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Exposure to parental suicide or substance-related death can be a risk factor for unwanted developmental trajectories. The stigma and taboo that often follow a death subject to being morally sanctioned in society ('special deaths') pose an extra challenge for the surviving child and family. The support of informal and formal networks is an important factor in adaptive coping; however, when the death is not socially recognised, the child's access to support can be limited. This article presents the results of a systematic literature review seeking to explore children's access to support when parentally bereaved as the result of suicide or a substance-related death. All six studies included address access to support after a suicide-related death. All studies focus on how children can be supported by loss-oriented activities, particularly how to facilitate open communication between the child and their surroundings. Based on this review, the authors recommend developing research on: 1) support for child survivors in the aftermath of substance-related death, 2), children's everyday grieving practices, including their access to support for restoration-oriented activities, 3) the effects of social support on mental health outcomes, and 4) to developing research designs that allow for disturbing the phenomena of stigma production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dementia is related to disturbances in the sleep-wake pattern, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). These phenomena are the main reason for institutionalization. Assistive light technology is relevant to study, as mitigation of BPSD may allow for the improvement of quality of life for both people with dementia and their caregivers. Studies of dynamic light exposure in home-dwelling populations are scarce. In this single-case experimental design study, we evaluated the effects of exposure to dynamic light on the sleep-wake pattern and symptoms of depression, agitation, and anxiety in 11 home-dwelling people with dementia. A four-phase light-exposure therapy oscillating between the control and intervention waves was offered. Objective and questionnaire data were analysed and discussed. The results show that the used dynamic light system did not significantly affect the sleep variables. The severity of BPSD fluctuated in the expected pattern, reducing in intensity with increased light exposure. This pattern was significant for depression and agitation. This longitudinal study included an exploration of a low-cost assistive light intervention within a hard-to-study home-dwelling dementia population. The lessons learned are discussed and recommendations are made for future studies, as this design seems suitable for studying lifestyle interventions to support home-dwelling people with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bereaved siblings often receive insufficient social support and are at higher risk for mental disorders. This study aimed to examine the role of the therapist-rated working alliance in an online intervention for bereaved siblings. Clients (n = 74, 95% female), aged 17–59 received writing assignments and individual feedback by CBT trained therapists over 6 weeks. Working alliance (Working Alliance Inventory) and treatment outcomes (Inventory of Complicated Grief, Beck Depression Inventory-II) were assessed. Results revealed that the working alliance significantly increased during the course of the treatment and a significant association between working alliance and the change in depression was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the acceptability and effectiveness of a new childhood bereavement service known as Lionheart Camp for Kids. Using a pre-post-follow-up design, data pertaining to 12 bereaved children (aged 5–12 years) and their primary caregivers were obtained. Results showed that caregivers reported decreases in children's peer relationship problems, improvements in parental consistency, and reductions in coercive parenting, and there was a trend toward lower self-reported grief by the children. Caregivers were highly satisfied with the program. There is a need for a wait-list or randomized controlled trial over a longer time period to determine the full benefits of the camp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very little is known about payment choices in the African context and in developing countries in general. Their unique infrastructures and economic nuances suggest that both the availability of instruments and supporting structures in the payment system are different from the general perception. This exploratory study investigates the payment choices in Zimbabwe, a country that claims the existence of a near cashless society. Through a descriptive and logit analysis based on survey data, we find that a strong preference for cash, coupled with cash shortages and inadequate infrastructure for electronic payments, has resulted in a multitiered pricing system, with significant premiums for digital payments. This perverse effect counters the heavily lauded benefits of mobile payments in developing countries. We argue that the demand-side bias in government policies will not effectively counter persistent currency failures and the resultant inflation, both of which have a strong influence on payment choices. We recommend that the government should consider polices that will reduce merchant adoption costs to encourage widespread use of digital payment instruments, such as debit cards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This randomized controlled trial examined effects of the MyTeachingPartner-Math/Science intervention on the quality and quantity of teachers' mathematics and science instruction, and children's mathematics and science outcomes in 140 pre-kindergarten classrooms. Teachers participated in the intervention for two years with consecutive cohorts of children. Results from Year 1 are considered experimental, however due to high levels of attrition, results from Year 2 are considered quasi-experimental. Across both years, intervention teachers exhibited higher quality and quantity of instruction. In Year 1, there were no significant effects of the intervention on children's outcomes. In Year 2, children in intervention classrooms made greater gains in teachers' ratings of mathematics and science skills and performed better on a spring assessment of science skills. These results have implications for designing and evaluating professional development aimed at supporting children's mathematics and science knowledge and skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of a course designed to bring trauma-informed practices into community-based intervention programming for gang-involved youth and families. There have been no formally evaluated trauma trainings for gang intervention workers to date. Thirty gang intervention workers completed a University-based course on trauma, which aimed to raise the level of knowledge regarding trauma exposure and its effects on youth, increase intervention workers’ confidence in their ability to identify and respond to posttraumatic stress reactions among clients, and build resilience among staff. Pre-post results revealed that participants significantly improved in their knowledge related to trauma and confidence in their ability to respond to trauma among clients. Participants also rated themselves significantly higher on these domains compared to gang intervention workers who did not take the course. Participants rated the course positively on dimensions that are associated with staff members’ willingness to implement evidence-based interventions following training. The findings indicate a number of important recommendations for supporting gang intervention workers and integrating trauma-informed practices into gang intervention services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of p-acetylaniline with chlorodiphenylphosphine afforded the new ligand (p-CH3CO)C6H4N(H)PPh2 (1) in good yield. Monooxidized thioxo (p-CH3CO)C6H4N(H)P(S)Ph2 (2) and selenoxo (p-CH3CO)C6H4N(H)P(Se)Ph2 (3) were synthesized by the reaction of 1 with elemental sulfur or grey selenium. Compounds 1-3 were identified and characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (¹H, 13C, 31P, 77Se NMR) and elemental analysis. Compounds 2 and 3 were structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction which showed that the p-acetyl substituent on the aniline aromatic ring has a profound influence on the elongation of the P-N bond distance compared to several structurally characterized analogues found in literature. As such, subsequent reactions involving the P-N bond (i.e. insertion reactions) may be influenced in a favorable manner and proceed with ease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While researchers have found that African American youth experience higher levels of juvenile justice involvement at every system level (arrest, sentencing, and incarceration) relative to their other ethnic counterparts, few studies have explored how juvenile justice involvement and number of contacts might be correlated with this broad range of problems. A convenience sample of 638 African American adolescents living in predominantly low-income, urban communities participated in a survey related to juvenile justice involvement. Major findings using logistic regression models indicated that adolescents who reported juvenile justice system involvement versus no involvement were 2.3 times as likely to report mental health problems, substance abuse, and delinquent or youth offending behaviors. Additional findings documented that the higher the number of juvenile justice system contacts, the higher the rates of delinquent behaviors, alcohol and marijuana use, sex while high on drugs, and commercial sex. These findings suggest that identifying and targeting youth who have multiple juvenile justice system contacts, especially those in low-resourced communities for early intervention services, may be beneficial. Future research should examine whether peer network norms might mediate the relationships between juvenile justice involvement and youth problem behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding learning processes in an example-based environment is of interest to scholars from various disciplines. This qualitative study presents the missing perspective: the emotional and motivational aspects that accompany learning in an example-based environment. The participants of our study were 70 students in four classes (2010–2013) of "The Learning Processes," an academic course at a teacher-education college. Research tools were: An open questionnaire to expose the students' preconceptions regarding the use of a library of examples in learning processes, three reflective journals, observations, and a designated library of examples. In this study we adopted a unique pedagogical strategy, both in constructing the library of examples and in determining when the examples would be studied. Content analysis revealed two contrasting approaches : the "objecting" versus the "agreeing"; these led to identification of six academic emotional types (three "objecting" types and three "agreeing" types) of users of the example-based environment. The processes that caused each student to behave in a particular way were found to be complex, with external-behavioral expressions (actual use of examples), and internal expressions. These were related to each type's focused achievement goal, academic self-concept, and to social-academic emotions aroused in this environment. The present study broadens the implications of the theory of learning through examples, and emphasizes the widely varied preferences of learners in a an example-rich environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of ubiquitous technologies that support the digitization of money, research is needed on how individuals' private life practices are affected by new technological financial systems and how cash-based practices can inform their design. In this article, we report the cash-based monetary practices of one Ethiopian rural community and identify their implications for the design of new financial technology. Particularly, we focus on addressing the question, What characteristic features should go into the design of mobile money application(s) to embody a rural Ethiopian community's money practices in social (marriage and death) and religious contexts? Primary data on everyday practices of the community were collected. Analysis of our data reveals that new financial technology design should support lived experiences such as embedded social meaning, segregated and aggregate money control, restricted money use, identity extension and hiding, refusal and acceptance of donations, disclosed and secret money practices, and assigning aesthetics to money. The article concludes by discussing possible ways of mapping these concepts into financial system design, thus contributing toward the development of cashless transactions and a cashless society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings:This study examined the impact of MyTeachingPartner–Math/Science, a system of math and science curricula and professional development, on the quality of teachers’ interactions with children in their classrooms. Schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 intervention conditions (Basic: curricula providing within-activity, embedded teacher supports; Plus: curricula plus implementation support via online resources and in-person workshops) or to a Business-as-Usual (BaU) control condition. Results showed that teachers in the Basic and Plus conditions showed higher levels of Instructional Support and Facilitation of Mathematical and Scientific Thinking. Teachers in the Basic condition also showed higher levels of Emotional Support compared with teachers in the BaU condition. We did not find any significant differences between teachers’ interactions in the Basic and Plus conditions.Practice or Policy: Children are entering kindergarten unprepared in the areas of mathematics and science, largely as a result of inadequate exposure to early experiences and high-quality interactions in these domains. The results of this study suggest that providing teachers with math and science curricula that include embedded teacher supports can have an impact on the quality of their math and science instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence supports the effectiveness of Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents (TGCT-A) in reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and maladaptive grief (MG) reactions. This pilot study explored whether the specific focus of students’ narratives (i.e., focus on trauma vs. focus on loss) as shared by TGCT-A group members would predict initial pretreatment levels, as well as pre- to posttreatment change trajectories, of PTSD symptoms and MG reactions. Thirty-three adolescents from three middle schools completed a 17-week course of group-based TGCT-A. PTSD and MG symptoms were assessed at pretreatment, twice during treatment, and at posttreatment. The focus (trauma vs. loss) of each student's narrative was coded using transcripts of members’ narratives as shared within the groups. The reliable change index showed that 61% of students reported reliable pre–post improvement in either PTSD symptoms or MG reactions. Students whose narratives focused on loss both reported higher starting levels and showed steeper rates of decline in MG reactions than students whose narratives focused on trauma. In contrast, students whose narratives focused on trauma reported higher starting levels of PTSD than students who narrated loss experiences. However, narrative focus was not significantly linked to the rate at which PTSD symptoms declined over the course of treatment. This study provides preliminary evidence that TGCT-A treatment components are associated with reduced PTSD symptoms and MG reactions. Loss-focused narratives, in particular, appear to be associated with greater decreases in MG reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article lists members of the editorial board of the periodical including Amelia Aldao, Bruce L. Baker, and Timothy A. Cavell.

The relationship of parents and infants is ruptured at birth in the context of urgent issues such as congenital heart defects. The infants referred to in 10 semi-structured interviews had undergone cardiac surgery in a children's hospital in Australia and were participating in a new programme known as Heart Beads instigated by the cardiac ward nurses. Within the biomedical context infants are often alienated from their parents and treated as isolated bodies. The paper discusses the social implications of an ill or deformed child and the role of narrative in addressing social demands and the problems faced by parents in infant intensive care contexts. It is argued that theorising the infant within a relational framework allows agency to be attributed to the infant and parents while also recognising the importance of the intimate social world and interactional context that it is expressed within. The paper draws on Nick Crossley's relational sociology to highlight the importance of the relational embodiment that encompasses infants within a social world preceding them and enveloping them. The narrative is developed by parents in order to facilitate the social expression and integration of their child and thus plays a particularly social role in the context of infant surgery, rather than serving to adjust the individual to new circumstances. Exploring the role of narrative in this social relational sense is important for bringing the mother and the family back into the context and survival of the infant both physically and socially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foster children making the transition from birth to foster homes or from foster homes to foster homes often present problematic behaviors. Limitations of attachment theory and reactive attachment disorder are presented, and three alternative approaches for understanding behaviors exhibited in foster settings are presented: conservation of resources, child alienation model, and developmental trauma disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green computing, an emerging field of research that seeks to reduce excess power consumption in high-performance computing, is gaining popularity among researchers. Research in this field often relies on simulation or only uses a small cluster, typically 8 or 16 nodes, because of the lack of hardware support. In contrast, System G at Virginia Tech is a 2592 processor supercomputer equipped with power-aware components suitable for large-scale green computing research. DIRECT is a deterministic global optimisation algorithm, implemented in the mathematical software package VTDIRECT95. This paper explores the potential energy savings for the parallel implementation of DIRECT, called pVTdirect, when used with a large-scale computational biology application, parameter estimation for a budding yeast cell cycle model, on System G. Two power-aware approaches for pVTdirect are developed and compared against the CPUSPEED power saving system tool. The results show that knowledge of the parallel workload of the underlying application is beneficial for power management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this review was to provide a quantitative and methodologically sound evaluation of existing treatments for bereavement and grief reactions in children and adolescents. Two meta-analyses were conducted: 1 on controlled studies and 1 on uncontrolled studies. The 2 meta-analyses were based on a total of 27 treatment studies published before June 2006. Hedges's g and Cohen's d were used as measures of effect size and a random-effects model was applied. Results yielded small to moderate effect sizes. Interventions for symptomatic or impaired participants tended to show larger effect sizes than interventions for bereaved children and adolescents without symptoms. Promising treatment models were music therapy and trauma/grief-focused school based brief psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student teachers learned about teaching principles with the help of an instructional program that included classroom animation exemplars, where expert teachers demonstrate how to apply teaching principles to a classroom scenario. Some students learned by solely observing the classroom animations, whereas others were presented with the expert's metacognitive prompts during their observations, either with or without the presence of the expert on the computer screen. Metacognitive prompts consisted of activating the teaching principles learned and focusing students' attention on relevant classroom information. Student teachers who were not provided with metacognitive prompts took longer time to study the instructional materials, produced lower scores in a transfer test, and showed lower motivation to learn than their counterparts. Consistent with past research on animated pedagogical agents, the expert teacher's presence on the computer screen did not affect learning. The findings support the need to use metacognitive prompts to help novice students effectively learn from virtual classroom scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractionation between Nb and Ta, elements generally regarded as geochemical 'identical twins', is a key to deciphering the formation of the continental crust (CC). Here we show that Nb/Ta of rutile grains in eclogitic rocks from the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD) project are remarkably heterogeneous but overall subchondritic at core depths of 100-700 m, and are less variable and mainly suprachondritic at core depths of 700-3025 m, indicating clear Nb/Ta fractionation across a subducted slab. To understand the potential mechanism of Nb/Ta fractionation within the subducted plate, we analysed by laser ablation ICPMS a thermal migration experiment in which a wet andesite was placed in a large thermal gradient (300°C/cm with ends ranging from 950-350°C) at 0.5Gpa. Results show that Nb, Ta and Ti, driven by the thermal gradient, preferentially migrate by diffusion through supercritical fluids into the cooler end of the experiment (at ∼650-350°C). Due to contrasting Nb and Ta thermal migration patterns, dramatic fractionation between Nb, Ta, and Ti took place in the cooler end. Experimental results are consistent with the measured Nb, Ta in rutile from CCSD drillhole samples. We consider that major fractionation between Nb, Ta must occur before rutile appears, most likely during the prograde blueschist to amphibole-eclogite transformation, when Ti is also mobile. Before rutile appears, partitioning between Ti-rich dominant minerals such as amphiboles and fluids in the hotter region where dehydration preferentially occurs, produces Nb-Ta-Ti-rich fluids with subchondritic Nb/Ta, and dehydration residues with suprachondritic Nb/Ta. Meanwhile, owing to evolution of the thermal gradient within the subducting slab, thermal migration of Nb, Ta, and Ti in aqueous fluids result in Nb, Ta, and Ti enrichment in the cooler region and depletion in the hotter region. As a result of high-pressure metamorphism, hydrous rutile-rich eclogites with overall subchondritic Nb/Ta form in the cooler region, whereas relatively anhydrous rutile-poor eclogites with suprachondritic Nb/Ta form in the hotter region. Subsequently, partial melting of hydrous rutile-rich eclogites with initial subchondritic Nb/Ta at deeper levels transfers overall subchondritic Nb/Ta coupled with Nb, Ta, and Ti depletion characteristics to the CC, leaving dry rutile-poor eclogites with suprachondritic Nb/Ta and rutile-rich residual eclogites with overall, heterogeneous subchondritic Nb/Ta as a complementary reservoir to the CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identified the predictors of youth violence and violent victimization among a sample of Dominican adolescents (N = 155) attending high school in a northeastern urban community. As part of a broader community-based needs assessment, students participated in an evaluation of a substance abuse prevention program funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Correlations, principal components, multiple imputation, and stepwise regression analyses were systematically employed to develop a parsimonious model for predicting violence-related behaviors among Dominican youth. Findings suggest that early onset of alcohol and marijuana use was associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in violence-related behaviors or being the victim of a violent act. In addition, students who reported a lowered sense of safety were more likely to be involved in acts of violence. However, adolescents who reported depressive symptoms were less inclined to become involved in violence-related behaviors. Implications for culturally-tailored violence and substance abuse prevention programming efforts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the current status (1993-2007) of psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents who have been exposed to traumatic events. Twenty-one treatment studies are evaluated using criteria from Nathan and Gorman (2002) along a continuum of methodological rigor ranging from Type 1 to Type 6. All studies were, at a minimum, robust or fairly rigorous. The treatments in each of these 21 studies also are classified using criteria from Chambless et al. (1996), and Chambless and Hollon (1998). Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy met the well-established criteria; School-Based Group Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment met the criteria for probably efficacious. All the other treatments were classified as either possibly efficacious or experimental. Meta-analytic results for four outcomes (i.e., posttraumatic stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and externalizing behavior problems) across all treatments compared to waitlist control and active control conditions combined reveal that, on average, treatments had positive, though modest, effects for all four outcomes. We also cover investigative work on predictors, moderators, and mediators of treatment outcome, as well as the clinical representativeness and generalizability of the studies. The article concludes with a discussion of practice guidelines and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Child and Adolescent Trauma Treatments and Services Consortium (CATS) was the largest youth trauma project associated with the September 11 World Trade Center disaster. CATS was created as a collaborative project involving New York State policymakers; academic scientists; clinical treatment developers; and routine practicing clinicians, supervisors, and administrators. The CATS project was established to deliver evidence-based cognitive-behavioral trauma treatments for children and adolescents affected by the September 11 terrorist attack in New York City and to examine implementation processes and outcomes associated with delivery of these treatments. Referrals were obtained on 1,764 children and adolescents; of these, 1,387 were subsequently assessed with a standardized clinical battery and 704 found to be eligible for services. Ultimately 700 youth participated in the project. Treatments were delivered in either school or clinic settings by clinicians employed in 9 provider organizations in New York City. All participating clinicians were trained on the cognitive behavioral therapy models by the treatment developers and received case consultation for 18 months by expert clinician consultants and the treatment developers. The challenges of mounting a large trauma treatment project within routine clinical practices in the aftermath of a disaster and simultaneously evaluating the project have been significant. We outline the major challenges, describe strategies we employed to address them, and make recommendations based on critical lessons learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasingly dangerous world where trauma and loss are common, relatively few studies have explored traumatic grief in children. The 1998 American Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, provided an unfortunate opportunity to examine this topic. This report describes findings in 156 children who knew someone killed in the incident, assessed 8 to 14 months after the explosion. Bomb-related posttraumatic stress was associated with physical exposure, acute response, posttraumatic stress related to other negative life events, type of bomb-related loss, and subsequent loss. Grief was associated with bomb-related posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic stress related to other negative life events, and type of bomb-related loss. The study supports the developing literature on traumatic grief and the need for studies exploring the potentially unique aspects of this construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of environmentally enriched and standard laboratory housing conditions on behavioral performance in 16 subadult ratsnakes (Elaphe obsoleta) using a split-clutch design. In a problem-solving task, snakes housed in enriched environments (EC) exhibited shorter latencies to the goal hole as compared to snakes housed in standard conditions (SC). In an open field task, EC snakes tended to habituate more quickly than SC snakes with repeated testing. A feeding task did not reveal any significant differences between EC and SC snakes. A discriminant function analysis correctly assigned all snakes to their appropriate housing treatment groups, based on the responses in each of the behavioral tasks. This suggests that each group had a distinct behavioral profile; that is, EC snakes were more behaviorally adaptive than SC snakes. This study demonstrated that housing conditions can affect the behavior of captive snakes and produce improvements in behavior similar to those seen in mammalian enrichment studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What's good for the goose, is good for the gander. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the process of two groups of students from high schools located in the immediate vicinity of the World Trade Center grappling to make sense of the events of September 11 through the creation of a documentary chronicling their experiences. The process of creating these videos mirrored the process and curative factors of a psychotherapy group in a non-stigmatizing, innovative, and accessible format, one generated by the students themselves with the assistance of professionals in the visual and performing arts. After reviewing the literature on the potential impact of violence on adolescents and the use of group treatment, especially in school settings, as an optimal choice for this population, we describe the distinctive process of the two separate groups of students, each culminating in different expressions of their very personal experience of September 11. We understand and contextualize their process through the lens of the therapeutic dynamics and elements of group work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood traumatic grief (CTG) is a condition in which trauma symptoms impinge on children's ability to negotiate the normal grieving process. Clinical characteristics of CTG and their implications for treatment are discussed, and data from a small number of open-treatment studies of traumatically bereaved children are reviewed. An empirically derived treatment model for CTG is described; this model addresses both trauma and grief symptoms and includes a parental treatment component. Future research directions are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on U.S. laws that attempt to limit the work hours of medical residents. Economic realities of fiscal temperance; Effects of long hours on quality of patient care, residents' work conditions and quality of life; Voluntary professional organization limits.