Teaching Couple Relationship Education: The Influence on Regional Extension Agents and Family Life Educators

Couple Relationship Education (CRE) programs are a prevention resource used to assist adult individuals, couples, and families reduce relationship distress and improve prosocial behaviors. Regional Extension agents (REAs) and other community family life educators (FLEs) who teach CRE are involved in a facilitation process that develops relationships and rapport with their participants similar to other helping relationships. To date, no published research has focused on how CRE may affect the REAs/FLEs who provide the programs through community adult education programs. Informed by relational-cultural theory and the ecological systems perspective, the current study focused on assessing change in ten outcomes measuring REAs/FLEs’ (N = 54) individual, couple, and co-parenting functioning and whether that change differed by gender. Results from repeated measure ANCOVAs indicate REAs/FLEs experience gains across several domains of functioning. There were no differences by gender. Implications for REAs/FLEs and suggestions for future research are described

Mindfully in Love: A Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Mindfulness and Relationship Satisfaction

Mindfulness is an individual practice, where one has a heightened awareness of the present moment. An extensive research literature finds links between trait mindfulness and individual-level physical and mental health benefits. A limited but growing amount of research focuses on the association between mindfulness and romantic relationship satisfaction. Though there have been comprehensive reviews, no study has statistically tested the magnitude of the association between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction. Better understanding the value of this practice for relationships can serve to inform community educators and practitioners focused on promoting healthy family relationships. This study used a meta-analytic technique focused on 12 effect sizes from 10 different studies, and found that the relationship between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction was statistically significant with an overall effect size of .27. This finding suggests that higher levels of mindfulness are associated with higher levels of relationship satisfaction; therefore, educators can reasonably consider level of mindfulness as an education target

High Viral Diversity and Mixed Infections in Cerebral Spinal Fluid From Cases of Varicella Zoster Virus Encephalitis.

BACKGROUND: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) may cause encephalitis, both with and without rash. Here we investigate whether viruses recovered from the central nervous system (CNS; encephalitis or meningitis) differ genetically from those recovered from non-CNS samples. METHODS: Enrichment-based deep sequencing of 45 VZV genomes from cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and vesicles was carried out with samples collected from 34 patients with and without VZV infection of the CNS. RESULTS: Viral sequences from multiple sites in the same patient were identical at the consensus level. Virus from vesicle fluid and CSF in cases of meningitis showed low-level diversity. By contrast, plasma, BAL, and encephalitis had higher numbers of variant alleles. Two CSF-encephalitis samples had high genetic diversity, with variant frequency patterns typical of mixed infections with different clades. CONCLUSIONS: Low viral genetic diversity in vesicle fluid is compatible with previous observations that VZV skin lesions arise from single or low numbers of virions. A similar result was observed in VZV from cases of VZV meningitis, a generally self-limiting infection. CSF from cases of encephalitis had higher diversity with evidence for mixed clade infections in 2 cases. We hypothesize that reactivation from multiple neurons may contribute to the pathogenesis of VZV encephalitis.Action Medical research GN2424 This work was supported by a UK MRC New Investigator Award to D. P. D; UCL/UCLH BRC (J. B.); Action Medical Research (grant number GN2424 to C. J. H); Swedish Research Council (P. N. and T. B.). The work was also support by an NIHR Fellowship (grant number DRF-2013-06-168 to F. M.), the Meningitis Research Foundation (grant number 0904.0), an NIHR Programme Grant in Applied Research (grant number RP-PG-0108-10048 to T. S.), and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool

Genomic investigations of unexplained acute hepatitis in children

Since its first identification in Scotland, over 1,000 cases of unexplained paediatric hepatitis in children have been reported worldwide, including 278 cases in the UK1. Here we report an investigation of 38 cases, 66 age-matched immunocompetent controls and 21 immunocompromised comparator participants, using a combination of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and immunohistochemical methods. We detected high levels of adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) DNA in the liver, blood, plasma or stool from 27 of 28 cases. We found low levels of adenovirus (HAdV) and human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) in 23 of 31 and 16 of 23, respectively, of the cases tested. By contrast, AAV2 was infrequently detected and at low titre in the blood or the liver from control children with HAdV, even when profoundly immunosuppressed. AAV2, HAdV and HHV-6 phylogeny excluded the emergence of novel strains in cases. Histological analyses of explanted livers showed enrichment for T cells and B lineage cells. Proteomic comparison of liver tissue from cases and healthy controls identified increased expression of HLA class 2, immunoglobulin variable regions and complement proteins. HAdV and AAV2 proteins were not detected in the livers. Instead, we identified AAV2 DNA complexes reflecting both HAdV-mediated and HHV-6B-mediated replication. We hypothesize that high levels of abnormal AAV2 replication products aided by HAdV and, in severe cases, HHV-6B may have triggered immune-mediated hepatic disease in genetically and immunologically predisposed children

Dyadic Links among Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Mindfulness, and Relationship Quality in Couple Relationship Education (CRE) Study Participants at Program Entry

Adverse and traumatic childhood experiences (e.g., ACEs) are inversely linked to negative outcomes in adulthood, including lower couple relationship functioning. Clinical research and practice have incorporated implications of ACEs, however much less consideration of ACEs has been given in community-based couple relationship education (CRE). This study explores dyadic effects of ACEs and mindfulness, a potential resilience factor and modifiable skill, on couple relationship quality in a diverse sample of CRE study participants before program start. Results indicate actor and partner effects for ACEs and mindfulness on relationship quality. Implications for research and practice are discussed

Mindfulness, Parenting Efficacy and Child Age: Does the Facet of Mindfulness Matter?

Mindfulness research has historically focused on individual benefits (e.g., Brown & Ryan, 2003), yet more recently also has considered relational outcomes influenced by mindfulness, such as romantic relationship quality (e.g., McGill, Adler-Baeder, & Rodriguez, 2015) and parent-child relationship quality (e.g., Coatsworth et al., 2016). Overall, mindfulness research has assessed global measures of mindfulness and does not consider the distinct elements of mindfulness and their relationship with various outcomes. Based on the assumption that there are multiple components of mindfulness, Baer and colleagues (2006) delineated and validated a measure of five facets of mindfulness. With a growing trend of incorporating mindfulness into prevention programs for parents (Cohen & Semple, 2010), it is valuable to examine the relationship between parenting outcomes and facets of mindfulness. Specifically, our research questions are: Are facets of mindfulness related at baseline to parenting efficacy and do some facets of mindfulness have a stronger association with parenting efficacy than others? Does initial change in mindfulness dimensions (after exposure to relationship education) result in subsequent change in parenting efficacy? Does the age of the child(ren) affect these relationships? Parents (n=578 parents—308 mothers, 270 fathers) were recruited as part of a larger randomized control trial (RCT) examining the program effectiveness of couple relationship education programs. Measures utilized include the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (Gibaud-Wallston & Wandersmann, 1978) and three subscales—nonreactivity to inner experience, acting with awareness, and nonjudging of inner experience—from the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006). Analyses utilized three waves of data—baseline, 6-week and 6-month follow-up. We utilized linear regression to test for a relationship at baseline between the three facets of mindfulness and parenting efficacy for both mothers and fathers, separately. Level of parenting efficacy was predicted by nonreactivity to inner experiences for mothers (β=.184, p=.001) and fathers (β=.126, p=.03) and by acting with awareness for mothers (β=.192, p=.004) and fathers (β=.179, p=.009), accounting for other variables in the model. Nonjudging of inner experience marginally predicted level of parenting efficacy for fathers (β=.127, p=.058), but not for mothers (β=.053, p=.421), considering all other variables in the model. Path models were conducted using only the program participant group (n=370 parents). We tested with mothers and fathers separately whether initial change in three facets of mindfulness predicted change in parenting efficacy six months after couples relationship education intervention. Positive change in nonreactivity to inner experience for fathers after intervention was significantly (β=.150, p=.041) associated with positive change in parenting efficacy six months later. Our cross-sectional findings suggest that the facets of mindfulness are not equally predictive of parenting efficacy. The findings from our path models suggest that enhanced nonreactivity to inner experience promotes greater parenting efficacy six months after receiving relationship education for fathers. This is an important first step to discovering what aspects of mindfulness may be particularly important for educators to emphasize when teaching mindfulness to parents. Final analyses presented in March will test if the age of the child(ren) affects these findings

Demographic Variations in Mindfulness Levels

Due to the health and relational benefits associated with mindfulness, interest has increased in researching the topic. Typically, samples have been more homogeneous with no attention given to variations in mindfulness levels that may exist based on individuals’ characteristics. Therefore, this study assessed levels of three facets of mindfulness – non-reactivity, awareness, and non-judgement - with 1796 diverse individuals. Results indicate differences in mean level of non-reactivity based on sex, education level, income, and relationship status, with higher levels, on average, for males, individuals without a high school degree, individuals with an annual salary of $75,000+, and married individuals; differences in mean level of awareness based on sex and race, with higher levels, on average, for females and white individuals; and differences in mean level of non-judgement based on income, with higher levels, on average, for low income individuals. Findings highlight the value of considering social address in mindfulness studies

Teaching : making a difference

Teaching: Making a Difference has been developed to provide the pre-service teacher with new and contemporary lenses for helping them develop as future educators. It is relevant to students in undergraduate and postgraduate teacher programs. This multi-authored volume draws on the expertise of each contributor and reflects the latest contemporary research. The text is supported by a unique multi-media package designed to meet the needs of individual learners. [Book Synopsis]Click <a href="http://research.usc.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/usc:8422">here</a> to view the USC Research Bank entry for the Second Edition published in 2013

Teaching: Making a Difference.[ 4th ed.]

The fourth edition of Teaching: Making a Difference, 4th Edition (Churchill et al.) draws together the voices and contemporary research of Australia’s pre-eminent education academics. The combination of their knowledge, hands-on experience and insight will help you develop your craft and technique, and provide a framework to enable you to excel as a future educator. This market-leading text is accessible for all students and designed to engage and inspire, while staying realistic, practical and jargon-free

Teaching: Making a Difference.[ 5th ed.]

When preparing pre-service teachers for their first classroom experience, academics are faced with the challenge of helping students understand what it’s really like to be a teacher. Teaching: Making a Difference, 5th Edition is a practical text that brings the classroom to life for your students. It contains all the theoretical foundations, and is supported by digital resources to demonstrate real-world applications. This market-leading text equips your students with all the tools, activities and teaching plans they need. The new fifth edition also addresses the changes in digital technology that the world has recently experienced and arms your students with the ICT competencies they’ll soon need to use in the classroom