EurekAlert! - Education

Public Release: 1-Aug-2013
Las Cumbres Observatory 'Sinistro' astronomy imager captures first light
The Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope has captured its first on-sky images with the production Sinistro CCD camera.

Public Release: 1-Aug-2013

Journal of Paramedic Practice
Does the ambulance service need more training in mental health issues?
Ruth Elliot, Senior Lecturer in the department of Mental Health and Learning Disability at the University of Huddersfield, has published an article discussing the need for a national 'Mental Health Pathway' to enable paramedics to provide the appropriate care for people who present mental health issues.

Public Release: 31-Jul-2013

Journal of Adolescent Health
Sensitive parenting can boost premature children's school performance
Sensitive parenting helps protect against the negative effects of being born prematurely on children's school success, a new study has found.

Public Release: 31-Jul-2013

SAGE Open
How do student characteristics predict university graduation odds?
While policymakers often blame university systems for low graduation among college students, according to new research, characteristics known about a student before he or she even enters a college classroom can accurately predict graduation rates. This new study, published in SAGE Open, finds that characteristics such as full-time enrollment status, race, transfer credits, and expected family contribution predict successful graduation from college.

Public Release: 30-Jul-2013

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
Preventing the 'Freshman 15' via the Web
A new study published in the July/August 2013 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior evaluated the motivational effects of Project WebHealth, a web-based health promotion intervention developed to prevent excessive weight gain in college students. Researchers found that specific procedures and components of Project WebHealth successfully motivated students to improve their weight-related health behaviors and that the level of motivation differed by gender.

Public Release: 30-Jul-2013

Springer Plus
Environmental awareness develops at an early age
In a piece of research carried out on children under eight, Jos� Domingo Villarroel has reached the conclusion that it is from an early age that they develop the awareness that leads them to protect the environment. Indeed, they refuse to tread on a flower, for example. What is more, this awareness can emerge before they are capable of differentiating between living beings and non-living beings.

Public Release: 30-Jul-2013

Child Development
Early school engagement helps youths avoid problem behaviors and eventual dropout
School engagement helps youths avoid problem behaviors and eventual dropout. Researchers surveyed 1,300 youths in seventh through eleventh grades over a seven-year period on topics including problem behaviors, school engagement, and relationships with parents and teachers. Findings suggest that behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement may help students cope with stressors, setbacks, and difficulties in school. Researchers also highlighted the importance of a supportive learning environment that allows students to feel competent and autonomous.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 30-Jul-2013

Child Development
Children with disabilities in developing countries at risk for harsher punishment
Children with disabilities who live in developing countries are more likely to experience harsh punishment than children without disabilities in those countries. It is estimated that 80 percent of those with a disability are living in low- or middle-income countries. Researchers looked at data from 46,000 parents and other caregivers of 2- to 9-year-olds in 17 low- and middle-income countries. They found that children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and violence.

NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health

Public Release: 29-Jul-2013

PLOS ONE
New technology allows scientists, school children to examine biological details
Now, new computer technology is making highly sophisticated biological systems available for viewing by students and researchers. In a new study, a scientist from the University of Missouri's School of Medicine found that 3D computer modeling can complement the study of biological systems for many species.

Public Release: 29-Jul-2013

Journal of Law, Economics and Organization
Prison reform results in strain on welfare system
The burden of improved conditions in state prisons may be borne by welfare recipients, according to new research from Rice University and Louisiana State University.

Rice University, Louisiana State University

Public Release: 26-Jul-2013

Developmental Psychology
Give them a hand: Gesturing children perform well on cognitive tasks
Young children who use gestures outperform their peers in problem-solving tasks, says a study due to be published in the Aug., 2013 issue of Developmental Psychology. Children aged between two and five were asked to sort cards printed with colored shapes first by color, then by shape. Making this switch can be tricky but the study found that kids who gesture are more likely to make the mental switch and group the shapes accurately.

Public Release: 26-Jul-2013

The Lancet
1-year results of ADAPT-DES trial published in The Lancet
Patients who receive a drug-eluting stent and demonstrate high platelet reactivity on clopidogrel are more likely to have blood clots form on the stent and to suffer a heart attack; however, these patients are less likely to develop bleeding complications. One-year results of the ADAPT-DES trial will be published online July 26, 2013, in The Lancet. The findings were first presented at last year's Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics annual scientific symposium.