Meta-analytic associations between the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale and students' social competence with peers.

According to developmental psychologists, more supportive and less conflictual relationships with teachers play a positive role in children's social behavior with peers both concurrently and in the future. This meta-analysis examined the association between teacher-student relationship quality, as measured by the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS; Pianta, 2001a), and social competence from early childhood through high school. Based on nearly 30,000 students from 87 studies, the weighted average association between teacher-student relationship quality and social competence with peers was = .

Analytical Performance Characteristics of a New Transcription-Mediated Amplification Assay for Treponema pallidum.

This study evaluated the performance characteristics of a new research-use-only transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) assay for the detection of rRNA from Treponema pallidum. Analytical sensitivity determined using dark-field microscopy-quantitated T. pallidum was 1.

Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing To Augment Syphilis Screening among Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Syphilis rates in much of the world are now at their highest levels in almost three decades, and new approaches to controlling syphilis, including diagnostic tests with shorter window periods, are urgently needed. We compared the sensitivity of syphilis serological testing using the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test with that of the combination of serological testing and an experimental 23S rRNA real-time transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) assay performed on rectal and pharyngeal mucosal swabs. PCR assays for the gene were performed on all TMA-positive specimens, as well as specimens from 20 randomly selected TMA-negative men.