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Literacies in the age of AI: Teaching and learning in the digital era
No full textAn innovative resource for understanding and teaching literacy in a digital and AI-powered worldLiteracies: Learning and Teaching in the Age of Digital Media and Artificial Intelligence responds to a critical need in contemporary education by redefining literacy in light of digital transformation and the rise of generative AI. Moving beyond traditional definitions of reading and writing, this innovative volume situates literacy as a complex, multimodal practice involving text, image, sound, space, and gesture. Through a compelling historical and theoretical account of literacy's evolution—spanning from oral traditions and early writing systems to today's AI-integrated learning environments—the text equips readers to navigate a shifting communicative landscape shaped by emerging technologies.Written by a team of leading educators and researchers, Literacies proposes a reflexive pedagogical framework that synthesizes didactic, authentic, functional, and critical approaches. Eight accessible yet detailed chapters explore how learners co-construct meaning within diverse social, cultural, and technological contexts. The authors critically address challenges such as algorithmic bias, fabricated content, and privacy while emphasizing the transformative potential of GenAI in education, including its role in assessment, inclusion, and personalized learning
Recombinant factor VIIa versus placebo for spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage within 2 h of symptom onset (FASTEST): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial
No full textBackground Recombinant factor VIIa has been shown to slow bleeding in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), but no haemostatic agent has been shown to improve clinical outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the safety, clinical efficacy, and effect on growth of ICH and intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) of recombinant factor VIIa in patients with acute spontaneous ICH who were most likely to benefit from treatment with this agent. Methods We conducted a multicentre, prospective, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, adaptive, phase 3 trial (FASTEST) at 93 sites across the USA, Japan, Canada, Spain, Germany, and the UK. Adults aged 18–80 years with a spontaneous ICH of 2–60 mL, IVH in less than two-thirds of one lateral ventricle or in less than a third of both lateral ventricles, a Glasgow Coma Scale score of at least 8, no evidence of recent ischaemic stroke or myocardial infarction, no recent use of anticoagulation medication or other structural cause of ICH, and who had been treated with study medication within 2 h of stroke onset or last known well were eligible for inclusion. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by a simple randomisation scheme to either 80 μg/kg recombinant factor VIIa (intervention group) or an identical placebo (placebo group), administered intravenously over 2 min. All investigators and participants were masked to allocated group assignment. The primary outcome was functional outcome at 180 days, measured by modified Rankin Scale (mRS; score 0–2, 3, and 4–6) and analysed by intention to treat in all randomly assigned patients. The primary safety outcome was life-threatening thromboembolic events during the first 4 days, assessed in all randomly assigned participants. The secondary aim was change in ICH volume and ICH plus IVH volume between baseline and 24 h of treatment administration. We performed an ordinal logistic regression, adjusted for age, baseline ICH volume, baseline IVH volume, and pre-stroke mRS. Preplanned interim analyses, including adaptive sample size re-estimation and enrichment to a younger subgroup (aged ≤70 years), were also conducted. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03496883 ) and is closed to new participants. Findings Between Dec 3, 2021, and Oct 1, 2025, we screened 3288 patients, of whom 626 participants were randomly assigned and included in the intention-to-treat analyses: 298 (48%) in the placebo group and 328 (52%) in the intervention group. 216 (35%) participants were female and 410 (65%) were male, with a mean age of 61 years (SD 12). Mean time from stroke onset to administration of study drug was 100 min (SD 22). The trial met the prespecified stopping criteria for futility at the second interim analysis. There was no differential effect in the primary clinical outcome measure of mRS at 180 days between the intervention group and placebo group (adjusted common odds ratio 1·09 [95% CI 0·79–1·51]; p=0·61). Life-threatening thromboembolic complications within 4 days occurred in 15 (<5%) participants in the intervention group and in four (1%) in the placebo group (relative risk 3·41 [95% CI 1·14–10·15]; p=0·020). Compared with placebo, recombinant factor VIIa was associated with decreased growth of ICH (–3·7 mL [95% CI –5·4 to –1·9]) and of ICH plus IVH growth (–5·2 mL [–7·6 to –2·8]) between baseline and CT scan at 24 h. Interpretation Recombinant factor VIIa administered within 2 h of ICH onset slowed haematoma growth, but did not improve functional outcomes and showed a small increased risk of life-threatening thromboembolic complications. Further testing of recombinant factor VIIa in patients with the greatest risk of continued bleeding is ongoing. Funding National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, and Novo Nordisk
Genome-wide profiling of lncRNAs in pediatric intracranial ependymomas identifies H19 as a novel pathogenic driver
Full text linkBackgroundPediatric ependymomas (EPNs) frequently develop in the cerebellum and are treated with non-targeted therapies, partly due to limited understanding of their pathobiology. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis but remain mostly unexplored in pediatric EPNs. This study aimed to identify novel oncogenic drivers and prognostic biomarkers in posterior fossa (PF) EPN by profiling the genome-wide lncRNA expression landscape.MethodsWe used RNA sequencing data from 13 samples, three controls and ten PF EPNs, to profile the lncRNA expression landscape. Perturbation and functional assays in EPN cell lines were used to investigate putative oncogenic drivers, while large public datasets were used to explore associations with prognosis.ResultsWe identified several aberrantly expressed lncRNAs, including IGF2-AS, CD44-DT, and HOTAIRM1 and lncRNAs associated with poor prognosis such as DELEC1, H19, and CD44-AS1. We focused on H19 and IGF2-AS, which reside in the same imprinted locus together with IGF2, a gene encoding a growth factor. Knockdown of H19 reduced expression of cell cycle-related genes, decreased cell viability, and increased apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In contrast, IGF2-AS knockdown upregulated H19 and the expression of cell cycle-related genes. Finally, public data showed that H19 is more abundant in the EPN PF subgroup A, and that methylation of its imprinting control region (ICR) correlates strongly with better prognosis in EPN PF subgroup B (PFB).ConclusionThese findings suggest that H19 plays an oncogenic role in EPN and that the methylation status of its ICR may serve as a prognostic biomarker in PFB
SPIRIT-Children and Adolescents (SPIRIT-C) 2026 extension statement: enhancing the reporting and usefulness of paediatric randomised trial protocols
Full text linkRandomised controlled trial (RCT) protocols contain essential details needed to understand and evaluate the trial's planned aims, design, data collection methods, monitoring, data analysis, and participants' safety. However, key information is often omitted from paediatric RCT protocols, including details on dose adjustments of interventions based on age, body surface area, or weight; developmental appropriateness of trial outcome measures and processes; or strategies to minimise participants' anxiety and pain. These deficiencies impair the planning and implementation of potentially impactful trials for children and adolescents. Appropriate guidance is needed to support harmonised, comprehensive reporting of paediatric RCT protocols involving participants aged 0–19 years. The methodological framework for developing reporting guidelines published by the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) Network was implemented to develop a paediatric extension to the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) 2025 guidelines, called SPIRIT-Children and Adolescents (SPIRIT-C) 2026. A list of candidate reporting items was generated from the literature, and a Youth Advisory Group and a Family Caregiver Advisory Group contributed essential input throughout the project. An international Delphi study with a priori consensus thresholds, a consensus meeting, group writing of the explanation and elaboration paper, and pilot testing of the draft guideline were conducted. SPIRIT-C 2026 consists of a checklist with 17 new reporting items for reporting paediatric RCT protocols; four items are youth generated and six youth endorsed. SPIRIT-C 2026 can be considered a minimum set of reporting items pertinent to paediatric RCT protocols that are relevant to various interest holders, including young people, family caregivers, researchers, paediatric trialists, ethics committees, regulators, funders, and journal editors. The accompanying explanation and elaboration paper explains all items and offers examples of good reporting. Widespread implementation and uptake of SPIRIT-C 2026 should enhance the quality and usefulness of protocols for RCTs that involve participants from birth through adolescence, and ultimately foster high-quality paediatric trials
Prevalencia de alergia a antibióticos, y asociación con asma y enfermedades alérgicas en niños de La Habana
Full text linkIntroducción: La epidemiología de la alergia a los antibióticos en poblaciones ambulatorias es relativamente escasa.Objetivo: Identificar la prevalencia de alergia a antibióticos, y su relación con asma y enfermedades alérgicas en niños preescolares de La Habana.Métodos: Estudio transversal en 1106 niños de cinco a seis años residentes en La Habana, a partir de la base de datos del estudio “Historia natural de las sibilancias en una cohorte de lactantes cubanos”. Se aplicó el cuestionario International Study of Asthma and Allergies. Se recogieron datos sobre factores sociodemográficos, y antecedentes familiares y personales de alergia. La prueba de hipótesis de asociación basada en la distribución X 2 se utilizó para las tablas. Se obtuvieron las razones de prevalencia brutas y sus intervalos de confianza del 95 % para cada variable de exposición. Se consideró significación estadística cuando el valor asociado con la prueba fue p < 0,05.Resultados: El 7 % tuvo diagnóstico médico de alergia a algún antibiótico en los últimos 12 meses, con la penicilina como la más frecuente (89,6 %) con respecto al cotrimoxazol, ciprofloxacino, eritromicina, doxiciclina y tetraciclina. En el 2,6 % de casos la alergia fue por la combinación de dos antibióticos. Hubo una discreta mayor prevalencia de alergia a antibióticos en pacientes con historia personal de eccema y asma. No se encontraron diferencias según sexo, uso frecuente de antibióticos, reacción adversa a los alimentos, alergia a insectos ni rinitis alérgica.Conclusiones: La alergia a los antibióticos en prescolares es reportada por primera vez en La Habana. La alergia a antibióticos se asoció con antecedentes personales de asma y eccema.Introduction: The epidemiology of antibiotic allergy in outpatient populations is relatively scarce.Objective: To identify the prevalence of antibiotic allergy and its relationship with asthma and allergic diseases in preschool children in Havana.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1106 children aged five to six years residing in Havana, using data from the “Natural History of Wheezing in a Cohort of Cuban Infants” study database. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies questionnaire was administered. Data were collected on sociodemographic factors and family and personal history of allergies. The hypothesis test of association based on the χ² distribution was used for the tables. Crude prevalence ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were obtained for each exposure variable. Statistical significance was considered when the p-value associated with the test was < 0.05.Results: Seven percent had a medical diagnosis of allergy to an antibiotic in the last 12 months, with penicillin being the most frequent (89.6%) compared to co-trimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, doxycycline, and tetracycline. In 2.6% of cases, the allergy was due to a combination of two antibiotics. There was a slightly higher prevalence of antibiotic allergy in patients with personal history of eczema and asthma. No differences were found according to sex, frequent antibiotic use, adverse food reactions, insect allergy, or allergic rhinitis.Conclusions: Antibiotic allergy in preschool children is reported for the first time in Havana. Antibiotic allergy was associated with a personal history of asthma and eczema
Benchmarking Permeability Predictions for an Engineered Reference Medium: Toward Calibration of Permeability Rigs
Full text linkAccurate permeability prediction in fibrous media is essential for modeling liquid composite manufacturing processes, yet numerical predictions are often inconsistent owing to modeling assumptions and numerical implementation choices. This work introduces a 3D-printable anisotropic reference porous medium designed to reproduce the main flow pathways and anisotropy trends observed in textile reinforcements, while avoiding the inherent variability of real fabrics. The idealized geometry provides a well-controlled, reproducible benchmark for permeability prediction, acknowledging that it does not capture fine-scale features such as intra-tow pores or fiber surface curvature, and may have higher absolute permeability values than real textiles. Fourteen research groups independently simulated fully saturated, incompressible, laminar, and steady-state flow through a given CAD-based medium using their own numerical setups. While simple analytical flows (e.g., laminar flow in a pipe or slit) can validate individual codes, they are insufficient to capture the complexity and anisotropy of textile-like porous media. Benchmarking is therefore necessary to reveal real-world variability in permeability predictions. Results show good consistency for in-plane permeability (Kxx: mean 2.75 × 10−9 m2, CoV = 0.105; Kzz: mean 6.8 × 10−10 m2, CoV = 0.205), while out-of-plane permeability (Kyy) shows much higher variability (unit-cell mean 1.40 × 10−10 m2, CoV = 0.790; periodic-assembly mean 1.27 × 10−10 m2, CoV = 0.470). These findings (i) demonstrate the feasibility of using idealized additive-manufactured porous media as reproducible calibration benchmarks and (ii) highlight the value of cross-validation across multiple numerical platforms to bolster confidence in permeability prediction for composite manufacturing
Evaluation of the Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme implemented across three United Kingdom regions: a prospective cohort study
Full text linkAimsThe Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme, delivered over 24 weeks, reduces falls in randomised controlled trials and ‘real world’ delivery, but some services deliver shorter, adapted FaME programmes. We investigated the ‘real-world’ effectiveness of FaME delivered for 12 or 24 weeks across three UK regions.MethodsDesign: prospective cohort study.Participants: 1,601 FaME programme attendees (median age 79.5 years), of whom 873 had follow-up data recorded.Setting: 14 provider organisations in Greater Manchester, Devon and the East Midlands.Procedure: Participant data were collected by FaME providers at baseline and up to 24 weeks later.Outcomes: Timed up-and-go (TUG); Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (Short FES-I); at least one self-reported fall, and number of self-reported falls, in the past 3 months.Analysis: Univariate before-and-after tests; multivariable multilevel logistic, linear, Poisson, negative binomial regression.ResultsAt final follow-up (≤24 weeks), compared to baseline, the odds of a self-reported fall within 3 months (Odds ratio 0.16 [95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10 to 0.25], p <.001) and TUG time had decreased (difference-between-paired-medians -1.0 (95% CI -1.50 to -1.0), p <.001). Short FES-I scores had not significantly changed. Twenty-four- rather than 12-week programmes were associated with faster TUG times (mean difference -3.31 seconds [95% CI -5.97 to -0.65]) and reduced concerns about falling (mean Short FES-I difference -2.00 [95% CI -3.65 to -0.34], p = 0.018), but no significant difference in the odds of a self-reported fall or number of falls within 3 months.ConclusionsFaME programmes of both 12 and 24-weeks were associated with improved functional mobility and reduced falls. Participants who attended 24-, rather than 12-week, programmes had significantly greater improvements in functional mobility and reduced concerns about falling. Due to follow-up data missingness, the study was not adequately powered to detect differences in falls risk or rate between 12 and 24-week programmes
No evidence that same‐language subtitles improve children's reading fluency
Full text linkHigh-profile campaigns globally have argued that same-language television subtitles may help children improve their reading. In this intervention study, we tested the causal hypothesis that exposure to subtitles improves children's reading fluency. We tested 127 British children in Years 2 and 3 before and after a 6-week home-based intervention, in which children were randomly assigned to an experimental group that watched television with English subtitles or a control group that watched television without subtitles. Children's reading fluency was assessed via two standard tests of reading fluency and their engagement with subtitles while watching videos, measured with eye-tracking. Results showed that both groups improved their reading fluency over 6 weeks. Crucially, there was no evidence that subtitle exposure (of around 66 hr on average) drove an improvement in reading fluency, or that greater subtitle exposure provided any additional benefit. We conclude that same-language subtitles are unlikely to improve children's reading fluency. However, the primary school reading curriculum has a positive impact on reading fluency that can be observed over a relatively short time-scale
Dominant contribution of fossil fuel combustion to carbonaceous aerosol pollution in Delhi: Insights from radiocarbon and organic tracers
Full text linkDelhi experiences some of the highest levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) pollution among megacities worldwide. Here, we integrated radiocarbon (14 C) analysis with organic molecular tracers to quantify the sources of carbonaceous aerosols in Delhi. Through time-resolved seasonal and diurnal PM 2.5 sampling at two representative urban sites and using 14 C as an unambiguous tracer, we provide robust quantitative constraints on source contributions. We found that fossil fuel combustion is the dominant contributor, accounting for 62-65 % of organic carbon and 64-66 % of elemental carbon in PM 2.5. Crucially, primary organic carbon from fossil fuels (POC FF) constituted the largest fraction of PM 2.5 organic carbon (31-44 %). Its contribution peaked in the post-monsoon season, driven mainly by traffic emissions and coal combustion. Secondary organic carbon from fossil sources (SOC FF), biomass burning (OC BB), and cooking emissions (OC CK) contributed 21-29 %, 10-18 % and 3-7 % of PM 2.5 organic carbon, respectively. Furthermore, comparisons with Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) results suggest that conventional methods may overestimate the biomass burning contribution, underscoring the value of the 14 C-based approach for accurate apportionment in this complex environment. This study underscores the critical need to reduce fossil fuel reliance and accelerate the shift toward clean energy infrastructure to effectively combat carbonaceous aerosol pollution in Delhi
Langer's nucleation rate reproduced on the lattice
No full textWe show that Langer’s rate of bubble nucleation is quantitatively correct up to small higher-loop corrections, in comparison to lattice simulations. These results are a significant advancement on decades of lattice studies showing only qualitative trends, and the first showing agreement for any conservative field theory. We confirm that the failure to fully thermalize the metastable phase explains discrepancies with recent lattice studies that found disagreement with Langer’s rate. The key theoretical development is the translation of Langer’s perturbative definition of a thermal metastable phase into a nonperturbative statement that can be implemented on the lattice. Our statistical and systematic errors are small enough to allow us to measure on the lattice the coefficient of the two-loop contribution, missing from the perturbative prediction. Our conclusions also exclude a possible systematic uncertainty in 3He experiments
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