Search

Social adaptive functioning is notably compromised and may be further impaired by aggressive behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the association between aggressive behavior and social adaptive skills in children with ASD and the contribution of aggressive behavior to social adaptive skills in a combined sample of children with and without ASD. Participants consisted of children, ages 8 to 15 years, with ASD (n = 52) and who were typically developing (n = 29). Results indicate that aggressive behavior is negatively associated with social adaptive skills in children with ASD and that it contributes to reduced social adaptive functioning above and beyond ASD diagnosis. Findings underscore the importance of considering the role of aggressive behavior when evaluating and promoting social functioning in children with ASD.

The release of ChatGPT marked the beginning of a new era of AI-assisted plagiarism that disrupts traditional assessment practices in ESL composition. In the face of this challenge, educators are left with little guidance in controlling AI-assisted plagiarism, especially when conventional methods fail to detect AI-generated texts. One approach to managing AI-assisted plagiarism is using fine-tuned AI classifiers, such as RoBERTa, to identify machine-generated texts; however, the reliability of this approach is yet to be established. To address the challenge of AI-assisted plagiarism in ESL contexts, the present cross-disciplinary descriptive study examined the potential of two RoBERTa-based classifiers to control AI-assisted plagiarism on a dataset of 240 human-written and ChatGPT-generated essays. Data analysis revealed that both platforms could identify AI-generated texts, but their detection accuracy was inconsistent across the dataset.

The L2 learning potentials of massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have been established in various studies; however, the fine-grained dynamics of digital game-based L2 learning are yet to be uncovered. A potential cause of this limitation is a limited understanding of the interconnected, situated, and dynamic nature of digital gaming as a context for L2 use and practice. To shed light on this underexplored research territory, the present study adopts a theoretical approach to conceptualizing digital gaming in MMOGs as a dynamic, multilayered context for L2 use and practice. Informed by multidisciplinary research on digital gaming, and framed in Activity Theory, this paper proposes a dynamic and ecological linguistic framework of digital gaming activities in MMOGs. The framework conceptualizes digital, game-based L2 practice as a dynamic process of drawing on available linguistic and semiotic resources to learn a game rules and manage gameplay. The paper also applies the framework as an analytical lens to an existing study to demonstrate its merit for current and future research and discusses it implications for future research and practice.

This commentary describes the transition to remote delivery of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who participates in a clinical trial during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of COVID-19 on children's anxiety and on the family functioning are discussed. Modifications to CBT necessitated by telehealth delivery were aimed at maximizing engagement of children and their parents while maintaining treatment fidelity and adhering to the research protocol. Treatment targets were updated to address new sources of anxiety and CBT exposure exercises were modified to accommodate the new reality of quarantine restrictions. If the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect treatment delivery it may require a widespread utilization of telehealth for treating anxiety in children with ASD.

A LIBS technique was used to investigate the antibacterial activity of calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaO NPs). CaO NPs were prepared using a Q-switched Nd: YAG pulsed laser with a fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm at different energies (400-600 mJ) and constant frequency (6 Hz). A calcium powder sample was prepared after being pressed into a disc with a diameter of 1 cm. Analyzing X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed the crystalline structure of CaO NPs, crystalline size was 30.99±2 and 34.20±2.2 nm for laser energy 500 and 600 mJ. (FE-SEM) to reveal the topography of produced CaO NPs, the results showed a homogenous compact and dense surface with the formation of CaO NPs like flakes, cubes, and tubes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has shown that the CaO NPs were nanoscale and had a coordinated surface structures. The results also revealed the stabilizing zeta potential of the prepared CaO NPs, average (ZP) -18.3±1.6 mV in 600 mJ and -8.8±2.3 mV for 500 mJ. Different laser energies used in preparing CaO NPs resulted in the varying killing of the number of bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Complete bacterial inhibition or cell growth inactivation was found when the laser energy prepared for the CaO NPs was 600 mJ.

In this paper, spectroscopic analysis (OES) for copper (Cu) plasma was achieved at atmospheric pressure. Q switched Nd: YAG pulsed laser with a fundamental wavelength (1064 nm), energy range (500-800) mJ, frequency (6 Hz), and laser pulses (10-30 pulses) was applied to induce copper plasma. Based on the spectroscopic analysis, plasma parameters like electron temperature (Te), electron density (ne), Debye length (λD), and plasma frequency (fp) have been calculated. The results demonstrated that the laser energy affects all plasma parameters, with an electron temperature (Te) range of (0.6820-0.8949) eV and electron number density (ne) range of (13.667-17.235)×1017 cm−3. Also, the image of the place of laser bombardment of copper (Cu) metal shows three diameters or circles, each circle bears a different color from the other. It can be described as a crater, and the interaction of the laser with copper metal is obvious by laser ablation, and here the effect of the increased energy of the laser appears during the spectroscopic diagnosis and the process of metal bombardment.

Irritability is an impairing problem in children with ASD that may be associated with other behavioral and emotional concerns. The Affective Reactivity Index (ARI) is a parent-rated measure of irritability widely used in children with mood disorders, however, its utility in children with ASD remains unclear. In this study, we examined ARI parent ratings in children with ASD and contributions of parent-rated anxiety and noncompliance to irritability measured by the ARI. Participants included 81 children with ASD, aged 8-16 years. Results suggest that both anxiety and noncompliance contribute to irritability, but that anxiety only contributes to irritability in the absence of noncompliance. Further, the ARI is likely to be a useful measure of irritability in children with ASD.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are reported to have greater levels of anger rumination than typically developing children. This study examined anger rumination in children with ASD in comparison to children with disruptive behavior disorder without ASD. We also tested if anger rumination is associated with aggression and the core ASD symptoms of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs). This study included three groups of children aged 8--16 years: 63 had ASD (ASD group), 79 had disruptive behavior disorder (DB group), and 40 healthy controls (HC). ASD and DB groups showed greater anger rumination relative to the HC group. Anger rumination was associated with RRBs in children with ASD, suggesting the link to core ASD symptoms.

Video/digital games have grown into a mainstream language-mediated activity that attracts millions of foreign language (FL) learners worldwide. While empirical studies have demonstrated that digital game-based interactions offer valuable opportunities for FL practice and learning (e.g., Sundqvist & Wikström, 2015), little is known about the specific dynamics of FL use that facilitate FL learning. The present exploratory case study examined three Arabic learners' game-based FL use when playing the Arabic simulation-management video game Baalty. The study was framed by an ecological approach to FL learning, and data were collected through gaming journals, interviews, observations, and think-aloud protocol. Findings revealed that a number of specific dynamics including engagement, active FL use, and embodied meaning motivated, promoted, and scaffolded FL practice in the course of gameplay. Pedagogical and research implications are discussed.

The release of ChatGPT has marked the dawn of a new information revolution that will transform how people communicate and make meaning. However, to date, little is known about the implications of ChatGPT for L2 composition instruction. To address this gap, the present study uses a systematic review design to synthesize available research on the educational potentials of ChatGPT as an instructional assistant, outline the implications of these potentials for L2 writing instruction, and discuss their practical applications. The findings, based on a meta-analysis of 42 research articles, demonstrate that ChatGPT can enhance L2 writing instruction by boosting learners’ motivation, automating instructional tasks, and offering instantaneous, personalized feedback to learners. These findings have important implications for harnessing the instructional potential of generative AI in L2 writing classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific and economic life flourished in Andalusia during the reign of Prince Abdul Rahman II. This development and economic prosperity affected all aspects of the life of the Andalusian people, and this was reflected in the intellectual and cultural aspects and the journey in seeking knowledge. The journey in seeking knowledge was one of the channels of communication between the East and the West, and the East remained the rich source from which Andalusians learned their sciences in various fields. Andalusian scientific trips have resulted in various types of precious writings in various fields of knowledge, in addition to the abundant knowledge that the traveler scholars have carried to different types of classifications. Al-Muhaddith Baqi bin Makhlid was at the forefront of these scholars who returned to Andalusia with many books in different colors of the chapters of science such as hadith, jurisprudence, history and translations. Bagi Ibn Mukhaled is also considered to have remained the founder of the school of hadith in Andalusia, after he was exposed to a great tribulation and affliction by the jurists of Andalusia, but he was able with his patience and dream to overcome it and get out of it safely.

This article describes how the literature on game-based foreign language (FL) learning has demonstrated that player-game interactions have a strong potential for FL learning. However, little is known about the fine-grained dynamics of these interactions, or how they could facilitate FL learning. To address this gap, the researcher conducted a pilot case study that examined the dynamics and activities that comprised gameplay in the interactions of 2 learners of Arabic as a foreign language in the simulation-management video game Baalty. Data collected through observations, thinkaloud protocol, gaming journals, gaming walkthroughs, and debriefing interview were analyzed using discourse analysis methods. An ecological approach to FL learning was used as a theoretical framework. Data analysis and interpretation demonstrated that participants interacted with the game to develop their gameplay trajectory, and to this end, they drew on and engaged with in-game FL discourses to inform experiential learning of gameplay.