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Background: The use of e‐exams in higher education is increasing. However, the role of student diversity in the acceptance of e‐exams is an under‐researched topic. In the current study, we considered student diversity in terms of three sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, and second language) and three dispositional student characteristics (computer anxiety, test anxiety, and technology openness). Objectives: The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between student diversity and acceptance of e‐exams. Methods: Our research combined cross‐sectional analyses (N = 1639) with data from a natural experiment on the introduction of e‐exams versus the established paper‐pencil exams (N = 626) and used both self‐report and institutional data. Sociodemographic and dispositional characteristics were indirectly related to pre‐exam acceptance via expectancy variables from the Technology Acceptance Model framework. Results and Conclusions: Comparisons of post‐exam acceptance showed that practical experience with the e‐exam led to a significant increase in e‐exam acceptance, and that students with low openness toward technology particularly benefited from this effect. Students' exam performance (i.e., grades) was unrelated to the exam format or their pre‐exam acceptance of the e‐exam format, and this was true across students' sociodemographic and dispositional characteristics. Takeaway: Student diversity plays a role in e‐exam acceptance, but its influence is mitigated by first‐hand experience with e‐exams. The practical implications for higher education institutions aiming to implement e‐exams are discussed. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The use of e‐exams in higher education is increasingThe role of student diversity for e‐exam acceptance is unclearTechnology acceptance is predicted by expectancies towards new system What this paper adds: We investigated students' sociodemographic and dispositional diversityDiversity predicted e‐exam acceptance via the expectanciesIn a natural experiment, first‐hand experience increased e‐exam acceptanceNo difference between performance in e‐exams and paper‐pencil‐exams found Implications of the study findings for practitioners: Higher education institutions implementing e‐exams should consider diversitySupport for older students and students with low technology openness neededNo student groups systematically disadvantaged by e‐exam implementationPractice rooms can increase experience with new system before exam [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the diversity literature by probing whether diversity papers are cited as frequently as nondiversity papers in management and industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology journals. Based on the stigma‐by‐association theory, I argue that as a result of their association with minority groups, diversity papers may be devalued and thus "othered" by scholars. Using a citation analysis of 46,930 papers published in 29 peer‐reviewed management and I/O psychology journals, I present empirical evidence in Study 1 that diversity papers were cited significantly less frequently than nondiversity papers. The authors' gender and institutional prestige, journal tier and domain, and year of publication were not moderators. In Study 2, I used a scenario experiment to demonstrate the stigma‐by‐association effect. The authors' gender demonstrated a significant moderating effect in this experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is growing scientific and policy recognition that optimising health before a potential pregnancy (preconception health) improves reproductive outcomes and the lifelong health of future children. However, public awareness on this topic is low. We conducted a public consultation to develop language recommendations and identify and prioritise approaches to inform research and improve public awareness of preconception health. Methods: A public consultation was undertaken with people of any gender aged 18–50 years living in the United Kingdom who were not currently expecting a child. Public contributors were recruited through patient and public involvement, community and support groups, an existing cohort study, and an LGBTQ+ charity. An initial round of online group discussions (February/March 2021) explored public contributors' knowledge of preconception health, their recommendations for appropriate language, and ideas about public health approaches. In a subsequent discussion round (May 2021), language recommendations were refined and suggested approaches prioritised. Discussions were summarised based on notes taken by two researchers. Results: Fifty‐four people joined the initial discussion round (66% women, 21% men, 13% nonbinary or transgender; 55% aged 18–30 years, 30% 31–40 years, 15% 41–50 years). Of these, 36 people (67%) participated in the subsequent round. Very few had heard the term 'preconception health', understood what it means, or why and for whom it is important. They recommended avoiding unfamiliar terms without further explanation (e.g., preconception health, medical terms), using language that is positive, encouraging and gender‐sensitive where possible, and using messages that are specific, nonjudgmental and realistic. The phrases 'health and well‐being during the childbearing years', 'health and well‐being before pregnancy and parenthood' and 'planning for parenthood' resonated with most public contributors. School‐based education, social media campaigns and the National Health Service emerged as priority approaches/settings for raising awareness. Conclusion: This public consultation produced recommendations from a diverse group of people of reproductive age in the United Kingdom to improve language and prioritise approaches that increase public understanding of preconception health in ways that are relevant and appropriate to them. This should begin in schools and will require adaptation of curricula, alongside co‐development of public awareness campaigns and guidance for healthcare professionals. Patient or Public Contribution: This public consultation included a diverse group of members of the public. They were not involved in the original design of the project, but following the initial round of online group discussions, they contributed to the interpretation and refinement of the emerging concepts in a subsequent round of group meetings. After the consultation activity, public contributors formed a Public Advisory Group and have subsequently been involved in other studies on the same topic. Two public contributors (E.R. and F.F.) provided critical input in the preparation and revision of this manuscript and are co‐authors of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examines the perceptions of the Australian public canvassed in 2021 during the COVID‐19 pandemic about their health system compared to four previous surveys (2008, 2010, 2012 and 2018). Methods: In 2021, a nationwide online survey was conducted with a representative sample of Australians (N = 5100) recruited via market research panels. The results were compared to previous nationwide Australian survey samples from 2018 (N = 1024), 2012 (N = 1200), 2010 (N = 1201) and 2008 (N = 1146). The survey included questions consistent with previous polls regarding self‐reported health status and overall opinions of, and confidence in, the Australian health system. Results: There was an increase in the proportion of respondents reporting positive perceptions at each survey between 2008 and 2021, with a significantly higher proportion of respondents expressing a more positive view of the Australian healthcare system in 2021 compared to previous years (χ2(8, N = 9645) = 487.63, p < 0.001). In 2021, over two‐thirds of respondents (n = 3949/5100, 77.4%) reported that following the COVID‐19 pandemic, their confidence in the Australian healthcare system had either remained the same (n = 2433/5100, 47.7%) or increased (n = 1516/5100, 29.7%). Overall, respondents living in regional or remote regions, younger Australians (< 45 years) and women held less positive views in relation to the system. In 2021, the most frequently identified area for urgent improvement was the need for more healthcare workers (n = 1350/3576, 37.8%), an area of concern particularly for Australians residing in regional or remote areas (n = 590/1385, 42.6%). Conclusions: Irrespective of disruptions to the Australian healthcare system caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic, Australians' perceptions of their healthcare system were positive in 2021. However, concerns were raised about inadequate workforce capacity and the cost of healthcare, with differences identified by age groups and geographical location. Patient or Public Contribution: Health consumer representatives from the Consumers Health Forum of Australia contributed to the co‐design, deployment, analysis and interpretation of the results of this survey. J.A. and L.W. from the Consumers Health Forum of Australia contributed to the development of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power dynamics influence every aspect of scientific collaboration. Team power dynamics can be measured by team power level and team power hierarchy. Team power level is conceptualized as the average level of the possession of resources, expertise, or decision‐making authorities of a team. Team power hierarchy represents the vertical differences of the possessions of resources in a team. In Science of Science, few studies have looked at scientific collaboration from the perspective of team power dynamics. This research examines how team power dynamics affect team impact to fill the research gap. In this research, all coauthors of one publication are treated as one team. Team power level and team power hierarchy of one team are measured by the mean and Gini index of career age of coauthors in this team. Team impact is quantified by citations of a paper authored by this team. By analyzing over 7.7 million teams from Science (e.g., Computer Science, Physics), Social Sciences (e.g., Sociology, Library & Information Science), and Arts & Humanities (e.g., Art), we find that flat team structure is associated with higher team impact, especially when teams have high team power level. These findings have been repeated in all five disciplines except Art, and are consistent in various types of teams from Computer Science including teams from industry or academia, teams with different gender groups, teams with geographical contrast, and teams with distinct size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper has two objectives. First, it assesses whether the existing informal care provided by adult children has an impact on older people's propensity to demand community care services. Second, it compares the different statuses of sons and daughters in the formal/informal support trade‐off. Methods: The paper is based on an analysis of data from the 2018 wave of the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey, within the framework of a revised version of Andersen's model, and applies multilevel models to analyse the effects of adult children's gender, numbers and the quality of their support, on older people's willingness to purchase community care services. Results: Older people who had sons as well as daughters demanded fewer services, while the number of sons increased service demand. Regarding sons, community care services compensated for economic support, daily life care and spiritual consolation, but did so only in respect of daily life care from daughters. Conclusions: Many families have only one son or one daughter as a result of the one‐child policy and therefore often require support from formal care services. Moreover, there is a distinct gender division and an influential filial culture governing the impact of services on the support provided by adult children. Because ageing in place depends on both informal family support and formal services, this key policy goal is at risk if the latter provides insufficient support to the former. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Meaningful involvement of adolescents in health research is their fundamental human right and has many benefits. A lack of awareness among researchers on how to meaningfully involve adolescents in health research has been linked to adolescent under involvement in health research. To address this barrier, studies have reported the need for more guidance. To inform the development of better guidelines on adolescent involvement, there is a need to first consolidate the currently available guidance on adolescent involvement in health research and to identify the gaps in these guidelines. This review aims to systematically identify all the currently available guidelines on adolescent involvement in health research and evaluate their scope, content, context, and quality. Methods: This rapid review was pre‐registered with PROSPERO #CRD42021293586. It included documents that incorporated tangible recommendations on the involvement of adolescents in health research. We searched six databases for peer‐reviewed literature: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC. We conducted a grey literature search in Google Scholar, Google, websites of 472 relevant organisations and sought expert input. The quality of the guidelines was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch & Evaluation (AGREE‐II) Instrument. Data was analysed using descriptive analyses and narrative synthesis. Results: We found that the current guidelines on adolescent involvement in health research are often narrow in scope, targeting specific users and populations while focusing on limited research areas. The guidelines individually fail to provide comprehensive coverage of recommendations across all topics related to adolescent research involvement, that are collectively addressed across all included guidelines. Furthermore, these guidelines tend to be context‐specific and are generally of low quality, often due to inadequate stakeholder involvement and a lack of rigorous development methods. Conclusion: This review provides a consolidated list of guidelines on adolescent involvement in health research along with their quality scores as a resource for researchers to select the guidelines suitable for their research topic, context, and scope for adolescent involvement. There is a need to develop a set of guidelines on adolescent involvement in research, which are comprehensive in scope, cover all key aspects of adolescent involvement in health research, can be adapted for different contexts, and which are based on rigorous and systematic methods. Patient and Public Involvement: Adolescent co‐researchers D. B. and C. W. were involved at different stages of the review process. D. B. screened 25% of the peer‐reviewed articles at the title and abstract screening stage and 10% at full‐text screening stage. C. W. extracted data from 10% of the included guidelines. Both co‐researchers reviewed and shared their feedback on the article and are co‐authors on this paper. They will also be invited to contribute to further dissemination of the findings from this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex post‐traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) was introduced in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 11 in 2013 to simplify diagnosis and increase clinical utility. Given the recent ICD‐11 conceptualisation, there is no standard approach for its assessment, and a review of research is necessary. This systematic review focuses on ICD‐11 CPTSD assessment in young people aged 7 to 17 and adults aged 18 and above, examining measures, differentiating features and clinical considerations. Data from five databases are reviewed using a narrative synthesis approach and the quality of evidence is assessed and discussed. A total of 36 studies involving 5901 participants recruited from clinical settings and 1458 professionals with CPTSD assessment experience were included. Studies predominantly focused on adults, and the most used measure for assessment was the International Trauma Questionnaire. Papers focusing on differentiating features highlighted increased symptom severity, impairment and difficulties in individuals with CPTSD, compared to those with PTSD across various characteristics in both young people and adults. This review also identified the importance of a sensitive clinical approach with adaptations based on culture and age. Although gold‐standard recommendations cannot be made, this paper offers tentative clinical practice recommendations and considerations regarding ICD‐11 CPTSD assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disfluency is a multifactorial concept that can be linked to several of the language production levels, in both typical and atypical populations. In children, the language system is still developing and few studies have explored disfluency patterns. In typical development (TD), in particular, studies have shown discrepancies according to the language being considered. In neurodevelopmental disorders, such as developmental dyslexia (DD), it is still unclear whether the pattern of disfluency is similar to TD. Aims: To analyse the type of disfluency and their evolution in French children aged 8–12 years. Also to compare the pattern of disfluency in DD and TD, and to test whether disfluencies were correlated with reading difficulties. Methods & Procedures: A total of 25 children with DD and 21 children with TD aged 8–12.6 years produced an autobiographical narrative. Seven types of disfluencies were coded: part‐word repetitions; repetitions of monosyllabic words; other types of repetitions (words and phrases); filled pauses; revisions—substitutions; revisions—additions; and abandoned utterances. We compared the proportion of each disfluency in DD and TD. Spearman correlations were then performed between disfluencies, reading performance and age. Outcomes & Results: The results showed that both DD and TD children mainly produced filled pauses, repetitions of monosyllabic words and substitutions. Both groups displayed a high rate of disfluency (> 10%). No correlations with age were found. Correlations with reading performance were significant in the TD group only. Conclusions & Implications: The study showed that DD is not characterized by a specific pattern of disfluency. Additionally, disfluency rates were similar in children aged 8–12 years. In contrast to other languages, the current study suggests that French‐speaking children have a high rate of disfluency. The study also suggests that disfluency should be interpreted with caution in DD, given that TD children also have a high rate of disfluency. Therefore, it seems important to adapt the pathological threshold of disfluency to the language being spoken in order to avoid an overestimation of the prevalence of these deficits in French‐speaking children. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject: TD children produce a high rate of disfluency, which is also influenced by the language being spoken. No study looked at the effect of DD on disfluency production. Nonetheless, problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience may impact lexical development and speech fluency. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: In our study, both groups (French‐speaking children) produced a substantial amount of disfluency as compared with other languages (> 10%). Additionally, the pattern of disfluency was similar in TD and DD (namely, filled pauses, prolongations repetitions of monosyllabic words and substitutions). In the DD group, disfluency production was not correlated with reading performance. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: These results indicate that it is crucial to consider the language being spoken when examining disfluency in order to avoid an overestimation of language difficulties in some languages, such as in French. Moreover, the production of disfluencies in DD should not be considered as language dysfunction since the pattern of disfluency what quite similar in TD and DD, and did not correlate with their reading difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed at comparing different formats of illustrations for children's books created by modern Chinese and Ukrainian artists. At the same time, it was not focused just on determining the leading format, but on identifying the attractiveness factors of each format. To this end, the study investigated children's illustration preferences drawing from the following three age groups: 5–6 years old (preschoolers), 7–8 years old (second‐graders), and 9–10 years old (fourth‐graders). According to the survey, children were most concerned with illustration colourfulness (this is true for paper and pop‐up books) and viewing convenience. There were no statistically significant differences found between Chinese and Ukrainian books in terms of these parameters. At the same time, Chinese e‐books appeared to outperform the Ukrainian texts in terms of feature management and illustration colourfulness. Publishers and artists of children's books can use these data for effective creative activity and making constructive decisions. At the same time, these findings may be of interest to parents, informing or guiding book selection for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a lack of evidence relating to cognitive‐communication difficulties following traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained in older adulthood. A prominent area in which post‐TBI cognitive‐communication difficulties manifest is at the level of social communication. An investigation of social communication focusing on comparison of those injured in older and younger adulthood is a practical starting point for age‐related cognitive‐communication outcome comparison. Aims: The overall objective of this study was to explore the social communication of individuals who sustained severe TBI in an early period of older adulthood (50–70 years) compared to younger adulthood (18–40 years), as informed by self and close other reports. Methods & Procedures: This exploratory controlled group comparison study involved analysis of self‐reported and close other reported La Trobe Communication Questionnaire data for 22 adults with severe TBI (11 older at injury; 11 younger at injury) and 22 control participants (11 older; 11 younger). TBI participants were matched for injury variables and participant groups were matched for sex, age and education. Outcomes & Results: The close others of the older and younger adults with TBI reported them to have significantly more frequent difficulty with social communication than the close others of age‐matched control groups. Older adults with TBI reported significantly more frequent difficulty with social communication than uninjured older adults. In contrast, younger adults with TBI and uninjured younger adults reported a similar frequency of difficulty with social communication. No age‐based difference in the frequency of social communication difficulty was evident when comparing the self or close other reports of older and younger adults with TBI. Awareness of social communication difficulty, as indexed by comparing self and close other perceptions, showed a different pattern across the TBI groups. The older TBI group rated themselves as having significantly less frequent social communication difficulty than was perceived by their close others. In contrast, no statistically significant difference was evident between the self and close other social communication ratings of the younger TBI group. Conclusions and Implications: Where possible clinicians need to work with close communication partners to understand the nature and degree of social communication difficulty following severe TBI. This may be especially important when working with people who sustain TBI in older adulthood if future research shows that this population have greater difficulty with self‐awareness of social communication difficulty. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: Cognitive‐communication difficulties are a common consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can have long‐term impact on everyday functioning. These challenges have primarily been investigated in individuals who sustained TBI in younger adulthood. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: Individuals who sustain severe TBI in early older adulthood have a higher frequency of reported social communication difficulty to non‐injured adults of a similar age, albeit they may underreport such difficulties potentially in the context of reduced self‐awareness. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Social communication difficulty is an issue for people who sustain severe TBI in early older adulthood. However, a poorer overall social communication outcome in comparison to those injured in younger adulthood should not be assumed. Clinical service delivery for these challenges is most optimally delivered in a collaborative manner with the individual and their close others. Future research is required to investigate the identified trends from this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To systematically evaluate the risk factors for wound infection at the surgical site after neurosurgical craniotomy by meta‐analysis, and to provide an evidence‐based basis for preventing the occurrence of wound infection. A computerised search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang database was conducted for relevant studies on risk factors for surgical site wound infection after neurosurgical craniotomy published from the database inception to November 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data and performed quality assessment in strict accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. STATA 17.0 software was applied for data analysis. Overall, 18 papers with 17 608 craniotomy patients were included, of which 905 patients developed wound infections. The analysis showed that underlying diseases [OR = 2.50, 95% CI (1.68, 3.72), p < 0.001] and emergency surgery [OR = 2.47, 95% CI (1.80, 3.38), p < 0.001] were the risk factors for developing wound infections after craniotomy, age < 60 years [OR = 0.72, 95% CI (0.52, 0.98), p = 0.039] was a protective factor for wound infections; whereas sex [OR = 1.11, 95% CI (0.98, 1.27), p = 0.112] and the antimicrobial use [OR = 1.30, 95% CI (0.81 2.09), p = 0.276] were not associated with the presence or absence of wound infection after craniotomy. Underlying disease and emergency surgery are risk factors for developing wound infections after craniotomy, whereas age < 60 years is a protective factor. Clinicians can reduce the occurrence of postoperative wound infections by communicating with patients in advance about the possibility of postoperative wound infections based on these factors, and by doing a good job of preventing postoperative wound infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Much has been written about the changes in use and perspectives of telepractice among speech and language therapists (SLTs) during the global COVID‐19 pandemic. However, no long‐term study has been done to examine whether there is a permanent shift in attitudes towards telepractice as the world adjusts to new norms and endemic COVID‐19. Aims: To compare the speech telepractice use and perspectives of SLTs at two time points of the pandemic: during and after the height of the pandemic. Methods & Procedures: Two online surveys were distributed a year apart among SLTs in Singapore. The first survey was disseminated during an initial lockdown period in 2020 and the second survey was done in 2021 when Singapore was starting to reduce strict quarantine and safe‐distancing regulations. These surveys were distributed via communication channels of the local speech therapy association. A total of 115 and 71 responses to the survey were collected in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Responses were captured and analysed using descriptive statistics and statistical analysis while qualitative content analysis was used to derive key themes from open‐ended questions. Outcomes & Results: Telepractice use across all age groups and client types peaked at the height of the pandemic. Even as lockdown measures were eased, telepractice utilization was still higher than what it was before the pandemic. Dysphagia management was the only area where SLTs reduced their use of telepractice during the stabilization phase. After more experience with telepractice during the height of the pandemic, SLTs acknowledged the benefit of being able to use a wide range of media through telepractice and were less worried about not having the resources or knowledge to set up telepractice. SLTs also reported increased confidence in providing telepractice, which was reflected in their willingness to continue to provide telepractice even after the pandemic ends. Conclusions & Implications: The increase in use of telepractice during this pandemic is likely to be sustained as a majority of respondents believed they would continue to provide this mode of service delivery even after the pandemic ends. However, clinicians will still have to assess for client suitability, as clients with more complex medical or behavioural issues may still require in‐person therapy. Additionally, dysphagia management via telepractice will still be limited given that swallow presentations may be more variable. Lastly, although generic resources are helpful for clinicians, the long‐term sustainability of telepractice can be boosted by the sharing of resources that are suitable for the local context. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject: Current studies have examined telepractice use and perspectives of SLTs before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Despite the evidence for the efficacy of telepractice, uptake was low due to perceived lack of training and resources. Although more clinicians provided telepractice during the pandemic, many still doubted its efficacy over in‐person therapy and most studies concluded that longer term studies are required to ascertain if SLTs will continuing providing telepractice after the pandemic. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This study shows that there is a definitive shift in perspectives in favour of telepractice after the pandemic, as clinicians continued to provide telepractice across most service areas even without lockdown restrictions. The previous challenges of insufficient resources, knowledge and privacy concerns were reduced with more experience in providing telepractice. Although client suitability remained a major barrier, more clinicians saw benefits of easy access to therapy and range of resources used as benefits that they could harness from telepractice. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: A majority of respondents stated that they are more confident in providing telepractice and would want to continue providing this service delivery mode after the pandemic, so more training and resources suitable for the local contexts can be provided by national associations to sustain this. More research and resources can be gathered to make telepractice more efficacious for dysphagia management and clients who may be deemed unsuitable for telepractice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ultrasound (US) is not widely used as part of the speech and language therapy (SLT) clinical toolkit. The COVID‐19 pandemic has intensified interest in US as an alternative to SLT instrumental tools such as the videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and endoscopic evaluation of the larynx (EEL) as a non‐invasive, non‐aerosol‐generating procedure that can be delivered at the bedside to assess swallowing and/or laryngeal function. To establish the appropriacy of routine US use, and in response to a national professional body request for a position statement, a group of expert SLTs conducted a rapid review of the literature. Aim: To explore critically the clinical utility of US as an assessment tool for swallowing and laryngeal function in adults. Methods & Procedures: A rapid review of four databases was completed to identify articles using US to assess swallowing and/or laryngeal function in adults compared with reference tests (VFSS/FEES/EEL/validated outcome measure). Screening was completed according to predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria and 10% of abstracts were rescreened to assess reliability. Data were extracted from full texts using a predeveloped form. The QUADAS‐2 tool was used for quality ratings. Information from included studies was summarized using narrative synthesis and visual illustration. Outcomes & Results: Ten papers used US to assess swallowing, and 13 to assess laryngeal function. All were peer‐reviewed primary studies across a range of clinical populations and with a wide geographical spread. Four papers had an overall low risk of bias, but the remaining 19 had at least one domain where risk of bias was judged as high or unclear. Applicability concerns were identified in all papers. The papers that used US to assess swallowing varied widely in terms of the anatomical structures assessed and methodology employed. The papers assessing laryngeal function were more homogenous in their methodology. Sensitivity and specificity data were provided for 12 of the laryngeal function papers with ranges of 64.3–100% and 48.5–100%, respectively. Conclusions & Implications: There is burgeoning evidence to support the use of US as an adjunct to SLT clinical assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function. However, the current literature does not support its use as a tool in isolation. Further research is required to establish reliability in US assessment as well as clear SLT‐driven protocols and training. What this paper addsWhat is already known on the subjectUS has demonstrated potential as an assessment tool for objective parameters of swallowing. Its use for laryngeal assessment (gross vocal fold movement) is also widely recognized within the literature. This review appraised the literature related to US as an alternative or adjunctive tool for the assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function.What this paper adds to existing knowledgeThis paper identifies that the current evidence base for US as a swallowing or laryngeal assessment tool is heterogenous and of variable quality. No study combined the assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function, and only two studies assessed more than one parameter of swallowing, limiting the clinical application of the results.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?This review shows that US is a non‐invasive accessible tool that can offer a detailed focal assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function, such as hyoid displacement and vocal fold mobility. With the development of protocols, training packages and competency standards, US has the potential to be used as an adjunct to SLT assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function. There is not currently enough evidence to support the use of US as a stand‐alone tool for SLT assessment of swallowing or laryngeal function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Variations in communicative participation of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) cannot be wholly explained by their language difficulties alone and may be influenced by contextual factors. Contextual factors may support or hinder communicative participation in children, which makes their identification clinically relevant. Aims: To investigate which contextual (environmental and personal) factors in early childhood are protective, risk or neutral factors for communicative participation among school‐aged children with DLD, and to identify possible gaps in knowledge about this subject. Methods & Procedures: A scoping review was conducted based on a systematic search of studies published from January 2007 to March 2022 in Pubmed, Embase (without MEDLINE), CINAHL and PsycINFO. In total, 8802 studies were reviewed using predefined eligibility criteria, of which 32 studies were included for data extraction and critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (2021) tools. Main Contribution: The methodological quality of included studies was adequate to strong. Personal protective factors identified are being a preschool girl, reaching school age and being prosocial, while personal risk factors are becoming a teenager or adolescent, having low socio‐cognitive skills and experiencing comorbid mobility impairment or behavioural problems. Gender after the preschool years and non‐verbal abilities were not found to be of influence, and the role of socio‐emotional skills is inconclusive. Receiving therapy is an environmental protective factor, while the association between socio‐economical family characteristics with communicative participation is inconclusive. Conclusions & Implications: Limited research has been conducted on which risk and protective factors present in early childhood are associated with later communicative participation of children with DLD. The influence of co‐occurring health conditions, social background variables, individual psychological assets, interpersonal relationships and attitudes of other people represent knowledge gaps. In addition, knowledge about the comparative effectiveness of different types of interventions and service delivery models, and the impact of administrative control, organizational mechanisms and standards established by governments on children's communicative participation is lacking. More longitudinal research is needed focusing on the identification of relevant personal and environmental factors and the interactions between them in relation to communicative participation outcomes. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject: Children with DLD experience varying degrees of communicative participation restrictions. Insight into contextual factors that influence communicative participation can help to identify children at risk and inform family and child‐centred therapy. Systematic research on contextual factors that facilitate or hinder communicative participation in children with DLD is currently lacking. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: Knowledge of protective factors can guide the development of interventions for children and young people with DLD that boost resilience and facilitate communicative participation, while insight into the risk factors can help professionals identify the most vulnerable children and develop interventions that can lift or neutralize barriers present in the life of these children. Specific groups potentially at risk are young boys, children with co‐morbid mobility impairment, children with conduct problems, and children reaching adolescence. In contrast, potentially protective factors are reaching school age and being prosocial. In addition, the development of socio‐cognitive skills may be beneficial for the communicative participation of children with DLD. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: To support communicative participation, it is important that professionals who work with children with DLD understand which groups are at risk for communicative participation restrictions, and which factors can foster resilience. In the absence of evidence‐based instruments for the systematic assessment of personal and environmental factors, consulting parents and children on the contextual factors that they perceive as important remains critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As delays or disorders in early language and communication are the most prevalent symptom in children with disabilities, early screening is crucial to promote prevention, early diagnosis, and intervention. However, to the best of our knowledge, no screening tool is available for the joint assessment of early language and social communication skills in European Portuguese (EP)‐learning children, which is critical for screening, monitoring and enrolment in appropriate early intervention services. Aims: (1) To adapt and validate the EP version of the Communication and Symbolic Behaviour Scales Developmental Profile™ (CSBS DP™) Infant–Toddler Checklist, a parental report for the screening of early language and social communication skills. (2) To conduct a cross‐cultural comparison between the EP adaptation and the original US version. Methods & Procedures: A total of 611 EP‐learning children (ages 6–24 months) were assessed on the CSBS DP Infant–Toddler Checklist. Normative data, psychometric characteristics (i.e., internal consistency and test–retest reliability), and cross‐cultural comparison between the EP and the original version were explored. Outcomes & Results: Internal consistency ranged from good to excellent and the test–retest reliability was excellent. The performance of the EP and US samples matched on almost all scores. However, EP children performed significantly better than their American peers in the Social compositive at 22 months and in the Symbolic composite at 20 months. No further differences were found. Conclusions & Implications: These findings showed that the EP CSBS DP Infant–Toddler Checklist seems to be a reliable screening tool of communicative and symbolic behaviours for EP‐learning children, which can be particularly relevant for decision‐making in clinical practice. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Early communication skills are known to be related to later language outcomes. Thus, screening tools for the early identification of children at risk for language and communication impairments, which may lead to monitoring and early intervention, have the potential to promote better outcomes. However, to the best of our knowledge, no screening tool is available for the assessment of early communication abilities in EP‐learning children. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This study adapted and validated the EP CSBS DP Infant–Toddler Checklist, the first published parental report checklist for the assessment of early communication skills in EP. It described the psychometric characteristics of the adapted checklist, summarized the newly available normative data for EP‐learning infants and toddlers, and compared the performance of EP‐learning children with the original standardization sample reported for American English. The results demonstrated that this tool is a reliable instrument for the early screening of language, communicative and symbolic behaviours for EP‐learning children between 6 and 24 months of age. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Given that early screening is crucial to promote prevention, early diagnosis and intervention, the availability of this tool is particularly relevant for children monitoring and their enrolment in appropriate early intervention services, helping decision‐making in clinical practice, in line with current guidelines regarding early monitoring and intervention to promote and support better outcomes. Thus, the tool and related normative data will be useful for paediatricians, family doctors, primary healthcare providers, developmental psychologists and speech–language therapists, among other professionals in the healthcare and educational fields, concerned with speech, language, and communication development and impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vocabulary scores increase until approximately age 65 years and then remain stable or decrease slightly, unlike scores on tests of other cognitive abilities that decline significantly with age. Aims: To review the findings on ageing‐related changes in vocabulary, and to discuss four methodological issues: research design; test type; measurement; and vocabulary ability as a proxy for general intelligence. Main Contribution: A discussion of cross‐sectional and longitudinal research designs shows that cohort membership accounts for some but not all ageing‐related changes in vocabulary, and that drop‐out and test–retest effects do not alter conclusions regarding these changes. Test type affects age trends in vocabulary, and if researchers use only one test, they should choose a multiple‐choice synonym test. While some authors suggest that vocabulary tests do not measure the same underlying ability in younger and older adults, more research of this suggestion is needed. A brief examination of the use of vocabulary ability as a proxy for general intelligence in healthy ageing and for premorbid abilities in dementia indicates that such practice is often questionable. Conclusions: Vocabulary knowledge increases through the mid‐60s regardless of measurement method. However, there is little information on how word knowledge serves other verbal skills in old age, how and when adults learn new words, or how much exposure is necessary for meanings to remain in storage for a lifetime. Research of these issues may require new methodologies, as well as novel theoretical accounts of ageing‐related effects on vocabulary. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject: Unlike many cognitive abilities that decline with ageing, vocabulary knowledge continues to increase until approximately age 65, and then remains stable or decreases slightly. These findings have been replicated in different research designs and across languages. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: The article presents a summary of findings on changes in vocabulary across adulthood, and a discussion of four key methodological issues: research design, test type, measurement, and the use of vocabulary ability as a proxy for general intelligence. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: To better understand changes in vocabulary knowledge across adulthood, clinicians must be aware of methodological considerations that affect the field. Such considerations have direct clinical implications regarding the choice of vocabulary tests and their use as a proxy for other abilities in both healthy older adults and in individuals with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some data call into question the persistence of developmental language disorders (DLDs) identified during the preschool period. For this reason, speech–language pathologists (SLPs) often reassess children. However, it is unclear if the instability of the profiles documented in community sample studies is present in children referred to specialized clinics. Given the scarcity of SLP resources, is re‐evaluating the language skills of these children a good use of clinical time? Aim: To examine the stability of the findings from two SLP assessments in a sample of Canadian preschool children referred to a tertiary clinic between the ages of 2 and 6 years. It was hypothesized that children under the age of 4 years at first assessment and children with less severe initial deficits would show less stability of DLD diagnosis. Methods & Procedures: The clinical files of children referred to an early childhood psychiatric clinic in Canada were reviewed. For 149 children with two SLPs assessment reports, persistence of language deficits was documented and tested with McNemar's statistics. Differences between preschoolers under the age of 4 versus 4 years and over, as well as between mildly and severely impaired children, were examined. Outcomes & Results: High level of agreement (94%) and McNemar's test (p = 0.180) supported the stability of initial diagnosis. The stability for children assessed before the age of 4 (n = 64) was 100%, and was significantly different from older children's (n = 85) stability of 89% (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.01; bilateral). The stability for children with mild impairments (n = 18) was 78%, which was significantly lower than the stability (97%) in children with severe impairments (n = 114) (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.007; bilateral). Conclusions & Implications: No instability of language status was observed in children assessed before 4 years of age, which could be related to the significant severity of the difficulties that children in this age group presented and be specific to this type of clinical sample. The great stability of language status observed in preschoolers referred to a specialized clinic suggests that clinicians should limit reassessments to devote available resources to intervention efforts. What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject?: Previous research that has demonstrated important instability in the classification of language impairment before 4 years of age gathered data mainly by screening the general population or was not based on a comprehensive clinical assessment. What this paper adds to existing knowledge?: This study investigated the classification stability of DLD between two comprehensive SLP assessments in a clinical sample of Canadian preschoolers. The results indicate great stability of language status assessed before 4 years old in this population, suggesting that severity of impairments may trump the age factor in this group. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: In the case of children referred to a specialized clinic, clinicians and policymakers should be aware that DLD diagnosis made before 4 years of age remains stable during preschool age, and that a best practice with this population would be to abandon unnecessary testing in favour of early intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solute dynamics depend strongly on hydrologic flow paths and transit times within catchments. In this paper, we use a travel time tracking method to simulate stream salinity (as measured by electrical conductivity) in the Duck River catchment, NW Tasmania, Australia. The study couples storage selection function transit time modelling with two alternate approaches to model electrical conductivity (EC). The first approach assumes the catchment has a cyclic salt balance (i.e., rainfall source, stream flow sink) that is in dynamic equilibrium and evapoconcentration of salt is the only process changing concentration. The second approach assumes that the salinity of water in catchment storages is a function of water age in those stores, without explicitly simulating salt mass balance processes. The paper compares these alternate approaches in terms of EC simulation performance, simulated stream water age distributions, and simulated storage age distributions. A split sample calibration‐validation analysis was conducted using the 2008 and 2009 water years. Both EC simulation approaches reproduced stream EC variations very well under both calibration and validation. The simulations using the age‐related EC simulation approach produced less biased results and, consequently, higher model coefficient of efficiency for validation periods. This approach also produced more consistent model parameter estimates between periods. There were systematic differences in the resultant age distributions between models, particularly for the solute balance‐based simulations where parameters (catchment storage size) changed more between the two calibration periods. The effect of time varying versus static storage selection functions were compared, with clear evidence that time varying storage selection functions with parameters linked to catchment conditions (flow) are essential for adequate simulation of EC dynamics during flow events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Respiratory sarcopenia (RS) has been newly defined in a position paper by four professional organizations in Japan, and it is necessary to examine its incidence and influencing factors using this new definition. So far, little work has been undertaken; we therefore conducted a longitudinal study to fill this gap. Methods: Our data were extracted from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. A total of 4301 older adults with complete data and without RS were chosen in 2011, of whom 3065 were followed up until 2015. The presence of low respiratory muscle strength plus low appendicular skeletal muscles mass was defined as RS based on t. A logistic regression model was used to identify the influencing factors for incident RS. Results: After an average of 4 years of follow‐up, the cumulative incidence of RS was 5.2%, and it was particularly high in participants aged >80 (20.9%). Logistic regression analysis showed that being unmarried/divorced/widowed (odds ratio [OR] = 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28–2.66, P = 0.001), not having dyslipidemia (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.19–0.65, P = 0.001), having digestive disease (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.11–2.19, P = 0.010), asthma (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.55–4.94, P = 0.001), edentulism (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.24–2.42, P = 0.001), low handgrip strength (OR = 2.82, 95% CI = 1.99–3.99, P < 0.001), or low 5‐m gait speed (OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.23–3.01, P = 0.004) were associated with a greater likelihood of developing RS. After further adjustment for age and body mass index, asthma, edentulism, and low handgrip strength remained significant. Conclusions: The identification and management of older adults with the influencing factors described above could be important in preventing RS. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 1015–1021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Geriatric Committee aims to improve the use of drugs in older adults and develop new therapeutic approaches for the syndromes and diseases of old age through advocacy, education, and research. In the present paper, we propose strategies relevant to drug development and evaluation, spanning preclinical and the full range of clinical studies. Drugs for older adults need to consider not only age, but also other characteristics common in geriatric patients, such as multimorbidity, polypharmacy, falls, cognitive impairment, and frailty. The IUPHAR Geriatric Committee's position statement on 'Measurement of Frailty in Drug Development and Evaluation' is included, highlighting 12 key principles that cover the spectrum of translational research. We propose that where older adults are likely to be major users of a drug, that frailty is measured at baseline and as an outcome. Preclinical models that replicate the age, frailty, duration of exposure, comorbidities, and co‐medications of the proposed patients may improve translation. We highlight the potential application of recent technologies, such as physiologically based pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic modeling informed by frailty biology, and Artificial Intelligence, to inform personalized medicine for older patients. Considerations for the rapidly aging populations in low‐ and middle‐income countries related to health‐care and clinical trials are outlined. Involving older adults, their caregivers and health‐care providers in all phases of research should improve drug development, evaluation, and outcomes for older adults internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurodevelopmental conditions frequently co‐occur. The aim of this paper was to determine whether there is a cumulative association between (1) the number of neurodevelopmental conditions, specifically hyperkinetic disorder (hereafter referred to as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), autism spectrum disorder (hereafter referred to as autism) and intellectual disability, and (2) behavioural and socio‐emotional problems and the level of clinician‐rated functioning for young males and females. Methods: In this cross‐sectional study, diagnostic information, caregiver‐rated behavioural and socio‐emotional data (as conceptualised by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and clinician‐rated functioning scores (as conceptualised by the Children's Global Assessment Scale) were extracted from electronic patient records for 2768 young people aged 3–17 years (mean = 11.55, SD = 3.46). All data were extracted at baseline, that is, at the time the young person was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and/or an intellectual disability. Ordinal regression analyses tested associations between the number of neurodevelopmental conditions met (i.e. 1, 2 or 3) and behavioural and socio‐emotional outcomes and functioning. Results: After controlling for age and biological sex, the number of neurodevelopmental conditions was associated with higher levels of inattention/hyperactivity and peer problems, lower levels of prosocial behaviour and poorer clinician‐rated functioning. Although these findings were consistent for males, a cumulative association was not identified for females, except for clinician‐rated functioning. Conclusions: For young people, the presence of multiple neurodevelopmental conditions may have a cumulative impact across domains, but this may differ between males and females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This large-scale international study measures the attitudes of more than 4,000 researchers toward peer review. In 2009, 40,000 authors of research papers from across the globe were invited to complete an online survey. Researchers were asked to rate a number of general statements about peer review, and then a subset of respondents, who had themselves peer reviewed, rated a series of statements concerning their experience of peer review. The study found that the peer review process is highly regarded by the vast majority of researchers and considered by most to be essential to the communication of scholarly research. Nine out of 10 authors believe that peer review improved the last paper they published. Double-blind peer review is considered the most effective form of peer review. Nearly three quarters of researchers think that technological advances are making peer review more effective. Most researchers believe that although peer review should identify fraud, it is very difficult for it to do so. Reviewers are committed to conducting peer review in the future and believe that simple practical steps, such as training new reviewers would further improve peer review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an analysis of the use of bibliographic references by individual scientists in three different research areas. The number and type of references that scientists include in their papers are analyzed, the relationship between the number of references and different impact-based indicators is studied from a multivariable perspective, and the referencing patterns of scientists are related to individual factors such as their age and scientific performance. Our results show inter-area differences in the number, type, and age of references. Within each area, the number of references per document increases with journal impact factor and paper length. Top-performance scientists use in their papers a higher number of references, which are more recent and more frequently covered by the Web of Science. Veteran researchers tend to rely more on older literature and non- Web of Science sources. The longer reference lists of top scientists can be explained by their tendency to publish in high impact factor journals, with stricter reference and reviewing requirements. Long reference lists suggest a broader knowledge on the current literature in a field, which is important to become a top scientist. From the perspective of the 'handicap principle theory,' the sustained use of a high number of references in an author's oeuvre is a costly behavior that may indicate a serious, comprehensive, and solid research capacity, but that only the best researchers can afford. Boosting papers' citations by artificially increasing the number of references does not seem a feasible strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adults aged 65 and over are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic and represent by far the largest share of severe disease and death. This paper critically examines ethical arguments for using implicit and explicit age criteria as a standard for allocating scarce lifesaving resources during the pandemic. Section 1 introduces the topic. Section 2 distinguishes standard from pandemic triage. Section 3 assesses ethical arguments for criteria that are implicitly age‐based, including quality‐adjusted life years, disability adjusted‐life years, and total number of future life years. Section 4 examines ethical arguments for criteria that are more directly age‐based, including fair innings, equality between old and young, and priority to the worse off. The paper concludes that neither implicit nor explicit age‐based allocation withstands careful scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diadochokinetic rates tasks are frequently used for the assessment of diadochokinesia (DKK) in young and elderly adults. However, there is scarce research on healthy elderly adults over 65 years old, and little is known about the effect of different types of stimuli (non‐words/real words) in this specific population. Furthermore, the current research supports significant language variations, highlighting the need for language‐specific norms. Aims: To investigate the effect of age, gender and type of stimuli (non‐words versus real words) in DDK rates in healthy elderly adults of over 65 years of age, and to provide normative data for the Greek language. Methods & Procedures: The participants were 791 healthy monolingual Greek‐speaking adults (531 adults, aged 20–39 years; 157 participants aged 65–74 years; and 103 participants aged over 75 years). All participants were monolingual speakers of Greek and had normal hearing acuity, which allowed them to understand and follow instructions. Participants with a medical condition, which would affect DDK rates' performance, were excluded from the study. The time‐by‐count method was used, and all participants had to repeat as accurately and fast as possible: (1) four disyllabic non‐words (/′gaba/, /′taka/, /′kata/, /′baga/); (2) four disyllabic real words (/′kapa/, /′tapa/, /ka′la/, /′paka/); and (3) two trisyllabic non‐words (/′pataka/, /′badaga/). All responses were recorded and the speech samples that did not include at least 5 s of correct repetitions were excluded from the analysis. Outcomes & Results: Age affected DDK rates significantly, with older adults achieving slower DDK rates for all speech stimuli (non‐words/real words). Gender did not have an effect on the performance of DDK rates. The type of speech stimuli affected DDK rates significantly for all age groups. Analytically, trisyllabic non‐word stimuli were articulated more slowly than disyllabic non‐word stimuli, and real words were produced faster than non‐words. A linear regression analysis revealed that only the repetition of non‐words predicted 68.4% of the performance on the repetition of trisyllabic non‐words. Conclusions & Implications: The above results complement prior research, which supports that real word stimuli yield faster performance than non‐word stimuli. Clinicians should keep in mind that age, language and type of stimuli (non‐words/real words) affect significantly the performance of DDK rates, as well as the fact that different types of stimuli tap distinct underlying levels of speech. The current research highlights the need for language‐specific norms for different populations. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: DDK rates are significantly affected by the types of stimuli and language used. Moreover, the normal ageing process decreases performance in terms of DDK rates, but scarce evidence exists for healthy elderly adults over 65 years old. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: Most studies have examined DDK rates in healthy elderly people with restricted samples and using non‐word stimuli. The current study administered different types of stimuli (non‐words/words) in a large sample of healthy elderly participants. This is also the first study to attempt to provide DDK normative data for this population in the Greek language. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The results of this study strongly suggest that clinicians should bear in mind the significant impact age and language have on performance in terms of DDK rates, especially when normative data are not available for a certain language or age group. Furthermore, non‐word and real‐word stimuli cannot be used interchangeably since they tap into distinct underlying levels of speech, thus providing clinicians with useful information about the level of breakdown and the proper treatment plan. [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]

Background: Computational thinking (CT) has become a crucial skill for individuals in the 21st century, and while more educators are starting to recognize the importance of CT education, there is still a lack of research on how to teach young children CT, particularly outside of traditional school settings. Objectives: To fill the gap in knowledge, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a web‐based parent education program on improving children's CT skills. Additionally, we sought to determine if children's age, gender and family socioeconomic status had any impact on the development of CT skills. Methods: We selected 86 adult–child pairs in the K3 age group to participate in a 4‐week intervention program using a quasi‐experimental approach. Results: After 4 weeks, children in the intervention group had improved their CT skills more than their peers in the control group. This shows that the intervention was successful in enhancing children's CT skills. Age had a moderating effect on CT enhancement, with older children showing a more significant improvement than younger children. However, children's gender and family socioeconomic status did not have any moderating effects. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that CT education can be effectively implemented in the home setting through web‐mediated parent education. Encouraging the use of unplugged CT activities at home can aid children in acquiring CT skills. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Computational thinking (CT) education can be started at the early childhood stage.Both plugged‐in and unplugged activities can promote children's CT.Unplugged activities have many advantages and are suitable for young children. What this paper adds: Web‐mediated parent education is useful for equipping parents with the knowledge and skills to conduct CT activities at home.CT education has a positive effect on children in the home setting.Parents play an important leading role in children's CT education.Parent–child unplugged activities are beneficial to children's CT enhancement. Implications for practice and/or policy: A web‐mediated approach is an appropriate way to encourage parent participation in CT training.CT‐related parent education should be scaled up so that parents can play an active educational role at home.Unplugged CT activities should be designed more for the home settings in addition to school settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child stunting prevalence is primarily used as an indicator of impeded physical growth due to undernutrition and infections, which also increases the risk of mortality, morbidity and cognitive problems, particularly when occurring during the 1000 days from conception to age 2 years. This paper estimated the relationship between stunting prevalence and age for children 0–59 months old in 94 low‐ and middle‐income countries. The overall stunting prevalence was 32%. We found higher stunting prevalence among older children until around 28 months of age—presumably from longer exposure times and accumulation of adverse exposures to undernutrition and infections. In most countries, the stunting prevalence was lower for older children after around 28 months—presumably mostly due to further adverse exposures being less detrimental for older children, and catch‐up growth. The age for which stunting prevalence was the highest was fairly consistent across countries. Stunting prevalence and gradient of the rise in stunting prevalence by age varied across world regions, countries, living standards and sex. Poorer countries and households had a higher prevalence at all ages and a sharper positive age gradient before age 2. Boys had higher stunting prevalence but had peak stunting prevalence at lower ages than girls. Stunting prevalence was similar for boys and girls after around age 45 months. These results suggest that programmes to prevent undernutrition and infections should focus on younger children to optimise impact in reducing stunting prevalence. Importantly, however, since some catch‐up growth may be achieved after age 2, screening around this time can be beneficial. Key message: Stunting prevalence was higher for older children until around age 28 months.The age with the highest stunting prevalence was fairly consistent across UNICEF regions.However, the stunting prevalence and gradient of the rise and fall in stunting prevalence across age varied between countries, living standards and sex.Programmes to prevent undernutrition and infections should focus on younger children to optimise impact in reducing stunting prevalence.Some catch‐up growth may be achieved after age 2, so screening around this time can be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapy process research focuses on understanding how therapy is conducted by professionals in the field. It is a nascent field of psychotherapy enquiry in India. This paper explores how novice therapists in India perceive their clients, and how this influences the process of therapy. In depth interviews were conducted with ten novice therapists, with less than six years of practice experience, from Mumbai, India. The data was thematically analysed. The data revealed that therapists' perceptions of their clients were defined by socio‐demographic features of age and gender, along with presenting complaints and personal attributes. Participants had defined beliefs about good clients as contrasted with difficult ones. Distinct preferences for particular client types were identified. The antecedents to these beliefs were attributed to the therapist's worldview, their training and the supervision received. These views, and the conceptualisation of the client, influenced the choice of client, the process of therapy and how they proceeded with sessions, and their methods of referral. The data from the study has implications for therapist training, supervision and further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has found that music brings back more vivid and emotional autobiographical memories than various other retrieval cues. However, such studies have often been low in ecological validity and constrained by relatively limited cue selection and predominantly young adult samples. Here, we compared music to food as cues for autobiographical memories in everyday life in young and older adults. In two separate four‐day periods, 39 younger (ages 18–34) and 39 older (ages 60–77) adults recorded their music‐ and food‐evoked autobiographical memories in paper diaries. Across both age groups, music triggered more frequent autobiographical memories, a greater proportion of involuntary memories, and memories rated as more personally important in comparison to food cues. Age differences impacted music‐ and food‐evoked memories similarly, with older adults consistently recalling older and less specific memories, which they rated as more positive, vivid, and rehearsed. However, young and older adults did not differ in the number or involuntary nature of their recorded memories. This work represents an important step in understanding the phenomenology of naturally occurring music‐evoked autobiographical memories across adulthood and provides new insights into how and why music may be a more effective trigger for personally valued memories than certain other everyday cues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this note, some point of views on virtual ages are presented in terms of the discussion paper written by Finkelstein and Cha, which include generalized stochastic order‐based virtual ages, system‐level virtual ages, virtual ages in Weibull distribution and repair degrees with virtual ages. Finally, some possible future researches on virtual ages are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding more about the discharge of care orders is vital—whether a care order remains in place has significant implications for children and their families and for local authorities. While there has been comprehensive research about the process and outcomes of care proceedings, much less is known about the discharge of care orders—particularly how, why and when care orders are ended and the differences between applications that are granted and those that are not. The present study combined data from an anonymized administrative data on discharge applications, a detailed analysis of children's e‐records and qualitative interviews with family justice professionals to create the first detailed profile of discharge applications across England and Wales. This paper reports, for the first time, the number of discharge applications and outcomes across England and Wales, highlighting regional as well as between‐country variation. Drawing on data from children's e‐records and interviews with professionals, highlighting how and why local authorities are more likely to submit discharge applications, and to have applications granted, than parents. Recommendations are made for how to adapt professional practice and policy around discharge applications to better meet the needs of children and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trends in people having children later in life and increasing evidence of male age‐related fertility decline (ARFD) has led some to propose sperm freezing as a suitable response. However, little consideration has been given to how men might respond to such a proposal, and there has been a paucity of empirical data to inform such a consideration. This paper arises from in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with men (n = 25) who do not have children but want or expect to have them in the future. Data on men's perceptions of male ARFD and sperm freezing are presented and discussed in accordance with theoretical and conceptual tools relating to reproductive masculinity, biomedicalisation, gendered risk perception and meanings of sperm and masculinity. It suggests that that men's overall lack of concern regarding male ARFD and resistance towards ideas of sperm freezing result not only from a lack of exposure to evidence regarding male ARFD but are also shaped by ideals of reproductive masculinity, and may indicate resistance towards the idea of reproductive control. It argues that these positions perpetuate a gender unequal politicisation of ARFD and perpetuate particular gendered subjectivities relating to culpability and responsibility for guarding against risks of ARFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many researchers have explored the impact of various technologies in museums on learning effects. Whether the application of technology in informal museum learning is effective, is the current issue that scholars pay more attention to. Objectives: This study will find the evidence to determine the effects of technology use on museum learning outcomes, and identify the future research trends in the field of technology application in museum learning. Methods: This study used a meta‐analysis method to statistically analyse the experimental and quasi‐experimental research in this field, and explored the effect sizes of technology application on the learning effect of museums. And the co‐citation network analysis method was used to analyse the distribution of academic groups and research institutions in this field and the changes in research hotspots. Results and Conclusions: The results show that technologies significantly enhance noncognitive learning. Significant differences exist in the effects of the moderating variables on the influence of technology on the learning outcomes of museum learning. The scholars engaged in this research field come from various countries or regions and institutions. The research hotspots of and extended research on technically supported museum learning have changed continually in the past decade. Major Takeaways: This study answers the question of "whether, how, and to what extent does the application of technology affect the learning effect of museums". According to the research conclusions, certain suggestions are proposed in this paper from the perspectives of researchers and museum institutions for the effective application of museum technology. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The formal learning in the classroom has been unable to meet the learners' thirst for knowledge, and the museums have become the main educational battlegrounds for inheriting history and culture and popularizing scientific knowledge.Some studies have proved that the use of some technologies in the museum can affect the learning effect of learners.The application of technology is an important part of the physical situation among the three major situations of museum influencing factors. What this paper adds: This paper integrated meta‐analysis with co‐citation network analysis method is used to analyse and evaluate the 34 experimental or quasi‐experimental studies and 572 citations.The contextual model of learning was used as a theoretical framework to construct the meta‐analysis framework.The moderating effects of technology category, museum category, learner category and visiting mode on museum learning effect were significantly different. Implications for practice and/or policy: Researchers in museum learning must strengthen academic exchange and cooperation and explore a new path for museum technology integration.The administrative organizations of museum institutions must accelerate the construction of museum resources and implement the "new normal" of the integration of exhibition and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aims: To describe typical phonological development of Brazilian Portuguese (BP)‐speaking children, considering the following parameters: age of customary production, acquisition and mastery. Methods & Procedures: Data were collected from 857 children aged between 3 years and 8 years 11 months with typical language and speech development. The sample was grouped into 6‐month age bands. The data were analysed using one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Games–Howell post‐hoc tests. Outcomes & Results: Stops (/p, b, t, d, k, g/), nasals (/m, n, ɲ/) and some fricatives (/f, v, s, z/) were mastered before the age of 3 years (age of mastery). The age of acquisition for phonemes /ʃ, ʒ/ was 3;6, though both were only mastered at 4;0 years. The liquid /l/ was acquired at 3;0 and mastered at age 3;6, while /x/ was acquired and mastered at age 3;6. The phoneme /ʎ/ was acquired at 7;0 and mastered at age 8;6. The tap /ɾ/ was acquired between the ages of 4;0 and 4;6, and mastered at 4;6. In coda position, /n, l/ were acquired at 3;0, while /s/ was mastered at 4;6 and /ɾ/ between 4;6 and 5;0 years. Clusters involving /ɾ/ were acquired at 6;0, while those with /l/ were acquired between the ages of 6;6 and 7;0. Conclusions & Implications: This study presented acquisition for consonants in BP and can be used as a reference for the assessment of developmental speech disorders. In this study, stops and nasals were acquired first, followed by fricatives and, lastly, liquids. This finding is corroborated by previous studies in BP and other languages. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: What this paper adds to existing knowledge: What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Difficulties in language development are related to social and emotional problems, lower academic outcomes, and lower quality of life from childhood to adolescence. These grave consequences might be significantly reduced by timely identification and professional support. The introduction of systematic screening for language delay (LD) in 3‐year‐old children in Hungary was based on the recent adaptation of the MacArthur–Bates CDI‐III (HCDI‐III). Aims: To explore the relevant psychometric properties of the HCDI‐III; to identify factors characteristic of the families and children influencing language development at the age group under investigation; and to evaluate the adequacy of the tool for the purpose of screening LD in kindergarten at the age of 3 years. Methods & Procedures: The norming study of the HCDI‐III was conducted in a collaborative research project with the Metropolitan Pedagogical Services in Budapest. HCDI‐III parent report forms along with a demographic survey form were distributed to parents of all Hungarian‐speaking children between the ages of 2;0 and 4;2 without special education needs. The normative sample comprised data from 1424 children aged 2;0–4;2 with 51.1% boys and 48.9% girls. The data set contained information including language skills, basic demographics, birth conditions, health issues and socio‐economic status (SES). Outcomes & Results: In the HCDI‐III form, six outcome variables were created to cover the domains of expressive vocabulary, morphosyntax and language use. Statistical analyses revealed appropriate psychometric properties of five outcome variables that showed a normal distribution and were strongly correlated to age. Outcomes of girls were slightly (but significantly) higher on scales corresponding to vocabulary, syntax, language use and productivity. Most variables were highly correlated with one another even with age partialled out. Multiple regression analyses revealed significant effect of age, gender and parental education on all main outcome variables. Neither one of the other eight predictors, including familial and birth‐related factors, affected linguistic outcomes in our sample. Conclusions & Implications: The results are consistent with the majority of Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) studies, and support the psychometric eligibility of the instrument for screening purposes between 30 and 50 months. As certain regions of Hungary are characterised by a high prevalence of low‐SES families, more research is needed to adapt the screening procedure and subsequent measures to their needs. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: Difficulties in language development are related to lower social and academic outcomes and lower quality of life from childhood to adolescence. These grave consequences might be significantly reduced by timely identification and professional support. Structured parent report forms such as the MacArthur–Bates CDI are widely accepted methods for screening children with LD. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This study reports the Hungarian adaptation and norming of the CDI‐III form. Statistical analyses revealed appropriate psychometric properties of most of its sections. Language outcomes were affected by age, gender and parental education on all main outcome variables in children between 2 and 4 years of age. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The results support the psychometric eligibility of the HCDI‐III instrument for screening purposes. The introduction of the screening procedure in clinical practice is expected to improve early support of children with language difficulties and reduce risks of developmental problems related to language disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Systematic reviews are considered the highest level of evidence that can help guide evidence‐informed decisions in nursing practice, education, and even health policy. Systematic review publications have increased from a sporadic few in 1980s to more than 10,000 systematic reviews published every year and around 30,000 registered in prospective registries. Methods: A cross‐sectional design and a variety of data sources were triangulated to identify the journals from which systematic reviews would be evaluated for adherence to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 reporting guidelines and scope. Specifically, this study used the PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines to assess the reporting of the introduction, methods, information sources and search strategy, study selection process, quality/bias assessments, and results and discussion aspects of the included systematic reviews. Results: Upon review of the 215 systematic reviews published in 10 top‐tier journals in the field of nursing in 2019 and 2020, this study identified several opportunities to improve the reporting of systematic reviews in the context of the 2020 PRISMA statement. Areas of priority for reporting include the following key areas: (1) information sources, (2) search strategies, (3) study selection process, (4) bias reporting, (5) explicit discussion of the implications to policy, and lastly, the need for (6) prospective protocol registration. Discussion: The use of the PRISMA 2020 guidelines by authors, peer reviewers, and editors can help to ensure the transparent and detailed reporting of systematic reviews published in the nursing literature. Clinical Relevance: Systematic reviews are considered strong research evidence that can guide evidence‐based practice and even clinical decision‐making. This paper addresses some common methodological and process issues among systematic reviews that can guide clinicians and practitioners to be more critical in appraising research evidence that can shape nursing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study was to examine factors influencing diabetic foot care behaviours (DFCBs) among patients with diabetes. Design: An Integrative review using the Whittemore & Knafl five‐stage framework. Methods: A systematic search was performed to retrieve relevant peer‐reviewed literature published in English between 2011 and 2021 across three electronic databases: CINAHL, Medline (PubMed) and Scopus. Following the quality appraisal, 35 papers were included in this review. Results: This review revealed that patients' DFCBs were suboptimal. Additionally, four emerging themes were identified as the predictors of DFCB, namely: demographic characteristics as predictors of diabetic foot care behaviour; illness beliefs and perceptions as predictors of diabetic foot care behaviour; foot care knowledge as a predictor of diabetic foot care behaviour and foot care education as a predictor of diabetic foot care behaviour. This calls for nurses to devise educational strategies that adequately address these determinants to drive long‐term positive DFCB among patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seminal work has found a negative association between physical exercise and impulsivity levels in humans. This paper aims to strengthen these findings by evaluating the association between the amount of self-reported physical exercise per week and emotion-related impulsivity whilst considering age and gender as covariates on a large-scale dataset. Participants completed an online self-report questionnaire about emotion-related impulsivity (i.e. Feelings Trigger Action) and exercise-related questions. After quality control, 773 participants were included in the analysis. Correlational analyses and a multiple regression model explaining the emotion-related impulsivity scores via the amount of exercise per week and demographic characteristics (i.e. age and gender) were performed. The number of hours spent exercising per week was significantly inversely correlated with the Feelings Trigger Action score (r = −.131, p <.001) and two out of its three subscales. The multiple linear regression model showed that hours of exercise per week and gender were significantly associated with the Feelings Trigger Action score (std. β = −.122, p <.001), however, this model explained only 3.2% of the overall variance. This large-scale dataset confirms seminal work displaying an inverse association between emotion-related impulsivity and hours of exercise per week. Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms underlying the relationship between the two variables. Highlights This study (N = 773) confirms seminal work on the connection between exercise and impulsivity. When controlling for demographic variables, the amount of exercise per week was inversely correlated (small effect size) with emotion-related impulsivity levels. In the multiple-regression model, hours of exercise per week and gender were significantly associated with the Feelings Trigger Action score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a chronic disorder associated with high mortality rates and high morbidity. The risk of obesity is associated with certain personality traits (PTs). Some studies have found correlations among some PTs and gender. Additionally, obesity implies higher costs in daily living. The aim of this paper is to overcome this problem in the literature and estimate the association between PTs and obesity by taking into account the economic situation of the individual. This study employs data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). We focus on waves 5 and 6 of the ELSA with a sample of 6562 individuals. The results suggests that the traits of agreeableness (β=0.071,se=0.016,p<0.001) and openness (β=0.028,se:0.014,p<0.001) are positively and significantly associated with obesity. On the other hand, consciousness has a negative and statistically significant effect on obesity β=0.072,se:0.017,p<0.001. Results are robust to the inclusion/exclusion of different regressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine the basis of eligibility rules in sport by exhibiting the logic of categorisation, with its associated ethical problems. We shall be concerned mainly with pre-competition categories – age, sex, weight and dis/ability – because they are directly relevant to sports performance and are relatively stable inequalities. We shall prefer to use the term "categorisation", although we mean by it just what others might mean by classification, to refer to divisions, classes, groups, etc. The paper argues that we have categories only because we consider it desirable to offer some groups protected status in order to enable and promote inclusion and fairness. This desirability condition determines eligibility. Only then do issues arise of which sub-categories we should have, and how they are to be policed. There will always be categories in sport, as a minimum to protect athletes based on age groupings, from children to veterans. But since every categorisation brings its own problems, we need to ensure that we keep them balanced, so that sport can strive for maximum inclusion of different kinds of athletes, and maximum fairness. This requires us to step back from the many particular debates in order to rethink the logic of the whole categorisation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This systematic review examines age transition issues specific to young people with eating disorders, including the extent of, and reasons for, problematic transition. Suggested solutions are examined, with focus on age‐integrated services. Method: PsycINFO, Medline and SCOPUS databases were searched on 4 April, 2022 using two inclusion criteria: (1) a peer‐reviewed journal article in English, (2) focus on service transition caused by moving from childhood to adulthood for people with eating disorders. A narrative integration of the content was used. Results: Of the 17 non‐overlapping studies located in the review, 6 involved quantitative data. Problematic transition between age‐based services was indicated, where a substantial minority of young people who still require help lose contact with speciality services. A variety of reasons for this problematic transition were identified, including differing and sometimes adversarial cultures between age‐based services. While a variety of solutions have been suggested, the least explored was the development of age integrated services; only 3 papers focussed primarily on this. Conclusion: The consideration of the advantages of integration and the similarities between age‐based services suggested that these potentially outweigh the barriers to integration. An implementation science research agenda is required to test this hypothesis. Highlights: Problematic transition between age‐based eating disorder services is being increasingly explored in the literature.Age integrated services have been described as the 'ideal solution' but have been rarely explored in the literature.This review suggests the advantages of integration and the similarities between age‐based services potentially outweigh the barriers to integrated services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents data on the U–Pb chronology of detrital zircon grains and radiogenic isotopic composition (87Sr/86Sr, ɛNd) from the Proterozoic clastic successions of the Garhwal‐Kumaon Lesser Himalaya representing the extended northern Indian cratonic margin, NW India. The Proterozoic Lesser Himalayan Basin in Garhwal‐Kumaon Himalaya is divided into two sectors, namely, Inner Lesser Himalaya (ILH) and Outer Lesser Himalaya (OLH) by a tectonic boundary, namely the Tons Thrust (TT). Age distribution from inner and outer sectors of the Lesser Himalaya shows that the U–Pb chronology of most of these zircons provides Palaeoproterozoic (between 1.6 and 1.8 Ga) to Neoproterozoic (800 Ma) ages. The age data suggest sedimentation of the Rautgara Formation (Damtha Group) of ILH continued till the Neoproterozoic (~850 Ma), which was earlier regarded as ≤1.6 Ga. Tracking the detrital U–Pb zircon ages in the near adjacent cratonic parts point towards Aravalli Orogen as the major source region. Whole‐rock ƐNd(0) values for ILH rocks range from −37.6 to −14.6 and for OLH it ranges from −19.6 to −6.7. More negative ƐNd values along with dominance of Neoarchean‐Palaeoproterozoic ages in ILH indicates supply from more evolved protolith or recycled sources and less negative ƐNd values with major Neoproterozic zircon ages from OLH supports for less evolved source rock. The change from more negative ƐNd to less negative ƐNd values progressively upward the stratigraphy can be due to a shift in source with time. Both U–Pb zircon and ƐNd supports for a continuous sedimentation model, rule out the presence of ~500 Ma unconformity within the LH and argues for separate evolution of the Lesser Himalayan Basin on the trailing edge of the extended north Indian craton in "Columbia" configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale, Aims and Objectives: Emergency hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge from hospital are considered a marker for the quality of hospital care, patient experience, the discharge process and integration with community services. This paper describes the frequency and variations in cause of emergency readmissions at 30 and 90 days following discharge after acute stroke from two stroke units. Methods: Retrospective data collection of Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) and Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) of consecutive acute stroke hospital discharges over 24 months from 2017 to 2019 from two specialist stroke units in England. HES data were used to calculate the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Covariates were analysed for their association with readmission rate, including: age; gender; CCI; length of stay for first stroke admission; living alone; discharge to a care home; discharge receiving stroke specialist early supported discharge (ESD) rehabilitation and stroke severity as determined by National Institute for Health Stroke Scale on stroke admission. Results: From 2017 to 2019 there were 1999 live discharges with a primary diagnosis of stroke. Both hospitals had a trend of increasing readmission rates with increasing stroke severity and comorbidity. Longer length of stroke admission, especially for patients with increasing stroke severity, and patients receiving ESD rehabilitation after discharge reduced 90‐day readmissions. This association was stronger at 90 days than at 30 days. Different readmission event rates were found at 30 and 90 days and when events were compared between the two hospitals. Conclusion: Understanding differences in readmission event rates between hospitals at 30 and 90 days can support local planning of patient needs in the first weeks after stroke discharge and to investigate ways for hospital to reduce the impact of readmission. It is recommended that stroke services use both 30 and 90‐day readmissions to inform service evaluation and improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intelligibility can be defined as the speakers' ability to convey a message to the listener and it is considered the key functional measure of speech. The Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) is a parent rating scale used to assess intelligibility in children. Aims: To describe normative and validation data on the ICS in Swedish and to investigate how these are related to age, gender and multilingualism. Methods & Procedures: Two studies were included. Study 1 included ICS forms from 319 Swedish‐speaking children (3:2–9:2 years:months). Study 2 included video recordings and ICS forms from 14 children with speech sound disorder (SSD) and two with typical speech. The video recordings were transcribed in the validation process, resulting in intelligibility reference scores to which ICS scores were correlated. Outcomes & Results: Study 1: The mean value of the ICS for the 319 children was 4.73. There were no differences in ICS score related to age or gender. The children in the multilingual group were significantly older than the monolingual group and had significantly lower ICS scores than the group of monolinguals. Study 2: There was a moderate correlation between the ICS score and the transcription‐based intelligibility score, with the two children with typical speech excluded; however, this correlation was not significant. Conclusions & Implications: We contribute mean scores and percentiles on the ICS for Swedish‐speaking children. The finding that the ICS does not provide valid measures of intelligibility for the included children with SSD suggests that the instrument measures a different construct. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: The ICS has been translated to numerous languages and validated against articulation measures in several previous studies. The validity of the Swedish version has been investigated against intelligibility based on transcription of single words. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: The study provides normative values of the Swedish version of the ICS for children aged 3–9 years. This is the first study to use a gold standard measure of intelligibility in continuous speech to validate the ICS. The results show a somewhat dubious validity regarding ICS for the group of children with SSD included in the study. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The ICS's suitability as a measure of intelligibility is questionable; however, it might be of use for speech and language pathologists to give an overview of the parents' view of their child's ability to communicate, in order to make a decision on possible further assessment and intervention. The normative values of the Swedish version of the ICS could be of use in this decision process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ability to understand figurative language, including metaphors and proverbs, decreases with age, although the phenomenon is not universal. Cognitive capacities and education play an important role in the competence connected with figurative language use and comprehension in people during the second half of life. Aims: To identify possible similarities and differences in task performance by subjects representing middle adulthood (40–49 and 50–59 years old) and late adulthood (60–69 and 70–92 years old). Additionally, the analyses took into account factors significantly affecting the results, that is, tasks type (metaphors versus proverbs), the way the answer is given (open‐ended versus multiple choice) and types of answers (abstract and concrete). This study also aimed to identify some cognitive correlates of task completion. Methods & Procedures: A total of 86 Caucasian subjects, aged 40–92 years, participated in this study (Mwhole group = 62.37, SD = 15.53); the group included 20 subjects aged 40–49 years (Mage = 45.4; SD = 3.05), 20 aged 50–59 years (Mage = 55.50; SD = 2.64), 20 aged 60–69 years (Mage = 64.40; SD = 2.78), and 26 aged 70–92 years (Mage = 79.15; SD = 6.27). A total of 20 well‐known Polish metaphors and 20 popular Polish proverbs were used to assess the level of proverb and metaphor comprehension. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale and Vocabulary subtest of the Polish version of WAIS‐R were applied to assess the cognitive functions. Outcomes & Results: The results of the analyses suggest that there are differences as well as certain similarities between the groups. At 70+ years of age, the ability to explain and comprehend metaphors and proverbs decreases when compared with younger adults. In the 70+ group, the ability to grasp the meaning of both metaphors and proverbs is similar, unlike in the younger groups which present a better ability to explain and comprehend metaphors than proverbs. The conditions related to the types of tasks, that is, spontaneous interpretation and choice of responses, do not affect scores of the oldest subjects. Conclusions: The analysis of response types, that is, abstract versus concrete, shows that, compared with younger groups, people aged 70+ years tend to less frequently provide abstract explanations and more often give concrete (but correct) responses, referring to situational data or examples from everyday life. Moreover, attention, short‐term/delayed memory and lexical reserve influence the ability to use and comprehend figurative language to a varied degree. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: Studies focusing on metaphor and proverb interpretation by people in middle and late adulthood are rather scarce, and what is more, they provide inconclusive results. Research has shown that the capacities related to attention and memory, as well as language resources and executive functions, all deteriorate in older people, which negatively affects their ability to understand metaphors and proverbs. However, varied methods are applied to assess these skills, which may explain why the related findings are inconsistent. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the analyses took into account the type of task (metaphors versus proverbs), the method of responding (open‐ended versus multiple‐choice) and the nature of the answer (abstract versus concrete). This allowed us to highlight intergroup differences and to show specific characteristics of proverb and metaphor spontaneous interpretation and choice of correct answers. The results were compared among the participants representing relatively narrow age ranges classified as middle and late adulthood. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Analysis of how people in middle and late adulthood interpret metaphors and proverbs might constitute an element of preliminary screening assessment showing whether a decrease in this capacity is in the normal range or if it reflects a serious cognitive decline. It would be worthwhile if the diagnostic process included varied task designs, that is, both metaphors and proverbs, as well as spontaneous interpretation and multiple‐choice, as well as varied types of responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The age distribution of a population is a product of a century of demographic history. This paper describes how the history of births, deaths, and migrations has fashioned the US age distribution in 2018. It also shows how that history, combined with contemporary processes, was actively producing changes in the age distribution between 2013 and 2018. Changes in survivorship, migration, and births all contributed to population aging during this period, with a declining growth rate of births the leading contributor. Using a novel approach, the paper demonstrates how the inertia reflected in changing age distributions sheds light on the future population of the United States. Massive growth in the population above age 70 will occur by 2033 if recent age patterns of age‐specific mortality and migration are maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most ethics guidelines for distributing scarce medical resources during the coronavirus pandemic seek to save the most lives and the most life‐years. A patient's prognosis is determined using a SOFA or MSOFA score to measure likelihood of survival to discharge, as well as a consideration of relevant comorbidities and their effects on likelihood of survival up to one or five years. Although some guidelines use age as a tiebreaker when two patients' prognoses are identical, others refuse to consider age for fear of discriminating against the elderly. In this paper, I argue that age is directly relevant for maximizing health benefits, so current ethics guidelines are wrongly excluding or deemphasizing life‐stage in their triage algorithms. Research on COVID‐19 has shown that age is a risk factor in adverse outcomes, independent of comorbidities. And limiting a consideration of life‐years to only one or five years past discharge does not maximize health benefits. Therefore, based on their own stated values, triage algorithms for coronavirus patients ought to include life‐stage as a primary consideration, along with the SOFA score and comorbidities, rather than excluding it or using it merely as a tiebreaker. This is not discriminatory because patients ought to have equal opportunity to experience life‐stages. The equitable enforcement of that right justifies unequal treatment based on age in cases when there is a scarcity of life‐saving resources. A consideration of life‐stage would thus allow healthcare workers to responsibly steward public resources in order to maximize lives and life‐years saved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In today's society, a growing body of literature attests to the importance of young children's early digital literacy skills in their home environments and how acquisition of these digital literacy skills relates to their future learning and digital literacy. Objectives: Research on young children's digital literacy practices at home was reviewed to explore the positive and negative influences on early learning. This is important due to the children's rapid uptake of online digital technologies over the past decade. Methods: Peer‐reviewed research articles on home digital literacy practices of children (aged 0–8 years old) published between 2010 and 2021 from four education databases were carefully selected based upon pre‐determined criteria and examined using content analysis. Results and Conclusion: A high proportion of studies (29 of the 31; 93.5%) demonstrated significant benefits of young children gaining a range of skills, including digital operational, early literacy and language, socio‐emotional, and STEM, through the use of digital technologies at home. Five of the 31 (16.12%) studies reported negative effects of digital technologies in the home context, including distraction, aggressive behaviour, and false self‐confidence. Tablets and smartphone use gained greater momentum in the home context, especially between 2015 and 2021, and there was a positive shift in parental mediation, family involvement, and the children's home digital literacy practices. Implications: By leveraging children's acquisition of digital literacy skills in the home and taking into account the sociocultural context, we can enhance young children's preparation for the future and provide opportunities for skill development across various learning domains. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The literature shows use of tablets in the home by children have gained momentum.Parents have different attitudes towards using digital technologies in the home context.Parents have used different mediation strategies to control, supervise and support their children's home digital literacy practices. What this paper adds: Within the past decade, parents have extended their mediation strategies to support their children's home digital literacy practices.Young children move from early digital literacy to proficient digital literacy within the home.Home digital literacy practices can foster important skills in young children such as language and literacy, operational, socio‐emotional, and STEM.Artificial intelligence devices such as smart robots are extending children's home digital literacy practices. Implications for practice and/or policy: Understanding the sociocultural differences of young children can help parents, teachers, and policymakers to facilitate digital literacy skill acquisition.Fostering young children's basic language literacy, operational, socio‐emotional, and STEM skills through technology use in the home before formal education is essential.Extending young children's home digital literacy practices to other contexts such as the classroom is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]