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Background: Acute lung injury is a common, devastating clinical syndrome associated with substantial mortality and morbidity with currently no proven therapeutic interventional strategy to improve patient outcomes. The objectives of this study are to test the potential therapeutic effects of keratinocyte growth factor for patients with acute lung injury on oxygenation and biological indicators of acute inflammation, lung epithelial and endothelial function, protease:antiprotease balance, and lung extracellular matrix degradation and turnover. Methods/design: This will be a prospective, randomised, double-blind, allocation-concealed, placebo-controlled, phase 2, multicentre trial. Randomisation will be stratified by presence of severe sepsis requiring vasopressors. Patients in an ICU fulfilling the American-European Consensus Conference Definition of acute lung injury will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive an intravenous bolus of either keratinocyte growth factor (palifermin, 60 μg/kg) or placebo (0.9% sodium chloride solution) daily for a maximum of 6 days. The primary endpoint of this clinical study is to evaluate the efficacy of palifermin to improve the oxygenation index at day 7 or the last available oxygenation index prior to patient discontinuation from the study. A formal statistical analysis plan has been constructed. Analyses will be carried out on an intention-to-treat basis. A single analysis is planned at the end of the trial. P = 0.05 will be considered statistically significant and all tests will be two-sided. For continuously distributed outcomes, differences between groups will be tested using independent-sample t tests, analysis of variance and analysis of covariance with transformation of variables to normality or nonparametric equivalents. The trial will be reported in line with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (Consort 2010 guidelines).Trial registration: http://ISRCTN95690673. © 2013 Cross et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Pair programming, when used as a form of collaborative learning, has been shown to increase the number of women (and men) persisting in their previously stated intent to pursue degrees in computer science. In addition, paired teams have been found to significantly outperform individual programmers in terms of program functionality and readability, to report greater satisfaction with the problem-solving process, to have greater confidence in their solutions, and to be more likely to complete a programming assignment. Nevertheless, many instructors continue to require students to complete programming assignments independently. Presumably, continued reliance on solo programming in academic settings is rooted in instructor concern that at least one of the partners in a pair will not learn as much as they would if they completed the assignment alone. In the worst case, one member of the pair might do essentially all of the work.We investigated the effects of pair programming on student performance and subsequent pursuit of computer science related degrees among both female and male college students taking an introductory programming course designed for computer science related majors (computer science, computer engineering, and information systems management). The results of this study provide some of the most compelling evidence to date of the effectiveness of pair programming as a pedagogical tool.

Describes key findings concerning the effectiveness of applied behavior analysis (ABA) for children with autism. Discusses obstacles present in Ireland to treating children with autism using ABA techniques. Describes the work of Parents' Education as Autism Therapists and the Irish Children's Autism Network for Developmental Opportunities to provide parents with information on ABA. (Author/KB)

The proposition that variable practice may be superior to constant practice even for consistent transfer situations was tested on a prototypical consistently performed skill, the basketball free throw. 94 participants were matched on free-throw shooting, then randomly assigned to one of four practice conditions, a Constant condition, i.e., at the free-throw line, and three Variable conditions. Under supervision participants practiced shooting free throws four days a week for three weeks. Three substantially different variable practice conditions produced significant improvement similar to that of constant practice on tests during each week of practice and on a delayed retention test. Consistent with the proposition, the most variable practice group performed as well as the other groups on the retention test despite lower practice performance.

Individuals with anxiety disorders exhibit lower intrinsic functional connectivity between prefrontal cortical areas and subcortical regions. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is sensitive to the acute and chronic effects of physical activity (PA), while the anxiolytic effects of PA are well known. The current study examined the association of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and its interaction with PA, with resting-state, left PFC oxygenation. This cross-sectional study used data from participants (N = 2444) from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a nationally representative prospective study of community-living adults aged 50 and older in Ireland. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short-Form determined fulfillment of criteria for GAD. The short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire determined adherence to the World Health Organization PA guidelines. Resting-state, left PFC oxygenation was continuously measured via a Portalite. Tissue saturation index (TSI) was calculated as the ratio of oxygenated hemoglobin to total tissue hemoglobin (expressed as a percentage) for the final minute of a 5-minute supine-rest period. Multivariable linear regression quantified associations of GAD with TSI in the total population and population stratified by PA status. Participants with GAD had lower TSI (b = -1.416, p = .008) compared to those without GAD. However, this association was modified by PA. Among participants who met the PA guidelines, TSI did not differ according to GAD status (b = -0.800, p = .398). For participants who did not meet the guidelines, TSI was significantly lower among those with GAD (b = -1.758, p = .004). These findings suggest that PA may help to protect brain health among older adults with GAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims.: Anxiety is debilitating and associated with numerous mental and physical comorbidities. There is a need to identify and investigate low-risk prevention and treatment strategies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between different volumes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) and anxiety symptoms and status among older adults in Ireland. Methods.: Participants (n = 4175; 56.8% female) aged ⩾50 years completed the International PA Questionnaire (IPAQ) at baseline, and the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline and follow-up (2009–2013). Participants were classified according to meeting World Health Organisation PA guidelines, and divided into IPAQ categories. Respondents without anxiety at baseline (n = 3165) were included in prospective analyses. Data were analysed in 2017. Results.: Anxiety symptoms were significantly higher among females than males (p < 0.001). Models were adjusted for age, sex, waist circumference, social class, smoking status and pain. In cross-sectional analyses, meeting PA guidelines was associated with 9.3% (OR = 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.78–1.06) lower odds of anxiety. Compared with the inactive group, the minimally- and very-active groups were associated with 8.4% (OR = 0.92, 0.76–1.10) and 18.8% (OR = 0.81, 0.67–0.98) lower odds of anxiety, respectively. In prospective analyses, meeting guidelines was associated with 6.3% (OR = 0.94, 0.63–1.40) reduced odds of anxiety. Compared with the inactive group, the minimally and very-active groups were associated with 43.5% (OR = 1.44, 0.89–2.32) increased, and 4.3% (OR = 0.96, 0.56–1.63) reduced odds of anxiety. The presence of pain, included in models as a covariate, was associated with a 108.7% (OR = 2.09, 1.80–2.42) increase in odds of prevalent anxiety, and a 109.7% (OR = 2.10, 1.41–3.11) increase in odds of incident anxiety. Conclusion.: High volumes of PA are cross-sectionally associated with lower anxiety symptoms and status, with a potential dose–response apparent. However, significant associations were not observed in prospective analyses. The low absolute number of incident anxiety cases (n = 109) potentially influenced these findings. Further, as older adults may tend to experience and/or report more somatic anxiety symptoms, and the HADS focuses primarily on cognitive symptoms, it is plausible that the HADS was not an optimal measure of anxiety symptoms in the current population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]