The nature and correlates of underachievement among elementary schoolchildren in Hong Kong

This study investigated for the first time several characteristics of underachievement in a large sample of Hong Kong elementary schoolchildren. More males were identified as underachievers than females, but the ratio was substantially less than the two-to-one rate typically found in the American literature. The stability and persistence of underachievement increased during the elementary school years, and the stability of underachievement tended to be higher in subject matter that was relatively more difficult, which varied with gender. Underachievement became more specific to particular academic subjects rather than more general across the elementary grades. Parents and teachers, but not the children themselves, perceived that underachievers were more capable than same-grade nonunderachievers (who score lower on ability tests), although this awareness is more likely directed at male than female underachievers, which has been observed in other samples. In grades 1-4, teachers provided extra mentoring, communications, and support to underachievers. Thereafter, underachievers became more disruptive, impatient, and aggressive in school and perhaps at home. At that point, teachers became less supportive, offered less extra mentoring, and applied greater behavioral control over underachievers. Underachieving children also perceived that their parents became less supportive and used more discipline in grades 5-6 relative to grades 3-4. These correlates of underachievement suggests the existence of a syndrome of underachievement that separates underachievers from children who have the same grades but lower mental ability.     

Influence of a conservative sleep management strategy during a solo Pacific Ocean crossing on anxiety and perceived fatigue: a case study

The aim of this case study was to determine whether a sailor's deliberate choice of a conservative strategy to manage sleep deprivation would allow him to cross the Pacific Ocean and to minimize his state of anxiety and perceived fatigue. The participant, who had more than 10 years' sailing experience in severe conditions, was tested on a small catamaran without any living quarters during a solo Pacific Ocean crossing. Estimations of sleep hours, state anxiety, and perceived fatigue were self-reported by the sailor on a daily basis using a specific questionnaire. The most important finding is that the sailor's deliberate sleep strategy, 5.4 h sleep per day (24% less than on-shore), was enough to keep his anxiety and perceived fatigue within acceptable limits and enabled him to achieve his goal, which was the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean on a catamaran of less than 6 m. In conclusion, our results suggest that the sailor observed in the present case study was able to minimize anxiety and perceived fatigue with adequate sleep to optimize his performance, security, and to achieve his goal.     

Age-related incidence curve of hospitalized Shaken Baby Syndrome cases: convergent evidence for crying as a trigger to shaking

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is an age-specific incidence of hospitalized cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) that has similar properties to the previously reported "normal crying curve," as a form of indirect evidence that crying is an important stimulus for SBS. DESIGN AND SETTING: The study analyzed cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome by age at hospitalization from hospital discharge data for California hospitals from October 1996 through December 2000. PATIENTS: All cases of children less than 18 months (78 weeks) of age for whom the diagnostic code for Shaken Baby Syndrome (995.55) in the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification was assigned. RESULTS: There were 273 hospitalizations for SBS. Like the "normal crying curve," the curve of age-specific incidence starts at 2-3 weeks, has a clear peak, and declines to baseline by about 36 weeks of age. In contrast to the normal crying curve that peaks at 5-6 weeks, the peak of SBS hospitalizations occurs at 10-13 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The age-specific incidence curve of hospitalized SBS cases has a similar starting point and shape to the previously reported normal crying curve but the peak occurs about 4-6 weeks later. Of the likely predisposing causes, this pattern is only consistent with the properties of early crying. There are numerous explanations for the lag in the peaks between crying and SBS hospitalizations, including the possibility of repeat shakings prior to hospitalization. The importance of crying as a stimulus to SBS may provide an opportunity for preventive intervention.     

Global health database

The Global Health database is available from Ovid Technologies, Inc., and also from CABI Publishing, EBSCO, and DataStar/ DIALOG. This database is really the combination of two others--the Public Health and Tropical Medicine database, formerly produced by the Bureau of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases, as well as human health and diseases information that is extracted from the CAB Abstracts database. This column will provide readers with an overview of the Global Health database, as well as present some searching hints. The Ovid interface will be used.     

The future of applied child development research and public policy

After reviewing a brief general history of applied child development research, this paper suggests that in the future we should study questions that society needs to answer as well as questions that might contribute to theory, and that our research methods need to be adjusted to match these types of questions. Further, academics are urged to broaden their audience from a nearly exclusive focus on other academics to a focus on the three ps--practitioners, policymakers, and the public--and to recognize that scholarship is packaged differently for these audiences. Finally, it is suggested that applied child development research should market as well as sell, partner with nonacademic groups, disseminate results more vigorously, and focus efforts on local as well as national issues.     

默默奉献写人生——记武功县普集高中校长宋江勇

今年刚过不惑之年的宋江勇同志,自从1993年8月任武功县普集高中校长、党支部书记以来,在自己平凡的工作岗位上,不尚空谈、只重实干,不求索取、只讲奉献,作出了可喜的成绩。 一心创业求实效 普集高中属县办重点中学,是武功县教育的窗口学校。自1993年上任至今,他一心扑在学校工作上,把握办     

Three Cases of Lead Toxicity Associated with Consumption of Ayurvedic Medicines

Ayurveda is a traditional form of medicine used by majority of the Indians. Here we report three cases of lead toxicity, following intake of Ayurvedic medicines. Three patients presented with blood lead levels (BLLs) of 122.4, 115 and 42.8 μg/dl respectively at the time of hospitalization. The first case was chelated with D- penicillamine, the second with calcium disodium ethylene diamino tetra acetate (EDTA) and the third with environmental intervention and education. Associated Ayurvedic products were collected from patients and analyzed for metallic concentration. Cessation of Ayurvedic medication along with chelation, nutritional intervention and education, reduced the BLL to 27.4 μg/dl in the first case after 1 year, 21.1 μg/dl after 9 months in the second and 18.2 μg/dl after 6 months in the third case.     

The relationship between time spent living with kin and adolescent functioning in youth with a history of out-of-home placement

Objective

Many children in the US who are court-ordered to live in out-of-home care are placed with kinship caregivers. Few studies have examined the impact of living with kin on child well-being. This study examined the relationship between length of time living with kin and indices of adolescent well-being in a cohort of children who were initially court-ordered into out-of-home care.

Methods

Prospective cohort design with 148 youth, ages 7-12, who entered out-of-home care between May, 1990, and October, 1991. Seventy-five percent of those interviewed at T1 (6 months following placement) were interviewed at T2 (5 years later).

Results

Bivariate analyses did not demonstrate significant relationships between length of time living with kin and the outcome variables. In multivariate analyses, longer length of time living with kin was related to: (1) greater involvement in risk behaviors including: delinquency (β = .22, p < .05), sexual risk behaviors (β = .31, p < .05), substance use (β = .26, p < .05), and total risk behaviors (β = .27, p < .05), and (2) poorer life-course outcomes including: Tickets/Arrests (OR = 1.4, p < .05) and lower grades (β = −.24, p < .05). Time living with kin was not related to total competence, or self-destructive, internalizing, externalizing, or total behavior problems. There were trends (p < .10) for time living with kin to predict greater trauma symptomatology (β = .17) and suspensions (OR = 1.1).

Conclusions

There were no significant bivariate findings. The multivariate findings suggested a pattern of poorer functioning for youth who spent more time living with kin. No differences were found in current symptomatology.

Practice implications

Although findings from a single study should not dictate changes in practice or policy, the current study's findings do suggest that the field needs to conduct more methodologically sophisticated research on the impact of kinship care.     

CIRRIE: an international rehabilitation resource

The CIRRIE Database of International Rehabilitation Research is an appropriate companion resource to NARIC's REHABDATA Literature Database. It is produced at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York (or SUNY-Buffalo to those from the Northeast). CIRRIE includes only published information resources that cover research that is conducted outside of the United States. Those who wish to locate information about published research conducted within the United States should consult REHABDATA. This column presents basic information about the database, its searching conventions and thesaurus, and some general information about CIRRIE as a general resource of online information.