Sample records for sample parent letter

  1. School-based BMI and body composition screening and parent notification in California: methods and messages.

    PubMed

    Madsen, Kristine A; Linchey, Jennifer

    2012-06-01

    School-based body mass index (BMI) or body composition screening is increasing, but little is known about the process of parent notification. Since 2001, California has required annual screening of body composition via the FITNESSGRAM, with optional notification. This study sought to identify the prevalence of parental notification when screening is required but notification is optional, and the methods and messages used. Researchers conducted phone interviews with 851 school districts (89%) in California and reviewed notification materials from 54 districts. As of 2008, 53% of California districts notified parents of screening results. Many districts (24%) did not know the reason for their notification policy. Most districts notified parents via a letter mailed home (70%) or sent home with the child (18%). Whereas 79% of sample letters provided students' BMI, only 12% provided an explanation of BMI, and only half provided tips on what parents should do if concerned about their child's results. In California, where body composition screening is required but parent notification is not, approximately half of school districts elect to notify parents of results, most commonly via letter. Most letters do not explain BMI or percent body fat scores, nor do they suggest what parents should do for a child identified as at-risk. Further research to identify interpretable and actionable notification messages for parents will be critical if school-based BMI and body composition screening and notification is to reduce childhood obesity. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  2. Parental response to a letter reporting child overweight measured as part of a routine national programme in England: results from interviews with parents.

    PubMed

    Nnyanzi, Lawrence A; Summerbell, Carolyn D; Ells, Louisa; Shucksmith, Janet

    2016-08-20

    Rising rates of childhood obesity have become a pressing issue in public health, threatening both the mental and physical well-being of children. Attempts to address this problem are multifaceted, and in England include the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) which assesses weight status in English primary school children in reception class (aged 4-5) and in year 6 (aged 10-11), with results being sent out to parents. However the effectiveness and impact of this routine parental feedback has yet to be fully understood. This paper reports one component of a mixed methods study undertaken in North East England, examining the impact of the feedback letters on parents' understanding and feelings about their child's weight status and whether or not this seemed likely to lead to behaviour change. One-to-one semi-structured interviews (n = 16) were conducted with a sample of parents/guardians after they had received their child's weight results letter. Eight parents/guardians were sub-sampled from the group whose child had been indicated to be overweight or obese and eight were from the group whose child had been indicated to be of ideal weight status. Interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached for both groups. The reactions of parents/guardians whose children were identified as being overweight followed a sequence of behaviours ranging from shock, disgust with the programme, through denial and self-blame to acceptance, worry and intention to seek help. On the other hand, the reaction of parents/guardians whose children were identified as being ideal weight ranged from relief, pleasure and happiness through affirmation and self-congratulation to 'othering'. Whilst overweight and obesity is often portrayed as a medical condition, parents/guardians see it as deeply rooted in their social lives and not in health terms. Parents believe that the causes of overeating and lack of exercise relate closely to the obesogenic environment, particularly the complex social and cultural milieu and time pressures within which this sample of people live. Associating this problem in feedback letters with dangerous diseases like cancer, and advising parents to visit GPs to resolve child weight issues was perceived as inappropriate by the parents, and caused controversy and anger. Given the likelihood that the NCMP will continue as a monitoring device, it is evident that the management of the process needs to be reviewed, with particular attention being paid to the feedback process. Local health authorities will need to manage parental expectations and ensure linkage with appropriately commissioned remedial weight management interventions.

  3. Involving Parents through School Letters: Mothers, Fathers and Teachers Negotiating Children's Education and Rearing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forsberg, Lucas

    2007-01-01

    The present article explores home-school relations by analyzing how Swedish teachers and parents negotiate responsibility for children's education and rearing through school letters. It draws on participant observations using a video camera in families, interviews with parents, and analysis of school letters written by teachers to parents. The…

  4. Letter Knowledge in Parent–Child Conversations

    PubMed Central

    Robins, Sarah; Treiman, Rebecca; Rosales, Nicole

    2014-01-01

    Learning about letters is an important component of emergent literacy. We explored the possibility that parent speech provides information about letters, and also that children’s speech reflects their own letter knowledge. By studying conversations transcribed in CHILDES (MacWhinney, 2000) between parents and children aged one to five, we found that alphabetic order influenced use of individual letters and letter sequences. The frequency of letters in children’s books influenced parent utterances throughout the age range studied, but children’s utterances only after age two. Conversations emphasized some literacy-relevant features of letters, such as their shapes and association with words, but not letters’ sounds. Describing these patterns and how they change over the preschool years offers important insight into the home literacy environment. PMID:25598577

  5. A Letter to the Parent(s) of a Child with Developmental Apraxia of Speech. Part III: Other Problems Often Associated with the Disorder.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Penelope K.

    2000-01-01

    One of a series of letters to parents of children with developmental apraxia of speech, this letter discusses other problems associated with the disorder including language development problems, academic problems, motor skill problems, and chewing and swallowing difficulties. An annotated bibliography of two further readings for parents is…

  6. Mississippi Magic: Summer Library Program, 1999.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudspeth, Jean; Shurden, Lynn Fletcher

    This manual for the 1999 Mississippi summer library program for preschool through elementary age children contains the following sections: (1) Introduction, including planning, promotional activities, sample radio spots and press releases, sample letters to parents, tips for including children with disabilities, a general bibliography, a…

  7. The Massachusetts BMI letter: A qualitative study of responses from parents of obese children

    PubMed Central

    Moyer, Lindsay J.; Carbone, Elena T.; Anliker, Jean A.; Goff, Sarah L.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Massachusetts (MA) public schools conduct mandated body-mass index (BMI) screening and until recently, communicated results in a letter to parents/caregivers, to encourage primary care visits and provide aggregate data to the state Department of Public Health. This study assessed the letter's readability and qualitatively explored parents’ responses to it. Methods Readability of the BMI letter was calculated. Audio-taped 1-h focus groups were conducted with parents/caregivers of 8- to 14-year-old obese (≥95th BMI-for-age percentile) children. A semistructured interview guide was used to elicit responses. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on transcripts to identify emergent themes. Results Readability analysis showed higher grade levels than recommended. Eight focus groups consisting of two to six parents each were conducted (n = 29); 83% were female, mean age 41 ± 9 years, and 65% self-identified as Hispanic/Latino. Key themes identified included usefulness of the BMI letter, concerns about utility of BMI for screening, concerns about impacting self-esteem, and failure to understand the letter. Conclusions The MA BMI letter may not have been achieving its desired goal with some parents. Practice implications: Emergent themes from this study could be used to test effectiveness of similar BMI letters nationwide and develop strategies to improve communication to parents. PMID:24290240

  8. Outcome progress letter types

    PubMed Central

    Lingley-Pottie, Patricia; Janz, Teresa; McGrath, Patrick J.; Cunningham, Charles; MacLean, Cathy

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Objective To determine health care professional and parental preferences for receiving progress letters from a pediatric mental health program between a traditional text-only format and a version in which information was presented using graphs and tables with limited text. Design Mailed survey. Setting Nova Scotia. Participants Parents (n = 98) of children who received treatment from and health care professionals (n = 74) who referred patients to the Strongest Families Program (formerly the Family Help Program) were eligible. Most of the health care professionals were family practitioners (83.8%). Main outcome measures Preference between 2 letters that contained the same content (including progress in the program, results from a questionnaire, and resolved and ongoing problems) in different formats—one using text only, the other using graphs as well as text. Results In total, 83.8% of health professionals and 76.5% of parents indicated that they preferred to receive feedback in letters containing information in graphical format. Background and demographic information did not predict preferences. Parents preferred to receive progress letters at the beginning, midway through, and at the end of treatment, and health professionals preferred to receive progress letters at the beginning and end of treatment. Conclusion When receiving progress letters from a pediatric mental health program, health care professionals and parents preferred to receive letters that used graphs to help convey information. PMID:22170209

  9. Longitudinal Relations Between Parental Writing Support and Preschoolers’ Language and Literacy Skills

    PubMed Central

    Bindman, Samantha W.; Hindman, Annemarie H.; Aram, Dorit; Morrison, Frederick J.

    2013-01-01

    Parental writing support was examined over time and in relation to children’s language and literacy skills. Seventy-seven parents and their preschoolers were videotaped writing an invitation together twice during one year. Parental writing support was coded at the level of the letter to document parents’ graphophonemic support (letter–sound correspondence), print support (letter formation), and demand for precision (expectation for correcting writing errors). Parents primarily relied on only a couple print (i.e., parent writing the letter alone) and graphophonemic (i.e., saying the word as a whole, dictating letters as children write) strategies. Graphophonemic and print support in preschool predicted children’s decoding skills, and graphophonemic support also predicted children’s future phonological awareness. Neither type of support predicted children’s vocabulary scores. Demand for precision occurred infrequently and was unrelated to children’s outcomes. Findings demonstrate the importance of parental writing support for augmenting children’s literacy skills. PMID:25045186

  10. What can Parents' Self-report of Reading Difficulties Tell Us about Their Children's Emergent Literacy at School Entry?

    PubMed

    Esmaeeli, Zahra; Lundetrae, Kjersti; Kyle, Fiona E

    2018-02-01

    Research has linked family risk (FR) of reading difficulties (RD) with children's difficulties in emergent literacy development. This study is the first to apply parents' self-report of RD as a proxy for FR in a large sample (n = 1171) in order to test group differences in children's emergent literacy. Emergent literacy, the home literacy environment and children's interest in literacy and letters were compared across different groups of FR children around the school entry. The FR children performed lower in emergent literacy compared with not-FR children. Furthermore, when comparing FR children with one parent reporting RD and children with both parents reporting RD, moderate group differences were found in Emergent Literacy. Finally, parents' self-report of RD was a significant contributor of emergent literacy after controlling for the home literacy environment, children's gender, their interest in literacy and letters, months in kindergarten, vocabulary and parents' education. Our findings suggest that schools should monitor the reading development of children with parents self-reporting RD closely - especially if both parents self-report RD. © 2017 The Authors. Dyslexia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2017 The Authors. Dyslexia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. What can Parents' Self‐report of Reading Difficulties Tell Us about Their Children's Emergent Literacy at School Entry?

    PubMed Central

    Lundetræ, Kjersti; Kyle, Fiona E.

    2017-01-01

    Research has linked family risk (FR) of reading difficulties (RD) with children's difficulties in emergent literacy development. This study is the first to apply parents' self‐report of RD as a proxy for FR in a large sample (n = 1171) in order to test group differences in children's emergent literacy. Emergent literacy, the home literacy environment and children's interest in literacy and letters were compared across different groups of FR children around the school entry. The FR children performed lower in emergent literacy compared with not‐FR children. Furthermore, when comparing FR children with one parent reporting RD and children with both parents reporting RD, moderate group differences were found in Emergent Literacy. Finally, parents' self‐report of RD was a significant contributor of emergent literacy after controlling for the home literacy environment, children's gender, their interest in literacy and letters, months in kindergarten, vocabulary and parents' education. Our findings suggest that schools should monitor the reading development of children with parents self‐reporting RD closely – especially if both parents self‐report RD. © 2017 The Authors. Dyslexia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:28921775

  12. Parental Perceptions of Body Mass Index Notification: A Qualitative Study.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Misty

    2015-10-01

    There is a worldwide epidemic of obesity in children. To address obesity in children, emphasis must be on factors within family, school, and community environments. Although most parents and school officials are aware of the problem of overweight children, there are few data available to guide decision making about the acceptability of school-based body mass index (BMI) screening and referral programs. Parental insight is essential to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of BMI notification. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of parents whose school-age children received a BMI referral letter stating their child is overweight. Purposeful convenience sampling was used to obtain 21 parents. Semistructured interviews were used to collect the data. Eight themes and corresponding subthemes emerged. The themes regarding parental perceptions were feelings about receiving the letter, causes of obesity, capabilities, barriers, role modeling, primary care provider response, school's role, and health screening process. The findings of this study can serve as the foundation and provide guidance for parents, schools, healthcare professionals, and communities when attempting to implement changes and programs to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity. © 2015, American School Health Association.

  13. Make Waves: Read! 1998 Summer Library Program Manual. Bulletin No. 98107.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roeber, Jane A., Ed.

    This manual is designed to help individual libraries in Wisconsin plan and implement their summer library programs. The manual is divided into six sections. Section 1 covers planning and promoting programs, and includes reproducible promotional materials, sample letters to parents, and sample media materials. Section 2 provides decorating and…

  14. Parents of elementary school students weigh in on height, weight, and body mass index screening at school.

    PubMed

    Kubik, Martha Y; Fulkerson, Jayne A; Story, Mary; Rieland, Gayle

    2006-12-01

    School-based body mass index (BMI) screening and parent notification programs have been recommended as a childhood overweight prevention strategy. However, there are little empirical data available to guide decision making about the acceptability and safety of programs. A pilot study was conducted using a quasiexperimental research design. In fall 2004, children in 4 suburban elementary schools (kindergarten to sixth grade) in the St Paul/Minneapolis, MN, metropolitan area completed height/weight screening. The following spring, parents in 2 schools received letters containing height/weight and BMI results. A self-administered post-only survey examined parents' opinions and beliefs regarding school-based BMI screening and parent notification programs (response rate: 790/1133 = 70%). The chi2 test of significance was used to examine differences in program support by treatment condition, child's weight status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Among all parents, 78% believed it was important for schools to assess student's height/weight annually and wanted to receive height, weight, and BMI information yearly. Among parents receiving the letter, 95% read most/all of the letter. Most parents (80%) and children (83%) reported comfort with the information in the letter. Parents of overweight children were more likely to report parental discomfort as well as child discomfort with letter content. There was considerable parental support for school-based BMI screening and parent notification programs. Programs may be a useful overweight prevention tool for children. However, continued attention to how best to support parents and children affected by overweight is required.

  15. Harvard Education Letter. Volume 20, Number 1, January-February 2004

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, David T., Ed.

    2004-01-01

    "Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Bringing Parents on Board: Strong Home-School Connections Enrich Learning Opportunities for Immigrant Kids--and Their Parents, Too (Sue Miller Wiltz); (2)…

  16. Parents’ Talk About Letters With Their Young Children

    PubMed Central

    Treiman, Rebecca; Schmidt, John; Decker, Kristina; Robins, Sarah; Levine, Susan C.; Demir, Özlem Ece

    2015-01-01

    A literacy-related activity that occurs in children's homes—talk about letters in everyday conversations—was examined using data from 50 children who were visited every 4 months between 14 and 50 months. Parents talked about some letters, including those that are common in English words and the first letter of their children's names, especially often. Parents’ focus on the child's initial was especially strong in families of higher socioeconomic status, and the extent to which parents talked about the child's initial during the later sessions of the study was related to the children's kindergarten reading skill. Conversations that included the child's initial were longer than those that did not, and parents presented a variety of information about this letter. PMID:26014495

  17. Athletic Director's Survival Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koehler, Mike; Giebel, Nancy

    This book examines the duties assigned to athletic directors, offering successful strategies for achieving them and materials to make their jobs easier (e.g., sample memos, letters, forms, and charts for interacting successfully with coaches, students, administrators, and parents). Section 1 discusses the director's work with student athletes and…

  18. Informing subjects of epidemiologic study results. Children's Cancer Group.

    PubMed

    Bunin, G R; Kazak, A E; Mitelman, O

    1996-04-01

    To assess the feasibility and process of providing feedback to parents regarding the results of epidemiologic research, in particular to look at the importance and clarity of the information provided, parental reactions to the results, and utilization of the data provided. Parents who participated in an epidemiologic study of pediatric brain tumors (patient and control mothers) were sent a letter summarizing the results of the study and the Parent Study Results Survey to complete and return. The final sample used for analyses was 109 (patient) and 90 (control) mothers. Analyses were conducted to determine differences between patient and control mothers and differences among subsets defined by educational level and vital status of the patient. Mothers rated the importance and clarity of the information very highly, although patient mothers were more likely than control mothers to want more information and a telephone contact. Patient and control mothers were similar in reported sadness, anxiety, and being overwhelmed, but patient mothers felt less satisfied and relieved. Patient mothers expressed feeling more guilt nad anger than control mothers, although even the levels among the patient mothers were only moderate. Close to half of all mothers commented on the inconclusiveness of the study results. Nearly all mothers indicated they would suggest that other parents participate in epidemiologic research. It is valuable to many parents that they receive information about results of research in which they have participated. We found little evidence of strong negative effects to a detailed feedback letter. We recommend that evaluative data be used to guide the process of informing research participants about study results and that investigators consider making feedback letters a standard part of research protocols.

  19. Exploring the basis for parents' negative reactions to being informed that their child is overweight.

    PubMed

    Gillison, Fiona; Beck, Fay; Lewitt, Joanna

    2014-05-01

    Increasing parental awareness of childhood obesity is an important part of tackling the issue. However, parents' negative reactions to being informed that their children are overweight or obese can hinder their engagement with relevant services. The present study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of why parents react negatively, to help commissioners and service providers design services that are more acceptable to them. Open, qualitative responses to a survey were collected using a postal questionnaire. Responses were analysed using content analysis. One local authority in south-west England. The sample frame included all parents receiving letters informing them that their child was overweight (91st-98th centile) or very overweight (98th-100th centile) through the UK National Child Measurement Programme in 2012. Forty-five of 313 eligible parents (14 %) responded to the survey, of whom forty-three rejected either to the judgement that their child was overweight and/or being provided with this feedback. Primary reasons for objection included: lack of trust in the measures used, lack of belief that being overweight is important for children's health (relative to a healthy lifestyle), and fear that discussing weight with children will trigger eating disorders. In addition, parents' responses suggested that they considered receiving this feedback to be a criticism of their parenting skills. Overall, three areas for improving communication with parents were suggested: tailoring letters; providing information about the importance of weight independently of lifestyle; and addressing parents' concerns about the risks of talking to children about their weight.

  20. Impact of an EMR-Based Daily Patient Update Letter on Communication and Parent Engagement in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

    PubMed Central

    Palma, Jonathan P.; Keller, Heather; Godin, Margie; Wayman, Karen; Cohen, Ronald S.; Rhine, William D.; Longhurst, Christopher A.

    2013-01-01

    Summary Objective To evaluate the impact of using electronic medical record (EMR) data in the form of a daily patient update letter on communication and parent engagement in a level II neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Study Design Parents of babies in a level II NICU were surveyed before and after the introduction of an EMR-generated daily patient update letter, Your Baby’s Daily Update (YBDU). Results Following the introduction of the EMR-generated daily patient update letter, 89% of families reported using YBDU as an information source; 83% of these families found it “very useful”, and 96% of them responded that they “always” liked receiving it. Rates of receiving information from the attending physician were not statistically significantly different pre- and post-implementation, 81% and 78%, respectively (p = 1). Though there was no statistically significant improvement in parents’ knowledge of individual items regarding the care of their babies, a trend towards statistical significance existed for several items (p <.1), and parents reported feeling more competent to manage information related to the health status of their babies (p =.039). Conclusion Implementation of an EMR-generated daily patient update letter is feasible, resulted in a trend towards improved communication, and improved at least one aspect of parent engagement—perceived competence to manage information in the NICU. PMID:23730532

  1. Examining an Extended Home Literacy Model: The Mediating Roles of Emergent Literacy Skills and Reading Fluency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Inoue, Tomohiro; Georgiou, George K.; Parrila, Rauno; Kirby, John R.

    2018-01-01

    We examined the developmental relationships between home literacy environment (parent teaching, shared book reading) and emergent literacy skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, vocabulary, rapid naming speed) in kindergarten, reading accuracy and fluency in Grade 1, and reading comprehension in Grades 2 and 3 in a sample of Canadian…

  2. Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know

    MedlinePlus

    ... Parents Need to Know » A Letter to Parents Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know Email Facebook Twitter ... their children to review the scientific facts about marijuana: (1) Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know and ( ...

  3. Parental Strategies to Scaffold Emergent Writing Skills in the Pre-School Child within the Home Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neumann, Michelle M.; Neumann, David L.

    2010-01-01

    Joint writing activities between parent and child can enhance literacy skills in young children. This paper describes the strategies used by a mother to scaffold her daughter's alphabet letter shaping, word and story writing in the years before formal schooling. The strategies included identifying alphabet letters embedded in environmental print…

  4. Effects of an Introductory Letter on Response Rates to a Teen/Parent Telephone Health Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woodruff, Susan I.; Mayer, Joni A.; Clapp, Elizabeth

    2006-01-01

    The authors conducted a pilot study in preparation for a larger investigation that will rely on telephone surveys to assess select health behaviors of teens and their parents, with a focus on indoor tanning. This study used a randomized design to assess the impact of a presurvey letter on response rates to a telephone survey, as well as prevalence…

  5. A National Survey of Parental Leave and Childcare Policies for Graduate Students in Departments of Astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Charbonneau, David; Women in Astronomy, AAS Committee on Status of

    2013-01-01

    The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy conducted a national survey to determine current policies regarding parental leave and childcare for graduate student parents. We sent a letter to the Chair of each U.S. department of astronomy and/or astrophysics that offers the PhD degree. The letter inquired both about leave following the birth or adoption of a child (including questions about eligibility, whether the leave was paid or unpaid, and whether benefits including health care and housing were retained during leave), as well as childcare (including questions about eligibility, access, and financial assistance). The letter sought to determine the official departmental policies, but also inquired about any unofficial policies. We also inquired as to mechanisms to cover costs associated with both parental leave and childcare, and the means by which graduate students were informed about the policies. The response rate was 100%. We will present the results at this special session, and then lead a discussion of the changing landscape of parental leave for graduate students in our field.

  6. [Individualised parent counselling in paediatric practices for the reduction of second-hand smoke exposure of their children: a feasibility study].

    PubMed

    Haug, S; Biedermann, A; Ulbricht, S; John, U

    2015-05-01

    The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of a web-based programme provided by paediatric practices for counselling parents to reduce second-hand smoke exposure of their children. Accompanying persons of children were systematically screened concerning tobacco smoking at their home in 2 Swiss paediatric practices. They were invited for programme participation if they or their partners smoked at home regularly. The web-based programme provided at least 1 computer-tailored counselling letter. Upto 3 additional counselling letters could be requested online by the participants over a period of 3 months. The letters were tailored according to the indoor smoking behaviour of the parents and considered individual barriers and resources for the establishment of a smoke-free home. Additionally, further information and advice could be requested on the programme website. Feasibility indicators were the participation rate, programme use, and programme evaluation by the participants. 3 055 (82.3%) of 3 712 accompanying persons of children in the paediatric practices were screened concerning tobacco smoking at their home. 96 (56.8%) of 169 eligible persons participated in the programme. 68 (70.8%) of the 96 programme participants could be reassessed at post assessment. 9 (15.0%) of 60 participants who provided a valid e-mail address requested more than one counselling letter. The counselling letters and the web-based programme were evaluated positively by the programme participants. Systematic screening combined with the provision of individually tailored counselling letters for parents to reduce second-hand smoke exposure of their children was feasible in paediatric practices. Possible strategies to in-crease the use and reach of the programme are -discussed. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  7. Harvard Education Letter. Volume 23, Number 4, July-August 2007

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chauncey, Caroline, Ed.

    2007-01-01

    "Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Meeting of the Minds: The Parent-Teacher Conference Is the Cornerstone of School-Home Relations. How Can It Work for All Families? (Laura Pappano); (2) In Search of That "Third…

  8. Parents Are Powerful = Los Padres Tienen Poder.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Law and Education, Washington, DC.

    Based on the view that parents should participate in key decisions about their children's schooling, this booklet, in English and Spanish versions, provides advice and suggestions for parents on ways to be involved in their children's education. The booklet begins with a letter addressed to parents, outlining possible parental roles in their…

  9. Ambulatory care of children treated with anticonvulsants - pitfalls after discharge from hospital.

    PubMed

    Bertsche, A; Dahse, A-J; Neininger, M P; Bernhard, M K; Syrbe, S; Frontini, R; Kiess, W; Merkenschlager, A; Bertsche, T

    2013-09-01

    Anticonvulsants require special consideration particularly at the interface from hospital to ambulatory care. Observational study for 6 months with prospectively enrolled consecutive patients in a neuropediatric ward of a university hospital (age 0-<18 years) with long-term therapy of at least one anticonvulsant. Assessment of outpatient prescriptions after discharge. Parent interviews for emergency treatment for acute seizures and safety precautions. We identified changes of the brand in 19/82 (23%) patients caused by hospital's discharge letters (4/82; 5%) or in ambulatory care (15/82; 18%). In 37/76 (49%) of patients who were deemed to require rescue medication, no recommendation for such a medication was included in the discharge letters. 17/76 (22%) of the respective parents stated that they had no immediate access to rescue medication. Safety precautions were applicable in 44 epilepsy patients. We identified knowledge deficits in 27/44 (61%) of parents. Switching of brands after discharge was frequent. In the discharge letters, rescue medications were insufficiently recommended. Additionally, parents frequently displayed knowledge deficits in risk management. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  10. "I've tried the switch but he laughs through the tears:" the use and conceptualization of corporal punishment during the Machine Age, 1924-1939.

    PubMed

    Davis, Phillip W; Chandler, Jennifer L; Larossa, Ralph

    2004-12-01

    To examine attitudes, conflicts, images, circumstances, and time-period effects associated with corporal punishment and other forms of adult-to-child violence during the early 20th century in the United States. A sample of 147 letters, referencing corporal punishment and dating from 1924 to 1939, were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The letters were addressed to Angelo Patri (1876-1965), a popular child-rearing expert during the interwar years (also known as the Machine Age), and written primarily by middle class parents with everyday worries about child rearing and proper discipline. People who sought advice emphasized the practical significance of corporal punishment over and above the idea that it violated children's rights to be protected against harm. One in four letters cited conflicts with significant others about corporal punishment. Generally, children were perceived as frail, defiant, or feral. Rarely, were they seen as devilish or, conversely, innocent. Children's disobedience and disrespect were cited more than other misbehaviors as reasons for corporal punishment. Age and gender of the focal child varied by time period when letters from the 1920s and 1930s were compared. A full understanding of parent-to-child violence cannot be achieved without a firm grasp of its genealogy. The growing popularity of child psychology during the Machine Age had a measurable impact on how children were viewed. A utilitarian frame of interpretation was an important part of the everyday "work" associated with child rearing during this time, foreshadowing the tendency today to emphasize efficacy more than rights when evaluating the legitimacy of corporal punishment.

  11. Parent Reactions to a School-Based Body Mass Index Screening Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Suzanne Bennett; Pilkington, Lorri L.; Lamp, Camilla; He, Jianghua; Deeb, Larry C.

    2009-01-01

    Background: This study assessed parent reactions to school-based body mass index (BMI) screening. Methods: After a K-8 BMI screening program, parents were sent a letter detailing their child's BMI results. Approximately 50 parents were randomly selected for interview from each of 4 child weight-classification groups (overweight, at risk of…

  12. "Children Need Their Parents More than a Pizza in the Fridge!": Parental Responsibility in a Finnish Newspaper

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Book, Marja Leena; Perala-Littunen, Satu

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study is to find constructions of parental responsibility by analysing letters sent by readers to a newspaper on the topic of parenting and parental responsibility. The study takes a methodological approach, focusing on the meanings of responsibility and looking at different portrayals of parenthood. Three dimensions of…

  13. NDE Techniques Used in PARENT Open Round Robin Testing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Meyer, Ryan M.

    2014-11-05

    This is a draft technical letter report for NRC client describing the NDE techniques used in the open testing portion of the Program to Assess the Reliability of Emerging Nondestructive Techniques (PARENT).

  14. Letter knowledge in parent–child conversations: differences between families differing in socio-economic status

    PubMed Central

    Robins, Sarah; Ghosh, Dina; Rosales, Nicole; Treiman, Rebecca

    2014-01-01

    When formal literacy instruction begins, around the age of 5 or 6, children from families low in socioeconomic status (SES) tend to be less prepared than children from families of higher SES. The goal of our study is to explore one route through which SES may influence children's early literacy skills: informal conversations about letters. The study builds on previous studies (Robins and Treiman, 2009; Robins et al., 2012, 2014) of parent–child conversations that show how U. S. parents and their young children talk about writing and provide preliminary evidence about similarities and differences in parent–child conversations as a function of SES. Focusing on parents and children aged three to five, we conducted five separate analyses of these conversations, asking whether and how family SES influences the previously established patterns. Although we found talk about letters in both upper and lower SES families, there were differences in the nature of these conversations. The proportion of letter talk utterances that were questions was lower in lower SES families and, of all the letter names that lower SES families talked about, more of them were uttered in isolation rather than in sequences. Lower SES families were especially likely to associate letters with the child's name, and they placed more emphasis on sequences in alphabetic order. We found no SES differences in the factors that influenced use of particular letter names (monograms), but there were SES differences in two-letter sequences (digrams). Focusing on the alphabet and on associations between the child's name and the letters within it may help to interest the child in literacy activities, but they many not be very informative about the relationship between letters and words in general. Understanding the patterns in parent–child conversations about letters is an important first step for exploring their contribution to children's early literacy skills and school readiness. PMID:25009516

  15. Puberty/Adolescence. Growing Pains: Sex Education for Parents. A Newsletter Series. Letter III.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polulech, Joan Burgess; Nuttall, Paul

    This document presents the third of five newsletters on sex education for parents. The newsletters were designed to help parents increase their ability to communicate with their adolescents about sexual issues. They explore the origins of the parents' feelings about sex; teach the importance of a healthy self-concept and how to build it in the…

  16. Contributions of Emergent Literacy Skills to Name Writing, Letter Writing, and Spelling in Preschool Children

    PubMed Central

    Puranik, Cynthia S.; Lonigan, Christopher J.; Kim, Young-Suk

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine which emergent literacy skills contribute to preschool children’s emergent writing (name-writing, letter-writing, and spelling) skills. Emergent reading and writing tasks were administered to 296 preschool children aged 4–5 years. Print knowledge and letter-writing skills made positive contributions to name writing; whereas alphabet knowledge, print knowledge, and name writing made positive contributions to letter writing. Both name-writing and letter-writing skills made significant contributions to the prediction of spelling after controlling for age, parental education, print knowledge, phonological awareness, and letter-name and letter-sound knowledge; however, only letter-writing abilities made a significant unique contribution to the prediction of spelling when both letter-writing and name-writing skills were considered together. Name writing reflects knowledge of some letters rather than a broader knowledge of letters that may be needed to support early spelling. Children’s letter-writing skills may be a better indicator of children’s emergent literacy and developing spelling skills than are their name-writing skills at the end of the preschool year. Spelling is a developmentally complex skill beginning in preschool and includes letter writing and blending skills, print knowledge, and letter-name and letter-sound knowledge. PMID:21927537

  17. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Parent Education for Incarcerated Mothers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harm, Nancy J.; Thompson, Patricia J.

    1997-01-01

    Reports the evaluation of a 15-week parent education program in a state prison for women. Results indicate a positive increase in self-esteem and significant positive changes in parenting attitudes. Participants claimed that the program helped them improve interactions with their children on visitation and in their communication through letters.…

  18. ABCs of Being Smart . . . A

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Joanne

    2011-01-01

    In this, and in upcoming issues of "Parenting for High Potential," the author will take a creative approach as she focuses on ways to encourage and support gifted-level development. One letter at a time, she will share understandings and ideas for parents and teachers. In this article, she presents an A list to help parents become more…

  19. 77 FR 27833 - Requirements for Recognizing the Aviation and Aerospace Innovation in Science and Engineering Award

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-11

    ..., advisor, faculty member, and others as appropriate. The nomination letter(s) must communicate the... upon teacher (parent or legal guardian in the case of home schooled applicants), advisor, or faculty... innovative concept written by the student(s) being nominated (no page limit). All materials should be...

  20. Special Education: Parent and Student Rights = Educacion Especial: Los Derechos de los Padres y Estudiantes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas Education Agency, Austin. Div. of Special Education Programs.

    Intended for parents of children with possible disabilities in Texas, these two combined booklets (one in English and one in Spanish) outline the step-by-step process qualifying the child for special education services and explain the parent's rights and responsibilities under federal and state law. Introductory material includes a letter to…

  1. Education after High School: A Guide for Parents and Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Missouri State Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jefferson City.

    This guide is for parents of students in Missouri who are planning further education or training after high school. After a letter of introduction to parents from the Missouri Commissioner of Education and a brief overview of the importance of planning for advanced education, it provides checklists of planning activities for students during 9th…

  2. Teachers and Parents Define Diversity in an Oregon Preschool Cooperative--Democracy at Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lakey, Jennifer

    1997-01-01

    Describes the ensuing conflict when the book "Daddy's Roommate" was included as part of the preschool anti-bias curriculum. Discusses parent boycott, letters to parents, board discussions, and formation of a committee to propose solutions. Describes the voting plan based on position statements on both sides of the issue and how creating…

  3. A Guide to Parent Observation in the Primary Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Battle, Judy Shepps

    2016-01-01

    Just as the classroom guide must prepare for observation in the classroom, so too should parents prepare themselves for classroom observation. What is the purpose of their observation? What is the procedure? What should they note? What points of awareness should they keep in mind? Using the format of a letter to parents preparing to observe in a…

  4. Readability of "Dear Patient" device advisory notification letters created by a device manufacturer.

    PubMed

    Mueller, Luke A; Sharma, Arjun; Ottenberg, Abigale L; Mueller, Paul S

    2013-04-01

    In 2006, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) recommended that cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) manufacturers use advisory notification letters to communicate with affected patients. To evaluate the readability of the HRS sample "patient device advisory notification" letter and those created by 1 CIED manufacturer. The HRS sample letter and 25 Boston Scientific Corporation letters dated from 2005 through 2011 were evaluated by using 6 readability tests. Readability (Flesch-Kincaid score) of the HRS sample letter was grade level 12.5, and median readability of the device manufacturer letters was grade level 12.8 (range 10.8-18.9). Similar results were obtained by using other readability scales. No letters had readability scores at the National Work Group on Literacy and Health's recommended reading level-fifth grade; the letters' readability exceeded this recommended level by an average of 7.7 grades (95% confidence interval 6.9-8.5; P<.001). Likewise, no letters had readability scores at the average reading level of US adults-eighth grade; the letters' readability exceeded this level by an average of 4.7 grades (95% confidence interval 3.9-5.5; P< .001). The readability of the HRS sample letter and those created by a CIED manufacturer significantly exceeded the recommended and average US adults' reading skill levels. Such letters are unlikely to be informative to many patients. CIED manufacturers should ensure that advisory letters are comprehensible to most affected patients. Copyright © 2013 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. P.E. Is More than "Duck, Duck, Goose"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Faerber, Joanna

    2006-01-01

    In this brief article, the author suggests some tips that can help teachers promote class activities by keeping parents informed on what is going on in class. Letters to the parents, monthly newsletters, and web pages are some of the methods described.

  6. Experimental test of contemporary mathematical models of visual letter recognition.

    PubMed

    Townsend, J T; Ashby, F G

    1982-12-01

    A letter confusion experiment that used brief durations manipulated payoffs across the four stimulus letters, which were composed of line segments equal in length. The observers were required to report the features they perceived as well as to give a letter response. The early feature-sampling process is separated from the later letter-decision process in the substantive feature models, and predictions are thus obtained for the frequencies of feature report as well as letter report. Four substantive visual feature-processing models are developed and tested against one another and against three models of a more descriptive nature. The substantive models predict the decisional letter report phase much better than they do the feature-sampling phase, but the best overall 4 X 4 letter confusion matrix fits are obtained with one of the descriptive models, the similarity choice model. The present and other recent results suggest that the assumption that features are sampled in a stochastically independent manner may not be generally valid. The traditional high-threshold conceptualization of feature sampling is also falsified by the frequent reporting by observers of features not contained in the stimulus letter.

  7. [Self-sampling and reminder letters increase participation in the Finnish cervical cancer screening programme].

    PubMed

    Virtanen, Anni; Nieminen, Pekka; Malila, Nea; Luostarinen, Tapio; Anttila, Ahti

    2013-01-01

    Participation rate in the national cervical cancer screening programme is currently less than 70% in Finland. A new potential method of increasing the attendance are self-taken samples for hrHPV-testing. All cervical cancer screening non-attendees in 22 municipalities received first a reminder letter. Non-attendees after the reminder letter were offered a self-sampling device. Reminder letters increased total participation from 72.6% to 79.9%, and self-sampling tests further to 83.4%. If reminder letters were sent with fixed appointments, participation was significantly higher (30 vs. 14%). If self-sampling is used after the recommended two invitations, overall screening attendance could reach the desired 80% to 85%.

  8. Job Search Correspondence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lorenzen, Elizabeth A.; And Others

    This paper describes the various types of correspondence used in the job search process and provides guidelines and samples of each type. Types of letters discussed include cover letters (including letters of application and prospecting letters), networking letters, thank-you letters, acceptance letters, withdrawal letters, and rejection of offer…

  9. Preschoolers' Reading Skills Benefit from One Modest Change by Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grabmeier, Jeff

    2012-01-01

    A small change in how teachers and parents read aloud to preschoolers may provide a big boost to their reading skills later on, a new study found. That change involves making specific references to print in books while reading--such as pointing out letters and words on the pages, showing capital letters, and showing how they read from left to…

  10. Predicting First Grade Achievement from Kindergarten Screening Measures: A Comparison of Child and Family Predictors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bramlett, Ronald K.; Rowell, R. Kevin; Mandenberg, Kristi

    2000-01-01

    Compared the Parenting Stress Index (R. Abidon, 1990), the Behavior Assessment System for Children (C. Reynolds and R. Kamphaus, 1992), and an informal letter/number probe as predictors of first grade reading and mathematics achievement for 92 children early in the kindergarten year. Results show that number and letter recognition were the best…

  11. Parental Attitudes, Behaviors, and Barriers to School Readiness among Parents of Low-Income Latino Children.

    PubMed

    Peterson, Jaime; Bruce, Janine; Patel, Neel; Chamberlain, Lisa J

    2018-01-24

    We sought to explore parental attitudes, behaviors, and barriers regarding school readiness in a county clinic serving low income, Latino children. Between December 2013-September 2014, we conducted a cross sectional survey of parents during 3-6 years well-child appointments about school readiness (SR) across: (1) attitudes/behaviors; (2) barriers; and (3) awareness; and (4) use of local resources. Most parents (n = 210, response rate 95.6%) find it very important/important for their child to know specific skills prior to school: take turns and share (98.5%), use a pencil and count (97.6%), know letters (99.1%), colors (97.1%), and shapes (96.1%). Over 80% of parents find education important and engage in positive SR behaviors: singing, practicing letters, or reading. Major barriers to SR were lack of knowledge for kindergarten readiness, language barriers, access to books at home, constraints on nightly reading, difficulty completing school forms, and limited free time with child. Awareness of local resources such as preschool programs was higher than actual utilization. These low-income, Latino parents value SR but lack knowledge to prepare their child for school and underutilize community resources such as free preschool programs. Pediatricians are uniquely positioned to address these needs, but more evidence-based interventions are needed.

  12. The Ready-to-Read, Ready-to-Count Handbook: How To Best Prepare Your Child for School. A Parent's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savage, Teresa

    Noting that many parents who might teach their young children are often discouraged by a lack of information or fear of being labeled "pushy," this book provides parents with a step-by-step program for teaching preschoolers letters and numbers as a way of giving children a head start on formal education. The handbook consists of a…

  13. 38 CFR 61.12 - Capital grant application packages-threshold requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... contains the Employer Identification Number or Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN) that corresponds to... must provide such an IRS determination letter, which includes their EIN/TIN. Applicants that apply under a group EIN/TIN must be identified by the parent EIN/TIN as a member or sub-unit of the parent EIN...

  14. 38 CFR 61.12 - Capital grant application packages-threshold requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... contains the Employer Identification Number or Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN) that corresponds to... must provide such an IRS determination letter, which includes their EIN/TIN. Applicants that apply under a group EIN/TIN must be identified by the parent EIN/TIN as a member or sub-unit of the parent EIN...

  15. Writing and the Child.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ediger, Marlow

    Parents can help their children master the skills needed to become good writers. While preschool pupils, in most cases, cannot do their own writing, the parents can: ask their children for ideas to include in letters to friends or relatives; write down, and then read back, ideas dictated by the child; read interesting library books to their…

  16. Emergent Literacy in Thai Preschoolers: A Preliminary Study.

    PubMed

    Yampratoom, Ramorn; Aroonyadech, Nawarat; Ruangdaraganon, Nichara; Roongpraiwan, Rawiwan; Kositprapa, Jariya

    To investigate emergent literacy skills, including phonological awareness when presented with an initial phoneme-matching task and letter knowledge when presented with a letter-naming task in Thai preschoolers, and to identify key factors associated with those skills. Four hundred twelve typically developing children in their final kindergarten year were enrolled in this study. Their emergent reading skills were measured by initial phoneme-matching and letter-naming tasks. Determinant variables, such as parents' education and teachers' perception, were collected by self-report questionnaires. The mean score of the initial phoneme-matching task was 4.5 (45% of a total of 10 scores). The mean score of the letter-naming task without a picture representing the target letter name was 30.2 (68.6% of a total of 44 scores), which increased to 38.8 (88.2% of a total of 44 scores) in the letter-naming task when a picture representing the target letter name was provided. Both initial phoneme-matching and letter-naming abilities were associated with the mother's education and household income. Letter-naming ability was also influenced by home reading activities and gender. This was a preliminary study into emergent literacy skills of Thai preschoolers. The findings supported the importance of focusing on phonological awareness and phonics, especially in the socioeconomic disadvantaged group.

  17. A Stimulus Sampling Theory of Letter Identity and Order

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norris, Dennis; Kinoshita, Sachiko; van Casteren, Maarten

    2010-01-01

    Early on during word recognition, letter positions are not accurately coded. Evidence for this comes from transposed-letter (TL) priming effects, in which letter strings generated by transposing two adjacent letters (e.g., "jugde") produce large priming effects, more than primes with the letters replaced in the corresponding position (e.g.,…

  18. 32 CFR Appendix A to Part 327 - Sample DeCA Response Letter

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Sample DeCA Response Letter A Appendix A to Part...) PRIVACY PROGRAM DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY PRIVACY ACT PROGRAM Pt. 327, App. A Appendix A to Part 327—Sample DeCA Response Letter Mrs. Floria Employee 551 Florida Avenue Oakland, CA 94618 Dear Mrs. Employee...

  19. Implied reading direction and prioritization of letter encoding.

    PubMed

    Holcombe, Alex O; Nguyen, Elizabeth H L; Goodbourn, Patrick T

    2017-10-01

    Capacity limits hinder processing of multiple stimuli, contributing to poorer performance for identifying two briefly presented letters than for identifying a single letter. Higher accuracy is typically found for identifying the letter on the left, which has been attributed to a right-hemisphere dominance for selective attention. Here, we use rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) of letters in two locations at once. The letters to be identified are simultaneous and cued by rings. In the first experiment, we manipulated implied reading direction by rotating or mirror-reversing the letters to face to the left rather than to the right. The left-side performance advantage was eliminated. In the second experiment, letters were positioned above and below fixation, oriented such that they appeared to face downward (90° clockwise rotation) or upward (90° counterclockwise rotation). Again consistent with an effect of implied reading direction, performance was better for the top position in the downward condition, but not in the upward condition. In both experiments, mixture modeling of participants' report errors revealed that attentional sampling from the two locations was approximately simultaneous, ruling out the theory that the letter on one side was processed first, followed by a shift of attention to sample the other letter. Thus, the orientation of the letters apparently controls not when the letters are sampled from the scene, but rather the dynamics of a subsequent process, such as tokenization or memory consolidation. Implied reading direction appears to determine the letter prioritized at a high-level processing bottleneck. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. The Scaffolding of Emergent Literacy Skills in the Home Environment: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neumann, Michelle M.; Hood, Michelle; Neumann, David L.

    2009-01-01

    The ways in which parent-child interactions can encourage the development of emergent literacy skills in young children remains to be fully explored. The present report describes how one parent scaffolded her young child's emergent writing and letter knowledge in the home. Environmental print provided many rich and meaningful examples for the…

  1. Helping General Physical Educators and Adapted Physical Educators Address the Office of Civil Rights Dear Colleague Guidance Letter: Part II--What Parents Should Know and Do to Ensure Extracurricular Interscholastic Sport Opportunities for Their Children with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tymeson, Garth

    2013-01-01

    The rights of all students to participate in extracurricular programs are required by current law but are often nonexistent, misunderstood, or even sometimes purposely not shared with parents. This article is addressed to parents regarding the rights of their children with disabilities to participate in extracurricular sport activities. Included…

  2. A Head Start to Learning: Exploration of a Parent-Directed Intervention to Promote Early Literacy Skill Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sundman-Wheat, Ashley N.

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the effects of a parent-led intervention focused on developing children's early literacy skills within the home setting. The lesson plans contain scripted steps for completing activities to teach letter names and phonological awareness skills. Archival data were analyzed from a study conducted with 26 families from three…

  3. Post-Adoption Face-to-Face Contact with Birth Parents: Prospective Adopters' Views

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turkington, Selina; Taylor, Brian J.

    2009-01-01

    The trend in adoption since the 1960s has been away from secrecy and towards greater openness; contact through an intermediary, and direct contact by letter, is now widely accepted. More controversial is the challenge of face-to-face contact with birth parents, and social workers involved in the decision-making process find themselves having to…

  4. Effects of Home Literacy, Parents' Beliefs, and Children's Task-Focused Behavior on Emergent Literacy and Word Reading Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephenson, Kathy A.; Parrila, Rauno K.; Georgiou, George K.; Kirby, John R.

    2008-01-01

    We examined the effects of home literacy (shared book reading, teaching activities, and number of books), children's task-focused behavior, and parents' beliefs and expectations about their child's reading and academic ability on kindergarten children's (N = 61) phonological sensitivity and letter knowledge and on Grade 1 word reading. The results…

  5. Are the Literacy Difficulties That Characterize Developmental Dyslexia Associated with a Failure to Integrate Letters and Speech Sounds?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nash, Hannah M.; Gooch, Debbie; Hulme, Charles; Mahajan, Yatin; McArthur, Genevieve; Steinmetzger, Kurt; Snowling, Margaret J.

    2017-01-01

    The "automatic letter-sound integration hypothesis" (Blomert, [Blomert, L., 2011]) proposes that dyslexia results from a failure to fully integrate letters and speech sounds into automated audio-visual objects. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of English-speaking children with dyslexic difficulties (N = 13) and samples of…

  6. Parent-administered computer-assisted tutoring targeting letter-sound knowledge: Evaluation via multiple-baseline across three preschool students.

    PubMed

    DuBois, Matthew R; Volpe, Robert J; Burns, Matthew K; Hoffman, Jessica A

    2016-12-01

    Knowledge of letters sounds has been identified as a primary objective of preschool instruction and intervention. Despite this designation, large disparities exist in the number of letter sounds children know at school entry. Enhancing caregivers' ability to teach their preschool-aged children letter sounds may represent an effective practice for reducing this variability and ensuring that more children are prepared to experience early school success. This study used a non-concurrent multiple-baseline-across-participants design to evaluate the effectiveness of caregivers (N=3) delivering a computer-assisted tutoring program (Tutoring Buddy) targeting letter sound knowledge to their preschool-aged children. Visual analyses and effect size estimates derived from Percentage of All Non-Overlapping Data (PAND) statistics indicated consistent results for letter sound acquisition, as 6weeks of intervention yielded large effects for letter sound knowledge (LSK) across all three children. Large effect sizes were also found for letter sound fluency (LSF) and nonsense word fluency (NWF) for two children. All three caregivers rated the intervention as highly usable and were able to administer it with high levels of fidelity. Taken together, the results of the present study found Tutoring Buddy to be an effective, simple, and usable way for the caregivers to support their children's literacy development. Copyright © 2016 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Part Three. Presidents as Parents--Two Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrington, Eileen Gallagher

    1979-01-01

    Two lessons illustrate the human dimension of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, showing them both as fathers through an account of Willie Lincoln's death and portions of Roosevelt's letters to his children. (CK)

  8. Communication of carrier status information following universal newborn screening for sickle cell disorders and cystic fibrosis: qualitative study of experience and practice.

    PubMed

    Kai, J; Ulph, F; Cullinan, T; Qureshi, N

    2009-11-01

    To describe and explore current practice, methods and experience of communicating carrier status information following newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) and sickle cell (SC) disorders, to inform practice and further research. Three linked qualitative studies. All nine health regions in England. Child health screening coordinators in all English health regions, health professionals communicating results to parents and parents of newborn carriers. A preliminary phase of semi-structured telephone interviews with child health screening coordinators in all nine English health regions, and thematic analysis of data; semi-structured face-to-face interviews with purposeful samples of 67 family members of 51 infants identified by universal newborn screening as carriers of CF or SC with data analysis by constant comparison; and semi-structured telephone interviews, and focus groups, with a key informant sample of 16 differing health professionals currently tasked with communicating results to parents in a range of ways, with thematic analysis of data. Methods for and respondents' experiences of communication of carrier results varied considerably within and between regions, and within and between SC and CF contexts. Approaches ranged from letter or telephone call alone, to in-person communication in the clinic or at home, with health professionals from haemoglobinopathy, CF, screening and genetics backgrounds, or from community and primary care, such as health visitors with SC carrier results. Health professionals identified pros and cons of different methods, preferring opportunity for face-to-face communication with parents where possible, particularly for CF carrier results. They were concerned by regional variations in protocols, the lack of availability of translated information on SC carrier results, and the feasibility of sustaining more 'specialist' involvement at current levels, particularly for SC carriers. Parents were often poorly prepared for the possibility of a newborn carrier result. Some had felt overloaded by screening information received during pregnancy or prior to newborn screening, or found this information failed to meet their needs. Opportunity for face-to-face communication of results was valued by parents of SC carriers and appeared particularly necessary for those without prior knowledge of SC carrier status or where English was not their first language. Indirect communication of results by letter appeared effective and feasible for parents more aware of SC carrier status from antenatal or earlier experience, and where this communication contained an unambiguous opening statement emphasising 'your child is not ill'. Face-to-face communication of CF carrier results by professionals with screening, CF or genetics backgrounds worked well for parents, but communication and information was crucially lacking at the earlier stage of repeat blood spot testing, creating considerable distress among half of respondents. Respondents had no particular preference for the type of health professional who communicated results to them, as long as they were well informed and could answer their queries. Parents regarded carrier results as valuable information gained fortuitously. Methods of communication of newborn carrier results vary considerably across England. Parents' needs for timely and appropriate information may not be met consistently or adequately. Respondents' experiences suggest a need for greater recognition of communication with individuals occurring across a screening pathway, rather than as a discrete event.

  9. Children and Constipation: Poop Is Not a Four Letter Word--A Parent & Professional Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eicher, Peggy S.; Vitello, Louise; Roche, William J.; Martorana, Pamela; Kalderon, Valerie; Kalderon, Ave

    2007-01-01

    Stooling is one of the bodily functions most often taken for granted. While parents (and care providers) may be very focused on the quantity and quality of the foods that a child eats, they often pay much less attention to what's coming out the diaper end. A child's stooling pattern has a huge influence on what and how they eat. It can also have a…

  10. The Effectiveness of Pictured Letters Mnemonics Strategy in Learning Similar English Language Letters among Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dakhiel, Maysoon A.; Al Rub, Mohammed O. Abu

    2017-01-01

    The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of pictured letters mnemonics strategy in learning similar English language letters among students with learning disabilities in Saudi Arabia according to experimental group (1) and (2), control group, gender, and interaction between them. The study sample comprised (90) students with…

  11. Providing Research Results to Participants: Attitudes and Needs of Adolescents and Parents of Children With Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Fernandez, Conrad Vincent; Gao, Jun; Strahlendorf, Caron; Moghrabi, Albert; Pentz, Rebecca Davis; Barfield, Raymond Carlton; Baker, Justin Nathaniel; Santor, Darcy; Weijer, Charles; Kodish, Eric

    2009-01-01

    Purpose There is an increasing demand for researchers to provide research results to participants. Our aim was to define an appropriate process for this, based on needs and attitudes of participants. Methods A multicenter survey in five sites in the United States and Canada was offered to parents of children with cancer and adolescents with cancer. Respondents indicated their preferred mode of communication of research results with respect to implications; timing, provider, and content of the results; reasons for and against providing results; and barriers to providing results. Results Four hundred nine parents (including 19 of deceased children) and 86 adolescents responded. Most parents (n = 385; 94.2%) felt that they had a strong right to research results. For positive results, most wanted a letter or e-mail summary (n = 238; 58.2%) or a phone call followed by a letter (n = 100; 24.4%). If the results were negative, phone call (n = 136; 33.3%) or personal visits (n = 150; 36.7%) were preferred. Parents wanted the summary to include long-term sequelae and suggestions for participants (n = 341; 83.4%), effect on future treatments (n = 341; 83.4%), and subsequent research steps (n = 284; 69.5%). Understanding the researcher was a main concern about receiving results (n = 145; 35.5%). Parents felt that results provide information to support quality of life (n = 315; 77%) and raise public awareness of research (n = 282; 68.9%). Adolescents identified similar preferences. Conclusion Parents of children with cancer and adolescents with cancer feel strongly that they have a right to be offered research results and have specific preferences of how and what information should be communicated. PMID:19164211

  12. Prevalence of Learned Grapheme-Color Pairings in a Large Online Sample of Synesthetes

    PubMed Central

    Witthoft, Nathan; Winawer, Jonathan; Eagleman, David M.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we estimate the minimum prevalence of grapheme-color synesthetes with letter-color matches learned from an external stimulus, by analyzing a large sample of English-speaking grapheme-color synesthetes. We find that at least 6% (400/6588 participants) of the total sample learned many of their matches from a widely available colored letter toy. Among those born in the decade after the toy began to be manufactured, the proportion of synesthetes with learned letter-color pairings approaches 15% for some 5-year periods. Among those born 5 years or more before it was manufactured, none have colors learned from the toy. Analysis of the letter-color matching data suggests the only difference between synesthetes with matches to the toy and those without is exposure to the stimulus. These data indicate learning of letter-color pairings from external contingencies can occur in a substantial fraction of synesthetes, and are consistent with the hypothesis that grapheme-color synesthesia is a kind of conditioned mental imagery. PMID:25739095

  13. Forensic Application of Microbiological Culture Analysis To Identify Mail Intentionally Contaminated with Bacillus anthracis Spores†

    PubMed Central

    Beecher, Douglas J.

    2006-01-01

    The discovery of a letter intentionally filled with dried Bacillus anthracis spores in the office of a United States senator prompted the collection and quarantine of all mail in congressional buildings. This mail was subsequently searched for additional intentionally contaminated letters. A microbiological sampling strategy was used to locate heavy contamination within the 642 separate plastic bags containing the mail. Swab sampling identified 20 bags for manual and visual examination. Air sampling within the 20 bags indicated that one bag was orders of magnitude more contaminated than all the others. This bag contained a letter addressed to Senator Patrick Leahy that had been loaded with dried B. anthracis spores. Microbiological sampling of compartmentalized batches of mail proved to be efficient and relatively safe. Efficiency was increased by inoculating culture media in the hot zone rather than transferring swab samples to a laboratory for inoculation. All mail sampling was complete within 4 days with minimal contamination of the sampling environment or personnel. However, physically handling the intentionally contaminated letter proved to be exceptionally hazardous, as did sorting of cross-contaminated mail, which resulted in generation of hazardous aerosol and extensive contamination of protective clothing. Nearly 8 × 106 CFU was removed from the most highly cross-contaminated piece of mail found. Tracking data indicated that this and other heavily contaminated envelopes had been processed through the same mail sorting equipment as, and within 1 s of, two intentionally contaminated letters. PMID:16885280

  14. IP Sample Plan #1 | NCI Technology Transfer Center | TTC

    Cancer.gov

    Sample letter that shows how Universities including co-investigators, consultants, and collaborators can describe a data and research tool sharing plan and procedures for exercising intellectual property rights. The letter is to be used as part of the University's application. 

  15. Open letter to the Vatican.

    PubMed

    1999-01-01

    An open letter was published by Latin American and Caribbean women during the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the International Conference on Population and Development. The letter generally focused on the Church¿s stand on women's reproductive rights. In particular, it questioned the Church on the following aspects of reproductive health, which include: 1) maternal death related to lack of access to reproductive health care; 2) Vatican representatives insisting that only parents can supervise their children education and health, which also lead to many cases of sexual abuse and incest; 3) women's sexual inequality and daily violence; 4) the Vatican delegation blocking the advances of contraception, sexual education, and HIV prevention; 5) problems of migrants and allocation of resources; and 6) the Church failing to recognize the capacity of young people to make decisions based on their own conscience.

  16. IP Sample Plan #4 | NCI Technology Transfer Center | TTC

    Cancer.gov

    Sample letter from Research Institutes and their principal investigator and consultants, describing a data and research tool sharing plan and procedures for sharing data, research materials, and patent and licensing of intellectual property. This letter is designed to be included as part of an application.

  17. Summer-Time Fun and Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Linda; Della Corte, Suzanne

    1988-01-01

    The newsletter for parents of handicapped children focuses on summer activities which provide fun and learning without undue expense or effort. Suggestions include encouraging reading activities (including visiting the library, reading out loud, selective television viewing, making a book, and writing letters). Activities to encourage the child's…

  18. Letter-Sound Reading: Teaching Preschool Children Print-to-Sound Processing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolf, Gail Marie

    2016-01-01

    This intervention study investigated the growth of letter sound reading and growth of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) word decoding abilities for a representative sample of 41 US children in preschool settings. Specifically, the study evaluated the effectiveness of a 3-step letter-sound teaching intervention in teaching preschool children to…

  19. Bidirectional Relations of Phonological Sensitivity and Prereading Abilities: Evidence from a Preschool Sample.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burgess, Stephen R.; Lonigan, Christopher J.

    1998-01-01

    Examined the relationship between phonological sensitivity and letter knowledge in 4- and 5-year-olds in a one-year longitudinal study. Found that phonological sensitivity predicted letter knowledge growth, and letter knowledge predicted phonological sensitivity growth, when controlling for age and oral language abilities. Also found that the…

  20. 16 CFR 1631.33 - Carpets and rugs with fire-retardant treatment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ..., containing the letter “T”, legibly and conspicuously written, is delivered to the consumer in due course of... have had a fire-retardant treatment, the letter “T” shall be set forth legibly and conspicuously, and... regulations thereunder, whether or not such letter “T” appears elsewhere on said product. Samples, pieces...

  1. A consistent nomenclature of antimicrobial peptides isolated from frogs of the subfamily Phyllomedusinae.

    PubMed

    Amiche, Mohamed; Ladram, Ali; Nicolas, Pierre

    2008-11-01

    A growing number of cationic antimicrobial peptides have been isolated from the skin of hylid frogs belonging to the Phyllomedusinae subfamily. The amino acid sequences of these peptides are currently located in several databases under identifiers with no consistent system of nomenclature to describe them. In order to provide a workable terminology for antimicrobial peptides from Phyllomedusid frogs, we have made a systematic effort to collect, analyze, and classify all the Phyllomedusid peptide sequences available in databases. We propose that frogs belonging to the Phyllomedusinae subfamily should be described by the species names set out in Amphibian Species of the World: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Multiple alignments analysis of at least 80 antimicrobial peptides isolated from 12 Phyllomedusinae species were distributed in seven distinct peptide families including dermaseptin, phylloseptin, plasticin, dermatoxin, phylloxin, hyposin and orphan peptides, and will be considered as the name of the headgroup of each family. The parent peptide's name should be followed by the first upper letter of the species for orthologous peptides and publication date determines priority. For example, the abbreviation B for bicolor and H for hypochondrialis. When two species begin with the same letter, two letters in upper case should be used (the first letter followed by the second or the third letter and so on). For example, the abbreviation DI for distincta, DU for duellmani, VA for vaillanti and VN for vanzolinii. Paralogous peptides should bear letter(s) in upper case followed by numbers.

  2. 32 CFR Appendix B to Part 216 - ROTC Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Pt. 216, App. B Appendix B to Part 216—ROTC Sample Letter of Inquiry (Tailor... obligated, (excluding any Federal funding to an institution of higher education, or to an individual, to be... Services, Education, and related agencies to institutions of higher education (including any subelements of...

  3. 32 CFR Appendix B to Part 216 - ROTC Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Pt. 216, App. B Appendix B to Part 216—ROTC Sample Letter of Inquiry (Tailor... obligated, (excluding any Federal funding to an institution of higher education, or to an individual, to be... Services, Education, and related agencies to institutions of higher education (including any subelements of...

  4. 32 CFR Appendix A to Part 216 - Military Recruiting Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Pt. 216, App. A Appendix A to Part 216—Military Recruiting Sample Letter of... or grants previously obligated, (excluding any Federal funding to an institution of higher education..., Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies to institutions of higher...

  5. 32 CFR Appendix B to Part 216 - ROTC Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Pt. 216, App. B Appendix B to Part 216—ROTC Sample Letter of Inquiry (Tailor... obligated, (excluding any Federal funding to an institution of higher education, or to an individual, to be... Services, Education, and related agencies to institutions of higher education (including any subelements of...

  6. 32 CFR Appendix A to Part 216 - Military Recruiting Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Pt. 216, App. A Appendix A to Part 216—Military Recruiting Sample Letter of... or grants previously obligated, (excluding any Federal funding to an institution of higher education..., Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies to institutions of higher...

  7. 32 CFR Appendix B to Part 216 - ROTC Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Pt. 216, App. B Appendix B to Part 216—ROTC Sample Letter of Inquiry (Tailor... obligated, (excluding any Federal funding to an institution of higher education, or to an individual, to be... Services, Education, and related agencies to institutions of higher education (including any subelements of...

  8. Parallel public spheres: distance and discourse in letters to the editor.

    PubMed

    Perrin, Andrew J; Vaisey, Stephen

    2008-11-01

    This article examines letters to the editor as one of the ways citizens seek to enact a public sphere using technological mediation. Using a sample of all letters received by a metropolitan newspaper during a three-month period (N = 1,113), the authors demonstrate that the tone and argumentative styles of letters differ with the scope of the issues the letters address. Local issues evoke more reasoned, conciliatory tones, while issues beyond the local context evoke more emotional, confrontational tones, even after controlling for individual writers' characteristics and anger as a motivation to write.

  9. How a School Coped with the Oklahoma City Bombing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aspy, David N.; Aspy, Cheryl B.

    1996-01-01

    Following the Oklahoma City bombing, fifth graders at a nearby elementary school coped with ensuing uncertainty, pain, and loss. They wrote appreciative letters to fire and rescue workers; shared personal stories with classmates; compiled an anthology of poems, prayers, and stories; attended an assembly to honor parents participating in rescue…

  10. Story Letters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chakraborty, Basanti; Stone, Sandra

    2009-01-01

    Children's literature is a significant segment of the book market, and includes authors with household names like Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. Even celebrities are in on the fun, with their own titles on the best seller lists. Along with the increased visibility of children's literature, parents have become better informed and more interested in the…

  11. Get Ready to Read! Making Child Care Work for You

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moomaw, Sally; Hieronymus, Brenda; Pearson, Yvonne

    2006-01-01

    Teachers can help parents foster emerging literacy skills in their preschool children in a way that is developmentally appropriate and fun: by collaborating to develop their child's lifelong love of reading and writing. Incorporating selected teacher-tested activities from the popular book "More Than Letters," this accessible guide…

  12. Gifted Education Press Quarterly, 1999.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, Maurice D., Ed.

    1999-01-01

    This document consists of the four 1999 issues of a quarterly newsletter publication on gifted education. Issues regularly include major articles, book reviews, announcements, and letters. The major articles in these issues are: "The Mathematically Gifted: Bridging the Gender Gap" (Lynn H. Fox and Janet F. Soller); "Parenting for Education:…

  13. "Cartitas de Carino": Little Notes to Say You Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Howard L.; Riojas-Cortez, Mari

    2010-01-01

    Spanish-speaking, Mexican American parents participated in a literacy workshop in which they created short, personal letters called "cartitas de carino" for their children. This paper reports on the content of their texts, which included drawings and messages that reflected the cultural norms and traditions of the families. Using a…

  14. Boarding School Seasons: American Indian Families, 1900-1940.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child, Brenda J.

    This book draws on hundreds of letters by students, parents, and school officials to explore American Indian, specifically Ojibwa, perspectives of the boarding school experience in the period from 1900-1940. The three institutions studied are Haskell Institute (Kansas), Flandreau School (South Dakota), and Pipestone School (Minnesota). Chapter 1…

  15. [SAFE: Making Your Children Safer on Public Playgrounds.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, Donna; Hudson, Susan D.

    This collection of nine leaflets from the National Program for Playground Safety addresses the active role parents and other adults should take in ensuring playground safety for children. Four leaflets, each focusing on a topic related to a letter in the word "safe," provide suggestions to ensure playground safety. Leaflet…

  16. Individualizing Deaf Education Services: More Important than Ever Before

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DesGeorges, Janet

    2013-01-01

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has always had "individual" as part of its spirit and its letter. However, as a parent and an advocate who has attended many Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, Janet DesGeorges has discovered that getting to "individual" can sometimes be a challenge,…

  17. For Parents Particularly.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Brien, Shirley

    1984-01-01

    Written in the form of a letter to a fifth grader, this essay explains why school is important and how to get the most out of schooling. Topics include getting along with teachers; home projects to enliven math, reading, science, and spelling; and the importance of appearance, breakfast, supplies, and sleep in preparing for school. (CB)

  18. Bioterrorism-related Inhalational Anthrax in an Elderly Woman, Connecticut, 2001

    PubMed Central

    Mead, Paul; Armstrong, Gregory L.; Painter, John; Kelley, Katherine A.; Hoffmaster, Alex R.; Mayo, Donald; Barden, Diane; Ridzon, Renee; Parashar, Umesh; Teshale, Eyasu Habtu; Williams, Jen; Noviello, Stephanie; Perz, Joseph F.; Mast, Eric E.; Swerdlow, David L.; Hadler, James L.

    2003-01-01

    On November 20, 2001, inhalational anthrax was confirmed in an elderly woman from rural Connecticut. To determine her exposure source, we conducted an extensive epidemiologic, environmental, and laboratory investigation. Molecular subtyping showed that her isolate was indistinguishable from isolates associated with intentionally contaminated letters. No samples from her home or community yielded Bacillus anthracis, and she received no first-class letters from facilities known to have processed intentionally contaminated letters. Environmental sampling in the regional Connecticut postal facility yielded B. anthracis spores from 4 (31%) of 13 sorting machines. One extensively contaminated machine primarily processes bulk mail. A second machine that does final sorting of bulk mail for her zip code yielded B. anthracis on the column of bins for her carrier route. The evidence suggests she was exposed through a cross-contaminated bulk mail letter. Such cross-contamination of letters and postal facilities has implications for managing the response to future B. anthracis–contaminated mailings. PMID:12781007

  19. 32 CFR Appendix A to Part 327 - Sample DeCA Response Letter

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Sample DeCA Response Letter A Appendix A to Part 327 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) PRIVACY PROGRAM DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY PRIVACY ACT PROGRAM Pt. 327, App. A Appendix A to Part 327...

  20. IRTs of the ABCs: Children's Letter Name Acquisition

    PubMed Central

    Piasta, Shayne B.; Anthony, Jason L.; Lonigan, Christopher J.; Francis, David J.

    2015-01-01

    We examined the developmental sequence of letter name knowledge acquisition by children from 2 to five years of age. Data from 2 samples representing diverse regions, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds (ns = 1074 & 500) were analyzed using item response theory (IRT) and differential item functioning techniques. Results from factor analyses indicated that letter name knowledge represented a unidimensional skill; IRT results yielded significant differences between letters in both difficulty and discrimination. Results also indicated an approximate developmental sequence in letter name learning for the simplest and most challenging to learn letters -- but with no clear sequence between these extremes. Findings also suggested that children were most likely to first learn their first initial. We discuss implications for assessment and instruction. PMID:22710016

  1. Parenting from prison: helping children and mothers.

    PubMed

    Thompson, P J; Harm, N J

    2000-01-01

    Incarceration of a mother disrupts the mother-child relationship and the child's emotional development. The researchers evaluated a 15-week parenting program in a women's prison that was designed to enhance mother-child interactions during imprisonment. Pre- and postmeasures for the 104 women were Hudson's (1982) Index of Self-Esteem, Bavolek's (1984) Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory, and semistructured questionnaires. Self-esteem and attitudes about expectations of children, corporal punishment, and family roles improved significantly. Empathy and mother-child interactions through visits and letters improved. Participants identified the most helpful components of the program. Those who had been physically, sexually, and emotionally abused and those who had used drugs and alcohol had positive results. Findings support the value of parent education for self-development of incarcerated mothers and for the welfare of their children.

  2. 32 CFR Appendix B to Part 216 - ROTC Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... letter to situation presented) Dr. Jane Smith, President, ABC University, Anywhere, USA 12345-9876. Dear Dr. Smith: I understand that ABC University has [refused a request from a Military Department to...

  3. NOAA Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Sample Letters

    Science.gov Websites

    the Public FOIA Contacts Frequently requested records Reading Room For NOAA Staff U.S. Department of Exemption 7(a-f) Law Enforcement Records Expedited Processing Denial Response Extension Letter Documenting

  4. Promoting Alphabet Knowledge Using Peer-Mediated Intervention: A Dynamic Duo for Early Literacy Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Kathleen I.; Kinley, Hannah L.; Cook, Angela

    2017-01-01

    One of early childhood teachers' first questions of parents with regard to school readiness is whether the child knows the ABCs (Hyson & Tomlinson, 2014). Crucial pre-reading and writing skills, such as oral language, phonological awareness, print awareness, and alphabet letter recognition, are important to children's cognitive development…

  5. Growing Young Gifted Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wood, Patricia F.

    2009-01-01

    There is great pressure on parents to teach children to read as early as possible. In reality, precocious (early advanced) readers seem to almost master the skill on their own, without the assistance of highly touted, commercially available programs. The 18-month-old toddler who names the letters on alphabet blocks; or the 26-month-old who can…

  6. Natural Environments: A Letter from a Mother to Friends, Families, and Professionals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mullis, Lorna

    2002-01-01

    A mother of a son with Down syndrome discusses how her family and child care providers work with him in natural environments to support his learning in daily activities. She urges other parents to keep trying until they find the right match that works for their family. (CR)

  7. Marathon Writing--A Letter to Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCoy, Linda Jones

    Based on a year's work with 16 second grade students, this two-part paper reports the successful use of the Marathon Writing (continuous writing for short periods on a regular basis) strategy in encouraging beginning writers to write independently. The first part of the paper explains the technique of marathon writing, and notes that even though…

  8. Prediction of Kindergartners' Academic Achievement from Their Effortful Control and Emotionality: Evidence for Direct and Moderated Relations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valiente, Carlos; Lemery-Chalfant, Kathryn; Swanson, Jodi

    2010-01-01

    The relations between effortful control, emotionality (anger, sadness, and shyness), and academic achievement were examined in a short-term longitudinal study of 291 kindergartners. Teachers and parents reported on students' effortful control and emotionality. Students completed the Continuous Performance Task and the Letter-Word, Passage…

  9. Letter-Sound Reading: Teaching Preschool Children Print-to-Sound Processing

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    This intervention study investigated the growth of letter sound reading and growth of consonant–vowel–consonant (CVC) word decoding abilities for a representative sample of 41 US children in preschool settings. Specifically, the study evaluated the effectiveness of a 3-step letter-sound teaching intervention in teaching pre-school children to decode, or read, single letters. The study compared a control group, which received the preschool’s standard letter-sound instruction, to an intervention group which received a 3-step letter-sound instruction intervention. The children’s growth in letter-sound reading and CVC word decoding abilities were assessed at baseline and 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. When compared to the control group, the growth of letter-sound reading ability was slightly higher for the intervention group. The rate of increase in letter-sound reading was significantly faster for the intervention group. In both groups, too few children learned to decode any CVC words to allow for analysis. Results of this study support the use of the intervention strategy in preschools for teaching children print-to-sound processing. PMID:26839494

  10. Correlated evolution in parental care in females but not males in response to selection on paternity assurance behaviour.

    PubMed

    Head, Megan L; Hinde, Camilla A; Moore, Allen J; Royle, Nick J

    2014-07-01

    According to classical parental care theory males are expected to provide less parental care when offspring in a brood are less likely to be their own, but empirical evidence in support of this relationship is equivocal. Recent work predicts that social interactions between the sexes can modify co-evolution between traits involved in mating and parental care as a result of costs associated with these social interactions (i.e. sexual conflict). In burying beetles (Nicrophorus vespilloides), we use artificial selection on a paternity assurance trait, and crosses within and between selection lines, to show that selection acting on females, not males, can drive the co-evolution of paternity assurance traits and parental care. Males do not care more in response to selection on mating rate. Instead, patterns of parental care change as an indirect response to costs of mating for females. © 2014 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and CNRS.

  11. Small-Town Rock Trade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robarge, Thomas J.

    1977-01-01

    Describes an eighth grade rock exchange project in which small groups of students researched, then wrote letters to schools throughout the United States requesting samples of local rocks and minerals. Provides experience in use of the atlas and letter writing. (CS)

  12. NASA/DoD Aerospace knowledge diffusion research project. III - The impact of a sponsor letter on mail survey response rates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kennedy, John M.; Pinelli, Thomas E.

    1990-01-01

    The paper describes the impact of two interventions in the design of mail surveys. The interventions were devised to increase response rates and to clarify sample eligibility. To test their effectiveness, interventions occurred at different points in each of three surveys. One intervention was a letter from the research sponsor (NASA) supporting the research. The other intervention was the inclusion of a postcard that could be used by the respondent to indicate that the questionnaire was not appropriate for him/her. The sample was drawn from the membership of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics research society. The results indicate that the sponsor letter improved response rates under certain conditions described in the paper. The postcards assisted in identifying noneligible persons particularly when they accompanied a pre-survey letter. The implications for survey costs are discussed.

  13. 2018 Annual Terrestrial Sampling Plan for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico on Kirtland Air Force Base.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Griffith, Stacy R.

    The 2018 Annual Terrestrial Sampling Plan for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico on Kirtland Air Force Base has been prepared in accordance with the “Letter of Agreement Between Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Sandia Field Office (DOE/NNSA/SFO) and 377th Air Base Wing (ABW), Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) for Terrestrial Sampling” (signed January 2017), Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM). The Letter of Agreement requires submittal of an annual terrestrial sampling plan.

  14. 2017 Annual Terrestrial Sampling Plan for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico on Kirtland Air Force Base

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Griffith, Stacy R.

    The 2017 Annual Terrestrial Sampling Plan for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico on Kirtland Air Force Base has been prepared in accordance with the “Letter of Agreement Between Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Sandia Field Office (DOE/NNSA/SFO) and 377th Air Base Wing (ABW), Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) for Terrestrial Sampling” (signed January 2017), Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM). The Letter of Agreement requires submittal of an annual terrestrial sampling plan.

  15. Glyph guessing for ‘oo’ and ‘ee’: spatial frequency information in sound symbolic matching for ancient and unfamiliar scripts

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    In three experiments, we asked whether diverse scripts contain interpretable information about the speech sounds they represent. When presented with a pair of unfamiliar letters, adult readers correctly guess which is /i/ (the ‘ee’ sound in ‘feet’), and which is /u/ (the ‘oo’ sound in ‘shoe’) at rates higher than expected by chance, as shown in a large sample of Singaporean university students (Experiment 1) and replicated in a larger sample of international Internet users (Experiment 2). To uncover what properties of the letters contribute to different scripts' ‘guessability,’ we analysed the visual spatial frequencies in each letter (Experiment 3). We predicted that the lower spectral frequencies in the formants of the vowel /u/ would pattern with lower spatial frequencies in the corresponding letters. Instead, we found that across all spatial frequencies, the letter with more black/white cycles (i.e. more ink) was more likely to be guessed as /u/, and the larger the difference between the glyphs in a pair, the higher the script's guessability. We propose that diverse groups of humans across historical time and geographical space tend to employ similar iconic strategies for representing speech in visual form, and provide norms for letter pairs from 56 diverse scripts. PMID:28989784

  16. Kind News Mini Edition, Jrs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Children & Animals, 1987

    1987-01-01

    Contains suggestions for students regarding making up nicknames for animals based on their observations. Also includes information about the overpopulation of pets and urges students to write letters to their newspaper editors about this problem. A sample letter is provided. (TW)

  17. Letter from EPA Region 4 to Honeywell Inc. Feb. 10, 2012

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Letter from Galo Jackson, EPA Region 4 to Prashant Gupta, Honeywell, Inc. about Results of July 2011 Sampling in the Former Brunswick-Altamaha Canal, South of the LCP Chemicals Superfund Site, Brunswick, Glynn County, Ga.

  18. The epidemiological characteristics of depressive symptoms in the left-behind children and adolescents of Chongqing in China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lifei; Feng, Zhengzhi; Yang, Guoyu; Yang, Yaling; Dai, Qin; Hu, Chaobing; Liu, Keyu; Guang, Yu; Zhang, Rui; Xia, Fan; Zhao, Mengxue

    2015-05-15

    To assess the prevalence rate of depressive symptoms in left-behind participants aged 7-17 years and to explore the associated socio-demographic and communication factors. Participants were 4857 left-behind children and adolescents in Chongqing. They were screened for depressive symptoms using a 27-item Children׳s Depression Inventory (CDI) and social-demographic variables were evaluated with a structured scale. Uncorrected Pearson chi-square test and logistic regression were applied to analyzing the data. The total prevalence rate of depressive symptoms was 24.8%. Significant difference was found in the prevalence rate of depressive symptoms among groups of different income, grade, age, left-behind subtypes, and different frequency, ways and topics of parent-child communication. We found that the risk factors for depression were absence of parents, low frequency of parent-child communication, and communication by letter or about sensitive topics. The grade group 2-3 and age group 16-17 were at a higher risk of depression than all other grade and age subgroups. The protective factors for depression were high-income, high frequency of parent-child communication, communication by telephone or about such topic as learning experience, school life, and feelings. Self-report bias and cross-sectional nature of the sampling are major limitations of this study. The prevalence rate of depressive symptoms among left-behind children and adolescents in Chongqing is much higher than previously reported prevalence in other regions of China. The risk and protective factors for depression among left-behind children and adolescents are worthy of public attention. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. The Icelandic Child Mental Health Study. An epidemiological study of Icelandic children 2-18 years of age using the child behaviour checklist as a screening instrument.

    PubMed

    Hannesdóttir, H; Einarsdóttir, S

    1995-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to test the applicability of a standardised procedure for assessing Icelandic children's behaviour/emotional problems and competencies, and to identify differences related to demographic variables. This study focuses upon the method of using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) by Achenbach to estimate the reported prevalence of parents and adolescents of emotional and behaviour problems in children from 2-16 years of age and self-reported prevalence of adolescents from 11-18 years, selected at random from the general population, both in urban and rural areas. The information was obtained by mailing checklists with a letter to parents of children 2-10 years of age. The checklists for adolescents 11-18 years of age were distributed by teachers in school. Those adolescents who were not in school received the checklists by mail at their homes. The Child Behavior Checklists used for analyses were completed by 109 parents of 2-3 year old children; 943 parents of 4-16 year old children, and 545 non-referred adolescents from the general population. The rate of response was lowest for the youngest age group 47%, but increased to 62% with increasing age of the child. The response rate among the adolescents answering the Youth Self Report was 64%. Comparisons with the Child Behavior Checklists from this study are presented with Dutch, American, French, Canadian, German and Chilean samples and show striking similarities in four of these countries on the behaviour/emotional problems reported.

  20. A Letter on Ancaiani et al. "Evaluating Scientific Research in Italy: The 2004-10 Research Evaluation Exercise"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baccini, Alberto; De Nicolao, Giuseppe

    2017-01-01

    This letter documents some problems in Ancaiani et al. (2015). Namely the evaluation of concordance, based on Cohen's kappa, reported by Ancaiani et al. was not computed on the whole random sample of 9,199 articles, but on a subset of 7,597 articles. The kappas relative to the whole random sample were in the range 0.07-0.15, indicating an…

  1. Anthrax Detection: Agencies Need to Validate Sampling Activities in Order to Increase Confidence in Negative Results

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-03-01

    validate all activities related to other biothreat agents. In September and October 2001, letters laced with Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) spores were...2001, contaminated letters laced with Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax spores ,1 were sent through the mail to two senators, Thomas Daschle and Patrick...equipped workforce collecting the environmental samples; maximized isolation of viable Bacillus anthracis through preservation of spores during transport

  2. Dear Colleague Letter: English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Justice, 2015

    2015-01-01

    Forty years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States determined that in order for public schools to comply with their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), they must take affirmative steps to ensure that students with limited English proficiency (LEP) can meaningfully participate in their educational…

  3. Raising the Bar of Teacher Quality: Accountability, Collaboration, and Social Justice. The Claremont Letter. Volume 1, Issue 4

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ganley, DeLacy Derin; Quintanar, Anita P.; Loop, Lisa S.

    2006-01-01

    Historically, reform efforts to address poor student achievement have focused on a variety of issues other than teacher quality. Movements such as TQM (Total Quality Management), class size reduction (CSR), school leadership, parental involvement, and multicultural curriculum have not directly addressed the power or influence of the individual…

  4. An Application of Quadratic Functions to Australian Government Policy on Funding Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nillsen, Rodney

    2007-01-01

    In the "Sydney Morning Herald" of 23 March 2005, Ross Gittins argued that the funding arrangements for private schools positively encourage parents to move their children from the state system. The then Federal Minister for Education, Dr Brendan Nelson, in a letter to the "Herald" of 25-27 March, responded by saying that 68% of…

  5. Exploring English Language Learners (ELL) experiences with scientific language and inquiry within a real life context

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Algee, Lisa M.

    English Language Learners (ELL) are often at a distinct disadvantage from receiving authentic science learning opportunites. This study explored English Language Learners (ELL) learning experiences with scientific language and inquiry within a real life context. This research was theoretically informed by sociocultural theory and literature on student learning and science teaching for ELL. A qualitative, case study was used to explore students' learning experiences. Data from multiple sources was collected: student interviews, science letters, an assessment in another context, field-notes, student presentations, inquiry assessment, instructional group conversations, parent interviews, parent letters, parent homework, teacher-researcher evaluation, teacher-researcher reflective journal, and student ratings of learning activities. These data sources informed the following research questions: (1) Does participation in an out-of-school contextualized inquiry science project increase ELL use of scientific language? (2) Does participation in an out-of-school contextualized inquiry science project increase ELL understanding of scientific inquiry and their motivation to learn? (3) What are parents' funds of knowledge about the local ecology and does this inform students' experiences in the science project? All data sources concerning students were analyzed for similar patterns and trends and triangulation was sought through the use of these data sources. The remaining data sources concerning the teacher-researcher were used to inform and assess whether the pedagogical and research practices were in alignment with the proposed theoretical framework. Data sources concerning parental participation accessed funds of knowledge, which informed the curriculum in order to create continuity and connections between home and school. To ensure accuracy in the researchers' interpretations of student and parent responses during interviews, member checking was employed. The findings suggest that participation in an out-of-school contextualized inquiry science project increased ELL use of scientific language and understanding of scientific inquiry and motivation to learn. In addition, parent' funds of knowledge informed students' experiences in the science project. These findings suggest that the learning and teaching practices and the real life experiential learning contexts served as an effective means for increasing students' understandings and motivation to learn.

  6. Letters to the Editor of the AAS Newsletter: A Personal Story

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Linsky, Jeffrey L.

    2006-01-01

    Since 1987 the American Astronomical Society Newsletter has published some 142 Letters to the Editor that provide the personal statements and concerns of astronomers about the policies, priorities, and experiences of being an astronomer. While these Letters do not provide a scientific sampling of the issues, they do provide an illuminating picture of the astronomical scene as seen from the perspectives of our colleagues. I describe the history and policies of the Letters section, then summarize the issues presented and debated in these Letters. The topics (in order of numbers of Letters published) are: (1) publishing and refereeing, (2) how the AAS and IAU conduct their business, (3) jobs and how to get them, (4) support for astronomy, (5) scientific units and time, (6) public policy issues, (7) planning for telescopes and space missions, (8) how astronomers do their work, (9) women in astronomy, (10) the work environment, and (11) other issues. A chronological list of the Letters by title and author is included.

  7. Analysis of reliability of professor recommendation letters based on concordance with self-introduction letter.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sang Hyun

    2013-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the concordance between a checklist's categories of professor recommendation letters and characteristics of the self-introduction letter. Checklists of professor recommendation letters were analyzed and classified into cognitive, social, and affective domains. Simple correlation was performed to determine whether the characteristics of the checklists were concordant with those of the self-introduction letter. The difference in ratings of the checklists by pass or fail grades was analyzed by independent sample t-test. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether a pass or fail grade was influenced by ratings on the checklists. The Cronbach alpha value of the checklists was 0.854. Initiative, as an affective domain, in the professor's recommendation letter was highly ranked among the six checklist categories. Self-directed learning in the self-introduction letter was influenced by a pass or fail grade by logistic regression analysis (p<0.05). Successful applicants received higher ratings than those who failed in every checklist category, particularly in problem-solving ability, communication skills, initiative, and morality (p<0.05). There was a strong correlation between cognitive and affective characteristics in the professor recommendation letters and the sum of all characteristics in the self-introduction letter.

  8. Constructed-response matching to sample and spelling instruction.

    PubMed Central

    Dube, W V; McDonald, S J; McIlvane, W J; Mackay, H A

    1991-01-01

    The development of interactive programmed instruction using a microcomputer as a teaching machine is described. The program applied a constructed-response matching-to-sample procedure to computer-assisted spelling instruction and review. On each trial, subjects were presented with a sample stimulus and a choice pool consisting of 10 individual letters. In initial training, sample stimuli were arrays of letters, and subjects were taught to construct identical arrays by touching the matching letters in the choice pool. After generalized constructed-response identity matching was established, pictures (line drawings) of common objects were presented as samples. At first, correct spelling was prompted by also presenting the printed name to be "copied" via identity matching; then the prompts were faded out. The program was implemented with 2 mentally retarded individuals. Assessment trials determined appropriate words for training. Correct spelling was established via the prompt-fading procedure; training trials were interspersed among baseline trials that reviewed and maintained spelling of previously learned words. As new words were learned, they were added to a cumulative baseline to generate an individualized review and practice battery for each subject. PMID:1890049

  9. TEACHING EARLY BRAILLE LITERACY SKILLS WITHIN A STIMULUS EQUIVALENCE PARADIGM TO CHILDREN WITH DEGENERATIVE VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

    PubMed Central

    Toussaint, Karen A; Tiger, Jeffrey H

    2010-01-01

    Despite the need for braille literacy, there has been little attempt to systematically evaluate braille-instruction programs. The current study evaluated an instructive procedure for teaching early braille-reading skills with 4 school-aged children with degenerative visual impairments. Following a series of pretests, braille instruction involved providing a sample braille letter and teaching the selection of the corresponding printed letter from a comparison array. Concomitant with increases in the accuracy of this skill, we assessed and captured the formation of equivalence classes through tests of symmetry and transitivity among the printed letters, the corresponding braille letters, and their spoken names. PMID:21119894

  10. Teaching early braille literacy skills within a stimulus equivalence paradigm to children with degenerative visual impairments.

    PubMed

    Toussaint, Karen A; Tiger, Jeffrey H

    2010-01-01

    Despite the need for braille literacy, there has been little attempt to systematically evaluate braille-instruction programs. The current study evaluated an instructive procedure for teaching early braille-reading skills with 4 school-aged children with degenerative visual impairments. Following a series of pretests, braille instruction involved providing a sample braille letter and teaching the selection of the corresponding printed letter from a comparison array. Concomitant with increases in the accuracy of this skill, we assessed and captured the formation of equivalence classes through tests of symmetry and transitivity among the printed letters, the corresponding braille letters, and their spoken names.

  11. Effective advocacy for patients with inflammatory bowel disease: communication with insurance companies, school administrators, employers, and other health care overseers.

    PubMed

    Jaff, Jennifer C; Arnold, Janis; Bousvaros, Athos

    2006-08-01

    In addition to their physical challenges, children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) living in the United States face a number of administrative and regulatory hurdles that affect their quality of life. This article, written by a physician, attorney/patient advocate, and social worker, discusses a number of these challenges and describes how the provider can help his or her patient overcome them. Specifically, the article discusses 4 areas in detail: appeals of denials of coverage from insurance companies and third party payors; assisting children with IBD with classroom and school accommodations; assisting uninsured children in obtaining Social Security benefits; and aiding a parent to care for their child using the Family and Medical Leave Act. Although this article has a pediatric focus, adults have similar advocacy needs. Case examples and sample letters to third-party payors, schools, and employers are included in this article.

  12. A Dirty Little Secret: Self-Censorship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whelan, Debra Lau

    2009-01-01

    When Barry Lyga finished writing his second young adult (YA) novel, he knew there'd be trouble. After all, "Boy Toy" was about a 12-year-old who has sex with a beautiful teacher twice his age, and Lyga expected it to spark letters to local papers, trigger complaints to the school board, and incite some parents to yank it off library shelves. But…

  13. The Computer Revolution. An Introduction to Computers. A Good Apple Activity Book for Grades 4-8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colgren, John

    This booklet is designed to introduce computers to children. A letter to parents is provided, explaining that a unit on computers will be taught which will discuss the major parts of the computer and programming in the computer language BASIC. Suggestions for teachers provide information on starting, the binary system, base two worksheet, binary…

  14. 45 CFR 705.4 - Times, places, and requirements for identification of individuals making requests and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... requests and identification of records requested. (a) The General Counsel is the designated Privacy Act.... The words Privacy Act Request should be placed in capital letters on the face of the envelope in order... penalties for the making of false statements. (f) The parent or guardian of a minor or a person judicially...

  15. 45 CFR 705.4 - Times, places, and requirements for identification of individuals making requests and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... requests and identification of records requested. (a) The General Counsel is the designated Privacy Act.... The words Privacy Act Request should be placed in capital letters on the face of the envelope in order... penalties for the making of false statements. (f) The parent or guardian of a minor or a person judicially...

  16. Let's Go Exploring. Nutrition Comes Alive. Level 1. Nutrition Educator's Guide and Work Sheets, Letters to Parents, Recipes. Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farrell, Tracy J.

    This guide provides a nutrition education program for elementary school students that spans kindergarten through Grade 3 as well as providing activities for specific levels. Nutrition education objectives are stated for each grade level: (1) kindergarten--students will become familiar with and motivated to eat a variety of foods; (2) grade…

  17. The Food Peddlers. Nutrition Comes Alive. Level 3. Nutrition Educator's Guide and Work Sheets, Letters to Parents, Recipes. Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mapes, Martha C.; Thonney, Patricia

    This guide provides a nutrition education program for elementary school students that spans kindergarten through Grade 3 as well as providing activities for specific levels. Nutrition education objectives are stated for each grade level: (1) kindergarten--students will become familiar with and motivated to eat a variety of foods; (2) grade…

  18. Investing in Child Care: Challenges Facing Working Parents and the Private Sector Response.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC.

    This report of a group of business and labor leaders convened at the White House Conference on Child Care in October 1997 identifies and provides examples of a variety of ways that businesses can promote access to child care for their employees. The report begins with a letter from Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. Following an introduction…

  19. Fact Sheets and Letter to Residents: St. Louis Park Vapor Intrusion Site

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Fact Sheets and letters to residents related to the St. Louis Park Vapor Intrusion site. Samples of ground water taken in St. Louis Park in 2005 and 2006 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency were found to contain volatile organic compounds, VOCs.

  20. Contracting for Audit Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heifetz, Harry S.

    1987-01-01

    The Single Audit Act of 1984 requires most school districts receiving over $25,000 in federal funds to undergo financial audits. This article highlights requirements for selecting certified public accountants to perform the audit and suggests factors to be considered before drafting a contract or letter of engagement. A sample letter is included.…

  1. Letter from Yuen-Chang (Didi) Fung, Tetra Tech to Steve Spurlin, EPA Region 4. Concerning Site Activities and Drum Inventory Summary

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This letter summarizes the drum inventory obtained on July 12, 2007 including drum staging area locations, sample locations, physical states, and preliminary waste categories. Region ID: 04 DocID: 10517019, DocDate: 07-19-2007

  2. Differing Effects of Two Synthetic Phonics Programmes on Early Reading Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shapiro, Laura R.; Solity, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    Background: "Synthetic phonics" is the widely accepted approach for teaching reading in English: Children are taught to sound out the letters in a word then blend these sounds together. Aims: We compared the impact of two "synthetic phonics" programmes on early reading. Sample: Children received "Letters" and…

  3. IRTs of the ABCs: Children's Letter Name Acquisition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillips, Beth M.; Piasta, Shayne B.; Anthony, Jason L.; Lonigan, Christopher J.; Francis, David J.

    2012-01-01

    We examined the developmental sequence of letter name knowledge acquisition by children from 2 to five years of age. Data from 2 samples representing diverse regions, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds (ns=1074 and 500) were analyzed using item response theory (IRT) and differential item functioning techniques. Results from factor analyses…

  4. With Love, Grandma: Letters to Grandchildren.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Carl B.; Ritter, Naomi

    Based on years of experience with intergenerational correspondence at the "Senior Partners Network," this book is designed to help grandparents (and grandchildren) to find the right topics for correspondence, all laid out in clear steps. The book also offers sample letters, cards, and e-mail messages, and provides dozens of themes. The…

  5. State-mandated school-based BMI screening and parent notification: a descriptive case study.

    PubMed

    Kaczmarski, Jenna M; DeBate, Rita D; Marhefka, Stephanie L; Daley, Ellen M

    2011-11-01

    To address childhood obesity, several states and local school districts across the United States have adopted body mass index (BMI) measurement initiatives. This descriptive case study explored psychosocial, environmental, and behavioral factors among parents of sixth-grade students who received BMI Health Letters (BMIHLs) in one Florida County. A nonexperimental postintervention design was employed to gather quantitative data via self-report Likert-type questionnaire. Participants were parents/guardians of sixth-grade students attending one Hillsborough County public middle school (n = 76). Results indicate three main findings: (a) most parents in this study (67.4%) who discussed the BMIHL with their child reported their child as "very" or "somewhat" uncomfortable with the discussion; (b) some parents of normal weight (NW) children responded by taking their child to a medical professional to control their weight; and (c) more parents of at risk of overweight/overweight (AR/OW) children (vs. NW) reported greater concern about their child's weight, using food restriction and physical activity to control their child's weight, and giving negative weight-related comments/behaviors. This case study illustrates the importance of adapting and tailoring state mandated BMIHLs for parents based on child's BMI status.

  6. Recruitment and retention strategies and methods in the HEALTHY study.

    PubMed

    Drews, K L; Harrell, J S; Thompson, D; Mazzuto, S L; Ford, E G; Carter, M; Ford, D A; Yin, Z; Jessup, A N; Roullet, J-B

    2009-08-01

    HEALTHY was a 3-year middle school-based primary prevention trial to reduce modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes in youth. The study was conducted at seven centers across the country. This paper describes the recruitment and retention activities employed in the study. Schools and students were the focus of recruitment and retention. Each center was responsible for the recruitment of six schools; eligibility was based on ability to enroll a sufficient number of predominately minority and lower socioeconomic status students. Study staff met with district superintendents and school principals to verify the eligibility of schools, and to ascertain how appropriate the school would be for conducting the trial. Sixth grade students were recruited employing a variety of techniques; students and their parents did not know whether their school was randomized to the intervention or control arm. This cohort was followed through sixth, seventh and eighth grades. In the eighth grade, an additional sample of students who were not originally enrolled in the study was recruited in a similar manner to participate in data collection to allow for cross-sectional and dose-response secondary analyses. Parents signed informed consent forms and children signed informed assent forms, as per the needs of the local Institutional Review Board. Parents received a letter describing the results of the health screening for their children after data collection in sixth and eighth grades. Retention of schools and students was critical for the success of the study and was encouraged through the use of financial incentives and other strategies. To a large extent, student withdrawal due to out-migration (transfer and geographical relocation) was beyond the ability of the study to control. A multi-level approach that proactively addressed school and parent concerns was crucial for the success of recruitment and retention in the HEALTHY study.

  7. French and English Equality of Language Status in the Officer Corps of the Canadian Infantry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-04-12

    letter and survey sample (English) 47 APPENDIX B: Covering letter and survey sample (French) 51 APPENDIX C: Definition of terms 55 APPENDIX D ...Tome 1, p 60. 8 Pariseau et Bernier, Les Canadiens Francais ,Tome 1, p 70. 9 Regie du Royal 22e Regiment, Histoire du Royal 22e Regiment, (Edition du...being the Internet language.65 Another wrote, there is an apparent improvement from the past but English is still predominant.66 A third officer

  8. Family Access to a Dentist Study (FADS): A Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial

    PubMed Central

    Nelson, Suchitra; Riedy, Christine; Albert, Jeffrey M; Lee, Wonik; Slusar, Mary Beth; Curtan, Shelley; Ferretti, Gerald; Cunha-Cruz, Joana; Milgrom, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Many low-income parent/caregivers do not understand the importance of cavity-free primary (baby) teeth and the chronic nature of dental caries (tooth decay). As a consequence, dental preventive and treatment utilization is low even when children are screened in schools and referred for care. This study aims to test a referral letter and Dental Information Guide (DIG) designed using the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSM) framework to improve caregivers’ illness perception of dental caries and increase utilization of care by children with restorative dental needs. Methods A multi-site randomized controlled trial with caregivers of Kindergarten to 4th grade children in urban Ohio and rural Washington State will compare five arms: (1) CSM referral letter alone; (2) CSM referral letter + DIG; (3) reduced CSM referral letter alone; (4) reduced CSM referral letter + DIG; (5) standard (control) referral. At baseline, children will be screened at school to determine restorative dental needs. If in need of treatment, caregivers will be randomized to study arms and an intervention packet will be sent home. The primary outcome will be dental care based on a change in oral health status by clinical examination 7 months post-screening (ICDAS sealant codes 1 and 2; restoration codes 3–8; extraction). Enrollment commenced summer 2015 with results in summer 2016. Conclusion This study uses the CSM framework to develop and test behavioral interventions to increase dental utilization among low-income caregivers. If effective this simple intervention has broad applicability in clinical and community-based settings. PMID:26500170

  9. Family Access to a Dentist Study (FADS): A multi-center randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Suchitra; Riedy, Christine; Albert, Jeffrey M; Lee, Wonik; Slusar, Mary Beth; Curtan, Shelley; Ferretti, Gerald; Cunha-Cruz, Joana; Milgrom, Peter

    2015-11-01

    Many low-income parent/caregivers do not understand the importance of cavity-free primary (baby) teeth and the chronic nature of dental caries (tooth decay). As a consequence, dental preventive and treatment utilization is low even when children are screened in schools and referred for care. This study aims to test a referral letter and Dental Information Guide (DIG) designed using the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSM) framework to improve caregivers' illness perception of dental caries and increase utilization of care by children with restorative dental needs. A multi-site randomized controlled trial with caregivers of Kindergarten to 4th grade children in urban Ohio and rural Washington State will compare five arms: (1) CSM referral letter alone; (2) CSM referral letter+DIG; (3) reduced CSM referral letter alone; (4) reduced CSM referral letter+DIG; and (5) standard (control) referral. At baseline, children will be screened at school to determine restorative dental needs. If in need of treatment, caregivers will be randomized to study arms and an intervention packet will be sent home. The primary outcome will be dental care based on a change in oral health status by clinical examination 7 months post-screening (ICDAS sealant codes 1 and 2; restoration codes 3-8; extraction). Enrollment commenced summer 2015 with results in summer 2016. This study uses the CSM framework to develop and test behavioral interventions to increase dental utilization among low-income caregivers. If effective this simple intervention has broad applicability in clinical and community-based settings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Elastic moduli in nano-size samples of amorphous solids: System size dependence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cohen, Yossi; Procaccia, Itamar

    2012-08-01

    This letter is motivated by some recent experiments on pan-cake-shaped nano-samples of metallic glass that indicate a decline in the measured shear modulus upon decreasing the sample radius. Similar measurements on crystalline samples of the same dimensions showed a much more modest change. In this letter we offer a theory of this phenomenon; we argue that such results are generically expected for any amorphous solid, with the main effect being related to the increased contribution of surfaces with respect to the bulk when the samples get smaller. We employ exact relations between the shear modulus and the eigenvalues of the system's Hessian matrix to explore the role of surface modes in affecting the elastic moduli.

  11. Be a Choosy Chewer. Nutrition Comes Alive. Level 2. Nutrition Educator's Guide and Work Sheets, Letters to Parents, Recipes. Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thonney, Patricia; Mapes, Martha C.

    This guide provides a nutrition education program for elementary school students that spans kindergarten through Grade 3 as well as providing activities for specific levels. Nutrition education objectives are stated for each grade level: (1) kindergarten--students will become familiar with and motivated to eat a variety of foods; (2) grade…

  12. Michigan Residents Grade Their Schools: Results from the 2003 State of the State Survey. Policy Report No. 19

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reimann, Christopher B.; Lee, Kwanghyun; Donahue, Tara

    2004-01-01

    The State Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education are about to publish letter grades for each of the state's 4,015 public elementary, middle and high schools. These grades are part of "Education Yes!", Michigan's new school accreditation system. The familiar ABCD/F grades of their youth will provide parents and the…

  13. Prediction of Word Recognition in the First Half of Grade 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snel, M. J.; Aarnoutse, C. A. J.; Terwel, J.; van Leeuwe, J. F. J.; van der Veld, W. M.

    2016-01-01

    Early detection of reading problems is important to prevent an enduring lag in reading skills. We studied the relationship between speed of word recognition (after six months of grade 1 education) and four kindergarten pre-literacy skills: letter knowledge, phonological awareness and naming speed for both digits and letters. Our sample consisted…

  14. Movement Issues Identified in Movement ABC2 Checklist Parent Ratings for Students with Persisting Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, and OWL LD and Typical Literacy Learners.

    PubMed

    Nielsen, Kathleen; Henderson, Sheila; Barnett, Anna L; Abbott, Robert D; Berninger, Virginia

    2018-01-01

    Movement, which draws on motor skills and executive functions for managing them, plays an important role in literacy learning (e.g., movement of mouth during oral reading and movement of hand and fingers during writing); but relatively little research has focused on movement skills in students with specific learning disabilities as the current study did. Parents completed normed Movement Assessment Battery for Children Checklist, 2nd edition (ABC-2), ratings and their children in grades 4 to 9 ( M = 11 years, 11 months; 94 boys, 61 girls) completed diagnostic assessment used to assign them to diagnostic groups: control typical language learning ( N = 42), dysgraphia (impaired handwriting) ( N = 29), dyslexia (impaired word decoding/reading and spelling) ( N = 65), or oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD) (impaired syntax in oral and written language) ( N = 19). The research aims were to (a) correlate the Movement ABC-2 parent ratings for Scale A Static/Predictable Environment (15 items) and Scale B Dynamic/Unpredictable Environment (15 items) with reading and writing achievement in total sample varying within and across different skills; and (b) compare each specific learning disability group with the control group on Movement ABC-2 parent ratings for Scale A, Scale B, and Scale C Movement-Related (Non-Motor Executive Functions, or Self-Efficacy, or Affect) (13 items). At least one Movement ABC-2 parent rating was correlated with each assessed literacy achievement skill. Each of three specific learning disability groups differed from the control group on two Scale A (static/predictable environment) items (fastens buttons and forms letters with pencil or pen) and on three Scale C items (distractibility, overactive, and underestimates own ability); but only OWL LD differed from control on Scale B (dynamic/unpredictable environment) items. Applications of findings to assessment and instruction for students ascertained for and diagnosed with persisting specific learning disabilities in literacy learning, and future research directions are discussed.

  15. "Modern medical science and the divine providence of god": rethinking the place of religion in postwar U.S. medical history.

    PubMed

    Golden, Janet; Abel, Emily K

    2014-10-01

    Drawing on a large cache of letters to John and Frances Gunther after the death of their son as well as memoirs and fiction by bereaved parents, this essay challenges the assumptions of secularization that infuse histories of twentieth-century American medicine. Many parents who experienced the death of children during the postwar period relied heavily on religion to help make sense of the tragedies medicine could not prevent. Parental accounts included expression of belief in divine intervention and the power of prayer, gratitude for God's role in minimizing suffering, confidence in the existence of an afterlife, and acceptance of the will of God. Historians seeking to understand how parents and families understood both the delivery of medical care and the cultural authority of medical science must integrate an understanding of religious experiences and faith into their work. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Parental Writing Support and Preschoolers' Early Literacy, Language, and Fine Motor Skills

    PubMed Central

    Bindman, Samantha W.; Skibbe, Lori E.; Hindman, Annemarie H.; Aram, Dorit; Morrison, Frederick J.

    2014-01-01

    The current study examines the nature and variability of parents' aid to preschoolers in the context of a shared writing task, as well as the relations between this support and children's literacy, vocabulary, and fine motor skills. In total, 135 preschool children (72 girls) and their parents (primarily mothers) in an ethnically diverse, middle-income community were observed while writing a semi-structured invitation for a pretend birthday party together. Children's phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, word decoding, vocabulary, and fine motor skills were also assessed. Results revealed that parents provided variable, but generally low–level, support for children's approximation of sound-symbol correspondence in their writing (i.e., graphophonemic support), as well as for their production of letter forms (i.e., print support). Parents frequently accepted errors rather than asking for corrections (i.e., demand for precision). Further analysis of the parent-child dyads (n = 103) who wrote the child's name on the invitation showed that parents provided higher graphophonemic, but not print, support when writing the child's name than other words. Overall parental graphophonemic support was positively linked to children's decoding and fine motor skills, whereas print support and demand for precision were not related to any of the child outcomes. In sum, this study indicates that while parental support for preschoolers' writing may be minimal, it is uniquely linked to key literacy-related outcomes in preschool. PMID:25284957

  17. Parental Writing Support and Preschoolers' Early Literacy, Language, and Fine Motor Skills.

    PubMed

    Bindman, Samantha W; Skibbe, Lori E; Hindman, Annemarie H; Aram, Dorit; Morrison, Frederick J

    2014-01-01

    The current study examines the nature and variability of parents' aid to preschoolers in the context of a shared writing task, as well as the relations between this support and children's literacy, vocabulary, and fine motor skills. In total, 135 preschool children (72 girls) and their parents (primarily mothers) in an ethnically diverse, middle-income community were observed while writing a semi-structured invitation for a pretend birthday party together. Children's phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, word decoding, vocabulary, and fine motor skills were also assessed. Results revealed that parents provided variable, but generally low-level, support for children's approximation of sound-symbol correspondence in their writing (i.e., graphophonemic support), as well as for their production of letter forms (i.e., print support). Parents frequently accepted errors rather than asking for corrections (i.e., demand for precision). Further analysis of the parent-child dyads ( n = 103) who wrote the child's name on the invitation showed that parents provided higher graphophonemic, but not print, support when writing the child's name than other words. Overall parental graphophonemic support was positively linked to children's decoding and fine motor skills, whereas print support and demand for precision were not related to any of the child outcomes. In sum, this study indicates that while parental support for preschoolers' writing may be minimal, it is uniquely linked to key literacy-related outcomes in preschool.

  18. Spotlight on Leadership and School Change. No. 4 in the Harvard Education Letter Spotlight Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walser, Nancy, Ed.; Chauncey, Caroline, Ed.

    2007-01-01

    Scratch the surface of a successful school and you will find a web of interactions that is the root of its success. Who is it that envisions, inspires, cajoles, and rallies all the various players in and around a school toward any improvement goal? Often it's a superintendent, a principal, a professor, a special teacher, or a parent. In a word,…

  19. The Great Balancing Act. Nutrition Comes Alive. Level 4. Nutrition Educator's Guide and Work Sheets, Information Sheets, Story, Letters to Parents. Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waldron, Laurie

    This guide offers a nutrition education program for students in Kindergarten through Grade 6. Activities span all grades as well as activities for the specific level. Nutrition education objectives are stated for each grade level: (1) grade four--students will explore how to balance food intake and energy output for overall health and physical…

  20. The influence of inattention and rapid automatized naming on reading performance.

    PubMed

    Pham, Andy V; Fine, Jodene Goldenring; Semrud-Clikeman, Margaret

    2011-04-01

    The current study examined the relation between attention, rapid automatized naming (RAN), and reading fluency among typically developing children. A total of 104 third- and fourth-grade children (8-11 years of age) completed RAN measures consisting of four stimuli (letter, digit, color, and object) and an oral reading fluency measure from the Gray Oral Reading Test-Fourth Edition. Correlational and hierarchical regression analyses revealed that all four RAN stimuli, particularly letter RAN, were significant predictors of reading fluency. Additionally, parent and teacher ratings of inattention from the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham-Version Four rating scale predicted RAN after controlling for gender, working memory, and estimated IQ. Further analyses indicated that RAN performance mediated the relation between inattention and reading fluency. Results support the need to consider attentional variables when assessing reading performance, even among typically developing children.

  1. FGGE/ERBZ tape specification and shipping letter description

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Han, D.; Lo, H.

    1983-01-01

    The FGGE/ERBZ tape contains 5 parameters which are extracted and reformatted from the Nimbus-7 ERB Zonal Means Tape. There are three types of files on a FGGE/ERBZ tape: a tape header file, and data files. Physical characteristics, gross format, and file specifications are given. A sample tape check/document printout (shipping letter) is included.

  2. Missouri Advocacy for the Arts Advocacy Plan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muszynski, Gary; Iman, Kyna

    1990-01-01

    Lists a time frame to assist in knowing which legislators to contact and when to contact them to advocate the arts. Offers four arguments in support of a state-level Fine Arts Supervisor. Advocates letters and phone calls as effective means of advocacy, and offers pointers on writing them. Contains a sample letter and telephone call. (PRA)

  3. Use of a Differential Observing Response to Expand Restricted Stimulus Control

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walpole, Carrie Wallace; Roscoe, Eileen M.; Dube, William V.

    2007-01-01

    This study extends previous work on the use of differential observing responses (DOR) to remediate atypically restricted stimulus control. A participant with autism had high matching-to-sample accuracy scores with printed words that had no letters in common (e.g., "cat," "lid," "bug") but poor accuracy with words that had two letters in common…

  4. Developing a bone mineral density test result letter to send to patients: a mixed-methods study

    PubMed Central

    Edmonds, Stephanie W; Solimeo, Samantha L; Lu, Xin; Roblin, Douglas W; Saag, Kenneth G; Cram, Peter

    2014-01-01

    Purpose To use a mixed-methods approach to develop a letter that can be used to notify patients of their bone mineral density (BMD) results by mail that may activate patients in their bone-related health care. Patients and methods A multidisciplinary team developed three versions of a letter for reporting BMD results to patients. Trained interviewers presented these letters in a random order to a convenience sample of adults, aged 50 years and older, at two different health care systems. We conducted structured interviews to examine the respondents’ preferences and comprehension among the various letters. Results A total of 142 participants completed the interview. A majority of the participants were female (64.1%) and white (76.1%). A plurality of the participants identified a specific version of the three letters as both their preferred version (45.2%; P<0.001) and as the easiest to understand (44.6%; P<0.01). A majority of participants preferred that the letters include specific next steps for improving their bone health. Conclusion Using a mixed-methods approach, we were able to develop and optimize a printed letter for communicating a complex test result (BMD) to patients. Our results may offer guidance to clinicians, administrators, and researchers who are looking for guidance on how to communicate complex health information to patients in writing. PMID:24940049

  5. Advance notification letters increase adherence in colorectal cancer screening: a population-based randomized trial.

    PubMed

    van Roon, A H C; Hol, L; Wilschut, J A; Reijerink, J C I Y; van Vuuren, A J; van Ballegooijen, M; Habbema, J D F; van Leerdam, M E; Kuipers, Ernst J

    2011-06-01

    The population benefit of screening depends not only on the effectiveness of the test, but also on adherence, which, for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening remains low. An advance notification letter may increase adherence, however, no population-based randomized trials have been conducted to provide evidence of this. In 2008, a representative sample of the Dutch population (aged 50-74 years) was randomized. All 2493 invitees in group A were sent an advance notification letter, followed two weeks later by a standard invitation. The 2507 invitees in group B only received the standard invitation. Non-respondents in both groups were sent a reminder 6 weeks after the invitation. The advance notification letters resulted in a significantly higher adherence (64.4% versus 61.1%, p-value 0.019). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed no significant interactions between group and age, sex, or socio-economic status. Cost analysis showed that the incremental cost per additional detected advanced neoplasia due to sending an advance notification letter was € 957. This population-based randomized trial demonstrates that sending an advance notification letter significantly increases adherence by 3.3%. The incremental cost per additional detected advanced neoplasia is acceptable. We therefore recommend that such letters are incorporated within the standard CRC-screening invitation process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 3: The impact of a sponsor letter on mail survey response rates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kennedy, John M.; Pinelli, Thomas E.

    1990-01-01

    We describe the impact of two interventions in the design of mail surveys. The interventions were devised to increase response rates and to clarify sample eligibility. To test their effectiveness, the interventions occurred at different points in each of three surveys. One intervention was a letter from the research sponsor (NASA) supporting the research. The other intervention was the inclusion of a postcard that could be used by the respondent to indicate that the questionnaire was not appropriate for him/her. The sample was drawn from the membership of a professional aerospace research society, the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Scientists and engineers are difficult to survey for two reasons. First, there are significant problems with the definition of scientists and engineers. Second, typically there are low response rates in surveys of this group. These two problems were found in the NASA surveys. The results indicate that the sponsor letter improved response rates under certain conditions described here. The postcards assisted in identifying non-eligible persons, particularly when the postcards accompanied a pre-survey letter. The implications for survey costs are discussed.

  7. Probabilistic modeling of children's handwriting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Puri, Mukta; Srihari, Sargur N.; Hanson, Lisa

    2013-12-01

    There is little work done in the analysis of children's handwriting, which can be useful in developing automatic evaluation systems and in quantifying handwriting individuality. We consider the statistical analysis of children's handwriting in early grades. Samples of handwriting of children in Grades 2-4 who were taught the Zaner-Bloser style were considered. The commonly occurring word "and" written in cursive style as well as hand-print were extracted from extended writing. The samples were assigned feature values by human examiners using a truthing tool. The human examiners looked at how the children constructed letter formations in their writing, looking for similarities and differences from the instructions taught in the handwriting copy book. These similarities and differences were measured using a feature space distance measure. Results indicate that the handwriting develops towards more conformity with the class characteristics of the Zaner-Bloser copybook which, with practice, is the expected result. Bayesian networks were learnt from the data to enable answering various probabilistic queries, such as determining students who may continue to produce letter formations as taught during lessons in school and determining the students who will develop a different and/or variation of the those letter formations and the number of different types of letter formations.

  8. The relationship between twelve-month home stimulation and school achievement.

    PubMed

    van Doorninck, W J; Caldwell, B M; Wright, C; Frankenburg, W K

    1981-09-01

    Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) was designed to reflect parental support of early cognitive and socioemotional development. 12-month HOME scores were correlated with elementary school achievement, 5--9 years later. 50 low-income children were rank ordered by a weighted average of centile estimates of achievement test scores, letter grades, and curriculum levels in reading and math. 24 children were classified as having significant school achievement problems. The HOME total score correlated significantly, r = .37, with school centile scores among the low-income families. The statistically more appropriate contingency table analysis revealed a 68% correct classification rate and a significantly reduced error rate over random or blanket prediction. The results supported the predictive value of the 12-month HOME for school achievement among low-income families. In an additional sample of 21 middle-income families, there was insufficient variability among HOME scores to allow prediction. The HOME total scores were highly correlated, r = .86, among siblings tested at least 10 months apart.

  9. Direct fitness benefits explain mate preference, but not choice, for similarity in heterozygosity levels.

    PubMed

    Zandberg, Lies; Gort, Gerrit; van Oers, Kees; Hinde, Camilla A

    2017-10-01

    Under sexual selection, mate preferences can evolve for traits advertising fitness benefits. Observed mating patterns (mate choice) are often assumed to represent preference, even though they result from the interaction between preference, sampling strategy and environmental factors. Correlating fitness with mate choice instead of preference will therefore lead to confounded conclusions about the role of preference in sexual selection. Here we show that direct fitness benefits underlie mate preferences for genetic characteristics in a unique experiment on wild great tits. In repeated mate preference tests, both sexes preferred mates that had similar heterozygosity levels to themselves, and not those with which they would optimise offspring heterozygosity. In a subsequent field experiment where we cross fostered offspring, foster parents with more similar heterozygosity levels had higher reproductive success, despite the absence of assortative mating patterns. These results support the idea that selection for preference persists despite constraints on mate choice. © 2017 The Authors Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Building the Foundation the WRITE WAY: Mini-Lessons with Practical Strategies for Teaching the Personal Narrative, Feature Article, "How-to..." Article, and Persuasive Letter.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Susan A.; Vincent, Donna

    This book presents strategies for teaching the personal narrative, feature article, how-to article, and persuasive letter, and for teaching fiction and reflective thinking and writing. It includes definitions, lesson plans, originals for transparencies and photocopies, and sample student writing. The first four sections are: Teaching the Personal…

  11. Painful Times: The Emergence and Campaigning of Parents Against Injustice in 1980s Britain

    PubMed Central

    Crane, Jennifer

    2015-01-01

    In July 1985 Steve and Susan Amphlett established Parents Against Injustice (PAIN) to support and represent parents falsely accused of child abuse. The Amphletts ran the organization from their own home, and struggled to gain funding, before closing PAIN in 1999. PAIN was to an extent a reflection of the ‘new politics’ of identity and lifestyle, concurrent with the rise of New Social Movements, as falsely accused parents utilized communication technologies to make their experiences public, and to contact and support one another. At the same time, PAIN also sought to exert political influence through relatively traditional channels—contributing to public inquiries, encouraging their membership to write letters to Members of Parliament, and shaping media critique. Despite its small size, PAIN was able to act as an intermediary between parents and politicians, social workers, solicitors and physicians. PAIN represented, but also collated and shaped, parents’ experiences. The case study of PAIN suggests that small groups have been able to mediate between ‘public’ and ‘experts’, effectively working with both groups because of their ability to combine experience and professionalism. These groups have brought experiential knowledge into social policy, and more broadly shifted the roles and responsibilities accorded to children, families and parents. PMID:26502666

  12. CTEPP STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR TELEPHONE SAMPLE SUBJECTS RECRUITMENT (SOP-1.12)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The subject recruitment procedures for the telephone sample component are described in the SOP. A random telephone sample list is ordered from a commercial survey sampling firm. Using this list, introductory letters are sent to targeted homes prior to making initial telephone c...

  13. A versus F: the effects of implicit letter priming on cognitive performance.

    PubMed

    Ciani, Keith D; Sheldon, Kennon M

    2010-03-01

    It has been proposed that motivational responses outside people's conscious awareness can be primed to affect academic performance. The current research focused on the relationship between primed evaluative letters (A and F), explicit and implicit achievement motivation, and cognitive performance. Given the evaluative connotation associated with letter grades, we wanted to know if exposure to the letter A before a task could improve performance, and exposure to the letter F could impair performance. If such effects are found, we suspected that they may be rooted in implicit approach versus avoidance motivation, and occur without participants' awareness. The current research was conducted at a large research university in the USA. Twenty-three undergraduates participated in Expt 1, 32 graduate students in Expt 2, and 76 undergraduates in Expt 3. Expts 1 and 2 were conducted in classroom settings, and Expt 3 in a laboratory. In Expt 1, participants were randomly assigned to either the A or F condition. The letter manipulation came in the form of an ostensible Test Bank ID code on the cover of an analogy test, which participants were prompted to view and write on each page of their test. Expt 2 followed a similar procedure but included the neutral letter J as a third condition to serve as a control. In Expt 3, participants' letter condition was presented in the form of an ostensible Subject ID code prior to an anagram test. Expts 1-3 demonstrated that exposure to the letter A enhances performance relative to the exposure to the letter F, whereas exposure to the letter F prior to an achievement task can impair performance. This effect was demonstrated using two different types of samples (undergraduate and graduate students), in two different experimental settings (classroom and laboratory), using two different types of achievement tasks (analogy and anagram), and using two different types of letter presentation (Test Bank ID and Subject ID). Results from the funnelled debriefing, self-report goals, and word-stem completion support our position that the effect of letter on academic performance takes place outside the conscious awareness of participants. Our findings suggest that students are vulnerable to evaluative letters presented before a task, and support years of research highlighting the significant role that nonconscious processes play in achievement settings.

  14. Acceptability of reminder letters for Papanicolaou tests: a survey of women from 23 Family Health Networks in Ontario.

    PubMed

    Karwalajtys, Tina; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Lohfeld, Lynne; Laryea, Stephanie; Anderson, Kelly; Roder, Stefanie; Sebaldt, Rolf J

    2007-10-01

    To explore women's perspectives on the acceptability and content of reminder letters from the family physician for Papanicolaou (Pap) test screening and the effect of reminder letters on compliance with screening recommendations. A population-based survey was conducted in 23 Family Health Networks and Primary Care Networks participating in a demonstration project to increase the delivery of preventive services in Ontario. Questionnaires were mailed to randomly selected women aged 35 to 69 years who had received a reminder letter for a Pap test from their family physician within the previous six months. Two focus groups were conducted with a volunteer sample of respondents. The usable response rate was 54.3% (406/748). Two-thirds (65.8%, 267/406) of women who completed the survey recalled receiving the reminder letter. Overall, 52.3% (212/405) reported having a Pap test in the past six months. Among women who recalled the reminder letter and scheduled or had a Pap test, 71.4% (125/175) reported that the letter influenced their decision to be screened. The majority of respondents (80.8%, 328/406) wanted to continue to receive reminder letters for Pap tests from their physician, and 34.5% (140/406) wanted to receive additional information about cervical screening. Focus group interviews indicated that women who have had a Pap test may still be unsure about screening recommendations, what the test detects, and the rationale for follow-up procedures. Reminder letters in family practice were viewed as useful and influenced women's decisions to undergo Pap test screening. Women who have had a Pap test may still need additional information about the test.

  15. Military Children’s Perceptions of Parents’ Frequent Missile Base Deployments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-04-26

    investigations, 502 ISG/JAC ( Ethics Review) and Public Affairs (59 MOW/PA) for review and then forward you a final letter of approval or disapproval. 9. Once...Medical and Technical Papers, for additional information. 11 . The Joint Ethics Regulation (JER) DoD 5500.07-R, Standards of Conduct, provides...standards of ethical conduct for all DoD personnel and their interactions with other non-DoD entities, organizations, societies, conferences, etc. Part of

  16. Self-referenced memory, social cognition, and symptom presentation in autism.

    PubMed

    Henderson, Heather A; Zahka, Nicole E; Kojkowski, Nicole M; Inge, Anne P; Schwartz, Caley B; Hileman, Camilla M; Coman, Drew C; Mundy, Peter C

    2009-07-01

    We examined performance on a self-referenced memory (SRM) task for higher-functioning children with autism (HFA) and a matched comparison group. SRM performance was examined in relation to symptom severity and social cognitive tests of mentalizing. Sixty-two children (31 HFA, 31 comparison; 8-16 years) completed a SRM task in which they read a list of words and decided whether the word described something about them, something about Harry Potter, or contained a certain number of letters. They then identified words that were familiar from a longer list. Dependent measures were memory performance (d') in each of the three encoding conditions as well as a self-memory bias score (d' self-d' other). Children completed The Strange Stories Task and The Children's Eyes Test as measures of social cognition. Parents completed the SCQ and ASSQ as measures of symptom severity. Children in the comparison sample showed the standard SRM effect in which they recognized significantly more self-referenced words relative to words in the other-referenced and letter conditions. In contrast, HFA children showed comparable rates of recognition for self- and other-referenced words. For all children, SRM performance improved with age and enhanced SRM performance was related to lower levels of social problems. These associations were not accounted for by performance on the mentalizing tasks. Children with HFA did not show the standard enhanced processing of self- vs. other-relevant information. Individual differences in the tendency to preferentially process self-relevant information may be associated with social cognitive processes that serve to modify the expression of social symptoms in children with autism.

  17. Australian letters to the editor on tobacco: triggers, rhetoric, and claims of legitimate voice.

    PubMed

    Smith, Katherine Clegg; McLeod, Kim; Wakefield, Melanie

    2005-11-01

    News coverage of tobacco issues influences both individual behavior change and policy progression. Thus, media advocacy is increasingly recognized as important for promoting public health. Letters to the editor (LTE) are a basic form of media advocacy, serving to demonstrate community sentiment on a given issue. Such letters are yet to receive systematic analytic consideration. The authors conducted an ethnographic content analysis of LTE on tobacco issues from a sample of 11 Australian daily newspapers over a 3-year period (2001 to 2003, N=361). They argue that letters are artifacts of active engagement in a public debate and note that various stakeholders adopt similar strategies to pursue their objectives. They illustrate how identifying personal and collective identities is crucial in the assertion of legitimacy of voice in LTEs. Better understanding is needed of both the particular issues that spark public engagement, and the salient rhetoric employed by advocates of disparate positions.

  18. Comment on `A novel experimental method: Electrochemical detection of phase transition in ferroelectric single crystals', Chem. Phys. Lett. 384 (2004) 262 by K. Gatner and R. Jakubas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ćwikiel, K.; Matlak, M.

    2006-03-01

    We comment the Letter 'A novel experimental method: electrochemical detection of phase transition in ferroelectric single crystals', Chem. Phys. Lett. 384 (2004) 262 by K. Gatner and R. Jakubas. We indicate that the method used in this Letter is not 'A novel method' but the application of the method described in Refs. [M. Matlak, M. Pietruszka, E. Rówiński, Phys. Rev. B 63 (2001) 52101; M. Matlak, M. Pietruszka, E. Rówiński, Phys. Stat. Sol. A 184 (2001) 335; W. Gaweł, E. Zaleska, Z. Sztuba, Met. Sci. Eng. A 324 (2002) 255], well known to Gatner, but not cited in the commented Letter. Additionally Gatner, cooperating with us, has used our TGS samples and published the results in the commented Letter without our knowledge and permission.

  19. Letter Report: Stable Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Analysis of B-Complex Groundwater Samples

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Brady D.; Moran, James J.; Nims, Megan K.

    Report summarizing stable oxygen and hydrogen isotope analysis of two groundwater samples from the B-Complex. Results from analyses were compared to perched water and pore water analyses performed previously.

  20. Mirror writing in pre-school children: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Cubelli, Roberto; Della Sala, Sergio

    2009-05-01

    Mirror writing refers to the production of individual letters, whole words or sentences in reverse direction. Unintentional mirror writing has been observed in young children learning to write and interpreted as the manifestation of different cognitive impairments. We report on mirror writing instances in a sample of 108 pre-school children. Results showed MW to be age-related but independent from handedness and left-right discrimination abilities. We propose an account of mirror writing as reflecting dissociation between acquired motor programmes for letter shape composition and unspecified spatial direction of hand movements. Before learning to write, the child's directional cognitive system is assumed to be dichotomous, thus inducing the production of randomly oriented asymmetrical letters.

  1. Improving the Cooperation Rate of Older Adults and Their Caregivers in Research Surveys.

    PubMed

    Green, Ohad; Ayalon, Liat

    2015-01-01

    Recruiting older adults, their family members and their home care workers as participants in research studies is particularly complicated. This might be due to medical or cognitive problems of the older adult as well as the high workload and shortage of time experienced by caregivers. The present study compared the contribution of two different versions of an advanced letter followed by two different versions of a recruitment phone call to the cooperation rate of older adults, family caregivers and home care workers in a face-to-face survey. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the contribution of the different types of appeal. A total of 2,014 caregiving units (composed of an older adult, a family member and a home care worker) were randomly sampled from a list of Israeli long-term care insurance beneficiaries. 74.32% of the sampled caregiving units were eligible to participate in the study. The first group of participants received formal and succinctly phrased written and oral appeals - an advanced letter followed by a recruitment phone call. The second group of participants received the original formal and succinctly phrased advanced letter, but a revised recruitment phone call that included a more personal approach, the provision of broader information about the study and the avoidance of words with a possible negative connotation. The third group of participants received both a revised advanced letter and a revised recruitment phone call. Using the succinctly phrased written and oral appeals, we had a cooperation rate of about 50% for the entire caregiving unit. Using a revised advanced letter and a revised recruitment phone call yielded an increase of 20-25% in the cooperation rate for the entire caregiving unit. Using the revised recruitment phone call and the original advanced letter yielded an increase in the cooperation rate only among migrant home care workers. This study showed that by changing the format of appeal we can increase the cooperation rate of older adults and their caregivers in a research survey. This study also pointed out the importance of the advanced letter. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  2. Assessing Generative Braille Responding Following Training in a Matching-to-Sample Format

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Putnam, Brittany C.; Tiger, Jeffrey H.

    2016-01-01

    We evaluated the effects of teaching sighted college students to select printed text letters given a braille sample stimulus in a matching-to-sample (MTS) format on the emergence of untrained (a) construction of print characters given braille samples, (b) construction of braille characters given print samples, (c) transcription of print characters…

  3. Examination of soldier target recognition with direct view optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Long, Frederick H.; Larkin, Gabriella; Bisordi, Danielle; Dorsey, Shauna; Marianucci, Damien; Goss, Lashawnta; Bastawros, Michael; Misiuda, Paul; Rodgers, Glenn; Mazz, John P.

    2017-10-01

    Target recognition and identification is a problem of great military and scientific importance. To examine the correlation between target recognition and optical magnification, ten U.S. Army soldiers were tasked with identifying letters on targets at 800 and 1300 meters away. Letters were used since they are a standard method for measuring visual acuity. The letters were approximately 90 cm high, which is the size of a well-known rifle. Four direct view optics with angular magnifications of 1.5x, 4x, 6x, and 9x were used. The goal of this approach was to measure actual probabilities for correct target identification. Previous scientific literature suggests that target recognition can be modeled as a linear response problem in angular frequency space using the established values for the contrast sensitivity function for a healthy human eye and the experimentally measured modulation transfer function of the optic. At the 9x magnification, the soldiers could identify the letters with almost no errors (i.e., 97% probability of correct identification). At lower magnification, errors in letter identification were more frequent. The identification errors were not random but occurred most frequently with a few pairs of letters (e.g., O and Q), which is consistent with the literature for letter recognition. In addition, in the small subject sample of ten soldiers, there was considerable variation in the observer recognition capability at 1.5x and a range of 800 meters. This can be directly attributed to the variation in the observer visual acuity.

  4. Hyperopia and emergent literacy of young children: pilot study.

    PubMed

    Shankar, Sunita; Evans, Mary Ann; Bobier, William R

    2007-11-01

    To compare emergent literacy skills in uncorrected hyperopic and emmetropic children. "Hyperopes" (>or=2.00 D sphere along the most hyperopic meridian; n=13; aged 67+/-13 mo) and "emmetropes" (

  5. Self-government of complex reading and writing brains informed by cingulo-opercular network for adaptive control and working memory components for language learning.

    PubMed

    Richards, Todd L; Abbott, Robert D; Yagle, Kevin; Peterson, Dan; Raskind, Wendy; Berninger, Virginia W

    2017-01-01

    To understand mental self-government of the developing reading and writing brain, correlations of clustering coefficients on fMRI reading or writing tasks with BASC 2 Adaptivity ratings (time 1 only) or working memory components (time 1 before and time 2 after instruction previously shown to improve achievement and change magnitude of fMRI connectivity) were investigated in 39 students in grades 4 to 9 who varied along a continuum of reading and writing skills. A Philips 3T scanner measured connectivity during six leveled fMRI reading tasks (subword-letters and sounds, word-word-specific spellings or affixed words, syntax comprehension-with and without homonym foils or with and without affix foils, and text comprehension) and three fMRI writing tasks-writing next letter in alphabet, adding missing letter in word spelling, and planning for composing. The Brain Connectivity Toolbox generated clustering coefficients based on the cingulo-opercular (CO) network; after controlling for multiple comparisons and movement, significant fMRI connectivity clustering coefficients for CO were identified in 8 brain regions bilaterally (cingulate gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, insula, cingulum-cingulate gyrus, and cingulum-hippocampus). BASC2 Parent Ratings for Adaptivity were correlated with CO clustering coefficients on three reading tasks (letter-sound, word affix judgments and sentence comprehension) and one writing task (writing next letter in alphabet). Before instruction, each behavioral working memory measure (phonology, orthography, morphology, and syntax coding, phonological and orthographic loops for integrating internal language and output codes, and supervisory focused and switching attention) correlated significantly with at least one CO clustering coefficient. After instruction, the patterning of correlations changed with new correlations emerging. Results show that the reading and writing brain's mental government, supported by both CO Adaptive Control and multiple working memory components, had changed in response to instruction during middle childhood/early adolescence.

  6. Parents Seeking Health-Related Information on the Internet: Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Bianco, Aida; Zucco, Rossella; Nobile, Carmelo Giuseppe A; Pileggi, Claudia

    2013-01-01

    Background The Internet represents an increasingly common source of health-related information, and it has facilitated a wide range of interactions between people and the health care delivery system. Objective To establish the extent of Internet access and use to gather information about health topics and the potential implications to health care among the adult population in Calabria region, Italy. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2012. The sample consisted of 1544 adults aged ≥18 years selected among parents of public school students in the geographic area of Catanzaro in southern Italy. A 2-stage sample design was planned. A letter summarizing the purpose of the study, an informed consent form, and a questionnaire were given to selected student to deliver to their parents. The final survey was formulated in 5 sections: (1) sociodemographic characteristics, (2) information about chronic diseases and main sources of health care information, (3) information about Internet use, (4) data about the effects of using the Internet to search for health information, and (5) knowledge and use of social networks. Results A total of 1039 parents completed the questionnaire, with a response rate equivalent to 67.29%. Regarding health-related information types, 84.7% of respondents used the Internet to search for their own medical conditions or those of family members or relatives, 40.7% of parents reported looking for diet, body weight, or physical activity information, 29.6% searched for vaccines, 28.5% for screening programs, and 16.5% for smoking cessation tools and products. The results of the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that parents who looked for health-related information on the Internet were more likely to be female (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.05-2.25), with a high school diploma (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.02-2.81) or college degree (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.21-3.78), younger aged (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99), with chronic conditions (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.17-3.19), not satisfied with their general practitioner’s health-related information (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.38-0.97), but satisfied with information from scientific journals (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.33-2.98). Conclusions Our analyses provide important insights into Internet use and health information–seeking behaviors of the Italian population and contribute to the evidence base for health communication planning. Health and public health professionals should educate the public about acquiring health information online and how to critically appraise it, and provide tools to navigate to the highest-quality information. The challenge to public health practice is to facilitate the health-promoting use of the Web among consumers in conjunction with their health care providers. PMID:24047937

  7. Women's views on human papillomavirus self-sampling: focus groups to assess acceptability, invitation letters and a test kit in the Australian setting.

    PubMed

    Sultana, Farhana; Mullins, Robyn; Murphy, Michael; English, Dallas R; Simpson, Julie A; Drennan, Kelly T; Heley, Stella; Wrede, C David; Brotherton, Julia M L; Saville, Marion; Gertig, Dorota M

    2015-08-01

    Background The study evaluated acceptability, invitation letters and the test kit for a trial of human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling among never- and under-screened women in Australia. Victorian women, 30-69 years, who had never had a Pap test or were overdue for one, participated. Four focus groups including eight to nine participants segmented by age (30-49 and 50-69 years) and screening history (never- and under-screened) were conducted in August 2013. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim and data analysed using thematic content analysis. The response to the concept of HPV self-sampling was positive. Decision-making was largely influenced by the content of a pre-invitation letter. Appealing features of self-sampling were cost (free), convenience (home-based) and anticipated less discomfort (with a swab) than a Pap test. Small kits that fit in mailboxes were preferred over post office parcel collection. The perceived barriers include concerns about test accuracy and lack of confidence that a home-based test would give the same results as a physician administered test. Women wanted information on the timing of receipt of the results and information about the organisation providing the test. HPV self-sampling is a possible alternative for Australian women who are reluctant to have a Pap test and may increase the likelihood of participation in cervical cancer screening if women's concerns about it can be addressed. The findings of this study are relevant for researchers, policymakers and practitioners implementing self-sampling for under-screened women as part of cervical screening programs.

  8. An analysis of absorbing image on the Indonesian text by using color matching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hutagalung, G. A.; Tulus; Iryanto; Lubis, Y. F. A.; Khairani, M.; Suriati

    2018-03-01

    The insertion of messages in an image is performed by inserting per character message in some pixels. One way of inserting a message into an image is by inserting the ASCII decimal value of a character to the decimal value of the primary color of the image. Messages that use characters in letters, numbers or symbols, where the use of letters of each word is different in number and frequency of use, as well as the use of letters in various messages within each language. In Indonesian language, the use of the letter A to be the most widely used, and the use of other letters greatly affect the clarity of a message or text presented in the language. This study aims to determine the capacity to absorb the message in Indonesian language from an image and what are the things that affect the difference. The data used in this study consists of several images in JPG or JPEG format can be obtained from the image drawing software or hardware of the image makers at different image sizes. The results of testing on four samples of a color image have been obtained by using an image size of 1200 X 1920.

  9. Decreasing Errors in Reading-Related Matching to Sample Using a Delayed-Sample Procedure

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doughty, Adam H.; Saunders, Kathryn J.

    2009-01-01

    Two men with intellectual disabilities initially demonstrated intermediate accuracy in two-choice matching-to-sample (MTS) procedures. A printed-letter identity MTS procedure was used with 1 participant, and a spoken-to-printed-word MTS procedure was used with the other participant. Errors decreased substantially under a delayed-sample procedure,…

  10. Bidirectional Relations between Phonological Awareness and Letter Knowledge in Preschool Revisited: A Growth Curve Analysis of the Relation between Two Code-Related Skills

    PubMed Central

    Lerner, Matthew D.; Lonigan, Christopher J.

    2017-01-01

    Despite the importance of phonological awareness for the development of reading in alphabetic languages, little attention has been paid to its developmental origins. In this study, dual-process, latent growth models were used to examine patterns of bidirectional relations between letter knowledge and phonological awareness during preschool. The sample comprised 358 children (mean age = 48.60 months, SD = 7.26). Growth models were used to quantify the unique longitudinal relations between the initial level of each skill and growth in the other skill during the preschool year, after controlling for initial level of the same skill, vocabulary, age, and growth in the code-related skill being used as a predictor. Letter-name knowledge and phonological awareness were bi-directionally related; the initial level of each uniquely predicted growth in the other. Initial letter-sound knowledge and phonological awareness growth were not uniquely related, and vocabulary was not related to growth in phonological awareness. These findings extend the evidence of the relation between letter knowledge and phonological awareness to supra-phonemic tasks, indicating that this bidirectional relation begins at an earlier point in the development of phonological awareness than previously reported. In addition, these findings help to rule out general growth in letter knowledge and phonological awareness as an alternative explanation for the bidirectional relation between these two code-related skills. PMID:26745710

  11. Improving Learning Outcomes: The iPad and Preschool Children with Disabilities

    PubMed Central

    Chmiliar, Linda

    2017-01-01

    The digital age has reached early childhood, and the use of touch screens by young children is common place. Research on the use of touch screen tablets with young children is becoming more prevalent; however, less information is available on the use of touch screen tablets to support young children with disabilities. Touch screen tablets may offer possibilities to preschool children with disabilities to participate in learning in a digital way. The iPad provides easy interaction on the touch screen and access to a multitude of engaging early learning applications. This paper summarizes a pilot study with 8 young children with disabilities included in a preschool classroom, who were given iPads to use in class and at home for a period of 21 weeks. Systematic observations, classroom assessments, and teacher and parent interviews documented the improvements in learning outcomes for each child in many areas including, but not limited to: shape and color recognition, letter recognition, and tracing letters throughout six research cycles. PMID:28529493

  12. Improving Learning Outcomes: The iPad and Preschool Children with Disabilities.

    PubMed

    Chmiliar, Linda

    2017-01-01

    The digital age has reached early childhood, and the use of touch screens by young children is common place. Research on the use of touch screen tablets with young children is becoming more prevalent; however, less information is available on the use of touch screen tablets to support young children with disabilities. Touch screen tablets may offer possibilities to preschool children with disabilities to participate in learning in a digital way. The iPad provides easy interaction on the touch screen and access to a multitude of engaging early learning applications. This paper summarizes a pilot study with 8 young children with disabilities included in a preschool classroom, who were given iPads to use in class and at home for a period of 21 weeks. Systematic observations, classroom assessments, and teacher and parent interviews documented the improvements in learning outcomes for each child in many areas including, but not limited to: shape and color recognition, letter recognition, and tracing letters throughout six research cycles.

  13. Self-sampling to increase participation in cervical cancer screening: an RCT comparing home mailing, distribution in pharmacies, and recall letter.

    PubMed

    Giorgi Rossi, P; Fortunato, C; Barbarino, P; Boveri, S; Caroli, S; Del Mistro, A; Ferro, A; Giammaria, C; Manfredi, M; Moretto, T; Pasquini, A; Sideri, M; Tufi, M C; Cogo, C; Altobelli, E

    2015-02-17

    We performed a multicentre randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effect on participation in organised screening programmes of a self-sampling device mailed home or picked up at a pharmacy compared with the standard recall letter. Women aged 30-64 non-responding to screening invitation were eligible. Response rate to first invitation ranged from 30% to 60% between centres. The control was the standard reminder letter to undergo the test used by the programme (Pap test in three centres and HPV DNA test in three other centres). Home mailing of the self-sampler was preceded by a letter with a leaflet about HPV. The analysis was intention-to-treat. In all, 14 041 women were randomised and recruited: 5012 in the control arm, 4516 to receive the self-sampler at home, and 4513 to pick up the self-sampler at a pharmacy. Participation was 11.9% in the control, 21.6% (relative participation: 1.75; 95% CI 1.60-1.93) in home, and 12.0% (relative participation: 0.96; 95% CI 0.86-1.07) in the pharmacy arms, respectively. The heterogeneity between centres was high (excess heterogeneity of that expected due to chance, i.e., I(2), 94.9% and 94.1% for home and pharmacy arm, respectively). The estimated impact on the overall coverage was +4.3% for home mail self-sampling compared with +2.2% for standard reminder. Home mailing of self-sampler proved to be an effective way to increase participation in screening programmes, even in those with HPV as primary testing. Picking up at pharmacies showed effects varying from centre to centre.

  14. Self-Referenced Memory, Social Cognition, and Symptom Presentation in Autism

    PubMed Central

    Henderson, Heather A.; Zahka, Nicole E.; Kojkowski, Nicole M.; Inge, Anne P.; Schwartz, Caley B.; Hileman, Camilla M.; Coman, Drew C.; Mundy, Peter C.

    2009-01-01

    Background We examined performance on a self-referenced memory (SRM) task for higher functioning children with autism (HFA) and a matched comparison group. SRM performance was examined in relation to symptom severity and social cognitive tests of mentalizing. Method Sixty-two children (31 HFA, 31 comparison; 8–16 years) completed a SRM task in which they read a list of words and decided whether the word described something about them, something about Harry Potter, or contained a certain number of letters. They then identified words that were familiar from a longer list. Dependent measures were memory performance (d′) in each of the three encoding conditions as well as a self-memory bias score (d′ self-d′ other). Children completed The Strange Stories Task and The Children’s Eyes Test as measures of social cognition. Parents completed the SCQ and ASSQ as measures of symptom severity. Results Children in the comparison sample showed the standard SRM effect in which they recognized significantly more self-referenced words relative to words in the other-referenced and letter conditions. In contrast, HFA children showed comparable rates of recognition for self- and other-referenced words. For all children, SRM performance improved with age and enhanced SRM performance was related to lower levels of social problems. These associations were not accounted for by performance on the mentalizing tasks. Conclusions Children with HFA did not show the standard enhanced processing of self- vs. other-relevant information. Individual differences in the tendency to preferentially process self-relevant information may be associated with social cognitive processes that serve to modify the expression of social symptoms in children with autism. PMID:19298471

  15. Multiple aspects of self-regulation uniquely predict mathematics but not letter-word knowledge in the early elementary grades.

    PubMed

    Blair, Clancy; Ursache, Alexandra; Greenberg, Mark; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne

    2015-04-01

    The relation of self-regulation measured prior to school entry to developing math and reading ability in prekindergarten through the second grade was examined in a prospective longitudinal sample of 1,292 children and families in predominantly rural and low-income communities in 2 regions of high poverty in the United States. Direct assessments of executive function, effortful control, and stress response physiology (indexed by resting levels of cortisol and alpha amylase obtained from saliva) were measured at child age 48 months and parents and teachers reported on children's effortful control using temperament rating scales at child age approximately 60 months. Math and reading ability, as measured by the Woodcock-Johnson III applied problems and letter-word subtests, respectively, were measured at prekindergarten through the second grade. Effects for self-regulation measures were seen primarily for initial level and to some extent growth in both mathematics and reading, even when controlling for family demographic characteristics that represent relevant selection factors into higher levels of both self-regulation and academic achievement. These effects persisted for mathematics but not for reading with the inclusion of child cognitive abilities, vocabulary, and speed of processing measured in prekindergarten, concurrent with the first time point for the academic measures. Results are interpreted as indicating a role for self-regulation in learning ability generally, likely through support for attention and reasoning abilities that are most specific to the assessment of mathematics in this analysis. Implications for instruction and for assessment and the best ways to support the development of early math and reading ability for children at risk for school failure are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  16. M&S Smart System Contrast Sensitivity Measurements Compared With Standard Visual Function Measurements in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jessica L; McAnany, J Jason; Wilensky, Jacob T; Aref, Ahmad A; Vajaranant, Thasarat S

    2017-06-01

    To evaluate the nature and extent of letter contrast sensitivity (CS) deficits in glaucoma patients using a commercially available computer-based system (M&S Smart System II) and to compare the letter CS measurements to standard clinical measures of visual function. Ninety-four subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma participated. Each subject underwent visual acuity, letter CS, and standard automated perimetry testing (Humphrey SITA 24-2). All subjects had a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 0.3 log MAR (20/40 Snellen equivalent) or better and reliable standard automated perimetry (fixation losses, false positives, and false negatives <33%). CS functions were estimated from the letter CS and BCVA measurements. The area under the CS function (AUCSF), which is a combined index of CS and BCVA, was derived and analyzed. The mean (± SD) BCVA was 0.08±0.10 log MAR (∼20/25 Snellen equivalent), the mean CS was 1.38±0.17, and the mean Humphrey Visual Field mean deviation (HVF MD) was -7.22±8.10 dB. Letter CS and HVF MD correlated significantly (r=0.51, P<0.001). BCVA correlated significantly with letter CS (r=-0.22, P=0.03), but not with HVF MD (r=-0.12, P=0.26). A subset of the subject sample (∼20%) had moderate to no field loss (≤-6 dB MD) and minimal to no BCVA loss (≤0.3 log MAR), but had poor letter CS. AUCSF was correlated significantly with HVF MD (r=0.46, P<0.001). The present study is the first to evaluate letter CS in glaucoma using the digital M&S Smart System II display. Letter CS correlated significantly with standard HVF MD measurements, suggesting that letter CS may provide a useful adjunct test of visual function for glaucoma patients. In addition, the significant correlation between HVF MD and the combined index of CS and BCVA (AUCSF) suggests that this measure may also be useful for quantifying visual dysfunction in glaucoma patients.

  17. Erratum: Evidence of b -jet quenching in PbPb collisions at s N N = 2.76 TeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113 , 132301 (2014)

    DOE PAGES

    Chatrchyan, S.

    2015-07-10

    In our Letter, there was a component of the statistical uncertainty from the simulated PbPb Monte Carlo samples. This uncertainty was not propagated to all of the results. Figures 3 and 4 have been updated to reflect this source of uncertainty. In this case, the statistical uncertainties remain smaller than the systematic uncertainties in all cases such that the conclusions of the Letter are unaltered.

  18. Sampling and analyses plan for tank 103 at the 219-S waste handling facility

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    FOWLER, K.D.

    1999-06-23

    This document describes the sampling and analysis activities associated with taking a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) protocol sample of the waste from Tank 103 at the 21 9-S Waste Handling Facility treatment storage, andlor disposal (TSD) unit at the 2224 Laboratory complex. This sampling and analyses is required based on negotiations between the State of Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and the Department of Energy, Richland Operations, (RL) in letters concerning the TPA Change Form M-32-98-01. In a letter from George H. Sanders, RL to Moses N. Jaraysi, Ecology, dated January 28,1999, it was noted that ''Prior tomore » the Tank 103 waste inventory transfer, a RCRA protocol sample of the waste will be obtained and tested for the constituents contained on the Part A, Form 3 Permit Application for the 219-S Waste Handling Facility.'' In the April 2, 1999 letter, from Brenda L. Becher-Khaleel, Ecology to James, E. Rasmussen, RL, and William O. Adair, FDH, Ecology states that the purpose of these analyses is to provide information and justification for leaving Tank 103 in an isolated condition in the 2194 TSD unit until facility closure. The data may also be used at some future date in making decisions regarding closure methodology for Tank 103. Ecology also notes that As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) concerns may force deviations from some SW-846 protocol. Every effort will be made to accommodate requirements as specified. Deviations from SW-846 will be documented in accordance with HASQARD.« less

  19. Childhood cancer and factors related to prolonged diagnostic intervals: a Danish population-based study

    PubMed Central

    Ahrensberg, J M; Olesen, F; Hansen, R P; Schrøder, H; Vedsted, P

    2013-01-01

    Background: Early diagnosis of childhood cancer provides hope for better prognoses. Shorter diagnostic intervals (DI) in primary care require better knowledge of the association between presenting symptoms, interpretation of symptoms and the wording of the referral letter. Methods: A Danish nationwide population-based study. Data on 550 children aged <15 years with an incident cancer diagnosis (January 2007–December 2010) were collected through questionnaires to parents (response rate=69%) and general practitioners (GPs) (response rate=87%). The DI from the first presentation in general practice until diagnosis was categorised as short or long based on quartiles. Associations between variables and long DIs were assessed using logistic regression. Results: The GPs interpreted symptoms as ‘vague' in 25.4%, ‘serious' in 50.0% and ‘alarm' in 19.0% of cases. Symptom interpretation varied by cancer type (P<0.001) and was associated with the DI (P<0.001). Vomiting was associated with a shorter DI for central nervous system (CNS) tumours, and pain with a longer DI for leukaemia. Referral letter wording was associated with DI (P<0.001); the shortest DIs were observed when cancer suspicion was raised in the letter. Conclusion: The GPs play an important role in recognising early signs of childhood cancer as their symptom interpretation and referral wording have a profound impact on the diagnostic process. PMID:23449354

  20. Is filtering difficulty the basis of attentional deficits in schizophrenia?

    PubMed

    Ravizza, Susan M; Robertson, Lynn C; Carter, Cameron S; Nordahl, Thomas E; Salo, Ruth E

    2007-06-30

    The distractibility that schizophrenia patients display may be the result of a deficiency in filtering out irrelevant information. The aim of the current study was to assess whether patients with schizophrenia exhibit greater difficulty when task-irrelevant features change compared to healthy participants. Thirteen medicated outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and thirteen age- and parental education-matched controls performed a target selection task in which the task-relevant letter or the task-irrelevant features of color, and/or location repeated or switched. Participants were required to respond by pressing the appropriate key associated with the target letter. These patients with schizophrenia were slower when the task-relevant target letter switched than when it repeated. In contrast, schizophrenia patients performed similarly to controls when task-irrelevant information changed. Thus, we found no evidence that patients with schizophrenia were impaired in inhibiting irrelevant perceptual features. In contrast, changes in task-relevant features were problematic for patients relative to control participants. These results suggest that medicated outpatients who are mild to moderately symptomatic do not exhibit global impairments of feature processing. Instead, impairments are restricted to situations when task-relevant features vary. The current findings also suggest that when a course of action is not implied by an irrelevant feature, outpatients' behavior is not modulated by extraneous visual information any more than in healthy controls.

  1. Predicting Reading Growth with Event-Related Potentials: Thinking Differently about Indexing “Responsiveness”

    PubMed Central

    Lemons, Christopher J.; Key, Alexandra P.F.; Fuchs, Douglas; Yoder, Paul J.; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Compton, Donald L.; Williams, Susan M.; Bouton, Bobette

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if event-related potential (ERP) data collected during three reading-related tasks (Letter Sound Matching, Nonword Rhyming, and Nonword Reading) could be used to predict short-term reading growth on a curriculum-based measure of word identification fluency over 19 weeks in a sample of 29 first-grade children. Results indicate that ERP responses to the Letter Sound Matching task were predictive of reading change and remained so after controlling for two previously validated behavioral predictors of reading, Rapid Letter Naming and Segmenting. ERP data for the other tasks were not correlated with reading change. The potential for cognitive neuroscience to enhance current methods of indexing responsiveness in a response-to-intervention (RTI) model is discussed. PMID:20514353

  2. Four-year-old outcomes of a universal infant-toddler shared reading intervention: the let's read trial.

    PubMed

    Goldfeld, Sharon; Quach, Jon; Nicholls, Ruth; Reilly, Sheena; Ukoumunne, Obioha C; Wake, Melissa

    2012-11-01

    To determine the emergent literacy and language effects of a low-intensity literacy promotion program (Let's Read) provided via universal well-child services to parents during the first 4 years of their child's life. Population-based, cluster randomized controlled trial performed between March 1, 2006, and December 10, 2010. Maternal and child health centers (clusters) in 5 relatively disadvantaged local government areas in Melbourne, Australia. All parents attending their 4-week well-child appointments in participating centers were invited to take part in the study. The Let's Read program was delivered at 4, 12, 18, and 42 months during universal well-child care visits. Child emergent literacy skills (intrasyllabic, phonemic, and sound/letter knowledge) and language (core, receptive, and expressive), measured at 4 years of age. A total of 630 parents participated, with 365 children in 32 intervention clusters and 265 children in 33 control clusters; 563 children (89.4%) were retained in the study to 4 years of age. The adjusted mean differences (intervention minus control) for emergent literacy was 0.2 (95% CI, -0.2 to 0.6; P = .29) for intrasyllabic units, 0.05 (95% CI, -0.4 to 0.5; P = .85) for phonemic awareness, and 0.1 (95% CI, -1.5 to 1.6; P = .92) for letter knowledge. For language, the differences were 1.6 (95% CI, -1.1 to 4.3; P = .25) for core, 0.8 (95% CI, -2.0 to 3.7; P = .56) for receptive, and 1.4 (95% CI, -1.4 to 4.2; P = .32) for expressive scores. This population-wide primary care literacy promotion and book distribution program provided neither the anticipated benefits to literacy and language nor enhanced uptake of literacy activities at 4 years of age, even when targeted to relatively disadvantaged areas. isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN04602902.

  3. Predicting the admission into medical school of African American college students who have participated in summer academic enrichment programs.

    PubMed

    Hesser, A; Cregler, L L; Lewis, L

    1998-02-01

    To identify cognitive and noncognitive variables as predictors of the admission into medical school of African American college students who have participated in summer academic enrichment programs (SAEPs). The study sample comprised 309 African American college students who participated in SAEPs at the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine from 1980 to 1989 and whose educational and occupational statuses were determined by follow-up tracking. A three-step logistic regression was used to analyze the data (with alpha = .05); the criterion variable was admission to medical school. The 17 predictor variables studied were one of two types, cognitive and noncognitive. The cognitive variables were (1) Scholastic Aptitude Test mathematics (SAT-M) score, (2) SAT verbal score, (3) college grade-point average (GPA), (4) college science GPA, (5) SAEP GPA, and (6) SAEP basic science GPA (BSGPA). The noncognitive variables were (1) gender, (2) highest college level at the time of the last SAEP application, (3) type of college attended (historically African American or predominately white), (4) number of SAEPs attended, (5) career aspiration (physician or another health science option) (6) parents who were professionals, (7) parents who were health care role models, (8) evidence of leadership, (9) evidence of community service, (10) evidence of special motivation, and (11) strength of letter of recommendation in the SAEP application. For each student the rating scores for the last four noncognitive variables were determined by averaging the ratings of two judges who reviewed relevant information in each student's file. In step 1, which explained 20% of the admission decision variance, SAT-M score, SAEP BSGPA, and college GPA were the three significant cognitive predictors identified. In step 2, which explained 31% of the variance, the three cognitive predictors identified in step 1 were joined by three noncognitive predictors: career aspiration, type of college, and number of SAEPs attended. In step 3, which explained 29% of the variance, two cognitive variables (SAT-M score and SAEP BSGPA) and two noncognitive variables (career aspiration and strength of recommendation letter) were identified. The results support the concept of using both cognitive and noncognitive variables when selecting African American students for pre-medical school SAEPs.

  4. Work Plan for Comprehensive Groundwater Sampling (Operable Unit 2) April 2012

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    April 27, 2012 cover letter from Kirk Kessler, EPS, to Galo Jackson, EPA Region 4 and two OU2-related work plans for sampling at the LCP Chemicals Superfund Site, GA. Region ID: 04 DocID: 10922560, DocDate: 04-27-2012

  5. Selective delivery of 2-hydroxy APA to Trypanosoma brucei using the melamine motif

    PubMed Central

    Klee, Nina; Wong, Pui Ee; Baragaña, Beatriz; Mazouni, Farah El; Phillips, Margaret A.; Barrett, Michael P.; Gilbert, Ian H.

    2010-01-01

    Trypanosoma brucei, the parasite that causes human African trypanosomiasis, is auxotrophic for purines and has specialist nucleoside transporters to import these metabolites. In particular, the P2 aminopurine transporter can also selectively accumulate melamine derivatives. In this Letter, we report the coupling of the melamine moiety to 2-hydroxy APA, a potent ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, with the aim of selectively delivering this compound to the parasite. The best compound described here shows an increased in vitro trypanocidal activity compared with the parent. PMID:20615694

  6. Defending the Frontier: A Study of the U.S. Army in the Defense of the Nebraska Frontier in the Years 1849-1853.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-12-12

    its long waiting periods, in this case waiting for a ship to pick you up on the Pacific side of the Isthmus. Malaria , yellow fever, poor sanitation...travelers of the prairie include the following: whooping cough, measles, mumps, smallpox, malaria , dysentery, delirium tremens, pneumonia, toothache, and...U.S., Senate, " Statistcal Report", p. 79 S. V. Miller, "Copy of a letter written by S. V. Miller to his parents from Salem, Oregon, November 24, 1852

  7. Dyslexic children show short-term memory deficits in phonological storage and serial rehearsal: an fMRI study.

    PubMed

    Beneventi, Harald; Tønnessen, Finn Egil; Ersland, Lars

    2009-01-01

    Dyslexia is primarily associated with a phonological processing deficit. However, the clinical manifestation also includes a reduced verbal working memory (WM) span. It is unclear whether this WM impairment is caused by the phonological deficit or a distinct WM deficit. The main aim of this study was to investigate neuronal activation related to phonological storage and rehearsal of serial order in WM in a sample of 13-year-old dyslexic children compared with age-matched nondyslexic children. A sequential verbal WM task with two tasks was used. In the Letter Probe task, the probe consisted of a single letter and the judgment was for the presence or absence of that letter in the prior sequence of six letters. In the Sequence Probe (SP) task, the probe consisted of all six letters and the judgment was for a match of their serial order with the temporal order in the prior sequence. Group analyses as well as single-subject analysis were performed with the statistical parametric mapping software SPM2. In the Letter Probe task, the dyslexic readers showed reduced activation in the left precentral gyrus (BA6) compared to control group. In the Sequence Probe task, the dyslexic readers showed reduced activation in the prefrontal cortex and the superior parietal cortex (BA7) compared to the control subjects. Our findings suggest that a verbal WM impairment in dyslexia involves an extended neural network including the prefrontal cortex and the superior parietal cortex. Reduced activation in the left BA6 in both the Letter Probe and Sequence Probe tasks may be caused by a deficit in phonological processing. However, reduced bilateral activation in the BA7 in the Sequence Probe task only could indicate a distinct working memory deficit in dyslexia associated with temporal order processing.

  8. 40 CFR Appendix Xi to Part 86 - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Light-Duty Vehicles

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Light-Duty Vehicles XI Appendix XI to Part 86 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Enforcement Auditing of Light-Duty Vehicles 40% AQL Table 1—Sampling Plan Code Letter Annual sales of...

  9. Parental internalizing problems in a community sample: association with child psychosocial problems.

    PubMed

    Spijkers, Willem; Jansen, Daniëlle E M C; Reijneveld, Sijmen A

    2014-02-01

    Offspring of depressed, anxious and stressed parents are at increased risk of developing mental disorders. However, most studies investigating this association concentrate on clinical symptoms. The objective of this study is to examine the association between parental internalizing problems (symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress) and child psychosocial problems in a community sample, crude and adjusted for potential confounders (such as child gender, parental educational level, ethnicity) and whether parental concerns affect this association. Preceding a routine health examination, cross-sectional data were obtained from a representative sample of 9453 parents of children aged 9-11 years (response 65%). Measures of parental internalizing problems (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale), child psychosocial problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Total Difficulties Score), background characteristics and parental concerns were completed by the parents. Parental internalizing problems were associated with child psychosocial problems in crude analysis and after adjustment for child, parent and family characteristics [β = 0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.10-0.14]. Parental concerns about their child's emotional and behavioural problems were also strongly associated with child psychosocial problems. After adjustment for these parental concerns, the association of parental stress with child psychosocial problems remained, while the association of parental depression and anxiety symptoms with child psychosocial problems lost statistical significance. As in clinical samples, parental internalizing problems in a community sample are associated with child psychosocial problems. Parental concerns on the child seem to affect this association. Further research is needed on the mechanisms affecting this association.

  10. Pre-notification letter type and response rate to a postal survey among women who have recently given birth.

    PubMed

    Todd, Angela L; Porter, Maree; Williamson, Jennifer L; Patterson, Jillian A; Roberts, Christine L

    2015-12-01

    Surveys are commonly used in health research to assess patient satisfaction with hospital care. Achieving an adequate response rate, in the face of declining trends over time, threatens the quality and reliability of survey results. This paper evaluates a strategy to increase the response rate in a postal satisfaction survey with women who had recently given birth. A sample of 2048 Australian women who had recently given birth at seven maternity units in New South Wales were invited to participate in a postal survey about their recent experiences with maternity care. The study design included a randomised controlled trial that tested two types of pre-notification letter (with or without the option of opting out of the survey). The study also explored the acceptability of a request for consent to link survey data with existing routinely collected health data (omitting the latter data items from the survey reduced survey length and participant burden). This consent was requested of all women. The survey had an overall response rate of 46% (913 completed surveys returned, total sample 1989). Women receiving the pre-notification letter with the option of opting out of the survey were more likely to actively decline to participate than women receiving the letter without this option, although the overall numbers of women declining were small (27 versus 12). Letter type was not significantly associated with the return of a completed survey. Among women who completed the survey, 97% gave consent to link their survey data with existing health data. The two types of pre-notification letters used in our study did not influence the survey response rate. However, seeking consent for record linkage was highly acceptable to women who completed the survey, and represents an important strategy to add to the arsenal for designing and implementing effective surveys. In addition to aspects of survey design, future research should explore how to more effectively influence personal constructs that contribute to the decision to participate in surveys.

  11. Childrearing Style of Anxiety-Disordered Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindhout, Ingeborg; Markus, Monica; Hoogendijk, Thea; Borst, Sophie; Maingay, Ragna; Spinhoven, Philip; van Dyck, Richard; Boer, Frits

    2006-01-01

    This study investigated whether anxiety-disordered (AD) parents differ in their childrearing style from non-disordered parents. A clinical sample of 36 AD parents with children aged 6-18 was compared with a normal control sample of 36 parents. Childrearing was assessed through parent report and child report. The results demonstrated significant…

  12. [Spanish verbal fluency. Normative data in Argentina].

    PubMed

    Butman, J; Allegri, R F; Harris, P; Drake, M

    2000-01-01

    Letter and category fluency tasks are used to assess semantic knowledge, retrieval ability, and executive functioning. The original normative data have been obtained mainly from English speaking populations; there are few papers on norms in other languages. The purpose of this study was to collect normative scores in Argentina and to evaluate the effects of sex, age, education and cognitive status on the letter and category fluency tasks, in 266 healthy Spanish-speaking participants (16 to 86 years). Mean education span was 12.8 +/- 4 years. In each subject a neuropsychological battery (Minimental State Exam, Signoret Memory Battery, Boston Naming Test and Trail Making Test) was carried out as well as category fluency (naming animals in one minute) and letter fluency (words beginning with letter "p" in one minute). The sample was arranged into a group of subjects with less than 45 years and further groups up to 10 more years, until 75 years (or more) with three different levels of education. Significant effects were found for age, education, and Minimental State Exam on performance of both fluencies. Mean performance scores are presented for each group to be used in Argentina.

  13. Motivational interventions in community hypertension screening.

    PubMed Central

    Stahl, S M; Lawrie, T; Neill, P; Kelley, C

    1977-01-01

    To evaluate different techniques intended to motivate community residents to have their blood pressures taken, five inner-city target areas with comparable, predominantly Black, populations were selected. A sample of about 200 households in each of four areas were subjected to different motivational interventions; in one of these four areas, households were approached in a series of four sequential steps. The fifth target area served as a control. Findings establish that home visits by community members trained to take blood pressure measurements (BPMs) in the home produces much larger yields of new (previously unknown) hypertensives than more passive techniques such as invitational letters and gift offers. Prior informational letters, including letters specifying time of visit, do not affect refusals or increase the yield. More "passive" motivational techniques yield a higher proportion of previously known hypertensives than the more "active" outreach efforts. PMID:848618

  14. Motivational interventions in community hypertension screening.

    PubMed

    Stahl, S M; Lawrie, T; Neill, P; Kelley, C

    1977-04-01

    To evaluate different techniques intended to motivate community residents to have their blood pressures taken, five inner-city target areas with comparable, predominantly Black, populations were selected. A sample of about 200 households in each of four areas were subjected to different motivational interventions; in one of these four areas, households were approached in a series of four sequential steps. The fifth target area served as a control. Findings establish that home visits by community members trained to take blood pressure measurements (BPMs) in the home produces much larger yields of new (previously unknown) hypertensives than more passive techniques such as invitational letters and gift offers. Prior informational letters, including letters specifying time of visit, do not affect refusals or increase the yield. More "passive" motivational techniques yield a higher proportion of previously known hypertensives than the more "active" outreach efforts.

  15. Parenting Wisely: Parent Training via CD-ROM with an Australian Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cefai, Josie; Smith, David; Pushak, Robert E.

    2010-01-01

    The effectiveness of a parenting program was examined with an Australian sample regarding improved parent knowledge, parental sense of competence, and child behavior. One hundred and sixteen parents and their children were randomly assigned to three conditions: a two-session group based intervention, a two-session self-administered individual…

  16. Author Correction: A Myc enhancer cluster regulates normal and leukaemic haematopoietic stem cell hierarchies.

    PubMed

    Bahr, Carsten; von Paleske, Lisa; Uslu, Veli V; Remeseiro, Silvia; Takayama, Naoya; Ng, Stanley W; Murison, Alex; Langenfeld, Katja; Petretich, Massimo; Scognamiglio, Roberta; Zeisberger, Petra; Benk, Amelie S; Amit, Ido; Zandstra, Peter W; Lupien, Mathieu; Dick, John E; Trumpp, Andreas; Spitz, François

    2018-05-16

    In the originally published version of this Letter, ref. 43 was erroneously provided twice. In the 'Estimation of relative cell-type-specific composition of AML samples' section in the Methods, the citation to ref. 43 after the GEO dataset GSE24759 is correct. However, in the 'Mice' section of the Methods, the citation to ref. 43 after 'TAMERE' should have been associated with a new reference1. The original Letter has been corrected online (with the new reference included as ref. 49).

  17. VizieR Online Data Catalog: Circumstellar-interacting supernovae (Taddia+, 2015)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taddia, F.; Sollerman, J.; Fremling, C.; Pastorello, A.; Leloudas, G.; Fransson, C.; Nyholm, A.; Stritzinger, M. D.; Ergon, M.; Roy, R.; Migotto, K.

    2015-11-01

    In Table 1 we report the list of 60 transients included in our sample. Thirty-five of them are SNe IIn, six are SNe Ibn, one is a SN Ia-CSM, 18 are SN IMs (if we also count SN 2009ip in the SN IMs, then we have 19 of these transients). With the NOT, long-slit spectra were obtained for the host galaxies of 13 SNe IIn, five SNe Ibn, one SN Ia-CSM, and 16 SN IMs (the derived metallicity for SN 2007sv was published in Tartaglia et al. 2015MNRAS.447..117T). The host galaxies observed at the NOT are marked with the letter "o" in the third column of Table 1. With the NOT, we also obtained broad-band R and narrow-band Hα images for the SNe IIn (except for SN 1995G) and Ibn. We complemented our observed sample with host galaxies whose metallicities (at the center of the galaxy or at the SN position) were already available in the literature (marked with the letter "l" in the third column of Table 1) or whose spectra were available in public archives (marked with the letter "a" in the third column of Table 1). (7 data files).

  18. 27 CFR 555.110 - Furnishing of samples (Effective on and after January 24, 2003).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... or import explosive materials or ammonium nitrate must, when required by letter issued by the Director, furnish— (1) Samples of such explosive materials or ammonium nitrate; (2) Information on chemical... identification of the explosive materials or to identification of the ammonium nitrate. (b) Reimbursement. The...

  19. 27 CFR 555.110 - Furnishing of samples (Effective on and after January 24, 2003).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... or import explosive materials or ammonium nitrate must, when required by letter issued by the Director, furnish— (1) Samples of such explosive materials or ammonium nitrate; (2) Information on chemical... identification of the explosive materials or to identification of the ammonium nitrate. (b) Reimbursement. The...

  20. 27 CFR 555.110 - Furnishing of samples (Effective on and after January 24, 2003).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... or import explosive materials or ammonium nitrate must, when required by letter issued by the Director, furnish— (1) Samples of such explosive materials or ammonium nitrate; (2) Information on chemical... identification of the explosive materials or to identification of the ammonium nitrate. (b) Reimbursement. The...

  1. 27 CFR 555.110 - Furnishing of samples (Effective on and after January 24, 2003).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... or import explosive materials or ammonium nitrate must, when required by letter issued by the Director, furnish— (1) Samples of such explosive materials or ammonium nitrate; (2) Information on chemical... identification of the explosive materials or to identification of the ammonium nitrate. (b) Reimbursement. The...

  2. 27 CFR 555.110 - Furnishing of samples (Effective on and after January 24, 2003).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... or import explosive materials or ammonium nitrate must, when required by letter issued by the Director, furnish— (1) Samples of such explosive materials or ammonium nitrate; (2) Information on chemical... identification of the explosive materials or to identification of the ammonium nitrate. (b) Reimbursement. The...

  3. The Roles of General and Technology-Related Parenting in Managing Youth Screen Time

    PubMed Central

    Sanders, Wesley; Parent, Justin; Forehand, Rex; Lafko, Nicole

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of two types of parenting practices -- general adaptive parenting and technology-related strategies – with youth screen time. It was hypothesized that technology-related parenting focused on behavioral control would relate directly to screen time and serve to link general parenting to screen time. Participants were 615 parents drawn from three community samples of families with children across three development stages: young childhood (3 – 7 yrs.; n = 210), middle childhood (8 – 12 yrs.; n = 200), and adolescents (13 – 17 yrs.; n = 205). Using structural equation modeling, general adaptive parenting was not related to child screen time but was positively related to technology-related parenting strategies for all three samples. For the young and, to some extent middle, childhood samples, but not for the adolescent sample, general adaptive parenting was positively linked to youth screen time through technology-related parenting strategies. PMID:26751759

  4. Parent-child agreement on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF) in a community sample of adolescents.

    PubMed

    Egan, Kaitlyn N; Cohen, L Adelyn; Limbers, Christine

    2018-03-06

    Despite its widespread use, a minimal amount is known regarding the agreement between parent and youth ratings of youth's executive functioning on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF) in typically developing youth. The present study examined parent-child agreement on the BRIEF with a community sample of adolescents and their parents. Ninety-seven parent-child dyads (M age  = 13.91 years; SD = .52) completed the BRIEF self- and parent-report forms and a demographic questionnaire. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) and paired sample t-tests were used to evaluate agreement between self- and parent-reports on the BRIEF. Total sample ICCs indicated moderate to good parent-child agreement (0.46-0.68). Parents from the total sample reported significantly higher mean T-scores for their adolescents on Inhibit, Working Memory, Planning/Organization, Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI), Metacognition Index, and Global Executive Composite. Differences were found in regard to gender and race/ethnicity: ICCs were higher between parent-girl dyads on the scales that comprise the BRI than between parent-boy dyads. Parent-adolescent ICCs were also higher for adolescents who self-identified as White in comparison to those who identified as Non-White/Mixed Race on Emotional Control. These findings suggest gender and racial/ethnic differences should be considered when examining parent-child agreement on the BRIEF in typically developing adolescents.

  5. Do children with grapheme-colour synaesthesia show cognitive benefits?

    PubMed

    Simner, Julia; Bain, Angela E

    2018-02-01

    Grapheme-colour synaesthesia is characterized by conscious and consistent associations between letters and colours, or between numbers and colours (e.g., synaesthetes might see A as red, 7 as green). Our study explored the development of this condition in a group of randomly sampled child synaesthetes. Two previous studies (Simner & Bain, 2013, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 603; Simner, Harrold, Creed, Monro, & Foulkes, 2009, Brain, 132, 57) had screened over 600 primary school children to find the first randomly sampled cohort of child synaesthetes. In this study, we evaluate this cohort to ask whether their synaesthesia is associated with a particular cognitive profile of strengths and/or weaknesses. We tested our child synaesthetes at age 10-11 years in a series of cognitive tests, in comparison with matched controls and baseline norms. One previous study (Green & Goswami, 2008, Cognition, 106, 463) had suggested that child synaesthetes might perform differently to non-synaesthetes in such tasks, although those participants may have been a special type of population independent of their synaesthesia. In our own study of randomly sampled child synaesthetes, we found no significant advantages or disadvantages in a receptive vocabulary test and a memory matrix task. However, we found that synaesthetes demonstrated above-average performance in a processing-speed task and a near-significant advantage in a letter-span task (i.e., memory/recall task of letters). Our findings point to advantages for synaesthetes that go beyond those expected from enhanced coding accounts and we present the first picture of the broader cognitive profile of a randomly sampled population of child synaesthetes. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  6. Parenting stress in parents of children with epilepsy and asthma.

    PubMed

    Chiou, Hua-Huei; Hsieh, Liang-Po

    2008-03-01

    The purposes of this study were to identify differences in parenting stress between 2 samples and examine the factors associated with parenting stress. An asthma sample was selected to contrast with the epilepsy sample because both medical conditions are chronic episodic conditions that require daily medication. Data from 49 parents of epileptic children and 54 parents of asthmatic children were examined in this study. Samples were conducted in a hospital pediatric clinic. Parental stress was measured using Abidin's Parenting Stress Index-long form. There were 2 major domains in the Parenting Stress Index: parent domain and child domain. The parent domain included 7 subscales, and the child domain included 6 subscales. Overall, results showed that parental stress was higher in the epilepsy group. Significant differences were found in 7 subscales: adaptability, demanding, hyperactivity/distractibility, role restrictions, depression, relationship to spouse, and parental health. Possible explanations for a higher level of parenting stress in the epilepsy group were discrimination, poor child adaptation, the threat of unpredictability of the seizures, and neurological dysfunction. The causes of higher levels of parenting stress in the asthma group were limitation of activities and parental health condition. These differences should be considered when psychosocial care is offered. Results also showed that demographic variables (gender, age, and family social economic status), age at onset, and condition severity were not effective predictors for parenting stress.

  7. Family Socioeconomic Status Moderates Associations Between Television Viewing and School Readiness Skills.

    PubMed

    Ribner, Andrew; Fitzpatrick, Caroline; Blair, Clancy

    2017-04-01

    We examined whether the negative relation between television viewing that exceeds the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and school readiness varied by family income. Data were collected from 807 children from diverse backgrounds. Parents reported hours of television viewing, as well as family income. Children were assessed using measures of math, knowledge of letters and words, and executive function (EF). Television viewing was negatively associated with math and EF but not with letter and word knowledge. An interaction between television viewing and family income indicated that the effect of television viewing in excess of the AAP recommended maximum had negative associations with math and EF that increased as a linear function of family income. Furthermore, EF partially mediated the relation between television viewing and math. Television viewing is negatively associated with children's school readiness skills, and this association increased as family income decreased. Active efforts to reinforce AAP guidelines to limit the amount of television children watch should be made, especially for children from middle- to lower-income families.

  8. Correspondence of Charles Darwin on James Torbitt's project to breed blight-resistance potatoes.

    PubMed

    DeArce, M

    2008-01-01

    The most prolific of Darwin's correspondents from Ireland was James Torbitt, an enterprising grocer and wine merchant of 58 North Street, Belfast. Between February 1876 and March 1882, 141 letters were exchanged on the feasibility and ways of supporting one of Torbitt's commercial projects, the large-scale production and distribution of true potato seeds (Solan um tuberosum) to produce plants resistant to the late blight fungus Phytophthora infestans, the cause of repeated potato crop failures and thus the Irish famines in the nineteenth century. Ninety-three of these letters were exchanged between Torbitt and Darwin, and 48 between Darwin and third parties, seeking or offering help and advice on the project. Torbitt's project required selecting the small proportion of plants in an infested field that survived the infection, and using those as parents to produce seeds. This was a direct application of Darwin's principle of selection. Darwin cautiously lobbied high-ranking civil servants in London to obtain government funding for the project, and also provided his own personal financial support to Torbit.

  9. Diurnal and Reproductive Stage-Dependent Variation of Parental Behaviour in Captive Zebra Finches

    PubMed Central

    Morvai, Boglárka; Nanuru, Sabine; Mul, Douwe; Kusche, Nina; Milne, Gregory; Székely, Tamás; Komdeur, Jan; Miklósi, Ádám

    2016-01-01

    Parental care plays a key role in ontogeny, life-history trade-offs, sexual selection and intra-familial conflict. Studies focusing on understanding causes and consequences of variation in parental effort need to quantify parental behaviour accurately. The applied methods are, however, diverse even for a given species and type of parental effort, and rarely validated for accuracy. Here we focus on variability of parental behaviour from a methodological perspective to investigate the effect of different samplings on various estimates of parental effort. We used nest box cameras in a captive breeding population of zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, a widely used model system of sexual selection, intra-familial dynamics and parental care. We investigated diurnal and reproductive stage-dependent variation in parental effort (including incubation, brooding, nest attendance and number of feedings) based on 12h and 3h continuous video-recordings taken at various reproductive stages. We then investigated whether shorter (1h) sampling periods provided comparable estimates of overall parental effort and division of labour to those of longer (3h) sampling periods. Our study confirmed female-biased division of labour during incubation, and showed that the difference between female and male effort diminishes with advancing reproductive stage. We found individually consistent parental behaviours within given days of incubation and nestling provisioning. Furthermore, parental behaviour was consistent over the different stages of incubation, however, only female brooding was consistent over nestling provisioning. Parental effort during incubation did not predict parental effort during nestling provisioning. Our analyses revealed that 1h sampling may be influenced heavily by stochastic and diurnal variation. We suggest using a single longer sampling period (3h) may provide a consistent and accurate estimate for overall parental effort during incubation in zebra finches. Due to the large within-individual variation, we suggest repeated longer sampling over the reproductive stage may be necessary for accurate estimates of parental effort post-hatching. PMID:27973549

  10. Evaluation of low immunization coverage among the Amish population in rural Ohio.

    PubMed

    Kettunen, Christine; Nemecek, John; Wenger, Olivia

    2017-06-01

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review included childhood immunizations among the 10 great public health achievements in the United States in the 20th century. Despite this acknowledged success, childhood immunization rates continue to be much lower in select populations. Amish communities have persistently lower immunization rates. Recent outbreaks in Amish communities include a 2014 measles outbreak in Ohio, resulting in 368 cases reported. A recent outbreak of pertussis in an Amish community in Ohio resulted in the death of a 6-week-old Amish baby. A study was designed to determine the knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and opinions of Amish parents relative to the immunization of Amish children. Data were collected through a questionnaire. Each potential participant was mailed a copy of a letter describing the proposed study. The questionnaire, a copy of the current immunization schedule, and a return stamped envelope were also included in the mailed packet. The study sample consisted of 84 Amish individuals who voluntarily filled out and returned questionnaires. The findings from the data analysis demonstrated that fear, especially concern over too many recommended immunizations and immunizations overwhelming the child's system, was the most frequent reported reasons for not having children immunized according to recommendations. Religious factors and access to care were not among reasons most reported. Designing an educational campaign for educating Amish parents on the risks and benefits of immunizations with focus on specific concerns may improve immunization rates. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Investigation of Parent Austenite Grains from Martensite Structure Using EBSD in a Wear Resistant Steel

    PubMed Central

    Gyhlesten Back, Jessica; Engberg, Göran

    2017-01-01

    Crystallographic reconstruction of parent austenite grain boundaries from the martensitic microstructure in a wear resistant steel was carried out using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The present study mainly aims to investigate the parent austenite grains from the martensitic structure in an as-rolled (reference) steel sample and samples obtained by quenching at different cooling rates with corresponding dilatometry. Subsequently, this study is to correlate the nearest cooling rate by the dilatometer which yields a similar orientation relationship and substructure as the reference sample. The Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation relationship was used to reconstruct the parent austenite grain boundaries from the martensite boundaries in both reference and dilatometric samples using EBSD crystallographic data. The parent austenite grain boundaries were successfully evaluated from the EBSD data and the corresponding grain sizes were measured. The parent austenite grain boundaries of the reference sample match the sample quenched at 100 °C/s (CR100). Also the martensite substructures and crystallographic textures are similar in these two samples. The results from hardness measurements show that the reference sample exhibits higher hardness than the CR100 sample due to the presence of carbides in the reference sample. PMID:28772813

  12. Investigation of Parent Austenite Grains from Martensite Structure Using EBSD in a Wear Resistant Steel.

    PubMed

    Gyhlesten Back, Jessica; Engberg, Göran

    2017-04-26

    Crystallographic reconstruction of parent austenite grain boundaries from the martensitic microstructure in a wear resistant steel was carried out using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The present study mainly aims to investigate the parent austenite grains from the martensitic structure in an as-rolled (reference) steel sample and samples obtained by quenching at different cooling rates with corresponding dilatometry. Subsequently, this study is to correlate the nearest cooling rate by the dilatometer which yields a similar orientation relationship and substructure as the reference sample. The Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation relationship was used to reconstruct the parent austenite grain boundaries from the martensite boundaries in both reference and dilatometric samples using EBSD crystallographic data. The parent austenite grain boundaries were successfully evaluated from the EBSD data and the corresponding grain sizes were measured. The parent austenite grain boundaries of the reference sample match the sample quenched at 100 °C/s (CR100). Also the martensite substructures and crystallographic textures are similar in these two samples. The results from hardness measurements show that the reference sample exhibits higher hardness than the CR100 sample due to the presence of carbides in the reference sample.

  13. Martyrs' last letters: are they the same as suicide notes?

    PubMed

    Leenaars, Antoon A; Ben Park, B C; Collins, Peter I; Wenckstern, Susanne; Leenaars, Lindsey

    2010-05-01

    Of the 800,000 suicides worldwide every year, a small number fall under Emile Durkheim's term of altruistic suicides. Study on martyrdom has been limited. There has to date, for example, been no systematic empirical study of martyr letters. We examined 33 letters of Korean self-immolators, compared with 33 suicide notes of a matched sample of more common suicides. An analysis of intrapsychic factors (suicide as unbearable pain, psychopathology) and interpersonal factors (suicide as murderous impulses and need to escape) revealed that, although one can use the same psychological characteristics or dynamics to understand the deaths, the state of mind of martyrs is more extreme, such that the pain is reported to be even more unbearable. Yet, there are differences, such as there was no ambivalence in the altruistic notes. It is concluded that intrapsychic and interpersonal characteristics are central in understanding martyrs, probably equal to community or societal factors. More forensic study is, however, warranted.

  14. Context-specific attentional sampling: Intentional control as a pre-requisite for contextual control.

    PubMed

    Brosowsky, Nicholaus P; Crump, Matthew J C

    2016-08-01

    Recent work suggests that environmental cues associated with previous attentional control settings can rapidly and involuntarily adjust attentional priorities. The current study tests predictions from adaptive-learning and memory-based theories of contextual control about the role of intentions for setting attentional priorities. To extend the empirical boundaries of contextual control phenomena, and to determine whether theoretical principles of contextual control are generalizable we used a novel bi-dimensional stimulus sampling task. Subjects viewed briefly presented arrays of letters and colors presented above or below fixation, and identified specific stimuli according to a dimensional (letter or color) and positional cue. Location was predictive of the cued dimension, but not the position or identity. In contrast to previous findings, contextual control failed to develop through automatic, adaptive-learning processes. Instead, previous experience with intentionally changing attentional sampling priorities between different contexts was required for contextual control to develop. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Parent-child aggression: association with child abuse potential and parenting styles.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, Christina M

    2010-01-01

    The present investigation predicted that greater use of corporal punishment as well as physical maltreatment would be associated with child abuse potential and selected parenting styles. Three independent studies were examined, two with community samples and a third with a clinical at-risk sample of parents. Parents across all studies anonymously completed the Child Abuse Potential Inventory, the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale to assess physical discipline and maltreatment, as well as the Parenting Scale to measure dysfunctional parenting styles. Findings support that overall parent-child aggression, as well as physical maltreatment behaviors specifically, were associated with child abuse potential. Parent-child aggression was also related to dysfunctional parenting styles, particularly an overreactive, authoritarian parenting style. Permissive parenting was also identified as potentially associated with physical maltreatment, although the findings regarding such lax parenting styles are less clear. Intriguing findings emerged regarding the connection of psychological aggression to both child abuse potential and dysfunctional parenting style. Child abuse potential was also associated with dysfunctional parenting style, particularly harsh, overreactive approaches. Recommendations for future study with at-risk samples and additional research on permissive parenting and psychological aggression are discussed.

  16. Parental information-seeking behaviour in childhood vaccinations

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background People want to be well informed and ask for more information regarding their health. The public can use different sources (i.e. the Internet, health care providers, friends, family, television, radio, and newspapers) to access information about their health. Insight into the types and sources of vaccine related information that parents use, and reasons why they seek extra information is needed to improve the existing information supply about childhood vaccinations. Methods Dutch parents with one or more children aged 0–4 years received an online questionnaire (N = 4000) measuring psychosocial determinants of information-seeking behaviour and self-reports of types and sources of vaccine information searched for (response rate 14.8%). We also tested two invitation approaches (i.e., reply card versus Internet link in invitation letter) to observe the difference in response rate. Results Almost half of the parents (45.8%) searched for extra information. Of all the respondents, 13% indicated they had missed some information, particularly about side effects of vaccines (25%). Intention to search for vaccination information was influenced by positive attitude and perceived social norm towards information-seeking behaviour. There was no difference in the response rate between the two invitation approaches. Conclusions The information provided by the National Immunization Programme (NIP) might be sufficient for most parents. However, some parents mentioned that they did not receive enough information about side effects of vaccinations, which was also the topic most searched for by parents. Public Health Institutes (PHIs) and child healthcare workers should therefore be aware of the importance to mention this aspect in their communication (materials) towards parents. The PHIs must ensure that their website is easy to find with different search strategies. Since the child healthcare worker is perceived as the most reliable information source, they should be aware of their role in educating parents about the NIP. PMID:24358990

  17. Parenting Stress: A Comparison of Grandmother Caretakers and Mothers

    PubMed Central

    Musil, Carol M.; Youngblut, JoAnne M.; Ahn, Sukhee; Curry, Vanessa L.

    2011-01-01

    Parenting stress in grandmother caretakers has not been directly compared with a matched sample of mothers in the caretaker role. This study examined the main and interaction effects of caretaker status, employment, and race on parenting stress and whether these factors affect parenting stress in a convenience sample of grandmothers raising grandchildren (n = 86) and a sample of mothers of preschoolers (n = 86), matched for women’s partner status, race, and employment. Grandmothers raising grandchildren reported more overall parenting stress and parental distress than mothers. Non-employed women reported more negative perceptions of their children and more difficult interactions with them. When controlling for contextual variables, grandmother caretakers showed greater parenting distress, but employment was not related to parenting stress. Being Caucasian and caretaking of older children affected overall parenting stress, parent-child interactions, and perceptions of one’s children. Future research needs to consider the effect of outside influences on grandmothers’ stress. PMID:21966182

  18. Prevalence of epilepsy in 74,949 school children in Khartoum State, Sudan.

    PubMed

    Mohamed, Inaam N; Elseed, Maha A; Hamed, Ahlam A; Abdel-Rahman, Manar E; El-Sadig, Sarah M; Omer, Ilham M; Osman, Abdelgadir H; Ahmed, Ammar E; Karrar, Zein A; Salih, Mustafa A

    2017-08-01

    Data on childhood epilepsy in Sudan are scarce and the only published study on its prevalence was published in 1983. This study aimed to determine the current prevalence of epilepsy in school children in Khartoum State. This is an analytical population-based, cross-sectional study conducted in Khartoum State, Sudan. The study included students in the basic (primary) schools aged 6-14 years. Simple random sampling was used to draw a cluster of four of the seven localities comprising Khartoum State. The sample frame consisted of 1609 public schools (808,624 pupils) and 787 private schools (194,613 pupils), a total of 2396 schools (1,003,237 pupils). A sample size of 75 940 pupils was estimated and 250 schools were drawn from a sample frame of 2396 schools using a stratified random sampling technique. Consent was obtained from the headmaster/head teacher of the selected schools who arranged a meeting with the tutor/teacher responsible for each class. The study team asked whether any of the pupils was ever noticed or known to have had any kind of seizures, and a confidential letter was sent to the parents of each identified pupil. The letter included an explanation of the aims of the study, information on the research group and the kind of help the research group could offer; contact numbers and email addresses were made available if they wished to participate in this study. Those who consented to participate were then given an appointment at the Epilepsy Outpatient Department, Gaafar Ibnauf Children's Hospital, Khartoum where they were evaluated by the paediatric neurologist. Altogether, 74,949 pupils were enrolled for the study, 398 of whom were identified initially as having seizures and 332 of whom (83.4%) were identified by a paediatric neurologist. Of the 332, 303 (91.3%) proved to have epileptic seizures, 250 (82.5%) were known to have epilepsy, and 53 (17.5%) were newly diagnosed during the survey. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1. The total prevalence of epilepsy in Khartoum State was estimated to be 4/1000. The highest prevalence was in Jabal Awliya Locality (4.87/1000) and the lowest was in Khartoum Locality (3.35/1000). Twenty-nine (8.7%) patients proved to have non-epileptic seizures. The majority (15, 51.6%) had psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, and four (13.6%) had syncope. The majority (171, 56.43%) of patients had generalised epilepsy, 109 (35.97%) had focal epilepsy, and 23 (7.6%) had unclassified epilepsy. The prevalence of epilepsy in school children in Khartoum State (4/1000) is higher than that reported previously from Khartoum Province in 1983 (0.9/1000).

  19. Psychosocial and Biological Markers of Daily Lives of Midlife Parents of Children with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Almeida, David M.; Greenberg, Jan S.; Savla, Jyoti; Stawski, Robert S.; Hong, Jinkuk; Taylor, Julie Lounds

    2009-01-01

    Using daily telephone interviews, 82 midlife parents (mean age = 57.4) of children with disabilities (mean age = 29.9) were compared with a closely matched sample of unaffected parents (N = 82) to elucidate the daily experience of non-normative parenting. In addition, salivary cortisol samples were obtained to examine whether parents of children…

  20. A Randomized Controlled Trial on The Beneficial Effects of Training Letter-Speech Sound Integration on Reading Fluency in Children with Dyslexia

    PubMed Central

    Fraga González, Gorka; Žarić, Gojko; Tijms, Jurgen; Bonte, Milene; van der Molen, Maurits W.

    2015-01-01

    A recent account of dyslexia assumes that a failure to develop automated letter-speech sound integration might be responsible for the observed lack of reading fluency. This study uses a pre-test-training-post-test design to evaluate the effects of a training program based on letter-speech sound associations with a special focus on gains in reading fluency. A sample of 44 children with dyslexia and 23 typical readers, aged 8 to 9, was recruited. Children with dyslexia were randomly allocated to either the training program group (n = 23) or a waiting-list control group (n = 21). The training intensively focused on letter-speech sound mapping and consisted of 34 individual sessions of 45 minutes over a five month period. The children with dyslexia showed substantial reading gains for the main word reading and spelling measures after training, improving at a faster rate than typical readers and waiting-list controls. The results are interpreted within the conceptual framework assuming a multisensory integration deficit as the most proximal cause of dysfluent reading in dyslexia. Trial Registration: ISRCTN register ISRCTN12783279 PMID:26629707

  1. [The incidence of caries in a school-age population sample of U.S.L. n. 15 Alta Val di Cecina-Volterra].

    PubMed

    Benetti, G L; Dini, M

    1990-01-01

    It was made a screening on children of some filter classes (1st and 3d class of primary school and 1st class of secondary school) of the Volterra's schools to estimate the incidence of caries and, if necessary, to activate programs for an adequate prevention. We examined 749 children arrived to the Dental Department of the Sanitary District owing an invitation letter; a set of question was given to their parents testing mainly alimentary and oral hygienic uses of the children examined by dentists. Elaboration of data obtained from replies and demonstrated that caries incidence in our population is of 65.29%, prevailing on male sex, and that this pathology is predominant on people taking insufficient care of oral hygiene, making no use of fluoridated toothpaste and eating any of cakes (especially between meals). These data show the high incidence of caries in evolutional age and how much this is strictly connected with wrong alimentary and hygienic uses. Therefore, to reduce this phenomenon, it's necessary to operate interventions of sanitary education and dental checking examinations, at least every 6-12 months, beginning in preschool age.

  2. Comparing the MMPI-2 scale scores of parents involved in parental competency and child custody assessments.

    PubMed

    Resendes, John; Lecci, Len

    2012-12-01

    MMPI-2 scores from a parent competency sample (N = 136 parents) are compared with a previously published data set of MMPI-2 scores for child custody litigants (N = 508 parents; Bathurst et al., 1997). Independent samples t tests yielded significant and in some cases substantial differences on the standard MMPI-2 clinical scales (especially Scales 4, 8, 2, and 0), with the competency sample obtaining higher clinical scores as well as higher scores on F, FB, VRIN, TRIN, and L, but lower scores on K, relative to the custody sample. Despite the higher scores in the competency sample, MMPI-2 mean scores did not exceed the clinical cutoff (T > 65). Moreover, the present competency sample essentially replicates the MMPI-2 scores of a previously published competency sample, suggesting that the present findings are representative of that population. The present findings suggest that separate reference groups be used when conducting child custody vs. parental competency evaluations, as these appear to be distinct populations despite there being similarities in the testing circumstances.

  3. Learning to Write Letters: Examination of Student and Letter Factors

    PubMed Central

    Puranik, Cynthia S.; Petscher, Yaacov; Lonigan, Christopher J.

    2016-01-01

    Learning to write the letters of the alphabet is an important part of learning how to write conventionally. In this study, we investigated critical factors in the development of letter-writing skills using exploratory item response models to simultaneously account for variance in responses due to differences between students and between letters. Letter-writing skills were assessed in 415 preschool children aged 3 to 5 years. At the student level, we examined the contribution of letter-name knowledge, letter-sound knowledge, and phonological awareness to letter-writing skills. At the letter level, we examined seven intrinsic and extrinsic factors in understanding how preschool children learn to write alphabet letters: first letter of name, letters in name, letter order, textual frequency, number of strokes, symmetry, and letter type. Results indicated that variation in letter-writing skills was accounted for more by differences between students rather than by differences between letters, with most of the variability accounted for by letter-name knowledge and age. Although significant, the contribution of letter-sound knowledge and phonological awareness was relatively small. Student-level mechanisms underlying the acquisition of letter-writing skills are similar to the mechanisms underlying the learning of letter sounds. However, letter characteristics, which appear to play a major role in the learning of letter names and letter sounds, did not appear to influence learning how to write letters in a substantial way. The exception was if the letter was in the child’s name. PMID:25181463

  4. Do Personality Traits Moderate Relations Between Psychologically Controlling Parenting and Problem Behavior in Adolescents?

    PubMed

    Mabbe, Elien; Soenens, Bart; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Van Leeuwen, Karla

    2016-06-01

    This research examined whether and how adolescents' personality traits moderate associations between psychologically controlling parenting and problem behaviors. On the basis of self-determination theory, we also examined the mediating role of psychological need frustration in the effects of psychologically controlling parenting. A cross-sectional study in two samples (N = 423 and 292; Mage = 12.43 and 15.74 years) was conducted. While in Sample 1 both mothers and adolescents provided reports of parenting and problem behavior, Sample 2 relied on adolescent-reported parenting and mother-reported problem behavior. Psychologically controlling parenting was related to internalizing and externalizing problems in both samples. Little systematic evidence was obtained for the moderating role of personality, with the exception of a moderating effect of Agreeableness. In both samples, psychological control was unrelated to externalizing problems among adolescents high on Agreeableness. Analyses of Sample 2 showed that associations between psychological control and problem behavior were mediated by psychological need frustration. Adolescent personality plays a modest role as a moderator of associations between psychologically controlling parenting and problem behavior. Frustration of adolescents' basic and universal psychological needs can account for the undermining effects of psychologically controlling parenting. Directions for future research are discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Assessing generative braille responding following training in a matching-to-sample format.

    PubMed

    Putnam, Brittany C; Tiger, Jeffrey H

    2016-12-01

    We evaluated the effects of teaching sighted college students to select printed text letters given a braille sample stimulus in a matching-to-sample (MTS) format on the emergence of untrained (a) construction of print characters given braille samples, (b) construction of braille characters given print samples, (c) transcription of print characters given braille sample sentences, and (d) vocal reading given braille sample passages. The results demonstrated the generative development of these repertoires given MTS instruction. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

  6. [Parental Monitoring and its Relation to Behaviour Problems and Risk Behaviour in an Adolescent School Sample].

    PubMed

    Trick, Sarah; Jantzer, Vanessa; Haffner, Johann; Parzer, Peter; Resch, Franz

    2016-10-01

    Parental Monitoring and its Relation to Behaviour Problems and Risk Behaviour in an Adolescent School Sample Numerous research studies emphasize parental monitoring as a protective factor for adolescent problem behaviour. The purpose of the study presented was to use Stattin and Kerr's (2000) monitoring subscales for the first time in a German-speaking area and to explore the relations to behaviour problems in an adolescent school sample. The two active monitoring strategies "parental control" and "parental solicitation" as well as "parental knowledge" and "child disclosure" relating to behaviour problems and risk behaviour were examined. A sample of 494 pupils, grades 5, 7 and 9, of German secondary schools and their parents answered questions on "parental knowledge", "control", "solicitation" and "child disclosure". Adolescents also answered the German version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and items about risk behaviour like frequency of violence, delinquency, substance abuse, self-injuring behaviour and school absenteeism. Behaviour problems in terms of the SDQ could be predicted sufficiently by "parental knowledge", but for the prediction of risk behaviour, the active parental monitoring strategies were of importance, too. More "parental knowledge", more "control" and less "solicitation" could predict less risk behaviour. Results confirm "parental knowledge" as a general protective factor for problem behaviour. However, they show the importance of "parental control" for adolescent risk behaviour.

  7. 32 CFR Appendix B to Part 310 - Sample Notification Letter

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., social security number, residential address, date of birth, office and home email address, office and... its Web site at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/con_steps.htm. The FTC urges that you immediately...

  8. 32 CFR Appendix B to Part 310 - Sample Notification Letter

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., social security number, residential address, date of birth, office and home email address, office and... its Web site at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/con_steps.htm. The FTC urges that you immediately...

  9. Comparing the MMPI-2 Scale Scores of Parents Involved in Parental Competency and Child Custody Assessments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Resendes, John; Lecci, Len

    2012-01-01

    MMPI-2 scores from a parent competency sample (N = 136 parents) are compared with a previously published data set of MMPI-2 scores for child custody litigants (N = 508 parents; Bathurst et al., 1997). Independent samples t tests yielded significant and in some cases substantial differences on the standard MMPI-2 clinical scales (especially Scales…

  10. The Relationship between Parenting Styles and Creativity in a Sample of Jamaican Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fearon, Danielle D.; Copeland, Daelynn; Saxon, Terrill F.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parenting styles and creativity among a sample of Jamaican students and their parents. A total of 54 parents and 66 students participated in the study. Results revealed that the authoritarian style of parenting is the most salient predictor of creativity in children and that this…

  11. Crowding and Cognitive Development: The Mediating Role of Maternal Responsiveness among 36-Month-Old Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Gary W.; Ricciuti, Henry N.; Hope, Steven; Schoon, Ingrid; Bradley, Robert H.; Corwyn, Robert F.; Hazan, Cindy

    2010-01-01

    Residential crowding in both U.S. and U.K. samples of 36-month-old children is related concurrently to the Bracken scale, a standard index of early cognitive development skills including letter and color identification, shape recognition, and elementary numeric comprehension. In the U.S. sample, these effects also replicate prospectively.…

  12. Developing quantitative seed sampling protocols using simulations: A reply to comments from Guja et al. and Guerrant et al.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The letter is a reply to comments made on a previous publication: Optimal sampling of seeds from plant populations for ex-situ conservation of genetic biodiversity, considering realistic population structure (Hoban and Schlarbaum, 2014). The intent of the reply is to acknowledge some of the practica...

  13. Agnes Pockels: Life, Letters and Papers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Helm, Christiane A.

    2004-03-01

    Agnes Pockels (1862 - 1935) was a German woman, whose studies pioneered surface science. She was born in malaria infected North Italy while her father served in the Austrian army. Because he suffered adverse health effects, the family moved in1871 to Braunschweig (North Germany). There, Pockels went to high school. She was interested in science, but formal training was not available for girls. She took on the role of household manager and nurse as her parents' health deteriorated further. Her diary illustrates the difficulties she faced in trying to maintain her own health, the health of her parents and her scientific research at the same time. When Pockels was 18 or 19, she designed a ring tensiometer. Additionally, she found a new method to introduce water-insoluble compounds to the water surface by dissolving them in an organic solvent, and applying drops of the solution. Her surface film balance technique from 1882 is the basis for the method later developed by Langmuir. Since her experimental work was highly original and in a new field, she failed to get it recognized in her own country. When she was 28, she wrote to Lord Rayleigh, since she had read about his recent experiments in surface physics. Rayleigh was so impressed with her experimental methods and results that he had her letter translated from German and published it in Nature (1891). She continued her research on surface films, interactions of solutions and contact angles (more papers, 3 in Nature). Still, she did all experiments at home. With the death of her brother in 1913 and the onset of the war, she retired into private life. Thus she was surprised when she was awarded in her late 60ies with a honorary doctorate by the TU Braunschweig (1932) and the annual prize of the German Colloid Society (1931).

  14. Does Marital Status Influence the Parenting Styles Employed by Parents?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashiono, Benard Litali; Mwoma, Teresa B.

    2015-01-01

    The current study sought to establish whether parents' marital status, influence their use of specific parenting styles in Kisauni District, Kenya. A correlational research design was employed to carry out this study. Stratified sampling technique was used to select preschools while purposive sampling technique was used to select preschool…

  15. Development and preliminary validation of the Parenting around SNAcking Questionnaire (P-SNAQ).

    PubMed

    Davison, K K; Blake, C E; Kachurak, A; Lumeng, J C; Coffman, D L; Miller, A L; Hughes, S O; Power, T G; Vaughn, A F; Blaine, R E; Younginer, N; Fisher, J O

    2018-06-01

    Snacking makes significant contributions to children's dietary intake but is poorly understood from a parenting perspective. This research was designed to develop and evaluate the psychometrics of a theoretically grounded, empirically-informed measure of snack parenting. The Parenting around SNAcking Questionnaire (P-SNAQ) was developed using a conceptual model derived from current theory and mixed-methods research to include 20 hypothesized snack parenting practices along 4 parenting dimensions (autonomy support, structure, coercive control and permissiveness). Expert panel evaluation and cognitive interviews were used to refine items and construct definitions. The initial instrument of 105 items was administered to an ethnically diverse, low-income sample of 305 parents (92% mothers) of children aged 1-6 y participating in three existing cohort studies. The sample was randomly split into two equal samples. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted with the first sample to identify snack parenting practices within each parenting dimension, followed by confirmatory factor analysis with the second sample to test the hypothesized factor structure. Internal consistency of sub-scales and associations with existing measures of food parenting practices and styles and child weight status were evaluated. The final P-SNAQ scale included 51 items reflecting 14 snack parenting practices across four parenting dimensions. The factor structure of the P-SNAQ was consistent with prior theoretical frameworks. Internal consistency coefficients were good to very good for 12 out of 14 scales and subscale scores were moderately correlated with previously validated measures. In conclusion, initial evidence suggests that P-SNAQ is a psychometrically sound measure for evaluating a wide range of snack parenting practices in young children. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Letter Report: Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Caliente, Lincoln County, Nevada

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. Englebrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

    2008-08-01

    The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Beatty, Sarcobatus Flats, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d).more » The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

  17. Letter Report: Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County, Nevada

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. Englebrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

    2008-08-01

    The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Pahranagat NWR, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d). The trailermore » is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

  18. Letter Report Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County, Nevada

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

    2009-04-02

    The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Pahranagat NWR, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d). The trailermore » is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

  19. DOE/NV/26383-LTR2008-01 Letter Report Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Caliente, Lincoln County, Nevada

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

    2009-04-02

    The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Beatty, Sarcobatus Flats, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d).more » The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

  20. Letter Report Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Tonopah Airport, Nye County, Nevada

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

    2009-04-02

    The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Tonopah Airport, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and the Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al.,more » 2007a-d). The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

  1. Letter Report: Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Tonopah Airport, Nye County, Nevada

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D Campbell

    2008-08-01

    The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Tonopah Airport, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and the Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al.,more » 2007a-d). The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

  2. [Analysis of characteristics shown in self introduction letter and professor's recommendation letter].

    PubMed

    Kim, Sang Hyun

    2013-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate applicants' behavioral characteristics based on the evaluation of cognitive, affective and social domain shown in self introduction letter and professor's recommendation letter. Self introduction letters and professor's recommendation letters of 109 applicants students who applied to medical school were collected. Frequency analysis and simple correlation were done in self introduction letter and professor's recommendation letter. Frequency analysis showed affective characteristics were most often mentioned in self introduction letter, and cognitive characteristics were most frequently described in professor's recommendation letter. There was a strong correlation between cognitive domains of self introduction letter and cognitive domain of professor's recommendation letter. There was a strong correlation between affective domain of self introduction letter and cognitive domain professor's recommendation letter. It is very important to make full use of self introduction letter and professor's recommendation letter for selecting medical students. Through the frequency analysis and simple correlation, more specific guidelines need to be suggested in order to secure fairness and objectivity in the evaluation of self-introduction letter and professor's recommendation letter.

  3. Social anxiety and perception of early parenting among American, Chinese American, and social phobic samples.

    PubMed

    Leung, A W; Heimberg, R G; Holt, C S; Bruch, M A

    1994-01-01

    Emotionally distant and controlling child-rearing attitudes have been reported to characterize the parents of American or western European social phobics in previous research. However, the notion that these parental attitudes may be associated with social anxiety only in some cultures has not been investigated. The present study examined social anxiety among American social phobics and American and Chinese/Chinese American volunteer samples and how it may relate to their parents' child-rearing attitudes. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed overall group differences. Both volunteer samples reported lower levels of anxiety than social phobics. Parents of Chinese/Chinese Americans and social phobics were reported to be similar in their (1) isolation of children from social activities; (2) over-emphasis of others' opinions; and (3) use of shame tactics for discipline (more so than American volunteers' parents). However, parents of nonsocial phobics were more likely to attend family social activities than social phobics' parents. Overall, the association between a reported parenting style emphasizing others' opinions and shame tactics and social anxiety in their adult children was more evident in both American samples than among Chinese/Chinese Americans.

  4. [Assessment of parental stress using the "Eltern-Belastungs-Screening zur Kindeswohlgefährdung" (EBSK) - association with emotional and behavioral problems in children].

    PubMed

    Eichler, Anna K; Glaubitz, Katharina A; Hartmann, Luisa C; Spangler, Gottfried

    2014-07-01

    Parental stress is increased in clinical contexts (e.g., child psychiatry) and correlates with behavioral and emotional problems of children. In addition, parental stress can result in a biased parental perception of child's behavior and emotions. These interrelations were examined in a normal (N = 320) and a clinical (N = 75) sample. The "Eltern-Belastungs-Screening zur Kindeswohlgefährdung" (EBSK; Deegener, Spangler, Körner & Becker, 2009) was used for the assessment of parental stress. As expected, increased EBSK scores were overrepresented in the clinical sample. In both samples stressed parents reported having children with more behavioral and emotional problems. Children of stressed parents in turn reported significantly less problems than their parents did. The rating of independent third persons, e.g. teachers, was not available and should be added in future research. Restrictions in methodology and conclusions for practice are discussed.

  5. Overcoming the effect of letter confusability in letter-by-letter reading: a rehabilitation study.

    PubMed

    Harris, Lara; Olson, Andrew; Humphreys, Glyn

    2013-01-01

    Patients who read in a letter-by-letter manner can demonstrate effects of lexical variables when reading words comprised of low confusability letters, suggesting the capacity to process low-confusability words in parallel across the letters (Fiset, Arguin, & McCabe, 2006). Here a series of experiments is presented investigating letter confusability effects in MAH, a patient with expressive and receptive aphasia who shows reduced reading accuracy with longer words, and DM, a relatively "pure" alexic patient. Two rehabilitation studies were employed: (i) a word-level therapy and (ii) a letter-level therapy designed to improve discrimination of individual letters. The word-level treatment produced generalised improvement to low-confusability words only, but the serial processing treatment produced improvement on both high and low confusability words. The results add support to the hypothesis that letter confusability plays a key role in letter-by-letter reading, and suggest that a rehabilitation method aimed at reducing ambiguities in letter identification may be particularly effective for treating letter-by-letter reading.

  6. Parenting styles in a cultural context: observations of "protective parenting" in first-generation Latinos.

    PubMed

    Domenech Rodríguez, Melanie M; Donovick, Melissa R; Crowley, Susan L

    2009-06-01

    Current literature presents four primary parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful. These styles provide an important shortcut for a constellation of parenting behaviors that have been characterized as consisting of warmth, demandingness, and autonomy granting. Empirically, only warmth and demandingness are typically measured. Research reporting on parenting styles in Latino samples has been equivocal leading to questions about conceptualization and measurement of parenting styles in this ethnic/cultural group. This lack of consensus may result from the chasm between concepts (e.g., authoritarian parenting) and observable parenting behaviors (e.g., warmth) in this ethnic group. The present research aimed to examine parenting styles and dimensions in a sample of Latino parents using the two usual dimensions (warmth, demandingness) and adding autonomy granting. Traditional parenting styles categories were examined, as well as additional categorizations that resulted from adding autonomy granting. Fifty first-generation Latino parents and their child (aged 4-9) participated. Parent-child interactions were coded with the Parenting Style Observation Rating Scale (P-SOS). In this sample, the four traditional parenting categories did not capture Latino families well. The combination of characteristics resulted in eight possible parenting styles. Our data showed the majority (61%) of Latino parents as "protective parents." Further, while mothers and fathers were similar in their parenting styles, expectations were different for male and female children. The additional dimensions and implications are discussed. The importance of considering the cultural context in understanding parenting in Latino families is emphasized, along with directions for future research.

  7. Cortisol reactivity is positively related to executive function in preschool children attending head start.

    PubMed

    Blair, Clancy; Granger, Douglas; Peters Razza, Rachel

    2005-01-01

    This study examined relations among cortisol reactivity and measures of cognitive function and social behavior in 4- to 5-year-old children (N = 169) attending Head Start. Saliva samples for the assay of cortisol were collected at the beginning, middle, and end of an approximately 45-min testing session. Moderate increase in cortisol followed by down-regulation of this increase was positively associated with measures of executive function, self-regulation, and letter knowledge but not with measures of receptive vocabulary, emotion knowledge, or false belief understanding. Regression analysis indicates that executive function accounted for the association between cortisol reactivity and self-regulation and letter knowledge.

  8. Home Literacy Environments of Young Children with Down Syndrome: Findings from a Web-based Survey.

    PubMed

    Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Lewis, Sandra; Whalon, Kelly; Dyrlund, Alison; McKenzie, Amy

    2009-03-01

    Early home literacy experiences, including parent-child book reading, account for a significant amount of childrens' later reading achievement. Yet, there is a very limited research base about the home literacy environments and experiences of children with cognitive disabilities. The purpose of this study is to describe findings from a web-based survey of home literacy environments of young children with Down syndrome. Respondents ( n = 107) were mostly mothers; a majority were well-educated. Findings suggest that respondents gave literacy a higher priority than reported in prior research on children with disabilities. Over 70% of respondents had 50 or more childrens' books and also had literacy materials including flashcards, magnetic letters, and educational videos or computer games. Most parents read to their children and used these literacy materials 10-30 minutes per day. Respondents reported that their children had reached many important early literacy milestones and they also described having relatively ambitious life-long literacy goals for their children. Important implications for research and practice are discussed.

  9. Lexical access via letter naming in a profoundly alexic and anomic patient: a treatment study.

    PubMed

    Greenwald, M L; Gonzalez Rothi, L J

    1998-11-01

    We report the results of a letter naming treatment designed to facilitate letter-by-letter reading in an aphasic patient with no reading ability. Patient M.R.'s anomia for written letters reflected two loci of impairment within visual naming: impaired letter activation from print (a deficit commonly seen in pure alexic patients who read letter by letter) and impaired access to phonology via semantics (documented in a severe multimodality anomia). Remarkably, M.R. retained an excellent ability to pronounce orally spelled words, demonstrating that abstract letter identities could be activated normally via spoken letter names, and also that lexical phonological representations were intact when accessed via spoken letter names. M.R.'s training in oral naming of written letters resulted in significant improvement in her oral naming of trained letters. Importantly, as M.R.'s letter naming improved, she became able to employ letter-by-letter reading as a compensatory strategy for oral word reading. M.R.'s success in letter naming and letter-by-letter reading suggests that other patients with a similar pattern of spared and impaired cognitive abilities may benefit from a similar treatment. Moreover, this study highlights the value of testing the pronunciation of orally spelled words in localizing the source of prelexical reading impairment and in predicting the functional outcome of treatment for impaired letter activation in reading.

  10. 45 CFR Appendix A to Part 2507 - Freedom of Information Act Request Letter (Sample)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... representative of the news media affiliated with the ____ newspaper (magazine, television station, etc.) and this... and am seeking information for use in the company's business. [Optional] I am willing to pay fees for...

  11. 45 CFR Appendix A to Part 2507 - Freedom of Information Act Request Letter (Sample)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... representative of the news media affiliated with the ____ newspaper (magazine, television station, etc.) and this... and am seeking information for use in the company's business. [Optional] I am willing to pay fees for...

  12. 45 CFR Appendix A to Part 2507 - Freedom of Information Act Request Letter (Sample)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... representative of the news media affiliated with the ____ newspaper (magazine, television station, etc.) and this... and am seeking information for use in the company's business. [Optional] I am willing to pay fees for...

  13. 45 CFR Appendix A to Part 2507 - Freedom of Information Act Request Letter (Sample)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... representative of the news media affiliated with the ____ newspaper (magazine, television station, etc.) and this... and am seeking information for use in the company's business. [Optional] I am willing to pay fees for...

  14. 45 CFR Appendix A to Part 2507 - Freedom of Information Act Request Letter (Sample)

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... representative of the news media affiliated with the ____ newspaper (magazine, television station, etc.) and this... and am seeking information for use in the company's business. [Optional] I am willing to pay fees for...

  15. 46 CFR 154.1802 - Certificates, letters and endorsements: Foreign flag vessels.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... information which except for the certificates under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, are in English: (1) The... sampling points. (6) If the vessel carries methane, a description of the systems for cargo temperature and...

  16. EPA Requires Beemsterboer and KCBX to Take Action

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    In response to complaints of fugitive pet coke dust, EPA issued Clean Air Act Section 114 information request letters to KCBX Terminals and Beemsterboer Slag petroleum coke facilities, and ordered onsite air quality monitoring and petcoke sample analysis.

  17. MONITORING FOR METHYLOBACTERIUM IN WATER SYSTEMS - Letter to the Editor

    EPA Science Inventory

    Methylobacteria are slow growing pink-pigmented organisms that have been reported to be opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients. Methylthylobacterium mesophilicum and M. zatmanii have been the two most commonly reported species isolated in clinical samples. Tap wate...

  18. Parents with mental health problems and their children in a German population based sample: Results of the BELLA study.

    PubMed

    Plass-Christl, Angela; Haller, Anne-Catherine; Otto, Christiane; Barkmann, Claus; Wiegand-Grefe, Silke; Hölling, Heike; Schulte-Markwort, Michael; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Klasen, Fionna

    2017-01-01

    Mental health problems (MHP) of parents are associated with an increased risk of psychological and developmental difficulties in their children. This study aims at analyzing population-based data of parents with MHP and their children and the effects of associated risk factors in order to further targeted preventive and therapeutic interventions. The BELLA study is the mental health module of the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey among Children and Adolescents. MHP in parents and in their children as well as associated risk factors were examined in a sample of N = 1158 parents with children aged 11 to 17 years. Parental MHP were identified in 18.6% of the sample. Risk factors associated with parental MHP were low SES, parental unemployment, stressful life events, parental daily strain, parental chronic disease, and child MHP. A rate of 19.1% of the children of parents with MHP reported MHP themselves, the corresponding rate among children of parents without MHP was 7.7%. In multiple regression analyses the risk for children of parents with MHP to report MHP themselves was almost two times higher than the risk of children of parents without MHP. Other significant associations with child MHP included gender, the parents' age, and stressful life events. Parental MHP constitute a significant risk for the mental health of their children. Targeted screening methods and preventive interventions are needed.

  19. Machine-printed Arabic OCR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hassibi, Khosrow M.

    1994-02-01

    This paper presents a brief overview of our research in the development of an OCR system for recognition of machine-printed texts in languages that use the Arabic alphabet. The cursive nature of machine-printed Arabic makes the segmentation of words into letters a challenging problem. In our approach, through a novel preliminary segmentation technique, a word is broken into pieces where each piece may not represent a valid letter in general. Neural networks trained on a training sample set of about 500 Arabic text images are used for recognition of these pieces. The rules governing the alphabet and character-level contextual information are used for recombining these pieces into valid letters. Higher-level contextual analysis schemes including the use of an Arabic lexicon and n-grams is also under development and are expected to improve the word recognition accuracy. The segmentation, recognition, and contextual analysis processes are closely integrated using a feedback scheme. The details of preparation of the training set and some recent results on training of the networks will be presented.

  20. Letter Report for Analytical Results for five Swipe Samples from the Northern Biomedical Research Facility, Muskegon Michigan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ivey, Wade

    Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), under the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) contract, received five swipe samples on December 10, 2013 from the Northern Biomedical Research Facility in Norton Shores, Michigan. The samples were analyzed for tritium and carbon-14 according to the NRC Form 303 supplied with the samples. The sample identification numbers are presented in Table 1 and the tritium and carbon-14 results are provided in Table 2. The pertinent procedure references are included with the data tables.

  1. A state-wide information campaign during a pertussis epidemic in New South Wales, 2010.

    PubMed

    Spokes, Paula J; Rosewell, Alexander E; Stephens, Alex S; McAnulty, Jeremy M

    2014-09-30

    Pertussis notifications increased dramatically in New South Wales in 2008, exceeding the rates in previous epidemic years. A state-wide, multi-faceted campaign was launched in March 2009 to provide information about pertussis prevention. A population-based survey was conducted using a Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing facility to assess the effectiveness of sending letters to households with young infants. A representative sample of 1,200 adults across all 8 area health services was interviewed between July 2009 and September 2010, with responses weighted against the state population. Many respondents (39.7%) reported receiving the letter, while fewer (29.6%) reported receiving an adult pertussis booster in the last year, mostly in response to General Practitioner advice (40.4%). Letter receipt was associated with the uptake of an adult pertussis booster in the past 12 months by respondents (OR 5.8; 95%CI 4.1, 8.2) and other adults in the household (OR 5.1; 95%CI 3.5, 7.5), as well as knowledge about pertussis prevention. Health providers remain crucial for vaccination decision making; however letters may have contributed to an increased uptake of pertussis booster vaccination and knowledge. Health authorities may consider mailing households in future pertussis epidemics as a component of a wider communication strategy.

  2. Something to talk about: Topics of conversation between romantic partners during military deployments.

    PubMed

    Carter, Sarah P; Osborne, Laura J; Renshaw, Keith D; Allen, Elizabeth S; Loew, Benjamin A; Markman, Howard J; Stanley, Scott M

    2018-02-01

    Long-distance communication has been frequently identified as essential to military couples trying to maintain their relationship during a deployment. Little quantitative research, however, has assessed the types of topics discussed during such communication and how those topics relate to overall relationship satisfaction. The current study draws on a sample of 56 Army couples who provided data through online surveys while the service member was actively deployed. These couples provided information on current marital satisfaction, topics discussed during deployment (problem talk, friendship talk, love talk), and how they communicated via synchronous media (e.g., phone calls, video calls) and letters during deployment. Nonparametric Friedman tests followed by paired t tests revealed that synchronous communication was primarily utilized for friendship talk, whereas letters included friendship talk and love talk in similar amounts. Both synchronous communication and letters included less problem talk than other topics. In mixed-level modeling, only topics of communication for synchronous media (not for letters) were related to relationship satisfaction. Love talk via synchronous media was related to higher relationship satisfaction, whereas problem talk via synchronous media was related to less relationship satisfaction. The current study offers the first quantitative assessment of topics within deployment communication media and associations with relationship satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. Developing the Alphabetic Principle to Aid Text-Based Augmentative and Alternative Communication Use by Adults With Low Speech Intelligibility and Intellectual Disabilities.

    PubMed

    Schmidt-Naylor, Anna C; Saunders, Kathryn J; Brady, Nancy C

    2017-05-17

    We explored alphabet supplementation as an augmentative and alternative communication strategy for adults with minimal literacy. Study 1's goal was to teach onset-letter selection with spoken words and assess generalization to untaught words, demonstrating the alphabetic principle. Study 2 incorporated alphabet supplementation within a naming task and then assessed effects on speech intelligibility. Three men with intellectual disabilities (ID) and low speech intelligibility participated. Study 1 used a multiple-probe design, across three 20-word sets, to show that our computer-based training improved onset-letter selection. We also probed generalization to untrained words. Study 2 taught onset-letter selection for 30 new words chosen for functionality. Five listeners transcribed speech samples of the 30 words in 2 conditions: speech only and speech with alphabet supplementation. Across studies 1 and 2, participants demonstrated onset-letter selection for at least 90 words. Study 1 showed evidence of the alphabetic principle for some but not all word sets. In study 2, participants readily used alphabet supplementation, enabling listeners to understand twice as many words. This is the first demonstration of alphabet supplementation in individuals with ID and minimal literacy. The large number of words learned holds promise both for improving communication and providing a foundation for improved literacy.

  4. Simulating reading acquisition: The link between reading outcome and multimodal brain signatures of letter-speech sound learning in prereaders.

    PubMed

    Karipidis, Iliana I; Pleisch, Georgette; Brandeis, Daniel; Roth, Alexander; Röthlisberger, Martina; Schneebeli, Maya; Walitza, Susanne; Brem, Silvia

    2018-05-08

    During reading acquisition, neural reorganization of the human brain facilitates the integration of letters and speech sounds, which enables successful reading. Neuroimaging and behavioural studies have established that impaired audiovisual integration of letters and speech sounds is a core deficit in individuals with developmental dyslexia. This longitudinal study aimed to identify neural and behavioural markers of audiovisual integration that are related to future reading fluency. We simulated the first step of reading acquisition by performing artificial-letter training with prereading children at risk for dyslexia. Multiple logistic regressions revealed that our training provides new precursors of reading fluency at the beginning of reading acquisition. In addition, an event-related potential around 400 ms and functional magnetic resonance imaging activation patterns in the left planum temporale to audiovisual correspondences improved cross-validated prediction of future poor readers. Finally, an exploratory analysis combining simultaneously acquired electroencephalography and hemodynamic data suggested that modulation of temporoparietal brain regions depended on future reading skills. The multimodal approach demonstrates neural adaptations to audiovisual integration in the developing brain that are related to reading outcome. Despite potential limitations arising from the restricted sample size, our results may have promising implications both for identifying poor-reading children and for monitoring early interventions.

  5. Letter names and phonological awareness help children to learn letter-sound relations.

    PubMed

    Cardoso-Martins, Cláudia; Mesquita, Tereza Cristina Lara; Ehri, Linnea

    2011-05-01

    Two experimental training studies with Portuguese-speaking preschoolers in Brazil were conducted to investigate whether children benefit from letter name knowledge and phonological awareness in learning letter-sound relations. In Experiment 1, two groups of children were compared. The experimental group was taught the names of letters whose sounds occur either at the beginning (e.g., the letter /be/) or in the middle (e.g., the letter /'eli/) of the letter name. The control group was taught the shapes of the letters but not their names. Then both groups were taught the sounds of the letters. Results showed an advantage for the experimental group, but only for beginning-sound letters. Experiment 2 investigated whether training in phonological awareness could boost the learning of letter sounds, particularly middle-sound letters. In addition to learning the names of beginning- and middle-sound letters, children in the experimental group were taught to categorize words according to rhyme and alliteration, whereas controls were taught to categorize the same words semantically. All children were then taught the sounds of the letters. Results showed that children who were given phonological awareness training found it easier to learn letter sounds than controls. This was true for both types of letters, but especially for middle-sound letters. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  6. Knowledge about writing influences reading: Dynamic visual information about letter production facilitates letter identification.

    PubMed

    Schubert, Teresa; Reilhac, Caroline; McCloskey, Michael

    2018-06-01

    How are reading and writing related? In this study, we address the relationship between letter identification and letter production, uncovering a link in which production information can be used to identify letters presented dynamically. By testing an individual with a deficit in letter identification, we identified a benefit which would be masked by ceiling effects in unimpaired readers. In Experiment 1 we found that letter stimuli defined by the direction of dot motion (tiny dots within letter move leftward, background dots move rightward) provided no advantage over static letters. In Experiment 2, we tested dynamic stimuli in which the letter shapes emerged over time: drawn as they would be written, drawn in reverse, or with the letter shape filled in randomly. Improved identification was observed only for letters drawn as they are typically written. These results demonstrate that information about letter production can be integrated into letter identification, and point to bi-directional connections between stored letter production information (used for writing) and abstract letter identity representations (used in both reading and writing). The links from stored production information to abstract letter identities allow the former to activate the latter. We also consider the implications of our results for remediation of acquired letter identification deficits, including letter-drawing treatments and the underlying cause of their efficacy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Improving response rate and quality of survey data with a scratch lottery ticket incentive

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The quality of data collected in survey research is usually indicated by the response rate; the representativeness of the sample, and; the rate of completed questions (item-response). In attempting to improve a generally declining response rate in surveys considerable efforts are being made through follow-up mailings and various types of incentives. This study examines effects of including a scratch lottery ticket in the invitation letter to a survey. Method Questionnaires concerning oral health were mailed to a random sample of 2,400 adults. A systematically selected half of the sample (1,200 adults) received a questionnaire including a scratch lottery ticket. One reminder without the incentive was sent. Results The incentive increased the response rate and improved representativeness by reaching more respondents with lower education. Furthermore, it reduced item nonresponse. The initial incentive had no effect on the propensity to respond after the reminder. Conclusion When attempting to improve survey data, three issues become important: response rate, representativeness, and item-response. This study shows that including a scratch lottery ticket in the invitation letter performs well on all the three. PMID:22515335

  8. The impact of a short-term cohousing initiative among schizophrenia patients, high school students, and their social context: A qualitative case study

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Background A number of programs have been developed to promote the contact between adolescents and mentally-ill patients, in order to break the stigma, improve understanding, promote mental health and prevent substance abuse. The aim of this study was to describe the experience of patients with schizophrenia, high school students, and their social context, participating in a short-term cohousing initiative. Methods A qualitative case-study approach was implemented. Patients with schizophrenia from the San Juan de Dios Psychiatric Hospital, female students from Almen High School, and participants from their social context (parents, hospital staff, and teachers) were included, using purposeful sampling. Data were collected from 51 participants (15 patients, nine students, 11 hospital staff, six teachers, 10 parents) via non-participant observation, focus groups, informal interviews, researchers’ field notes and patients’ personal diaries and letters. A thematic analysis was performed. Results The themes identified included a) learning to live together: students and patients participate and learn together; b) the perception of the illness and the mentally-ill: the barrier between health and disease is very slim, and society tends to avoid contact with those who are ill; c) change: a transformation takes place in students, in their self-perception, based on the real and intense nature of the experience; d) a trial and an opportunity: patients test their ability to live outside the hospital; e) discharge and readmission: discharge is experienced as both a liberation and a difficulty, whereas relapse and readmission are experienced as failures. Conclusions Our findings can help us to better understand schizophrenia and encourage a more positive approach towards both the illness and those who suffer from it. These results may be used for the development of cohousing programs in controlled environments. PMID:29324773

  9. Relationship between Symptoms of Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Unsafe Internet Usage in Early Adolescence

    PubMed Central

    VURAL, Pınar; UNCU, Yeşim; KILIÇ, Emine Zinnur

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Children and adolescents are at the highest risk for negative effects of internet usage. Risk taking and erroneous decision making have been described as major behavioral characteristics of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD and its association particularly with oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder are correlated with risk-taking behaviors. This study was conducted to evaluate how disruptive behavior disorder symptoms are associated with internet usage, particularly unsafe internet usage, in early adolescents. Methods A sample of 1389 secondary school students was invited to the survey. All children were given an invitation letter and Conners’ Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) forms were sent to their parents. The accepted participants filled in questionnaire forms, which consisted of questions interrogating demographic information and internet usage habits. Results Responses indicated that 27.4% (n=249) of the participants encountered unwanted content unintentionally and nearly one-third (n=280, 30.4%) had chatted online with people they did not know. Additionally, respondents who had more severe ADHD symptoms were more likely to report surfing online mainly for the purpose of chatting than respondents with milder ADHD symptoms. Students with comparatively higher attention deficit scores were also significantly more likely to report meeting in person with strangers they knew only from internet chatting. Analyses have demonstrated the presence of a significant difference between study participants with and without conduct disorder as for internet overusage or meeting with their internet acquaintances. Conclusion This study suggests that there may be a significant relation between ADHD symptoms, conduct disorder and pathological and unsafe internet usage. Evaluating adolescents with ADHD and conduct disorder with this risk in mind is important in the development of both preventive and interventional strategies. PMID:28360717

  10. The impact of a short-term cohousing initiative among schizophrenia patients, high school students, and their social context: A qualitative case study.

    PubMed

    Palacios-Ceña, Domingo; Martín-Tejedor, Emilio Andrés; Elías-Elispuru, Ana; Garate-Samaniego, Amaia; Pérez-Corrales, Jorge; García-García, Elena

    2018-01-01

    A number of programs have been developed to promote the contact between adolescents and mentally-ill patients, in order to break the stigma, improve understanding, promote mental health and prevent substance abuse. The aim of this study was to describe the experience of patients with schizophrenia, high school students, and their social context, participating in a short-term cohousing initiative. A qualitative case-study approach was implemented. Patients with schizophrenia from the San Juan de Dios Psychiatric Hospital, female students from Almen High School, and participants from their social context (parents, hospital staff, and teachers) were included, using purposeful sampling. Data were collected from 51 participants (15 patients, nine students, 11 hospital staff, six teachers, 10 parents) via non-participant observation, focus groups, informal interviews, researchers' field notes and patients' personal diaries and letters. A thematic analysis was performed. The themes identified included a) learning to live together: students and patients participate and learn together; b) the perception of the illness and the mentally-ill: the barrier between health and disease is very slim, and society tends to avoid contact with those who are ill; c) change: a transformation takes place in students, in their self-perception, based on the real and intense nature of the experience; d) a trial and an opportunity: patients test their ability to live outside the hospital; e) discharge and readmission: discharge is experienced as both a liberation and a difficulty, whereas relapse and readmission are experienced as failures. Our findings can help us to better understand schizophrenia and encourage a more positive approach towards both the illness and those who suffer from it. These results may be used for the development of cohousing programs in controlled environments.

  11. 163 years of refinement: the British Geological Survey sample registration scheme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howe, M. P.

    2011-12-01

    The British Geological Survey manages the largest UK geoscience samples collection, including: - 15,000 onshore boreholes, including over 250 km of drillcore - Vibrocores, gravity cores and grab samples from over 32,000 UK marine sample stations. 640 boreholes - Over 3 million UK fossils, including a "type and stratigraphic" reference collection of 250,000 fossils, 30,000 of which are "type, figured or cited" - Comprehensive microfossil collection, including many borehole samples - 290km of drillcore and 4.5 million cuttings samples from over 8000 UK continental shelf hydrocarbon wells - Over one million mineralogical and petrological samples, including 200,00 thin sections The current registration scheme was introduced in 1848 and is similar to that used by Charles Darwin on the Beagle. Every Survey collector or geologist has been issue with a unique prefix code of one or more letters and these were handwritten on preprinted numbers, arranged in books of 1 - 5,000 and 5,001 to 10,000. Similar labels are now computer printed. Other prefix codes are used for corporate collections, such as borehole samples, thin sections, microfossils, macrofossil sections, museum reference fossils, display quality rock samples and fossil casts. Such numbers infer significant immediate information to the curator, without the need to consult detailed registers. The registration numbers have been recorded in a series of over 1,000 registers, complete with metadata including sample ID, locality, horizon, collector and date. Citations are added as appropriate. Parent-child relationships are noted when re-registering subsubsamples. For example, a borehole sample BDA1001 could have been subsampled for a petrological thin section and off-cut (E14159), a fossil thin section (PF365), micropalynological slides (MPA273), one of which included a new holotype (MPK111), and a figured macrofossil (GSE1314). All main corporate collection now have publically-available online databases, such as PalaeoSaurus (fossils), Britrocks (mineralogy and petrology) and ComBo (combined onshore and offshore boreholes). ComBo links to core images, when available. Similar links are under development for Britrocks and PalaeoSaurus, with the latter also to include HR laser scanned digital models. These databases also link to internal and public GIS systems and to the BGS digital field data capture system. PalaeoSaurus holds an identification/authority/date history for each specimen, as well as recording type status, and figure and citation details. Similar comments can be added to Britrocks and ComBo. For several years, the BGS has provided online web access to the databases, for the discovery of physical samples , including parent-child links and citation information. Regretfully, authors frequently fail to cite sample registration numbers (nineteenth century geologists were sometimes better than their twenty-first century counterparts), or to supply copies of, or links to, the data generated, despite it being a condition of sample access. The need for editors and referees to enforce the inclusion of sample registration numbers, and for authors to lodge copies of papers, reports and data with the sample providers, is more important than yet another new database.

  12. Letter Names, Letter Sounds and Phonological Awareness: An Examination of Kindergarten Children across Letters and of Letters across Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Mary Ann; Bell, Michelle; Shaw, Deborah; Moretti, Shelley; Page, Jodi

    2006-01-01

    In this study 149 kindergarten children were assessed for knowledge of letter names and letter sounds, phonological awareness, and cognitive abilities. Through this it examined child and letter characteristics influencing the acquisition of alphabetic knowledge in a naturalistic context, the relationship between letter-sound knowledge and…

  13. Effects of Letter-Identification Training on Letter Naming in Prereading Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hayashi, Yusuke; Schmidt, Anna C.; Saunders, Kathryn J.

    2013-01-01

    Three prereading children who named 0 to 3 of 20 targeted letters were taught to select the 20 printed letters when they heard spoken letter names. For all participants, letter-identification training resulted in naming for the majority of letters.

  14. A new method to sample stuttering in preschool children.

    PubMed

    O'Brian, Sue; Jones, Mark; Pilowsky, Rachel; Onslow, Mark; Packman, Ann; Menzies, Ross

    2010-06-01

    This study reports a new method for sampling the speech of preschool stuttering children outside the clinic environment. Twenty parents engaged their stuttering children in an everyday play activity in the home with a telephone handset nearby. A remotely located researcher telephoned the parent and recorded the play session with a phone-recording jack attached to a digital audio recorder at the remote location. The parent placed an audio recorder near the child for comparison purposes. Children as young as 2 years complied with the remote method of speech sampling. The quality of the remote recordings was superior to that of the in-home recordings. There was no difference in means or reliability of stutter-count measures made from the remote recordings compared with those made in-home. Advantages of the new method include: (1) cost efficiency of real-time measurement of percent syllables stuttered in naturalistic situations, (2) reduction of bias associated with parent-selected timing of home recordings, (3) standardization of speech sampling procedures, (4) improved parent compliance with sampling procedures, (5) clinician or researcher on-line control of the acoustic and linguistic quality of recordings, and (6) elimination of the need to lend equipment to parents for speech sampling.

  15. Pencil grasp and children's handwriting legibility during different-length writing tasks.

    PubMed

    Dennis, J L; Swinth, Y

    2001-01-01

    This study examined the influence ofpencil grasp on handwriting legibility during both short and long writing tasks in 46fourth-grade students who were typically developing. Matched samples were used to controlfor variability. Regular classroom writing assignments were scoredfor word and letter legibility, and scores were compared using a mixed repeated-measures analysis of variance design. The two independent variables were pencil grasp (dynamic tripod grasp vs. atypical grasp) and task length (short vs. long). A significant difference was found between the letter legibility scores on the short task and the letter legibility scores on the long task. Students' legibility was greater on the short task than on the long task across both grasp conditions. No significant difference was found in scores between students who used dynamic tripod grasps and those who used atypical grasps, nor was there a significant interaction between grasp and task length. No significant differences were found between word legibility scores. The results indicate that although the students in this study wrote more legibly on the short task than on the long task, the type of grasp they used did not affect their legibility. Because of the limited sample size, the results of this study should be interpreted cautiously. More research in handwriting performance and pencil grasp is needed to provide clear expectations and treatment options for students.

  16. Reversal and Rotation Errors by Normal and Retarded Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, F. William

    1973-01-01

    Reports an investigation of the incidence of and relationships among word and letter reversals in writing and Bender-Gestalt rotation errors in matched samples of normal and retarded readers. No significant diffenences were found in the two groups. (TO)

  17. Consequences of Parental Divorce for Adult Children's Support of Their Frail Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, I-Fen

    2008-01-01

    Using three waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study, I examined the association of parental divorce and remarriage with the odds that biological, adult children give personal care and financial assistance to their frail parents. The analysis included 5,099 adult children in the mother sample and 4,029 children in the father sample.…

  18. Public School Center vs. Family Home Day Care: Single Parents' Reasons for Selection.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rothschild, Maria Stupp

    This study investigates the reasons single parents in San Diego had for choosing either a public day care center or a licensed day care home for their children. A sample of 30 single parents with children in school district administered children's centers was drawn and matched by a similarly geographically distributed sample of 23 parents with…

  19. The role of parenting in the prediction of criminal involvement: findings from a nationally representative sample of youth and a sample of adopted youth.

    PubMed

    Beaver, Kevin M; Schwartz, Joseph A; Connolly, Eric J; Al-Ghamdi, Mohammed Said; Kobeisy, Ahmed Nezar

    2015-03-01

    The role of parenting in the development of criminal behavior has been the source of a vast amount of research, with the majority of studies detecting statistically significant associations between dimensions of parenting and measures of criminal involvement. An emerging group of scholars, however, has drawn attention to the methodological limitations-mainly genetic confounding-of the parental socialization literature. The current study addressed this limitation by analyzing a sample of adoptees to assess the association between 8 parenting measures and 4 criminal justice outcome measures. The results revealed very little evidence of parental socialization effects on criminal behavior before controlling for genetic confounding and no evidence of parental socialization effects on criminal involvement after controlling for genetic confounding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Defining Tiger Parenting in Chinese Americans.

    PubMed

    Kim, Su Yeong

    2013-09-01

    "Tiger" parenting, as described by Amy Chua [2011], has instigated scholarly discourse on this phenomenon and its possible effects on families. Our eight-year longitudinal study, published in the Asian American Journal of Psychology [Kim, Wang, Orozco-Lapray, Shen, & Murtuza, 2013b], demonstrates that tiger parenting is not a common parenting profile in a sample of 444 Chinese American families. Tiger parenting also does not relate to superior academic performance in children. In fact, the best developmental outcomes were found among children of supportive parents. We examine the complexities around defining tiger parenting by reviewing classical literature on parenting styles and scholarship on Asian American parenting, along with Amy Chua's own description of her parenting method, to develop, define, and categorize variability in parenting in a sample of Chinese American families. We also provide evidence that supportive parenting is important for the optimal development of Chinese American adolescents.

  1. Defining Tiger Parenting in Chinese Americans

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Su Yeong

    2016-01-01

    “Tiger” parenting, as described by Amy Chua [2011], has instigated scholarly discourse on this phenomenon and its possible effects on families. Our eight-year longitudinal study, published in the Asian American Journal of Psychology [Kim, Wang, Orozco-Lapray, Shen, & Murtuza, 2013b], demonstrates that tiger parenting is not a common parenting profile in a sample of 444 Chinese American families. Tiger parenting also does not relate to superior academic performance in children. In fact, the best developmental outcomes were found among children of supportive parents. We examine the complexities around defining tiger parenting by reviewing classical literature on parenting styles and scholarship on Asian American parenting, along with Amy Chua’s own description of her parenting method, to develop, define, and categorize variability in parenting in a sample of Chinese American families. We also provide evidence that supportive parenting is important for the optimal development of Chinese American adolescents. PMID:27182075

  2. Patient Activated Care for Rural Elderly. A Program Development and Teaching Guide for Planners, Facilitators, and Coordinators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaarder, Lorin R.; Cohen, Saul

    This guide is an outline for developing and presenting programs in self health care for senior citizens. The guide is presented in two sections. The first section provides background information about elderly self-care and tips on teaching it and developing a program. Sample letters to prospective enrollees and sample news releases are included.…

  3. Predicting Parenting Stress in Families of Children with ADHD: Parent and Contextual Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theule, Jennifer; Wiener, Judith; Rogers, Maria A.; Marton, Imola

    2011-01-01

    We examined parental ADHD symptoms and contextual (parental education, social support, marital status) predictors of parent domain parenting stress (parental distress) as a function of child ADHD symptoms in a sample of 95 parents of 8 to 12 year-old children with and without ADHD. Parents' perceptions of parental distress and social support were…

  4. Letter-Sound Knowledge: Exploring Gender Differences in Children When They Start School Regarding Knowledge of Large Letters, Small Letters, Sound Large Letters, and Sound Small Letters

    PubMed Central

    Sigmundsson, Hermundur; Eriksen, Adrian D.; Ofteland, Greta Storm; Haga, Monika

    2017-01-01

    This study explored whether there is a gender difference in letter-sound knowledge when children start at school. 485 children aged 5–6 years completed assessment of letter-sound knowledge, i.e., large letters; sound of large letters; small letters; sound of small letters. The findings indicate a significant difference between girls and boys in all four factors tested in this study in favor of the girls. There are still no clear explanations to the basis of a presumed gender difference in letter-sound knowledge. That the findings have origin in neuro-biological factors cannot be excluded, however, the fact that girls probably have been exposed to more language experience/stimulation compared to boys, lends support to explanations derived from environmental aspects. PMID:28951726

  5. Learning to recognize letters in the periphery: Effects of repeated exposure, letter frequency, and letter complexity

    PubMed Central

    Husk, Jesse S.; Yu, Deyue

    2017-01-01

    Patients with central vision loss must rely on their peripheral vision for reading. Unfortunately, limitations of peripheral vision, such as crowding, pose significant challenges to letter recognition. As a result, there is a need for developing effective training methods for improving crowded letter recognition in the periphery. Several studies have shown that extensive practice with letter stimuli is beneficial to peripheral letter recognition. Here, we explore stimulus-related factors that might influence the effectiveness of peripheral letter recognition training. Specifically, we examined letter exposure (number of letter occurrences), frequency of letter use in English print, and letter complexity and evaluated their contributions to the amount of improvement observed in crowded letter recognition following training. We analyzed data collected across a range of training protocols. Using linear regression, we identified the best-fitting model and observed that all three stimulus-related factors contributed to improvement in peripheral letter recognition with letter exposure being the most important factor. As an important explanatory variable, pretest accuracy was included in the model as well to avoid estimate biases and was shown to have influence on the relationship between training improvement and letter exposure. When developing training protocols for peripheral letter recognition, it may be beneficial to not only consider the overall length of training, but also to tailor the number of stimulus occurrences for each letter according to its initial performance level, frequency, and complexity. PMID:28265651

  6. Dimensionality and Reliability of Letter Writing in 3- to 5-Year-Old Preschool Children

    PubMed Central

    Puranik, Cynthia S.; Petscher, Yaacov; Lonigan, Christopher J.

    2015-01-01

    The primary purpose of this study was to examine the dimensionality and reliability of letter writing skills in preschool children with the aim of determining whether a sequence existed in how children learn to write the letters of the alphabet. Additionally, we examined gender differences in the development of letter writing skills. 471 children aged 3 to 5 years old completed a letter writing task. Results from factor analyses indicated that letter writing represented a unidimensional skill. Similar to research findings that the development of letter-names and letter-sound knowledge varies in acquisition, our findings indicate that the ability to write some letters is acquired earlier than the ability to write other letters. Although there appears to be an approximate sequence for the easiest and most difficult letters, there appears to be a less clear sequence for letters in the middle stages of development. Overall, girls had higher letter writing scores compared to boys. Gender differences regarding difficulty writing specific letters was less conclusive; however, results indicated that when controlling for ability level, girls had a higher probability of writing a letter correctly than boys. Implications of these findings for the assessment and instruction of letter writing are discussed. PMID:26346443

  7. Longitudinal Relations Among Parental Monitoring Strategies, Knowledge, and Adolescent Delinquency in a Racially Diverse At-Risk Sample.

    PubMed

    Bendezú, Jason J; Pinderhughes, Ellen E; Hurley, Sean M; McMahon, Robert J; Racz, Sarah J

    2016-04-04

    Parents raising youth in high-risk communities at times rely on active, involved monitoring strategies in order to increase both knowledge about youth activities and the likelihood that adolescents will abstain from problem behavior. Key monitoring literature suggests that some of these active monitoring strategies predict increases in adolescent problem behavior rather than protect against it. However, this literature has studied racially homogenous, low-risk samples, raising questions about generalizability. With a diverse sample of youth (N = 753; 58% male; 46% Black) and families living in high-risk neighborhoods, bidirectional longitudinal relations were examined among three aspects of monitoring (parental discussions of daily activities, parental curfew rules, and adolescent communication with parents), parental knowledge, and youth delinquency. Parental discussion of daily activities was the strongest predictor of parental knowledge, which negatively predicted delinquency. However, these aspects of monitoring did not predict later delinquency. Findings were consistent across gender and race/urbanicity. Results highlight the importance of active and involved parental monitoring strategies in contexts where they are most needed.

  8. Grouping Youth With Similar Symptoms: A Person-Centered Approach to Transdiagnostic Subgroups.

    PubMed

    Bonadio, F Tony; Dynes, Morgan; Lackey, Jennifer; Tompsett, Carolyn; Amrhein, Kelly

    2016-07-01

    The present study extracted symptom profiles based on parent and youth report on a broad symptom checklist. Profiles based on parent-reported symptoms were compared to those based on adolescent self-report to clarify discrepancies. The current study used archival data from 1,269 youth and parent dyads whose youth received services at a community mental health center. The mean age of the sample was 14.31 years (standard deviation = 1.98), and the youth sample was half male (50.1%) and primarily Caucasian (86.8%). Latent profile analysis was used to extract models based on parent and self-reported emotional and behavioral problems. Results indicated that a 5-class solution was the best fitting model for youth-reported symptoms and an adequate fit for parent-reported symptoms. For 46.5% of the sample, class membership matched for both parent and youth. Latent profile analysis provides an alternative method for exploring transdiagnostic subgroups within clinic-referred samples. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Learning of Letter Names and Sounds and Their Contribution to Word Recognition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levin, Iris; Shatil-Carmon, Sivan; Asif-Rave, Ornit

    2006-01-01

    This study investigated knowledge of letter names and letter sounds, their learning, and their contributions to word recognition. Of 123 preschoolers examined on letter knowledge, 65 underwent training on both letter names and letter sounds in a counterbalanced order. Prior to training, children were more advanced in associating letters with their…

  10. The Contribution of Parenting Practices and Parent Emotion Factors in Children at Risk for Disruptive Behavior Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duncombe, Melissa E.; Havighurst, Sophie S.; Holland, Kerry A.; Frankling, Emma J.

    2012-01-01

    The goal of this study was to examine the impact of different parenting characteristics on child disruptive behavior and emotional regulation among a sample of at-risk children. The sample consisted of 373 Australian 5- to 9-year-old children who were screened for serious behavior problems. Seven parenting variables based on self-report were…

  11. Cross-Ethnic Measurement Equivalence of the SCARED in an Outpatient Sample of African American and Non-Hispanic White Youths and Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gonzalez, Araceli; Weersing, V. Robin; Warnick, Erin; Scahill, Lawrence; Woolston, Joseph

    2012-01-01

    The present study evaluated the measurement equivalence of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in a clinical sample of non-Hispanic White (NHW) and African American (AA) youths and parents. In addition, we explored the concurrent criterion validity of parent report on the SCARED to a parent diagnostic interview.…

  12. Name-letter branding under scrutiny: real products, new algorithms, and the probability of buying.

    PubMed

    Stieger, Stefan

    2010-06-01

    People like letters matching their own first and last name initials more than nonname letters. This name-letter effect has also been found for brands, i.e., people like brands resembling their own name letters (initial or first three). This has been termed name-letter branding effect. In the present study of 199 participants, ages 12 to 79 years, this name-letter branding effect was found for a modified design (1) using real products, (2) concentrating on product names rather than brand names, (3) using five different products for each letter of the Roman alphabet, (4) asking for the buying probability, and (5) using recently introduced algorithms, controlling for individual response tendencies (i.e., liking all letters more or less) and general normative popularity of particular letters (i.e., some letters are generally preferred more than other letters).

  13. Connections are not enough for membership: Letter/non-letter distinction persists through phonological association learning.

    PubMed

    Schmitt, Andreas; van Leeuwen, Cees; Lachmann, Thomas

    2017-05-01

    In compound, hierarchical stimuli (also known as Navon figures), a Global Precedence Effect (GPE) can reliably be observed for both letters and non-letters. However, when presentation conditions sufficiently resemble those of reading, the GPE for letters has occasionally been found to disappear. We corroborate this effect in a study with a large group of participants. In addition, in-between two sessions, participants were trained in associating the non-letters with either phonological or non-phonological sounds. We reasoned that learning distinctive phonological associations might be akin to the acquisition of letter knowledge. This might eliminate the GPE also for the non-letters. However, the GPE persisted for the trained non-letters in both conditions. The large number of participants in this study revealed additional effects in the letter condition, which enabled further insights in the processing dissociation between letters and non-letter shapes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Nanostructured organic electronic materials: Synthesis and sensor applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dua, Vineet

    2009-12-01

    This study is an investigation into (a) the process by which one obtains bulk quantities of nanofibers of parent polythiophene, (b) in-situ deposition of nanofibers of polythiophene on flexible substrate and its application in vapor sensing, and (c) inkjet printing of graphene on flexible substrate and its application as a detector. (a) The 2 nd chapter of the thesis is an extension of "seeding" method from aqueous to organic solvents to synthesize parent polythiophene nanofibers. Bulk quantities of parent polythiophene nanofibers were synthesized in one step using catalytic amounts of freeze dried V2O5. This work is published in Chemistry Letters 2008 37(5), 526--527. (b) The 3rd chapter deals with in-situ films of polythiophene nanofibers on plastic substrates. In this a one step method to directly deposit nanofibers of parent polythiophene on flexible substrate is discussed. These films show a reversible detection of highly oxidizing vapors such as NO2, Cl2 and SO 2 at ppb levels under ambient conditions. This work is published in Macromolecules 2009, 42, 5414--5415. (c) The 4 th chapter describes the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using a mild reducing agent ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) rather than traditionally used harsh reducing agents (N2H4). Dispersions of RGO were inkjet printed on flexible substrate and has been shown to detect aggressive vapors NO2 and Cl2 at ambient conditions. This work is accepted for publication in Angewandte Chemie (Nov 2009).

  15. Parents with mental health problems and their children in a German population based sample: Results of the BELLA study

    PubMed Central

    Otto, Christiane; Barkmann, Claus; Wiegand-Grefe, Silke; Hölling, Heike; Schulte-Markwort, Michael; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Klasen, Fionna

    2017-01-01

    Background Mental health problems (MHP) of parents are associated with an increased risk of psychological and developmental difficulties in their children. This study aims at analyzing population-based data of parents with MHP and their children and the effects of associated risk factors in order to further targeted preventive and therapeutic interventions. Methods The BELLA study is the mental health module of the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey among Children and Adolescents. MHP in parents and in their children as well as associated risk factors were examined in a sample of N = 1158 parents with children aged 11 to 17 years. Results Parental MHP were identified in 18.6% of the sample. Risk factors associated with parental MHP were low SES, parental unemployment, stressful life events, parental daily strain, parental chronic disease, and child MHP. A rate of 19.1% of the children of parents with MHP reported MHP themselves, the corresponding rate among children of parents without MHP was 7.7%. In multiple regression analyses the risk for children of parents with MHP to report MHP themselves was almost two times higher than the risk of children of parents without MHP. Other significant associations with child MHP included gender, the parents’ age, and stressful life events. Conclusions Parental MHP constitute a significant risk for the mental health of their children. Targeted screening methods and preventive interventions are needed. PMID:28671981

  16. Illness cognitions and family adjustment: psychometric properties of the Illness Cognition Questionnaire for parents of a child with cancer.

    PubMed

    Sint Nicolaas, Simone M; Schepers, Sasja A; van den Bergh, Esther M M; Evers, Andrea W M; Hoogerbrugge, Peter M; Grootenhuis, Martha A; Verhaak, Christianne M

    2016-02-01

    Illness cognitions are an important mediator between disease and psychological adjustment. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Illness Cognition Questionnaire (ICQ), adjusted for the parents of an ill child. Participants were recruited from two multicenter studies: sample 1 included 128 parents of a child diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (response rate 82 %) and sample 2 included 114 parents of a child diagnosed with cancer (response rate 74 %). Parents completed an adapted version of the ICQ (Illness Cognition Questionnaire-Parent version (ICQ-P)), together with the Profile of Mood States (POMS; sample 1) or the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; sample 2). The factor structure of the ICQ-P was examined by means of principal component analysis. Cronbach's alpha for each subscale and correlations between the ICQ-P scales and the HADS and POMS were calculated. The illness cognitions of parents with and without psychological distress were compared. Factor analysis confirmed the hypothesized structure of the ICQ-P in our sample (n = 242). The three scales Helplessness, Acceptance, and Perceived Benefits explained 9.8, 31.4, and 17.9 % of the variance, respectively. Cronbach's alpha showed adequate internal consistency (.80-.88). Concurrent and criterion-related validity were appropriate. The results confirm that the ICQ-P reliably assesses the illness cognitions of the parents of a child with cancer. Psychologically distressed parents showed less acceptance and more helplessness. The availability of a short and valid illness cognition questionnaire will help clinicians gain insight into parental cognitions regarding the illness of their child, information that might be helpful for targeting interventions.

  17. Empathy and narcissism in a sample of child abuse perpetrators and a comparison sample of foster parents.

    PubMed

    Wiehe, Vernon R

    2003-05-01

    The purpose of this research was to study the personality variables of empathy and narcissism in a sample of child abuse perpetrators and a comparison sample of foster parents, conceptualized as nonabusive parents, in order to gain further understanding of perpetrators and to provide clues for intervention. The sample consisted of two groups: physically and emotionally abusive parents (n=52) and foster parents (n=101). Participants responded to three instruments: the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), an instrument measuring individual differences in empathy, and two instruments measuring narcissism: the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) and the Hypersensitivity Narcissism Scale (HSNS). Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups on three of the four subscales of the IRI: perspective-taking, empathic concern, and personal distress. Based on the definition of these subscales, the abusive parents as compared to the foster parents were not able to take the perspective of another or see things from another's viewpoint, showed less warmth, compassion and concern for others, and experienced difficulty in tense interpersonal situations. Statistically significant differences were found for the two groups on three of the six subscales of the NPI: authority, exhibitionism, and superiority, and on the HSNS. The abusive parents demonstrated less self-confidence, a greater lack of impulse control and were more narcissistic than their foster parent counterparts. The results suggest that it is how the perpetrators experience aversive behavior in their children that may provoke them to physically and emotionally abuse their children. Their self-centeredness in addition to their deficiencies in empathy may cause them to experience their children's misbehavior as an affront to their authority. Implications for treatment are made from this conceptualization of parental abuse.

  18. Effect of Orthographic Processes on Letter Identity and Letter-Position Encoding in Dyslexic Children

    PubMed Central

    Reilhac, Caroline; Jucla, Mélanie; Iannuzzi, Stéphanie; Valdois, Sylviane; Démonet, Jean-François

    2012-01-01

    The ability to identify letters and encode their position is a crucial step of the word recognition process. However and despite their word identification problem, the ability of dyslexic children to encode letter identity and letter-position within strings was not systematically investigated. This study aimed at filling this gap and further explored how letter identity and letter-position encoding is modulated by letter context in developmental dyslexia. For this purpose, a letter-string comparison task was administered to French dyslexic children and two chronological age (CA) and reading age (RA)-matched control groups. Children had to judge whether two successively and briefly presented four-letter strings were identical or different. Letter-position and letter identity were manipulated through the transposition (e.g., RTGM vs. RMGT) or substitution of two letters (e.g., TSHF vs. TGHD). Non-words, pseudo-words, and words were used as stimuli to investigate sub-lexical and lexical effects on letter encoding. Dyslexic children showed both substitution and transposition detection problems relative to CA-controls. A substitution advantage over transpositions was only found for words in dyslexic children whereas it extended to pseudo-words in RA-controls and to all type of items in CA-controls. Letters were better identified in the dyslexic group when belonging to orthographically familiar strings. Letter-position encoding was very impaired in dyslexic children who did not show any word context effect in contrast to CA-controls. Overall, the current findings point to a strong letter identity and letter-position encoding disorder in developmental dyslexia. PMID:22661961

  19. Parental knowledge is an environmental influence on adolescent externalizing.

    PubMed

    Marceau, Kristine; Narusyte, Jurgita; Lichtenstein, Paul; Ganiban, Jody M; Spotts, Erica L; Reiss, David; Neiderhiser, Jenae M

    2015-02-01

    There is evidence both that parental monitoring is an environmental influence serving to diminish adolescent externalizing problems and that this association may be driven by adolescents' characteristics via genetic and/or environmental mechanisms, such that adolescents with fewer problems tell their parents more, and therefore appear to be better monitored. Without information on how parents' and children's genes and environments influence correlated parent and child behaviors, it is impossible to clarify the mechanisms underlying this association. The present study used the Extended Children of Twins model to distinguish types of gene-environment correlation and direct environmental effects underlying associations between parental knowledge and adolescent (age 11-22 years) externalizing behavior with a Swedish sample of 909 twin parents and their adolescent offspring and a US-based sample of 405 White adolescent siblings and their parents. Results suggest that more parental knowledge is associated with less adolescent externalizing via a direct environmental influence independent of any genetic influences. There was no evidence of a child-driven explanation of the association between parental knowledge and adolescent externalizing problems. In this sample of adolescents, parental knowledge exerted an environmental influence on adolescent externalizing after accounting for genetic influences of parents and adolescents. Because the association between parenting and child development originates in the parent, treatment for adolescent externalizing must not only include parents but should also focus on altering their parental style. Thus, findings suggest that teaching parents better knowledge-related monitoring strategies is likely to help reduce externalizing problems in adolescents. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  20. Media campaign influences parents' opinions about their children and tobacco.

    PubMed

    Carver, Vivien; Reinert, Bonita; Range, Lillian M; Campbell, Catherine

    2003-01-01

    The study assessed the effectiveness of a media campaign in convincing parents that children are targeted by the tobacco industry and that children should be banned from tobacco use. An 800-parent sample survey was conducted prior to a statewide anti-tobacco campaign, and another survey sample of 790 parents was conducted afterward. Though parents who smoked in high school and those who did not agreed that children are targeted and should be banned from tobacco use, parents who did not smoke in high school believed it more strongly. Parents who had a history of smoking changed more on the issue of banning, perhaps because they had more room to change. The study concluded that media campaigns can change parents' attitudes.

  1. Predicting Preschoolers' Attachment Security from Parenting Behaviours, Parents' Attachment Relationships and Their Use of Social Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coyl, Diana D.; Newland, Lisa A.; Freeman, Harry

    2010-01-01

    Associations between preschoolers' attachment security, parenting behaviours (i.e. parent-child involvement, parenting consistency and co-parenting consistency) and parenting context (i.e. parents' internal working models (IWMs) and use of social support) were examined in a sample of 235 culturally diverse families. The authors predicted that…

  2. Parenting Beliefs, Parental Stress, and Social Support Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Respler-Herman, Melissa; Mowder, Barbara A.; Yasik, Anastasia E.; Shamah, Renee

    2012-01-01

    The present study built on prior research by examining the relationship of parental stress and social support to parenting beliefs and behaviors. A sample of 87 parents provided their views concerning the importance of parenting characteristics as well as their level of parental stress and perceived social support. These parents completed the…

  3. Authoritarian Parenting and Asian Adolescent School Performance: Insights from the US and Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Pong, Suet-Ling; Johnston, Jamie; Chen, Vivien

    2010-01-01

    Our study re-examines the relationship between parenting and school performance among Asian students. We use two sources of data: wave I of the Adolescent Health Longitudinal Survey (Add Health), and waves I and II of the Taiwan Educational Panel Survey (TEPS). Analysis using Add Health reveals that the Asian-American/European-American difference in the parenting-school performance relationship is due largely to differential sample sizes. When we select a random sample of European-American students comparable to the sample size of Asian-American students, authoritarian parenting also shows no effect for European-American students. Furthermore, analysis of TEPS shows that authoritarian parenting is negatively associated with children's school achievement, while authoritative parenting is positively associated. This result for Taiwanese Chinese students is similar to previous results for European-American students in the US.

  4. The Genetic-Environmental Etiology of Parents' Perceptions and Self-Assessed Behaviours toward Their 5-Month-Old Infants in a Large Twin and Singleton Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boivin, Michel; Perusse, Daniel; Dionne, Ginette; Saysset, Valerie; Zoccolillo, Mark; Tarabulsy, George M.; Tremblay, Nathalie; Tremblay, Richard E.

    2005-01-01

    Background: Given the importance of parenting for the child's early socio-emotional development, parenting perceptions and behaviours, and their correlates, should be assessed as early as possible in the child's life. The goals of the present study were 1) to confirm, in two parallel population-based samples, including a large sample of twins, the…

  5. Observed and perceived parental overprotection in relation to psychosocial adjustment in preadolescents with a physical disability: the mediational role of behavioral autonomy.

    PubMed

    Holmbeck, Grayson N; Johnson, Sharon Z; Wills, Karen E; McKernon, Wendy; Rose, Brigid; Erklin, Shannon; Kemper, Therese

    2002-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to tes a mediational model of associations between parental overprotectiveness (OP), behavioral autonomy. and psychosocial adjustment in 68 families with 8- and 9-year-old preadolescents with spipa bifida and a demographically matched sample of 68 families with able-bodied children. Measures included questionnaire and observational assessments of parental OP; parent and child reports of behavioral autonomy; and parent, child, and teacher reports of preadolescent adjustment. On the basis of both questionnaire and observational measures of OP, mothers and fathers of children with spina bifida were significantly more overprotective than their counterparts in the able-bodied sample, although this group difference was partially mediated by children's cognitive ability. Across samples, mothers were more likely to be overprotective than fathers. Both questionnaire and observational measures of parental OP were associated with lower levels of preadolescent decision-making autonomy as well as with parents being less willing to grant autonomy to their offspring in the future. For the questionnaire measure of OP, and only for the spina bifida sample. the mediational model was supported such that parental OP was associated with less behavioral autonomy, which was, in turn, associated with more externalizing problems. Findings are discussed in relation to the literature on parenting, autonomy development, and pediatric psychology.

  6. Parent-Offspring Conflict Over Mating in Chinese Families: Comparisons With Greek Cypriot Families.

    PubMed

    Apostolou, Menelaos; Wang, Yan

    2018-01-01

    Parents and their children are genetically related but not genetically identical, a fact that leads to conflict between the two. One such domain of conflict is mate choice, where in-law and mate preferences diverge. The current research examined this divergence in preferences in the Chinese culture and how it varied across cultural contexts. More specifically, we have employed an online sample of 356 Chinese families, and we asked parents to rate the importance of several traits in a prospective spouse for their children and their children to rate the importance of the same traits in a prospective spouse for themselves. Comparisons of parents' and children's answers indicated a disagreement in several domains including good looks and family oriented. It was also found that there was more disagreement between parents and sons than between parents and daughters. Finally, the responses of Chinese parents and their children in the current study were compared with the responses of Greek Cypriot parents and their children from a previous study. It was found that, across several domains, there was more disagreement between parents and sons in the Chinese sample, while for the family oriented and the chastity, there was more parents-sons and parents-daughters disagreement in the Chinese sample. The implications of these findings were further examined.

  7. Callous-unemotional behavior and early-childhood onset of behavior problems: the role of parental harshness and warmth.

    PubMed

    Waller, Rebecca; Gardner, Frances; Shaw, Daniel S; Dishion, Thomas J; Wilson, Melvin N; Hyde, Luke W

    2015-01-01

    Youth with callous-unemotional (CU) behavior are at risk of developing more severe forms of aggressive and antisocial behavior. Previous cross-sectional studies suggest that associations between parenting and conduct problems are less strong when children or adolescents have high levels of CU behavior, implying lower malleability of behavior compared to low-CU children. The current study extends previous findings by examining the moderating role of CU behavior on associations between parenting and behavior problems in a very young sample, both concurrently and longitudinally, and using a variety of measurement methods. Data were collected from a multi-ethnic, high-risk sample at ages 2 to 4 (N = 364; 49% female). Parent-reported CU behavior was assessed at age 3 using a previously validated measure (Hyde et al., 2013 ). Parental harshness was coded from observations of parent-child interactions and parental warmth was coded from 5-min speech samples. In this large and young sample, CU behavior moderated cross-sectional correlations between parent-reported and observed warmth and child behavior problems. However, in cross-sectional and longitudinal models testing parental harshness, and longitudinal models testing warmth, there was no moderation by CU behavior. The findings are in line with recent literature suggesting parental warmth may be important to child behavior problems at high levels of CU behavior. In general, however, the results of this study contrast with much of the extant literature and suggest that in young children, affective aspects of parenting appear to be related to emerging behavior problems, regardless of the presence of early CU behavior.

  8. A Model of Parental Achievement-Oriented Psychological Control in Academically Gifted Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garn, Alex C.; Jolly, Jennifer L.

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated achievement-oriented parent socialization as it pertains to school avoidance in a sample of gifted students. A serial mediation model examining relationships among parental achievement-oriented psychological control (APC), fear of academic failure, academic amotivation, and school avoidance was tested. The sample included…

  9. Parental Knowledge is an Environmental Influence on Adolescent Externalizing

    PubMed Central

    Marceau, Kristine; Narusyte, Jurgita; Lichtenstein, Paul; Ganiban, Jody M.; Spotts, Erica L.; Reiss, David; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.

    2014-01-01

    Background There is evidence both that parental monitoring is an environmental influence serving to diminish adolescent externalizing problems and that this association may be driven by adolescents’ characteristics via genetic and/or environmental mechanisms, such that adolescents with fewer problems tell their parents more, and therefore appear to be better monitored. Without information on how parents’ and children’s genes and environments influence correlated parent and child behaviors, it is impossible to clarify the mechanisms underlying this association. Method The present study used the Extended Children of Twins model to distinguish types of gene-environment correlation and direct environmental effects underlying associations between parental knowledge and adolescent (age 11-22 years) externalizing behavior with a Swedish sample of 909 twin parents and their adolescent offspring and a US-based sample of 405 White adolescent siblings and their parents. Results Results suggest that more parental knowledge is associated with less adolescent externalizing via a direct environmental influence independent of any genetic influences. There was no evidence of a child-driven explanation of the association between parental knowledge and adolescent externalizing problems. Conclusions In this sample of adolescents, parental knowledge exerted an environmental influence on adolescent externalizing after accounting for genetic influences of parents and adolescents. Because the association between parenting and child development originates in the parent, treatment for adolescent externalizing must not only include parents but should focus on altering their parental style. Thus, findings suggest that teaching parents better knowledge-related monitoring strategies is likely to help reduce externalizing problems in adolescents. PMID:24975929

  10. When writing impairs reading: letter perception's susceptibility to motor interference.

    PubMed

    James, Karin H; Gauthier, Isabel

    2009-08-01

    The effect of writing on the concurrent visual perception of letters was investigated in a series of studies using an interference paradigm. Participants drew shapes and letters while simultaneously visually identifying letters and shapes embedded in noise. Experiments 1-3 demonstrated that letter perception, but not the perception of shapes, was affected by motor interference. This suggests a strong link between the perception of letters and the neural substrates engaged during writing. The overlap both in category (letter vs. shape) and in the perceptual similarity of the features (straight vs. curvy) of the seen and drawn items determined the amount of interference. Experiment 4 demonstrated that intentional production of letters is not necessary for the interference to occur, because passive movement of the hand in the shape of letters also interfered with letter perception. When passive movements were used, however, only the category of the drawn items (letters vs. shapes), but not the perceptual similarity, had an influence, suggesting that motor representations for letters may selectively influence visual perception of letters through proprioceptive feedback, with an additional influence of perceptual similarity that depends on motor programs.

  11. A Comparison of Three Online Recruitment Strategies for Engaging Parents

    PubMed Central

    Dworkin, Jodi; Hessel, Heather; Gliske, Kate; Rudi, Jessie H.

    2017-01-01

    Family scientists can face the challenge of effectively and efficiently recruiting normative samples of parents and families. Utilizing the Internet to recruit parents is a strategic way to find participants where they already are, enabling researchers to overcome many of the barriers to in-person recruitment. The present study was designed to compare three online recruitment strategies for recruiting parents: e-mail Listservs, Facebook, and Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Analyses revealed differences in the effectiveness and efficiency of data collection. In particular, MTurk resulted in the most demographically diverse sample, in a short period of time, with little cost. Listservs reached a large number of participants and resulted in a comparatively homogeneous sample. Facebook was not successful in recruiting a general sample of parents. Findings provide information that can help family researchers and practitioners be intentional about recruitment strategies and study design. PMID:28804184

  12. A Comparison of Three Online Recruitment Strategies for Engaging Parents.

    PubMed

    Dworkin, Jodi; Hessel, Heather; Gliske, Kate; Rudi, Jessie H

    2016-10-01

    Family scientists can face the challenge of effectively and efficiently recruiting normative samples of parents and families. Utilizing the Internet to recruit parents is a strategic way to find participants where they already are, enabling researchers to overcome many of the barriers to in-person recruitment. The present study was designed to compare three online recruitment strategies for recruiting parents: e-mail Listservs, Facebook, and Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Analyses revealed differences in the effectiveness and efficiency of data collection. In particular, MTurk resulted in the most demographically diverse sample, in a short period of time, with little cost. Listservs reached a large number of participants and resulted in a comparatively homogeneous sample. Facebook was not successful in recruiting a general sample of parents. Findings provide information that can help family researchers and practitioners be intentional about recruitment strategies and study design.

  13. Perceived Parental Functioning, Self-Esteem, and Psychological Distress in Adults Whose Parents are Separated/Divorced.

    PubMed

    Verrocchio, Maria C; Marchetti, Daniela; Fulcheri, Mario

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this research was to identify retrospectively the alienating behaviors and the parental bonding that occurred in an Italian sample of adults whose had parents separated or divorced and their associations with self-esteem and psychological distress. Four hundred seventy adults in Chieti, Italy, completed an anonymous and confidential survey regarding their childhood exposure to parental alienating behaviors (using the Baker Strategy Questionnaire), quality of the parent-child relationship (using Parental Bonding Instruments), self-esteem (using Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), and global psychological distress (using Global Severity Index of Symptom Checklist-90-Revised). About 80% of the sample reported some exposure to parental alienating behaviors; about 65-70% of the sample has perceived non-optimal parenting by mother and by father; individuals who experienced affectionless control (low care and high overprotection) reported significantly higher exposure to parental loyalty conflict behaviors. Overall rates of reported exposure to low care, and overprotection and parental loyalty conflict behaviors were statistically significantly associated with self-esteem as well as the measure of current psychological distress. RESULTS revealed that exposure to parental loyalty conflict behaviors and self-esteem were associated with psychological distress over and above the effects of parental bonding and age. The pattern of findings supports the theory that children exposed to dysfunctional parenting, and with low self-esteem are at risk for their long-term psychological functioning. Implications for health policy changes and strengthening social services are discussed.

  14. A Retrospective Analysis Comparing the New Standardized Letter of Recommendation in Dermatology with the Classic Narrative Letter of Recommendation

    PubMed Central

    Mosser, Joy; Lee, Grace; Pootrakul, Llana; Harfmann, Katya; Fabbro, Stephanie; Faith, Esteban Fernandez; Carr, David; Plotner, Alisha; Zirwas, Matthew; Kaffenberger, Benjamin H.

    2016-01-01

    Background: In an effort to avoid numerous problems associated with narrative letters of recommendation, a dermatology standardized letter of recommendation was utilized in the 2014–2015 resident application cycle. Objective: A comparison of the standardized letter of recommendation and narrative letters of recommendation from a single institution and application cycle to determine if the standardized letter of recommendation met its original goals of efficiency, applicant stratification, and validity. Methods: Eight dermatologists assessed all standardized letters of recommendation/narrative letters of recommendation pairs received during the 2014–2015 application cycle. Five readers repeated the analysis two months later. Each letter of recommendation was evaluated based on a seven question survey. Letter analysis and survey completion for each letter was timed. Results: Compared to the narrative letters of recommendation, the standardized letter of recommendation is easier to interpret (p<0.0001), has less exaggeration of applicants’ positive traits (p<0.001), and has higher inter-rater and intrarater reliability for determining applicant traits including personality, reliability, work-ethic, and global score. Standardized letters of recommendation are also faster to interpret (p<0.0001) and provide more information about the writer’s background or writer-applicant relationship than narrative letters of recommendation (p<0.001). Limitations: This study was completed at a single institution. Conclusions: The standardized letter of recommendation appears to be meeting its initial goals of 1) efficiency, 2) applicant stratification, and 3) validity. (J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2016;9(9):36–2.) PMID:27878060

  15. Idaho Driver Education Administrative Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Idaho State Dept. of Education, Boise.

    This guide provides information for school administrators and directors of commercial driver training schools about conducting driver education courses in Idaho. The first part of the guide, which applies to both public schools and commercial schools, covers the following areas: administration, sample letters and forms, instructional time…

  16. Six dimensional X-ray Tensor Tomography with a compact laboratory setup

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Y.; Wieczorek, M.; Schaff, F.; Seyyedi, S.; Prade, F.; Pfeiffer, F.; Lasser, T.

    2016-09-01

    Attenuation based X-ray micro computed tomography (XCT) provides three-dimensional images with micrometer resolution. However, there is a trade-off between the smallest size of the structures that can be resolved and the measurable sample size. In this letter, we present an imaging method using a compact laboratory setup that reveals information about micrometer-sized structures within samples that are several orders of magnitudes larger. We combine the anisotropic dark-field signal obtained in a grating interferometer and advanced tomographic reconstruction methods to reconstruct a six dimensional scattering tensor at every spatial location in three dimensions. The scattering tensor, thus obtained, encodes information about the orientation of micron-sized structures such as fibres in composite materials or dentinal tubules in human teeth. The sparse acquisition schemes presented in this letter enable the measurement of the full scattering tensor at every spatial location and can be easily incorporated in a practical, commercially feasible laboratory setup using conventional X-ray tubes, thus allowing for widespread industrial applications.

  17. Letter from Kirk Kessler, EPS to Galo Jackson, USEPA. Subject: Results of the July 2011 Sampling in the Former Brunswick-Altamaha Canal South of the LCP Chemicals Site, Brunswick, Ga, Revision Dated April 19, 2012

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Results report of sediment and fish tissue samples collected from the former Brunswick-Altamaha Canal, in a segment of the canal south of the LCP Chemicals Site in Brunswick, Georgia in July 2010. Region ID: 04 DocID: 10843428, DocDate: 04-19-2012

  18. Radon Sampling, Building 54, Nellis AFB, NV

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-07-13

    BEF) performed radon testing in response to a concern of elevated radon levels in Building 54. The building was previously remediated to reduce the... TESTING METHODOLOGY: a. Test Scenario: Building 54 was chosen to test for radon gas levels. Radon detectors were placed in the test ...Consultative Letter 3. DATES COVERED (From – To) 22-24 March 2012 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Radon Sampling, Building 54, Nellis AFB, NV 5a. CONTRACT

  19. Assessment of adolescents' motivation for educational attainment.

    PubMed

    Cham, Heining; Hughes, Jan N; West, Stephen G; Im, Myung Hee

    2014-06-01

    The Adolescent Motivation for Educational Attainment Questionnaire is a 32-item questionnaire (we drew 20 items from 3 subscales of the Educational Motivation Questionnaire; Murdock, 1999) that was developed to measure multiple potential dimensions of adolescents' motivation to complete high school and enroll in post-secondary education, including competence and effort beliefs; perceived value of education; and peer, teacher, and parent support for educational attainment. We assessed a multiethnic sample (N = 569) of low-achieving students who started 1st grade together in 1 urban and 2 small city school districts. Participants were assessed over 2 consecutive years (Grades 8 and 9 given prior grade retention, or Grades 9 and 10 if not retained). Exploratory factor analyses identified 4 correlated dimensions underlying the questionnaire responses. Subsequent confirmatory factor analyses provided support for a bifactor model, which includes a general factor of students' basic educational motivation, and specific factors of (a) teacher educational expectations, (b) peer aspirations, and (c) value of education. Measurement invariance of the bifactor model was established across students' gender and ethnicity (Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic) and year of testing. Criterion-related validity of the general and specific factors with students' school belonging, student-teacher warmth and conflict, disciplinary practices, letter grade, conduct problems, and behavioral engagement was examined. Practical implications of the measure are discussed.

  20. Challenges to recruitment and retention of African Americans in the gene-environment trial of response to dietary interventions (GET READI) for heart health

    PubMed Central

    Kennedy, Betty M.; Harsha, David W.; Bookman, Ebony B.; Hill, Yolanda R.; Rankinen, Tuomo; Rodarte, Ruben Q.; Murla, Connie D.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, challenges to recruiting African Americans specifically for a dietary feeding trial are examined, learning experiences gained and suggestions to overcome these challenges in future trials are discussed. A total of 333 individuals were randomized in the trial and 234 (167 sibling pairs and 67 parents/siblings) completed the dietary intervention and required DNA blood sampling for genetic analysis. The trial used multiple strategies for recruitment. Hand distributed letters and flyers through mass distribution at various churches resulted in the largest number (n = 153, 46%) of African Americans in the trial. Word of mouth accounted for the second largest number (n = 120, 36%) and included prior study participants. These two recruitment sources represented 82% (n = 273) of the total number of individuals randomized in GET READI. The remaining 18% (n = 60) consisted of a combination of sources including printed message on check stubs, newspaper articles, radio and TV appearances, screening events and presentations. Though challenging, the recruitment efforts for GET READI produced a significant number of African American participants despite the inability to complete the trial as planned because of low recruitment yields. Nevertheless, the recruitment process produced substantial numbers that successfully completed all study requirements. PMID:21865154

  1. Assessment of Adolescents’ Motivation for Educational Attainment

    PubMed Central

    Cham, Heining; Hughes, Jan N.; West, Stephen G.; Im, Myung Hee

    2015-01-01

    The Adolescent Motivation for Educational Attainment Questionnaire is a 32-item questionnaire (we drew 20 items from 3 subscales of the Educational Motivation Questionnaire; Murdock, 1999) that was developed to measure multiple potential dimensions of adolescents’ motivation to complete high school and enroll in post-secondary education, including competence and effort beliefs; perceived value of education; and peer, teacher, and parent support for educational attainment. We assessed a multiethnic sample (N = 569) of low-achieving students who started 1st grade together in 1 urban and 2 small city school districts. Participants were assessed over 2 consecutive years (Grades 8 and 9 given prior grade retention, or Grades 9 and 10 if not retained). Exploratory factor analyses identified 4 correlated dimensions underlying the questionnaire responses. Subsequent confirmatory factor analyses provided support for a bifactor model, which includes a general factor of students’ basic educational motivation, and specific factors of (a) teacher educational expectations, (b) peer aspirations, and (c) value of education. Measurement invariance of the bifactor model was established across students’ gender and ethnicity (Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic) and year of testing. Criterion-related validity of the general and specific factors with students’ school belonging, student–teacher warmth and conflict, disciplinary practices, letter grade, conduct problems, and behavioral engagement was examined. Practical implications of the measure are discussed. PMID:24588748

  2. Developing the Alphabetic Principle to Aid Text-Based Augmentative and Alternative Communication Use by Adults With Low Speech Intelligibility and Intellectual Disabilities

    PubMed Central

    Schmidt-Naylor, Anna C.; Brady, Nancy C.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose We explored alphabet supplementation as an augmentative and alternative communication strategy for adults with minimal literacy. Study 1's goal was to teach onset-letter selection with spoken words and assess generalization to untaught words, demonstrating the alphabetic principle. Study 2 incorporated alphabet supplementation within a naming task and then assessed effects on speech intelligibility. Method Three men with intellectual disabilities (ID) and low speech intelligibility participated. Study 1 used a multiple-probe design, across three 20-word sets, to show that our computer-based training improved onset-letter selection. We also probed generalization to untrained words. Study 2 taught onset-letter selection for 30 new words chosen for functionality. Five listeners transcribed speech samples of the 30 words in 2 conditions: speech only and speech with alphabet supplementation. Results Across studies 1 and 2, participants demonstrated onset-letter selection for at least 90 words. Study 1 showed evidence of the alphabetic principle for some but not all word sets. In study 2, participants readily used alphabet supplementation, enabling listeners to understand twice as many words. Conclusions This is the first demonstration of alphabet supplementation in individuals with ID and minimal literacy. The large number of words learned holds promise both for improving communication and providing a foundation for improved literacy. PMID:28474087

  3. Obstacle Avoidance, Visual Detection Performance, and Eye-Scanning Behavior of Glaucoma Patients in a Driving Simulator: A Preliminary Study

    PubMed Central

    Prado Vega, Rocío; van Leeuwen, Peter M.; Rendón Vélez, Elizabeth; Lemij, Hans G.; de Winter, Joost C. F.

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate differences in driving performance, visual detection performance, and eye-scanning behavior between glaucoma patients and control participants without glaucoma. Glaucoma patients (n = 23) and control participants (n = 12) completed four 5-min driving sessions in a simulator. The participants were instructed to maintain the car in the right lane of a two-lane highway while their speed was automatically maintained at 100 km/h. Additional tasks per session were: Session 1: none, Session 2: verbalization of projected letters, Session 3: avoidance of static obstacles, and Session 4: combined letter verbalization and avoidance of static obstacles. Eye-scanning behavior was recorded with an eye-tracker. Results showed no statistically significant differences between patients and control participants for lane keeping, obstacle avoidance, and eye-scanning behavior. Steering activity, number of missed letters, and letter reaction time were significantly higher for glaucoma patients than for control participants. In conclusion, glaucoma patients were able to avoid objects and maintain a nominal lane keeping performance, but applied more steering input than control participants, and were more likely than control participants to miss peripherally projected stimuli. The eye-tracking results suggest that glaucoma patients did not use extra visual search to compensate for their visual field loss. Limitations of the study, such as small sample size, are discussed. PMID:24146975

  4. Skylign: a tool for creating informative, interactive logos representing sequence alignments and profile hidden Markov models

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Logos are commonly used in molecular biology to provide a compact graphical representation of the conservation pattern of a set of sequences. They render the information contained in sequence alignments or profile hidden Markov models by drawing a stack of letters for each position, where the height of the stack corresponds to the conservation at that position, and the height of each letter within a stack depends on the frequency of that letter at that position. Results We present a new tool and web server, called Skylign, which provides a unified framework for creating logos for both sequence alignments and profile hidden Markov models. In addition to static image files, Skylign creates a novel interactive logo plot for inclusion in web pages. These interactive logos enable scrolling, zooming, and inspection of underlying values. Skylign can avoid sampling bias in sequence alignments by down-weighting redundant sequences and by combining observed counts with informed priors. It also simplifies the representation of gap parameters, and can optionally scale letter heights based on alternate calculations of the conservation of a position. Conclusion Skylign is available as a website, a scriptable web service with a RESTful interface, and as a software package for download. Skylign’s interactive logos are easily incorporated into a web page with just a few lines of HTML markup. Skylign may be found at http://skylign.org. PMID:24410852

  5. Parent-Child Communication and Parental Involvement in Latino Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, Tatiana M.; Cardemil, Esteban V.

    2009-01-01

    This study examines the associations among parent-child relationship characteristics, acculturation and enculturation, and child externalizing symptoms in a sample of 40 Latino parent-adolescent dyads. Specifically, the associations between parent-child relationship characteristics (i.e., communication and parental involvement) and adolescents'…

  6. Probability effects on stimulus evaluation and response processes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gehring, W. J.; Gratton, G.; Coles, M. G.; Donchin, E.

    1992-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of probability information on response preparation and stimulus evaluation. Eight subjects responded with one hand to the target letter H and with the other to the target letter S. The target letter was surrounded by noise letters that were either the same as or different from the target letter. In 2 conditions, the targets were preceded by a warning stimulus unrelated to the target letter. In 2 other conditions, a warning letter predicted that the same letter or the opposite letter would appear as the imperative stimulus with .80 probability. Correct reaction times were faster and error rates were lower when imperative stimuli confirmed the predictions of the warning stimulus. Probability information affected (a) the preparation of motor responses during the foreperiod, (b) the development of expectancies for a particular target letter, and (c) a process sensitive to the identities of letter stimuli but not to their locations.

  7. Parenting stress and child behavior problems among clinic-referred youth: cross-cultural differences across the US and Korea.

    PubMed

    Chung, Kyong-Mee; Ebesutani, Chad; Bang, Hye Min; Kim, Joohee; Chorpita, Bruce F; Weisz, John R; Suh, Dongsoo; Byun, Heejung

    2013-06-01

    Due to increased multiculturalism in the US and abroad, there is a need for increased understanding of the different ways in which parenting stress is related to child problems across cultures. In the present study, we investigated (a) differences in reported parenting stress and childhood problem behaviors across a Korean (n = 71) and US (n = 71) sample, as well as (b) differences in the ways in which parenting stress and childhood problems were related across Korean and US children based on mothers' reports. Results revealed that Korean mothers reported significantly higher parenting stress yet significantly lower childhood problem behaviors compared to US mothers. In addition, mother-based reports of child problems were significantly associated with parenting stress in the US sample, but not in the Korean sample. Clinical implications and culturally-relevant issues relevant to these findings are addressed, including a potential under-reporting bias of child problems among Asian parents.

  8. Health-related quality of life among Swedish children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: parent-child discrepancies, gender differences and comparison with a European cohort.

    PubMed

    Lundberg, Veronica; Eriksson, Catharina

    2017-04-12

    This study investigates gender differences in self-reports and between parent and child reports in Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL), measured with disease-specific and generic instruments for chronic disease. Comparison of HRQOL results in this Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) sample to a European cohort of children with JIA and one of children with other health conditions are also made. Fifty-three children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), aged 8-18 years, and their parents completed the condition-specific DISABKIDS for JIA, and the DISABKIDS generic instrument for chronic conditions (DCGM-37) in a cross-sectional study. European reference data were used for comparison of child and parental reports. Child self-reports in DCGM-37 and DISABKIDS for JIA showed no gender differences. Parental and child reports of the child's HRQOL differed only in DCGM-37; this was among girls who scored their independence (p = 0.03), physical limitation (p = 0.01), social exclusion (p = 0.03), emotions (p <0.01), and general transformed score (p <0.01) higher than did their parents. Our sample of children with JIA reported more physical limitation compared to samples of European children with JIA (p = 0.01), European children with chronic conditions (p < 0.01), and their parents (p = 0.01 and p < 0.01). The Swedish children reported more problem with understanding compared to the European JIA sample (p = 0.03). Swedish parents perceived their children's independence significantly lower than did the European parents of JIA children (p < 0.01), as well as European parents of children with chronic conditions (p = 0.03). The Swedish parents also perceived their children to have significantly lower social inclusion (p < 0.05) and general transformed score (p = 0.04), in comparison to European parents of children with chronic conditions. Parent-child differences in assessment of quality of life depend on the HRQOL instrument used, especially among girls. In comparison to European cohorts, our sample of children with JIA experienced more physical limitations and less understanding.

  9. Internet Exposure Associated With Canadian Parents' Perception of Risk on Childhood Immunization: Cross-Sectional Study.

    PubMed

    Tustin, Jordan Lee; Crowcroft, Natasha Sarah; Gesink, Dionne; Johnson, Ian; Keelan, Jennifer

    2018-01-19

    There is a large presence of provaccination and antivaccination content on the Internet. The Internet has been identified as an important source for parents to seek and share vaccine information. There are concerns that parental fears or hesitancy on childhood immunizations are increasing due to the popularity of social media and exposure to online antivaccination sentiment. No other studies have investigated the association between seeking vaccine information online and Canadian parents' perception of risk on childhood immunization. We aimed to investigate the potential association between seeking vaccine information on the Internet and Canadian parents' perception of risk on childhood immunization in order to quantify the perceived association and increase our understanding on the impact of the Internet to help guide public health interventions. We analyzed this association in two population samples: a self-selecting Web-based sample of Canadian parents recruited through Facebook (n=966) and a population-based sample of parents recruited by random digit dialing (RDD; n=951). The outcome was parental perception of vaccine safety on a seven-point ordinal scale from "not safe" to "extremely safe." An ordinal regression model was used to investigate if Internet information seeking on childhood vaccination predicted parental perception of vaccine safety. After adjusting for income level, Internet reliability, age of parent, and region, the odds of perceiving vaccines as less safe rather than more safe were 1.6 times higher (95% CI 1.3-2.1) for parents who used the Internet to search for vaccination information compared to parents who did not search the Internet in the Web-based sample, and 2.0 times higher (95% CI 1.6-2.5) in the population-based RDD sample. The results suggest the Internet is significantly associated with Canadian parents' negative perception of vaccine risk. Governmental and scientific sectors should consider the development and implementation of Web-based vaccine interventions to promote confidence in immunization. ©Jordan Lee Tustin, Natasha Sarah Crowcroft, Dionne Gesink, Ian Johnson, Jennifer Keelan. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 19.01.2018.

  10. Tobacco use among adolescents. Strategies for prevention.

    PubMed

    Epps, R P; Manley, M W; Glynn, T J

    1995-04-01

    Tobacco use is a major public health problem that has its onset during childhood and adolescence. To prevent the onset, physicians can reach children and their parents in their offices beginning in the prenatal period and continuing through adulthood. For pediatricians and other physicians who care for children, NCI recommends five office-based activities that begin with the letter A. The 5 As include anticipatory guidance, ask, advise, assist, and arrange follow-up visits. Elimination of tobacco use requires a comprehensive strategy that includes health professional interventions, policy changes, advertising restrictions, comprehensive school-based programs, community activities, and advocacy approaches. Physicians and health professionals have major roles to play in each of these interventions.

  11. Recruiting Ethnically Diverse General Internal Medicine Patients for a Telephone Survey on Physician-Patient Communication

    PubMed Central

    Nápoles-Springer, Anna M; Santoyo, Jasmine; Stewart, Anita L

    2005-01-01

    BACKGROUND Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of recruitment methods among diverse populations. OBKECTIVE Describe response rates by recruitment stage, ethnic-language group, and type of initial contact letter (for African-American and Latino patients). DESIGN Tracking of response status by recruitment stage and ethnic-language group and a randomized trial of ethnically tailored initial letters nested within a cross-sectional telephone survey on physician-patient communication. PARTICIPANTS Adult general medicine patients with ≥1 visit during the preceding year, stratified by 4 categories: African-American (N= 1,400), English-speaking Latino (N= 894), Spanish-speaking Latino (N= 965), and non-Latino white (N= 1,400). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Ethnically tailored initial letters referred to shortages of African-American (or Latino) physicians and the need to learn about the experiences of African-American (or Latino) patients communicating with physicians. Of 2,482 patients contacted, eligible, and able to participate (identified eligibles), 69.9% completed the survey. Thirty-nine percent of the sampling frame was unable to be contacted, with losses higher among non-Latino whites (46.5%) and African Americans (44.2%) than among English-speaking (32.3%) and Spanish-speaking Latinos (25.1%). For identified eligibles, response rates were highest among Spanish-speaking Latinos (75.2%), lowest for non-Latino whites (66.4%), and intermediate for African Americans (69.7%) and English-speaking Latinos (68.1%). There were no differences in overall response rates between patients receiving ethnically tailored letters (72.2%) and those receiving general letters (70.0%). CONCLUSIONS Household contact and individual response rates differed by ethnic-language group, highlighting the importance of tracking losses by stage and subpopulation. Careful attention to recruitment yielded acceptable response rates among all groups. PMID:15963168

  12. Personally addressed hand-signed letters increase questionnaire response: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

    PubMed Central

    Scott, Pippa; Edwards, Phil

    2006-01-01

    Background Postal questionnaires are commonly used to collect data for health studies, but non-response reduces study sample sizes and can introduce bias. Finding ways to increase the proportion of questionnaires returned would improve research quality. We sought to quantify the effect on response when researchers address participants personally by name on letters that accompany questionnaires. Methods All randomised controlled trials in a published systematic review that evaluated the effect on response of including participants' names on letters that accompany questionnaires were included. Odds ratios for response were pooled in a random effects meta-analysis and evidence for changes in effects over time was assessed using random effects meta-regression. Results Fourteen randomised controlled trials were included covering a wide range of topics. Most topics were unrelated to health or social care. The odds of response when including participants' names on letters were increased by one-fifth (pooled OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.34; p = 0.015). When participants' names and hand-written signatures were used in combination, the effect was a more substantial increase in response (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.66; p < 0.001), corresponding to an absolute increase in the proportion of questionnaires returned of between 4% and 10%, depending on the baseline response rate. There was no evidence that the magnitude of these effects had declined over time. Conclusion This meta-analysis of the best available evidence indicates that researchers using postal questionnaires can increase response by addressing participants by name on cover letters. The effect appears to be enhanced by including hand-written signatures. PMID:16953871

  13. A randomized trial to evaluate the use of text messaging, letter and telephone call reminders to improve return of blood donors with reactive serologic tests

    PubMed Central

    Porto-Ferreira, Francisco Augusto; de Almeida-Neto, Cesar; Murphy, Edward L.; de Camargo Montebello, Sandra; Nogueira, Fátima Aparecida Hangai; Koga da Silva, Edina Mariko; MacFarland, William; Custer, Brian

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Low return rates for notification and counseling among donors with reactive serologic screening tests have been reported worldwide. A randomized trial to test the effectiveness of text message, letter or telephone call reminders to improve return among non-responding first-time blood donors with reactive serologic tests was conducted. Methods Donors with serologically reactive screening test results who had a cell phone and resided in the metropolitan telephone area code of São Paulo in the period from August 2013 through July 2014 were eligible. A consecutive sample of first-time donors with reactive screening tests who had not responded to a standard letter requesting the donor return to the blood center were randomly assigned to receive a text, a new letter or a telephone call requesting return for notification and counseling. Return rates were measured over the subsequent 30 days. Results Return following a phone call reminder was better than a text message (39.8% vs. 28.4%; OR=1.66; 95%CI 1.05–2.64) but not better than a letter (39.8% vs. 34.4%; OR=1.32; 95%CI 0.83–2.12). Older age was a predictor of higher rate of return with each year increase in age associated with a 2% increase in the odds of return (OR=1.02; 95%CI 1.01–1.04). Conclusion In non-responding serologic reactive donors, telephone call led to a higher return rate than text message. The results of this study suggest that use of text messages, while attractive for its simplicity, will not lead to increased donor notification success following serologically reactive marker results from blood donation in Brazil. PMID:27774609

  14. Children with autism show specific handwriting impairments

    PubMed Central

    Fuentes, Christina T.; Mostofsky, Stewart H.; Bastian, Amy J.

    2009-01-01

    Background: Handwriting skills, which are crucial for success in school, communication, and building children’s self-esteem, have been observed to be poor in individuals with autism. Little information exists on the handwriting of children with autism, without delineation of specific features that can contribute to impairments. As a result, the specific aspects of handwriting in which individuals with autism demonstrate difficulty remain unknown. Methods: A case-control study of handwriting samples from children with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was performed using the Minnesota Handwriting Assessment. Samples were scored on an individual letter basis in 5 categories: legibility, form, alignment, size, and spacing. Subjects were also tested on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–IV and the Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle (Motor) Signs. Results: We found that children with ASD do indeed show overall worse performance on a handwriting task than do age- and intelligence-matched controls. More specifically, children with ASD show worse quality of forming letters but do not show differences in their ability to correctly size, align, and space their letters. Within the ASD group, motor skills were significantly predictive of handwriting performance, whereas age, gender, IQ, and visuospatial abilities were not. Conclusions: We addressed how different elements of handwriting contribute to impairments observed in children with autism. Our results suggest that training targeting letter formation, in combination with general training of fine motor control, may be the best direction for improving handwriting performance in children with autism. GLOSSARY ADI-R = Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised; ADOS-G = Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule–Generic; ASD = autism spectrum disorders; DICA-IV = Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, 4th edition; DSM-IV = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition; FSIQ = full-scale IQ; PANESS = Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle (Motor) Signs; PRI = Perceptual Reasoning Indices; WISC-IV = Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–IV. PMID:19901244

  15. The Authoritative Parenting Index: predicting health risk behaviors among children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Jackson, C; Henriksen, L; Foshee, V A

    1998-06-01

    Public health research demonstrates increasing interest in mobilizing parental influence to prevent health risk behaviors among children and adolescents. This research focuses on authoritative parenting, which previous studies suggest can prevent health risk behaviors among youth. To evaluate the reliability and validity of a new survey measure of authoritative parenting, data from studies of (1) substance use in a sample of 1,236 fourth- and sixth-grade students; (2) weapon carrying and interpersonal violence in a sample of 1,490 ninth- and tenth-grade students, and (3) anger, alienation, and conflict resolution in a sample of 224 seventh- and eighth-grade students were analyzed. The Authoritative Parenting Index had a factor structure consistent with a theoretical model of the construct; had acceptable reliability; showed grade, sex, and ethnic differences consistent with other studies; and identified parenting types that varied as hypothesized with multiple indicators of social competence and health risk behaviors among children and adolescents.

  16. The interaction of birth order and parental age on sexual orientation: an examination in two samples.

    PubMed

    Bogaert, Anthony F; Cairney, John

    2004-01-01

    A birth order and sexual orientation relationship has been demonstrated numerous times in men, but a related variable, parental age (i.e. age of parents when the participant was born), has been less studied and has demonstrated contradictory results. In this research, the relations among birth order, parental age and sexual orientation were examined in a national probability sample of the US (Kessler, 1994; Kessler et al., 1994) and in a Canadian sample of homosexual and heterosexual men closely matched on demographic characteristics (Blanchard & Bogaert, 1996a). In both studies, an interaction between birth order and parental age was observed in men, such that there was positive association between number of older siblings and the likelihood of homosexuality, but this association weakened with increasing parental age. No significant effects were observed for women. The results are discussed in relation to recent theories of the birth order/sexual orientation relationship.

  17. Anxiety and depressive symptoms related to parenthood in a large Norwegian community sample: the HUNT2 study.

    PubMed

    Rimehaug, Tormod; Wallander, Jan

    2010-07-01

    The study compared anxiety and depression prevalence between parents and non-parents in a society with family- and parenthood-friendly social politics, controlling for family status and family history, age, gender, education and social class. All participants aged 30-49 (N = 24,040) in the large, non-sampled Norwegian HUNT2 community health study completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales. The slightly elevated anxiety and depression among non-parents compared to parents in the complete sample was not confirmed as statistically significant within any subgroups. Married parents and (previously unmarried) cohabiting parents did not differ in portraying low anxiety and depression prevalence. Anxiety was associated with single parenthood, living alone or being divorced, while elevated depression was found only among those living alone. Burdening selection and cultural/political context are suggested as interpretative perspectives on the contextual and personal influences on the complex relationship between parenthood and mental health.

  18. The relationship between parental fatigue, parenting self-efficacy and behaviour: implications for supporting parents in the early parenting period.

    PubMed

    Chau, V; Giallo, R

    2015-07-01

    Emerging evidence indicates that parental fatigue is associated with low warmth and increased hostility in parent-child interactions. One possible pathway by which fatigue may impact on parenting behaviour is via parental self-efficacy (PSE), whereby high fatigue may undermine PSE, which is often associated with suboptimal parenting behaviour. The current study sought to explore a model of the relationships between parental fatigue, parenting warmth and hostility, where PSE mediates these relationships and whether the nature of these relationships differ by social or family context. The current sample was drawn from a larger Australian community sample survey on parent well-being and parenting. It consisted of 1143 parents (mothers, n = 1003; fathers, n = 140) of children aged 0-4 years. Path analysis revealed that the relationship between fatigue and parenting warmth and hostility was fully mediated by PSE. These results indicate that fatigue has the potential to negatively influence parenting behaviours that are important for their children's well-being and development, and that fatigue plays a mediating role in this relationship. Implications of the study for psycho-education and interventions targeting the management of parental fatigue are discussed. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Maternal Health Status and Parenting Stress in Low-Income, Ethnic-Minority Mothers of Children with Conduct Disorder Problems: the Role of Daily Parenting Hassles.

    PubMed

    BeLue, Rhonda; Halgunseth, Linda C; Abiero, Beatrice; Bediako, Phylicia

    2015-12-01

    Minimal attention has been given to understanding parenting stress among low-income, ethnically diverse mothers of children with conduct problems. Maternal health and parenting hassles may serve as important risk factors for parenting stress. This study examined whether parenting hassles mediated the relations between maternal physical and mental health and parenting stress in a sample of low-income, ethnically diverse mothers of children with behavioral problems. The sample included 177 low-income black, Latina, and white mothers of kindergartners with behavior problems. Path analysis was employed to assess the associations between maternal mental and physical health and parenting stress, as well as the moderating role of parenting hassles in this cross-sectional study. After adjusting for covariates, we found that parenting hassles mediated the relationship between social support and parenting stress as well as maternal health and parenting stress. Findings suggest that promoting coping resources for daily parenting hassles and supporting the physical and mental health of minority mothers may have important implications for parenting children with high behavior problems.

  20. Perceived Parental Functioning, Self-Esteem, and Psychological Distress in Adults Whose Parents are Separated/Divorced

    PubMed Central

    Verrocchio, Maria C.; Marchetti, Daniela; Fulcheri, Mario

    2015-01-01

    Objective: The objective of this research was to identify retrospectively the alienating behaviors and the parental bonding that occurred in an Italian sample of adults whose had parents separated or divorced and their associations with self-esteem and psychological distress. Methods: Four hundred seventy adults in Chieti, Italy, completed an anonymous and confidential survey regarding their childhood exposure to parental alienating behaviors (using the Baker Strategy Questionnaire), quality of the parent–child relationship (using Parental Bonding Instruments), self-esteem (using Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), and global psychological distress (using Global Severity Index of Symptom Checklist-90-Revised). Results: About 80% of the sample reported some exposure to parental alienating behaviors; about 65–70% of the sample has perceived non-optimal parenting by mother and by father; individuals who experienced affectionless control (low care and high overprotection) reported significantly higher exposure to parental loyalty conflict behaviors. Overall rates of reported exposure to low care, and overprotection and parental loyalty conflict behaviors were statistically significantly associated with self-esteem as well as the measure of current psychological distress. Results revealed that exposure to parental loyalty conflict behaviors and self-esteem were associated with psychological distress over and above the effects of parental bonding and age. Conclusion: The pattern of findings supports the theory that children exposed to dysfunctional parenting, and with low self-esteem are at risk for their long-term psychological functioning. Implications for health policy changes and strengthening social services are discussed. PMID:26635670

  1. Parent Physical Punishment and Child Aggression in a Singapore Chinese Preschool Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ngee Sim, Tick; Ping Ong, Lue

    2005-01-01

    We examine how parental physical punishment (caning and slapping) and child aggression are related, and possible moderation by authoritative control and rejection. A sample of 286 Singapore Chinese preschoolers ages 4-6 reported on rejection; their parents reported on control, caning, and slapping; and their teachers rated child aggression.…

  2. Perceptions of Parenting Practices as Predictors of Aggression in a Low-Income, Urban, Predominately African American Middle School Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murray, Kantahyanee W.; Haynie, Denise L.; Howard, Donna E.; Cheng, Tina L.; Simons-Morton, Bruce

    2010-01-01

    This research examined the relation between early adolescent aggression and parenting practices in an urban, predominately African American sample. Sixth graders (N = 209) completed questionnaires about their overt and relational aggressive behaviors and perceptions of caregivers' parenting practices. Findings indicated that moderate levels of…

  3. Validating the use of the evaluation tool of children's handwriting-manuscript to identify handwriting difficulties and detect change in school-age children.

    PubMed

    Brossard-Racine, Marie; Mazer, Barbara; Julien, Marilyse; Majnemer, Annette

    2012-01-01

    In this study we sought to validate the discriminant ability of the Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting-Manuscript in identifying children in Grades 2-3 with handwriting difficulties and to determine the percentage of change in handwriting scores that is consistently detected by occupational therapists. Thirty-four therapists judged and compared 35 pairs of handwriting samples. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to determine (1) the optimal cutoff values for word and letter legibility scores that identify children with handwriting difficulties who should be seen in rehabilitation and (2) the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in handwriting scores. Cutoff scores of 75.0% for total word legibility and 76.0% for total letter legibility were found to provide excellent levels of accuracy. A difference of 10.0%-12.5% for total word legibility and 6.0%-7.0% for total letter legibility were found as the MCID. Study findings enable therapists to quantitatively support clinical judgment when evaluating handwriting. Copyright © 2012 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

  4. Statistical characterization of handwriting characteristics using automated tools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ball, Gregory R.; Srihari, Sargur N.

    2011-01-01

    We provide a statistical basis for reporting the results of handwriting examination by questioned document (QD) examiners. As a facet of Questioned Document (QD) examination, the analysis and reporting of handwriting examination suffers from the lack of statistical data concerning the frequency of occurrence of combinations of particular handwriting characteristics. QD examiners tend to assign probative values to specific handwriting characteristics and their combinations based entirely on the examiner's experience and power of recall. The research uses data bases of handwriting samples that are representative of the US population. Feature lists of characteristics provided by QD examiners, are used to determine as to what frequencies need to be evaluated. Algorithms are used to automatically extract those characteristics, e.g., a software tool for extracting most of the characteristics from the most common letter pair th, is functional. For each letter combination the marginal and conditional frequencies of their characteristics are evaluated. Based on statistical dependencies of the characteristics the probability of any given letter formation is computed. The resulting algorithms are incorporated into a system for writer verification known as CEDAR-FOX.

  5. Parental Social Support as a Moderator of Self-Medication in Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Reimuller, Alison; Shadur, Julia; Hussong, Andrea M.

    2010-01-01

    Objective We examined the moderating effects of parenting on the temporal relationship between negative affect and subsequent alcohol use in adolescents as an indicator of self-medication. Specifically, we tested whether youth are more likely to self-medicate if they receive less parental social support. Method We used a multi-method, multi-reporter strategy and an experience sampling paradigm to examine these mechanisms in an elevated risk sample preparing for the transition to high school. Seventy-one adolescents and their parents completed home-based interviews and adolescents completed a 21-day experience sampling protocol in which they reported their alcohol use daily and their affect thrice daily. Results Parent-reported family communication, though no other parental support indicators, moderated the relation between daily negative affect and alcohol use. Plotting of interactions showed a greater likelihood of drinking on days characterized by greater negative affect only in adolescents with higher levels of parent-reported family communication. Conclusions This study offers tentative support for parental support as a moderator of the relation between daily negative affect and alcohol use. Parental support may be a response to alcohol use and self-medication in teens such that parents become more involved and open in talking with their teens when they notice these patterns of behavior. PMID:21146938

  6. The accuracy of parent-reported height and weight for 6-12 year old U.S. children.

    PubMed

    Wright, Davene R; Glanz, Karen; Colburn, Trina; Robson, Shannon M; Saelens, Brian E

    2018-02-12

    Previous studies have examined correlations between BMI calculated using parent-reported and directly-measured child height and weight. The objective of this study was to validate correction factors for parent-reported child measurements. Concordance between parent-reported and investigator measured child height, weight, and BMI (kg/m 2 ) among participants in the Neighborhood Impact on Kids Study (n = 616) was examined using the Lin coefficient, where a value of ±1.0 indicates perfect concordance and a value of zero denotes non-concordance. A correction model for parent-reported height, weight, and BMI based on commonly collected demographic information was developed using 75% of the sample. This model was used to estimate corrected measures for the remaining 25% of the sample and measured concordance between correct parent-reported and investigator-measured values. Accuracy of corrected values in classifying children as overweight/obese was assessed by sensitivity and specificity. Concordance between parent-reported and measured height, weight and BMI was low (0.007, - 0.039, and - 0.005 respectively). Concordance in the corrected test samples improved to 0.752 for height, 0.616 for weight, and 0.227 for BMI. Sensitivity of corrected parent-reported measures for predicting overweight and obesity among children in the test sample decreased from 42.8 to 25.6% while specificity improved from 79.5 to 88.6%. Correction factors improved concordance for height and weight but did not improve the sensitivity of parent-reported measures for measuring child overweight and obesity. Future research should be conducted using larger and more nationally-representative samples that allow researchers to fully explore demographic variance in correction coefficients.

  7. Global/local processing style: Explaining the relationship between trait anxiety and binge eating.

    PubMed

    Becker, Kendra R; Plessow, Franziska; Coniglio, Kathryn A; Tabri, Nassim; Franko, Debra L; Zayas, Lazaro V; Germine, Laura; Thomas, Jennifer J; Eddy, Kamryn T

    2017-11-01

    Anxiety is a risk factor for disordered eating, but the mechanisms by which anxiety promotes disordered eating are poorly understood. One possibility is local versus global cognitive processing style, defined as a relative tendency to attend to details at the expense of the "big picture." Anxiety may narrow attention, in turn, enhancing local and/or compromising global processing. We examined relationships between global/local processing style, anxiety, and disordered eating behaviors in a transdiagnostic outpatient clinical sample. We hypothesized that local (vs. global) processing bias would mediate the relationship between anxiety and disordered eating behaviors. Ninety-three participants completed the eating disorder examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)-trait subscale, and the Navon task (a test of processing style in which large letters are composed of smaller letters both congruent and incongruent with the large letter). The sample was predominantly female (95%) with a mean age of 27.4 years (SD = 12.1 years). Binge eating, but not fasting, purging, or excessive exercise, was correlated with lower levels of global processing style. There was a significant indirect effect between anxiety and binge eating via reduced global level global/local processing. In individuals with disordered eating, being more generally anxious may encourage a detailed-oriented bias, preventing individuals from maintaining the bigger picture and making them more likely to engage in maladaptive behaviors (e.g., binge eating). © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Global/local processing style: Explaining the relationship between trait anxiety and binge eating

    PubMed Central

    Becker, Kendra R.; Plessow, Franziska; Coniglio, Kathryn A.; Tabri, Nassim; Franko, Debra L; Zayas, Lazaro V.; Germine, Laura; Thomas, Jennifer J.; Eddy, Kamryn T.

    2018-01-01

    Objective Anxiety is a risk factor for disordered eating, but the mechanisms by which anxiety promotes disordered eating are poorly understood. One possibility is local versus global cognitive processing style, defined as a relative tendency to attend to details at the expense of the “big picture.” Anxiety may narrow attention, in turn, enhancing local and/or compromising global processing. We examined relationships between global/local processing style, anxiety, and disordered eating behaviors in a transdiagnostic outpatient clinical sample. We hypothesized that local (vs. global) processing bias would mediate the relationship between anxiety and disordered eating behaviors. Method Ninety-three participants completed the eating disorder examination—questionnaire (EDE-Q), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)—trait subscale, and the Navon task (a test of processing style in which large letters are composed of smaller letters both congruent and incongruent with the large letter). The sample was predominantly female (95%) with a mean age of 27.4 years (SD = 12.1 years). Results Binge eating, but not fasting, purging, or excessive exercise, was correlated with lower levels of global processing style. There was a significant indirect effect between anxiety and binge eating via reduced global level global/local processing. Discussion In individuals with disordered eating, being more generally anxious may encourage a detailed-oriented bias, preventing individuals from maintaining the bigger picture and making them more likely to engage in maladaptive behaviors (e.g., binge eating). PMID:28963792

  9. 75 FR 3263 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing of Amendment Nos. 2...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-20

    ..., Director of Operations, Lime Brokerage LLC, dated February 17, 2009 (``Lime I Letter''); Manisha Kimmel... Officer, Lime Brokerage LLC, dated June 30, 2009 (``Lime II Letter''); and letter to David S. Shillman... Letter, and Penson Letter. \\21\\ See Lime I Letter. [[Page 3266

  10. An Attempt to Simulate Letter-by-Letter Dyslexia in Normal Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fiset, Stephanie; Arguin, Martin; Fiset, Daniel

    2006-01-01

    We attempted to simulate the main features of letter-by-letter (LBL) dyslexia in normal readers through stimulus degradation (i.e. contrast reduction and removal of high spatial frequencies). The results showed the word length and the letter confusability effects characteristic of LBL dyslexia. However, the interaction of letter confusability and…

  11. What Do Letter Migration Errors Reveal About Letter Position Coding in Visual Word Recognition?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Colin J.; Bowers, Jeffrey S.

    2004-01-01

    Dividing attention across multiple words occasionally results in misidentifications whereby letters apparently migrate between words. Previous studies have found that letter migrations preserve within-word letter position, which has been interpreted as support for position-specific letter coding. To investigate this issue, the authors used word…

  12. Teaching Complaint and Adjustment Letters--And Tact (My Favorite Assignment).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deimling, Paula

    1992-01-01

    Describes a three-part assignment in which each student writes a complaint letter and an adjustment letter responding to another student's complaint letter. Discusses how the third part of the assignment--journal entries--allows students to formulate their own criteria for excellent letters based upon their reactions to the letters they receive.…

  13. Harnessing Social Networks along with Consumer-Driven Electronic Communication Technologies to Identify and Engage Members of 'Hard-to-Reach' Populations: A Methodological Case Report

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Sampling in the absence of accurate or comprehensive information routinely poses logistical, ethical, and resource allocation challenges in social science, clinical, epidemiological, health service and population health research. These challenges are compounded if few members of a target population know each other or regularly interact. This paper reports on the sampling methods adopted in ethnographic case study research with a 'hard-to-reach' population. Methods To identify and engage a small yet diverse sample of people who met an unusual set of criteria (i.e., pet owners who had been treating cats or dogs for diabetes), four sampling strategies were used. First, copies of a recruitment letter were posted in pet-friendly places. Second, information about the study was diffused throughout the study period via word of mouth. Third, the lead investigator personally sent the recruitment letter via email to a pet owner, who then circulated the information to others, and so on. Fourth, veterinarians were enlisted to refer people who had diabetic pets. The second, third and fourth strategies rely on social networks and represent forms of chain referral sampling. Results Chain referral sampling via email proved to be the most efficient and effective, yielding a small yet diverse group of respondents within one month, and at negligible cost. Conclusions The widespread popularity of electronic communication technologies offers new methodological opportunities for researchers seeking to recruit from hard-to-reach populations. PMID:20089187

  14. Harnessing social networks along with consumer-driven electronic communication technologies to identify and engage members of 'hard-to-reach' populations: a methodological case report.

    PubMed

    Rock, Melanie J

    2010-01-20

    Sampling in the absence of accurate or comprehensive information routinely poses logistical, ethical, and resource allocation challenges in social science, clinical, epidemiological, health service and population health research. These challenges are compounded if few members of a target population know each other or regularly interact. This paper reports on the sampling methods adopted in ethnographic case study research with a 'hard-to-reach' population. To identify and engage a small yet diverse sample of people who met an unusual set of criteria (i.e., pet owners who had been treating cats or dogs for diabetes), four sampling strategies were used. First, copies of a recruitment letter were posted in pet-friendly places. Second, information about the study was diffused throughout the study period via word of mouth. Third, the lead investigator personally sent the recruitment letter via email to a pet owner, who then circulated the information to others, and so on. Fourth, veterinarians were enlisted to refer people who had diabetic pets. The second, third and fourth strategies rely on social networks and represent forms of chain referral sampling. Chain referral sampling via email proved to be the most efficient and effective, yielding a small yet diverse group of respondents within one month, and at negligible cost. The widespread popularity of electronic communication technologies offers new methodological opportunities for researchers seeking to recruit from hard-to-reach populations.

  15. Parental perceptions of technology and technology-focused parenting: Associations with youth screen time

    PubMed Central

    Sanders, Wesley; Parent, Justin; Forehand, Rex; Sullivan, Alexandra D.W.; Jones, Deborah J.

    2016-01-01

    In the present study we propose a model linking parental perceptions of technology to technology-related parenting strategies to youth screen time, and, finally, to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. Participants were 615 parents drawn from three community samples of families with children across three developmental stages: young childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. The model was tested at each stage with the strongest support emerging in the young childhood sample. One component of parental perceptions of technology, perceived efficacy, was related to technology-related parenting strategies across developmental stages. However, the association of these strategies to child screen time and, in turn, problem behaviors, diminished as children increased in age. Implications for intervention are considered. PMID:27795603

  16. Mechanical Drawing: Grades 7-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Instructional Objectives Exchange, Los Angeles, CA.

    Eighty-five behavioral objectives and related evaluation items for mechanical drawing in grades 7 through 12 are presented. Each sample contains the objective, test items, and means for judging the adequacy of the response. The following categories are included: (1) basic drafting skills; (2) beginning lettering; (3) drawing; (4) orthographic…

  17. Documentation for the machine-readable version of the catalog of supplemental stars to the Bonner Durchmusterung

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Warren, W. H., Jr.

    1980-01-01

    The magnetic tape version of the Bonn catalog is described. The catalog contains a listing of supplemental stars having lower case letter designations following the BD numbers after which they have been inserted. A sample catalog is also presented.

  18. Jane's School Safety Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Marleen; Kelly, James; Stephens, Ronald D.

    This book advises schools in a concise, detailed format about crisis management. Its chapters address: (1) crisis planning; (2) early warning signs; (3) crisis response; (4) crisis recovery; (5) case studies of schools that have encountered crisis situations; and (6) sample letters to be distributed in case of crisis. (Appendices discuss…

  19. Censoring the Mails: What Is Your Opinion?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Mary, Ed.; Childress, Marilyn, Ed.

    1982-01-01

    Contains a primary source document--a letter written in 1916 protesting U.S. Postal Service censorship of an anarchist publication--and suggests ways to use the document in secondary U.S. history classes. Samples of student surveys on mail censorship and a document analysis worksheet are included. (AM)

  20. Resource Manual for Health Occupations Education Instructors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feilner, Veronica, Ed.; Robling, Jeannine, Ed.

    This resource manual is designed to assist secondary health occupations instructors in implementing their health occupations programs. It contains two types of materials: informational topics and sample forms, letters, memos, and other materials. The manual begins with an overview of the health occupations education program, followed by these…

  1. Differential effects of parenting in preterm and full-term children on developmental outcomes.

    PubMed

    Maupin, Angela N; Fine, Jodene Goldenring

    2014-12-01

    To examine the relations between preterm birth, parenting behavior during early childhood, cognitive development, and social-emotional outcomes at Kindergarten entry, and to determine whether parenting behavior differentially influences this developing system in children born preterm compared to children born full-term. The nationally representative sample comprised 3600 full-term and 1300 preterm children born in the US in the year 2001. All children who entered Kindergarten and who participated in data collection at 9 months, 24 months, and Kindergarten entry were included in the study. Measures of parenting behavior were collected at 9 and 24 months and cognitive development at 24 months via home visits. Social-emotional outcomes were assessed at Kindergarten entry via parent and teacher report. Multiple-sample Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze group differences in a model whereby early childhood parenting behavior predicted cognitive outcomes, and social-emotional outcomes at Kindergarten entry, and indirectly predicted social-emotional outcomes via early cognitive processes. The full sample developmental model indicated excellent fit to the data. Preterm birth status indirectly influenced social-emotional outcomes at Kindergarten entry via its effect on early childhood parenting behavior and cognitive development. The multi-sample model revealed significant differences in the way in which early parenting behavior exerted its influence on outcomes at Kindergarten entry in preterm children compared to full-term children. For preterm children, parenting indirectly influenced social-emotional outcomes via early cognitive functioning. Findings highlight the importance of early identification and targeted parenting programs to support early cognitive development in preterm children. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Parafoveal letter-position coding in reading.

    PubMed

    Snell, Joshua; Bertrand, Daisy; Grainger, Jonathan

    2018-05-01

    The masked-priming lexical decision task has been the paradigm of choice for investigating how readers code for letter identity and position. Insight into the temporal integration of information between prime and target words has pointed out, among other things, that readers do not code for the absolute position of letters. This conception has spurred various accounts of the word recognition process, but the results at present do not favor one account in particular. Thus, employing a new strategy, the present study moves out of the arena of temporal- and into the arena of spatial information integration. We present two lexical decision experiments that tested how the processing of six-letter target words is influenced by simultaneously presented flanking stimuli (each stimulus was presented for 150 ms). We manipulated the orthographic relatedness between the targets and flankers, in terms of both letter identity (same/different letters based on the target's outer/inner letters) and letter position (intact/reversed order of letters and of flankers, contiguous/noncontiguous flankers). Target processing was strongly facilitated by same-letter flankers, and this facilitatory effect was modulated by both letter/flanker order and contiguity. However, when the flankers consisted of the target's inner-positioned letters alone, letter order no longer mattered. These findings suggest that readers may code for the relative position of letters using words' edges as spatial points of reference. We conclude that the flanker paradigm provides a fruitful means to investigate letter-position coding in the fovea and parafovea.

  3. Callous-unemotional behavior and early-childhood onset of behavior problems: the role of parental harshness and warmth

    PubMed Central

    Waller, Rebecca; Gardner, Frances; Shaw, Daniel S.; Dishion, Thomas J.; Wilson, Melvin N.; Hyde, Luke W.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Youth with callous unemotional (CU) behavior are at risk of developing more severe forms of aggressive and antisocial behavior. Previous cross-sectional studies suggest that associations between parenting and conduct problems are less strong when children or adolescents have high levels of CU behavior, implying lower malleability of behavior compared to low-CU children. The current study extends previous findings by examining the moderating role of CU behavior on associations between parenting and behavior problems in a very young sample, both concurrently and longitudinally, and using a variety of measurement methods. Methods Data were collected from a multi-ethnic, high-risk sample at ages 2–4 (N = 364; 49% female). Parent-reported CU behavior was assessed at age 3 using a previously validated measure (Hyde et al., 2013). Parental harshness was coded from observations of parent-child interactions and parental warmth was coded from five-minute speech samples. Results In this large and young sample, CU behavior moderated cross-sectional correlations between parent-reported and observed warmth and child behavior problems. However, in cross-sectional and longitudinal models testing parental harshness, and longitudinal models testing warmth, there was no moderation by CU behavior. Conclusions The findings are in line with recent literature suggesting parental warmth may be important to child behavior problems at high levels of CU behavior. In general, however, the results of this study contrast with much of the extant literature and suggest that in young children, affective aspects of parenting appear to be related to emerging behavior problems, regardless of the presence of early CU behavior. PMID:24661288

  4. Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Parenting Styles.

    PubMed

    Karbalaei Sabagh, Ali; Khademi, Mojgan; Noorbakhsh, Simasadat; Razjooyan, Katayoon; Arabgol, Fariba

    2016-03-01

    The aim of the present study was to compare the parenting styles in parents with and without adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who had children with ADHD. It was a case-control study with convenience sampling strategy. Participants were recruited from the parents of previously diagnosed children with ADHD referred to Imam Hossein Hospital, Tehran/ Iran. Ninety parents with adult ADHD and 120 normal parents were chosen by Conner's Adult ADHD Screening Scale (CAARS) and psychiatrist interview. Using Baumrind Parenting Styles Questionnaire and Arnold Parenting Scale, parenting styles were assessed in both the groups. Results from independent samples t-test indicated that Authoritarian parenting style (F = 0.576, p 0.022) and Over reacting style (F = 7.976, p 0.045) were significantly higher in cases. On the other hand, controls were using Permissive style (F = 0.131, p 0.044) more than cases. The results are consistent with prior studies; these findings can improve the content of parent training for children with ADHD, who have adult ADHD themselves.

  5. Dysfunctional Parenting Behaviors and Parenting Stress among Mothers of Aggressive Boys

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ang, Rebecca P.

    2008-01-01

    The present investigation examined the relationship between dysfunctional parenting and parenting stress in a sample of 54 mothers of aggressive boys in Singapore. Overall dysfunctional parenting at Time 1 significantly predicted Time 2 maternal parenting stress in two subdomains of unrewarding mother-child interactions and poor attachment, over…

  6. Is Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Associated with Parenting and Family Factors?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baetens, Imke; Claes, Laurence; Martin, Graham; Onghena, Patrick; Grietens, Hans; Van Leeuwen, Karla; Pieters, Ciska; Wiersema, Jan R.; Griffith, James W.

    2014-01-01

    The present study investigates the association of parenting and family factors with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in preadolescents. A sample of 1,439 preadolescents and their parents were assessed by means of (a) adolescent-reported parenting behaviors (support and behavioral/psychological control), (b) parent-reported parenting behaviors…

  7. Children with Lesbian Parents: A Community Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Golombok, Susan; Perry, Beth; Burston, Amanda; Murray, Clare; Mooney-Somers, Julid; Stevens, Madeleine; Golding, Jean

    2003-01-01

    Examined the quality of parent-child relationships and the socioemotional and gender development of a community sample of 7-year-olds with lesbian parents, with two-parent heterosexual parents, or with single heterosexual mothers from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Found no significant differences between lesbian mothers and…

  8. Does letter rotation slow down orthographic processing in word recognition?

    PubMed

    Perea, Manuel; Marcet, Ana; Fernández-López, María

    2018-02-01

    Leading neural models of visual word recognition assume that letter rotation slows down the conversion of the visual input to a stable orthographic representation (e.g., local detectors combination model; Dehaene, Cohen, Sigman, & Vinckier, 2005, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 9, 335-341). If this premise is true, briefly presented rotated primes should be less effective at activating word representations than those primes with upright letters. To test this question, we conducted a masked priming lexical decision experiment with vertically presented words either rotated 90° or in marquee format (i.e., vertically but with upright letters). We examined the impact of the format on both letter identity (masked identity priming: identity vs. unrelated) and letter position (masked transposed-letter priming: transposed-letter prime vs. replacement-letter prime). Results revealed sizeable masked identity and transposed-letter priming effects that were similar in magnitude for rotated and marquee words. Therefore, the reading cost from letter rotation does not arise in the initial access to orthographic/lexical representations.

  9. The Relations among Maternal Health Status, Parenting Stress, and Child Behavior Problems in Low-Income, Ethnic-Minority Families

    PubMed Central

    BeLue, Rhonda; Halgunseth, Linda C.; Abiero, Beatrice; Bediako, Phylicia

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Minimal attention has been given to understanding parenting stress among low-income, ethnically diverse mothers of children with conduct problems. Maternal health and parenting hassles may serve as important risk factors for parenting stress. This study examined whether parenting hassles moderated the relations between maternal physical and mental health and parenting stress in a sample of low-income, ethnically diverse mothers of children with behavioral problems. Methods The sample included 177 low-income Black, Latina, and White mothers of kindergartners with behavior problems. PATH analysis was employed to assess the associations between maternal mental and physical health and parenting stress, as well as the moderating role of parenting hassles in this cross-sectional study. Results After adjusting for covariates, we found that parenting hassles mediates the relationship between social support and parenting stress as well as maternal health and parenting stress. Conclusion Findings suggest that promoting coping resources for daily parenting hassles and supporting the physical and mental health of minority mothers may have important implications for parenting children with high behavior problems. PMID:26863556

  10. Effects of parenting style on personal and social variables for Asian adolescents.

    PubMed

    Ang, Rebecca P

    2006-10-01

    Impact of perceived parenting style on adolescents' self-reliance, interpersonal relations, sense of inadequacy, and attitude to school, after controlling for effects of adolescents' self-esteem, was examined in a sample of 548 Asian adolescents. Fathers' perceived parenting style was significantly associated with adolescents' sense of inadequacy for the entire sample as well as for Chinese adolescents. Fathers' perceived parenting style was also significantly associated with Malay adolescents' self-reliance. Mothers' perceived parenting style was significant only for Malay adolescents' attitude to school. The meaning and consequences of parenting styles, in particular, the authoritarian parenting style, and the differential impact of paternal parenting style versus maternal parenting style on adolescent outcomes in an Asian context will be discussed. Implications for educators and mental health practitioners working with adolescents and their families will also be explored. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved

  11. Association Between Parent Television-Viewing Practices and Setting Rules to Limit the Television-Viewing Time of Their 8- to 12-Year-Old Children, Minnesota, 2011-2015.

    PubMed

    Kubik, Martha Y; Gurvich, Olga V; Fulkerson, Jayne A

    2017-01-19

    Television (TV) viewing is popular among adults and children, and child TV-viewing time is positively associated with parent TV-viewing time. Efforts to limit the TV-viewing time of children typically target parent rule-setting. However, little is known about the association between parent TV-viewing practices and rule-setting. We used baseline height and weight data and survey data collected from 2011 through 2015 on parents and their 8- to 12-year-old children (N = 212 parent/child dyads) who were participants in 2 community-based obesity prevention intervention trials conducted in metropolitan Minnesota. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between parent TV-viewing time on weekdays or weekend days (dichotomized as ≤2 hrs/d vs ≥2.5 hrs/d) and parent rules limiting child TV-viewing time. Child mean age was 10 (standard deviation [SD], 1.4) years, mean body mass index (BMI) percentile was 81 (SD, 16.7), approximately half of the sample were boys, and 42% of the sample was nonwhite. Parent mean age was 41 (SD, 7.5) years, and mean BMI was 29 (SD, 7.5); most of the sample was female, and 36% of the sample was nonwhite. Parents who limited their TV-viewing time on weekend days to 2 hours or fewer per day were almost 3 times more likely to report setting rules limiting child TV-viewing time than were parents who watched 2.5 hours or more per day (P = .01). A similar association was not seen for parent weekday TV-viewing time. For most adults and children, a meaningful decrease in sedentariness will require reductions in TV-viewing time. Family-based interventions to reduce TV-viewing time that target the TV-viewing practices of both children and parents are needed.

  12. Association Between Parent Television-Viewing Practices and Setting Rules to Limit the Television-Viewing Time of Their 8- to 12-Year-Old Children, Minnesota, 2011–2015

    PubMed Central

    Gurvich, Olga V.; Fulkerson, Jayne A.

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Television (TV) viewing is popular among adults and children, and child TV-viewing time is positively associated with parent TV-viewing time. Efforts to limit the TV-viewing time of children typically target parent rule-setting. However, little is known about the association between parent TV-viewing practices and rule-setting. Methods We used baseline height and weight data and survey data collected from 2011 through 2015 on parents and their 8- to 12-year-old children (N = 212 parent/child dyads) who were participants in 2 community-based obesity prevention intervention trials conducted in metropolitan Minnesota. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between parent TV-viewing time on weekdays or weekend days (dichotomized as ≤2 hrs/d vs ≥2.5 hrs/d) and parent rules limiting child TV-viewing time. Results Child mean age was 10 (standard deviation [SD], 1.4) years, mean body mass index (BMI) percentile was 81 (SD, 16.7), approximately half of the sample were boys, and 42% of the sample was nonwhite. Parent mean age was 41 (SD, 7.5) years, and mean BMI was 29 (SD, 7.5); most of the sample was female, and 36% of the sample was nonwhite. Parents who limited their TV-viewing time on weekend days to 2 hours or fewer per day were almost 3 times more likely to report setting rules limiting child TV-viewing time than were parents who watched 2.5 hours or more per day (P = .01). A similar association was not seen for parent weekday TV-viewing time. Conclusion For most adults and children, a meaningful decrease in sedentariness will require reductions in TV-viewing time. Family-based interventions to reduce TV-viewing time that target the TV-viewing practices of both children and parents are needed. PMID:28103183

  13. Financial Stress, Parenting Quality, and the Moderating Effect of Co-Parenting Alliance within the Marital Dissolution Population

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mao, Dung Minh

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the relationship between the perception of financial stress (measured by income inadequacy), parenting quality (measured by positive parenting, consistent discipline, and good supervision), and the moderating effect that cooperative co-parenting (measured by co-parenting alliance) were investigated within a sample of parents who…

  14. Parents' Calcium Knowledge Is Associated with Parental Practices to Promote Calcium Intake among Parents of Early Adolescent Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gunther, Carolyn W.; Rose, Angela M.; Bruhn, Christine; Cluskey, Mary; Reicks, Marla; Richards, Rickelle; Wong, Siew Sun; Boushey, Carol J.; Misner, Scottie; Olson, Beth

    2015-01-01

    The study reported here aimed to identify the relationship of parents' calcium knowledge with diet-related parental practices and determinants of calcium knowledge. A cross-sectional survey was conducted measuring parental practices, calcium knowledge, and demographics. A convenience sample of 599 racially/ethnically diverse parents of children…

  15. From Numbers to Letters: Feedback Regularization in Visual Word Recognition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molinaro, Nicola; Dunabeitia, Jon Andoni; Marin-Gutierrez, Alejandro; Carreiras, Manuel

    2010-01-01

    Word reading in alphabetic languages involves letter identification, independently of the format in which these letters are written. This process of letter "regularization" is sensitive to word context, leading to the recognition of a word even when numbers that resemble letters are inserted among other real letters (e.g., M4TERI4L). The present…

  16. Learning to identify contrast-defined letters in peripheral vision

    PubMed Central

    Chung, Susana T.L.; Levi, Dennis M.; Li, Roger W.

    2009-01-01

    Performance for identifying luminance-defined letters in peripheral vision improves with training. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether performance for identifying contrast-defined letters also improves with training in peripheral vision, and whether any improvement transfers to luminance-defined letters. Eight observers were trained to identify contrast-defined letters presented singly at 10° eccentricity in the inferior visual field. Before and after training, we measured observers’ thresholds for identifying luminance-defined and contrast-defined letters, embedded within a field of white luminance noise (maximum luminance contrast = 0, 0.25, and 0.5), at the same eccentric location. Each training session consisted of 10 blocks (100 trials per block) of identifying contrast-defined letters at a background noise contrast of 0.5. Letters (x-height = 4.2°) were the 26 lowercase letters of the Times-Roman alphabet. Luminance-defined letters were generated by introducing a luminance difference between the stimulus letter and its mid-gray background. The background noise covered both the letter and its background. Contrast-defined letters were generated by introducing a differential noise contrast between the group of pixels that made up the stimulus letter and the group of pixels that made up the background. Following training, observers showed a significant reduction in threshold for identifying contrast-defined letters (p < 0.0001). Averaged across observers and background noise contrasts, the reduction was 25.8%, with the greatest reduction (32%) occurring at the trained background noise contrast. There was virtually no transfer of improvement to luminance-defined letters, or to an untrained letter size (2× original), or an untrained retinal location (10° superior field). In contrast, learning transferred completely to the untrained contralateral eye. Our results show that training improves performance for identifying contrast-defined letters in peripheral vision. This perceptual learning effect seems to be stimulus-specific, as it shows no transfer to the identification of luminance-defined letters. The complete interocular transfer, and the retinotopic (retinal location) and size specificity of the learning effect are consistent with the properties of neurons in early visual area V2. PMID:16337252

  17. The effect of letter string length and report condition on letter recognition accuracy.

    PubMed

    Raghunandan, Avesh; Karmazinaite, Berta; Rossow, Andrea S

    Letter sequence recognition accuracy has been postulated to be limited primarily by low-level visual factors. The influence of high level factors such as visual memory (load and decay) has been largely overlooked. This study provides insight into the role of these factors by investigating the interaction between letter sequence recognition accuracy, letter string length and report condition. Letter sequence recognition accuracy for trigrams and pentagrams were measured in 10 adult subjects for two report conditions. In the complete report condition subjects reported all 3 or all 5 letters comprising trigrams and pentagrams, respectively. In the partial report condition, subjects reported only a single letter in the trigram or pentagram. Letters were presented for 100ms and rendered in high contrast, using black lowercase Courier font that subtended 0.4° at the fixation distance of 0.57m. Letter sequence recognition accuracy was consistently higher for trigrams compared to pentagrams especially for letter positions away from fixation. While partial report increased recognition accuracy in both string length conditions, the effect was larger for pentagrams, and most evident for the final letter positions within trigrams and pentagrams. The effect of partial report on recognition accuracy for the final letter positions increased as eccentricity increased away from fixation, and was independent of the inner/outer position of a letter. Higher-level visual memory functions (memory load and decay) play a role in letter sequence recognition accuracy. There is also suggestion of additional delays imposed on memory encoding by crowded letter elements. Copyright © 2016 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  18. Episodic Short-Term Recognition Requires Encoding into Visual Working Memory: Evidence from Probe Recognition after Letter Report

    PubMed Central

    Poth, Christian H.; Schneider, Werner X.

    2016-01-01

    Human vision is organized in discrete processing episodes (e.g., eye fixations or task-steps). Object information must be transmitted across episodes to enable episodic short-term recognition: recognizing whether a current object has been seen in a previous episode. We ask whether episodic short-term recognition presupposes that objects have been encoded into capacity-limited visual working memory (VWM), which retains visual information for report. Alternatively, it could rely on the activation of visual features or categories that occurs before encoding into VWM. We assessed the dependence of episodic short-term recognition on VWM by a new paradigm combining letter report and probe recognition. Participants viewed displays of 10 letters and reported as many as possible after a retention interval (whole report). Next, participants viewed a probe letter and indicated whether it had been one of the 10 letters (probe recognition). In Experiment 1, probe recognition was more accurate for letters that had been encoded into VWM (reported letters) compared with non-encoded letters (non-reported letters). Interestingly, those letters that participants reported in their whole report had been near to one another within the letter displays. This suggests that the encoding into VWM proceeded in a spatially clustered manner. In Experiment 2, participants reported only one of 10 letters (partial report) and probes either referred to this letter, to letters that had been near to it, or far from it. Probe recognition was more accurate for near than for far letters, although none of these letters had to be reported. These findings indicate that episodic short-term recognition is constrained to a small number of simultaneously presented objects that have been encoded into VWM. PMID:27713722

  19. Episodic Short-Term Recognition Requires Encoding into Visual Working Memory: Evidence from Probe Recognition after Letter Report.

    PubMed

    Poth, Christian H; Schneider, Werner X

    2016-01-01

    Human vision is organized in discrete processing episodes (e.g., eye fixations or task-steps). Object information must be transmitted across episodes to enable episodic short-term recognition: recognizing whether a current object has been seen in a previous episode. We ask whether episodic short-term recognition presupposes that objects have been encoded into capacity-limited visual working memory (VWM), which retains visual information for report. Alternatively, it could rely on the activation of visual features or categories that occurs before encoding into VWM. We assessed the dependence of episodic short-term recognition on VWM by a new paradigm combining letter report and probe recognition. Participants viewed displays of 10 letters and reported as many as possible after a retention interval (whole report). Next, participants viewed a probe letter and indicated whether it had been one of the 10 letters (probe recognition). In Experiment 1, probe recognition was more accurate for letters that had been encoded into VWM (reported letters) compared with non-encoded letters (non-reported letters). Interestingly, those letters that participants reported in their whole report had been near to one another within the letter displays. This suggests that the encoding into VWM proceeded in a spatially clustered manner. In Experiment 2, participants reported only one of 10 letters (partial report) and probes either referred to this letter, to letters that had been near to it, or far from it. Probe recognition was more accurate for near than for far letters, although none of these letters had to be reported. These findings indicate that episodic short-term recognition is constrained to a small number of simultaneously presented objects that have been encoded into VWM.

  20. Factors affecting development of motor skills in extremely low birth weight children.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Anna R; Birch, Eileen E; Spencer, Rand

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of ophthalmic and neonatal factors on motor development in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) children. Sixty-four ELBW children at least 3 years of age were recruited. Visual acuity (VA) was assessed using the Teller acuity cards (TACs) and a letter test, if possible. A validated questionnaire assessing 25 fine (part A) and 20 gross motor (part B) skills was administered to the parents. Data were collected on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) zone, intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), length of stay in hospital, and number of days on oxygen. Abnormal TAC acuity was associated with significantly lower scores on both parts A and B (part A: 21.5 versus 11.8, p < 0.001; part B: 17.5 versus 13.2, p < 0.001). Linear regression demonstrates a significant direct relationship between letter acuity and score A only (p = 0.03, r(2) = 0.179). Neither length of hospital stay, number of days ventilated, nor a history of IVH were associated with score A or B. However, the presence of ROP zone 1 was associated with a lower score A (p = 0.03). In this ELBW cohort VA and ophthalmic factors were the only factors associated with scores of development, particularly fine motor development.

  1. Genetic architecture of verbal abilities in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Hoekstra, Rosa A; Bartels, Meike; van Leeuwen, Marieke; Boomsma, Dorret I

    2009-11-01

    The etiology of individual differences in general verbal ability, verbal learning and letter and category fluency were examined in two independent samples of 9- and 18-year-old twin pairs and their siblings. In both age groups, we observed strong familial resemblance for general verbal ability and moderate familial resemblance for verbal learning, letter and category fluency. All familial resemblance was explained by genetic factors. There was significant covariance among the tests, which was stronger in magnitude in the adolescent cohort. The covariance was mainly explained by genetic effects shared by subtests, both in middle childhood and in late adolescence. In addition to a shared set of genes that influenced all phenotypes, there were also genetic influences specific to the different verbal phenotypes.

  2. What differs in visual recognition of handwritten vs. printed letters? An fMRI study.

    PubMed

    Longcamp, Marieke; Hlushchuk, Yevhen; Hari, Riitta

    2011-08-01

    In models of letter recognition, handwritten letters are considered as a particular font exemplar, not qualitatively different in their processing from printed letters. Yet, some data suggest that recognizing handwritten letters might rely on distinct processes, possibly related to motor knowledge. We applied functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare the neural correlates of perceiving handwritten letters vs. standard printed letters. Statistical analysis circumscribed to frontal brain regions involved in hand-movement triggering and execution showed that processing of handwritten letters is supported by a stronger activation of the left primary motor cortex and the supplementary motor area. At the whole-brain level, additional differences between handwritten and printed letters were observed in the right superior frontal, middle occipital, and parahippocampal gyri, and in the left inferior precentral and the fusiform gyri. The results are suggested to indicate embodiment of the visual perception of handwritten letters. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  3. The role of co-parenting alliance as a mediator between trait anxiety, family system maladjustment, and parenting stress in a sample of non-clinical Italian parents.

    PubMed

    Delvecchio, Elisa; Sciandra, Andrea; Finos, Livio; Mazzeschi, Claudia; Riso, Daniela Di

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the role of co-parenting alliance in mediating the influence of parents' trait anxiety on family system maladjustment and parenting stress. A sample of 1606 Italian parents (803 mothers and 803 fathers) of children aged one to 13 years completed measures of trait anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y), co-parenting alliance (Parenting Alliance Measure), family system maladjustment (Family Assessment Measure-III), and parenting stress (Parenting Stress Inventory-Short Form). These variables were investigated together comparing two structural equations model-fitting including both partners. A model for both mothers and fathers was empirically devised as a series of associations between parent trait anxiety (independent variable), family system maladjustment and parenting stress (dependent variables), mediated by co-parenting alliance, with the insertion of cross predictions between mothers and fathers and correlations between dependent variables for both parents. Results indicated that the relation between mothers and fathers' trait anxiety, family system maladjustment and parenting stress was mediated by the level of co-parenting alliance. Understanding the role of couples' co-parenting alliance could be useful during the family assessment and/or treatment, since it is an efficient and effective tool to improve the family system maladjustment and stress.

  4. Home Literacy Environments of Young Children with Down Syndrome: Findings from a Web-based Survey

    PubMed Central

    Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Lewis, Sandra; Whalon, Kelly; Dyrlund, Alison; McKenzie, Amy

    2014-01-01

    Early home literacy experiences, including parent-child book reading, account for a significant amount of childrens' later reading achievement. Yet, there is a very limited research base about the home literacy environments and experiences of children with cognitive disabilities. The purpose of this study is to describe findings from a web-based survey of home literacy environments of young children with Down syndrome. Respondents (n = 107) were mostly mothers; a majority were well-educated. Findings suggest that respondents gave literacy a higher priority than reported in prior research on children with disabilities. Over 70% of respondents had 50 or more childrens' books and also had literacy materials including flashcards, magnetic letters, and educational videos or computer games. Most parents read to their children and used these literacy materials 10–30 minutes per day. Respondents reported that their children had reached many important early literacy milestones and they also described having relatively ambitious life-long literacy goals for their children. Important implications for research and practice are discussed. PMID:25249712

  5. Exploration of the short-term and long-term effects of parental illness on children's educational and behavioral functioning using a large Taiwanese sample.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yung-Chi

    2014-05-01

    This study used data from Waves I and II of the Taiwan Educational Panel Survey (TEPS) to explore the potential short-term and long-term effects of parental illness and health condition on children's behavioral and educational functioning. A sample of 11,018 junior high school students and their parents and teachers in Taiwan were included in this present study. The results supported previous work that parental illness may place children at slight risk for poor psychosocial adjustment and behavioral problems. Parental illness was associated with lower adaptive skills and more behavioral problems in children. Children of ill parents showed resilience in their educational functioning in the event of parental illness as children's academic achievement and learning skills were not related to parental illness/health condition.

  6. A Simple Joint Estimation Method of Residual Frequency Offset and Sampling Frequency Offset for DVB Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kwon, Ki-Won; Cho, Yongsoo

    This letter presents a simple joint estimation method for residual frequency offset (RFO) and sampling frequency offset (STO) in OFDM-based digital video broadcasting (DVB) systems. The proposed method selects a continual pilot (CP) subset from an unsymmetrically and non-uniformly distributed CP set to obtain an unbiased estimator. Simulation results show that the proposed method using a properly selected CP subset is unbiased and performs robustly.

  7. How International Research on Parenting Advances Understanding of Child Development

    PubMed Central

    Lansford, Jennifer E.; Bornstein, Marc H.; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Al-Hassan, Suha M.; Bacchini, Dario; Bombi, Anna Silvia; Chang, Lei; Chen, Bin-Bin; Di Giunta, Laura; Malone, Patrick S.; Oburu, Paul; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T.; Sorbring, Emma; Steinberg, Laurence; Tapanya, Sombat; Alampay, Liane Peña; Tirado, Liliana Maria Uribe; Zelli, Arnaldo

    2016-01-01

    International research on parenting and child development can advance our understanding of similarities and differences in how parenting is related to children's development across countries. Challenges to conducting international research include operationalizing culture, disentangling effects within and between countries, and balancing emic and etic perspectives. Benefits of international research include testing whether findings regarding parenting and child development replicate across diverse samples, incorporating cultural and contextual diversity to foster more inclusive and representative research samples and investigators than has typically occurred, and understanding how children develop in proximal parenting and family and distal international contexts. PMID:27725843

  8. Interdependent self: self-perceptions of Vietnamese-American youths.

    PubMed

    Phan, Tan

    2005-01-01

    This study examined how Vietnamese-American adolescents perceive themselves in relation to their families. Qualitative, criterion-based sampling and "snowball" or "chain sampling" strategies were used as well as in-depth interviews with 10 Vietnamese-American adolescents. The research focused on parental interactions, family climate, and parental control. The study also looked at peer relationships, parental input, and adolescents' academic achievement orientation. The adolescents described grow closer to, and more emotionally dependent upon, their parents over time. The parents see their children's education as an effective instrument of empowerment and liberation for the entire family, and as providing hope for the future.

  9. Violent and Prosocial Behavior by Adolescents toward Parents and Teachers in a Community Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaureguizar, Joana; Ibabe, Izaskun; Straus, Murray A.

    2013-01-01

    This study focused on violent and prosocial behaviors by adolescents toward parents and teachers, and the relation between such behaviors and adolescents' perceptions about the family and school environment. Gender differences in child-to-parent violence and student-to-teacher violence were also studied. The sample comprised 687 adolescents from…

  10. Parenting Styles and Children's Social Skills as Perceived by Jordanian Mothers of Preschool Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abu Taleb, Tagreed Fathi

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the perceived parenting styles in a sample of Jordanian mothers and their perceptions of the social skills exhibited by their preschool children. The sample consisted of 802 ("N"=802) mothers who responded to a three-part questionnaire: demographic information, parenting styles, and social skills. The results of this…

  11. A Mediation Model of Interparental Collaboration, Parenting Practices, and Child Externalizing Behavior in a Clinical Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kjobli, John; Hagen, Kristine Amlund

    2009-01-01

    The present study examined maternal and paternal parenting practices as mediators of the link between interparental collaboration and children's externalizing behavior. Parent gender was tested as a moderator of the associations. A clinical sample consisting of 136 children with externalizing problems and their families participated in the study.…

  12. Feeding Practices and Styles Used by a Diverse Sample of Low-Income Parents of Preschool-age Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ventura, Alison K.; Gromis, Judy C.; Lohse, Barbara

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To describe the feeding practices and styles used by a diverse sample of low-income parents of preschool-age children. Design: Thirty- to 60-minute meetings involving a semistructured interview and 2 questionnaires administered by the interviewer. Setting: Low-income communities in Philadelphia, PA. Participants: Thirty-two parents of…

  13. Parental Influence, Youth Contra-Culture, and Rural Adolescent Attitudes Toward Minority Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Summers, Gene F.; And Others

    Parental heads of households and high school students in 2 rural Illinois counties were studied to determine their respective attitudes toward several minority groups using the Bogardus Social Distance Scale as the primary attitudinal measure. A parental sample of 1096 households and a sample of 738 students were independently drawn. The two…

  14. Parental efficacy and child behavior in a community sample of children with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

    PubMed

    Primack, Brian A; Hendricks, Kristy M; Longacre, Meghan R; Adachi-Mejia, Anna M; Weiss, Julia E; Titus, Linda J; Beach, Michael L; Dalton, Madeline A

    2012-12-01

    Most studies of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) youth have obtained data from the perspective of either children or parents, but not both simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to examine child and parent perspectives on parenting in a large community-based sample of children with and without ADHD. We identified children in grades 4-6 and their parents through surveys administered to a random sample of public schools. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine independent associations between child and parent characteristics and the presence of ADHD while controlling for covariates and clustering by school. Sufficient data were achieved for 2,509 child/parent dyads. Ten percent of youths (n = 240) had been diagnosed with ADHD. Compared with those without ADHD, those with ADHD were more commonly male (67.9 vs. 48.0 %, p < .001) and age 12 or over (16.3 vs. 10.3 %). After adjusting for covariates and clustering, compared to children without ADHD, children with ADHD were significantly more likely to report lower self-regulation (OR = 0.68, 95 % CI = 0.53, 0.88) and higher levels of rebelliousness (OR = 2.00, 95 % CI = 1.52, 2.69). Compared with parents whose children did not have ADHD, parents of children with ADHD rated their overall parental efficacy substantially lower (OR = 0.23, 95 % CI = 0.15, 0.33). However, child assessment of parenting style was similar by ADHD. Despite the internal challenges community-based youth with ADHD face, many parents of ADHD youth exhibit valuable parental skills from the perspective of their children. Feedback of this information to parents may improve parental self-efficacy, which is known to be positively associated with improved ADHD outcomes.

  15. Parental Efficacy and Child Behavior in a Community Sample of Children with and without Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

    PubMed Central

    Primack, Brian A.; Hendricks, Kristy M.; Longacre, Meghan R.; Adachi-Mejia, Anna M.; Weiss, Julia E.; Titus, Linda J.; Beach, Michael L.; Dalton, Madeline A.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Most studies of ADHD youth have obtained data from the perspective of either children or parents, but not both simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to examine child and parent perspectives on parenting in a large community-based sample of children with and without ADHD. Methods We identified children in grades 4-6 and their parents through surveys administered to a random sample of public schools. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine independent associations between child and parent characteristics and presence of ADHD while controlling for covariates and clustering by school. Results Sufficient data were achieved for 2509 child/parent dyads. Ten percent of youths (n=240) had been diagnosed with ADHD. Compared with those without ADHD, those with ADHD were more commonly male (67.9% vs. 48.0%, P<.001) and age 12 or over (16.3% vs. 10.3%). After adjusting for covariates and clustering, compared to children without ADHD, children with ADHD were significantly more likely to report lower self-regulation (OR= 0.68, 95% CI=0.53, 0.88) and higher levels of rebelliousness (OR= 2.00, 95% CI=1.52, 2.69). Compared with parents whose children did not have ADHD, parents of children with ADHD rated their overall parental efficacy substantially lower (OR=0.23, 95% CI=0.15, 0.33). However, child assessment of parenting style was similar by ADHD. Conclusions Despite the internal challenges community-based youth with ADHD face, many parents of ADHD youth exhibit valuable parental skills from the perspective of their children. Feedback of this information to parents may improve parental self-efficacy, which is known to be positively associated with improved ADHD outcomes. PMID:22886756

  16. Bidirectional Relationships Between Parenting Processes and Deviance in a Sample of Inner-City African American Youth

    PubMed Central

    Harris, Charlene; Vazsonyi, Alexander T.; Bolland, John M.

    2016-01-01

    The current study assessed for bidirectional relationships among supportive parenting (knowledge), negative parenting (permissiveness), and deviance in a sample (N = 5,325) of poor, inner-city African American youth from the Mobile Youth Survey (MYS) over 4 years. Cross-lagged path analysis provided evidence of significant bidirectional paths among parenting processes (knowledge and permissiveness) and deviance over time. Follow-up multigroup tests provided only modest evidence of dissimilar relationships by sex and by developmental periods. The findings improve our understanding of developmental changes between parenting behaviors and deviance during adolescence and extended current research of the bidirectionality of parent and child relationships among inner-city African American youth. PMID:28316460

  17. Improving Community Stroke Preparedness in the HHS (Hip-Hop Stroke) Randomized Clinical Trial.

    PubMed

    Williams, Olajide; Leighton-Herrmann Quinn, Ellyn; Teresi, Jeanne; Eimicke, Joseph P; Kong, Jian; Ogedegbe, Gbenga; Noble, James

    2018-04-01

    Deficiencies in stroke preparedness cause major delays to stroke thrombolysis, particularly among economically disadvantaged minorities. We evaluated the effectiveness of a stroke preparedness intervention delivered to preadolescent urban public school children on the stroke knowledge/preparedness of their parents. We recruited 3070 fourth through sixth graders and 1144 parents from 22 schools into a cluster randomized trial with schools randomized to the HHS (Hip-Hop Stroke) intervention or attentional control (nutrition classes). HHS is a 3-hour culturally tailored, theory-based, multimedia stroke literacy intervention targeting school children, which systematically empowers children to share stroke information with parents. Our main outcome measures were stroke knowledge/preparedness of children and parents using validated surrogates. Among children, it was estimated that 1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0%-1%) of controls and 2% (95% CI, 1%-4%; P =0.09) of the intervention group demonstrated optimal stroke preparedness (perfect scores on the knowledge/preparedness test) at baseline, increasing to 57% (95% CI, 44%-69%) immediately after the program in the intervention group compared with 1% (95% CI, 0%-1%; P <0.001) among controls. At 3-month follow-up, 24% (95% CI, 15%-33%) of the intervention group retained optimal preparedness, compared with 2% (95% CI, 0%-3%; P <0.001) of controls. Only 3% (95% CI, 2%-4%) of parents in the intervention group could identify all 4 letters of the stroke FAST (Facial droop, Arm weakness, Speech disturbance, Time to call 911) acronym at baseline, increasing to 20% at immediate post-test (95% CI, 16%-24%) and 17% at 3-month delayed post-test (95% CI, 13%-21%; P =0.0062), with no significant changes (3% identification) among controls. Four children, all in the intervention group, called 911 for real-life stroke symptoms, in 1 case overruling a parent's wait-and-see approach. HHS is an effective, intergenerational model for increasing stroke preparedness among economically disadvantaged minorities. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01497886. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

  18. Covariant information-density cutoff in curved space-time.

    PubMed

    Kempf, Achim

    2004-06-04

    In information theory, the link between continuous information and discrete information is established through well-known sampling theorems. Sampling theory explains, for example, how frequency-filtered music signals are reconstructible perfectly from discrete samples. In this Letter, sampling theory is generalized to pseudo-Riemannian manifolds. This provides a new set of mathematical tools for the study of space-time at the Planck scale: theories formulated on a differentiable space-time manifold can be equivalent to lattice theories. There is a close connection to generalized uncertainty relations which have appeared in string theory and other studies of quantum gravity.

  19. Overt use of a tactile-kinesthetic strategy shifts to covert processing in rehabilitation of letter-by-letter reading.

    PubMed

    Lott, Susan Nitzberg; Carney, Aimee Syms; Glezer, Laurie S; Friedman, Rhonda B

    2010-11-01

    BACKGROUND: Letter-by-letter readers identify each letter of the word they are reading serially in left to right order before recognizing the word. When their letter naming is also impaired, letter-by-letter reading is inaccurate and can render even single word reading very poor. Tactile and/or kinesthetic strategies have been reported to improve reading in these patients, but only under certain conditions or for a limited set of stimuli. AIMS: The primary aim of the current study was to determine whether a tactile/kinesthetic treatment could significantly improve reading specifically under normal reading conditions, i.e. reading untrained words presented in free vision and read without overt use of the strategy. METHODS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; PROCEDURES: Three chronic letter-by-letter readers participated in a tactile/kinesthetic treatment aimed at first improving letter naming accuracy (phase 1) and then letter-by-letter reading speed (phase 2). In a multiple case series design, accuracy and speed of reading untrained words without overt use of the trained tactile/kinesthetic strategy was assessed before phase 1, after phase 1 and again after phase 2. OUTCOMES #ENTITYSTARTX00026; RESULTS: All three patients significantly improved both their speed and accuracy reading untrained words without overt use of the trained tactile/kinesthetic strategy. All three patients required the additional practice in phase 2 to achieve significant improvement. Treatment did not target sentence level reading, yet two of the three patients became so adept that they could read entire sentences. CONCLUSIONS: This study replicates previous findings on the efficacy of tactile/kinesthetic treatment for letter-by-letter readers with poor letter naming. It further demonstrates that this treatment can alter cognitive processing such that words never specifically trained can be read in free vision without overtly using the trained strategy. The data suggest that an important element in achieving this level of generalization is continuing training beyond the point of initial mastery (i.e. accurate letter naming).

  20. Overt use of a tactile-kinesthetic strategy shifts to covert processing in rehabilitation of letter-by-letter reading

    PubMed Central

    Lott, Susan Nitzberg; Carney, Aimee Syms; Glezer, Laurie S.; Friedman, Rhonda B.

    2010-01-01

    Background Letter-by-letter readers identify each letter of the word they are reading serially in left to right order before recognizing the word. When their letter naming is also impaired, letter-by-letter reading is inaccurate and can render even single word reading very poor. Tactile and/or kinesthetic strategies have been reported to improve reading in these patients, but only under certain conditions or for a limited set of stimuli. Aims The primary aim of the current study was to determine whether a tactile/kinesthetic treatment could significantly improve reading specifically under normal reading conditions, i.e. reading untrained words presented in free vision and read without overt use of the strategy. Methods & Procedures Three chronic letter-by-letter readers participated in a tactile/kinesthetic treatment aimed at first improving letter naming accuracy (phase 1) and then letter-by-letter reading speed (phase 2). In a multiple case series design, accuracy and speed of reading untrained words without overt use of the trained tactile/kinesthetic strategy was assessed before phase 1, after phase 1 and again after phase 2. Outcomes & Results All three patients significantly improved both their speed and accuracy reading untrained words without overt use of the trained tactile/kinesthetic strategy. All three patients required the additional practice in phase 2 to achieve significant improvement. Treatment did not target sentence level reading, yet two of the three patients became so adept that they could read entire sentences. Conclusions This study replicates previous findings on the efficacy of tactile/kinesthetic treatment for letter-by-letter readers with poor letter naming. It further demonstrates that this treatment can alter cognitive processing such that words never specifically trained can be read in free vision without overtly using the trained strategy. The data suggest that an important element in achieving this level of generalization is continuing training beyond the point of initial mastery (i.e. accurate letter naming). PMID:21170161

  1. Report on the Directory of Library Collections in Ethnocultural Organizations in Canada: Ontario.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aliferis, Isabella; Wierucki, Karen

    This report discusses the methodology, problems, follow-up procedures, recommendations, and benefits involved in the compilation of a directory which will identify library collections held by ethnocultural clubs, federations, organizations, community centers, and language schools in Canada. Appendices contain samples of a form letter,…

  2. Reading Fluency: The Whole Is More than the Parts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katzir, Tami; Kim, Youngsuk; Wolf, Maryanne; O'Brien, Beth; Kennedy, Becky; Lovett, Maureen; Morris, Robin

    2006-01-01

    This study examined the relative contributions of phonological awareness, orthographic pattern recognition, and rapid letter naming to fluent word and connected-text reading within a dyslexic sample of 123 children in second and third grades. Participants were assessed on a variety of fluency measures and reading subskills. Correlations and…

  3. 32 CFR Appendix A of Part 216 - Military Recruiting Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Information requirements. Pt. 216, App. A Appendix A of Part 216—Military..., Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies to institutions of higher education (including any subelements of such institutions) that have a policy or practice of denying...

  4. 32 CFR Appendix A of Part 216 - Military Recruiting Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Information requirements. Pt. 216, App. A Appendix A of Part 216—Military..., Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies to institutions of higher education (including any subelements of such institutions) that have a policy or practice of denying...

  5. 32 CFR Appendix A of Part 216 - Military Recruiting Sample Letter of Inquiry

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Information requirements. Pt. 216, App. A Appendix A of Part 216—Military..., Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies to institutions of higher education (including any subelements of such institutions) that have a policy or practice of denying...

  6. 19 CFR 177.9 - Effect of ruling letters.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... classification of an article under the provisions of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States will be applied only with respect to transactions involving articles identical to the sample submitted with the ruling request or to articles whose description is identical to the description set forth in the ruling...

  7. 75 FR 69440 - Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-12

    ...) also requires Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) to submit to the Universal Service.... Prior to 2009, USAC provided sample certification and verification letters on its website to assist ETCs... check box to accommodate wireless ETCs serving non-federal default states that do not assert...

  8. 40 CFR 80.164 - Certification test fuels.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... to EPA in the detergent certification letter required pursuant to § 80.161(b)(3). (1) Quantitative... compositional data must be collected only from samples of premium gasoline. (ii) The fuel composition survey... and that all survey data must have been collected within three years of the date the certification...

  9. 40 CFR 80.164 - Certification test fuels.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... to EPA in the detergent certification letter required pursuant to § 80.161(b)(3). (1) Quantitative... compositional data must be collected only from samples of premium gasoline. (ii) The fuel composition survey... and that all survey data must have been collected within three years of the date the certification...

  10. 40 CFR 80.164 - Certification test fuels.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... to EPA in the detergent certification letter required pursuant to § 80.161(b)(3). (1) Quantitative... compositional data must be collected only from samples of premium gasoline. (ii) The fuel composition survey... and that all survey data must have been collected within three years of the date the certification...

  11. 40 CFR 80.164 - Certification test fuels.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... to EPA in the detergent certification letter required pursuant to § 80.161(b)(3). (1) Quantitative... compositional data must be collected only from samples of premium gasoline. (ii) The fuel composition survey... and that all survey data must have been collected within three years of the date the certification...

  12. Do You Have a Crisis Management Plan?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pleviak, Walter; Milkevitch, Frank

    2001-01-01

    Although certain crises cannot be prevented, reactions to many can be planned. A crisis-management team should be organized for each building. Critical crisis-plan elements include telephone trees, forms, reference articles, sample letters, and processes for dealing with local media. Spokespersons should have facts straight before speaking. (MLH)

  13. Agreement between parents and teachers on preschool children's behavior in a clinical sample with externalizing behavioral problems.

    PubMed

    Korsch, Franziska; Petermann, Franz

    2014-10-01

    An accurate interpretation of information obtained from multiple assessors is indispensible when complex diagnoses of behavioral problems in children need to be confirmed. The present study examined the similarity of parents and kindergarten teachers ratings on children's behavior in a sample of 160 preschool children (a clinical group including 80 children with externalizing behavioral problems and a matched control group including 80 children). Behavioral problems were assessed using the SDQ, and the DISYPS-II questionnaires for ADHD and conduct disorders. The results revealed low levels of parent-teacher agreement for their ratings on the children's behavior in both groups with the highest correlations in the non-clinical sample. Parent-teacher agreement did not differ significantly across the samples. Parent and teacher ratings correlated with the prevalence of externalizing disorders and were found to be almost independent of each other. The results highlight the importance of multiple informants and their independent influence within the diagnostic process.

  14. Parental Romantic Expectations and Parent-Child Sexuality Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holmes, Laura G.; Himle, Michael B.; Strassberg, Donald S.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, parental romantic expectations, and parental provision of sexuality and relationship education in an online sample of 190 parents of youth 12-18 years of age with a parent-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Regression analyses were conducted…

  15. Predicting School Leadership Interests in Parents of English Learners: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vera, Elizabeth; Heineke, Amy; Carr, Andrea; Camacho, Daniel; Israel, Marla Susman; Goldberger, Nancy; Clawson, Angela; Hill, Martin

    2016-01-01

    This study contributes to the literature on parent involvement by examining predictors of educational leadership interests of parents of English learners (ELs). Using a sample of 129 parents of ELs who represented diverse ethnic backgrounds, the researchers examined parent leadership interests with survey research. Parent leadership interests were…

  16. Parental Dysphoria and Children's Adjustment: Marital Conflict Styles, Children's Emotional Security, and Parenting as Mediators of Risk

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Du Rocher Schudlich, Tina D.; Cummings, E. Mark

    2007-01-01

    Dimensions of martial conflict, children's emotional security regarding interparental conflict, and parenting style were examined as mediators between parental dysphoria and child adjustment. A community sample of 262 children, ages 8-16, participated with their parents. Behavioral observations were made of parents' interactions during marital…

  17. Parent Involvement: Perceptions of Recent Immigrant Parents in a Suburban School District, Minnesota

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nam, Bu-Hyun; Park, Duk-Byeong

    2014-01-01

    The study aimed to examine the perceptions of immigrant parents regarding their school's efforts to encourage three types of parent involvement: Parenting, Communicating, and Learning at Home. The sample includes 106 immigrant parents with children who were enrolled in English Language Learners programmes at 10 schools in a suburban school…

  18. Parental Involvement in Municipal Schools in Chile: Why Do Parents Choose to Get Involved?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reininger, Taly; López, Alejandra Santana

    2017-01-01

    Utilizing Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's (1995, 2005) theoretical framework on parental involvement, this study examined a cross-sectional sample of 516 parents of children in the first and fourth grade in municipal schools in Chile. The research sought to examine the association between parental motivational beliefs, parental perceptions of…

  19. Does Play Matter to Parents? Taiwanese Parents' Perceptions of Child's Play

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Yen-Chun; Yawkey, Thomas D.

    2013-01-01

    The main purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of Taiwanese parents' perceptions of child's play. Data were collected via parent questionnaires. To ensure greater variability in parents' backgrounds, kindergartens with families from different social backgrounds were recruited. A total sample of 142 parents with kindergarteners aged…

  20. "Having Our Say": High Achieving African American Male College Graduates Speak about Parental Involvement and Parenting Style

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Odom, Lynn Cheryl Lanier

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the patterns of parental involvement and parenting styles of a particular sample of academically successful African American males who attended and graduated from historically Black colleges or universities. More specifically, investigated was the presence of any relationships between parental involvement, parenting styles,…

  1. Parental Employment and Child Behaviors: Do Parenting Practices Underlie These Relationships?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hadzic, Renata; Magee, Christopher A.; Robinson, Laura

    2013-01-01

    This study examined whether hours of parental employment were associated with child behaviors via parenting practices. The sample included 2,271 Australian children aged 4-5 years at baseline. Two-wave panel mediation models tested whether parenting practices that were warm, hostile, or characterized by inductive reasoning linked parent's hours of…

  2. The role of co-parenting alliance as a mediator between trait anxiety, family system maladjustment, and parenting stress in a sample of non-clinical Italian parents

    PubMed Central

    Delvecchio, Elisa; Sciandra, Andrea; Finos, Livio; Mazzeschi, Claudia; Riso, Daniela Di

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the role of co-parenting alliance in mediating the influence of parents’ trait anxiety on family system maladjustment and parenting stress. A sample of 1606 Italian parents (803 mothers and 803 fathers) of children aged one to 13 years completed measures of trait anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory—Y), co-parenting alliance (Parenting Alliance Measure), family system maladjustment (Family Assessment Measure—III), and parenting stress (Parenting Stress Inventory—Short Form). These variables were investigated together comparing two structural equations model-fitting including both partners. A model for both mothers and fathers was empirically devised as a series of associations between parent trait anxiety (independent variable), family system maladjustment and parenting stress (dependent variables), mediated by co-parenting alliance, with the insertion of cross predictions between mothers and fathers and correlations between dependent variables for both parents. Results indicated that the relation between mothers and fathers’ trait anxiety, family system maladjustment and parenting stress was mediated by the level of co-parenting alliance. Understanding the role of couples’ co-parenting alliance could be useful during the family assessment and/or treatment, since it is an efficient and effective tool to improve the family system maladjustment and stress. PMID:26347674

  3. A Process Model of Parenting and Adolescents' Friendship Competence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Emily C.; Buehler, Cheryl; Fletcher, Anne C.

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the prospective relationship between negative parenting behaviors and adolescents' friendship competence in a community sample of 416 two-parent families in the Southeastern USA. Adolescents' externalizing problems and their emotional insecurity with parents were examined as mediators. Parents' psychological control was…

  4. Parental feeding style, energy intake and weight status in young Scottish children.

    PubMed

    Montgomery, Colette; Jackson, Diane M; Kelly, Louise A; Reilly, John J

    2006-12-01

    Parental feeding style, as measured by the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ), may be an important influence on child feeding behaviour and weight status in early to mid childhood, but more evidence on parental feeding style is required from samples outside the USA. We aimed to use the CFQ in a sample of 117 Scottish children (boys n 53, girls n 64 mean age 4.6 (SD 0.5) years) to: characterise gender differences and changes over time (in forty of the 117 children studied over 2 years); test associations between parental feeding style, free-living energy intake (measured over 3 days using the multiple pass 24-h recall), and weight status (BMI SD score). No dimensions of parental feeding style changed significantly over 2 years in the longitudinal study (P>0.05 in all cases). No aspects of parental feeding style as measured by the CFQ differed significantly between the sexes (P>0.05 in all cases). Parental perceptions of child weight status were generally significantly positively correlated with child weight status as measured by the BMI SD score. In this sample and setting, measures of parental control over child feeding were generally not associated with child energy intake or weight status.

  5. Longitudinal Linkages among Parent-Child Acculturation Discrepancy, Parenting, Parent-Child Sense of Alienation, and Adolescent Adjustment in Chinese Immigrant Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Su Yeong; Chen, Qi; Wang, Yijie; Shen, Yishan; Orozco-Lapray, Diana

    2013-01-01

    Parent-child acculturation discrepancy is a risk factor in the development of children in immigrant families. Using a longitudinal sample of Chinese immigrant families, the authors of the current study examined how unsupportive parenting and parent-child sense of alienation sequentially mediate the relationship between parent-child acculturation…

  6. Parental Aspirations for Their Children's Educational Attainment: Relations to Ethnicity, Parental Education, Children's Academic Performance, and Parental Perceptions of School Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spera, Christopher; Wentzel, Kathryn R.; Matto, Holly C.

    2009-01-01

    This study examined parental aspirations for their children's educational attainment in relation to ethnicity (African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic), parental education, children's academic performance, and parental perceptions of the quality and climate of their children's school with a sample of 13,577 middle and high school parents. All…

  7. The Influences of the Sixth Graders' Parents' Internet Literacy and Parenting Style on Internet Parenting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lou, Shi-Jer; Shih, Ru-Chu; Liu, Hung-Tzu; Guo, Yuan-Chang; Tseng, Kuo-Hung

    2010-01-01

    This study aims to explore the sixth grade students' parents' Internet literacy and parenting style on Internet parenting in Kaohsiung County in Taiwan. Upon stratified cluster sampling, a total of 822 parents from 34 classes in 28 schools participated in this study. The descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to analyze the responses…

  8. In Search of the Sources of Psychologically Controlling Parenting: The Role of Parental Separation Anxiety and Parental Maladaptive Perfectionism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soenens, Bart; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Duriez, Bart; Goossens, Luc

    2006-01-01

    This study investigated the role of two dimensions of parental separation anxiety--Anxiety about Adolescent Distancing (AAD) and Comfort with Secure Base Role (CSBR)--and parental maladaptive perfectionism in the prediction of psychologically controlling parenting. In a sample of middle adolescents and their parents (N=677), it was found that…

  9. Is nevtral NEUTRAL? Visual similarity effects in the early phases of written-word recognition.

    PubMed

    Marcet, Ana; Perea, Manuel

    2017-08-01

    For simplicity, contemporary models of written-word recognition and reading have unspecified feature/letter levels-they predict that the visually similar substituted-letter nonword PEQPLE is as effective at activating the word PEOPLE as the visually dissimilar substituted-letter nonword PEYPLE. Previous empirical evidence on the effects of visual similarly across letters during written-word recognition is scarce and nonconclusive. To examine whether visual similarity across letters plays a role early in word processing, we conducted two masked priming lexical decision experiments (stimulus-onset asynchrony = 50 ms). The substituted-letter primes were visually very similar to the target letters (u/v in Experiment 1 and i/j in Experiment 2; e.g., nevtral-NEUTRAL). For comparison purposes, we included an identity prime condition (neutral-NEUTRAL) and a dissimilar-letter prime condition (neztral-NEUTRAL). Results showed that the similar-letter prime condition produced faster word identification times than the dissimilar-letter prime condition. We discuss how models of written-word recognition should be amended to capture visual similarity effects across letters.

  10. The effects of age, viewing distance, display type, font type, colour contrast and number of syllables on the legibility of Korean characters.

    PubMed

    Kong, Yong-Ku; Lee, Inseok; Jung, Myung-Chul; Song, Young-Woong

    2011-05-01

    This study evaluated the effects of age (20s and 60s), viewing distance (50 cm, 200 cm), display type (paper, monitor), font type (Gothic, Ming), colour contrast (black letters on white background, white letters on black background) and number of syllables (one, two) on the legibility of Korean characters by using the four legibility measures (minimum letter size for 100% correctness, maximum letter size for 0% correctness, minimum letter size for the least discomfort and maximum letter size for the most discomfort). Ten subjects in each age group read the four letters presented on a slide (letter size varied from 80 pt to 2 pt). Subjects also subjectively rated the reading discomfort of the letters on a 4-point scale (1 = no discomfort, 4 = most discomfort). According to the ANOVA procedure, age, viewing distance and font type significantly affected the four dependent variables (p < 0.05), while the main effect of colour contrast was not statistically significant for any measures. Two-syllable letters had smaller letters than one-syllable letters in the two correctness measures. The younger group could see letter sizes two times smaller than the old group could and the viewing distance of 50 cm showed letters about three times smaller than those at a 200 cm viewing distance. The Gothic fonts were smaller than the Ming fonts. Monitors were smaller than paper for correctness and maximum letter size for the most discomfort. From a comparison of the results for correctness and discomfort, people generally preferred larger letter sizes to those that they could read. The findings of this study may provide basic information for setting a global standard of letter size or font type to improve the legibility of characters written in Korean. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Results obtained in this study will provide basic information and guidelines for setting standards of letter size and font type to improve the legibility of characters written in Korean. Also, the results might offer useful information for people who are working on design of visual displays.

  11. Authoritarian Parenting and Asian Adolescent School Performance: Insights from the US and Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Pong, Suet-ling; Johnston, Jamie; Chen, Vivien

    2014-01-01

    Our study re-examines the relationship between parenting and school performance among Asian students. We use two sources of data: wave I of the Adolescent Health Longitudinal Survey (Add Health), and waves I and II of the Taiwan Educational Panel Survey (TEPS). Analysis using Add Health reveals that the Asian-American/European-American difference in the parenting–school performance relationship is due largely to differential sample sizes. When we select a random sample of European-American students comparable to the sample size of Asian-American students, authoritarian parenting also shows no effect for European-American students. Furthermore, analysis of TEPS shows that authoritarian parenting is negatively associated with children's school achievement, while authoritative parenting is positively associated. This result for Taiwanese Chinese students is similar to previous results for European-American students in the US. PMID:24850978

  12. Predictors of discrepancies between fathers and mothers in rating behaviors of preschool children with and without ADHD.

    PubMed

    van der Veen-Mulders, Lianne; Nauta, Maaike H; Timmerman, Marieke E; van den Hoofdakker, Barbara J; Hoekstra, Pieter J

    2017-03-01

    To examine child factors and parental characteristics as predictors of discrepancies between parents' ratings of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems in a sample of preschool children with ADHD and behavior problems and in a nonclinical sample. We investigated correspondence and discrepancies between parents' ratings on the externalizing and internalizing behavior problems broadband scales of the Child Behavior Checklist version for preschool children (CBCL/1.5-5). Parents of 152 preschool children, with ADHD and behavior problems (n = 72) and nonclinical children (n = 80), aged between 28 and 72 months (M = 47.26, SD = 12.7), completed the CBCL/1.5-5. Candidate predictors of discrepancy included the child's age and sex, and parents' levels of parenting stress, depressive mood, attention-deficit and disruptive behavior. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. Correspondence between parents, both for ratings on internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, was high (r = .63-.77). In the clinical sample, mothers rated the severity of externalizing behavior problems significantly higher than did fathers (p = < .001). Discrepancy between fathers and mothers on externalizing behavior problems was not predicted by child factors or interparental differences in psychopathology, but it was predicted by interparental differences in parenting stress (R 2  = .25, p < .001). This effect was significantly larger in the nonclinical sample (ΔR 2  = .06, p < .001). When parents disagree on the severity level of preschool children's externalizing behavior problems, the clinician should take into consideration that differences in parenting stress might be involved.

  13. A Mentoring Opportunity: A Joint Effort in Writing Letters of Recommendation.

    PubMed

    Master, Zubin

    2017-01-01

    Integrity in writing letters of recommendation is important to academic research because it is an influential criterion used pervasively in peer review. While research in the integrity of recommendation letters has concentrated on contents of the letter, bias, and reliability, few have questioned the process of letter writing. Here, I argue that letter writing should be a joint opportunity between mentor/supervisor/advisor and trainee. It results in more compelling letters, may prevent errors and the use of biased language, and serves as an excellent mentoring opportunity promoting self-reflection.

  14. The Cost-Effectiveness of Cervical Self-Sampling to Improve Routine Cervical Cancer Screening: The Importance of Respondent Screening History and Compliance.

    PubMed

    Burger, Emily A; Sy, Stephen; Nygård, Mari; Kim, Jane J

    2017-01-01

    Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing allows women to self-collect cervico-vaginal cells at home (i.e., self-sampling). Using primary data from a randomized pilot study, we evaluated the long-term consequences and cost-effectiveness of using self-sampling to improve participation to routine cervical cancer screening in Norway. We compared a strategy reflecting screening participation (using reminder letters) to strategies that involved mailing self-sampling device kits to women noncompliant to screening within a 5- or 10-year period under two scenarios: (A) self-sampling respondents had moderate under-screening histories, or (B) respondents to self-sampling had moderate and severe under-screening histories. Model outcomes included quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) and lifetime costs. The "most cost-effective" strategy was identified as the strategy just below $100,000 per QALY gained. Mailing self-sampling device kits to all women noncompliant to screening within a 5- or 10-year period can be more effective and less costly than the current reminder letter policy; however, the optimal self-sampling strategy was dependent on the profile of self-sampling respondents. For example, "10-yearly self-sampling" is preferred ($95,500 per QALY gained) if "5-yearly self-sampling" could only attract moderate under-screeners; however, "5-yearly self-sampling" is preferred if this strategy could additionally attract severe under-screeners. Targeted self-sampling of noncompliers likely represents good value-for-money; however, the preferred strategy is contingent on the screening histories and compliance of respondents. The magnitude of the health benefit and optimal self-sampling strategy is dependent on the profile and behavior of respondents. Health authorities should understand these factors prior to selecting and implementing a self-sampling policy. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(1); 95-103. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  15. A spotlight on preschool: the influence of family factors on children's early literacy skills.

    PubMed

    Heath, Steve M; Bishop, Dorothy V M; Bloor, Kimberley E; Boyle, Gemma L; Fletcher, Janet; Hogben, John H; Wigley, Charles A; Yeong, Stephanie H M

    2014-01-01

    Phonological awareness, letter knowledge, oral language (including sentence recall) and rapid automatised naming are acknowledged within-child predictors of literacy development. Separate research has identified family factors including socio-economic status, parents' level of education and family history. However, both approaches have left unexplained significant amounts of variance in literacy outcomes. This longitudinal study sought to improve prospective classification accuracy for young children at risk of literacy failure by adding two new family measures (parents' phonological awareness and parents' perceived self-efficacy), and then combining the within-child and family factors. Pre-literacy skills were measured in 102 four year olds (46 girls and 56 boys) at the beginning of Preschool, and then at the beginning and end of Kindergarten, when rapid automatised naming was also measured. Family factors data were collected at the beginning of Preschool, and children's literacy outcomes were measured at the end of Year 1 (age 6-7 years). Children from high-risk backgrounds showed poorer literacy outcomes than low-risk students, though three family factors (school socio-economic status, parents' phonological awareness, and family history) typically accounted for less Year 1 variance than the within-child factors. Combining these family factors with the end of Kindergarten within-child factors provided the most accurate classification (i.e., sensitivity = .85; specificity = .90; overall correct = .88). Our approach would identify at-risk children for intervention before they began to fail. Moreover, it would be cost-effective because although few at-risk children would be missed, allocation of unnecessary educational resources would be minimised.

  16. Average variograms to guide soil sampling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kerry, R.; Oliver, M. A.

    2004-10-01

    To manage land in a site-specific way for agriculture requires detailed maps of the variation in the soil properties of interest. To predict accurately for mapping, the interval at which the soil is sampled should relate to the scale of spatial variation. A variogram can be used to guide sampling in two ways. A sampling interval of less than half the range of spatial dependence can be used, or the variogram can be used with the kriging equations to determine an optimal sampling interval to achieve a given tolerable error. A variogram might not be available for the site, but if the variograms of several soil properties were available on a similar parent material and or particular topographic positions an average variogram could be calculated from these. Averages of the variogram ranges and standardized average variograms from four different parent materials in southern England were used to suggest suitable sampling intervals for future surveys in similar pedological settings based on half the variogram range. The standardized average variograms were also used to determine optimal sampling intervals using the kriging equations. Similar sampling intervals were suggested by each method and the maps of predictions based on data at different grid spacings were evaluated for the different parent materials. Variograms of loss on ignition (LOI) taken from the literature for other sites in southern England with similar parent materials had ranges close to the average for a given parent material showing the possible wider application of such averages to guide sampling.

  17. Target--distractor separation and feature integration in visual attention to letters.

    PubMed

    Driver, J; Baylis, G C

    1991-04-01

    The interference produced by distractor letters diminishes with increasing distance from a target letter, as if the distractors fall outside an attentional spotlight focussed on the target (Eriksen and Eriksen 1974). We examine Hagenaar and Van der Heijden's (1986) claim that this distance effect is an acuity artefact. Feature integration theory (Treisman 1986) predicts that even when acuity is controlled for, distance effects should be found when interference is produced by conjoined distractor features (e.g. letter-identities), but not when interference arises from isolated distractor features (e.g. letter-strokes). The opposite pattern of results is found. A model is proposed in which both letter-strokes and letter-identities are derived in parallel. The location of letter-strokes can also be coded in parallel, but locating letter-identities may require the operation of attention.

  18. Gender Gaps in Letter-Sound Knowledge Persist Across the First School Year

    PubMed Central

    Sigmundsson, Hermundur; Dybfest Eriksen, Adrian; Ofteland, Greta S.; Haga, Monika

    2018-01-01

    Literacy is the cornerstone of a primary school education and enables the intellectual and social development of young children. Letter-sound knowledge has been identified as critical for developing proficiency in reading. This study explored the development of letter-sound knowledge in relation to gender during the first year of primary school. 485 Norwegian children aged 5–6 years completed assessment of letter-sound knowledge, i.e., uppercase letters- name; uppercase letter -sound; lowercase letters- name; lowercase letter-sound. The children were tested in the beginning, middle, and end of their first school year. The results revealed a clear gender difference in all four variables in favor of the girls which were relatively constant over time. Implications for understanding the role of gender and letter-sound knowledge for later reading performance are discussed. PMID:29662461

  19. Representation of Letter Position in Spelling: Evidence from Acquired Dysgraphia

    PubMed Central

    Fischer-Baum, Simon; McCloskey, Michael; Rapp, Brenda

    2010-01-01

    The graphemic representations that underlie spelling performance must encode not only the identities of the letters in a word, but also the positions of the letters. This study investigates how letter position information is represented. We present evidence from two dysgraphic individuals, CM and LSS, who perseverate letters when spelling: that is, letters from previous spelling responses intrude into subsequent responses. The perseverated letters appear more often than expected by chance in the same position in the previous and subsequent responses. We used these errors to address the question of how letter position is represented in spelling. In a series of analyses we determined how often the perseveration errors produced maintain position as defined by a number of alternative theories of letter position encoding proposed in the literature. The analyses provide strong evidence that the grapheme representations used in spelling encode letter position such that position is represented in a graded manner based on distance from both edges of the word. PMID:20378104

  20. [The role of external letter positions in visual word recognition].

    PubMed

    Perea, Manuel; Lupker, Sthephen J

    2007-11-01

    A key issue for any computational model of visual word recognition is the choice of an input coding schema, which is responsible for assigning letter positions. Such a schema must reflect the fact that, according to recent research, nonwords created by transposing letters (e.g., caniso for CASINO ), typically, appear to be more similar to the word than nonwords created by replacing letters (e.g., caviro ). In the present research, we initially carried out a computational analysis examining the degree to which the position of the transposition influences transposed-letter similarity effects. We next conducted a masked priming experiment with the lexical decision task to determine whether a transposed-letter priming advantage occurs when the first letter position is involved. Primes were created by either transposing the first and third letters (démula-MEDULA ) or replacing the first and third letters (bérula-MEDULA). Results showed that there was no transposed-letter priming advantage in this situation. We discuss the implications of these results for models of visual word recognition.

  1. The distributed neural system for top-down letter processing: an fMRI study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jiangang; Feng, Lu; Li, Ling; Tian, Jie

    2011-03-01

    This fMRI study used Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) to investigate top-down letter processing with an illusory letter detection task. After an initial training that became increasingly difficult, participant was instructed to detect a letter from pure noise images where there was actually no letter. Such experimental paradigm allowed for isolating top-down components of letter processing and minimizing the influence of bottom-up perceptual input. A distributed cortical network of top-down letter processing was identified by analyzing the functional connectivity patterns of letter-preferential area (LA) within the left fusiform gyrus. Such network extends from the visual cortex to high level cognitive cortexes, including the left middle frontal gyrus, left medial frontal gyrus, left superior parietal gyrus, bilateral precuneus, and left inferior occipital gyrus. These findings suggest that top-down letter processing contains not only regions for processing of letter phonology and appearance, but also those involved in internal information generation and maintenance, and attention and memory processing.

  2. The Intentions of Letter Writers for Applicants to a Baccalaureate-M.D. Program: Self-Report and Content Analyses of Letters of Reference.

    PubMed

    Mavis, Brian E; Shafer, Christine L; Magallanes, Belinda M

    2006-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine how individuals providing reference letters framed the task and the specific attributes used to describe applicants. Participants were letter writers (N=106) for accepted or alternate applicants. Participants received a brief anonymous survey and a return postcard to release their past letter for content analysis. Seventy-six percent of letter writers (N=81) returned a survey. Most (64%) intended to describe applicants' positive accomplishments. According to respondents' they were most likely to write about academic accomplishments (85%), work ethic (78%), dependability (70%) and motivation (70%). Seventy-four respondents (70%) released their letter for content analysis. Academic accomplishments (77%), motivation (41%) and leadership (41%) were the attributes most frequently mentioned in the letters. Most letter writers see their role as supportive rather than evaluative. Academic accomplishments, though often mentioned, are available from other sources. Many non-cognitive attributes of most interest to admissions committees are least likely to appear in reference letters.

  3. Parental Support and Knowledge and Adolescents' Sexual Health: Testing Two Mediational Models in a National Dutch Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Graaf, Hanneke; Vanwesenbeeck, Ine; Woertman, Liesbeth; Keijsers, Loes; Meijer, Suzanne; Meeus, Wim

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated age- and gender-specific associations between parental support and parental knowledge of the child's whereabouts, on the one hand, and sexual experience and sexual health (the ability to have safe and pleasurable sexual experiences) on the other hand. A representative Dutch sample of 1,263 males and 1,353 females (aged…

  4. Risks for Conduct Disorder Symptoms Associated with Parental Alcoholism in Stepfather Families versus Intact Families from a Community Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foley, Debra L.; Pickles, Andrew; Rutter, Michael; Gardner, Charles O.; Maes, Hermine H.; Silberg, Judy L.; Eaves, Lindon J.

    2004-01-01

    Background: It is not known if the prevalence of parental psychiatric disorders is higher in stepfather than intact families, or if parental alcoholism is differentially associated with risk for conduct disorder (CD) symptoms in stepfather families versus intact families. Method: The sample comprised 839 girls and 741 boys from 792 intact families…

  5. The Relationship between Child Abuse, Parental Divorce, and Lifetime Mental Disorders and Suicidality in a Nationally Representative Adult Sample

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Afifi, Tracie O.; Boman, Jonathan; Fleisher, William; Sareen, Jitender

    2009-01-01

    Objectives: To determine how the experiences of child abuse and parental divorce are related to long-term mental health outcomes using a nationally representative adult sample after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and parental psychopathology. Methods: Data were drawn from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS, n=5,877; age 15-54 years;…

  6. The Parent-Version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) in Chinese and Italian Community Samples: Validation and Cross-Cultural Comparison.

    PubMed

    Li, Jian-Bin; Delvecchio, Elisa; Di Riso, Daniela; Nie, Yan-Gang; Lis, Adriana

    2016-06-01

    The current study aimed to validate the parent-version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) among Chinese and Italian community adolescents and to compare adolescents' anxiety symptoms in these two countries. Chinese (N = 456) and Italian (N = 452) adolescents and their parents participated in the study. Results showed that: (1) the six correlated-factor structure was demonstrated and invariant across countries. (2) The reliability of the total scale was good in both samples, whereas reliabilities of subscales were acceptable and moderate in Chinese and Italian samples, respectively. (3) The SCAS-P showed good convergent and divergent validity. (4) Adolescent-parent agreement was from low to medium while mother-father agreement ranged from medium to high. (5) There were cultural and gender differences in levels of parent-report anxiety symptoms. In conclusion, SCAS-P seems to be a promising parent-report instrument to assess Chinese and Italian adolescents' anxiety symptoms.

  7. The effect of parenting stress on child behavior problems in high-risk children with prenatal drug exposure.

    PubMed

    Bagner, Daniel M; Sheinkopf, Stephen J; Miller-Loncar, Cynthia; LaGasse, Linda L; Lester, Barry M; Liu, Jing; Bauer, Charles R; Shankaran, Seetha; Bada, Henrietta; Das, Abhik

    2009-03-01

    To examine the relationship between early parenting stress and later child behavior in a high-risk sample and measure the effect of drug exposure on the relationship between parenting stress and child behavior. A subset of child-caregiver dyads (n=607) were selected from the Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS), which is a large sample of children (n=1,388) with prenatal cocaine exposure and a comparison sample unexposed to cocaine. Of the 607 dyads, 221 were prenatally exposed to cocaine and 386 were unexposed to cocaine. Selection was based on the presence of a stable caregiver at 4 and 36 months with no evidence of change in caregiver between those time points. Parenting stress at 4 months significantly predicted child externalizing behavior at 36 months. These relations were unaffected by cocaine exposure suggesting the relationship between parenting stress and behavioral outcome exists for high-risk children regardless of drug exposure history. These results extend the findings of the relationship between parenting stress and child behavior to a sample of high-risk children with prenatal drug exposure. Implications for outcome and treatment are discussed.

  8. Parental divorce and adjustment in adulthood: findings from a community sample. The ALSPAC Study Team. Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, T G; Thorpe, K; Dunn, J; Golding, J

    1999-07-01

    The current study examines the link between the experience of divorce in childhood and several indices of adjustment in adulthood in a large community sample of women. Results replicated previous research on the long-term correlation between parental divorce and depression and divorce in adulthood. Results further suggested that parental divorce was associated with a wide range of early risk factors, life course patterns, and several indices of adult adjustment. Regression analyses indicated that the long-term correlation between parental divorce and depression in adulthood is explained by quality of parent-child and parental marital relations (in childhood), concurrent levels of stressful life events and social support, and cohabitation. The long-term association between parental divorce and experiencing a divorce in adulthood was partly mediated through quality of parent-child relations, teenage pregnancy, leaving home before 18 years, and educational attainment.

  9. The contribution of parenting practices and parent emotion factors in children at risk for disruptive behavior disorders.

    PubMed

    Duncombe, Melissa E; Havighurst, Sophie S; Holland, Kerry A; Frankling, Emma J

    2012-10-01

    The goal of this study was to examine the impact of different parenting characteristics on child disruptive behavior and emotional regulation among a sample of at-risk children. The sample consisted of 373 Australian 5- to 9-year-old children who were screened for serious behavior problems. Seven parenting variables based on self-report were evaluated, involving parenting practices, emotion beliefs and behaviors, emotion expressiveness, and mental health. Outcome variables based on parent/teacher report were child disruptive behavior problems and emotion regulatory ability. When entered simultaneously in a multiple regression analysis, inconsistent discipline, negative parental emotional expressiveness, and parent mental health demonstrated the strongest relationship to disruptive behavior problems and problems with emotion regulation. The data presented here elucidate multiple risk pathways to disruptive behavior disorders and can inform the design of prevention and early intervention programs.

  10. Maternal reflective functioning among mothers with childhood maltreatment histories: links to sensitive parenting and infant attachment security.

    PubMed

    Stacks, Ann M; Muzik, Maria; Wong, Kristyn; Beeghly, Marjorie; Huth-Bocks, Alissa; Irwin, Jessica L; Rosenblum, Katherine L

    2014-01-01

    This study examined relationships among maternal reflective functioning, parenting, infant attachment, and demographic risk in a relatively large (N = 83) socioeconomically diverse sample of women with and without a history of childhood maltreatment and their infants. Most prior research on parental reflective functioning has utilized small homogenous samples. Reflective functioning was assessed with the Parent Development Interview, parenting was coded from videotaped mother-child interactions, and infant attachment was evaluated in Ainsworth's Strange Situation by independent teams of reliable coders masked to maternal history. Reflective functioning was associated with parenting sensitivity and secure attachment, and inversely associated with demographic risk and parenting negativity; however, it was not associated with maternal maltreatment history or PTSD. Parenting sensitivity mediated the relationship between reflective functioning and infant attachment, controlling for demographic risk. Findings are discussed in the context of prior research on reflective functioning and the importance of targeting reflective functioning in interventions.

  11. Using Facebook to Recruit Parents to Participate in a Family Program to Prevent Teen Drug Use.

    PubMed

    Oesterle, Sabrina; Epstein, Marina; Haggerty, Kevin P; Moreno, Megan A

    2018-05-01

    Despite strong evidence that family programs are effective in preventing adolescent substance use, recruiting parents to participate in such programs remains a persistent challenge. This study explored the feasibility of using Facebook to recruit parents of middle school students to a self-directed family program to prevent adolescent drug use. The study used paid Facebook ads aiming to recruit 100 parents in Washington and Colorado using marijuana- or parenting-focused messages. All ad-recruited parents were also invited to refer others in order to compare Facebook recruitment to web-based respondent-driven sampling. Despite offering a $15 incentive for each successfully referred participant, the majority of the screened (70.4%) and eligible (65.1%) parents were recruited through Facebook ads. Yet, eligibility and consent rates were significantly higher among referred (76.6 and 57.3%, respectively) than Facebook-recruited parents (60.0 and 36.6%, respectively). Click-through rates on Facebook were higher for marijuana-focused than parenting-focused ads (0.72 and 0.65%, respectively). The final sample (54% Facebook-recruited) consisted of 103 demographically homogeneous parents (female, educated, non-Hispanic White, and mostly from Washington). Although Facebook was an effective and efficient method to recruit parents to a study with equal to better cost-effectiveness than traditional recruitment strategies, the promise of social media to reach a diverse population was not realized. Additional approaches to Facebook recruitment are needed to reach diverse samples in real-world settings and increase public health impact of family programs.

  12. Quality of life among parents of children with autistic disorder: a sample from the Arab world.

    PubMed

    Dardas, Latefa A; Ahmad, Muayyad M

    2014-02-01

    A growing body of research has sought to examine issues associated with the Quality of Life (QoL) of parents of children with Autistic Disorder. However, no studies have examined the QoL of Arab parents whose parenting experience is expected to be substantially different from that of their western counterparts. Therefore, the purposes of this study were: (1) to examine differences in the QoL between fathers and mothers of children with Autistic Disorder in a sample from an Arab country, and (2) to examine the psychosocial correlates of the QoL of Arab parents of children with Autistic Disorder. Self-administered questionnaires on parents' QoL, stress, coping strategies, and demographic characteristics were completed by 184 parents of children with Autistic Disorder. The participants were recruited using the convenience sampling design. Fathers and mothers of children with Autistic Disorder showed no significant differences in their physical, psychological, social, and environmental health. Further, both parents showed almost similar bivariate correlations between the reported QoL levels and their parenting stress, coping strategies, and demographic characteristics. This is the first study to examine the QoL of parents of children with Autistic Disorder in the Arab world and, in doing so, it highlighted the distinct lack of research in this area. The QoL of Arab parents of children with Autistic Disorder crosses lines with their stress levels, coping strategies, demographic characteristics, and to some extent their cultural context. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Development of motion-defined figure-ground segregation in preschool and older children, using a letter-identification task.

    PubMed

    Giaschi, D; Regan, D

    1997-09-01

    Three-month-old infants can discriminate motion-defined (MD) form, but we do not know the age at which this ability reaches adult levels. Previous psychophysical evidence suggests that different neural mechanisms are involved in the processing of luminance-defined (LD) and MD spatial form in adults. This difference may be reflected in the development of LD versus MD form identification in children. We measured speed threshold for identifying MD letters, letter-chart (i.e, Snellen) acuity for high-contrast LD letters and single-letter acuity for high- and low-contrast LD letters. Forty-seven children between 3 and 12 years of age and 20 adult subjects were tested. Development to the adult level was observed as follows: low-contrast single-letter acuity before 3 years; high-contrast single-letter acuity by 5 to 6 years; the ability to identify MD letters by 7 to 8 years; letter-chart acuity by 9 to 10 years. MD form identification continues to mature in preschool children. LD form identification also matures in this age group but with a different time course. MD letters are not equivalent to low-contrast letters developmentally. Our findings provide further support for the hypothesis that the spatial aspects of MD and LD form are processed separately to some extent.

  14. Development of Early Handwriting: Visual-Motor Control During Letter Copying

    PubMed Central

    Maldarelli, Jennifer E.; Kahrs, Björn A.; Hunt, Sarah C.; Lockman, Jeffrey J.

    2015-01-01

    Despite the importance of handwriting for school readiness and early academic progress, prior research on the development of handwriting has focused primarily on the product rather than the process by which young children write letters. In contrast, in the present work, early handwriting is viewed as involving a suite of perceptual, motor and cognitive abilities, which must work in unison if children are to write letters efficiently. To study such coordination, head-mounted eye-tracking technology was used to investigate the process of visual-motor coordination while kindergarten children (N=23) and adults (N=11) copied individual letters and strings of letters that differed in terms of their phonemic properties. Results indicated that kindergarten children were able to copy single letters efficiently, as did adults. When the cognitive demands of the task increased and children were presented with strings of letters, however, their ability to copy letters efficiently was compromised: children frequently interrupted their writing mid-letter, whereas they did not do so on single letter trials. Yet, with increasing age, children became more efficient in copying letter strings, in part by using vision more prospectively when writing. Taken together, the results illustrate how the coordination of perceptual, motor and cognitive processes contributes to advances in the development of letter writing skill. PMID:26029821

  15. Involvement of Roma Parents in Children's Education in Croatia: A Comparative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pahic, Tea; Vidovic, Vlasta Vizek; Miljevic-Ridicki, Renata

    2011-01-01

    This article compares Roma and mainstream parents' involvement in the education of their children, based on Epstein's six-dimensional model of parent-school partnership. The survey was conducted in Croatia on two sub-samples: 60 Roma parents and 908 mainstream parents. Results suggest that Roma parents show lower interest in participating in…

  16. Recollections of Parent Characteristics and Attachment Patterns for College Women of Intact vs. Non-Intact Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kilmann, Peter R.; Carranza, Laura V.; Vendemia, Jennifer M. C.

    2006-01-01

    This study contrasted offsprings' attachment patterns and recollections of parent characteristics in two college samples: 147 females from intact biological parents and 157 females of parental divorce. Secure females from intact or non-intact families rated parents positively, while insecure females rated parents as absent, distant, and demanding.…

  17. The Joint Influence of Mother and Father Parenting on Child Cognitive Outcomes at Age 5

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Anne; Ryan, Rebecca M.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

    2007-01-01

    Few studies of parenting have considered the possibility that the association between one parent's supportive parenting and a child's early cognition is moderated by the other parent's supportiveness. We test this proposition using a low-income sample of coresident couples. In addition, we cross-classify parents within couples according to their…

  18. Influence of Parenting Factors on Childhood Social Anxiety: Direct Observation of Parental Warmth and Control

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rork, Kristine E.; Morris, Tracy L.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of the present study is to determine the association of parenting behaviors and social anxiety in children. Three parental factors--including parental socialization, control, and warmth--were investigated in a sample of 31 two-parent families. Rather than solely relying upon retrospective questionnaires, this study incorporated direct…

  19. Authoritative Parenting, Parental Scaffolding of Long-Division Mathematics, and Children's Academic Competence in Fourth Grade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mattanah, J.F.; Pratt, M.W.; Cowan, P.A.; Cowan, C.P.

    2005-01-01

    The current study examined the relationships among authoritative parenting, parental scaffolding of long-division math problems, and children's academic competence. In a sample of 70 two-parent middle class families participating in a longitudinal study on the transition to school, authoritative parenting was assessed globally at the beginning of…

  20. Parental Stress, Discipline Strategies, and Child Behavior Problems in Families with Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shawler, Paul M.; Sullivan, Maureen A.

    2017-01-01

    The current study investigated the parent-child relationship by examining associations between parent stress, parental discipline strategies, child disruptive behavior problems, and level of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. A sample of 130 parents of children with ASD ages 3 to 11 years participated. Parents reported high levels of parent…

  1. Nanoassembly of nanostructures by cutting, bending and soldering of carbon nanotubes with electron beam.

    PubMed

    Liu, Pou; Kantola, Kalle; Fukuda, Toshio; Arai, Fumihito

    2009-05-01

    We report that a series of in situ nanofabrication techniques of nanostructures, including cutting, bending and soldering of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), inside a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) used for nanoassembly of nanostructures. The CNTs can be cut with electron beam assisted with oxygen gas. The cutting was developed for the bending of CNT, if some conditions of the cutting technique are changed. These include the increase of the acceleration voltage and/or setting the oxygen gas nozzle farther from the sample, and/or reducing the irradiation time. Using the proposed bending method angles larger than 90 degrees can be formed and the location of the kink can be set accurately. It is also shown that tungsten can be deposited on a substrate by the electron-beam-induced deposition, if the oxygen of the proposed cutting technique is replaced by W(CO)6. In this paper, these three nanofabrication methods were employed in the creation of a two dimensional (2D) nanostructure, the letters N and U, and a three dimensional (3D) nanostructure, the letter N. The 2D letters were constructed from 6 CNTs assembled on a substrate while the 3D letter N was bended from a single CNT and fixed to stand on a substrate. Based on the high performance of the proposed techniques, it is suggested that the cutting, bending, and soldering techniques inside SEM will become widely utilized in the fabrication and assembly of nanodevices and in the characterization of nanomaterials.

  2. Anticipation or ascertainment bias in schizophrenia? Penrose`s familial mental illness sample

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bassett, A.S.; Husted, J.

    Several studies have observed anticipation (earlier age at onset [AAO] in successive generations) in familial schizophrenia. However, whether true anticipation or ascertainment bias is the principal originating mechanism remains unclear. In 1944 L.S. Penrose collected AAO data on a large, representative sample of familial mental illness, using a broad ascertainment strategy. These data allowed examination of anticipation and ascertainment biases in five two-generation samples of affected relative pairs. The median intergenerational difference (MID) in AAO was used to assess anticipation. Results showed significant anticipation in parent-offspring pairs with schizophrenia (n = 137 pairs; MID 15 years; P = .0001) andmore » in a positive control sample with Huntington disease (n = 11; P = .01). Broadening the diagnosis of the schizophrenia sample suggested anticipation of severity of illness. However, other analyses provided evidence for ascertainment bias, especially in later-AAO parents, in parent-offspring pairs. Aunt/uncle-niece/nephew schizophrenia pairs showed anticipation (n = 111; P = .0001), but the MID was 8 years and aunts/uncles had earlier median AAO than parents. Anticipation effects were greatest in pairs with late-AAO parents but remained significant in a subgroup of schizophrenia pairs with early parental AAO (n = 31; P = .03). A small control sample of other diseases had MID of 5 years but no significant anticipation (n = 9; F = .38). These results suggest that, although ascertainment-bias effects were observed in parent-offspring pairs, true anticipation appears to be inherent in the transmission of familial schizophrenia. The findings support investigations of unstable mutations and other mechanisms that may contribute to true anticipation in schizophrenia. 37 refs., 2 tabs.« less

  3. Validity of the Parental Burnout Inventory Among Dutch Employees.

    PubMed

    Van Bakel, Hedwig J A; Van Engen, Marloes L; Peters, Pascale

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to validate the Parental Burnout Inventory (PBI) in a Dutch sample of working parents. The Dutch version of the PBI and questionnaires about work were administered to 627 working parents, with at least one child living at home. We investigated whether the tri-dimensional structure of the PBI held in a sample of male and female employed parents. Furthermore, we examined the relationships between PBI and the constructs work-related burnout, depressive mood, parenting stress and work-family conflict, which we assessed with widely used and validated instruments, i.e., emotional exhaustion [a subscale of the Dutch version of Maslach's Burnout Inventory], a Dutch Parental Stress Questionnaire and Work-Family Conflict. The results support the validity of a tri-dimensional parental burnout syndrome, including exhaustion, distancing and inefficacy. Low to moderate correlations between parents' burnout symptoms and professional exhaustion, parenting stress, depressive complaints and work-family conflict experiences were found, suggesting that the concept of PBI differs significantly from the concepts of job burnout, depression and stress, respectively. The current study confirms that some parents are extremely exhausted by their parental role. However, the number of Dutch employees reporting extreme parental burnout is rather low.

  4. Parental Involvement in the Care and Intervention of Children with Hearing Loss

    PubMed Central

    Erbasi, Ennur; Scarinci, Nerina; Hickson, Louise; Ching, Teresa Y.C.

    2016-01-01

    Objective The present study aimed to explore the nature of parental involvement in the intervention of children with hearing loss, as experienced by parents. Design A qualitative descriptive methodology was adopted to conduct semi-structured in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of parents who have a child with hearing loss. Study Sample Seventeen parents of 11 children aged 6 to 9 years participated in this study. Results The overarching theme of parents taking the central role was identified using thematic analysis. This overarching theme connected five themes which described the nature of parental involvement: (1) parents work behind the scenes; (2) parents act as ‘case managers’; (3) parents always have their child’s language development in mind; (4) parents’ role extends to advocacy for all children with hearing loss; and (5) parents serve a number of roles, but at the end of the day, they are parents. Conclusions The results indicate that parental involvement in the intervention of children with hearing loss is multifaceted in nature and incorporates a broad range of behaviours and practices. These findings have important implications for the provision of family-centred practices. PMID:27599106

  5. 75 FR 69508 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; Notice of Filings...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-12

    ... letter from Brendan Daly, Legal and Compliance Counsel, Commonwealth Financial Network, to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Commission, dated August 27, 2010 (``Commonwealth Letter''); letter from Kristin Bulls..., Secretary, Commission, dated August 30, 2010 (``State Farm Letter''); letter from Joan Hinchman, Executive...

  6. Temperament, Parenting, and Depressive Symptoms in a Population Sample of Preadolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oldehinkel, Albertine J.; Veenstra, Rene; Ormel, Johan; De Winter, Andrea F.; Verhulst, Frank C.

    2006-01-01

    Background: Depressive symptoms can be triggered by negative social experiences and individuals' processing of these experiences. This study focuses on the interaction between temperament, perceived parenting, and gender in relation to depressive problems in a Dutch population sample of preadolescents. Methods: The sample consisted of 2230…

  7. The Joint Influence of Parental Modeling and Positive Parental Concern on Cigarette Smoking in Middle and High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalesan, Bindu; Stine, Joan; Alberg, Anthony J.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to examine the interaction between parental smoking status and parental attitudes, as measured by positive parental concern, on the risk of adolescent cigarette smoking. Parental smoking and parental concern about smoking were measured in a cross-sectional study of 37,244 students, a random sample of Maryland middle…

  8. Parenting and Antisocial Behavior: A Model of the Relationship between Adolescent Self-Disclosure, Parental Closeness, Parental Control, and Adolescent Antisocial Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vieno, Alessio; Nation, Maury; Pastore, Massimiliano; Santinello, Massimo

    2009-01-01

    This study used data collected from a sample of 840 Italian adolescents (418 boys; M age = 12.58) and their parents (657 mothers; M age = 43.78) to explore the relations between parenting, adolescent self-disclosure, and antisocial behavior. In the hypothesized model, parenting practices (e.g., parental monitoring and control) have direct effects…

  9. Parent Beliefs and Children's Social-Behavioral Functioning: The Mediating Role of Parent-Teacher Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Elizabeth Moorman; Sheridan, Susan M.; Kwon, Kyongboon; Koziol, Natalie

    2013-01-01

    This research investigated whether parent-teacher relationship quality mediated the relation between parents' motivational beliefs and children's adaptive functioning and externalizing behaviors. The sample consisted of kindergarten through third-grade children with behavioral concerns (N = 206). Parents reported on their motivational beliefs…

  10. Happiness in Midlife Parental Roles: A Contextual Mixed Methods Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Barbara A.

    2010-01-01

    This article focuses on midlife parental role satisfaction using date from a culturally diverse sample of 490 Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, parents. Results show that most parents are happy in their roles. Income satisfaction, intergenerational relationship quality, parents' main activity, health, age, ethnic background, and…

  11. Teen Mothers Parenting their Own Teen Offspring: The Moderating Role of Parenting Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riggs, Laura; Holmbeck, Grayson; Paikoff, Roberta; Bryant, Fred B.

    2004-01-01

    This study investigated whether parenting support moderated relations between age of mother at childbirth and parental responsiveness and monitoring. The sample included 212 African American families living in urban public housing; offspring were entering adolescence when data were collected. Parenting support was measured by assessing the…

  12. Interaction of Parenting Styles and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Iranian Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alizadeh, Hamid; Andries, Caroline

    2002-01-01

    Examines the relationships between parenting styles and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), utilizing a sample of Iranian parents of children with and without ADHD. Results indicate significant relationships between ADHD and parenting styles. There is a negative relationship between having an ADHD child and applying authoritative…

  13. Chinese Parenting Reconsideration: Parenting Practices in Taiwan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Fu-mei; Luster, Tom

    This study examined authoritative and authoritarian parenting and specific parenting practices among Chinese mothers with preschoolers. The final sample consisted of 463 mothers with their 3 to 7 year-olds from 11 preschools, in Taiwan. Mothers completed a Chinese translation of the Parenting Behavior Questionnaire that assessed their parenting…

  14. Parenting within Cultural Context: Comparisons between African-American and Asian-American Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Fang; Qi, Sen

    2005-01-01

    Using the sub-samples drawn from the National Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten (ECLS-K) database, this study examines similarities and differences between African-American and Asian-American parents in their parenting practice (i.e., parental involvement at home, expectations of child, emotional expressiveness, school involvement,…

  15. Dyadic Parenting and Children's Externalizing Symptoms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meteyer, Karen B.; Perry-Jenkins, Maureen

    2009-01-01

    We explore dyadic parenting styles and their association with first-grade children's externalizing behavior symptoms in a sample of 85 working-class, dual-earner families. Cluster analysis is used to create a typology of parenting types, reflecting the parental warmth, overreactivity, and laxness of both mothers and fathers in two-parent families.…

  16. Embedded Picture Mnemonics to Learn Letters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shmidman, Adina; Ehri, Linnea

    2010-01-01

    Can embedded mnemonics ease the task of learning a foreign alphabet? English-speaking preschoolers (N = 36, M = 5;2 years) were taught 10 Hebrew letter-sound relations. Experimental letters were learned with mnemonics that embedded letter shapes in drawings of objects whose shapes resembled the letters and whose English names began with the…

  17. Letter order is not coded by open bigrams

    PubMed Central

    Kinoshita, Sachiko; Norris, Dennis

    2013-01-01

    Open bigram (OB) models (e.g., SERIOL: Whitney, 2001, 2008; Binary OB, Grainger & van Heuven, 2003; Overlap OB, Grainger et al., 2006; Local combination detector model, Dehaene et al., 2005) posit that letter order in a word is coded by a set of ordered letter pairs. We report three experiments using bigram primes in the same-different match task, investigating the effects of order reversal and the number of letters intervening between the letters in the target. Reversed bigrams (e.g., fo-OF, ob-ABOLISH) produced robust priming, in direct contradiction to the assumption that letter order is coded by the presence of ordered letter pairs. Also in contradiction to the core assumption of current open bigram models, non-contiguous bigrams spanning three letters in the target (e.g., bs-ABOLISH) showed robust priming effects, equivalent in size to contiguous bigrams (e.g., bo-ABOLISH). These results question the role of open bigrams in coding letter order. PMID:23914048

  18. Sample Length Affects the Reliability of Language Sample Measures in 3-Year-Olds: Evidence from Parent-Elicited Conversational Samples

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guo, Ling-Yu; Eisenberg, Sarita

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate the extent to which sample length affected the reliability of total number of words (TNW), number of different words (NDW), and mean length of C-units in morphemes (MLCUm) in parent-elicited conversational samples for 3-year-olds. Method: Participants were sixty 3-year-olds. A 22-min language…

  19. Gene–Environment Correlation Underlying the Association Between Parental Negativity and Adolescent Externalizing Problems

    PubMed Central

    Marceau, Kristine; Horwitz, Briana N.; Ganiban, Jody M.; Reiss, David; Narusyte, Jurgita; Spotts, Erica L.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.

    2014-01-01

    Studies of adolescent or parent-based twins suggest that gene–environment correlation (rGE) is an important mechanism underlying parent–adolescent relationships. However, information on how parents′ and children’s genes and environments influence correlated parent and child behaviors is needed to distinguish types of rGE. The present study used the novel Extended Children of Twins model to distinguish types of rGE underlying associations between negative parenting and adolescent (age 11–22 years) externalizing problems with a Swedish sample of 909 twin parents and their adolescent offspring and a U.S.-based sample of 405 adolescent siblings and their parents. Results suggest that evocative rGE, not passive rGE or direct environmental effects of parenting on adolescent externalizing, explains associations between maternal and paternal negativity and adolescent externalizing problems. PMID:23573986

  20. Barriers to Participation in Parenting Programs: The Relationship between Parenting Stress, Perceived Barriers, and Program Completion.

    PubMed

    Rostad, Whitney L; Moreland, Angela D; Valle, Linda Anne; Chaffin, Mark J

    2018-04-01

    Families experiencing child maltreatment or risk factors for child maltreatment often receive referrals to interventions focused on changing parenting practices. Compliance with specific parenting programs can be challenging as many of the stressors that place families at-risk may also interfere with program participation. Because families may receive limited benefit from programs they do not fully receive, it is critical to understand the relationship between parenting stress and barriers to program completion. We used structural equation modeling to examine the relationship among parenting stress, perceived barriers to program participation, and program completion in two datasets involving low-income parents. Data were collected at two time points from a sample of parents involved with child welfare services and a sample of parents considered at-risk of future involvement (total study n = 803). Direct paths from parenting stress at time 1 to barriers to participation and parenting stress at time 2, and from parenting stress at time 2 to program completion were significant. Interestingly, increased barriers to participation were related to increased parenting stress at time 2, and greater parenting stress was related to increased program completion. Results suggest that with increasing levels of parenting stress, parents have an increased likelihood of completing the program. Assessing and addressing the influence of perceived barriers and parenting stress on program participation may decrease the likelihood of treatment attrition.

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