Attitudes toward adoption of evidence-based practices: A comparison of autism early intervention providers and children’s mental health providers.

Across the country, states are reporting increases in the number of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) served each year in the early intervention system. Research examining factors impacting the successful dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) into service systems for these children is limited. Preliminary information indicates that adoption of EBPs is variable. Provider attitudes toward the adoption of EBPs may be one factor that limits or facilitates implementation of efficacious treatments and these attitudes vary by organizational context and provider individual differences. The current study examines cross-context differences in provider attitudes toward EBPs by comparing the attitudes of 71 education-based early intervention providers working with children with ASD to the attitudes of 238 mental health providers in the public mental health system. This provides the first examination of ASD early intervention provider attitudes toward EBP. Results indicated that early intervention providers reported significantly more favorable attitudes toward adopting EBPs than did mental health providers. Early intervention providers with extended experience in the field perceived less divergence between their current practice and EBPs. Implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ionospheric effects on modern electronic systems

A basic overview of ionospheric phenomenology is provided. Some of the modern electronic systems of interest and the extent to which the ionosphere may place limits on design and operation are discussed. The effects of importance to electronic systems are defined, and the effects are discussed by frequency regime: the ELF (<3 kHz), VLF (3-30 kHz), and LF (30-300 kHz) bands. Shortwave and Earth-space propagation are considered. Special attention is given to systems for which propagation factors are predominantly deleterious; these include satellite communication and navigation systems that operate in the Earth-space regime. Special note is made of the fact that the solar maximum is to be reached in 1990-1 and that maximum ionospheric effects are anticipated during this period, which is predicted to be one of the most active epochs of the last 200 years     

Lack of association between antiphospholipid antibodies and first-trimester spontaneous abortion: prospective study of pregnancies detected within 21 days of conception

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of antiphospholipid antibodies and anticardiolipin antibodies in first-trimester losses, addressing experimental pitfalls that preclude excluding the possibility that these antibodies reflect merely the selection bias of studying couples only after they have already experienced losses. DESIGN: Given that retrospective studies cannot exclude the possibility that such antibodies arise as a result of the fetal death, blood samples were obtained either before pregnancy or very early in pregnancy. Sera were obtained within 21 days of conception. SETTING: Multicenter university-based hospitals (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development collaborative study). PATIENT(S): Subjects for the current study were 93 women who later experienced pregnancy loss (48 diabetic; 45 nondiabetic), matched 2:1 with 190 controls (93 diabetic and 97 nondiabetic) who subsequently had normal live-born offspring. INTERVENTION(S): Sera from these 283 women were analyzed for antiphospholipid antibodies by enzyme immunoassay. In 260 of the 283 women (87 with pregnancy losses; 173 with live-born infants), sera were also available to perform assays for anticardiolipin antibodies by enzyme immunoassay. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Pregnancy losses. RESULT(S): No association was observed between pregnancy loss and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies or anticardiolipin antibodies. Levels of antiphospholipid antibodies were 6-19 PL/mL in 62.4% of the pregnancies that ended in losses and > or = 20 PL/mL in 5.4%; among pregnancies resulting in live-born infants, the percentages were 56.8% and 6.8%, respectively. Of the pregnancies that ended in a loss, 5.7% had anticardiolipin antibodies > or = 16 GPL/mL, compared with 5.2% of those ending in a live birth. CONCLUSION(S): This prospective study suggests that anticardiolipin antibodies and antiphospholipid antibodies are not associated with an increased risk for first-trimester pregnancy loss.     

The pharmacokinetics of saquinavir: a Markov chain Monte Carlo population analysis

Saquinavir is an HIV proteinase inhibitor marketed as a treatment for HIV infection. The drug has potent (Ki approximately 0.1 nM) antiviral activity and acts by inhibiting the processing of gag and gag-pol polyproteins, thus blocking the maturation of replicated viral particles. By assuming standard two-compartment disposition kinetics in combination with a variety of absorption processes we have identified two structural models that perform well with respect to describing the pharmacokinetic behavior of saquinavir when administered to healthy human volunteers from various Phase I studies. These structural models have been implemented for population analysis of these Phase I data via the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo approach. We conclude that saquinavir exhibits complex and highly variable behavior, but can be modeled adequately using a two-compartment zero-order absorption model. There is also an indication that saquinavir kinetics may be time-dependent.     

Dung pads increase pasture production,soil nutrients and microbial biomass carbon in grazed dairy systems

In grazing systems dung is an important source of nutrients which can increase soil fertility and contribute to nutrient cycling through increased pasture production. Changes in soil chemical and biological properties and pasture production were measured below and around dung pads created in the field. Almost 65% of the total dung P remained after 45 days and about two-thirds of the pad fresh weight had disappeared in that time, indicating that physical degradation is the mechanism of incorporation of dung P. All the pads bar one were completely degraded by 112 days. At this time, soil pH and EC increased under dung pads as did Olsen extractable inorganic phosphorus (Pi) and total phosphorus (Pt), with these changes observed at 0–5 and 5–10 cm depths. Bicarbonate extractable soil organic phosphorus (Po) was not affected by dung and the observed differences in soil Po:Pi ratios were largely influenced by the substantial addition of inorganic P from dung. Dung increased the P buffering capacity of the 0–5 cm soil samples collected at the end of the experiment, potentially contributing to the increased extractable soil P measured under the pads. Dung also changed soil properties in 0–10 cm samples with increases in soil pH, EC, Colwell P and Colwell K recorded even long after the dung had completely disappeared. Microbial biomass carbon increased under dung pads in the 0–10 cm soil samples in the first 45 days after pads were applied. Total herbage production and ryegrass biomass increased significantly under and around the pads by 112 days after dung was applied. The botanical composition changed significantly with increased ryegrass contents observed, but only under the dung pads. This experiment demonstrated that increases in pasture around dung pads in the field are not solely due to animal rejection.     

Psychometric properties and U.S. National norms of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS).

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 22(3) of Psychological Assessment (see record 2010-18043-022). There were three errors in Table 1 on p. 360. In the last row, the row label should be “Overall EBPAS mean,” M = 2.73, and SD = 0.49. The revised Table 1 appears in the erratum.] The Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) assesses mental health and social service provider attitudes toward adopting evidence-based practices. Scores on the EBPAS derive from 4 subscales (i.e., Appeal, Requirements, Openness, and Divergence) as well as the total scale, and preliminary studies have linked EBPAS scores to clinic structure and policies, organizational culture and climate, and first-level leadership. EBPAS scores are also related to service provider characteristics, including age, education level, and level of professional development. The present study examined the factor structure, reliability, and norms of EBPAS scores in a sample of 1,089 mental health service providers from a nationwide sample drawn from 100 service institutions in 26 states in the United States. The study also examined associations of provider demographic characteristics with EBPAS subscale and total scores. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a second-order factor model, and reliability coefficients for the subscales ranged from .91 to .67 (total scale = .74). The study establishes national norms for the EBPAS so that comparisons can be drawn for U.S. local as well as international studies of attitudes toward evidence-based practices. The results suggest that the factor structure and reliability are likely generalizable to a variety of service provider contexts and different service settings and that the EBPAS subscales are associated with provider characteristics. Directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of evidence-based practice implementation and fidelity monitoring on staff turnover: Evidence for a protective effect.

Staff retention is an ongoing challenge in mental health and community-based service organizations. Little is known about the impact of evidence-based practice implementation on the mental health and social service workforce. The present study examined the effect of evidence-based practice implementation and ongoing fidelity monitoring on staff retention in a children's services system. The study took place in the context of a statewide, regionally randomized effectiveness trial of an evidence-based intervention designed to reduce child neglect. In the study 21 teams consisting of 153 home-based service providers were followed over a 29-month period. Survival analyses revealed greater staff retention in the condition where the evidence-based practice was implemented along with ongoing fidelity monitoring presented to staff as supportive consultation. These results should help to allay concerns about staff retention when implementing evidence-based practices where there is good values–innovation fit and when fidelity monitoring is designed as an aid and support to service providers in providing a high standard of care for children and families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The estimation of population pharmacokinetic parameters using an EM algorithm

A questionnaire was mailed to locally trained Division One dental surgeons. The questionnaire was designed to assess the practice of orthodontics, the undergraduate orthodontic curriculum in relation to the dental practitioner and continuing orthodontic education. The results showed that the undergraduate orthodontic curriculum was of limited use to the practitioner and that there was a need for a continuing orthodontic education programme. Information pertaining to various aspects of orthodontic practice was presented.     

Shear flow of assemblies of cohesive granular materials under constant applied normal stress

We have studied plane shear flow of nearly homogeneous assemblies of uniformly sized, spherical, cohesive particles in periodic domains under constant applied normal stress. Our focus has been on (a) exploration of the effect of inter-particle attractive forces on the flow behavior manifested by dense assemblies under constant applied normal stress, and (b) comparison of the rheological characteristics observed under constant-applied normal stress and constant-volume conditions. As a model problem, the cohesion resulting from van der Waals force acting between particles is considered. Simulations were performed for different strengths of cohesion, shear rates, and applied stresses. From each simulation, the volume fraction, shear stress and the average coordination number have been extracted. We find that cohesive assemblies sheared under constant applied normal stress shear differently from those sheared at constant volume only in the dynamic sense, while the time-averaged rheological characteristics are essentially indistinguishable. At constant volume, the fluctuations in shear stress are larger than, but have the same dependence on cohesion as under constant applied normal stress. This study has also exposed a pronounced dependence of the apparent coefficient of friction on particle volume fraction in the quasi-static flow regime.