Benefits of Caffeine Citrate: Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of ELBW Infants

Premature birth has been a well-known phenomenon for many years. The survival of preterm infants has greatly improved, in particular, the infants that are born at less than 1,000 grams. The challenges accompanying the birth of an infant weighing less than 1,000 grams are numerous and include such things as respiratory failure due to surfactant insufficiency, patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, renal failure, retinopathy of prematurity, apnea of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and death. As a result, cerebral palsy is a frequent long term outcome (Papageorgiou, Pelausa, & Kovacs 2005). Apnea of prematurity is a condition due to developmental immaturity and was first acknowledged in the late 1960’s. Treatment for apnea of prematurity has included mechanical ventilation, theophylline, aminophylline, and most recently caffeine citrate. Recently, it has been noted that there has been a decrease in the incidence of cerebral palsy among extremely low birth weight infants treated with caffeine citrate. Because of the long term benefits of caffeine citrate, it is the drug of choice for treatment of apnea of prematurity (Johnson, 2011)

Mathematics Identity Construction in Successful African Americans: Reflections on Mathematics Experiences During Adolescence

This project used narrative inquiry to examine adolescent experiences that contributed to the development of positive mathematics identities in successful African Americans. Ten African Americans, who had worked in a STEM-related occupation for at least two years, were asked to reflect on in- and out-of-school experiences with mathematics during their middle and high school years. Data collection included individual interviews and one focus group discussion. A combination of internal and external factors emerged as contributors to participants’ adolescent mathematics identities. Internal factors included early career interest, finding enjoyment in the challenges associated with learning mathematics, or facing setbacks they were determined to overcome. External influences included parents/family members, teachers/school staff, and peers who were influential agents in participants’ mathematics socialization. Participants’ stories revealed that mathematics identities were developed in several communities of practice—the mathematics classroom, after-school (or school-affiliated) programs, summer programs, and during unstructured free time. The findings offer three possible applications to practice: 1) Continue developing school-based and out-of-school programs aimed at exposing African American adolescents to STEM and allowing them to apply the knowledge gained in the classrooms in the real world; 2) Increase efforts to educate African American parents about the variety of occupations related to STEM and the foundational knowledge needed to gain access to these occupations; and 3) Continue efforts to recruit African American secondary teachers for STEM-related courses

Developing number sense with Fingu: a preschooler’s embodied mathematics during interactions with a multi-touch digital game

Early number sense, including subitizing and composition, is a foundation for mathematics, and bodies, especially fingers, are integral to number sense. Multi-touch technology offers innovative opportunities for developing and studying number sense, especially using conceptually congruent gestures that match the mathematics. However, there have been few investigations of the development of early number sense, particularly in embodied forms. Therefore, this mixed-methods study explores a preschooler’s development of early number sense during a month of interactions with the multi-touch digital mathematics game Fingu. Key findings related to the development of early number sense include relevance of configuration and quantity, relationships among gestures and quantities, and development of estimation and precision. This research adds new perspectives to our understandings of early number sense research and practice, calling for consideration of embodiment and conceptually congruent gestures

GIS habitat analysis for lesser prairie-chickens in southeastern New Mexico

BACKGROUND: We conducted Geographic Information System (GIS) habitat analyses for lesser prairie-chicken (LPCH, Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) conservation planning. The 876,799 ha study area included most of the occupied habitat for the LPCH in New Mexico. The objectives were to identify and quantify: 1. suitable LPCH habitat in New Mexico, 2. conversion of native habitats, 3. potential for habitat restoration, and 4. unsuitable habitat available for oil and gas activities. RESULTS: We found 16% of suitable habitat (6% of the study area) distributed in 13 patches of at least 3,200 ha and 11% of suitable habitat (4% of the study area) distributed in four patches over 7,238 ha. The area converted from native vegetation types comprised 17% of the study area. Ninety-five percent of agricultural conversion occurred on private lands in the northeastern corner of the study area. Most known herbicide-related conversions (82%) occurred in rangelands in the western part of the study area, on lands managed primarily by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). We identified 88,190 ha (10% of the study area) of habitats with reasonable restoration potential. Sixty-two percent of the primary population area (PPA) contained occupied, suitable, or potentially suitable habitat, leaving 38% that could be considered for oil and gas development. CONCLUSION: Although suitable LPCH habitat appears at first glance to be abundant in southeastern New Mexico, only a fraction of apparently suitable vegetation types constitute quality habitat. However, we identified habitat patches that could be restored through mesquite control or shin-oak reintroduction. The analysis also identified areas of unsuitable habitat with low restoration potential that could be targeted for oil and gas exploration, in lieu of occupied, high-quality habitats. Used in combination with GIS analysis and current LPCH population data, the habitat map represents a powerful conservation and management tool

Understanding Teacher Morale

This study emerged from discussions within the Policy and Planning Council of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC), a research alliance between Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education and seven surrounding school divisions. The project has two goals. The first goal is to develop an understanding of the factors that impact teachers’ experience of their work in the current PK12 public school context. Although this topic could be, and has been, investigated through a number of lenses (e.g., burnout, trust, motivation), this project focuses on the idea of teacher morale, a choice that will be discussed in detail in the next section of the report. The study addresses the following three questions: 1. How do teachers experience job satisfaction and morale? 2. What are the dynamics between a teacher’s job related ideal and the professional culture of the school that support or hinder the experience of job satisfaction and morale? 3. How do differences between schools related to policy context and social context affect the dynamics of job satisfaction and morale? To answer these questions MERC assembled a research team comprised of a university researcher, graduate students, and a team of school personnel from the MERC school divisions. Over the course of two years, the team developed a conceptual framework for understanding teacher morale, designed a research study that involved observing and interviewing teachers (n=44) across three purposefully selected middle schools in the Richmond region, and then collected and analyzed the data. This report shares both the process and the findings of this collaborative research effort. The second goal of this research project is to support action by local policy makers, school division leaders, central office personnel, principals, and teachers. The study was commissioned by local school leaders not just to document and reflect on teacher morale, but more importantly to do something about it. As argued above, teachers and the conditions of teachers’ work matters for our students, our schools, and the well being of our communities and society. In this regard, this report is only one piece of this project’s action and impact plan. While the report does contain a series of recommendations based on findings and how they can be used, the release of the report is tied to additional dissemination and professional development efforts designed to effect change

Understanding Health Literacy for People Living With HIV: Locations of Learning.

Health literacy, including people's abilities to access, process, and comprehend health-related information, has become an important component in the management of complex and chronic diseases such as HIV infection. Clinical measures of health literacy that focus on patients' abilities to follow plans of care ignore the multidimensionality of health literacy. Our thematic analysis of 28 focus groups from a qualitative, multisite, multinational study exploring information practices of people living with HIV (PLWH) demonstrated the importance of location as a dimension of health literacy. Clinical care and conceptual/virtual locations (media/Internet and research studies) were used by PLWH to learn about HIV and how to live successfully with HIV. Nonclinical spaces where PLWH could safely discuss issues such as disclosure and life problems were noted. Expanding clinical perspectives of health literacy to include location, assessing the what and where of learning, and trusted purveyors of knowledge could help providers improve patient engagement in care

Systematic review: Effective Home Support in Dementia Care, components and impacts – Stage 2, effectiveness of home support interventions.

Aim: To explicate the outcomes of home support interventions for older people with dementia and/or their carers to inform clinical practice, policy and research. Background: Most people with dementia receive support at home. However, components and effectiveness of home support interventions have been little explored. Design: Systematic review with narrative summary. Data sources: Electronic searches of published studies in English using PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Applied Social Science Index and CSA Social Services Abstracts. Databases and sources were searched from inception to April 2014 with no date restrictions to locate studies. Review methods: The PRISMA statement was followed and established systematic review methods used. Using 14 components of care for people with dementia and their carers, identified previously, data across studies were synthesized. Interventions were grouped and described and effectiveness ratings applied. Qualitative studies were synthesized using key themes. Results: Seventy studies (four qualitative) were included. Most were directed to carers and of high quality. Seven interventions for carers and two for people with dementia were identified, covering 81% of studies. Those relating to daily living, cognitive training and physical activity for people with dementia were absent. Measures of effectiveness were influenced mainly by the intensity (duration and frequency) of interventions. Those containing education, social support and behaviour management appeared most effective. Conclusion: These interventions reflect emergent patterns of home support. Research is required to identify effective interventions linked to the stage of dementia, which can be applied as part of routine clinical care

Exercise, cognition and Alzheimer’s disease: More is not necessarily better

Regional hypoperfusion, associated with a reduction in cerebral metabolism, is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and contributes to cognitive decline. Cerebral perfusion and hence cognition can be enhanced by exercise. The present review describes first how the effects of exercise on cerebral perfusion in AD are mediated by nitric oxide (NO) and tissue-type plasminogen activator, the release of which is regulated by NO. A conclusion of clinical relevance is that exercise may not be beneficial for the cognitive functioning of all people with dementia if cardiovascular risk factors are present. The extent to which cardiovascular risk factors play a role in the selection of older people with dementia in clinical studies will be addressed in the second part of the review in which the effects of exercise on cognition are presented. Only eight relevant studies were found in the literature, emphasizing the paucity of studies in this field. Positive effects of exercise on cognition were reported in seven studies, including two that excluded and two that included patients with cardiovascular risk factors. These findings suggest that cardiovascular risk factors do not necessarily undo the beneficial effects of exercise on cognition in cognitively impaired people. Further research is called for, in view of the limitations of the clinical studies reviewed here.