Effectiveness of video modeling in teaching earthquake and postearthquake evacuation safety skills for children with autism.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of video modeling to teach safety skills during earthquakes and postearthquake evacuation to children with autism. Three male children with autism, aged 9-10 years, participated in the study. The results indicate that video modeling was effective at promoting the acquisition of "drop, cover, and hold on" and evacuation skills for all three students. Furthermore, the skills generalized to a new setting for all three participants and maintained up to 4 weeks after video modeling for the two participants for whom maintenance was evaluated. Social-validity data were also collected from participants, their parents, and a teacher, and the findings were positive overall. Implications for instruction and future research are discussed based on the results of the study.

Post-mating diclofenac vs. carprofen treatment on serum progesterone levels and reproductive outcomes in Hungarian-Merino ewes during the non-breeding season.

The maternal recognition process is crucial for the establishment of healthy pregnancy. In this process, anti-luteolytic applications are one of the main reproductive strategies to manage the embryonic losses and maximize reproductive profitability in farm animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of post-mating NSAID treatments on reproductive parameters (pregnancy rate, lambing rate, multiple birth rate, litter size) and serum progesterone levels in ewes stimulated with progesterone non-breeding season. For this purpose, two different experiments (diclofenac and carprofen) were conducted in the same ewe flock induced with short-term progestogen-based protocol in the non-breeding season for two consecutive years. In experiment 1 (n = 85), 42 ewes were injected with 2.5 mg/kg diclofenac on the 9th and 10th days post-mating, and the rest were not treated and served as control. In experiment 2 (n = 82), 40 ewes were injected with 1.4 mg/kg carprofen on the 9th days post-mating, and the rest were not treated as control. In both experiments, blood samples were collected from all ewes on days 9, 12 and 13 post-mating to measure serum progesterone levels. In both experiments, there were no differences both reproductive parameters and serum progesterone levels when compared to the control groups. It was concluded that post-mating diclofenac and carprofen treatments in the critical period have no significant effects on both reproductive parameters and serum progesterone levels in ewes in the non-breeding season.

The effect of double-dose GnRH injections on reproductive performance parameters following short-term progestagen administration in lactated Awassi ewes during the non-breeding season.

The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of double-dose gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) injection on the induction of oestrus and some reproductive performance parameters in Awassi ewes during the non-breeding season. In the study, 100 ewes were treated with a vaginal sponge containing 60 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate for 7 days in the anoestrus (day 0). PMSG 500 IU and 250 µg cloprostenol sodium were injected on the day of removal of the sponge (day 7). Ewes in Group 1 (n = 31) were not subjected to any hormonal treatment. Ewes in Group 2 (n = 31) were given 50 µg GnRH 48th hour after removal of the sponge. Ewes in Group 3 (n = 33) were given 50 µg GnRH 48th hour after the removal of the sponge and 50 µg GnRH 12th day after post-mating. The results obtained in the study showed that there were no statistical differences between the Groups 1, 2 and 3 in terms of oestrus rates (82.8%, 68.9%, 72.7%), conception rates (66.7%, 55.0%, 54.2%), multiple pregnancy rates (28.5%, 50.0%, 30.7%) and litter sizes (1.28, 1.50, 1.31). No significant increases in P4 concentration were observed in Group 3 treated with GnRH at the 12th day after post-mating; however, a numerically lower (p > 0.05) late embryonic-early fetal mortality rate was observed in Group 3 (0%), when compared with the values obtained in Group 1 (12.5%) and Group 2 (9.1%). In conclusion, after short-term progestagen administration during the non-breeding season, double-dose GnRH injections did not increase P4 concentration and had no significant differences on reproductive performance parameters among groups.

Effectiveness of Social Stories in Teaching Abduction-Prevention Skills to Children with Autism.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of social stories in teaching abduction-prevention skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Three male participants with ASD, aged 4-12 years, participated in the study, which was conducted using a multiple-probe-across-participants design. Thirty-nine voluntary adults participated in the study as strangers who presented lures to the participants. The findings of the study showed that social stories were effective on promoting acquisition for all students with ASD. All the participants were able to learn the target skill and maintain their learning. Social validity data were also collected from participants and their parents. Social validity findings revealed that the opinions of the participants and their parents were positive overall.