Automatic spatial processing of threatening and positive information in participants with high and low levels of trait anxiety

The study sought to investigate potential differences in automatic spatial processing of threatening and positive information in anxious and non-anxious individuals. Participants evaluated threatening and positive words and pictures in a memory task in which the stimuli\u27s varying spatial position was incidental to the task. Participants demonstrated increased accuracy with threatening stimuli, and a decreased accuracy when the word location varied between initial presentation and test. The results did not provide evidence that threatening stimuli were associated with an increased degree of spatial processing, or that this relationship would be influenced by trait anxiety

Exploring the Effects of 1:1 Laptop Implementation on Quantifiable Student Outcomes in Junior High School Science Classes Between Demographic Subpopulations of Students

Digital technology is becoming increasingly affordable and schools are engaging in 1:1 implementations faster than research can support. Laptop implementations in a 1:1 ratio promise personalized instruction and more access to enriched curriculums and information. As schools transition, it is imperative they know and can predict what the impact on measures of student achievement will be. This is especially so for more “at‐risk” student populations. During the 2010‐2011 school year, a Utah junior high school implemented a 1:1 laptop program to investigate the demands of 1:1 implementation prior to other area schools making similar transitions. Exploratory research was conducted on science classes to investigate the initial reaction of different demographic groups to a 1:1 laptop implementation. Four measures of student outcomes were evaluated (academic credits gained, class grades, attendance, and incidents of discipline referral). After 5 months of 1:1 implementation in science, it was found that: Most demographic groups experienced little or no change in measured outcomes after the laptop was introduced 1:1. There were no demographic groups that performed significantly better with laptops than they did previously without them. Low‐income White students performed relatively worse on academic measures than did all other demographic groups after laptops were introduced. Low‐income ethnic minority students measured slight improvement on class grades after laptops were introduced, and this reaction appeared to be different from the lowincome White students. Students who participated in a laptop computer class that was in addition to their science class achieved slightly better grades in science than did students who only used the laptop in science. The introduction of laptops appeared to have little or no consistent influence on student attendance or discipline referral although teachers did state classroom management required adjustments after laptop introduction. Because of the different responses by the more “at‐risk” student populations to 1:1 implementation, it is important that additional research be conducted on the different reactions of demographic subpopulations in the 1:1 setting. This exploratory study helped provide a referential foundation and questions from which additional research and more effective laptop implementations can begin

Identification and cost of adverse events in metastatic breast cancer in taxane and capecitabine based regimens.

PurposeWe sought to compare the economic impact of treatment-related adverse events (AEs) in patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) using taxane- or capecitabine-based treatment regimens as either first- or second-line (FL or SL) therapy in the US.MethodsWe used healthcare claims data from the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan® Commercial Databases to conduct a retrospective cohort study comparing the economic impact of AEs amongst taxane- and capecitabine-treated mBC patients in the US. We selected women diagnosed with mBC between 2008-2010 who received a taxane or capecitabine as first- or second-line (FL or SL) chemotherapy. Costs related to hospitalization, outpatient services, emergency department visits, chemotherapy and other medications were tabulated and combined to determine total healthcare costs. The incremental monthly costs associated with the presence of AEs compared to no AEs were estimated using generalized linear models, controlling for age and Charlson Comorbidity Index.ResultsWe identified 15,443 mBC patients meeting inclusion criteria. Adjusted total monthly costs were significantly higher in those who experienced AEs than in those without AEs in both lines of treatment (FL incremental cost: taxanes $1,142, capecitabine$1,817; SL incremental cost: taxanes $1,448, capecitabine$4,437). Total costs increased with the number of AEs and were primarily driven by increased hospitalization amongst those with AEs.ConclusionsAdverse events in taxane- or capecitabine-treated mBC patients are associated with significant increases in costs. Selecting treatment options associated with fewer AEs may reduce costs and improve outcomes in these patients

Multicenter Evaluation of the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory Panel for the Detection of Viruses and Bacteria in Nasopharyngeal Swab Specimens

The QIAstat-Dx Respiratory Panel (QIAstat-Dx RP) is a multiplex in vitro diagnostic test for the qualitative detection of 20 pathogens directly from nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) specimens. The assay is performed using a simple sample-to-answer platform with results available in approximately 69 min. The pathogens identified are adenovirus, coronavirus 229E, coronavirus HKU1, coronavirus NL63, coronavirus OC43, human metapneumovirus A and B, influenza A, influenza A H1, influenza A H3, influenza A H1N1/2009, influenza B, parainfluenza virus 1, parainfluenza virus 2, parainfluenza virus 3, parainfluenza virus 4, rhinovirus/enterovirus, respiratory syncytial virus A and B, Bordetella pertussis, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This multicenter evaluation provides data obtained from 1,994 prospectively collected and 310 retrospectively collected (archived) NPS specimens with performance compared to that of the BioFire FilmArray Respiratory Panel, version 1.7. The overall percent agreement between QIAstat-Dx RP and the comparator testing was 99.5%. In the prospective cohort, the QIAstat-Dx RP demonstrated a positive percent agreement of 94.0% or greater for the detection of all but four analytes: coronaviruses 229E, NL63, and OC43 and rhinovirus/enterovirus. The test also demonstrated a negative percent agreement of ≥97.9% for all analytes. The QIAstat-Dx RP is a robust and accurate assay for rapid, comprehensive testing for respiratory pathogens