Reading Comprehension Strategies and Comprehension Level of Proficient and Low Proficient ESL Readers

This study is both quantitative and qualitative in nature. The study focuses on the use of reading comprehension strategies and comprehension level of proficient and low proficient ESL readers in the TESL Matriculation programme of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The think-aloud technique was used to investigate the use of reading comprehension strategies. The product of reading (comprehension level) was assessed by the means of oral retelling. The findings illustrate that both groups of readers depended much on bottom-up text processing, especially the low proficient ESL readers. The proficient ESL readers however, used significantly more metacognitive and top-down strategies than the low proficient ESL readers. The findings of this study further indicate that the proficient ESL readers tended to use more bottom-up strategies than the low proficient ESL readers. This contradicts findings of previous studies which illustrated that the low proficient ESL readers used more bottom-up strategies than the proficient ESL readers. However, this difference is attributable to the lack of competence in L2 among the low proficient ESL readers. This made them unable to report their thoughts frequently hence perhaps producing bottom-up strategies less than the proficient ESL readers. The findings also illustrate that the proficient ESL readers had a significantly higher level of comprehension than the low proficient ESL readers. The results of the qualitative analysis of think-aloud protocols suggest that the major problem faced by the ESL readers of this study seems to be their inadequate control over grammar and vocabulary in English. This also hindered the subjects' comprehension of the text especially among the low proficient ESL readers. Thus in order to derive meaning from the text, the ESL readers relied on bottom-up strategies. The results of the study also suggest that there is a need to enhance the students' linguistic knowledge in vocabulary and grammar of English as a second language to improve the students' efficient use of the reading strategies

Ecological impact of herbicides associated with transgenic soybeans on spider mites

How do RoundUp® Ready soybeans affect the growth of fungi that may keep down the populations of some significant soybean pests? Experiments in the laboratory and soybean fields explored this question

Spider mites and green cloverworms wanted!

Soybean fields with spider mite and/or green cloverworm problems are needed for research sites. Research will focus on the populations of these pests and the incidence of the fungi that normally keep them below economic thresholds. Spider mites usually become a serious problem under dry and hot conditions. Green cloverworm is an important pest in the southern United States that migrates to northern states and can become a problem under certain conditions. If you have information about soybean fields with spider mites, green cloverworms, or both, please call me at 515-294-9958. Data resulting from this research will be used to make management recommendations

Effects of glyphosate and glyphosate-resistant soybeans on twospotted spider mite and green cloverworm

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that ranks among the top ten herbicides used in the U.S. for agricultural and non-agricultural use. Glyphosate is sprayed on 100% of the crop area planted with genetically engineered crops resistant to RoundUpRTM such as soybean (RoundUpRTM Ready Soybeans).;It has been determined that glyphosate has fungicidal properties on some pathogenic and saprophytic fungi. Studying the interaction of glyphosate with entomopathogenic fungi is important because a wider use of this herbicide is predicted with glyphosate-tolerant crops. Under normal weather conditions, entomopathogenic fungi are considered the most important mortality factor of several arthropod pests in Iowa (insects and spider mites), maintaining their populations below economic thresholds.;The main objective of this research was to determine if outbreaks of twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) and green cloverworm populations (Hypena scabra (F.)) could be expected with the use of transgenic glyphosate-resistant soybeans and their herbicides in commercial fields.;Laboratory studies determined that some RoundUpRTM formulations, and not the active ingredient (glyphosate), had fungicidal properties on four entomopathogenic fungi important in Iowa crops (Neozygites floridiana Weiser and Muma, Nomuraea rileyi (Farlow) Samson, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin). Host suitability studies showed that green cloverworm does equally well developmentally, and possibly reproductively, when fed traditional varieties and glyphosate treated and non-treated varieties.;Field studies conducted in 1999 (Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio) and 2000 (Iowa) showed that in drought conditions, commercial fields planted with RoundUp RTM Ready Soybeans had higher spider mite populations than fields planted with traditional varieties. Occurrence of N. floridiana (entomopathogen of spider mites) was lower in fields planted with RoundUp RTM Ready Soybeans than with traditional varieties. No statistical differences were detected in green cloverworm populations or occurrence of its entomopathogenic fungus (N. rileyi) between transgenic and traditional varieties.;Results from these studies suggest that outbreaks of twospotted spider mite are more likely to occur on RoundUpRTM Ready Soybeans than on traditional varieties under environmental conditions suitable for spider mites

How Rapidly Can Maternal Behavior Affecting Primary Sex Ratio Evolve in a Reptile with Environmental Sex Determination?

Theoretical models identify maternal behavior as critical for the maintenance and evolution of sex ratios in organisms with environmental sex determination (ESD). Maternal choice of nest site is generally thought to respond more rapidly to sex ratio selection than environmental sensitivity of offspring sex (threshold temperatures) in reptiles with temperature‐dependent sex determination (TSD, a form of ESD). However, knowledge of the evolutionary potential for either of these traits in a field setting is limited. I developed a simulation model using local climate data and observed levels of phenotypic variation for nest‐site choice and threshold temperatures in painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) with TSD. Both nest‐site choice and threshold temperatures, and hence sex ratios, evolved slowly to simulated climate change scenarios. In contrast to expectations from previous models, nest‐site choice evolved more slowly than threshold temperatures because of large climatic effects on nest temperatures and indirect selection on maternally expressed traits. A variant of the model, assuming inheritance of nest‐site choice through natal imprinting, demonstrated that natal imprinting inhibited adaptive responses in female nest‐site choice to climate change. These results predict that females have relatively low potential to adaptively adjust sex ratios through nest‐site choice

Body-Worn Cameras in Norwegian Policing A qualitative study of the consequences and contextual considerations of BWC in Norwegian Police Enforcement.

The use of body-worn cameras (BWC) has become increasingly common in law enforcement globally, driven by ambitions to enhance transparency, accountability, and public trust. While international research has shown both benefits and challenges with BWC usage, their potential role in Norwegian policing remains largely unexplored, since this technology has not yet been implemented and used in Norwegian Police. This study investigates the consequences of using BWC in a Norwegian context, with a particular focus on how the technology aligns with national values such as high institutional trust and strict privacy norms. Using the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) framework, this thesis explores how various stakeholder groups, including police professionals, legal experts, and data protection authorities, interpret the role and implications of BWC. A qualitative research design was employed, combining a systematic literature review as well as eight interviews. The findings reveal a complex set of intended and unintended consequences, including potential improvements in documentation, conflict de-escalation, and training. Concerns were also raised around surveillance, privacy, legal ambiguity, and operational burden. The study emphasizes the importance of a context-sensitive approach to BWC use in Norway. Rather than advocating for or against the use of BWCs, this research aims to inform the public debate by offering a nuanced, stakeholder-informed perspective on the possible consequences of introducing surveillance technology into a high-trust policing environment

Body-Worn Cameras in Norwegian Policing A qualitative study of the consequences and contextual considerations of BWC in Norwegian Police Enforcement.

The use of body-worn cameras (BWC) has become increasingly common in law enforcement globally, driven by ambitions to enhance transparency, accountability, and public trust. While international research has shown both benefits and challenges with BWC usage, their potential role in Norwegian policing remains largely unexplored, since this technology has not yet been implemented and used in Norwegian Police. This study investigates the consequences of using BWC in a Norwegian context, with a particular focus on how the technology aligns with national values such as high institutional trust and strict privacy norms. Using the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) framework, this thesis explores how various stakeholder groups, including police professionals, legal experts, and data protection authorities, interpret the role and implications of BWC. Qualitative research design was employed, combining a systematic literature review as well as eight interviews. The findings reveal a complex set of intended and unintended consequences, including potential improvements in documentation, conflict de-escalation, and training. Concerns were also raised around surveillance, privacy, legal ambiguity, and operational burden. The study emphasizes the importance of a context-sensitive approach to BWC use in Norway. Rather than advocating for or against the use of BWCs, this research aims to inform the public debate by offering a nuanced, stakeholder-informed perspective on the possible consequences of introducing surveillance technology into a high-trust policing environment

Theoretische und experimentelle Entwicklung eines optischen Wasserstoffsensors

Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden die Grundlagen für einen optischen Wasserstoffsensor für Konzentrationen im Bereich der unteren Explosionsgrenze von 4 Vol. % auf Basis der Oberflächen-Plasmawellen-Resonanz-Spektroskopie entwickelt. Hierbei wurde gezielt der Einfluss von Wasserstoff auf die Anregung von Plasmawellen in Palladium ausgenutzt. Die Entwicklung der Sensoren erfolgte in zwei Schritten. Zuerst wurden durch theoretische Berechnungen mögliche Sensordesigns zur Anregung von Plasmawellen in Palladium in Kretschmann- und Otto-Konfiguration erarbeitet und die Sensoraufbauten mit Hilfe eines Simulationsprogramms bezüglich der Schichtparameter optimiert. Anschließend erfolgte die Herstellung und eine experimentelle Charakterisierung der Sensoren. Die hierbei gewonnen experimentellen Daten wurden mit den berechneten Ergebnissen verglichen. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass mit dem entwickelten Sensor Wasserstoffkonzentrationen im Bereich der unteren Explosionsgrenze mit einer Auflösung von (0,4 Vol. % detektiert werden können. Darüber hinaus konnten auftretende Temperatureffekte erfolgreich kompensiert werden

Diversity and distribution of genetic variation in gammarids: Comparing patterns between invasive and non-invasive species

© 2017 Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Biological invasions are worldwide phenomena that have reached alarming levels among aquatic species. There are key challenges to understand the factors behind invasion propensity of non-native populations in invasion biology. Interestingly, interpretations cannot be expanded to higher taxonomic levels due to the fact that in the same genus, there are species that are notorious invaders and those that never spread outside their native range. Such variation in invasion propensity offers the possibility to explore, at fine-scale taxonomic level, the existence of specific characteristics that might predict the variability in invasion success. In this work, we explored this possibility from a molecular perspective. The objective was to provide a better understanding of the genetic diversity distribution in the native range of species that exhibit contrasting invasive propensities. For this purpose, we used a total of 784 sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA-COI) collected from seven Gammaroidea, a superfamily of Amphipoda that includes species that are both successful invaders (Gammarus tigrinus, Pontogammarus maeoticus, and Obesogammarus crassus) and strictly restricted to their native regions (Gammarus locusta, Gammarus salinus, Gammarus zaddachi, and Gammarus oceanicus). Despite that genetic diversity did not differ between invasive and non-invasive species, we observed that populations of non-invasive species showed a higher degree of genetic differentiation. Furthermore, we found that both geographic and evolutionary distances might explain genetic differentiation in both non-native and native ranges. This suggests that the lack of population genetic structure may facilitate the distribution of mutations that despite arising in the native range may be beneficial in invasive ranges. The fact that evolutionary distances explained genetic differentiation more often than geographic distances points toward that deep lineage divergence holds an important role in the distribution of neutral genetic diversity

Effects of a novel climate on stress response and immune function in painted turtles (Chrysemys picta)

Climate change may subject animals to increasingly stressful environmental conditions, which could have negative physiological consequences if stress levels are elevated for long periods. We conducted a manipulative experiment to determine the effects of a novel climate on stress levels and immune function in a model reptile species, the painted turtle. We collected turtles from four populations across the species' geographic range and housed them in a common-garden in one population's local climate. We measured levels of the stress hormone corticosterone and tested two aspects of innate immune function, bactericidal capacity and natural antibody agglutination, at the time of capture (baseline) and three additional time points over 1 year. The four populations did not differ in corticosterone levels over the course of 1 year, and corticosterone levels were also similar at each sampling period except that post-hibernation corticosterone levels were significantly lower than the previous three time points. Furthermore, we found no evidence that elevated corticosterone depressed immune function in the painted turtle. Our study suggests that turtles exposed to novel climatic conditions did not display a detectable stress response, nor did the novel climate depress immune function in the transplanted populations. Therefore, in terms of innate immune function, turtles may be relatively resilient to at least small changes in climatic conditions.Fil: Refsnider, Jeanine M.. University Of California Berkeley; Estados UnidosFil: Palacios, María Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico.; ArgentinaFil: Reding, Dawn M.. Luther College. Department of Biology; Estados UnidosFil: Bronikowski, Anne M.. Iowa State University. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology.; Estados Unido