Internalization of Behavior Management Skills among Teachers in a Specialized School Serving Students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Prior studies suggest that the fidelity of teachers' implementation of behavior management practices in the classroom diminish over time. Establishing how long it takes teachers to fully learn and sustain their independent use of these skills may aid in addressing implementation drift. The primary goals of this pilot study were twofold: (1) determine how long it takes teachers employed at a school serving students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders to internalize evidence-based behavior management practices (i.e., positive reinforcement, direct commands), and (2) establish whether some skills take longer than others for teachers to internalize. We also had the opportunity to evaluate whether a pre-determined threshold of skill internalization (e.g., 50% increase in skill use for three consecutive weeks) as defined in the extant literature translates into sustained skill implementation. Our results suggest that the length of standard teacher trainings may not be adequate given upwards of 2 months is required for the internalization of one skill and the time needed to reach internalization is dependent upon the skill taught and may deviate by at least 2 weeks across skills. However, given the variability observed in teachers' implementation of skills following internalization, this pre-determined threshold of skill internalization may be insufficient and requires further examination in future studies.

How do different dimensions of adolescent narcissism impact the relation between callous-unemotional traits and self-reported aggression?

The current study examined the moderating influence that different aspects of narcissism have on the relation between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and aggression in a sample of 720 adolescents (500 males), ages 16-19 enrolled in a 22-week residential program. Findings from the two studies revealed that psychopathy-linked narcissism as assessed by the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001; Antisocial process screening device. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.) and vulnerable narcissism as assessed using the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI; Pincus et al., 2009; Initial construction and validation of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 21, 365-379) significantly moderated the relation between CU traits and aggression in adolescents. Conversely, non-pathological narcissism assessed by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory for Children (NPIC; Barry, Frick, & Killian, 2003; The relation of narcissism and self-esteem to conduct problems in children. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 32, 139-152) and PNI grandiose narcissism did not significantly impact this relation. These results suggest that forms of narcissism most closely connected to internalizing problems combined with CU traits are associated with relatively heightened aggression in youth. The implications of these findings are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 43:14-25, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Poor elemental food quality reduces the toxicity of fluoxetine on Daphnia magna.

Most chemical contaminants released into the aquatic environment have been tested for their toxicity to aquatic organisms using standardized test protocols. The extent that results from such toxicity tests vary with the quality of food provided to the test organism remains largely unknown. Here, we determined whether the elemental food quality consumed by a common test organism, Daphnia magna, affects the toxicity of a pharmaceutical, fluoxetine. We found strong interactive effects of food quality and fluoxetine on daphnid survival, growth, and reproduction. Specifically, we found that D. magna fed phosphorus (P)- and nitrogen (N)-rich algal food experienced greater toxicity due to fluoxetine. For example, the 6-day LC(50) values for fluoxetine decreased from 0.33 to 0.15 mg L(-1) when food C:P ratios were increased from 100 to 800. One explanation for this result is that fluoxetine, as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, increases the activity of serotonin, whose production is linked to growth metabolism in D. magna. A regulatory role of serotonin for D. magna's growth and reproduction would be consistent with its mitogenic roles in other organisms, although this possibility would require further study. Nevertheless, these results demonstrate the need to consider elemental food quality in ecotoxicological testing protocols that are aimed at evaluating the risks of exposure to chemicals in the aquatic environment.