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This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children (PTR-YC) using a single-case experimental design. PTR-YC is a manualized intervention designed to address challenging behaviors for children in preschool and childcare settings using the framework of positive behavior support. Participants included three preschool-aged children who were receiving special education services in public preschool classrooms. As hypothesized, the use of PTR-YC resulted in two primary effects, including a decrease in challenging behaviors and an increase in desirable behaviors across all three cases. Secondary data revealed favorable increases in prosocial (or positive) interactions between teacher and child for all three cases. PTR-YC interventions were also associated with high rates of perceived social validity. Implications for the use of PTR-YC in preschool settings are discussed along with considerations for the importance of coaching to increase fidelity and the effect on teacher–child interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a compartmental SIRD model with time-dependent parameters that can be used to give epidemiological interpretations to the phenomenological parameters of the Richards growth model. We illustrate the use of the map between these two models by fitting the fatality curves of the COVID-19 epidemic data in Italy, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Cuba, and Japan, up to July 30, 2020.

Developmental dyslexia is most commonly associated with phonological processing difficulties. However, children with dyslexia may experience poor speech-in-noise perception as well. Although there is an ongoing debate whether a speech perception deficit is inherent to dyslexia or acts as an aggravating risk factor compromising learning to read indirectly, improving speech perception might boost reading-related skills and reading acquisition. In the current study, we evaluated advanced speech technology as applied in auditory prostheses, to promote and eventually normalize speech perception of school-aged children with dyslexia, i.e., envelope enhancement (EE). The EE strategy automatically detects and emphasizes onset cues and consequently reinforces the temporal structure of the speech envelope. Our results confirmed speech-in-noise perception difficulties by children with dyslexia. However, we found that exaggerating temporal "landmarks" of the speech envelope (i.e., amplitude rise time and modulations)—by using EE—passively and instantaneously improved speech perception in noise for children with dyslexia. Moreover, the benefit derived from EE was large enough to completely bridge the initial gap between children with dyslexia and their typical reading peers. Taken together, the beneficial outcome of EE suggests an important contribution of the temporal structure of the envelope to speech perception in noise difficulties in dyslexia, providing an interesting foundation for future intervention studies based on auditory and speech rhythm training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to assess the influence of COVID-19 on the travel and tourism industry from a supply-side perspective. More specifically, this research identifies the influential determinants to help manage tourists (main target markets') predicted behaviour and changes in travel patterns due to COVID-19. The exploratory research made use of an online questionnaire. The questionnaire's link was posted on a social media page in 2020, and a convenience snowball sampling method was used to gain access to travel and tourism suppliers. 111 responses were obtained. The multivariate analysis involved exploratory factor analyses (EFA) in identifying the dependent (tourists future travel behaviour) and the independent variables [suppliers' initiatives to connect with their target market(s) during the pandemic, the predicted management and marketing strategies the travel and tourism industry will adopt after COVID-19 and perceptions regarding the future of the travel and tourism industry (in a post-COVID world)] that were included in regression analyses. A set of linear regression analyses was performed to show whether there is a significant relationship between the factors that may provide additional guidelines for managing travellers' predicted travel behaviour due to COVID-19. This research provides valuable insights into the strategies the various sectors within the tourism industry implement and plan to adopt to regenerate their tourism operations post COVID-19. Moreover, since this research is primarily focused on the supply-side (tourism suppliers), the sectoral feedback is valuable in streamlining national tourism industry guidelines post-COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Research has highlighted that older people, that is, those aged 60 and over, are over‐represented in fatal fire statistics across the globe. The aim of this study was to investigate the circumstances surrounding fatal fires involving older people and examine the role of individuals and agencies that are in contact with the most vulnerable and how they can be involved in reducing fire risk. The study was conducted in two phases. Firstly, a retrospective analysis was conducted of the circumstances surrounding 99 accidental fatal dwelling fires involving 100 older people during a 20‐year period. Results suggested that most fires ignited in the living room or the bedroom and these were also the most common locations of the fatalities. The most common causes of the fire were smoking materials, hot coals, cooking and electrical faults and the majority of older fire fatalities had a smoke alarm which operated. Importantly, there was evidence of regular contact between the fatality and at least one other individual from the community prior to the fire. For this reason, the second phase of the research involved focus groups with friends, relatives, neighbours and carers of older people with a view to understanding their attitudes and experiences with regard to fire safety. Overall, the focus groups provided evidence that those in contact with older people regularly observe fire risks in the homes of older people. In addition, gaps were evident in the fire safety knowledge, not only of older people, but also for those assisting older people. In light of the findings, this article also considers the core messages that should be included in any potential future fire safety intervention strategies aimed at the older adult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue des Sciences de l'Education is the property of Revue des Sciences de l'Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, we analyze the e ect of environment noise on the transmission dynamics of a stochastic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection model with intervention strategies. By using the Markov semigroups theory, we define the stochastic basic reproduction number and find it can be used to govern disease extinction or persistence. When it is less than one, under a mild extra condition, the stochastic system has a disease-free equilibrium and the disease is predicted to die out with probability one. When it is greater than one, under mild extra conditions, the model admits a stationary distribution which means the persistence of the disease. Thus, we observe that larger intensity of noise (resulting in a smaller stochastic basic reproduction number) can suppress the emergence of hepatitis B outbreak. Numerical simulations are also carried out to investigate the influence of information intervention strategies that may change individual behavior and protect the susceptible from infection. Our analysis shows that the environmental noise can greatly a ect the long-term behavior of the system, highlighting the importance of the role of intervention strategies in the control of hepatitis B.

The objective of this research is to improve tourist management after the earthquake on April 16, 2016 in the Bolívar canton, by proposing a strategic plan that responds to existing problems. The methodology employed consists of four phases: (1) post-earthquake diagnosis; (2) determine the main strengths, weaknesses, threats, opportunities and strategic positioning of the territory; (3) identify strategies based on long-term sustainable tourism planning; and the (4) proposal of the strategic plan, which as a result allowed the identification of 9 programs supported by 19 projects aimed at the improvement and reactivation of tourist attractions, basic services and commercialization.

The purpose of this research is to deepen knowledge about interventions deployed in organization that focuses on the development of individuals, collectives and organizations. This article aims to demonstrate which strategies are used by a practitioner during an intervention in order to make it more effective. To this end, we followed the intervention of an occupational psychologist deploying a preventive approach called ORSOSA (Organization of Care and Health of Caregivers) in a care ward. In order to follow the intervention process longitudinally we used a qualitative approach (dashboard logs, observations, interviews). The analysis of our data identifies three main strategies used by the practitioner at specific times during the intervention to: legitimize the relevance of the approach, adapt to the care service context and evaluate the results of the intervention. For each of these strategies, the objectives and modus operandi were described.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious disease of livestock and has severely affected livestock industries during the past two decades in previously FMD-free countries. The disease was eliminated in North America in 1953 but remains a threat for re-introduction. Approximately 44% of the on-feed beef cattle in the U.S. are concentrated in feedlots

The purpose of this research is to deepen knowledge about interventions deployed in organization that focuses on the development of individuals, collectives and organizations. This article aims to demonstrate which strategies are used by a practitioner during an intervention in order to make it more effective. To this end, we followed the intervention of an occupational psychologist deploying a preventive approach called ORSOSA (Organization of Care and Health of Caregivers) in a care ward. In order to follow the intervention process longitudinally we used a qualitative approach (dashboard logs, observations, interviews). The analysis of our data identifies three main strategies used by the practitioner at specific times during the intervention to: legitimize the relevance of the approach, adapt to the care service context and evaluate the results of the intervention. For each of these strategies, the objectives and modus operandi were described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stunting affects stature with all the consequences of disruption of growth and development and also affects economic productivity. In Indonesia, which is mostly archipelago, stunting interventions require a multi-sectoral convergence strategy. Difficulties often occur in coordinating multi-sectoral cooperation in the policy process. It is even more challenging to formulate and define intervention strategies at different administrative levels. The Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach, such as Analytic Network Process (ANP), is one of the multi-criteria measurement approaches used to obtain the relative priority scale of individual evaluations relative dependence between elements. This approach is possible for use in the public sector, such as stunting interventions, with a high amount of information, interactions, and complexity levels. Therefore, this research aimed to develop an institutional strategy model for stunting intervention in the archipelago. The study was located at Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) University, Bogor and Bangka Belitung Island Province (Bangka and West Bangka Regency). The research method used pairwise comparison techniques with the ANP approach of 15 expert informants selected purposively based on their expertise, position and work. The framework model's construction in this study was carried out through a literature review of strategic issues consisting of criteria and indicators in decision-making for stunting reduction. Data analysis utilized Superdecisions version 2.8 software. The study results emphasized the priority strategies for nutrition-specific interventions in the initial phase of the first 1000 days of life, namely the conception period, pregnancy, and children under two years. Also, priority strategies for nutrition-sensitive interventions emphasized the importance of integrative holistic care patterns with access to safe water and improved sanitation. Based on this research, it can be concluded that the priority strategy model for stunting reduction in Indonesia, especially the archipelago, requires simultaneous multi-sectoral convergence. Recommendations for further research are to develop an intervention model in the practice of nutritious feeding with integrated, holistic, clean water, and improved sanitation access by the characteristics of the research location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ongoing, continually spreading, outbreak of African swine fever (ASF), following its identification in Georgia in 2007, has resulted in 17 European and 12 Asian countries reporting cases by April 2020, with cases occurring in both wild boar and domestic pigs. Curtailing further spread of ASF requires understanding of the transmission pathways of the disease. ASF is self‐sustaining in the wild boar population, and they have been implicated as one of the main drivers of transmission within Europe. We developed a spatially explicit model to estimate the risk of infection with ASF in wild boar and pigs due to natural movement of wild boar that is applicable across the whole of Europe. We demonstrate the model by using it to predict the probability that early cases of ASF in Poland were caused by wild boar dispersion. The risk of infection in 2015 is computed due to wild boar cases in Poland in 2014, compared against reported cases in 2015, and then the procedure is repeated for 2015–2016. We find that long‐ and medium‐distance spread of ASF (i.e. >30 km) is unlikely to have occurred due to wild boar dispersal, due in part to the generally short distances wild boar will travel (<20 km on average). We also predict the relative success of different control strategies in 2015, if they were implemented in 2014. Results suggest that hunting of wild boar reduces the number of new cases, but a larger region is at risk of ASF compared with no control measure. Alternatively, introducing wild boar‐proof fencing reduces the size of the region at risk in 2015, but not the total number of cases. Overall, our model suggests wild boar movement is only responsible for local transmission of disease; thus, other pathways are more dominant in medium‐ and long‐distance spread of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates the use of qualitative methodologies to provide a description of an intervention framework and goals for students with hearing loss in general education. Because of advances in technology, the majority of students with hearing loss are now educated in general education classrooms. Many of these students are not eligible for special education services although their hearing loss does compromise their functioning in many areas of daily life. This investigation employed two qualitative methods—the biographical narrative interpretive method and ethnography—to provide insight into the personal experiences of a speech-language pathologist with a hearing loss and the way her experiences influenced the nature, rationale for, and content of the intervention program she implemented for students with hearing loss in general education programs. The qualitative methods are described, examples of qualitative analyses are provided, and the components of the program for elementary school students are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hippotherapy uses the horse's movement to enhance motor coordination, sensory integration, communication, and emotional stability in people with different disabilities. There is a need for evidence that proves increased efficiency in language use. In this study, we analyze the effect of hippotherapy on the communicative abilities of children with Down syndrome. Nine children between 4 and 7 years of age participated in two types of therapies: traditional language therapy and hippotherapy. Results showed effects of hippotherapy on language production and utterance length. Comprehension was enhanced by all therapy techniques. This preliminary study based on systematic evidence illustrates the effects of hippotherapy on communicative abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Social intervention strategies to mitigate COVID-19 are examined using an agent-based simulation model. Outbreak in a large urban region, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA is used as a case study. Results are intended to serve as a planning guide for decision makers. Methods: The simulation model mimics daily social mixing behavior of the susceptible and infected generating the spread. Data representing demographics of the region, virus epidemiology, and social interventions shapes model behavior. Results include daily values of infected, reported, hospitalized, and dead. Results: Results show that early implementation of complete stay-at-home order is effective in flattening and reversing the infection growth curve in a short period of time. Whereas, using Florida's Phase II plan alone could result in 75% infected and end of pandemic via herd immunity. Universal use of face masks reduced infected by 20%. A further reduction of 66% was achieved by adding contact tracing with a target of identifying 50% of the asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic. Conclusions: In the absence of a vaccine, the strict stay-at-home order, though effective in curbing a pandemic outbreak, leaves a large proportion of the population susceptible. Hence, there should be a strong follow up plan of social distancing, use of face mask, contact tracing, testing, and isolation of infected to minimize the chances of large-scale resurgence of the disease. However, as the economic cost of the complete stay-at-home-order is very high, it can perhaps be used only as an emergency first response, and the authorities should be prepared to activate a strong follow up plan as soon as possible. The target level for contact tracing was shown to have a nonlinear impact on the reduction of the percentage of population infected. Increase in contact tracing target from 20% to 30% appeared to provide the largest incremental benefit.

The rapid industrial development has led to serious cadmium (Cd) pollution. Cd is a toxic heavy metal placing severe health threat to human. Cd can enter the body through the atmosphere, water, soil and food, and has a long half-life (10–30 years), it largely accumulates in kidneys, liver, bone and other organs and causes irreversible damage to the target organs. Cd pollution has also further caused certain carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk. This study summarizes the current situation of Cd pollution, the toxicity of specific target organs, carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk in the general population, as well as dietary supplements to prevent and mitigate Cd toxication, which aims to focus on the adverse effects of Cd to human from both individual and population perspectives, hoping that not only the health risk of Cd poisoning can be reduced, but also the accurate prevention and control of Cd poisoning can be achieved in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Education for Life / Yaşadıkça Eğitim Dergisi is the property of Istanbul Kultur Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Experiencing financial insecurity and being underserved is often associated with low health literacy, i.e., the ability to identify, obtain, interpret and act upon health information, which may result in poor health outcomes. Little is known about effective interventions for promoting health literacy among underserved populations. The objective of this systematic review is to summarize the literature on such interventions and identify characteristics that differentiate more effective interventions., Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines we searched the databases SCOPUS, Pubmed, Web of Science core collection and CINAHL. We included primary studies with a quantitative study design and control groups testing interventions to increase health literacy or health knowledge in underserved populations between 18 and 65 years. Where possible, we converted effect sizes into Cohen's d and compared mean differences of intervention and control groups. Albatross plots were created to summarize the results according to different health literacy and health knowledge outcomes., Results: We screened 3,696 titles and abstracts and 206 full texts. In total, 86 articles were analyzed, of which 55 were summarized in seven albatross plots. The majority of the studies ( n  = 55) were conducted in the United States and had a randomized controlled study design ( n  = 44). More effective intervention approaches assessed needs of participants through focus group discussions prior to conducting the intervention, used bilingual educational materials, and included professionals fluent in the first languages of the study population as intervention deliverers. Additionally, the use of educational materials in video and text form, fotonovelas and interactive group education sessions with role playing exercises were observed to be effective., Discussion: Although the outcomes addressed in the included studies were heterogeneous, effective intervention approaches were often culturally sensitive and developed tailored educational materials. Interventions aiming to promote health literacy in underserved populations should hence consider applying similar approaches. Systematic review registration : https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display&#95;record.php?RecordID=323801, PROSPERO registration ID: CRD42022323801., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Singh, Samkange-Zeeb, Kolschen, Herrmann, Hübner, Barnils, Brand, Zeeb and Schüz.)

This comprehensive review examines the intricate interplay between personality factors and alcohol use, shedding light on the dynamic relationship that shapes the initiation, progression, and outcomes of alcohol-related behaviors. The exploration encompasses vital personality traits such as sensation seeking, impulsivity, neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. The bidirectional nature of this association is underscored, emphasizing how personality influences and is influenced by alcohol consumption patterns. Protective personality factors, including resilience, emotional regulation, and social support, are identified as crucial elements in mitigating the risk of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The implications for clinical practice advocate for tailored interventions that address individual personality profiles, while policy considerations highlight the need for targeted prevention efforts that acknowledge the diverse ways individuals respond to alcohol use. Furthermore, a call for future research emphasizes emerging perspectives, improved methodologies, and ongoing exploration of intervention strategies to advance our understanding of this complex relationship and refine approaches for prevention and treatment. As we navigate this evolving field, the insights gleaned hold promise for shaping more compelling and nuanced interventions to address the diverse needs of individuals affected by AUDs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Bezalwar et al.)

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of drugs for patients with central mid-temporal (rolandic) discharges detected by electroencephalogram (EEG).Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 430 patients with rolandic discharges, who were treated at the Neuroelectrophysiology Center of the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from February 2015 to February 2018. Patients were divided into three groups according to medication: levetiracetam (LEV), oxcarbazepine (OXC) and sodium valproate (VPA). All patients were followed up for at least 2 years, and the seizure frequency, EEG results and side effects of drugs were recorded.Results: Rolandic epilepsy (RE) occurred in 398/430 patients. Rolandic discharges were also found in those with febrile seizures, tic disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Thirty-one patients experienced only one seizure and no relapse, while 367 patients experienced more than two seizures (including 364 receiving drug treatment). The failure rate of LEV as initial therapy was significantly higher than those of OXC and VPA. The overall efficacy of OXC was higher than that of LEV. However, none of the three medications could control rolandic discharges. Moreover, the side effects of the three drugs were mild.Conclusions: Rolandic discharges are common in children with RE and other diseases, such as febrile seizures, tic disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Patients with only one seizure need no treatment. Those with multiple seizures can be treated with OXC, LEV, and VPA. OXC serves as the initial antiepileptic drug with a lower failure rate and significant efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS-CoV-2 is a novel strain of coronavirus which is ravaging many countries, and this has become a global public health concern. With the increasing number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths in Nigeria, the pandemic has led to massive public reactions. This data attempted to evaluate the knowledge, impacts, and government intervention during the pandemic. An online survey was conducted using a questionnaire shared via social media using a Snowball sampling technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA). A total of 387 responses was received. Results show that a significant number of respondents had adequate knowledge about COVID-19 modes of transmission, symptoms, and preventive measures. Respondents maintain personal hygiene as 67% wash their hands with soap. The pandemic has caused worry (65%), anxiety (42%), panic (35%), and depression (16%) among respondents, even as government intervention is seen as inadequate by 70%. There is a need for mental health support and increased information campaigns about COVID-19.

The main objective of the present article is twofold: first, to model the fatality curves of the COVID-19 disease, as represented by the cumulative number of deaths as a function of time; and second, to use the corresponding mathematical model to study the effectiveness of possible intervention strategies. We applied the Richards growth model (RGM) to the COVID-19 fatality curves from several countries, where we used the data from the Johns Hopkins University database up to May 8, 2020. Countries selected for analysis with the RGM were China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea, and Spain. The RGM was shown to describe very well the fatality curves of China, which is in a late stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as of the other above countries, which supposedly are in the middle or towards the end of the outbreak at the time of this writing. We also analysed the case of Brazil, which is in an initial sub-exponential growth regime, and so we used the generalised growth model which is more appropriate for such cases. An analytic formula for the efficiency of intervention strategies within the context of the RGM is derived. Our findings show that there is only a narrow window of opportunity, after the onset of the epidemic, during which effective countermeasures can be taken. We applied our intervention model to the COVID-19 fatality curve of Italy of the outbreak to illustrate the effect of several possible interventions.

Students’ evaluation of teaching, for instance, through feedback surveys, constitutes an integral mechanism for quality assurance and enhancement of teaching and learning in higher education. These surveys usually comprise both the Likert scale and free-text responses. Since the discrete Likert scale responses are easy to analyze, they feature more prominently in survey analyses. However, the free-text responses often contain richer, detailed, and nuanced information with actionable insights. Mining these insights is more challenging, as it requires a higher degree of processing by human experts, making the process time-consuming and resource intensive. Consequently, the free-text analyses are often restricted in scale, scope, and impact. To address these issues, we propose a novel automated analysis framework for extracting actionable information from free-text responses to open-ended questions in student feedback questionnaires. By leveraging state-of-the-art supervised machine learning techniques and unsupervised clustering methods, we implemented our framework as a case study to analyze a large-scale dataset of 4400 open-ended responses to the National Student Survey (NSS) at a UK university. These analyses then led to the identification, design, implementation, and evaluation of a series of teaching and learning interventions over a two-year period. The highly encouraging results demonstrate our approach’s validity and broad (national and international) application potential—covering tertiary education, commercial training, and apprenticeship programs, etc., where textual feedback is collected to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.

The study aims at identifying the primary school teachers' knowledge and knowledge about the disorder of slow learning experienced by many students as confirmed by the studies. The study sample consisted of (150) teachers and teachers of the elementary stage in the city of Ouargla for the academic year 2016/2017, The researcher used an open questionnaire to collect information; The study found that most teachers do not differentiate between slow learning disorder and other similar disorders. The study also found that teachers do not have specific strategies to deal with these children in order to infect them with their peers, Finally, the study concluded with some suggestions and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined how educating paraprofessionals in preschool classrooms on dialogic reading (DR) affected their storybook reading and effects on children's single word vocabulary. Through a single-case multiple-probe across participants design including four paraprofessionals and eight preschool children, we identified a functional relation between educating paraprofessionals in DR and implementation of the CROWD prompts; yet, no functional relation was observed for the implementation of the evaluate, expand, and repeat strategies. Data collected on children's expressive near-transfer vocabulary showed all but one child made minimal gains from baseline to intervention, whereas receptive data remained stable for six participants. Results suggested that paraprofessionals implemented the strategies of DR with variable fidelity following a singular training and in-text supports. Additional supports may be necessary for all aspects of the intervention and generalization to be implemented with fidelity and for improvement to carryover to both receptive and expressive vocabulary skills for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents inclusive industry-linked projects and research-informed-and-enriched curriculum for sustainable improved student educational metrics. A research project questionnaire was designed for data gathering besides the use of the researcher's historical engineering curriculum teaching and research project supervision data. Monte Carlo simulations, t-test analysis and probability density functions modelling were implemented to obtain future-predicting reliable outcomes. The results of the analyses show that the student engagement improved by over 50%; 100% of the students who experienced industry-linked pedagogy with formative assessment feedback and feedforward achieved a distinction grade. 100% of taught and supervised students gained employment into the industry; and/or embarked on further education (MSc and PhD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epidemic of the 2019 novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health emergency with multifaceted severe consequences for people's lives and their mental health. In this article, as members of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Resilience, we will discuss the urgent need for a focus on resilience during the current coronavirus pandemic. Resilience is pivotal to cope with stress and vital to stay in balance. We will discuss the importance of resilience at the individual and societal level, but also the implication for patients with a psychiatric condition and health care workers. We not only advocate for an increased focus on mental health during the coronavirus pandemic but also highlight the urgent need of augmenting our focus on resilience and on strategies to enhance it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan city, China, which has subsequently led to a global pandemic. At the time of writing, COVID-19 in Wuhan appears to be in the final phase and under control. However, many other countries, especially the US, Italy and Spain, are still in the early phases and dealing with increasing cases every day. Therefore, this article aims to summarise and share the experience of controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan and provide effective suggestions to enable other countries to save lives. Data from the National Health Commission of China are used to investigate the evolution trajectory of COVID-19 in Wuhan and discuss the impacts of the intervention strategies. A four-stage modified Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed (SEIR) model is presented. This model considers many influencing factors, including chunyun (the Spring festival), sealing off the city and constructing the Fangcang shelter hospitals. In addition, a novel method is proposed to address the abnormal data on 12–13 February as a result of changing diagnostic criteria. Four different scenarios are considered to capture different intervention measures in practice. The exposed population in Wuhan who moved out before sealing off the city have also been identified, and an analysis on where they had gone was performed using the Baidu Migration Index. The results demonstrate that the four-stage model was effective in forecasting the peak, size and duration of COVID-19. We found that the combined intervention measures are the only effective way to control the spread and not a single one of them can be omitted. We estimate that England will be another epicentre owing to its incorrect response at the initial stages of COVID-19. Fortunately, big data technology can help provide early warnings to new areas of the pandemic. The four-stage SEIR model was effective in capturing the evolution trajectory of COVID-19. Based on the model analysis, several effective suggestions are proposed to prevent and control the pandemic for countries that are still in the initial phases. • A four-stage modified Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed model to capture the evolution trajectory of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, is presented. • The model considers many influencing factors, including chunyun, sealing off the city and constructing shelter hospitals. • A novel method to address the abnormal data on Feb 12–13 due to the changing of diagnostic criteria is proposed. • Four different scenarios to capture different interventions in practice are presented. • The move-out exposed population from Wuhan are identified by using the Baidu Migration Index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the present article is twofold: first, to model the fatality curves of the COVID-19 disease, as represented by the cumulative number of deaths as a function of time; and second, to use the corresponding mathematical model to study the effectiveness of possible intervention strategies. We applied the Richards growth model (RGM) to the COVID-19 fatality curves from several countries, where we used the data from the Johns Hopkins University database up to May 8, 2020. Countries selected for analysis with the RGM were China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea, and Spain. The RGM was shown to describe very well the fatality curves of China, which is in a late stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as of the other above countries, which supposedly are in the middle or towards the end of the outbreak at the time of this writing. We also analysed the case of Brazil, which is in an initial sub-exponential growth regime, and so we used the generalised growth model which is more appropriate for such cases. An analytic formula for the efficiency of intervention strategies within the context of the RGM is derived. Our findings show that there is only a narrow window of opportunity, after the onset of the epidemic, during which effective countermeasures can be taken. We applied our intervention model to the COVID-19 fatality curve of Italy of the outbreak to illustrate the effect of several possible interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social validity of intervention research has been emphasized in special education and related fields for decades. There is relatively little focus on social validity that considers culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Eleven articles met the inclusionary criteria for this systematic review and were evaluated to describe social validity in early language intervention research—specifically with young (birth through 5 years) dual language learners (DLLs). We examined how social validity was considered and addressed, how social validity was measured, and the results of social validity assessments. Definitions of social validity were generally vague, and researchers in most studies only considered social validity post intervention rather than prior to starting or during the interventions. Participants generally viewed interventions positively, but incomplete data were often reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Annals of Criminology is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is an increasing global call to adopt information and communication technologies (ICTs) in teaching and learning. ICTs have become so essential that the South African government has introduced the e-education policy. ICTs are powerful enabling tools that play a significant role in the teaching and learning process. This article reports on a study that sought to explore teachers' perceptions of adopting ICTs in teaching and learning at some secondary schools in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The purposive sampling technique was used to identify three secondary schools and five study participants from each school. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions. A thematic approach was adopted to analyse and present the collected data. The study found that the teachers had a positive attitude towards the adoption of technologies and were ready to integrate ICTs in teaching and learning but they lacked the requisite ICT skills. The article concludes that ICT is an important vehicle in education, and further recommends the training of both teachers and learners in ICT usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of plagiarism in an academic setting cannot be overlooked. Creating an awareness of plagiarism avoidance amongst students may be achievable and teaching students certain skills to avoid plagiarism, like paraphrasing, may also be possible. Although paraphrasing is one of the most important skills for avoiding plagiarism, it is a real challenge, particularly for English second language students. Difficulties in paraphrasing arise from lack of English language proficiency and academic writing skills, as well as low reading comprehension. Writing centres were established at a number of universities in South Africa to help students develop their academic skills through appropriate interventions. Nevertheless, additional intervention strategies need to be implemented to help them avoid plagiarism. One such intervention, in the form of translation, was investigated at a rural university campus to test whether translation would reduce plagiarism amongst first-year students. A quantitative research approach was used to collect and analyse the data. Plagiarism in students' work was detected using manual evaluations and the TurnitinTM application. An intervention was carried out to develop students' skills in paraphrasing and inform them about plagiarism. This article describes the scaffolding process followed and reports on the results found after applying the translation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dialogic reading is an instructional strategy that has shown promise for supporting the reading development of children both with and without disabilities. Specifically, there may be positive effects of vocabulary knowledge, morphological knowledge, participation during reading, and emergent literacy skills. However, the knowledge base on the efficacy of dialogic reading with informational text is extremely limited. In addition, there are much available data on the use of dialogic reading with deaf students. The current study describes a multiple baseline single-case design study of a dialogic reading approach used with a deaf student enrolled in upper elementary school. Findings show promise for the dialogic reading approach for use with this genre and this population, though further research is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanding on the extant body of research on content validity, this study applied the tenets of content validity research to the development of an expository book reading intervention focused on science for preschool students with language impairment. This example case explains how, guided by content validity research in healthcare interventions, collaboration with an expert panel was systematically approached in the development of an educational intervention. Specifics as to how feedback was gathered and analyzed are discussed. Of practical importance for practitioners and researchers, this study provides a detailed description of how the knowledge and experience of a panel of experts was captured, analyzed, and incorporated into the development process of an educational intervention to validate its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have found consistently that religion reduces criminal behavior. Yet rising levels of political violence are frequently attributed to a new wave of religious terrorism. Our study seeks to reconcile this apparent discrepancy by studying the attitudes of people living in 34 African nations. Using data from the Afrobarometer survey and mixed modeling, we examine the influence of individual and collective religiosity for shaping civic engagement and willingness to engage in political violence. While individual religiosity decreases support for violent political action, collective religiosity increases it. The effects of religiosity are the same for Muslims and Christians and the country religious context minimally affects residents' civic engagement and interest in violent political behavior. Our study underscores the importance of the theoretical and empirical distinction between individual and collective religiosity and offers insight into how civic engagement can be a pathway through which religion shapes support for political violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of preschool-wide, teacher-implemented, phoneme-focused phonological awareness (PA) and letter-sound knowledge (LSK) instruction, on raising code-based school-entry reading readiness for children with Spoken Language Difficulties (SLD) and Typical Development (TD), when supported by weekly coaching by trainee speech-language pathologists. A total of 90 4-year-old children participated, whereby 50 children, inclusive of 13 children with SLD, received 10 weeks of preschool-wide, teacher-delivered, phoneme-focused PA and LSK instruction. In all, 40 children, inclusive of 10 children with SLD, continued with the usual preschool program. Post-instruction, children in the experimental condition performed significantly higher in phoneme awareness, LSK, and early decoding compared with control children. Children with SLD in the experimental condition performed significantly higher in phoneme awareness and LSK, but not in early decoding, compared with control children with SLD. Overall, preschool-wide, teacher-implemented, phoneme-focused PA and LSK instruction can support code-based reading readiness skills for children with SLD and TD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promotion of urban integration in sectors characterized by the encroachment of drug trafficking poses particular challenges including avoidance of its expansion and existing segregation. In accordance with hypotheses of social and tactical urbanism and in pursuit of the improvement and revaluation of public space, this paper investigates the synergic relationships between segregation, security, drug trafficking, public space and citizen engagement, based on the characterization and critical analysis of a comprehensive intervention model designed for sectors with these characteristics in the city of Córdoba (Argentina). From this approach, feasible design and management tools to be implemented in neighborhoods with similar situations are presented and offered as a possible intervention model. Its application articulated to integral processes realizes that, in the face of the loss of value of educational and productive spaces, sports and leisure areas are effective ways of advancing in viable processes of integration in our cities. This implies a valorization of cultural variables and the participation of citizens in solving problems, in order to enhance the development of better integrative urban policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Qurʾan 4:34, also known as the "beating verse," through an Islamic feminist lens, focusing attention on the importance of spirituality in the contemporary context. It contends that reading the Qurʾan as a spiritual method sheds new light on this verse, changing its interpretation from one that makes allowances for wife-beating to one that provides tangible techniques to combat this phenomenon. The paper examines how the verse introduces both positive and negative intervention strategies to restrain and overcome wife-beating, in conversation with Sufi conceptualizations of the spiritual path and progression from the "animal self" to the self-critical self. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]