The Contribution of the Neonatal Midwife to the Care of the Very Low Birthweight (< 1.500 Grammes) Infant and His Parents

A prospective study which explored the experiences of twenty mothers who delivered very low birthweight infants. The nature and extent of the physical, emotional and social involvement of the mothers with their infants is described. The extent to which nursing care was sensitive to the individual needs of mother-infant dyads is discussed. In addition, preparation for discharge and the continuity of nursing care into the community is described

Challenging The Norm: Raising the Bar for Educators of Foster Youth

An increasing number of foster youth find themselves representing a vast majority of the most academically vulnerable population. The trauma and neglect experienced by foster youth is but one of many factors influencing educational achievement. The role of educators in foster youth educational attainment is critical. It requires teachers and school leaders to understand the complexities of trauma; to positively develop comprehensive knowledge of trauma-informed practices; and the ability to create a learning environment where foster youth feel supported in their educational journey

Developing Scholar Activists: The Role of the EdD

A qualitative descriptive approach was followed in the research, starting with a theoretical conceptualization of scholar activism within doctoral education as a basis for further inquiry. Seventeen doctoral candidates described how they conceptualized and applied the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate\u27s (CPED) Framework for the Emerging EdD Activist to their experiences in an online program. Study respondents gave accounts of growing confidence to engage in active, vocal advocacy, which they attributed to their new knowledge and understandings gained through participation in the program. However, for some mid-career students, increased vocal advocacy in the workplace was perceived as endangering career prospects. The data draw attention to the complexity of the professional learning process, calling into question the current input-output model of activism. Further research is necessary to develop a greater understanding of the relationship between a developing scholar-activist and the impact of the EdD and precisely how that can be measured. The findings from this study have implications for program developers and doctoral students wishing to become scholar-activists and agents of change

A Framework for Addressing Foster Care Trauma in the Public Education System: Perceptions and Implications

BACKGROUND It is estimated that approximately 90% of children in foster care have experienced a traumatic event, with nearly half reporting exposure to 4 or more types of traumatic events. Educators must remain alert to indicators suggesting a history of trauma and understand the difficulties foster youth may face regulating their emotions and behavior while in school. METHODS A framework for foster youth trauma in the public education system identifies the interplay between macro-level forces, such as federal and state policy, and school and teacher micro-level forces. RESULTS The framework highlights the inadequacy of educators in identifying the manifestations of trauma, specifically in foster youth, and how the current implemented policy leads to misinterpretation of the outward behavioral displays of trauma as other behavioral issues. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY Federal and state policies, school districts, teacher and principal practices, teacher and school administrator preparation programs must incorporate knowledge about trauma pervasiveness and the consequences of trauma on foster youth attitude and behavior in the classroom. CONCLUSION The framework guides change efforts toward improving school climate and culture through preparing school professionals to meet the diverse needs of foster youth and tackling those policies and behaviors that exclude foster youth from schooling

Personal tutoring: a recognition of ‘levelness’ in the support for undergraduates

The changing terrain of higher education in the UK, and particularly the greater diversity of the student body, has undoubtedly led to the need for universities to provide greater support, both from frontline teaching staff and in the provision of extra institutional services.&nbsp; Added to the mix are sectoral concerns for the wellbeing and welfare of the student.&nbsp; It is therefore unsurprising that we are seeing a renewed focus on, and interest in, personal tutoring.&nbsp; Taking a qualitative approach, we set out to explore the needs of undergraduate students, on an event management programme, in relation to personal tutoring.&nbsp; Outlined in this paper are the different senses of personal tutoring as student transition through their course.&nbsp

Does diet mediate associations of volume and bouts of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health indicators in adolescents?

Objective: Examine the mediating role of diet in the relationship between volume and duration of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health in adolescents. Methods: Adolescents (12-19 years) participating in the 2003/04 and 2005/06 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were examined. Cardiometabolic health indicators were body mass index z-scores (zBMI) (n 5 1,797) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) (n 5 812). An ActiGraph hip-worn accelerometer was used to derive total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration. Dietary intake was assessed using two 24-hour dietary recalls. Mediation analyses were conducted to examine five dietary mediators [total energy intake, discretionary foods, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), fruits and vegetables, and dietary quality] of the relationship between total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI and MetS. Results: Total sedentary time was inversely associated with zBMI (b 5 21.33; 95% CI 22.53 to 20.13) but attenuated after adjusting for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. No significant associations were observed between usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI or either sedentary measure with MetS. None of the five dietary variables mediated any of the relationships examined. Conclusions: Further studies are needed to explore associations of specific time periods (e.g., after school) and bout durations with both cardiometabolic health indicators and dietary behaviors

Mediating effects of dietary intake on associations of TV viewing, body mass index and metabolic syndrome in adolescents

Objective Evidence suggests that TV viewing is associated with body mass index (BMI) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adolescents. However, it is unclear whether dietary intake mediates these relationships. Methods A cross‐sectional analysis was conducted in adolescents (12–19 years) participating in the 2003–2006 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. BMI z scores (zBMI) (n  = 3,161) and MetS (n  = 1,379) were calculated using age‐ and sex‐specific criteria for adolescents. TV viewing (h/day) was measured via a self‐reported questionnaire, and dietary intake was assessed using two 24‐h recalls. Using the MacKinnon method, a series of mediation analyses were conducted examining five dietary mediators (total energy intake, fruit and vegetable intake, discretionary snacks, sugar‐sweetened beverages and diet quality) of the relationships between TV viewing and zBMI and MetS. Results Small positive relationships were observed between TV viewing and zBMI (β = 0.99, p  < 0.001) and TV viewing and MetS (OR = 1.18, p  = 0.046). No dietary element appeared to mediate the relationship between TV viewing and zBMI. However, sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption and fruit and vegetable intake partially mediated the relationship between TV viewing and MetS, explaining 8.7% and 4.1% of the relationship, respectively. Conclusions These findings highlight the complexity of the relationships between TV viewing, dietary intake and cardiometabolic health outcomes, and that TV viewing should remain a target for interventions

Rapid detection of person information in a naturalistic scene

A preferential-looking paradigm was used to investigate how gaze is distributed in naturalistic scenes. Two scenes were presented side by side: one contained a single person (person-present) and one did not (person-absent). Eye movements were recorded, the principal measures being the time spent looking at each region of the scenes, and the latency and location of the first fixation within each trial. We studied gaze patterns during free viewing, and also in a task requiring gender discrimination of the human figure depicted. Results indicated a strong bias towards looking to the person-present scene. This bias was present on the first fixation after image presentation, confirming previous findings of ultra-rapid processing of complex information. Faces attracted disproportionately many fixations, the preference emerging in the first fixation and becoming stronger in the following ones. These biases were exaggerated in the gender-discrimination task. A tendency to look at the object being fixated by the person in the scene was shown to be strongest at a slightly later point in the gaze sequence. We conclude that human bodies and faces are subject to special perceptual processing when presented as part of a naturalistic scene

Eye-movements reveal attention to social information in autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition in which children show reduced attention to social aspects of the environment. However in adults with ASD, evidence for social attentional deficits is equivocal. One problem is that many paradigms present social information in an unrealistic, isolated way. This study presented adults and adolescents, with and without ASD, with a complex social scene alongside another, non-social scene, and measured eye-movements during a 3-s viewing period. Analyses first identified viewing time to different regions and then investigated some more complex issues. These were: the location of the very first fixation in a trial (indicating attentional priority); the effect of a task instruction on scan paths; the extent to which gaze-following was evident; and the degree to which participants’ scan paths were influenced by the low-level properties of a scene. Results indicate a superficially normal attentional preference for social information in adults with ASD. However, more sensitive measures show that ASD does entail social attention problems across the lifespan, supporting accounts of the disorder which emphasise lifelong neurodevelopmental atypicalities. These subtle abnormalities may be sufficient to produce serious difficulties in real-life scenarios