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Background: Phonological difficulties are prevalent in children with speech and/or language disorders and may hamper their later language outcomes and academic achievements. These children often form a significant proportion of speech and language therapists' caseloads. There is a shortage of information on evidence‐based interventions for improving phonological skills in children and adolescents with speech and language disorder. Aims: The aim of this systematic literature review and meta‐analysis was to systematically examine the effects of different intervention approaches on speech production accuracy and phonological representation skills in children with speech and language disorders. Methods: A preregistered systematic review (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews ID: CRD42017076075) adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines was completed. Seven electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, ERIC, PsychINFO, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS and Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts) were searched for studies related to oral language interventions with children with developmental speech and/or language disorder (mean age ranging from 3–18 years) published between January 2006 and August 2022. The included articles reported intervention studies with a group design in which speech production accuracy was the outcome measure. Studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and individual effect sizes were calculated using standardised means differences when enough data was available. A meta‐analysis was conducted obtaining the average standardised mean difference d. Heterogeneity, influence of possible moderator variables and publication bias were explored. Results: The 23 studies that met the inclusion criteria presented low‐medium risk of bias. Nine effect sizes were obtained from seven of these studies that presented a pre‐post‐test with a control group design. Medium‐high average effect sizes were found in phonological accuracy. Heterogeneity was found between individual effect sizes. Significant moderator variables and publication bias were not detected. Conclusions: The results of this meta‐analysis indicate positive effects on speech production accuracy. Based on this review, further improvements in the quality of reporting for intervention research are required in developing the evidence base for practice. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: An increasing number of interventions is available for children and adolescents with developmental speech and/or language disorders. Previous reviews suggest relatively low levels of evidence of interventions having phonology as an outcome measure. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: This review and meta‐analysis summarise the intervention evidence from a substantial body of group design studies, indicating positive results from a range of interventions with phonological outcomes. It highlights the need to systematically implement and replicate different intervention procedures to understand factors that will maximise positive outcomes and to grow the evidence base for best practice. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this study?: Tentative evidence is emerging for the effectiveness of various approaches in enhancing speech production accuracy skills of children and adolescents with developmental speech and/or language disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiplexity of cancer has rendered it the second leading cause of mortality worldwide and theragnostic prodrugs have gained popularity in recent years as a means of treatment. Theragnostic prodrugs enable the simultaneous diagnosis and therapy of tumors via high‐precision real‐time drug release monitoring. Herein, we report the development of the small theragnostic prodrug GF, based on the nucleoside anticancer agent gemcitabine and the fluorescent dye 5(6)‐carboxyfluorescein. We have successfully demonstrated its efficient internalization in tumor cells, showing localization throughout both the early and late endocytic pathways. Its mechanism of cell internalization was evaluated, confirming its independence from nucleoside transporters. Its cellular localization via confocal microscopy revealed a clathrin‐mediated endocytosis mechanism, distinguishing it from analogous compounds studied previously. Furthermore, GF exhibited stability across various pH values and in human blood plasma. Subsequently, its in vitro cytotoxicity was assessed in three human cancer cell lines (A549, U87 and T98). Additionally, its pharmacokinetic profile in mice was investigated and the consequent drug release was monitored. Finally, its in vivo visualization was accomplished in zebrafish xenotransplantation models and its in vivo efficacy was evaluated in A549 xenografts. The results unveiled an intriguing efficacy profile, positioning GF as a compelling candidate warranting further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Qualitative engagement with stakeholders in the development of interventions can provide insight into strategies to maximize feasibility in real-life settings. We engaged stakeholders (autistic adults, early childhood educators, early childhood sector leaders and policy influencers, parents of autistic children, and speech-language pathologists) to inform the development of an educator-led peer-mediated intervention (PMI) for autistic preschoolers who use minimal speech that is feasible to implement in inclusive early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Method: A qualitative iterative intervention design process was utilized. Stakeholders (N = 15) attended an online workshop and completed a document review exploring the acceptability and feasibility of the proposed embedded PMI. A two-step analysis procedure using the Theoretical Domains Framework and template analysis was conducted to identify the barriers, enablers, and supports to the implementation of embedded PMI in early childhood settings. Results: While embedded PMI was unanimously acceptable to stakeholders, several participants expressed concerns regarding feasibility. Barriers to the successful integration and implementation of PMI in inclusive preschool contexts included access to skills, knowledge, and resources. Participants identified strategies to overcome modifiable barriers and to enhance the existing enablers. These strategies are reflected in the following themes: build on the familiar, build capacity in augmentative and alternative communication, adopt a whole center approach, adapt to meet the needs of the ECEC setting, and engage in proactive implementation. Conclusion: To address barriers to the implementation of embedded PMI, action is needed at various levels: macro (national/policy), meso (organization/ setting), and micro (individual). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer mediated intervention (PMI) is an evidence-based approach to supporting social and communication development for children on the autism spectrum. For PMI to be integrated into everyday practice, it needs to be acceptable to stakeholders. This article engaged with autistic individuals, early childhood educators, parents, and speech and language pathologists on the prospective acceptability of implementing PMI with minimally speaking preschoolers in inclusive preschool settings. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The transcriptions were analyzed qualitatively using reflexive thematic analysis. Stakeholders described PMI as an acceptable intervention approach for this population and provided valuable insights to inform the development and implementation of PMIs. Attention needs to be paid to how to support preschools to adopt a PMI-friendly philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chondroitin sulfate (ChS), chitosan (Chi), and fish gelatin (FG), which are byproducts of a fish-treatment small enterprise, were incorporated with glycerol (Gly) to obtain dense hydrogel membranes with reduced brittleness, candidates for dressing in wound healing applications. The mechanical properties of all samples were studied via Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and tensile tests while their internal structure was characterized using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) instruments. Their surface morphology was analyzed by ThermoGravimetric Analysis (TGA) method, while their water permeability was estimated via Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) measurements. Wettability and degradation rate measurements were also carried out. Characterization results indicated that secondary interactions between the natural polymers and the plasticizer create the hydrogel membranes. The samples were amorphous due to the high concentration of plasticizer and the amorphous nature of the natural polymers. The integration of ChS led to decreased decomposition temperature in comparison with the glycerol-free sample, and all the materials had dense structures. Finally, the in vitro endothelial cell attachment studies indicate that the hydrogel membranes successfully support the attachment and survival of primary on the hydrogel membranes and could be appropriate for external application in wound healing applications as dressings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to map the use of implementation science frameworks, models, and theories in intervention research targeting learning needs in the classroom. Method: A scoping review was conducted. Electronic database and manual searches were conducted. Two reviewers independently completed screening, data extraction, and quality appraisal. Qualitative content analysis was undertaken using Nilsen's taxonomy and the domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The data were further analyzed using the CFIR valence and strength rating scales. Results: Included papers (n = 22) used a diverse sample of implementation science frameworks and models. Most studies used determinant frameworks to guide data collection and analysis. Few studies used implementation science theory. Most studies were mixed methods (n = 11), published since 2019 (n = 20), and conducted in North America (n = 15). Over half of the interventions targeted social, emotional, and mental health (n = 13). A complex interplay of inner setting factors was identified as having a strong influence on implementation. Teachers' knowledge and beliefs, adaptability, and complexity of interventions were also identified as important considerations when conducting research in this context. Conclusions: Early engagement with stakeholders in education is recommended when designing universal level speech, language, and communication interventions for use in the ordinary classroom. Adaptive, hybrid designs that test both implementation strategies and effectiveness of interventions may be warranted given the influence of inner setting factors on implementation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ten percent of the school-aged population have speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) that impact access to the curriculum. Successful implementation of classroom-based SLCN interventions can reduce barriers to learning, thereby improving educational outcomes for this vulnerable population. The challenges of implementing innovations in educational settings are well-documented, yet limited studies have addressed such considerations when developing, and piloting universal level SLCN interventions for use in Irish schools. Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken to establish the acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of a universal level SLCN intervention. An advisory panel of teachers (n = 8) and children with SLCN (n = 2) were engaged as co-researchers in the study. The Communication Supporting Classrooms Observation Tool, developed as part of the Better Communication Project in the UK, was trialled across a diverse sample of school settings (n = 5). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with school practitioners and school leaders, and a deductive content analysis was undertaken using the domains of the Consolidation Framework for Implementation Research. Discussion: The observation tool was viewed as acceptable with suggested additions. Integrating use of the tool within existing data-informed, school self-evaluation processes aimed at supporting school improvement was noted as a potential means of supporting implementation. A knowledge gap in relation to school-based models of support for SLCN was identified which may negatively impact implementation. An implementation strategy targeting coherence, cognitive engagement and contextual integration is indicated if the tool is to be normalised into routine practice in Irish classrooms. Implementation needs appeared to vary at the school level. Conclusions: The importance of early-stage exploration to guide implementation planning with regards to developing and testing universal level interventions for SLCN in schools is highlighted. Engaging an advisory panel provides important insights to guide implementation decisions. Findings suggest an adaptive design is required when planning implementation studies targeting classroom setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current methods for reporting interventions do not allow key questions of importance to practitioners, service providers, policy‐makers and people with DLD to be answered, and hence limit the implementation of effective interventions in the real world. To extend the existing EQUATOR guidelines to the context of speech language therapy/pathology for children with language disorder and to provide more specific guidance on participants, interventions and outcomes within the CONSORT checklist (used to improve the reporting of randomised controlled trials) and TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) to ensure consistency of reporting. We will develop a core team to include representatives from each of the key groups who will either use or be influenced by the final reporting guidance across different countries. To achieve each set of aims, we will conduct reviews of the literature (which present typologies of intervention characteristics in (D)LD and related disorders); carry out focus groups; and use systematic consensus methods such as the Delphi technique, nominal group technique or consensus development conferences. Through the development and adoption of standard intervention reporting criteria, we anticipate that we will overcome the numerous barriers for practitioners, services and policy‐makers in applying intervention evidence to practice. We believe that establishing international consensus on reporting guidelines would significantly accelerate progress in DLD research and the ease with which it can be used in clinical practice, by capitalising on the growth in intervention studies to enable international collaboration and new methodologies of data pooling, meta‐analyses and cross‐study comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article's title, inspired in part by the recent pandemic, glosses different aspects of confinement that characterize both Beckett and his œuvre: spatial, cultural, physical and, most importantly, linguistic. The latter, as revealed famously in his 1937 "Letter to Axel Kaun", foregrounds creativity as an act of "boring holes into language" to uncover the music, or silence, the something, or nothing, that lay beneath. Curiously, the second volume of The Letters of Samuel Beckett reveals that this fascination with drilling holes also played out in real life. At Ussy, in the late 1940s, a time of great productivity, Beckett was obsessively drawn to "an orgy of digging" actual holes in the earth to plant trees, a kinetics that functions metaphorically as an act of dispossession necessary to create but also as a gesture emulated poetically in his last works. This serendipitous conjunction of art and/in life as revealed in the correspondence highlights Beckett's creative process as both excavatory and rhythmic—the dynamics informing his later works, in particular Worstward Ho. This reading of his last great work demonstrates the resonances between letters in the correspondence and those of literary texts as performative of his search for a new poetical language negotiating spaces of creativity and forces of constraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has indicated that the results of the implicit relational assessment procedure (IRAP) may be affected by certain facets of the measure. The current research explores the use of response options in the IRAP and their potential influence on the responding of college students (N = 40) across two similar IRAPs. The IRAPs differed solely in the different types of response option used: contextually cued relational responses (Crels) or relational coherence indicators (RCIs). The terms "same"/"opposite" served as Crel response options whereas the RCI response options were "right"/"wrong." The expected IRAP effect was evident on D-scores from both IRAPs. This effect was shown to be stronger when Crel response options were used (Wilk's Lambda =.86, F (1, 36) = 6.05, p =.02, ηp2 =.14.), however, there was no statistically significant effect shown for the order of their presentation, nor were any other interaction effects detected. Potential implications and possible avenues for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' attitudes towards common disorders such as ADHD and anxiety are important to investigate, given that teachers play a significant role in the lives of young children. Implicit attitudes have not previously been investigated in this area. The current research aimed to explore teachers' implicit and explicit gender-biased attitudes towards children with ADHD and anxiety. The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) was used to measure implicit bias, and results were analyzed in relation to explicit measures. Results indicated that teachers (N = 38) showed implicit and explicit gender biases, however there were no significant relationships between the implicit and explicit measures. The research adds to the small pool of existing literature on the topic and has potential implications regarding teachers' understanding of ADHD and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 2020, COVID-19 restrictions required our university courses to be offered in online mode only. This quick transition meant that lecturers were suddenly tasked with adapting their classroom-based teaching approaches and materials to the online space. For mathematics teacher educators (MTEs), whose on-campus classes were characterized by participation in interactive activities, the challenge was to devise alternative ways to provide their learners with appropriate mathematical experiences. This article examines how two different MTEs utilized technological tools to adapt their courses online. It looks at the features of these tools and considers how they contributed to students' learning, particularly in terms of the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition (SAMR) model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Considerable progress has been made in recent years in generating external evidence underpinning interventions for children with developmental language disorder (DLD), but less is known about the practitioner decision-making process underpinning such interventions and whether such decisions are context specific or are internationally generalizable. Methods: An online survey about clinical practice was developed by members of COST Action IS1406, an EU-funded research network, which included representation from 39 countries. The participants were 2,408 practitioners who answered questions in relation to their decision making for a specific child of their choosing with DLD. Analysis of open-ended questions was undertaken, and data were converted into codes for the purpose of quantitative analysis. Results: Although a wide range of intervention approaches and rationales were reported, the majority of responses referenced a client-centred approach. Level of functioning was used as a rationale only if a child had severe DLD. Practitioners with university level education or above were less likely to report basing intervention on client-centred factors. A number of differently named interventions with variable theoretical and empirical underpinnings were used in different countries. Conclusions: Specific client and practitioner characteristics have an impact on the intervention approaches and rationales adopted across countries. A limited number of practitioners reported use of external scientific evidence, which suggests that there should be more initiatives in basic training of practitioners and continuing professional development to encourage the uptake of scientific evidence-based practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is now a global crisis, resulting in the intermittent closure of many schools, worldwide. The school closures are believed to have affected adolescents' education, particularly for vulnerable adolescents including those from a refugee-background. The study explores the home learning experiences of adolescent Bhutanese refugees in Tasmania, Australia and draws on social capital theory to interpret findings. Interviews with adolescent Bhutanese refugees revealed four overarching themes: disengagement from learning, the experience of isolation, the complexity of family relationships and motivation through relationships. This article makes an important practical and theoretical contribution to home learning through challenging Putnam's binary distinction between bonding and bridging and suggesting alternative conceptualisations based on the role of bonding in the creation of bridging social capital. These findings have potential implications for the development of mitigation measures to support refugee-background students under extraordinary circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attractiveness bias has been well-documented in social domains, however, an investigation into the attractiveness-bias effect on employability has not been conducted using implicit measures. In Study 1 (N = 24) the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) and a number of explicit measures (e.g., self-report questionnaires) were used to investigate the attractiveness-bias effect on employability using stimuli of high and low attractiveness. Results from Study 1 indicated that there was a significant bias in the direction of attractive-employable on explicit and implicit measures. In Study 2, (N = 52) these measures were used to investigate the attractiveness-bias effect on employability using stimuli of high and medium attractiveness. Results from Study 2 indicated that there was a significant bias in the direction of attractive-employable on explicit measures and a significant bias in the direction of attractive-employable and medium-attractive-unemployable on implicit measures. There was no effect of participant gender on D-scores for either study. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research and implications for the use of implicit measurement to measure attractiveness bias in the domain of employability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marie Nimier's recent fiction highlights the importance of natural ecology in the fictional protagonist's search for self and for reparations with the past. In La Plage (2016), the juxtaposition of the Anthropocene's disastrous destruction of nature with the emotional catastrophes of a heroine known to the reader simply as "l'inconnue" provides the background for a story of healing and redemption. Among the many aspects of the text that metaphorize its subject—the search for a new language, the return to a metaphorical Garden of Eden of childhood, reassemblages of relationships in the past and present—, is that of the protagonist's emergence as a "terrestrial" in Bruno Latour's sense of the word, that is, as part of a network of actors engaged in saving the planet. Through a process of deterritorialization on the "plage," equated with the "page," she discovers a renewed, hopeful language and a belief in love. A story of re-writing, re-living, and re-building one's memories in and with nature leads to a regeneration of the human belief in a future for the planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to extract key learning from intervention studies in which qualitative aspects of dosage, dose form, have been examined for children with developmental language disorder (DLD)--in vocabulary, morphosyntax, and phonology domains. This research paper emerged from a pair of systematic reviews, aiming to synthesize available evidence regarding qualitative and quantitative aspects of dosage. While quantitative aspects had been experimentally manipulated, the available evidence for dose form (tasks or activities within which teaching episodes are delivered) was less definitive. Despite this, the review uncovered insights of value to DLD research. Method: A preregistered systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42017076663) adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was completed. Included papers were quasi-experimental, randomized controlled trial, or cohort analytic studies, published in any language between January 2006 and May 2019; oral language interventions with vocabulary, morphosyntax, or phonology outcomes; and participants with DLD (M = 3-18 years). The intention was to include papers in which dose form was experimentally manipulated or statistically analyzed, while quantitative dosage aspects were controlled, such that definitive conclusions about optimal dose form could be drawn and gaps in the evidence identified. Results: Two hundred and twenty-four papers met the above inclusion criteria; 27 focused on dose form. No study controlled for all quantitative aspects of dosage such that we could effectively address our original research questions. Despite this, key points of learning emerged with implications for future research. Conclusions: There is tentative evidence of advantages for explicit over implicit instruction and of the benefits of variability in input, elicited production, and gestural and other visual supports. With careful design of dose form, there is potential to design more efficient interventions. Speech-language pathology research would benefit from an agreed taxonomy of dose form components and standardized reporting of intervention studies, to enable cross-study comparisons and a systematic accrual of knowledge to identify optimal dose form for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID‐19 lockdown, parents and caregivers were asked to take greater responsibility for their children's education while they were unable to attend school. In this commentary, we report on data sourced from 243 participants in the Tasmania Project in Australia about their experiences of learning from home during COVID‐19 lockdown. We engage with ideas about boundaries and bounding processes to understand how participants perceived challenges to their children's learning from home. They identified a lack of physical space for children's work to be performed and a lack of time, skill, and confidence to support them. We explore the bounding processes inherent to understanding and constituting education through identity, space, and place making and consider the ways in which these processes were revealed in the challenges identified by respondents. We argue that home learning disrupted known practices associated with education and schooling and challenged accepted categories and socio‐spatial divisions created by institutionalisation. We anticipate that exploring the challenges of home learning during COVID‐19 from the perspectives of parents and caregivers will inform future home–school partnerships. Home learning, as it was enacted due to COVID‐19, disrupted known practices and identities associated with schooling, and challenged accepted socioe‐spatial divisions created through the historical and contemporary institutionalisation of education and schooling. Survey data (n=243) from the Tasmania Project in Australia revealed how parents and carers' experienced a lack of physical space for children's work to be performed while in the home and a lack of time, skill, and confidence to support them. It is anticipated that exploring the challenges of home learning during COVID‐19 from the perspectives of parents and caregivers will inform future home‐school partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a clear need to develop photostable chromophores for bioimaging with respect to the classically utilized green fluorescent dye fluorescein. Along these lines, we utilized a phosphorescent carboxy-substituted ruthenium(II) polypyridyl [Ru(bipy)2(mcb)]2+ (bipy = 2,2′-bipyridyl and mcb = 4-carboxy-4′-methyl-2,2′-bipyridyl) complex. We developed two luminescent peptide conjugates of the cell-penetrating peptide Tat48–60 consisting of either [Ru(bipy)2(mcb)]2+ or 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (5(6)-FAM) tethered on the Lys50 of the peptide through amide bond. We confirmed the efficient cellular uptake of both bioconjugates in HeLa cells by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry and proved that the ruthenium-based chromophore possesses enhanced photostability compared to a 5(6)-FAM-based peptide, after continuous laser scanning. Furthermore, we designed and developed a luminescent agent with high photostability, based on the ruthenium core, that could be selectively localized in cancer cells overexpressing the GnRH receptor (GnRH-R). To achieve this, we took advantage of the tumor-homing character of D -Lys6-GnRH which selectively recognizes the GnRH-R. The [Ru(bipy)2(mcb)]2+- D -Lys6-GnRH peptide conjugate was synthesized, and its cellular uptake was evaluated through flow cytometric analysis and live-cell imaging in HeLa and T24 bladder cancer cells as negative and positive controls of GnRH-R, respectively. Besides the selective targeting that the specific conjugate could offer, we also recorded high internalization levels in T24 bladder cancer cells. The ruthenium(II) polypyridyl peptide-based conjugates we developed is an intriguing approach that offers targeted cell imaging in the Near Infrared region, and simultaneously paves the way for further advancements in the dynamic studies on cellular imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the degree to which quantitative aspects of dosage (dose, dose frequency, and total intervention duration) have been examined in intervention studies for children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Additionally, to establish the optimal quantitative dosage characteristics for phonology, vocabulary, and morphosyntax outcomes. Method: This registered review (PROSPERO ID CRD42017076663) adhered to PRISMA guidelines. Search terms were included in seven electronic databases. We included peer-reviewed quasi-experimental, randomized controlled trial or cohort analytical studies, published in any language between January 2006 and May 2020. Included articles reported on participants with DLD (M = 3-18 years); oral language interventions with phonology, vocabulary, or morphosyntax outcomes; and experimental manipulation or statistical analysis of any quantitative aspect of dosage. Studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Results: Two hundred forty-four articles reported on oral language interventions with children with DLD in the domains of interest; 13 focused on experimentally/statistically manipulating quantitative aspects of dosage. No article reported phonological outcomes, three reported vocabulary, and eight reported morphosyntax. Dose frequency was the most common characteristic manipulated. Conclusions: Research is in its infancy, and significant further research is required to inform speech-language pathologists in practice. Dosage characteristics are rarely adequately controlled for their individual effects to be identified. Findings to date suggest that there is a point in vocabulary and morphosyntax interventions after which there are diminishing returns from additional dosage. If dose is high (number of learning opportunities within a session), then the literature suggests that session frequency can be reduced. Frequent, short sessions (2/3 × per week, approximately 2 min) and less frequent, long sessions (1 × per week, approximately 20 min) have yielded the best outcomes when composite language measures have been used; however, replication and further research are required before clinicians can confidently integrate these findings into clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women are often subject to gender stereotyping in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) was used to determine directionality of any implicit gender-STEM bias detected. In addition, the IRAP was used to explore the possibility of implicit ageism bias, because there is anecdotal evidence of high levels of ageism in the STEM areas. Thus two IRAPs (one with adult pictorial stimuli and one with child pictorial stimuli) were employed to assess implicit gender bias toward STEM with a sample of undergraduates (N = 33). Results indicated a gender STEM bias in both IRAPs and the directionality in both IRAPs was pro-male and not anti-female. Participant gender was not shown to impact results in either IRAP. Gender bias effects were more pronounced in the Adult-IRAP results. Comparison of bias toward older versus young pictorial stimuli was exploratory thus findings are preliminary but may suggest ageism and potential negative interaction effects between age and gender warrant further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This aim of this study was to assess implicit and self-reported stigma towards people with dementia in young adults with no contact or experience (n = 23), and in care-workers (n = 17 professional dementia care-workers). Data were analysed to determine whether stigma was related to self-reported levels of depression, anxiety, stress and professional burnout. Forty participants completed the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure and Dementia Attitudes Scale. The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used to measure depression, anxiety, stress and professional burnout. The young adult group showed statistically significant levels of dementia stigma (on the two " dementia " trial-types, p =.027 and p =.030). Statistical analyses showed more dementia-positive attitudes in care-workers compared to young adults on the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure and the Dementia Attitudes Scale (both p 's=.021). Spearman's Rho correlations tests showed that for the care-givers, higher levels of burn-out were associated with more negative attitudes towards people with dementia on both of the Dementia Attitudes Scale subscales (social comfort p <.001 and dementia knowledge p =.005). The results support prior research showing that experience with a stigmatised group can lower stigma and demonstrate the importance of providing a supportive work environment to mitigate burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical analysis of features of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure may be important to results. As such, the current research compared effects of response options that were contextually cued relational responses (Crels) versus relational coherence indicators (RCIs) across two IRAPs conducted with college student participants (N = 40). The IRAPs were similar except for the response options used, which were either "Same"/"Opposite" (Crels) versus "Accurate"/"Inaccurate" (RCIs). D-scores for both IRAPs showed the expected IRAP effect (bias). A critical difference was noted dependent upon the type of response options used: the IRAP effect was shown to be stronger when Crel response options were used. There was no statistically significant interaction effect shown between response option used and order of completion (i.e., Crel IRAP first vs. RCI IRAP first), however, there was a statistically significant interaction effect shown between type of response options used on the IRAP, order of completion, and block-order presentation (consistent trial-blocks vs. inconsistent trial blocks presented first). Findings are discussed regarding potential implications and further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Population-based studies provide important data to inform policy and service planning for vulnerable children in society. The aim of this study was to characterise social and educational circumstances and self-concept among a nationally representative sample of 13 year olds with developmental disabilities in Ireland. Methods: A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of data collected from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study was conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the reported prevalence of disabilities as reported by parents. Differences across the groups (those with and without disabilities) were analysed in relation to gender, socio-economic and school factors. Special education support received in school was described. The association between low self-concept scores (as measured by the Piers Harris Self-Concept Scales 2) and disability type was examined by use of multi-level logistic regression. Results: Seventeen percent (17.36%) of the sample was reported to have a diagnosis of one or more developmental disabilities. Those with a disability were more likely to live in poorer households, have poorer health status, to experience more episodes of bullying at school, and to have more negative views of school (p<0.05) than their typically-developing peers. Forty nine percent of children with developmental disabilities were not receiving support in school as reported by parents. Discrepancies in the nature of support received were identified across disability types. Adjusting for individual and school level factors, a disability diagnosis was associated with increased odds of low self-concept scores on three of five self-concept domains. Further associations were identified which differed across disability type. Conclusions: The findings show that 13 year olds with a disability in Ireland have complex social and educational needs. Findings also suggest significant levels of unmet educational need across this age group. Apparent inequities in access to support in school require further investigation. Reliable measures to provide robust prevalence figures about childhood disabilities in Ireland are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a well-established framework for supporting clinical decision making in the discipline of speech-language pathology. The benefits of using evidence to inform clinical practice are acknowledged by clinicians and researchers alike. Even so, after over two decades of EBP advocacy, much clinical uncertainty remains and models supporting the evaluation of interventions require review and reconsideration. The EBP model, while promoting positive principles, can be argued to be conceptually flawed because it suffers from a lack of attention to and explicit valuing of other forms of knowledge crucial to the formation of realistic and judiciously informed decisions. We propose that the evaluation of interventions would be better supported by an explicit knowledge management approach reflecting a range of evidence and knowledge. One worked example is presented to demonstrate what using such an approach can produce in terms of intervention information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inter‐professional collaboration (IPC) has been recommended for many years as a means by which the needs of children with developmental language disorders (DLD) can be met at school. However, effective IPC remains difficult to achieve and our knowledge of how to support it is limited. A shared understanding between those involved has been identified as critical to IPC. Aims: To examine the literature, as one source of data, for evidence of a shared understanding between the fields of speech and language therapy (SLT) and education about children with DLD and how such needs can best be met at school. Methods & Procedures: An integrative review of the literature was undertaken. A systematic search of the published, peer‐reviewed literature (between 2006 and 2016) was conducted for empirical and theoretical papers and a manual search was undertaken to obtain a representative sample of policy/professional guidelines. A total of 81 papers across SLT and education were included in the review. The papers were scrutinized using a qualitative content analysis. Main Contribution: Although some commonality between perspectives in the literature was identified, differences between the fields dominated. These differences related to how DLD is conceptualized; how children's needs are assessed; which outcomes are prioritized and how best these outcomes can be achieved. We also found differences about what constitutes useful knowledge to guide practice. We suggest that the nature of the differences we identified in the literature may have negative implications for practitioners wishing to collaborate to meet the needs of children with DLD in school. The perspectives of practising SLTs and teachers need to be sought to determine whether the findings from the literature reflect dilemmas in practice. Conclusions: Effective IPC is essential to meet the needs of children with DLD in school; yet, it remains difficult to achieve. Our review of the literature across SLT and education indicates evidence of a lack of shared understanding about DLD. If these differences are also evident in practice, then a conceptual model to support IPC may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. Prevalence of HCV in homeless populations ranges from 3.9 to 36.2%. The HepCheck study sought to investigate and establish the characterisation of HCV burden among individuals who attended an intensified screening programme for HCV in homeless services in Dublin, Ireland.Methods: The HepCheck study was conducted as part of a larger European wide initiative called HepCare Europe. The study consisted of three phases; 1) all subjects completed a short survey and were offered a rapid oral HCV test; 2) a convenience sample of HCV positive participants from phase 1 were selected to complete a survey on health and social risk factors and 3) subjects were tracked along the referral pathway to identify whether they were referred to a specialist clinic, attended the specialist clinic, were assessed for cirrhosis by transient elastography (Fibroscan) and were treated for HCV.Results: Five hundred ninety-seven individuals were offered HCV screening, 73% were male and 63% reported having had a previous HCV screening. We screened 538 (90%) of those offered screening, with 37% testing positive. Among those who tested positive, 112 (56%) were 'new positives' and 44% were 'known positives'. Undiagnosed HCV was prevalent in 19% of the study sample. Active past 30-day drug use was common, along with attendance for drug treatment. Unstable accommodation was the most common barrier to attending specialist appointments and accessing treatment. Depression and anxiety, dental problems and respiratory conditions were common reported health problems. Forty-six subjects were referred to specialised services and two subjects completed HCV treatment.Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the current hospital-based model of care is inadequate in addressing the specific needs of a homeless population and emphasises the need for a community-based treatment approach. Findings are intended to inform HepCare Europe in their development of a community-based model of care in order to engage with homeless individuals with multiple co-morbidities including substance abuse, who are affected by or infected with HCV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study followed up children identified with expressive language delay (ELD) or receptive/expressive language delay (R/ELD) at 2 years of age, Time 1 (T1), in order to identify their language profiles at 4-5 years, Time 2 (T2), and explore relationships to T1 language, gesture use, and symbolic comprehension. Method: Nineteen of 22 children were seen at follow-up (9 of 10 from R/ELD group, 10 of 12 from ELD group). T1 measures assessed receptive and expressive language, gesture use, and symbolic comprehension. At T2, we assessed receptive and expressive language, sentence repetition, and expressive phonology. Results: Outcomes for the R/ELD group were significantly poorer, with all children continuing to have delay in receptive and/or expressive language compared to just 20% of the ELD group. Expressive phonology delay was common in both groups. T1 receptive language showed the most pervasive correlations with T2 language measures, but categorical performance on all three T1 measures correctly predicted language outcomes in 16-17 of the 19 children. Conclusion: Findings add to evidence that receptive language is a strong predictor of outcomes. Gesture use and symbolic comprehension are also strong predictors and clinically valuable as part of play-based assessments with implications for theoretical understanding and intervention planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the author discusses the various considerations involved in the implementation of intervention approaches for children with language disorders. Also cited are the key roles played by parents, early childhood educators and public health practitioners to identify early signs of the disorder in children, and the need for speech and language therapists (SLT) to work with other professionals to effectively support children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

Endocytosis plays a crucial role in receptor signalling. VEGFR2 (also known as KDR) and its ligand VEGFA are fundamental in neovascularisation. However, our understanding of the role of endocytosis in VEGFR2 signalling remains limited. Despite the existence of diverse internalisation routes, the only known endocytic pathway for VEGFR2 is the clathrin-mediated pathway. Here, we show that this pathway is the predominant internalisation route for VEGFR2 only in the absence of ligand. Intriguingly, VEGFA induces a new internalisation itinerary for VEGFR2, the pathway of macropinocytosis, which becomes the prevalent endocytic route for the receptor in the presence of ligand, whereas the contribution of the clathrin-mediated route becomes minor. Macropinocytic internalisation of VEGFR2, which mechanistically is mediated through the small GTPase CDC42, takes place through macropinosomes generated at ruffling areas of the membrane. Interestingly, macropinocytosis plays a crucial role in VEGFAinduced signalling, endothelial cell functions in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo, whereas clathrin-mediated endocytosis is not essential for VEGFA signalling. These findings expand our knowledge on the endocytic pathways of VEGFR2 and suggest that VEGFA-driven internalisation of VEGFR2 through macropinocytosis is essential for endothelial cell signalling and angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across four studies, we demonstrate that effects obtained from the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure, like those obtained from other indirect procedures, are not impervious to strategic manipulation. In experiment 1, we found that merely informing participants to 'fake' their performance without providing a concrete strategy to do so did not eliminate, reverse, or in any way alter the obtained outcomes. However, when those same instructions orientated attention toward the core parameters of the task, participants spontaneously derived a strategy that allowed them to eliminate their effects (experiment 2). When the participants were provided with a viable response strategy, they successfully reversed the direction of their overall Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure effect (experiment 3). By refining the nature of those instructions, we managed to target and alter individual trial-type effects in isolation with some success (experiment 4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) is frequently employed over other measures of so-called implicit attitudes because it produces 4 independent and 'nonrelative' bias scores, thereby providing greater clarity around what drives an effect. Indeed, studies have sometimes emphasized the procedural separation of the four trial types by choosing to report only the results of a single, theoretically meaningful trial type. However, no research to date has examined the degree to which performance on a given trial type is impacted upon by other stimulus categories employed within the task. The current study examined the extent to which response biases toward 'women' are influenced by two different contrast categories: 'men' versus 'inanimate objects.' Results indicated that greater dehumanization of women was observed in the context of the latter relative to the former category. The findings highlight that the IRAP may be described as a nonrelative, but not acontextual, measure of brief and immediate relational responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early school leaving is an international concern. Previous research indicates that the school context contributes to early school leaving. This systematic review is aimed to gather marginalised young peoples’ perceptions concerning contextual factors that contributed to and interfered with their decisions to stay in alternative education. Twenty-three databases and reference lists of reviews were searched, eliciting 1586 studies, which were then screened. Data from 24 mixed-methods studies that met the inclusion criteria were extracted and synthesised. Findings suggested that alternative schools which provided a sanctuary for students increased student engagement. Schools were sanctuaries when they offered physical, emotional and psychological safe spaces; fostered a sense of community; enabled students to affirm their racial/ethnic pride and employed flexible behavioural supports. Implications for practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The conjunction of money and desire is an important focus of several of Duras's works where capital gains are associated with erotic prods (prostitution, seduction and voyeurism) and also social and political corruption. In Un Barrage contre le Pacifique, the theme of prostitution as sought-after by both brother and sister in a familial-based fortune seeking co-exists with the critique of a state-sponsored promotion of the colonial adventure as investment for profit. My essay addresses the representation of economies of desire in Un Barrage contre le Pacifique and its re-written version more than 40 years later, L'Amant, in order to explore changes in Duras's treatment of cash flows conjugated with desire. Using Deleuze and Guattari's notions of capitalism as deterritorialized flow, I will examine images of liquidity in the two novels to mark differences in their representation of economies of desire. The relative deterritorialization of capitalism as thematized in Un Barrage yields to the absolute deterritorialization performed in L'Amant where the confluence of money and desire flows differently, chaotically, unbound by capitalist axiomatics. In this text, Duras privileges not the flow of some underlying substance (such as capital) but rather the creative flow of life and the imagination. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This research investigated the efficacy of precision teaching (PT) on the reading fluency of typically developing children, aged 7–8 years. Seven participants were assigned to a PT intervention group and received 6 weeks of fluency training using Say All Fast a Minute Every Day Shuffled (SAFMEDS) fluency cards (Phase 1) and a Dolch story (Phase 2). Outcomes were measured using multiple baseline design (MBD) data, Standard Celeration Charts, and pre‐intervention–post‐intervention fluency scores. The MBD data show increased correct responding for PT participants from baseline to the end of each intervention phase. These improvements were maintained at a 3‐week post‐intervention follow‐up. The MBD clearly demonstrated a replication of intervention effects across participants. The study supports prior research in this area showing that PT can lead to large and socially relevant gains in children's reading fluency. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I present an examination of three six year-old children's interaction with a task intended to encourage reasoning and collaboration in number. A case is made for the importance of deductive reasoning in supporting inductive reasoning and for the potential of hypothetical deductive reasoning in supporting concept reification in early number. The children's discourse is analysed using a framework based on opinion/belief, plausibility and deductive reasoning schema in relation to the functional use of actuality and modality linguistic terms. The analysis suggests that the children were able to transition to deductive reasoning and this was reflected in their discourse through a shift to modality, and that this shift suggested a sense of authority by the children in validating their thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explore the relationship between learning and talk with young children. It focuses on the positive impact of exploratory talk on achievement in children's in learning mathematics in collaborative group work. It also talks about sharing an intention and psychological processes in the learning of mathematics through elaborate talk and verbal descriptions.

The IRAP computer software program was adapted as an interactive teaching tool (T-IRAP) targeting relational frames with four children with diagnosed autism aged 8-10 years. An adaptation of a multiple-baseline design was used to compare participants' relational learning in terms of speed and accuracy during Table-Top (TT) and T-IRAP teaching. The tt procedure was commenced with all participants simultaneously, and the T-IRAP was introduced at stepwise time intervals (after 5, 10, 15, 20 trial blocks) across the four participants. Nonarbitrary then arbitrary coordination, comparative, opposition and derived relations were targeted. Results showed that the T-IRAP was successfully adapted to teach all targeted relations, and in general greater speed and accuracy in relational responding were shown for all four participants during T-IRAP teaching compared with tt teaching. Thus the T-IRAP may be a useful supplementary teaching tool in applied settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Relational Frame Theory (rft), repertoires of derived relational responding are essential for the development of human verbal behavior. As a result, the implications of relational framing for the education of developmentally disabled populations may be immense. Although at the level of process, there appears to be little difference among specific relational frames, there is potentially a natural sequence to their emergence in typical development. However, there is very little published evidence of training children across multiple frames consecutively. The current research comprised four studies that explored an extended sequence of training and testing in the relational frames of coordination, opposition, distinction, and comparison in a sample of nine young children with autism. The results demonstrate the relative ease with which relational deficits in these areas were remediated. In addition, the relationship between outcomes on the Verbal Behavior Milestones and Placement Program-Assessment (vb-mapp) and individual relational training requirements was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized not only by severe motor deficits but also by early cognitive dysfunction that significantly increases the burden of the disease for patients and caregivers. Considerable efforts have concentrated, therefore, on the assessment of cognitive deficits in some HD mouse models. However, many of these models that exhibit cognitive deficits also have contemporaneous serious motor deficits, confounding interpretation of cognitive decline. Objective: The BACHD and zQ175 mouse models present a more slowly progressing disease phenotype in both motor and cognitive domains, and might therefore offer a better opportunity to measure cognitive decline over a longer timeframe; such models could be useful in screening therapeutic compounds. In order to better define the cognitive impairments evident in BACHD and zQ175 HD mice, both were tested in an instrumental touchscreen visual discrimination assay designed to assess discrimination learning and cognitive flexibility. Methods: BACHD and zQ175 mice, as well as their WT controls were tested for their ability to discriminate two complex visual stimuli. Following this discrimination phase, the reinforcement contingencies were reversed and the previously incorrect stimulus became the correct stimulus. In a final, third phase of testing, two novel stimuli were introduced and mice were required to undergo a second round of discrimination testing with these stimuli. Results: Our results show that learning during the discrimination phase was similar between the WT and BACHD mice. In contrast, the zQ175 at 26 weeks of age showed decreased accuracy over the last 10 days of discrimination, compared to WT controls. During subsequent reversal and novel stimuli phases, both BACHD and zQ175 mice exhibited significant deficits compared to WT controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the BACHD, and for the first time, zQ175 HD models exhibit cognitive inflexibility and psychomotor slowing, a phenotype that is consistent with cognitive symptoms described in HD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]