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Using the ECLS-K:2011, a nationally representative dataset, we compared measures of behavioral engagement among students with four different learning profiles: students identified with learning disabilities, students identified as gifted, students identified as both gifted and having a learning disability (twice-exceptional; 2e), and general education students. Behavioral engagement focuses on conduct in class, participation in school-related activities, and interest in academic tasks. We detected differences in engagement among the four learner profiles, specifically when comparing students with disabilities to other profiles. When comparing students with disabilities and general education students to gifted and 2e students, the effect size was medium to large. The effect size between the gifted and 2e profiles was small, suggesting similar behavioral engagement. Because disabilities and giftedness can often "mask" each other, these findings suggest that recognizing how behavioral engagement manifests in each category can lead to more accurate identification of special-needs students for GT assessment.

This article emphasises the importance of water resources, which are vital to the sustenance of life. Water is essential for various reasons: for drinking, for personal hygiene, for cooking, for watering crops, for cleaning our homes etc. One can therefore conclude that, without this vital resource, there is no life. It is for this reason that God, giver of life, gave water as a gift – free – both to humanity and to the rest of creation, so that we may all achieve fullness of life. This article challenges the fact that, because of the insistence of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on the privatisation of water supplies where the poorest of the poor are unable to pay, these people are cut off from water supplies and are deprived of the right to the fullness of life. The author emphasises that there is no life without water, that water resources are a gift from the creator and should therefore be made accessible to all, rich and poor alike.

This annotated bibliography is the fifth in a series published in "Montessori Life," with the first review of articles published during the 10-year time span of 1996-2006 (Bagby, 2007); the second covering 2007-2009 (Bagby & Jones, 2010); the third, 2010-2013 (Bagby, Wells, Edmondson & Thompson, 2014); and the fourth, 2014--2017 (Bagby & Renbarger, 2018). As with the previous reviews, this edition includes articles published in non-Montessori professional periodicals that included information about Dr. Montessori and/or the Montessori Method. The authors have also included 10 articles published in 2016-2017 that were not annotated in the previous review.

Background: In the late stages of stellar core collapse just prior to core bounce, electron captures on medium-heavy nuclei drive deleptonization. Therefore, simulations require the use of accurate reaction rates. Nuclei with neutron number near N=50 above atomic number Z=28 play an important role. Rates presently used in astrophysical simulations rely primarily on a relatively simple single-state approximation. In order to improve the accuracy of the astrophysical simulations, experimental data are needed to test the electron-capture rates and to guide the development of better theoretical models and astrophysical simulations. Purpose: The purpose of the present work was to measure the Gamow-Teller transition strength from Kr86 to Br86, to derive the stellar electron-capture rates based on the extracted strengths, and to compare the derived rates with rates based on shell-model and quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) Gamow-Teller strengths calculations, as well as the single-state approximation. An additional purpose was to test the impact of using improved electron-capture rates on the late evolution of core-collapse supernovae. Method: The Gamow-Teller strengths from Kr86 were extracted from the Kr86(t,He3+γ) charge-exchange reaction at 115MeV/u. The electron-capture rates were calculated as a function of stellar density and temperature. Besides the case of Kr86, the electron-capture rates based on the QRPA calculations were calculated for 78 additional isotopes near N=50 above Z=28. The impact of using these rates instead of those based on the single-state approximation is studied in a spherically symmetrical simulation of core collapse just prior to bounce. Results: The derived electron-capture rates on Kr86 from the experimental Gamow-Teller strength distribution are much smaller than the rates estimated based on the single-state approximation. Rates based on Gamow-Teller strengths estimated in shell-model and QRPA calculations are more accurate. The core-collapse supernova simulation with electron-capture rates based on the QRPA calculations indicate a significant reduction in the deleptonization during the collapse phase. Conclusions: It is important to utilize microscopic theoretical models that are tested by experimental data to constrain and estimate Gamow-Teller strengths and derived electron-capture rates for nuclei near N=50 that are inputs for astrophysical simulations of core-collapse supernovae and their multimessenger signals, such as the emission of neutrinos and gravitational waves.

Background: In the late stages of stellar core collapse just prior to core bounce, electron captures on medium-heavy nuclei drive deleptonization. Therefore, simulations require the use of accurate reaction rates. Nuclei with neutron number near N=50 above atomic number Z=28 play an important role. Rates presently used in astrophysical simulations rely primarily on a relatively simple single-state approximation. In order to improve the accuracy of the astrophysical simulations, experimental data are needed to test the electron-capture rates and to guide the development of better theoretical models and astrophysical simulations. Purpose: The purpose of the present work was to measure the Gamow-Teller transition strength from Kr86 to Br86, to derive the stellar electron-capture rates based on the extracted strengths, and to compare the derived rates with rates based on shell-model and quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) Gamow-Teller strengths calculations, as well as the single-state approximation. An additional purpose was to test the impact of using improved electron-capture rates on the late evolution of core-collapse supernovae. Method: The Gamow-Teller strengths from Kr86 were extracted from the Kr86(t,He3+γ) charge-exchange reaction at 115MeV/u. The electron-capture rates were calculated as a function of stellar density and temperature. Besides the case of Kr86, the electron-capture rates based on the QRPA calculations were calculated for 78 additional isotopes near N=50 above Z=28. The impact of using these rates instead of those based on the single-state approximation is studied in a spherically symmetrical simulation of core collapse just prior to bounce. Results: The derived electron-capture rates on Kr86 from the experimental Gamow-Teller strength distribution are much smaller than the rates estimated based on the single-state approximation. Rates based on Gamow-Teller strengths estimated in shell-model and QRPA calculations are more accurate. The core-collapse supernova simulation with electron-capture rates based on the QRPA calculations indicate a significant reduction in the deleptonization during the collapse phase. Conclusions: It is important to utilize microscopic theoretical models that are tested by experimental data to constrain and estimate Gamow-Teller strengths and derived electron-capture rates for nuclei near N=50 that are inputs for astrophysical simulations of core-collapse supernovae and their multimessenger signals, such as the emission of neutrinos and gravitational waves.

The γ-ray tracking array GRETINA was coupled to the S800 magnetic spectrometer for spectroscopy with fast beams of rare isotopes at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory on the campus of Michigan State University. We describe the technical details of this powerful setup and report on GRETINA's performance achieved with source and in-beam measurements. The γ-ray multiplicity encountered in experiments with fast beams is usually low, allowing for a simplified and efficient treatment of the data in the γ-ray analysis in terms of Doppler reconstruction and spectral quality. The results reported in this work were obtained from GRETINA consisting of 8 detector modules hosting four high-purity germanium crystals each. Currently, GRETINA consists of 10 detector modules.

Long‐term sperm storage by females in various regions of the oviduct is documented across many invertebrate and vertebrate species. Although, many reports emphasize on the histology, histochemistry and ultrastructural features of sperm storage, very little is known about the mechanisms underlying the sperm storage. The current review documents the occurrence of sperm storage by females in a wide array of invertebrate and vertebrate species. This review also provides an insight on the presence of various molecular factors of the sperm storage tubules presumably responsible for the prolonged sperm storage with an emphasis on a model reptile, the Indian garden lizard, Calotes versicolor which contains a unique approximately 55‐kDa protein in its utero‐vaginal lavage and found to inhibit washed epididymal sperm motility in a concentration and time‐dependent manner in a reversible fashion. Research highlights: Current review summarizes the factors involved in sperm storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current lack of standardized testing methods to assess the binding isotherms of ions in cement and concrete research leads to uncontrolled variability in these results. In this study, an open-source and low-cost apparatus, named OpenHW3, is proposed to accurately measure the binding isotherms of ions in various cementitious material systems. OpenHW3 provides two main options, a temperature-controlled orbital shaker, as well as an option to retrofit a commercial orbital shaker for temperature control. The effectiveness of these device options is validated via comparison with conventional binding isotherms experiments. The binding isotherm results were comparable to conventional Waterbath shakers, while providing more reliable results compared to horizontal commercial shakers. It also provided accurate temperature control between 25 °C and 75 °C. The results here are critical for allowing open access to scientific equipment, and providing high-quality binding isotherm data for reliable service life models of urban infrastructure assets throughout the world.

Targeted gene therapy may revolutionize disease treatment by precisely treating genetic defects. This method targets particular cells or tissues with therapeutic genes to treat a variety of genetic problems, including cancer, hereditary diseases, and viral infections. Viral, nonviral, and genome editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 are used for targeted gene therapy to fix or modify disease-causing genes with minimal off-target effects. The issues of vector immunogenicity, off-target mutations, and gene delivery to target cells persist despite tremendous progress. The successful implementation of targeted gene therapy is further hindered by hereditary illness complexity and genetic background diversity. These difficulties require multidisciplinary cooperation, novel vector design, and thorough preclinical and clinical assessments. The long-term and unforeseen effects of gene editing must also be considered from an ethical viewpoint. Targeted gene therapy has considerable therapeutic promise, but more research and technological advances are needed to overcome limitations and develop safe and successful clinical treatments.