Role Fulfillment Mediates the Association Between Daily Family Assistance and Cortisol Awakening Response in Adolescents

Family assistance (helping the family) is associated with both positive and negative psychological and biological outcomes during adolescence. However, the association between family assistance and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis remains unstudied. Thus, we assess how helping the family relates to adolescents’ diurnal cortisol, an index of HPA activity, and psychological outcomes. Three hundred and seventy ethnically diverse adolescents (ages 11–18) reported daily helping behaviors and psychological experiences for 14 days and provided four saliva samples per day for 4 days. Multilevel modeling revealed that cortisol awakening response was lower the day after adolescents helped their families more. This association was explained, in part, by perceived role fulfillment (feeling like a good son, daughter, and sibling). Results highlight a possible psychological and biological benefit of assisting the family during adolescence.     

Study of silica nanoparticles – polysiloxane hydrophobic treatments for stone-based monument protection

The growing interest in the conservation of historic buildings encourages the development of water-repellent materials and methodologies to consolidate and/or protect stones. Recently, particular attention was devoted to composites of inorganic oxides nanoparticles and hybrid siloxane or silicone polymers. Here we present a study on the water repellence of a thin protective coating obtained through sol-gel process starting from Glymo and Dynasylan 40®, and loading the silicate matrix with nano-sized silica particles (Aeroxide LE1® -Degussa-Evonik). The coatings were applied to limestone, sandstone and granite samples. The silica nanoparticles have been characterized by XRD, the siloxane matrix through micro-Raman spectroscopy, while the surface morphology was examined by SEM. The efficacy of the treatments has been evaluated through static contact angle measurements and capillary water absorption. The optical appearance of the coatings was evaluated by colorimetric measurements. Nanoparticles at suitable concentration gave high values for the static contact angle (up to ∼ 150°), for all stone species even for four months exposure to atmospheric conditions. The coatings, in the water capillary absorption tests, however, behave as expected only for granite even if the long-term water direct contact reduces the hydrophobicity.     

A renewed focus on strengths‐based assessment in schools

School‐based practitioners are often called upon to provide assessment and recommendations for struggling students. These assessments often open doors to specialised services or interventions and provide opportunities for students to build competencies in areas of need. However, these assessments often fail to highlight the abilities of these students and instead focus on areas in need of remediation. The use of a more positive, or strengths‐based, approach to working with students is needed. Although strengths‐based assessment (SBA) is not a new concept, it is not routinely incorporated into school‐based assessment services. This article provides an overview of SBA and its benefits, along with empirically‐driven models that support the implementation of SBA in schools, and calls for a renewed focus on understanding students from a strengths‐based model. Examples of SBA measures and techniques are included, along with implications for practice for both students and psychologists.     

Food of paradise: Tahitian breadfruit and the autocritique of European consumption

In many ways, Tahiti was central to European colonialism, for it was there that European visitors forged a model of primitive nature that served as a comparison to, and sometimes critique of, European civilization. Tahiti was also the place from which a unique plant, the breadfruit, was brought to European colonies and to England and France during the late 18th century, at the behest of naturalists. With the breadfruit travelled contrasting perceptions of the Tahitian way of life. The autocritique of European lifestyles and the naturalization of the breadfruit are closely intertwined. The breadfruit indeed became a radical food of the end of the 18th century.     

��I WAS TOLD IT WAS GOING TO BE HARD WORK BUT I WASN��T TOLD IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS MUCH WORK��: THE EXPERIENCES AND ASPIRATIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE SCIENCE STUDENTS

The recruitment and training of scientists is an area of international concern. Much of the research and policy focus around this issue in the UK has been on how science is taught in schools and in particular on the structure of the school science curriculum. Much less attention has been devoted to the undergraduate student experience and the trajectory that learners take which can lead to higher education and into careers as professional scientists and technicians. This paper reports the findings from a comparative study of the experiences and aspirations of almost 1,000 art and science undergraduates studying at 6 elite British universities. There is no evidence to suggest that undergraduate scientists are put off a career in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field, although theirs is arguably a less positive experience than that of their peers who study arts subjects. Most science undergraduates have clear career aspirations which are largely linked to remaining in the field and often involve further study. For many, these aspirations lead them towards the applied sciences and away from a career in ‘pure’ research or academia.     

Reducing physical restraint in educational settings: a systematic literature review

Physical restraint is a restrictive practice used in schools across the UK and there have been recent concerns around the appropriateness and frequency of using this intervention with pupils. Current data suggest that pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN), a vulnerable and diverse group, are experiencing the majority of physical restraint used in educational settings. Physical restraint can lead to negative emotional and physical consequences in pupils who experience it and it is, therefore, important to explore alternative strategies to reduce or eliminate its use in educational settings. A systematic literature search found 15 studies (date range 1999–2019) that explored the effectiveness of school-wide or individual approaches in reducing the frequency and/or duration of physical restraint. Most studies saw a significant decrease in physical restraint, and this study will discuss the key elements of the successful approaches, as well as consider the facilitators and barriers to implementation.     

Students as epistemological agents: claiming life experience as real knowledge in health professional education

Higher Education - University teachers’ practices of resistance against dominant epistemological norms have been described in recent critical higher education literature, but comparatively...     

Can We Boost Preschoolers’ Inhibitory Performance Just by Changing the Way They Respond?

Changing the way children make their response appears to sometimes, but not always, boost their inhibitory control—though interpreting existing findings is hampered by inconsistent methods and results. This study investigated the effects of delaying, and changing, the means of responding. Ninety-six preschoolers (M_age 46 months) completed tasks assessing inhibitory control, counterfactual reasoning, strategic reasoning, and false belief understanding. Children responded either immediately or after a delay, and either by pointing with their finger, or with a hand-held arrow. Delaying boosted performance on all tasks except false belief understanding; arrow-pointing only improved strategic reasoning. It is suggested that delay helps children work out the correct response; it is unlikely to help on tasks where this requirement is absent.