A CASE REPORT OF JUVENILE FORM OF METACHROMATIC LEUKODYSTROPHY

Metachromatic Leukodystrophy is a lysosomal storage autosomal recessive disease characterized by arylsulphatase enzyme deficiency, with central and peripheral demyelination. We report a case of a 15-year-old girl with 6 months history of progressive muscular weakness, poor school performance, gradual memory loss and gait disturbance. Neurological examination was grossly normal, except mild muscle wastage in both upper and lower limbs and slight reduction of power globally in all limbs. Routine bloods including a lumbar puncture was normal and the diagnosis of metachromatic leukodystrophy was made on the findings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain.

Medicinal gardens as an educational strategy in the teaching of the natural sciences: A pedagogical proposal

The main objective of this study was to design and implement a didactic strategy focused on the development of scientific competencies and environmental skills through the recovery of ancestral practices associated with plants. This research also aimed to enhance the capacities associated with leadership and entrepreneurship based on the application of curricular content in the natural sciences and to address problems in social and cultural contexts. Seeking school motivation strategies for rural students from a rural institution in the municipality of (eliminated for blind review), natural sciences teachers designed didactic-pedagogical alternatives employing situated learning that would allow them to contribute to solving school problems and environmental issues affecting rural areas. School problems such as apathy, dropout, and poor school performance, among others, were identified as issued to be addressed. The environmental phenomena included the loss of fertile soils and the harmful effects of the use of agrochemicals. Medicinal gardens together with situated learning activities proved a useful teaching tool in formal rural educational settings.

Modelos predictivos de riesgo académico en carreras de computación con minería de datos educativos

Los problemas de bajo rendimiento académico y rezago son recurrentes en instituciones educativas de nivel superior, especialmente al inicio de los estudios universitarios. En el contexto local, análisis diagnósticos han mostrado altos índices de reprobación y bajo rendimiento académico. En este trabajo, se utilizaron datos sociodemográficos y resultados de exámenes de admisión de 415 alumnos de las carreras del área de computación de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (México), inscritos entre 2016 y 2019. El objetivo es generar modelos predictivos de riesgo académico, empleando métodos de la minería de datos educativa, que sirvan como herramientas de detección temprana de condiciones de riesgo académico y faciliten el despliegue de estrategias de intervención educativa. Se siguieron las etapas del Proceso de Extracción de Conocimiento en Bases de Datos, concretamente, se aplicaron técnicas de clasificación para el análisis, obtención y validación de los modelos. Los resultados muestran que el mejor modelo corresponde al algoritmo LMT, con un valor de precisión de 75.42% y un 0.805 para el área bajo la curva ROC. Se logró identificar a los mejores atributos predictores, particularmente las pruebas del examen de ingreso a licenciatura fueron muy significativas. Se propone el desarrollo de herramientas informáticas para la detección precoz de riesgo académico y estrategias de intervención educativa oportuna. The problems of poor academic performance and lag are recurrent in higher-level educational institutions, especially at the beginning of university studies. The early detection of academic risk conditions enables the implementation of educational intervention measures to address factors of poor school performance, associated with the particular contexts of the students. The purpose of this study was to generate predictive models of academic risk, using educational data mining methods, specifically classification or prediction techniques, for the analysis, obtaining and validation of the models. The data used correspond to admission exam results and sociodemographic data of 415 students of the computer science majors at the Autonomous University of Yucatán (Mexico), enrolled between 2016 and 2019. The results show that the best model corresponding to the algorithm of LMT classification, with a precision value of 75.42% and 0.805 for the area under the ROC curve. It was possible to identify the best predictive attributes, particularly the bachelor entrance exam tests were very significant. The development of computer tools for the early detection of academic risk and strategies for timely educational intervention is proposed.

Neuroscience-Based Mindfulness Social Work Practice in Schools

Chronic poverty and stressful life circumstances result in poor school performance and behaviors. Research demonstrates that these behaviors are not the result of student inadequacies and lack of proper discipline, but are rather of neurological adaptations to chronic poverty and toxic stress. These outcomes are driven by the body’s attempt to protect itself even as the behaviors appear to be choices the student is making in a rational world. Neurobiologically, students adapt to these challenges by becoming both hypersensitive and self-protective. As a result, students are mistrustful and on alert beyond what is usual as a way of protecting themselves, consciously or unconsciously. Mindfulness programs provide important tools for shifting these challenges in the classroom by supporting feelings of safety and opportunities for growth and change in student learning and behaviors. Demonstrating the actual practice of mindfulness is not our intent given that there are many ways of using and learning mindfulness in the classroom. Rather, the focus is on the neurological outcomes of stressful lives, the neurological impact of mindfulness training, and providing resources for addressing student negative experiences and behaviors in schools.

PREVALENCE AND PATTERN OF REFRACTIVE ERRORS: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY AT TERTIARY HEALTH CENTER

Refractive error is the most common ocular morbidity worldwide. Throughout the world the main causes of visual impairment are uncorrected refractive errors 43% followed by cataract 33% and glaucoma in 3 % cases. Children being unaware of their problem do not complain about it. Untreated refractive error can lead to amblyopia and poor school performance which in long run can lead to considerable impact on child’s future. A Hospital based cross sectional observational study was conducted in the ophthalmology department of NMCH, Patna, Bihar. Total 612 children of age group 5 to 16 years coming to the OPD were enrolled in the study. Myopia is the most common refractive error in childhood. It is corrected by using concave lens. Other types of refractive errors are hypermetropia and astigmatism. Uncorrected refractive errors among children have considerable impact on their learning & academic achievements. So, screening is the only way for early detection of refractive errors. Early diagnosis and treatment will prevent onset of amblyopia & visual disability.

GAMBARAN KECEMASAN EVALUATIF PADA MAHASISWA

Test anxiety is a set of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses which are followed by concerns about the possible negative outcomes of failure on the test or similar evaluative conditions. Excessive degree of test anxiety can result in negative impacts including poor school performance, poor examination performance, mental distress, cognitive impairment, and poor health. This study was aimed to find out test anxiety level experience by college students. This study uses quantitative approach with 207 students from one of private univerity in Jakarta. Data was collected using the Test Anxiety Inventory. The results showed that from 207 participants, there were 119 (57%) students with low test anxiety levels, 85 (41%) students with moderate test anxiety levels, 3 (1%) students with high test anxiety levels.Test anxiety atau kecemasan evaluatif adalah kumpulan dari respon perilaku, kognitif, dan fisiologis yang disertai dengan kehawatiran akan kemungkinan konsekuensi negatif dari kegagalan pada tes atau situasi evaluatisf yang serupa. Kecemasan evaluatif yang tinggi dapat berdampak negatif bagi penyandangnya seperti misalnya prestasi sekolah yang rendah, performa tes yang buruk, gangguan kognitif, kesehatan yang buruk dan tekanan psikologis. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran kecemasan evaluatif pada mahasiswa. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif pada 207 mahasiswa universitas swasta X di Jakarta. Pengukuran kecemasan evaluatif menggunakan Test Anxiety Inventory. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dari 207 partisipan, terdapat 119 (57%) mahasiswa dengan tingkat kecemasan evaluatif rendah, 85 (41%) mahasiswa dengan tingkat kecemasan evaluatif sedang, 3 (1%) mahasiswa dengan tingkat kecemasan evaluatif tinggi

Teenager in conflict with the Law: addiction and impulsivity

This is a 17-year-old boy, who started substance use from an early age. In childhood I have behavioral disorders with poor school performance and poor socio-environmental stimulation, in the context of a highly dysfunctional family with the absence of continental adult figures. His criminal record is recorded from the age of 8 years and substance use from 12 years. The difficulty arose in the Court whether or not it was attributable. Finally, he was imputed. After the studies, it turned out that the young man according to the DSM V was structuring a psychopath personality. Keywords: Teenage; Impulsivity; Abuse toxic substance

Education and the Determinants of Early School Leaving in Campania

Skills gaps between people and socio-economic groups persist over time and affect the future of generations.Social change sees the relationship between education as a dynamic process, linked to “life long learning” and equity (Lisbon Commision, 2020) and the concept of human capital.The analysis of such a correlation will be the subject of the study to highlight the reasons for early school leaving and the repercussions on the labour market in some disadvantaged territorial units of reference in Campania (Italy).This regional context is characterized by a higher incidence of poverty, poor school performance and a less favourable condition of young people in the labour market.The examination will focus on the northern suburbs of Naples.

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICTORS OF POOR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Relevance. Underachieving schoolchildren are characterized by underdevelopment of higher mental functions (HMF) as compared to well-performing pupils. At the same time, there is a lack of explicit data on which dysfunctions are the most specific to underachievers. It is unknown how much particular neurocognitive dysfunctions affect school performance and what are the possibilities to compensate for isolated defects. Objectives. To identify the predictors of poor academic performance in school and to evaluate capabilities for children with certain neurocognitive dysfunctions for better progress at school. Method. The neuropsychological examination was used to evaluate the characteristics of neurocognitive development. Four daily routine activities, fourteen HMF, and the overall level of neurocognitive development were assessed. The index of isolation-multiplicity of neurocognitive dysfunctions was calculated. To evaluate academic performance (average grade for all disciplines) interviews with pupils and their parents were conducted, school exercise-books and assignment books were thoroughly studied. The study involved 427 children (292 boys and 135 girls) aged from 6 to 17 years, (11.7 ± 3). Results. The results of neuropsychological diagnostics explain 24% variance in the academic performance in school grades 1–4 and 18% variance in grades 5–11. Underachievement is predominantly related to the reduction in thinking, attention, audio-verbal memory, and overall level of neurocognitive development. Time orientation turns out to be more reduced than other everyday functions in underachievers. Certain mental functions in underperforming elementary school pupils can spontaneously improve through education. Isolated neurocognitive dysfunctions (up to 3) do not result in poor school performance. Conclusion. Thinking, attention, and audio-verbal memory dysfunctions against the background of the low overall level of neurocognitive development are most specific to underachieving schoolchildren. Under-development of attention is the most significant predictor of poor school performance in 1–4 school grades, low level of thinking — in 5–11 grades. Isolated neurocognitive dysfunctions (up to 3) that can be compensated for have no negative impact on educational performance.

Educational outcomes of children from long-term foster care: Does foster parents’ educational attainment matter?

Parental education is a robust predictor of children’s educational outcomes in general population studies, yet little is known about the intergenerational transmission of educational outcomes in alternative family settings such as children growing up in foster care. Using Swedish longitudinal register data on 2.167 children with experience of long-term foster care, this study explores the hypothesized mediating role of foster parents’ educational attainment on foster children’s educational outcomes, here conceptualized as having poor school performance at age 15 and only primary education at age 26. Results from gender-stratified regression analyses suggest that there was an association between foster parental educational attainment and foster children’s educational outcomes but that the educational transmission was weak and inconsistent and differed somewhat between males and females. For males, lower educational attainment in foster parents was associated with poor school performance but was not associated with educational attainment at age 26. The reverse pattern was found among females: the educational gradient was inconsistent for poor school performance but appeared in educational attainment. The results indicate that supported interventions for improving foster children’s educational achievements are needed, even when placements are relatively stable and foster parents have a long formal education.