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Objective: This study assessed the features of the 100 most‐cited papers on oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL). Methods: The 100 most‐cited OHRQoL papers were collected from Web of Science, adopting a combined keyword search strategy. Google Scholar and Scopus databases were searched to compare citations. The following data were extracted from papers: title of the paper, number of citations, authorship, country, year of publication, title of the journal, study design, sample size, topic and OHRQoL instruments used. Graphical bibliometric networks were created using VOSviewer software. Results: The number of citations of the top 100 most‐cited OHRQoL papers ranged from 73 to 949. Fifty‐six papers received at least 100 citations and two received more than 400 citations. Most papers were from Canada (23%) and had been published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (37%). David Locker was the most‐cited author (25 papers; 3,521 citations). The cross‐sectional study design was the most common (68%). The impact of oral health conditions on OHRQoL (43%) was the most frequent topic, and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) was the most commonly used OHRQoL instrument (48%). Conclusions: This bibliometric analysis highlighted the characteristics of the 100 most‐cited OHRQoL papers, demonstrating that this field is far from saturated. This list of the most‐cited articles can provide a reference point to guide oral health research, education and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HUD (Head‐Up Display) is an optical display system that is commonly used in aircraft as a flight aid to project aircraft flight information onto the display screen (often a type of transparent flat lens) directly in front of the pilot's field of view. This allows the pilot to maintain a level view while taking into account instrument parameters and external visual references in the same field of view. HUDs allow pilots to see crucial navigation, flying, and energy management data on a screen at eye level without having to glance down at their instruments or take their eyes off the outside world. It has been demonstrated that HUDs lessen the pilot workload, improve situational awareness, and decrease accidents. Thus, it is crucial to characterize optical performance and image quality accurately and precisely for aircraft HUDs. In this paper, we reviewed the parameters of optical performance and image quality for aviation‐type HUDs applied under high ambient light levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endoscopic submucosa dissection (ESD) has been applied extensively in the treatment of large intestine tumours due to its high total excision ratio. Nevertheless, there is a high incidence of adverse reactions in colon ESD, and the efficacy of prophylactic ESD following ESD in prevention of postoperative haemorrhage is still disputed. The purpose of this meta‐analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of prophylaxis of wound closure in large intestine ESD after operation. For eligibility, we looked through three databases: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library. Heterogenity was measured by means of a chi‐square method of Q‐statistic and an I2 test. Fixed or random effects models were used for data processing. Based on the retrieval policy, we found a total of 1286 papers, and then we collected nine papers to extract the data. Regarding postoperative haemorrhage, there was a significant reduction in the risk of wound haemorrhage in the wound closure group than in the control group (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.19–0.44 p < 0.0001). No statistical significance was found in the incidence of perforation in the wound closure and the control group (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.19–1.03 p = 0.06). There was a significant reduction in the incidence of postoperation fever among those in the wound closure group than in the control group (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.15–0.93 p = 0.04). Preventive endoscopic closure decreased the rate of ESD in colon disease, but did not significantly decrease the rate of postoperation perforation and postoperative fever. Future research will be required to clarify the risk factors and classify high‐risk individuals in order to formulate a cost‐effective prevention strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages play a crucial role in aiding all phases of the wound‐healing process and has garnered increasing attention recently. Although a substantial body of related studies has been published, there remains a lack of comprehensive bibliometric analysis. In this study, we collected 4296 papers from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Three tools including CiteSpace, VOSviewer and one online analytical platform were employed to conduct bibliometric analysis and data visualization. Our results revealed that the annual number of publications related to macrophage and wound healing has increased exponentially with the year. The United States and China stand as the primary driving forces within this field, collectively constituting 58.2% of the total publication output. The application of biomaterials was one of the most concerned research areas in this field. According to references analysis, the current research focus has shifted to diabetic wound healing and regulating macrophage polarization. Based on the keywords analysis, we identified the following research frontiers in the future: exosomes and other extracellular vesicles; bio‐derived materials and drug delivery methods such as nanoparticles, scaffolds and hydrogels; immunomodulation and macrophage polarization in the M2‐state; chronic wounds, particularly those associated with diabetes; antimicrobial peptides; and antioxidant. Additionally, TNF, IL‐6, IL‐10, TGF‐β1 and VEGF ranked as the five genes that have garnered the most research attention in the intersection of macrophage and wound healing. All in all, our findings offered researchers a holistic view of the ongoing progress in the field of macrophages and wound healing, serving as a valuable reference for scholars and policymakers in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the impact of occupational therapy (OT) on the self‐management of function, pain, fatigue, and lived experience for people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Five databases and gray literature were searched up to June 30, 2022. Three reviewers screened titles and abstracts, with two independently extracting and assessing full texts using the Cochrane risk of bias (quantitative) and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (qualitative) tools to assess study quality. Studies were categorized into four intervention types. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) (quantitative) and GRADE‐ Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (qualitative) were used to assess the quality of evidence for each intervention type. Results: Of 39 eligible papers, 29 were quantitative (n = 2,029), 4 qualitative (n = 50), and 6 mixed methods (n = 896). Good evidence supports patient education and behavior change programs for improving pain and function, particularly group sessions of joint protection education, but these do not translate to long‐term improvements for RA (>24 months). Comprehensive OT had mixed evidence (limited to home OT and an arthritis gloves program), whereas limited evidence was available for qualitative insights, splints and assistive devices, and self‐management for fatigue. Conclusion: Although patient education is promising for self‐managing RA, no strong evidence was found to support OT programs for self‐managing fatigue or patient experience and long‐term effectiveness. More research is required on lived experience, and the long‐term efficacy of self‐management approaches incorporating OT, particularly timing programs to meet the individual's conditional needs (i.e., early or established RA) to build on the few studies to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To gain a greater understanding of how compression therapy affects quality of life, this systematic review appraised existing published studies measuring the impact of compression therapy on health quality of life (HRQoL), and pain, among people with venous leg ulcers (VLU). Method: Five databases were searched, and two authors extracted data and appraised the quality of selected papers using the RevMan risk of bias tool. Due to heterogeneity in the types of compression and instruments used to evaluate HRQoL, meta‐analysis was not appropriate; thus, a narrative synthesis of findings was undertaken. Results: Ten studies were included, 9 RCTs and one before‐after study. The studies employed nine different HRQoL tools to measure the impact of a variety of compression therapy systems, with or without an additional exercise programme, versus other compression systems or usual care, and the results are mixed. With the use of the Cardiff Cardiff Wound Impact Schedule, the SF‐8 and the SF‐12, study authors found no differences in QoL scores between the study groups. This is similar to one study using QUALYs (Iglesias et al., 2004). Conversely, for studies using EuroQol‐5D, VEINES‐QOL, SF‐36 and CIVIQ‐20 differences in QoL scores between the study groups were noted, in favour of the study intervention groups. Two further studies using QUALYs found results that favoured a two‐layer cohesive compression bandage and the TLCCB group, respectively. Results for the five studies that assessed pain are also mixed, with one study finding no difference between study groups, one finding that pain increased over the study period and three studies finding that pain reduced in the intervention groups. All studies were assessed as being at risk of bias in one or more domains. Conclusion: Results were varied, reflecting uncertainty in determining the impact of compression therapy on quality of life and pain among people with a venous leg ulcer. The heterogeneity of the compression systems and the measures used to evaluate HRQoL make it a challenge to interpret the overall evidence. Further studies should strive for homogeneity in design, interventions and comparators to enhance both internal and external validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer genomic services (CGS) can support genetic risk‐stratified cancer prevention and treatment. Racial/ethnic minority groups are less likely to access and utilize CGS compared with non‐Hispanic Whites. Little research has described characteristics of interventions targeted at CGS among Latinos. This scoping review aimed to (1) describe interventions promoting uptake of CGS among Latinos in the United States and Latin America, (2) describe intervention adaptations for Latino participants, and (3) summarize intervention implementation factors suggested by reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE‐AIM) framework. We conducted a search in English and Spanish of literature published between 2005 and 2022 across PubMed and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature databases. Sixteen of 2344 papers met the inclusion criteria of the analysis. Efforts to promote CGS among Latino communities were limited in the US and lower in Latin America. This review highlights the need for in‐depth exploration of acculturation‐informed interventions and better reporting on implementation factors to enhance their scalability across diverse settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common disorder that, due to its debilitating nature, significantly affects personal abilities, job performance, social adjustment, and interpersonal relationships. There are significant barriers to accessing evidence‐based cognitive‐behavioral therapy as a first‐line treatment for obsessive‐compulsive disorder. Mobile health applications (Apps) offer a promising way to improve access to evidence‐based therapies while overcoming these barriers. The present study was to design and evaluate a prototype of a self‐help application for people with OCD (the most common pattern of OCD) based on the exposure and response prevention (ERP) technique. Methods: This work was developed in four different phases. (1) Needs assessment: a thorough literature review, reviewing existing related programs and apps, and interviewing patients and psychiatrists; (2) Creating a paper prototype: considering the functional features identified in the previous phase using wireframe sketcher software. (3) Creating a digital prototype: developing an actual prototype using Axure RP software based on the information obtained from an expert panel's evaluation of the paper prototype. (4) Prototype usability evaluation: through a heuristic evaluation with experts and usability testing with patients using the SUS questionnaire. Results: After requirement analysis, requirements were defined in the areas of information and educational elements, and functional capabilities. Prototypes designed based on identified requirements include capabilities such as in‐app online self‐help groups, assessing the severity of the symptoms of the disorder, psychological training, supportive treatment strategies, setting personalized treatment plans, tracking treatment progress through weekly reports provided, anxiety assessment, and setting reminders. Conclusion: The results of the heuristic evaluation with experts made it possible to identify how to provide information and implement the capabilities in a way that is more appropriate and easier for the user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of aldosterone has yet to be well appreciated in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Two variables define CKD: an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and a spot urine albumin‐creatinine ratio of >30 mg/g. Both are needed for an accurate diagnosis. The presence of CKD at this level is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular death and a greater risk of CKD progression to kidney failure and subsequent dialysis. This paper presents an overview of aldosterone's importance in CKD and its contribution to the inflammatory processes involved in CKD development. Data on outcomes, both surrogate and hard, related to outcomes on CKD progression will also be discussed in the context of mineralocorticoid blockade. Based on recent epidemiological data as well as data examining markers of diabetic kidney disease progression, it is clear that use of both renin‐angiotensin system inhibitors and aldosterone receptor antagonists have a significant role in altering the natural history of kidney disease progression itself, as well as reducing the risk of cardiovascular events that generally accompany long‐standing kidney disease. This paper will discuss these issues and the management of consequent hyperkalaemia when both steroidal and non‐steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists are used in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PEDI‐EAT‐10) is a reliable and valid tool for rapid identification of dysphagia in patients aged 18 months to 18 years. Aims: To translate and adapt the PEDI‐EAT‐10 into the Italian language and evaluate its validity and reliability. Methods & Procedures: The translation and cross‐cultural adaptation of the tool consisted of five stages: initial translation, synthesis of the translations, back translation, expert committee evaluation and test of the prefinal version. The internal consistency of the translated tool was analysed in a clinical group composed of 200 patients with special healthcare needs aged between 18 months and 18 years. They were consecutively enrolled at the Rare Disease Unit, Paediatrics Department, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli‐IRCCS, Rome. For test–retest reliability, 50 caregivers filled in the PEDI‐EAT‐10 questionnaire for a second time after a 2‐week period. Construct validity was established by comparing data obtained from patients with data from healthy participants (n = 200). The study was approved by the local ethics committee. Outcomes & Results: Psychometric data obtained from patients (104 M; mean age = 8.08 ± 4.85 years; median age = 7 years) showed satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.89) and test–retest reliability (Pearson r = 0.99; Spearman r = 0.96). A total of 30% of children were classified as having a high risk of penetration/aspiration. The Italian PEDI‐EAT‐10 mean total score of the clinical group was significantly different from that resulting from healthy participants. Conclusions & Implications: The PEDI‐EAT‐10 was successfully translated into Italian, validated and found to be a reliable one‐page rapid screening tool to identify dysphagia in children and adolescents with special needs. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: The PEDI‐EAT‐10 is a valid and reliable quick discriminative paediatric tool for identifying penetration/aspiration risks. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: In the present study we successfully translated and adapted the PEDI‐EAT‐10 into the Italian language. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: This translation and adaptation increase access to valid feeding and swallowing assessment for children of Italian‐speaking families. In addition, the I‐PEDI‐EAT‐10 can suggest further assessment of patients' swallowing abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Speech Language Therapy First Point of Contact Clinic (SLT‐FPOCC) models can assist assessment of low‐risk patient populations referred to ear, nose and throat (ENT) services. To further improve ENT waitlist management and compliance with best‐practice care, consideration of other low‐risk populations that could be safely managed through this service model is needed. The aims of this paper are to evaluate the clinical and service outcomes of completing vocal cord check (VCC) assessments for patients' pre and post thyroid/parathyroid surgery within an SLT‐FPOCC model and examine consumer perceptions. Methods & Procedures: The service followed existing SLT‐FPOCC procedures, with ENT triaging referrals, then SLT completing pre‐ and postoperative VCC assessment (interview, perceptual assessment, flexible nasendoscopy), with assessment data later reviewed by ENT to diagnose laryngeal pathology. Clinical and service outcomes were collected prospectively. Patients completed an anonymous post‐service satisfaction survey. Results: Of the first 100 patients referred for preoperative VCCs, SLT assessment identified 42 with dysphonia and 30 reporting dysphagia, while ENT confirmed 9 with significant preoperative anatomical findings. Eighty‐three underwent surgery, with 63 (95 nerves at surgical risk) returning for a postoperative VCC. Postoperative VCC identified three temporary neuropraxias (3.2%) and three unilateral vocal fold paresis (3.2%). Patients were highly satisfied with the service. All 163 pre‐/postoperative VCCs were completed with no adverse events. Conclusion & Implications: The current data support SLT‐FPOCC service expansion to include pre and post thyroid/parathyroid surgery VCC checks, with positive consumer perception. The model supports delivery of best practice management (i.e., pre‐ and postoperative VCC) for patients receiving surgery for thyroid/parathyroid dysfunction, and associated efficiencies for ENT services. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known: Assessment of laryngeal function via flexible nasoendoscopy is recommended best practice for patients pre and postthyroid/parathyroid surgery, as recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is a low incidence (<10%), yet well‐recognised risk of these surgeries. Traditionally, general surgeons refer presurgical patients to ear, nose and throat (ENT) for vocal cord check (VCC) assessment. However, with access to specialist outpatient services under increasing pressure, there is growing support for utilisation of other health professionals, such as speech‐language therapists working in first point of contact (FPOCC) models, to assist with the administration of pre‐ and postsurgical assessments of such low‐risk populations. What this study adds: This work expands on the emerging body of evidence for speech language therapy (SLT) led FPOCC models within ENT outpatient services, providing clinical and service outcomes to support the safety of a new model designed to administer VCCs for patients pre and post thyroid/parathyroid surgery. Adopting a similar model to a prior published SLT‐led FPOCC model, the trained SLT completes the pre‐ and postsurgical VCC including flexible nasoendoscopy and videostroboscopy, with images and clinical information then presented to ENT for diagnosis and management planning. This study also provides the first data on consumer perceptions of this type of service model. Clinical implications of this study: Data on 100 consecutive presurgical patients revealed positive service findings, supporting the safety of this model. Nature and incidence of clinical findings pre and post surgery were consistent with previously published studies using traditional models of care (i.e., ENT completing the flexible nasendoscopy). Consumer perception was positive. This model enables delivery of pre‐and postsurgical assessments for patients receiving thyroid/parathyroid surgery, consistent with best practice care, and reduces burden on ENT services. In total 163 ENT appointments were avoided with this model, with positive implications for ENT waitlist management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People who have communication difficulties may benefit from using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Understanding and measuring outcomes from the use of AAC is an important part of evaluating the impact of devices and services. Outcome measurement needs to reflect the changing nature of the impact of using AAC on an individual's ability to participate in activities of daily life. There is a limited understanding of the concepts that should inform the evaluation of outcomes from AAC device provision, nor how people's expectations from AAC may change over time. Aims: To inform the development of a patient‐reported outcome measure for AAC by understanding more about people's expectations from AAC and how these change over time. Methods & Procedures: A longitudinal qualitative research study was designed and carried out with seven participants over a period of 2 years. Participants were recruited from a regional specialist assessment service for AAC in the south‐west of the UK. Four semi‐structured interviews were carried out: (1) before assessment for AAC, (2) after assessment, (3) directly after provision of an AAC device and (4) between 6 and 12 months after provision. An original analytic method was used in this study that built on the principles of longitudinal interpretative phenomenology analysis, applied with a dialogic theoretical lens. This approach enabled the inclusion of a range of multimodal and embodied data collected to this study and allowed the research team to draw out salient themes across the cohort group while attending to the influence of time and context on experience. Outcomes & Results: The results confirm and extend the three core concepts that were used to guide analysis: changes; contexts; future possibilities. The contextual and temporal influences on outcomes attainable from AAC for this cohort were also identified and illustrated through cross‐case comparison. Deeper, analytic, and conceptual engagement with theory, which was then applied to analysis of the data, provided methodological rigour in the study. The results enhance our understanding of people's hopes and expectations from AAC and how these change over time. Conclusions & Implications: This qualitative longitudinal research study provides new insights into the journeys of people who experience communication disability, and the shifting nature of their sense of identity as they engage with, and learn from using, AAC. The study is significant as it attends to the dynamic nature of experience and how contextual and experiential factors influence people's hopes and expectations from AAC. The paper presents an original application of longitudinal qualitative research methodology with people who use AAC which can be further applied and tested in the field of communication disability research. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject: We did not know the impact that time has on the concepts that have been identified to represent important outcomes from AAC. The existing concepts used to define outcomes from AAC were not adequately conceptualized to develop a patient‐reported outcome measure. This study sought to extend our knowledge about outcomes from AAC. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: This study adds to the methodological toolkit available for qualitative inquiry in the field of communication disability research by presenting a longitudinal qualitative research methodology. It adds depth to our understanding of the concepts that underpin outcomes from AAC and highlights the dynamic nature of contexts and how this influences desired outcomes. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: This longitudinal qualitative research study provides a broader perspective on the experience of getting AAC. It will enable clinicians to better navigate the contextual and transitionary factors that influence people's experience of acquiring AAC devices. The enhanced concepts described will also support clinical conversations that consider the wider facets of communication and what AAC can add to existing communicative tool kits beyond getting a message across. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peritoneal dialysis(PD) is one of the most efficient methods in end‐stage kidney disease, and it is very important for PD to perform well. No research has been conducted to evaluate the effect of various types of PD catheters on the prognosis of post‐operative wound complications. While recent meta‐analyses are in favour of straight tubing, there is still uncertainty as to whether direct or coiled PD is beneficial. The purpose of this meta‐analysis was to compare the efficacy of direct and coiled PD catheters on the incidence of post‐operative wound infection, bleeding and peritonitis. A comprehensive search was carried out on three databases, including PubMed and Embase, and a manual search was carried out on the links in the paper. The results showed that the incidence rate of bleeding after operation and the degree of infection among the straight and coiled pipes were compared. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of post‐operative wound infection among straight PD patients with coiled PD (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.58–1.08 p = 0.13). No statistical significance was found in the case of PD with coiled tubing compared with that of straight PD group in wound leakage (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.71–1.93 p = 0.55). No statistically significantly different rates of post‐operative peritonitis were observed for coiled tubing compared with straight ones in PD patients (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.78–1.45 p = 0.7). There is no statistical significance on the rate of wound infection, wound leakage and peritonitis among coiled and straight tube in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research is beginning to shed light on the practices employed by speech‐language therapists (SLTs) for the management of acquired dysarthria. However, studies that explore SLTs' satisfaction with the effectiveness of current therapies and their interest in new treatment methods for this population have not been carried out. One potential new method is neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES): the pool of evidence for its use in rehabilitation is increasing, yet it has not been widely explored for use with dysarthria. Aim: To extend the understanding of acquired dysarthria management practices employed by SLTs across the globe and determine their satisfaction with current therapy options. To explore their interest in using NMES with this population. Methods and Procedures: A cross‐sectional international online survey was developed and disseminated to SLTs working with adults with acquired dysarthria through international professional associations. The survey collected information on demographic characteristics, dysarthria management practices, satisfaction with treatment effectiveness and interest in and knowledge of NMES. Survey responses were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and quantitative content analysis. Outcomes and Results: A total of 211 SLTs (North America, 48.8%; Europe, 36%; Asia, 8.1%; Oceania, 5.7%; Africa, 0.9%; South America, 0.5%) completed the survey in full. Management practices varied considerably. There was a clear preference for informal assessments, mainly oral‐motor examinations, focusing on body functions and structures. The majority of respondents rejected the use of non‐speech oral motor exercises as a clinical or carryover exercise. Variable satisfaction with current speech subsystem treatments was noted; however, overall, there was a general dissatisfaction. Whilst a strong interest in the use of NMES for dysarthria was evidenced, it was noted that most SLTs lacked fundamental knowledge of NMES principles and application. Conclusion: SLTs' management practices and satisfaction with acquired dysarthria treatments differed substantially. Investigations of the potential use of NMES for dysarthria treatment are of interest. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Recent country‐specific surveys have explored speech‐language therapists' (SLTs') assessment and intervention practices for acquired dysarthria. These studies indicate that although clinical management for this speech disorder mainly involves informal assessment tools and impairment‐focused treatment, communication beyond the impairment, such as the activity and participation domains, is also frequently assessed and treated. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: The majority of SLTs are dissatisfied with the overall benefits of current acquired dysarthria treatment. Phonatory, respiration and speech rate therapies are perceived to be more effective than prosody, articulation and resonance treatments. Despite a general lack of theoretical knowledge, most SLTs are interested in neuromuscular electrical stimulation treatment for acquired dysarthria. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: New, evidence‐based treatments are needed for SLTs to be confident in the effectiveness of their acquired dysarthria treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a growing body of literature that indicates positive outcomes of group treatment approaches to intervention for communication difficulties in chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI). The published research to date examines face‐to‐face group intervention. Aim: This study draws on one of these approaches, 'Improving Natural Social Interaction: Group reHabilitation after Traumatic brain injury' (INSIGHT), and examines the adaptation of this program to a virtual setting. The principles underlying the program, which involved providing an authentic contextualised and natural environment for group interactions and enhancing opportunities for identity expression, were maintained. Methods & Procedures: Six participants with mild to severe TBI and cognitive communication difficulties participated in an 8‐week pilot program of the virtual INSIGHT program. Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) scores completed over the course of the intervention served as the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes measures included The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status Update, The Awareness of Social Inference Test‐Revised, the La Trobe Communication Questionnaire and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Outcomes & Results: A mixed multilevel analysis revealed significant improvement in GAS scores. A Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed no significant changes in secondary measures. Conclusions & Implications: There is a growing potential for this group treatment approach, in an online medium, and progress towards individualised goals was clear. The data have implications for examining the assessment measures typically used to document functional outcomes in clinical intervention. Future directions indicate a need to pursue more ecologically valid assessment methods. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: Recent literature has focused on the benefits of group intervention for cognitive communication diffuclties after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, research to date examines only face‐to‐face group rehabilitation. As there has been a demand for a shift in the way we communicate worldwide, we must make adaptations to current intervention procedures to continue to serve individuals with diverse communication needs. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This study contributes new information about the feasibility of a virtual communication skills group for individuals with TBI. This virtual INSIGHT (Improving Natural Social Interaction: Group ehabilitation after Traumatic brain injury) group intervention facilitates progress towards collaboratively set communication goals and the online setting has the potential to increase the accessibility of these services. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Progress towards cognitive and social communication goals can be facilitated by an online group intervention. However, this progress was not correlated with scores on standard assessments of cognitive communication, social communication and quality of life. This has implications for the evaluation of the assessments typically used and their ecological validity and applicability to the communication context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in how policy processes can better incorporate the values of the communities they serve, yet policymakers face numerous challenges when they seek to embed values into policies. This paper builds on existing values research to develop a bespoke policy values framework for Australia, based on the popular notion of a 'fair go'. While the fair go is often associated with a narrow set of equality and procedural justice values, we show that it has a much wider range of historical and contemporary meanings, which taken together provide a useful starting point for understanding policy values important to Australians. We apply our framework to two policy domains—housing and immigration—to show that it offers an effective heuristic to help policymakers understand key value priorities and conflicts in these policy areas. The paper provides theoretical insights regarding the role of values in policymaking and offers a practical tool for use when designing, implementing, and evaluating policies. Points for practitioners: Community values should inform public policy decision‐making in a democracy. However, incorporating values into policy is difficult because of the wide range of different values to consider, the need to manage tensions and conflicts between values, and the time pressures often faced by policymakers.The popular and enduring notion of the 'fair go' embodies multiple value positions, which cover a range of different values that matter to Australians, making it a good basis for an Australian policy values framework.Our fair go values framework is designed to serve as a heuristic for policymakers when designing and evaluating public policies. It is not intended as a comprehensive guide to value debates in all policy areas, but offers a starting point for quickly appreciating the key value priorities and conflicts in relation to a policy issue. Policymakers should wherever possible follow up with detailed research to understand the complex value debates of different policy issue areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development acknowledges the role of creativity and cultural diversity in reconciling economic progress and social inclusion. Social innovation leads to social change and emanates from people's everyday interactions, reshaping the ways in which communities deal with social, economic, or environmental challenges. Co‐production and community‐led consultation have emerged as ways of working in partnership to inform and improve the delivery of public services. This positional paper is exploratory in how design led innovation can support the evaluation of community led projects which in turn lead to policy changes that endorse and support cultural and creative regeneration strategies. Adopting a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology, workshops were facilitated to scope the requirements for the development of a pilot design‐led toolkit for social innovation interventions underpinned by an evaluation model for impact. Findings from the research highlight opportunities for building capability and capacity in place‐based knowledge exchange partnerships with community stakeholders to support participatory place‐making in cities. The paper closes with recommendations for the adoption of design‐led tools to embed creative practice in local and regional policymaking to help move from critique to creation, techniques that encourage deep collaboration and a process that enables ideas to grow in real‐life settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advance care planning is considered an important issue in end‐of‐life care for older adults. The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic has interrupted the healthcare system and end‐of‐life care tremendously. This review aimed to explore available articles on advance care planning amid the pandemic and analyze qualitatively. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched on February 2021 using the relevant keywords. Retrieved articles were screened applying inclusion criteria. Any article describing advance care planning during the COVID‐19 era was included. A qualitative content analysis was conducted. In total, 20 articles incorporating 5542 participants from five countries were included. Among the articles, eight were primary studies and the rest were perspective papers or secondary analysis. From the qualitative content analysis six major themes emerged namely palliative care, lack of coordination among acute care, hospital palliative care, and long‐term care, community‐based advance care planning, real‐time dissemination of scientific information on the regional pandemic situation, online system and legislation. The COVID‐19 pandemic had decreased the uptake of advance care planning. Findings of the review suggested simplification of the procedure regarding advance care planning, implementation of community‐based advance care planning and utilization of online resources to enhance the process. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 779–787. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: : Dysphagia is prevalent in subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD). Swallowing intervention to improve or maintain swallowing function is of major importance as dysphagia may considerably impact physical and psycho‐social health. Aims: : A mixed methods systematic review was conducted to summarize and appraise literature reporting (1) effects of behavioural interventions for swallowing in individuals with PD; and (2) participants' perspectives of swallowing interventions. Methods & Procedures: : Electronic databases were searched systematically in July 2020 for articles published between 2014 and 2020. In addition, studies published between 2000 and 2014 were identified non‐systematically through previous reviews. Peer‐reviewed quantitative and qualitative research in English or German documenting behavioural interventions for swallowing in individuals with a diagnosis of PD was eligible for inclusion. Participants at all disease stages were included. Behavioural interventions included rehabilitative and compensatory strategies. Studies reporting swallowing outcomes with and without a comparative group were included. For each study, the National Health and Medical Research Council level of evidence was defined. Included studies were critically appraised using the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields. An integrated synthesis was performed after separate analysis of effect data and data reflecting participants' experiences. This review was conducted based on published JBI methodology and the guideline from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis system was followed. Main Contribution: : A total of 33 studies published in English met the inclusion criteria. Thirty‐one studies reported quantitative data, one was qualitative and one was mixed methods. Intervention effects on swallowing function, swallowing safety and swallowing‐related quality of life were reported for various treatment approaches. Three studies explored how participants perceived the intervention. Overriding themes including subjects' views regarding treatment schedules and levels of effort or comfort associated with the intervention were identified across these studies. Combining evidence of intervention effects and subjects' experiences was possible for one rehabilitative and one compensatory intervention. Conclusions & Implications: : Beneficial effects of swallowing interventions have been reported; however, most experiments were case studies of variable methodological quality. Randomized‐controlled trials with robust methodology to explore treatment effects in larger samples is needed to guide clinical practice. Research reporting subjects' views is scarce. More studies exploring how individuals perceive behavioural interventions for swallowing are necessary to inform clinical decision‐making. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Dysphagia is common in individuals with PD. Swallowing intervention is of major importance as dysphagia may negatively affect physical and psycho‐social health of subjects with PD. What this study adds: Beneficial effects of behavioural interventions for swallowing, including rehabilitative and compensatory strategies, have been reported; however, available data are mostly based on case studies of variable quality. Data on how participants perceive specific behavioural interventions are lacking. Based on the available data, integration of efficacy data and individuals' experiences is limited. What are the clinical implications of this work?: Given the current evidence of intervention effects and individuals' views on behavioural treatment strategies, interventions implemented into clinical practice require careful evaluation on a case‐by‐case basis. More high‐quality research is needed to examine interventions' short‐ and long‐term effects in larger samples to guide clinical practice. In addition to studies evaluating intervention effects, research exploring participants' experiences with interventions is required as a foundation for clinical decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deep learning methods, where models do not use explicit features and instead rely on implicit features estimated during model training, suffer from an explainability problem. In text classification, saliency maps that reflect the importance of words in prediction are one approach toward explainability. However, little is known about whether the salient words agree with those identified by humans as important. Objectives: The current study examines in‐line annotations from human annotators and saliency map annotations from a deep learning model (ELECTRA transformer) to understand how well both humans and machines provide evidence for their assigned label. Methods: Data were responses to test items across a mix of United States subjects, states, and grades. Humans were trained to annotate responses to justify a crisis alert label and two model interpretability methods (LIME, Integrated Gradients) were used to obtain engine annotations. Human inter‐annotator agreement and engine agreement with the human annotators were computed and compared. Results and Conclusions: Human annotators agreed with one another at similar rates to those observed in the literature on similar tasks. The annotations derived using the integrated gradients (IG) agreed with human annotators at higher rates than LIME on most metrics; however, both methods underperformed relative to the human annotators. Implications: Saliency map‐based engine annotations show promise as a form of explanation, but do not reach human annotation agreement levels. Future work should examine the appropriate unit for annotation (e.g., word, sentence), other gradient based methods, and approaches for mapping the continuous saliency values to Boolean annotations. Lay Description: What is known about subject matter: Explainability of deep learning models is complicated by their large size, design, and complexity.Explainability methods in deep learning exist but have not been rigorously tested.Saliency maps, as a form of explainability, can be used to generate engine annotations.Human annotations can serve as basis for comparison. What paper adds to knowledge: How well human annotations work in one domain (crisis paper identification).How well two engine annotation methods match human annotations. Implications of study findings: Human annotations have reasonable reliability.Engine annotations have lower reliability than humans.Model‐based engine annotations perform better than model‐agnostic engine annotations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential complications related to unplanned conversion to thoracotomy remains a major concern in thoracoscopic lobectomy and may limit the wide adoption of this strategy. We reviewed the literature from 1990 until February 2022, analyzing all papers comparing successful thoracoscopic lobectomy versus converted thoracoscopic lobectomy and/or upfront thoracotomy lobectomy to establish whether unplanned conversion negatively affected outcomes. Thirteen studies provided the most applicable evidence to evaluate this issue. Conversion to thoracotomy was reported to occur in up to 23% of cases (range, 5%–16%). Vascular injury, calcified lymph nodes, and dense adhesions were the most common reasons for conversion. Converted thoracoscopic lobectomy compared to successful thoracoscopic lobectomy was associated with longer operative time and hospital stay in all studies, with higher postoperative complication rates in seven studies, and with higher perioperative mortality rates in four studies. No significant differences were found between converted thoracoscopic lobectomy and upfront thoracotomy lobectomy. Five studies evaluated long‐term survival, and in all papers conversion did not prejudice survival. Surgeons should not fear unplanned conversion during thoracoscopic lobectomy, but to avoid unexpected conversion that may negatively impact surgical outcome, a careful selection of patients is recommended–especially for frail patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale Aims and Objectives: Horizontal violence has been defined as aggressive or hostile behaviour directed at an individual or between colleagues from the same working group. Measuring the prevalence of horizontal violence requires valid measures. To date, there has not been a review of the psychometric properties of available measurement tools for horizontal violence. Method: A rapid review of the MEDLINE and BUSINESS EBSCO databases was conducted to identify studies testing the validity of any measure of horizontal violence in any workplace setting. Title and abstract and full‐text screening, data extraction and quality appraisal were completed by two researchers working independently. The COnsensus‐based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) was used to determine the methodological quality of studies, including details of the psychometric properties of included papers. Results: Fourteen papers reporting 17 studies were included in the review. Seven measures of horizontal violence (Civility Norms Questionnaire Brief; Negative Acts Questionnaire—Revised; Inventory of Violence and Psychological Harassment; Leyman Inventory Psychological Terror Mobbing of Single Cases of Harassment in Employees Relations; Shortened Negative Acts Questionnaire—Revised; Uncivil Workplace Behaviour Questionnaire) were identified. Most included studies were methodologically robust. Six measures had strong psychometric properties except for the Mobbing of Single Cases of Harassment in Employees Relations (MSCH) where key information about psychometric properties was not reported. Conclusions: We identified six measures of horizontal violence that had good psychometric properties. The Negative Acts Questionnaire—Revised has been most extensively tested in different settings but is not necessarily a more precise measure than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper reports on a participatory project on the history of learning disability. The paper makes contributions to discourses on using participatory research methods with people labelled with learning disabilities, on the nature of research impact in participatory research, and on the lived experience of learning disability today. Methods: We used a two‐step methodology. The first step involved searching for and selecting archive material relating to the history of learning disability. The second step involved a series of participatory workshops. We worked collectively to systematically analyse the case history of Antonia Grandoni. Then we responded to it in a variety of creative ways. In doing so, we made connections between Antonia's life and our own. Findings: Many of Antonia's experiences seem very similar to what people labelled with learning disabilities often encounter today. These include discrimination, segregation and dehumanisation. Despite this, we very much enjoyed doing the research. As well as finding out about the history, some of us learned new skills, some of us grew in confidence, and we also made new friends. Conclusions: Participatory methods are an effective way of making digital archive material more accessible to people labelled with learning disabilities. In this project, using participatory methods revealed a lot of parallels between how we think somebody experienced learning disability in the mid‐19th century, and how it is experienced today. They also resulted in significant impact on the people doing the research. Accessible summary: This is a paper about how we researched learning disability history together.We used material in a digital archive as well as creative methods to do our research.Working this way helped us learn about ourselves, and each other's experiences of learning disability, whilst we learned about the history.This is important because people with learning disabilities have not often been able to do historical research.Research like this matters because doing it teaches us useful skills and can be empowering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Study: The research discusses the need for a paradigm shift in engineering education current practices to accommodate the digital native students. The paper emphasizes the importance of integrating disruptive technologies, namely Virtual Reality (VR) through Head Mounted Displays VR (HMD VR) and Desktop Based VR (DB VR) and comparing it with the traditional teaching methods. The research focuses on second‐year undergraduate students enrolled in a concrete structures course. Objectives: The objective of the study is to analyse the impact of DB VR and HMD VR on students' motivation, performance and workload in comparison with traditional 2D drawings. The study also aims to investigate how simulation sickness and system usability could impact students' motivation and performance when interpreting concrete structures. Methods: The study divided second‐year civil engineering students into three groups, 2D, DB VR and HMD VR. The performance and motivation levels of students were assessed based on the number of mistakes identified and an intrinsic motivation survey. Furthermore, data on system usability and simulation sickness were collected. Spearman rank correlation was conducted to analyse the relationships between the variables tested. Results: The results have shown that students' motivation and performance were much higher when using VR in general and HMD VR specifically, students' efficiency and accuracy were also observed. On the other hand, usability was found to be moderately correlated with motivation, with students rating HMD VR as the most usable approach. A moderate inverse correlation was observed between simulation sickness and motivation, indicating that higher simulation sickness led to lower motivation levels. Conclusion: The study concludes that integrating VR in general, DB VR, or HMD VR into a concrete structures course for undergraduate students can significantly improve students' performance and motivation. Furthermore, enhancing usability of any of the methods used can also improve the performance and motivation. On the other hand, simulation sickness inversely affects motivation and performance, therefore, VR developers and educators should not neglect it. Lay Description: What is already known about the topic: Traditional teaching methods in engineering education require improvement.Integrating digital technologies into engineering education enhances performance.Digital technologies can potentially enhance motivation. What this paper adds: Compares traditional teaching methods for concrete structures interpretation with virtual reality.Establishes correlations between motivation, performance and usabilityIntroduces how desktop‐based VR and head‐mounted display VR can produce varying results. Implications for practice and/or policy: Decision‐makers can use the information to integrate updated pedagogy into engineering curricula.Allows for further exploration of different digital technologies that can be used for concrete structure interpretation.Allows instructors to introduce virtual reality in their courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Addressing femoral neck fractures resulting from ground‐level falls in older adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves a personalized treatment plan. There is considerable ongoing debate concerning the relative advantages and disadvantages of surgical treatment (internal fixation or arthroplasty) vs nonoperative treatment for femoral neck fractures in older persons with AD. Methods: This retrospective cohort study compared the mortality, hazard ratio, and survival rate between operative and nonoperative treatments, controlling for patients' demographic information and baseline health status. The study population consisted of Optum beneficiaries diagnosed with AD who experienced an initial femoral neck fracture claim between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2017. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were applied to compare the treatment groups' post‐fracture survival rates and mortality. Cox regression was used to examine the survival period by controlling the covariates. Results: Out of the 4157 patients with AD with femoral neck fractures, 59.8% were women (n = 2487). The median age was 81 years. The 1‐year survival rate for nonoperative treatment (70.19%) was lower than that for internal fixation (75.27%) and arthroplasty treatment (82.32%). Compared with the nonoperative group, arthroplasty surgical treatment had significant lower hazard risk of death (arthroplasty hazard ratio: 0.850, 95% CI: 0.728–0.991, P < 0.05). Discussion: The findings suggest that the operative treatment group experiences higher survival rates and lower mortality rates than the nonoperative group. This paper provides insights into treatment outcomes of older adults with AD receiving medical care for femoral neck fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a meta‐analysis to assess the effects of bundle‐care interventions on pressure ulcers in patients with stroke to provide a basis for clinical work. Randomised controlled trials on the effects of bundle‐care interventions in patients with stroke were identified using computerised searches of the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP and Wanfang databases, from the time of inception of each database to July 2023, supplemented by manual literature searches. Two researchers independently retrieved and screened the articles, extracted the data and evaluated the quality of the included studies. After reaching consensus, meta‐analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4. Twenty‐four papers were included, involving 3330 patients of whom 1679 were in the intervention group and 1651 were in the control group. The results showed that, compared with standard care, bundle‐care interventions significantly reduced the incidence of pressure ulcers (3.28% vs. 14.84%, odds ratio [OR]: 0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14–0.26, p < 0.001), and aspiration (5.60% vs. 18.84%, OR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.17–0.39, p < 0.001), and improved patient satisfaction with nursing care (96.59% vs. 84.43%, OR. 5.45, 95% CI: 3.76–7.90, p < 0.001). Current evidence suggests that care bundles are significantly better than conventional nursing measures in preventing pressure ulcers and aspiration, and improving patient satisfaction with nursing care in patients with stroke, and are worthy of clinical promotion and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing new imputation methodology has become a very active field. Unfortunately, there is no consensus on how to perform simulation studies to evaluate the properties of imputation methods. In part, this may be due to different aims between fields and studies. For example, when evaluating imputation techniques aimed at prediction, different aims may be formulated than when statistical inference is of interest. The lack of consensus may also stem from different personal preferences or scientific backgrounds. All in all, the lack of common ground in evaluating imputation methodology may lead to suboptimal use in practice. In this paper, we propose a move toward a standardized evaluation of imputation methodology. To demonstrate the need for standardization, we highlight a set of possible pitfalls that bring forth a chain of potential problems in the objective assessment of the performance of imputation routines. Additionally, we suggest a course of action for simulating and evaluating missing data problems. Our suggested course of action is by no means meant to serve as a complete cookbook, but rather meant to incite critical thinking and a move to objective and fair evaluations of imputation methodology. We invite the readers of this paper to contribute to the suggested course of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this research is to identify the main approaches and domains of palliative care quality assessment through three questionnaires used for this purpose. Design: Systematic review. Methods: The proposed analysis process consists of three stages from 2000 to 2020: (i) massive literature search, (ii) text mining and (iii) systematic reviews carried out on the QLQ C30, Zarit Burden Interview and FAMCARE questionnaires. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA‐P) have guided our research. Results: Sixteen papers were included in our study. The main findings have been summarised using a descriptive narrative synthesis approach. Systematic reviews evidenced that such tools present variable factor structures or latent domains. The results obtained are generally representative of the evidence supporting the factor structure of the QLQ‐C30 in the general cancer population. The factor structure of the Zarit Burden Interview remains ambiguous, although the idea of a unifactorial structure predominates. In the case of FAMCARE, most of the factor structures differ from the initial proposal of Kristjanson. The categorisation of the main subjective assessment approaches could be useful for the construction of a coherent system of indicators to be used in nursing practice. For its part, the variability in the latent dimensionality of the questionnaires analysed could be due to: (i) the characteristics of the sample, (ii) the population studied, (iii) cross‐cultural variability, (iv) the design of the questionnaire and (v) the analysis techniques employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper depicts a Covid science case, that of the AstraZeneca Vaxzevria vaccine, with specific focus on what happened in Italy. Given that we believe acknowledging the role of non‐evidential factors in medicine is an important insight into the recent philosophy of science, we illustrate how in the case of Vaxzevria, the interplay between facts, values (both epistemic and non‐epistemic) and cognitive biases may have possibly led to different institutional decisions based on the same evidence. The structure of the paper is as follows. First, we provide a glossary of the relevant terms involved, that is to say, epistemic values, non‐epistemic values and cognitive biases. Second, we sketch a timeline of Vaxzevria's approvals and suspensions by relevant institutional healthcare authorities with special focus on Italy and the Italian Medicines Agency. Then we show the interplay between the evidence base, epistemic as well as non‐epistemic values and cognitive biases using a narrative review of political decisions along with newspaper and social media content pertaining to Vaxzevria. We briefly compare Italy with other European countries to show that different political decisions were made on the basis of the same evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Insomnia is common, and causes substantial individual suffering and costs for society. The recommended first‐line treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT‐I), which is under‐used partly due to a lack of trained providers. To train providers is thus important, but what is the current situation regarding CBT‐I training? A systematic search of databases was conducted to identify scientific peer‐reviewed papers describing CBT‐I training with regards to: existing amounts of training, proposed curricula, trainees, delivery context, content of training, modes of delivery, evaluation of the training from a trainee perspective, and effects on patients. This systematic review shows that research on training in CBT‐I is an emerging field, with the literature presenting a limited number of papers, with varying objectives. One group of papers investigate the amount of training that exists in a region or educational context and/or propose training curricula; and another group evaluate training initiatives and describe CBT‐I training trainees, context, content, modes of delivery, and outcomes on trainees and on treated patients. The studies show that little training is currently provided and proposed curricula vary, and evaluations present promising results: training is feasible in different contexts and modes, digital training may be used to disseminate training efforts at a large scale, trainees' skills increase and positive effects on patients can be seen. To move the field forward, more high‐quality studies on CBT‐I training are needed, and we propose that training in CBT‐I should be targeted towards varying levels of expertise, matching a stepped‐care model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies often claim to follow specific software development methodologies (SDM) when performing their software development process. These methodologies are often supported by dedicated tools that keep track of work activities carried out by developers. The purpose of this paper is to provide a novel approach that integrates analytical insights from both the perceptions of SDM stakeholders and software development tools logs to provide SDM improvement recommendations. This paper develops a new process improvement approach that combines two significantly different sources of data on the same phenomenon. First, it uses a questionnaire to gather software development stakeholder SDM perceptions (managers and developers). Second, it leverages process mining to analyze software development tools logs to obtain additional information on software development activities. Finally, it develops recommendations based on concurrent analysis of both sources. Our novel process improvement approach is evaluated in three directions: Does the presented approach (RQ1) enable managers to gain additional insights into employees' performance, (RQ2) deliver additional insights into project performance, and (RQ3) enable development of additional SDM improvement recommendations? We find that integrated analysis of software development perception data and software development tools logs opens new possibilities to more precisely identify and improve specific SDM elements. The evaluation of our novel process improvement approach follows a single case study design. Our approach can only be used in enterprises in which software development tools logs are available. The study should be repeated in different cultural settings. We practically show how concurrently analyzing data about developer SDM perceptions and event log data from software development tools enables management to gain additional insights in the software development process regarding the performance of individual developers. The main theoretical contribution of our paper is a novel process improvement approach that effectively integrates data from management and developer perspectives and software development tools logs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Brundtland Commission voiced its call for sustainable development, multiple actors at different levels have been increasingly interested in establishing a means to monitor performance and to assess progress towards sustainable development. Different approaches have been developed and tested, and the key role of a clear conceptual framework for guiding the assessment process has been recognized. An alternative perspective can be offered by the incorporation of a social interface analysis and a livelihoods approach in order to strengthen the evaluation of sustainable development interventions both at the project and strategic level. This paper firstly shows the link between a non‐normative approach of governance and the social interface analysis, which is explicitly introduced. Secondly, the notion of sustainable livelihoods is presented as the basis for an approach more interested in the agency of households and communities and their potential, competence, capacities, and strengths, rather than their weaknesses and needs. Thirdly, as the social interface analysis implies that theory is grounded on empirical investigation, the paper introduces a case study in four Andean communities in Central West Argentina, where inputs from the social interface analysis and livelihood research were used in order to assess the impact of an external "community‐based" development intervention. Finally, the relevance of the two approaches to foster a more nuanced evaluation of sustainable development interventions is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This systematic review was performed to evaluate the range of outcome measures used in interventional trials for oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). Materials and Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2004 to 2018 about OSF treatment. All the outcome measures and measurement methods mentioned in the trials were extracted and analyzed. Results: Out of 120 published papers, 12 RCTs that met the inclusion criteria were included. A total of 38 single outcome measures and 29 composite outcome measures were considered under four different outcome domains, of which clinical symptoms and clinical response were the most commonly used. The linear measurement of mouth opening (11 trials; 91.66%) and Visual Analogue Scale (10 trials, 83.33%) were the predominant measurement methods. Conclusions: This systematic review highlights the high heterogeneity in outcome measures in therapeutic RCTs of OSF. This lack of widely agreed standard outcome measures in OSF is a great concern as it prevents the comparison of studies and meta‐analyses to gather evidence. There is a dire need of establishing a core outcome set for reporting in the future clinical trials that may help facilitate treatment choice for OSF to improve life quality of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Articulate' programme is a high‐intensity five‐day widening participation programme designed to help students develop their communication skills and confidence through a range of activities led by an Articulacy tutor and culminates in students taking an examination for the English Speaking Board (ESB) Level 1 Award in speech on the final day. Additionally, students also develop their understanding of and aspirations towards higher education (HE) through sustained interaction with student ambassadors, who support all sessions throughout the week. Based on the conceptual framework of the theory of change, the intervention primarily addresses the barrier of soft skills, including increasing students' self‐belief, while also addressing some of the barriers of socio‐economic factors to HE participation namely knowledge, understanding and likelihood of applying to HE in future, through increased exposure to HE role models. In this paper we report our findings from the evaluation where we are studying the effectiveness of the programme. Through survey questionnaires data was collected from over 698 students in year 9 and year 10, studying at 42 schools across Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset who took part in the 'Articulate' programme, which was run in collaboration with Next Steps South West (NSSW). Results show the majority of participating students went on to perform well in the ESB exam; furthermore, participants were more likely to have positive attitudes towards HE and considered applying to HE in future. The findings will be of particular interest to practitioners and activity providers. Context and implicationsRationale for this studyThis paper summarises the mid‐term evaluation of an outreach programme designed for under‐represented groups to build their soft (communication) skills and develop their understanding of higher education (HE)—in terms of applying to university, support available and the possibilities HE can offer.Why the new findings matterIt is possible to achieve medium‐term goals only after a sequence of short‐term goals are completed and built together to form a long‐term pursuit. Evaluating these goals is particularly useful for those delivering them and for the funder. Long‐term plans are what we are working towards, but the value of moderate to mid‐term goals is that they let us check our progress and evaluate whether we are still heading towards our long‐term pursuit and whether our plan, design or choices need to change to reach desired outcomes.ImplicationsWe expect the paper will be of particular interest to funders, regulators, practitioners and activity providers delivering similar programmes and will encourage them to evaluate the programmes they run for effectiveness and accountability. Based on the work done by some research team members, the Office for Students has recently published a report encouraging higher education institutions, outreach and activity providers to consider the standards of evidence and programme evaluation. Our work is one example of a mid‐term review for an ongoing programme with long‐term goals. Such reports are relatively rare, and we expect this evidence‐based practice will set a good example for colleagues involved in similar work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysphagia impacts negatively on quality of life, however there is little in‐depth qualitative research on these impacts from the perspective of people with dysphagia. Aims: To examine the lived experiences and views of people with lifelong or ongoing dysphagia on the impacts of dysphagia and its interventions on quality of life, and barriers and facilitators to improved quality of life related to mealtimes. Methods & Procedures: Nine adults with lifelong or acquired chronic dysphagia engaged in in‐depth interviews and a mealtime observation. The observations were recorded and scored using the Dysphagia Disorders Survey (DDS). Interviews were recorded, transcribed and de‐identified before content thematic and narrative analysis, and verification of researcher interpretations. Outcomes & Results: Participants presented with mild to severe dysphagia as assessed by the DDS. They viewed that dysphagia and its interventions reduced their quality of life and that they had 'paid a high price' in terms of having reduced physical safety, reduced choice and control, poor mealtime experiences, and poor social engagement. As part of their management of dysphagia, participants identified several barriers to and facilitators for improved quality of life including: being involved in the design of their meals, being adaptable, having ownership of swallowing difficulties, managing the perceptions of others and resisting changes to oral intake. Conclusions & Implications: This research improves understanding of the primary concerns of people with dysphagia about their mealtime experiences and factors impacting on their quality of life. Clinicians working with people with dysphagia need to consider how self‐determination, autonomy and freedom of choice could be improved through involvement in food design of texture‐modified foods. It is important that future research considers the views of health professionals on how these findings could impact on policy and practice particularly in ways to address the barriers and enhance facilitators to improved quality of life for people with dysphagia. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: Dysphagia impacts on quality of life, particularly as the severity of the dysphagia increases. Research to date has focused on people with dysphagia associated with an acquired health condition and has used quantitative assessment methods to measure quality of life. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This study provides a qualitative examination of the impacts of dysphagia on quality of life from the perspective of people with lifelong or ongoing acquired dysphagia and their supporters. This study also provides qualitative insights into the barriers and facilitators of mealtime‐related quality of life. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Health professionals should engage in open communication with their clients with dysphagia regarding the impacts of dysphagia on their lifestyle and quality of life. By considering these impacts, health professionals may be able to recommend interventions that are more acceptable to the person with the dysphagia which may have a positive impact on their mealtime experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient education information material (PEIM) is an essential component of patient education programs in increasing patients' ability to cope with their diseases. Therefore, it is essential to consider the criteria that will be used to prepare and evaluate these resources. Objective: This paper aims to identify these criteria and recognize the tools or methods used to evaluate them. Methods: National and international databases and indexing banks, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, the Cochrane Library, Magiran, SID and ISC, were searched for this review. Original or review articles, theses, short surveys, and conference papers published between January 1990 and June 2022 were included. Results: Overall, 4688 documents were retrieved, of which 298 documents met the inclusion criteria. The criteria were grouped into 24 overarching criteria. The most frequently used criteria were readability, quality, suitability, comprehensibility and understandability. Conclusion: This review has provided empirical evidence to identify criteria, tools, techniques or methods for developing or evaluating a PEIM. The authors suggest that developing a comprehensive tool based on these findings is critical for evaluating the overall efficiency of PEIM using effective criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Editorial Perspective, we take a systematic look at the overall nature of the Covid‐19 related research on mental health in children and young people, to gain insight into the major trends in this area of research and inform future lines of investigation, clinical practices, and policies. By means of state‐of‐the‐art scientometric approaches, we identified 3,692 relevant research outputs, mainly clustering around the following themes: (a) mental health consequences of the Covid‐19 pandemic in children and young people; (b) impact of the pandemic on pre‐existing psychiatric disorders; (c) family outcomes (i.e., family violence and parental mental health); and (d) link between physical and mental conditions. Only 23% of the retrieved publications reported new data, the remaining ones being reviews, editorials, opinion papers, and other nonempirical reports. The majority of the empirical studies used a cross‐sectional design. We suggest that future research efforts should prioritise: (a) longitudinal follow‐up of existing cohorts; (b) quasi‐experimental studies to gain insight into causal mechanisms underlying pandemic‐related psychopathology in children and young people; (c) pragmatic randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to test evidence‐based intervention strategies; and (d) evidence‐based guidelines for clinicians and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early childhood teachers (ECTs) play a significant role in equipping children with oral language and emergent literacy skills ahead of school entry. They are well positioned to play a vital role in ensuring preschool children receive a high‐quality preschool curriculum to prepare them for later literacy learning. Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore early career ECTs' views and confidence regarding their role in providing preschoolers with oral language and emergent literacy support and to examine their perceptions of their preservice preparation. Methods & Procedures: Nine Australian early career ECTs were recruited via purposive sampling for an in‐depth, semi‐structured interview. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Outcomes & Results: Participants attached strong significance to their role in facilitating children's oral language growth and emergent literacy skills and reported a range of practices to support children's learning. However, they rarely referred to using established language facilitation strategies or using dialogic book reading prompts. Further, emergent literacy concepts such as phonological awareness and print awareness were not routinely described as features of participants' classroom activities. Participants did not consistently make a clear conceptual distinction between the constructs of oral language and emergent literacy and often used these terms interchangeably. Notably, participants indicated that they did not feel confident in their ability to identify preschool children who were not meeting developmental language milestones and reported that they felt poorly equipped to do so by their preservice training. Conclusions & Implications: ECTs' strong willingness to support preschool children's oral language and emergent literacy skills may be hindered by gaps in their knowledge; these may contribute to important and missed opportunities for identifying and supporting preschoolers' oral language and emergent literacy growth. What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject?: High‐quality learning experiences in preschool are important for maximising preschoolers' oral language and emergent literacy growth. Early childhood teachers can play an important role in facilitating this development and preparing children for later literacy learning. What this paper adds to existing knowledge?: The study findings provide insight into ECTs' perceptions of their role and support in developing children's oral language and emergent literacy skills. The results indicated ECTs did not feel confident with their knowledge of children's language milestones or identifying children with language difficulties. Participants reported that their preservice training left them underprepared in the area of oral language. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: ECTs demonstrated a strong willingness to support preschoolers' oral language and emergent literacy skills. However, their self‐reported knowledge gaps and low confidence may have implications for the early detection of children who are not reaching language developmental milestones in a timely way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statisticians with a primary collaborative position at their academic institution have a unique role in combining domain science and statistical research and training and mentoring graduate students. As a result, it is important that their responsibilities be clearly understood by both the collaborative statisticians and their departments. In this paper, we discuss various steps that these statisticians can take to be successful and to be appropriately evaluated for their work. These steps are even more important now because a combination of new technologies, quantitative experts in other fields and the growth of data science in general seems to have put the field of Statistics at a crossroads. For the discipline to continue to flourish, we argue that it is critical that the role of the collaborative statistician be maintained and valued in statistics departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stable development of agriculture is of great significance to alleviate the problem of food insecurity. As a significant yield zone along the Belt and Road Initiative, the Black Sea area is an ideal object for China to invest in agriculture. Therefore, it is particularly important to evaluate the agricultural investment environment in this region reasonably and effectively. This paper selects the countries around the Black Sea as the research objects and uses an Entropy‐ technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) model to analyse the agricultural investment environment and its influencing factors. The results show that: (a) There are significant differences in the agricultural investment environment among the six countries around the Black Sea, ranking as follows: Russia(0.5583) > Bulgaria(0.4782) > Georgia(0.4072) > Ukraine(0.3539) > Turkey(0.3493) > Romania(0.3167); (b) in primary indexes, agricultural production conditions, political environment, and social development have a relatively large impact, among which agricultural production is the most important factor; (c) among the secondary indexes, human capital index and railway (total kilometres) have high levels of impact. Unemployment rate, inflation rate and employment in agriculture (% of total employment) also have a significant impact. On this basis, suggestions are put forward according to the research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Echolalia, the repetition of others' speech, is a common observation in autistic people. Research has established that echolalia is functional and meaningful for many; however, some clinicians and researchers continue to characterise it as pathological and in need of reduction. The aim of this systematic review was to understand the range and impact of interventions for echolalia in autistic children. Method: A systematic search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 15 studies met predetermined inclusion criteria. Screening, data extraction and quality rating using the Scientific Merit Rating Scale (SMRS) were performed in duplicate. Results: Ten interventions across 15 papers were found. Results indicated that interventions generally decreased levels of echolalia. However, there were considerable inconsistencies in the definitions and conceptualisations of echolalia, administration, generalisation techniques and the measures used. The quality of the studies was very low. Conclusion: Interventions for echolalia vary widely in terms of administration and measurement. There is limited consensus on the definition of echolalia among the reviewed studies, and no evidence that echolalia is recognised as functional or meaningful to the autistic children. Further, the lack of methodological rigour makes it difficult to draw clinical conclusions about the interventions. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known: Echolalia is the immediate or delayed repetition of others' speech and is a common observation in autistic children and in some older autistic people. While research and practice has established that echolalia is a functional and meaningful form of communication, particularly for those first developing spoken communication, some clinicians and researchers continue to characterise it as problematic and suggest that echolalia should be reduced or eliminated. What this study adds: We systematically searched the literature about echolalia interventions to try to find out about the types of interventions that aim to reduce or eliminate echolalia. We found 15 studies on this topic. The way they defined echolalia was varied, and there was a range of interventions researched. None of the research papers recognised echolalia as functional or meaningful and the quality of the research was very low. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Clinicians, families and researchers should think carefully and critically about suggesting any programs or supports that aim to reduce echolalia as no recommendations can be drawn from the research we studied. Echolalia should be considered functional, and efforts made to understand the meaning and purpose of echolalic speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computer‐based scaffolding has been intensively used to facilitate students' self‐regulated learning (SRL). However, most previous studies investigated how computer‐based scaffoldings affected the cognitive aspect of SRL, such as knowledge gains and understanding levels. In contrast, more evidence is needed to examine the effects of scaffolding on the metacognitive dimension and efficiency outcome of SRL. Objectives: This study aims to examine the role of computer‐based scaffolding in students' metacognitive monitoring and problem‐solving efficiency. Methods: Seventy‐two medical students completed two clinical reasoning tasks in BioWorld, an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) designed for promoting medical students' diagnostic expertise. During solving the tasks, students were asked to report their confidence judgements about proposed diagnoses. Computer trace data were used to identify task completion time (CT) and students' use of three scaffolding types, that is, conceptual, strategic, and metacognitive. Then we calculated students' metacognitive monitoring accuracy (i.e., calibration) and problem‐solving efficiency. Results and Conclusions: One‐sample t‐test demonstrated that students inaccurately monitored their learning processes and were overconfident in both tasks. Linear mixed‐effects models (LMMs) indicated that the intensive use of metacognitive scaffolding positively predicted students' metacognitive monitoring accuracy. Moreover, strategic scaffolding was negatively related to problem‐solving efficiency, whereas metacognitive scaffolding positively influenced problem‐solving efficiency. Takeaways: This study shows the importance of metacognitive scaffolding in improving the accuracy of metacognitive monitoring and problem‐solving efficiency. Findings from this study provide new insights for instructors and ITS developers to optimise the design of scaffoldings. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Computer‐based scaffolding can facilitate students' knowledge gains and academic performance during self‐regulated learning (SRL).The effects of computer‐based scaffolding on the metacognitive dimension and efficiency outcome of SRL are still in a nascent phase. What this paper adds?: This paper explores how different types of computer‐based scaffolding affect students' metacognitive monitoring and problem‐solving efficiency.Metacognitive scaffolding improved the accuracy of medical students' confidence judgements.Metacognitive scaffolding promoted medical students' diagnostic problem‐solving efficiency.Strategic scaffolding had a negative effect on problem‐solving efficiency. Implications for practice: Instructors could provide more metacognitive scaffoldings to facilitate students' metacognitive monitoring accuracy.The designers of intelligent tutoring systems and instructors should consider the costs associated with using scaffoldings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate an international health partnership project to capacity build emergency, trauma and critical care nurse education and practice in Zambia. Background: Zambia continues to face a significant workforce challenge and rising burden of communicable and non‐communicable diseases, compounded by the COVID‐19 pandemic. In response to these, the Zambian Ministry of Health is investing in specialised nurses. Emergency, trauma and critical care nursing education and training were seen as one of the solutions. North–south partnerships have been identified as a force for good to capacity build and develop emerging specialities. Sources of evidence: We use an evaluative approach, which includes desk research, a rapid literature review and documentary data analysis from published papers, government reports and project documentation. Ethics committee approval was sought and gained in both Zambia and the UK. Discussion: A critical review of the evidence identified three key themes: challenges with changing education and practice, developing Zambian faculty for sustainability and the effect of an international health partnership project on both Zambia and UK. The outcomes from this project are multifaceted; however, the main achievement has been the implementation of emergency, trauma and critical care graduate programmes by the Zambian faculty. Conclusion: This experience from the field outlines the benefits and limitations of a north–south partnership and the importance of transparency, shared ownership and collegiate decisions. It has facilitated knowledge exchange and sharing to capacity build emergency, trauma and critical care nursing. Implications for nursing practice: Lessons learned may be applicable to other international nursing partnerships, these include the need for deep understanding of the context and constraints. Also, the importance of focusing on developing long‐term sustainable strategies, based on research, education and practice was noted. Implications for nursing policy: This paper outlines the importance of developing nursing education and practice to address the changing burden of disease in line with Zambian national policy, regional and international standards. Also, the value of international nursing partnerships for national and international nursing agendas was described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reading comprehension is frequently impaired in persons with aphasia (PWA). For goal‐setting and outcome measurement, speech and language therapists (SLTs) need to determine an individual's perspective of their reading difficulties and everyday reading activities. The Comprehensive Assessment of Reading in Aphasia (CARA) reading questionnaire provides a person‐centred tool to find out the individual perception of reading functions, reading‐related emotions and reading activities in PWA. It was developed and evaluated in English. So far, there is no equivalent instrument in German. Aims: To translate and adapt the CARA reading questionnaire into German language and culture, to evaluate its practicability and acceptance, and to provide the first psychometric properties of the German version. Methods & Procedures: Based on translation and adaptation guidelines, we conducted two forward translations that were merged and then adapted. A back translation was prepared and compared with the original version. It was found to be semantically equivalent by one of the authors of the original version. We performed pilot testing with 12 PWA, and the pilot version was adapted according to the comments of these participants. We then collected data on self‐reported perception of reading and on psychometric properties of the translated and adapted German version. A total of 22 German‐speaking PWA completed the questionnaire at least five times during an intervention study. We analysed retest reliability with Spearman correlation, internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha, internal responsiveness with the standardized response mean, as well as the relationship between outcomes of the questionnaire and text comprehension measures using repeated measures correlations. Outcomes & Results: Our data suggest good practicability and acceptance of the German version of the CARA reading questionnaire as well as appropriate validity, reliability and sensitivity to measure therapy‐induced change. We found moderate correlations between outcomes of the questionnaire and text‐level reading speed. Conclusions & Implications: The German version of the CARA reading questionnaire could be helpful in intervention planning and goal‐setting with German‐speaking PWA. By using the questionnaire, SLTs can find out about a person's individual perception of reading difficulties as well as individually relevant reading activities. The questionnaire provides a tool to measure change and is therefore valuable to demonstrate self‐reported individual progress. As reading speed seems to be an indicator of personal perception of reading difficulty, it is important to consider reading speed in reading interventions and in reading comprehension assessments. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Reading comprehension is frequently impaired in PWA. Reading preferences, the perception of difficulties and the impact on everyday life reading activities are specific to the individual and thus need to be known for goal‐setting, intervention planning and monitoring of change. As part of a comprehensive assessment of reading, Morris et al. developed a person‐centred English language questionnaire for this purpose. So far, there is no equivalent tool in German. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: In this study, we translated and adapted the questionnaire to German language and culture, and analysed its validity and reliability with German‐speaking PWA. We demonstrated that the German version is accessible for German‐speaking PWA, and that it has appropriate validity, reliability and sensitivity to measure self‐reported change. Outcomes of the questionnaire correlate with text level reading speed. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The German version of the questionnaire could be a valuable self‐reported outcome measure to assess individual perceptions of reading and to measure progress (as perceived by an individual) as a consequence of recovery or intervention in either clinical or research settings. As reading speed might be an indicator of everyday life reading as perceived by an individual, it should be considered in reading assessments and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the knowledge transfer of internationally mobile scientists. It builds upon previous work on the development of methods for detecting the knowledge transfer of German scientists. Using abstract terms of publications covered in Scopus, this paper proposes a lexical‐based approach to identify knowledge transmitters. These scientists are characterized by acquiring knowledge from their co‐workers during their international stay and transferring it upon return to German co‐workers. Knowledge is operationalized as the co‐occurrence of rarely used abstract terms. Knowledge transfer is expressed as the diffusion of these term combinations in co‐authorship networks. The method developed was validated by contacting the bibliometrically identified knowledge transmitters and asking them what they believe they learned during their stay abroad. A control group of internationally mobile scientists without traceable knowledge transfer was similarly asked to report on their knowledge acquisition. The findings suggest that bibliometric data are capable of detecting knowledge transmitters among German scientists who were internationally mobile. The juxtaposition of the responses on their perceived knowledge acquisition and the bibliometrically identified lexical terms shows that the method proposed is well suited to studying the knowledge transfer of internationally mobile scientists. The strength of the method is its simplicity and high precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public involvement in health services research is encouraged. Descriptions of public involvement across the whole research cycle of a major study are uncommon and its effects on research conduct are poorly understood. Aim: This study aimed to describe how we implemented public involvement, reflect on process and effects in a large‐scale multi‐site research study and present learning for future involvement practice. Method: We recorded public involvement roles and activities throughout the study and compared these to our original public involvement plan included in our project proposal. We held a group interview with study co‐applicants to explore their experiences, transcribed the recorded discussion and conducted thematic analysis. We synthesized the findings to develop recommendations for future practice. Results: Public contributors' activities went beyond strategic study planning and management to include active involvement in data collection, analysis and dissemination. They attended management, scrutiny, planning and task meetings. They also facilitated public involvement through annual planning and review sessions, conducted a Public Involvement audit and coordinated public and patient input to stakeholder discussions at key study stages. Group interview respondents said that involvement exceeded their expectations. They identified effects such as changes to patient recruitment, terminology clarification and extra dissemination activities. They identified factors enabling effective involvement including team and leader commitment, named support contact, building relationships and demonstrating equality and public contributors being confident to challenge and flexible to meet researchers' timescales and work patterns. There were challenges matching resources to roles and questions about the risk of over‐professionalizing public contributors. Conclusion: We extended our planned approach to public involvement and identified benefits to the research process that were both specific and general. We identified good practice to support effective public involvement in health services research that study teams should consider in planning and undertaking research. Public Contribution: This paper was co‐conceived, co‐planned and co‐authored by public contributors to contribute research evidence, based on their experiences of active involvement in the design, implementation and dissemination of a major health services research study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the importance of delivering speech and language therapy services to children who stutter (CWS), there are barriers to accessing speech and language therapy. One way to improve access for those who may otherwise be deprived of speech and language therapy services, including CWS, is through telepractice (TP). However, there is currently no evidence as to the viability of TP stuttering assessments for CWS. Aim: To investigate the validity and reliability, and acceptability of using a TP application to assess overt stuttering behaviour children aged 6–15 years. Methods & Procedure: A total of 30 CWS, aged between 6 and 15 years, were recruited from a speech therapy clinic in King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Children were divided into two testing conditions, either face‐to‐face (f2f)‐led or TP‐led testing, and the Stuttering Severity Instrument (SSI‐IV) was administered, percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS) was calculated, and severity ratings (SR) assigned, either via f2f or via TP using two laptops with webcams, video conference software and a broadband internet connection. Agreement and reliability of scoring in the two testing conditions were reported in addition to findings from questionnaires exploring children's and their caregivers' perceptions both before and immediately after the TP assessment was carried out. Outcome & Results: A total of 30 sessions were successfully carried out, with results revealing unsatisfactory levels of agreement when applying the Bland and Altman method. However, when discrepancies were found, these were comparable with those from traditional f2f studies. Generally, parents and children exhibited high levels of satisfaction and held a positive view regarding TP pre‐ and post‐assessment. Conclusions & Implications: The results of the study suggest that conducting an overt stuttering assessment via TP for 6–15‐year‐olds CWS is reliable and valid. Although the TP model posed some (mainly technical) challenges for executing the assessment, high levels of satisfaction were recorded by parents and children alike. The TP system and equipment chosen in this study has provided a basis for the delivery of TP overt stuttering assessment in a clinical setting, thus addressing the barriers to access that are present for CWS. These results are preliminary, but they can be seen as a building block for future research in TP assessment studies for CWS. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: Stuttering treatment via TP has been proven to be feasible and successful across a variety of treatment programs (e.g., Lidcombe, Camperdown). However, the viability of assessing stuttering via videoconferencing has never been explored in children. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: Preliminary support for the assessment of overt stuttering in CWS aged 6–15 years via video conferencing. The results justify larger scale studies of this service delivery method. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The TP system and equipment chosen in this study has provided a basis for the delivery of TP overt stuttering assessment in a clinical setting, thus addressing the barriers to access that are present for CWS aged 6–15 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The majority of children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience challenges in functional communication from a young age. A pivotal aspect of functional communication is language comprehension. A variety of classification systems and questionnaires are available to classify and describe functional communication skills in children with CP. A better understanding of the convergent validity of (subsections of) these tools, as well as their relationship with spoken language comprehension, will be valuable in both clinical practice and research. Aims: To investigate the convergent validity of (subsections of) functional communication tools and the relationship with spoken language comprehension in children with CP. Methods & Procedures: Cross‐sectional data on 138 children were subdivided into three developmental stages based on (Dutch) educational phases: ages 18 months–3;11y (n = 59), 4;0–5;11 years (n = 37) and 6;0–8;11 years (n = 42). The following functional communication tools were used to classify and describe functional communication: Communication Function Classification System (CFCS), subscales of the Caregivers Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities—Dutch Version (CPCHILD‐DV) and the Focus on Communication Under Six‐34 (FOCUS‐34) questionnaire. Spoken language comprehension was assessed with the Computer‐Based instrument for Low motor Language Testing (C‐BiLLT). Correlations between the functional communication tools, and with the C‐BiLLT, were calculated using Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients. It was hypothesized a priori that correlations of at least 0.60 suggest good convergent validity. Outcomes & Results: At all developmental stages, a significant ordered decreasing tendency of communication outcomes was found across CFCS levels; lower CFCS levels were associated with lower scores on the CPCHILD‐DV and FOCUS‐34, and with a lower level of spoken language comprehension (C‐BiLLT). Correlation coefficients of the functional communication tools exceeded 0.60 at all developmental stages. Correlations between C‐BiLLT raw scores and the functional communication tools varied between 0.351 and 0.591 at developmental stage 18 months–3;11 years, between 0.781 and 0.897 at developmental stage 4;0–5;11 years, and between 0.635 and 0.659 at developmental stage 6;0–8;11 years. Conclusions & Implications: The functional communication tools assessed in this study showed convergent validity at all developmental stages. The CFCS, currently most widely used in paediatric rehabilitation, is adequate in the classification of functional communication. However, for more detailed clinical goal setting and evaluation of change in functional communication, the additional use of FOCUS‐34 or CPCHILD‐DV is recommended. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: A range of functional communication tools are available that help describe and classify functional communication in children with CP. These include the CFCS, subsections of CPCHILD‐DV and FOCUS‐34. The CFCS classifies functional communication in daily life with familiar and unfamiliar partners. Specific subsections of the CPCHILD‐DV and FOCUS‐34 include items that pertain to communicative participation. The innovative C‐BiLLT provides a standardized method to assess spoken language comprehension in children with CP and significant motor impairments. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: In the present study, convergent validity was confirmed between CFCS and specific subsections of the CPCHILD‐DV and FOCUS‐34. Correlations between these functional communication tools and the C‐BiLLT were moderate to strong. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: For clinical and research purposes (for instance, accurate prescription of augmentative and alternative communication—AAC), healthcare and educational professionals together with parents need to know how functional communication tools converge and how functional communication levels relate to the comprehension of spoken language. The CFCS provides a valid classification of functional communication abilities in children with CP. However, to measure change in functional communication and to evaluate treatment outcomes, use of additional functional communication tools such as the CPCHILD‐DV and FOCUS‐34 is recommended. When discrepancies are found between communicative abilities and spoken language comprehension, it is strongly recommended that valid tools are used in a more detailed examination of the child's spoken language comprehension skills and functional communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although an increasing amount of research has focussed on the relationship between student language proficiency and English‐medium instruction (EMI) programme outcomes, there has been little focus on the broader assessment of progress and learning within EMI programmes, especially in Asia. The purpose of this study was to determine the kinds of programme assessments used throughout all stages of full‐degree EMI programmes in Japan. Our inquiry examined the benchmarks currently in place to measure content knowledge, language proficiency and academic skills competence in undergraduate EMI programmes. Data were collected from 13 universities in Japan with well‐established EMI degree programmes. In this paper, our findings are explored primarily in a qualitative and holistic manner, weaving the results of our survey together with the extant literature on the topic and our lived experiences as teachers in EMI programmes in Japan. Embedded in this conversation are evidence‐based suggestions for improved practice in EMI programmes in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]