AFRICAN AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR LEARNING, INSTRUCTIONAL, AND RELATIONAL EXPERIENCES

This study was conducted to examine African American adolescents’ perceptions of their learning, instructional, and relational experiences to provide additional insight into how to eliminate the achievement gap. Research investigating the pedagogical experiences of African American adolescents’ is limited. A review of the literature suggested that the theories of pedagogy, culture, and motivation might inform our understanding of their achievement. A multiple-case design and methodological triangulation procedures were used to collect data from a stratified purposive sample of 12 African American eighth-grade students from an urban school district. The sample consisted of four high, four average, and four low achievers. Students’ perceptions were assessed using (a) the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales; (b) semi-structured interview questions; and (c) questions related to focus group scenarios. Interpretational analysis was used to identify categories to describe students’ perceptions. Within-case analyses were used to document the students’ voices, and cross-case analyses were used to generate findings for high, average, and low achievement subgroups. The following major categories emerged: achievement goals, instructional preferences, academic press, affect-care and humor, and collaboration. The results of this study related to learning suggested that African American adolescents’ achievement goals (e.g., mastery or performance) are related to their achievement levels. High achievers had mastery goals; average achievers had mastery and performance goals; and low achievers were characterized by performance goals. All African American adolescents preferred communalism (group work) to promote understanding. The results of the study related to instruction suggested that high and average achievers perceived that their teachers communicated mastery goals in the classroom (e.g., goals focused on effort and understanding), and preferred instructional methods that promoted understanding. All high, average, and low- achieving students preferred diverse instructional methods. The results of the study suggested that high and average achievers perceived that their teachers pressed them to understand. The students also perceived that their teachers cared. High, average, and low achievers responded that humor, and collaboration were important. Additional research is needed with the low achievement subgroup to understand the attitude-achievement paradox they exhibited, and their preferred instructional and relational experiences. To capture the African American adolescents’ school experiences more effectively, the use of observations and student voice as methodologies is recommended

A randomized controlled trial of cognitive debiasing improves assessment and treatment selection for pediatric bipolar disorder.

This study examined the efficacy of a new cognitive debiasing intervention in reducing decision-making errors in the assessment of pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD)

Clinical Decision-Making and Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Clinical decision-making in mental health could greatly benefit from evidence-based decision tools, particularly in diagnosing challenging, high-stakes conditions such as pediatric bipolar disorder. The current literature indicates that clinicians are prone to a host of cognitive biases that impede optimal diagnostic and treatment decisions. These biases are especially salient in the assessment of bipolar illness. Bipolar disorder is frequently misdiagnosed, and recent evidence suggests that mental health professionals often overdiagnose bipolar in youths. Although actuarial approaches have taken root in the medical community to assess the likelihood of various conditions, the mental health field has not widely disseminated or implemented such strategies. In fact, little research has attempted to validate the clinical utility of actuarial assessment methods. This study examines the effectiveness of an actuarial approach in diagnosing pediatric bipolar disorder by comparing Bayesian estimates (i.e., actuarial approach) to the current gold standard in clinical assessment

Sex Trafficking Prevention Education for Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Promising Practices

The past two decades have seen a wealth of research devoted to the exploration of risk factors and negative outcomes associated with sex trafficking. There have been significant strides in raising awareness about the vulnerability of youth and the importance of sex trafficking prevention and intervention. However, our understanding of the prevalence and prevention of sex trafficking among youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is limited. This three-paper dissertation investigates contributing factors to the development and implementation of sex trafficking prevention education for youth with IDD. Paper 1 consisted of a systematic review of studies focused on the prevalence and prevention of interpersonal violence (i.e., dating violence, sexual violence, and sex trafficking) among youth with IDD. Paper 2 involved a qualitative exploration of service provider recommendations for developing or adapting sex trafficking prevention programming for youth with IDD. Paper 3 utilized social network analysis to examine organizational collaboration and coordination among service sectors relevant to the prevention of, and response to, sex trafficking among youth with IDD. Results from Paper 1 revealed that youth with IDD experience interpersonal violence at higher or similar rates to youth without IDD, though victimization prevalence and risk may depend on IDD diagnosis. While no studies described sex trafficking prevention for this population, sexual violence and dating violence prevention programs featured various topics (e.g., boundaries, safety) and methods for improving accessibility for youth with IDD. Findings from Paper 2 suggested that sex trafficking prevention education for youth with IDD should include several topics (e.g., consent, social rules/context for appropriate behavior), teaching approaches (e.g., co-facilitation), and accommodations (e.g., breaking down material into smaller tasks). Service providers noted that systems can improve how they respond to sex trafficking involving youth with IDD through professional training, cross-sector collaboration, and structured disclosure and referral processes. Results from Paper 3 indicated that organizations engaged the most in sharing information and resources, and the least in coordinating trainings. Communication frequency was significantly associated with coordination. This dissertation establishes promising practices for sex trafficking prevention for youth with IDD. Future research should involve this population in program development and evaluations.Doctor of Philosoph

Cognitive De-Biasing and the Assessment Of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Decades of research have demonstrated that relying solely on clinical judgment leaves one prone to a host of cognitive errors that compromise optimal decision-making. Clinical judgment appears to be particularly vulnerable to faulty heuristics and biases when assessing for pediatric bipolar disorder, as evidenced by staggering rates of misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis. Despite abundant evidence documenting the problems associated with clinical judgment, little research to date has explored the effectiveness of targeted interventions, or cognitive de-biasing strategies, for improving clinical judgment in mental health practice. The present project developed an intervention aimed at reducing cognitive-based error in the assessment of pediatric bipolar disorder. The study design was a randomized controlled trial and participants were mental health professionals (N = 79) with experience treating pediatric populations. The treatment and control groups responded to similar case vignettes and primary outcome measures were clinicians' diagnoses and treatment decisions. Unlike participants in the control group, participants in the treatment group received the cognitive de-biasing intervention and evidenced greater overall judgment accuracy, p<.0005. Participants in the treatment group also committed significantly fewer decision-making errors, p<.0005. Study findings can significantly advance the mental health field as improving clinical judgment, especially in cases of complicated diagnoses such as pediatric bipolar, are scientific and clinical priorities.Doctor of Philosoph

Logging Concessions Enable Illegal Logging Crisis in the Peruvian Amazon

The Peruvian Amazon is an important arena in global efforts to promote sustainable logging in the tropics. Despite recent efforts to achieve sustainability, such as provisions in the US–Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, illegal logging continues to plague the region. We present evidence that Peru\u27s legal logging concession system is enabling the widespread illegal logging via the regulatory documents designed to ensure sustainable logging. Analyzing official government data, we found that 68.3% of all concessions supervised by authorities were suspected of major violations. Of the 609 total concessions, nearly 30% have been cancelled for violations and we expect this percentage to increase as investigations continue. Moreover, the nature of the violations indicate that the permits associated with legal concessions are used to harvest trees in unauthorized areas, thus threatening all forested areas. Many of the violations pertain to the illegal extraction of CITES-listed timber species outside authorized areas. These findings highlight the need for additional reforms

Cannabis Vapor Exposure Alters Neural Circuit Oscillatory Activity in a Neurodevelopmental Model of Schizophrenia: Exploring the Differential Impact of Cannabis Constituents

Cannabis use is highly prevalent in patients with schizophrenia and worsens the course of the disorder. To understand how exposure to cannabis changes schizophrenia-related oscillatory disruptions, we investigated the impact of administering cannabis vapor containing either Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or balanced THC/cannabidiol (CBD) on oscillatory activity in the neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion (NVHL) rat model of schizophrenia. Male Sprague Dawley rats underwent lesion or sham surgeries on postnatal day 7. In adulthood, electrodes were implanted targeting the cingulate cortex (Cg), the prelimbic cortex (PrLC), the hippocampus (HIP), and the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Local field potential recordings were obtained after rats were administered either the THC-only cannabis vapor (8-18% THC/0% CBD) or the Balanced THC:CBD cannabis vapor (4-11% THC/8.5-15.5% CBD) in a cross-over design with a 2-week wash-out period between exposures. Compared to controls, NVHL rats had reduced baseline gamma power in the Cg, HIP, and NAc, and reduced HIP-Cg high-gamma coherence. THC-only vapor exposure broadly suppressed oscillatory power and coherence, even beyond the baseline reductions observed in NHVL rats. Balanced THC:CBD vapor, however, did not suppress oscillatory power and coherence, and in some instances enhanced power. For NVHL rats, THC-only vapor normalized the baseline HIP-Cg high-gamma coherence deficits. NHVL rats demonstrated a 20 ms delay in HIP theta to high-gamma phase coupling, which was not apparent in the PrLC and NAc after both exposures. In conclusion, cannabis vapor exposure has varying impacts on oscillatory activity in NVHL rats, and the relative composition of naturally occurring cannabinoids may contribute to this variability

Systematic review of clinical practice guidelines to identify recommendations for sleep in type 2 diabetes mellitus management

Introduction Sleep quality, quantity and timing have been shown to impact glycaemic control, with a role in insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance and HbA1C levels, in both diabetic and non-diabetic populations. The aim of this study was to identify recommendations for sleep assessment and management in international clinical practice guidelines focused on type 2 diabetes mellitus management in adults. Study design: Systematic Review. Methodology Clinical practice guidelines which focused on the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults were included (n = 35). Two independent reviewers utilised the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation tool (AGREE) II and a third reviewer resolved any disagreements. Included guidelines were assessed for recommendations about sleep in diabetes management (n = 14). Data were extracted on sleep recommendations ,themes were generated from the extracted data and narrative syntheses were created. Results From 1114 identified papers, 35 guidelines met the inclusion criteria. Fourteen of these guidelines included recommendations pertaining to sleep, which broadly fell into five categories; sleep assessment, sleep as a therapeutic target, sleep and co-morbidities of type 2 diabetes mellitus, shift work and sleep and driving. Recommendations varied across guidelines. Conclusion Few guidelines provided recommendations relating to assessment and management of sleep in type 2 diabetes care. Most of the recommendations were related to obstructive sleep apnoea. However, few guidelines discussed sleep as a therapeutic intervention for diabetes mellitus or described the potential importance of sleep quality and duration in glycaemic control

Caregiver Strategies for Communication in Children with Autism in Spanish-Speaking, Developing Countries

The literature review provides current and relevant information for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who service families with a child with autism (CWA) in Spanish-speaking, developing (SSD) countries. This review gives an overview of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as it relates to language and language development and SLP scope of practice in the U.S. as it relates to ASD. Applicable evidenced-based strategies will be given to help SLPs provide family education to increase functional communication with their CWA. To be sensitive to cultural differences in SSD countries, interaction styles and customs will be defined and interviews from families and SLPs in SSD countries will be conducted. After synthesizing the current evidenced-based strategies and cultural norms for families in SSD, clinical implications will be outlined