Perianal findings in prepubertal children selected for nonabuse: a descriptive study

The results of the perianal portion of a project designed to collect normative data of the anogenital anatomy from a representative sample of prepubertal children is presented. A total of 318 children were examined by three physicians from a child sexual abuse evaluation program. After screening for the onset of puberty and the possibility of undetected abuse, 267 subjects remained. The sample included 161 girls and 106 boys ranging in age from 2 months to 11 years. The perianal findings that were encountered with the greatest frequency included erythema (41%), increased pigmentation (30%), and venous engorgement (52%) after two minutes in the knee-chest position. Wedge-shaped smooth areas in the midline, with or without depressions, were found both anterior and posterior to the anus in 26% of the children. Anal skin tags/folds were discovered anterior to the anus in 11%. In 49% of the children there was some dilatation of the anus which opened and closed intermittently in 62%. Flattening of the anal verge and rugae occurred during dilatation by the midpoint of the examination in 44% and 34%, respectively. Perianal findings that were found infrequently in all subgroups included skin tags/folds (0%) and scars (1%) outside the midline, anal dilatation greater than 20 mm without the presence of stool in the rectal ampulla (1.2%), irregularity of the anal orifice after complete dilatation (3%), and prominence of the anal verge (3%). No abrasions, hematomas, fissures, or hemorrhoids were encountered. Less commonly detected findings within specific subgroups included perianal erythema in girls (32%) as compared to boys (57%), pigmentation in the lighter skinned white children (22%) when compared to black (53%) and Hispanic (58%) children, and venous congestion at the beginning of the examination (7%) when compared to the same findings after four minutes in the knee-chest position (73%). There were no perianal skin tags/folds found in the boys. The relatively high incidence of perianal soft tissue changes that were found in this study, when compared to the frequency of similar observations in children suspected of having been sexually abused, reemphasizes the caution medical examiners must exercise in rendering an opinion as to the significance of medical findings.     

Making broadcast television participative: Eliciting mathematical behavior throughSquare One TV

The current reform movement in mathematics education has called for new ways of teaching that encourage children to become active participants in mathematical problem solving. In this article, the potential of educational television to elicit such behavior is investigated by reviewing research on theSquare One TV television series. A sizable body of evidence indicates that, through viewer participation,Square One TV can promote mathematical behavior directly among its target audience of 8- to 12-year-olds. Described in the article are the types of viewer participation that have been observed, threeSquare One TV formats that have consistently been found to elicit participative behavior, and several characteristics of these formats that may have been responsible for increased viewer participation. If these characteristics are incorporated into future television-based materials, they may increase the potential of the materials to elicit active participation among viewers. The production ofSquare One TV and the research described here were supported by the National Science Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Carnegie Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Education. Production of the first season was also supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and by the IBM Corporation. Additional funding for the fourth and fifth seasons was provided by the Intel Corporation. This article is based on a paper presented at the 1993 meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Atlanta, Georgia.     

The HPT Model Applied to a Boutique‐Style Online Retail Store

Suzy Q's is a retail business located in the southeastern United States. It offers hand‐knitted scarves; handmade hair accessories; handcrafted beaded jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, and earrings; small handmade children's toys; and stock and custom‐printed T‐shirts. It began operations in early 2014. The owners established an online store and developed plans to sell items at local craft fairs and farmers’ markets in the southeastern United States. During its initial launch, the business generated limited orders for its products. In the beginning there was a limited amount of advertising using social media, which consisted of establishing a Facebook page, posting notifications on the business's Facebook page, and posting notifications about the business to the owners’ personal contacts on Facebook. Despite establishing a web presence and utilizing social media in its first year of operations, Suzy Q's did not generate a significant number of orders and received very little revenue. The owners of Suzy Q's, our client, established a goal to generate at least $700 per month in revenue for the calendar year 2015. Our analysis of the business revealed that the managers and employees had the skills needed to perform the work, but the lack of orders presented an obstacle to achieving their business goals. After completing a performance analysis, we recommended that Suzy Q's establish a single online presence, implement a marketing effort, establish a local presence, create a dedicated studio space, and create a formal business plan. It was our belief that Suzy Q's had the potential to reach its goals set for 2015 and beyond if these solutions were implemented.     

Restructuring support staff classification levels for academic health sciences library positions

Nonprofessional library support staff traditionally hold what are considered to be low-paying, nonchallenging positions. These negative factors make retaining creative and productive employees difficult. This article outlines the approach taken at the Medical College of Georgia's Robert B. Greenblatt, M.D. Library to devise a structure of library staff positions that becomes progressively more demanding. A new nine-level Library Staff Classification Plan resulted. This plan also enables and encourages employees to acquire more skills and to accept more responsibility in order to qualify for higher-level library positions or to advance their present position to receive comparable rewards. The plan expresses the level of responsibilities expected, the employee qualifications desired, and lists representative duties across the spectrum of typical library tasks.     

Cooperative learning and dyadic interactions: two modes of knowledge construction in socio-constructivist settings for team-sport teaching

Background: Within a socio-constructivist perspective, this study is situated at the crossroads of three theoretical approaches. First, it is based upon team sport and the tactical act model in games teaching. Second, it took place in dyadic or small group learning conditions with verbal interaction. Furthermore, these interventions were based on cooperative learning (CL) models. The cultural context is the French school curriculum, so it emphasizes the role of sports as social practice and uses the applied concept of French didactic transposition. It took place in a socio-constructivist perspective of the teaching-learning process and extends the notion of debate-of-idea.

Purpose: This article explores the role of CL in a Physical Education (PE) classroom setting and particularly the role of verbal exchanges among peers in team-sport teaching.

Research design: This article reports two interventions. The first study showed the positive effects of discussions within a team in an adapted basketball game. Seventeen boys and 13 girls from a French school (third and fourth grades), all novices in basketball, were assigned to two independent groups of a two (Learning condition) design. Dependent measures included collective game efficacy and individual skill levels. A second study concerned an instructional setting of a handball team game (two attackers against a defender in each half of the ground) with 11–12-year-old girls. Two groups were constituted by learning condition: symmetrical versus dissymmetrical dyads.

Data collection and analysis: During PE lessons, verbal interactions were filmed and recorded for the two studies. Matches were filmed in study 1, while data in study 2 were collected by an expert on an observation worksheet. ANOVA were conducted in both studies.

Results: The two studies showed that oral discussions between peers about the goal and the strategies of the game facilitated the development of motor and tactical skills. The second study showed the superiority of a slightly dissymmetric dyadic condition. The low-skilled pupils in dissymmetrical dyads obtained more benefit from the verbal interactions than those in a symmetrical setting. In the dissymmetrical condition, while the initially low-skilled participants had the highest rate of progression, the initially high-skilled players had to explain their solution and could also benefit from the dyadic interaction.

Conclusion: In both studies, action rules were constructed by peers' verbal exchanges in a reflective way. In a PE socio-constructivist setting, the teaching of games facilitates mutual aid, social relationships, and participation in community activities.     

General University Requirements at Hong Kong Polytechnic University: evaluation findings based on student focus groups

Under the new four-year undergraduate programme, a general education framework titled ‘General University Requirements’ (GUR) has been developed and implemented since 2012/2013 at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). To evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the GUR in its first year, focus group interviews with students were carried out. In 13 focus groups, 62 first-year students from eight faculties/schools who took GUR subjects in 2012/2013 academic year were interviewed by trained researchers. Results showed that students generally had good perceptions of the GUR in terms of the subject content, teaching methods and the overall effectiveness of the subjects. The interactive teaching and learning initiatives adopted in GUR subjects were particularly appreciated, although students expressed minor concerns on the administration of GUR subjects. The results suggest that the first-year implementation of the GUR at PolyU was generally smooth and successful from the perspectives of the students.     

The effect of a supported exercise programme in patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes: a pilot study

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of either a standard care programme (n = 9) or a 12-week supported exercise programme (n = 10) on glycaemic control, β-cell responsiveness, insulin resistance, and lipid profiles in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes patients. The standard care programme consisted of advice to exercise at moderate to high intensity for 30 min five times a week; the supported exercise programme consisted of three 60-min supported plus two unsupported exercise sessions per week. Between-group analyses demonstrated a difference for changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol only (standard care programme 0.01 mmol · L(-1), supported exercise programme -0.6 mmol · L(-1); P = 0.04). Following the standard care programme, within-group analyses demonstrated a significant reduction in waist circumference, whereas following the supported exercise programme there were reductions in glycosylated haemoglobin (6.4 vs. 6.0%; P = 0.007), waist circumference (101.4 vs. 97.2 cm; P = 0.021), body mass (91.7 vs. 87.9 kg; P = 0.007), body mass index (30.0 vs. 28.7 kg · m(-2); P = 0.006), total cholesterol (5.3 vs. 4.6 mmol · L(-1); P = 0.046), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.2 vs. 2.6 mmol · L(-1); P = 0.028), fasting β-cell responsiveness (11.5 × 10(-9) vs. 7.0 × 10(-9) pmol · kg(-1) · min(-1); P = 0.009), and insulin resistance (3.0 vs. 2.1; P = 0.049). The supported exercise programme improved glycaemic control through enhanced β-cell function associated with decreased insulin resistance and improved lipid profile. This research highlights the need for research into unsupported and supported exercise programmes to establish more comprehensive lifestyle advice for Type 2 diabetes patients.