An overview of the many types of studies that fall into the qualitative design genre is provided. Strategies that qualitative researchers use to establish the authors' studies as credible and trustworthy are listed and defined. So that readers will recognize the important contribution qualitative studies have made in the field of special education, a range of well-known and lesser known examples of qualitative research are reviewed. The quality indicators that are important in conducting and evaluating qualitative research are identified. Finally, as an example of the evidence that can be produced using qualitative methods, the authors provide a summary of how 3 studies have provided important information that can be used to inform policy and practice.

S This research examines the strategic reading processes of 8 bilingual Latina/o children who were identified as successful English readers. For comparative purposes, two smaller samples were included—3 monolingual Anglo students who were successful English readers and 3 bilingual Latina/o students who were less successful English readers. The major objective of this study was to explore the question of how bilingualism and biliteracy affect metacognition. Data were gathered using both unprompted and prompted think alouds, interviews, a measure of prior knowledge, and passage recalls. Preliminary analysis resulted in the identification of 22 distinct strategies organized into three broad groups (text‐initiated, reader‐initiated, and interactive). Three of the strategies were considered unique to the successful Latina/o readers: (a) they actively transferred information across languages, (b) they translated from one language to another but most often from Spanish to English, and (c) they openly accessed cognate vocabulary when they read, especially in their less dominant language. In addition, the successful Latina/o readers frequently encountered unknown vocabulary items whether reading English or Spanish text, but they were able to draw upon an array of strategic processes to determine the meanings of these words. The less successful Latina/o readers used fewer strategies and were often less effective in resolving comprehension difficulties in either language. They also frequently identified unknown vocabulary, but they differed substantially from the successful Latina/o readers in their ability to construct plausible interpretations of text. Because the successful Anglo readers rarely encountered unknown vocabulary and because they could access well‐developed networks of relevant prior knowledge, they were able to devote substantial cognitive resources to the act of comprehension. These readers seldom indicated the need to overtly monitor their reading comprehension. The data suggest that Latina/o students who are successful English readers possess a qualitatively unique fund of strategic reading knowledge. Esta investigacion examina los procesos estratégicos de lectura de ocho niñas/os latinas/os que fueron identificadas como lectoras exitosas de inglés. Por razones comparativas, se incluyeron dos muestras más pequeñas ‐ tres estudiantes angloamericanas/os que eran lectoras exitosas y tres estudiantes latinas/os que eran lectoras menos exitosas de inglés. El principal objetivo de este estudio fue explorar la cuestión acerca de cómo el bilingüismo y la alfabetización en dos lenguas afectan la metacognición. Los datos se recogieron usando ejercicios de pensar en voz alta dirigidos y no dirigidos, entrevistas, una medida de conocimiento previo y relatos de fragmentos. El análisis preliminar resultó en la identificacion de 22 estrategias diferentes organizadas en tres grandes grupos (iniciadas por el texto, iniciadas por el lector e interactivas). Tres de estas estrategias fueron consideradas exclusivas de...

Variola virus, the most virulent member of the genus Orthopoxvirus, specifically infects humans and has no other animal reservoir. Variola causes the contagious disease smallpox, which has a 30 -40% mortality rate. Conversely, the prototype orthopoxvirus, vaccinia, causes no disease in immunocompetent humans and was used in the global eradication of smallpox, which ended in 1977. However, the threat of smallpox persists because clandestine stockpiles of variola still exist. Although variola and vaccinia share remarkable DNA homology, the strict human tropism of variola suggests that its proteins are better suited than those of vaccinia to overcome the human immune response. Here, we demonstrate the functional advantage of a variola complement regulatory protein over that of its vaccinia homologue. Because authentic variola proteins are not available for study, we molecularly engineered and characterized the smallpox inhibitor of complement enzymes (SPICE), a homologue of a vaccinia virulence factor, vaccinia virus complement control protein (VCP). SPICE is nearly 100-fold more potent than VCP at inactivating human C3b and 6-fold more potent at inactivating C4b. SPICE is also more human complement-specific than is VCP. By inactivating complement components, SPICE serves to inhibit the formation of the C3͞C5 convertases necessary for complement-mediated viral clearance. SPICE provides the first evidence that variola proteins are particularly adept at overcoming human immunity, and the decreased function of VCP suggests one reason why the vaccinia virus vaccine was associated with relatively low mortality. Disabling SPICE may be therapeutically useful if smallpox reemerges.

S This research investigated the strategic literacy knowledge, abilities, and potential of five low‐literacy Latina/o students in middle school. Three of the students were bilingual in Spanish and English, and they received the majority of their instruction in a special education classroom. The remaining two students were selected from a bilingual at‐risk classroom and were Spanish dominant. Qualitative research methods were employed for this investigation. These included classroom observations, student and teacher interviews, thinkaloud data collection sessions, and the use of a formative experiment as part of the research design. The formative experiment consisted of eight cognitive strategy lessons, which were audiotaped and later analyzed to determine students' response to intensive cognitive strategy instruction. This instruction emphasized three strategies: resolving the meanings of unknown vocabulary items, asking questions, and making inferences. Students were also encouraged, as appropriate, to make use of their bilingual language abilities, such as searching for cognate vocabulary, translating, transferring information, and reflecting on text in either or both of their two languages. Culturally relevant and familiar text was used as the basis for all of the instruction. With instructional support, the participating students implemented the focal strategies that were emphasized during the formative experiment. For example, students in the special education classroom made use of the Spanish language in a number of ways that enhanced their comprehension, such as searching for cognate vocabulary and reflecting on text in Spanish. Students also produced extended discourse while reading culturally familiar text, and this extended discourse often formed the basis for accessing prior knowledge and making inferences. Implications of this research include rethinking instructional design and expectations concerning the learning of low‐literacy Latina/o students in middle school. ESTA INVESTIGACIÓN examinó el conocimiento, las habilidades y el potencial para la lectoescritura de 5 estudiantes latinos/as con desempeño bajo que concurrían a la escuela media. Tres de los estudiantes eran bilingües en español e inglés y recibieron la mayor parte de la enseñanza en una clase de educación especial. Los otros 2 estudiantes fueron seleccionados de una clase bilingüe de riesgo y su lengua dominante era el español. Para este estudio se usaron métodos de investigación cualitativa que incluían observaciones de aula, colección de datos de sesiones de pensar en voz alta y el uso de un experimento formativo como parte del diseño de investigación. El experimento formativo consistió en 8 lecciones de estrategias cognitivas que fueron grabadas en audio y más tarde analizadas para determinar la respuesta de los estudiantes a la enseñanza intensiva en estrategias cognitivas. Esta instrucción enfatizó tres estrategias: resolver los significados de palabras desconocidas, formular preguntas y hacer inferencias. También se alentó ...