WHAT DO TEACHERS THINK ABOUT EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY? DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING THE EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY PRACTITIONER SCALE

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Educational Psychology Practitioner Scale (EPPS), which was designed to (a) assess the practices, training, and skills of educational psychologists and (b) determine their utility among K-12 schools classroom teachers. Study participants included 161 K-12 teachers across 21 states within the United States. An exploratory factor analysis yielded a 25-item, unidimensional scale. Correlating the EPPS with the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) and the Job Satisfaction Scale (Warner, 1973) provided discriminant validity for the scale. Study limitations and future research directions are discussed

An Examination of the Association Between Student-Teacher Interactions and Academic Self-Concept Among African American Male High School Students

Students generally spend more than ten years interacting with teachers in a classroom and thus, such interactions can have a positive or negative impact on students’ academic self-concept and educational goals (Rosenthal, Folse, Allerman, Boudreaux, Soper, & Von Bergen, 2000). The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a significant relationship between student-teacher interactions and academic self-concept. Participants in the study include African American male high school students in an urban school district. The independent variable is the student-teacher interactions, as measured by the Student-Professor Interaction Scale (Cokley et al., 2004). The dependent variable is the students’ academic-self-concept, which is measured by the Academic Self-Concept Scale (Reynolds, Ramirez, Magrina, & Allen, 1980). The data was analyzed by using Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical multiple regression to determine if there was a statistically significant relationship between the two variables. Findings, study limitations, and future research directions are also discussed

Monitoring the Alteration and Natural Recovery of a Monsoon-Dominated Stream System after a Wild Fire Disturbs its Watershed, Stout Canyon, Utah

The alteration of a stream’s morphology and recovery following a watershed fire is well documented in streams where high flow events occur during spring runoff. However, there are very little data regarding the alteration and natural recovery of streams that have high flow events during the late summer monsoon rains. Stout Canyon, a tributary to the East Fork of the Virgin River, is located approximately 30 miles southeast of Cedar City, Utah, and is a monsoon-dominated stream system whose watershed was burned by the Shingle Fire of 2012. Employees of the Dixie National Forest have monitored Stout Canyon since 2002, using Rosgen Field Methods. The alteration and recovery of Stout Canyon after the fire were documented using the same methods. The comparison of the pre-fire and post-fire data demonstrates how the fire altered the morphology of Stout Canyon. The data were also compared to similarly collected data from three snow-melt-runoff-dominated streams in the Rocky Mountain area whose watersheds have also been disturbed by fires. Bank full indicators began to reappear at Stout Canyon three years after the fire, suggesting that the stream is just beginning to redevelop its floodplain. Some results match the general trends that occur in spring runoff-dominated systems. However, major differences between Stout Canyon and other streams appear in bank geometry. In most streams, the largest changes in bank geometry occur within the first year after the fire with minor alteration occurring in the subsequent years, with bank re-stabilization within about three years. Stout Canyon’s banks, however, saw the most alteration during the second year after the fire and it is continuing to undergo major alteration with no signs of stabilizing three years after the fire. This may be a result of the fact that monsoon-caused high-water-events vary greatly from year to year, whereas snowmelt-runoff-caused high-water-events are generally more consistent. Through the course of the study, monsoonal rains led to erosion rates that were ten times greater than spring runoff. The inconsistent high water events on streams like Stout Canyon make it difficult for the stream banks to stabilize as efficiently and quickly as observed on other streams in the Rocky Mountain Region. The information presented here may be applied to other monsoon-dominated-systems to determine proper preventative and restoration methods

'I have to live with the decisions I make': laying a foundation for decision making for children with life-limiting conditions and life-threatening illnesses.

The relationship between parents and clinician is critical to the care and treatment of children with life-limiting conditions (LLCs) and life-threatening illnesses (LTIs). This relationship is built and maintained largely in consultations. In this article we lay out factors that bear on the success of clinical consultations and the maintenance of the essential clinician-parent relationship at progression or deterioration of LLCs or LTIs. We suggest an approach to engaging parents in conversations about care and treatment that recognises and appreciates the dilemmas which clinicians and parents face and in so doing provides a way for everyone to live with the decisions that are made. A close analysis of a consultation at progression and excerpts of encounters among parents, clinician and researcher are used to illustrate our approach to research, analysis and development of recommendations for clinical practice

The identification and psychological treatment of panic disorder in adolescents: a survey of CAMHS clinicians

Background Panic disorder is experienced by around 1% of adolescents, and has a significant impact on social and academic functioning. Preliminary evidence supports the effectiveness of panic disorder specific treatment in adolescents with panic disorder, however panic disorder may be overlooked in adolescents due to overlapping symptoms with other anxiety disorders and other difficulties being more noticeable to others. The aim of this study was to establish what training National Health Service (NHS) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) clinicians have received in psychological therapies and panic disorder and how they identify and treat panic disorder in adolescents. Method CAMHS clinicians from a range of professions (n = 427), who were delivering psychological treatments to children and adolescents with anxiety disorders, participated. They completed a cross-sectional, online survey, including a vignette describing an adolescent with panic disorder, and were asked to identify the main diagnosis or presenting problem. Results Less than half the clinicians (48.6%) identified panic disorder or panic symptoms as the main presenting problem from the vignette. The majority of clinicians suggested CBT would be their treatment approach. However, few identified an evidence-based treatment protocol for working with young people with panic disorder. Almost half the sample had received no training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and around a fifth had received no training in delivering psychological treatments. Conclusions Only half of CAMHS clinicians identified panic disorder from a vignette and although CBT treatments are widely offered, only a minority of adolescents with panic disorder are receiving treatments developed for, and evaluated with young people with panic disorder. There is a vital need for clinician training, the use of tools that aid identification and the implementation of evidence-based treatments within CAMHS

Neurosurgical experience of managing optic pathway gliomas

Background: Optic pathway gliomas (OPGs), also known as visual pathway gliomas, are debilitating tumors that account for 3–5% of all pediatric brain tumors. They are most commonly WHO grade 1 pilocytic astrocytomas and frequently occur in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. The location of these tumors results in visual loss and blindness, endocrine and hypothalamic dysfunction, hydrocephalus, and premature death. Their involvement of the visual pathways and proximity to other eloquent brain structures typically precludes complete resection or optimal radiation dosing without incurring significant neurological injury. There are various surgical interventions that can be performed in relation to these lesions including biopsy, cerebrospinal fluid diversion, and partial or radical resection, but their role is a source of debate. This study catalogues our surgical experience and patient outcomes in order to support decision-making in this challenging pathology. Methods: A retrospective review of all cases of OPGs treated in a single center from July 1990 to July 2020. Data was collected on patient demographics, radiographic findings, pathology, and management including surgical interventions. Outcome data included survival, visual function, endocrine, and hypothalamic dysfunction. Results: One hundred twenty-one patients with OPG were identified, and 50 of these patients underwent a total of 104 surgical procedures. These included biopsy (31), subtotal or gross total resection (20 operations in 17 patients), cyst drainage (17), Ommaya reservoir insertion (9), or cerebrospinal fluid diversion (27). During the study period, there was 6% overall mortality, 18% hypothalamic dysfunction, 20% endocrine dysfunction, and 42% had some cognitive dysfunction. At diagnosis 75% of patients had good or moderate visual function in at least one eye, and overall, this improved to 83% at the end of the study period. In comparison the worst eye had good or moderate visual function in 56%, and this reduced to 53%. Baseline and final visual function were poorer in patients who had a surgical resection, but improvements in vision were still found—particularly in the best eye. Discussion/conclusion: OPG are debilitating childhood tumor that have lifelong consequences in terms of visual function and endocrinopathies/hypothalamic dysfunction; this can result in substantial patient morbidity. Decisions regarding management and the role of surgery in this condition are challenging and include cerebrospinal fluid diversion, biopsy, and in highly select cases cystic decompression or surgical resection. In this paper, we review our own experience, outcomes, and surgical philosophy

Multimorbidity patterns and risk of hospitalisation in children: A population cohort study of 3.6 million children in England, with illustrative examples from childhood cancer survivors

Background: Population-level estimates of hospitalisation risk in children are currently limited. The study aims to characterise morbidity patterns in all children, focusing on childhood cancer survivors versus children without cancer. Methods: Employing hospital records of children aged <19 years between 1997 to 2018 in England, we characterised morbidity patterns in childhood cancer survivors compared with children without cancer. The follow-up began on the 5th anniversary of the index hospitalisation and the primary outcome was the incidence of comorbidities. Findings: We identified 3,559,439 eligible participants having 12,740,666 hospital admissions, with a mean age at study entry of 11.2 years. We identified 32,221 patients who survived for at least 5 years since their initial cancer diagnosis. During the follow-up period and within the whole population of 3.6 million children, the leading conditions for admission were (i) metabolic, endocrine, digestive renal and genitourinary conditions (84,749, 2.5%), (ii) neurological (35,833, 1.0%) and (iii) musculoskeletal or skin conditions (23,574, 0.7%), fever, acute respiratory and sepsis (22,604, 0.7%). Stratified analyses revealed that females and children from socioeconomically deprived areas had a higher cumulative incidence for morbidities requiring hospitalisation (p < 0.001). At baseline (5 years after the initial cancer diagnosis or initial hospitalisation for survivors and population comparisons, respectively), cancer survivors experienced a higher prevalence of individual conditions and multimorbidity (≥ 2 morbidities) compared with children without cancer. Cox regression analyses showed that survivors had at least a 4-fold increase in the risk of hospitalisation for conditions such as chronic eye conditions (hazard ration (HR):4.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.5-4.7), fever requiring hospitalisation (HR: 4.4, 95% CI: 3.8-5.0), subsequent neoplasms (HR: 5.7, 95% CI:5.0-6.5), immunological disorders (HR: 6.5, 95% CI:4.5-9.3) and metabolic conditions (HR: 7.1, 95% CI:5.9-8.5). Interpretation: The overall morbidity burden among children was low in general; however, childhood cancer survivors experienced a higher prevalence and subsequent risk of hospitalisation for a range of morbidities. Targeted policies may be required to promote awareness on health vulnerabilities and gender disparity and to improve advocacy for healthcare in deprived communities. Funding: Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre and Academy of Medical Sciences. The funders of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report

Pendulum Testing as a Means of Assessing the Crash Performance of Longitudinal Barrier with Minor Damage

Longitudinal barriers such as w-beam guardrails are subjected to a series of full-scale crash tests to determine their impact performance before being considered acceptable for use on the nation’s highways. Once longitudinal barriers are installed along a roadway, however, they often sustain minor damage in various ways. Since barriers are exclusively tested in an undamaged condition, there is very little known regarding the crash performance of barriers that have sustained minor damage. Transportation agencies responsible for deploying and maintaining these barrier systems need a better understanding of damaged barrier performance to make timely and cost-effective barrier maintenance decisions under the constraints of limited resources. This study is believed to be the first evaluation of the crash performance of strong post w-beam barrier that has sustained minor damage. A pendulum impact testing methodology was developed for the evaluation of two-post sections of strong post w-beam barrier. Pendulum tests were then conducted on barrier sections with five types of damage: (1) vertical tear, (2) horizontal tear, (3) splice damage, (4) twisted blockout, and (5) missing blockout. Based on these tests, vertical tears were found to be a significant threat to the structural adequacy of the barrier section with a high likelihood for rail rupture. A missing blockout at the splice location was found to result in marginal performance with one test resulting in a large rail tear at the splice. Mid-span horizontal tears and splice damage, with one of eight bolts lacking bearing capacity, were found to have a less significant threat on the structural adequacy of the barrier. Twisted blockout damage was found to have no effect on the structural crash performance of the strong post w-beam barrier

Alcohol-abuse drug disulfiram targets pediatric glioma via MLL degradation

Pediatric gliomas comprise a broad range of brain tumors derived from glial cells. While high-grade gliomas are often resistant to therapy and associated with a poor outcome, children with low-grade gliomas face a better prognosis. However, the treatment of low-grade gliomas is often associated with severe long-term adverse effects. This shows that there is a strong need for improved treatment approaches. Here, we highlight the potential for repurposing disulfiram to treat pediatric gliomas. Disulfiram is a drug used to support the treatment of chronic alcoholism and was found to be effective against diverse cancer types in preclinical studies. Our results show that disulfiram efficiently kills pediatric glioma cell lines as well as patient-derived glioma stem cells. We propose a novel mechanism of action to explain disulfiram’s anti-oncogenic activities by providing evidence that disulfiram induces the degradation of the oncoprotein MLL. Our results further reveal that disulfiram treatment and MLL downregulation induce similar responses at the level of histone modifications and gene expression, further strengthening that MLL is a key target of the drug and explaining its anti-oncogenic properties