Temperamental Constellations and School Readiness: A MultiVariate Approach

This study uses canonical correlation analyses to explore the relationship between mul- tiple predictors of school readiness (i.e., academic readiness, social readiness, and teacher-child relationship) and multiple temperamental traits using data from the second wave (age 54 months, n = 1226) of the longitudinal Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD; NICHD ECCRN 1993). This longitudinal study collected data on a large cohort of children and their families from birth through age 15. For academic readiness, only one temperamental constellation emerged, representing the construct of effortful control (i.e., high attentional focusing, high inhibitory con- trol). For peer interactions, two significant constellations emerged: “dysregulated” (low inhibitory control, low shyness, and high activity), and “withdrawn” (high shyness, low inhibitory control, low attentional focusing). Finally, the analyses exploring child-teacher relationships revealed two significant constellations: “highly surgent” (high activity, low inhibitory control, low shyness) and “emotionally controlled” (low anger/frustration and high inhibitory control). Results of this study form a more nuanced exploration of relationships between temperamental traits and indicators of school readiness than can be found in the extant literature, and will provide the groundwork for future research to test specific hypotheses related to the effect temperamental constellations have on children’s school readiness

Explorations, Vol. 5, No. 2

Articles include: Cover: Brian McLain of New Harbor, measuring a V-notched lobster; slide taken by Robert C. Bayer, University of Maine Professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. April is Aquaculture Month Guest Editorial, by Kathleen Lignell Hospital Project Teams: Gaining Cooperation, by Mary Beth Pinto The Maine Lobster Institute: Science and Industry Working Together, by Susan White The Theory of Common Property Resources: Scientific Law or Myth? by James M. Acheson What do Seedless Watermelons and Triploid Oysters have in Common? by Mary Lee Technology and the Competitive Edge, by John Field and Eric Beenfeldt Growing our State Tree Faster: Fertilizing White Pine, by Robert Shepard and M.W. Blumenstoc

Risk Factors for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Women Under Age 45

Little is known about the etiologic profile of triple-negative breast cancer (negative for estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor/human epidermal growth factor), a breast cancer subtype associated with high mortality and inadequate therapeutic options. We undertook this study to assess the risk for triple-negative breast cancer among women 45 years of age and younger in relation to demographic/lifestyle factors, reproductive history, and oral contraceptive use. Study participants were ascertained in two previous population-based, case-control studies. Eligible cases included all primary invasive breast cancers among women ages 20 to 45 years in the Seattle-Puget Sound area, diagnosed between January 1983 and December 1992, for whom complete data was obtained for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor status (n = 897; including n = 187 triple-negative breast cancer cases). Controls were age matched and ascertained via random digit dialing. Oral contraceptive use >/=1 year was associated with a 2.5-fold increased risk for triple-negative breast cancer (95% confidence interval, 1.4-4.3) and no significantly increased risk for non-triple-negative breast cancer (Pheterogeneity = 0.008). Furthermore, the risk among oral contraceptive users conferred by longer oral contraceptive duration and by more recent use was significantly greater for triple-negative breast cancer than non-triple-negative breast cancer (Pheterogeneity = 0.02 and 0.01, respectively). Among women /=1 year was 4.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.9-9.3), whereas there was no significantly increased risk with oral contraceptive use for non-triple-negative breast cancer among women </=40 years, nor for triple-negative breast cancer or non-triple-negative breast cancer among women 41 to 45 years of age. In conclusion, significant heterogeneity exists for the association of oral contraceptive use and breast cancer risk between triple-negative breast cancer and non-triple-negative breast cancer among young women, lending support to a distinct etiology

2018 Top Trends in Academic Libraries

Every other year, the ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee produces a document on top trends in higher education as they relate to academic librarianship. Topics in this edition of ACRL Top Trends will be familiar to some readers who will hopefully learn of new materials to expand their knowledge. Other readers will be made aware of trends that are outside of their experience. This is the nature of trends in our current technological and educational environments: change is continual, but it affects different libraries at different rates. The 2018 top trends share several overarching themes, including the impact of market forces, technology, and the political environment on libraries

Fragmentary Blue: Resolving the Rarity Paradox in Flower Colors

Blue is a favored color of many humans. While blue skies and oceans are a common visual experience, this color is less frequently observed in flowers. We first review how blue has been important in human culture, and thus how our perception of blue has likely influenced the way of scientifically evaluating signals produced in nature, including approaches as disparate as Goethe’s Farbenlehre, Linneaus’ plant taxonomy, and current studies of plant-pollinator networks. We discuss the fact that most animals, however, have different vision to humans; for example, bee pollinators have trichromatic vision based on UV-, Blue-, and Green-sensitive photoreceptors with innate preferences for predominantly short-wavelength reflecting colors, including what we perceive as blue. The subsequent evolution of blue flowers may be driven by increased competition for pollinators, both because of a harsher environment (as at high altitude) or from high diversity and density of flowering plants (as in nutrient-rich meadows). The adaptive value of blue flowers should also be reinforced by nutrient richness or other factors, abiotic and biotic, that may reduce extra costs of blue-pigments synthesis. We thus provide new perspectives emphasizing that, while humans view blue as a less frequently evolved color in nature, to understand signaling, it is essential to employ models of biologically relevant observers. By doing so, we conclude that short wavelength reflecting blue flowers are indeed frequent in nature when considering the color vision and preferences of bees.publishedVersio

One Size Does Not Fit All: Discharge Teaching and Child Challenging Behaviors

This study compares quality of discharge teaching and care coordination for parents of children with challenging behaviors participating in a nursing implementation project, which used an interactive iPad application, to usual discharge care. Unlike parents in the larger quasi-experimental longitudinal project, parents of children with challenging behaviors receiving the discharge teaching application (n = 14) reported lower mean scores on the quality of discharge teaching scale–delivery subscale (M = 8.2, SD = 3.1) than parents receiving usual care (n = 11) (M = 9.6, SD = 4.7) and lower scores on the Care Transition Measure (M = 2.44, SD = 1.09) than parents receiving usual care (M = 3.02, SD = 0.37), with moderate to large effects (0.554–0.775). The discharge teaching approach was less effective with this subset, suggesting other approaches might be considered for this group of parents. Further study with a larger sample specific to parents of children with challenging behaviors is needed to assess their unique needs and to optimize their discharge experience

Planning for Project ECHO in New Hampshire

Assuring a healthy New Hampshire requires making sure that all of the state’s residents can get the right care in the right place at the right time. Yet, access to timely, effective health care is not always a given in our state, especially for vulnerable populations. Health and community care workforce shortages, long distances to care, and social, economic, and cultural barriers make accessing care challenging for many. The Project ECHO Model™ is an evidence-based method using web-based teleconferencing to link specialist teams with community-based sites to help community providers improve their ability to manage complex conditions. It has been proven to improve health care outcomes for vulnerable populations with limited access to care because of socioeconomic factors or geography. The New Hampshire Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Planning for Implementation and Business Sustainability Project (Planning for Project ECHO in NH) undertook a planning process to inform how to best to develop Project ECHO at UNH to serve New Hampshire health and community care providers and ultimately improve access to effective, timely care. Planning for Project ECHO in NH also developed a business and sustainability plan for long-term success of the UNH Project ECHO Hub and an evaluation plan for measuring efficacy. Planning for Project ECHO in NH included: A Project ECHO Needs Assessment and Prioritization Process, including review of existing needs assessments in the field; a stakeholder survey of health and community care providers conducted by the New Hampshire Citizens Health Initiative (Initiative); and analysis of data from the NH Comprehensive Health Information System (NH CHIS), NH’s all-payer claims database (APCD). A business and sustainability plan including Key Informant Interviews, an environmental scan, and a template for business sustainability planning to identify funding sources and structures to sustain Project ECHO in NH. A framework for Project ECHO evaluation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and postmenopausal breast cancer: An evaluation of effect measure modification by body mass index and weight change

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been linked to breast cancer in many, but not all, previous studies. PAHs are lipophilic and stored in fat tissue, which we hypothesized may result in constant low-dose exposure to these carcinogens. No previous studies have evaluated whether obesity modifies associations between multiple measures of PAHs and breast cancer incidence