Investigating the written English self-efficacy of gifted and non- gifted adolescents

Self-efficacy is a belief. It can encourage or hamper students from learning to their full potential. Students who are efficacious are more motivated, more persistent to meet their goals and are more likely to take learning risks. The research into the self-efficacy of students classified as verbally or non-verbally gifted is in its infancy. This book details a Doctoral dissertation that investigated the written English self-efficacy of adolescent students. Results identified verbally gifted students had higher written English self-efficacy, were more intrinsically motivated, had higher levels of creativity and wrote superior essays compared to non-verbally gifted and non-gifted students. Findings highlighted differences between gender as female student?s recorded higher self-efficacy and written English performance scores and interestingly, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds reported higher self-efficacy compared to students from higher socio-economic backgrounds. Pedagogical implications are considered with teachers encouraged to realise the impact of self-efficacy upon student learning, motivation and persistence regardless of their academic ability.

Informing brain health behaviour choices: the efficacy of a high-school brain awareness pilot study

Aims:
Lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise significantly impact mental wellbeing and this is particularly so during the period of adolescence. The aim of the current study was to determine whether neuroscience concepts could be introduced to the classroom in a manner that improved high school student awareness of how health behaviour choices impact brain health. 

Study Design:
This study was a quantitative study that measured 47 assertions relating to brain health and neuroscience pre and post an interactive seminar.

Place and Duration of Study:
A Victorian high school in Geelong, Australia. Participation in the seminar took approximately 100 minutes, including time to complete the questionnaires.

Methodology:
The current study trialed a ‘Brain Basics’ educational program in a Victorian high-school. The neuro-educative interactive seminar was presented to 48female year 11 students. The level of student understanding, interest and enjoyment was assessed prior to and following an interactive seminar.

Results:
Student understanding of brain health significantly improved in 31 out of 47 questionnaire items and interest and enjoyment were highly rated.

Conclusion:
This supports the notion that basic neuroscience concepts can be introduced into Victorian schools to increase brain health awareness of our youth during this criticaltime of brain development. - See more at: http://www.sciencedomain.org/abstract.php?iid=431&id=21&aid=3887#.UykK5oXAwZm

Suggestions for developing a reliable evidence base for the efficacy of dimensions of learning implementations

This paper advocates the development of an empirical evidence base to guide and enhance Dimensions of Learning (DoL) implementations. The discussion is two-fold. The American research evidence base supporting DoL is outlined and categorized in relation to specific Dimensions. The paper then discusses two approaches to how extant data might be used to shed light on the efficacy of DoL implementations in this country. The paper argues that using these approaches will enable the development of a situated, empirical evidence base reliable enough to guide and enhance DoL implementations in Australia.

Psychopharmacology and pregnancy : treatment efficacy, risks, and guidelines

 This book examines the role of psychopharmacological treatment in a range of disorders that may be encountered during pregnancy, including major depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and substance abuse. The natural history of each condition pre- and post-partum is analyzed, and the evidence for the efficacy of drug treatments, evaluated. Special attention is paid to the potential dangers of different treatment options for both mother and fetus, covering risks of malformation, pregnancy and obstetric risks, neonatal risks, and possible long-term consequences. The risks of not treating a particular condition are also analyzed. On the basis of the available evidence, management guidelines are provided that additionally take into account non-pharmacological options. Closing chapters consider the value of complementary and alternative medicine and ECT and explore future research directions.

The effect of plant tissue and vaccine formulation on the oral immunogenicity of a model plant-made antigen in sheep

Antigen-specific antibody responses against a model antigen (the B subunit of the heat labile toxin of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, LTB) were studied in sheep following oral immunisation with plant-made and delivered vaccines. Delivery from a root-based vehicle resulted in antigen-specific immune responses in mucosal secretions of the abomasum and small intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes. Immune responses from the corresponding leaf-based vaccine were more robust and included stimulation of antigen-specific antibodies in mucosal secretions of the abomasum. These findings suggest that oral delivery of a plant bioencapsulated antigen can survive passage through the rumen to elicit mucosal and systemic immune responses in sheep. Moreover, the plant tissue used as the vaccine delivery vehicle affects the magnitude of these responses.

Use of the wound-inducible NtQPT2 promoter from Nicotiana tabacum for production of a plant-made vaccine

The wound-inducible quinolinate phosphoribosyl transferase promoter from Nicotiana tabacum (NtQPT2) was assessed for its capacity to produce B-subunit of the heat-labile toxin (LTB) from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in transgenic plant tissues. Comparisons were made with the widely used and constitutive Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S (CaMV35S) promoter. The NtQPT2 promoter produced somewhat lower average concentrations of LTB protein per unit weight of hairy root tissue but allowed better growth thereby producing similar or higher overall average yields of LTB per culture batch. Transgenic tobacco plants containing the NtQPT2-LTB construct contained LTB protein in roots but not leaves. Moreover, wounding NtQPT2-LTB transgenic plants, by removal of apices, resulted in an approximate 500% increase in LTB levels in roots when analysed several days later. CaMV35S-LTB transgenic plants contained LTB protein in leaves and roots but wounding made no difference to their LTB content.