Childhood trauma and suicide risk in a sample of young individuals aged 14–35 years in southern Brazil

Suicide is among the main causes of death of people aged between 15 and 44 years old. Childhood trauma is an important risk factor for suicide. Hence, the objective of this study was to verify the relationship between childhood trauma and current suicide risk (suicidal behavior and ideation) in individuals aged 14–35 years, in the city of Pelotas, Brazil. This is a cross-sectional, population-based study. Sample selection was performed by clusters. Suicide risk was evaluated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and Childhood trauma was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Moreover, the participants responded to a questionnaire concerning socioeconomic status, work, and substance use. The sample was composed of 1,380 individuals. The prevalence of suicide risk was 11.5%. The prevalence figures of childhood trauma were 15.2% (emotional neglect), 13.5% (physical neglect), 7.6% (sexual abuse), 10.1% (physical abuse), and 13.8% (emotional abuse). Suicide risk was associated (p < .001) with gender, work, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, and all types of childhood trauma. The odds of suicide risk were higher in women (OR = 1.8), people who were not currently working (OR = 2.3), individuals who presented alcohol abuse (OR = 2.6), and among tobacco smokers (OR = 3.4). Moreover, suicide risk was increased in all types of trauma: emotional neglect (OR = 3.7), physical neglect (OR = 2.8), sexual abuse (OR = 3.4), physical abuse (OR = 3.1), and emotional abuse (OR = 6.6). Thus, preventing early trauma may reduce suicide risk in young individuals.     

New Assistant Professors of Counselor Education: Their 1st Year

The author presents the results of an investigation of the experiences of new assistant professors of counselor education. Although most of the participants reported high degrees of stress and anxiety, positive relationships with veteran faculty members seemed to be a mediating factor that was correlated with satisfaction.     

Some orderly nonmonotonicities in the trial-by-trial acquisition of conditioned suppression: Inhibition with reinforcement?

The trial-by-trial acquisition of conditioned suppression was examined under a wide range of conditions. Frequently, the acquisition functions were nonmonotonic. In conditions containing four or more trials in sessions of 2 h or less, suppression, once established, tended to be significantly stronger on the first trial of a session than on one or more subsequent trials. The data from six conditions are presented to exemplify those under which nonmonotonicities did and did not occur. It is suggested that the nonmonotonicities are similar to effects described by Pavlov (1960, Lecture 14), effects which he believed reflected the growth of inhibition despite continuous reinforcement. Interpretations of the results in terms of reactive inhibition, short-term habituation, conditioned inhibition, inhibition of delay, and disinhibition are discussed.     

Quality assurance of joint degree programs from the perspective of quality assurance agencies: experience in East Asia

Joint degree programs have gained popularity in East Asia, due to the growth of transnational higher education in the region since 2000. However, the external quality assurance (QA) and accreditation of joint degree programs is a challenge for QA agencies, as it normally involves the engagement of several institutions and multiple national accreditation procedures. The purpose of this study is to explore current QA approaches to joint degree programs in Europe and East Asia from the perspectives of QA agencies. There are four major findings from the study. First, East Asian countries tend to stipulate national regulations for a joint degree program. Second, an external QA mechanism for joint degree programs has not yet been developed in East Asian nations. Third, the adoption of international accreditation as the popular approach for joint degree programs in business fields in Asia raises the serious issue of national jurisdiction over higher education. Fourth, the European Consortium for Education's (ECA) single accreditation mode is highly recommended by QA agencies.     

Exploring mobile learning in the Third Space

Mobile learning is enabling educators and students to learn in ways not previously possible. The ways that portable, multi-functional mobile devices can untether the learner from formal institutional learning give scope for learning to be conceptualised in an expanded variety of places, times and ways. In this conceptual article the authors articulate this notion by using the metaphor of the Third Space to envision what can be achieved with mobile learning. They outline their use of the metaphor, consider how it extends notions of twenty-first century learning and use a previously established Mobile Pedagogical Framework to provide a context for the discussion. They conclude with implications of learning in the Third Space for teachers and students. These implications suggest that roles of teachers and students and structure of the curriculum need to change to ensure we leverage the potential of mobile learning.     

A Time Lag Analysis of Temporal Relations Between Motivation,Academic Achievement,and Two Cognitive Abilities

Research Findings: The present study employed a time lag design to assess temporal relationships between motivation, academic achievement, and cognitive development. Eighty-one children from 2 preschool programs were measured twice, with an 11-week time lag, on 2 measures of motivation (marble drop task, bean bag toss task), 2 measures of cognitive development (seriation task, oddity principle task), and 2 measures of academic achievement from the Woodcock–Johnson III (Letter–Word Identification Scale, Applied Problems Scale). There were significant correlations between all of these variables. One clear-cut temporal relationship was found: Prior motivation predicted later academic achievement, but not vice versa. There was also some evidence of temporal relations between motivation and cognitive development, and between cognitive development and academic achievement, but the evidence for these relations was not as conclusive. Practice or Policy: It appears that at the preschool level, maintaining children's motivation is paramount. Curricula should be shaped with that primary goal as a high priority, as it appears that it will be followed by academic progress.     

Creating opportunities for untethered learning

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the use of mobile devices by teachers in two Australian schools. It builds on a theoretical framework which considers the location of mobile learning with respect to time and space. The research used a qualitative methodology in which observations, interviews and document analysis were conducted. The study found that the physical and virtual spaces that were used were different from those used in other lessons. Mobile learning facilitated autonomous learning by students, collaboration with their peers and engagement in topics of interest to them. The study found that students and teachers adopted new roles when using the devices, and were untethered from their conventional learning spaces of the classroom. Learning changed in nature and was aligned with contemporary practices in education.     

A test of competing models of the influence of social support on school engagement in the presence of neighborhood danger

This study compared self‐reports of speech preparation activities of students exposed to visualization with the self‐reports of the preparation activities of those in placebo and control groups. Interestingly, these three groups did not differ in overall preparation time, but they did apportion that time in somewhat different ways. Those exposed to visualization reported spending less time preparing speaking notes, more audience analyses time, more time rehearsing in front of an audience, and received slightly higher grades than did those in the placebo and control groups. As is to be expected, students exposed to visualization also reported less trait and state communication apprehension (CA) than those in the placebo and control groups. These findings and their implications are discussed at the conclusion of this report.     

The Role of Public Libraries in Self-Publishing: Investigating Author and Librarian Perspectives

Little is known about self-publishing authors and about the concerns of public librarians regarding how best to support library self-publishing initiatives. This article presents and analyzes a survey of authors participating in programming at the Woodneath Library Center/Woodneath Press. It also presents and analyzes the results of a survey of public librarians. Findings suggest that self-publishing authors in this case study would benefit from author services support, and that librarians require targeted training to provide such support. As libraries explore this potential new role, more needs to be done to support author services in public libraries appropriately.     

The extent and causes of home advantage: Some recent insights

The effect of strategy instruction on response time in a sequential keypressing task was compared during acquisition and retention. Specifically, this study determined the influence of: (1) an awareness strategy, (2) a non‐awareness strategy, (3) a Five‐Step Approach strategy and (4) a control condition. Sixty‐four subjects completed 250 trials of nine sequential keypresses, and 50 trials of a dual task (keypresses and verbal report). Faster response times were found for the Five‐Step Approach and non‐awareness strategies during both acquisition and retention. Introducing beginners to strategies that are used by highly skilled performers facilitated response times.