Jonas Friedenwald, Eugene Wolff, and the Two Books That Helped Bridge the Specialty Gap.

Background: Eugene Wolff (1896-1954) and Jonas S. Friedenwald (1897-1955) were life-long students and educators of anatomic pathology and ophthalmology. Both contributed toward narrowing the gap between the two rapidly diverging specialties of pathology and ophthalmology. Friedenwald in 1929 and Wolff in 1934 each published textbooks of ophthalmic pathology that influenced medical education for decades to come. Summary: Friedenwald's The Pathology of the Eye and Wolff's A Pathology of the Eye introduced ophthalmologists in training and practice to anatomic pathology, while familiarizing pathologists with the nature of ocular disease. Both books appeared at the time when anatomic pathology was departing from its mostly academic roles in education and research to assume more active participation in clinical care by establishing diagnoses through biopsy. Key Messages: Wolff and Friedenwald dedicated their careers to teaching the art and science of anatomic pathology to clinical ophthalmologists. Their efforts helped anchor ophthalmology to the traditions of mainstream medicine.

Enhancing special education programs' curricula for students with intellectual disabilities in saudi arabia: A call for personalized approaches and inclusive practices.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In Saudi Arabia, students with intellectual disabilities (ID) receive some of their education through textbooks. However, using textbooks with students with ID contradicts the principles of providing services based on individuals with ID needs personalized plans to develop their individual abilities. This study aimed to investigate family and teacher perceptions of middle and high school curricula for students with ID in Saudi Arabia. This study focused specifically on the extent to which these curricula contribute to the development of academic and life skills among these students. METHOD AND PROCEDURE: A 21-item scale was used to measure the perceptions of family members and teachers of individuals with intellectual disability. The scale validity and reliability were examined and supported. The sample comprised of 113 family members and 111 teachers of students with ID. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Family members and teachers both expressed low satisfaction regarding the improvement in academic and life skills of students as a result of the current curricular in the surveyed programs. Additionally, they conveyed dissatisfaction with the overall outcomes of services provided for individuals with intellectual disabilities. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This study highlights the inadequacies of a one-size-fits-all approach to designing curricula for students with ID. There is a need to improve and enhance curriculum content to meet the diverse learning needs of these individuals.

Some Personal Reflections on the History and Current Status of Textbooks in the Field of Death, Dying, and Bereavement.

This article is a contribution to recording one dimension of the history of education in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. It offers some personal reflections on the history and current status of textbooks in our field that have been or are currently published in North America. The scope of this reflection looks back on the earliest textbooks in this field published in the 1960s and 1970s and extends to textbooks published in the early 2020s. Critical comments are offered on general trends or on textbooks that are no longer in print, but not on individual titles that are currently available for adoption and instructional use. Because I am the lead author of one such textbook, I do not choose to engage in invidious comparisons. Instead, this article includes descriptions of contemporary textbooks taken from the Amazon website.

Exploring the usage of learning resources by medical students in the basic science stage and their effect on academic performance.

BACKGROUND: The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step 1 is one of the two examinations written after completion of the first two years (basic science stage) of medical school to be eligible to apply for residency training in the USA. A huge number and types of study materials are available to prepare for the exam which might confuse students choosing a resource. We investigated learning resources being used by the third and fifth-semester medical students and their association with academic performance. We also compared learning resources and exam scores of high-performing and low-performing students. METHODS: Data collection was done using structured (quantitative study) and semi-structured (qualitative study) questionnaires during a face-to-face interview. This article is about the quantitative part which was designed as a correlational study. Single factor one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation coefficient test, T-test, and Fisher's exact test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: About half of all students used three or more commercial resources dealing with the same content. A weak negative correlation was observed between the number of commercial resources and the exam scores, especially when the number of these resources was three or more (r = -0.26). The mean exam score of textbook users was statistically significantly higher than the mean score of textbook non-users (p = 0.01). The usage of textbooks was statistically significantly higher in the cohort of top performers in comparison to the rest of the students (p = 0.006). In addition to less usage of textbooks, the mean number of review books was higher in the group of weakest students (2.84 versus 3.7; p = 0.75). CONCLUSIONS: Most students did not use professional textbooks and about half used too many commercial review resources. While the former fact was significantly associated with poor academic performance, the later fact had weak negative correlation with exam score. Pedagogical interventions are urgently needed to make the right type of learning resources available by making professional textbooks more USMLE-oriented and helping the students choose the best and right number of resources for optimum academic performance. By fulfilling the observed needs of the students in this way, they might feel empowered because of self-determination which will motivate studies.

Analysis of Formative and Evaluative Activities on Statistical Graphs in Textbooks for Chilean Rural Multigrade Education.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the formative and evaluative activities involving statistical graphs in the new textbooks for Chilean rural multigrade education. The methodology is qualitative, at a descriptive level and uses the content analysis technique. The sample is made up of the six primary education textbooks distributed by the Ministry of Education for rural multigrade schools. The results show the predominance of the bar chart, semiotic level 3, the task of calculating and the personal context in both types of activities, although with respect to the reading level, it is evident that level 4 predominates in the formative activities and level 2 in the evaluative ones. According to the results, it is recommended to incorporate graphs proposed by the curricular guidelines of the Ministry of Education, which are absent in textbooks as well as to include evaluative activities that require reflection on the nature of the data, context, representation and conclusions obtained from them.

Some Reflections on Dental Publishing 100 yrs Ago.

Publication of dental textbooks was a thriving business years ago and multiple publishing house entered the work place. Historical reflections on one of the early dental publishers coming in Philadelphia over 100 yrs ago are highlighted.

Women in Saudi secondary school EFL textbooks: a critical study of women's empowerment as enshrined in the Saudi Vision 2030.

Since the launch of the Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has undergone significant economic and social reforms in order to move away from the country's reliance on oil and toward a more diverse and sustainable economy. One of the important chapters in this endeavour is the empowerment of Saudi women whereby they are to be given opportunities equal to men. Against this new paradigm, this study investigates whether Vision 2030's transformative efforts surrounding women's empowerment are reflected in the country's EFL textbooks, or whether the traditional representation of Saudi women has remained unchanged. The analytical focal point is the pictorial representation of Saudi women in six textbooks which form part of the Mega Goal series, and which are used to teach English in Saudi secondary schools. The analysis examined the representations of females from three different angles: the percentage of appearances in the textbooks from the total human pictorials; the social roles and occupations depicted, and the activities that they are engaged in. Analysis along all three of these angles revealed that there is a remarkable imbalance between the depiction of men and women in these textbooks, in favour of men. The study concludes that the Mega Goal series' EFL textbooks fall short of providing a realistic representation of Saudi women and fails to include representative depictions of women who, like their male counterparts, have occupied senior roles and prestigious positions in the country. This conclusion points to the need to include such representation in EFL textbooks, so that the role of women as envisaged in Saudi's Vision 2030 complies with the Vision's determination to provide equal opportunities for both men and women.

Representation of Women and Women's Health in Australian Medical School Course Outlines, Curriculum Requirements, and Selected Core Clinical Textbooks.

Background: Historically, medical research has, outside of reproductive health, neglected the health needs of women. Medical studies have previously excluded female participants, meaning research data have been collected from males and generalized to females. Knowledge gained from research is translated to clinical education and patient care, and female exclusion may result in gaps in the medical school curricula and textbooks. Materials and Methods: This study involved a desktop review of the Australian Medical Council Standards for assessment and accreditation of primary medical programs, the online publicly available Australian medical school course outlines, and finally, an analysis of the recommended textbooks. Results: There is no fixed or explicit requirement to include women's health in Australian medical school curricula. Medical school course outlines do not adequately include women's health; similarly, clinical medicine textbooks do not account for sex and gender differences. Conclusion: Important sex and gender differences in medicine are not reflected adequately in the medical school course outlines, curricula, or clinical textbooks. This may have significant consequences on women's health.

[The outstanding Russian ophthalmologist Alexey Nikolaevich Maklakov]. / Vydayushchiisya russkii oftal'molog Aleksei Nikolaevich Maklakov.

The conducted archival research and analysis of literary publications allowed us to supplement the biography and creative path in science, clinical and social activities of the outstanding Russian ophthalmologist A.N. Maklakov. This article emphasizes the urgency of the problem of teaching in medical universities, and gives special attention to the thoughts of the scientist about providing clarity in the process of teaching students. The article notes his role in the arrangement and equipment of the new eye clinic of the Moscow University, and presents fragments of memoirs of his student and mentee, another famous Russian ophthalmologist S.S. Golovin. A remark is made about the need to clarify the terms traditionally accepted in the history of medicine in relation to surgery and ophthalmology. An assessment is given on the contribution of A.N. Maklakov to the establishment of the Moscow Ophthalmological Circle, his efforts to unite doctors, and the development of the statutory documents of the All-Russian Society of Eye Doctors.

Chance and Opportunity: A Personal Story.

This article summarizes my personal life story, from early education in India to research, teaching, and other activities in Boston and San Francisco. I have tried to illustrate how unplanned events shape one's path, and why the willingness to go with the flow is among one's most valuable attributes.

General surgery textbooks and surgical disparities.

INTRODUCTION: Some academic textbooks have previously disseminated simplistic or even incorrect conceptions of race. Propagation of such ideas in General Surgery could contribute to gaps in quality of care received by minority patients. This study aims to determine whether General Surgery textbooks provide a thorough understanding of racial disparities. METHODS: General Surgery texts were drawn from Doody's list, an industry-standard list of textbooks for medical education. Technical guides, atlases, and books for non-General Surgery professionals were excluded. Passages mentioning medical differences amongst racial and ethnic groups were extracted. Six binary classifications were made, based on whether passages (a) described interventions to alleviate difference; (b) addressed environmental mediators of difference; (c) described the contribution of racism or discrimination; (d) used causal language to connect race to difference; (e) referred to known, heritable genetic mechanisms; and (f) directly provided a reference. Types of intervention were also extracted. A heuristic scale was calculated granting one point each for classifications a-c and losing one point for classification d. Three authors performed classifications, and raw agreement and Cohen's kappa were used to assess inter-rater reliability. RESULTS: Thirteen textbooks from Doody's list contained 511 passages discussing medical differences among racial/ethnic groups. Among passages, 25% discussed white people, 22% Black people/African Americans, 19% Asians, 9% Latinos, 4% Jewish/Ashkenazi people, 3% Native Americans, and 18% other. Fifteen passages (2.9%) used language indicating race was the cause of medical difference, and only two explicitly discussed racism or discrimination. Most passages (370, 72.3%) received a scale of 0. 120 (23.5%) received a scale of 1, eight (1.2%) received a scale of 2, and zero received a scale of 3. The mean passage scale was 0.24 and is not changing with time (regression coefficient -0.006/year, p = 0.538). Agreement was 91.2% across all categories and overall Kappa was 0.62. CONCLUSIONS: General Surgery textbooks do not provide readers with scientifically thorough understanding of health disparities. Teaching more comprehensive conceptions, including systemic causes and the role of racism, may prevent reflexive association of minority patients with poor outcomes. Future editions should include these details where disparities are discussed in an independent, comprehensive section.

Mendeleev's discovery of the periodic table and the first European Academy of Sciences to honour him.

The chemical science community will commemorate the 155th anniversary of Mendeleev's groundbreaking discovery of the periodic table of elements in 2024. This paper aims to underscore the significance of Mendeleev's honorary membership in the Academy of Sciences in Zagreb, Croatia, which occurred in 1882, making it the first scientific academy in Europe to extend this recognition. Additionally, we seek to explore the contextual circumstances that contributed to this noteworthy event within the broader European context. To provide insight into the specificities and variations in the influence and reception of the periodic table of elements within the educational process of select European countries (Russia, Germany, Czech Lands, Serbia), we conducted a comprehensive review, drawing comparisons to Croatia. Notably, upon its initial publication in 1869, the discovery of the periodic table did not gain immediate acceptance in Croatia, largely attributed to the absence of a well-established presence of chemical science within the country. About fifteen years passed from Mendeleev's discovery of the periodic law to its reception and dissemination throughout Croatia. Despite an initial delay, Croatian chemical science followed the development of the periodic table through secondary and university education, while actively partaking it in.

On working with poison: Reflections on painful empowerment in queer faculty-student participatory action research.

Human sexuality textbooks, like most social and health sciences products, are notoriously limited in their inclusion of queer, trans, and intersex people. While well-intentioned faculty (like the first author) do their best to address these limitations, sometimes it isn't enough. Sometimes our texts, and we, cause harm. This paper describes two phases of a participatory action research (PAR) project involving queer, trans, and intersex students and a queer, nonbinary faculty member that intended to address harm tied to a course text, support student empowerment, and move toward action to improve unjust textbook representation. Through first-person reflective storytelling, we, the faculty member and one student member of the research team, share our approach to "working with poison," including strategies for infusing trauma-informed practices into our PAR approach. We reflect on the pain of doing this work, and the ways our approach succeeded and failed. We end with recommendations for individuals, publishers, and institutions looking to minimize harm and promote justice in higher education curriculum.

A large-scale database of Chinese characters and words collected from elementary school textbooks.

Lexical databases are essential tools for studies on language processing and acquisition. Most previous Chinese lexical databases have focused on materials for adults, yet little is known about reading materials for children and how lexical properties from these materials affect children's reading comprehension. In the present study, we provided the first large database of 2999 Chinese characters and 2182 words collected from the official textbooks recently issued by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of the People's Republic of China for most elementary schools in Mainland China, as well as norms from both school-aged children and adults. The database incorporates key orthographic, phonological, and semantic factors from these lexical units. A word-naming task was used to investigate the effects of these factors in character and word processing in both adults and children. The results suggest that: (1) as the grade level increases, visual complexity of those characters and words increases whereas semantic richness and frequency decreases; (2) the effects of lexical predictors on processing both characters and words vary across children and adults; (3) the effect of age of acquisition shows different patterns on character and word-naming performance. The database is available on Open Science Framework (OSF) ( https://osf.io/ynk8c/?view_only=5186bd68549340bd923e9b6531d2c820 ) for future studies on Chinese language development.

Representation of dark skin tones in foundational nursing textbooks: An image analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze and quantify the representation of dark skin tones (DST) images/graphics across fifteen foundational and clinical nursing textbooks to understand the degree of portrayed diversity in current nursing texts. BACKGROUND: The United States (U.S.) population is becoming more ethnically and racially diverse. There is a scarcity of nursing literature, studies, and educational materials on the assessment and early recognition of common skin assessment in patients with dark skin tones (DST). The underrepresentation of people with DST images in didactic material suggests that omissions of these images in educational resources may introduce bias in health care provider education and practice. METHODS: Fifteen popular foundational and clinical nursing textbooks were selected and analyzed. All the photo images and drawn graphics in these textbooks were coded according to Fitzpatrick's skin phototype (FSP) scale, which categorizes skin tone as (a) "Light" or Fitzpatrick scale I or II, (b) "Medium" or Fitzpatrick scale III or IV, and (c) "Dark" or Fitzpatrick scale V or VI. The training was provided for data collectors before analysis to ascertain good inter-rater reliability (Cohen's kappa = 0.960 for light skin tone, Cohen's kappa = 0.899 for medium skin tone, and Cohen's kappa = 0.913 for dark skin tone). RESULTS: Analysis of 14,192 photo images and drawn graphics depicting skin tone was completed across 15 foundational and clinical nursing textbooks. 12.3 % of photo images and 2.4 % of drawn graphics depicted dark skin tones, compared to 60.9 % of photo images and 82.8 % of drawn graphics that displayed light skin tones in these textbooks. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing textbooks overrepresent light skin tones and underrepresent dark skin tones. While the approximate racial distribution of the U.S. population is 59.3 % non-Hispanic-White, 13.6 % Black/African American, and 26.6 % Person of Color, the images and graphics of skin tones represented 68 % light, 15 % medium, and 9.4 % dark. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: All healthcare providers are expected and required to deliver competent clinical care to an increasingly diverse population. For teaching-learning, more visual representations of DST and comparative images between what to expect in dark, medium, and light skin tones can help improve knowledge deficits and increase health equity.

Secondary school students' use and perceptions of textbooks in mathematics learning: A large-scale investigation in China.

Students' use of textbooks is the key link of students engaged and learned curriculum and has received much attention recently. However, existing studies were mainly case studies or small-scale investigations and few addressed the context of China. Hence, this study provided a general overview of mathematics textbook use by Chinese secondary students through a large-scale investigation. Using a mixed-method approach, we collected the quantitative data from 2,145 students in eight provinces through a questionnaire survey and the qualitative data from 20 students and 8 teachers by the interviews. The results revealed that (1) Chinese students relied heavily on mathematics textbooks and pointedly used a portion of components in textbooks, mainly kernels, examples, and exercises; (2) Chinese students used mathematics textbooks for various but typical reasons, particularly to understand basic knowledge and skills, and showed self-regulation and teacher-mediation behind their use; and (3) Chinese students had a positive view about textbook use in mathematics learning, especially in developing mathematical knowledge, skills, and abilities. Furthermore, there were significant differences in mathematics textbook use among different students in terms of school regions, grade levels, and teachers' demographic variables. Finally, explanations and implications of the results were discussed.

Faculty Motivation for OER Textbook Adoption and Future Use.

Most postsecondary instructors in the United States require students to use textbooks in their courses; however, the cost of commercial materials has increased, and copyright policies impede sharing, editing, and customizations of materials. The current study aimed to examine faculty motivation to adopt Open Educational Resources (OER) and how OER use relates to effective teaching practices. Survey data from 469 professors, instructors, lecturers, and research scientists were analyzed using structural equation modeling, which found that autonomous motivation (engagement with OER textbooks based on enjoyment, value) was the strongest positive predictor of current and future OER textbook use. However, use of OER textbooks was not related to self-reported teaching success. The results of this study contribute to better understanding faculty perceptions of and motivation for OER textbook use, along with informing OER adoption initiatives at postsecondary institutions.

Representation of Aging in Elementary School Textbooks in Iran.

The attitude toward older adults is developed from childhood. School textbooks are one of the most important sources of shaping attitude in children. So, the present study aimed to analyze the visual and textual content of the aging concept in elementary school textbooks after the Irans's Islamic Revolution (1979). The method of the present study was content analysis, and 112 textbooks were reviewed. The analysis unit included 118 images and 91 subset of texts pertaining to aging concept. The results showed that aging concepts are classified into two positive and negative stereotypes categories. The positive stereotype included social interaction, authority and respect, wisdom, spirituality, positive traits, and independence. Social interaction was the most frequent of them. Negative stereotypes included abuse, negative personality traits, illness, and disability, of which the negative personality traits were the most frequent. In addition, the results suggested that 87.7% of the concepts of aging in the textbooks were positive. Although the positive stereotypes were more frequent in textbooks, the active older adults were presented in low-status jobs, and the ethnic minorities and older women were less considered. Accordingly, policymaking through the textbooks and from childhood is necessary for developing successful aging and decreasing ageism in society.

The cultural sustainability in English as foreign language textbooks: Investigating the cultural representations in English language textbooks in China for senior middle school students.

In the age of globalization, studies of cultural representations in foreign language textbooks take account of cultural sustainability. This article reports on a case study of cultural representations in two English language textbook series that are widely used in senior high schools in China. The study investigated whether the cultural representations in these textbooks contribute to the development of local cultural sustainability. Content analysis was employed to examine the texts used in these textbooks, with references to the synergy of the theoretical frameworks of cultural sustainability and world Englishes. The study results indicate that there is an imbalanced cultural representation with respect to the categories of international cultures and national culture in these textbooks. The results point to the cultures of the inner circle countries (BANA: Britain, Australasia, and North America) being predominant, while the representation of Chinese culture has a low profile. As these textbooks are an important learning and teaching resource in China, they have the potential to play a significant role in influencing learners' worldviews as they develop their understanding of different cultures. The imbalanced presentation of culture may in turn lead to a biased worldview where learners, rather appreciating cultural diversity, may instead discriminate against certain cultures. The implications for redressing the imbalance in cultural representation and cultural sustainability are discussed.