Germ-line gene therapy and the clinical ethos of medical genetics

Although the ability to perform gene therapy in human germ-line cells is still hypothetical, the rate of progress in molecular and cell biology suggests that it will only be a matter of time before reliable clinical techniques will be within reach. Three sets of arguments are commonly advanced against developing those techniques, respectively pointing to the clinical risks, social dangers and better alternatives. In this paper we analyze those arguments from the perspective of the client-centered ethos that traditionally governs practice in medical genetics. This perspective clarifies the merits of these arguments for geneticists, and suggests useful new directions for the professional discussion of germ-line gene therapy. It suggests, for example, that the much discussed prospect of germ-line therapy in human pre-embryos may always be more problematic for medical genetics than adult germ-line interventions, even though the latter faces greater technical difficulties.     

A new processing model for predicting performance on Pascual-Leone's test of M-space

A new model is proposed for explaining children's performance on Pascual-Leone's test of M-space. The model differs from Pascual-Leone's in three regards. (1) It assumes that children do not stop sampling a compound stimulus until every simple stimulus in their field of attention has already been noticed and responded to. (2) It assumes that the probability of sampling different combinations of simple stimuli conforms to the laws of Maxwell-Boltzman statistics rather than Bose-Einstein statistics. (3) It assumes that children's ability to detect all the simple stimuli in a compound stimulus is highly dependent both on the relative saliencies of the simple stimuli and on the length of time for which the compound stimulus is exposed. Using the developmental values of M hypothesized by Pascual-Leone, and standard techniques of computer simulation, the new model is used to generate theoretical performance curves for children at four different age levels and seven different levels of stimulus complexity. It is shown that the predicted performance curves for an exposure time of 5 sec provide a reasonable fit to the data originally reported by Pascual-Leone (1970), and that the predicted performance curves for an exposure time of 10 sec provide a reasonable fit to data obtained more recently by Parkinson (1976). Finally, it is shown that the order of children's responses as well as the number of their responses can be predicted. Two conclusions are drawn. (1) The new processing model offers a viable alternative to the model originally proposed by Pascual-Leone. (2) Regardless of which processing model is employed, the M-values originally postulated by Pascual-Leone are valid.     

Harry Potter and the Relational Child: Engaging Millennials in a New Generation of Counseling

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two (Rowling, Thorne, & Tiffany, 2016) is the latest installment in a franchise that has defined the millenial generation. The screenplay captures the essence of human behavior as it is molded by individual effort, human interactions, and cultural wellbeing. The authors present a way to conceptualize the millennial generation and their families through the lens of Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT). The authors begin with an overview of RCT, followed by a conceptualization of the screenplay using RCT as a theoretical lens. A conceptualization of how this story can be used to process themes of family, friendship, isolation, parenting, and adolescents with millennials and their families is provided. Furthermore, the researchers explore how this story can be used as supplemental material in the classroom to help the next generation of counselors conceptualize and process these themes with clients.     

儿童执行功能与早期学业能力的关系:学习品质的中介作用

以上海市6所幼儿园245名3~6岁儿童为研究对象,分别采用头–脚–膝盖–肩膀(HTKS)任务、修订后的儿童行为评定量表(CBRS)及亚太学前儿童发展量表中的语言和前阅读分量表以及认知分量表考察执行功能、学习品质及早期语言和数学学业发展状况。结果表明:(1)执行功能对学习品质、早期语言能力和数学能力均有显著正向预测作用;(2)学习品质在执行功能和早期数学能力关系中起部分中介作用,但对执行功能和早期语言能力的关系无中介作用。     

Overcoming the Glass Ceiling: Views From the Cellar and the Roof

Women's experiences as professionals and behavior therapists have changed considerably in the past 40 years. The author describes early challenges and experiences of discrimination as a young female professional. Although women's opportunities have improved considerably, women still experience unique career challenges and choices. The author provides some suggestions for women's career development.     

Never Turn Your Back on a Wave

This article reviews the intersections of personal and professional life development for the author. She offers perspective on three important life lessons that have guided her in this rewarding life path. First, be responsible in fulfilling and seeking professional opportunities. Second, be nice—respectful, warm, collegial, collaborative; treat others with the respect you want to receive yourself. Finally, “Never turn your back on a wave”—face the challenges that life presents, forthrightly, with energy and enthusiasm, and enjoy a full and fulfilling career and personal life.     

Complexity and Communication 3.0

There is an increasing interest in the complexity of mainstream communication education, and in the management of today's Global Media Organizations. Real world systems in communication processes cannot be completely designed, controlled, understood, or predicted, even by the sciences of complexity, but they are more effectively understood and explained as complex systems. I explore complexity in this article, analyzing the new paradigm of Agenda-Setting of today's New Media and Communication.     

Adaptation of the Children's Friendship Training Program for Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

ABSTRACT

Previous research attests to the marked impairments in social functioning exhibited by children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), suggesting that such children are in need of social skills intervention. Recently, an existing evidence-based manualized behavioral treatment for improving children's friendships was implemented and demonstrated to be effective with children aged 6–12, diagnosed with FASD. In the present report, we describe methods for adapting this behavioral intervention in line with the specific cognitive and behavioral deficits seen in children with FASD and other developmental disabilities to enhance treatment efficacy.