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Background Pancreatoduodenectomy is associated with an increased incidence of surgical-site infections, often leading to a significant rise in morbidity and mortality. This trend underlines the inadequacy of traditional antibiotic prophylaxis strategies. Hence, the aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the outcomes of antimicrobial prophylaxis, comparing piperacillin/tazobactam with traditional antibiotics. Methods Upon registering in PROSPERO, the international prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42023479100), a systematic search of various databases was conducted over the interval 2000–2023. This inclusive search encompassed a wide range of study types, including prospective and retrospective cohorts and RCTs. The subsequent data analysis was carried out utilizing RevMan 5.4. Results A total of eight studies involving 2382 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy and received either piperacillin/tazobactam (1196 patients) or traditional antibiotics (1186 patients) as antibiotic prophylaxis during surgery were included in the meta-analysis. Patients in the piperacillin/tazobactam group had significantly reduced incidences of surgical-site infections (OR 0.43 (95% c.i. 0.30 to 0.62); P < 0.00001) and major surgical complications (Clavien–Dindo grade greater than or equal to III) (OR 0.61 (95% c.i. 0.45 to 0.81); P = 0.0008). Subgroup analysis of surgical-site infections highlighted significantly reduced incidences of superficial surgical-site infections (OR 0.34 (95% c.i. 0.14 to 0.84); P = 0.02) and organ/space surgical-site infections (OR 0.47 (95% c.i. 0.28 to 0.78); P = 0.004) in the piperacillin/tazobactam group. Further, the analysis demonstrated significantly lower incidences of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistulas (grades B and C) (OR 0.67 (95% c.i. 0.53 to 0.83); P = 0.0003) and mortality (OR 0.51 (95% c.i. 0.28 to 0.91); P = 0.02) in the piperacillin/tazobactam group. Conclusion Piperacillin/tazobactam as antimicrobial prophylaxis significantly lowers the risk of postoperative surgical-site infections, major surgical complications (complications classified as Clavien–Dindo grade greater than or equal to III), clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistulas (grades B and C), and mortality, hence supporting the implementation of piperacillin/tazobactam for surgical prophylaxis in current practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic resulted in worldwide school closures, moving children's education to the home setting, with parents taking over the responsibility of supporting their child's learning while managing other aspects of living with the pandemic. The impact of emergency remote learning has increased significance for children with disabilities who, abruptly, no longer had access to the specialized instruction and expertise of educators and service providers in the school setting. Employing an ecological systems framework, this study sought to examine the impact of emergency remote learning on the families of school-aged children with a range of disabilities in Singapore. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 parents of children with disabilities from primary and special schools. Findings revealed parents took on multiple roles while balancing several responsibilities in supporting their child's emergency remote learning, with the additional or intensified demands heightening challenges. Several factors were found to either facilitate or challenge parents' ability to engage in supporting their child's emergency remote learning such as flexibility in meeting schoolwork deadlines, having regular check-ins with the child and family, technological familiarity, and, at a macro-level, having supportive employers. Implications for practice and policy include the need to equip students with technology and self-management skills, providing more coordinated supports for students and their families across government and educational bodies to reduce learning loss while alleviating pressure on parents. Highlights: Parents of children with disabilities across primary schools and special schools in Singapore participated in semi-structured interviews regarding their experience of emergency remote learning. Key parental challenges during the pandemic lay in new or abruptly intensified work and family responsibilities. Coordinated supports at the various levels of the ecological systems framework are needed to support families through large-scale school closures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers are more likely to include children with developmental needs (DN) in their classroom when they perceive that important people around them, such as principals, colleagues, and parents of children with and without DN, endorse inclusive education. Adequacy of resources and availability of training opportunities may also affect how teachers perceived being supported. This study examines Singapore preschool teachers' perception of support received from their working environment to include children with DN and how this predicts their intention to practice inclusive education and self‐reported implementation of inclusive practices in the classroom. The original Perceived School Support for Inclusive Education (PSSIE) scale, developed in Bangladesh, was reviewed for relevance and clarity by a panel of six experts familiar with Singapore preschool inclusion. 211 preschool teachers in Singapore completed the new 11‐item revised PSSIE – Singapore Version online. Perceived school support was found to be a single construct that significantly and reliably predicts both intention and self‐reported practices (alpha = 0.929). Stakeholders in Singapore can now use this newly validated instrument to reliably understand the support received by teachers and to re‐examine the strategies provided to support preschool teachers in this journey towards quality inclusive education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Family Outcomes Survey–Revised (FOS-R) measures family outcomes of services for young children with disabilities or developmental delays, and it can be used to investigate change in outcome achievement over time. To confirm the validity of FOS-R change scores, it must be established that the FOS-R measures the same construct over time; if so, score changes can be attributed to family outcome achievement. However, if not, interpretation of change scores may be misleading. Caregivers (N = 349) of Singaporean children with developmental delays receiving early intervention services completed the FOS-R Part A twice, approximately 1 year apart. Factor analysis was used to confirm the structure of the FOS-R Part A and to assess whether the scale measures the same thing across time (i.e., longitudinal measurement invariance). Results provided support for partial longitudinal measurement invariance, indicating that change scores on this scale can be validly interpreted with certain caveats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social and non-social deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) persist into adulthood and may share common regions of aberrant neural activations. The current meta-analysis investigated activation differences between ASD and neurotypical controls irrespective of task type. Activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses were performed to examine consistent hypo-activated and/or hyper-activated regions for all tasks combined, and for social and non-social tasks separately; meta-analytic connectivity modelling and behavioral/paradigm analyses were performed to examine co-activated regions and associated behaviors. One hundred studies (mean age range = 18–41 years) were included. For all tasks combined, the ASD group showed significant (p <.05) hypo-activation in one cluster around the left amygdala (peak − 26, -2, -20, volume = 1336 mm3, maximum ALE = 0.0327), and this cluster co-activated with two other clusters around the right cerebellum (peak 42, -56, -22, volume = 2560mm3, maximum ALE = 0.049) Lobule VI/Crus I and the left fusiform gyrus (BA47) (peak − 42, -46, -18, volume = 1616 mm3, maximum ALE = 0.046) and left cerebellum (peak − 42, -58, -20, volume = 1616mm3, maximum ALE = 0.033) Lobule VI/Crus I. While the left amygdala was associated with negative emotion (fear) (z = 3.047), the left fusiform gyrus/cerebellum Lobule VI/Crus I cluster was associated with language semantics (z = 3.724) and action observation (z = 3.077). These findings highlight the left amygdala as a region consistently hypo-activated in ASD and suggest the potential involvement of fusiform gyrus and cerebellum in social cognition in ASD. Future research should further elucidate if and how amygdala-fusiform/cerebellar connectivity relates to social and non-social cognition in adults with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been reported that there is a rise in the number of individuals being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Singapore along with evolving changes in public awareness, attitudes, and levels of financial support occurring in the field in recent years. As such, this column presents the current status and issues related to the identification of individuals with ASD and the provision of early intervention services, education, and transition services for these people in Singapore. Additional needs and future recommendations are also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culturally bounded in nature, adaptive behavior is the degree to which a person meets the requirements of personal independence and social responsibilities. This study aimed to develop a computerized adaptive test (CAT) of a culturally appropriate adaptive behavior measure (i.e., the Activities and Participation Rating Scale [APRS]) in the Singapore context for children aged 7 to 12 years, that is, the CAT-APRS-Primary. In Study 1, an item bank consisting of 310 adaptive skills was developed and piloted among 56 caregivers. In Study 2, the refined 310 items were calibrated using Rasch analysis among 352 caregivers. After the removal of five poor items based on the Rasch analysis, the finalized 305 items were used for the CAT development, with these items showing good Rasch person and item fit statistics. Preliminary utility of the CAT-APRS-Primary was established, with participants completing 24 items on average. Limitations and implications for future research were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient: Female, 48-year-old Final Diagnosis: COVID 19 infection Symptoms: Cough * diarrhea * dyspena * fatigue *nausea * sore throat * vomiting Medication: -- Clinical Procedure: -- Specialty: Infectious Diseases Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: During the global Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have identified and monitored variants of concerns (VOCs) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). P.1 (Gamma) variant was initially identified in northern Brazil but has now spread worldwide. This is a report of a 48-year-old female resident of southern Florida with confirmed reinfection with P.1 variant 9 months following the initial infection. This patient was not immunocompromised and was not vaccinated. Case Report: A 48-year-old woman residing in southern Florida presented with symptoms of COVID-19 and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 with oral swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in September 2020. Her symptoms resolved spontaneously after 5 days. Nine months later, the patient again presented with respiratory, digestive, and constitutional symptoms. The nasopharyngeal swab SARS-CoV-2 PCR was positive. At that time, she had not received any vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of viral RNA from the patient's second infection confirmed that the viral strain was P.1 variant containing the E484K spike protein substitution. Conclusions: This report has identified a confirmed case of reinfection with P.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 outside Brazil. This case supports recent epidemiological findings that indicate this VOC may have increased infectivity and virulence, and highlights the importance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for everyone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Early Childhood is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Across Asia, countries have signed the UNCRPD and to a greater or lesser extent are pursuing inclusive education (IE). In this article, we present case studies from Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, and China analyzing them for common themes around the education of students intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and noting commonalities, challenges, and emerging issues. While the definition of IE (being the philosophy, process and practice of welcoming, valuing and supporting all learners in general education environments) and the conceptual distinction between integration and segregation are clear in the UNCRPD and subsequent comments, the terminology used in some of the countries is inconsistent with these definitions. This makes interpretation of reports from government instrumentalities difficult. In some cases, misuse of terminology allows justification of practices that are contrary to the UNCRPD. Terminology differences coupled with challenges of finding data related to the education of children with IDD, if the data exist, make a regional analysis of progress towards IE complex. In our paper, we have drawn on previous reviews and reports to discuss common issues and make suggestions for ways forward. Our findings add to the few other reviews from Asia on IE and draw attention to the continuing need for improved access to any education at all for learners with IDD. Provision of IE is caught up in dilemmas in the region about teacher preparation and professional learning, and how to provide specialist support in inclusive settings. School structure decisions including staffing provision and class sizes affect the education outcomes of students with IDD. School leadership, with the fundamental role of translating policy into practice, is critical for the development of IE and must be aligned with system and country priorities. Collaboration across the region has the potential to share best practice and continue to improve the educational opportunities for learners with IDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of educational neuroscience in teacher training and continuing professional development has been debated extensively, yet knowledge translation is largely absent in this field. Without objective methods for translating and disseminating educational neuroscience evidence, the impact of training on educators and the children they serve will remain limited. This position paper addresses this critical teacher education need by providing a rationale for why brain literacy training is vital as teachers learn to meet the needs of diverse learners. The authors offer three important factors for consideration regarding the utility of educational neuroscience for educators and allied school practitioners. First, the foundations and history of professional educator development in educational neuroscience will be considered. Second, a brief review of the empirical learning science literature within the context of science-based education will be considered. Third, a rationale for including a more intensive brain literacy training for educators is provided by comparing the impact traditional teaching practices and brain literate strategies have on curriculum and instruction, and how standard practices may actually undermine student brain development. Finally, three recommendations for developing educator brain literacy are offered to guide future policy, research, and practice decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study sought to investigate the predictors of spontaneous Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) use in a naturalistic school setting. Method: The study recruited 44 students (36 boys and eight girls), aged between 6 to 18 years and their teachers (26 teachers and two teaching assistants). Teaching staff completed measures of student's communicative ability, autism symptomology and PECS abilities. Teachers also provided information of their PECS training history and PECS teaching experience. Findings: Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis revealed that: (1) teacher's intentional pre-planning of PECS; (2) context in which PECS is used; (3) PECS phase level; and (4) the number of months of PECS teaching experience teachers had significantly predicted spontaneous PECS use. Child-dependent variables such as the severity of student's autism symptomology and level of student's mastery and age did not significantly predict spontaneous PECS use. Limitations: The limitations of this study are the small sample size, teachers' self-reported bias, and the lack of exploring other potential factors. Conclusions: The findings of the study highlight the importance for professionals, such as Educational Psychologists (EPs), to consider implementation factors that will impact the efficacy of intervention. In this study, it was the orchestration of how PECS is taught that had significantly predicted better PECS spontaneous use, rather than within-child factors. This suggests that PECS is suitable for a wide range of ASD learners. Additionally, it provides new insights for EPs to emphasise certain components over others during PECS teachers' trainings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Award-winning Green Preschools in Bali, Berkeley, and Hong Kong were selected as case studies to explore quality of preschool environment from the perspectives of architects and early childhood educators. Data were collected on sites over a 10-month period. The unit of analysis was a classroom for 4- to 5-year-olds in each location. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) and Children’s Physical Environment Rating Scale (CPERS) were used as observational measures. A total of 14 stakeholders consisting of architects, principals, and teachers were interviewed to supplement the result of the scales. Striking similarities of the ECERS-R and CPERS data revealed preschool in Berkeley ranked the highest, followed by preschool in Bali, and preschool in Hong Kong. Interview data revealed that architects’ knowledge on preschool design; understanding of children’s behaviors; a close-knit collaboration with the educators; and a comprehensive design guidelines from the local government significantly influenced the design quality of the preschools, regardless of the cultural differences. The interdisciplinary nature of this study produced an insightful dialogue between the fields of education and architecture resulting in useful suggestions for architectural practice, while the unique analysis from the empirical data contributed significantly to the existing literature of preschool design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural policy frameworks such as Growing Forward are intended to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the Canadian agricultural sector and to stabilize farm income. This paper examines the relationship between production efficiency and government program payments. First, we find evidence of heterogeneity in production efficiency across farms. Second, we find a negative correlation between production efficiency and the share and level of program payments. The result of this study underscores the importance of understanding the link between technical inefficiency and government payments. Les cadres stratégiques agricoles comme Cultivons l'avenir existent pour favoriser la productivité et la compétitivité du secteur agricole canadien et pour stabiliser les revenus des exploitations agricoles. Cet article examine la relation entre l'efficience de la production et les programmes gouvernementaux de paiements. En premier lieu, nous avons trouvé des preuves d'hétérogénéité dans l'efficience de la production dans toutes les exploitations agricoles. Ensuite, nous avons identifié une corrélation négative entre la production efficiente,et la part et niveau des programmes de paiements. Le résultat de cette étude met en relief l'importance de comprendre le lien entre les inefficiences techniques et les paiements gouvernementaux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Test of Early Mathematics Ability–Third Edition (TEMA-3) is a commonly used measure of early mathematics knowledge for children aged 3 years to 8 years 11 months. In spite of its wide use, research on the psychometric properties of TEMA-3 remains limited. This study applied the Rasch model to investigate the psychometric properties of TEMA-3 from three aspects: technical qualities, internal structure, and convergent evidence. Data were collected from 971 K1 children in Singapore. Item fit statistics suggested a reasonable model-data fit. The TEMA-3 items were found to demonstrate generally good technical qualities, interpretable internal structure, and reasonable convergent evidence. Implications for test development, test use, and future research are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosecurity is an increasingly prominent concern to the Canadian agri-food sector given heightened public awareness of animal welfare and the continued importance of trade. Due to the potential for large-scale animal depopulation and uncertain trade flow restrictions, the economic costs and animal welfare implications of disease outbreaks have prompted efforts to control their spread within and across trade boundaries. We build a partial equilibrium model of the beef supply chain in Ontario to examine the welfare impacts of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak inside and outside the province. Somewhat surprisingly, economic impacts for Ontario are not dramatically different between an outbreak within the province versus an outbreak in western Canada: losses total $245 and $217 million, respectively. When the outbreak occurs outside Ontario and provincial zoning is recognized, losses total only $93 million. Restrictions on international and, inter- and intra-provincial movement of livestock and beef products are the main driver of losses. A strength of our model is that we are able to disaggregate these impacts across the various market participants (i.e., producers, processors, retailers, consumers). Retailers and consumers incur little to no losses as imports from the United States easily fill shortages in supply. Production losses from livestock movement restrictions and depopulation are partially offset by higher prices, while processors bear the brunt of the losses due to reduced supply and higher livestock prices. La biosécurité revêt de plus en plus d'importance dans le secteur agroalimentaire canadien en raison de la sensibilisation accrue du public au bien-être animal et de l'importance soutenue du commerce. Compte tenu de l'éventualité d'un dépeuplement animal à grande échelle et de mesures pouvant restreindre le flux des échanges commerciaux, le coût économique des éclosions de maladies et leurs répercussions sur le bien-être animal ont stimulé les efforts afin de maîtriser leur propagation tant à l'intérieur qu'à l'extérieur des frontières commerciales. Dans la présente étude, nous avons élaboré un modèle d'équilibre partiel de la chaîne d'approvisionnement du bœuf en Ontario afin d'examiner les répercussions d'une éclosion de fièvre aphteuse à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur de la province. Étonnamment, que l'éclosion survienne en Ontario ou dans l'Ouest canadien, l'impact économique pour l'Ontario ne diffère pas considérablement : les pertes totales étant de 293 millions de dollars (M$) et de 267 M$ respectivement. Lorsque l'éclosion survient à l'extérieur de l'Ontario et que les zones de contrôle provinciales sont déterminées, les pertes totales s'élèvent à 27 M$ seulement. Les restrictions concernant le déplacement du bétail et des produits de bœuf entre pays, entre provinces et à l'intérieur d'une même province constituent les principaux facteurs entrainant des pertes. L'une des forces de notre modèle tient au fait que nous avons été en mesure de désagréger les impacts entre les différents acteurs dans le marché (producteurs, transformateurs, détaillants et consommateurs). Les détaillants et les consommateurs subissent peu ou pas de pertes étant donné que les importations en provenance des États-Unis comblent facilement les pénuries de l'offre. Du côté des producteurs, les pertes causées par le déplacement et le dépeuplement du bétail sont en partie contrebalancées par des prix élevés, tandis que les transformateurs essuient les pertes les plus lourdes en raison d'une diminution de l'offre et du prix du bétail élevé. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The student profile, model of service delivery, and support practices for young children with disabilities receiving early childhood intervention (ECI) in Singapore is reported and contrasted in this study. The supervisors/managers/principals of eight Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) centres, eight Integrated Child Care Programmes (ICCP), six privately run ECI centres, and 65 preschools participated in this study. Overall, autism spectrum disorder was the most commonly reported diagnosis in this study. EIPIC and privately run ECI centres supported mostly children with disabilities (frequently those with more severe disabilities) and provided more specialized education and therapy support, whereas ICCPs and preschools educated them alongside typically developing peers. EIPIC centres provided the most resource and teacher support for young children with disabilities. Issues pertaining to the reported rates of disabilities among the young children and support models/practices are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate cow-calf producer incentive to adopt innovations in traits with important environmental and economic implications for the beef supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – A whole farm multi-year farm optimization model that tracks changes in discounted net returns and methane emissions from the use of newer DNA-related technologies to breed for feed efficient cattle is developed. The analysis is situated within the context of whole beef cattle supply chain. This allows for the derivation of the entire value and environmental impact of the innovation, and the decomposition of value by different participants. The impact of different policies that can stimulate producer uptake and the diffusion of the innovation is also addressed. Findings – The results of the study showed that whilst the use of the breeding technology yielded positive economic and environmental benefits to all producers in the supply chain, primary adopters were unlikely to adopt. This paper finds evidence of the misalignment in incentives within the supply chain with a significant proportion of the additional value going to producers who do not incur any additional cost from the adoption of the innovation. The study also highlighted the role of both public and market-based mechanisms in the innovation diffusion process. Originality/value – This paper is unique as it is the first study that addresses producer incentive to adopt genomic selection for feed efficiency across the entire beef cattle supply chain, and incorporates both economic and environmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we sought to examine the perceptions of teachers and other school professionals towards the inclusion of secondary school students with special educational needs (SEN), and the associated factors. The Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised scale (SACIE-R) was completed by 131 teachers and school professionals from two mainstream secondary schools in Singapore. The findings revealed an overall neutral attitude towards inclusion. Together, confidence in teaching students with SEN, the level of training SEN support, as well as experience teaching students with SEN account for a large proportion of the variance in ratings of inclusive perceptions. Further analyses revealed that confidence in teaching or supporting students with SEN was found to be a significant predictor of inclusive perceptions. The findings suggest that schools seeking to engage in inclusive practices should focus on ways to develop the confidence of personnel to support students with SEN. Professional development and mentorship were suggested as possible avenues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Anxiety-related problems are among the most frequently reported mental health difficulties in autism spectrum disorder. As most research has focused on clinical samples or high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder, less is known about the factors associated with anxiety in community samples across the ability range. This cross-sectional study examined the association of gender, age, adaptive functioning and autism symptom severity with different caregiver-reported anxiety symptoms. Participants were caregivers of 241 children (6–18 years old) with autism spectrum disorder attending special schools in Singapore. Measures included the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale and assessments of overall emotional, behavioural and adaptive functioning. Caregivers reported more anxiety symptoms in total, but fewer social anxiety symptoms, than Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale Australian/Dutch norms. There were no gender differences. Variance in total anxiety scores was best explained by severity of repetitive speech/stereotyped behaviour symptoms, followed by adaptive functioning. Severity of repetitive speech/behaviour symptoms was a significant predictor of separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic/agoraphobia and obsessive–compulsive subscale symptoms, but not of social phobia and physical injury fears. Adaptive functioning and chronological age predicted social phobia and generalized anxiety symptoms only. Severity of social/communication autism symptoms did not explain any anxiety symptoms, when the other variables were controlled for. Findings are discussed in relation to the existing literature. Limitations and possible implications for prevention, assessment and intervention are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Specific learning disorders (SpLDs) are one of the most frequently occurring conditions among students with special educational needs (SEN). Although it may seem that SpLDs affect mainly learning, students with SpLDs frequently also experience emotional and behavioural difficulties. Objectives: In this paper, we seek to understand the presentation of emotional and behavioural difficulties of primary children with SpLDs. We also hope to understand the extent to which these emotional and behavioural difficulties are related to cognitive processes and social outcomes. Method: Data from approximately 100 participants will be drawn from a larger longitudinal study of students with SEN in Singapore schools. Emotional and behavioural difficulties measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), cognitive processes will include parent completed inventories as well as findings from the Singapore Ability Scales. Social outcomes will be measured by the SDQ as well as a bullying survey. Conclusion: The findings will be interpreted in the light of needing to understand and support students with SpLDs in a holistic manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kamps, D., Thiemann-Bourque, K., Heitzman-Powell, L., Schwarts, I., Rosenberg, N., Mason, R., & Cox, S. (2015). A comprehensive peer network intervention to improve social communication of children with autism spectrum disorders: A randomized controlled trial in kindergarten and first grade.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(6), 1809–1824. doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2340-2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there has been growing theoretical and policy interest in the areas of homeschool partnership and inclusive education, relatively little work has linked the two fields. Where there have been studies, these have focused primarily on parent or school perspective. With inclusive education in its nascent stage in Singapore, this study examines the different roles emerging from home and school as well as factors underpinning this partnership. Data was drawn from interviews with 13 parents and 30 school staff. Our findings indicate that home-school partnership is a work in progress that is continually subject to home and school dynamics. The expectations and perceptions of parents and educators must be taken into consideration if the partnership is to succeed and sustain. Support from the wider community creates a synergy which reinforces home-school partnership and increases the visibility of children with disabilities by turning a private concern into a shared societal issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the popularity of working memory (WM) and updating training, recent reviews have questioned their efficacy. We evaluated a computer-based training programme based on the Running Span and Keep Track paradigms. We assigned 111 7-year-olds with poor WM and mathematical performances to updating training, one of the two control groups, or a fourth group, who were administered Cogmed, a commercially available programme. At the immediate posttest, updating training produced only marginal improvements relative to control, but this was sustained and became significant six months post-training. Cogmed training resulted in substantial improvement at immediate posttest, but became marginal at delayed posttest. Neither type of training resulted in better performance in mathematics or generalised to other WM tasks that differed more markedly from those used during training. These findings suggest that relations between WM or updating capacity and mathematics performance may be moderated by factors that do not benefit directly from improved capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author examined how individuals with intellectual disability ( ID) are supported in Singapore and what are the needs for further service development. Service provision for individuals with disabilities in Singapore is broadly reflective of its changing needs as a developing nation. Disability service provision began in the pre-World War II period and then advanced greatly during the last 20 years with the proliferation of early intervention and specialized programs for school-aged children as well an expansion of adult-focused supports. Social services are organized along the 'Three Ps Model' (public, private, and people), involving a collaboration of nongovernmental organizations, the government, and the corporate sector. With respect to school-age services, although a fairly comprehensive system has been put in place to support the education of students with disabilities, the system continues to evolve. The situation is more limited with respect to supports for adults. With Singapore reaching high levels of employment, there is an impetus for some individuals with ID to be part of the workforce; for those without work skills, day options for some include workshops and developmental activity centers. For parent carers, supports remain limited and there is a disparity between the goals outlined in the World Disability Report and currently available options for most adults and their families. Recommendations include studies to better understand the population of persons with ID and their needs, a reexamination of the diffused responsibility for disability-related services within the government, and an evaluation of the way services are delivered by the voluntary sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively little work has focused on inclusive education in Singapore. This study examines the experiences and perceptions of parents whose children with disabilities are attending mainstream secondary schools in Singapore. Data was drawn from interviews with 13 parents of children with mild disabilities. Our findings reveal that parental perspective on inclusive education in Singapore is not only about classroom support but also reflects a deeper concern about whether their children with disabilities will emerge from school as contributing individuals in society. While parents strive to effectively include their children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms, there were dichotomies in their (1) understanding of disabilities, (2) expectations of school support, and (3) expectations for their child with disabilities. Given that academic and social prowess is a critical prerequisite to have a shot at entering the meritocratic Singapore society, the tension parents experience is to gauge a reasonable amount of pressure to exert on their children, the school and themselves as they assert their children's educational entitlements within an imperfect but evolving state of inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study sought to understand the perspectives of four youth with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFA) regarding their experiences in Singapore secondary schools. Qualitative analyses of in-depth interviews revealed that youth with HFA actively construct their experience of being a person with HFA. The extent to which the youth were engaged or disengaged in school appears to be related to the support provided by the environment. Implications of the findings for practice are discussed. The role of the phenomenological approach to providing insights into the lives of persons with HFA is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research on the reading skills of monolingual children has established a convergent skills model for acquisition involving context-free decoding, language comprehension, and visual and phonological processing. This study sought to identify the predictors of Primary One bilingual children's reading accuracy and reading comprehension in English. Eighty English−Mandarin-speaking girls (aged 6.5 years) attending Singapore schools were administered a battery of tests measuring phonological awareness (phoneme deletion), receptive vocabulary, receptive grammar, short-term memory (digit span), reading accuracy, and reading comprehension. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that phonological awareness significantly predicts reading accuracy and reading comprehension skills. Reading accuracy significantly predicts reading comprehension. Receptive grammar significantly predicts reading comprehension, but not reading accuracy. Unlike studies conducted with monolingual children, memory and vocabulary were not predictive of reading accuracy and comprehension. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary descriptions of service delivery for children with disabilities in Singapore have highlighted the presence of a dual education system, with mainstream education at one end and special education schools at the other. In this article, we present a background and brief history of how special education evolved in Singapore. Current programs and practices available for students with disabilities and some future directions are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study sought to understand the parental expectations of social attainments in the postschool years. The parents of 20 adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) attending special schools were interviewed. Most expected their children would be working in sheltered workshops or unemployed. All parents indicated that their children would live with them until they were unable to provide appropriate care, and nearly half expressed wishes for relatives to care for them thereafter. None expected any independent access to the community. Analysis of the interviews suggested that the adolescents' learning and behavior, parental concerns, availability of formal resources, and societal factors influenced parents' expectations. Implications for working with Asian populations and for service delivery in Singapore are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Little is known about the treatment outcomes of undocumented Hispanic immigrants with HIV infection. We sought to compare the treatment outcomes of undocumented and documented patients 12-months after entering HIV care. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of antiretroviral-naive patients 18 years and older attending their first visit at Thomas Street Health Center in Houston, Texas, between 1/1/2003 and 6/30/2008. The study population of 1,620 HIV-infected adults included 186 undocumented Hispanic, 278 documented Hispanic, 986 Black, and 170 White patients. The main outcome measures were retention in care (quarter years with at least one completed HIV primary care provider visit) and HIV suppression (HIV RNA <400 copies/mL), both measured 12-months after entering HIV care. Results: Undocumented Hispanic patients had lower median initial CD4 cell count (132 cells/mm3) than documented Hispanic patients (166 cells/mm3; P = 0.186), Black patients (226 cells/mm3; P<0.001), and White patients (264 cells/mm3; P = 0.001). However, once in care, undocumented Hispanic patients did as well or better than their documented counterparts. One year after entering HIV care, undocumented Hispanics achieved similar rates of retention in care and HIV suppression as documented Hispanic and White patients. Of note, black patients were significantly less likely to have optimal retention in care (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.65, CI = 0.45–0.94) or achieve HIV suppression (aOR 0.32, CI = 0.17–0.61) than undocumented Hispanics. Conclusions: Undocumented Hispanic persons with HIV infection enter care with more advanced disease than documented persons, suggesting testing and/or linkage to care efforts for this difficult-to-reach population need intensification. Once diagnosed, however, undocumented Hispanics have outcomes as good as or better than other racial/ethnic groups. Safety net providers for undocumented immigrants are vital for maintaining individual and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research focusing on the intervention and support of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has grown exponentially but this increase research has not been mirrored for adults with ASD. With the aims of informing intervention planning, improving quality of life, and areas for future research, 18 peer-reviewed research articles reporting the outcomes of adults with ASD were systematically reviewed. Despite methodological limitations, the literature review revealed a surprisingly high level of concordance in findings. Adults with ASD continue to experience significant degrees of impairment in the core deficits and correspondingly poor outcomes in social role attainment. Based on these findings, suggestions for the development of intervention and educational programs were proposed. Whilst no studies have targeted the quality of life of adults with ASD, the findings suggest a poor quality of life based on objective indicators. Directions for future research were also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which early social communication behaviors predict later communication and intellectual outcomes was investigated via retrospective video analysis. Joint attention, imitation, and complex object play behaviors were coded from edited home videos featuring scenes of 29 children with ASD at 9-12 and/or 15-18 months. A quantitative interval recording of behavior and a qualitative rating of the developmental level were applied. Social communication behaviors increased between 9-12 and 15-18 months. Their mean level during infancy, but not the rate of change, predicted both Vineland Communication scores and intellectual functioning at 3-7 years. The two methods of measurement yielded similar results. Thus, early social communicative behaviors may play pivotal roles in the development of subsequent communication and intellectual functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors affecting the relative variability in farm and off-farm income for Canadian farm operators. Design/methodology/approach – Variability of farm and off-farm income is analyzed using a dataset of 17,000 farm operators from 2001 to 2006. Relative ranking of the coefficients of variation (CV) for farm and off-farm income are compared across farm types and are regressed against factors conditioning the variations. Findings – Greater reliance on farm income results in lower (greater) relative variability in farm (off-farm) income. Larger commercial operations experience larger farm income volatility because they are less risk averse or they can manage more risk. Diversification and off-farm employment appear to be risk management strategies for commercial operations. Research limitations/implications – Government payments have a small, positive effect on farm and off-farm income variability, indicating this support leads farmers to take on more risky activities and/or reduce the use of self-insurance activities. Results could also be due to the lag between the time of the income reduction and the time in which the aid is received. Further research is necessary to decipher the effects of government support on farm decisions. Practical implications – The results on relative variation in the farm and off-farm income across farm type raises questions about whether government programs should target specific operations. Originality/value – While income variation remains a focus of public policy, factors affecting its variability are not well-understood. Studies have examined the level of farm income and the decision to participate in off-farm employment but none has examined the variance in both income sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common conditions associated with the aging male. Surgical management of lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to BPH has progressed over time as urologic surgeons search for more innovative and less invasive forms of treatment. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has long been the 'gold standard' to which all other forms of treatment are compared. There are several different methods of surgical treatment of BPH, including whole gland enucleation/intact removal, vaporization, and induction of necrosis with delayed reabsorption as well as hybrid techniques. As with any form of surgical intervention, long-term results define success. Long-term follow-up consists of examining overall efficacy with attention to associated adverse events. TURP has the luxury of the longest follow-up, while less invasive forms of treatment starting to acquire long-term data. There are several surgical options for BPH; newer methods do show promise, while the 'gold standard' continues to demonstrate excellent surgical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) make social judgments of social situations and provide justifications for their responses. Fifteen children with ASD and 15 typically developing children (ages from 9 to 13 years old) were presented with eight vignettes, based on the Dewey Story Test (Dewey, 1991) and developed for the purposes of this study. The participants rated the appropriateness (on a 4-point Likert scale) of the socially inappropriate event (test item) and non-social appropriate event (control item) in each vignette. Justifications for each rating were also elicited at the end of each vignette. The children with ASD rated socially inappropriate behaviors in vignettes no differently from their typically developing peers but rated control items as stranger. They also had a higher tendency to provide inappropriate/bizarre and don’t know/no response justifications instead of appropriate/social justifications (that reflect social awareness). The impact of the method of eliciting social judgments of social situations and its impact on findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has long been appreciated that a healthy lifestyle plays a critical role in cardiovascular health. It is now apparent that the same is true in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Prospective cohort data originating from recently published randomized trials on the medical treatment of BPH and prevention of prostate cancer have been invaluable. A growing body of evidence suggests that exercise and the intake of specific macronutrients and micronutrients through regular diet play a beneficial role. Most strikingly, the magnitude of these effects is similar to medical therapies using α-blockers and 5-α-reductase inhibitors. The use of supplements for prostate disease is a multibillion dollar business in the United States, and supplements are more commonly prescribed than medical therapy in many countries. In contrast to consumption of micronutrients through regular diet, supplemental intake of micronutrients and phytotherapies currently lack evidence to support their efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has long been appreciated that a healthy lifestyle plays a critical role in cardiovascular health. It is now apparent that the same is true in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Prospective cohort data originating from recently published randomized trials on the medical treatment of BPH and prevention of prostate cancer have been invaluable. A growing body of evidence suggests that exercise and the intake of specific macronutrients and micronutrients through regular diet play a beneficial role. Most strikingly, the magnitude of these effects is similar to medical therapies using α-blockers and 5-α-reductase inhibitors. The use of supplements for prostate disease is a multibillion dollar business in the United States, and supplements are more commonly prescribed than medical therapy in many countries. In contrast to consumption of micronutrients through regular diet, supplemental intake of micronutrients and phytotherapies currently lack evidence to support their efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the Second Asia-Pacific Conference of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability (IASSID). The conference had the theme "creating possibilities for an inclusive society." At the conference, more than 350 papers were submitted to the Scientific Program Committee for peer review.