel

    2015-09-01

    The issue whether consciousness is a graded or an all-or-none phenomenon has been and continues to be a debate. Both contradictory accounts are supported by solid evidence. Starting from a level of processing framework allowing for states of partial awareness, here we further elaborate our view that visual experience, as it is most often investigated in the literature, is both graded and all-or-none. Low-level visual experience is graded, whereas high-level visual experience is all-or-none. We then present a conceptual analysis starting from the notion that consciousness is a general concept. We specify a number of different subconcepts present in the literature on consciousness, and outline how each of them may be seen as either graded, all-or-none, or both. We argue that such specifications are necessary to lead to a detailed and integrated understanding of how consciousness should be conceived of as graded and all-or-none. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. The Influence of Styles, Text Content, Sex, and Grade Level on First, Second, and Third Grade Children's Preferences for Artistic Style.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramsey, Inez L.

    This study was designed to answer the following question: which of four commonly used art styles (photographic, representational, cartoon, and expressionistic), employed in children's tradebooks, would first, second, and third grade children prefer when (a) pictures only were viewed, and (b) text content (informational or fanciful) accompanied…

  6. Food-Grade Synthesis of Maillard-Type Taste Enhancers Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES).

    PubMed

    Kranz, Maximilian; Hofmann, Thomas

    2018-01-28

    The increasing demand for healthier food products, with reduced levels of table salt, sugar, and mono sodium glutamate, reinforce the need for novel taste enhancers prepared by means of food-grade kitchen-type chemistry. Although several taste modulating compounds have been discovered in processed foods, their Maillard-type ex food production is usually not exploited by industrial process reactions as the yields of target compounds typically do not exceed 1-2%. Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are reported for the first time to significantly increase the yields of the taste enhancers 1-deoxy-ᴅ-fructosyl-N-β-alanyl-ʟ-histidine (49% yield), N-(1-methyl-4-oxoimidazolidin-2-ylidene) aminopropionic acid (54% yield) and N²-(1-carboxyethyl) guanosine 5'-monophosphate (22% yield) at low temperature (80-100 °C) within a maximum reaction time of 2 h. Therefore, NADES open new avenues to a "next-generation culinary chemistry" overcoming the yield limitations of traditional Maillard chemistry approaches and enable a food-grade Maillard-type generation of flavor modulators.

  7. Cytomorphologic spectrum of lymphocytic thyroiditis and correlation between cytological grading and biochemical parameters

    PubMed Central

    Anila, KR; Nayak, Nileena; Jayasree, K

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis [Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT)] is a common thyroid lesion diagnosed on fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Apart from FNAC, various other parameters, such as clinical features, ultrasonographic findings, antithyroid antibody levels, hormone profiles, and radionuclide thyroid scan, are also taken into consideration in making a diagnosis of HT. Aims: To grade lymphocytic thyroiditis based on the cytomorphology and to correlate the cytological grades with the levels of antithyroid peroxidase antibody (ATPO), antithyroglobulin antibody (ATG), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Materials and Methods: During a period of one and half years, 1,667 cases underwent FNAC of thyroid at our tertiary care center. Of these, 128 cases had cytological evidence of lymphocytic thyroiditis. Out of these, in 60 cases the levels of ATPO, ATG, and TSH were known. The cytological grades of lymphocytic thyroiditis in these cases were correlated with these parameters. Results: Out of the 60 cases, 55 were females. Age ranged from 5 years to 70 years, with majority of patients in third decade. Diffuse enlargement of thyroid was the commonest presentation. However, 14 cases presented with nodular disease. Majority of the patients had grade 1 thyroiditis (27 cases), followed by grade 2 thyroiditis (22 cases). Cytomorphology was diagnostic of thyroiditis in all 60 cases. ATPO was elevated in 57 cases and ATG was elevated in 40 cases. Elevated level of TSH was seen in only 18 cases. In 39 cases, TSH value was normal. There was no correlation between the cytological grades of thyroiditis and the levels of antithyroid antibodies and TSH. Conclusion: Lymphocytic infiltration of thyroid follicles is pathognomonic of lymphocytic thyroiditis. Positivity for antithyroid antibodies is strongly associated with HT but no correlation was observed between the grades of thyroiditis and the levels of ATPO, ATG, and TSH. PMID:27756987

  8. The target plant concept-a history and brief overview

    Treesearch

    Thomas D. Landis

    2011-01-01

    The target plant concept originated with morphological classification of conifer nursery stock in the 1930s, and the concept was enhanced through physiological research and seedling testing towards the end of the century. Morphological grading standards such as shoot height, stem diameter, and root mass are the most common use of the target plant concept, and some...

  9. Truth: Humanities Unit (Middle and Secondary Grade Levels). Programs for Gifted Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abbott, Barbara; Kolman, Peter

    One in a series of instructional units designed for gifted students, this booklet describes a humanities unit for students in middle and secondary grades. The specific focus of the unit is on truth as it is perceived and expressed in philosophy, literature, art, music, drama, and the social sciences. The study of truth and its surrounding concepts…

  10. The use of music to enhance reading skills of second grade students and students with reading disabilities.

    PubMed

    Register, Dena; Darrow, Alice-Ann; Standley, Jayne; Swedberg, Olivia

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of using music as a remedial strategy to enhance the reading skills of second-grade students and students who have been identified as having a specific learning disability (SLD) in reading. First, an intensive short-term music curriculum was designed to target reading comprehension and vocabulary skills at the second grade level. The curriculum was then implemented in classrooms at two public schools in the Southeast. Reading skills were evaluated pre and post curriculum intervention via the vocabulary and reading comprehension subtests of the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test for second grade. Analysis of pre/posttest data revealed that students with a specific disability in reading improved significantly from pre to post on all three subtests: word decoding (p = .04), word knowledge (p = .01), reading comprehension (p = .01), and test total (p = .01). Paired t-tests revealed that for 2nd grade students, both treatment and control classes improved significantly from pre to post on the subtests word decoding, word knowledge, and test total. While both classes made gains from pre to post on the subtest, reading comprehension, neither improved significantly. Analysis of Covariance revealed that the treatment class made greater gains pre to post than the control class on all 3 subtests (Including reading comprehension), and significantly greater gains on the subtest, word knowledge (p = .01).

  11. Is the Sky Falling? Grade Inflation and the Signaling Power of Grades

    PubMed Central

    Pattison, Evangeleen; Grodsky, Eric; Muller, Chandra

    2014-01-01

    Grades are the fundamental currency of our educational system; they signal academic achievement and non-cognitive skills to parents, employers, postsecondary gatekeepers, and students themselves. Grade inflation compromises the signaling value of grades, undermining their capacity to achieve the functions for which they are intended. We challenge the ‘increases in grade point average’ definition of grade inflation and argue that grade inflation must be understood in terms of the signaling power of grades. Analyzing data from four nationally representative samples, we find that in the decades following 1972: (a) grades have risen at high schools and dropped at four-year colleges, in general, and selective four-year institutions, in particular; and (b) the signaling power of grades has attenuated little, if at all. PMID:25288826

  12. How preschool executive functioning predicts several aspects of math achievement in Grades 1 and 3: A longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Viterbori, Paola; Usai, M Carmen; Traverso, Laura; De Franchis, Valentina

    2015-12-01

    This longitudinal study analyzes whether selected components of executive function (EF) measured during the preschool period predict several indices of math achievement in primary school. Six EF measures were assessed in a sample of 5-year-old children (N = 175). The math achievement of the same children was then tested in Grades 1 and 3 using both a composite math score and three single indices of written calculation, arithmetical facts, and problem solving. Using previous results obtained from the same sample of children, a confirmatory factor analysis examining the latent EF structure in kindergarten indicated that a two-factor model provided the best fit for the data. In this model, inhibition and working memory (WM)-flexibility were separate dimensions. A full structural equation model was then used to test the hypothesis that math achievement (the composite math score and single math scores) in Grades 1 and 3 could be explained by the two EF components comprising the kindergarten model. The results indicate that the WM-flexibility component measured during the preschool period substantially predicts mathematical achievement, especially in Grade 3. The math composite scores were predicted by the WM-flexibility factor at both grade levels. In Grade 3, both problem solving and arithmetical facts were predicted by the WM-flexibility component. The results empirically support interventions that target EF as an important component of early childhood mathematics education. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. High-Intensity Targeted Screening for Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Children in 2 Inner-City Chicago Communities

    PubMed Central

    Dignam, Timothy A.; Evens, Anne; Eduardo, Eduard; Ramirez, Shokufeh M.; Caldwell, Kathleen L.; Kilpatrick, Nikki; Noonan, Gary P.; Flanders, W. Dana; Meyer, Pamela A.; McGeehin, Michael A.

    2004-01-01

    Objectives. We assessed the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (≥ 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood), risk factors, and previous blood lead testing among children in 2 high-risk Chicago, Ill, communities. Methods. Through high-intensity targeted screening, blood lead levels were tested and risks were assessed among a representative sample of children aged 1 to 5 years who were at risk for lead exposure. Results. Of the 539 children who were tested, 27% had elevated blood lead levels, and 61% had never been tested previously. Elevated blood lead levels were associated with chipped exterior house paint. Conclusions. Most of the children who lived in these communities—where the prevalence for elevated blood lead levels among children was 12 times higher than the national prevalence—were not tested for lead poisoning. Our findings highlight the need for targeted community outreach that includes testing blood lead levels in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations. PMID:15514235

  14. Importance of Different Grades of Abdominal Obesity on Testosterone Level, Erectile Dysfunction, and Clinical Coincidence.

    PubMed

    Fillo, Juraj; Levcikova, Michaela; Ondrusova, Martina; Breza, Jan; Labas, Peter

    2017-03-01

    The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of different grades of abdominal obesity (AO) on the prevalence of testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS), erectile dysfunction (ED), and metabolic syndrome (MetS). In a cross-sectional descriptive study, a total of 216 males underwent a complete urological, internal, and hormonal evaluation. Males were divided according to waist circumference into five groups: less than 94 cm (Grade [G] 0), 94 to 101 cm (G1), 102 to 109 cm (G2), 110 to 119 cm (G3), and more than 120 cm (G4). Incidence of ED, TDS, and MetS was compared in these groups and in participants without AO. Some degree of ED was identified in 74.7% of males with AO. In G1, there were 61% of males with ED, in G2 68%, in G3 83%, and in G4 87%. A strong correlation between testosterone (TST) level and AO was identified. Ninety-eight out of 198 (49.5%) males with AO and 1/18 (5.5%) males without AO had TDS. There were significant differences between individual groups. In the group of males with AO G4 (more than 120 cm), 87.1% had TDS. MetS was diagnosed in 105/198 (53.0%) males with AO, but in G4, 83.9% of males with AO had MetS. Males older than 40 years of age with AO have a higher incidence of ED, TDS, and MetS. Dividing males into five groups according to waist circumference seems to be reasonable. With growing AO, there were significantly more males with ED, TDS, and MetS.

  15. Japanese Language and Culture: 9-Year Program Classroom Assessment Materials, Grade 4

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberta Education, 2008

    2008-01-01

    This document is designed to provide assessment materials for specific Grade 4 outcomes in the Japanese Language and Culture Nine-year Program, Grades 4-5-6. The assessment materials are designed for the beginner level in the context of teaching for communicative competence. Grade 4 learning outcomes from the Japanese Language and Culture…

  16. Growth, haematology, blood constituents and immunological status of lambs fed graded levels of animal feed grade damaged wheat as substitute of maize.

    PubMed

    Tripathi, M K; Mondal, D; Karim, S A

    2008-02-01

    The aim of this study was to explore possibilities of utilization of animal feed grade damaged wheat (ADW) in lamb feeding, and assess the effect of ADW and its aflatoxin on intake, growth, haematology, blood biochemical constituents and immunological status. The ADW is a slightly mouldy feed resource, which is not suitable for human consumption. The experimental ADW contained dry matter (DM) 964, organic matter 974, crude protein 153, cellulose 205 and lignin 24, and starch 732 g/kg DM. ADW also contained aflatoxin B1 50 microg/kg due to mould infestation. Thirty-five weaner lambs (90 +/- 15 days of age and 16.1 +/- 0.82 kg body weight) in a randomized design were fed for 91 days on one of four composite feed mixtures (roughage to concentrate ratio of 25:75) containing 0, 118, 235, 353 or 470 g/kg ADW, which replaced equal amounts of maize and at these inclusion levels ADW replaced 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% maize in lamb diets respectively. Dry matter intake (DMI) was similar in different level of ADW fed lambs but ADW inclusion linearly (p = 0.016) reduced DMI. Average daily gain (g/day) was higher (p = 0.038) in lambs fed 353 g ADW diet. Haematological attributes viz. WBC, haemoglobin (Hb) and mean corpuscular volume did not affect by ADW feeding whereas it increased haematocrit, mean cell Hb and decreased neutrophil, RBC counts and mean cell Hb concentration. Blood glucose and urea-N increased whereas albumin and protein level reduced by ADW feeding. ADW feeding of lambs did not affect serum IgG level. The activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphates and acid phosphates were not affected, whereas alanine aminotransferase increased linearly (p = 0.001) with increasing levels of ADW. It is concluded that ADW containing aflatoxin B1 50 microg/kg DM can safely be incorporated in growing lamb feeding up to 353 g/kg diet without affecting growth and cellular immunity, however ADW may induce a transient alteration of hepatic enzymatic

  17. Specific Increase of Protein Levels by Enhancing Translation Using Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting Upstream Open Frames.

    PubMed

    Liang, Xue-Hai; Shen, Wen; Crooke, Stanley T

    2017-01-01

    A number of diseases are caused by low levels of key proteins; therefore, increasing the amount of specific proteins in human bodies is of therapeutic interest. Protein expression is downregulated by some structural or sequence elements present in the 5' UTR of mRNAs, such as upstream open reading frames (uORF). Translation initiation from uORF(s) reduces translation from the downstream primary ORF encoding the main protein product in the same mRNA, leading to a less efficient protein expression. Therefore, it is possible to use antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to specifically inhibit translation of the uORF by base-pairing with the uAUG region of the mRNA, redirecting translation machinery to initiate from the primary AUG site. Here we review the recent findings that translation of specific mRNAs can be enhanced using ASOs targeting uORF regions. Appropriately designed and optimized ASOs are highly specific, and they act in a sequence- and position-dependent manner, with very minor off-target effects. Protein levels can be increased using this approach in different types of human and mouse cells, and, importantly, also in mice. Since uORFs are present in around half of human mRNAs, the uORF-targeting ASOs may thus have valuable potential as research tools and as therapeutics to increase the levels of proteins for a variety of genes.

  18. Career Awareness Units, Magnolia Public Schools, Grades 1-7.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Magnolia School District 14, AR.

    The guide contains career awareness units for grades one through seven. A chart for each grade level lists the unit titles with textbook references, resource speakers, and study trips. Some of the speakers and study trips suggested throughout the guide are specific to the local area. For each unit, concepts to be developed are coordinated in chart…

  19. Cryogenic Target-Implosion Experiments on OMEGA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harding, D.R.; Meyerhofer, D.D.; Sangster, T.C.

    The University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics has been imploding thick cryogenic targets for six years. Improvements in the Cryogenic Target Handling System and the ability to accurately design laser pulse shapes that properly time shocks and minimize electron preheat, produced high fuel areal densities in deuterium cryogenic targets (202+/-7 mg/cm^2). The areal density was inferred from the energy loss of secondary protons in the fuel (D2) shell. Targets were driven on a low final adiabat (alpha = 2) employing techniques to radially grade the adiabat (the highest adiabat at the ablation surface). The ice layer meets the target-designmore » toughness specification for DT ice of 1-um rms (all modes), while D2 ice layers average 3.0-um-rms roughness. The implosion experiments and the improvements in the quality and understanding of cryogenic targets are presented.« less

  20. Concomitant glenohumeral pathologies associated with acute and chronic grade III and grade V acromioclavicular joint injuries.

    PubMed

    Jensen, Gunnar; Millett, Peter J; Tahal, Dimitri S; Al Ibadi, Mireille; Lill, Helmut; Katthagen, Jan Christoph

    2017-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the risk of concomitant glenohumeral pathologies with acromioclavicular joint injuries grade III and V. Patients who underwent arthroscopically-assisted stabilization of acromioclavicular joint injuries grade III or grade V between 01/2007 and 12/2015 were identified in the patient databases of two surgical centres. Gender, age at index surgery, grade of acromioclavicular joint injury (Rockwood III or Rockwood V), and duration between injury and index surgery (classified as acute or chronic) were of interest. Concomitant glenohumeral pathologies were noted and their treatment was classified as debridement or reconstructive procedure. A total of 376 patients (336 male, 40 female) were included. Mean age at time of arthroscopic acromioclavicular joint reconstruction surgery was 42.1 ± 14.0 years. Overall, 201 patients (53%) had one or more concomitant glenohumeral pathologies. Lesions of the biceps tendon complex and rotator cuff were the most common. Forty-five patients (12.0%) had concomitant glenohumeral pathologies that required an additional repair. The remaining 156 patients (41.5%) received a debridement of their concomitant pathologies. Rockwood grade V compared to Rockwood grade III (p = 0.013; odds ratio 1.7), and chronic compared to acute injury were significantly associated with having a concomitant glenohumeral pathology (p = 0.019; odds ratio 1.7). The probability of having a concomitant glenohumeral pathology was also significantly associated with increasing age (p < 0.0001). Concomitant glenohumeral pathologies were observed in 53% of surgically treated patients with an acute or chronic acromioclavicular joint injury of either grade III or V. Twenty-two percent of these patients with concomitant glenohumeral pathologies received an additional dedicated repair procedure. Although a significant difference in occurrence of concomitant glenohumeral pathologies was seen between Rockwood grades III and V

  1. SLUG expression is an indicator of tumour recurrence in high-grade endometrial carcinomas.

    PubMed

    Kihara, Atsushi; Wakana, Kimio; Kubota, Toshiro; Kitagawa, Masanobu

    2016-09-01

    To investigate how SNAIL and SLUG were involved in the nature of high-grade endometrial carcinomas (grade 3 endometrioid carcinoma, serous carcinoma and clear cell carcinoma), we analysed the correlation of their expression status with clinicopathological characteristics and evaluated their prognostic significance. We performed immunohistochemical staining in 52 high-grade endometrial carcinomas. Expression status of SNAIL and SLUG was classified into a high expression (positive in more than 50% of the tumour cells) and a low expression. Thirteen cases (25%) showed a high expression of SLUG, whereas all 52 cases showed a low expression of SNAIL. High expression of SLUG was correlated significantly with tumour recurrence (P = 0.0203) and aberrant p53 expression (P = 0.000559). Overall survival was worse in patients with high SLUG expression at all stages (P = 0.0327) and in those who underwent adjuvant therapy (P = 0.00963). Among the patients with complete tumour resection, high SLUG expression was associated with worse recurrence-free survival (RFS) in the patients at all stages (P = 0.00264), at stages III/IV (P = 0.0146), and who underwent adjuvant therapy (P = 0.000743). SLUG expression was identified as an independent factor of RFS by multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 5.938, 95% confidence interval 1.251-28.18, P = 0.025). SLUG expression could be correlated with TP53 mutational status and could be involved in therapeutic resistance resulting in tumour recurrence. A high expression level of SLUG can be an indicator of recurrence and a therapeutic target for long-term remission in high-grade endometrial carcinomas. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Sex and Age Differences in Target Choice on an Aggressive Task.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, James N.; Nadelman, Lorraine

    The role of inhibition as related to sex differences in aggression was investigated using 20 nursery school and 20 second grade children. A dart gun was employed, with choices of four targets--drawings of a boy, a girl, a zebra, and an object. There were three sessions and eight target choices per session. Choice of the human target was assumed to…

  3. German Language and Culture: 9-Year Program Classroom Assessment Materials, Grade 4

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberta Education, 2008

    2008-01-01

    This document is designed to provide assessment materials for specific Grade 4 outcomes in the German Language and Culture Nine-year Program, Grades 4-5-6. The assessment materials are designed for the beginner level in the context of teaching for communicative competence. Grade 4 learning outcomes from the German Language and Culture Nine-year…

  4. Punjabi Language and Culture: 9-Year Program Classroom Assessment Materials, Grade 4

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberta Education, 2008

    2008-01-01

    This document is designed to provide assessment materials for specific Grade 4 outcomes in the Punjabi Language and Culture Nine-year Program, Grades 4-5-6. The assessment materials are designed for the beginner level in the context of teaching for communicative competence. Grade 4 learning outcomes from the Punjabi Language and Culture Nine-year…

  5. Aviation Science Activities for Elementary Grades

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1983-01-01

    This manual is meant to be a springboard toward your own ideas for : demonstrating concepts of the Air Age to your children, whatever the grade : level. Even little children can learn scientific principles through simple teaching aids; older pupils c...

  6. A Study of Army Civilian Entry Level and Mid-Level Program Management Leadership Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-05-08

    and mid-grade level positions is an important responsibility for senior leaders. Mentoring and coaching entry level and mid-grade level...Program Management Leadership Development Craig J. Maurice Defense Acquisition University Senior Service College Fellowship 2015-2016 Huntsville...requirements for the Army’s Senior Service College Fellowship (SSCF) under the direction of SSCF Director, Mr. John Daniels and Research Advisor, Mr. Van

  7. Energy Concept Understanding of High School Students: A Cross-Grade Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Takaoglu, Zeynep Baskan

    2018-01-01

    Energy is a difficult concept to be understood by students of all levels. Thus, the aim of the study is to determine how high school students at different levels perceive the energy and related concepts. In line with this purpose, 173 students in total of which 57 ones of the 9th grade, 94 ones of the 10th grade and 22 ones of the 11th grade…

  8. Academic Vocabulary Learning in First Through Third Grade in Low-Income Schools: Effects of Automated Supplemental Instruction.

    PubMed

    Goldstein, Howard; Ziolkowski, Robyn A; Bojczyk, Kathryn E; Marty, Ana; Schneider, Naomi; Harpring, Jayme; Haring, Christa D

    2017-11-09

    This study investigated cumulative effects of language learning, specifically whether prior vocabulary knowledge or special education status moderated the effects of academic vocabulary instruction in high-poverty schools. Effects of a supplemental intervention targeting academic vocabulary in first through third grades were evaluated with 241 students (6-9 years old) from low-income families, 48% of whom were retained for the 3-year study duration. Students were randomly assigned to vocabulary instruction or comparison groups. Curriculum-based measures of word recognition, receptive identification, expressive labeling, and decontextualized definitions showed large effects for multiple levels of word learning. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that students with higher initial Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition scores (Dunn & Dunn, 2007) demonstrated greater word learning, whereas students with special needs demonstrated less growth in vocabulary. This model of vocabulary instruction can be applied efficiently in high-poverty schools through an automated, easily implemented adjunct to reading instruction in the early grades and holds promise for reducing gaps in vocabulary development.

  9. Intercultural Sensitivity Levels of Turkish Pre-Service Foreign Language Teachers: Examples from Education Faculties of Two Universities in Turkey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yetis, Veda Aslim; Kurt, Çigdem

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study is to determine whether intercultural sensitivity levels vary among foreign language teacher candidates in terms of variables such as target language, year of study (grade), and gender in both intra and inters programs. Research sample consists of 1,049 Turkish freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior foreign language teacher…

  10. Grade differences in reading motivation among Hong Kong primary and secondary students.

    PubMed

    Lau, Kit-Ling

    2009-12-01

    Most previous studies in Western societies have demonstrated a general decline in school motivation. However, it is not clear whether motivational decline occurs uniformly for all students. The moderating effects of individual and cultural differences on students' motivational decline need to be further explored. This study aimed to examine the grade differences in students' reading motivation, including self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and social motivation, in a Chinese educational context. Grade by gender and grade by school-average achievement interactions were also checked to explore the role of individual differences in students' motivational changes. A total of 1,794 students (860 boys and 934 girls) volunteered to take part in this study, of whom 648 were Grade 4-6 students from 11 primary schools, 627 were Grade 7-9 students from 12 junior secondary schools, and 519 Grade 10-11 students from 6 senior secondary schools. A Chinese version of the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (CRMQ) was administered to all participants during regular class periods by their teachers. Reliability analyses and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were first undertaken to assess the psychometric quality of the CRMQ. Then, multisample CFA was conducted to examine whether the factor structure of the CRMQ was equivalent across students at different grade levels. Grade differences in various reading motivation constructs as well as grade x gender and grade x school-average achievement interactions were examined using multiple-indicator-multiple-causes modelling. The findings of this study supported the reliability and the factor structure of the CRMQ in measuring the reading motivation of Chinese students at different grade levels. The factor pattern of the CRMQ was invariant across primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary students in multisample CFA. As far as the scores on the four reading motivation constructs were concerned, students scored

  11. Stressful Life Events, Social Support, and Achievement: A Study of Three Grade Levels in a Multicultural Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levitt, Mary J.; And Others

    This study assessed the extent to which support exerts direct or indirect effects on child and adolescent achievement (grade point average and Statistical Aptitude Test scores). Personal interviews were conducted with 120 African American, 101 Anglo-European American, and 112 Latin American students (151 males and 182 females) in grades 1-2,…

  12. Factor Structure of the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in Turkish Children and Gender, Grade-Level, and Socioeconomic Status Differences in Reactive and Proactive Aggression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uz Bas, Asli; Yurdabakan, Irfan

    2012-01-01

    The present study aimed to evaluate the factor structure of the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) with Turkish children, and to investigate gender, grade-level, and socioeconomic status (SES) differences in reactive and proactive aggression. Participants consisted of 1,081 Turkish children (544 boys and 537 girls) aged 9 to 14…

  13. Heading Off First-Grade Retention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    VanSciver, James H.; Fleetwood, Linda M.

    1997-01-01

    Describes a reworking of a Title 1 program in Lake Forest, Delaware schools, to eliminate first grade retention due to substandard level of reading ability. The process included: (1) making reading fun; (2) new reading material; (3) parental participation; (4) scheduled reading time; (5) reading requirements; and (6) teachers' aides in classrooms.…

  14. Grade Trend Analysis for a Credit-Bearing Library Instruction Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guo, Shu

    2015-01-01

    Statistics suggest the prevalence of grade inflation nationwide, and researchers perform many analyses on student grades at both university and college levels. This analysis focuses on a one-credit library instruction course for undergraduate students at a large public university. The studies examine thirty semester GPAs and the percentages of As…

  15. Therapeutically blocking Interleukin-11 Receptor-α enhances doxorubicin cytotoxicity in high grade type I endometrioid tumours.

    PubMed

    Winship, Amy; Van Sinderen, Michelle; Rainczuk, Katarzyna; Dimitriadis, Evdokia

    2017-04-04

    High grade type I endometrial cancers have poor prognosis. Interleukin (IL)11 is elevated in tumours and uterine lavage with increasing tumour grade in women. IL11 regulates cell cycle, invasion and migration and we recently demonstrated that IL11 receptor (R)α inhibition impaired low and moderate grade endometrial tumourigenesis in vivo. In this report, we hypothesized that micro-RNA(miR)-1 regulates IL11 and that IL11 promotes high grade endometrial tumour growth. We aimed to determine whether combination treatment using an anti-human IL11Rα blocking antibody (Ab) and doxorubicin chemotherapeutic impairs high grade tumour growth. MiR-1 was absent in human endometrial tumours versus human benign endometrium (n = 10/group). Transfection with miR-1 mimic restored miR-1 expression, down-regulated IL11 mRNA and impaired cell viability in grade 3-derived AN3CA human endometrial epithelial cancer cells. AN3CA cell proliferation was reduced in response to Ab and doxorubicin combination treatment versus Ab, IgG control, or doxorubicin alone. Subcutaneous xenograft tumours were established in female Balb/c athymic nude mice using AN3CA cells expressing IL11 and IL11Rα. Administration of recombinant human IL11 to mice (n = 4/group) activated IL11 downstream target, signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT3) and significantly increased tumour growth (p < 0.05), suggesting that IL11 promotes high grade tumour growth. IL11Rα blocking Ab reduced STAT3 phosphorylation and combination treatment with doxorubicin resulted in a significant reduction in tumour growth (p < 0.05) compared to Ab, doxorubicin, or IgG control. Our data suggest that therapeutically targeting IL11Rα in combination with doxorubicin chemotherapy could inhibit high grade type I endometrioid cancer growth.

  16. The Efficacy of Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Targeted Biopsy in Risk Classification for Patients with Prostate Cancer on Active Surveillance.

    PubMed

    Recabal, Pedro; Assel, Melissa; Sjoberg, Daniel D; Lee, Daniel; Laudone, Vincent P; Touijer, Karim; Eastham, James A; Vargas, Hebert A; Coleman, Jonathan; Ehdaie, Behfar

    2016-08-01

    We determined whether multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsies may replace systematic biopsies to detect higher grade prostate cancer (Gleason score 7 or greater) and whether biopsy may be avoided based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging among men with Gleason 3+3 prostate cancer on active surveillance. We identified men with previously diagnosed Gleason score 3+3 prostate cancer on active surveillance who underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and a followup prostate biopsy. Suspicion for higher grade cancer was scored on a standardized 5-point scale. All patients underwent a systematic biopsy. Patients with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging regions of interest also underwent magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsy. The detection rate of higher grade cancer was estimated for different multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging scores with the 3 biopsy strategies of systematic, magnetic resonance imaging targeted and combined. Of 206 consecutive men on active surveillance 135 (66%) had a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging region of interest. Overall, higher grade cancer was detected in 72 (35%) men. A higher multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging score was associated with an increased probability of detecting higher grade cancer (Wilcoxon-type trend test p <0.0001). Magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsy detected higher grade cancer in 23% of men. Magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsy alone missed higher grade cancers in 17%, 12% and 10% of patients with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging scores of 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsies increased the detection of higher grade cancer among men on active surveillance compared to systematic biopsy alone. However, a clinically relevant proportion of higher grade cancer was detected using only systematic biopsy. Despite the improved detection of disease progression using magnetic resonance imaging

  17. Preventable Failure: Improvements in Long-Term Outcomes When High Schools Focused on the Ninth Grade Year. Research Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roderick, Melissa; Kelley-Kemple, Thomas; Johnson, David W.; Beechum, Nicole O.

    2014-01-01

    In 2007, spurred by University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (UChicago CCSR) research reports, leadership at the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) began a new targeted approach to reducing course failure in the ninth grade. The research suggested that the transition between eighth and ninth grade played a critical role in shaping…

  18. Implementing Guided Reading Strategies with Kindergarten and First Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abbott, Lindsey; Dornbush, Abby; Giddings, Anne; Thomas, Jennifer

    2012-01-01

    In the action research project report, the teacher researchers found that many kindergarten and first-grade students did not have the reading readiness skills to be reading at their benchmark target. The purpose of the project was to improve the students overall reading ability. The dates of the project began on September 8 through December 20,…

  19. Middle Grades Research: Not Yet Mature, but No Longer a Child.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mac Iver, Douglas J.; Epstein, Joyce L.

    1993-01-01

    Summarizes research on middle level schools and students that contributes to ongoing debates concerning grade span, school size, grouping of students, departmentalization, curriculum, instruction, advisory groups, interdisciplinary teaming, school-transition activities, extra-help programs, and student evaluation practices in the middle grades.…

  20. Implementation of Case-Based Instruction on Electrochemistry at the 11th Grade Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tarkin, Aysegul; Uzuntiryaki-Kondakci, Esen

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to compare the effectiveness of case-based instruction over traditional instruction in improving 11th grade students' understanding of electrochemistry concepts, attitudes toward chemistry, chemistry self-efficacy beliefs, and motivation to learn chemistry. In total, 113 students (47 males and 66 females) from three high schools…

  1. Minority Youth, Physical Activity, and Fitness Levels: Targeted Interventions Needed

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fahlman, Mariane; Hall, Heather L.; Gutuskey, Lila

    2015-01-01

    Background: There is a clear disparity in health in the United States such that African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to suffer from morbidity and mortality related to chronic disease than their Caucasian counterparts. Purpose: We will determine whether fourth- and fifth-grade students' measures of health-related fitness and physical…

  2. Lumber Grade Yields for Graded Aspen Logs and Trees

    Treesearch

    Leland F. Hanks; Robert L. Brisbin

    1978-01-01

    Green lumber grade yields for aspen were determined for use with the U.S. Forest Service hardwood log and tree grades. The yields for logs are expressed in percent of total lumber tally volume, and those for trees are expressed in board feet. Overruns for the International 1/4-inch and Scribner log rules along with lumber recovery factors are shown by log grade.

  3. Teachers' Grading Decision Making

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Isnawati, Ida; Saukah, Ali

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated teachers' grading decision making, focusing on their beliefs underlying their grading decision making, their grading practices and assessment types, and factors they considered in grading decision making. Two teachers from two junior high schools applying different curriculum policies in grade reporting in Indonesian…

  4. Pediatric airway study: Endoscopic grading system for quantifying tonsillar size in comparison to standard adenotonsillar grading systems.

    PubMed

    Patel, Neha A; Carlin, Kristen; Bernstein, Joseph M

    two raters. The weighted Kappa was 0.83 for the Modified Brodsky scale, 0.89 for the Brodsky scale, 0.94 for the Parikh scale to 0.98 for the Endoscopic scale (almost perfect agreement). The Endoscopic scale showed the most consistent agreement between the raters during the study. There was a moderate association between the Parikh adenoid grading system with OSA-18 scores (Spearman's ρ=0.58, p<0.001) compared to a low association of the tonsillar grading systems with OSA- 18 scores. None of the scales correlated with patient BMI. The proposed Endoscopic tonsillar grading system is as reliable of a method of grading tonsillar size as conventional grading systems. It offers the advantage of allowing for critical evaluation of the tonsils without any anatomic distortion which may occur with the use of a tongue blade. This new validated endoscopic grading system provides a tool for communicating the degree of airway obstruction at the level of the oropharynx regardless of Friedman palate position and may be used in future outcomes projects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Lack of grading agreement among international hemostasis external quality assessment programs

    PubMed Central

    Olson, John D.; Jennings, Ian; Meijer, Piet; Bon, Chantal; Bonar, Roslyn; Favaloro, Emmanuel J.; Higgins, Russell A.; Keeney, Michael; Mammen, Joy; Marlar, Richard A.; Meley, Roland; Nair, Sukesh C.; Nichols, William L.; Raby, Anne; Reverter, Joan C.; Srivastava, Alok; Walker, Isobel

    2018-01-01

    Laboratory quality programs rely on internal quality control and external quality assessment (EQA). EQA programs provide unknown specimens for the laboratory to test. The laboratory's result is compared with other (peer) laboratories performing the same test. EQA programs assign target values using a variety of methods statistical tools and performance assessment of ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ is made. EQA provider members of the international organization, external quality assurance in thrombosis and hemostasis, took part in a study to compare outcome of performance analysis using the same data set of laboratory results. Eleven EQA organizations using eight different analytical approaches participated. Data for a normal and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and a normal and reduced factor VIII (FVIII) from 218 laboratories were sent to the EQA providers who analyzed the data set using their method of evaluation for aPTT and FVIII, determining the performance for each laboratory record in the data set. Providers also summarized their statistical approach to assignment of target values and laboratory performance. Each laboratory record in the data set was graded pass/fail by all EQA providers for each of the four analytes. There was a lack of agreement of pass/fail grading among EQA programs. Discordance in the grading was 17.9 and 11% of normal and prolonged aPTT results, respectively, and 20.2 and 17.4% of normal and reduced FVIII results, respectively. All EQA programs in this study employed statistical methods compliant with the International Standardization Organization (ISO), ISO 13528, yet the evaluation of laboratory results for all four analytes showed remarkable grading discordance. PMID:29232255

  6. The Grades Transfer from One Grading Scale to Other Algorithmization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lieponiene, Jurgita; Kulvietiene, Regina

    2011-01-01

    The article presents the consideration of grading scales used for education outcomes in different countries, describes likeness and differences of applied grading scales. Application of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) grading scale is investigated according of the analysis of scientific literature as well as cases of…

  7. Do Students Who Get Low Grades Only in Research Methods Need the Same Help as Students Who Get Low Grades in All Topics in Psychology?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barry, John A.

    2012-01-01

    Some psychology students achieve high grades in all classes except for research methods (RM). Previous research has usually treated low levels of achievement in RM as a unitary phenomenon, without reference to the grades the student is achieving in other subjects. The present internet survey explored preferences for learning RM in 140 psychology…

  8. [Application of relative quality constant in grades evaluation of Glycyrrizae Radix et Rhizome pieces].

    PubMed

    Deng, Zhe; Jiao, Meng-Jiao; Zhang, Jun; Xian, Jing; Zhang, Qing; Chen, Chang; Wang, Yue-Sheng; Liu, An

    2017-07-01

    Quality constant evaluation is a comprehensive method for grades evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine pieces, but when it comes to Glycyrrizae Radix et Rhizome pieces, grades evaluation is diverged due to significant difference in contents of liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid and unreasonable weight of index. To solve this problem, we have established a relative quality constant method in this paper to evaluate grades of Glycyrrizae Radix et Rhizome pieces. Twenty-nine batches of different quality samples were collected and tested, and finally, 17 batches of them were chosen as researcher objects. The results revealed that the range of the relative quality constant of these samples was from 1.78 to 11.49. When Glycyrrizae Radix et Rhizome pieces are divided into three grades: the relative quality constant of first grade is greater than or equal to 9.19; the second grade is greater than or equal to 5.75 but less than 9.19; while the third grade is less than 5.75. This research indicates that relative quality constant can divide the grades of herbal pieces in a scientific, reasonable, objective and specific way and remedy the shortage of quality constant perfectly. It provides a novel mode for grading pieces of Chinese medicine that contains multi-target ingredients. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  9. An Enriched and Cooperative Reading Program for Achievers at the Sixth Grade Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Central Arkansas Education Center, Little Rock.

    An enrichment and cooperative reading program for high achievers in grade 6 involved participants in four reading classes who received supplementary reading instruction with the aid of teacher made cassette tapes, listening stations, current newspapers and magazines, and Reader's Digest skill builders. Testing at the end of the first year…

  10. Target Acquired: Progress and Promise of Targeted Therapeutics in the Treatment of Prostate Cancer.

    PubMed

    Stuchbery, Ryan; Kurganovs, Natalie J; McCoy, Patrick J; Nelson, Colleen C; Hayes, Vanessa M; Corcoran, Niall M; Hovens, Christopher M

    2015-01-01

    Cancer is fundamentally a genomic disease caused by mutations or rearrangements in the DNA or epigenetic machinery of a patient. An emerging field in cancer treatment targets key aberrations arising from the mutational landscape of an individual patient's disease rather than employing a cancer-wide cytotoxic therapy approach. In prostate cancer in particular, where there is an observed variation in response to standard treatments between patients with disease of a similar pathological stage and grade, mutationdirected treatment may grow to be a viable tool for clinicians to tailor more effective treatments. This review will describe a number of mutations across multiple forms of cancer that have been successfully antagonised by targeted therapeutics including their identification, the development of targeted compounds to combat them and the development of resistance to these therapies. This review will continue to examine these same mutations in the treatment and management of prostate cancer; the prevalence of targetable mutations in prostate cancer, recent clinical trials of targeted-agents and the potential or limitations for their use.

  11. Primary Grade Students' Knowledge and Thinking about Transportation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brophy, Jere; Alleman, Janet

    2005-01-01

    Very little information exists about children's prior knowledge and thinking (including misconceptions) about transportation, a topic commonly taught in elementary social studies. To develop such information, individual interviews were conducted with 96 K-3 students, stratified according to grade level, achievement level, and gender. The students…

  12. Applying a Multiple Group Causal Indicator Modeling Framework to the Reading Comprehension Skills of Third, Seventh, and Tenth Grade Students

    PubMed Central

    Tighe, Elizabeth L.; Wagner, Richard K.; Schatschneider, Christopher

    2015-01-01

    This study demonstrates the utility of applying a causal indicator modeling framework to investigate important predictors of reading comprehension in third, seventh, and tenth grade students. The results indicated that a 4-factor multiple indicator multiple indicator cause (MIMIC) model of reading comprehension provided adequate fit at each grade level. This model included latent predictor constructs of decoding, verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, and working memory and accounted for a large portion of the reading comprehension variance (73% to 87%) across grade levels. Verbal reasoning contributed the most unique variance to reading comprehension at all grade levels. In addition, we fit a multiple group 4-factor MIMIC model to investigate the relative stability (or variability) of the predictor contributions to reading comprehension across development (i.e., grade levels). The results revealed that the contributions of verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, and working memory to reading comprehension were stable across the three grade levels. Decoding was the only predictor that could not be constrained to be equal across grade levels. The contribution of decoding skills to reading comprehension was higher in third grade and then remained relatively stable between seventh and tenth grade. These findings illustrate the feasibility of using MIMIC models to explain individual differences in reading comprehension across the development of reading skills. PMID:25821346

  13. Flunking Grades: Research and Policies on Retention. Education Policy Perspectives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shepard, Lorrie A., Ed.; Smith, Mary Lee, Ed.

    This book on the topic of flunking and grade retention comprises the following articles: (1) "Introduction and Overview" (Lorrie A. Shepard and Mary Lee Smith); (2) "Grade Level Retention Effects: A Meta-Analysis of Research Studies" (C. Thomas Holmes); (3) "Repeating and Dropping Out of School" (James B. Grissom and Lorrie A. Shepard); (4) "A…

  14. Can grade 2 neutropenia predict the risk of grade 3 neutropenia in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with chemotherapy?

    PubMed

    Yoshida, Yoichiro; Hoshino, Seiichiro; Aisu, Naoya; Mogi, Ai; Yamada, Teppei; Kojima, Daibo; Tanimura, Syu; Hirata, Keiji; Yamashita, Yuichi

    2015-06-01

    Neutropenia is a major factor affecting continuation of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. In many clinical trials, a neutrophil count of >1500 is targeted for continuation; for a count of <1500, medication is commonly discontinued. However, there is no definitive evidence supporting the need for a neutrophil count of 1500 for continuation of chemotherapy. In the clinical trials that we conducted, we discontinued chemotherapy when the neutrophil count was <1000 (grade 3); for a count of 1000-1500 (grade 2), chemotherapy was continued. Therefore, even practical treatment uses the same setting. Our aim was to examine neutrophil counts during continuation of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients with counts of 1000-1500 and to assess the need for discontinuation of medication for neutrophil counts in this range. Moreover, we examined neutrophil counts during the previous course of chemotherapy when they fell below 1000. The study included 144 patients who received XELOX + bevacizumab therapy and XELOX therapy for advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer. Thirty (20.8 %) patients had neutrophil counts of 1000-1500. One (3.3 %) of 30 patients had a neutrophil count of <1000 during the following course of chemotherapy. Moreover, among the patients with neutrophil counts of <1000, 27.3 % had counts of 1000-1500 during the previous course of chemotherapy and 72.7 % had counts of >1500. Based on these results, grade 2 neutropenia cannot predict the risk of grade 3 neutropenia. Continuation of chemotherapy in patients with neutrophil counts of 1000-1500 may be appropriate, and discontinuation of therapy is not always required.

  15. Elevated microRNA-34a in obesity reduces NAD+ levels and SIRT1 activity by directly targeting NAMPT.

    PubMed

    Choi, Sung-E; Fu, Ting; Seok, Sunmi; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Yu, Eunkyung; Lee, Kwan-Woo; Kang, Yup; Li, Xiaoling; Kemper, Byron; Kemper, Jongsook Kim

    2013-12-01

    SIRT1 is an NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase that is implicated in prevention of many age-related diseases including metabolic disorders. As SIRT1 deacetylase activity is dependent on NAD(+) levels and the development of compounds that directly activate SIRT1 has been controversial, indirectly activating SIRT1 through enhancing NAD(+) bioavailability has received increasing attention. NAD(+) levels are reduced in obesity and the aged, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We recently showed that hepatic microRNA-34a (miR-34a), which is elevated in obesity, directly targets and decreases SIRT1 expression. Here, we further show that miR-34a reduces NAD(+) levels and SIRT1 activity by targeting NAMPT, the rate-limiting enzyme for NAD(+) biosynthesis. A functional binding site for miR-34a is present in the 3' UTR of NAMPT mRNA. Hepatic overexpression of miR-34a reduced NAMPT/NAD(+) levels, increased acetylation of the SIRT1 target transcriptional regulators, PGC-1α, SREBP-1c, FXR, and NF-κB, and resulted in obesity-mimetic outcomes. The decreased NAMPT/NAD(+) levels were independent of miR-34a effects on SIRT1 levels as they were also observed in SIRT1 liver-specific knockout mice. Further, the miR-34a-mediated decreases were reversed by treatment with the NAD(+) intermediate, nicotinamide mononucleotide. Conversely, antagonism of miR-34a in diet-induced obese mice restored NAMPT/NAD(+) levels and alleviated steatosis, inflammation, and glucose intolerance. Anti-miR-34a-mediated increases in NAD(+) levels were attenuated when NAMPT was downregulated. Our findings reveal a novel function of miR-34a in reducing both SIRT1 expression and activity in obesity. The miR-34a/NAMPT axis presents a potential target for treating obesity- and aging-related diseases involving SIRT1 dysfunction like steatosis and type 2 diabetes. © 2013 the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Comparing Science Achievement Constructs: Targeted and Achieved

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferrara, Steve; Duncan, Teresa

    2011-01-01

    This article illustrates how test specifications based solely on academic content standards, without attention to other cognitive skills and item response demands, can fall short of their targeted constructs. First, the authors inductively describe the science achievement construct represented by a statewide sixth-grade science proficiency test.…

  17. Study on relationship between expression level and molecular conformations of gene drugs targeting to hepatoma cells in vitro

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Dong-Ye; Lu, Fang-Gen; Tang, Xi-Xiang; Zhao, Shui-Ping; Ouyang, Chun-Hui; Wu, Xiao-Ping; Liu, Xiao-Wei; Wu, Xiao-Ying

    2003-01-01

    AIM: To increase exogenous gene expression level by modulating molecular conformations of targeting gene drugs. METHODS: The full length cDNAs of both P40 and P35 subunits of human interleukin 12 were amplified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into eukaryotic expressing vectors pcDNA3.1 (±) to construct plasmids of P (+)/IL-12, P (+)/P40 and P (-)/P35. These plasmids were combined with ASOR-PLL to form two targeting gene drugs [ASOR-PLL-P (+)/IL-12 and ASOR-PLL-P (+)/P40 + ASOR-PLL-P (-)/P35] in optimal ratios. The conformations of these two drugs at various concentrations adjuvant were examined under electron microscope (EM) and the drugs were transfected into HepG2 (ASGr+) cells. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed with total RNA extracted from the transfected cells to determine the hIL12 mRNA transcript level. The hIL12 protein in the cultured supernatant was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) 48 hours after transfection. RESULTS: Targeting gene drugs, whose structures were granular and circle-like and diameters ranged from 25 nm to 150 nm, had the highest hIL-12 expression level. The hIL-12 expression level in the group co-transfected with ASOR-PLL-P (+)/P40 and ASOR-PLL-P (-)/P35 was higher than that of ASOR-PLL-P (+)/IL-12 transfected group. CONCLUSION: The molecular conformations of targeting gene drugs play an important role in exogenous gene expression level, the best structures are granular and circle-like and their diameters range from 25 nm to 150 nm. The sizes and linking styles of exogenous genes also have some effects on their expression level. PMID:12970883

  18. Teacher's Guide, Health. Grade 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bui huy Bao; And Others

    This is the teaching guide accompanying the elementary health instructional program designed for children at the first grade level in Vietnam. The goal is to integrate the school program with the realities of the health conditions in the community. The teaching method outlined in the guide is based on three principals: (1) preparation at home, (2)…

  19. Home Economics--A Look--A Job--A Future. A Course of Study at a Pre-Vocational Level for 7th and/or 8th Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oklahoma City Public School System, OK. Dept. of Home Economics.

    Prevocational materials for use at the seventh and/or eighth grade levels are presented in this curriculum guide. Materials cover six areas, each consisting of several instructional units planned for more than one lesson or class period. Each unit includes behavioral objectives, suggested activities for teacher and students, information sheets,…

  20. Predictors of Developmentally Appropriate Classroom Practices in Kindergarten through Third Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maxwell, Kelly L.; McWilliam, R. A.; Hemmeter, Mary Louise; Ault, Melinda Jones; Schuster, John W.

    2001-01-01

    Tested psychometric properties of a new measure of developmentally appropriate practices in kindergarten through third grade and the predictive value of classroom and teacher characteristics. Found that grade, class size, number of children with disabilities, teacher educational level, teacher experience, and teacher beliefs accounted for 42…

  1. The Relationship of Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development to First Grade Reading Achievement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Borucki, Diane Marie

    The relationship between level of cognitive functioning at the beginning of first grade and level of reading achievement at the end of first grade was investigated in a sample of 325 children. The EITS Concept Assessment Kit-Conservation was used to classify the children as being in the preconceptual stage, the intuitive stage, or the concrete…

  2. Readability of HIV/AIDS educational materials: the role of the medium of communication, target audience, and producer characteristics.

    PubMed

    Wells, J A

    1994-12-01

    The reading difficulty of many HIV/AIDS brochures and pamphlets limits their effectiveness. This analysis addresses correlates of readability in 136 HIV/AIDS educational items. Readability is measured using the SMOG Index. The medium of communication is significantly related to readability: comic books and brochures are, on average, more readable than books and pamphlets (10.9 versus 11.9). The target audience also differentiates readability. Materials for HIV antibody test seekers, the general community, and sexually active adults have a more difficult reading grade, averaging 12.1, whereas materials for ethnic minorities average a more readable 9.2. The producer organization's type and location are unrelated to readability, but an AIDS-specific organizational focus correlates with better readability (grade 10.8 vs. 11.8). These findings remain significant in multivariate analysis. The results indicate that brochures and comics are more likely to be comprehended by low-literacy populations, that an understanding of the literacy of target audiences is needed to produce materials with appropriate reading levels, and that policies to influence producer organizations may result in the creation of more readable materials.

  3. 5 CFR 531.404 - Earning within-grade increase.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ...) upon meeting the following three requirements established by law: (a) The employee's performance must be at an acceptable level of competence, as defined in this subpart. To be determined at an... chapter) shall be at least Level 3 (“Fully Successful” or equivalent). (1) When a within-grade increase...

  4. Agreement between photographic screening and hospital biomicroscopy grading of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy.

    PubMed

    Healy, Rachel; Sallam, Ahmed; Jones, Vanessa; Donachie, Paul H J; Scanlon, Peter H; Stratton, Irene M; Johnston, Robert L

    2014-01-01

    To examine the level of agreement and reasons for disagreement between grading of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy using mydriatic digital photographs in a diabetic retinopathy screening service (DRSS) and hospital eye service (HES). English NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme grades for diabetic retinopathy prospectively recorded on a hospital electronic medical record were compared to the grades from the DRSS event that prompted referral. In cases of disagreement, images were reviewed. Data for 1,501 patients (3,002 eyes) referred between 2008 and 2011 were analyzed. The HES retinopathy grades were R0 (no retinopathy) in 341 eyes, R1 (background retinopathy) in 1,712 eyes, R2 (pre-proliferative retinopathy) in 821 eyes, and R3 (proliferative retinopathy) in 128 eyes. The DRSS grades were in agreement in 2,309 eyes (76.9%), recorded a lower grade in 227 eyes, and recorded a higher grade in 466 eyes. Agreement was substantial (κ = 0.65). The commonest cause for disagreement was overgrading of R1 as R2 by hospital clinicians. The HES maculopathy grades were M0 (no maculopathy) in 2,267 eyes and M1 (maculopathy) in 735 eyes. The DRSS were in agreement in 2,111 eyes (70.2%), recorded a lower grade in 106 eyes, and recorded a higher grade in 785 eyes. Agreement was fair (κ = 0.39). The commonest cause for disagreement was hospital clinicians missing fine exudates. This study establishes a benchmark standard for agreement between HES and DRSS grading. Review of DRSS and grading reports images for newly referred patients is likely to improve levels of agreement, particularly for diabetic retinopathy, and should be strongly encouraged.

  5. Infrared small target enhancement: grey level mapping based on improved sigmoid transformation and saliency histogram

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wan, Minjie; Gu, Guohua; Qian, Weixian; Ren, Kan; Chen, Qian

    2018-06-01

    Infrared (IR) small target enhancement plays a significant role in modern infrared search and track (IRST) systems and is the basic technique of target detection and tracking. In this paper, a coarse-to-fine grey level mapping method using improved sigmoid transformation and saliency histogram is designed to enhance IR small targets under different backgrounds. For the stage of rough enhancement, the intensity histogram is modified via an improved sigmoid function so as to narrow the regular intensity range of background as much as possible. For the part of further enhancement, a linear transformation is accomplished based on a saliency histogram constructed by averaging the cumulative saliency values provided by a saliency map. Compared with other typical methods, the presented method can achieve both better visual performances and quantitative evaluations.

  6. Eighth Grade Reading Improvement with CNN Newsroom and "USA Today."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zamorano, Wanda Jean

    A practicum was designed to improve the reading growth and achievement of 60 eighth-grade students who were one or more years behind grade level by utilizing CNN Newsroom and the "USA Today" newspaper as an integral part of the reading program. Pre- and posttests were administered to measure outcomes. The six areas measured were: (1)…

  7. Classroom Idea-Sparkers: Grading and Student Learning--Ideas for Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wegwert, Joseph C.

    2012-01-01

    Grading is often seen as a point of conflict with students and, in upper elementary and beyond, with parents. It is a chore that consumes time and saps critical levels of energy better used for creative planning and preparation and face-to-face interactions with students. Grading is sometimes referred to as a "necessary evil," yet many teachers…

  8. Course Syllabus for Grades 9-12, Music. Chorus (I-IV).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murray State Univ., KY.

    Teachers in the Henry County Public School System (Tennessee) developed and wrote over 80 course syllabi for most subject areas taught in grades seven through twelve as part of a Teacher Corps demonstration project. This syllabus is intended to inform students and parents of the requirements at each grade level of a four-year chorus program. The…

  9. Fidelity as a Precondition for Integrity in Grading Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadler, D. Royce

    2010-01-01

    If a grade is to be trusted as an authentic representation of a student's level of academic achievement, one of the requirements is that all the elements that contribute to that grade must qualify as achievement, and not be something else. The implications of taking this proposition literally turn out to be far reaching. Many elements that are…

  10. Domain General Mediators of the Relation between Kindergarten Number Sense and First-Grade Mathematics Achievement

    PubMed Central

    Hassinger-Das, Brenna; Jordan, Nancy C.; Glutting, Joseph; Irwin, Casey; Dyson, Nancy

    2013-01-01

    Domain general skills that mediate the relation between kindergarten number sense and first-grade mathematics skills were investigated. Participants were 107 children who displayed low number sense in the fall of kindergarten. Controlling for background variables, multiple regression analyses showed that attention problems and executive functioning both were unique predictors of mathematics outcomes. Attention problems were more important for predicting first-grade calculation performance while executive functioning was more important for predicting first-grade performance on applied problems. Moreover, both executive functioning and attention problems were unique partial mediators of the relationship between kindergarten and first-grade mathematics skills. The results provide empirical support for developing interventions that target executive functioning and attention problems in addition to instruction in number skills for kindergartners with initial low number sense. PMID:24237789

  11. Circulating anti-filamin C autoantibody as a potential serum biomarker for low-grade gliomas

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Glioma is the most common primary malignant central nervous system tumor in adult, and is usually not curable due to its invasive nature. Establishment of serum biomarkers for glioma would be beneficial both for early diagnosis and adequate therapeutic intervention. Filamins are an actin cross-linker and filamin C (FLNC), normally restricted in muscle tissues, offers many signaling molecules an essential communication fields. Recently, filamins have been considered important for tumorigenesis in cancers. Methods We searched for novel glioma-associated antigens by serological identification of antigens utilizing recombinant cDNA expression cloning (SEREX), and found FLNC as a candidate protein. Tissue expressions of FLNC (both in normal and tumor tissues) were examined by immunohistochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR analyses. Serum anti-FLNC autoantibody level was measured by ELISA in normal volunteers and in the patients with various grade gliomas. Results FLNC was expressed in glioma tissues and its level got higher as tumor grade advanced. Anti-FLNC autoantibody was also detected in the serum of glioma patients, but its levels were inversely correlated with the tissue expression. Serum anti-FLNC autoantibody level was significantly higher in low-grade glioma patients than in high-grade glioma patients or in normal volunteers, which was confirmed in an independent validation set of patients’ sera. The autoantibody levels in the patients with meningioma or cerebral infarction were at the same level of normal volunteers, and they were significantly lower than that of low-grade gliomas. Total IgG and anti-glutatione S-transferase (GST) antibody level were not altered among the patient groups, which suggest that the autoantibody response was specific for FLNC. Conclusions The present results suggest that serum anti-FLNC autoantibody can be a potential serum biomarker for early diagnosis of low-grade gliomas while it needs a large-scale clinical study

  12. Contrasting grading approaches in introductory physics and quantum mechanics: The case of graduate teaching assistants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marshman, Emily; Sayer, Ryan; Henderson, Charles; Singh, Chandralekha

    2017-06-01

    At large research universities, physics graduate teaching assistants (TAs) are often responsible for grading in courses at all levels. However, few studies have focused on TAs' grading practices in introductory and advanced physics courses. This study was designed to investigate whether physics graduate TAs grade students in introductory physics and quantum mechanics using different criteria and if so, why they may be inclined to do so. To investigate possible discrepancies in TAs' grading approaches in courses at different levels, we implemented a sequence of instructional activities in a TA professional development course that asked TAs to grade student solutions of introductory physics and upper-level quantum mechanics problems and explain why, if at all, their grading approaches were different or similar in the two contexts. We analyzed the differences in TAs' grading approaches in the two contexts and discuss the reasons they provided for the differences in their grading approaches in introductory physics and quantum mechanics in individual interviews, class discussions, and written responses. We find that a majority of the TAs graded solutions to quantum mechanics problems differently than solutions to introductory physics problems. In quantum mechanics, the TAs focused more on physics concepts and reasoning and penalized students for not showing evidence of understanding. The findings of the study have implications for TA professional development programs, e.g., the importance of helping TAs think about the difficulty of a problem from an introductory students' perspective and reflecting on the benefits of formative assessment.

  13. Reporting the incidence of school violence across grade levels in the U.S. using the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

    PubMed

    Yu, Lei

    2004-01-01

    School violence has increasingly captured public attention due to deadly school shootings. Controversy on school violence is demonstrated by a mixed picture of school safety and the lack of consensus on the definitions of violence, which makes comparison of findings across studies difficult. This study extended the application of the Rasch model to school violence research using TIMSS data. The results show that school violence occurred at a level much lower than the predictions of the measurement model. Across all grade levels the most frequently reported type of violence is intimidation or verbal abuse of students and the least frequently reported physical injury to teachers or staff. Copyright 2004

  14. Construction-grade plywood from grade 3 Appalachian oak

    Treesearch

    E. Paul Craft; E. Paul Craft

    1970-01-01

    In an effort to find a use for a large volume of the low-grade oak logs of Appalachia, we processed a sample of these logs in a typical southern-pine sheathing plant and determined the feasibility of converting them into construction grade plywood.

  15. Cooperative fuzzy games approach to setting target levels of ECs in quality function deployment.

    PubMed

    Yang, Zhihui; Chen, Yizeng; Yin, Yunqiang

    2014-01-01

    Quality function deployment (QFD) can provide a means of translating customer requirements (CRs) into engineering characteristics (ECs) for each stage of product development and production. The main objective of QFD-based product planning is to determine the target levels of ECs for a new product or service. QFD is a breakthrough tool which can effectively reduce the gap between CRs and a new product/service. Even though there are conflicts among some ECs, the objective of developing new product is to maximize the overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, there may be room for cooperation among ECs. A cooperative game framework combined with fuzzy set theory is developed to determine the target levels of the ECs in QFD. The key to develop the model is the formulation of the bargaining function. In the proposed methodology, the players are viewed as the membership functions of ECs to formulate the bargaining function. The solution for the proposed model is Pareto-optimal. An illustrated example is cited to demonstrate the application and performance of the proposed approach.

  16. Cooperative Fuzzy Games Approach to Setting Target Levels of ECs in Quality Function Deployment

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Zhihui; Chen, Yizeng; Yin, Yunqiang

    2014-01-01

    Quality function deployment (QFD) can provide a means of translating customer requirements (CRs) into engineering characteristics (ECs) for each stage of product development and production. The main objective of QFD-based product planning is to determine the target levels of ECs for a new product or service. QFD is a breakthrough tool which can effectively reduce the gap between CRs and a new product/service. Even though there are conflicts among some ECs, the objective of developing new product is to maximize the overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, there may be room for cooperation among ECs. A cooperative game framework combined with fuzzy set theory is developed to determine the target levels of the ECs in QFD. The key to develop the model is the formulation of the bargaining function. In the proposed methodology, the players are viewed as the membership functions of ECs to formulate the bargaining function. The solution for the proposed model is Pareto-optimal. An illustrated example is cited to demonstrate the application and performance of the proposed approach. PMID:25097884

  17. Automated hardwood lumber grading utilizing a multiple sensor machine vision technology

    Treesearch

    D. Earl Kline; Chris Surak; Philip A. Araman

    2003-01-01

    Over the last 10 years, scientists at the Thomas M. Brooks Forest Products Center, the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the USDA Forest Service have been working on lumber scanning systems that can accurately locate and identify defects in hardwood lumber. Current R&D efforts are targeted toward developing automated lumber grading...

  18. Making the Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dahlgren, Sally

    2000-01-01

    Explains the importance of choosing wood flooring for athletic facilities and why the grade of wood specified can significantly impact sports-facility aesthetics. The three types of wood grades are explained along with thoughts on why choosing the priciest grade may not be satisfactory. (GR)

  19. Recounting the Scores: An Analysis of the QAA Subject Review Grades 1995-2001

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Roger; Butcher, Isabella; Raeside, Robert

    2006-01-01

    In this paper the grades awarded in the subject level review process that ran in England between 1995 and 2001 are examined. These grades have subsequently been used to sustain most published league tables and are often cited in debates about institutional quality. However, the grades were never subject to any moderation, either at the time of the…

  20. A Quantitative Evaluation of an Ability-Grouped Literacy Program in the Elementary Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Portales Blair, Lidiana

    2017-01-01

    National assessments have shown that the majority of students in the United States cannot read at grade level by fourth grade. These results are alarming because students who are not proficient readers by third grade suffer long-term consequences and are more likely to drop out of high school. Feeling pressure to improve reading outcomes, schools…