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The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan (2011) started the 'Foreign Language Activities' in fifth grade based on the new Courses of Study in April of 2011. The ministry has considered beginning this course in third grade and the 'English Course' in 5th grade in order to improve students' reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The ministry also developed supplemental teaching instruments, such as the CALL system. The purpose of this study is to model and analyse the effectiveness of a speaking-pen on English learning among elementary school children in consideration of individual differences using a Liner Mixed-Effect Model. The authors constructed models representing students' overall abilities in four English skills, and analysed the effectiveness of the tools such as a speaking-pen and an audio CD on English learning in consideration of students' backgrounds including their English learning experiences and individual differences.

Study Design: Retrospective single-center study. Objective: We investigated the risk factors of postoperative shoulder imbalance (PSI) in patients with Lenke type 2 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) including the position of preoperative upper end vertebra (UEV). Methods: Seventy-five patients with Lenke type 2 AIS who underwent posterior correction and fusion surgeries from 2008 to 2018 were included. We included only patients whose upper instrumented vertebrae were at T2. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on radiographic shoulder height (RSH) at final follow-up, namely PSI group and non-PSI group, and PSI was defined as RSH > 10 mm. UEV, RSH, Cobb angle, curve flexibility, T1 and T2 tilt, correction rate, Risser grade, Scoliosis Research Society-22 scores, and demographic data were compared between the groups using independent t- tests or chi-square tests. Variables with P value < 0.20 in univariate analysis were assessed in logistic regression analysis. Results: Thirty-four patients in the PSI group and 37 patients in the non-PSI group were analyzed. Univariate analysis revealed that there were more patients with UEV at T1 (PSI: 85%, non-PSI: 54%, P < 0.01) and Risser grade ≥ 3 (PSI: 88%, non-PSI: 62%; P < 0.05) in the PSI group than in the non-PSI group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that UEV at T1 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.1 [1.2–14.4], P < 0.05) and Risser grade ≥ 3 (OR = 3.9 [1.1–14.5], P < 0.05) are significantly associated with PSI. Conclusions: UEV at T1 and Risser grade ≥ 3 at the time of surgery are significant risk factors of PSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]