Beyond the Spoken Word: Examining the Nature of Teacher Gesturing in the Context of an Elementary Engineering Curriculum for English-Learner Students

Our research team performed an exploratory analysis of teacher gesturing via a case study of an elementary teacher. We focused on gesturing, a practice found to support both bilingual English learner students’ linguistic development and mathematics achievement, during the teacher’s engineering and science lessons. The research team systematically analyzed teacher video data using McNeill’s gestural dimensions framework and found variation of gesturing types and rates when comparing engineering and baseline science lessons. Additionally, specific types of teacher-gestures appear to be associated with either behavioral or classroom management practices, procedural instructions, and discussion facilitation. We suggest that teacher-gestures such as these have the potential to facilitate bilingual English learners’ language acquisition, while also developing their STEM literacy in general and engineering capacity in particular. Further exploration of teacher-gestures in elementary engineering curricula could lead to an integrated STEM pedagogy that incorporates gesturing as a fundamental teaching strategy, bridging STEM instruction with linguistically responsive instructional practices.Educatio

Information Warehousing Vs Learning Organization: The More Dynamic Information Professional

In the context of information age the only thing which gives organization a competitive edge is information. Success of an organization is heavily depending upon the ability to process the business information generated both internally and externally to the organization. Information warehousing is perceived as an efficient information management tool. The role of information professionals, who understand the value of information in an organizational set up is continuously evolving. In this paper an attempt has been made to highlight the role of an information professional in the development of an information warehouse in learning organizationDocumentation Research and Training Centre

Ultrastructural differences between diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis

The ultrastructural changes in diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis are not well studied and it is not known whether there are different defects in the two disorders. As part of the Gastroparesis Clinical Research Consortium, full thickness gastric body biopsies from 20 diabetic and 20 idiopathic gastroparetics were studied by light microscopy. Abnormalities were found in many (83%) but not all patients. Among the common defects were loss of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and neural abnormalities. No distinguishing features were seen between diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis. Our aim was to provide a detailed description of the ultrastructural abnormalities, compare findings between diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis and determine if patients with apparently normal immunohistological features have ultrastructural abnormalities. Tissues from 40 gastroparetic patients and 24 age‐ and sex‐matched controls were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Interstitial cells of Cajal showing changes suggestive of injury, large and empty nerve endings, presence of lipofuscin and lamellar bodies in the smooth muscle cells were found in all patients. However, the ultrastructural changes in ICC and nerves differed between diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis and were more severe in idiopathic gastroparesis. A thickened basal lamina around smooth muscle cells and nerves was characteristic of diabetic gastroparesis whereas idiopathic gastroparetics had fibrosis, especially around the nerves. In conclusion, in all the patients TEM showed abnormalities in ICC, nerves and smooth muscle consistent with the delay in gastric emptying. The significant differences found between diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis offers insight into pathophysiology as well as into potential targeted therapies.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92113/1/jcmm1451.pd

Web databases: A better Solution for Organising the Internet Resources

The web databases have become very popular in the Internet world for organizing the Information resources. Library and Information centers can effectively utilize this web technology for improving as well as delivering new services. This paper discusses the tools and the techniques of the 'Database - Web' connectivity in brief and also provides the examples of Perl - MySql and ASP - MS-Access connectivity

Glyphosate Application Causes Physiological Perturbations in Amino Acid Profiles of Palmer amaranth- A Study of Susceptible and Resistant Biotypes of Amaranthus palmeri

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world. It is used to control perennial grasses and weeds having broad leaves. Glyphosate works by inhibiting the plant specific enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phospate synthase that catalyzes the conversion of shikimic acid to chorismate, which serves as the precursor to production of aromatic amino acids, namely tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan

Robust Supplier Management - Mapping and Improving the supplier management and purchasing process of Tier-1 automotive supplier

The increased competitiveness in the market pushes companies to improve their business processes to achieve efficiency and effectiveness. This thesis work is carried out on a Tier-1 supplier of automotive components aimed at improving the supplier management of the company in the purchasing process. The theoretical framework engraved a variety of topics which supported the authors during the data collection, analysis and improvement parts of this thesis work. The thesis work employed qualitative research strategy with the inductive research approach followed by the case study research design. The data collection tools used for this thesis work includes Process and Enterprise Maturity Model (PEMM) questionnaire to assess the organizations and purchasing function’s maturity, organizational documents consisting of business processes activities and interviews with the stakeholders from the purchasing function. The empirical data from the organizational documents have been categorized into supplier management, project purchasing and supplier management in serial production processes and they have been transformed into process flow charts based on the “Spiral of knowledge”. The interview findings were categorized into direct and indirect purchasing based on the organizational process documents. The gaps in the “As-is” process of the supplier management, project purchasing and supplier management in serial production in direct and indirect purchasing have been determined based on the interview data. The escalation model for quality deviations is a sub process of supplier management in serial production identified as a critical opportunity for improvement in the company based on the “Gap analysis”. The PEMM questionnaire captured the current maturity level of the purchasing function and the company. The results of this thesis work includes both minor and major improvements in the supplier management and purchasing processes. The minor improvements consist of responsibility changes and the major improvements consist of redesign of the escalation model for quality deviations. The supplier management, project purchasing and supplier management in serial production processes have been improved based on the theoretical framework and IATF 16949 standard. The “To-be” supplier management in the serial production process was designed based on the data integrated from the three sub processes. The knowledge management areas of the direct and indirect purchasing were addressed and improved. Further, the thesis concluded that the change agents and liaison personnel will play a key role in implementing the improvement processes. By incorporating the improvements, the maturity of the company and purchasing function would improve in the future

An unusual cross reactivity between hydrochlorothiazide and para-phenylenediamine: a case report

Over the last decade, the usage of hair color is gradually increasing from adolescents to the geriatric population. In the elderly population, more use of hair color due to graying of hairs exposes them to chemicals such as para-phenylenediamine (PPD). Many cases are reported regarding various manifestations of allergic contact dermatitis due to PPD compound present in hair color. It is noteworthy that, in the elderly the use of antidiabetics and antihypertensives, makes them vulnerable to cross-reaction or interaction with drugs and chemicals. We report a case that highlights the adverse reaction to hydrochlorothiazide in a PPD sensitive individual.

Project-based service-learning as logo-pedagogy : teaching for existential purpose in pre-college engineering education

The imperative for bolstering engineering education at the precollege level is usually framed within the context of improving U.S. global competitiveness but this potentially cheapens the inherent value of an engineering education and obfuscates the potentially socially purposeful aspects of engineering. Drawing from design-based research, this case study examines how a project-based service-learning (PBSL) engineering design unit contributed to students’ sense of purpose in life and perceptions of engineering. It takes an ecological approach in that it considers the perspectives of students, the teacher, professional engineering mentors to understand and outline guiding principles for PBSL engineering experiences at the pre-college level. Student perspectives on the PBSL unit centered around six themes: impact of the unit; affect; meaningfulness; learning; teamwork/collaboration; and, agency. Three themes characterized student reflections on purpose in life: notions of purpose in life; student purposefulness; career aspirations. Students also discussed engineering along two broader themes of their: engineering notions and engineering interests. The educators’ (teacher and mentors) perspectives on teaching priorities and strategies for the unit aligned along seven themes: exposure; messages about engineering; hands-on/physical experience; encouraging student ideas; room for mistakes and failure; teamwork; and involving expert engineers. They identified at least six positive aspects of the unit: exposure; engineering design process and habits-of-mind; authenticity; motivation and purposefulness; student ideas; and student accomplishment. Conversely, they also discussed at least four primary areas of improvement: facilitating teamwork; adhering to design specifications and constraints; involving expert engineers throughout the process; and timing. Overall, the findings suggest that student participation in PBSL engineering units can contribute to their purpose development by facilitating opportunities for socially purposeful engagement within a STEM context. Furthermore, PBSL engineering units concretize the socially purposeful aspects of engineering, subverting wider public perceptions of engineering as a socially-unconcerned profession. Future PBSL engineering units at the pre-college level should emphasize: student input, ideas, and hands-on engagement; process over outcome, especially the engineering design process; involving the community; and, reflection.Curriculum and Instructio

Warming and elevated CO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e alter the suberin chemistry in roots of photosynthetically divergent grass species

A majority of soil carbon (C) is either directly or indirectly derived from fine roots, yet roots remain the least understood component of the terrestrial carbon cycle. The decomposability of fine roots and their potential to contribute to soil C is partly regulated by their tissue chemical composition. Roots rely heavily on heteropolymers such as suberins, lignins and tannins to adapt to various environmental pressures and to maximize their resource uptake functions. Since the chemical construction of roots is partly shaped by their immediate biotic/abiotic soil environments, global changes that perturb soil resource availability and plant growth could potentially alter root chemistry, and hence the decomposability of roots. However, the effect of global change on the quantity and composition of root heteropolymers are seldom investigated. We examined the effects of elevated CO2 and warming on the quantity and composition of suberin in roots of Bouteloua gracilis (C4) and Hesperostipa comata (C3) grass species at the Prairie Heating and CO2 Enrichment (PHACE) experiment at Wyoming, USA. Roots of B. gracilis exposed to elevated CO2 and warming had higher abundances of suberin and lignin than those exposed to ambient climate treatments. In addition to changes in their abundance, roots exposed to warming and elevated CO2 had higher ω-hydroxy acids compared to plants grown under ambient conditions. The suberin content and composition in roots of H. comata was less responsive to climate treatments. In H. comata, α,ω-dioic acids increased with the main effect of elevated CO2, whereas the total quantity of suberin exhibited an increasing trend with the main effect of warming and elevated CO2. The increase in suberin content and altered composition could lower root decomposition rates with implications for root-derived soil carbon under global change. Our study also suggests that the climate change induced alterations in species composition will further mediate potential suberin contributions to soil carbon pools