Ready or not: investigating an early years readiness program at a Victorian primary school

This research study investigated the impact of a two-year Foundation program on children’s social, emotional and academic readiness and their achievements at Sunny Bank Primary School (SBPS) in Melbourne’s northern suburbs in the City of Whittlesea. The study followed one cohort of children who commenced in the Early Years Readiness Program (EYRP) at SBPS in 2012 through to their completion of Year 1 in 2014. The participants in this study were the teachers, children and their parents in the EYRP at SBPS. The academic results in the form of AusVELS scores and end of year reports of the EYRP children were compared with those of their peers who were in the “normal Foundation” groups in 2012 and 2013, and their Grade 1 peers in 2014. The questions which guided this research were: Does the Early Years Readiness Program (EYRP) help the children to be more ready to learn? If so how? Does the Early Years Readiness Program (EYRP) help the children to strengthen their academic ability? If so how? Is there any difference between AusVELS results at the end of Year One for the children who participated in the EYRP and their peers who entered through the normal Foundation group? In order to respond to these questions, data were collected about the social, emotional and academic readiness and progress of the children who were participants in the study. The parents and teachers who participated in this research provided information about their responses to the program and its impact on the children through face to face interviews and focus groups. In addition, a range of documents were analysed to find out more about the impact of this program on children’s achievements. The results of this study indicated that, in spite of different weaknesses that EYRP children had in their social, emotional and academic readiness for starting school, this program has benefited the children, and helped them to improve and build their confidence, maturity and abilities in different areas such as social, emotional and academic skills, and their preparedness for the normal years of schooling

Defecatory urge increases cognitive control and intertemporal patience in healthy volunteers

Background: Past research has demonstrated that moderate urge to urinate improves inhibitory control, specifically among participants with higher behavioral inhibition sensitivity (BIS). The effect was absent when the urge exceeded intolerable level. The present research examines whether rectal distension-induced urge to defecate has similar effects. Methods: The moderate and high defecatory urge were induced by rectal distension in healthy volunteers (n=35), while they completed Stroop task and monetary delay discounting task. The difference of average reaction time between incongruent and congruent trials in the Stroop task (Stroop interference) and the preference for larger-later rewards in the delay discounting task were the primary outcomes. Key Results: Participants with high BIS (n=17) showed greater ability to inhibit their automatic response tendencies, as indexed by their Stroop interference, under moderate urge relative to no urge (128±41 ms vs. 202±37 ms, t64=2.07; p=0.021, Cohen’s d: 0.44), but not relative to high urge (154±45 ms, t64=1.20; p=0.12, Cohen’s d: 0.30). High BIS participants also showed a higher preference for larger-later reward in the delay discounting task under high (odds ratio = 1.51 [1.02–2.25], p=0.039) relative to no urge, but not relative to moderate urge (odds ratio = 1.02 [0.73–1.42], p = 0.91). In contrast, rectal distension did not influence performance on either of the tasks in participants with low BIS (n=18). Conclusions and inference: These findings may be interpreted as a ‘spill-over’ effect of inhibition of the urge to defecate to volitional cognitive control among healthy participants with high BIS

Comparative efficacy of hospital disinfectants against nosocomial infection pathogens

Background: Due to the increasing rate of hospital-acquired infections, it is essential to select appropriate disinfectant agents. In this study, the efficacy of hospital disinfectants against nosocomial infection pathogens was compared. Methods: High level disinfectants (Steranios 2, Deconex HLDPA, and Microzed Quatenol) were tested for their antibacterial effects by determining their minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 10673. Results: E. faecalis, as gram-positive bacterium, was more susceptible to high level disinfectants compared to gram-negative B.cepacia. The MIC = MBC values of 2 Steranios, Deconex HLDPA and Microzed Quatenol against E. faecalis and B.cepacia were 0.31, 9.77, 2.2 mg/L and 9.8, 78.13, 70.31 mg/L, respectively. Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, the most effective disinfectants against both E. faecalis and B.cepacia were Steranios 2, Microzed Quatenol, and Deconex HLDPA in order. Considering the importance of these bacterial strains in healthcare-associated infections, the use of these effective disinfectants is recommended in the hospitals. © 2020 The Author(s)

Comparative efficacy of hospital disinfectants against nosocomial infection pathogens

Background: Due to the increasing rate of hospital-acquired infections, it is essential to select appropriate disinfectant agents. In this study, the efficacy of hospital disinfectants against nosocomial infection pathogens was compared. Methods: High level disinfectants (Steranios 2, Deconex HLDPA, and Microzed Quatenol) were tested for their antibacterial effects by determining their minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 10673. Results: E. faecalis, as gram-positive bacterium, was more susceptible to high level disinfectants compared to gram-negative B.cepacia. The MIC = MBC values of 2 Steranios, Deconex HLDPA and Microzed Quatenol against E. faecalis and B.cepacia were 0.31, 9.77, 2.2 mg/L and 9.8, 78.13, 70.31 mg/L, respectively. Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, the most effective disinfectants against both E. faecalis and B.cepacia were Steranios 2, Microzed Quatenol, and Deconex HLDPA in order. Considering the importance of these bacterial strains in healthcare-associated infections, the use of these effective disinfectants is recommended in the hospitals. © 2020 The Author(s)

A single-center non-blinded randomized clinical trial to assess the safety and effectiveness of PhR160 spray in the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia

7-16COVID-19 is an emerging pandemic that caused a very widespread infection with more than 1000000 cases in Iran within a year. The main cause of mortality among patients with COVID-19 is pulmonary failure. In Iranian Traditional Medicine, essences have been used for curing pulmonary diseases. Pinen-Hydronoplacton-Ribonucleic acid (PHR) is an inhaler spray made of seven different plants, which all are used by humans and have desirable pharmacological features for treating pulmonary symptoms of COVID-19 patients. This study was conducted to assess the safety and effectiveness of PHR160 spray in improving pulmonary symptoms of COVID-19 patients. This was a single-centre, non-blinded randomized clinical trial with two parallel groups in two different wards of Baqiyatallah hospital, Tehran, Iran. Participants were 63 male patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia, divided into 2 groups of 32 in the intervention group and 31 in the control group. The intervention group received 5 days of PHR160 spray, 10 puffs each day, 300 micrograms in each puff in addition to the routine treatment. Oxygen saturation was measured by a pulse oximeter, every six hours and recorded daily. This study showed that administration of PhR 160 in patients of COVID-19 was safe, and it significantly increased the arterial oxygen saturation percentage in COVID-19 patients. In addition, it decreased hospitalization duration, dyspnea score, and cough score significantly in the patients. The statistical modelling test, with adjusting the age and respiratory rate for baseline and 4 days of the intervention, shows that the oxygen saturation percentage mean was significantly more in the intervention group by 5.14 units (p<0.001)

A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect

We conducted a preregistered multilaboratory project (k = 36; N = 3,531) to assess the size and robustness of ego-depletion effects using a novel replication method, termed the paradigmatic replication approach. Each laboratory implemented one of two procedures that was intended to manipulate self-control and tested performance on a subsequent measure of self-control. Confirmatory tests found a nonsignificant result (d = 0.06). Confirmatory Bayesian meta-analyses using an informed-prior hypothesis (δ = 0.30, SD = 0.15) found that the data were 4 times more likely under the null than the alternative hypothesis. Hence, preregistered analyses did not find evidence for a depletion effect. Exploratory analyses on the full sample (i.e., ignoring exclusion criteria) found a statistically significant effect (d = 0.08); Bayesian analyses showed that the data were about equally likely under the null and informed-prior hypotheses. Exploratory moderator tests suggested that the depletion effect was larger for participants who reported more fatigue but was not moderated by trait self-control, willpower beliefs, or action orientation.</p

A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect

We conducted a preregistered multilaboratory project (k = 36; N = 3,531) to assess the size and robustness of ego-depletion effects using a novel replication method, termed the paradigmatic replication approach. Each laboratory implemented one of two procedures that was intended to manipulate self-control and tested performance on a subsequent measure of self-control. Confirmatory tests found a nonsignificant result (d = 0.06). Confirmatory Bayesian meta-analyses using an informed-prior hypothesis (δ = 0.30, SD = 0.15) found that the data were 4 times more likely under the null than the alternative hypothesis. Hence, preregistered analyses did not find evidence for a depletion effect. Exploratory analyses on the full sample (i.e., ignoring exclusion criteria) found a statistically significant effect (d = 0.08); Bayesian analyses showed that the data were about equally likely under the null and informed-prior hypotheses. Exploratory moderator tests suggested that the depletion effect was larger for participants who reported more fatigue but was not moderated by trait self-control, willpower beliefs, or action orientation