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Background: Psychological assessment in school settings involves a range of complexities and ethical dilemmas that practitioners must navigate carefully. This paper provides a comprehensive review of common issues faced by school psychologists during assessments, discussing best practices and ethical guidelines based on codes from various professional organizations. Methods: We examine the entire assessment process, from pre-assessment considerations like informed consent and instrument selection to post-assessment practices involving results communication and confidentiality. Key ethical concerns addressed include fairness in assessment, cultural and linguistic appropriateness of testing materials, and issues surrounding informed consent. Results: Specific challenges discussed include selecting appropriate assessment instruments that reflect the diverse needs and backgrounds of students, ensuring fairness and removing bias in testing, and effectively communicating results to various stakeholders while maintaining confidentiality. We emphasize the importance of multi-source, multi-method assessment approaches and the critical role of ongoing professional development in ethical practice. Conclusion: By adhering to established ethical standards and best practices, school psychologists can effectively support the educational and developmental needs of students. This paper outlines actionable recommendations and ethical considerations to help practitioners enhance the accuracy, fairness, and impact of their assessments in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Colonic pseudopolyps are a frequent finding in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Yet there are no published data describing the characteristics of pseudopolyposis in intestinal ultrasound (IUS). This study aimed at identifying the key features of pseudopolyposis in IUS. Methods: This case–control study included 12 patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's colitis with extensive left colon pseudopolyposis and 18 matched IBD patients without pseudopolyps at colonoscopy. Luminal (diameters, thickening, stratification, margins, and vascularity) and intraluminal (vascular signals at color Doppler), and extraluminal (mesenteric fat) parameters of the left colon were compared. Anonymized still images and videos of these patients were blindly reviewed to estimate the accuracy in detecting this condition. Results: Among the IUS parameters assessed, the anteroposterior diameter ≥ 12 mm and the presence of luminal vascular signals were significantly correlated with pseudopolyposis. The detection of both these findings were able to detect extensive pseudopolyposis a sensitivity of 75% (CI 95%: 42.8–94.5%) and a specificity of 100% (CI 95%: 81.5–100%). Conclusion: This is the first study describing the IUS features of pseudopolyposis in IBD. The potential use of IUS to assess pseudopolyposis might have an impact on IUS monitoring and surveillance of IBD patients with condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humidity sensors are in high demand for many applications, such as environmental monitoring and air and food quality control. Despite many inorganic and organic materials exhibit moisture sensing properties, the electrical response of many existing sensors is not stable along the time. Polyantimonic acid (PAA) is characterized by elevated proton conductivity and by high thermal stability: consequently, it is seen as promising proton conductor for usage in humidity sensing devices. In this work, for the first time, PAA-based bulk solid membranes were produced and tested as potential materials for relative humidity (RH) detection and their moisture sensitivity was evaluated. Two different amounts of binder were used for moulding the solid sensors: the ones with 10% of binder were designated as 90PAA, while the ones with 20% were named 80PAA. The structures of the solid samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, adsorption–desorption curves via Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. The electrical behaviour was examined at ambient temperature by electrical impedance spectroscopy in the entire relative humidity (RH) interval (0–100%) and in the frequency range of 40 Hz up to 60 MHz. Electrical response of the materials was correlated with the structural features of the membranes. Both 90PAA and 80PAA sensors showed total resistance 3 × 105 and 3.5 × 105 Ω at 10% RH, respectively. A linear decrease of the resistance on RH was observed in the range 30–90% RH for both sensors. The electrical response of the evaluated PAA-based sensors displays good repeatability and reproducibility: the ones with lower binder content showed higher moisture sensitivity as well as very good time stability over 1 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Left atrium function is essential for cardiovascular performance and is evaluable by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE). Our aim was to determine how echocardiographic parameters interrelate with exercise capacity and ventilatory efficiency in subjects with no structural heart disease. Asymptomatic volunteers, in sinus rhythm and with normal biventricular size and function, were recruited from a community-based population. Individuals with moderate-to-severe valvular disease, pulmonary hypertension, and history of cardiac disease were excluded. We performed a transthoracic echocardiogram and assessed left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) mechanics via 2D-STE. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing by treadmill took place immediately thereafter. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2) served as measure of functional capacity and ventilation/carbon dioxide output (VE/VCO2) slope as surrogate of ventilation/perfusion mismatch. 20 subjects were included (age 51 ± 14 years, male gender 65%). Peak VO2 strongly correlated with age (r = -0.83; P < 0.01), with E/e' ratio (r = -0.72; P < 0.01), and with LA reservoir- and conduit-phase mechanics, particularly with LA conduit strain rate (SR) (r = -0.82; P < 0.01), but showed no correlation with LA volume index or LV mechanics. A similar pattern of associations was identified for VE/VCO2 slope. In multivariate analysis, LA conduit SR (β = -0.69; P = 0.02) emerged as sole independent correlate of peak VO2, adjusted for age and for E/e' ratio (adjusted r 2  = 0.76; P < 0.01). Conduit and reservoir components of LA mechanics displayed strong associations with peak VO2 and VE/VCO2 slope. LA conduit-phase SR seems best suited as echocardiographic marker of functional capacity in subjects with no structural heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC) breakfasts have been increasing in Portugal, among children. Eat Mediterranean (EM), a Portuguese comprehensive community-based intervention, proposed to improve breakfast patterns of children and adolescents and to evaluate the healthiness of RTEC according to WHO/Europe nutrient profile model (Euro-NP).Subjects/methods: EM Program was developed during two scholar years (15/16 and 16/17) toward 2333 students (pre to secondary education). Data on breakfast was provided using a family record form. The intervention consisted of 257 educational sessions addressing the principles of Mediterranean Diet, and promoting a "healthy breakfast at home". To check for compliance with Euro-NP, RTEC package food labels' nutritional composition was used.Results: After intervention 92.9% of children/adolescents had breakfast daily with no report of breakfast skippers. RTECs were one of the most frequent (66.5%) breakfasts. Statistically significant improvements were showed for: daily qualitative and complete breakfast frequency (5.6%) and fruit (11.2%). Consumption of RTEC decreased 28%. According to Euro-NP, 84.6% of the RTECs were non-compliant, regarding sugar content. Children's RTECs presented 5% more of energy and 26% more sugar than the "non-children's" RTECs.Conclusion: EM strategy showed to be a successful program to improve patterns and quality of breakfast of the children and adolescents, reinforcing the importance of school-based nutritional programs in changing lifestyles. Nutrient profiling can be a useful tool to provide a selection of foods to be part of a healthy diet and can be used by policy-makers to design policies to identify the foods to which marketing restrictions to children, will apply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have generally characterized school psychologists as a relative homogenous population. Understanding the differences in professional practices and related variables is important for the development of the profession. Using a sample of 446 Portuguese school psychologists, this study used cluster analysis to identify distinct profiles of professional activity, based on practitioners' time distribution among different target audiences (i.e., students, parents, teachers, school board members, school non-professional staff, and other professionals within the school community). Three distinct profiles emerged from the data: a group highly oriented to work with students, a group that distributes time almost equitably between adults and students, and a group that concentrates attention and professional expertise on adults. Practice setting variables, such as school-psychologists-to-student ratio, school-psychologists-to-school ratio, number of referrals per year, and school community level of demand for different activities, were found to be significantly related to cluster membership. No personal- or professional-background-related variables differentiated the three groups. The main implications of these findings are discussed in light of recent literature regarding the models of service delivery for school psychologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our objectives were to estimate the public health outcomes of vaccinating Belgian children using an intranasal tetravalent live-attenuated influenza vaccine (QLAIV) combined with current coverage of high-risk/elderly individuals using the trivalent inactivated vaccine. Methods: We used a deterministic, age-structured, dynamic model to simulate seasonal influenza transmission in the Belgian population under the current coverage or after extending vaccination with QLAIV to healthy children aged 2-17 years. Differential equations describe demographic changes, exposure to infectious individuals, infection recovery, and immunity dynamics. The basic reproduction number ( R ) was calibrated to the observed number of influenza doctor visits/year. Vaccine efficacy was 80 % (live-attenuated) and 59-68 % (inactivated). The 10-year incidence of symptomatic influenza was calculated with different coverage scenarios (add-on to current coverage). Results: Model calibration yielded R = 1.1. QLAIV coverage of 75 % of those aged 2-17 years averted 374,000 symptomatic cases/year (57 % of the current number), 244,000 of which were among adults (indirect effect). Vaccinating 75 % of those aged 2-11 years and 50 % of those aged 12-17 years averted 333,200 cases/year (213,000 adult cases/year). Vaccinating only healthy children aged 2-5 years generated direct protection but limited indirect protection, even with 90 % coverage (40,800 averted adult cases/year; -8.4 %). Targeting all children averted twice as many high-risk cases as targeting high-risk children only (8485 vs. 4965/year with 75 % coverage). Sensitivity analyses showed the robustness of results. Conclusions: The model highlights the direct and indirect protection benefits when vaccinating healthy children with QLAIV in Belgium. Policies targeting only high-risk individuals or the youngest provide limited herd protection, as school-age children are important influenza vectors in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: NOD2 mutations have been linked to an increased risk of Crohn's disease and to some of its phenotypes. The association between NOD2 mutations and susceptibility to ulcerative colitis (UC) remains somewhat controversial and potential correlations between these mutations and UC phenotype have not been studied. Aim: To assess whether NOD2 mutations are a risk factor for UC in Portugal and if there are any genotype-phenotype correlations in these patients. Methods: The three main NOD2 mutations were searched in 200 patients with UC and in 202 healthy controls. Results: NOD2 mutations were present in 28 patients with UC (14.0 %) and in 27 controls (13.4 %) ( p = 0.853). Mutation carriers were more likely to receive steroids during the first year of disease than non-carriers (54.2 % vs. 29.6 %, p = 0.018) and among these patients the need for intravenous administration was more frequent in those with the R702W polymorphism (90.0 % vs. 45.5 %, p = 0.014). In patients with severe colitis admitted for intravenous steroids, a greater proportion of mutation carriers was considered intravenous-steroid refractory and required salvage therapy (90.0 % vs. 38.1 %, p = 0.004). Patients with NOD2 mutation were submitted to colectomy more frequently than non-carriers (17.9 % vs. 4.1 %. p = 0.015). No correlation with the need for immunosuppressants/immunomodulators was found. Conclusions: In the Portuguese population, NOD2 mutations do not increase the risk of UC but are associated with a more aggressive course including greater need of steroids in the first year, increased incidence of intravenous-steroid refractoriness and a higher colectomy rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to an article concerning multifocal colonic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in the previous issue.