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Background: Classifying uterine fibroid using the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification system assists treatment decision-making and planning. This study aimed to study whether different fibroid locations influence clinical outcomes following uterine artery embolization (UAE). Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent UAE for symptomatic uterine fibroid between December 2016 and January 2023 at our hospital. Changes in mean fibroid volume were compared based on MR images. Menstrual pain, excessive flow symptoms, and treatment satisfaction before UAE and 6 months after UAE were compared. Results: A total of 149 premenopausal patients (mean age 45.7 ± 2.7 years) were included for analysis (FIGO 2/3, n = 57; FIGO 4–7, n = 92). Baseline menstrual pain, fibroid, and uterine volume before UAE were comparable between the two FIGO groups (p > 0.05). The menstrual flow index was higher for the FIGO 2/3 group (mean ± SD [min–max]: 9.4 ± 1.4 [4–10] vs 8.0 ± 2.3 [0–10], p < 0.001). Six months after UAE, the improvements in menstrual flow index (mean ± SD]: -3.7 ± 2.6 vs -2.6 ± 2.2, p = 0.035), fibroid volume (mean ± SD: -54.7 ± 21.7% vs -39.8 ± 16.2%, p < 0.001), and uterine volume (mean ± SD: -38.2 ± 16.3% vs -31.1 ± 11.6%, p = 0.008) in the FIGO 2/3 group were significantly higher than the FIGO 4–7 group. Both groups had comparable improvements in menstrual pain index (-2.1 ± 2.6 vs -1.8 ± 2.5, p = 0.008) and 88% of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied overall. Conclusion: UAE treatment satisfaction was high for patients with fibroids at different FIGO stages. UAE treatment outcomes were better for patients with fibroids affecting the endometrium (FIGO 2/3). Level of evidence: 3B, Retrospective observational study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with severe multiple disabilities face numerous possibilities for enjoying music and participating in performance activities; however, the research practice for realizing these possibilities involves various difficulties. To understand the disabilities of children and their engagement with music, awareness of one's perception of disability is necessary for each practitioner–researcher. The researchers of the current study reflected on their personal views about disability and life histories and described and analyzed them through collaborative autoethnography (CAE). The study was conducted through the practice of combining electronic music equipment and traditional instruments as a music education project for children with severe multiple disabilities. The results demonstrated that the perceptions of the researchers about disability and their life histories interacted with and transformed their research practice. Additionally, the study highlighted how endeavors in CAE encouraged dialogue among researchers and deepened mutual understanding. The suggestions for researchers of music education practice with children with disabilities include analysis of disability from the first-person perspective and sharing of views among co-researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pilot study investigated the impact of manipulating the value of perspective sentences on improving the manners of a student with autism spectrum disorders. Three types of perspective sentences (sentences held by unknown persons, those held by familiar persons, and those held by the most preferred person) were alternately added to a Social Story[TM] to determine which perspective sentences were the most effective in improving the student's head and elbow positions during sitting at morning circle and lunch. Results indicated that the effectiveness of a Social Story[TM] did not seem to depend on whose perspectives the story used. Findings suggest that depicting only the perspectives of the most preferred person in the story may not be sufficiently powerful to change behaviours. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

This study examined the effects of adding perspective sentences to Social Stories[TM] on improving the adaptive behaviors of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and related disabilities. In Study 1, two students with ASD read two different types of Social Stories: Social Story without perspective sentences (SS without PS) and Social Story with perspective sentences (SS with PS). ABC or ABCA designs were used, with an SS without PS presented in the B phase and an SS with PS presented in the C phase. A visual inspection revealed that Social Stories were likely to be effective in reducing inappropriate behaviors even without perspective sentences. In addition, adding perspective sentences appeared to have no impact on further improving the target behaviors. In Study 2, a perspective sentence was added, characterized as specific, valuable, and contingent to a Social Story in the SS with PS condition. An AA'BA'CA' design was utilized, with a permanent visual step poster in the A' phase, an SS without PS in the B phase, and an SS with PS in the C phase for a student diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A visual inspection revealed that adding a perspective sentence to a Social Story contributed to further improvement of the target behavior. Based on these findings component and parametric analyses on Social Stories are recommended in future research. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

Aim: Nurses have difficulty assessing the type of constipation by ordinal assessment methods and may therefore struggle to select an appropriate defecation care. Although previous studies described the safety and effectiveness of defecation care based on ultrasonographic observations in the colorectum, no standardized educational program has been established. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of the constipation point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) educational program regarding the use of ultrasonography as an assessment tool to determine different types of constipation. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted for visiting nurses working in Japan. The constipation POCUS educational program that nurses can learn in as short as 7 days comprised four elements: E‐learning, a hands‐on seminar, self‐learning, and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). The nurses were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the education materials. OSCEs were used to assess the participants' skills in assessing patients based on the use of ultrasound observation in the colorectum. Results: Of the 44 participants who enrolled, 40 were able to complete the program. All the 40 participants (100.0%) who took the OSCEs were able to pass at the first attempt. Moreover, 94.9% of the trainees indicated that this program was able to cover the content necessary to use ultrasonography in home care settings. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the 7‐day constipation POCUS educational program provided trainees with a foundational knowledge and skills to observe fecal retention in the colorectum. Thus, further educational program enhancements and clinical skill evaluations are needed to maximize the program's effectiveness in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]