Exploring the Dimensional Structure of a Measure of Supervision Competence and its Prediction of Trainee Development

Clinical supervision is one of the most important components of a health service psychologist’s training. Supervisors ensure the integrity of the supervisee’s services to protect the public and act as gatekeepers to the profession. Despite the importance of this professional practice, supervision training and evaluation received minimal attention until the early 2000s. There is little high-quality research on what makes supervision effective, in part due to few measures assessing supervision competence. A culture shift to competency-based training and education in health service psychology both allows for and requires improved evaluation of supervision. The current study aimed to (a) elucidate the dimensional structure of a measure of supervision competence, and (b) use the results to assess how well supervision competence predicted trainees’ development of professional competencies. The study data were collected as part of routine program evaluation within the UChicago Medicine psychology training programs. At the end of each training year from 2015-2020, trainees completed the Psychology Trainee Evaluation of Supervision Competencies (PTESC), a trainee-report measure of supervision competence, and supervisors evaluated interns’ acquisition of the nine profession-wide competencies using the Trainee Competency Evaluation (TCE). The PTESC has seven domains matching those of the APA’s (2014) Guidelines for Clinical Supervision. Using 203 responses from 110 trainees, exploratory graph analysis (EGA) was applied using scales for the seven domains to examine the measure’s dimensional structure. The EGA revealed a single factor of Supervision Competence. Follow-up confirmatory factor analysis indicated good fit for the single factor model. From the EGA, network scores were generated for the Supervision Competence factor. Next, cross-classified multilevel modeling was used to assess how well Supervision Competence predicted trainee outcomes, as reported by both trainees and supervisors. Supervision competence predicted greater trainee-reported growth across all nine profession-wide competencies but lower ratings of interns’ ethics competence by supervisors. Supplemental simple regression models indicated Supervision Competence predicted interns’ growth in professionalism and communication competencies, as reported by supervisors. Trainees’ race/ethnicity impacted their report of growth in diversity competence. The findings demonstrate: (1) the utility of the PTESC for assessing supervision competence from the trainee perspective, (2) empirical support for the APA’s (2014) seven domains supervision competence, and (3) that competent supervision enhances trainees’ professional competencies, readying them to enter careers in health service psychology. Future directions and implications for research, theory, and practice are discussed

Common Mitochondrial DNA Mutations Generated through DNA-Mediated Charge Transport

Mutation sites that arise in human mitochondrial DNA as a result of oxidation by a rhodium photooxidant have been identified. HeLa cells were incubated with [Rh(phi)2bpy]Cl3 (phi is 9,10-phenanthrenequinone diimine), an intercalating photooxidant, to allow the complex to enter the cell and bind mitochondrial DNA. Photoexcitation of DNA-bound [Rh(phi)2bpy]3+ can promote the oxidation of guanine from a distance through DNA-mediated charge transport. After two rounds of photolysis and growth of cells incubated with the rhodium complex, DNA mutations in a portion of the mitochondrial genome were assessed via manual sequencing. The mutational pattern is consistent with dG to dT transversions in the repetitive guanine tracts. Significantly, the mutational pattern found overlaps oxidative damage hot spots seen previously. These mutations are found within conserved sequence block II, a critical regulatory element involved in DNA replication, and these have been identified as sites of low oxidation potential to which oxidative damage is funneled. On the basis of this mutational analysis and its correspondence to sites of long-range oxidative damage, we infer a critical role for DNA charge transport in generating these mutations and, thus, in regulating mitochondrial DNA replication under oxidative stress

The Ecology of Educational Attainment: Resilience Among Black High School Students

Achievement gaps among students of color in the United States are pervasive and persistent. Identifying trajectories of resilience among Black teens is an important step toward promoting their educational attainment. This study identified risk and protective factors at the individual, family, and school levels hypothesized to influence Black high school students’ attainment. The effects of these risk (behavior problems, lack of college planning, and school problems) and protective factors (academic self-efficacy, parent involvement, and academic climate) on Black students’ educational attainment at 10-year follow-up were assessed. The sample included 2,423 Black 10th-grade students who participated in the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002. Multiple hierarchical regression was employed to test the compensatory and protective factor models of resilience. Fewer behavior problems and school problems significantly predicted greater educational attainment at age 26. Higher academic self-efficacy, more college planning, and a more academically oriented climate also predicted greater educational attainment at age 26. In addition, academic climate moderated the relationship between school problems and educational attainment: Black students attending schools with fewer problems benefitted more from an academically oriented climate than students attending schools with more problems. The findings provide a better understanding of how factors at multiple levels contribute to Black youths’ educational attainment in adulthood. Implications for future research and practice are discussed, including recommendations for reducing school problems, increasing college planning, and promoting an academic climate

Principals\u27 perceptions of parent involvement in Catholic and Protestant schools in Southern California

This study examined principals’ perceptions of faith-based schools in Southern California. A 6-item survey was distributed by hard copy to 217 Catholic principals affiliated with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and by e-mail to 218 Protestant school principals affiliated with the Association of Christian School International. The survey was completed by 148 principals (101 from Catholic schools and 47 from Protestant schools, 34% of population), suggesting that hand-delivered surveys yielded a higher return. However, the Protestant principals who responded exclusively online completed significantly more comprehensive written comments or transcripts to the survey. Both groups of principals revealed high parent engagement in both types of schools and the selection by parents of a faith-based school was based upon personal values. However, highlights revealed that these administrators placed a high level of importance on open and consistent communication with parents and being visibly present on the campus. Principals were present at morning drop-off, visible on-site throughout the day, and at pick-up. In addition, the schools maintained a current website, frequent parent conferences by teachers and principals, and weekly or daily messages using various technological forms. Principals commented that they desired that every interaction with the school was positive and informative. Principals indicated that parent volunteer activity tended to be different in the two types of schools. Catholic school parents were expected to volunteer to work at the school, and participate in fund raising activities for the school. These parental expectations were vital to the school’s financial base, as nuns continue to be replaced by lay teachers. In addition, Catholic school parents were required to supervise completion of a child’s homework and support school rules, such as children wearing uniforms. Protestant school principals indicated that their parents were active in school-based activities such as sports, the performing arts, classroom support, as well as in school-wide activities such as open houses and fundraisers. Although the Catholic and Protestant schools provided opportunities for parents to participate in the school decision-making process, few principals reported all parent school boards or parents making the primary decisions beyond participation in the selection of the school principal

High-throughput application of metabolic flux analysis for investigation of mammalian cell culture performance

An important consideration in bringing a new molecule through development is speed to clinic. Increased utilization of high throughput tools, process platforms, and in silico modelling can allow for screening of more conditions in a shorter period of time, enabling either a faster development time or increased optimization capability. Please download the PDF file for full content

Sexual Experimentation in Heterosexual, Bisexual, Lesbian/Gay, and Questioning Adolescents From Ages 11 to 15.

To examine adolescent sexuality development, we analyzed data from a British cohort study (N = 5,070), which assessed the same 12-14 sexual activities at ages 11, 12, 13, and 15, and sexual orientation identity at age 15. The sexual activities ranged from low (e.g., cuddling), moderate (e.g., kissing), to high (e.g., sexual intercourse) intensity. We found that most adolescents having sexual activities of low-to-moderate intensity with same-sex individuals also had them with other-sex individuals, and adolescents having other-sex contacts of low intensity often reported them nonexclusively. Furthermore, other-sex and same-sex sexual activities did not reliably distinguish between sexual orientation identities. Sex differences in these phenomena were absent or small. These findings suggest that many adolescents have low-intensity nonexclusive sexual behaviors.A Gates Cambridge Scholarship and an honorary Cambridge Australia Scholarship awarded to J. T. M. Davis. Research funding awarded to G. Li from the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridg