Competency drivers to support implementation of early intensive behavioral intervention in large-scale community-based services: Perspectives of caseworkers and organization representatives.

Implementing evidence-based practices in "real-world" settings poses significant challenges. Organizations involved must address this issue by providing supportive infrastructures. Among the elements to consider are competency drivers, which refer to the selection, training, and supervision of caseworkers. The purpose of this study was to describe the perspectives of caseworkers and representatives on competency drivers that organizations put in place to support the implementation of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) in large-scale community-based services. The sample consisted of 109 caseworkers and 23 organization representatives who completed questionnaires. Results demonstrated that respondents consider clinical support and training as key elements in EIBI implementation. However, despite recognizing these factors, respondents reported considerable variability in practices. It appears necessary to better define and plan the implementation of these competency drivers with a view to improving EIBI implementation.

Participation and needs of children with developmental coordination disorder at home and in the community: Perceptions of children and parents.

BACKGROUND: The existing literature provides only a partial understanding of the viewpoints of elementary school-aged children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) regarding their participation and needs. In order to plan and develop health and social services driven by a personalized approach, it is essential to further document their perceptions with those of their parents. AIMS: The aim of the study was to explore the participation and needs of school-aged children with DCD at home and in the community, as perceived by children and parents. METHODS: Participants were ten school-aged children with DCD, from 6 to 13 years old, and their parents, including one couple (n=11). Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant, except the couple who were interviewed together. RESULTS: Most children and all parents perceived some difficulties at home but few in the community. However, participation and needs varied for each child. Children rarely expressed the same expectations as their parents. While most children did not want more support, parents requested training on DCD. CONCLUSIONS: When planning health and social services for children with DCD, it is recommended to consult all stakeholders, including children, as well as offer indirect interventions, such as training and coaching for parents.

[Childhood Maltreatment and Mental Health Problems in Adulthood: A National Study of Women in Quebec]. / Mauvais traitements subis dans l'enfance et problèmes de santé mentale à l'âge adulte : une étude nationale conduite auprès des Québécoises.

Objective The study aims to estimate the specific contribution of various forms of child maltreatment on the mental health among a Quebeckers' women representative sample. Method A telephone survey was conducted with a representative sample of 1001 women from the province of Quebec (Canada). Different demographic variables, all four child maltreatment forms (sexual, physical, psychological and neglect) and intimate partner violence experienced in the last 12 months were evaluated to explore their links with depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms of the participants at the time of the investigation.Results Domestic violence during the last 12 months as well as negligence and physical violence during childhood are associated with the presence of clinical intensity post-traumatic symptoms. Youngest age, sexual and psychological violence during childhood are associated with the presence of depression.Conclusion Those results underlie the importance to consider different forms of maltreatment during childhood and their co-occurrence in the evaluation and the intervention in mental health with adult women.

[Implementation Evaluation of the Pare-Chocs Program in High School]. / Évaluation de la qualité de l'implantation du programme Pare-Chocs à l'école secondaire.

Despite the important increase in the prevalence of depression during adolescence, a low proportion of adolescent presenting elevated depressive symptoms receive school-based mental health services. Moreover, programs implemented in school settings often suffer of a less rigorous implementation, thus limiting their potential effectiveness. The identification of factors influencing implementation fidelity is essential to improve the quality of services. Guided by a theory-driven evaluation model, we assessed the quality of implementation of the Pare-Chocs program and the factors that affected this quality with the elements of action model of Chen (2005). Participants were 15 professionals that implemented Pare-Chocs with six groups of adolescents exhibiting high depressive symptoms. A mixed-method approach was used to collect quantitative data on implementation fidelity in the six groups and qualitative data on action model components. Our results suggest that adherence, dose and participant responsiveness were high. Time constraints and lack of previous education linked to program theory limited the fidelity of implementation, but training, supervision and program guide enhanced it. These findings confirm that prevention programs disseminated in school settings could be implemented with a high level of fidelity, although some challenge must be considered in treatment planning to contribute to higher program effects. Moreover, fidelity should be systematically evaluated in this setting.

Ecosystemic needs assessment for children with developmental coordination disorder in elementary school: multiple case studies.

This study explored the needs of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) from an ecosystemic viewpoint as part of a theory-driven program evaluation process. A multiple case study needs assessment was conducted. Participants included ten children with DCD, their parents (n = 12), teachers (n = 9), and service providers (n = 6). Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, validated questionnaires, and a review of the children's records. The results support the relevance of using an ecosystemic model to assess the needs of children with DCD in their life and social contexts. More specifically, the results highlight the need to provide additional services at school, such as occupational therapy and special education, as well as information and training regarding DCD for parents and teachers. The results also point to the relevant variables to consider in an intervention program based on theory-driven evaluations. This study shows how employing an ecosystemic frame of reference provides a better understanding of the needs of children with DCD. Future research should document the ecosystemic profiles and evolution of the needs of children with DCD with a larger sample from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds using a longitudinal study design.

Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse and timing of disclosure in a representative sample of adults from Quebec.

OBJECTIVE: Our study sought to explore patterns of disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) in a sample of adult men and women. METHOD: A telephone survey conducted with a representative sample of adults (n = 804) from Quebec assessed the prevalence of CSA and disclosure patterns. Analyses were carried out to determine whether disclosure groups differed in terms of psychological distress and symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and a logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with prompt disclosure. RESULTS: Prevalence of CSA was 22.1% for women and 9.7% for men. About 1 survivor out of 5 had never disclosed the abuse, with men more likely not to have told anyone, than women. Only 21.2% of adults reported prompt disclosure (within a month of the first abusive event), while 57.5% delayed disclosure (more than 5 years after the first episode). CSA victims who never disclosed the abuse and those who delayed disclosure were more likely to obtain scores of psychological distress and posttraumatic stress achieving clinical levels, compared with adults without a history of CSA. In the multivariate analysis, experiencing CSA involving a perpetrator outside the immediate family and being female were factors independently associated with prompt disclosure. CONCLUSION: A significant number of adult women and men reported experiencing CSA, and most victims attested to either not disclosing or significantly delaying abuse disclosure.

Cyclic olefin homopolymer-based microfluidics for protein crystallization and in situ X-ray diffraction.

Microfluidics is a promising technology for the rapid identification of protein crystallization conditions. However, most of the existing systems utilize silicone elastomers as the chip material which, despite its many benefits, is highly permeable to water vapour. This limits the time available for protein crystallization to less than a week. Here, the use of a cyclic olefin homopolymer-based microfluidics system for protein crystallization and in situ X-ray diffraction is described. Liquid handling in this system is performed in 2 mm thin transparent cards which contain 500 chambers, each with a volume of 320 nl. Microbatch, vapour-diffusion and free-interface diffusion protocols for protein crystallization were implemented and crystals were obtained of a number of proteins, including chicken lysozyme, bovine trypsin, a human p53 protein containing both the DNA-binding and oligomerization domains bound to DNA and a functionally important domain of Arabidopsis Morpheus' molecule 1 (MOM1). The latter two polypeptides have not been crystallized previously. For X-ray diffraction analysis, either the cards were opened to allow mounting of the crystals on loops or the crystals were exposed to X-rays in situ. For lysozyme, an entire X-ray diffraction data set at 1.5 A resolution was collected without removing the crystal from the card. Thus, cyclic olefin homopolymer-based microfluidics systems have the potential to further automate protein crystallization and structural genomics efforts.

Prevalence and co-occurrence of violence against children in the Quebec population.

OBJECTIVE: A literature review on the incidence of different forms of child maltreatment revealed that rates in Australia and Quebec (Canada) were similar. This study sought to determine the prevalence and co-occurrence of various forms of violence (physical, sexual and psychological) and explore gender and age difference. METHODS: A telephone inquiry was conducted with a representative sample of 1,002 adults from the province of Quebec. RESULTS: More than one in three adults (37%) reported having experienced at least one of three forms of violence in childhood. Twelve per cent (12%) of the adults experienced two forms of violence while 4% of the respondents reported having experienced all three forms of violence in childhood. Psychological violence (22%) was the form most frequently reported, followed by physical violence (19%) and sexual violence (16%). The different prevalence rates did not vary as a function of age. However, regarding gender, women were more likely to report having been sexually victimised (rape and fondling) and less likely to report having experienced physical violence. A lower percentage of women reported having sustained no form of childhood victimisation and a higher percentage of women reported have experienced both sexual and psychological violence compared to men. CONCLUSION: These results, including both the global rates and those particular to each gender, are comparable to findings in similar North American studies. The co-occurrence rates noted are salient enough to necessitate particular attention to diverse clinical clientele and need to be considered in future research exploring the risk factors of violence and its subsequent repercussions.

[Impact of teachers' conceptions on sex education in four Mediterranean countries.]. / Description et déterminants des conceptions des enseignants de 4 pays méditerranéens sur l'éducation à la sexualité

Nowadays, sex education contributes to public health not only with regard to the prevention of HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections and sex abuse, but it is also concerned with addressing aspects such as interpersonal relationships and psychosocial implications. The school setting has emerged as a unique environment for access to information and scientific knowledge that contribute to better understanding of the various dimensions of sexuality. Teachers' and future teachers' conceptions about sex education are analysed in this paper. Data were obtained from a questionnaire designed by the European Biohead-Citizen research project. Responses were received from 2 537 teachers from four Mediterranean countries (Tunisia, Lebanon, Morocco and France) who completed the questionnaire. The methodology is based upon analyses of core components that support the discovery of teachers' conceptions. Following that exercise, standardised factorial scores were calculated. Results for in-service and pre-service teachers show high correlations between their conceptions and national culture, religious beliefs, and level of academic training. Detailed results are presented and discussed.

Predictors of adult attitudes toward corporal punishment of children.

This study identifies predictors of favorable attitudes toward spanking. Analyses were performed with survey data collected from a representative sample of 1,000 adults from Quebec, Canada. According to this survey, a majority of respondents endorsed spanking, despite their recognition of potential harm associated with corporal punishment (CP) of children. The prediction model of attitudes toward spanking included demographics, experiencing or witnessing various forms of family violence and abuse in childhood, and perceived frequency of physical injuries resulting from CP. Spanking was the most reported childhood experience (66.4%), and most violence and abuse predictors were significantly and positively correlated. Older respondents who were spanked in childhood and who believed that spanking never or seldom results in physical injuries were the most in favor of spanking. On the other hand, respondents who reported more severe physical violence or psychological abuse in childhood were less in favor of spanking. Findings are discussed in terms of prevention of CP and family coercion cycle.

[Prevalence and concurrent forms of violence against children in the Quebec population]. / Prévalence et cooccurrence de la violence envers les enfants dans la population québécoise.

OBJECTIVE: To date, the phenomenon of concurrent forms of violence against children has received little consideration from research. This study sought to determine the prevalence and cooccurrence of various forms of violence (physical, sexual and psychological). METHOD: A telephone survey was conducted with a representative sample of 822 Quebec adults. RESULTS: More than one in three adults (36%) reported having experienced one form of violence in childhood. Ten percent (10%) of the adults experienced two forms of violence while 3% of the respondents reported having experienced all three forms of violence in childhood. Physical violence (22%) was the form most frequently reported, followed by psychological violence (16%) and sexual violence (14%). The different prevalence rates did not vary as a function of age. However, women were more likely to report having been sexually victimized (rape and fondling) and less likely to report having experienced physical violence. DISCUSSION: These results, including both the global rates and those particular to each gender, are comparable to findings in similar North American studies. The co-occurrence noted is salient enough to necessitate particular attention to diverse clinical clientele and to be considered in future research exploring the risk factors of violence and its subsequent sequelae.

UV laser-excited fluorescence as a tool for the visualization of protein crystals mounted in loops.

Structural proteomics has promoted the rapid development of automated protein structure determination using X-ray crystallography. Robotics are now routinely used along the pipeline from genes to protein structures. However, a bottleneck still remains. At synchrotron beamlines, the success rate of automated sample alignment along the X-ray beam is limited by difficulties in visualization of protein crystals, especially when they are small and embedded in mother liquor. Despite considerable improvement in optical microscopes, the use of visible light transmitted or reflected by the sample may result in poor or misleading contrast. Here, the endogenous fluorescence from aromatic amino acids has been used to identify even tiny or weakly fluorescent crystals with a high success rate. The use of a compact laser at 266 nm in combination with non-fluorescent sample holders provides an efficient solution to collect high-contrast fluorescence images in a few milliseconds and using standard camera optics. The best image quality was obtained with direct illumination through a viewing system coaxial with the UV beam. Crystallographic data suggest that the employed UV exposures do not generate detectable structural damage.

Automated analysis of vapor diffusion crystallization drops with an X-ray beam.

Crystallogenesis, usually based on the vapor diffusion method, is currently considered one of the most difficult steps in macromolecular X-ray crystallography. Due to the increasing number of crystallization assays performed by protein crystallographers, several automated analysis methods are under development. Most of these methods are based on microscope images and shape recognition. We propose an alternative method of identifying protein crystals: by directly exposing the crystallization drops to an X-ray beam. The resulting diffraction provides far more information than classical microscope images. Not only is the presence of diffracting crystals revealed, but also a first estimation of the space group, cell parameters, and mosaicity is obtained. In certain cases, it is also possible to collect enough data to verify the presence of a specific substrate or a heavy atom. All these steps are performed without the sometimes tedious necessity of removing crystals from their crystallization drop.

A new highly integrated sample environment for protein crystallography.

Protein crystallography is becoming a popular technique that is routinely used to access structural information. At one end of the process, sample preparation is now facilitated by commercially available crystallization kits. At the other end, structure determination has been made easier by automated software. Data collection, the step in between, is now usually performed on synchrotron sources. However, it is still restricted to experienced users and requires significant help from beamline staff. Part of this difficulty arises from the sophisticated experimental setup, which comprises a goniometer, a magnetic head, a device for changing the sample and monitoring accessories. It was proposed that this setup could be simplified by replacing these elements by a robotic arm that can perform all of the required tasks. In the present paper, it is demonstrated that this new setup can be used on a synchrotron beamline to mount and centre the sample and to collect diffraction data. This new system completely changes the design of the experimental setup by merging functions that were previously considered to be distinct. Moreover, automation of sample handling need not be considered as a specific development and is now included in a unique multipurpose device.