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The men must be doing something always something hand over hand coiling the rope preparing the skiff going out ahead of the crowd to find their best spot along the [...]

BackgroundAcquired Brain Injuries (ABIs) can result in multiple detrimental cognitive effects, such as reduced memory capability, concentration, and planning. These effects can lead to cognitive fatigue, which can exacerbate the symptoms of ABIs and hinder management and recovery. Assessing cognitive fatigue is difficult due to the largely subjective nature of the condition and existing assessment approaches. Traditional methods of assessment use self-assessment questionnaires delivered in a medical setting, but recent work has attempted to employ more objective cognitive tests as a way of evaluating cognitive fatigue. However, these tests are still predominantly delivered within a medical environment, limiting their utility and efficacy. ObjectiveThe aim of this research was to investigate how cognitive fatigue can be accurately assessed in situ, during the quotidian activities of life. It was hypothesized that this assessment could be achieved through the use of mobile assistive technology to assess working memory, sustained attention, information processing speed, reaction time, and cognitive throughput. MethodsThe study used a bespoke smartphone app to track daily cognitive performance, in order to assess potential levels of cognitive fatigue. Twenty-one participants with no prior reported brain injuries took place in a two-week study, resulting in 81 individual testing instances being collected. The smartphone app delivered three cognitive tests on a daily basis: (1) Spatial Span to measure visuospatial working memory; (2) Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) to measure sustained attention, information processing speed, and reaction time; and (3) a Mental Arithmetic Test to measure cognitive throughput. A smartphone-optimized version of the Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS) self-assessment questionnaire was used as a baseline to assess the validity of the three cognitive tests, as the questionnaire has already been validated in multiple peer-reviewed studies. ResultsThe most highly correlated results were from the PVT, which showed a positive correlation with those from the prevalidated MFS, measuring 0.342 (P

Since publication of the last consensus statement on leptospirosis in dogs, there has been revision of leptospiral taxonomy and advancements in typing methods, widespread use of new diagnostic tests and vaccines, and improved understanding of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of the disease. Leptospirosis continues to be prevalent in dogs, including in small breed dogs from urban areas, puppies as young as 11 weeks of age, geriatric dogs, dogs in rural areas, and dogs that have been inadequately vaccinated for leptospirosis (including dogs vaccinated with 2-serovar Leptospira vaccines in some regions). In 2021, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Board of Regents voted to approve the topic for a revised Consensus Statement. After identification of core panelists, a multidisciplinary group of 6 experts from the fields of veterinary medicine, human medicine, and public health was assembled to vote on the recommendations using the Delphi method. A draft was presented at the 2023 ACVIM Forum, and a written draft posted on the ACVIM website for comment by the membership before submission to the editors of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. This revised document provides guidance for veterinary practitioners on disease in dogs as well as cats. The level of agreement among the 12 voting members (including core panelists) is provided in association with each recommendation. A denominator lower than 12 reflects abstention of ≥1 panelists either because they considered the recommendation to be outside their scope of expertise or because there was a perceived conflict of interest.

Analyzed in this investigation were the current Texas state-mandated assessments in reading and the extent to which test scores differed among English Language Learners who were Not Poor (i.e., did not qualify for the reduced or free lunch program), English Language Learners who were Moderately Poor (i.e., qualified for the reduced lunch program), and English Language Learners who were Extremely Poor (i.e., qualified for the free lunch program). In all cases, reading achievement was lowest for English Language Learners who were Very Poor, followed by English Language Learners who were Moderately Poor. English Language Learners who were Not Poor had the highest reading performance in all four school years. Implications for policy and practice, as well as recommendations for future research, are provided.

Over the past two decades, an increase has occurred in the number of schools containing a Grade K-8 configuration rather than the Grade 6-8 traditional middle school (Blair, 2008). The reason behind this trend may reflect educator awareness that achievement loss takes place during each transition (Alspaugh, 1999; Cullen & Robles-Pina, 2012; Clark et al. 2013a). As educational leaders make decisions about how to configure the schools within their district, one major factor they must take into account is the effect that school transitions will have on students and the timing of such transitions. Adolescents experiencing cognitive, physiological, social and emotional developmental changes associated with puberty also have to contend with another important developmental process, the transition from elementary to secondary school (Aikins, Bierman, & Parker, 2005). A pronounced regression in student achievement has been documented to occur during the transition from elementary school to middle school (Alspaugh, 1998; Alspaugh & Harting, 1995). Several researchers (e.g., Becker, 1987; Byrnes & Ruby, 2007; Clark, 2012; Connolly et al., 2002; Fink, 201 O; Franklin & Glasscock, 1996; Offenburg, 2001; Schafer, 2010; Tucker & Andrada, 1997; Wihry et al., 1992) have demonstrated the presence of statistically significant relationships between grade span configuration and academic achievement. In these studies, students enrolled in K-8 school settings demonstrated a higher academic performance than students enrolled in traditional middle school settings (i.e., Grades 6-8). Very few research studies are available, however, in which the academic performance of middle level students enrolled in elementary schools (i.e., Grades P/K-8) have been compared to the academic performance of students enrolled in secondary settings (i.e., Grades 6/7-12). Hough (2005) coined the term "elemiddle" schools to describe the P/K-Grade 8 schools. Results from this empirical statewide study may provide useful information to educational leaders, school board members, and legislators as they set policies or make decisions regarding school grade span configuration

Lower academic achievement can lead to high dropout rates, especially for students in poverty. With respect to the topic of school size, whether large-size or small-size schools are better with respect to student achievement, is an ongoing argument. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the degree to which differences might be present in high school dropout rates as a function of high school size for students in poverty. Specifically, high school size and dropout rates were analyzed for two school years: 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. These school years were selected because they constituted the most recent data available for Texas high schools. Participants in this study were students who were determined to be economically disadvantaged and who are enrolled in traditional Grade 9 through Grade 12 Texas high schools. Findings suggest that students in poverty who were enrolled in smaller size high schools had statistically significantly higher dropout rates than their peers who were in poverty but were enrolled at high schools with higher levels of student enrollment. For both school years, regardless of the high school size classifications, high schools with smaller student enrollment had higher dropout rates. For students in poverty, in the state of Texas, smaller high schools were not conducive for preventing drop out.

In this investigation, we analyzed Hispanic student access and success in health-related degrees by examining enrollment and graduation rates over a period of 13 years. Archival data were obtained from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board consisting of the number of Hispanic students enrolled and number of degrees awarded in the health-related degrees at Texas health-related institutions for each year beginning with 2000 through 2012. Statistically significant increases were not present in the number or the percentages of Hispanic students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs or for the number or the percentages of undergraduate degrees awarded. The lack of statistically significant increases should serve as a call to examine the higher education system.

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Simple Summary: It is important to measure the liver size of a dog, especially when evaluating for liver disease. The common method of using radiographs can be unreliable because of the variability in the shape and size of dogs. CT hepatic volumetry can be more reliable, but to overcome the variability in dogs' body shapes and sizes, the determination of the best normalization factor is crucial. The purpose of this study was to determine the best normalization factor for the CT-derived liver volume in dogs without liver disease. By evaluating CT scans of 41 dogs without liver disease, it was found that the body weight of a dog was the best way to normalize its CT-derived liver volume. The study suggests a simple formula: Liver volume = 19 × BW + 100; this is used to estimate the liver volume in dogs. This could be particularly helpful to veterinarians and researchers when assessing liver disease or for other scientific purposes. Further studies with larger numbers of dogs are needed to confirm these initial findings and to refine this method of measurement. The assessment of liver size is usually performed using radiography in dogs. However, due to wide variations in patients' sizes and body conformations, accurate diagnosis of hepatomegaly or microhepatia is difficult. Computed tomographic (CT) volumetry can quantitatively and accurately measure liver volume. However, a reliable method for the standardization or normalization of volume in dogs without hepatic disease using CT has not yet been established. The purpose of this study was to assess seven different anatomic measures for normalizing liver volume in dogs and determine the tentative range of liver volume in dogs without hepatic disease. We retrospectively searched medical records from 1 January 2017 through to 1 June 2020 and included dogs with abdominal computed tomography without hepatic disease. The liver volume, lengths of four vertebrae (T11, T12, L2, L3), diameter of the abdominal aorta, body weight, and body condition scores (BCSs) of the dogs were recorded. Forty-one client-owned dogs without evidence of hepatic disease were included. The CT-derived liver volume was 813.8 ± 326.5 cm3 (mean ± SD). Body weight was determined to be the most reliable single-variable method for normalizing liver volume, with a raw CT-derived liver-volume-to-body-weight ratio of 22.1 cm3/kg (95% CI: 12.9–31.3 cm3/kg) and regression prediction model of volume = 19 × BWkg + 97. However, a better normalizing factor would likely be provided by the fat-free mass if it can be accurately measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]