Early Letters Research Articles

Empowering Young Writers: A Multimodal Case Study of Emergent Writing in Urban Preschool Classrooms

AbstractWith a view of children as social negotiators, this study explored how preschool children’s voices were nurtured through the implementation of an early-writing/applied phonics approach called Kid Writing (KW). The approach encouraged children to compose writing from their lives as they were guided by an adult who scaffolded the writing process. An analysis of classroom observations, focus groups, and children’s work samples revealed the extent to which preschool children’s voices, motivation, and writing capabilities were supported. Imperative to children’s success as writers in this study was the expansion of preschool teachers’ views of what counts as writing. By legitimizing the full developmental continuum of children’s early writing attempts, including scribbling, mark-making, drawing, and early letter formation, the results of this study documented what young children are capable of when they are empowered to self-express through their joy of writing. The findings disrupt the notion that preschool children are not ready to write. Rather, children’s overall literacy learning is supported by providing opportunities for preschoolers to write from their lived experiences.

Role of Visual Evoked Potential and Ocular Trauma Score as Predictors of Visual Recovery in Eye Globe Injuries.

Evaluate visual evoked potential (VEP) and ocular trauma score (OTS) efficacy in predicting visual potential in globe trauma without optic nerve involvement. A retrospective cohort study analyzed clinical data from eye globe injury cases undergoing flash VEP between January 2000 and May 2021. Inclusion criteria: flash VEP completion within 48 hours, pre-surgical intervention. Exclusions: head trauma, optic nerve injuries. Abnormal VEP: <7 µV amplitudes, >120ms latencies. The OTS was computed, and penetrating injuries were categorized. Of 85 eyes meeting the criteria (mean age: 31.9±20.6 years, 82.4% male), the median follow-up was 22 months. OTS directly correlated with the amount of Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters gained at follow-up and was inversely correlated with ocular penetration extent, and VEP signal amplitude. VEP amplitude is inversely correlated with maintaining/improving visual acuity. Positive predictive value for normal VEP predicting maintained/improved visual acuity: 75.6%, negative predictive value: 21.3%. In blunt trauma, baseline VEP amplitude had superior predictive value compared to penetrating injury. This study highlights a correlation between VEP signal amplitude and OTS with visual outcomes in traumatic eye injuries without optic nerve involvement. OTS emerges as a reliable VEP substitute, particularly in blunt trauma cases, where baseline VEP amplitude predicts visual recovery more accurately than penetrating injuries.

What’s in a word? A brief reflection on why the understanding of Freud is not changed by replacing the word “instinct” with “drive” and the importance of reading in context

ABSTRACT In this brief paper I argue that to understand Freud is to understand the meanings of his ideas. The choice of words to describe these ideas is usually relatively insignificant and does not in itself determine understanding. Thus, the translation of Trieb as “drive” rather than “instinct” does not change the phenomena that Freud addresses through the term Trieb, nor does it open us to the understanding of Freud’s profound, complex and evolving ideas regarding these phenomena. To think that it can, in fact, limits understanding. This runs counter to a popular view that Strachey’s translation of Trieb as “instinct” led the Anglo-American analytic community to see Freud as more biological and mechanistic than he actually was. Accepting the popular view would make the change of the term, which does occur in the Revised Standard Edition, seem especially significant. Evidence against this popular view may be seen in the fact that Klein and her followers, like Strachey himself, commonly use the term “instinct” and yet their understanding, which emerges from a close study of Freud in context and the phenomena to which he refers, maintains and develops the richness of Freud’s thinking and does not at all offer a biological or mechanistic perspective. Important to the understanding of Freud in context are his early letters to Fliess, and thus it is very unfortunate that the unabridged version of these letters which became available in 1985 were not included in the RSE.

MERLIN: Two-Year Results of Brolucizumab in Participants with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Persistent Retinal Fluid

PurposeTo report the safety and efficacy of brolucizumab (Beovu®) 6 mg vs. aflibercept (Eylea®) 2 mg administered every 4 weeks in participants with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and persistent retinal fluid after the Week 52 primary endpoint analysis (from Week 52 up to Week 104, post-study termination). DesignMulticenter, randomized, double-masked Phase 3a study. ParticipantsParticipants with recalcitrant nAMD (persistent residual retinal fluid despite previous frequent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment). MethodsStudy eyes were randomized 2:1 to intravitreal brolucizumab 6 mg or aflibercept 2 mg every 4 weeks for 100 weeks, or until study termination. Main Outcome MeasuresAll available efficacy (analysis of noninferiority in mean best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA], central subfield thickness [CST], fluid-free status [no intraretinal fluid and no subretinal fluid]), and safety data up to study termination, including data up to Week 104 for those participants who completed the study prior to its termination. All P values after Week 52 were nominal and reflect observed data for the efficacy analyses. ResultsBrolucizumab 6 mg every 4 weeks was noninferior to aflibercept 2 mg in mean BCVA change from baseline to Week 104 (least squares mean difference, -0.4 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters; 95% confidence interval [CI], -3.7 to 3.0; P = 0.0169). The proportion of eyes with ≥15-letter loss was 6.2% for brolucizumab and 4.7% for aflibercept. (P = 0.0014), and a greater proportion of eyes were fluid free at Week 104 (52.5% brolucizumab vs. 28.2% aflibercept; 95% CI, 11.9−37.3; P < 0.001) in eyes treated with brolucizumab vs. aflibercept. Incidence of intraocular inflammation (IOI), including retinal vasculitis and retinal vascular occlusion, was 11.5% (0.8% and 2.2%) for brolucizumab vs 6.1% (0% and 0.6%) for aflibercept, respectively. ConclusionsConsistent with 52-week results, brolucizumab 6 mg every 4 weeks was noninferior in mean BCVA change with anatomic outcomes superior to aflibercept 2 mg every 4 weeks from baseline to Week 104 or study termination. The incidence of IOI, including retinal vasculitis and retinal vascular occlusion, was higher with brolucizumab vs. aflibercept; therefore, brolucizumab should not be used more frequently than every 8 weeks following the loading regimen.

Vitrectomy as an Adjunct to Treat-and-Extend Anti-VEGF Injections for Diabetic Macular Edema

There are reported benefits from vitrectomy for diabetic macular edema (DME); however, data precede anti-vascular endothelial growth therapy (VEGF) therapy, supporting a need to assess the current role of vitrectomy. To determine rates of recruitment and efficacy outcomes of vitrectomy plus internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling adjunctive to treat-and-extend (T&E) anti-VEGF injections for diabetic macular edema (DME). This was a single-masked, multicenter randomized clinical trial at 21 sites in the United Kingdom from June 2018 to January 2021, evaluating single eyes of treatment-naive patients with symptomatic vision loss from DME for less than 1 year. Inclusion criteria were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letter score greater than 35 (approximate Snellen equivalent, 20/200 or better) and central subfield thickness (CST) greater than 350 μm after 3 monthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab or aflibercept. Data analysis was performed in July 2023. Patients were randomized 1:1 into vitrectomy plus standard care or standard care alone and further stratified into groups with vs without vitreomacular interface abnormality. Both groups received a T&E anti-VEGF injection regimen with aflibercept, 2 mg, or ranibizumab, 0.5 mg. The vitrectomy group additionally underwent pars plana vitrectomy with epiretinal membrane or ILM peel within 1 month of randomization. Rate of recruitment and distance BCVA. Secondary outcome measures were CST, change in BCVA and CST, number of injections, rate of completed follow-up, and withdrawal rate. Over 32 months, 47 of a planned 100 patients were enrolled; 42 (89%; mean [SD] age, 63 [11] years; 26 [62%] male) completed 12-month follow-up visits. Baseline characteristics appeared comparable between the control (n = 23; mean [SD] age, 66 [10] years) and vitrectomy (n = 24; mean [SD] age, 62 [12] years) groups. No difference in 12-month BCVA was noted between groups, with a 12-month median (IQR) BCVA letter score of 73 (65-77) letters (Snellen equivalent, 20/40) in the control group vs 77 (67-81) letters (Snellen equivalent, 20/32) in the vitrectomy group (difference, 4 letters; 95% CI, -8 to 2; P = .24). There was no difference in BCVA change from baseline (median [IQR], -1 [-3 to 2] letters for the control group vs -2 [-8 to 2] letters for the vitrectomy group; difference, 1 letter; 95% CI, -5 to 7; P = .85). No difference was found in CST changes (median [IQR], -94 [-122 to 9] μm for the control group vs -32 [-48 to 25] μm for the vitrectomy group; difference, 62 μm; 95% CI, -110 to 11; P = .11). Enrollment goals could not be attained. However, with 47 participants, evidence did not support a clinical benefit of vitrectomy plus ILM peeling as an adjunct to a T&E regimen of anti-VEGF therapy for DME. isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN59902040.

The semi-classical saddles in three-dimensional gravity via holography and mini-superspace approach

We determine the complex geometries dual to the semi-classical saddles in three-dimensional gravity with positive or negative cosmological constant. We examine the semi-classical saddles in Liouville field theory and interpret them in terms of gravity theory. For this, we describe the gravity theory by Chern-Simons theory and classify the possible saddles based on the homotopy group argument. We further realize the semi-classical saddles using the mini-superspace model of quantum gravity and explicitly determine the integral contour. In the case of positive cosmological constant, we recovered the geometry used for no-boundary proposal of Hartle and Hawking. In the case of negative cosmological constant, the geometry can be identified with Euclidean anti-de Sitter space attached with imaginary radius spheres. The geometry should be unphysical and several arguments on this issue are provided. Partial results were already presented in our earlier letter, and more detailed derivations and explanations on the results are given along with additional results. In particular, we reproduce the classical Liouville action from the Chern-Simons formulation of dual gravity theory.

Impact of COVID-19 on a real-world treat-and-extend regimen with aflibercept for neovascular age-related macular degeneration

ObjectiveTo assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injection intervals among patients treated for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. DesignRetrospective cohort study. ParticipantsPatients treated at a single practice using a treat-and-extend regimen with intravitreal aflibercept between December 2018 and April 2021. MethodsThe primary outcome was the change in injection intervals. Secondary outcomes included differences in best-recorded visual acuity (BRVA) and central subfield thickness (CST). Associations were evaluated with linear mixed-effects modelling. ResultsThis study included 1839 injections from 185 eyes (141 patients). The median (interquartile range) injection intervals in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods were 60 (42–70) and 70 (49–90) days, respectively. The pandemic was associated with a mean injection interval lengthening of 7.2 days (P < 0.001), a decrease in BRVA of 3.1 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters (P < 0.001), and a reduction in CST of 14.7 μm (P = 0.003). The presence of exudative intraretinal fluid was associated with a reduction in treatment intervals of 11.1 days (P < 0.001), a reduction in BRVA of 1.9 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters (P < 0.001), and an increase in CST of 52.4 μm (P < 0.001). The presence of subretinal fluid was associated with a reduction in treatment intervals of 8.5 days (P < 0.001) and an increase in CST of 21.6 μm (P < 0.001). ConclusionsThis real-world study estimated that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic resulted in an injection extension of 7.2 days with associated decreases in BRVA and CST that are unlikely clinically significant on a population basis. This builds on evidence suggesting that long-term vascular endothelial growth factor suppression can facilitate meaningful interval extensions while maintaining visual acuity.

Eye Adult Changes in Thought (Eye ACT) Study: Design and Report on the Inaugural Cohort.

Conflicting research on retinal biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) is likelyrelated to limited sample sizes, study design, and protocol differences. The prospective Eye Adult Changes in Thought (Eye ACT) seeks to address these gaps. Eye ACT participants are recruited from ACT, an ongoing cohort of dementia-free, older adults followed biennially until AD/ADRD, and undergo visual function and retinal imaging assessment either in clinic or at home. 330 participants were recruited as of 03/2023. Compared to ACT participants not in Eye ACT (N = 1868), Eye ACT participants (N = 330) are younger (mean age: 70.3 versus 71.2, p = 0.014), newer to ACT (median ACT visits since baseline: 3 versus 4, p < 0.001), have more years of education (17.7 versus 16.2, p < 0.001) and had lower rates of visual impairment (12% versus 22%, p < 0.001). Compared to those seen in clinic (N = 300), Eye ACT participants seen at home (N = 30) are older (77.2 versus 74.9, p = 0.015), more frequently female (60% versus 49%, p = 0.026), and have significantly worse visual acuity (71.1 versus 78.9 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters, p < 0.001) and contrast sensitivity (-1.9 versus -2.1 mean log units at 3 cycles per degree, p = 0.002). Cognitive scores and retinal imaging measurements are similar between the two groups. Participants assessed at home had significantly worse visual function than those seen in clinic. By including these participants, Eye ACT provides a unique longitudinal cohort for evaluating potential retinal biomarkers of dementia.

Supplemental Intravitreal Ranibizumab Injections in Eyes Treated with the Port Delivery System with Ranibizumab in the Archway Trial

PurposeTo determine the proportion and characteristics of eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with the Port Delivery System with ranibizumab (PDS) that receive supplemental intravitreal ranibizumab injections due to changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and/or central subfield thickness (CST), and to investigate the safety and efficacy of supplemental injections in eyes with the PDS. DesignPost-hoc analyses of data from the phase 3, randomized, multicenter, open-label, active-comparator Archway trial (NCT03677934). ParticipantsAdults with nAMD diagnosed within 9 months of screening previously responsive to anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. Intervention418 patients were randomized to the PDS with ranibizumab 100 mg/mL with fixed refill-exchanges every 24 weeks (Q24W) or monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg for 96 weeks. ResultsOf the 246 eyes treated with the PDS Q24W and assessed for supplemental treatment criteria, the vast majority (94.6%–98.4%) did not receive supplemental treatment during each retreatment interval, with 87.4% not receiving supplemental treatment at any point during the trial. Of the 31 eyes receiving supplemental treatment, 58.1% received 1 injection and 32.3% received 2. At baseline, eyes receiving supplemental treatment were significantly more likely to have thicker retinas (mean CST 370.5μm vs 304.4μm; P = 0.0001), subretinal fluid (54.8% vs 21.2%; P < 0.0001), and larger pigment epithelial detachment height (215.7μm versus 175.9μm; P = 0.003). These features have previously been associated with difficult-to-treat nAMD. Whereas BCVA and CST generally remained constant throughout the trial in eyes without supplemental treatment, the small number of eyes receiving supplemental treatment on average lost 1 line of vision from baseline to week 96 (mean –5.7 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study score letters) and CST continued to increase over time. Absolute BCVA at week 96 was similar irrespective of supplemental treatment status (71.1 and 73.7 letters). BCVA and CST generally improved within 28 days of supplemental treatment. ConclusionsAlthough the PDS Q24W effectively maintains vision and retinal stability in most eyes with nAMD, a small proportion of patients with features of difficult-to-treat nAMD may benefit from supplemental intravitreal anti-VEGF injections and initial close monitoring is recommended.

ROBIN: a randomised, double-masked, placebo-controlled Phase IIa study of the AOC3 inhibitor BI 1467335 in diabetic retinopathy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of BI 1467335 in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).MethodsROBIN is a Phase IIa, double-masked, randomised, placebo-controlled study (NCT03238963). Patients with NPDR and without centre-involved diabetic macular oedema were included; all had a best corrected visual acuity letter score of ≥70 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters in the study eye at screening. Patients received oral BI 1467335 10 mg or placebo once daily for 12 weeks. Post-treatment follow-up was 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients over the 24 weeks with ocular adverse events (AEs). Secondary endpoints were the proportion of patients with ≥2-step improvement from baseline in DRSS severity level at Week 12 and the proportion of patients with non-ocular AEs at 24 weeks.ResultsSeventy-nine patients entered the study (BI 1467335, n = 40; placebo, n = 39). The proportion of patients with ocular AEs over 24 weeks was greater in the BI 1467335 versus the placebo group (35.0% vs 23.1%, respectively). Treatment-related AEs were reported for similar numbers of patients in the placebo and BI 1467335 group (7.7% vs 7.5%, respectively). At Week 12, 5.7% (n = 2) of patients in the BI 1467335 group had a 2-step improvement in DRSS severity level from baseline, compared with 0% in the placebo group.ConclusionsBI 1467335 was well tolerated by patients with NPDR. There was a high variability in DRSS levels for individual patients over time, with no clear efficacy signal.

The Reinforced Treat-and-Extend Protocol for Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Retrospective Assessment of 24-Month Real-World Outcomes in France.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the real-world outcomes of the reinforced treat-and-extend (RTE) protocol for the treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration with intravitreal injections of aflibercept or ranibizumab (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies). This was a retrospective review of patients from two tertiary ophthalmology centers in France initiating the RTE protocol between February 2018 and June 2021. The primary outcome was change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after 24months. Secondary outcomes were change in central retinal thickness (CRT), recurrence, and management-related factors (injection interval, number of injections/consultations). Outcomes were additionally evaluated after protocol changes (strict versus modified RTE protocol groups). Sixty-eight patients (72 eyes) were included (68% females; mean age 82.2 ± 7.8years). After 24months, mean BCVA significantly improved (65.22 ± 14 vs. 71.96 ± 13 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters; p < 0.001) and CRT significantly decreased (388.6 ± 104 vs. 278.8 ± 51μM; p < 0.001) with 21% of eyes showing signs of exudation. Over the 24months, a mean total of 14.9 ± 4.0 injections and 8.6 ± 1.4 consultations were performed. Mean 24-month injection interval was 7.9 ± 2.3weeks. Initial and 24-month ophthalmic outcomes for eyes in the strict (47%) versus modified (53%) groups were not significantly different, but mean time interval to first recurrence of disease activity was significantly shorter for the modified group (7.3 ± 2.4 vs. 9.9 ± 2.5weeks; p < 0.001). Patients in the strict RTE group received significantly less injections (13.9 ± 3.6 vs. 16.5 ± 3.9; p = 0.006) and mean 24-month injection interval was significantly longer (9.5 ± 2.7 vs. 6.5 ± 2.1weeks; p < 0.001). Consultation number was similar (8.5 ± 1.9 vs. 8.8 ± 1.6; p = 0.93). Treatment with aflibercept versus ranibizumab did not influence ophthalmic or management outcomes. The RTE protocol, even when modified, reduced consultations but improved ophthalmic outcomes. The RTE protocol could reduce hospital visits and overall burden while also encouraging better patient compliance. Video Abstract available for this article. Vincent Soler and François-Philippe Roubelat summarize the Reinforced Treat-and-Extend Protocol and main results (MP4 225022 KB).

The Natural History of Retinal Sensitivity Loss in Diabetic Macular Ischemia over One Year Evaluated by Microperimetry.

Background/Objectives: This one-year prospective observational study, conducted at two centers, aimed to report the natural history of retinal sensitivity (RS) loss in diabetic macular ischemia (DMI). Methods: Patients with stable-treated proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) were recruited if there was evidence of DMI on optical coherence tomography angiography, defined as a foveal avascular zone ≥ 0.5 mm2 or parafoveal capillary dropout ≥ 1 quadrant. The minimal visual acuity required for performing microperimetry (MP) was ≥54 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters (Snellen equivalent 20/80). The overall RS (oRS) and pointwise sensitivity (PWS) within the 3 × 3 mm macula were assessed at baseline and twelve months. A value <25 decibels (dB) was defined as impaired RS, and a decrease of 2 and 7 dB was regarded as mild and severe loss, respectively. Results: A total of 88 patients (97 eyes) were included. No statistically significant MP changes were detected at one year. However, 10% of the cohort lost oRS ≥ 2 dB, and 73% lost ≥2 dB PWS in ≥5 loci, whereas 1% lost oRS ≥ 7 dB, and 4% lost ≥7 dB PWS in ≥5 loci. The foveola and temporal parafovea were the most vulnerable to severe RS loss. Compared to their counterpart, eyes with baseline oRS ≥ 25 dB had significantly more RS loss in the macula and superior parafovea (55% versus 32% and 53% versus 28%, both p = 0.01). Conclusions: Rather than oRS loss, ≥2 dB loss in PWS in ≥5 loci is a more feasible outcome measure for clinical trials in DMI.

Assistance Burden Comparison Between Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Retinal Angiomatous Proliferation Over a Three-Year Follow-up.

We compared assistance burden between neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) under intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment on a treat-and-extend (T&E) regimen in a third-level hospital in a developed country. This retrospective study using data from the Fight Retinal Blindness! Registry included patients treated between January 2016 and December 2020. Final event was established as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) lower than 20 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters. According to choroidal neovascularization (CNV), three different study groups were established: type 1, 2, and 3. A total of 285 eyes of 227 patients were included. Mean age was 80.1 ± 6.5, 79.1 ± 7.9, and 81.2 ± 7.2 years, for the three study groups, respectively. Mean injections were 16.0 ± 4.8, 16.5 ± 4.1, and 14.1 ± 5.7, respectively; and mean number of visits were 17.9 ± 4.3, 18.2 ± 3.1, and 16.8 ± 5.3, respectively. No differences were found (P > 0.05). Survival curves and log-rank analysis also showed no differences (P = 0.344). Cox proportional hazard models showed that a lower baseline BCVA, subfoveal geographic atrophy (GA), and subfoveal fibrosis (SF) were associated with a higher risk of reaching ≤ 20 letters. nAMD and RAP under a T&E regimen indicate a high assistance burden during the first three years. The presence of subfoveal GA or SF are associated with a BCVA lower than 20 letters. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2024;55:197-203.].

Effectiveness of Flash Card Media To Improve Early Childhood English Letter and Vocabulary Recognition in Reading

This research aims to analyze the effectiveness of Flash Card media to improve early childhood Alphabet and Spelling Vocabulary recognition in reading English at PAUD ADIAN Jaya Karang Sari. This study used qualitative method. The participants in this study were all students of “Class A” PAUD ADIAN Jaya Karang Sari. The result of study on Effectiveness of Flash Card Media to improve the early childhood English Letter and vocabulary recognition in reading English show the implementation of Flash Card. The researcher showed some vocabulary in front of the student by the Flash Card. First, the researcher showed some picture in Flash card, then the researcher mention some vocabulary spell it in the flash card in English. Data was collected by interview and observation sheet. In interview, the researcher invited all the students to mention some vocabulary and student spell it in front of the class. In observation, the researcher makes some quiz about the vocabulary. The researcher showed the flash card. Then make a score for the students that can answer the words and spell it. This research give the implication how to important media learning for early childhood to study English.

Networks as interpretative frameworks: using co-citation analysis to explore large corpora of early modern letters

Abstract The analysis of co-citations, which occurs when two publications or authors are mentioned together in the same text, has long been established as a practice within scientometrics, particularly in the field of “science mapping”. However, historiography has shown less openness to utilizing co-citation analysis for distant reading purposes. To address this gap, this article presents a comprehensive methodology for applying co-citation analysis to extensive collections of historical documents, specifically 17th-century letters indexed in the ePistolarium database. In science mapping, co-citation serves as an indicator for tracking the development of scientific fields. Similarly, I employ co-citation to map the Dutch socio-intellectual landscape during the Scientific Revolution period (1623–87) and evaluate the strengths and limitations of this approach.

Privacy, Literacy, and Gender in Early Modern Jewish Letters from Prague (1619)

How private were Jewish letters in the early modern period? This article discusses Jewish epistolary culture and notions of privacy by examining an extraordinary cache of Jewish letters that were mostly written on a single day— 22 November 1619—in a single city, Prague, and sent to a single destination, Vienna. The letters never arrived and ended up in the archives where they were preserved for posterity. These letters allow us a glimpse into the lives of ordinary Jews in politically tumultuous times in which privacy and confidentiality could never be taken for granted. This article pays particular attention to gendered communication and privacy. It has been argued that in epistolary culture women are afforded a voice and speak for themselves. The evidence suggests that collaborative forms of writing that involved more than one writer were still common in early seventeenth-century Jewish correspondence, indicating zones of “privileged confidentiality” within larger family networks.

Efficacy and Safety of Brolucizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema

Despite the effectiveness of existing anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies, a need remains for further treatment options to improve response rates and/or reduce injection or monitoring frequency in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). To evaluate the efficacy and safety of brolucizumab vs aflibercept dosed every 4 weeks in participants with DME. This 52-week, double-masked, phase 3 randomized clinical trial included treatment-naive adults and adults who had previously received anti-VEGF therapy. Data were collected from September 2019 to March 2020, and data were analyzed from April 2020 to February 2021. Brolucizumab, 6 mg, intravitreal injection every 4 weeks or aflibercept, 2 mg, intravitreal injection every 4 weeks. Participants were randomized 2:1 to brolucizumab, 6 mg, or aflibercept, 2 mg. The primary end point was change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity at week 52. Secondary end points were the proportion of participants with a 2-step improvement or greater from baseline in Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale score, the proportion of eyes with absence of both subretinal fluid and intraretinal fluid, change from baseline in central subfield thickness, and safety at week 52. A total of 517 participants were randomized to brolucizumab (n = 346) or aflibercept (n = 171); 299 (57.8%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 60.7 (10.2) years. Brolucizumab was noninferior to aflibercept in best-corrected visual acuity (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letter score) change from baseline at week 52 (brolucizumab, 12.2-letter improvement; aflibercept, 11.0-letter improvement; difference, 1.1; 95% CI, -0.6 to 2.9; noninferiority margin, 4; P < .001). Brolucizumab was superior to aflibercept for the proportion of eyes without subretinal and intraretinal fluid (brolucizumab, 144 of 346 [41.6%]; aflibercept, 38 of 171 [22.2%]; difference, 20.0%; 95% CI, 12.5to 28.6; P < .001) and mean central subfield thickness change from baseline at week 52 (brolucizumab, -237.8 μm; aflibercept, -196.5 μm; difference, -41.4; 95% CI, -58.9 to -23.8; P < .001). Incidence of intraocular inflammation was 4.0% (14 of 346) in the brolucizumab arm and 2.9% (5 of 171) in the aflibercept arm, incidence of retinal vasculitis was 0.9% (3 of 346) and 0.6% (1 of 171), respectively, and incidence of retinal vascular occlusion was 0.3% (1 of 346) and 0.6% (1 of 171). One participant in the brolucizumab arm had retinal artery occlusion. In these study participants with DME, no clinically meaningful differences in visual outcomes were noted between the brolucizumab and aflibercept arms; some superior anatomic improvements were noted in the brolucizumab arm. No new safety concerns were identified. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03917472.

62 The Print Knowledge as a Predictor of Reading Acquisition in Mexican Preschoolers

Objective:Print Knowledge in children starts with recognizing and characterizing printed figures; it is a precursor of other skills like letter knowledge and phonological awareness. The goal was to assess print knowledge components and their predictive value in emerging literacy in a sample of Mexican preschoolers.Participants and Methods:60 children (aged 4 to 6 years old; 50% boys and 50% girls) were tested with an analysis of the visual synthesis and the figure copy from the SNBP-MX and the Rey Complex Figure Test (children’s version).Results:Children with lower performance in the SNBP-MX cannot use visual information to perform correctly at the Rey Complex Figure. They have problems in the reproduction of the figure, and they do not respect the components of the Print Knowledge: 1) figure building characteristics (size, rotation, orientation) and function (relationship with the background and with other figures).Conclusions:Early visual perception skills impairments are related to the execution of elements from the Print Knowledge. Therefore, it is expected that children with low performance at visoperception and spatial tasks will have difficulties with early literacy. Since visual information is needed for the copy and learning of writing figures, print knowledge could be categorized as a predictor of the early word and letter recognition skills. We thank project PAPIIT IN308219 for sponsoring this research.

Ivor Timmis: The discourse of desperation: late 18th and early 19th century letters by Paupers, Prisoners, and Rogues

Ivor Timmis: <i>The discourse of desperation: late 18th and early 19th century letters by Paupers, Prisoners, and Rogues</i>

The long history of shortening: a diachronic analysis of abbreviation practices from the fifteenth to the twenty-first century

This article investigates continuities and changes in abbreviation practices from late Middle English to twenty-first-century digital platforms. Adopting a diachronic perspective and lexicological framework, it quantitatively analyses frequency patterns across fifteenth-century memoranda, letters and administrative receipts, seventeenth-century letters and depositions, late nineteenth-century letters, early twentieth-century letters and a subcorpus of WhatsApp instant messages dating from 2018–19. It then presents analyses of the frequencies of various abbreviation forms, such as clippings, and abbreviated lexemes, such as their use for names, over time. The article then provides a qualitative analysis of these lexeme categories over the centuries, with a focus on specific examples. Major changes to overall abbreviation density across time are identified. The forms of abbreviation also go through major change, but the types of lexemes that are abbreviated stay more consistent over time. For example, abbreviations being used for closed-class function words such astheandthatare dominant from the earliest data we have looked at to the present day. Overall, the study demonstrates how situating new media abbreviation practices within a historical continuum can enhance our understanding of them.