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PubMed1992

Remediating the thinking of pupils with autism: principles into practice.

We take previously developed principles of a problem-solving approach to teaching pupils with (Jordan & Powell, 1990a, 1990b, 1991), and analyze their application within the normal teaching routine of a specialist school for such pupils. We note the kinds of pedagogical judgment made, and the structures needed by individual pupils to enable them to function as problem solvers. We identify reflection as a key factor in enhancing the potential of pupils as learners and discuss ways of increasing pupils' awareness of their own ways of handling learning situations. The study is set against the background of issues concerned with possibilities of developing a 'theory of mind' in pupils with autism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Detection of the pupil constriction latency.

Two methods to accurately determine the moment of pupil constriction onset are discussed. For data sampled at a high rate (approximately 200 Hz) pupil velocity deviations from zero can simply be used, giving a satisfactory inaccuracy of about 5 ms. For data sampled at a low rate (less than 50 Hz), e.g. using a TV pupillometer, curve-fitting can be applied. It is demonstrated that curve-fitting, based on a second-order mathematical model, preceded by a linear trend, can result in an inaccuracy of less than 5 ms. Both methods give latencies independent of signal amplitude. This implies that a pupillometer yielding a relative measurement of the pupil area can be used for the detection of pupil constriction latencies. Furthermore it is demonstrated that the averaging of pupil constrictions results in an advanced moment of onset. Where latency differences of less than 25 ms are concerned, raw pupil data should therefore not be averaged.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1997

Relationship between pupil size and acetylcholinesterase activity in patients exposed to sarin vapor.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effect of sarin vapor on pupil size and erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity (AchE). DESIGN: Retrospective observational survey. SETTING: Emergency department of an urban teaching hospital. PATIENTS: 80 patients who were exposed to sarin in a terrorist attack in Tokyo subways. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Pupil size and AchE activity on the day of exposure were measured. Among the 80 patients, the pupils were miotic (< 3 mm) in 50 patients (62.5%), while AchE activity was below the normal range (< 1.2 U) in 34 patients (42.5%). AchE was significantly lower in the miotic group than in the group with normal pupils (1.0 +/- 0.5 U vs 1.5 +/- 0.3 U, p < 0.01). In the miotic group, AchE activity was lower than normal in 32 patients (64.0%) but was decreased in only 2 patients in the normal pupil group (6.7%) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Miosis is a more sensitive index of exposure to sarin vapor than erythrocyte AchE. Systemic poisoning is apparently less likely to develop if the patient's pupil size is normal on arrival at the hospital.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed2006

Shaping the pupil's response to light in the hooded rat.

The contribution of iris muscle steady state and dynamic response characteristics to the shaping of the pupil response to light in the hooded rat were studied using electrical stimulation of the parasympathetic fibers in the III nerve. The waveforms of pupillary contractions to single or brief trains of electrical impulses applied to the III nerve were virtually identical to those elicited with short duration light flashes. Individual contractions could be resolved at stimulation rates of 2 Hz and below, and the size of the contractions increased with the decrease in frequency. The pupil responded to long trains of stimuli above 2 Hz with smooth tonic contractions. Steady state contraction amplitude was linearly related to log stimulation frequency. The mean time constant of pupil constriction to stimulus trains was 1.41 s (SD +/- 0.71 s) and the shortest mean latency was 292 ms (SD +/- 30 ms). The fastest mean latency of pupil constriction to the brightest light flash used was 295 ms. In contrast, the time constant of pupillary dilation was 7 s (SD +/- 1.4 s) and the shortest latency was 485 ms (SD +/- 74 ms). Therefore, the sluggish dynamic properties of the iris musculature are responsible for the asymmetries in pupil contraction, dilation, and latencies as well as low flicker fusion frequency and constriction amplitude characteristics of pupil responses to light.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Knowledge and attitudes of high school teachers towards pupils suffering from chronic diseases.

Fifty-eight high school teachers participated in a study about their knowledge and attitudes concerning chronic disease in children and adolescents. The level of knowledge of the 58 teachers was 62%. The head teachers did not have a higher score for their knowledge (63.3%) as compared with vocational teachers (60.3%). The presence of chronic diseases among children of staff teachers correlated with higher knowledge. Head teachers did not show a more tolerant attitude toward pupils with chronic diseases than the vocational teachers (14.9% vs. 13.7%). Ninety percent of teachers are ready and willing to spend extra time teaching their chronically ill pupils. The head teachers meet more frequently with chronically ill pupils, as well as with their parents, than do vocational teachers. All teachers believe and expect that they should know details about the pupil's chronic condition; more head teachers than vocational think it is important and beneficial if other pupils in class would know about the chronic condition and handicaps of the specific pupils in their class. Three quarters of the teachers consider it important and mandatory to increase awareness of chronic disease and disability in the school setting.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence, attitudes and knowledge of high school pupils towards drugs and other addictions: implications for school health education in Israel.

One hundred and fifteen high school pupils from Holon (a city in the center of Israel) participated in a study about the prevalence, knowledge and attitudes of these pupils towards drugs and other addictions (cigarettes and alcohol). Their mean age was 16.13 (+/-1.59) years; 43.9% were boys and 56.1% were girls. A total of 1.6% of the pupils regularly used illicit drugs, and an additional 11.3% were offered drugs. A total of 24% of the pupils smoked regularly (at least during the past year), and 42% consumed alcoholic beverages regularly. Their knowledge concerning illicit drugs was found to be inadequate; they correctly answered only 50% of the total study questions. A more liberal attitude towards illicit drugs was found with increasing age. Pupils who consumed illicit drugs received a higher scoring for their knowledge concerning the characteristics of various illicit drugs, as well as to having a more liberal attitude. The self image of the pupils who had experience with illicit drugs was lower (in two separate tests) in comparison to their peers. As a result of our study, our recommendation is to include the subject of illicit drugs, their dangers and prevention of their use in the official school curriculum from elementary school and during all subsequent school years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

AIDS knowledge and attitudes of pupils attending urban high schools in Israel.

The present study compared AIDS knowledge, attitude and sources of information of 1724 students in three different high schools (academic, vocational and religious) in Holon. Forty-two percent of the students are anxious concerning the possibility of AIDS contamination; they expressed a willingness to be tested for HIV and AIDS. Pupils attending the academic school proved to have the highest knowledge concerning AIDS topics; those in the vocational school placed second; and those in the religious school came last. The knowledge increased with age (p < 0.001). Results indicated that misconceptions were still found in a second decade of that epidemic concerning the following areas: etiology, ways of exposure; symptomatology; and prognosis. Their intolerant attitudes reflect social anxiety and vulnerability to AIDS. The most liberal and comprehensive attitudes toward AIDS patients were presented by pupils attending the academic school and after that came pupils from the vocational school, while pupils in the religious school presented the most conservative and intolerant attitudes. The sources of pupils' information primarily included: the media--TV (92.3%): newspapers (87.6%); and school (66.1%) occupied the third place. It is remarkable that physicians and nurses at school and outside clinics were placed in the seventh (and last) place, as only 25.3% mentioned them at all. Only one third of the pupils agreed to participate as volunteers in medical and rehabilitation centers which help AIDS patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2002

Effect of pupil dilation on the accuracy of the IOLMaster.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of pupil dilation on the accuracy of the IOLMaster (Zeiss) in performing biometry and to assess test-retest variability without pupil dilation. SETTING: Ophthalmic outpatient department of a district general hospital. METHODS: This prospective study comprised consecutive patients presenting to a cataract clinic (study group) who had biometry performed with the IOLMaster before and after pupil dilation. A control group was recruited from consecutive patients attending a cataract preassessment clinic who had 2 sets of biometric measurements with the IOLMaster but without pupil dilation. The SRK/T formula was used to calculate intraocular lens (IOL) power. RESULTS: The IOLMaster showed excellent reproducibility in the control group with no significant test-retest variability between the 2 sets of readings. The study group showed a statistically significant change in K2 and average keratometry values (P <.05) but no significant change in axial length or IOL power between undilated and dilated pupil biometry readings. No systematic errors were revealed. CONCLUSIONS: Dilating the pupil did not adversely affect the clinical accuracy of the IOLMaster.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Effect of single- and multiple-dose 0.5% timolol maleate on intraocular pressure and pupil size in female horses.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of single and multiple-dose 0.5% timolol maleate on intraocular pressure (IOP) and pupil size between 8 AM and 8 PM. Animals Nine female horses with normotensive eyes. Procedure IOP, horizontal and vertical pupil size were measured on a single day, between 8 AM and 8 PM at hours 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. A single dose of 0.5% timolol maleate was applied to both eyes immediately after the first measurement at 8 AM. IOP and pupil size were measured at 8 AM and 4 PM in a 5-day experiment of twice-daily application of 0.5% timolol maleate. RESULTS: A significant decrease in IOP from 24.9 +/- 4.2 mmHg prior to application of timolol maleate to 20.7 +/- 3.1 mmHg (4.2 mmHg = 17%) was observed 8 h after single-dose application. A significant decrease in horizontal pupil size (2.0 mm = 11%) was present 6 h after single-dose application. In the multiple-dose experiment, a significant decrease in IOP was present on days 4 and 5 as compared to IOP measured prior to application of timolol maleate. A significant decrease in horizontal and vertical pupil size was present throughout the 5-day study as compared to the values obtained prior to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: 0.5% timolol maleate significantly decreased IOP and pupil size in normo-tensive eyes of this group of female horses in both single and multiple twice daily applications.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

An intervention program for promoting deaf pupils' achievement in mathematics.

Our past research identified two aspects of deaf children's functioning that places them at risk for underachievement in mathematics. The first is their reduced opportunities for incidental learning, and the second is their difficulty in making inferences involving time sequences. This article examines the effectiveness of an intervention program to promote deaf children's numeracy that was designed to deal with these two factors. The design involved a comparison of 23 deaf pupils participating in the project with a baseline group formed by 65 deaf pupils attending the same schools in the previous year. The project pupils were tested before and after the intervention on the NFER-Nelson Age Appropriate Mathematics Achievement Test. The intervention was delivered by the teachers during the time normally scheduled for mathematics lessons. The project pupils did not differ from the baseline group at pretest but performed significantly better at posttest. They also performed at posttest better than expected on the basis of their pretest scores, according to norms provided by the NFER-Nelson Age Appropriate Mathematics Test for assessing the progress of hearing pupils. We conclude that the program was effective in promoting deaf pupils' achievement in numeracy.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Chromosome aberrations study of pupils in high radon level elementary school.

The ICRP Publication 65 recommends 200-600 Bq x m(-3) as the indoor radon action level for the general public. In Slovenia, a value of 400 Bq x m(-3) has been proposed but not yet approved. In a nation-wide radon project financed by the Health Inspectorate of Slovenia, it was discovered that the elementary school named "S3" belongs to a group of schools with elevated winter indoor radon concentrations up to 7,000 Bq x m(-3). Opening windows and doors during classes substantially decreased radon concentrations, but very seldom below 1,000 Bq x m(-3). Yearly effective doses for pupils, estimated according to ICRP 65, ranged from 7 to 11 mSv. Because the pupils have been subjected to the elevated radon concentrations, special preventive health checks have been performed. The examination protocol included mutagenetic tests, one for structural chromosomal aberrations and the other a micronucleus test. Altogether 85 pupils (37 girls and 48 boys) from the first four grades between the ages of 9 and 12 y were examined. An increase in cytogenetic damage was found for these pupils, compared to the control group, composed of pupils of the same age from another area with indoor radon concentrations in their school of below 400 Bq x m(-3). The incidence of structural chromosomal aberrations reached 2.0% (0.5-4) and micronucleus test was 6.52 per 500 cells with a maximum of 15 in some cases. In the control group structural chromosomal aberrations varied from 0.5 to 2.5%, while the maximum incidence of micronucleus was 9 micronucleus per 500 CB cells. The results obtained are preliminary and suggest a need to expand the study. A long-term radon survey, at least over a year, of the homes and wider residential environment of the pupils would be necessary to assess the correlation between radon exposure and both structural chromosomal aberrations and micronucleus findings.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2006

Periodontal treatment need of the 6th-grade Jordanian pupils.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess the periodontal treatment needs of 6th-grade Jordanian pupils aged 12 years old. METHODS: Forty-eight classes teaching 6th-grade pupils were randomly selected from the six education zones in Irbid region, Jordan. The data were collected during interviews and clinical examinations using the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) criteria. RESULTS: The findings revealed that 27.5% of the examined pupils had healthy periodontium, 22.9% showed gingival bleeding on probing but no calculus, and 31.4% had calculus deposits. Pockets in the 4-5 mm range were found in 17.6% and those in the>6 mm range in 0.6% of the pupils. Healthy periodontium was found in 2.9 sextants, whereas 2.7 sextants showed gingival bleeding and calculus. Periodontal pockets were demonstrated in less than 0.4 sextants. Periodontal therapy was not required for 27.5% of the pupils. The rest of the pupils (72.5%), however, needed oral hygiene improvement, and of these 50% required professional calculus removal. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that about 73% of the sample needed oral hygiene instructions and motivation, 50% needed professional scaling, and 0.6% needed periodontal therapy. The data of this study establish a baseline data, which may help in planning dental services and initiating further research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Patterns of tooth vulnerability to caries in South African high school pupils.

Caries prevalence and distributions were studied in 761 South African high school pupils aged 17 years in four ethnic groups, living in urban (low F) and rural (low and high F) areas. Mean DMFT values were significantly higher among White pupils than all other groups. Comparison of mean DMFT among the Black pupils showed that urban Black dwellers had a significantly higher score than rural pupils when caries-free individuals were included in the analysis, but not when scores for only those with a DMFT of 1 or more were compared. No significant differences were found between the DMFT values of Black rural pupils living in high or low fluoride areas. Among Black rural pupils, dental caries was approximately three times more common in permanent second molars compared with permanent first molars. In urbanized Black, Coloured, Indian and White subjects, the molars were approximately equally affected.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Pupils' perceptions of school and teachers. I--Identifying the underlying dimensions.

Previous comparative studies have shown interesting differences in motivation and approaches to learning between Britain and Hungary, which were considered to reflect different methods of teaching. The present study reports the development of scales designed to measure pupils' perceptions of school and teachers with the intention of relating those perceptions to school motivation and approaches to learning. The scales covered a wide range of aspects relating both to pupils' perceptions of school ethos and aspects of the learning environment. An inventory made up of 18 five-item Likert scales describing perceptions of school and teacher was given to samples of 516 12-15 year-old pupils in five British schools and a comparable sample of 602 pupils in Hungary. The factor structure of the school and teacher perceptions scales was almost identical in the two countries, suggesting that pupils perceive their schools in very similar ways in spite of the contrasting educational and social systems. There were differences between schools which, although small at the scale level, were sometimes large at the level of individual items. It is suggested that a revised set of scales which have been derived from these analyses might be used by schools to judge the way they are perceived by their pupils, and so also by the parents who will be having more influence in future on school policy and management.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

A factor analytic study of teachers' perception of pupils' undesirable behaviours: a rejoinder to Langfeldt (1992).

This study investigates the effects of teacher sex and pupil sex in the teachers' perception of the seriousness of three extracted patterns of pupils' undesirable behaviours. In contraposition to Langfeldt's (1992) conclusion that gender differences are no longer observable when investigating complex patterns of behaviour as opposed to single behavioural items the present writers argue that where gender is a true effect this will also be evident at a factorial level of abstraction. A sample of 844 primary school teachers in Malta rated the seriousness of 16 selected undesirable behaviours when these are manifest in boy pupils and in girl pupils. A principal components analysis revealed three patterns of perceived problem behaviours labelled 'withdrawal behaviour', 'dissocial/overtly challenging behaviour' and 'disruptive behaviour'. Gender differences were found in each of the three factors: the main effect pupil sex was significant on 'withdrawal behaviour' and 'disruptive behaviour', and teacher sex on 'dissocial/overtly challenging behaviour'. Results also indicated a significant interaction effect involving teacher sex and pupil sex on the factor 'withdrawal behaviour'.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

"Not a university type": focus group study of social class, ethnic, and sex differences in school pupils' perceptions about medical school.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate what going to medical school means to academically able 14-16 year olds from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in order to understand the wide socioeconomic variation in applications to medical school. DESIGN: Focus group study. SETTING: Six London secondary schools. PARTICIPANTS: 68 academically able and scientifically oriented pupils aged 14-16 years from a wide range of social and ethnic backgrounds. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pupils' perceptions of medical school, motivation to apply, confidence in ability to stay the course, expectations of medicine as a career, and perceived sources of information and support. RESULTS: There were few differences by sex or ethnicity, but striking differences by socioeconomic status. Pupils from lower socioeconomic groups held stereotyped and superficial perceptions of doctors, saw medical school as culturally alien and geared towards "posh" students, and greatly underestimated their own chances of gaining a place and staying the course. They saw medicine as having extrinsic rewards (money) but requiring prohibitive personal sacrifices. Pupils from affluent backgrounds saw medicine as one of a menu of challenging career options with intrinsic rewards (fulfillment, achievement). All pupils had concerns about the costs of study, but only those from poor backgrounds saw costs as constraining their choices. CONCLUSIONS: Underachievement by able pupils from poor backgrounds may be more to do with identity, motivation, and the cultural framing of career choices than with low levels of factual knowledge. Policies to widen participation in medical education must go beyond a knowledge deficit model and address the complex social and cultural environment within which individual life choices are embedded.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Latency of the pupil light reflex: sample rate, stimulus intensity, and variation in normal subjects.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical usefulness of the latency of the pupil light reflex by optimizing its measurement, characterizing its variability, and determining the sensitivity of pupil latency as a function of stimulus input in normal subjects. METHODS: Computerized binocular infrared pupillography was performed in 14 eyes of seven healthy subjects. Pupils were recorded simultaneously at 60 and 1000 Hz. Each eye was alternatively stimulated eight times for 50 ms every 2.5 seconds, increasing by 0.5 log units over a 2.0-log-unit range. To determine intersubject and intereye variability, 98 eyes of 49 healthy subjects were recorded at 60 Hz over a 3.0-log-unit range (15 degrees radius stimulation, four repetitions at each intensity). RESULTS: Accuracy and resolution of latency were limited by the number of light reflexes used to estimate the average latency and were significantly affected by sampling rate when the number of reflexes recorded was fewer than four. Binocular recording and interpolation of the 60-Hz recording to 300 Hz added resolution to the latency. Biological variability contributed more to interindividual variability than did measurement variability. The range of intereye afferent asymmetry of latency in normal subjects was only between 8.3 and 35 ms-less with brighter stimulus intensity. CONCLUSIONS: An optimal method for determination of the onset of the pupil light reflex was devised that consisted of filtering, interpolation of pupil recordings, and analysis of the first and second derivative of the pupil movement. Most of the variability in latency as a function of intensity in normal subjects was due to interindividual variation and latency was well matched between the two eyes of the subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Influence of British national curriculum physical education on teachers' behaviours associated with pupils' psychosocial development: a case study in one English town.

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of British National Curriculum Physical Education on the quality of physical education instruction in the five state secondary schools in one southwestern English town in terms of teachers' use of behaviours related with pupils' psychosocial development during the 1994 summer term. Subjects were the 20 physical education teachers employed at the five schools. Two lessons of each teacher's choice in which they taught any activity to pupils in Years 7, 8, and 9 were videotaped. Lessons were coded with the Coaching Behavior Assessment System, an observational instrument designed to record the rate at which teachers use behaviours positively and negatively related with pupils' psychosocial development. Data generated by this system were entered into an SPSS programme to produce descriptive statistics. Regardless of the activity being taught, teachers used behaviours related to pupils' positive psychosocial development much more frequently than they used behaviours linked with pupils' negative psychosocial development. A comparison of the data collected at these five schools during the present study with those collected in the summer term of 1992 indicated that the introduction of the National Curriculum Physical Education did not affect teachers' use of behaviours associated with pupils' psychosocial development when teaching summer activities.

Adolescent↗