Vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension account for SES-differences in how school-aged children infer word meanings from sentences.

Socioeconomic status (SES)-related language gaps are known to widen throughout the course of the school years; however, not all children from lower SES homes perform worse than their higher SES peers on measures of language. The current study uses mediation and moderated mediation to examine how cognitive and language abilities (vocabulary, reading, phonological processing, working memory) account for individual differences in a children's ability to infer a novel word's meaning, a key component in word learning, in school-aged children from varying SES backgrounds. Vocabulary and reading comprehension mediated the relationship between SES and accuracy when inferring word meanings. The relationship between SES, vocabulary, and inferring word meaning was moderated by age, such that the influence of vocabulary on task performance was strongest in young children. The reading pathway did not interact with age effects, indicating reading is an important contributor to SES-related differences in how children infer a word's meaning throughout grade school. These findings highlight different paths by which children's trajectories for inferring word meanings may be impacted.

Neural oscillations reveal differences in the process of word learning among school-aged children from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds.

Building a robust vocabulary in grade school is essential for academic success. Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) households on average perform below their higher SES peers on word learning tasks, negatively impacting their vocabulary; however, significant variability exists within this group. Many children from low SES homes perform as well as, or better than, their higher SES peers on measures of word learning. The current study addresses what processes underlie this variability, by comparing the neural oscillations of 44 better versus worse word learners (ages 8-15 years) from lower SES households as they infer the meaning of unknown words. Better word learners demonstrated increases in theta and beta power as a word was learned, whereas worse word learners exhibited decreases in alpha power. These group differences in neural oscillatory engagement during word learning indicate there may be different strategies employed based on differences in children's skills. Notably, children with greater vocabulary knowledge are more likely to exhibit larger beta increases; a strategy which is associated with better word learning. This sheds new light on the mechanisms that support word learning in children from low SES households.

Perioperative antibiotic, steroid, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents in cataract intraocular lens surgery.

Ophthalmologists continue to choose topical antibiotics and corticosteroids more frequently than injectable agents for their current cataract surgical techniques. The preoperative use of povidone-iodine 5% and the postoperative use of impregnated soft contact lenses have helped augment our therapeutic armamentarium. NSAIDs play an important role in decreasing postoperative convalescence with fewer side effects. The intracameral administration of heparin and antibiotic solutions is discussed.

Perioperative antibiotic, steroidal, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents in cataract intraocular lens surgery.

Ophthalmologists are choosing topical antibiotics and corticosteroids more frequently than injectable agents for their current cataract surgical techniques. The preoperative use of povidone-iodine 5%, dilute intracameral antibiotics (via the balanced saline solution infusion), and postoperative impregnated collagen shields or soft contact lenses augment the therapeutic armamentarium. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, especially diclofenac 0.1%, have played an important role in decreasing postoperative convalescence through maintaining preoperative mydriasis, reducing anterior chamber reactions, and inhibiting cystoid macular edema. With fewer side effects, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are minimizing the role of topical steroids.