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“Glow-in-the-dark” materials are known to practically everyone who has ever traveled by airplane or cruise ship, since they are commonly used for self-lit emergency exit signs. The green afterglow, persistent luminescence (PeL), is obtained from divalent europium doped to a synthetic strontium aluminate, but there are also some natural minerals capable of afterglow. One such mineral is hackmanite, the afterglow of which has never been thoroughly investigated, even if its synthetic versions can compete with some of the best commercially available synthetic PeL materials. Here we combine experimental and computational data to show that the white PeL of natural hackmanite is generated and controlled by a very delicate interplay between the natural impurities present. The results obtained shed light on the PeL phenomenon itself thus giving insight into improving the performance of synthetic materials.

Changing majors or dropping out are of great concern to universities worldwide, but the role of learning approaches in terms of students’ persistence has not been previously studied. Changing majors, especially in chemistry, is a severe problem in Finland. Here, learning approach data were collected with the ChemApproach questionnaire from 733 bachelor-level students at four Finnish universities. Students intending to change majors showed stronger submissive surface approaches and weaker active deep approaches than those intending to persist in chemistry. The ChemApproach data were complemented with information on actual persistence and first-year grades from a smaller sample from one university (N= 177). A practical deep approach in chemistry studies combined with relatively high grades was shown to be connected to persistence, while a desire to change majors combined with high grades resulted in the actual changing of majors. A high submissive surface approach indicated students at risk of dropping out completely.

The present five‐year longitudinal study from preschool to grade 3 examined the developmental associations among oral language comprehension, task orientation, reading precursors, and reading fluency, as well as their role in predicting grade 3 reading comprehension. Ninety Finnish‐speaking students participated in the study. The students’ oral language comprehension (vocabulary knowledge, listening comprehension, and inference making) and task orientation were assessed in preschool, kindergarten, and grade 3. Reading precursors (letter knowledge and phonological awareness) were assessed at the first two timepoints and reading fluency at the third timepoint. Structural equation modeling showed that oral language comprehension, reading fluency, and task orientation each contributed uniquely to concurrent reading comprehension, and together they accounted for 76% of variance in reading comprehension. A reciprocal relationship was found between oral language comprehension and task orientation from preschool through kindergarten to grade 3, a finding that extends our knowledge of the longitudinal determinants of reading comprehension. 本研究是一个为期五年纵向研究,旨在考查从学前班到小学三年级学生的口头语言理解、任务取向、阅读前驱知识和阅读流畅度之间的发展关联性,以及它们在预测三年级阅读理解的作用。90名说芬兰语的学生参与本研究。学生在学前班﹑幼儿园和小学三年级时均接受口头语言理解(词汇知识﹑聆听理解﹑推理)评估和任务取向评估。阅读前驱知识(字母知识和语音意识)在首两个时间点评估,阅读流畅度则在第三个时间点评估。结构方程模型分析结果显示,口头语言理解、阅读流畅度和任务取向,这三个变数各自对同时发生的阅读理解均有独特的贡献,而这三个变数一起能解释阅读理解能力方差的76%。从学前班到小学三年级这三个时间点都有发现口头语言理解和任务取向两者的互惠关系,这发现扩展了我们对阅读理解纵向决定因素的知识。 Este estudio longitudinal de cinco años desde la pre escuela hasta el tercer grado examinó las asociaciones de desarrollo entre la comprensión del lenguaje oral, la orientación a la función, los precursores de lectura, y la fluidez lectora al igual que su papel en predecir la comprensión lectora en el tercer grado. Noventa estudiantes finlandeses participaron en el estudio. La comprensión de los estudiantes del lenguaje oral (conocimiento de vocabulario, la comprensión auditiva, y poder hacer inferencias) y la orientación a la función fueron asesoradas en la pre escuela, en el jardín de niños y en el tercer grado. Precursores de lectura (el conocimiento de las letras y la conciencia fonológica) fueron asesorados en los primeros dos tiempos seleccionados y la fluidez lectora en el tercer tiempo. El modelado de ecuación estructural mostró que la comprensión del lenguaje oral, la fluidez lectora, y la orientación a la función contribuyeron, cada cual, de forma única, a la comprensión lectora concurrente, y juntas explican un 76% de las discrepancias en la comprensión lectora. Se encontró una relación recíproca entre la comprensión del lenguaje oral y la orientación a la función desde la pre escuela hasta el tercer grado, un hallazgo que amplifica nuestro conocimiento de los determinantes longitudinales de la comprensión lectora. الدراسة الحالية والتي إستمرت لمدة خمس سنوات بحثت بدءاً من رياض الأطفال وحتى الصف 3 العلاقة التنموية بين فهم اللغة الشفوي، والتوجه المهامي، وما يسبق القراءة، وطلاقة القراءة ، بالإضافة عن دورها في تنبؤ القراءة والفهم للصف 3. شارك تسعون طالبا المتحدثون بالغة الفنلندية في هذه الدراسة. تم تقييم فهم الطلاب لللغة الشفوية (معرفة المفردات، والاستماع والفهم، وربط الادلة) والتوجه المهامي في مرحلة ما قبل المدرسة، وروضة أطفال، والصف 3. تم تقييم ما يسبق القراءة (معرفة الحروف والوعي الصوتي) في المرحلتين الأولين وطلاقة القراءة في المرحلة الثالثة. أظهرة نمذجة المعادلة الهيكلية ان فهم اللغة الشفوي، وطلاقة القراءة، والتوجه المهامي ساهمت كلٌ بشكل فريد لفهم متزامن للقراءة، وجنبا إلى جنب، فقد استحوذت على 76٪ من التباين في القراءة والفهم. تم العثور على علاقة متبادلة بين فهم اللغة الشفوية والتوجه المهامي من مرحلة ما قبل المدرسة وخلال رياض الأطفال وإلى الصف 3، وهذه النتائج تزيد معرفتنا للمسببات الطولية الأمد للاستيعاب القرائي. Данное исследование, в котором участвовали 90 детей, говорящих на финском языке, длилось пять лет: с раннего дошкольного возраста до третьего класса. Рассматривались связи между восприятием устной речи, умением выполнять задачи, ранними предвестниками чтения, беглостью чтения, а также определялась роль всех этих факторов для понимания прочитанного в третьем классе. Было выполнено несколько срезов: до детского сада, в детском саду и в третьем классе. Восприятие устной речи (словарный запас, понимание на слух, умение делать выводы) и умение выполнять задачи оценивалось на всех трех этапах. Предвестники чтения (знание букв и фонологическое понимание) оценивались на первых двух этапах, а беглость чтения – на третьем. Моделирование структурными уравнениями показало, что такие факторы как восприятие устной речи, беглость чтения и выполнение задач вносят каждый свою уникальную лепту в одновременное понимание прочитанного, которое зависит от них в совокупности на 76%. На всех срезах обнаружена взаимозависимость между восприятием устной речи и умением выполнять задачи. Это расширяет наши представления о лонгитюдных факторах, определяющих понимание прочитанного. Cette recherche longitudinale sur cinq ans, de l’école maternelle à la 3eannée de primaire, a examiné les associations dans le développement entre la compréhension de la langue parlée, l'orientation vers la tâche, les préalables de la lecture, et la lecture courante, ainsi que leur rôle en tant que prédicteurs de la compréhension de la lecture en 3eannée. Quatre‐vingt‐dix élèves finnois ont participé à cette recherche. Nous avons évalué à la maternelle et en 3eannée la compréhension qu'ont les élèves de la langue parlée (connaissance du vocabulaire, compréhension en réception, et réalisation d'inférences) et l'orientation vers la tâche. Les préalables de la lecture (connaissance des lettres et conscience phonologique) ont été évalués lors des deux premières rencontres dans le temps et la lecture courante lors de la troisième. Le modèle d’équation structurale a montré que la compréhension de la langue parlée, la lecture courante, et l'orientation vers la tâche contribuent séparément à la compréhension de la lecture, et qu'ils rendent compte conjointement de 76% de la variance en compréhension de la lecture. Nous avons trouvé une relation réciproque entre la compréhension de la langue parlée et l'orientation vers la tâche qui va de la maternelle à la 3eannée, ce qui élargit notre connaissance des déterminants longitudinaux de la compréhension de la lecture.

The theory of learning approaches has proven to be one of the most powerful theories explaining university students' learning. However, learning approaches are sensitive to the situation and the content of learning. Chemistry has its own specific features that should be considered when exploring chemistry students' learning habits, specifically the role of practicals (i.e.hands-on laboratory work), as they are crucial in chemistry education. Therefore, the aims of this study were to find and validate a questionnaire for measuring chemistry students' learning approaches. A 17-item questionnaire was tested with 561 Finnish chemistry students from four different universities. Students ranging from the first year bachelor level to the fifth year master level participated in the study. Statistical analyses showed that a four factor model fitted the data best and these factors were named submissive surface, technical surface, active deep, and practical deep. In order to establish validity, the model was further tested by analysis of the subgroups of the major subject and gender. The analyses show that the questionnaire is statistically valid and can be used for studying chemistry students' learning approaches.

In this two‐year longitudinal study, we sought to examine the developmental relationships among early narrative listening comprehension and language skills (i.e., vocabulary knowledge, sentence memory, and phonological awareness) and the roles of these factors in predicting narrative listening comprehension at the age of 6 years. We also sought to examine the role of inference‐making skills as longitudinal and concurrent predictors of other language skills and listening comprehension from the age of 4 to 6 years. One hundred thirty Finnish‐speaking children participated in the study. A theoretical model of the developmental relationships among the variables was proposed and the associations were analyzed by means of path analysis. Results showed that inference skills, assessed through picture‐book viewing, made a significant and unique contribution to variation in later narrative listening comprehension. Inference skills also played an indirect role in narrative listening comprehension by making a significant contribution to vocabulary knowledge even after controlling for earlier vocabulary knowledge and sentence memory. Although vocabulary knowledge and sentence memory were related to concurrent narrative listening comprehension, they did not predict later listening comprehension over and above the autoregressor. The results are discussed in terms of the predictive validity and diagnostic sensitivity of inference skills assessments in listening comprehension. Implications for research and theory are also discussed. 作者在这两年的纵向研究中,考查儿童早期叙述文聆听理解能力和语言技巧(即词汇知识、句子记忆及语音意识)之间的发展关系,以及这些语言技巧因子在预测六岁儿童的叙述文聆听理解能力方面所起的作用。作者亦考查推理技巧作为纵向性和同时存在性的预测因子,在预测四至六岁儿童的其他语言技巧及聆听理解能力方面所起的作用。130名说芬兰语的儿童参与这研究。本文提出一个有关这些变量的发展关系的理论模型,并使用路径分析方法来分析其变量之间的关联状况。研究结果显示,推理技巧(透过图画书观看的评估)能够对后期叙述文聆听理解能力的变差作出明显和独特的贡献。即使在对较早期的词汇知识和句子记忆进行控制之后,推理技巧仍然能在预测叙述文聆听理解能力方面起了间接作用。虽然词汇知识和句子记忆是与同时存在性的叙述文聆听理解能力有关联,但减除自回归因素后,却不能预测后期叙述文聆听理解能力。作者就推理技巧在聆听理解评估的效度与诊断敏感性方面,讨论这些研究结果及其对未来研究与理论发展之含义。 Dans cette étude longitudinale sur deux ans, nous avons cherché à examiner les relations qu'entretiennent dans le développement la compréhension précoce orale du récit et les compétences langagières (c'est‐à‐dire les connaissances lexicales, de mémoire de phrase, la conscience phonologique), ainsi que le rôle de ces facteurs pour prédire la compréhension orale du récit à l’âge de 6 ans. Nous avons également cherché à examiner le rôle de la compétence à faire des inférences en tant que prédicteur concomitant des autres compétences langagières et de la compréhension orale du récit entre 4 et 6 ans. Cent trente enfants parlant finnois ont participé à cette recherche. Nous avons proposé un modèle théorique des relations dans le développement entre ces variables, et leurs associations ont été examinées au moyen de pistes causales. Les résultats ont montré que les compétences inférentielles, évaluées en regardant un livre illustré, apportent une contribution significative et exclusive aux variations ultérieures de la compréhension orale du récit. Les compétences inférentielles jouent également un rôle indirect dans la compréhension orale du récit en apportant une contribution significative aux connaissances lexicales, même après que les connaissances lexicales antérieures et la mémoire de phrase aient été contrôlées. Quoique les connaissances lexicales et la mémoire de phrase soient liées à la compréhension orale concomitante du récit, elles ne prédisent pas aussi bien ou mieux la compréhension orale ultérieure que l'autorégression. La discussion des résultats porte sur la validité prédictive et la sensibilité diagnostique des évaluations des compétences inférentielles pour la compréhension orale. Elle porte également sur les implications en matière de recherche et de théorie. Это продолжительное двухлетнее исследование было посвящено взаимосвязи между умениями и навыками восприятия на слух среди детей младшего возраста и их языковыми навыками (знание слов, запоминание предложений и звукоразличение). Авторы проверяли, можно ли на основе этих факторов предсказать способность шестилетнего ребенка к восприятию устного текста. Также исследовалась способность детей делать выводы и то, насколько эта способность может служить индикатором (в данный момент и на будущее) других языковых навыков и умения понять услышанное в возрасте от 4 до 6 лет. В исследовании участвовали 130 детей, говорящих по‐фински. Была предложена теоретическая модель динамических отношений между указанными переменными и проанализированы взаимосвязи методом “анализа пути”. Результаты показали, что умение делать выводы, которое оценивалось через рассмотрение книг с картинками, вносит существенный, уникальный вклад в последующее становление навыков понимания устного повествования. Умение делать выводы также играет косвенную роль в слушании, так как способствует развитию лексического запаса в ходе слушания – уже после контрольного замера словарного запаса. Хотя знание лексики и запоминание предложений проверялись в связи с одновременным восприятием повествования на слух, результаты не давали возможность предсказать, что будет с пониманием за пределами авторегрессии. Обсуждается предиктивная валидность и диагностическая чувствительность полученных результатов и их значение для развития теории и дальнейших исследований.

Abstract: A latent variable structural model was constructed to test the relations among mothers’ and fathers’ parenting self-efficacy (PSE), their loneliness, and their child’s peer-evaluated social competence, self-evaluated loneliness, teacher-evaluated motivational orientation, and academic skills. In order to do this, first the Self-Efficacy for Parenting Tasks Index (Coleman & Karraker, 2000) was applied to a sample of mothers (n=876) and fathers (n=696) to test the relevance of these parenting task categories to Finnish mothers and fathers. The results of the latent variable structural model indicated a strong relationship between both mothers’ and fathers’ loneliness and their PSE, consisting of Nurturance, Discipline, Recreation, and Participation factors. Moreover, there was a modest relationship between parents’ PSE and their child’s social competence and consequently between social competence and child’s loneliness. The relationship between PSE and child’s academic achievement were mediated via child’s social competence.

To estimate the repeatability of refractive error measurement (REM) in a clinical environment in cataractous, pseudophakic and healthy eyes.

To estimate the random measurement error in visual acuity (VA) determination in the clinical environment in cataractous, pseudophakic and healthy eyes.The VAs of patients referred for cataract surgery or consultation by ophthalmic professionals were re-examined and the VA results for distance using projector acuity charts were compared. Refractive errors were also remeasured. A total of 99 eyes (41 cataractous, 36 pseudophakic and 22 healthy eyes) were examined. The healthy comparison group consisted of hospital staff. Only one eye of each person and eyes with Snellen VAs of 0.3–1.3 (logMAR 0.52 to − 0.11) were included. The mean time interval between the first and second examinations was 45 days.The estimated standard deviation of measurement error (SDME) of repeated VA measurements of all eyes was logMAR 0.06. Eyes with the lowest VA (0.3–0.45) had the largest variability (SDME logMAR 0.09), and eyes with VA ≥ 0.7 had the smallest (SDME logMAR 0.04). The variability may be partly explained by the line size progression in lower VAs, partly by the difference in the remeasurement of the refractive error. The difference in the average VA between examinations 1 and 2 (logMAR 0.15 versus 0.12) was considered to be of some interest because it indicates that some learning effect is possible.Visual acuity results in clinical settings have a certain degree of inherent variability. In this series variability ranged from SDME logMAR 0.04 (eyes with good vision) to logMAR 0.09 (in the lower vision group) in the Snellen VA range of 0.3–1.3. Changes should be judged with caution, especially in cases of decreased VA.

During collaborative learning, students tend to spontaneously enact different participatory roles that may significantly affect collaborative learning processes. Only few empirical studies to date have investigated groups as systems based on emerging roles and role profiles of the participating students, and how emerging role profile configurations affect achievement. This exploration of students' self-adopted roles investigated the relationship between role profile configurations and achievement. The statistically driven identification of role profiles was based on fine-grained observations of student groups' interactions in two distinct collaborative science-learning settings. While higher achieving groups typically exhibited versatile science-oriented role profile configurations, opinion-based configurations prevailed in lower achieving groups. Although role profiles with a social orientation were rare, a student with a distracting profile can have a significant influence on group work. Consolidated by in-depth case examples, the findings highlight the importance of understanding how collaborating groups' emergent role profiles dynamically interact during collaborative learning and how different role profile configurations relate to achievement.

Objective: To use intrapartum sonography as a tool to investigate the development of the persistent occiput posterior position during labor, as well as to identify parameters correlating with the outcome of labor.