Text Comprehension And roduction in University Students: Text Reformulation

This paper sets out to report on findings about features of task-specific reformulation observed in university students in the middle stretch of the Psychology degree course (N=58) and in a reference group of students from the degree courses in Modern Languages, Spanish and Library Studies (N=33) from the National University of La Plata (Argentina). Three types of reformulation were modeled: summary reformulation, comprehensive and productive reformulation.The study was based on a corpus of 621 reformulations rendered from different kinds of text. The versions obtained were categorised according to the following criteria: presence or absence of normative, morphosyntactic and semantic difficulties. Findings show that problems arise particularly with paraphrase and summary writing. Observation showed difficulties concerning punctuation, text cohesion and coherence , and semantic distortion or omission as regards extracting and/or substituting gist, with limited lexical resources and confusion as to suitability of style/register in writing. The findings in this study match those of earlier, more comprehensive research on the issue and report on problems experienced by a significant number of university students when interacting with both academic texts and others of a general nature. Moreover, they led to questions, on the one hand, as to the nature of such difficulties, which appear to be production-related problems and indirectly account for inadequate text comprehension, and on the other hand, as to the features of university tuition when it comes to text handling.

Text Comprehension And roduction in University Students: Text Reformulation

This paper sets out to report on findings about features of task-specific reformulation observed in university students in the middle stretch of the Psychology degree course (N=58) and in a reference group of students from the degree courses in Modern Languages, Spanish and Library Studies (N=33) from the National University of La Plata (Argentina). Three types of reformulation were modeled: summary reformulation, comprehensive and productive reformulation.The study was based on a corpus of 621 reformulations rendered from different kinds of text. The versions obtained were categorised according to the following criteria: presence or absence of normative, morphosyntactic and semantic difficulties. Findings show that problems arise particularly with paraphrase and summary writing. Observation showed difficulties concerning punctuation, text cohesion and coherence , and semantic distortion or omission as regards extracting and/or substituting gist, with limited lexical resources and confusion as to suitability of style/register in writing. The findings in this study match those of earlier, more comprehensive research on the issue and report on problems experienced by a significant number of university students when interacting with both academic texts and others of a general nature. Moreover, they led to questions, on the one hand, as to the nature of such difficulties, which appear to be production-related problems and indirectly account for inadequate text comprehension, and on the other hand, as to the features of university tuition when it comes to text handling.

Proyectar dibujando: Una aproximación fenomenológica al estado naciente del proyecto. Un estudio entre dos culturas arquitectónicas

La acción del dibujar intenta presentarse en este texto como lenguaje mudo, práctica común general y práctica común en el campo arquitectónico en concreto; y también como acción, apertura, exploración (no representación) en el estado naciente del proyecto. La tesis se presenta como un estudio basado en la experiencia directa, la observación in situ (Practice Based Design Doctórate) intentando reflexionar no desde sus productos alcanzados al dibujar, sino desde la propia acción, enfatizando la dinamicidad del cuerpo como productor de gestos dinámicos. El trabajo busca describir la acción del trazar como apertura, exploración (no representación) en el estado naciente del proyecto. Es el cruce entre la acción experienciada y el pensamiento crítico respecto al hacer con aproximaciones a la artesanía (Sennett, 2010), al placer del dibujar (Nancy, 2013) y la aventura de conformar (Badiou, 2006). La experiencia en el dibujar que este estudio recoge es la desarrollada por la autora en el contexto pedagógico del D.I.G.A. de la E.T.S.A. de Madrid en concreto en las asignaturas “Dibujo Avanzado e Interpretación Gráfica (DAII) I y II” y “Dibujo del Natural” ambas impartidas por el profesor Antonio Verd Herrero y en la participación en los trabajos del Grupo de Investigación y de Innovación Educativa denominado: “Hypermedia” dirigidos por el profesor Javier Seguí, en el periodo que va del año 2007 a la actualidad. La colección de acontecimientos que surgió de esta experiencia y se formó de aproximaciones sucesivas presenta algunos rasgos característicos de la acción del dibujar. Los acontecimientos abordan la acción del dibujar desde una experiencia muda, un tipo de lenguaje, escritura y comunicación común, intercultural pero a la vez impersonal, desde su relación con la escritura, la palabra, el movimiento, el gesto y su imagen. El dibujar se presenta como modo de exploración en la investigación proyectual basada en la arbitrariedad que requiere voluntad, compromiso, ir en contra para participar en cualquier transformación de los límites (físicos, nacionales, sociales, de género, religión, sentido). El dibujar no representativo se presenta como técnica imaginaria radical, “terapia” configural con capacidad para la experimentación con uno mismo (Sloderdijk, 2003), un modo de comunicación intercultural que, sin embargo, siempre recurre al lenguaje verbal, leída e interpretada para cobrar sentido. ABSTRACT The action of drawing is intended to be presented in this text as a mute language, a common practice in general and a common practice in the field of architecture specifically; and also as an action, opening, exploration (not representation) at the birth stage of a project. The thesis forms a study based on a direct observation in an in situ experience (Practice Based Design Doctórate), which intends to reflect not on the products produced by drawing, but on the action itself, emphasizing on the dynamics of the body as a generator of dynamic gestures. The work is the intersection of experienced action and critical thinking related with the making with an approach to a path on craftsmanship (Sennett, 2010), the pleasure in drawing (Nancy, 2013) and the adventure of compromise/ conciliation (Badiou, 2006). The experience in drawing was collected and developed for this study by the author in the context of D.I.G.A. at the E.T.S.A. of Madrid and in particular at the courses of “Advanced Drawing and Graphic Interpretation” (DAII) I y II” and “Life drawing”, together with the active participation and the work of the investigation and Innovation Educational Group “Hypermedia”, coordinated by professor Javier Seguí, during the period starting the year 2007 until the present (2013). The collection of the events derives from a process of successive attempts to approach some characteristic aspects of the action of drawing. The events approach the action of drawing as a mute experience, a kind of language, common communication, writing, gesture and image. Drawing is presented as a way of exploration for a project's investigation, based on arbitrarily and on the asking “what if”. At the same time this process requires will, compromise, opposition in order to participate in a transformation of any kind of limits (physical, national, social, genre, religion, sense). This thesis aims to present non-representative drawing as a radical imaginary technique, a configurational ‘therapy’ with the capacity to experiment with oneself (Sloderdijk, 2003). It can also be considered as a way of intercultural communication which always uses the verbal, readable and interpreted language in order to charge sense.

Evaluación de nuevos dispositivos en la interacción de niños con necesidades específicas de apoyo educativo

Durante la realización de este trabajo de fin de grado se realizará el diseño y desarrollo de un juego orientado a niños con necesidades específicas de apoyo educativo. Este grupo de usuarios repercute en el diseño de los elementos del juego los cuales han de ser simples, sin distracciones, textos de ayuda claros y bien definidos, alto contraste en los elementos, ayuda textual y visual, selección de colores evitando referencias conocidas (rojo como referencia a peligro); y una serie de patrones más, que se han tenido que tener en cuenta. El juego es compatible con distintos dispositivos (teclado, pantalla táctil y Kinect), por lo que, como parte del análisis previo, se ha tenido que ver el trabajo realizado anteriormente referente a estos dispositivos (un reconocedor de gestos de pantalla táctil y un reconocedor de gestos de Kinect), que realizaron otros alumnos. En este sentido y como parte de este y otros proyectos, se han tenido que mejorar o complementar las implementaciones de estos reconocedores. Además se han tenido que definir los distintos gestos o teclas, que producirán respuestas en el juego. Como parte de la interacción de los usuarios con el juego mediante los distintos dispositivos, el juego se ha diseñado de tal forma, que es capaz de capturar ciertos datos de forma automática (precisión al realizar un gesto en pantalla, realización de un gesto incorrecto, etc.). Además como soporte adicional a la obtención de datos con el juego, se han planteado distintos formularios (según el dispositivo), los cuales aportan información que el juego no es capaz de recoger de forma automática, y que serán capturados por el pedagogo. Toda esta información recogida será parte de un modelo de datos el cual, en un futuro, servirá para analizar el comportamiento de este grupo de usuarios frente a los distintos dispositivos analizados. Viendo sus ventajas y desventajas tanto en tiempo de respuesta, curva de aprendizaje, dificultad de realización de los gestos, etc.---ABSTRACT---This thesis project will showcase the design and development of a game oriented towards children with special educational needs. This group impacts the design of the game elements, which have to be simple and avoid distractions. There must be clear and well defined help text, high contrast in the elements, text and visual help, color selection that avoids known references (red as a reference to danger), and more series of patterns. The game is compatible with various devices (keyboard, touchscreen and Kinect), by which, as part of the preliminary analysis, the work previously conducted by other students concerning these devices was researched (a touch screen gesture recognizer and a Kinect gesture recognizer). In this regard, and as part of this and other projects, the use of these recognizers must be improved or complemented. In addition the different gestures or keys that will produce answers in the game must be defined. As part of the users’ interaction with the game through the various devices, the game is designed in such a way that it is able to capture certain data automatically (precision making a gesture to the screen, making an improper gesture, etc.). Also as additional support to obtain data with the game, different forms were used (depending on the device), which provide information that the game is not able to pick up automatically, and that will be caught by the teacher. The information collected will be part of a data model which, in the future, will serve to analyze the behavior of this user group with the various devices analyzed. Seeing their advantages and disadvantages both in response time, learning curve and difficulty of making gestures, etc.

Writers Write! University Creative - Writing Workshop with Author

Admission: LU Students, Faculty and Staff interested in reserving a seat to participate must sign up by November 1, 2015 here: http://goo.gl/forms/WDqM7RXlic

HERSTORIES Library Short Creative Writing Course

Course Title: HERSTORIES – Women Writers of Missouri Course Instructor: kYmberly Keeton, M.L.S. Course Focus: Introduce students and community members to women writers in the state of Missouri. Dates for Course: March 22nd, April 12th, April 26th, and May 3rd Meeting Times: 11:00 AM -12:30 PM Course Info: All materials are provided by the library. Course Website: www.herstories365.wordpress.com

Design and biological activities of L-163,191 (MK-0677): a potent, orally active growth hormone secretagogue.

A potent, orally active growth hormone (GH) secretagogue L-163,191 belonging to a recently synthesized structural class has been characterized. L-163,191 releases GH from rat pituitary cells in culture with EC50 = 1.3 +/- 0.09 nM and is mechanistically indistinguishable from the GH-releasing peptide GHRP-6 and the prototypical nonpeptide GH secretagogue L-692,429 but clearly distinguishable from the natural GH secretagogue, GH-releasing hormone. L-163,191 elevates GH in dogs after oral doses as low as 0.125 mg/kg and was shown to be specific in its release of GH without significant effect on plasma levels of aldosterone, luteinizing hormone, thyroxine, and prolactin after oral administration of 1 mg/kg. Only modest increases in cortisol were observed. Based on these properties, L-163,191 has been selected for clinical studies.

Protein structure-based design of potent orally bioavailable, nonpeptide inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus protease.

A class of potent nonpeptidic inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus protease has been designed by using the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme as a guide. By employing iterative protein cocrystal structure analysis, design, and synthesis the binding affinity of the lead compound was incrementally improved by over four orders of magnitude. An inversion in inhibitor binding mode was observed crystallographically, providing information critical for subsequent design and highlighting the utility of structural feedback in inhibitor optimization. These inhibitors are selective for the viral protease enzyme, possess good antiviral activity, and are orally available in three species.

Guidelines for Forensic Report Writing: Helping Trainees Understand Common Pitfalls to Improve Reports

A forensic report is the primary work product of a forensic psychologist. The aim of a forensic report is to inform and influence the court. Unlike a clinical report, a forensic report influences the outcome of a legal conflict. This means that greater care must be taken in writing the report. The following errors (Grisso, 2010) were used to discuss best practices in forensic report writing: failure to answer the referral question, organization problems, language problems, mixed data and interpretation, inclusion of irrelevant data, over-reliance on a single source of data, improper psychological test use, failure to consider alternative hypotheses, and opinions without sufficient explanation. The purpose of this paper is to provide in one place all the information needed to improve forensic report writing, and to help the reader apply the literature using specific examples. Redacted report samples were collected from psychologists, graduate psychology trainees, teaching assistant experience, and clinical work. Identified errors in these samples were then corrected using the recommendations in the literature. Geared toward graduate psychology trainees, each section should serve both as a tutorial and as a brief checklist to help the reader avoid common pitfalls and assist in promoting better forensic report writing.

Slim Styles and the Brothers of the Light

Slim Styles and the Brothers of the Light consists of a short novella, intended to be part of a series, introduced by a narrative essay. The work is about the search for identity, the pursuit of happiness, and the struggle to maintain self assurance while finding a place in the world. The story follows the main character as he slowly learns the truth about an organization he joined looking for a sense of value and worth. With his back against the wall he has to return to the home he was taught to be ashamed of, face the friends he left behind, and apologize to the lover he took for granted. The manuscript is a work in progress.

Gameland: Escape from Pirate Isle, An Exploration in Sequels

A sequel to another novel can be written as its own stand-alone book. Several authors have accomplished this, most notably J.K. Rowling in the early Harry Potter books. Other writers have failed in their attempts. Following Gameland: Warriors and Wizards, the sequel Escape from Pirate Isle is an attempt at writing a stand-alone book. Similar to the first story, Charles and Cindy, who are brother and sister, are magically transported into a board game to rescue their father. While the story was initially intended to stand on its own, in the end it does not, but not because the first novel needs to be read in order to understand it. Instead, it needs a sequel to be a complete story.

Guide to Writing a Programmatic Resource Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement for the Bureau of Land Management

This guide is written for Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) employees assigned to the Public Lands team who may have some National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) knowledge, possibly have experience with writing Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), and with little or no experience writing programmatic EIS documents. The guide contains information encompassing the preparation of a complete Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) for the Bureau of Land Management. The RMP/EIS is a programmatic NEPA document which has many differences and nuances distinct from a typical project type EIS. This guide provides the information necessary for a BAH Public Lands team member to understand the project process and the RMP/EIS document to successfully maneuver through the entire project from beginning to end.

Handbook of the freshwater fishes of India : giving the characteristic peculiarities of all the species at present known, and intended as a guide to students and district officers / By R. Beavan.

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