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This study examined the effectiveness of a commercially available social skills training program plus classroom reinforcement for use with preschoolers with developmental delays. Two groups of 19 participants each received either the combined treatment package or classroom reinforcement of target behaviors only. An additional 20 participants served as a control group. The combination of social skills training plus classroom reinforcement of target behaviors resulted in statistically significant increases in sharing behavior over those obtained by both control participants and participants receiving reinforcement of classroom behavior alone. Group behavior was increased over that shown by control participants through the use of either the social skills plus classroom reinforcement treatment package or classroom reinforcement alone. Social skills interventions were viewed favorably by both classroom teachers and preschool participants.

Noncore subject teachers often experience marginalization due to perceptions that their work is undervalued. Social and emotional skill-focused continuous professional development can help teachers address the stress associated with marginalization. Purpose: Grounded in the integrative model for teacher change, this study examined the ways in which elementary-level noncore subject teachers' dispositions toward change influenced their experiences with a social and emotional skills development intervention. Method: This study included two iterations of the program with a total of 21 elementary-level noncore subject teachers (e.g., physical education, art, and music) from three districts in the Midwestern United States. Data included a survey, semistructured interviews, document analysis, discussion board posts, observations, and field notes. Collaborative qualitative analysis was used to analyze multiple data sources line by line. Results: Marginalization and low perceived mattering were prevalent among participants. A positive disposition toward change enhanced the influence of the professional learning, and participants found the experience validating. Conclusions: Teachers of marginalized subjects need to feel seen and heard. A positive disposition toward change drew teachers to participate, and the camaraderie formed was a motivator for teachers who felt undervalued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recruiting neurodiverse talent has increasingly featured on the organizational diversity agenda, yet recruitment practices geared toward locating and attracting neurodivergent candidates remain understudied. While research and practice have shown that employee referral is one of the channels through which a significant part of new talent is recruited, little is known about employees' willingness to refer qualified social contacts who are neurodivergent. We address this limitation by investigating employees' willingness to refer highly qualified candidates on the autism spectrum and some conditions under which they are more or less likely to refer such candidates. We explore these aspects in a study of working individuals, using a mixed‐method approach. The quantitative analysis shows that disclosure of an autism condition to potential referrers might pose some advantage, in that it increases the likelihood of being referred, but this advantage accrues only to male candidates. Furthermore, cues that hint at the social dimension of the "ideal worker," commonly used in job recruitment materials, are the strongest deterrent for referrers. The qualitative analysis of the reasons behind decisions to refer sheds light on some mechanisms that might explain these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several institutional aspects within the U.S. public school system impede the delivery of adapted physical education (APE) services to disabled children, including a lack of understanding and prioritization of these services by the special education team and a lack of qualified APE professionals to deliver these services. Thus, we conducted a qualitative inquiry grounded in a critical-ableism perspective to explore special education gatekeepers' experiences and perspectives of APE. Gatekeepers included parents, physical educators, and school administrators. Using a reflexive thematic analysis, we developed four interrelated themes: (a) disregard, negative, and charity mindsets toward disability; (b) systemic challenges in valuing and prioritizing APE; (c) presence as inclusion: (un)intentional marginalization in physical education; and (d) physical education for my child was a nightmare. These findings illustrate the complexities around the provision of physical education and APE to disabled children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Literature suggest that physical education and health (PEH) may contribute to the sustainable development (SD) agenda, yet little is known how PEH teachers relate SD to their teaching practices. This paper explores Swedish upper secondary PEH teachers' experiences and perceived competence regarding teaching SD as part of PEH. Method: An online questionnaire was used to examine SD competence. Data from 702 PEH teachers were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Results: PEH teachers perceive higher competence regarding the social dimension of SD compared to the economic and environmental dimensions. Female teachers and those with more than 15 years teaching experiences reported the highest perceived competence. Seventy percent of the respondents perceived that they lacked competence to teach SD. Discussion/Conclusion: PEH teachers struggle to relate SD to PEH practice and call for support to increase their competence in terms of how to conceptualize and transform SD into PEH teaching practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the contemporary digital age, continued online learning behaviors have become indispensable for fostering employee development. However, the learning and development literature predominantly focuses on traditional instructor‐led approaches. It remains unclear how organizations can shape employees' learning behaviors, particularly in the context of online learning. The current study clarifies this underexplored research area by investigating how organizational investment in employee developmental climate (IEDC) can promote employees' continued online learning behaviors. Drawing on social influence theory and employing a multilevel research design, we find empirical support for our research model, which specifies that IEDC positively affects employees' continued online learning behaviors through the effect of normative pressure. The findings also reveal the moderating role of online learning facilitating conditions. Specifically, in firms characterized by higher levels of online learning facilitating conditions, the positive relationship between IEDC and normative pressure becomes more pronounced when compared to organizations with lower levels of such facilitating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations utilize self‐regulation promoting interventions to empower employees in managing challenges and resources autonomously. However, there is limited understanding of how these interventions impact employee task performance and innovative behavior, as well as which processes are critical for their effectiveness. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of two self‐regulation promoting interventions—the Productivity Measurement and Enhancement Systems intervention (ProMES), a job crafting intervention, and their combination—on individual employee performance and innovation through selected process variables. We collected data before, during, and after the interventions over 16 weeks among 123 employees across three experimental and one control group. Consistent with predictions, participants of the ProMES intervention reported a higher level of perceived team climate, which consequently contributed to greater individual innovative behavior. Participants in the job crafting intervention exhibited an increase in job crafting behaviors, which consequently increased innovative behavior and task performance. Unexpectedly, the combined intervention yielded negative effects on both innovative behavior and task performance. The findings suggest that while self‐regulation promoting interventions increase favorable outcomes through different mechanisms their combination may impair relevant processes and, more generally, overwhelm employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Paralympic Games have been around for over 60 years, women remain underrepresented in almost all aspects of the Paralympic Movement. It has been suggested that a way to increase women's involvement is through the implementation of mixed-gender events. On paper, this approach makes sense. However, when it comes to the implementation of mixed-gender opportunities for women, it is less clear how effective these events are in increasing participation by women in Para sport. Through document analysis and interviews with athletes and organizers of mixed-gender Paralympic sport, we explore the various strategies that four mixed-gender sports have used to address the issue of gender parity. Using critical feminist theories, we illustrate how larger social, political, and cultural ideas about gender influence women's experiences within these events and discuss the potential of using mixed-gender initiatives to address gender parity within the Paralympic Movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current landscapes of intercollegiate sports and higher education are experiencing shifts toward more democratic representation. In college sport, student-athlete representatives are more engaged in policy decisions, hold voting rights, and are included on boards and committees. Despite this shift, little is known about what good intercollegiate athlete representation entails and how multi-level, democratic governance systems may support or impede good representation in the context of college sport. This paper explores qualities of good college athlete representation (CARep) and factors contributing to and/or detracting from the process of good CARep in the context of a democratic multi-level intercollegiate sport governance system. Findings showed individual attributes of good CARep, including interpersonal skills and leadership, were based on democratic representation virtues (i.e., fairmindedness, trust building, good gatekeeping) and helped foster democratic values of civic equality, self-governance, and inclusion. The intercollegiate sport governance system supports the work of athlete representatives primarily through its educative function. More specifically, administrators were key to identifying experiential learning opportunities for athlete representatives, which contributed to the process of good representation through responsiveness, inclusiveness, and egalitarianism. Lack of administrative support and education for all relevant interest groups characterized governance system inconsistencies impeding good CARep, primarily at institutional levels where the purpose of student-athlete committees varied and/or athlete representative roles were less understood. Implications for practice and directions for future research on good athlete representation are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cranioplasty is a neurosurgical procedure that repairs a defect in the skull Coupled with the underlying pathology cranioplasty associated morbidity can have a large impact on patient quality of life, which is often poorly explored. The objective of this systematic review was to identify patient-reported outcomes evaluating health-related quality of life following cranioplasty. The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021251543) and a systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Plus, and the Cochrane databases were searched from inception to 1 May 2022. All studies reporting HRQoL following cranioplasty were included. Reporting was assessed using the ISOQOL checklist and risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or the Johanna-Briggs Institute Scale, as appropriate. A total of 25 studies were included of which 20 were cross-sectional and 2 longitudinal. Most studies utilized study specific questionnaires and Likert scales to assess HRQoL. The studies found a significant improvement in physical functioning, social functioning, cosmetic outcome, and overall HRQoL following cranioplasty. Further longitudinal studies utilising validated measurement tools are required to better understand the effect of cranioplasty at a patient level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gut microbiota plays an important role in tic disorders (TDs); however, clinical research on probiotics for chronic TDs treatment is lacking. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of probiotics, hypothesizing that their clinical efficacy is comparable to that of clonidine in treating chronic TDs. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either Limosilactobacillus reuteri or clonidine transdermal patch treatment for 8 weeks while maintaining their existing treatment. The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS); Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham-IV Scale (SNAP-IV); and Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) scores were assessed before and after treatment. Results: We matched the patients in both groups for age, sex, age at onset, and tic type. A significant improvement in YGTSS scores was observed in both groups (p = 0.024). The improvement in attention deficits on the SNAP-IV scale was similar between the two groups, with no significant difference (p = 0.465). For hyperactivity disorder, after matching patients in both groups for age, sex, age at onset, tic type, and Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) scores, a significant difference in improvement was observed between the groups (p = 0.010), with the probiotics group showing greater improvement (0.3 ± 0.58 vs. 0.1 ± 0.50). At 9 weeks, social ability on the CBCL scale increased by 3.2 ± 6.26 from baseline in the probiotics group and by 0.6 ± 4.07 in the clonidine group, with a significant difference between the two (p = 0.049). Although there was no significant difference in behavioral problems between the two groups (p = 0.347), the trend of improvement was more pronounced in the probiotics group than in the clonidine group (12.7 ± 25.86 vs. 8.4 ± 13.15). Conclusion: The mid-term efficacy evaluation demonstrated that L. reuteri, when added to the treatment of children with chronic TDs, was more effective in improving tic symptoms than clonidine transdermal patch treatment. Additionally, it provided moderate improvement in hyperactivity symptoms. Trial Registration: chictr.org.cn (registration numbers ChiCTR2200056708, ChiCTR2200056578). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We investigate whether volunteering is associated with a reduced risk of first heart attack in later life and whether purpose in life moderates this relationship. Methods: Cox proportional hazards were used to examine seven waves of data (2006–2018) from the Health and Retirement Study–a nationally representative survey of adults 50 years and older (N = 5,079). Results: Volunteering a moderate number of hours was associated with a 46% lower risk of heart attack compared to non-volunteers. The association between high time-commitment volunteering and heart attack risk was contingent on level of purpose in life: compared to non-volunteers, people with high purpose in life who volunteered 100 + hours had the lowest risk of heart attack. Discussion: Meaningful volunteer activities may be one way for older adults to reduce their risk of heart attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bystanders play a role in school bullying; more specifically, the defending behaviors of bystanders play an important role in stopping bullying. This study explores the relationship between defending behaviors and family functioning in the context of school bullying from a family perspective. The role played by individual characteristics (empathy and gender) in this relationship was also focused on. The participants were 994 adolescents (average age = 13.34 ± 0.92 years) from the east of China. They completed the McMaster Family Assessment Device, the Basic Empathy Scale, and the Defending Behaviors subscale of the Participant Role Questionnaire. After controlling for residence and age, we found that family functioning significantly and positively influenced defending behaviors, and cognitive empathy rather than affective empathy mediated the relationship between family functioning and defending behaviors. In addition, family functioning influenced defending behaviors in boys more strongly than in girls. This study may increase the likelihood that bystanders will engage in defending behaviors by informing interventions for school bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a critical analysis of the social and political function of humour, memes and cartoons about Liz Truss. While the apparent tone of the humour works in line with a long tradition of comic resistance in the UK, whereby jokes 'punch up' against the elitist, tax cutting, self-interested (yet incompetent) Tories, we note an overwhelming concern with Britain's standing in the world. Truss' short tenure was widely portrayed as a national humiliation that would exacerbate post-Brexit decline. Drawing from the critical literature on ontological (in)security (OS), we identify a series of humorous efforts to stabilise British identity through laughter and mirth. Crucially, we revisit OS themes of status, status withdrawal and shame to argue that there were important disciplinary elements in Liz Truss humour. The politics of ridicule relies upon a general – if unstated – agreement that the butt of the joke has broken a series of 'social rules' the restoration and maintenance of which is then achieved through laughter. In this case, we argue, imperialist narratives of global standing, gendered ideas of political rationality and financialised conceptions of the state's (limited) role in political-economic governance were (re-)founded in Liz Truss' 'hilarious' downfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Various forms of social relationships (e.g., family, romantic relationships, friendship) have been shown to predict health-related outcomes. Bridging social capital, referring to a less intimate social circle, is among those forms of social relationships associated with health. For the first time, the current study aims to examine whether the link between bridging social relationships and a health outcome (i.e., subjective health evaluations) would differ based on the cultural context defined in terms of the individualism-collectivism dimension. Methods and Measures: Data, including representative samples from 64 countries (N = 94,278), were analyzed using the last wave of the World Values Survey. Results: Findings indicated that the positive link between bridging social capital and subjective health was more salient when individualism scores were greater after controlling for the covariates (gender, age, education, income, marital status, and the number of children). However, the effect size was weak. Conclusion: Given that the predictor role of bridging social ties on health could vary based on the cultural context, findings suggested a more nuanced perspective regarding the influence of social relationships on health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) treatment focuses on improving quality of life (QOL), affected by anemia and transfusion dependence (TD). Using the MDS-CAN registry, we studied how changes in transfusion status – TD to transfusion independence (TI) (group A), or vice versa (group B), and maintaining TD (group C) or TI (group D) – affected OS and QOL in 1120 MDS patients. Analysis showed superior OS for those remaining TI, poorer for those remaining TD, and intermediate for those with changes. Among 656 treated patients, group A (n = 54) showed improved QOL, with trends toward improved physical and social function scores. Group B (n = 151) experienced declines in global QOL measures after switching to TD, particularly in fatigue and physical, role, and social functioning. Group C had notable fatigue worsening, while group D showed milder declines across multiple QOL aspects. Achieving TI in MDS correlates with improved QOL, whereas reverting to TD more significantly worsens overall QOL and function scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with bipolar disorders (BD) have significant impairments in Facial Expression Recognition (FER), an essential social skill for effective social interactions. While the Facial Emotions Recognition Test, 54 photographs by Gaudelus (TREF-54g) has been used in patients with schizophrenia, no study has evaluated FER using this test in BD patients. The TREF-54g meets the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) criteria for assessing FER. The objective of this study was to compare FER in patients with euthymic BD versus healthy controls (HC) using the TREF-54g. This study included 60 patients with BD diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria, 30 with bipolar I disorder (BDI) and 30 with bipolar II disorder (BDII) and 60 HC. All groups were matched for age, gender, and years of education. Overall TREF-54g impairment score was defined as a difference of two SD from the group of HC with mean overall accuracy score expressed as a percentage of correct responses. Overall TREF-54g impairment scores, as well as sub-scores for anger and contempt recognition, were significantly higher in patients with BD versus those in HC. No significant differences in TREF-54g scores were shown between patients with BDI and those with BDII. Clinical assessments of this study didn't include neurocognition assessments and classification of contempt emotion as a basic emotion remains controversial. We found significant impairments in FER in patients with euthymic BD, particularly for anger and contempt using the TREF-54g a test that meets ISBD recommendation criteria. • The test used in this study fulfill criteria of international recommendations. • Emotion recognition impairments are found in patients using cut-offs. • Contempt recognition was impaired in patients with bipolar I disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preterm birth (PB) is prevalent and associated with structural and functional brain alterations which may affect cognitive and behavioural outcomes, including social development. Facial emotion recognition (FER) is one of the main components of social interaction. PB individuals face distinct FER challenges that may impact social skills. Furthermore, both FER and social skills have shown distinctive developmental trajectories in PB individuals compared to term born controls. This study investigates the association between FER and social skills in PB individuals compared to term-born controls. To systematically review and meta-analyse relevant literature on the association between FER and social skills and to summarize the reported differences in FER and social skills between PB individuals and term-born controls of similar age. a systematic search of peer-reviewed and English written studies was performed in MEDLINE, Web of Science and CINAHL, with an additional forward and backward citation search. Eligible studies included any observational study that had a term-born control sample of similar age with reported FER and social skills measures and/or correlations between them. Quality assessment and data extraction was carried out. Correlation coefficients and Hedges' g for FER and social skills were calculated as effect size indexes. Random effects model and subgroup analysis considering gestational age and age at assessment was performed. Results were summarized using forest plots. I2 statistics and Cochran's Q were used to test for heterogeneity. 8 studies were included (PB = 410, controls =337). Only 3 studies explored the correlation between FER and social skills. The review found a higher correlation between FER and social skills in the PB group (Z = 0.18, CI = −0.03, 0.39) compared to controls (Z = 0.11, CI = −0.03, 0.25). FER was significantly lower in PB individuals (overall g = −1.48; 95%IC = −2.46, −0-5), particularly in very preterm and adolescent subgroups. FER might play a crucial role in the social development of PB individuals compared to those born at term, but existing research in this domain remains limited. • Preterm birth (PB) affects approximately 10.4% of live births and is linked to neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities. • PB individuals exhibit distinct facial emotion recognition (FER) patterns impacting social development. • This meta-analysis finds lower FER and social skills in PB individuals compared to term-born controls. • A stronger correlation between FER and social skills is noted in PB individuals compared to controls. • Early FER screening and interventions are crucial for improving PB individuals social development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the effectiveness of coaching on caregiver implementation of responding to joint attention (RJA) intervention for toddlers with autism. We used a nonconcurrent multiple-baseline across participants single-case research design to examine the relation between coaching practices and caregivers' RJA intervention implementation behaviors. Results indicated caregiver coaching that incorporated a behavioral skills training model was an effective approach for coaching caregivers on RJA intervention and resulted in caregivers' improved use of intervention procedures. All three toddlers with autism demonstrated an increased number of correct RJA behaviors; however, the level of behavioral change varies across children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pupils and the potential value of outdoor learning (OL) as a strategy to overcome some of the challenges educators face in helping their pupils get 'back on track'. Interviews with nine primary school staff in the South West of England explored the impact of the pandemic on pupil wellbeing, academic attainment, friendships/social skills, and behaviour. We report on the effectiveness of OL in this context. Findings indicate that OL is being deployed as a useful post-pandemic pedagogical tool. Barriers to consistently implementing OL as a teaching strategy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being a schoolchild involves academic and social competencies often expressed from the viewpoints of politicians, researchers or parents. This article focuses on pupils' views, highlighting their experiences and reflections and aiming to give the pupils a voice in education. The study is based on data from 39 group interviews with 115 first-grade pupils. The analysis identified three main themes seen as vital to mastering the schoolchild's role: (1) understanding school, (2) academic adjustment and (3) social adjustment. The analysis further revealed that pupils drew on two horizons of interpretation shaping their understanding of how to be a pupil: school and preschool. Six factors, differently positioned to the two horizons of interpretation, were identified: play, friends, co-determination, spare time, work and discipline. Based on pupils emphasizing friendship and social skills as significant success factors, teaching incorporating both academic and social aims need to be prioritized for the youngest pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a sample of 834 male and 765 female Asian students in China (average age = 12.31), this study investigated how active and restrictive digital parental mediation, children's social and emotional competence, and their subjective well-being were associated with cyberbullying penetration and victimization, along with the moderating roles of gender and grade. The results generally supported the unfavorable role of restrictive mediation and the favorable roles of active mediation and subjective well-being. Unexpectedly, children's social and emotional competence was positively related to cyberbullying perpetration and victimization, especially for male students. Multigroup comparisons further revealed that the favorable impacts of active mediation were more pronounced for female and middle school students, while those of subjective well-being were more salient for males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings: In the present study, we investigated the roles of children's social competence and immigrant background in the prediction of the quality of children's relationships with peers and teachers and school adjustment. Participants were N = 212 children (Mage = 58.32 months, SD = 10.72; n = 98 with an immigrant background) and their teachers (two per class). One teacher in each class assessed children's social competence and behavior problems, whereas the other rated the quality of their attachment relationships with the children and their adaptation to school. Social acceptance was assessed via peer sociometric nominations. Among the results, children with an immigrant background evidenced greater conflict and dependence in their relationships with teachers, poorer social acceptance, and less pleasure in school. Among children with an immigrant background, externalizing behaviors were associated with conflict in relationships with teachers, whereas internalizing behaviors were associated with dependence. Practice or Policy: The study highlights how social behaviors and immigrant background can affect the quality of attachment relationships with teachers in the preschool classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings: Outdoor environments have recently become part of the early childhood quality puzzle, which has long been important to trace relationships between children's experiences in child care and their development. However, fewer studies have analyzed the extent to which the quality of these outdoor spaces relates to young children's social and cognitive outcomes. This study analyzed data collected from a randomized sample of 92 licensed child care programs and 405 preschool children located across North Carolina, United States. Multilevel analyses showed that outdoor environment quality was associated with children's abstraction and flexible thinking skills above and beyond global levels of classroom quality. Correlation analyses revealed that in outdoor environments with more natural elements, children displayed fewer behavior problems. Practice or Policy: Outdoor quality measures need to be more widely tested in relation to child outcomes. The influence of child care outdoor environment quality on children's development should to be more deeply understood through longitudinal designs and ecological theories of human development, which allow conceptualizing developmental change over time as a function of interactions between individuals and context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mutation of the KRAS (Kirsten rat sarcoma virus) gene is a prevalent genetic alteration in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). According to previous research, this mutation significantly affects clinical outcomes and quality of life (QOL). This research investigated the association between KRAS mutant status and various aspects of QOL in mCRC patients. Methods: This case-control study involved 90 admitted patients with mCRC. The patients were either mCRC with positive KRAS mutants (case group) or those without the mutation (control group). The KRAS mutation status of each patient was determined using standard molecular testing. The QOL was evaluated through validated questionnaires from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), including QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-CR29 questionnaire for colorectal cancer patients. Differences in QOL between the groups and the association of QOL with the odds of KRAS mutation were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Patients in the wild-type KRAS group had significantly higher scores on the global health status (GHS) of the QLQ-C30 scale compared to those with a KRAS mutation [(64.26 ± 4.63 vs. 49.63 ± 4, crude; p = 0.019, adjusted; p = 0.024). The mean score of the social functioning scale of the KRAS mutation group was significantly higher than the wild-type [(40 ± 5.84 vs. 24.81 ± 4.39, crude; p = 0.040, adjusted; p = 0.021)]. Based on the QLQ-CR29 questionnaire, average QOL scores were suboptimal for both groups but insignificant. Further, both crude and adjusted analyses showed that KRAS mutation odds were significantly linked to improved social functioning [(crude; OR = 1.013; P = 0.044), (adjusted; OR = 1.017; P = 0.019)] and negatively associated with GHS [(crude; OR = 0.983; P = 0.022), (adjusted; OR = 0.982; P = 0.022)]. Conclusion: The study revealed a low QOL in mCRC, a notable difference in social functioning, and the GHS among patients with and without mutations. Further research is needed to develop targeted interventions to enhance QOL in patients with KRAS mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In research as well as in the field, concerns have been raised that the academization of education in social work contributes to an increased distance from the field of practice. As a core element in the education of social workers, skills training serves an important function in integrating theoretical knowledge and bridging a gap between education and professional practice. Using Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development, this article takes as its starting point the experiences of BA social work students with skills training and its potential to integrate and activate theoretical knowledge in their training. The students’ evaluations provide a starting point for discussing the importance of their attitudes toward the place of theoretical knowledge in skills training, as well as their own contribution to the integration of theory work. In addition, the teacher’s tasks as a mediator of knowledge about the relationship between theory and practice and how theoretical knowledge can be transferred to, integrated and activated in skills training activities are explored, focusing on dialogue and reflection in the group. Such knowledge might inspire further research on the importance of skills training as a learning arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) often causes substantial impairment in patient-reported health status (ie, symptoms, physical and social function, and quality of life), which may improve with transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR). The authors performed an in-depth analysis of health status of patients enrolled in the TRISCEND (Edwards EVOQUE Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement: Pivotal Clinical Investigation of Safety and Clinical Efficacy using a Novel Device) II pivotal trial to help quantify the benefit of intervention to patients. The TRISCEND II pivotal trial randomized 400 patients with symptomatic and severe or greater TR 2:1 to TTVR with the EVOQUE tricuspid valve replacement system plus optimal medical therapy (OMT) or OMT alone. Health status was assessed with the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. Changes in health status over 1 year were compared between treatment groups using mixed-effects repeated-measures models. The analysis cohort included 392 patients, of whom 259 underwent attempted TTVR and 133 received OMT alone (mean age 79.2 ± 7.6 years, 75.5% women, 56.1% with massive or torrential TR). Patients had substantially impaired health status at baseline (mean Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary Score [KCCQ-OS] 52.1 ± 22.8; mean 36-Item Short Form Health Survey physical component summary score 35.2 ± 8.4). TTVR+OMT patients reported significantly greater improvement in both disease-specific and generic health status at each follow-up time point. Mean between-group differences in the KCCQ-OS favored TTVR+OMT at each time point: 11.8 points (95% CI: 7.4-16.3 points) at 30 days, 20.8 points (95% CI: 16.1-25.5 points) at 6 months, and 17.8 points (95% CI: 13.0-22.5 points) at 1 year. In subgroup analyses, TTVR+OMT improved health status to a greater extent among patients with torrential or massive TR vs severe TR (treatment effect 23.3 vs 22.6 vs 11.3; interaction P = 0.049). At 1 year, 64.6% of TTVR+OMT patients were alive and well (KCCQ-OS ≥60 points and no decline of ≥10 points from baseline) compared with 31.0% with OMT alone. Compared with OMT alone, treatment of patients with symptomatic and severe or greater TR with TTVR+OMT resulted in substantial improvement in patients' symptoms, function, and quality of life. These benefits were evident 30 days after TTVR, continued to increase through 6 months, and remained durable through 1 year. (TRISCEND II Pivotal Trial [Edwards EVOQUE Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement: Pivotal Clinical Investigation of Safety and Clinical Efficacy using a Novel Device]; NCT04482062) [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn research, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions have primarily focused on teaching children to make requests; however, AAC intervention should not stop there. There is a dearth of AAC intervention research targeting other communicative functions, despite there being a significant need to enhance children’s communication competence in a variety of social and educational contexts. The purpose of this study was to examine the initial efficacy and feasibility of an AAC narrative intervention on the picture-supported retelling skills of three children with autism, aged 6–9 years old. This multiple baseline across participants design study was preregistered at Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/29SFP). We measured the effect of the intervention on children’s inclusion and complexity of story grammar elements and the variety of symbols used to retell untrained stories during a baseline condition, just before each intervention session, immediately following each intervention session, and three weeks after the last intervention session. Parents completed a feasibility questionnaire and documented their children’s generalized use of AAC. The AAC narrative intervention improved children’s AAC retells, with ascending trends in the intervention condition and scores elevated above baseline after 3 weeks. Parents reported that they perceived the intervention to be appropriate, effective, enjoyable, and planned to use it themselves after the study. Generalized use of AAC outside of intervention sessions was documented for all three participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need for social work students to develop skills that enhance their confidence and capacity to engage with clients experiencing substance use disorders (SUD). In this study, Master of Social Work students (N=244) at a large Mid-Atlantic university participated in a computer-assisted simulation to enhance motivational interviewing (MI) skills related to substance use from spring 2021 through spring 2022. A lecture providing background on MI techniques was conducted and the computer-assisted simulation was integrated within a required direct practice course. Students were assessed regarding their satisfaction with the training, their comfort working with clients with SUD, and their MI skill acquisition. Feedback from students about the training was positive, with 87.26% of students stating they would recommend the training to a colleague. There was significant improvement in student perceptions of self-reported working knowledge of SUD, feeling that working with individuals who use substances is rewarding, and a desire to work with individuals who use substances. Student MI skill following the training was high, with 86.79% of students (n=212) receiving a score of at least six out of seven on a posttest assessment. Implications for implementing computer-assisted simulations to enhance MI skill training in social work education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjective: Teletherapy via videoconferencing has become common practice but has unique challenges. We aimed to develop and validate the first performance-based observer-rated measure of teletherapy skills: The Teletherapy Facilitative Interpersonal Skills Performance Task (Tele-FIS). Methods: We developed a set of 12 Tele-FIS video stimulus clips as simulations of four research-informed common therapeutic challenges in teletherapy: technology, distraction, boundaries and privacy, and emotional disconnection. A total of 153 therapists recorded interventions to the clips which were later rated on interpersonal skills. Results: The Tele-FIS performance task demonstrated good interrater reliability, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity. The Tele-FIS was positively associated with self-reported facilitative interpersonal skills, self-efficacy, attitudes towards technology, and observer-rated skills on a version of the FIS task that simulates in-person therapy. Therapists performed similarly on teletherapy clips of emotional disconnection and privacy issues compared to clips of in-person therapy. Therapists performed worse on Tele-FIS clips of technology and distraction challenges than in-person therapy clips. Conclusions: The Tele-FIS has potential as an assessment tool in skills training for trainees and licensed clinicians as well as future research about therapeutic work via teletherapy. Results are discussed to consider therapist skill and the use of practice-relevant materials in training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to evaluate the intervention effect of intermittent Theta burst stimulation (iTBS) on bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) for negative symptoms in schizophrenia using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to confirm the therapeutic significance of DMPFC in treating negative symptoms and provide new evidence for schizophrenia treatment and research. Method: Thirty-nine schizophrenia patients with negative symptoms and mild cognitive impairment were randomly divided into a treatment group (n=20) and a control group (n=19). The treatment group received iTBS in bilateral DMPFC. The control group received the sham treatment. Negative symptoms, cognitive function, emotional state, and social function were assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, 4-, 8-, and 12-week follow-ups. Brain activation in regions of interest (ROIs) was evaluated through verbal fluency tasks. Changes in scale scores were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. Result: After 20 sessions of iTBS, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) total and sub-scale scores significantly improved in the treatment group, with statistically significant differences. SANS scores differed significantly between pre- and post-treatment in both groups, with post-treatment scores markedly lower than pre-treatment and better efficacy in the treatment group. However, there was no significant difference in cognitive function, emotional state, and social function. ROIs did not differ significantly between groups before intervention. After treatment, prefrontal cortex activation was significantly higher in the treatment group than in controls, with a statistically significant difference. Regarding functional connectivity, the small-world properties Sigma and Gamma were enhanced. Conclusion: iTBS on bilateral DMPFC can effectively alleviate negative symptoms and enhance prefrontal cortex activation and the small-world properties in patients of schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social skills and the presence of repetitive and restricted behaviors and interests. The social behavior of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) makes this organism a valuable tool for modeling ASD in order to explore the social impairment typical of this disorder. In addition to transgenic models, exposure of zebrafish embryos to valproic acid (VPA) has been found to produce ASD-like symptoms. This review first sets out to examine the existing literature on adult social behavior in the zebrafish VPA-induced model of autism, and the authors also aim to identify the ideal VPA dosage able to induce a persistent and long-lasting ASD-like phenotype while minimizing the suffering and distress of research animals in compliance with the principles of replacement, refinement, and reduction (3Rs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impairments in the ability to carry out social activities commonly co-occur alongside depression. Improving social functioning is often overlooked in treatment. This is despite the high value placed by patients on social functioning and the potential for interventions focused on social functioning to have additional benefits in reducing depressive symptoms. In older adults the relationship between depressive symptoms and social functioning during treatment is poorly understood. We analysed data across the first four treatment sessions of 3260 older adults receiving psychological therapy for depression at eight NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression services in England. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were estimated, modelling bi-directional change between depressive symptoms, and impairments in (a) social leisure activities, and (b) close relationships, controlling for gender and diagnosis. Over treatment sessions, depressive symptoms and impairments in social functioning decreased. A bi-directional relationship was observed whereby depressive symptoms were associated with future impairments in social functioning and vice versa. Changes in depressive symptoms appeared to have a greater association with future social functioning, compared to the reverse. Patients lived in Greater London and findings may not translate to other settings. We included older adults that attended at least four treatment sessions, and had no missing data at the first assessment, potentially biasing the sample and results. Older adults receiving psychological therapy experience reductions in depressive symptoms and impairment in social functioning early in treatment. Treating core depressive symptoms and impairments in social functioning may benefit one another, and improve outcomes. • Examined older adults' response to treatment for depression and anxiety disorders • Evidence for bidirectional relationship between depressive symptoms and functioning • Changes in depression had a larger association with social functioning, rather than the reverse. • Findings are consistent with other studies carried out in younger age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research exploring gender differences in relation to emotion dysregulation has shown mixed results. This study explores the extent to which gender differences in emotion dysregulation exist among adolescents in residential or partial hospital treatment settings after controlling for known variables that have demonstrated significant gender differences and have been linked to emotion dysregulation. Participants were 412 adolescents at admission to residential or partial hospitalisation DBT treatment. Participants self-identified their gender as: 28% (n = 116) cisgender male, 50% (n = 206) cisgender female, and 22% (n = 90) transgender and gender diverse (TGD). One-way ANOVA indicated TGD individuals and cisgender females scored significantly higher on emotion dysregulation than cisgender males. Hierarchical regression results indicated that gender overall explained only an additional 1.6% of the variance in emotion dysregulation after controlling for interpersonal competence, psychological distress, and interpersonal needs. Present findings underscore the importance of considering a range of psychosocial factors and pathways that may contribute to emotion dysregulation, and how gender groups may be differentially impacted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]