Development and initial validation of productive vocabulary tests for isiZulu, Siswati and English in South Africa

Multilingualism in education is encouraged in South Africa, and children are expected to become bilingual and biliterate during the early primary grades. Much focus has been placed on measuring literacy in children’s first language, often the medium of instruction (MOI), and English, the language typically used as MOI from fourth grade. However, vocabulary development in African contexts is underexplored, owing to the cost of existing English standardized tests, and the comparatively fewer linguistically and contextually appropriate vocabulary assessments in African languages. To address this gap, we document the development of corpus-informed contextually appropriate tests of productive vocabulary in isiZulu, Siswati, and English, which were used for a project evaluation. The initial validation phase included 412 children. Both tests were reliable and were concurrently validated with reading comprehension tests in each language, and oral language skills in English. This study contributes to our understanding of the factors that affect the variation in vocabulary knowledge in an African context, including age, grade repetition, and vocabulary in the other language. Only English vocabulary was affected by the remote rural location of the school. We recommend some modifications to the tests before they are validated further in other populations.

Preschool and early primary school age children learning of computational thinking through the use of asynchronous learning environments in the age of Covid-19

This current study aims to examine through a literature review whether children of preschool and early primary school age can be taught distance computational thinking (CT) through asynchronous learning environments in the age of covid. Over the past few years in Greece, a sharp rise in computational thinking has been noted as both students and teachers feel the need to create more imaginative and interactive ways. The study results illustrate the significance of digital media in the educational process and the educator’s crucial role in using such digital tools in preschool and early primary school age. The cooperation between educators of preschool age and teachers of Information Technology could offer new dimensions and provide numerous benefits to the learning process. Distance learning programs could help teachers’ training process through properly structured material that corresponds more effectively to the learning of CT.

Comparative study of plating versus conservative treatment in mid shaft fractures of clavicle

<p><strong>Background</strong>: Clavicle fractures represent up to 4% and 1% of all fractures, respectively. Historically, both fracture types have been treated conservatively with acceptable outcomes. The surgical correction of these fractures is currently being investigated as a viable alternative to conservative management.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: A systematic search of PubMed was performed to identify articles comparing open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with conservative treatment for clavicular fractures. Specific outcomes of interest were shoulder function, pain, strength, range of motion, and risk of non-union. </p><p><strong>Results</strong>: ORIF of midshaft clavicular fractures results in increased shoulder function within 6 weeks following treatment and a decreased risk of non-union. After 1 year, there was no longer a difference in shoulder function between groups. There was no difference in pain between treatment groups. Both ORIF and conservative treatment of extraarticular scapular fractures yield comparable results in shoulder function, range of motion, and strength following treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions</strong>: This study, early primary plate fixation of comminuted mid shaft clavicular fractures results in improved patient-oriented outcomes, improved surgeon-oriented outcomes, earlier return to function and decreased rates of non-union and malunion. </p>

Hologram Technology For E-Learning Arabic Language Pre-Primary And Primary School

The objective of this study was finding the starting grade class in pre-primary and early primary school that adjustable with e-learning hologram technology for e-learning Arabic language.This experimental design research used a mixed (1) quantitative method for score of control groups- traditional learning and experimental groups-hologram e-learning of primary school (2) qualitative method for descriptive assesement reports, interview and observation of pre-primary school. The population was taken from 2 IBS with total 68 participants. The validation quantitative data was analyzed by SPSS software: t –test and else Mann–Whitney test, meta-analysis to describe result for conclusion. The qualitative uses triangulation of descriptive data for validation. The result shows that 1st grade, the sig. (2tailed) result 1.00 > 0.05 and 2sc of primary school, the sig. (2tailed) result 0.843 > 0.05 with hologram are indicating no significant gap with traditional learning, same effectiveness, but for pre-primary school with hologram is less-classical completeness 52.5% < 85%. The conclusion is hologram technology of e-learning Arabic language subject adjustable for primary school starting 1st grade and 2sc, but yet, not for pre-primary school which lean to the content attractiveness.

Protein Biomarkers in Glaucoma: A Review

Glaucoma is a multifactorial disease. Early diagnosis of this disease can support treatment and reduce the effects of pathophysiological processes. A significant problem in the diagnosis of glaucoma is limited access to the tested material. Therefore, intensive research is underway to develop biomarkers for fast, noninvasive, and reliable testing. Biomarkers indicated in the formation of glaucoma include chemical compounds from different chemical groups, such as proteins, sugars, and lipids. This review summarizes our knowledge about protein and/or their protein-like derived biomarkers used for glaucoma diagnosis since 2000. The described possibilities resulting from a biomarker search may contribute to identifying a group of compounds strongly correlated with glaucoma development. Such a find would be of great importance in the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder, as current screening techniques have low sensitivity and are unable to diagnose early primary open-angle glaucoma.

VEGFA165 can rescue excess steroid secretion, inflammatory markers and follicle arrest in the ovarian cortex of high A4 cows

A population of cows with excess androstenedione (A4; High A4) in follicular fluid, with follicular arrest, granulosa cell dysfunction, and a 17% reduction in calving rate was previously identified. We hypothesized that excess A4 in the ovarian microenvironment caused the follicular arrest in High A4 cows and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) would rescue the High A4 phenotype. In trial 1, prior to culture, High A4 ovarian cortex (n = 9) had greater numbers of early stage follicles (primordial) and fewer later stage follicles compared to Controls (n = 11). Culture for 7 days did not relieve this follicular arrest; instead, High A4 ovarian cortex had increased indicators of inflammation, Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) and A4 secretion compared to Controls. In trial 2, we tested if VEGFA isoforms could rescue the High A4 phenotype. High A4 (n = 5) and Control (n = 5) ovarian cortex was cultured with: 1) PBS; 2) VEGFA165 (50 ng/ml); 3) VEGFA165B (50 ng/ml); or 4) VEGFA165 + VEGFA165B (50 ng/ml each) for 7 days. Follicular progression increased with VEGFA165 in High A4 cows with greater early primary, primary, and secondary follicles than Controls. Similar to trial 1, High A4 ovarian cortex secreted greater concentrations of A4 and other steroids, and had greater indicators of inflammation compared to Controls. However, VEGFA165 rescued steroidogenesis, oxidative stress, and fibrosis. VEGFA165 and VEGFA165b both reduced IL-13, INFα, and INFβ secretion in High A4 cows to control levels. Thus, VEGFA165 may be a potential therapeutic to restore the ovarian steroidogenic microenvironment and promote folliculogenesis.

Animal Representation on UK Children’s Television

It is widely accepted that television is a powerful medium and that its influence, particularly on children and young people, can be profound (see for example Canadian Paediatric Society 2003; Strasburger 2004; Matyjas 2015). The representation and categorisation of non-humans in such content may therefore influence a culture’s attitudes towards those species and, by extension, its children’s views. This article investigates animal characters on three hundred and fourteen children’s TV shows across five days of ‘free’ to view UK programming during summer 2020, and is the first study in over twenty-five years (since Elizabeth Paul’s in 1996) to focus specifically on mainstream children’s TV, and the only one to have sole regard for pre- and early primary-age UK viewers. With research clear that the media is so influential, recognising the role of such culture transmission is vital to ‘undo’ unhelpful assumptions about animals that result in their exploitation, and change future norms (Joy 2009). Television media either ignores or misrepresents the subjective reality of many (particularly food) species, but with children preferring anthropomorphised animals to most others (Geerdts, Van de Walle and LoBue 2016), this carries implications in terms of responsibility for our ideas and subsequent treatment of those non-humans in everyday life.

Children with an inclination for mathematical giftedness in early primary school education

This article presents a fragment of a much larger research project set up to monitor the educational path of children with an aptitude for mathematics at the very earliest stages of education. The study had a diagnostic character and involved 73 mathematically promising children, chosen out of 299 children examined throughout the course of a screening process carried out in the last stage of pre-school education. The research was conducted in a natural educational environment. The longitudinal study analysed pupils’ skills and mathematical knowledge, along with mental traits manifesting their inclination for mathematical giftedness and the way children function within the particular framework of mathematical education. The outcomes of the research suggest that there are many mathematically gifted children and that an inclination for mathematical giftedness can be effectively identified already in kindergartners. Unfortunately, the research also reveals that many of the children who demonstrate mathematical giftedness in kindergarten cease to do so after the first several months of primary school. What is more, the study results show that many of the teachers examined have a routine and inflexible approach to teaching mathematics. Even though the way children function in the school environment changes throughout the course of school socialization, most teachers remain unchanged in their teaching styles. All of the children, including the talented ones, need an inspiring environment to provide an adequate level of competition to foster their needs and outstanding potential. This article is intended to present the ways in which the educational environment may contribute to accelerating or halting children’s development in this field.