Do Mathematics and Reading Skills Impact Student Science Outcomes?

Establishing validated science programs for students with or at risk for learning disabilities requires testing treatment effects and exploring differential response patterns. This study explored whether students' initial mathematics and reading skills influenced their treatment response to a whole-class, second-grade science program called Scientific Explorers (Sci2). The original Sci2 study employed a cluster randomized controlled design and included 294 students from 18 second-grade classrooms. Differential effects of the program by initial mathematics and reading skill levels were not observed for an interactive science assessment and a distal science outcome measure. However, based on initial reading skill levels, moderation results were found on a science vocabulary measure, suggesting the effects of Sci2 were greatest for students with higher initial reading skills. Similar results were found using initial mathematics skill levels as a predictor of differential response such that students with higher mathematics skills reaped stronger treatment effects on the vocabulary measure. Further, we found initial mathematics skills also influenced outcomes on the proximal science content assessment, where students with higher initial mathematics skills led to higher outcomes. Overall, findings suggest Sci2 produced robust effects for all students (g = 0.24-1.23), regardless of initial skill proficiencies. Implications for exploring differential response in science intervention research are discussed.

An innovative business model using established Medicare items for delivery of cardiac rehabilitation: A value proposition for primary care.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 70% of Australians do not attend cardiac rehabilitation (CR). A potential solution is integrating CR into primary care OBJECTIVE: To propose a business model for primary care providers to implement CR using current Medicare items. DISCUSSION: Using the chronic disease management plan, general practitioners (GPs) complete four clinical assessments at 1-2 weeks, 8-12 weeks, and 6 and 12 months after discharge. The net benefit of applying this model, compared with claiming the most used standard consultation Item 23, in Phase II CR is up to $505 per patient and $543 in Phase III CR. The number of rural GPs providing CR in partnership with the Country Access To Cardiac Health (CATCH) through the GP hybrid model has increased from 28 in 2021 to 32 in 2022. This increase might be attributed to this value proposition. The biggest limitation is access to allied health services in the rural areas.

MAGENTA: a Multinational patient survey assessing the Awareness, perceptions and unmet needs in GENetic Testing and counselling among patients with breAst cancer.

Objective: Genetic testing and counselling are critical in assessing breast cancer risk and tailoring treatment strategies. However, several barriers hinder patients from opting for genetic testing/counselling, leading to fewer than one-third of patients undergoing testing and even fewer being offered counselling. A granular understanding of these barriers is essential in overcoming them. Methods: A multinational survey developed by patient authors was conducted in 9 countries, to identify the specific local/regional barriers. The survey question pathway was individualized, based on responses to prior questions. Percentage responses to a response option were calculated based on the total number of respondents to that question. Chi-square tests were used to assess the significance of the results, if applicable. Results: The final analysis set (FAS) included 1,176 respondents, with a subset of this responding to all questions. In the FAS, 63% of respondents had undergone testing. Among those who got tested, 70% were offered testing. Among untested respondents, only 40% were offered the test but eventually did not get tested. In the tested population, 44% received counselling, which was significantly higher than 7% (p<0.00001) in the untested group. Among those reporting on awareness, 71% reported awareness level between 'very low' and 'moderate' prior to cancer diagnosis. Most respondents (71%) agreed that all breast cancer patients should undergo testing before treatment initiation. However, Asian patients were less likely to endorse this view compared to respondents from other regions (25% vs ≥50%; p<0.00001). A higher proportion of tested respondents were 'very willing' to get their family members tested (44%) versus untested respondents (11%), with relatively higher willingness among Australian (77%) and Russian respondents (56%), the regional variation being statistically significant (p<0.00001). Conclusions: Critical gaps remain in the access, awareness and perceived value of genetic testing and counselling, with regional variance or difference between the tested and untested groups. Most patients are not offered counselling, which may be associated with the low uptake of testing. Strategic action is needed to drive policy-shaping and improve access to testing and counselling, including raising patient awareness and improving patient experience for better treatment outcomes.

Auditory Neural Responses and Communicative Functioning in Children With Microcephaly Related to Congenital Zika Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Children with microcephaly exhibit neurodevelopmental delays and compromised communicative functioning, yielding challenges for clinical assessment and informed intervention. This study characterized auditory neural function and communication abilities in children with microcephaly due to congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). DESIGN: Click-evoked auditory brainstem responses (ABR) at fast and slow stimulation rates and natural speech-evoked cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEP) were recorded in 25 Brazilian children with microcephaly related to CZS ( M age: 5.93 ± 0.62 years) and a comparison group of 25 healthy children ( M age: 5.59 ± 0.80 years) matched on age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Communication abilities in daily life were evaluated using caregiver reports on Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-3. RESULTS: Caregivers of children with microcephaly reported significantly lower than typical adaptive functioning in the communication and socialization domains. ABR wave I latency did not differ significantly between the groups, suggesting comparable peripheral auditory function. ABR wave V absolute latency and waves I-V interwave latency were significantly shorter in the microcephaly group for both ears and rates. CAEP analyses identified reduced N2 amplitudes in children with microcephaly as well as limited evidence of speech sound differentiation, evidenced mainly by the N2 response latency. Conversely, in the comparison group, speech sound differences were observed for both the P1 and N2 latencies. Exploratory analyses in the microcephaly group indicated that more adaptive communication was associated with greater speech sound differences in the P1 and N2 amplitudes. The trimester of virus exposure did not have an effect on the ABRs or CAEPs. CONCLUSIONS: Microcephaly related to CZS is associated with alterations in subcortical and cortical auditory neural function. Reduced ABR latencies differ from previous reports, possibly due to the older age of this cohort and careful assessment of peripheral auditory function. Cortical speech sound detection and differentiation are present but reduced in children with microcephaly. Associations between communication performance in daily life and CAEPs highlight the value of auditory evoked potentials in assessing clinical populations with significant neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Designing a Library of Lived Experience for Mental Health: integrated realist synthesis and experience-based co-design study in UK mental health services.

OBJECTIVE: Living Library events involve people being trained as living 'Books', who then discuss aspects of their personal experiences in direct conversation with attendees, referred to as 'Readers'. This study sought to generate a realist programme theory and a theory-informed implementation guide for a Library of Lived Experience for Mental Health (LoLEM). DESIGN: Integrated realist synthesis and experience-based co-design. SETTING: Ten online workshops with participants based in the North of England. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one participants with a combination of personal experience of using mental health services, caring for someone with mental health difficulties and/or working in mental health support roles. RESULTS: Database searches identified 30 published and grey literature evidence sources which were integrated with data from 10 online co-design workshops conducted over 12 months. The analysis generated a programme theory comprising five context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations. Findings highlight how establishing psychological safety is foundational to productive Living Library events (CMO 1). For Readers, direct conversations humanise others' experiences (CMO 2) and provide the opportunity to flexibly explore new ways of living (CMO 3). Through participation in a Living Library, Books may experience personal empowerment (CMO 4), while the process of self-authoring and co-editing their story (CMO 5) can contribute to personal development. This programme theory informed the co-design of an implementation guide highlighting the importance of tailoring event design and participant support to the contexts in which LoLEM events are held. CONCLUSIONS: The LoLEM has appeal across stakeholder groups and can be applied flexibly in a range of mental health-related settings. Implementation and evaluation are required to better understand the positive and negative impacts on Books and Readers. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42022312789.

A Review of the Molecular Landscape of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Lacrimal Gland.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) has a worldwide incidence of three to four cases per million population. Although more cases occur in the minor and major salivary glands, it is the most common lacrimal gland malignancy. ACC has a low-grade, indolent histological appearance, but is relentlessly progressive over time and has a strong proclivity to recur and/or metastasise. Current treatment options are limited to complete surgical excision and adjuvant radiotherapy. Intra-arterial systemic therapy is a recent innovation. Recurrent/metastatic disease is common due to perineural invasion, and it is largely untreatable as it is refractory to conventional chemotherapeutic agents. Given the rarity of this tumour, the molecular mechanisms that govern disease pathogenesis are poorly understood. There is an unmet, critical need to develop effective, personalised targeted therapies for the treatment of ACC in order to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. This review details the evidence relating to the molecular underpinnings of ACC of the lacrimal gland, including the MYB-NFIB chromosomal translocations, Notch-signalling pathway aberrations, DNA damage repair gene mutations and epigenetic modifications.

Exploring academic and cognitive skills impacting retention and acquisition of word-problem knowledge gained during or after intervention.

In the present study, we investigated the impact of a word-problem intervention in retention and acquisition of knowledge after the intervention ended. We based analyses upon Grade 4 students experiencing mathematics difficulty (average age at pretest = 8.77) who received one of two variants of a word-problem intervention (with [n = 111] vs. without [n = 110] embedded pre-algebraic reasoning instruction) and students within a business-as-usual condition (BaU [n = 127]) separately. Findings revealed that students who received the intervention not only tended to retain less, but they also showed more active knowledge acquisition after the intervention ended. Furthermore, word-problem intervention altered the contributions of some prior knowledge and skills on both retention and acquisition.

Moraxella nonliquefaciens-associated infectious scleritis.

Infectious scleritis is a rare disease entity with potentially devastating visual sequelae. Here we present the clinical history, work-up and aetiology of an unusual case of infectious scleritis.

Obturator Anterior Dislocation After Direct Anterior Total Hip Arthroplasty in a Patient with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Case Report.

CASE: A 71-year-old woman with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome suffered an atraumatic obturator dislocation status post direct anterior total hip arthroplasty. A closed reduction under conscious sedation was attempted, but was unsuccessful. Repeat closed reduction under full general anesthesia with paralysis and fluoroscopic guidance was successful at reducing the femoral prosthesis out of the pelvis and back into an appropriate position. CONCLUSION: Atraumatic obturator dislocations after total hip arthroplasty are exceedingly rare. General anesthesia with full paralysis is helpful for a successful closed reduction, and open reduction may be necessary to remove the femoral prosthesis from the pelvis.

Designing a library of lived experience for mental health (LoLEM): protocol for integrating a realist synthesis and experience based codesign approach.

INTRODUCTION: People with lived expertise in managing mental health challenges can be an important source of knowledge and support for other people facing similar challenges, and for carers to learn how best to help. However, opportunities for sharing lived expertise are limited. Living libraries support people with lived expertise to be 'living books', sharing their experiences in dialogue with 'readers' who can ask questions. Living libraries have been piloted worldwide in health-related contexts but without a clear model of how they work or rigorous evaluation of their impacts. We aim to develop a programme theory about how a living library could be used to improve mental health outcomes, using this theory to codesign an implementation guide that can be evaluated across different contexts. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will use a novel integration of realist synthesis and experience-based codesign (EBCD) to produce a programme theory about how living libraries work and a theory and experience informed guide to establishing a library of lived experience for mental health (LoLEM). Two workstreams will run concurrently: (1) a realist synthesis of literature on living libraries, combined with stakeholder interviews, will produce several programme theories; theories will be developed collaboratively with an expert advisory group of stakeholders who have hosted or taken part in a living library and will form our initial analysis framework; a systematic search will identify literature about living libraries; data will be coded into our analysis framework, and we will use retroductive reasoning to explain living libraries' impacts across multiple contexts. Individual stakeholder interviews will help refine and test theories; (2) data from workstream 1 will inform 10 EBCD workshops with people with experience of managing mental health difficulties and health professionals to produce a LoLEM implementation guide; data from this process will also inform the theory in workstream 1. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was granted by Coventry and Warwick National Health Service Research Ethics Committee on 29 December 2021 (reference number 305975). The programme theory and implementation guide will be published as open access and shared widely through a knowledge exchange event, a study website, mental health provider and peer support networks, peer reviewed journals and a funders report. PROSPERO REGISTRATION DETAILS: CRD42022312789.

Presentations to eye emergency departments with flashes and floaters differ dependent on incident solar radiation.

AIM: The aim of this retrospective review was to analyse the frequency of patients presenting with flashes and/or floaters (F/F) on bright versus dark days to the eye emergency department of a tertiary referral hospital (the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital) over a 3-year period. The diagnostic and clinical outcomes of F/F presentations were also analysed. METHODS: This retrospective study assessed eye casualty attendances between January 2018 and December 2020. Solar irradiation (j/cm2) at ground level was retrieved from the records of Met Eireann (Irish National Meteorological Service) via their open access records. A review of electronic patient medical records using the in-house database patient centre was carried out of all patients who attended EED of during the study timeline on the 5 'brightest' and 5 'darkest' days of each year. RESULTS: Seven hundred forty patient presentations were analysed in total. Overall, 16% (n = 119) of all patients that attended EED during the timeframe of the study presented with F/F. One hundred six patients (89%) presented with floaters, 40 patients (34%) presented with flashing lights/photopsia, and 35 patients (29%) presented with both F/F. More patients presented to EED with F/F on bright days when compared with dark days (74 vs 45, p < 0.05). Eighty-nine percent of all patients with F/F presented with monocular floaters. There were more floater presentations during bright when compared with dark days (70 vs 36, p < 0.05). More patients were diagnosed with PVD on bright days when compared with those diagnosed with PVD on dark days (43vs 15, p < 0.05). More RDs were diagnosed on dark days compared with bright days (7 vs 3, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study established that F/F presentations were more likely to present during bright days when compared with dark days. The diagnosis of PVD was more common during bright days, and RDs were diagnosed significantly more frequently on dark days. Although incident solar radiation was correlated with greater floaters/PVD presentation, causation is unlikely, and the duration of PVD may have been longer in patients presenting on bright days (i.e. pseudo-sudden symptoms).

The value of handholding during intravitreal injections.

BACKGROUND: Repeated intravitreal injections (IVI) have become the therapeutic standard of care for multiple retinal conditions. Reducing discomfort and anxiety around IVIs is important to ensure ongoing patient compliance with therapy. AIMS: The study aimed to investigate if handholding during an IVI reduces patient anxiety, and to ascertain if their anxiety lessens following repeated therapy. METHODS: Patients attending for IVIs were asked preoperatively to plot their anxiety level using the visual analogue scale for anxiety (VASA) from 0-10. They were randomised into three groups: Hand-Held-Skin-to-Skin (HHS), Hand-Held-Skin-to-Glove (HHG) and Hand-not-Held (HNH) during IVI. Post-IVI, patients were asked to recall and plot their experienced level of anxiety at the time of their first injection (First Injection Anxiety, FIA) on the 0-10 visual analogue scale for anxiety. Both hand-held cohorts were also asked their preference for handholding for future injections. RESULTS: In total, 195 patients were surveyed: HHS, n = 67; HHG, n = 58 and HNH, n = 70. A total of 98% of respondents in both Hand-Held cohorts stated they found the intervention useful in reducing anxiety, with 97% saying they would like their hand held for subsequent IVIs. Patients' anxiety levels significantly reduced when their hand was held gloved or ungloved for IVIs (p = 0.007). IVI associated anxiety did not lessen with repeated therapy. CONCLUSION: Patient stress levels are considerably reduced when their hand is held during IVI. Handholding is a useful intervention throughout the patient journey and not solely at the time of initiation of treatment.

Glaucoma - 'A Stiff Eye in a Stiff Body'.

Glaucoma is a progressive, age-related optic neuropathy, whereby the prevalence increases sharply over the age of 60 and is associated with increased systemic tissue stiffness. On a molecular basis, this is associated with increased deposition of collagen and loss of elastin structure, resulting in aberrant biomechanical compliance and reduced tissue elasticity. Increased tissue stiffness is a known driver of myofibroblast activation and persistence, especially in chronic cellular injuries via mechanotransduction pathways mediated by integrins and focal adhesion kinases. Evidence from histological and imaging studies plus force measurements of glaucomatous eyes show that several ocular tissues are stiffer than normal, healthy age-matched controls including the trabecular meshwork, Schlemm's canal, cornea, sclera and the lamina cribrosa. This is associated with increased extracellular matrix deposition and fibrosis. This review reports on the evidence to support the concept that glaucoma represents 'a stiff eye in a stiff body' and addresses potential mechanisms to attenuate this.

A Synthesis of the Conceptualization and Measurement of Implementation Fidelity in Mathematics Intervention Research.

In intervention studies, high rates of implementation fidelity are important markers of a study's success; however, the definition of implementation fidelity is both complex and dynamic. In this synthesis, we examined the dimensions of implementation fidelity measured and reported in 99 studies in which researchers utilized a mathematics intervention for elementary students (i.e., Grades 1-5). We examined implementation fidelity following recommendations made by Dane and Schneider (1998), O'Donnell (2008), and DeFouw et al. (2009) to capture a comprehensive representation of the implementation fidelity data collected and reported within mathematics intervention studies. We organized our conceptualization of implementation fidelity into four overarching categories and nine dimensions within those categories: intervention design (i.e., theories of change and logistics), fidelity of implementor (i.e., adherence, quality of delivery, dosage, and implementor knowledge or experience), student engagement, and treatment analysis (i.e., treatment differentiation and analysis of implementation fidelity). Overall, findings indicate many author teams reported adherence data and dosage data, but significantly fewer studies reported quality of delivery data, student engagement data, or treatment differentiation data. In addition, author teams were more likely to report at least one form of logistics, such as implementor support, than theories of change. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Impact of prior anterior instability on shoulder arthroplasty outcomes: a systematic review.

Background: Anterior shoulder instability (ASI) is a frequently encountered pathology. Patients with a history of ASI have an increased rate of developing glenohumeral osteoarthritis and becoming candidates for shoulder arthroplasty. This systematic review aims to synthesize outcomes for patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty with a history of ASI. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) using PubMed, Embase, OVID Medline, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases for studies evaluating the impact of prior ASI on total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), reverse TSA, and/or hemiarthroplasty outcomes, with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Studies were graded by level of evidence and data concerning patient demographics and outcomes were extracted. Results: Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria, including 596 patients (413 male, 181 female). The average age of the control and prior ASI groups were 57.5 and 57.0 years, respectively. Overall, 251 patients were treated operatively, 132 nonoperatively, and 213 were controls without a history of prior ASI. Shoulder arthroplasty techniques included TSA (436 shoulders), reverse TSA (130 shoulders), and hemiarthroplasty (14 shoulders). Prior anterior stabilization management included soft tissue repair, bony augmentation, and nonoperative treatment. Almost all studies reported no significant difference in subjective and functional arthroplasty outcomes between control and prior ASI groups, or between patients with prior ASI treated nonoperatively vs. surgically. Conclusion: Shoulder arthroplasty in the setting of prior ASI results in improved subjective and functional outcome scores that are comparable to patients without a history of instability.

A Case of Severe Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome Causing Pleural Effusion.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is one of the complications of treating infertility by ovarian stimulation. As a result of the stimulation, there is a shift of serum from the intravascular space to the third space, leading to complications like ascites and pleural effusion. Here we present a case of a 29-year-old female with polycystic ovarian syndrome who was being treated for infertility using ovarian stimulation agents for in-vitro fertilization. After egg retrieval, the patient complained of shortness of breath and was found to have right-sided pleural effusion. Her symptoms were eventually relieved following an ultrasound-guided diagnostic and therapeutic thoracentesis. Upon discharge, a repeat chest radiograph in the pulmonary clinic showed no pleural effusion. In conclusion, although severe complications like pleural effusion from ovarian stimulation are rare, the physician should be able to recognize this phenomenon to prevent any further deterioration of the patient.

Treatment of Malalignment and Cartilage Injury: High Tibial Osteotomy With a Concomitant Osteochondral Allograft to the Medial Femoral Condyle and Lateral and Medial Partial Meniscectomy.

In patients with full-thickness focal cartilage defects, osteochondral allograft is a technique for restoration of hyaline cartilage; however, in patients with genu varum, the diseased compartment of the knee is generally offloaded as well. A high tibial osteotomy presents a biomechanical solution to malalignment of the knee and offloading of the diseased compartment of the knee. The purpose of this Technical Note is to present our preferred technique to treat focal cartilage damage in a varus misaligned knee coupling a high tibial osteotomy with an osteochondral allograft to the medial femoral condyle, along with partial medial and lateral meniscectomy.

Evolution and Trends in Male Versus Female Authorship of Articles in Flagship Orthopaedic Journals From 1995 to 2020.

INTRODUCTION: The gender disparity in orthopaedic surgery has been recognized for many years. Because research affects promotions, this study investigates trends in female authorship in three journals over the past 25 years for both first and senior authors. METHODS: All articles from Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research from 1995 to 2020 in 5-year intervals were downloaded, and the data for first and senior authors were extracted. The sex of the first and senior authors was determined using the validated Genderize algorithm. The demographics of the first and senior author cohorts were analyzed using chi square tests. The trends in female authorship controlling for year and journal were assessed with logistic regression models. RESULTS: Within the studied journals, 5,636 individuals were identified as first authors and 4,572 as senior authors. Sex was determined for 82.59% of the authors. Female first authorship increased significantly from 1995 to 2020 (6.70% to 15.37%, P < 0.001). Similarly, female senior authorship increased significantly from 1995 to 2020 (8.22% to 13.65%, P < 0.001). Overall, there was no significant difference in gender composition of authors between journals (P = 0.700 first author and P = 0.098 senior author). Women were much more likely to publish as first or senior author in later years, regardless of the journal (P < 0.001 first author and P < 0.001 senior author). DISCUSSION: Female authorship in prominent orthopaedic journals has increased markedly from 1995 to 2020 with interjournal differences in senior author gender disparity. Although female orthopaedic surgeons publish at rates equal to or greater than their representation in the specialty, additional research is needed into the persistence of gender disparities in orthopaedics.

Aging and Gait Function: Examination of Multiple Factors that Influence Gait Variability.

This investigation aimed to identify parameters of reduced functionality that are responsible for variations in the normal gait cycle. Sixteen older adults (55-85 years; nine males) and eighteen young adults (18-40 years; eight males) were enrolled. Assessments included walking trials, questionnaires, and assessed maximal and submaximal dorsiflexors (DF) and plantar flexors (PF) force. Multiple relationships were found between the muscular capabilities of the ankle and gait variability in older adults. For both the DF and PF muscles, the older adults produced significantly lower maximal force production and higher levels of force variability than younger adults; physical activity (PA) level was also significantly correlated. The reduction in muscular strength was concurrent with increased force variability and deficits in spatiotemporal gait parameters, suggesting an age-related worsening of the central motor control. Our results found that PA engagement could preserve gait quality and independence. These are essential considerations for further research on the cause and reduction of falls in older adults.