Consistency of Sleep Across Development and Relations to Executive Functions; Applications to Emerging Adults Transitioning to College and Adolescents with Spina Bifida

College Students, Development, Executive Functioning, Inhibition, Sleep consistency, Spina Bifid

Consistency of Health Behaviors and Relations to BMI in First Year College Students

Existing research suggests that individuals with erratic schedules (e.g., shift workers) may be at greater risk for weight gain. This may be due, in part, to the inconsistent timing of health behaviors, such as sleep. Little is known, however about the relevance of the consistent timing of health behaviors among other populations, including college students who are risk for weight gain. The current study examined the consistency of three health behaviors (i.e. sleep, eating occurrences, and physical activity) and relations with body weight among first year college students at a large Midwestern university. Daily diary methods were used to collect self-report data on the timing of these health behaviors over a seven day period. The timing of these variables were transformed to calculate several indices of consistency, and are described for the full sample as well as by gender. In addition, three consistency variables were examined using bootstrapping to determine relations to body mass index (BMI) among first year college students, and whether these relations are moderated by gender. Sleep variability in wake time was positively associated with BMI, though no moderation effects were detected. Additionally, significant relations were observed between standard predictors of BMI (e.g., sleep, PA) and consistency variables, such that lower consistency was significantly associated with worsened health behaviors. This suggests that college students may benefit from consistency, such as waking up at a similar times each morning, calling for health education programs within universities to encourage students to maintain consistent sleep schedules

Design of experimental setup for identification of parameters for optimal aerosolization of measles vaccine

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2009.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 29).Given the pressing worldwide need for measles vaccination coverage, measles vaccine administration via inhalation is a viable option which overcomes many obstacles currently facing vaccine distribution. Although aerosolization is well understood, studies have focused on pharmaceuticals and very little data is available regarding vaccines. The proposed study analyzes the relationships between various pre- and post-aerosolization parameters in order to calculate the "aerosol fingerprint," or combination of pre-aerosolization parameters optimized to produce the most effective aerosol particle size distribution for measles vaccination. Relevant pre-aerosolization parameters are identified as relative humidity, nebulizer temperature, vaccine reconstitution, solution pH, surface tension, viscosity, air pressure, and nebulizer geometry. Relevant post-aerosolization parameters are identified particle size distribution, aerosolization endurance and bioavailability, and drug delivery rate. Sensing, actuation, automation and special concerns for each variable are considered.by Laura A. Nicholson.S.B

The importance of psychological need satisfaction in educational re-engagement.

Students attending alternative provision (AP) schools have typically disengaged with their education. They present with multiple problems and complex support needs which makes their re-engagement back into education challenging. This study examined educational re-engagement using the self-system model of motivational processes. Teacher (or other school staff) practices that facilitated and inhibited the students’ psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness and competence were identified. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 students (aged 14–16 years) attending an AP school in England and data were triangulated using staff interviews and lesson observations. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to code the data. More staff practices were categorised as facilitating one of the three needs, and more students mentioned these positive behaviours, than the need-inhibiting practices. This fostered trusting, caring and respectful student-staff relationships, which ultimately led to educational re-engagement. It would be beneficial if such findings were incorporated into government statutory guidelines for AP establishments in order to increase awareness amongst those on the frontline. Moreover, findings support the current UK government policy to increase the number of AP schools, as they have the scope to focus on the supportive staff practices

Anterior uveitis secondary to type II essential cryoglobulinemia

Background: The purpose of this report is to describe the association of severe anterior uveitis with type II essential cryoglobulinemia. Findings: A 40-year-old male with a history of psoriatic arthritis presented with severe anterior uveitis associated with type II essential cryoglobulinemia. His uveitis, refractory to steroid treatments, was well controlled following treatments for cryoglobulinemia. The temporal association between his cryoglobulinemia and uveitis, combined with his improved visual acuity and inflammation after plasmapheresis and rituximab infusions, suggests cryoglobulinemia to be the underlying condition of his uveitis. Conclusions: To our best knowledge, this is the first reported case of anterior uveitis secondary to type II essential cryoglobulinemia

Hard to reach and hard to teach: Supporting the self-regulation of learning in an alternative provision secondary school

© 2015 Taylor & Francis. Since 2010, new types of state-funded schools have opened in England with a focus on providing alternative education provision. Very little is known about these schools, partly due to their novelty, and how they are attempting to re-engage those students who for various, and often complex, reasons have become disconnected from education. We scrutinised the approach used at one such school to examine what instructional practices were used, how they were adapted to the needs of the students and what factors enabled and obstructed (re)engagement. Data were collected over a month-long fieldwork visit and included semi-structured interviews with staff and students, and semi-structured classroom observations. Instructional approaches were used that supported the learning of students who were not experienced in, or had difficulty with, regulating their learning. These included breaking down tasks, providing lots of on-task prompts, encouragement, using frequent feedback and scaffolding, and offering quick support to students. This approach allowed students to re-engage with their learning and make progress towards important qualifications required for entry to the labour market and post-compulsory education and training

Warning Students of the Consequences of Examination Failure: An Effective Strategy for Promoting Student Engagement?

In the context of high-stakes qualifications, teachers may warn students of the negative consequences of failure as a tactic designed to increase engagement and ultimately achievement. Previous studies have shown that these types of messages, namely fear appeals, are indirectly related to engagement and achievement in different ways depending on how they are evaluated by the student. When fear appeals are evaluated as a challenge, they are positively related to engagement and achievement. When evaluated as a threat, fear appeals are negatively related to engagement and achievement. In the present study, we offer a robust test of these relations in a multi-level model that controls for autoregressive and concurrent relations in the domain of mathematics. Self-reported data were collected from 1,530 participants, aged 14-16 years, at two time points over the final two years of secondary education. These data were linked to prior and subsequent achievement. Results showed that students who attended to fear appeals and evaluated them as a challenge showed higher subsequent engagement, and students who showed higher engagement showed higher achievement. Accordingly, it may be beneficial to identify those students likely to evaluate fear appeals as a threat and intervene in order to enhance the likelihood of a challenge evaluation (e.g., building confidence through strategy focused feedback and strengthening beliefs in the value of effort). Given the difficulties associated with teachers judging students’ motivation and emotion as private experiences, methods to access student voice should be considered