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Patients listed for solid organ transplants (LSOTP) are at high risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Despite national guidelines recommending COVID-19 vaccination for LSOTP, vaccine hesitancy and underuse are reported in this population; however, reasons for this finding have not been examined thoroughly. This single-center retrospective survey analysis aimed to characterize reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among 110 heart, liver, and kidney patients LSOTP who had not received all the recommended vaccine doses at the time of the study. Survey questions also investigated experiences with influenza vaccination. Fifty-four patients (49.1%) responded to the telephone survey. The most common reasons for vaccine hesitancy were perceived lack of research in vaccine development (31%), fear of vaccine-related side effects (22%), and belief that the vaccine was unnecessary (20%). Of the respondents, 35% reported changing their vaccine perception after being listed for a transplant, most commonly attributing this to a perception that the COVID-19 vaccine is not safe for transplant recipients (32%). Gender differences in hesitancy reasons were observed, with males more likely to delay vaccination until after transplantation, although this difference was not significant (P =.07). Despite these findings, 54% of all respondents reported receiving annual influenza vaccines consistently. Despite their risk, patients LSOTP show significant hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccines owing to perceived safety and necessity issues. The results of this study can inform targeted educational efforts to address and rectify misconceptions and concerns about COVID-19 vaccination among patients LSOTP. Future studies focused on larger, more diverse cohorts are needed to expand our understanding of and address vaccination hesitancy among this vulnerable patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little consensus about whether Kant intends his Critique of Pure Reason to change the mind of a skeptical empiricist such as Hume. I challenge a common assumption made by both sides of the debate. This is the thought that Kant can convince skeptics only if he does not beg the question against them. Surprisingly, I argue, that is not how Kant sees things. On Kant's view, skeptical empiricism is an inherently unstable and unsatisfying position, which skeptics cannot help wanting to escape. Kant's Critique , and especially its Transcendental Deduction, offers thinkers like Hume an appealing means of escape, by explaining a possible relation of the mind to the objects of knowledge that skeptics have overlooked. On Kant's view of skeptics as inherently dissatisfied with their position, the offer of an explanation can change their minds while neither refuting nor appealing to their skeptical empiricism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hume describes skeptical philosophy as having a variety of desirable effects. It can counteract dogmatism, produce just reasoning, and promote social cohesion. When discussing how skepticism may achieve these effects, Hume typically appeals to its effects on pride. I explain how, for Hume, skeptical philosophy acts on pride and how acting on pride produces the desirable effects. Understanding these mechanisms, I argue, sheds light on how, why, when, and for whom skeptical philosophy can be useful. It also illuminates the value of skeptical philosophy for a humanistic education, giving us a reason to include Hume in curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation in cancer patients has been evaluated in very few studies. We aimed to investigate utilization trends and in-hospital outcomes of AF catheter ablation among cancer patients in a large US inpatient registry. Methods: Utilizing the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, patients who underwent AF catheter ablation between 2012 and 2019 were identified. Sociodemographic, clinical data, in-hospital procedures and outcomes were collected. Baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared between patients with and without cancer. Results: An estimated total of 67,915 patients underwent AF catheter ablation between 2012 and 2019 in the US. Of them, 950 (1.4%) had a cancer diagnosis. Patients with a cancer diagnosis were older and had higher Charlson Comorbidity Index, CHA2DS2-VASc and ATRIA bleeding indices scores. A higher rate of total complications was observed in cancer patients (10.5% vs. 7.9, p < 0.001), driven mainly by more bleeding and infectious complications. However, no significant differences in cardiac or neurological complications as well as in-hospital mortality rates were observed and were relatively low in both groups. Conclusions: AF catheter ablation in cancer patients is associated with higher bleeding and infectious complication rates, but not with increased cardiac complications or in-hospital mortality in a US nationwide, all-comer registry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the significant impact of simulation training on patients' safety in anaesthesia and perioperative medicine, emphasizing its effectiveness in both technical and non-technical skills training. Topics discussed include the proven positive outcomes of interprofessional simulation, enabling multispecialty and multiprofessional education, leading to enhanced patient safety in the field.

The book review discusses Nathan I. Sasser's book, "Hume and the Demands of Philosophy: Science, Skepticism, and Moderation," which offers a fresh interpretation of David Hume's response to skepticism. Sasser argues that Hume is an epistemic skeptic about core beliefs but provides a purely practical justification for continuing to hold them. The review praises the book for its clear and concise writing, extensive quotations from Hume's works, and its contribution to the literature on Hume's skepticism and naturalism. However, it also points out some omissions in the book, such as a lack of discussion on the practical benefits of skeptical philosophy and unresolved philosophical problems in Sasser's interpretation. Overall, the review recommends the book as a valuable resource for students and scholars interested in Hume's epistemology. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: In this paper we investigate school district staffing challenges during the 2021–22 school year, the second school year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research Methods/Approach: We use novel data from Washington state collected by scraping websites for job postings during the 2021–22 school year; the districts represented in the study serve more than 98% of students in the state. We analyze these data using descriptive and regression analyses. Findings: There was considerable variation in staffing challenges across position types and throughout the year with postings per student tending to be higher in rural districts and districts serving larger populations of disadvantaged students. In Fall 2021, when postings likely signal vacancies at the outset of the 2021–22 school year, the data suggest that districts faced considerable challenges filling paraeducator and, to a lesser extent, teaching positions at the beginning of the school year. In the case of teachers, there is also heterogeneity in the postings per FTE across different teacher content areas. For instance, there are far more postings per FTE for special education teacher positions than elementary education positions. In Spring and Summer 2022, when postings likely signal anticipated staffing needs for the 2022–23 school year, districts with growing enrollments and that received more ESSER funding were more likely to have more postings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The true incidence and comprehensive characteristics of Long Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) are currently unknown. This is the first population-based outreach study of Long COVID within an entire health system, conducted to determine operational needs to care for patients with Long COVID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used survey and administrative data from Washington State to assess the degree to which special education teacher preparation, district literacy instructional practices, and the alignment between preparation and practice were associated with the reading test score gains of students with high-incidence disabilities taught by early-career special education teachers in Grades 4 to 8. These students tended to have larger reading gains when their districts used evidence-based literacy decoding practices (e.g., phonological awareness, phonics, and reading fluency) and when their special education teacher graduated from a teacher education program that also emphasized these practices. Students with high-incidence disabilities in districts that used balanced literacy practices tended to have lower reading gains. Finally, students with high-incidence disabilities taught by early-career special education teachers tended to have larger reading gains when their teacher's student teaching placement was supervised by a more experienced cooperating teacher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While spring of 2020 introduced virtual instruction to all public schools, virtual schooling had already been growing in most states. We focus on pre-COVID-19 changes to full-time virtual school enrollment in public schools, and provide evidence on the relationship between virtual school enrollment, internet speed, community demographics, and traditional K–12 school achievement levels. We find negative associations between online enrollment and test achievement in brick-and-mortar schools, and low internet speeds. There is some evidence that students are less likely to enroll in virtual schools as the share of students of their own demographic in brick-and-mortar schools increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent and widely distributed in the environment from commercial products and waste process residues, including in surface waters usually at low parts per trillion (ppt) levels. Groundwaters near contaminated locations can have higher parts per trillion or parts per billion (ppb) concentrations. Interim EPA Drinking Water Health Advisories (HAs) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) that were originally 70 ppt were recently reduced to 0.004 and 0.020 ppt, respectively. Final HAs for perfluorobutane sulfonic acid and its potassium salt (PFBS) and hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) dimer acid and its ammonium salt ("GenX chemicals") were established at 2000 and 10 ppt, respectively. The minimum reporting levels (MRLs) for PFOA and PFOS are currently 4 ppt. The scientific basis for these very low and unmeasurable HA values for PFOA and PFOS is debatable and up to about five orders of magnitude below many other worldwide national recommendations (e.g., Australia, UK, Canada), which are in the range of 100 ppt and above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use a database of over 15,000 teacher candidates from 15 teacher education programs in Washington state to investigate the connections between specific teacher preparation experiences and the likelihood that these candidates enter and stay in the state's public teaching workforce. As has been found in prior research, candidates with endorsements in hard-to-staff subjects like math and special education are more likely to enter the public teaching workforce than other candidates. We also find large differences in hiring rates over time, as candidates who graduated in the years prior to and during the Great Recession are far less likely to be hired than candidates in recent years. Finally, teacher candidates hired into the same school type (elementary, middle, or high school) or into schools and classrooms with similar student demographics as their student teaching placement are more likely to stay in the teaching workforce than candidates who experience less alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) has been utilized as an adjunct to anticoagulant therapy in selected patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) for approximately 30 years. CDT used to be limited to patients with DVT causing acute limb threat and those exhibiting failure of initial anticoagulation, but has expanded over time. Randomized trials evaluating the first-line use of CDT for proximal DVT have demonstrated that CDT does not produce a major reduction in the occurrence of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) and that it is poorly suited for elderly patients and those with limited thrombus extent or major risk factors for bleeding. However, CDT does offer selected patients with acute iliofemoral DVT improvement in reducing early DVT symptoms, in achieving reduction in PTS severity, and in producing an improvement in health-related quality of life (QOL). Clinical practice guidelines from medical and surgical societies are now largely aligned with the randomized trial results. This review offers the reader an update on the results of recently completed clinical trials, and additional guidance on appropriate selection of patients with DVT for catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used data on the student teaching placements, degrees, teaching credentials, and workforce outcomes of more than 1,300 graduates of special education teacher education programs in Washington to provide a descriptive portrait of specific measures of special education teacher preparation and their relationships with workforce entry and early-career retention. Although rates of workforce entry and retention for these special education candidates were high, we documented considerably lower rates of entry into and retention in special education teaching positions for candidates who hold a dual endorsement in special education and another subject. These patterns have potential implications for the state's new dual-endorsement requirement and for dual-licensure programs more broadly. Student teaching with a cooperating teacher who is endorsed in special education was also associated with a higher likelihood of becoming a special education teacher, even when controlling for whether the placement was in a special or general education setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used longitudinal data on high school students in Washington State to assess the relationships between English Language Arts (ELA) teacher qualifications and the high school and postsecondary outcomes of their students, and whether these relationships differed for students with and without disabilities. We found that students assigned to 10th-grade ELA teachers with higher value added had better test scores, were more likely to graduate on-time, and were more likely to attend and graduate from a 4-year college than observably similar students assigned to 10th-grade ELA teachers with lower value added. We also found that many of these relationships varied for students with and without disabilities, as 10th-grade ELA teacher value added was more positively predictive of on-time graduation and 4-year college attendance for students without disabilities, but more positively predictive of 2-year college attendance and employment within 2 years of graduation for students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) have improved survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and comprise the therapeutic backbone at all phases of therapy. Although well‐tolerated, IMiDs increase rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE). In this phase IV, single‐arm pilot study, fifty patients with MM on IMiDs received apixaban 2·5 mg orally twice daily for primary prevention of VTE and were prospectively monitored for six months. The primary safety outcomes were rates of major haemorrhage and clinically relevant non‐major haemorrhage over six months. The primary efficacy outcome was the rate of symptomatic VTE over six months. IMiDs used were lenalidomide (58%) or pomalidomide (42%). During the six‐month evaluation period, no patients experienced major haemorrhage or VTE. Three patients experienced clinically relevant, non‐major haemorrhage which was managed medically, and all were able to resume apixaban. One patient stopped therapy shortly after initiation due to an allergic reaction to apixaban. No patients experienced stroke, myocardial infarction, or death. In this pilot study, low‐dose apixaban was safe and well‐tolerated as a primary prevention therapy of VTE for patients with MM receiving IMiDs. Further studies are needed to validate low‐dose apixaban as a standard primary prevention anti‐thrombotic strategy for patients with MM receiving IMiDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The safety and efficacy of nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) have been established in randomized controlled trials, but limited data are available on their use in clinical practice across geographical regions.Methods: In the international RE-COVERY DVT/PE observational study (enrollment January 2016 to May 2017), we sought to characterize the patient population and describe the prescribed anticoagulant. Patient characteristics and anticoagulants administered after objective diagnosis of VTE were recorded at the baseline visit and again at hospital discharge or at 14 days after the diagnosis, whichever was later.Results: A total of 6095 patients were included, 50.2% were male, and the mean age was 61.5 years. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (35%), diabetes mellitus (11%), cancer (11%), prior VTE(11%), and trauma/surgery (7%). Overall, 77% of patients received oral anticoagulants, with 54% on NOACs and 23% on vitamin K antagonists (VKAs); 20% received parenteral anticoagulation only. NOACs comprised about 60% of anticoagulant treatment in Europe and Asia but substantially less in Latin America (29%) and the Middle East (21%). For NOAC therapies, the distribution (as a percentage of the total cohort) was rivaroxaban 25.6%, dabigatran 15.5%, apixaban 11.3%, and edoxaban 1.7%. Treatment with NOACs was less frequent in patients who had cancer, chronic renal disease, heart failure, or stroke.Conclusions: These findings enhance our understanding of baseline characteristics and the initial management of patients with VTE in routine practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use comprehensive data on student teaching placements from 14 teacher education programs (TEPs) in Washington State to explore the sorting of teacher candidates to the teachers who supervise their student teaching ("cooperating teachers") and the schools in which student teaching occurs. We find that, all else equal, teachers with more experience, higher degree levels, and higher value added in math are more likely to serve as cooperating teachers, as are schools with lower levels of historical teacher turnover but with more open positions the following year. We also find that teacher candidates are more likely to be placed with cooperating teachers of the same gender and race/ethnicity, and are more likely to work with cooperating teachers and in schools with administrators who graduated from the candidate's TEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To determine facility-level factors associated with COVID-19 outbreaks in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers. Methods. We obtained COVID-19 case counts at 88 ICE detention facilities from May 6, 2020, through June 21, 2021, from the COVID Prison Project. We obtained information about facility population size, facility type (dedicated to immigrants or mixed with other incarcerated populations), and facility operator (public vs private contractor) from third-party sources. We defined the threshold for a COVID-19 outbreak as a cumulative 3-week incidence of 10% or more of the detained population. Results. Sixty-three facilities (72%) had at least 1 outbreak. Facilities with any outbreak were significantly more likely to be privately operated (P <.001), to have larger populations (113 vs 37; P =.002), and to have greater changes in their population size over the study period (‒56% vs −26%; P <.001). Conclusions. Several facility-level factors were associated with the occurrence of COVID-19 outbreaks in ICE facilities. Public Health Implications. Structural and organizational factors that promote respiratory infection spread in ICE facilities must be addressed to protect detainee health. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(9):909–912. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307704) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher preparation programs (TPPs) have received a great deal of policy and research attention of late. And despite the commonsense notion that preparation for formal classroom responsibilities should improve the readiness of teacher candidates, the value of formalized preservice teacher education is unclear. In this review of the quantitative evidence about TPPs, I find that most studies show only minor differences in the value added of teachers who graduate from different programs, and that there are only a few studies that focus on the association between the features of teacher preparation and teacher workforce outcomes. The lack of evidence on the importance of the features of teacher preparation is primarily due to data deficiencies: data often do not permit connections between TPP features and teacher workforce outcomes. As a consequence, feedback loops that could theoretically provide TPPs with actionable information about program design typically do not exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used longitudinal data from Washington State to investigate the relationships among career and technical education (CTE) enrollment, inclusion in general education, and high school and postsecondary outcomes for students with learning disabilities. We replicated earlier findings that students with learning disabilities who were enrolled in a "concentration" of CTE courses had higher rates of employment after graduation than observably similar students with learning disabilities who were enrolled in fewer CTE courses. We also found that students with learning disabilities who spent more time in general education classrooms in high school had higher rates of on-time graduation, college attendance, and employment than observably similar students with learning disabilities who spent less time in general education classrooms in these grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral anticoagulants (OAC) are underutilized in older patients with atrial fibrillation, despite proven clinical benefits. Our objective was to investigate baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and impact of anticoagulation upon clinical outcomes with respect to age. Adults with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation were recruited into the prospective observational registry, GARFIELD-AF, and followed up for 24 months. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) were obtained via Cox proportional-hazards models with applied weights, to quantify the association of age with clinical outcomes. Comparative effectiveness of OAC vs No OAC and non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) vs vitamin K antagonists (VKA) were assessed using a propensity score with an overlap weighting scheme. Of 52,018 patients, 32.6% were 65-74 years of age, 29.3% were 75-84 years, and 7.9% were ≥85 years. OAC treatment was associated with a numerical reduction in all-cause mortality among those aged 65-74 years (HR; 95% confidence interval) (0.86; 0.69-1.06) and aged 75-84 years (0.89; 0.75-1.05) and a significant reduction in patients ≥85 years (0.77; 0.63-0.95) vs no OAC. Similarly, OACs were associated with a decrease in stroke: 65-74 (0.51; 0.35-0.76) and ≥85 years (0.58; 0.34-0.99) and a numerical decrease in 75-84 years (0.84; 0.59-1.18). No increase in major bleeding was observed in patients aged ≥85 treated with OACs. Compared with VKA, NOACs were associated with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality in patients aged <65 and 65-74, with numerical reductions in those aged 75-84 and ≥85 years. Older patients using OACs saw lower all-cause mortality and stroke risk; NOACs had less mortality and major bleeding compared with VKAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wearing a mask was a crucial component in slowing the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about the intersectionality between mask usage, risk perception, and infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether risk perceptions and masking behaviors are associated with contracting SARS-CoV-2 and how contracting SARS-CoV-2 subsequently changes masking behaviors in specific situations. Methods: This cohort study utilized survey data from the UC San Diego ZAP COVID-19 study (n = 1,230) to evaluate the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 in relation to baseline risk perceptions and masking behaviors in various situations and how contracting SARS-CoV-2 affects subsequent masking behavior. Results: We found that more consistent self-reported mask use in indoor public spaces (p = 0.03) and in other people's houses (p = 0.002) was associated with remaining free of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also found that contracting SARS-CoV-2 was associated with a subsequent increase in mask use in other people's houses (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that consistent mask use is correlated with decreased infection and that contracting SARS-CoV-2 may modify mask use behaviors in high-risk situations. These findings may help inform future public health messaging for infectious disease prevention. Trial registration: This study has not been previously registered as it is an observational study. There was no pre-registration of the analytic plan for the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluate the predictive validity of the Massachusetts Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP), a practice-based assessment of teaching skills that is now a requirement for teacher preparation program completion in Massachusetts. We find that candidates' performance on the CAP significantly predicts their in-service summative performance evaluations in their first 2 years in the teaching workforce, but it is not predictive of their value added to student test scores in these years. These findings suggest that the CAP captures aspects of candidates' skills and competencies that are better reflected in their future performance evaluations than by their impacts on student performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ratings are present in many areas of assessment including peer review of research proposals and journal articles, teacher observations, university admissions and selection of new hires. One feature present in any rating process with multiple raters is that different raters often assign different scores to the same assessee, with the potential for bias and inconsistencies related to rater or assessee covariates. This paper analyzes disparities in ratings of internal and external applicants to teaching positions using applicant data from Spokane Public Schools. We first test for biases in rating while accounting for measures of teacher applicant qualifications and quality. Then, we develop model-based inter-rater reliability (IRR) estimates that allow us to account for various sources of measurement error, the hierarchical structure of the data, and to test whether covariates, such as applicant status, moderate IRR. We find that applicants external to the district receive lower ratings for job applications compared to internal applicants. This gap in ratings remains significant even after including measures of qualifications and quality such as experience, state licensure scores, or estimated teacher value added. With model-based IRR, we further show that consistency between raters is significantly lower when rating external applicants. We conclude the paper by discussing policy implications and possible applications of our model-based IRR estimate for hiring and selection practices in and out of the teacher labor market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a teacher incentive policy in Washington State that awards a financial bonus to National Board certified teachers in high poverty schools. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that the bonus policy increased the proportion of certified teachers in bonus-eligible schools by improving hiring, increasing certification rates of incumbent teachers, and reducing turnover. Depending on the method, we estimate that the proportion of NBCTs in treated schools increased by about four to eight percentage points over the first five years of eligibility. However, the improvement in certification rates corresponds to a change of about 0.2–0.3% of a standard deviation in teacher quality per year and we do not find evidence that the bonus resulted in detectible effects on student test achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UTeach is a well-known, university-based program designed to increase the number of high-quality STEM teachers in the workforce. Despite substantial investment and rapid program diffusion, there is little evidence about the effectiveness of UTeach graduates. Using administrative data from the state of Texas, we measure the impact of having a UTeach teacher on student test scores in math and science in middle schools and high schools. We find that students taught by UTeach teachers perform significantly better on end-of-grade tests in math and end-of-course tests in math and science by 8% to 15% of a standard deviation on the test, depending on grade and subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrogenesis in the heart begins in the sinoatrial node and proceeds down the conduction system to originate the heartbeat. Conduction system disorders lead to slow heart rates that are insufficient to support the circulation, necessitating implantation of electronic pacemakers. The typical electronic pacemaker consists of a subcutaneous generator and battery module attached to one or more endocardial leads. New leadless pacemakers can be implanted directly into the right ventricular apex, providing single-chamber pacing without a subcutaneous generator. Modern pacemakers are generally reliable, and their programmability provides options for different pacing modes tailored to specific clinical needs. Advances in device technology will probably include alternative energy sources and dual-chamber leadless pacing in the not-too-distant future. Although effective, current electronic devices have limitations related to lead or generator malfunction, lack of autonomic responsiveness, undesirable interactions with strong magnetic fields, and device-related infections. Biological pacemakers, generated by somatic gene transfer, cell fusion, or cell transplantation, provide an alternative to electronic devices. Somatic reprogramming strategies, which involve transfer of genes encoding transcription factors to transform working myocardium into a surrogate sinoatrial node, are furthest along in the translational pipeline. Even as electronic pacemakers become smaller and less invasive, biological pacemakers might expand the therapeutic armamentarium for conduction system disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a novel simulation methodology to study the extent to which three interrelated processes—teacher attrition from the state teaching workforce, teacher mobility between teaching positions, and teacher hiring for open positions—contribute to "teacher quality gaps" (TQGs) between students of color and other students in K–12 public schools. We apply this methodology to data from Washington State to provide estimates that eliminating inequities in teacher mobility and hiring across different schools would close TQGs within 5 years, while just eliminating inequities in teacher hiring would close gaps within 10 years. On the other hand, eliminating inequities in teacher attrition without addressing mobility and hiring does little to close gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the underexplored topic of teacher preparation program admissions processes by interviewing faculty and analyzing program documents. We investigated how 31 K-12 mathematics and science teacher preparation programs (MSTPPs) and faculty attend to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social and racial justice (DEIJ). Specific foci included applicant recruitment and selection, components of applications (e.g., forms, essays, and interviews), and how applicants' DEIJ-related information and orientations factor into admissions. We found that all MSTPPs participating in the study collected information related to DEIJ (e.g., applicants' ethnoracial backgrounds, citizenship), and all interviewed faculty expressed an interest in increasing the diversity of applicants and admitted students. Faculty expressed preferences for applicants who evidenced positive DEIJ orientations, such as recognizing social and ethnoracial injustices, but at the same time, differences were evident in how MSTPPs and faculty attended to DEIJ. Considerations, implications, and dilemmas for teacher preparation programs and faculty are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The post-thrombotic syndrome frequently develops in patients with proximal deep-vein thrombosis despite treatment with anticoagulant therapy. Pharmacomechanical catheter-directed thrombolysis (hereafter "pharmacomechanical thrombolysis") rapidly removes thrombus and is hypothesized to reduce the risk of the post-thrombotic syndrome.Methods: We randomly assigned 692 patients with acute proximal deep-vein thrombosis to receive either anticoagulation alone (control group) or anticoagulation plus pharmacomechanical thrombolysis (catheter-mediated or device-mediated intrathrombus delivery of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and thrombus aspiration or maceration, with or without stenting). The primary outcome was development of the post-thrombotic syndrome between 6 and 24 months of follow-up.Results: Between 6 and 24 months, there was no significant between-group difference in the percentage of patients with the post-thrombotic syndrome (47% in the pharmacomechanical-thrombolysis group and 48% in the control group; risk ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 1.11; P=0.56). Pharmacomechanical thrombolysis led to more major bleeding events within 10 days (1.7% vs. 0.3% of patients, P=0.049), but no significant difference in recurrent venous thromboembolism was seen over the 24-month follow-up period (12% in the pharmacomechanical-thrombolysis group and 8% in the control group, P=0.09). Moderate-to-severe post-thrombotic syndrome occurred in 18% of patients in the pharmacomechanical-thrombolysis group versus 24% of those in the control group (risk ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.98; P=0.04). Severity scores for the post-thrombotic syndrome were lower in the pharmacomechanical-thrombolysis group than in the control group at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of follow-up (P<0.01 for the comparison of the Villalta scores at each time point), but the improvement in quality of life from baseline to 24 months did not differ significantly between the treatment groups.Conclusions: Among patients with acute proximal deep-vein thrombosis, the addition of pharmacomechanical catheter-directed thrombolysis to anticoagulation did not result in a lower risk of the post-thrombotic syndrome but did result in a higher risk of major bleeding. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others; ATTRACT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00790335 .). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the relationship between teacher licensure test scores and student test achievement and high school course-taking. We focus on three subject/grade combinations—middle school math, ninth-grade algebra and geometry, and ninth-grade biology—and find evidence that a teacher's basic skills test scores are modestly predictive of student achievement in middle school math and highly predictive of student achievement in high school biology. A teacher's subject-specific licensure test scores are a consistent and statistically significant predictor of student achievement only in high school biology. Finally, we find little evidence that students assigned to middle school teachers with higher basic-skills test scores are more likely to take advanced math and science courses in high school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic evaluations of infectious disease control interventions frequently use dynamic compartmental epidemic models. Such models capture heterogeneity in risk of infection by stratifying the population into discrete risk groups, thus approximating what is typically continuous variation in risk. An important open question is whether and how different risk stratification choices influence model predictions of intervention effects. We develop equivalent Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS) dynamic transmission models: an unstratified model, a model stratified into a high-risk and low-risk group, and a model with an arbitrary number of risk groups. Absent intervention, the models produce the same overall prevalence of infected individuals in steady state. We consider an intervention that either reduces the contact rate or increases the disease clearance rate. We develop analytical and numerical results characterizing the models and the effects of the intervention. We find that there exist multiple feasible choices of risk stratification, contact distribution, and within- and between-group contact rates for models that stratify risk. We show analytically and empirically that these choices can generate different estimates of intervention effectiveness, and that these differences can be significant enough to alter conclusions from cost-effectiveness analyses and change policy recommendations. We conclude that the choice of how to discretize risk in compartmental epidemic models can influence predicted effectiveness of interventions. Therefore, analysts should examine multiple alternatives and report the range of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use longitudinal data from Washington State to provide estimates of the extent to which performance on the edTPA, a performance-based, subject-specific assessment of teacher candidates, is predictive of the likelihood of employment in the teacher workforce and value-added measures of teacher effectiveness. While edTPA scores are highly predictive of employment in the state’s public teaching workforce, evidence on the relationship between edTPA scores and teaching effectiveness is more mixed. Specifically, continuous edTPA scores are a significant predictor of student mathematics achievement in some specifications, but when we consider that the edTPA is a binary screen of teaching effectiveness (i.e., pass/fail), we find that passing the edTPA is significantly predictive of teacher effectiveness in reading but not in mathematics. We also find that Hispanic candidates in Washington were more than 3 times more likely to fail the edTPA after it became consequential in the state than non-Hispanic White candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elderly patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) have higher mortality than non-elderly patients, but receive systemic fibrinolysis less frequently. In this sub-analysis of the SEATTLE II trial, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed, low-dose fibrinolysis in elderly patients with submassive and massive PE. We compared patients ≥65 years old with those <65 years old. Eligible patients had proximal PE and a right ventricular-to-left ventricular (RV/LV) diameter ratio ≥0.9 on chest computed tomography (CT). The primary efficacy outcome was the change in chest CT-measured RV/LV diameter ratio at 48 hours after procedure initiation. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding within 72 hours. Sixty-two patients were ≥65 years of age and 88 were <65 years of age. The RV/LV diameter ratio decreased in both groups 48 hours post-procedure, with a mean change of -0.47 in those ≥65 and -0.39 in those <65 years old, with no difference between groups (p = 0.31). Major bleeding occurred in nine (15%) of those ≥65 and in six (7%) of those <65 years old (p = 0.17). Ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed, low-dose fibrinolysis resulted in a similar reduction in RV/LV diameter ratio in elderly patients with massive and submassive PE compared with non-elderly patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of cognitive aids during emergencies increases key actions and decreases omissions, both known to save lives. With little known about emergency manual (EM) clinical use, we aimed to help answer "Will EMs be used peri-crisis at a meaningful frequency?" and to explore clinical sustainment. Prospective, observational study. Operating Rooms. All patients undergoing anesthesia at a major academic medical center during the study periods; ∼75,000 cases. To understand the initial and sustainment phases of EM implementation, we placed a question regarding EM use at the end of every anesthetic case to prospectively measure EM use at: implementation, one-year later, and six years post-implementation. For more than twenty-four thousand cases in each approximately 6-month study period, EMs were used peri-crisis (before, during or after a perioperative crisis) in 145 cases initially (0.55%; SE 0.045%), 42 cases one-year later (0.17%; SE 0.026%), and 57 cases (0.21%; SE 0.028%) six years post-implementation. Peri-crisis EM uses dropped 0.38% (97.5% CI: 0.26%, 0.49%) from initial to one-year post-implementation. After that, peri-crisis EM uses did not differ significantly from one-year to six years post-implementation, showing sustainment [increased 0.04% (97.5% CI: −0.05%, 0.12%)]. Among cases with cardiac arrest or CPR, as a subset proxy for relevant crises, EMs were used in 7/13 such cases initially (54%, SE 13.6%), 8/20 one-year later (40%; SE 10.9%) and 7/13 six years later (54%; SE 13.6%). After an initial expected drop, EM peri-crisis use six years post-implementation was: sustained without intensive additional efforts, averaged ∼10 times per month at a single institution, and was reported in more than half of cases with cardiac arrest or CPR. Peri-crisis use of EMs is appropriately rare, though for relevant crises can have substantial positive impacts as described in prior literature. The sustained use of EMs may be related to increasing cultural acceptance of EMs, as reflected in survey result trends and broader cognitive aid literature. [Display omitted] • Peri-crisis emergency manual use sustained for five years, after initial downtrend • Emergency manuals were used in more than half of intraoperative cardiac arrests • Clinicians are valuing and culturally accepting emergency manuals more over time [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]