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Both sexually selected traits and mate preferences for these traits can be context dependent, yet how variation in preferred traits could select for context dependent preferences has rarely been examined. The signal reliability hypothesis predicts that mate preferences vary across contexts (e.g., environments) in relation to the reliability of the information preferred traits provide in those contexts. Extensive variation in copy number of mc4r B alleles on the Y-chromosome that associates with male size in Xiphophorus multilineatus allowed us to use a split-sibling design to determine if male size is more likely to provide information about male genotype (i.e., dam) when males were reared in a warm as compared to a cold environment. We then examined strength of preference for male size by females reared in the same two environments. We found that males were larger in the cold environment, but male size was more variable across dams in the warm environment, and therefore male size would be a more reliable indicator of dam (i.e., genetics) in the warm environment. Females reared in the warm environment had stronger mate preferences based on male size than cold reared females, with a significant influence of dam on strength of preference. Therefore, strength of female preference for male size was influenced by the temperature in which they were reared, with the direction of the difference across treatments supporting the signal reliability hypothesis. Understanding how the reliability of male traits can select for contextual variation in the strength of the female mate preferences will further our discovery of adaptive mate preferences. For example, a relationship between the strength of a female's mate preference and their growth rates was detected in the context where females had a preference based on male size, supporting a hypothesis from previous work with this species of disassortative mating in relation to growth rates to mitigate a documented growth-mortality tradeoff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivational interviewing (MI), a therapy strategy used to guide students to help students better understand how to develop their social emotional learning (SEL) skills to make positive choices that resolve social conflict, bodes promising for helping youth to cultivate the social and emotional skills needed to address bullying, peer drama, and other issues affecting their mental, physical, and emotional health. Bulldog Solution, Inc., a Chicago-based organization, utilized MI research-informed approach to increase students' social conflict management and leadership skills through self-awareness and self-discovery, as a mechanism for preventing bullying and supporting the social and emotional growth of young people. This study presents emerging themes resulting from a 9-week, motivational interview and SEL-based program titled, "Peace Over Drama," implemented with middle school students (sixth–seventh–eighth grade) with disabilities and/or at risk for disability-identification (n = 17) in one Chicago middle school on the south side. Implications for school-based prevention models and scaling of similar SEL and MI programing are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Patterns of articles published in the Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling from 1998 to 2017 were reviewed in this metastudy. Author and article characteristics for 172 articles are described and analyzed for trends over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School counselors must demonstrate effectiveness of counseling services in a cost-effective manner. This article reviews and applies commonly used, free-access assessment instruments for use with school-aged youth to provide evidence of effective individual, small-group, and large-group interventions. We present instruments assessing depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior, and trauma, so that school counselors can learn basic administration, scoring, interpretation procedures, and psychometric utility to allow immediate use with diverse students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TOPIC: The development and implementation of a statewide initiative addressing mental health issues within schools postcrisis. PURPOSE: The potential for a community crisis occurs every day. After a crisis, schools are practical, logical, and effective places to help students recover from a tragedy. If crisis-related trauma is not addressed adequately, it can impact academic outcomes such as reading achievement, grade point average, and overall academic performance. For these reasons, it is imperative that school administrators support students in the aftermath of a crisis. CONCLUSIONS: This ongoing project continues in an effort to support students, faculty, and staff after a traumatic event within the Tennessee public school system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School principals and school counselors have the ability to forge a unique collaborative relationship to improve student achievement. Historically, school counselors have altered the primary focus of their work as deemed by the perspective of their principals.With an emphasis on improving student success in school, this study revealed the differences in counselor-principal priorities and perceptions and suggests the importance of counselor and principal collaboration to support this common goal. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this work was to investigate how managed care organizations (MCOs) currently approach asthma treatment and management and to determine factors affecting asthma outcomes. A Web-based survey was administered to a national sample of 351 medical directors of MCOs to investigate the asthma management program components in their organizations as well as gaps and barriers in the management of patients with asthma. All 134 (38.2%) responding medical directors reported that their organizations monitor asthma patients. Plans use a variety of asthma management activities, including general member education (90%), member education by mail (87%), self-management education (85%), and provider education (82%). Educational resources (89%) and telephone advice nurse (77%) were the most common self-management strategies offered. Among factors impeding the provision of effective asthma care, noncompliance with asthma treatment, the inappropriate use of medications, and the need for multiple medications were cited by virtually all respondents. Health plans rely on an array of strategies to manage asthma patients. Education encouraging patient self-management is a key component of asthma management programs. However, a considerable number of treatment approach barriers are impeding the achievement of proper asthma care. Without innovative approaches to care, it appears that current MCOs' asthma management efforts may not result in substantial improvements in asthma outcomes. (Disease Management 2005;8:339-345) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of a literature review investigating the economic impact of appropriate pharmaceutical therapy in treating four prevalent chronic conditions-asthma, diabetes, heart failure, and migraine. The goal of the review was to identify high-quality studies examining the extent to which appropriate pharmaceutical therapy impacts overall medical expenditure (direct costs) and workplace productivity (indirect costs). The working hypothesis in conducting the review was that the costs of pharmaceuticals for the selected chronic conditions are offset by savings in direct and indirect costs in other areas. The literature provides evidence that appropriate drug therapy improves the health status and quality of life of individuals with chronic illnesses while reducing costs associated with utilization of emergency room, inpatient, and other medical services. A growing body of evidence also suggests that workers whose chronic conditions are effectively controlled with medications are more productive. For employers, the evidence translates into potential direct and indirect cost savings. The findings also confirm the importance of pharmaceutical management as a cornerstone of disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]