Intermediate reading exercises for use with the Durrell Analysis of Reading Difficulty.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

“It Sounds Like a Drama:” Hearing Stories of Chronic Low Back Pain Through Poetic (Re)presentation

A poetic voice develops in different ways and from different sources. In this paper, a poetic voice is brought to the experiences of patients and family members as recounted in the first phase of a UK National Health Service funded Q-methodological study, the key outcomes of which are summarized. Their stories are presented as a single poetic performance text crafted from the analysis of combined transcripts of three focus group discussions. The performance bears witness to the sadness, frustration, and resolve of those living with chronic low back pain, and offers an additional hearing to that provided by the main study

Higher Education Exchange: 2008

This annual publication serves as a forum for new ideas and dialogue between scholars and the larger public. Essays explore ways that students, administrators, and faculty can initiate and sustain an ongoing conversation about the public life they share.The Higher Education Exchange is founded on a thought articulated by Thomas Jefferson in 1820: "I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."In the tradition of Jefferson, the Higher Education Exchange agrees that a central goal of higher education is to help make democracy possible by preparing citizens for public life. The Higher Education Exchange is part of a movement to strengthen higher education's democratic mission and foster a more democratic culture throughout American society.Working in this tradition, the Higher Education Exchange publishes interviews, case studies, analyses, news, and ideas about efforts within higher education to develop more democratic societies

Survey of CAMHS clinicians about their experience of remote consultation: brief report.

The Covid-19 crisis necessitated rapid adoption of remote consultations across National Health Service (NHS) child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). This study aimed to understand practitioners' experiences of rapid implementation of remote consultations across CAMHS in one NHS trust in the east of England. Data were collected through a brief questionnaire documenting clinicians' experiences following remote delivery of services. The questionnaire began before 'lockdown' and focused on assessment consultations (n = 102) as part of a planned move to virtual assessment. As the roll-out of remote consultations was extended at lockdown, we extended the questionnaire to include all remote clinical contacts (n = 202). Despite high levels of initial concern, clinicians' reports were positive overall; importantly, however, their experiences varied by team. When restrictions on face-to-face working are lifted, a blended approach of remote and face-to-face service delivery is recommended to optimise access and capacity while retaining effective and safe care.Non

Can Graduating Students Design Software Systems?

This paper examines software designs produced by students nearing completion of their Computer Science degrees. The results of this multi-national, multi-institutional experiment present some interesting implications for educators

Association of β-Amyloid Burden With Sleep Dysfunction and Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Individuals With Cognitive Disorders.

Importance: Evidence shows that sleep dysfunction and β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition work synergistically to impair brain function in individuals with normal cognition, increasing the risk of developing dementia later in life. However, whether Aβ continues to play an integral role in sleep dysfunction after the onset of cognitive decline in individuals with dementia is unclear. Objective: To determine whether Aβ deposition in the brain is associated with subjective measures of sleep quality and cognition in elderly individuals with cognitive disorders. Design, Setting, and Participants: A nested survey study was conducted at the Cognitive Disorders and Comprehensive Alzheimer Disease Center of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Participants included patients aged 65 years and older with cognitive disorders verified by neuropsychological testing. Eligible participants were identified from a referral center-based sample of patients who underwent fluorine 18-labeled florbetaben positron emission tomography imaging at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital as part of the multicenter Imaging Dementia-Evidence for Amyloid Scanning study. Data collection and analysis occurred between November 2018 and March 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Sleep quality was measured via responses to sleep questionnaires, Aβ deposition was measured via fluorine 18-labeled florbetaben positron emission tomography, and cognition was measured via Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) performance. Results: Of the 67 eligible participants, 52 (77.6%) gave informed consent to participate in the study. Of the 52 enrolled participants (mean [SD] age, 76.6 [7.4] years), 27 (51.9%) were women. Daytime sleepiness was associated with Aβ deposition in the brainstem (B = 0.0063; 95% CI, 0.001 to 0.012; P = .02), but not MMSE performance (B = -0.01; 95% CI, -0.39 to 0.37; P = .96). The number of nocturnal awakenings was associated with Aβ deposition in the precuneus (B = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.17; P \u3c .001) and poor MMSE performance (B = -2.13; 95% CI, -3.13 to -1.13; P \u3c .001). Mediation analysis demonstrated an indirect association between Aβ deposition and poor MMSE performance that relied on nocturnal awakenings as an intermediary (B = -3.99; 95% CI, -7.88 to -0.83; P = .01). Conclusions and Relevance: Nighttime sleep disruption may mediate the association between Aβ and cognitive impairment, suggesting that there is an underlying sleep-dependent mechanism that links Aβ burden in the brain to cognitive decline. Further elucidation of this mechanism may improve understanding of disease processes associated with Aβ accumulation

Speaking out about gender imbalance in invited speakers improves diversity.

Omissions of qualified women scientists from major meeting programs continue to occur despite a surge in articles indicating persistent gender-discriminatory practices in hiring and promotion, and calls for gender balance in conference organizing committees

Incidence of AD in African-Americans, Caribbean Hispanics, and Caucasians in Northern Manhattan

Objective: To compare the incidence rates for AD among elderly African-American, Caribbean Hispanic, and white individuals and to determine whether coincident cerebrovascular disease contributes to the inconsistency in reported differences among ethnic groups. Methods: This was a population-based, longitudinal study over a 7-year period in the Washington Heights and Inwood communities of New York City. Annual incidence rates for AD were calculated and compared by ethnic group, and cumulative incidence adjusted for differences in education, diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, and stroke was calculated. Results: The age-specific incidence rate for probable and possible AD was 1.3% (95% CI, 0.8 to 1.7) per person-year between the ages of 65 and 74 years, 4.0% (95% CI, 3.2 to 4.8) per person-year between ages 75 and 84 years, and 7.9% (95% CI, 5.5 to 10.5) per person-year for ages 85 and older. Compared to white individuals, the cumulative incidence of AD to age 90 years was increased twofold among African-American and Caribbean Hispanic individuals. Adjustment for differences in number of years of education, illiteracy, or a history of stroke, hypertension, heart disease, or diabetes did not change the disproportionate risks among the three ethnic groups. Conclusion: The incidence rate for AD was significantly higher among African-American and Caribbean Hispanic elderly individuals compared white individuals. The presence of clinically apparent cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease did not contribute to the increased risk of disease. Because the proportion of African-American and Caribbean Hispanic individuals reaching ages 65 and older in the United States is increasing more rapidly than the proportion of white individuals, it is imperative that this disparity in health among the elderly be understood