Can Children with ADHD Benefit From Instruction in Social and Emotional Intelligences?

Since their establishment, schools have played a central role in the socialization process of children. Children and youth of diverse backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and varying ability are brought together in large numbers on a daily basis. For many students, the hours they spend in school are the best hours of the day to develop behaviorally and academically. The schools are responsible for helping these individuals develop critical skills and essential life skills in order to live successful lives. The repertoire of abilities goes further than the slender band of word-and-number skills that schools traditionally focus on. By giving students the opportunity to improve, these educational institutions have an enormous opportunity for gaining shared and collective values that help children sustain a safe and healthy society

Use of a research project in planning a family life education program for a family agency.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Professional development in the field of education

The process of continual growth and development in the teaching profession represents a common value among education professionals. Federal and state laws maintain that teachers must continue to study. These mandates, pronounced at federal, state, and local levels to create high academic standards for students, must be met through quality instruction. Both the profession and the public expect that teachers have the willingness and the ability to engage in continuous learning that will impact instruction. The process by which educators keep their knowledge base current typically is referred to as professional development. Professional development is an ongoing process of continuous improvement, not an isolated event or series of events. The culture of the school must support continuous inquiry and reflection on the protecting and nurturing of research-based approaches to ensure that all students will achieve. If the goal of high academic standards and achievement for all students is to be realized, effective continuous professional development must be maintained as a systemic process.;Although professional development influences the organizational context in which it takes place, it also impacts the individual learner. Effective models of professional development must consider current knowledge of adult learning. Adults need to know that their efforts will result in the opportunity to achieve competency and that the process will respect their intellectual potential and capacity. Educators must have the opportunity to self-regulate their learning opportunities enabling participants to engage in mindful, intentional, and thoughtful behaviors.;The purpose of this study is to evaluate facilitators and barriers to educators\u27 participation in professional development and to assist in developing quality learning opportunities for educators. This report (1) summarizes the perspectives that teachers place on professional development; (2) discusses the possible facilitators and barriers, based on teachers\u27 perceptions, to educators acquiring the skills and engaging in the activities that characterize quality professional development, and (3) identifies a general approach to addressing the delivery of quality professional development.;According to the survey analysis used for this study, the data clearly reports that high percentages of teachers view themselves as continuous learners. Collaboration and collegiality are themes that the pilot study identified as strong, quality characteristics of professional development. Teachers\u27 responses to the survey indicate that learning in groups is a facilitator to learning, along with attending conferences, strong information seeking skills, enjoyment and change of pace, easy access to learning opportunities, encouragement from family members and other teachers, and application to classroom and student achievement. The most highly named barriers are time, financial obligations, family responsibilities, and professional choice in programming.;The study offers recommendations for learners and providers of professional development opportunities. Educators have a responsibility to encourage and nurture their own love of learning, and educational organizations have the responsibility to create conditions and provide tools and procedures for helping teachers experience learning situations. There is also a call for additional research on the topic of participation in professional development

Do any topical agents help prevent or reduce stretch marks?

No topical agent has been proven to prevent or reduce stretch marks. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) show that cocoa butter doesn't prevent stretch marks (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, 2 RCTs); neither does olive oil (SOR: B, 1 small RCT). A cream containing Centella asiatica extract, vitamin E, and collagen hydrolysates doesn't prevent new stretch marks but might avoid additional stretch marks in women who had already developed them during puberty. Massage with vitamin E ointment alone may reduce the number of stretch marks (SOR: C, 2 small RCTs with methodologic flaws)

Visualisation of data to optimise strategic decision making

1.1 Purpose of the study: The purpose of this research was to explain the principles that should be adopted when developing data visualisations for effective strategic decision making. 1.1.1 Main problem statement: Big data is produced at exponential rates and organisational executives may not possess the appropriate skill or knowledge to consume it for rigorous and timely strategic decision-making (Li, Tiwari, Alcock, & Bermell-Garcia, 2016; Marshall & De la Harpe, 2009; McNeely & Hahm, 2014). 1.1.2 Sub-problems: Organisational executives, including Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and Chief Operating Officers (COOs) possess unique and differing characteristics including education, IT skill, goals and experiences impacting on his/her strategic decision-making ability (Campbell, Chang, & Hosseinian-Far, 2015; Clayton, 2013; Krotov, 2015; Montibeller & Winterfeldt, 2015; Toker, Conati, Steichen, & Carenini, 2013; Xu, 2014). Furthermore, data visualisations are often not "fit-forpurpose", meaning they do not consistently or adequately guide executive strategic decision-making for organisational success (Nevo, Nevo, Kumar, Braasch, & Mathews, 2015). Finally, data visualisation development currently faces challenges, including resolving the interaction between data and human intuition, as well as the incorporation of big data to derive competitive advantage (Goes, 2014; Moorthy et al., 2015; Teras & Raghunathan, 2015). 1.1.3 Research Questions: Based on the challenges identified in section 1.1.1 and 1.1.2, the researcher has identified 3 research questions. RQ1: What do individual organisational executives value and use in data and data visualisation for strategic decision-making purposes? RQ2: How does data visualisation impact on an executive's ability to use and digest relevant information, including on his/her decision-making speed and confidence? RQ3: What elements should data analysts consider when developing data visualisations? 1.2 Rationale: The study will provide guidance to data analysts on how to develop and rethink their data visualisation methods, based on responses from organisational executives tasked with strategic decision-making. By performing this study, data analysts and executives will both benefit, as data analysts will gain knowledge and understanding of what executives value and use in data visualisations, while executives will have a platform to raise their requirements, improving the effectiveness of data visualisations for strategic decision-making. 1.3 Research Method: Qualitative research was the research method used in this research study. Qualitative research could be described as using words rather than precise measurements or calculations when performing data collection and analysis and uses methods of observation, human experiences and inquiry to explain the results of a study (Bryman, 2015; Myers, 2013). Its importance in social science research has increased, as there is a need to further understand the connection of the research study to people's emotions, culture and experiences (Creswell, 2013; Lub, 2015). This supports the ontological view of the researcher, which is an interpretivist's view (Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2015; Ormston, Spencer, Barnard, & Snape, 2014). The epistemology was interpretivism, as the researcher interviewed executives and data analysts (Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2015; Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls, & Ormston, 2013). Furthermore, literature relating to decision-making supported the researcher's interpretivist view, as people generally make decisions based on what they know at the time (Betsch & Haberstroh, 2014). Therefore, the researcher cannot separate the participant from his/her views (Dhochak & Sharma, 2016).The population for this research comprised of 13 executives tasked with strategic decision-making, as well as 4 data analysts who are either internal (permanent employees) or external (consultants) of the organisation within the private sector. 1.4 Conclusion: RQ1: What do individual organisational executives value and use in data and data visualisation for strategic decision-making purposes? Based upon the findings, to answer RQ1, organisational executives must first be clear on the value of the decision. No benefit will be derived from data visualisation if the decision lacks value. The executives also stressed the importance of understanding how data relevancy was identified, based on the premise used by the data visualisation developers. Executives also value source data accuracy and preventing a one-dimensional view by only incorporating data from one source. Hence the value of dynamism, or differing data angles, is important. In terms of the value in data visualisation, it must provide simplicity, clarity, intuitiveness, insightfulness, gap, pattern and trending capability in a collaboration enabling manner, supporting the requirements and decision objectives of the executive. However, an additional finding also identified the importance of the executive's knowledge of the topic at hand and having some familiarity of the topic. Finally, the presenter of the visualisation must also provide a guiding force to assist the executive in reaching a final decision, but not actually formulate the decision for the executive. RQ2: How does data visualisation impact on an executive's ability to use and digest relevant information, including on his/her decision-making speed and confidence? Based on the findings, to answer RQ2, themes of consumption, speed and confidence can be used. However; the final themes of use and trust overlap the initial 3 theme. Consumption is impacted by the data visualisation's ability to talk to the objective of the decision and the ability of the technology used to map the mental model and thinking processes of the decision-maker. Furthermore, data visualisations must not only identify the best decision, but also help the executive to define actionable steps to meet the goal of the decision. Executives appreciate the knowledge and skill of peers and prefer an open approach to decision-making, provided that each inclusion is to the benefit of the organisation as a whole. Benchmark statistics from similar industries also add to the consumption factor. Speed was only defined in terms of the data visualisation design, including the use of contrasting elements, such as colour, to highlight anomalies and areas of interest with greater speed. Furthermore, tolerance limits can also assist the executive in identifying where thresholds have been surpassed, or where areas of underperformance have occurred, focussing on problem areas within the organisation. Finally, confidence is not only impacted by the data visualisation itself but is also affected by the executive's knowledge of the decision and the factors affecting the decision, the ability of the data visualisation presenter to understand, guide and add value to the decision process, the accuracy and integrity of the data presented, the familiarity of the technology used to present the data visualisation and the ability of the data visualisation to enable explorative and collaborative methods for decision-making. RQ3: What elements should data analysts consider when developing data visualisations? Based on the findings, to answer RQ3, the trust theme identifies qualitative factors, relating to the presenter. The value, consumption and confidence themes all point to the relevance of having an open and collaborative organisational culture that enables the effective use of data visualisation. Collaboration brings individuals together and the power of knowledgeable individuals can enhance the final decision. In terms of the presenter, his/her organisational ranking, handling of complexity and multiple audience requirements, use of data in the data visualisation, ability to answer questions, his/her confidence and maturity, professionalism, delivery of the message when presenting, knowledge of the subject presented, understanding of the executive's objectives and data visualisation methodology, creation of a "WOW" factor and understanding the data journey are all important considerations

Molecular detection of culture-confirmed bacterial bloodstream infections with limited enrichment time

Conventional blood culturing using automated instrumentation with phenotypic identification requires a significant amount of time to generate results. This study investigated the speed and accuracy of results generated using PCR and pyrosequencing compared to the time required to obtain Gram stain results and final culture identification for cases of culture-confirmed bloodstream infections. Research and physician-ordered blood cultures were drawn concurrently. Aliquots of the incubating research blood culture fluid were removed hourly between 5 and 8 h, at 24 h, and again at 5 days. DNA was extracted from these 6 time point aliquots and analyzed by PCR and pyrosequencing for bacterial rRNA gene targets. These results were then compared to those of the physician-ordered blood culture. PCR and pyrosequencing accurately identified 92% of all culture-confirmed cases after a mean enrichment time of 5.8 ± 2.9 h. When the time needed to complete sample processing was included for PCR and pyrosequencing protocols, the molecular approach yielded results in 11.8 ± 2.9 h compared to means of 27.9 ± 13.6 h to obtain the Gram stain results and 81.6 ± 24.0 h to generate the final culture-based identification. The molecular approach enabled accurate detection of most bacteria present in incubating blood culture bottles on average about 16 h sooner than Gram stain results became available and approximately 3 days sooner than the phenotypic identification was entered in the Laboratory Information System. If implemented, this more rapid molecular approach could minimize the number of doses of unnecessary or ineffective antibiotics administered to patients

Moving Through Experience: Disruption, Emergence, and the Aesthetic of Repose

Contemporary aesthetic philosophy engages the notion of aesthetic experience from two conflicting lenses; on one hand are those who support a connection between the aesthetic and political while the other favors a more pragmatic position. An area of aesthetic engagement not yet explored inhabits an intermediary between these opposing poles, a modality of aesthetic experience I term, the aesthetic of repose. This dissertation traces the evolution of ideas regarding aesthetic experience through a survey of several philosophers whose varied perspectives form the foundation for my inquiry. Beginning with an exploration of Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgement, proceeding through Friedrich Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy, and progressing to John Dewey’s Art as Experience, my aim is first, to situate their individual aesthetic philosophies within the context of 21st century aesthetic experience. Despite their differing viewpoints, these thinkers share in common; 1) the importance of sense and sensation to valuable aesthetic experience and 2) a desire to find value and meaning in aesthetic experience for overcoming the ills of humanity and advancing culture. Secondly, this dissertation examines a polarity of ideas that challenge the notion of authentic aesthetic experience in our times. Similar to their predecessors, contemporary aesthetic philosophers desire to make aesthetic experience a portal for humanity’s recuperation. There are thinkers such as Jacques Ranciére and Santiago Zabala, who advance an aesthetics of action; others, like Richard Shusterman and Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht advocate for an aesthetics of presence. The aesthetic of repose rests uniquely between action and presence, as an area of slumber, where neither action nor presence is necessary. Rather, the idea is to remain in repose, linger there, where repositioning occurs naturally, as though without perception. One emerges from this seemingly imperceptible experience, having done nothing save moving through it, yet being forever changed by it.https://digitalmaine.com/academic/1046/thumbnail.jp