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Introduction: Emergency clinical research has played an important role in improving outcomes for acutely ill patients. This is due in part to regulatory measures that allow Exception From Informed Consent (EFIC) trials. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires sponsor-investigators to engage in community consultation and public disclosure activities prior to initiating an Exception From Informed Consent trial. Various approaches to community consultation and public disclosure have been described and adapted to local contexts and Institutional Review Board (IRB) interpretations. The COVID-19 pandemic has precluded the ability to engage local communities through direct, in-person public venues, requiring research teams to find alternative ways to inform communities about emergency research. Methods: The PreVent and PreVent 2 studies were two Exception From Informed Consent trials of emergency endotracheal intubation, conducted in one geographic location for the PreVent Study and in two geographic locations for the PreVent 2 Study. During the period of the two studies, there was a substantial shift in the methodological approach spanning across the periods before and after the pandemic from telephone, to in-person, to virtual settings. Results: During the 10 years of implementation of Exception From Informed Consent activities for the two PreVent trials, there was overall favorable public support for the concept of Exception From Informed Consent trials and for the importance of emergency clinical research. Community concerns were few and also did not differ much by method of contact. Attendance was higher with the implementation of virtual technology to reach members of the community, and overall feedback was more positive compared with telephone contacts or in-person events. However, the proportion of survey responses received after completion of the remote, live event was substantially lower, with a greater proportion of respondents having higher education levels. This suggests less active engagement after completion of the synchronous activity and potentially higher selection bias among respondents. Importantly, we found that engagement with local community leaders was a key component to develop appropriate plans to connect with the public. Conclusion: The PreVent experience illustrated operational advantages and disadvantages to community consultation conducted primarily by telephone, in-person events, or online activities. Approaches to enhance community acceptance included partnering with community leaders to optimize the communication strategies and trust building with the involvement of Institutional Review Board representatives during community meetings. Researchers might need to pivot from in-person planning to virtual techniques while maintaining the ability to engage with the public with two-way communication approaches. Due to less active engagement, and potential for selection bias in the responders, further research is needed to address the costs and benefits of virtual community consultation and public disclosure activities compared to in-person events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Hearing loss is identified as one of the largest modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia. Studies evaluating this relationship have yielded mixed results. METHODS: We investigated the longitudinal relationship between self‐reported hearing loss and cognitive/functional performance in 695 cognitively normal (CN) and 941 participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) enrolled in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. RESULTS: Within CN participants with hearing loss, there was a significantly greater rate of cognitive decline per modified preclinical Alzheimer's cognitive composite. Within both CN and MCI participants with hearing loss, there was a significantly greater rate of functional decline per the functional activities questionnaire (FAQ). In CN and MCI participants, hearing loss did not significantly contribute to the risk of progression to a more impaired diagnosis. DISCUSSION: These results confirm previous studies demonstrating a significant longitudinal association between self‐reported hearing loss and cognition/function but do not demonstrate an increased risk of conversion to a more impaired diagnosis. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: NCT00106899 (ADNI: Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, clinicaltrials.gov), NCT01078636 (ADNI‐GO: Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Grand Opportunity, clinicaltrials.gov), NCT01231971 (ADNI2: Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 2, clinicaltrials.gov), NCT02854033 (ADNI3: Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 3, clinicaltrials.gov). Highlights: Hearing loss is a potential modifiable risk factor for dementia.We assessed the effect of self‐reported hearing loss on cognition and function in the ADNI cohort.Hearing loss contributes to significantly faster cognitive and functional decline.Hearing loss was not associated with conversion to a more impaired diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the Big Five personality traits as predictors of mortality risk, and smoking as a mediator of that association. Replication was built into the fabric of our design: we used a Coordinated Analysis with 15 international datasets, representing 44,094 participants. We found that high neuroticism and low conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness were consistent predictors of mortality across studies. Smoking had a small mediating effect for neuroticism. Country and baseline age explained variation in effects: studies with older baseline age showed a pattern of protective effects (HR

This study used a multiple probe across participants design to examine the effects of a model drawing strategy (MDS) intervention package on fraction comparing and ordering word problem-solving performance of three Grade 4 students. MDS is a form of cognitive strategy instruction for teaching word problem solving that includes explicit instruction in drawing bar diagrams to represent problem components. Results suggest the intervention package was effective for improving the fraction word problem solving of students with learning disabilities and that effects were maintained 2 and 4 weeks after intervention. Implications of these findings and indications for future research are discussed.

This article quantitatively summarizes experimental and quasi-experimental studies on teaching students with mathematics difficulties (MD) published between 2000 and 2014, research that was available following earlier syntheses. It reports the analysis of effect sizes of 25 intervention studies on participant characteristics, intervention parameters, domains of mathematics interventions, and instructional approaches and components. Results indicate that several participant characteristics (e.g., grade level and level of mathematics difficulties) and intervention parameters (e.g., methodological soundness, intervention agent, and grouping) mediated the treatment effects. In addition, different types of instructional approaches and several instructional components contributed to the improvements in mathematics performance in students with MD.

Introduction: For 30 years synapse loss has been referred to as the major pathological correlate of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, this statement is based on remarkably few patients studied by autopsy or biopsy. With the recent advent of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, we have begun to evaluate the consequences of synaptic alterations in vivo. Methods: We examined the relationship between synaptic density measured by [11C]UCB‐J PET and neuropsychological test performance in 45 participants with early AD. Results: Global synaptic density showed a significant positive association with global cognition and performance on five individual cognitive domains in participants with early AD. Synaptic density was a stronger predictor of cognitive performance than gray matter volume. Conclusion: These results confirm neuropathologic studies demonstrating a significant association between synaptic density and cognitive performance, and suggest that this correlation extends to the early stages of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores temporality at the village of Jecosh (Ancash, Peru) using a place and social memory framework. Through excavations and materials analysis of domestic and mortuary contexts, we consider the memory work involved in making and re-making place at Jecosh over the longue durée. Initial site settlement coincided with the rise of Huarás villages in the 4th century b.c.; continued site occupation in the Recuay era expanded upon Huarás practices and included the remodeling of residences and new funerary rituals. People abandoned Jecosh around a.d. 1100, but later groups constructed mortuary monuments on the site's western edge during the 14th century a.d. Eventual resettlement of Jecosh in the 15th century a.d. during Inka times included the adoption of old buildings and practices alongside site expansion. We argue that long-term site occupation does not necessarily indicate stasis; throughout regional transformations, people at Jecosh adapted memory work practices to claim and create place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship in the arts and in education has emphasized the importance of introducing young people to artistic expression as a means of developing a sense of personal and collective agency. Such expression can be particularly important when working with disadvantaged and marginalized populations. In this paper, we describe the PhotoCLUB project which we are conducting in various low-income settings in New York City. This project was designed as a youth empowerment program with the following aims in mind: (1) to provide a means of engagement and creative expression for children and youth; and (2) to encourage children and youth to collectively explore their educational and life goals by using digital photography to capture images of their "ideal possible selves." Our model is grounded in a theoretical framework that uses the notion of the digital representation of self through a shared, collaborative process. In our analysis, we discuss the specific application of this framework in the context of empowerment-based learning. We also discuss the value and the advantages of using digital photography in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses several studies that implemented different schedules for remedial reading classes in the U.S. It focuses on three studies conducted with the Reading Achievement Multi-Component Program (RAMP-UP) and offers a comparison of how scheduling affects the reading results of middle school students with reading difficulties (RD). Meanwhile, it reflects on the factors that school administrators should consider when choosing a class schedule for students with RD.

Orthopaedic researchers need new strategies for engaging underrepresented minority (URM) students. Our field has demonstrated noticeable gaps in racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, which inhibit our ability to innovate and combat the severe socioeconomic burden of musculoskeletal disorders. Towards this goal, we designed, implemented, and evaluated Learning on a Limb (LoaL), an orthopaedic research outreach module to teach URM high school students about orthopaedic research. During the 4‐h module, students completed hands‐on activities to learn how biomechanical testing, microcomputed tomography, cell culture, and histology are used in orthopaedic research. Over 3 years, we recruited 32 high school students from the Greater Philadelphia Area to participate in LoaL. Most participants identified as racial/ethnic or gender minorities in orthopaedic research. Using pre/post‐tests, we found that students experienced significant learning gains of 51 percentage points from completing LoaL. In addition to teaching students about orthopaedic research, post‐survey data demonstrated that participating in LoaL strongly influenced students' interest in orthopaedic research and scientific confidence. Several students acted on this interest by completing summer research experiences in the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. LoaL instructors also benefited by having the opportunity to “pay it forward” to the next generation of students and build community within their department. Empowering institutions to host modules like LoaL would synergistically inspire URM high school students and strengthen community within orthopaedic departments to ultimately enhance orthopaedic research innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural variation in clock parameters is necessary for the circadian clock to contribute to organismal fitness over a broad geographic range. Considerable variation is evident in the period, phase, and amplitude of 150 Arabidopsis accessions, and the period length is correlated with the day length at the latitude of origin, implying the adaptive significance of correctly regulated circadian timing. Quantitative trait loci analysis of recombinant inbred lines indicates that multiple loci interact to determine period, phase, and amplitude. The loss-of-function analysis of each member of the ARABIDOPSIS PSEUDORESPONSE REGULATOR family suggests that they are candidates for clock quantitative trait loci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report presents the story of Mr. S, a professional orchestral musician with declining musical sight-reading ability, followed by progressive visuospatial and language deficits. Our novel musical assessment battery revealed deficits in music-reading (musical alexia) and music-writing (musical agraphia), with spared auditory perception and expression. Taken with neuropsychological testing, clinical history, and imaging, we conclude that his symptoms evolved from musical alexia to a multidomain, neurodegenerative process centered in the dominant inferior parietal lobe and temporoparietal junction. We suspect a primary TDP-opathy with comorbid preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Mr. S's case highlights musical symptoms as meaningful, early indicators of neurodegeneration.

Introduction: Hearing loss is identified as one of the largest modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia. Studies evaluating this relationship have yielded mixed results., Methods: We investigated the longitudinal relationship between self-reported hearing loss and cognitive/functional performance in 695 cognitively normal (CN) and 941 participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) enrolled in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative., Results: Within CN participants with hearing loss, there was a significantly greater rate of cognitive decline per modified preclinical Alzheimer's cognitive composite. Within both CN and MCI participants with hearing loss, there was a significantly greater rate of functional decline per the functional activities questionnaire (FAQ). In CN and MCI participants, hearing loss did not significantly contribute to the risk of progression to a more impaired diagnosis., Discussion: These results confirm previous studies demonstrating a significant longitudinal association between self-reported hearing loss and cognition/function but do not demonstrate an increased risk of conversion to a more impaired diagnosis., Clinical Trial Registration Information: NCT00106899 (ADNI: Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, clinicaltrials.gov), NCT01078636 (ADNI-GO: Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Grand Opportunity, clinicaltrials.gov), NCT01231971 (ADNI2: Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 2, clinicaltrials.gov), NCT02854033 (ADNI3: Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 3, clinicaltrials.gov)., Highlights: Hearing loss is a potential modifiable risk factor for dementia. We assessed the effect of self-reported hearing loss on cognition and function in the ADNI cohort. Hearing loss contributes to significantly faster cognitive and functional decline. Hearing loss was not associated with conversion to a more impaired diagnosis., (© 2024 The Author(s). Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)

Orthopaedic researchers need new strategies for engaging diverse students. Our field has demonstrated noticeable gaps in racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, which inhibit our ability to innovate and combat the severe socioeconomic burden of musculoskeletal disorders. Towards this goal, we designed, implemented, and evaluated Learning on a Limb, an orthopaedic research outreach module to teach diverse high school students about orthopaedic research. During the 4-hr module, students completed hands-on activities to learn how biomechanical testing, microcomputed tomography, cell culture, and histology are used in orthopaedic research. Over three years, we recruited 32 high school students from the Greater Philadelphia Area to participate in Learning on a Limb. Most participants identified as racial/ethnic or gender minorities in orthopaedic research. Using pre/post-tests, we found that students experienced significant learning gains of 51 percentage points from completing Learning on a Limb. In addition to teaching students about orthopaedic research, post-survey data demonstrated that participating in Learning on a Limb strongly influenced students' interest in orthopaedic research. Several students acted on this interest by completing summer research experiences in the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. Learning on a Limb instructors also benefited by having the opportunity to "pay it forward" to the next generation of students and build community within their department. Empowering institutions to host modules like Learning on a Limb would synergistically inspire diverse high school students and strengthen community within orthopaedic departments to ultimately enhance orthopaedic research innovations.

Introduction: For 30 years synapse loss has been referred to as the major pathological correlate of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, this statement is based on remarkably few patients studied by autopsy or biopsy. With the recent advent of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, we have begun to evaluate the consequences of synaptic alterations in vivo., Methods: We examined the relationship between synaptic density measured by [ 11 C]UCB-J PET and neuropsychological test performance in 45 participants with early AD., Results: Global synaptic density showed a significant positive association with global cognition and performance on five individual cognitive domains in participants with early AD. Synaptic density was a stronger predictor of cognitive performance than gray matter volume., Conclusion: These results confirm neuropathologic studies demonstrating a significant association between synaptic density and cognitive performance, and suggest that this correlation extends to the early stages of AD., (© 2022 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)