On Voice in Poetry: The Work of Animation by David Nowell Smith

A review of On Voice In Poetry: The Work of Animation, by David Nowell Smith

The Relation Between Working Memory and Reading Intervention Outcomes in Children with Developmental Dyslexia

This study explored three theoretical models for understanding working memory (WM) in struggling readers. Research has shown relations between working memory and reading, especially on foundational phonologically based tasks like non-word repetition, however there is limited research exploring the predicted relations between non-language based WM tasks and basic reading abilities. Here three models of WM are used to explore the optimal theoretical framework for understanding both foundational reading abilities and response to intervention among a group of elementary school diagnosed with developmental dyslexia (DD). The three models were driven by theories from: 1. Baddeley and Hitch model; 2. Engle et al., model; and 3. Brown and Hulme model. 108 children (mean age: 9.01) in grades 3-4 were assessed as meeting criteria for a reading disability and subsequently participated in a 70-hour intensive reading intervention. Children were administered nine working memory, intelligence, and language tasks prior to the intervention and then tested at four time points on four single word reading tasks at baseline, 23, 45 and 70 hours over the course of the intervention. Three theoretical models were fit to the resulting data using structural equation modeling. Model 1 (Baddeley and Hitch, 1974) revealed the best fit for the data (RMSEA = 0.04; Model Chi Squared = 43.65, p=.18 (df=33); CFI =0.96), with Language, Intelligence and Phonological Working Memory factors showing strong relations to initial reading scores, but no factor showed relations to single word reading intervention change scores. These results suggest that phonological WM, visuo-spatial WM, and central executive WM reflect separate but related constructs. These data also confirm the fundamental connection between single word reading and phonological working memory and supports previous data showing minimal support for cognitive assessment as a means of predicting outcomes on reading intervention

Medical student confidence to care for a dying patient and their family: a systematic review

Background: The General Medical Council expects medical graduates to care for dying patients with skill, clinical judgement and compassion. UK surveys continually demonstrate low confidence and increasing distress amongst junior doctors when providing care to the dying. Aim: This systematic review aims to determine what has been evidenced within worldwide literature regarding medical undergraduate confidence to care for dying patients. Design: A systematic electronic search was undertaken. Data extraction included measurements of baseline confidence, associated assessment tools, and details of applied educational interventions. Pre/post-intervention confidence comparisons were made. Factors influencing confidence levels were explored. The review was prospectively registered via PROSPERO (CRD42019119057). Data sources: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, ERIC, PsychINFO, British Education Index and Cochrane Review databases were accessed, with no restrictions on publication year. Eligible studies included the terms ‘medical student’, ‘confidence’, and ‘dying’, alongside appropriate MeSH headings. Study quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: Fifteen eligible studies were included, demonstrating a diversity of assessment tools. Student confidence was low in provision of symptom management, family support, and psycho-spiritual support to dying patients. Eight interventional studies demonstrated increased post-interventional confidence. Lack of undergraduate exposure to dying patients and lack of structure within undergraduate palliative care curricula were cited as factors responsible for low confidence. Conclusion: This review clarifies the objective documentation of medical undergraduate confidence to care for the dying. Identifying where teaching fails to prepare graduates for realities in clinical practice will help inform future undergraduate palliative care curriculum planning

Snapshots

A collection of photos of Cyclones having fun

Why Them: The Informal Caregiver\u27s Transition to a Cancer Diagnosis

Background: Hematologic malignancies (HM) are life-threatening cancers associated with high mortality, numerous symptoms, and lengthy hospitalizations. Informal caregivers (family or friend; IC) of adults with various diseases experience negative quality of life and poor psychological well-being. However, there is scant research exploring the IC experience. Objective: To learn how ICs adapt to patients’ diagnosis of HM and their caregiver role. Methods: The current study used a qualitative descriptive design to analyze the semi-structured interview responses from ICs (N=28) within six weeks of the patients’ HM diagnosis. A content analysis was conducted to generate common themes. Findings: Several themes emerged related to the IC’s psychological adjustment to their loved one’s illness (HM). Markers of positive adaptation included accepting help, preparedness for caregiver roles, and feelings of empowerment. Markers of poor adaptation included perceived powerlessness, rumination over discomforting thoughts, and struggle with illness transition. Reports of positivity and hope were accompanied by endorsements of easing stress about the patient’s survival and aiding the IC coping. Findings suggest that IC’s are uncomfortable with uncertainty for their future and the logistical challenges associated with the diagnosis. Implications: Results foster understanding of the psychological complexities of caregiver burden as ICs adapt to the diagnosis and their new supportive role as a caregiver for their loved one with HM. This highlights the need to assess and support ICs during this time. For example, palliative care principles can be leveraged to promote healthy acceptance of the diagnosis, preparation for caregiving, burden prevention, and targeted coping strategies.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1128/thumbnail.jp

HIV and tuberculosis co-infection in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Prevalence, risk factors and transmission

In high-income countries, HIV and tuberculosis are concentrated in hard-to-reach populations. The epidemiology of HIV and tuberculosis co-infection has not been recently described in the UK, and the role of HIV in tuberculosis transmission in low-burden settings is unclear. A systematic review of risk factors for latent tuberculosis infection and active tuberculosis disease was undertaken. The national surveillance datasets for HIV and tuberculosis were linked, and these datasets were used to investigate risk factors for developing tuberculosis for people living with HIV, and to describe trends in HIV co-infection among tuberculosis patients. Strain typing data on Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates from tuberculosis patients were used to examine the role of HIV in tuberculosis transmission. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 6.0% of people diagnosed with HIV between 2000 and 2014 had a tuberculosis diagnosis during this time period, and 5.4% of tuberculosis patients were co-infected with HIV. The number and proportion of tuberculosis patients co-infected with HIV declined from 2005 to 2014. The strongest risk factors for tuberculosis among people with HIV were black African ethnicity, birth in a country with high tuberculosis incidence, and HIV acquisition through injecting drug use. High CD4 count and initiating anti-retroviral therapy were both highly protective against tuberculosis. Among tuberculosis patients, drug misuse was the only social risk factor associated with HIV co-infection. Tuberculosis patients with HIV had fewer subsequent clustered cases than HIV-negative tuberculosis patients, and tuberculosis patients with HIV were more often the result of reactivation of latent tuberculosis than recent infection. Co-infection with tuberculosis and HIV has declined, but further reductions are necessary. Increasing screening for HIV and latent tuberculosis in high-risk populations such as people of black African ethnicity, people born in high-incidence countries, and people who inject drugs, could reduce tuberculosis in people living with HIV

James (Santa Fe) Galloway’s Alabado And The Musical Traditions Of The Penitentes

This dissertation explores the musical traditions of the Penitentes of New Mexico and how these traditions influenced James (Santa Fe) Galloway’s Alabado for soprano, alto flute, and piano. Due to geographical isolation and religious seclusion the music of the Penitential Brotherhood is not well known outside of these New Mexican communities. The focus of this study, as pertaining to the music of the Penitentes, is the alabado “Por el rastro de la cruz,” and the pito, a handmade wooden flute. Included in this paper are transcriptions of pito melodies performed by Vicente Padilla, Cleofes Vigil, Emilio Ortiz, and Reginald Fisher, which have been transcribed by John Donald Robb, William R. Fisher, Reginald Fisher, and Rebecca Weidman-Winter. Few resources are available on Galloway or Alabado, an unpublished work, yet the popularity of this piece is apparent from the regular performances at the National Flute Association Conventions and by flutists throughout the United States. This paper represents a significant contribution to the study of Alabado, the composer, and how this composition reflects the music, history, and people of New Mexico