School Librarians’ Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Predictor of Reading Scores?

Teacher self-efficacy, the belief teachers have that they can make a difference for their students or have a positive impact on their students’ academic careers, has been studied for years. Very little is known about teacher self-efficacy in school librarians, however. The following study examined the difference in school librarians’ teacher self-efficacy among those who worked in elementary, middle, and high schools. The study also attempted to determine if elementary school librarians’ self-efficacy could be a predictor of reading scores for the schools’ overall average rates on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessment. This quantitative study addressed the gaps in the literature by indicating that there is no difference in the levels of teacher self-efficacy among elementary, middle, and high school librarians, and found a weak but positive predictive relationship between the self-efficacy levels and the schools’ overall average pass rates on standardized testing. The researchers noted the need for an instrument designed strictly for measuring the self-efficacy of school librarians, based on the myriad tasks they perform beyond the teaching role

Brief Report: An evaluation of an Australian autism-specific, early intervention programme

There is a relative paucity of evidence examining the effectiveness of early intervention for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, in particular those delivered through educationally-based programmes. This study aimed to evaluate the real world effectiveness of a community-based autism-specific early learning and intervention programme in Australia. Children enrolled between February 2010 and May 2013 who had a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder was eligible to participate in the study. Fifty-nine children with a mean age of 3.98 years participated. Cognitive ability, language, autistic symptoms, and motor skills were assessed at baseline and follow up (12 months or at programme exit) using standardised measures. Pre- and post-measures were compared using paired sample t-tests. Significant improvements were found in receptive and expressive language, autism symptoms, and overall adaptive behaviour. No significant change was found in motor skills. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder attending the community-based programme had significant gains particularly in domains of cognition and language. Study limitations are discussed

Fournier gangrene with concurrent multifocal necrotizing fasciitis: a systematic review and case report

Purpose A patient presented to a regional surgical center with Fournier gangrene (FG) and concurrent multifocal necrotizing fasciitis (NF). Given the rarity, it was decided to undertake a systematic review to investigate the incidence and prevalence of FG with multifocal NF and consequently determine the treatment and approach to management of such presentation. Methods Firstly, the report of the 56-year-old male patient is discussed regarding his surgical management. Secondly, a systematic review was undertaken according to PRISMA guidelines using MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases. Searches used the following MeSH terms: (“fournier’s gangrene”) AND ((necrotising fasciitis) OR (necrotising soft tissue infection)). Once the search results were obtained, duplicate articles were removed. Titles, abstracts, and articles were reviewed by 2 authors. Results The search strategy using the 3 databases revealed a total of 402 studies. Fifty-seven studies were removed due to duplication. A total of 345 records were screened via title and abstract, of which 115 were excluded. Two hundred and thirty studies were reviewed for eligibility. A total of all 230 studies were excluded; 169 were excluded as they included the incorrect patient population (patients suffered from FG or NF, but not both collectively), 60 studies were excluded due to incorrect study designs, and 1 report occurred in the wrong setting. Conclusion This highlights that while being a relatively known, uncommon infection both FG and NF are well documented separately within the literature. However, FG with concurrent multifocal NF has not been documented within the literature

Socioeconomic Status and Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Data from the Women's Health Study

We prospectively examined whether socioeconomic status (SES) predicts incident type II diabetes (diabetes), a cardiovascular risk equivalent and burgeoning public health epidemic among women

Excavations at Catridge Farm, Lacock, Wiltshire.

This report describes the results of an excavation at the site of Catridge Farm, Lacock, Wiltshire, undertaken as part of the National Archaeological Identification Survey Pilot Project: West Wiltshire (A350 corridor), following an earthwork survey of settlement remains at the site. Overlying a medieval agricultural soil were the remains of an early postmedieval structure, probably a farm building, within which had been deposited a large dump of household refuse of 17th century date, including ceramics, glass vessels, metalwork, animal bone and charred plant remains. The report describes the excavated remains and the finds assemblages, including chemical analysis of the glass, and assesses the significance of the results in terms of our understanding of the settlement at Catridge and as a contribution to the archaeology of post-medieval rural households more generally

Effectiveness and Feasibility of the Early Start Denver Model Implemented in a Group-Based Community Childcare Setting

A recent study documented the efficacy of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) delivered in a 1:1 fashion. In the current study we investigated the effectiveness and feasibility of the ESDM in the context of a long-day care community service, with a child-staff ratio of 1:3. Outcomes of 27 preschoolers with ASD undergoing 15–25 h per week of ESDM over 12 months were compared to those of 30 peers with ASD undergoing a different intervention program delivered in a similar community long-day care service. Children in both groups made gains in cognitive, adaptive and social skills. Participants in the ESDM group showed significantly higher gains in developmental rate and receptive language.No Full Tex