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In an era marked by a growing demand for sustainable and high-performance materials, the convergence of additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, and the thermal treatment, or pyrolysis, of polymers to form high surface area hierarchically structured carbon materials stands poised to catalyze transformative advancements across a spectrum of electrification and energy storage applications. Designing 3D printed polymers using low-cost resins specifically for conversion to high performance carbon structures via post-printing thermal treatments overcomes the challenges of 3D printing pure carbon directly due to the inability of pure carbon to be polymerized, melted, or sintered under ambient conditions. In this perspective, we outline the current state of AM methods that have been used in combination with pyrolysis to generate 3D carbon structures and highlight promising systems to explore further. As part of this endeavor, we discuss the effects of 3D printed polymer chemistry composition, additives, and pyrolysis conditions on resulting 3D pyrolytic carbon properties. Furthermore, we demonstrate the viability of combining continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) vat photopolymerization with pyrolysis as a promising avenue for producing 3D pyrolytic carbon lattice structures with 15 μm feature resolution, paving way for 3D carbon-based sustainable energy applications.

Persistent social inequities in the United States demand attention to culturally responsive (CR) teaching, which requires a specific disposition toward students and teaching. Using survey data of secondary teachers (N = 417) in seven urban districts across the country engaging in equity-oriented professional learning (PL) initiatives, we examine the relationship between teachers' beliefs about, self-efficacy for, and engagement in PL around CR teaching and their self-reported CR teaching practices. We find correlational evidence that teacher-reported self-efficacy with CR teaching and engagement in PL focused on CR teaching are associated with higher self-reported frequency of CR teaching. We also find that teachers who have beliefs aligned with CR teaching have a stronger relationship between their CR teaching self-efficacy and self-reported CR teaching practices. Finally, we find evidence that changes in CR teaching self-efficacy are associated with changes in self-reported CR teaching--suggesting that CR teaching self-efficacy may drive changes in CR teaching.

Many education leaders may wonder how to implement sustainable policy changes that will benefit youth, families, and the community. Arielle Lentz, Laura Desimone, Amy Stornaiuolo, Katie Pak, Nelson Flores, Philip Nichols, Morgan Polikoff, and Andy Porter share findings from school change efforts in more than 170 districts in five states. They present six key strategies based on this work, and they share examples of how districts employed the success factors of specificity, consistency, power, and stability to help build authority, which in turn led to successful implementation of new policies, curriculums, and professional learnings.

BACKGROUND: Anemia in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants is common and frequently managed with red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. We utilized a linked vein-to-vein database to assess the role of blood donors and component factors on measures of RBC transfusion effectiveness in VLBW infants. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We linked blood donor and component manufacturing data with VLBW infants transfused RBCs between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016 in the Recipient Epidemiology Donor Evaluation Study-III (REDS III) database. Using multivariable regression, hemoglobin increments and subsequent transfusion events following single-unit RBC transfusion episodes were examined with consideration of donor, component, and recipient factors. RESULTS: Data on VLBW infants (n = 254) who received one or more single-unit RBC transfusions (n = 567 units) were linked to donor demographic and component manufacturing characteristics for analysis. Reduced post-transfusion hemoglobin increments were associated with RBC units donated by female donors (-0.24 g/dL [95% confidence interval (CI) -0.57, -0.02]; p = .04) and donors

Background and aimsColchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug that may prevent post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF). The effect of this drug has been inconsistently shown in previous clinical trials. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of colchicine vs. placebo to prevent POAF in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.Methods and resultsA systematic search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted from inception till April 2023. The primary outcome was the incidence of POAF after any cardiac surgery. The secondary outcome was the rate of drug discontinuation due to adverse events and adverse gastrointestinal events. Risk ratios (RR) were reported using the Mantel Haenszel method. A total of eight RCTs comprising 1885 patients were included. There was a statistically significant lower risk of developing POAF with colchicine vs. placebo (RR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.59-0.82; P < 0.01, I2 = 0%), and this effect persisted across different subgroups. There was a significantly higher risk of adverse gastrointestinal events (RR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.38-3.51; P < 0.01, I2 = 55%) with no difference in the risk of drug discontinuation in patients receiving colchicine vs. placebo (RR: 1.33; 95% CI: 0.93-1.89; P = 0.11, I2 = 0%).ConclusionThis meta-analysis of eight RCTs shows that colchicine is effective at preventing POAF, with a significantly higher risk of adverse gastrointestinal events but no difference in the rate of drug discontinuation. Future studies are required to define the optimal duration and dose of colchicine for the prevention of POAF.

AimsHaematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potentially curative therapy for several malignant and non-malignant haematologic conditions. Patients undergoing HSCT are at an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that a diagnosis of AF would be associated with poor outcomes in patients undergoing HSCT.Methods and resultsThe National Inpatient Sample (2016-19) was queried with ICD-10 codes to identify patients aged >50 years undergoing HSCT. Clinical outcomes were compared between patients with and without AF. A multivariable regression model adjusting for demographics and comorbidities was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and regression coefficients with corresponding 95% confidence intervals and P-values. A total of 50 570 weighted hospitalizations for HSCT were identified, out of which 5820 (11.5%) had AF. Atrial fibrillation was found to be independently associated with higher inpatient mortality (aOR 2.75; 1.9-3.98; P < 0.001), cardiac arrest (aOR 2.86; 1.55-5.26; P = 0.001), acute kidney injury (aOR 1.89; 1.6-2.23; P < 0.001), acute heart failure exacerbation (aOR 5.01; 3.54-7.1; P < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (aOR 7.73; 3.17-18.8; P < 0.001), and acute respiratory failure (aOR 3.24; 2.56-4.1; P < 0.001) as well as higher mean length of stay (LOS) (+2.67; 1.79-3.55; P < 0.001) and cost of care (+67 529; 36 630-98 427; P < 0.001).ConclusionAmong patients undergoing HSCT, AF was independently associated with poor in-hospital outcomes, higher LOS, and cost of care.

This study proposes an empirically grounded theory of how school reform implementation relates to effectiveness, useful for developing and studying many approaches to school reform both in the U.S. and abroad, and also for assessing how policymakers and implementers might leverage various aspects of implementation to create effective school improvement models at scale. Guided by a new framework that links Bryk and colleagues' (2010) five essential supports and as reported by Desimone's (2002) adaptation of Porter and colleagues' (1986) policy attributes theory, we use a mixed-methods approach to study the implementation and effectiveness of school turnaround efforts in the School District of Philadelphia. We explore the relationships among key turnaround model components, approaches to model implementation, and academic achievement using a matched comparison design and estimating a series of regressions. Qualitative methods are used to contextualize findings and offer explanatory hypotheses.

The current context of standards-based reform has positioned regional service centers (RSCs), intermediary governmental agencies that support state policy implementation in local districts, as a critical source of professional development (PD). In this article, we ask how a governing body that districts often interact with during challenging reform processes manages maintain strong relationships with district and school staff, and thus maintain their image as trustworthy experts on standards implementation. We explore these questions using data from 108 interviews of state, district, and regional administrators in education agencies in Ohio, Texas, and California over a three-year period. We illustrate that by providing districts with (a) differentiated support specific to their unique needs, (b) materials and tools consistent with state content standards, and (c) expertise in supporting students with disabilities and English learners in standards-based environments, RSC staff become, in the words of one state leader, the state's trusted "boots on the ground." [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED616594.]

This study examines implementation of college-and-career-ready (CCR) education standards across five school districts in Ohio, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Drawing on the policy attributes theory, we found that the specificity of districts' approaches to two long-recognized policy levers, curriculum and professional learning, was critical in shaping how stakeholders implemented and experienced CCR policies. We identified an approach we called "flexible specificity"--flexibility informed by ongoing data collection and evaluation that allowed districts to develop specific, useful guidance about curriculum and professional learning based on stakeholder needs. We present four shared practices characterizing this approach in two districts, analyzing why those districts seemed to find the right balance of specificity and flexibility while others struggled.

Though scholars agree that professional development (PD) is a key mechanism for implementing education policies that call for teacher change, and that PD generally needs to be content-focused, active, collaborative, coherent, and sustained, the application of this framework has yielded mixed results. In this qualitative study, we employed structured interviewing methods to explore how district leaders across five states are implementing college- and career- readiness (CCR) standards across the United States by creatively adapting and integrating the features of this PD framework in order to meet the demands of this mandated educational policy. We illustrate a revised model for how 70 district officials are conceptualizing these features of PD to support CCR standards-based learning.

Persistent social inequities in the United States demand attention to culturally responsive (CR) teaching, which requires a specific disposition toward students and teaching. Using survey data of secondary teachers (N = 417) in seven urban districts across the country engaging in equity-oriented professional learning (PL) initiatives, we examine the relationship between teachers' beliefs about, self-efficacy for, and engagement in PL around CR teaching and their self-reported CR teaching practices. We find correlational evidence that teacher-reported self-efficacy with CR teaching and engagement in PL focused on CR teaching are associated with higher self-reported frequency of CR teaching. We also find that teachers who have beliefs aligned with CR teaching have a stronger relationship between their CR teaching self-efficacy and self-reported CR teaching practices. Finally, we find evidence that changes in CR teaching self-efficacy are associated with changes in self-reported CR teaching--suggesting that CR teaching self-efficacy may drive changes in CR teaching.

Coaching is a popular and high-leverage instrument for instructional reform. Coaching holds potential to accelerate teacher learning and school improvement. Linking results from current research, we portray how coaching benefits from robust infrastructure. This article offers three design recommendations that leaders can implement to optimize coaching: (1) identify infrastructural resources; (2) align coaching with instructional priorities and standards; and (3) ensure coaches have the knowledge they need, particularly in relation to the local context. We share insights on how educational reformers and leaders can re-set systems and optimize coaching to accelerate learning and change.

The ambitious goals of standards-based reform call for both technical and adaptive leadership to address problems of practice involving the technical and adaptive alignment of teachers' instruction to the standards. Thus, standards-aligned curriculum implementation necessitates both types of strategies; otherwise, adaptive challenges will persist. In this study, we analyze case studies of four districts where new English Language Arts and math curricula were recently adopted to help align teachers' practice with their state's English Language Arts and math standards. We draw from interviews with district leaders, principals, instructional coaches, and teachers to illustrate how mostly technical strategies for curriculum implementation do little to address the adaptive challenges that prevent teachers from fundamentally shifting their practice to be more aligned to the standards and to meet the needs of all learners. We conclude with a set of insights and implications for educational leaders approaching curriculum implementation in both technical and adaptive ways.

Background/Context: Instructional policy aims to shift the nature of teaching and learning. Decades of policy studies have highlighted the challenges inherent in these aims and the conditions necessary to support such change, including a robust infrastructure to support teacher learning. Further, teachers themselves must perceive and experience their policy environment to be supportive of calls to shift instruction. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: In this study, we examine the connection between teachers' perceptions of their policy environments and their instructional practices over time, in the context of college-and-career-readiness (CCR) standards implementation. While conducted in the context of standards implementation, our findings apply to supporting instructional change through policy more broadly. Setting: We examine implementation of CCR standards in two unique state contexts: Texas and Ohio. These states represent important differences in demographics and in their approaches to CCR standards implementation over time. Research Design: We use a convergent mixed-methods design that draws on state-representative teacher survey data at two points in time (allowing for a trend analysis to understand how teachers' perceptions and experiences evolve), longitudinal interview data with state education leaders, and interview data with educators in one case study district in each state. Data Collection and Analysis: Surveys measured teachers' perceptions of their policy environments, as well as their self-reported instructional practices. Interviews focused on understanding state- and district-level policies, guidance, and resources, and educators' enactment of standards. Survey analysis included descriptive analysis of patterns over time and hierarchical linear modeling. To unpack broad-based survey patterns, we coded qualitative data and developed assertions based on emergent patterns. Findings/Results: We found that Texas teachers agreed more strongly than Ohio teachers that their policy environment had aligned, specific, and stable resources, as well as accountability mechanisms in place. Specificity of guidance and resources for standards implementation predicted teachers' use of standards-emphasized instruction in 2019. These patterns reflected each state's approach to policy implementation: a robust state-level infrastructure for guidance and support in Texas, compared with fewer state-developed resources in Ohio in favor of local control. Still, aspects of teachers' local context--in particular, lack of infrastructure for ongoing, embedded professional learning--limited teachers' ability to engage in state-developed guidance. Conclusions/Recommendations: Our study offers enduring lessons about how to establish the policy conditions necessary to support teachers to change instruction. Findings suggest a need for states to develop resources that clarify instructional shifts for teachers, and districts must balance these top-down resources with ongoing opportunities for educators to adapt resources to suit their students' needs.