Explore the vast range of titles available.

Learning to write is one of the great challenges children face in primary grades, requiring both transcription skills (handwriting and spelling) and executive functions (EFs; working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility). Although this claim is widely accepted, the field suffers from some limitations, including few longitudinal studies examining the joint role of transcription and EFs in the writing of school-age children. The current study aimed to fill in this gap with a twofold goal: to examine the development of transcription and EFs in Portuguese children transitioning from primary (Grade 4) to intermediate school (Grade 5); and to evaluate the longitudinal and concurrent links between transcription and EFs to text quality. The sample included 222 Portuguese students in Grade 4, who were reassessed one year later, in Grade 5. Results showed significant improvements from Grade 4 to 5 in handwriting and spelling as well as in verbal working memory and cognitive flexibility. Moreover, though spelling and cognitive flexibility in Grade 4 had longitudinally predicted text quality in Grade 5, these links disappeared when Grade 5 predictors were considered. In the final model, only transcription skills along with cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control in Grade 5 were significant predictors of text quality in Grade 5. These findings show that transcription and EFs play a role in writing and suggest that this role might be more concurrent than longitudinal.

Background/Objectives: Glioblastoma IDH-wildtype CNS WHO grade 4 and astrocytoma IDH-mutant WHO grade 4 (together, high-grade gliomas: HGGs) are the most prevalent malignant brain tumors, carrying a poor prognosis despite multimodal treatment. Surgical site infections (SSIs) represent a relative frequent postoperative complication in HGG patients. Despite multimodal treatment protocols combining surgery, radiotherapy, and temozolomide chemotherapy, HGGs remain associated with a dismal prognosis, underscoring the need to evaluate how SSIs impact disease progression and survival outcomes. This study’s aim was to investigate the influence of SSIs on the clinical course of patients with HGGs. Methods: A comprehensive review of medical records for HGG patients treated at our institution between 2010 and 2024 identified 26 patients with SSIs. These patients were compared to an age-matched control group with the same histological diagnosis and treatment regimen. This study analyzed overall survival (OS), microbiological data, and pathological parameters to assess the impact of SSIs on patient outcomes. Survival differences between the infected and non-infected groups were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Remarkably, three patients with exceptionally long overall survival were highlighted in this study. Results: Among the cohort of 2008 patients with HGG surgery, 26 patients developed SSIs. An age-matched control group of 26 patients was identified, none of whom experienced SSIs. Comparing the OS between the infected and uninfected groups, a statistically significant improvement in OS was observed in the infected group (p = 0.049). The median OS in the infected group was 388 days, slightly shorter than the median OS of 422 days in the control group. However, the mean OS was markedly higher in the infected group (674 days) compared to the control group (442 days). The standard deviation of OS in the infected group was notably expansive, indicating substantial variability in survival outcomes. A cluster of infected patients with SSIs near the time of diagnosis had shorter OS, while other infected cases demonstrated significantly longer survival, exceeding both median and mean OS values. In contrast, the uninfected group showed limited standard deviation values, with uniformly distributed individual OS data around the median and mean values. Expectedly, IDH mutation status significantly influenced the survival in cohort patients. However, when stratified by infection status, no association between IDH mutation and improved infection-related survival was identified. The microbiological profile of SSIs was diverse, encompassing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Conclusions: These findings underscore the heterogeneity of infection-related outcomes and their potential impact on survival in HGG patients. According to our knowledge, our study is one of the largest retrospective studies to date investigating and confirming the significant relationship between SSIs and HGG patients’ survival. Our results confirm the Janus Face phenomenon of infections, having both negative and positive effects depending on the context.

Objective Surgical decision‐making for congenital kyphosis (CK) with failure of anterior segmentation (type II) has been contradictory regarding the trade‐off between the pursuit of correction rate and the inherent risk of the osteotomy procedure. This study was designed to compare the clinical and radiographic measurement in type II CK underwent SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy and vertebral column resection (VCR), the most‐adapted osteotomy techniques for CK, and to propose the strategy to select between the two procedures. Methods This retrospective observational comparative study evaluated surgical outcomes in type II CK patients underwent VCR or SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy at our institution between January 2015 and January 2020. Patients operated with VCR and SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy were allocated to Group 1 and Group 2 respectively. Radiographic parameters and SRS‐22 quality of life metrics were assessed at pre‐operation, post‐operation, and during follow‐up visits for both groups, allowing for a comprehensive comparison of surgical outcomes. Results Thirty‐one patients (19 patients in Group 1 and 12 patients in Group 2) aged 16.3 ± 10.4 years were recruited. Correction of segmental kyphosis was similar between groups (51.1 ± 17.6° in Group 1 and 48.4 ± 19.8° in Group 2, p = 0.694). Group 1 had significantly longer operation time (365.9 ± 81.2 vs 221.4 ± 78.9, p < 0.001) and more estimated blood loss (975.2 ± 275.8 ml vs 725.9 ± 204.3 mL, p = 0.011). Alert event of intraoperative sensory and motor evoked potential (SEP and MEP) monitoring was observed in 1 patient of Group 2. Both groups had 1 transient post operative neurological deficit respectively. Conclusion SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy was suitable for kyphotic mass when its apex is the upper unsegmented vertebrae or the neighboring disc, or when the apical vertebrae with an anterior/posterior (A/P) height ratio of vertebral body higher than 1/3. VCR is suitable when the apex is located within the unsegmented mass with its A/P height ratio lower than 1/3. Proper selection of VCR and SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy according to our strategy, could provide satisfying radiographic and clinical outcomes in type II CK patients during a minimum of 2 years follow‐up. Patients undergoing VCR procedure might have longer operation time, more blood loss and higher incidence of peri‐ and post‐operative complications. Illustration of our selection strategy for SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy (A, B) and vertebral column resection (C) for patients with type II congenital kyphosis. Both techniques, if selected properly, could provide sufficient correction of kyphosis and satisfying clinical outcome.

As the COVID-19 pandemic upended the 2019–2020 school year, education systems scrambled to meet the needs of students and families with little available data on how school closures may impact learning. In this study, we produced a series of projections of COVID-19-related learning loss based on (a) estimates from absenteeism literature and (b) analyses of summer learning patterns of 5 million students. Under our projections, returning students are expected to start fall 2020 with approximately 63 to 68% of the learning gains in reading and 37 to 50% of the learning gains in mathematics relative to a typical school year. However, we project that losing ground during the school closures was not universal, with the top third of students potentially making gains in reading.

This study examines associations between leisure reading and reading skills in data of 2,525 students followed from age 7 to 16. As a step further from traditional cross-lagged analysis, a random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to identify within-person associations of leisure reading (books, magazines, newspapers, and digital reading), reading fluency, and reading comprehension. In Grades 1-3 poorer comprehension and fluency predicted less leisure reading. In later grades more frequent leisure reading, particularly of books, predicted better reading comprehension. Negative associations were found between digital reading and reading skills. The findings specify earlier findings of correlations between individuals by showing that reading comprehension improvement, in particular, is predicted by within-individual increases in book reading.

There is a recognized need to understand the current state of programming implementation in the Swedish compulsory school system. This study focused specifically on the implementation of programming in the school subject of technology for grades 4–6. In Sweden, the responsibility for choosing teaching and learning material lies with individual teachers. Recent studies have indicated the prevalence of visual programming languages (VPLs) in classrooms. However, no empirical research has specifically investigated why teachers select particular programming learning environments (PLEs) and the challenges they have overcome in this process. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the PLEs used by teachers and the factors influencing their choices. In addition, this study explored the role of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and the influence of systemic and situational amplifiers and filters in shaping the programming education landscape, highlighting the importance of understanding these factors for effective implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 experienced programming teachers in grades 4–6 to gather insights. The results revealed that VPLs, particularly Scratch, have been widely adopted, but the study also identified three textual programming languages being utilized. Furthermore, the findings indicate that teachers’ previous education plays a significant role in shaping their PLE preferences. This suggests that programming education in both professional development and preservice teacher training is crucial for effective implementation. By investigating PLE choices and the factors influencing them, this study contributes to a better understanding of the current landscape of programming education in Sweden’s compulsory school system.