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This study investigated the association between children's mathematical skills and their behavior in the prekindergarten year in a national sample of children attending center-based child care. The sample consisted of approximately 5,400 preschoolers in center-based care from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort. Children's math ability was assessed and child care providers rated children's behaviors. Results revealed that teacher ratings of approaches to learning behaviors were associated with mathematical skills. Implications for early education and research are discussed., Young children's school readiness, or their preparation for success in formal school settings, is a multidimensional construct including components of physical well-being and motor development, social and emotional development, approaches [...]

Antipsychotic medication is effective in reducing psychotic symptoms but use is associated with weight gain. Weight gain is associated with an increased risk of a number of life threatening health conditions. Multicomponent lifestyle interventions are the recommended non-pharmacological way of tackling weight gain and its consequences. This literature review summarises the evidence for the effectiveness of multicomponent lifestyle interventions in reducing weight and waist circumference in adults taking antipsychotics. The review of eight studies found that such approaches are effective; however, multiple factors affect success, for example tailoring of information to the cognitive abilities of participants and the use of individual combined with group approaches. There were some unexpected results within studies, where some control groups lost weight or decreased waist circumference as well as intervention groups. Reasons for significant weight change in control groups was attributed to possible access to weight loss activities outside of the intervention programmes. Adherence to intervention programmes was also important for success. Nurses who support patients taking antipsychotics to lose weight should promote multicomponent approaches that are tailored to the specific needs of this group.

Because of the increasing number of transgender people requesting speech-language pathology services, because having gender-incongruent voice and communication has major negative impacts on an individual's social participation and well-being, and because voice and communication training is supported by an improving evidence-base, it is becoming more common for universities to include transgender-specific theoretical and clinical components in their speech-language pathology programs. This paper describes the theoretical and clinical education provided to speech-language pathology students at La Trobe University in Australia, with a particular focus on the voice and communication training program offered by the La Trobe Communication Clinic. Further research is required to determine the outcomes of the clinic's training program in terms of student confidence and competence as well as the effectiveness of training for transgender clients.

Transsexual clients seek speech-language pathology services to achieve voice characteristics congruent with their true gender. Male-to-Female Transsexual Women (MtF women) make up the majority of transsexual clients on clinicians' caseloads. For many MtF women, achieving gender congruent voice is critical to psychosocial and financial wellbeing and quality of life. It is incumbent on clinicians who offer voice services to MtF women to use the best evidence available for effective voice training. There is strong evidence that voice feminization should target increasing fundamental frequency to approximately 180 Hz and increasing formant frequencies close to biological female (cisfemale) levels, as well as some evidence that increasing fundamental frequency variability and minimum and maximum fundamental frequency, decreasing vocal effort and intensity, and increasing breathiness are an important focus of intervention. While further research is required, the evidence base is increasing. It is encouraging that studies indicate that most MtF women achieve vocal improvements and that most are satisfied with voice training. Important next steps are to increase the quality of research designs, increase sample sizes, and measure long-term voice outcomes. Expert clinicians in collaboration with MtF women's self-advocacy groups will then be able to develop clinical guidelines for this expanding area of practice.

We report a first trimester miscarriage (9 wk gestation) with a macroscopic grape-like aspect due to extensive angiomatoid changes with widened communicating thin-walled villous vessels. Fluorescence in situhybridization analysis and microsatellite analysis revealed a diandric triploidy of the trophoblastic tissue, so this miscarriage is indeed a genetic partial hydatidiform mole. This is remarkable since the typical morphologic hallmarks of partial hydatidiform mole, especially enhanced trophoblastic proliferation and marked villous cistern formation, were not prominent. The finding of extensive angiomatoid morphology is to our knowledge an undescribed morphology of an early partial hydatidiform mole. It serves as an example of the morphologic variability of this probably underestimated condition that has a slightly elevated risk for the development of gestational trophoblastic disease.

TEACHER RATING SCALES AREan efficient, practical way to gather information on children's behaviour problems in school. Previous research has reported on agreement between parents' and teachers' reports, but less attention has been paid to inter-teacher agreement in young children, to the distinction between relative and absolute agreement, or to variability in teachers' agreement. In the present study, 26 United States teachers of three- to five-year-olds reported on the behaviour of 132 children in their classrooms, with the widely used Achenbach Teacher Report Form. Stronger agreement was seen on ratings of externalising than internalising behaviour. Absolute agreement was not always high even when teachers showed close relative agreement. Agreement varied significantly across informant pairs, suggesting that some teacher pairs rate children's behaviour in very similar ways, while others agree very little. Agreement was stronger in higher-SES than lower-SES classrooms.

The article celebrates the life and work of Hamish MacCunn, the British composer who died in 1916.

This review covers recent research findings that demonstrate the effectiveness of speech pathology intervention in enabling male-to-female transsexual individuals to portray their gender identity through speech. Research reports that extend our understanding of communication characteristics that contribute to perceptions of sex in male-to-female transsexuals are identified. Current issues related to the measurement of therapy effectiveness are also presented.

Oates J, Heslop L, Boord N. International Journal of Nursing Practice 1997; 3:166–172

Performers (10 actors/10 singers) rated via a self-report questionnaire the severity of their voice-related changes when vocally fatigued. Similar frequency patterns and perceptual features of vocal fatigue were found across subjects. Actors rated “power” aspects (e.g., voice projection) and singers rated vocal dynamic aspects (e.g., pitch range) of their voices as most affected when vocally fatigued. Vocal fatigue was evidenced by changes in kinesthetic/proprioceptive sensations and vocal dynamics. The causes and context of vocal fatigue were vocal misuse, being “run down,” high performance demands, and using high pitch/volume levels. Further research is needed to delineate the perceptual features of “normal” levels of vocal fatigue and its possible causes.

Speech pathologists who may be called upon to assist the transsexual in developing verbal communication skills which are consistent with society's perception of the individual's desired gender, often do not have a full understanding of transsexualism and the management of these clients. The present paper discusses the nature of transsexualism, the highly structured gender reassignment programmes in Melbourne, A ustralia, and the management of the communication problems of such individuals. Particular emphasis is given to empirical data on sex-associated speech and language characteristics as a basis for speech pathology intervention. Although some specific guidelines are presented for the clinician, it is emphasised that the validity and efficacy of management procedures remains limited until a more comprehensive data base on sex markers in speech is delineated and until speech pathologists publish evaluative reports of their intervention techniques.

The article discusses the internship experience for students, members of the faculty, and employers, monitoring interns from a distance through phone calls or "virtual site visits," and the benefits of increasing the frequency and timeliness of communications between faculty members and interns.