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Many youth experience mental health problems. Schools are an ideal setting to identify, prevent, and intervene in these problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns of student social, emotional, and behavioral risk over time among a community sample of 3rd through 12th grade students and the association of these risk patterns with fidelity to a school-based mental health model. Overall growth of social, emotional, and behavioral problems declined over a 3-year period. Four classes of students were identified using growth mixture modeling: (1) students with high levels of problems; (2) students with decreasing problems; (3) students with increasing problems; and (4) students with stable, low levels of problems. These growth trajectories were associated with fidelity to the model, in that trajectories where students with higher or increasing problems were more likely to be from schools with lower fidelity. Implications for practice and policy are provided. [This article was published in "School Psychology Review" (EJ1292056).]

Interventions for youth are often studied in school settings, yet there are barriers that hinder schools from actively participating in the research studies. To ensure interventions are studied in the context they are intended for, adopted in a timely manner, and regularly used in practice as designed, researchers can conduct studies in a manner that reflects the dynamic needs of schools. participatory action research, which engages participants in the research process, and coproduction of interventions, which involves end users in the development of interventions, are complementary frameworks that may increase the utility and flexibility of school-based interventions while also improving engagement and fidelity of intervention implementation. This study explored the implementation of a self-monitoring intervention, "Self-Management And Regulation Training Strategy" (SMARTS), developed using these approaches. Using multiple methods, findings indicate that school counselors (i.e., natural treatment agents) valued helping in the development of SMARTS and were able to implement it in school settings with fidelity. in fact, the quality with which they implemented components of the intervention was significantly related to students' engagement in intervention procedures. implications and limitations are discussed. [This article was published in "School Psychology Review" (EJ1292055).]

Healthy relationships between parents and teachers are essential to addressing children's emotional and behavioral concerns. The current meta-analysis examined the effects of family-school engagement interventions on parent-teacher relationships. Twenty-three group-design studies yielding 58 effects comprised the current sample. Random effect models were estimated to calculate pooled effect size estimates, and mixed effect models were conducted for moderation analyses. Overall, results revealed that family-school engagement interventions had a small, but significant effect on parent-teacher relationships ([delta] = 0.23, SE = 0.09, p < 0.05). This finding was consistent across mesosystemic characteristics of parent-teacher relationships including joining ([delta] = 0.25, SE = 0.09, p < 0.05) and parent-teacher communication ([delta] = 0.34, SE = 0.10, p < 0.01). However, no significant results were revealed for relational prerequisites ([delta] = 0.05, SE = 0.12, p = 0.67). Interventions were found to be significantly moderated by child behavior concerns (i.e., effects were higher for families of students with externalizing concerns) and community type (i.e., effects were more pronounced in rural areas). Results were not significantly moderated by child/family race or child age, indicating that interventions positively impacted parent-teacher relationships regardless of child/family race and child age. These findings demonstrate the benefits of family-school engagement interventions in promoting parent-teacher relationships and have key implications for school personnel.

Social, emotional, and behavioral interventions are often complicated to implement in school settings. Empirical and practical evidence suggests that educators need support to implement interventions with treatment integrity or as intended. Treatment integrity is comprised of multiple dimensions that capture quantity of the intervention delivered, quality of that delivery, and implementers' engagement with the intervention procedures. Whereas research in this area often focuses on the integrity with which interventions are delivered to students, treatment integrity can be measured and assessed across the intervention implementation process from training implementers to use an intervention to the actual use of an intervention. In fact, engagement in early intervention implementation processes may be critical for the immediate and sustained success of an intervention, particularly engagement during professional development or trainings designed to teach the skills associated with an intervention. One evidence-based intervention that includes structured training in intervention procedures (e.g., effective classroom management) is the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY TCM) program. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' engagement in IY TCM training sessions, their sustained intervention implementation, and student behavior over time. Using a sample of 44 teachers implementing IY TCM, we found that teachers' sustained implementation of intervention skills and students' disruptive behavior in the classroom differed based on how engaged they reportedly were in the intervention trainings. The findings underscore the importance of assessing and promoting engagement in training sessions.

As many as 1 in 5 youth in the United States experience social, emotional, and behavioral problems. However, many students with mental health concerns are unidentified and do not receive adequate care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factor structure, measurement invariance, and the concurrent and predictive validity of the Early Identification System--Student Report (EIS-SR), a screener for social, emotional, and behavioral problems, using a sample of over 5000 students from Grades 3 to 5. The EIS-SR was developed by using extant literature on the risk indicators that lead to social, emotional, and behavioral challenges among children and youth. As expected, seven subscales were identified as having adequate factor loadings. Furthermore, the measure was determined to be invariant across grade level (n = 5005), gender (n = 5005), and between Black and White students (n = 1582). The concurrent validity of the Internalizing Behavior, Attention and Academic Issues, Emotion Dysregulation, and School Disengagement subscales was supported by correlations with comparable subscales of the Behavior Assessment System for Children--3rd Edition (BASC-3; n = 382). Additionally, the EIS-SR subscales administered in the fall of the school year were predictive of important outcomes in spring, including attendance (n = 4780), disciplinary referrals (n = 4938), bully victimization (n = 4670), math academic achievement scores (n = 4736), and reading (n = 4772) academic achievement scores. The EIS-SR holds promise as a feasible and technically adequate screening tool for use in elementary schools.

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) is a model of consultation wherein parents and teachers partner to address children's social-behavioral concerns. The teacher-parent relationship has proven critical to the success of CBC, yet little is known about the dynamics in CBC that may promote these relationships. This study explored interactions among teachers and parents during CBC. Using latent profile analysis, four interactional sense-making behaviors (i.e., engagement, perspective-taking, turn-taking, and coherence) were examined among 193 parents and teachers participating in CBC. Three classes of interactions emerged -- one class characterized by high interactional sense-making (18%), another characterized by moderate interactional sense-making (69%), and one class characterized by low interactional sense-making (13%). Follow-up analyses suggested differences in the quality of this relationship based on the interactions displayed by parents and teachers, with dyads that displayed high and moderate patterns of interactional sense-making reporting better quality relationships than those demonstrating low patterns of interactional sense-making.

Given that consultation has consistently yielded benefits for clients and consultees, it is likely an effective method of promoting family-school engagement. Thus, this meta-analysis examined the effects of consultation-based family-school engagement on child and parent outcomes, and complementary intervention methods used in conjunction with consultation. This study also sought to advance consultation research via a contemporary meta-analytic technique, robust variance estimation (RVE). Analyses yielded significant effects of consultation-based family-school engagement on children's social-behavioral competence ([delta] = 0.34), mental health ([delta] = 0.37), and academic achievement ([delta]= 0.27). Significant effects for parent practices ([delta] = 0.53), parent attitudes ([delta] = 0.49), and relational outcomes ([delta] = 0.37) were also found. Complementary intervention methods revealed significant effects across various child, parent, and relational outcomes. Results indicate benefits of consultation-based family-school engagement for key outcomes and have implications for utilizing complementary methods to augment the net effects of consultation for valuable stakeholders.

The present study examined parent-teacher congruent communication within conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC). Specifically, the study purpose was to determine the extent to which congruence in parent-teacher communication (i.e., the degree to which parents and teachers view their communication in a similar fashion) moderated CBC's effects on children's social skills. Drawn from a large randomized trial investigating the efficacy of CBC, the participants were 166 children and their parents and 74 teachers. The findings suggested that CBC's effects on teacher-reported children's social skills depend on congruent parent-teacher communication. Specifically, for students whose parents and teachers have these communication conditions, social skills are expected to increase only in the context of the CBC intervention. Implications for CBC research and school-based consultation are discussed.

Interventions for youth are often studied in school settings, yet there are barriers that hinder schools from actively participating in the research studies. To ensure interventions are studied in the context they are intended for, adopted in a timely manner, and regularly used in practice as designed, researchers can conduct studies in a manner that reflects the dynamic needs of schools. Participatory action research, which engages participants in the research process, and coproduction of interventions, which involves end users in the development of interventions, are complementary frameworks that may increase the utility and flexibility of school-based interventions while also improving engagement and fidelity of intervention implementation. This study explored the implementation of a self-monitoring intervention, "Self-Management And Regulation Training Strategy" (SMARTS), developed using these approaches. Using multiple methods, findings indicate that school counselors (i.e., natural treatment agents) valued helping in the development of SMARTS and were able to implement it in school settings with fidelity. In fact, the quality with which they implemented components of the intervention was significantly related to students' engagement in intervention procedures. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Many youth experience mental health problems. Schools are an ideal setting to identify, prevent, and intervene in these problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns of student social, emotional, and behavioral risk over time among a community sample of 3rd through 12th grade students and the association of these risk patterns with fidelity to a school-based mental health model. Overall growth of social, emotional, and behavioral problems declined over a 3-year period. Four classes of students were identified using growth mixture modeling: (1) students with high levels of problems, (2) students with decreasing problems, (3) students with increasing problems, and (4) students with stable, low levels of problems. These growth trajectories were associated with fidelity to the model, in that trajectories where students with higher or increasing problems were more likely to be from schools with lower fidelity. Implications for practice and policy are provided.

Consultation represents a core psychological practice and competency area for school psychologists, and it is critical that it accounts for the experiences of all individuals it is designed to support. Grounded in multiculturalism, cultural humility, and social justice, we argue that culturally relevant consultation is necessary to realize equitable and meaningful outcomes for minoritized youth in schools. The purpose of this manuscript is to present a model of teaching culturally relevant consultation. Specifically, we propose a preservice training model that includes (a) awareness of relevant theories and personal identities, experiences, biases, and existing knowledge; (b) conceptual knowledge of culturally relevant consultation practice; (c) acquisition of culturally relevant consultation skills; (d) application of culturally relevant consultation skills; and (e) ongoing self-assessment and reflection on social justice dispositions. This paper contributes to what we know about culturally relevant consultation training and provides future directions for training and research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a school-based mental health model for identifying, intervening, and referring students who are at risk for, or are exhibiting, mental health problems. This paper describes the County Schools Mental Health Coalition as a model for improving mental health outcomes for youth. The County Schools Mental Health Coalition, referred to here as the Coalition, is a multidisciplinary collaborative among six independent school districts and private schools residing in one county, and school psychology and social work faculty researchers from the local university. The Coalition was formed to overcome several barriers to children and youth receiving mental health supports. The barriers include lack of systems to adequately identify students early before mental health issues become severe, and lack of provision or access to evidence-based practices and interventions (EBPs) to ameliorate concerns or promote positive youth development. The manuscript describes how the Coalition has sought to overcome the barriers to support youth in county schools grades K to 12 through the creation of a tiered comprehensive system of early identification, prevention, and implementation of EBPs. The process and procedures utilized within this comprehensive data-based model are detailed, including how universal screening data are used at the county, school district, school, grade level, and individual student levels. In addition, case examples of universal, selective, and indicated interventions within this model are provided. Implications for research, practice, and policy will be discussed.

Background: Dosimetry in ultra‐high dose rate (UHDR) beamlines is significantly challenged by limitations in real‐time monitoring and accurate measurement of beam output, beam parameters, and delivered doses using conventional radiation detectors, which exhibit dependencies in ultra‐high dose‐rate (UHDR) and high dose‐per‐pulse (DPP) beamline conditions. Purpose: In this study, we characterized the response of the Exradin W2 plastic scintillator (Standard Imaging, Inc.), a water‐equivalent detector that provides measurements with a time resolution of 100 Hz, to determine its feasibility for use in UHDR electron beamlines. Methods: The W2 scintillator was exposed to an UHDR electron beam with different beam parameters by varying the pulse repetition frequency (PRF), pulse width (PW), and pulse amplitude settings of an electron UHDR linear accelerator system. The response of the W2 scintillator was evaluated as a function of the total integrated dose delivered, DPP, and mean and instantaneous dose rate. To account for detector radiation damage, the signal sensitivity (pC/Gy) of the W2 scintillator was measured and tracked as a function of dose history. Results: The W2 scintillator demonstrated mean dose rate independence and linearity as a function of integrated dose and DPP for DPP ≤ 1.5 Gy (R2 > 0.99) and PRF ≤ 90 Hz. At DPP > 1.5 Gy, nonlinear behavior and signal saturation in the blue and green signals as a function of DPP, PRF, and integrated dose became apparent. In the absence of Cerenkov correction, the W2 scintillator exhibited PW dependence, even at DPP values <1.5 Gy, with a difference of up to 31% and 54% in the measured blue and green signal for PWs ranging from 0.5 to 3.6 µs. The change in signal sensitivity of the W2 scintillator as a function of accumulated dose was approximately 4%/kGy and 0.3%/kGy for the measured blue and green signal responses, respectively, as a function of integrated dose history. Conclusion: The Exradin W2 scintillator can provide output measurements that are both dose rate independent and linear in response if the DPP is kept ≤1.5 Gy (corresponding to a mean dose rate up to 290 Gy/s in the used system), as long as proper calibration is performed to account for PW and changes in signal sensitivity as a function of accumulated dose. For DPP > 1.5 Gy, the W2 scintillator's response becomes nonlinear, likely due to limitations in the electrometer related to the high signal intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion chambers are required for calibration and reference dosimetry applications in radiation therapy (RT). However, exposure of ion chambers in ultra‐high dose rate (UHDR) conditions pertinent to FLASH‐RT leads to severe saturation and ion recombination, which limits their performance and usability. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate a set of commonly used commercially available ion chambers in RT, all with different design characteristics, and use this information to produce a prototype ion chamber with improved performance in UHDR conditions as a first step toward ion chambers specific for FLASH‐RT. The Advanced Markus and Exradin A10, A26, and A20 ion chambers were evaluated. The chambers were placed in a water tank, at a depth of 2 cm, and exposed to an UHDR electron beam at different pulse repetition frequency (PRF), pulse width (PW), and pulse amplitude settings on an IntraOp Mobetron. Ion chamber responses were investigated for the various beam parameter settings to isolate their dependence on integrated dose, mean dose rate and instantaneous dose rate, dose‐per‐pulse (DPP), and their design features such as chamber type, bias voltage, and collection volume. Furthermore, a thin parallel‐plate (TPP) prototype ion chamber with reduced collector plate separation and volume was constructed and equally evaluated as the other chambers. The charge collection efficiency of the investigated ion chambers decreased with increasing DPP, whereas the mean dose rate did not affect the response of the chambers (± 1%). The dependence of the chamber response on DPP was found to be solely related to the total dose within the pulse, and not on mean dose rate, PW, or instantaneous dose rate within the ranges investigated. The polarity correction factor (Ppol) values of the TPP prototype, A10, and Advanced Markus chambers were found to be independent of DPP and dose rate (± 2%), while the A20 and A26 chambers yielded significantly larger variations and dependencies under the same conditions. Ion chamber performance evaluated under different irradiation conditions of an UHDR electron beam revealed a strong dependence on DPP and a negligible dependence on the mean and instantaneous dose rates. These results suggest that modifications to ion chambers design to improve their usability in UHDR beamlines should focus on minimizing DPP effects, with emphasis on optimizing the electric field strength, through the construction of smaller electrode separation and larger bias voltages. This was confirmed through the production and evaluation of a prototype ion chamber specifically designed with these characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atlanto-axial (AA) subluxation can be a complex syndrome in dogs. Accurate identification and assessment of this condition are key to providing treatment and resolution. Aim: The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of AA subluxation and associated neurologic deficits. Methods: A multicenter review of dogs with a diagnosis of AA subluxation was conducted, evaluating signalment, neurologic grade, duration of signs, and MRI characteristics. MRI characteristics included degree of spinal cord compression and joint subluxation, integrity of odontoid ligaments, presence of a dens, spinal cord signal intensity, and presence of syringohydromyelia, hydrocephalus, and Chiari-like malformation. A control population with normal AA joints was also evaluated. MR images of 42 dogs with AA subluxation were compared to 26 age and breed-matched control dogs. Results: Affected dogs had a median age of 27 months and a median weight of 2.7 kg, and the most commonly affected breed was the Yorkshire terrier (47.5%). Spinal cord signal hyperintensity, increased AA joint size, and cross-sectional cord compression at the level of the dens and mid-body C2 were associated with AA subluxation. No associations were found between cord compression, the appearance of the dens, or cord signal intensity and neurologic grade. Affected dogs did not have a higher incidence of Chiari-like malformation, syringohydromyelia, or hydrocephalus than control dogs, and their neurologic grade was not associated with MRI findings. Lack of dens and/or odontoid ligaments was associated with larger subluxations. Conclusion: Dogs with clinical signs of AA subluxation were significantly more likely to have intramedullary hyperintensity at the level of compression (p = 0.0004), an increased AA joint cavity size (p = 0.0005), and increased spinal cord compression at the level of dens and mid-body C2 (p ≤ 0.05). The authors suggest an AA joint cavity size >1.4 mm and a subluxation distance >2.5 mm as cutoffs for MRI diagnosis of AA subluxation in dogs. No differences were noted between dogs with AA subluxation and control dogs regarding syringohydromyelia, hydrocephalus, and Chiari-like malformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this guideline is to provide a list of critical performance tests to assist the Qualified Medical Physicist (QMP) in establishing and maintaining a safe and effective quality assurance (QA) program. The performance tests on a linear accelerator (linac) should be selected to fit the clinical patterns of use of the accelerator and care should be given to perform tests which are relevant to detecting errors related to the specific use of the accelerator. Current recommendations for linac QA were reviewed to determine any changes required to those tests highlighted by the original report as well as considering new components of the treatment process that have become common since its publication. Recommendations are made on the acquisition of reference data, routine establishment of machine isocenter, basing performance tests on clinical use of the linac, working with vendors to establish QA tests and performing tests after maintenance and upgrades. The recommended tests proposed in this guideline were chosen based on consensus of the guideline's committee after assessing necessary changes from the previous report. The tests are grouped together by class of test (e.g., dosimetry, mechanical, etc.) and clinical parameter tested. Implementation notes are included for each test so that the QMP can understand the overall goal of each test. This guideline will assist the QMP in developing a comprehensive QA program for linacs in the external beam radiation therapy setting. The committee sought to prioritize tests by their implication on quality and patient safety. The QMP is ultimately responsible for implementing appropriate tests. In the spirit of the report from American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 100, individual institutions are encouraged to analyze the risks involved in their own clinical practice and determine which performance tests are relevant in their own radiotherapy clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) have been widely utilized for patient‐specific quality assurance (PSQA) and their use for transit dosimetry applications is emerging. Yet there are no specific guidelines on the potential uses, limitations, and correct utilization of EPIDs for these purposes. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 307 (TG‐307) provides a comprehensive review of the physics, modeling, algorithms and clinical experience with EPID‐based pre‐treatment and transit dosimetry techniques. This review also includes the limitations and challenges in the clinical implementation of EPIDs, including recommendations for commissioning, calibration and validation, routine QA, tolerance levels for gamma analysis and risk‐based analysis. Methods: Characteristics of the currently available EPID systems and EPID‐based PSQA techniques are reviewed. The details of the physics, modeling, and algorithms for both pre‐treatment and transit dosimetry methods are discussed, including clinical experience with different EPID dosimetry systems. Commissioning, calibration, and validation, tolerance levels and recommended tests, are reviewed, and analyzed. Risk‐based analysis for EPID dosimetry is also addressed. Results: Clinical experience, commissioning methods and tolerances for EPID‐based PSQA system are described for pre‐treatment and transit dosimetry applications. The sensitivity, specificity, and clinical results for EPID dosimetry techniques are presented as well as examples of patient‐related and machine‐related error detection by these dosimetry solutions. Limitations and challenges in clinical implementation of EPIDs for dosimetric purposes are discussed and acceptance and rejection criteria are outlined. Potential causes of and evaluations of pre‐treatment and transit dosimetry failures are discussed. Guidelines and recommendations developed in this report are based on the extensive published data on EPID QA along with the clinical experience of the TG‐307 members. Conclusion: TG‐307 focused on the commercially available EPID‐based dosimetric tools and provides guidance for medical physicists in the clinical implementation of EPID‐based patient‐specific pre‐treatment and transit dosimetry QA solutions including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Just as physical boot camps offered at gyms taught physical conditioning, Krucker designed a series of classes to instill rigor and regularity in her students. With a comprehensive understanding of anatomy and physiology, Krucker is masterfully adept at communicating the experiential aspects of voicework in a way that allows the discursive written exercises and the descriptions of vocal performance to be somatically accessible, turning the semantic into somatic with great skill. Considered a pioneer in contemporary vocal practices, Canadian singer, interdisciplinary artist, and educator Fides Krucker has been performing, teaching, and challenging the status quo of vocal performance and pedagogy for over 35 years. [Extracted from the article]

(1) Background: The Exradin W2 is a commercially available scintillator detector designed for reference and relative dosimetry in small fields. In this work, we investigated the performance of the W2 scintillator in a 10 MV flattening-filter-free photon beam and compared it to the performance of ion chambers designed for small field measurements. (2) Methods: We measured beam profiles and percent depth dose curves with each detector and investigated the linearity of each system based on dose per pulse (DPP) and pulse repetition frequency. (3) Results: We found excellent agreement between the W2 scintillator and the ion chambers for beam profiles and percent depth dose curves. Our results also showed that the two-voltage method of calculating the ion recombination correction factor was sufficient to correct for the ion recombination effect of ion chambers, even at the highest DPP. (4) Conclusions: These findings show that the W2 scintillator shows excellent agreement with ion chambers in high DPP conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research reveals that Escherichia coli RNA polymerase possessess an allosteric binding site to which templated nucleotide triphosphate binds. Results indicate that RNA polymerase exists in two states that catalyze slow and fast synthesis, the latter being influenced by binding of the templated nuclotide triphosphate to the allosteric site.

Placing voice as a subject of critical inquiry, Magnat uses cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches to vocality and, in doing so, offers alternatives to the leading mainstream pedagogies. Part of the Routledge Voice Studies series, Virginie Magnat's monograph I The Performative Power of Vocality i aims to investigate vocality, defined as the "sonorous substance of the lived voice" (xiii). The book opens with "Performance Embodiment and Vocality", which introduces us to Magnat's research partners for the project: five graduate students from the University of BC and a seven-member Indigenous Advisory Committee. [Extracted from the article]

Independent verification of the dose per monitor unit (MU) to deliver the prescribed dose to a patient has been a mainstay of radiation oncology quality assurance (QA). We discuss the role of secondary dose/MU calculation programs as part of a comprehensive QA program. This report provides guidelines on calculation‐based dose/MU verification for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) provided by various modalities. We provide a review of various algorithms for "independent/second check" of monitor unit calculations for IMRT/VMAT. The report makes recommendations on the clinical implementation of secondary dose/MU calculation programs; on commissioning and acceptance of various commercially available secondary dose/MU calculation programs; on benchmark QA and periodic QA; and on clinically reasonable action levels for agreement of secondary dose/MU calculation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]