Perceived stress,executive function,perceived stress regulation,and behavioral outcomes of adolescents with and without significant behavior problems

Despite school‐based services, adolescents with maladaptive behavior experience negative outcomes, highlighting the need for insight into factors that contribute to and escalate behavior problems during middle school—a high‐risk period. We examined how perceived school stress, stress regulation (engagement/disengagement coping, involuntary responses), and executive function of 79 middle schoolers with and without significant behavior problems were related to internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Results showed students with significant behavior problems (a) had lower executive function abilities and higher peer stress, (b) used less engagement coping, and (c) reported more maladaptive behaviors than typical peers. For all students, school‐based stress positively predicted behavior problems and use of stress regulation techniques, with group moderating effects. Involuntary responses to stress positively predicted maladaptive behaviors, whereas engagement/disengagement coping predicted internalizing behaviors only. As a mediator, engagement coping decreased the relationship between perceived stress and behavior problems. Based on these findings, we highlight important prevention and intervention areas.     

Youths in foster care with language delays: Prevalence,causes, and interventions

Children in the foster care system often face many educational challenges, including having an increased risk of language delays compared to the general population, with an estimated 35%–73% of the foster youth population experiencing language difficulties. Language delays are caused by many factors, but for children in foster care, one major antecedent is child abuse and neglect. Early delays greatly impact long‐term outcomes for children, including delays in their reading, writing, and social competence. This article explores possible causes of language delays for youths in foster care, describes the negative impact of language delays, and identifies evidence‐based practices for early intervention within the child welfare system and primary and secondary schools, specifically targeting practices for school psychologists, school counselors, school social workers, and speech pathologists.     

Transformative Curriculum: “I Felt like an Artist”

Contemporary early childhood teacher education is situated in a knowledge and policy environment where on the one hand preservice educators have the opportunity to connect with unlimited knowledge sources and, on the other, are expected to conform to standardized outcomes. This situation is compounded by increasingly inequitable learning outcomes for children in many countries. In this paper, we argue that this context demands different ways of teaching and learning in early childhood teacher education and that in order to address increasing inequity, preservice educators must experience a transformative university curriculum. This paper uses the example of an arts topic, with a particular focus on music, to examine ways of positioning preservice educators that open up, rather than restrict opportunities to reconceptualize early childhood curriculum. The authors examine data from curriculum documents and student reflections in order to discuss the intended (planned), enacted (implemented) and experienced university curriculum.     

Teacher training in K–12 student mental health: A systematic review

Teachers are in a unique position to identify and support students who experience mental health concerns. The purpose of this systematic review was to (a) identify current available evidence-based teacher training programs related to students' mental health, (b) review the content and delivery methods of the training, and (c) evaluate the quality of the research designs and evaluation methods of the training. Most training programs are delivered face-to-face and include interactive discussion and content knowledge. Content varied among the training programs. Most studies found improved knowledge among teachers; however, no studies found improvement in effective communication.     

A rapid evidence‐based service by librarians provided information to answer primary care clinical questions

Background: A librarian consultation service was offered to 88 primary care clinicians during office hours. This included a streamlined evidence‐based process to answer questions in fewer than 20 min. This included a contact centre accessed through a Web‐based platform and using hand‐held devices and computers with Web access. Librarians were given technical training in evidence‐based medicine, including how to summarise evidence. Objectives: To describe the process and lessons learned from developing and operating a rapid response librarian consultation service for primary care clinicians. Methods: Evaluation included librarian interviews and a clinician exit satisfaction survey. Results: Clinicians were positive about its impact on their clinical practice and decision making. The project revealed some important ‘lessons learned’ in the clinical use of hand‐held devices, knowledge translation and training for clinicians and librarians. Conclusions: The Just‐in‐Time Librarian Consultation Service showed that it was possible to provide evidence‐based answers to clinical questions in 15 min or less. The project overcame a number of barriers using innovative solutions. There are many opportunities to build on this experience for future joint projects of librarians and healthcare providers.     

Impaired eye tracking is associated with symptom severity but not dynamic postural control in adolescents following concussion

Purpose:The purpose of the study was to(1)examine the relationship between self-reported symptoms and concussion-related eye tracking impairments,and(2)compare gait performance between(a)adolescents with a concussion who have normal eye tracking,(b)adolescents with a concussion who have abnormal eye tracking,and(c)healthy controls.Methods:A total of 30 concussed participants(age:14.4±2.2 years,mean±SD,50%female)and 30 controls(age:14.2±2.2 years,47%female)completed eye tracking and gait assessments.The BOX score is a metric of pupillary disconjugacy,with scores<10 classified as normal and≥10 abnormal.Symptoms were collected using the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale(PCSS),and gait speed was measured with triaxial inertial measurement units.We conducted a linear regression to examine the relationship between PCSS and BOX scores and a two-way mixed effects analysis of variance to examine the effect of group(abnormal BOX,normal BOX,and healthy control)on single-and dual-task gait speed.Results:There was a significant association between total PCSS score and BOX score in the concussion group(β=0.16,p=0.004,95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.06‒0.27),but not in the control group(β=0.21,p=0.08,95%CI:
0.03 to 0.45).There were no significant associations between PCSS symptom profiles and BOX scores in the concussion or control groups.There were also no significant differences in singletask(Abnormal:1.00±0.14 m/s;Normal:1.11§0.21 m/s;Healthy:1.14±0.18 m/s;p=0.08)or dual-task(Abnormal:0.77±0.15 m/s;Normal:0.84±0.21 m/s;Healthy:0.90±0.18 m/s;p=0.16)gait speed.Conclusion:The concussed group with impaired eye tracking reported higher total symptom severity,as well as worse symptom severity across the 5 PCSS symptom domain profiles.However,eye tracking deficits did not appear to be driven by any particular symptom domain.While not statistically significant,the slower gait speeds in those with abnormal BOX scores may still be clinically relevant since gait-related impairments may persist beyond clinical recovery.     

Publicly funded business advisory services and entrepreneurial outcomes

Given the mixed evidence for the impact of various publicly funded initiatives that aim to foster entrepreneurial activity, this paper empirically examines the efficacy of publicly funded business advisory services in relation to entrepreneurial outcomes. Based on a sample of 228 early-stage firms, of which 101 used business advisory services focused on helping companies secure 1st rounds of financing and start generating revenues, we examine the firm-level impact such services can have on sales growth, innovation, finance and alliances. We find services are positively associated with firms’ sales growth, patents, finance and alliances. We assess statistical and economic significance, and assess robustness to controls for the non-randomness of the firm's using business advisory service program, as well as endogeneity of advisors’ hours spent with firms. Other robustness checks are also included. We find significant robustness of hours spent on sales and finance, but sensitivity of the effect of hours on patents and alliances after controlling for endogeneity.     

Relative age and maturation selection biases in academy football

ABSTRACT

This study examined the simultaneous effects of relative age and biological maturity status upon player selection in an English professional soccer academy. A total of 202 players from the U9 to U16 age groups, over an eight-year period (total of 566 observations), had their relative age (birth quarter) and biological maturity (categorised as late, on-time or early maturing based upon the Khamis-Roche method of percentage of predicted adult height at time of observation) recorded. Players born in the first birth quarter of the year (54.8%) were over-represented across all age groups. A selection bias towards players advanced in maturity status for chronological age emerged in U12 players and increased with age; 0% of players in the U15 and U16 age group were categorised as late maturing. A clear maturity selection bias for early maturing players was, however, only apparent when the least conservative criterion for estimating maturity status was applied (53.8% early and 1.9% late maturing in the U16 age group). Professional football academies need to recognise relative age and maturation as independent constructs that exist and operate independently. Thus, separate strategies should perhaps be designed to address the respective selection biases, to better identify, retain and develop players.     

Maturity-associated variation in sport-specific skills of youth soccer players aged 13-15 years

The aim of this study was to estimate the contribution of experience, body size and maturity status to variation in sport-specific skills of adolescent soccer players. The participants were 69 players aged 13.2-15.1 years from three clubs that competed in the highest division for their age group. Height and body mass were measured and stage of pubic hair development was assessed at clinical examination. Years of experience in football was obtained at interview. Six football skill tests were administered: ball control with the body, ball control with the head, dribbling with a pass, dribbling speed, shooting accuracy and passing accuracy. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate the relative contributions of age, stage of sexual maturity, height, body mass and years of formal training in soccer to the six skill tests. Age, experience, body size and stage of puberty contributed significantly but in different combinations to the variance in four of the six skill tests: dribbling with a pass (21%; age, stage of maturity), ball control with the head (14%; stage of maturity, height, body height x body mass interaction), ball control with the body (13%; stage of maturity, years of training) and shooting accuracy (8%; stage of maturity, height; borderline significance, P = 0.06). There were no significant predictors for the tests of dribbling speed and passing accuracy. In conclusion, age, experience, body size and stage of puberty contributed relatively little to variation in performance in four of the six soccer-specific skill tests in adolescent footballers aged 13-15 years.