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Phonemic awareness is thought to be a causal factor predicting early reading acquisition while its influence diminishes as other reading skills develop. This is a descriptive study of 74, primarily African American, fifth- through eighth-grade students attending a small, inner-city school. The study sought to determine the relationship between phonemic awareness, developmental spelling, pseudoword reading, and sight word reading in adolescent students who struggle with reading. Correlation results showed statistically significant relations among all four variables with the largest between phonemic awareness and developmental spelling. Regression results revealed phonemic awareness predicted significant variance in developmental spelling (R2 = 0.51), but not pseudo- or sight word reading. A discontinuity test determined that the influence of phonemic awareness on developmental spelling was consistent across all levels of attainment. Results are discussed from a developmental perspective.

Background: Since the inception of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System in 1991, all surveys have been conducted in schools, using paper and pencil instruments (PAPI). For the 2019 YRBSS, sites were offered the opportunity to conduct their surveys using electronic data collection. This study aimed to determine whether differences in select metrics existed between students who completed the survey electronically versus using PAPI. Methods: Thirty risk behaviors were examined in this study. Data completeness, response rates and bivariate comparisons of risk behavior prevalence between administration modes were examined. Results: Twenty-nine of 30 questions examined had more complete responses among students using electronic surveys. Small differences were found for student and school response rates between modes. Twenty-five of 30 adolescent risk behaviors showed no mode effect. Conclusions: Seven of 44 states and DC participated electronically. Because survey data were more complete; school and student response rates were consistent; and minor differences existed in risk behaviors between modes, the acceptability of collecting data electronically was demonstrated.

Academic vocabulary is the specialized language used to communicate within academic settings. The Coxhead (2000) taxonomy is one such list that identifies 570 headwords representing academic vocabulary. Researchers have hypothesized that students possessing greater fluent reading skills are more likely to benefit from exposure to vocabulary due to greater amounts of time spent reading (Nagy and Stahl, 2007; Stanovich, 1986). In this study of 138 sixth- and seventh-grade students, we assess academic vocabulary, indicators of fluent reading, and silent reading comprehension to gain insight into relationships between the three. Our results found that reading rate mediates the relationship between academic vocabulary and reading comprehension, accounting for nearly one-third of the explained variance. Using simple slope analysis, we identified a threshold suggesting the point where reading rate exerts a neutral effect on reading comprehension beyond which vocabulary learning is no longer hindered.

This cross-sectional study measures decoding and fluent reading skills of a random sample of 250 first- through third-grade students attending a high-SES school. Growth was compared between proficient and struggling readers with results showing the latter group significantly behind their higher attaining peers on all measures. When student attainment was compared to national norms, results revealed that students entering first grade as high-attaining had declined to average or below by the end of third grade, while the struggling reader group consistently lagged behind their proficient peers. These outcomes show that it is possible for high-attaining students to lose the advantage provided by their high-SES background.

Objective: To compare the effects of dry needling and upper cervical spinal manipulation with interocclusal splint therapy, diclofenac, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) mobilization in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Methods: One hundred-twenty patients with TMD were randomized to receive six treatment sessions of dry needling plus upper cervical spinal manipulation (n = 62) or interocclusal splint therapy, diclofenac, and joint mobilization to the TMJ (n = 58). Results: Patients receiving dry needling and upper cervical spinal manipulation experienced significantly greater reductions in jaw pain intensity over the last 7 days (VAS: F = 23.696; p < 0.001) and active pain-free mouth opening (F = 29.902; p < 0.001) than those receiving interocclusal splint therapy, diclofenac, and TMJ mobilization at the 3-month follow-up. Conclusion: Dry needling and upper cervical spinal manipulation was more effective than interocclusal splint therapy, diclofenac, and TMJ mobilization in patients with TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceutical and veterinary products are a class of contaminants of emerging concern, and their presence in the environment is due to continuous and incorrect disposal. Environmental scientists have been accumulating data on their adverse effects on animal populations since toxicological effects on wildlife were first published. Therefore, recycling strategies are needed. Valuable active ingredients can be extracted from expired pharmaceuticals and recycled according to various strategies. In an effort to reveal the potential of the chemical upcycling of expired pharmaceuticals, the active ingredients gabapentin and pregabalin were extracted and used as starting materials to prepare a small collection of promising substrates endowed with functionalities and structural three-dimensionality. Gabapentin 1 was transformed into aminoalcohol 3, spiroamine 4, and the bioactive azaspirolactam 5. The lactam analog 6 was synthesized from pregabalin 2. Due to the biological profile of 5 and the structural similarity of the N-alkylated derivatives 5l and 6b with the drug piracetam, a collection of potentially bioactive structural analogs 5a-l and 6a-b were also prepared. Simple extraction, synthesis, and purification procedures were used as a means of chemical and economic revaluation, resulting in moderate to good yields at a low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racism is a fundamental determinant of health inequities among racial and ethnic groups and is understudied among adolescents. In 2023, the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire included an item assessing experiences of racism in the school setting among students in grades 9-12 in the United States. This report estimates the prevalence of students who reported ever having experienced racism in school and compares prevalence by racial and ethnic groups. For each racial and ethnic group, prevalence differences and prevalence ratios were estimated comparing the prevalence of indicators of poor mental health, suicide risk, and substance use among students who reported that they have ever versus never experienced racism in school. In 2023, approximately one in three high school students (31.5%) said that they had ever experienced racism in school. Reported experiences of racism were most prevalent among Asian (56.9%), multiracial (48.8%), and Black or African American (Black) (45.9%) students and least prevalent among White students (17.3%). Black and Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) students who reported experiencing racism had a higher prevalence of all health risk behaviors and experiences investigated, including indicators of poor mental health, suicide risk, and substance use compared with students of their racial and ethnic group who reported never experiencing racism. Many of these associations were also found among multiracial and White students. Student reports of racism were associated with indicators of mental health and suicide risk among American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Asian students. Among students of color, including AI/AN, Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students, the prevalence of seriously considering and attempting suicide was more than two times higher among students who ever compared with never experienced racism. These findings demonstrate that racism in the school setting is experienced by high school students attending public and private schools and continues to disproportionately affect students of color. Students who reported experiencing racism had a higher prevalence of indicators of poor mental health, suicide risk, and substance use. Schools can incorporate policies and practices to prevent unfair treatment on the basis of race and ethnicity and offer resources to help students cope with these experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) is a set of surveys that tracks a broad range of behaviors, experiences, and conditions that can lead to poor health among high school students. The system includes a nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and separate school-based YRBSs conducted by states, tribes, territories, and local school districts. For the 2023 national YRBS, CDC made changes to the sampling method, survey administration mode, and questionnaire. Specifically, the sampling design added an American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) supplemental sample so that separate, precise estimates could be made for AI/AN high school students, in addition to the usual sample designed to provide nationally representative data for the population of students in grades 9-12. To decrease the time needed to collect and process data, CDC changed the survey administration mode from paper-and-pencil scannable booklets to a tablet-based electronic survey. To provide national data on topics of emerging interest, CDC added new questions to the questionnaire. These new questions assessed social media use, experiences of racism at school, adverse childhood experiences, transgender identity, consent for sexual contact, and unfair discipline at school. Public health practitioners and researchers can use YRBSS data to examine the prevalence of youth health behaviors, experiences, and conditions; monitor trends; and guide interventions. This overview report describes 2023 YRBSS survey methodology, including sampling, data collection, data processing, weighting, and data analyses. The 2023 YRBS participation map, survey response rates, and a detailed examination of student demographic characteristics are included in this report. During 2023, in addition to the national YRBS, 68 site-level surveys were administered to high school students in 39 states, three tribal governments, five territories, and 21 local school districts. These site-level surveys use site-specific questionnaires that are similar to the national YRBS questionnaire but are modified to meet sites' needs. This overview and methods report is one of 11 featured in this MMWR supplement, which reports results from the 2023 national YRBS but does not include data from the 68 site-level surveys. Each report is based on data collected using methods presented in this overview report. A full description of YRBSS results and downloadable data are available (https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/index.html). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can detect early dysglycemia in older children and adults with presymptomatic type 1 diabetes (T1D) and predict risk of progression to clinical onset. However, CGM data for very young children at greatest risk of disease progression are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the use of CGM data measured in children being longitudinally observed in the Australian Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study from birth to age 10 years. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Between January 2021 and June 2023, 31 ENDIA children with persistent multiple islet autoimmunity (PM Ab+) and 24 age-matched control children underwent CGM assessment alongside standard clinical monitoring. The CGM metrics of glucose SD (SDSGL), coefficient of variation (CEV), mean sensor glucose (SGL), and percentage of time >7.8 mmol/L (>140 mg/dL) were determined and examined for between-group differences. RESULTS: The mean (SD) ages of PM Ab+ and Ab− children were 4.4 (1.8) and 4.7 (1.9) years, respectively. Eighty-six percent of eligible PM Ab+ children consented to CGM wear, achieving a median (quartile 1 [Q1], Q3) sensor wear period of 12.5 (9.0, 15.0) days. PM Ab+ children had higher median (Q1, Q3) SDSGL (1.1 [0.9, 1.3] vs. 0.9 [0.8, 1.0] mmol/L; P < 0.001) and CEV (17.3% [16.0, 20.9] vs. 14.7% [12.9, 16.6]; P < 0.001). Percentage of time >7.8 mmol/L was greater in PM Ab+ children (median [Q1, Q3] 8.0% [4.4, 13.0] compared with 3.3% [1.4, 5.3] in Ab− children; P = 0.005). Mean SGL did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: CGM is feasible and well tolerated in very young children at risk of T1D. Very young PM Ab+ children have increased SDSGL, CEV, and percentage of time >7.8 mmol/L, consistent with prior studies involving older participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child care centre attendance is associated with an increased risk of concurrent ear infections, but what is less clear is whether there are any positive or negative long-term effects of early child care attendance on the incidence of ear infections in later childhood. This research assessed the impact of early child care attendance on concurrent and long-term risk of ear infections. Complete sets of relevant wave 1-5 data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were available for 3513 children (1822 boys) who had a median age of 9 months (M = 8.7, SD = 2.6) at wave 1, 34 months (M = 33.8, SD = 2.9) at wave 2, 57 months (M = 57.5, SD = 2.8) at wave 3, 82 months (M = 81.8, SD = 3.5) at wave 4, and 107 months (M = 107.1, SD = 3.6) at wave 5. At waves 1 and 2, children who attended child care centres had a significantly increased risk of concurrent ear infections than children with exclusive parental care. The longitudinal analyses found no evidence of increased (or decreased) long-term risk of ear infections in subsequent waves associated with attending a child care centre in the first 12 months (or the first 30 months) of life. However, having ear infections at wave 1 was a significant risk factor for ear infections at subsequent waves. Future research is needed to design and investigate appropriate interventions to ameliorate these increased risks.

Considerable evidence supports that close to two thirds of all fourth-grade students read at less than adequate levels on reading achievement tests and that the problem has persisted for decades. This study of 1,064 third-grade students at risk for reading failure uses path analytic techniques to measure a hypothesized model linking developmental spelling, sight- and pseudo-word reading, and reading fluency to achievement on an end-of-year state reading test. While all hypothesized paths were found to be significant, paths not hypothesized were also significant. These paths included direct effects for spelling development on fluency and reading achievement, as well as the direct effect of sight-word reading on state reading achievement. In total, the model predicted 41.9% of the variance in state reading achievement and found that students proficient at foundational reading skills were 7 times more likely to be proficient on the state reading achievement assessment.

Becoming a fluent reader has been established as important to reading comprehension. Prosody (expression) is an indicator of fluent reading that is linked to improved comprehension in students across elementary, middle, and secondary grades. Fluent reading is most often evaluated by classroom teachers through the use of a rubric, with the most common being the Multi-Dimensional Fluency Scale (MDFS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scale. This investigation uses a generalizability study (G-study) and a decision study (G-study) to determine reliability and efficiency of the two rubrics across five raters and two rating occasions in 177 first- through third-grade students. The results revealed the MDFS and NAEP to be parallel instruments with variance attributable to raters ranging from nearly 0 to 2.2%. Generalizability coefficients ranging from 0.91 to 0.94, indicating high reliability were found for both instruments. Recommendations for administration efficiency of each rubric are provided and instructional implications are discussed.

The effect of population bottlenecks and genome reduction on enzyme function is poorly understood. Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum is a bacterium with a reduced genome that is transmitted vertically to the egg of an infected psyllid—a population bottleneck that imposes genetic drift and is predicted to affect protein structure and function. Here, we define the function of Ca. L. solanacearum dihydrodipicolinate synthase (CLsoDHDPS), which catalyzes the committed branchpoint reaction in diaminopimelate and lysine biosynthesis. We demonstrate that CLsoDHDPS is expressed in Ca. L. solanacearum and expression is increased ~2‐fold in the insect host compared to in planta. CLsoDHDPS has decreased thermal stability and increased aggregation propensity, implying mutations have destabilized the enzyme but are compensated for through elevated chaperone expression and a stabilized oligomeric state. CLsoDHDPS uses a ternary‐complex kinetic mechanism, which is to date unique among DHDPS enzymes, has unusually low catalytic ability, but an unusually high substrate affinity. Structural studies demonstrate that the active site is more open, and the structure of CLsoDHDPS with both pyruvate and the substrate analogue succinic‐semialdehyde reveals that the product is both structurally and energetically different and therefore evolution has in this case fashioned a new enzyme. Our study suggests the effects of genome reduction and genetic drift on the function of essential enzymes and provides insights on bacteria‐host co‐evolutionary associations. We propose that bacteria with endosymbiotic lifestyles present a rich vein of interesting enzymes useful for understanding enzyme function and/or informing protein engineering efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simple view of reading hypothesises that reading comprehension is predicted by decoding and language abilities. In this study, 257 fifth-grade English-language learners (Ells) in south-central India were assessed on reading and language measures. Using a model of the simple view, we fit the data using path analysis to determine the extent to which it predicts reading comprehension. Results show that the effect of listening vocabulary on reading comprehension is mediated by listening comprehension, while the effect of word reading fluency on reading comprehension is mediated by passage reading fluency. The final path model explains 33.8% of the variance in reading comprehension. Results are discussed in relation to previous studies.

Advanced hybrid closed-loop (AHCL) therapy with the Medtronic MiniMed™ 780G system improves glycemia; however, the clinical outcomes in younger children remain less established. This pilot study aimed to explore the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics in very young children on AHCL. Children between 2 and 7 years of age and on insulin pump therapy were recruited. A 2-week phase in manual mode was followed by a 6-week AHCL phase. CGM metrics were analyzed to review glycemic outcomes. Out of 11 participants enrolled [mean (standard deviation [SD]) age 5.3 (0.8) years], 10 completed the study. Time in closed loop was 96.7 (3.9)%. In AHCL, participants had a mean (SD) time in range of 72.6 (7.4)% and spent 3.0 (1.74)% and 0.63 (0.46)% in time <70 and <54 mg/dL, respectively. AHCL is a feasible option for management of young children with type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Technology use in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is impacted by socioeconomic status (SES). This analysis explored relationships between SES, glycemic outcomes, and technology use. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of HbA1c data from 2,822 Australian youth with T1D was undertaken. Residential postcodes were used to assign SES based on the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD). Linear regression models were used to evaluate associations among IRSD quintile, HbA1c, and management regimen. RESULTS: Insulin pump therapy, continuous glucose monitoring, and their concurrent use were associated with lower mean HbA1c across all IRSD quintiles (P < 0.001). There was no interaction between technology use and IRSD quintile on HbA1c (P = 0.624), reflecting a similar association of lower HbA1c with technology use across all IRSD quintiles. CONCLUSIONS: Technology use was associated with lower HbA1c across all socioeconomic backgrounds. Socioeconomic disadvantage does not preclude glycemic benefits of diabetes technologies, highlighting the need to remove barriers to technology access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]