Tεστ Eπικοινωνιακής Aνάπτυξης (ΤΕΑ) - Κλίμακες για την πρώιμη εκτίμηση της επικοινωνιακής και γλωσσικής ανάπτυξης παιδιών ηλικίας 8-30 μηνών: Πιλοτικά δεδομένα και βασικές ψυχομετρικές ιδιότητες

Η πρώιμη εκτίμηση της επικοινωνιακής και γλωσσικής ανάπτυξης των παιδιών με στόχο τον έγκαιρο εντοπισμό και την πρόληψη τυχόν καθυστέρησης ή διαταραχών αποτελεί σημαντική ανάγκη της κλινικής και εκπαιδευτικής πρακτικής. Στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η πιλοτική διερεύνηση βασικών ψυχομετρικών ιδιοτήτων του Τεστ Επικοινωνιακής Ανάπτυξης (ΤΕΑ), ενός νέου ερωτηματολογίου γονέων για την πρώιμη εκτίμηση του επικοινωνιακού/γλωσσικού επιπέδου παιδιών ηλικίας 8 έως 30 μηνών, το οποίο αναπτύχθηκε και βρίσκεται υπό στάθμιση στη χώρα μας. Παρουσιάζονται οι κλίμακες και υποκλίμακες του ΤΕΑ, καθώς και η μεθοδολογία που ακολουθήθηκε για την ανάπτυξή τους και τη διερεύνηση της εγκυρότητάς τους. Επίσης, παρατίθενται στοιχεία για τους τομείς επικοινωνιακής/γλωσσικής ανάπτυξης που καλύπτει το ΤΕΑ: προλεκτική επικοινωνία, κατανόηση της γλώσσας, εκφραστικό λεξιλόγιο, μορφολογία και σύνταξη. Mε βάση πιλοτικά δεδομένα που αφορούσαν ένα δείγμα 354 παιδιών, διερευνάται η ευαισθησία των ερωτήσεων (αναπτυξιακών δεικτών) που περιλαμβάνει το ΤΕΑ, η αξιοπιστία εσωτερικής συνοχής, καθώς και η συγκλίνουσα και αποκλίνουσα εγκυρότητα για καθεμία από τις κλίμακες και υποκλίμακές του. Τα πρώτα ευρήματα στο σύνολό τους προσφέρουν σημαντικές ενδείξεις για την λειτουργικότητα του νέου αυτού ψυχομετρικού εργαλείου ως μέσου για την πρώιμη εκτίμηση του επικοινωνιακού/γλωσσικού επιπέδου μικρών παιδιών.Early language development constitutes an important milestone and a useful indicator of children’s overall development. Based on empirical evidence, early expressive language delay, in certain cases, is linked with subsequent persistent language delays or developmental disorders. The early identification of children at risk for language deficits and their inclusion in adequate intervention programmes can prevent or alleviate the impact that these disorders may have on children’s academic progress or in their overall psychosocial development. Thus, the early systematic screening of language and communication in infants and toddlers reserves particular attention in terms of the clinical and educational practice. The aim of the current empirical work is to explore the basic psychometric properties of TEA (Tεστ Επικοινωνιακής Ανάπτυξης / Communicative Development Test), a new parent-report tool which was developed for the early screening of communicative and language development in Greek-speaking infants and toddlers. Following a detailed description of TEA's scales and sub-scales, the results of a pilot study based on a nationally-driven sample are presented. More specifically, data from 354 healthy children growing in Greek-speaking families and covering the entire developmental span between 8 to 30 months of age were collected. Detailed analyses indicate the sensitivity of the items included and the high internal consistency of the two major scales of TEA ("Preverbal behaviours" and "Verbal behaviours") and their sub-scales, namely: vocal and non-vocal preverbal communication, language comprehension, productive vocabulary, morphology and syntax. Additionally, evidence concerning their high convergent and divergent validity is provided. Results also illustrate the developmental patterns of all the dimensions of communicative / linguistic development contemplated, as well as the high and significant correlations among these dimensions of (pre)linguistic knowledge. Overall, results of this exploratory administration of TEA provide preliminary evidence on the functionality of this new psychometric tool, and suggest that it may be proved a critical measure of young children’s communicative and linguistic development with regard to future use for educational, clinical and/or research purposes

Final report - An Evaluation of the Boogie Mites Early Years Music Education Programmes in respect of parents and practitioners. Commission by Boogie Mites UK Ltd.

A research project was commissioned to evaluate the benefits of Boogie Mites Early Years Music Education Programmes. The aims of this project were to understand how participation in music making programmes can support children’s development in the prime areas of Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (DfE, 2010); these being communication and language, personal social, emotional development and physical development. It also sought to investigate parental and practitioner perceptions of the programmes. This report presents the findings from three Boogie Mites programmes: Babies, Minis, and School Ready. It was designed in three phases. During phase one, data was gathered from focus groups with parents, telephone interviews with parents and practitioners about their experiences as they happened during participation in such programmes and retrospectively after the programmes had finished. During phase two, parental feedback forms and practitioners’ evaluation forms were explored which allowed a critical synthesis of practices and behaviours before and after the programmes. These forms enabled comparisons between and within the groups. Finally, the third phase of the project explored key stakeholders’ views on the programmes through analysis of existing feedback forms. This allowed the project to gain a holistic overview of the Boogie Mites programmes. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, the authors show evidence of how Boogie Mites Music Programmes can encourage development and increase parental and children’s confidence in the use of music at home and in the settings

Investigating undergraduate students' transitions within one institution of higher education

The thesis explores the potentially problematic nature of transitions and the implications for the way students engage with (and disengage from) the process of learning. Although studies in the field of student experience, learning approaches and transitions have examined the relation between learning and contextual factors, there has not been an in-depth examination of the ways students cope with the changes at personal and academic level they are confronted with at university. This study draws initially upon the theories of Lave & Wenger to develop a theoretical model for conceptualising students' experiences of learning at university. The study is therefore able to provide additional insights into the way individual identity; institutional communities and the interaction between the personal and the social elements can play a role in students' experiences of their transitions to and in university. This is developed with a very specific focus on transitions from first to second year study at university. In order to explore the nature and range of transitions that students experience, the methodological design of the study is based upon a qualitative methodology including classroom observations, semi-structured interviews of nine undergraduate students along with non-participant observation of two modules within one pre-1992 HE institution. The data are analysed to explore the research participants' perceptions, meanings and practices as these are negotiated and enacted in the various communities before and after their transition to and within university. The research findings suggest that the process of transitions involves a rich interplay between roles, relationships and participation. As students strive to develop higher order skills and become part of their communities, they seem to be confronted with changes in perceptions, positions and attitudes. These changes can be seen as deriving from the interactions between students and their institutional and wider communities. In essence, therefore, the thesis offers a model for understanding students' transitions to and within university. This model suggests that underpinning students' experiences at university are a range of transitions within various communities that influence the way identities, knowledge, and practices are constructed

Metabolic control of hyaluronan synthases

Hyaluronan (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan composed by repeating units of D-glucuronic acid (GlcUA) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) that is ubiquitously present in the extracellular matrix (ECM) where it has a critical role in the physiology and pathology of several mammalian tissues. HA represents a perfect environment in which cells can migrate and proliferate. Moreover, several receptors can interact with HA at cellular level triggering multiple signal transduction responses. The control of the HA synthesis is therefore critical in ECM assembly and cell biology; in this review we address the metabolic regulation of HA synthesis. In contrast with other glycosaminoglycans, which are synthesized in the Golgi apparatus, HA is produced at the plasma membrane by HA synthases (HAS1-3), which use cytoplasmic UDP-glucuronic acid and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine as substrates. UDP-GlcUA and UDP-hexosamine availability is critical for the synthesis of GAGs, which is an energy consuming process. AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is considered a sensor of the energy status of the cell and is activated by low ATP:AMP ratio, leads to the inhibition of HA secretion by HAS2 phosphorylation at threonine 110. However, the most general sensor of cellular nutritional status is the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway that brings to the formation of UDP-GlcNAc and intracellular protein glycosylation by O-linked attachment of the monosaccharide \u3b2-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAcylation) to specific aminoacid residues. Such highly dynamic and ubiquitous protein modification affects serine 221 residue of HAS2 that lead to a dramatic stabilization of the enzyme in the membranes

Effects of Hyaluronan on Breast Cancer Aggressiveness

Simple summary: Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm in women. Although the primary tumor does not appear in a vital organ, lethality is due to the ability of tumor cells to invade and seed distant organs, causing metastases. Approaches to reduce breast cancer cell aggressiveness target hormone receptors that sustain cell growth and motility. However, other factors contribute to aberrant cell behaviors in cancer cells, and nowadays, the role of the environment surrounding cancer cells is evident. The extracellular matrix polysaccharide hyaluronan is a ubiquitous component of the tumor microenvironment that not only modulates cell growth and movement but also plays a critical role in modulating the inflammatory response. In this review, we discuss the role of hyaluronan in relation to the expression of critical hormone receptors. The expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in breast cancer cells is critical for determining tumor aggressiveness and targeting therapies. The presence of such receptors allows for the use of antagonists that effectively reduce breast cancer growth and dissemination. However, the absence of such receptors in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) reduces the possibility of targeted therapy, making these tumors very aggressive with a poor outcome. Cancers are not solely composed of tumor cells, but also include several types of infiltrating cells, such as fibroblasts, macrophages, and other immune cells that have critical functions in regulating cancer cell behaviors. In addition to these cells, the extracellular matrix (ECM) has become an important player in many aspects of breast cancer biology, including cell growth, motility, metabolism, and chemoresistance. Hyaluronan (HA) is a key ECM component that promotes cell proliferation and migration in several malignancies. Notably, HA accumulation in the tumor stroma is a negative prognostic factor in breast cancer. HA metabolism depends on the fine balance between HA synthesis by HA synthases and degradation yielded by hyaluronidases. All the different cell types present in the tumor can release HA in the ECM, and in this review, we will describe the role of HA and HA metabolism in different breast cancer subtypes