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Curiosity relates to learning and recent work shows robust associations between curiosity and recall of information in adults and children over age 10. The current study tested a similar association in younger children and explored children’s information-seeking behaviors. Children (n=90, 4-10-year-olds) played a free-exploration game in which they clicked shapes to learn different facts about different topics. They then recalled what they remembered learning on the task (recall) and asked questions about what they were curious to know more about (curiosity). We observed a positive association between children’s curiosity and recall of information, even when controlling for amount of information seeking and children’s age. This association was seen for recall with and without memory cues. There was no association between children’s curiosity and information seeking behavior, and children showed a strong tendency of breadth exploration over exploring in depth with indication of an association between exploring more depth with age.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) focused language and interactions build a foundation for later STEM learning. This study examines the ability of a life-size math and science board game "Parkopolis" to foster STEM language and interaction in young children and their families. This study is part of a larger initiative called Playful Learning Landscapes that aims to create playful learning opportunities for children and families in the places they naturally go. Observational results from 562 families suggest that caregivers and children in Parkopolis demonstrated greater STEM language, engagement, interaction, and physical activity compared to a STEM focused traditional children's museum exhibit. Implications and next steps are discussed in regards to maximizing the number of families that can benefit from Parkopolis' playful STEM learning opportunities. [This article was published in "Developmental Psychology" (EJ1252874).]

Abstract Background Older patients often experience sub-standard communication in the palliative phase of illness. Due to the importance of good communication in patient-centred end-of-life care, it is essential to understand the factors which influence older patients’ communication with physicians. This study examines older patients’ attitudes towards, and experiences of, patient-physician end-of-life (EoL) communication in three European countries. Methods A secondary analysis of interviews from British, Dutch and Belgian patients over the age of 60 with a progressive terminal illness was conducted. Cross-cutting themes were identified using a thematic approach. Results Themes from 30 interviews (Male n = 20, Median age 78.5) included: confidence and trust; disclosure and awareness; and participation in decision-making. Confidence and trust were reinforced by physicians’ availability, time and genuine attention and hindered by misdiagnoses and poor communication style. Most participants preferred full disclosure, though some remained deliberately ill-informed to avoid distress. Patients expressed a variety of preferences for and experiences of involvement in medical EoL decision-making and a few complained that information was only provided about the physician's preferred treatment. Conclusions A variety of experiences and attitudes regarding disclosure and participation in decision-making were reported from each country, suggesting that communication preferences are highly individual. It is important that physicians are sensitive to this diversity and avoid stereotyping. In regard to communication style, physicians are advised to provide clear explanations, avoid jargon, and continually check understanding. Both the ‘informed’ and the ‘shared’ patient-physician decision-making models assume patients make rational choices based on a clear understanding of treatment options. This idealized situation was often not reflected in patients’ experiences.

Abstract Background Evidence of low end-of-life (EoL) care service use by minority ethnic groups in the UK has given rise to a body of research and a number of reviews of the literature. This article aims to review and evaluate literature reviews on minority ethnic groups and EoL care in the UK and assess their suitability as an evidence base for policy. Methods Systematic review. Searches were carried out in thirteen electronic databases, eight journals, reference lists, and grey literature. Reviews were included if they concerned minority ethnic groups and EoL care in the UK. Reviews were graded for quality and key themes identified. Results Thirteen reviews (2001-2009) met inclusion criteria. Seven took a systematic approach, of which four scored highly for methodological quality (a mean score of six, median seven). The majority of systematic reviews were therefore of a reasonable methodological quality. Most reviews were restricted by ethnic group, aspect of EoL care, or were broader reviews which reported relevant findings. Six key themes were identified. Conclusions A number of reviews were systematic and scored highly for methodological quality. These reviews provide a good reflection of the primary evidence and could be used to inform policy. The complexity and inter-relatedness of factors leading to low service use was recognised and reflected in reviews' recommendations for service improvement. Recommendations made in the UK End-of-Life Care Strategy were limited in comparison, and the Strategy's evidence base concerning minority ethnic groups was found to be narrow. Future policy should be embedded strongly in the evidence base to reflect the current literature and minimise bias.

ObjectiveThe pursuit of an effective therapeutic intervention for dementia has inspired interest in the class of medications known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as bosutinib.MethodsThirty-one patients with probable Alzheimer dementia or Parkinson spectrum disorder with dementia completed 12 months of bosutinib therapy and an additional 12 months of follow-up. The Clinical Dementia Rating scale (as estimated by the Quick Dementia Rating System [QDRS]) was the primary cognitive status outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures included the Repeatable Battery Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Cox regression methods were used to compare results with population-based estimates of cognitive decline.ResultsThe present article reports on cognitive outcomes obtained at 12 months for 31 participants and up to 24 months for a 16-participant subset. Safety and tolerability of bosutinib were confirmed among the study population (Mage = 73.7 years, SDage = 14 years). Bosutinib was associated with less worsening in Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scores (hazard ratio = -0.62, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.02 to -0.30) and less decline in RBANS performance (hazard ratio = -3.42, p < 0.001, 95% CI: -3.59 to -3.72) during the year of treatment than population-based estimates of decline. In the 24-month follow-up, wherein 16 patients were observed after 1 year postintervention, 31.2% of participants exhibited worsened CDR levels compared with their 12-month performances.ConclusionsResults support an overall positive outcome after 1 year of bosutinib. Future studies should explore the relationship between tyrosine kinases and neurodegenerative pathology as well as related avenues of treatment.

Spatial skills are associated with mathematics skills, but it is unclear if spatial training transfers to mathematics skills for preschoolers, especially from underserved communities. The current study tested (a) whether spatial training benefited preschoolers' spatial and mathematics skills, (b) if the type of feedback provided during spatial training differentially influenced children's spatial and mathematics skills, and (c) if the spatial training's effects varied by socioeconomic status (SES). Preschoolers (N = 187) were randomly assigned to either a 'business-as-usual' control or one of three spatial training groups (modeling and feedback [MF]; gesture feedback [GF]; spatial language feedback [SLF]). Three-year-olds were trained to construct puzzles to match a model composed of various geometric shapes. New models were created similar to the 2-dimensional trials of the Test of Spatial Assembly (TOSA). Training was given once per week for 5 weeks. Preschoolers were pretested and posttested on 2D and 3D TOSA trials, spatial vocabulary, shape identification, and 2 mathematics assessments. Results indicate that first, any spatial training improved preschoolers' 2D TOSA performance, although a significant interaction with SES indicated improvement was driven by low-SES children. Furthermore, low-SES children showed greatest gains on the 2D TOSA with MF and GF. Second, MF and GF improved low-SES children's performance on the 3D TOSA. Third, only low-SES children with MF saw improvements in far-transfer to mathematics (Woodcock-Johnson: Applied Problems, but not the Test of Early Mathematical Ability). Results indicate that, especially for low-income learners, spatial training can improve children's early spatial and mathematics skills.

Creativity is an elusive construct that is difficult to measure in children, and divergent thinking tasks have been overusedand may be unreliable as measures of creativity (Baer, 2011). This study examines creative process and achievement inchildren using a problem-solving task (Daehler & Chen, 1993). Children (N=98) ages 4 to 6 tried removing a ball from ajar using common objects. Success with retrieving the ball was a measure of creative achievement. Creative process wasassessed by coding creative behaviors such as object exploration, combinations, manipulation, and ball retrieval attempts.Results suggest differences in creative behaviors between successful and unsuccessful children. Successful participantscreated more unique object combinations (p=0.02), spent more time manipulating (p=0.05), and spent less time attemptingto retrieve the ball (p=0.02) than unsuccessful children. Results suggest that this task moves beyond divergent thinkingassessments by measuring both creative process and achievement in children.

Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), also known as Buerger disease, is an inflammatory condition that affects the small and medium-sized arteries and veins of the hands and feet. It is strictly related to smoking, although it has also been seen in those who smoke marijuana, known as cannabis arteritis. TAO is characterized by the formation of inflammatory blood clots in the arteries and veins, leading to blocked blood flow and potentially causing painful sores, gangrene, and the need for amputation. The disease primarily affects smokers, particularly heavy tobacco users, and is more common in Asian and Mediterranean countries. Treatment involves quitting smoking and avoiding nicotine replacement therapy, as well as the use of vasodilator medications to improve blood flow. In severe cases, amputation may be necessary. Regular monitoring and follow-up visits are important for managing the disease. [Extracted from the article]

Research integrity (RI) is crucial for trustworthy research. Rules are important in setting RI standards and improving research practice, but they can lead to increased bureaucracy; without commensurate commitment amongst researchers toward RI, they are unlikely to improve research practices. In this paper, we explore how to combine rules and commitment in fostering RI. Research institutions can govern RI using markets (using incentives), bureaucracies (using rules), and network processes (through commitment and agreements). Based on Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action, we argue that network processes, as part of the lifeworld, can legitimize systems – that is, market or bureaucratic governance modes. This can regulate and support RI practices in an efficient way. Systems can also become dominant and repress consensus processes. Fostering RI requires a balance between network, market and bureaucratic governance modes. We analyze the institutional response to a serious RI case to illustrate how network processes can be combined with bureaucratic rules. Specifically, we analyze how the Science Committee established at Tilburg University in 2012 has navigated different governance modes, resulting in a normatively grounded and efficient approach to fostering RI. Based on this case, we formulate recommendations to research institutions on how to combine rules and commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic globally disrupted lives and contributed to the exacerbation of pre-existing inequalities. Women in research were also affected. The prominent role that women played in professional and personal care duties had a detrimental effect on their research outputs, potentially hindering their career progression. Moreover, the challenges faced by women academics during the pandemic, including job loss, increased mental health issues, and the intersection of gender with other socio-demographic traits exacerbated existing gender disparities within academia. By systematically scoping the qualitative literature on the experiences of women researchers during the pandemic, this study sought to explore how women experienced and reacted to the challenges generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative meta synthesis of the included studies revealed three themes: gendered professional expectations, colliding identities and coping strategies. These themes show how gendered roles such as teaching and professional care work, associated with the hierarchical and gendered division of tasks both at home and in the workplace, made women feel unsupported and alienated as relevant agents in the academic context. The study reveals the importance of pastoral care, teaching and service work as the essential backbone of the academic infrastructure, especially in times of crises. It also exposes how productivity-focused researcher assessment criteria, rewarding mainly individual results and unrewarding of care and service work, can be viewed as perpetuating structural inequalities based on gender, parenting situations, contractual situations and background. In conclusion, this study exposes the need to proactively address the gendered practices and implicit biases which reproduce inequalities within academia and highlights how paying attention to the experiences and needs of women researchers is essential for improving the resilience and crises preparedness of academic the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children have difficulty reconciling their observations of the sky (an Earth-based perspective) with scientific modelsof the solar system (space-based perspectives) (e.g., Vosniadou & Brewer, 1994). Analogical comparison could be an effectiveway to address this cognitive challenge. By comparing and aligning different perspectives on events, such as sunrise, childrenmay develop a more coherent understanding of the solar system. The present experiment tested this theory by varying the pres-ence of explicit comparisons between Earth-based and space-based perspectives during a multi-day lesson about the day-nightcycle. Children (N=63, Mean age=8.57) were randomly assigned to one of four learning conditions: one that involved guidedcomparison of perspectives, two that involved similar tasks but without comparison, or a control (no instruction) condition. Wefound that children in the guided comparison condition had the greatest learning gains on a task that involved demonstratingthe day-night cycle using a model Earth and Sun.

We compared the associations of diabetes mellitus (DM) and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors with decline in the ankle-brachial index (ABI) over 4 years in participants with and without peripheral artery disease (PAD). A total of 566 participants, 300 with PAD, were followed prospectively for 4 years. Mean (SD) baseline ABI values were 0.70 (0.13) for participants with both PAD and DM, 0.67 (0.14) for participants with only PAD, 1.10 (0.13) for participants with only DM, and 1.10 (0.10) for participants with neither PAD nor DM. After adjusting for age, sex, and baseline ABI, the corresponding ABI change from baseline to 4-year follow-up were -0.02, -0.04, +0.05, and +0.05, respectively. Compared to participants with neither PAD nor DM, participants with only PAD showed significantly more ABI decline (p

AbstractPurposeMethodsResultsConclusions\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONIn the BigMove intervention, people with physical and mental health conditions assess their functioning, set goals, and define action plans to achieve their goals recorded in an e-health application using all categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). This study investigates whether data from this application can provide insight into participants’ self-perceived functioning, goals and action plans and observe changes over time.Data from 446 participants were analysed with descriptive statistics to describe self-perceived functioning and the ICF categories related to the 15 most frequently chosen goals. Action plans were analysed using inductive analysis. Changes over time were investigated by comparing assessments before and after at least 4 months in the intervention.The data provided insight into the self-perceived functioning, goals and action plans. Also, changes over time were observed. Self-perceived functioning changed from being mainly negative before, to mainly positive after the intervention. While goals were mostly related to the same ICF categories, the action plans changed from more specific short-term to more general long-term plans.Our study demonstrates that all categories of the ICF can be used to record self-perceived functioning, goals and action plans and monitor changes over time.The complete International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) can provide a useful tool to record self-perceived functioning, goals, and action plans.Setting goals by using all ICF categories shows what is relevant to people themselves and can stimulate activities that foster functioning according to what people value.Assessments of self-perceived functioning, related goals, and action plans offer a novel approach to assessing health and comparing healthcare outcomes.The complete International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) can provide a useful tool to record self-perceived functioning, goals, and action plans.Setting goals by using all ICF categories shows what is relevant to people themselves and can stimulate activities that foster functioning according to what people value.Assessments of self-perceived functioning, related goals, and action plans offer a novel approach to assessing health and comparing healthcare outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research integrity (RI) guideline development methods are limited in including various perspectives. While co-creation methods could help to address this, there is little information available to researchers and practitioners on how, why and when to use co-creation for developing RI guidelines, nor what the outcomes of co-creation methods are. In this paper, we aim to address this gap. First, we discuss how co-creation methods can be used for RI guideline development, based on our experience of developing RI guidelines. We elaborate on steps including preparation of the aims and design; participant sensitization; organizing and facilitating workshops; and analyzing data and translating them into guidelines. Secondly, we present the resulting RI guidelines, to show what the outcome of co-creation methods are. Thirdly, we reflect on why and when researchers might want to use co-creation methods for developing RI guidelines. We discuss that stakeholder engagement and inclusion of diverse perspectives are key strengths of co-creation methods. We also reflect that co-creation methods have the potential to make guidelines implementable if followed by additional steps such as revision working groups. We conclude that co-creation methods are a valuable approach to creating new RI guidelines when used together with additional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The BigMove intervention aims to improve the functioning and quality of life of people with physical and mental health conditions via an integrated care approach. This pilot study evaluates the impact of the intervention on self-perceived health (SPH), quality of life (QoL), active coping behaviour, and mental and social functioning. Methods: Data were analysed from N = 457 participants who had been referred to the intervention by their general practitioner (mean age 48.98 years; 76% female). Three patient-reported and one clinician-rated measures were used: SPH, QoL (MANSA), active coping behaviour (UPCC-ACT), mental and social functioning (HoNOS). Pre- and post-intervention measurements (from 2011 to 2018) were compared using paired-samples t-tests. Due to missing data, analyses were conducted with 205–257 participants per completed outcome. Associations with age and sex were assessed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Clinically relevant change was evaluated with the Edwards-Nunnally index and standard error of measurement (SEM) scores. Results: Post-intervention, there were statistically significant improvements for all outcomes (p < 0.0001) with moderate to large effect sizes (d = 0.41 to 1.02). The observed changes in outcomes can be considered as clinically relevant improvements. Conclusion: This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that the intervention has positive effects on SPH, QoL, active coping behaviour, and mental and social functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To characterise non‐severe haemophilia A (HA) patients enrolled on the Australian Bleeding Disorders Registry (ABDR) treated through a state‐wide Haemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC) with respect to their mutational profile, inhibitor risk and health‐care burden. Method: We conducted a single‐centre observational study of all non‐severe HA patients treated at the Alfred Health HTC registered on the ABDR as of the 26th July 2023. Data were extracted from the ABDR and electronic medical record (EMR) regarding demographics, severity, genetic testing, treatment, inhibitors, bleeding events and procedures. Inhibitor risk was calculated as a function of exposure days (EDs) of FVIII replacement. Results: There were 289 non‐severe HA patients treated at the Alfred HTC registered on the ABDR as of July 2023, all of whom were adult patients aged > 18 years old. Genotyping had been performed in 228/289 (78.9%). Of the inhibitor analysis population, 14/193 (7.3%) had an inhibitor. The cumulative incidence of inhibitor development at 75 EDs was 31% (95% CI 13%–46%). The median cost of bypassing agents per inhibitor patient was $57,087.50/year. Conclusion: These results demonstrate a relatively high inhibitor prevalence and incidence risk in non‐severe HA compared to previously published work, although this may partly reflect a smaller population size. High rates of genotyping have allowed representative mutational characterisation. The burden of care imposed by non‐severe HA in terms of bleeding events, procedures and bypassing agent cost is larger than expected, particularly within the inhibitor population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities and other research institutions are increasingly providing additional training in research integrity to improve the quality and reliability of research. Various training courses have been developed, with diverse learning goals and content. Despite the importance of training that focuses on moral character and professional virtues, there remains a lack of training that adopts a virtue ethics approach. To address this, we, a European Commission-funded consortium, have designed a train-the-trainer programme for research integrity. The programme is based on (1) virtue ethics, (2) the ethos of science, (3) learning by doing and (4) learner-centred teaching. The blended learning programme combines e-learning modules with participatory group sessions. Trainers are taught how to guide researchers through a series of structured exercises for fostering reflection on scientific virtues, and how to promote understanding and application of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. Trainers are provided with adaptable tools and resources that can be used and combined in different ways. The programme implementation began in Spring 2020 and 470 trainers have participated to date. When trainers were asked to grade – between 0 (very bad) and 10 (excellent) – the e-learning modules and the participatory exercises, 60% scored a grade 8 or higher (median = 8, IQR = 2) for the e-learning modules, whereas 80% scored a grade 8 or higher (median = 9, IQR = 1) for the participatory exercises. A majority felt that the training helped them as a trainer to learn about ways to organise and teach a research integrity course (82%) and would recommend the interactive exercises to others (92%). Trainers have educated over 3300 researchers in Europe using our virtue-based approach. The VIRT2UE train-the-trainer programme fosters research integrity by providing trainers with exercises and tools which enable them to stimulate the development of good researchers across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]