Predicting Treatment Success in Child and Parent Therapy Among Families in Poverty

Behavior problems are prevalent in young children and those living in poverty are at increased risk for stable, high-intensity behavioral problems. Research has demonstrated that participation in child and parent therapy (CPT) programs significantly reduces problematic child behaviors while increasing positive behaviors. However, CPT programs, particularly those implemented with low-income populations, frequently report high rates of attrition (over 50%). Parental attributional style has shown some promise as a contributing factor to treatment attendance and termination in previous research. The authors examined if parental attributional style could predict treatment success in a CPT program, specifically targeting low-income urban children with behavior problems. A hierarchical logistic regression was used with a sample of 425 families to assess if parent- and child-referent attributions variables predicted treatment success over and above demographic variables and symptom severity. Parent-referent attributions, child-referent attributions, and child symptom severity were found to be significant predictors of treatment success. Results indicated that caregivers who viewed themselves as a contributing factor for their child\u27s behavior problems were significantly more likely to demonstrate treatment success. Alternatively, caregivers who viewed their child as more responsible for their own behavior problems were less likely to demonstrate treatment success. Additionally, more severe behavior problems were also predictive of treatment success. Clinical and research implications of these results are discussed

Screening for Significant Behavior Problems in Diverse Young Children Living in Poverty

The development and use of first line screening instruments is an essential first step in assessing behavior disorders in very young children. The Early Childhood Behavior Screen (ECBS) is a parent-report measure for behavior disorders and is normed on young children (1–5 years old) living in poverty. The current study presents psychometric support for the discriminative validity of the ECBS’s 10-item Challenging Behavior Scale (CBS) as a first-line screener for externalizing behavior problems for preschool aged-children in poverty. The study’s sample included 673 participants (M age years = 2.81; 63.2 % male; 65.8 % African American) that all met the federal definitional standard for living in poverty. A confirmatory factor analysis was run to provide support for the ECBS factor structure. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were used to test the CBS’s ability to distinguish between 428 clinic-referred children and 245 non-clinic-referred children. Results showed an acceptable fit model for the ECBS, providing further evidence of its construct validity. Optimal cut-scores by child age derived from the ROC curve analyses were provided with corresponding levels of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Sensitivity rates for cut scores ranged from 0.76 to 0.83 and specificity rates ranged from 0.88 to 0.95. Acceptable test–retest reliability and good internal consistency also was observed. The CBS quickly identifies young children from low-income, urban, diverse populations that may be at-risk for developing significant behavior disorders and should be considered by health care professionals who work with very young children

Early Pathways Therapy for Young Children in Poverty: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Early Pathways is a home-based, parent and child therapy program for the treatment of disruptive behaviors among young children living in poverty. In this study, 199 clinically referred children were randomly assigned to an immediate treatment (IT) or wait-list control (WL) conditions. Results indicated that parents in the IT condition reported significant improvements in their child’s disruptive and prosocial behaviors and increased nurturing and decreased use of corporal and verbal punishment by their parents compared to the WL families. Gains were maintained for children in both the IT and WL conditions at 3-month follow-up

Treatment Outcomes for At-Risk Young Children With Behavior Problems: Toward a New Definition of Success

This study examined the outcomes of Early Pathways (EP), an in-home parent–child therapy program with 447 at-risk children younger than 5 years of age who were referred for severe behavior and emotional problems, such as aggression, oppositional behavior, and separation anxiety. EP emphasized parent-directed training of child behavior strategies including psychoeducation regarding child development, child-led play, and cognitive-behavioral techniques. Outcomes were assessed using a unique 2-dimensional definition of treatment completion, which consisted of treatment duration and an assessment of reliable change for the primary outcome measure of child behavior problems. Results showed that the majority of children (63.4%) met or exceeded treatment completion. In addition, repeated-measures multivariate analyses of variance at pretest, posttest, and follow-up revealed increased child prosocial behaviors, reduced child behavior problems, improved caregiver nurturing, an increase in parents’ developmentally appropriate expectations of children, improved parent–child relationships, and a decrease in clinical diagnoses following treatment. This study offers guidance for developing effective early-intervention services for families in poverty to enhance outcomes for their young children. Along with its existing large-scale, community-based effectiveness studies, future research should establish additional statistical support including a randomized, waitlist control design of EP

Life history, ecology and stock assessment of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus of the United States Atlantic Coast - a review

The blue crab is found along the Atlantic coast of the United States from Maine to southern Florida. It is uncommon north of Cape Cod and is most abundant in the Chesapeake Bay where almost half of the United States commercial blue crab landings occur. The Chesapeake Bay has the largest semi-confined area for blue crab spawning, more nursery area and probably the best mix of environmental conditions for blue crab along the United States eastern coast. In addition, an intensive commercial fishery enables the Chesapeake Bay region to be the area of highest blue crab production. There are many basic similarities in the life history of the blue crab all along the Atlantic coast. Some differences do occur, however, in timing of some of the life processes, probably due to the different temperature regimes that exist along the coast.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/1093/thumbnail.jp

Urine-reinfusion natriuresis: Evidence for potent natriuretic factors in rat urine

Urine-reinfusion natriuresis: Evidence for potent natriuretic factors in rat urine. In awake rats the entire urine output was continuously reinfused i.v. Urine-reinfusion (UR) consistently led to the appearance, within one to two hours, of massive, sustained natriuresis and diuresis, suggesting the existence of potent natriuretic factors in the urine. At the time of maximal natriuresis, mean sodium excretion rate and urine flow rate were 25 and 15 times their respective values in control rats. This “urine-reinfusion natriuresis” could be demonstrated despite treatment with desoxycorticosterone acetate, blockage of prostaglandin synthesis by indomethacin or meclofenamate, reduction of plasma urea by pretreatment with a protein-free diet, or heating the urine to 100°C. The natriuresis was not prevented by the absence of vasopressin (in Brattleboro rats) and was augmented by vasopressin infusion. In the Brattleboro rats, a marked increase in (CH2O + CNa)/GFR with only a slight rise in CH2O/GFR during UR suggests inhibition of both proximal and distal tubular reabsorption. Renal blood flow and plasma flow increased markedly during UR with a lesser rise in GFR, consistent with post-glomerular vasodilatation. Thus, the phenomenon of urine-reinfusion natriuresis suggests the presence in rat urine of potent, heat-stable natriuretic factors, whose action is largely independent of changes in mineralocorticoids, prostaglandins, urea, or vasopressin. Renal vasodilatation, with decreased sodium reabsorption at both proximal and distal nephron sites, appears to play an important role in the natriuresis.Natriurèse au cours de la réinjection d'urine: Preuve de l'existence de facteurs natriurétique et diurétique puissants dans Purine de rat. La totalité du débit urinaire a été réinjectée en continu chez des rats éveillés. La réinfusion d'urine (UR) détermine l'apparition, dans un délai d'une à deux heures, d'une natriurèse et d'une diurèse massive ce qui suggère la présence, dans l'urine, de facteurs natriurétiques puissants. Au moment de la natriurèse maximale les débits de sodium et d'urine sont égaux à 25 et 15 fois leurs valeurs respectives chez les animaux contrôles. Cette natriurèse par réinfusion d'urine peut être obtenue malgré le traitment par l'acétate de désoxycorticostérone, le blocage de la synthèse des prostaglandines par l'indométhacine, la diminution de l'urée plasmatique au moyen d'un prétraitement consistant en une alimentation sans protéines ou le chauffage de l'urine à 100° C. La natriurèse n'est pas empêchée par l'absence de vasopressine (rat Brattleboro), elle est augmentée par l'administration de vasopressine. Chez le rat Brattleboro une augmentation importante de (CH2O + CNa)/GFR avec une augmentation non significative de CH2O/GFR au cours de l'UR suggère l'inhibition de la réabsorption tubulaire proximale et distale. Les débits sanguin et plasmatique rénaux augmentent de façon importante au cours de l'UR cependant que le débit de filtration glomérulaire augmente moins, ce qui est compatible avec une vasodilatation post glomérulaire. Ainsi le phénomène de la natriurèse consécutive à la réinfusion d'urine suggère la présence, dans l'urine, d'un facteur natriurétique puissant, thermostable donc l'action est pour une grande part indépendante des modifications des minéralocorticoïdes, des prostaglandines, de l'urée et de la vasopressine. La vasodilatation rénale, qui diminue la réabsorption de sodium à la fois dans les régions proximale et distale du néphron, semble jouer un rôle important dans la natriurèse

Modification Of The Devonshire Formula For The Thermal Accommodation Coefficient Of Helium On Tungsten

The thermal accommodation coefficients (a.c.) of 3He and of 4He on clean tungsten were calculated using the Devonshire formula for temperatures between 70 and 600°K using realistic Morse potential parameters. The calculated a.c. values for 3He and 4He and the calculated ratios of the 4He to 3He values are compared with experimental data. The agreement is satisfactory if allowance is made for the error in the transition probability calculation used in the Devonshire formula

Alignment Between Technology Acceptance And Instructional Design via Self-Efficacy

As organizations continue to implement new technology solutions, the need for both technology training and examining technology acceptance of new implementations are necessary to determine the success or failure of a project. Unfortunately, instructional design considerations generally do not address technology acceptance, and leading technology acceptance models only classify training as an external variable or facilitating condition, with limited consideration in prior research. In this paper, we examine potential integration points between instructional design theory and technology acceptance. Specifically, we examine prior research on self-efficacy, Kirkpatrick’s Model for Evaluating Training, Merrill’s Component Display Theory, and Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction