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BACKGROUND: Assessment of eating disorders (ED) in youth relies heavily on self-report, yet persistent lack of recognition of the presence and/or seriousness of symptoms can be intrinsic to ED. This study examines the psychometric properties of a semi-structured interview, the parent version of the Eating Disorder Examination (PEDE), developed to systematically assess caregiver report of symptoms. METHODS: A multi-site, clinical sample of youth (N = 522; age range: 12 to 18 years) seeking treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN) and subsyndromal AN were assessed using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) for youth and the PEDE for collateral caregiver report. RESULTS: Internal consistencies of the four PEDE subscales were on par with established ranges for the EDE. Significant medium-sized correlations and poor to moderate levels of agreement were found between the corresponding subscales on each measure. For the PEDE, confirmatory factor analysis of the EDE four-factor model provided a poor fit; an exploratory factor analysis indicated that a 3-factor model better fits the PEDE. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the PEDE has psychometric properties on par with the original EDE. The addition of the caregiver perspective may provide incremental information that can aid in the assessment of AN in youth. Future research is warranted to establish psychometric properties of the PEDE in broader transdiagnostic ED samples.

Researchers have reported that English language learners (ELLs) may be at risk of reading difficulties in the postsecondary setting. Although some students may only require explicit content-related vocabulary instruction and support with comprehension strategies in order to enhance comprehension, others may benefit from targeted shortterm intervention in foundational reading skills. In this study, we examined whether a phonologically based reading intervention for undergraduate ELLs at-risk of reading difficulties would result in significant between-group differences for the proximal variables of decoding and sight word recognition and the distal variable of reading comprehension. This pilot quasi-experimental group design study involved 9 participants (treatment = 6/control = 3) from various L1 backgrounds, including Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic. Effect sizes were calculated for the proximal variables using measures of word attack and letter-word identification, and the distal variable based on a measure of passage comprehension. Although a small and small-medium effect were calculated for the measures of word attack and letterword identification, respectively, no effect was found for the measure of passage comprehension. Implications related to intervention dosage and additional intervention components are discussed.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium induces intestinal inflammation to create a niche that fosters the outgrowth of the pathogen over the gut microbiota. Under inflammatory conditions, Salmonella utilizes terminal electron acceptors generated as byproducts of intestinal inflammation to generate cellular energy through respiration. However, the electron donating reactions in these electron transport chains are poorly understood. Here, we investigated how formate utilization through the respiratory formate dehydrogenase-N (FdnGHI) and formate dehydrogenase-O (FdoGHI) contribute to gut colonization of Salmonella. Both enzymes fulfilled redundant roles in enhancing fitness in a mouse model of Salmonella-induced colitis, and coupled to tetrathionate, nitrate, and oxygen respiration. The formic acid utilized by Salmonella during infection was generated by its own pyruvate-formate lyase as well as the gut microbiota. Transcription of formate dehydrogenases and pyruvate-formate lyase was significantly higher in bacteria residing in the mucus layer compared to the lumen. Furthermore, formate utilization conferred a more pronounced fitness advantage in the mucus, indicating that formate production and degradation occurred predominantly in the mucus layer. Our results provide new insights into how Salmonella adapts its energy metabolism to the local microenvironment in the gut. IMPORTANCE Bacterial pathogens must not only evade immune responses but also adapt their metabolism to successfully colonize their host. The microenvironments encountered by enteric pathogens differ based on anatomical location, such as small versus large intestine, spatial stratification by host factors, such as mucus layer and antimicrobial peptides, and distinct commensal microbial communities that inhabit these microenvironments. Our understanding of how Salmonella populations adapt its metabolism to different environments in the gut is incomplete. In the current study, we discovered that Salmonella utilizes formate as an electron donor to support respiration, and that formate oxidation predominantly occurs in the mucus layer. Our experiments suggest that spatially distinct Salmonella populations in the mucus layer and the lumen differ in their energy metabolism. Our findings enhance our understanding of the spatial nature of microbial metabolism and may have implications for other enteric pathogens as well as commensal host-associated microbial communities.

ObjectiveFamily-based treatment (FBT) is a well-established intervention for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN). Although FBT is efficacious in promoting weight gain and improvements in psychological symptoms, for some adolescents, cognitive/attitudinal recovery lags behind weight gain. This study conducted an exploratory post hoc analysis of outcomes of adolescents who achieved weight gain by the end of FBT but continued to experience elevated psychological symptoms post-treatment.MethodsData were drawn from two randomised controlled trials (RCTs) testing two forms of FBT (conjoint/whole family and parent-focussed). Descriptive statistics and generalised estimating equations were used to examine differences in treatment outcomes between non-cognitive responders (NCRs) (those who regained weight but continued to experience psychological symptoms) and full responders (FRs) (those who achieved both weight and cognitive restoration by the end of treatment) (n = 80; 83.7% female, Agemean [SD] = 14.66 [1.73]).ResultsBy 12 months post-treatment, there were no differences in weight between NCRs and FRs. However, NCRs had a slower trajectory of weight gain than FRs and continued to have elevated levels of psychological symptoms throughout the follow-up period.ConclusionsA subset of adolescents appear to continue to experience clinically significant levels of eating pathology up to 12 months after FBT even when weight restoration is achieved.

For many English Learners (ELs), access to post-secondary education has been limited. Of particular concern to post-secondary educators is that lack of access has been attributed in part to deficits in reading proficiency. Many postsecondary education programs do not adequately differentiate and scaffold instruction, suggesting that these are areas where postsecondary professionals can target change. In response to this need to differentiate instruction (DI) and scaffold supports in the postsecondary classroom, first the authors share definitions of the two terms. The reading intervention described herein not only allows for DI, but it also includes scaffolds to support students' reading comprehension to ensure that they can access the same critical readings as their classmates. This reading intervention is designed to move students towards greater independence in terms of their reading skills based on the targeted nature of the components of the intervention.

ObjectiveExercise is a transdiagnostic clinical feature of eating disorders, but consensus is lacking as to what constitutes, and gives rise to, excessive exercise motivated by weight control. Using a longitudinal cohort study, we aimed to describe population-level prevalence rates of varying levels of weight-control exercise and examine gender and weight status (overweight or obesity; OVOB) as cross-sectional determinants of weight-control exercise in 14-15-year-old adolescents. We then evaluated the association of OVOB at 10-11 years with weight-control exercise at 14-15 years.MethodsThe sample comprised 6329 adolescents from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Weight and height were measured in early adolescence (aged 10-11) and in mid-adolescence (aged 14-15). Participants reported weight-control exercise using the Branched Eating Disorders Test at 14-15 years.ResultsIn mid-adolescence, the estimated population prevalence for any weight-control exercise was 49 % (55 % in females). For girls, moderate levels of exercise were most prevalent, and low levels for boys. For all levels except for the very lowest, boys with (vs. without) OVOB history (10-11 years) had about twice the odds of endorsing every level of weight-control exercise. Patterns among girls were similar, though lower in magnitude (∼1.5 times).ConclusionsFor both girls and boys, across most exercise levels, rates of weight-control exercise were greatest for those with OVOB; for the highest exercise level, effects were strongest for boys with OVOB. To accurately identify at-risk adolescents, our results provide preliminary support for a fluid definition of excessive weight-control exercise, dependent on gender and weight status.

Previous literature has explored unconscious racial biases in clinical education and medicine, finding that people with darker skin tones can be underrepresented in learning resources and managed differently in a clinical setting. This study aimed to examine whether patient skin colour can affect the diagnostic ability and confidence of medical students, and their cognitive reasoning processes. We presented students with 12 different clinical presentations on both white skin (WS) and non-white skin (NWS). A think aloud (TA) study was conducted to explore students' cognitive reasoning processes (n = 8). An online quiz was also conducted where students submitted a diagnosis and confidence level for each clinical presentation (n = 185). In the TA interviews, students used similar levels of information gathering and analytical reasoning for each skin type but appeared to display increased uncertainty and reduced non-analytical reasoning methods for the NWS images compared to the WS images. In the online quiz, students were significantly more likely to accurately diagnose five of the 12 clinical presentations (shingles, cellulitis, Lyme disease, eczema and meningococcal disease) on WS compared to NWS (p < 0.01). With regards to students' confidence, they were significantly more confident diagnosing eight of the 12 clinical presentations (shingles, cellulitis, Lyme disease, eczema, meningococcal disease, urticaria, chickenpox and Kawasaki disease) on WS when compared to NWS (p < 0.01). These findings highlight the need to improve teaching resources to include a greater diversity of skin colours exhibiting clinical signs, to improve students' knowledge and confidence, and ultimately, to avoid patients being misdiagnosed due to the colour of their skin.

This meta-analysis synthesized the findings of experimental and quasi-experimental studies to determine the efficacy of math interventions for enhancing the word problem-solving accuracy of students with mathematics difficulties in Grades 4 to 12. Further, we identified intervention and design characteristics that moderate the effectiveness of interventions. We appraised study quality using Council for Exceptional Children (CEC's) evidence standards. We also used random-effects meta-regression models with robust variance estimation (RVE) to compute the overall weighted treatment effect and investigate the moderating impact of 15 variables. Results from 36 intervention studies published between 1989 and 2020 reveal a relatively large and positive mean effect size (g = 0.71; SE = 0.11, 95% CI [0.49, 0.92]) across 88 outcomes, suggesting the examined interventions were effective. The moderator analyses' findings showed the treatment efficacy varied as a function of five intervention characteristics, including intervention model, interventionist, grade level, math topic, and intervention duration. None of the design features we examined led to significant moderator effects. We discuss findings and limitations and provide directions for future research and practice.

Mathematical knowledge and skills are critical in the development of students. In this article, we begin to unpack the concept of mathematics disabilities and how they are presented across classrooms. We explain commonly used terms such as, specific learning disability and dyscalculia, and emphasize how students qualify for math support. We provide overview regarding difficulties students encounter with math and how to support student learning.

The current study investigates the effects of a fact family fluency intervention on math facts fluency and quantitative reasoning. Sixty-three students in Grades 5-8 participated in the study, including 14 students receiving special education services and 15 students receiving additional support. The researchers employed a quasi-experimental, switching replications design that included three waves of assessment. The first group to receive intervention achieved statistically significant gains in performance on both math facts fluency and quantitative reasoning. The second group then received intervention and demonstrated a similar performance. Implications of the current findings and potential directions for future research are discussed.

Students with exceptionalities who do not make adequate progress with core instruction in mathematics require more intensive research-based interventions such as explicit instruction or video modeling to address instructional needs. This study examined the effects of combining point-of-view video modeling, explicit instruction, and augmented reality to teach mathematics to students with disabilities. The researchers employed a multiple baseline across skills, single-subject research design to evaluate the effects of the intervention on student performance across four mathematics skills. Two eighth grade students identified as having a disability impacting mathematics, one with autism spectrum disorder and one with a specific learning disability, participated in the study. Visual analysis determined a functional relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Tau-U result for the intervention phase was 1.0 across all four skills for each participant. Participants demonstrated high levels of maintenance, and with one exception, students were able to apply the skills to word problems without additional training. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.

PurposeBoys represent a small proportion of samples in randomized clinical trials (RCT) investigating evidence-based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). Consequently, knowledge of potential gender differences in clinical characteristics and treatment response in adolescents is considerably limited.MethodsSecondary analyses of aggregated data from two RCTs were used to characterize baseline and end-of-treatment clinical features in male and female adolescents with AN (n = 228, 10.53% male). Mixed analyses of variance were used to investigate potential gender differences in treatment response relative to weight outcomes (% median BMI) and eating disorder cognitions (Eating Disorder Examination Global scores; EDE).ResultsThere were no significant gender differences in prior inpatient care, illness duration, psychiatric comorbidity, or psychotropic medication use at baseline. Nor were there significant gender differences in binge eating, purging, or driven exercise at baseline or end-of-treatment. Girls reported elevated weight and shape concern compared to boys at baseline but overall reduction in EDE Global scores over the course of treatment did not differ according to gender. Boys gained more relative weight during treatment than girls, but this difference was statistically non-significant.ConclusionOverall findings do not suggest significant differences in treatment outcome relative to weight or ED cognitions, by gender. Current evidence suggests that, with the exception of shape and weight concerns, boys present with cognitive and behavioral symptoms as severe as their female counterparts which underscores the need for increased accuracy in assessment of these disorders in boys and young men.Level of evidenceLevel 1, secondary data analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Since 1975, researchers have conducted interventions to improve the word-problem performance of elementary school students facing mathematics difficulties. The current study reports a meta-analysis of 52 studies that examined the effect of these interventions. We estimated multivariate, random-effects models (REM) with robust variance estimation (RVE) with and without outliers. Results showed a large, positive, and significant mean weighted effect size (g = 1.01 for the model with outliers; g = 0.81 for the model without outliers). Findings of meta-regression analyses showed several moderators, such as sample composition, group size, intervention dosage, group assignment approach, interventionist, year of publication, and dependent measure type, significantly explained heterogeneity in effects across studies. A sensitivity analysis showed these results were generally robust to outliers. We offer possible explanations for the findings and discuss study limitations. Finally, we propose recommendations for future research and classroom practice.

The current study investigates the effects of a fact family fluency intervention on math facts fluency and quantitative reasoning. Sixty-three students in Grades 5-8 participated in the study, including 14 students receiving special education services and 15 students receiving additional support. The researchers employed a quasi-experimental, switching replications design that included three waves of assessment. The first group to receive intervention achieved statistically significant gains in performance on both math facts fluency and quantitative reasoning. The second group then received intervention and demonstrated a similar performance. Implications of the current findings and potential directions for future research are discussed., Author(s): James D. Jr. Stocker [sup.1], Elizabeth M. Hughes [sup.2], Andrew Wiesner [sup.3], Shirley Woika [sup.4], Michele Parker [sup.5], Lauren Cozad [sup.6], Jared Morris [sup.7] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.217197.b, 0000 [...]

Many students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience academic challenges and difficulties. These struggles are especially pronounced in mathematics with students with ASD performing significantly below than their peers without disabilities on measures of mathematical performance. The current study used a single case experimental design with concurrent multiple probe across students to investigate the effects of a point-of-view video modeling (POVM) intervention on accuracy of addition with regrouping word problems. The participants were three secondary grade level students with ASD. Findings showed that each student demonstrated considerable improvement during intervention over baseline levels, and subsequently sustaining their performance through the maintenance phase. Limitations, implications for practitioners and future research directions are presented.

As teachers are faced with increasing demands to meet the needs of diverse learners, such as the growing number of students with ASD, the need to accommodate each learner and provide opportunities for individualized learning becomes critical. Therefore, the aim of this A-B single-case study was to explore a variety of support strategies (e.g., video modeling, concrete manipulatives, guided practice, self-monitoring checklists, and error correction) to see which aspects of the multicomponent instruction were helpful in improving the fraction problem-solving accuracy for three students with ASD. Our analysis examined patterns in skill improvement and support levels required. All students improved their accuracy of solving fraction problems, although one student required more guidance. Using both quantitative and observational findings, we further examined each student's individual experience with the intervention and discuss future directions and implications.

In education, there is a history of pitting philosophy against science. In mathematics, a similar divide exists between evidence-based practice and philosophy-based practice. Philosophy-based practices are very prevalent in math and are not simply benignly ineffective tactics. The science of math is a movement that focuses on using objective evidence about how students learn math in order to make educational decisions and to inform policy and practice. The authors believe that school psychologists, as data-based decision-making consultants and MTSS experts in schools, are critical allies in promoting research-based practices in mathematics. This article is the first of a series of articles appearing in "Communiqué" about how school psychologists can adopt and promote evidence-based practices in math assessment and instruction. Future articles will address topics including equity in mathematics, curriculum-based measurement updates in mathematics, math anxiety and timed tasks, how to build intensified individualized math interventions, and how to use math MTSS data for program evaluation and eligibility determination.

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are included in the general education classroom more often than ever before. Despite mathematical strengths and early success, these students experience poor outcomes (academic and employment) compared to their typically developing peers. The language of mathematics increases in complexity, use, and expectations as students age. To facilitate the development of mathematical proficiency for students with ASD, teachers can incorporate instructional strategies to support language processing and use in mathematics. This manuscript provides practical advice for teachers who want to support math language for students with ASD in the general education environment including (a) the importance of these supports, (b) specific recommendations, (c) visual and descriptive examples, and (d) additional resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the effectiveness of an intensive writing intervention focusing on mathematical reasoning through written expression. A group pretest–intervention–posttest comparison experimental design was used to implement a 12-lesson intervention, delivered through a combination of Google Classroom and in-person classroom teacher support, to fifth-grade students with specific learning disabilities (n = 19). Although underpowered, our results indicated the intensive writing intervention led to all students in the intervention group (n = 11) significantly outperforming the students in the control group (n = 8) on subtraction and division word problems requiring an explanation of their solution in written form. Additionally, student treatment interviews revealed the strategy was both enjoyable and helpful in solving and explaining their word problem solutions and the teacher provided insight into potential additional scaffolds to support the most intensive students. Lessons learned and implications for research and practice are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]