Five Key Ideas to Teach Fractions and Decimals with Understanding

The teaching of fractions and decimals is a significant challenge for many teachers due to the inherent difficulty of the topic for students as well as the lack of high-quality, modernized curricular materials. This article examines the key ideas of teaching fractions and decimals for understanding that are evident in the current research literature and the curricular materials and teaching strategies from high-achieving nations

Oral complementary medicine and alternative practitioner use varies across chronic conditions and attitudes to risk

Objectives: To determine whether chronic conditions and patient factors, such as risk perception and decision-making preferences, are associated with complementary medicine and alternative practitioner use in a representative longitudinal population cohort. Participants and setting: Analysis of data from Stage 2 of the North West Adelaide Health Study of 3161 adults who attended a study clinic visit in 2004–2006. The main outcome measures were the medications brought by participants to the study clinic visit, chronic health conditions, attitudes to risk, levels of satisfaction with conventional medicine, and preferred decision-making style. Results: At least one oral complementary medicine was used by 27.9% of participants, and 7.3% were visiting alternative practitioners (naturopath, osteopath). Oral complementary medicine use was significantly associated with arthritis, osteoporosis, and mental health conditions, but not with other chronic conditions. Any pattern of complementary medicine use was generally significantly associated with female gender, age at least 45 years, patient-driven decision-making preferences(odds ratio [OR] 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08–1.77), and frequent general practitioner visits (.five per year; OR 3.62, 95% CI: 2.13–6.17). Alternative practitioner visitors were younger, with higher levels of education (diploma/trade [OR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.28–2.76], bachelor’s degree [OR 1.77, 95% CI: 1.11–2.82], income . $80,000 (OR 2.28, 95% CI: 1.26–4.11), female gender (OR 3.15, 95% CI: 2.19–4.52), joint pain not diagnosed as arthritis (OR 1.68, 95% CI: 1.17–2.41), moderate to severe depressive symptoms (OR 2.15, 95% CI: 1.04–4.46), and risk-taking behaviour (3.26, 1.80–5.92), or low-to-moderate risk aversion (OR 2.08, 95% CI: 1.26–4.11). Conclusion: Although there is widespread use of complementary medicines in the Australian community, there are differing patterns of use between those using oral complementary medicines and those using alternative practitioners.Robert J Adams, Sarah L Appleton, Antonia Cole, Tiffany K Gill, Anne W Taylor and Catherine L Hil

La asociación positiva entre ácido úrico sérico, glucosa alterada en ayunas, tolerancia a la glucosa alterada y diabetes mellitus en el estudio ELSA-Brasil

There is a conflict in the literature regarding the association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and glycemic status. Therefore, we evaluated the association between SUA level and glycemic status – impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and diabetes mellitus – and insulin resistance, in a large Brazilian study. This is a cross-sectional, observational study with 13,207 participants aged 35-74 years, at baseline (2008-2010) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). A multinomial regression analysis was performed to test the association between SUA and glycemic status (IFG, IGT, and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes at the cohort baseline) after adjustments by age, sex, skin color, body mass index, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, comorbidities, and medicines use. Logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between SUA and insulin resistance by HOMA-IR. Stratified analyses by sex were performed. The mean age (standard deviation) was 51.4 (8.9) years, 55.2% of participants were women. There were 1,439 newly diagnosed diabetes. After all adjustments, higher SUA was associated with IFG, IGT, and diabetes, with odds ratio (OR) = 1.15 (95%CI: 1.06; 1.25), 1.23 (95%CI: 1.14; 1.33), and 1.37 (95%CI: 1.24; 1.51), respectively. There was association between SUA levels and insulin resistance with OR = 1.24 (95%CI: 1.13; 1.36). In analysis stratified by sex, higher SUA persisted independently associated with impaired glycemic status. Our results suggest that a higher SUA levels were significantly associated with glycemic status in a large Latin American population, mainly among women.Há uma controvérsia na literatura a respeito da associação entre níveis de ácido úrico sérico (AUS) e glicemia. Portanto, avaliamos a associação entre AUS e glicemia (glicemia em jejum alterada, intolerância glicêmica e diabetes mellitus), além da resistência insulínica, em uma amostra grande no Brasil. O estudo transversal observacional incluiu 13.207 participantes com idade entre 35 e 74 anos na linha de base (2008-2010) do Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil). Foi realizada análise de regressão multivariada para testar a associação entre AUS e glicemia (glicemia em jejum alterada, intolerância glicêmica e diagnóstico novo de diabetes tipo 2 na linha de base da coorte) depois de ajustar para idade, sexo, cor, índice de massa corporal, atividade física, tabagismo, consumo de álcool, comorbidades e uso de medicação. O modelo de regressão logística foi usado para avaliar a associação entre AUS e resistência insulínica por HOMA-IR. Foram realizadas análises estratificadas por sexo. A média de idade (DP) foi 51,4 (8,9) anos, e 55,2% dos participantes eram mulheres. Houve 1.439 novos diagnósticos de diabetes. Depois de todos os ajustes, o AUS esteve associado à glicemia em jejum alterada, intolerância glicêmica e diabetes, com odds ratio (OR) = 1,15 (IC95%: 1,06; 1,25), 1,23 (IC95%: 1,14; 1,33) e 1,37 (IC95%: 1,24; 1,51), respectivamente. Houve uma associação entre níveis de AUS e resistência insulínica, com OR = 1,24 (IC95%: 1,13; 1,36). Na análise estratificada por sexo, persistiu a associação independente entre AUS elevado e glicemia. Os resultados sugerem que níveis elevados de AUS estão associados de maneira significativa com a glicemia em uma população latino-americana grande, sobretudo entre mulheres.Hay un conflicto en la literatura respecto a la asociación entre los niveles de ácido úrico sérico (AUS) y el estado glucémico. Por eso, evaluamos la asociación entre el nivel AUS y el estatus glucémico: glucosa alterada en ayunas (GAA), tolerancia a la glucosa alterada (TGA) y diabetes mellitus (diabetes), comparados con la resistencia a la insulina en un amplio estudio en Brasil. Se realizó un estudio transversal, observacional con 13.207 participantes, con edades comprendidas entre los 35-74 años, en la base de referencia del Estudio Longitudinal de Salud entre Adultos brasileños (2008-2010) (ELSA-Brasil). Se realizó un análisis de regresión multinomial para probar la asociación entre AUS y el estado glucémico (GAA, TGA y de nuevo la diabetes tipo 2, diagnosticada en la cohorte como base de referencia) tras los ajustes por edad, sexo, color de piel, índice de masa corporal, actividad física, fumar, consumo de alcohol, comorbilidades, uso de medicinas. Se usó el modelo de regresión logística para evaluar la asociación entre AUS y la resistencia a la insulina por el HOMA-IR. Se realizó también un análisis estratificado por sexo. La media de edad (desviación estándar) fue 51,4 (8,9) años, un 55,2% de los participantes eran mujeres. Hubo 1.439 nuevos casos de diabetes diagnosticados. Tras todos los ajustes, una AUS más alta estuvo asociada con GAA, TGA y diabetes, con odds ratio (OR) = 1,15 (IC95%: 1,06; 1,25), 1,23 (IC95%: 1,14; 1,33), y 1,37 (IC95%: 1,24; 1,51), respectivamente. Hubo asociación entre los niveles AUS y la resistencia a la insulina con OR = 1,24 (IC95%: 1,13; 1,36). En el análisis estratificado por sexo, una AUS más alta persistía independientemente asociada con un estado glucémico alterado. Nuestros resultados sugieren que unos niveles más altos de AUS estuvieron significativamente asociados con el estado glucémico en una amplia población latinoamericana, principalmente entre mujeres

Mutations in Known Monogenic High Bone Mass Loci Only Explain a Small Proportion of High Bone Mass Cases.

High bone mass (HBM) can be an incidental clinical finding; however, monogenic HBM disorders (eg, LRP5 or SOST mutations) are rare. We aimed to determine to what extent HBM is explained by mutations in known HBM genes. A total of 258 unrelated HBM cases were identified from a review of 335,115 DXA scans from 13 UK centers. Cases were assessed clinically and underwent sequencing of known anabolic HBM loci: LRP5 (exons 2, 3, 4), LRP4 (exons 25, 26), SOST (exons 1, 2, and the van Buchem's disease [VBD] 52-kb intronic deletion 3'). Family members were assessed for HBM segregation with identified variants. Three-dimensional protein models were constructed for identified variants. Two novel missense LRP5 HBM mutations ([c.518C>T; p.Thr173Met], [c.796C>T; p.Arg266Cys]) were identified, plus three previously reported missense LRP5 mutations ([c.593A>G; p.Asn198Ser], [c.724G>A; p.Ala242Thr], [c.266A>G; p.Gln89Arg]), associated with HBM in 11 adults from seven families. Individuals with LRP5 HBM (∼prevalence 5/100,000) displayed a variable phenotype of skeletal dysplasia with increased trabecular BMD and cortical thickness on HRpQCT, and gynoid fat mass accumulation on DXA, compared with both non-LRP5 HBM and controls. One mostly asymptomatic woman carried a novel heterozygous nonsense SOST mutation (c.530C>A; p.Ser177X) predicted to prematurely truncate sclerostin. Protein modeling suggests the severity of the LRP5-HBM phenotype corresponds to the degree of protein disruption and the consequent effect on SOST-LRP5 binding. We predict p.Asn198Ser and p.Ala242Thr directly disrupt SOST binding; both correspond to severe HBM phenotypes (BMD Z-scores +3.1 to +12.2, inability to float). Less disruptive structural alterations predicted from p.Arg266Cys, p.Thr173Met, and p.Gln89Arg were associated with less severe phenotypes (Z-scores +2.4 to +6.2, ability to float). In conclusion, although mutations in known HBM loci may be asymptomatic, they only account for a very small proportion (∼3%) of HBM individuals, suggesting the great majority are explained by either unknown monogenic causes or polygenic inheritance.This study was supported by The Wellcome Trust and NIHR CRN (portfolio number 5163). CLG was funded by a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Training Fellowship (080280/Z/06/Z), the EU 7th Framework Programme under grant agreement number 247642 (GEoCoDE), a British Geriatric Society travel grant, and is now funded by Arthritis Research UK (grant ref 20000). SH acknowledges Arthritis Research UK support (grant ref 19580). KESP acknowledges the support of Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. KAW is supported by the core programme of the MRC Nutrition and Bone Health group at MRC Human Nutrition Research, funded by the UK Medical Research Council (Grant code U10590371). EM acknowledges support of the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust Clinical Research Facility. The SGC is a registered charity (no. 1097737) that receives funds from AbbVie, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genome Canada (Ontario Genomics Institute OGI- 055), GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Lilly Canada, Novartis Research Foundation, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Innovation, Pfizer, Takeda, and Wellcome Trust (092809/Z/10/Z).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbmr.270

A Mobile Phone App for the Provision of Personalized Food-Based Information in an Eating-Out Situation: Development and Initial Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Increasing pressure from governments, public health bodies, and consumers is driving a need for increased food-based information provision in eating-out situations. Meals eaten outside the home are known to be less healthy than meals eaten at home, and consumers can complain of poor information on the health impact and allergen content of meals eaten out. OBJECTIVE: This paper aimed to describe the development and early assessment of a mobile phone app that allows the provision of accurate personalized food-based information while considering individual characteristics (allergies, diet type, and preferences) to enable informed consumer choice when eating out. METHODS: An app was designed and developed to address these requirements using an agile approach. The developed app was then evaluated at 8 public engagement events using the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire and qualitative feedback. RESULTS: Consideration of the literature and consultation with consumers revealed a need for information provision for consumers in the eating-out situation, including the ability to limit the information provided to that which was personally relevant or interesting. The app was designed to provide information to consumers on the dishes available in a workplace canteen and to allow consumers the freedom to personalize the app and choose the information that they received. Evaluation using the SUS questionnaire revealed positive responses to the app from a range of potential users, and qualitative comments demonstrated broad interest in its use. CONCLUSIONS: This paper details the successful development and early assessment of a novel mobile phone app designed to provide food-based information in an eating-out situation in a personalized manner

Cause for concern in the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications in the community -a population-based study

Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications are a common cause of reported adverse drug side-effects. This study describes the prevalence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) use (other than low-dose aspirin) and the presence of co-existing relative contraindications to NSAID use and chronic conditions in a representative population sample. Methods: Data were analysed from 3,206 adults attending first follow-up of the North West Adelaide Health Study (NWAHS) in 2004 - 2006, a longitudinal representative population study. Medications were brought into study clinic visits by participants. Clinical assessment included measured blood pressure, kidney function, serum cholesterol, blood glucose. Questionnaires assessed demographics, lifestyle risk factors, physician-diagnosed chronic conditions. Data were weighted to census measures by region, age group, gender, and probability of selection in the household, to provide population representative estimates. Pearson's Chi-square tests determined significant differences in proportions. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine associations of socio-demographic characteristics with use of NSAIDs. Results: Of 3,175 participants, 357 (11.2%), and 16% of those aged > 55 years, reported using either non-specific NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors, other than low-dose aspirin. Among people using NSAIDs, 60.8% had hypertension, 30.8% had Stage 3 or higher chronic kidney disease, 17.2% had a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 20.7% had a > 15% 10-year CVD risk. The prevalence of NSAID use among people with hypertension was 16%, with kidney disease 15.9%, and a history of CVD 20.0%. Among people taking diuretics, 24.1% were also taking NSAIDs, and of those taking medications for gastro-esophageal reflux, 24.7% were on NSAIDs. Prescription-only COX-2 inhibitors, but not other NSAIDs, were used more by people > 75 years than by 35-54 year olds (OR 3.7, 95% CI 2.0, 6.7), and also were more commonly used by people with hypertension, cardiac and kidney disease. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of current NSAID use among groups at-risk for significant drug-related adverse events or who have major chronic conditions that are relative contraindications to NSAID use. Assessment of absolute risks regarding cardiovascular and kidney disease need to take into account use of medications such as NSAIDs. The potential to make a substantial impact on chronic disease burden via improved use of NSAIDs is considerable.Robert J Adams, Sarah L Appleton, Tiffany K Gill, Anne W Taylor, David H Wilson and Catherine L Hil

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Development of a peer support intervention to encourage dietary behaviour change towards a Mediterranean diet in adults at high cardiovascular risk.

BACKGROUND: Mediterranean diet (MD) interventions are demonstrated to significantly reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk but are typically resource intensive and delivered by health professionals. There is considerable interest to develop interventions that target sustained dietary behaviour change and that are feasible to scale-up for wider public health benefit. The aim of this paper is to describe the process used to develop a peer support intervention to encourage dietary behaviour change towards a MD in non-Mediterranean adults at high CVD risk. METHODS: The Medical Research Council (MRC) and Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) frameworks and the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour) theoretical model were used to guide the intervention development process. We used a combination of evidence synthesis and qualitative research with the target population, health professionals, and community health personnel to develop the intervention over three main stages: (1) we identified the evidence base and selected dietary behaviours that needed to change, (2) we developed a theoretical basis for how the intervention might encourage behaviour change towards a MD and selected intervention functions that could drive the desired MD behaviour change, and (3) we defined the intervention content and modelled outcomes. RESULTS: A theory-based, culturally tailored, peer support intervention was developed to specifically target behaviour change towards a MD in the target population. The intervention was a group-based program delivered by trained peer volunteers over 12-months, and incorporated strategies to enhance social support, self-efficacy, problem-solving, knowledge, and attitudes to address identified barriers to adopting a MD from the COM-B analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The MRC and BCW frameworks provided a systematic and complementary process for development of a theory-based peer support intervention to encourage dietary behaviour change towards a MD in non-Mediterranean adults at high CVD risk. The next step is to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and diet behaviour change outcomes in response to the peer support intervention (change towards a MD and nutrient biomarkers) using a randomized controlled trial design