The differential relations between ADHD and reading achievement: A quantile regression and quantile genetic approach.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Shero ◽  
Jessica A. R. Logan ◽  
Stephen Petrill ◽  
Erik Willcutt ◽  
Sara Ann Hart
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Quantile Regression ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Phenotypic Analysis ◽  
Early Reading Development ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Reading And Math ◽  
Longitudinal Twin Study ◽  
Differential Relations

This paper extends the understanding of the relation between ADHD and reading disability, through examining how this relation differs depending on the quantile an individual falls in for each. Samples from three twin projects around the United States were used (Florida Twin Project, Colorado component of International Longitudinal Twin Study of Early Reading Development, & Western Reserve Reading and Math Projects). Phenotypic analysis using quantile regression showed relations between ADHD related behaviors and reading comprehension to be stronger in the lower quantiles of reading comprehension in two of three samples. A new method was developed extending this analysis into the bivariate genetic space. Results of this quantile genetic analysis revealed that overlapping common environmental influences accounted for a larger proportion of variance in the lower quantiles of these variables in two of three samples. Finally, in all three samples the phenotypic relation was strongest when shared environmental influences accounted for a larger proportion of the overall variance.

The Differential Relations Between ADHD and Reading Comprehension: A Quantile Regression and Quantile Genetic Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Shero ◽  
Jessica A. R. Logan ◽  
Stephen A. Petrill ◽  
Erik Willcutt ◽  
Sara A. Hart
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Quantile Regression ◽  
Genetic Approach ◽  
Differential Relations

Weight Identity Among Older Adults in the United States: Genetic and Environmental Influences

2018 ◽  
pp. 262-274
Author(s):  
Robbee Wedow ◽  
Daniel A. Briley ◽  
Susan E. Short ◽  
Jason Boardman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Perceived Weight ◽  
Midlife Adults

This chapter uses twin pairs from the Midlife in the United States study to investigate the genetic and environmental influences on perceived weight status for midlife adults. The inquiry builds on previous work investigating the same phenomenon in adolescents, and it shows that perceived weight status is not only heritable, but also heritable beyond objective weight. Subjective assessment of physical weight is independent of one’s physical weight and described as “weight identity.” Importantly, significant differences are shown in the heritability of weight identity among men and women. The chapter ends by discussing the potential relevance of these findings for broader social identity research.

scholarly journals What Do Childcare Providers Know about Environmental Influences on Children’s Health? Implications for Environmental Health Literacy Efforts

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5489
Author(s):  
Brenda D. Koester ◽  
Stephanie Sloane ◽  
Elinor M. Fujimoto ◽  
Barbara H. Fiese ◽  
Leona Yi-Fan Su
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
The United States ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Environmental Health Literacy ◽  
Childcare Providers

Children are uniquely vulnerable to toxicant exposures in their environment, which can have long-lasting impacts on their health. Childcare providers are an important population to target for environmental health literacy, as most children in the United States under five years of age spend a significant number of waking hours in non-parental care. There is an increasing body of evidence that children are exposed to toxicants in the childcare environment, and yet little is known about what childcare providers know about environmental influences on the health of children in their care. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 home- and center-based Illinois childcare providers to better understand their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors as they relate to environmental influences on children’s health. We found that the majority of providers had a low level of understanding of potential sources of exposure in the childcare environment, and they did not feel that environmental exposures posed a significant risk to children. Future efforts to increase environmental health literacy should focus on raising awareness and knowledge of environmental health issues for childcare providers before addressing ways that providers can reduce or prevent toxicant exposures to children in their care.

Modelling disparities in health services utilisation for older Blacks: a quantile regression framework

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1657-1683 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDY SHARMA
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Quantile Regression ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Medical Intervention ◽  
Medical Provider ◽  
Absolute Deviation ◽  
The Best Approximation

ABSTRACTWith the on-going ageing of the United States population, resolving health disparities continues to be a prominent and worthwhile goal, particularly in the areas of promoting minority health and reducing racial/ethnic disparities. This analysis employs the 2004 and 2005 Household Component records from the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, which correspond to data files H89 and H97, to examine utilisation by race across the entire distribution function; more specifically, applying the behavioural model of health services utilisation and employing a Quantile Regression (QR) framework. This is a noteworthy contribution because the conditional mean may not be the best approximation for a skewed-location distribution. In contrast, QR is robust to outliers and scale effects since the estimation minimises least absolute deviation. The sample consists of 2,525 older adults at least 65 years of age with 303 corresponding to Black and 2,222 corresponding to White. Results suggest older Blacks continue to utilise health services (i.e. office or clinic visits with a physician or medical provider) at lower levels and this is more pronounced at and below the median quantile (i.e. below the 50th cut-off). Usual source of care (USC) continues to play an important role. Beliefs surrounding the need for insurance and medical intervention are also significant and explain some of the racial disparities. Although utilisation disparities persist for older Blacks, collaborative and flexible models of care can reach this group.

scholarly journals First Report of Potato spindle tuber viroid Naturally Infecting Field Tomatoes in the Dominican Republic

Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 701-701
Author(s):  
K.-S. Ling ◽  
R. Li ◽  
D. Groth-Helms ◽  
F. M. Assis-Filho
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Mosaic Virus ◽  
Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid ◽  
The United States ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Ringspot Virus ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Spot Virus ◽  
Three Samples

In recent years, viroid disease outbreaks have resulted in serious economic losses to a number of tomato growers in North America (1,2,3). At least three pospiviroids have been identified as the causal agents of tomato disease, including Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd), and Mexican papita viroid (MPVd). In the spring of 2013, a severe disease outbreak with virus-like symptoms (chlorosis and plant stunting) was observed in a tomato field located in the Dominican Republic, whose tomato production is generally exported to the United States in the winter months. The transplants were produced in house. The disease has reached an epidemic level with many diseased plants pulled and disposed of accordingly. Three samples collected in May of 2013 were screened by ELISA against 16 common tomato viruses (Alfalfa mosaic virus, Cucumber mosaic virus, Impatiens necrotic spot virus, Pepino mosaic virus, Potato virus X, Potato virus Y, Tobacco etch virus, Tobacco mosaic virus, Tobacco ringspot virus, Tomato aspermy virus, Tomato bushy stunt virus, Tomato mosaic virus, Tomato ringspot virus, Tomato spotted wilt virus, Groundnut ringspot virus, and Tomato chlorotic spot virus), a virus group (Potyvirus group), three bacteria (Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Pectobacterium atrosepticum, and Xanthomonas spp.), and Phytophthora spp. No positive result was observed, despite the presence of symptoms typical of a viral-like disease. Further analysis by RT-PCR using Agdia's proprietary pospiviroid group-specific primer resulted in positive reactions in all three samples. To determine which species of pospiviroid was present in these tomato samples, full-genomic products of the expected size (~360 bp) were amplified by RT-PCR using specific primers for PSTVd (4) and cloned using TOPO-TA cloning kit (Invitrogen, CA). A total of 8 to 10 clones from each isolate were selected for sequencing. Sequences from each clone were nearly identical and the predominant sequence DR13-01 was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KF683200). BLASTn searches into the NCBI database demonstrated that isolate DR13-01 shared 97% sequence identity to PSTVd isolates identified in wild Solanum (U51895), cape gooseberry (EU862231), or pepper (AY532803), and 96% identity to the tomato-infecting PSTVd isolate from the United States (JX280944). The relatively lower genome sequence identity (96%) to the tomato-infecting PSTVd isolate in the United States (JX280944) suggests that PSTVd from the Dominican Republic was likely introduced from a different source, although the exact source that resulted in the current disease outbreak remains unknown. It may be the result of an inadvertent introduction of contaminated tomato seed lots or simply from local wild plants. Further investigation is necessary to determine the likely source and route of introduction of PSTVd identified in the current epidemic. Thus, proper control measures could be recommended for disease management. The detection of this viroid disease outbreak in the Dominican Republic represents further geographic expansion of the viroid disease in tomatoes beyond North America. References: (1). K.-S. Ling and M. Bledsoe. Plant Dis. 93:839, 2009. (2) K.-S. Ling and W. Zhang. Plant Dis. 93:1216, 2009. (3) K.-S. Ling et al. Plant Dis. 93:1075, 2009. (4) A. M. Shamloul et al. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 19:89, 1997.

Religious Overclaiming and Support for Religious Aggression

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1011-1021
Author(s):  
Daniel N. Jones ◽  
Adon L. Neria ◽  
Farzad A. Helm ◽  
Reza N. Sahlan ◽  
Jessica R. Carré
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
The Self ◽  
Border Region ◽  
Mechanical Turk ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Religious Knowledge ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
The U.S

Agentic self-enhancement consists of self-protective and self-advancing tendencies that can lead to aggression, especially when challenged. Because self-enhancers often endorse aggression to defend or enhance the self-concept, religious self-enhancement should lead to endorsing aggression to defend or enhance one’s religion. We recruited three samples ( N = 969) from Mechanical Turk ( n = 409), Iran ( n = 351), and the U.S.–Mexico border region ( n = 209). We found that religious (but not secular) self-enhancement in the form of religious overclaiming predicted support for, and willingness to engage in, religious aggression. In contrast, accuracy in religious knowledge had mostly negative associations with aggression-relevant outcomes. These results emerged across two separate religions (Christianity and Islam) and across three different cultures (the United States, Iran, and the U.S.–Mexico border region). Thus, religious overclaiming is a promising new direction for studying support for religious aggression and identifying those who may become aggressive in the name of God.

scholarly journals Speaking in Tongues: Can International Graduate Students Read International Graduate Admissions Materials?

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary W. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
Reading Levels ◽  
Speaking In Tongues ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
International Graduate Student

A recent Educational Testing Services report (2016) found that international graduate students with a TOEFL score of 80—the minimum average TOEFL score for graduate admission in the United States—usually possess reading subscores of 20, equating to a 12th-grade reading comprehension level. However, one public flagship university’s international graduate student admissions instructions are written at a 17th-grade reading comprehension level, or, a 27-30 band on the reading section of the TOEFL. This study seeks to answer the question, “Do U.S. graduate programs compose admissions materials at unreadable levels compared to these programs’ minimum reading comprehension levels for international graduate student admission?” Findings reveal average public flagship international graduate student admissions materials are written above 15th-grade reading comprehension levels, with select flagships composing these materials at 19th grade reading levels. Implications for practitioners and policymakers, as well as areas of future research, are addressed.

scholarly journals First Report of Soybean vein necrosis virus in Soybean Fields of Oklahoma

Plant Disease ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 97 (12) ◽  
pp. 1664-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ali ◽  
O. A. Abdalla
Keyword(s):  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Necrosis Virus ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
First Report ◽  
Leaf Vein ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Vein Necrosis ◽  
Soybean Plants ◽  
Seed Crops

Soybean vein necrosis virus (SVNV) causes a new emerging disease of soybean that has been recorded in more than 10 states (1,2,3,4) of the United States, but so far no information is available about its presence in soybean crops of Oklahoma. Surveys of commercial soybean fields were conducted for soybean viruses during summer of 2012. A total of 327 samples were randomly collected from soybean fields in 11 counties. Symptoms typical of SVNV infections including leaf chlorosis and leaf-vein necrosis were observed on some soybean plants in the field (4). All soybean leaf samples were tested against SVNV polyclonal antisera obtained from AC Diagnostics, Inc. (Fayetteville, AR) by dot-immunobinding assay (DIBA) (1). Fifty-three samples reacted positively with SVNV antisera. Total RNA was extracted from three DIBA-positive samples collected from soybean plants in Choctaw County and tested by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using SVNV-specific primers (forward primer 5′-ATGTTCTCTCTATAATAGCCA and reverse primer 5′-ACCCATAACAATTGATCAAGA-3′) that were designed from the available sequence in the GenBank (Accession No. GU722317.1) to amplify a fragment from RNA1. A band of the expected size of 344 bp was observed on a 1% agarose gel in all three samples. The PCR products were purified using QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (QIAGEN, Valencia, CA), cloned (pGEM-T Easy Vector, Promega, Madison, WI) and sequenced in both directions. The consensus sequence of the 344-bp fragment was 99% identical with the corresponding region of RNA 1 of SVNV isolate ‘Milan_TN’ (Accession No. GU722317.1). These results confirmed the presence of SVNV in soybean fields, which are mostly located in Criage, Choctaw, Hughes, LeFlore, Mayes, Muskogee, McCurtain, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Rogers, and Sequoyah counties of Oklahoma. None of the samples collected from north central or western parts of the state were positive against SVNV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of SVNV in soybean crops in Oklahoma. Soybean is one of the major oil seed crops cultivated on approximately 200,000 hectares annually in Oklahoma and the presence of SVNV could pose a potential threat to the production of soybean in the future. References: (1) J. L. Jacobs and M. I. Chilvers. Plant Dis. 97:1387, 2013. (2) J. Han et al. Plant Dis. 97:693, 2013. (3) D. L. Smith et al. Plant Dis. 97:693, 2013. (4) J. Zhou et al. Virus Genes 43:289, 2011.

The Decline of Undergraduate Engineering Education in the United States

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mancil W. Milligan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Real World ◽  
The United States ◽  
Accreditation Process ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering Education ◽  
Rational Actions ◽  
Real World Problems

Examples of the decline in the mastery of engineering fundamentals and the ability to apply these fundamentals to real world problems are presented. There are enhanced abilities in today’s graduates and these are discussed. No attempt is made to assign blame for the decline in capabilities since there are many contributors to this change. Some of the factors contributing to the decline include student evaluations of instruction, misuse of homework, diminished reading comprehension, pressure on faculty to be productive in research, and the decrease in mastery required in the accreditation process. Each of the factors is discussed in some depth and rational actions are proposed to reverse this disturbing trend.

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