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While enormous progress has been achieved in synthesizing atomically precise graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), the preparation of GNRs with fully predetermined length and monomer sequence remains an unmet challenge. Here we report a fabrication method that provides access to structurally diverse and monodisperse “designer” GNRs through utilization of an iterative synthesis strategy, in which a single monomer is incorporated into an oligomer chain during each chemical cycle. Surface-assisted cyclodehydrogenation is subsequently employed to generate the final nanoribbons, and bond-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy is utilized to characterize them.

Introduction: TEE’s are an essential component of cardiology fellowship education. At our institution, COVID peaked twice in 2020. The first peak showed a drop in total fellow TEE’s. To counter this decline, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID testing patients requiring TEE’s were implemented to maintain patient care and ensure the safety of health personnel. We analyzed the differences in fellow TEE’s during the second COVID wave compared to the first to determine if these interventions prevented a decline in fellow TEE’s. Methods: The monthly number of TEE’s performed by fellows on core TEE rotations was plotted for the year 2019, prior to the COVID pandemic. For the data set, a linear line was fit to account for the variation of studies read over the year. This linear variation was subtracted from the monthly totals to remove seasonal variation. The degree of variation was taken as the standard deviation (SD) for 2019. The 2020 data was processed using the predictions for 2019 and the upper and lower limits of variation were taken as three times the SD of the 2019 data. Results: Using the 2019 TEE data (Figure 1A), the linear seasonal variation line was created and used to account for variations in the 2020 TEE data (Figure 1B). After accounting for seasonal variation, a significant decline is noted, indicated by the red dot, in the number of fellow TEE’s during the month of April, the first peak (Figure 1C). Institutional guidelines for PPE and COVID testing were put in place in June 2020 and December 2020. After implementation, fellow TEE numbers improve back to baseline and remain consistent even through the December peak (Figure 1C). Conclusions: Our data demonstrates the value of PPE and COVID testing prior to TEE’s can help maintain fellow education during a pandemic while ensuring the safety of fellows, faculty, and technicians. COVID brings uncertainty to the healthcare field and these systems will allow for maintenance of both fellow education and patient care.

State and national educational leaders encourage the use of an integrated multitiered system of supports (MTSS) to improve services to students with academic and social behavior problems. Implementing and sustaining MTSS is facilitated by support from leaders in state education agencies (SEAs). The purpose of this study was to identify the specific events, resources, and supports that help or hinder the work of scaling up an integrated MTSS approach from the perspective of MTSS leaders in SEAs. Researchers interviewed leaders in 27 U.S. states using the critical incident technique, a qualitative methodology to identify critical incidents associated with changes in practice. Eight helping incident, seven hindering incident, and nine “wish list” categories were identified. Helping categories included multidisciplinary leadership, access to professional development, consistent language and/or practices, consultation with external partners, and a focus on student outcomes in evaluation and planning. Seven hindering categories included competing philosophies, high personnel turnover, varying levels of readiness, and inadequate data systems. Participants also identified two unique categories associated with the items they wished had happened or could happen in the future including access to personnel with high-level MTSS training and access to more effective interventions.

This meta-analysis synthesizes results from expository text structure interventions designed to increase comprehension for students in kindergarten to grade 12 published between 1970 and 2013. Twenty-one studies were identified, 19 of which met criteria for a meta-analysis, including 48 studywise effect sizes that were meta-analyzed to determine (a) how effective expository text structure interventions are in improving comprehension and (b) what features of expository text structure interventions (e.g., number of text structures taught, type of implementer) are associated with improved comprehension outcomes. A random-effects analysis yielded a significant mean effect of .95 overall and a significant mean effect of 1 for researcher-developed comprehension measures. Moderator analyses indicated significant differences in student comprehension outcomes, favoring researchers as implementers, 11–20 hours of interventions, one or two text structures taught, and students in the elementary grades. Instructional features of expository text structure interventions and implications for research and practice are discussed.

The purpose of this article is to synthesize the existing research on classwide social, emotional, and behavioral programs for kindergarten students. The researchers identified 26 studies in peer-reviewed journals and dissertation databases to review. Each study was examined and coded in terms of study characteristics, strength of evidence, and quality of evidence. The interventions represented in the studies were grouped into four categories: social–emotional learning, behavioral, coping skills, and other. The studies of behavioral interventions demonstrated the strongest effects on increasing prosocial behavior and decreasing antisocial behavior. These studies also included the highest quality of research. The social–emotional learning intervention studies consistently demonstrated weaker effects and lower quality research. The remaining categories included too few studies to draw meaningful conclusions. Implications for practice and future research regarding classwide kindergarten social, emotional, and behavioral interventions are discussed.

The purpose of this article is to synthesize the extant research on peer-mediated interventions (PMIs) with English language learners (ELLs) in kindergarten through Grade 12. Fourteen studies that were published in peer-reviewed journals from 1983 to 2013 were examined in terms of study characteristics, the effects on academic outcomes, study quality, and overall effectiveness. Structured, heterogeneous grouping was used in the 10 peer pairing and 4 collaborative/cooperative grouping PMIs with ELLs. Eight of the 14 studies included high methodological quality. Overall, PMIs with ELLs are associated with medium to large effects on measures of phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension when compared to teacher-mediated comparison conditions. More research on PMIs with ELLs in high school and across core content areas, particularly mathematics, is warranted. Implications and future research for PMIs with ELLs are discussed.

One of the defining characteristics of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a severe deficit in the area of social communication. Script fading interventions are used to promote language development and are associated with an increase in novel language for individuals with ASD. Sixteen single-case design studies of script fading interventions were synthesized between the years of 1993 and 2013. Results of the reviewed research indicate that script fading is used with children ages 2 through 15, with the majority of studies conducted in clinical settings. We conclude that script fading is an empirically supported treatment (What Works Clearinghouse 2014) and is an evidence-based practice (Wong et al. 2013). Implications and future directions for research are proposed.

Tier 2 interventions play an important role within the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework, bridging the gap between schoolwide Tier 1 interventions and individualized Tier 3 supports. Check-in Check-out (CICO) is a promising Tier 2 intervention for addressing mild problem behavior and potentially preventing the need for more intensive supports. In this systematic review, we synthesize the characteristics, methodological quality, and outcomes of 15 single-subject studies and one group design study examining CICO. The results suggest that CICO can be considered an evidence-based practice for students with problem behavior maintained by adult attention. Versions of CICO that were modified to address other functions (e.g., obtain peer attention, escape from tasks) demonstrated strong effects, but there were not a sufficient number of studies for modified CICO to qualify as an evidence-based practice. We discuss the implications of this review for practitioners as well as future research on CICO.