Factors That Contribute to the Normal Development of the Primary Child

Few parts of the public school system have experienced more intense change in direction, purpose and methods of work during the past quarter of a century than have the primary grades. The child-study movement of the nineties, the further study of individual differences which characterized the first decade of the present century, and the rise of a better curriculum which marked the second decade, have all combined to change, materially, our conception of the child and the method of teaching him. The problem now that confronts the teacher is the ability and aptitudes the child brings to school and how these may be dealt with, by those in authority. The purpose in teaching the child has also changed with time. Instead of preparing him for adult life, the teacher now tries to equip him for citizenship in a vastly more complex and, at the same time, a rapidly changing society. Still more, we conceive of his education as designed to meet his needs of today as well as his needs of tomorrow. This shift in the conception of the child to be taught and the purpose in teaching him, during the early years of his school life, has called alike for different instructional methods, radical reorganizations in the content of instruction, and a new type of school room and instructional equipment. Teaching in the primary school of today is freer and more varied than it was a quarter of a century ago

Secular changes in functional disability, pain, fatigue and mental well-being in early rheumatoid arthritis.:A longitudinal meta-analysis

Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and longitudinal meta-analysis of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohorts with long-term data on pain, fatigue or mental well-being. Methods: Searches using PUBMED, EMBASE and PyscInfo were performed to identify all early RA cohorts with longitudinal measures of pain, fatigue or mental well-being, along with clinical measures. Using longitudinal meta-analyses, the progression of each outcome over the first 60-months was estimated. Cohorts were stratified based on the median recruitment year to investigate secular trends in disease progression. Results: Of 7,319 papers identified, 75 met the inclusion criteria and 46 cohorts from 41 publications provided sufficient data on 18,046 patients for meta-analysis. The Disease Activity Scores (DAS28) and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Physical Component Score (PCS) indicated that post-2002 cohorts had statistically significant improvements over the first 60-months compared to pre-2002 cohorts, with standardised mean differences (SMD) of 0.86 (95% Confidence Intervals 0.34 to 1.37) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.25 to 1.27) respectively at month-60. However, post-2002 cohorts indicated statistically non-significant improvements in pain, fatigue, functional disability and SF-36 Mental Component Score (MCS) compared to pre-2002 cohorts, with SMD of 0.24 (95% CI -0.25 to 0.74), 0.38 (95% CI -0.11 to 0.88), 0.34 (95% CI -0.15-0.84) and -0.08 (95% CI -0.41 to 0.58) at month-60 respectively. Conclusions: Recent cohorts indicate improved levels of disease activity and physical quality of life, however this has not translated into similar improvements in levels of pain, fatigue and functional disability by 60-months

Using Data Linkage to Investigate Inconsistent Reporting of Self-Harm and Questionnaire Non-Response

The objective of this study was to examine agreement between self-reported and medically recorded self-harm, and investigate whether the prevalence of self-harm differs in questionnaire responders vs. non-responders. A total of 4,810 participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) completed a self-harm questionnaire at age 16 years. Data from consenting participants were linked to medical records (number available for analyses ranges from 205-3,027). The prevalence of self-harm leading to hospital admission was somewhat higher in questionnaire non-responders than responders (2.0 vs. 1.2%). Hospital attendance with self-harm was under-reported on the questionnaire. One third reported self-harm inconsistently over time; inconsistent reporters were less likely to have depression and fewer had self-harmed with suicidal intent. Self-harm prevalence estimates derived from self-report may be underestimated; more accurate figures may come from combining data from multiple sources

Copper diaryl-dithiocarbamate complexes and their application as single source precursors (SSPs) for copper sulfide nanomaterials

Copper diaryl-dithiocarbamate (DTC) complexes have been prepared including [Cu(S2CNAr2)2], [Cu{S2CN(p-tolyl)2}]n and [Cu{S2CN(p-tolyl)2}(PPh3)2] and used as single source precursors to copper sulfide nanomaterials

Citizen scientists filling knowledge gaps of phosphate pollution dynamics in rural areas

In situ monitoring is fundamental to manage eutrophication in rivers and streams. However, in recent decades, the frequency and spatial coverage of regulatory monitoring have often been reduced due to funding and infrastructure limitations. This reduction has made it impossible to provide adequate coverage for most water bodies. In this study, trained citizen scientists filled spatial and temporal gaps in agency monitoring across a major catchment in rural England. By integrating data from citizen scientists, regulatory agencies, and the local water company, it was possible to demonstrate the opportunities for hypothesis-based citizen scientist monitoring to identify continuous and event-driven sources of phosphate pollution. Local citizen scientists effectively covered important spatial gaps, investigating river conditions both upstream and downstream of suspected pollution point sources, improving the identification of their temporal dynamics. When combined with long-term monitoring data from regulatory agencies, it became possible to identify areas within the catchment that exhibited increased phosphate concentrations during periods of low river discharge (summer). Inter-annual trends and anomaly detection suggested that continuous pollution sources dominated over event-driven sources in many sub-basins, allowing for the prioritisation of mitigation actions. This study highlights the opportunity for citizen scientists to fill gaps in regulatory monitoring efforts and contribute to the improved management of eutrophication in rural catchments

Coronary CT Angiography and 5-Year Risk of Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Although coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) improves diagnostic certainty in the assessment of patients with stable chest pain, its effect on 5-year clinical outcomes is unknown. METHODS: In an open-label, multicenter, parallel-group trial, we randomly assigned 4146 patients with stable chest pain who had been referred to a cardiology clinic for evaluation to standard care plus CTA (2073 patients) or to standard care alone (2073 patients). Investigations, treatments, and clinical outcomes were assessed over 3 to 7 years of follow-up. The primary end point was death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up was 4.8 years, which yielded 20,254 patient-years of follow-up. The 5-year rate of the primary end point was lower in the CTA group than in the standard-care group (2.3% [48 patients] vs. 3.9% [81 patients]; hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41 to 0.84; P=0.004). Although the rates of invasive coronary angiography and coronary revascularization were higher in the CTA group than in the standard-care group in the first few months of follow-up, overall rates were similar at 5 years: invasive coronary angiography was performed in 491 patients in the CTA group and in 502 patients in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.13), and coronary revascularization was performed in 279 patients in the CTA group and in 267 in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.27). However, more preventive therapies were initiated in patients in the CTA group (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.65), as were more antianginal therapies (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.54). There were no significant between-group differences in the rates of cardiovascular or noncardiovascular deaths or deaths from any cause. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, the use of CTA in addition to standard care in patients with stable chest pain resulted in a significantly lower rate of death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years than standard care alone, without resulting in a significantly higher rate of coronary angiography or coronary revascularization. (Funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office and others; SCOT-HEART ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01149590 .)

Student perspectives on creating a positive classroom dynamic: science education in prison

Detailed student perspectives on their involvement in prison education are limited in published literature, yet such contributions are invaluable to education practitioners wanting to create inclusive learning environments. This article focuses on the student experience of taking part in a science outreach programme teaching science in prison in England, which was designed to build confidence in students who face challenges in accessing education pathways. Here, former students share their experiences of the programme, as well as other education courses in prison, and offer guidance on best practices for those engaging in outreach or research with the prison population. In particular, their reflections highlight that by creating and maintaining an environment that is accessible, inclusive and relatable, students from all backgrounds are able to engage in course content, and overcome hidden barriers to accessing education. Furthermore, based on their lived experience, the students offer practical advice with regard to improving future access to education in prison. The aim of this article is to give a voice to students in prison about their education experience, highlighting which aspects of this outreach programme (and other education courses) were impactful for them

Maternal psychological distress in primary care and association with child behavioural outcomes at age three

Observational studies indicate children whose mothers have poor mental health are at increased risk of socio-emotional behavioural difficulties, but it is unknown whether these outcomes vary by the mothers’ mental health recognition and treatment status. To examine this question, we analysed linked longitudinal primary care and research data from 1078 women enrolled in the Born in Bradford cohort. A latent class analysis of treatment status and self-reported distress broadly categorised women as (a) not having a common mental disorder (CMD) that persisted through pregnancy and the first 2 years after delivery (N = 756, 70.1 %), (b) treated for CMD (N = 67, 6.2 %), or (c) untreated (N = 255, 23.7 %). Compared to children of mothers without CMD, 3-year-old children with mothers classified as having untreated CMD had higher standardised factor scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (d = 0.32), as did children with mothers classified as having treated CMD (d = 0.27). Results were only slightly attenuated in adjusted analyses. Children of mothers with CMD may be at risk for socio-emotional and behavioural difficulties. The development of effective treatments for CMD needs to be balanced by greater attempts to identify and treat women. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00787-015-0777-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Methylome-wide association study of early life stressors and adult mental health

The environment and events that we are exposed to in utero, during birth and in early childhood influence our future physical and mental health. The underlying mechanisms that lead to these outcomes are unclear, but long-term changes in epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, could act as a mediating factor or biomarker. DNA methylation data were assayed at 713 522 CpG sites from 9537 participants of the Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study, a family-based cohort with extensive genetic, medical, family history and lifestyle information. Methylome-wide association studies of eight early life environment phenotypes and two adult mental health phenotypes (major depressive disorder and brief resilience scale) were conducted using DNA methylation data collected from adult whole blood samples. Two genes involved with different developmental pathways (PRICKLE2, Prickle Planar Cell Polarity Protein 2 and ABI1, Abl-Interactor-1) were annotated to CpG sites associated with preterm birth (P < 1.27 × 10(−9)). A further two genes important to the development of sensory pathways (SOBP, Sine Oculis Binding Protein Homolog and RPGRIP1, Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase Regulator Interacting Protein) were annotated to sites associated with low birth weight (P < 4.35 × 10(−8)). The examination of methylation profile scores and genes and gene-sets annotated from associated CpGs sites found no evidence of overlap between the early life environment and mental health conditions. Birth date was associated with a significant difference in estimated lymphocyte and neutrophil counts. Previous studies have shown that early life environments influence the risk of developing mental health disorders later in life; however, this study found no evidence that this is mediated by stable changes to the methylome detectable in peripheral blood