A comparison of the anticipated benefits and received outcomes of pediatric cochlear implantation: parental perspectives

Findings of a study that investigated parents' expectations and experiences of their children's outcomes with cochlear implants are presented. A survey completed by 247 parents whose children had received implants in eastern Australia compared parents' reports of their preimplant expectations with their experiences of postimplant outcomes on several items related to communication, academic, and psychosocial domains. Quantitative findings derived from the survey data were extended and elaborated on by qualitative findings from interviews with 27 of the parents. The findings indicated that parents' relatively high expectations of their children's outcomes largely had been met, although a tenth of survey respondents reported that their expectations had not been met. It appeared that professionals generally provided parents with realistic expectations. The qualitative findings revealed a complex interaction among parents' expectations, hopes, and determination that their children would do well with the implant. Implications for professionals are discussed.     

帮助孩子在玩中学、学中玩

Mimi女士所任教学前班的小朋友们整天都很忙——他们忙着学习即兴表演技能、分析能力、语音、数学知识和其他的知识。Mimi女士知道幼儿的入学准备是伴随着知识和社会技能的培养而不断得到促进的．但是她又担心孩子们还没有足够的习得社会技能的经验。     

爸爸妈妈 你们为什么不吻我呢

小女孩辛迪和她的爸爸妈妈生活在一起。她的家庭并不富裕,但一家人非常和睦,生活也很幸福。然而生活中好像还存在着什么缺憾,辛迪没意识到。辛迪9岁那年,第一次在外面过夜,那是在她的好朋友黛比家。睡觉前黛比的妈妈进来,分别轻轻地吻了吻她们的额头,并向她们道了“晚安”。“我爱你,黛比。”当黛比的妈妈吻过黛比之后,轻声地说道。“我也爱您,妈妈。”黛比喃喃地应道。面对此情此景,辛迪不禁大吃一惊,心中久久不能平静。从她记事以来,从来就没有人吻过她,还向她道晚安、说爱她之类的话。整整一夜,她的眼前始终闪现着黛比的妈妈轻吻黛比时的…     

我的吻在哪里

小女孩儿名叫辛迪。她有一个和睦的家,日子过得很不错。但这个家从一开始就缺少了一样东西,只不过辛迪还没有意识到。辛迪9岁那年,有一天到朋友德比家去玩儿,留在那儿过夜。睡觉时,德比的妈妈给两个女孩儿盖上被子,并亲吻了她们,祝她们晚安。"我爱你。"德比的妈妈说。"我也爱你。"德比说。辛迪惊奇得睡不着觉。因为在这之前从没人吻     

Perceived School and Neighborhood Safety, Neighborhood Violence and Academic Achievement in Urban School Children

Community and school violence continue to be a major public health problem, especially among urban children and adolescents. Little research has focused on the effect of school safety and neighborhood violence on academic performance. This study examines the effect of the school and neighborhood climate on academic achievement among a population of 3rd–5th grade students in an urban public school system. Community and school safety were assessed using the School Climate Survey, an annual City-wide assessment of student’s perception of school and community safety. Community violence was measured using the Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology, an objective observational assessment of neighborhood characteristics. Academic achievement was measured using the Maryland State Assessment (MSA), a standardized exam given to all Maryland 3rd–8th graders. School Climate Data and MSA data were aggregated by school and grade. Objective assessments of neighborhood environment and students’ self-reported school and neighborhood safety were both strongly associated with academic performance. Increasing neighborhood violence was associated with statistically significant decreases from 4.2 to 8.7% in math and reading achievement; increasing perceived safety was associated with significant increases in achievement from 16 to 22%. These preliminary findings highlight the adverse impact of perceived safety and community violence exposure on primary school children’s academic performance.     

Lessons learned from single service point implementations

Interest in consolidating service points within health sciences libraries continues. This article proposes a definition of a library single service point and mentions some notable examples in academic health sciences libraries. The experiences of two of these libraries are summarized and compared, and the advice culled from those experiences is shared. The advice is in the form of sharing lessons learned, answering six frequently asked questions about combining services and staff under a single service umbrella. The article offers insights for other library staff considering this type of service reorganization.     

Effects of competition, exercise, and mental stress on secretory immunity

It has been suggested that the psychological stress associated with competitive sports events may help to explain the increased susceptibility to respiratory infections due to reductions in secretory immunity. In the current study, we investigated the influence of competitive exercise and psychological stress on secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA). Salivary s-IgA and heart rate were measured in 62 healthy young recreationally active men at rest and, in a between-subjects design, following one of four 8-min tasks: mental arithmetic, cycling at workloads of 60 to 180 W (mean = 146 W), mental arithmetic while cycling, or competitive cycling. Mental arithmetic was associated with significant increases in s-IgA concentration (mean = 49 microg.min(-1)) and s-IgA secretion rate (mean = 25 microg.ml(-1)) compared with rest, while mental arithmetic combined with exercise was associated with a significant increase in s-IgA concentration only (mean = 124 microg.min(-1)). In contrast, competitive exercise and exercise alone did not influence s-IgA concentration or secretion rate. Heart rate increased modestly to mental arithmetic (mean = 7 beats.min(-1)) and substantially, and similarly, to the three exercise tasks (mean = 56(62 beats.min(-1)). The hypothesis that the psychological stress of competitive exercise contributes to increased susceptibility to infection via reductions in s-IgA requires further investigation.     

Analysis of postural stability in collegiate soccer players before and after an acute bout of heading multiple soccer balls

The aim of our study was to determine if any immediate changes in balance were discernable in college soccer players after a specially designed heading session. Eight male and two female skilled collegiate soccer players had a baseline balance pre-test using the Balance Master, followed by heading 20 balls kicked consecutively by a teammate from the touchline to a point near the goal, which was followed by a post-test using the same testing technique. Paired t-tests were used to compare balance ability between pre- and post-test conditions. There was no difference in balance pre- to post-test (85.3% and 86.2% respectively). No significant difference was noted from pre- to post-test in the mean equilibrium scores for conditions three through six on the Sensory Organization Test, with the exception of condition four, which revealed a significant increase from pre- to post-test. We concluded that an acute session of heading soccer balls may not result in balance changes in collegiate soccer players.