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Researchers have long been interested in understanding factors affecting student achievement. To contribute new insights to the literature, this study investigated grade-level differences in the relationships of students' perceived academic support (from parents, teachers and peers) to academic achievement directly and also indirectly through their perceived academic engagement. Questionnaire data were collected from 270 Hong Kong adolescents in Forms 3-5 (equivalent to Grades 9-11 in the United States). Structural equation modelling analyses revealed important and interesting grade-level differences in the academic support-based achievement relationships. Specifically, perceived parental support was negatively linked to academic achievement for Form 4 students, but it was positively related to academic achievement through perceived academic engagement for Form 3 students. Perceived teacher support was a significant predictor of academic achievement only for Form 3 students. Surprisingly, perceived peer support had no significant direct or indirect relationship to student achievement. These findings were interpreted from cultural, educational, socioeconomic and developmental perspectives. Suggestions for promoting particular sources of academic support for adolescents in different grade levels were discussed.

The author tested a model hypothesizing that students' self-perceived academic support (from parents, teachers, and peers) is related to their achievement directly and indirectly through their own perceived academic engagement. The participants were 270 adolescents (M age = 15.41 years, range = 14-20 years) from 3 grade levels (Forms 3-5, equivalent to Grades 9-11 in the United States) in a Hong Kong secondary school. The school principal and teachers helped to collect data based on these adolescents' responses to a self-report questionnaire, consisting of a demographic profile and 4 scales assessing their self-perceptions of the extent of parental, teacher, and peer support, and their own academic engagement. Academic achievement was measured by self-reported grades in math, English, and Chinese. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that adolescents' perceived parental, teacher, and peer support were all indirectly related to their academic achievement mediated by their own perceived academic engagement. The strength of the relationships, however, varied by support system, with perceived teacher support to achievement being the strongest, followed closely by perceived parental support, and then perceived peer support. In addition, both perceived parental support and perceived teacher support were directly related to academic achievement. However, perceived teacher support made the most total (direct and indirect) contribution to student achievement. Perceived peer support had the smallest, nonetheless significant, indirect relationship to academic achievement. However, the negative, direct influence of perceived peer support canceled out its positive, indirect influence on academic achievement.

Current trends in cardiac surgery have challenged perfusionists to seek diversification of services. Point-of-care coagulation (POCC) monitoring represents a desirable area of perfusion service expansion. The purpose of the study was to create a series of hemostatic conditions to assess the functionality of POCC monitors to identify specific coagulopathies with identifiable profiles for algorithm development. Fresh (< 4 h) bovine blood, anticoagulated with anticoagulant citrate dextrose, was adjusted to a hematocrit of 30.0 +/- 2.0%. Hypofibrinogenemia < or = 90 mg/dL), thrombocytopenia (< or = 70,000/mm3), platelet dysfunction (850 microg/mL of nitroglycerin/mL of blood) and hyperfibrinolysis (0.40 units of urokinase/mL of blood) were created. Five POCC devices were used to evaluate activated clotting time, thrombin time, fibrinogen, platelet function, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and thromboelastograph. Results are reported as percentage change from control for each test (abtract table). [table: see text] Each test performed showed specificity and sensitivity for certain coagulopathies, however variability amongst monitors was encountered. In conclusion, the development of a mobile cart incorporating POCC monitors with knowledge of specific coagulopathic conditions may expand perfusion service.