Good Predictor Of Success Research Articles

Performance trajectories of Italian professional cyclists: an analysis of the influence of youth performance on professional success

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to analyse individual performance trajectories of professional (PRO) Italian cyclists across their careers. It sought to compare the performance progression of successful and unsuccessful PRO cyclists, analyse the best predictors of success in PRO cyclists and explore whether the relative age effect (RAE) influences PRO success. The national ranking positions gathered in the youth (U19 and elite/U23) and the PRO categories were retrieved for every year of competition of 81 PRO Italian cyclists and retrospectively analysed. Participants were divided in successful and unsuccessful, depending on whether they reached at least once the top 400 positions in the PRO ranking or not. Successful PRO cyclists display better youth ranking positions and tend to spend less time in youth categories, transition to the PRO category at an earlier age, reach their best PRO ranking at an older age compared to unsuccessful PRO cyclists. The best youth ranking, the age of the best PRO ranking and the years spent in youth categories are all predictors of PRO success. For every additional year spent in youth categories, there are 50.8% less odds of becoming a successful PRO cyclist. RAE does not affect Italian cyclists’ PRO success.

A retrospective review of selective laser trabeculoplasty outcomes at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, UK.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty has been carried out at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals over the past seven years. This work aimed to review the use of SLT in this Trust. The primary objectives were to establish the efficacy of SLT in reducing intraocular pressure, to analyse how prior treatment with different topical medications can influence SLT outcomes and to analyse the outcomes in revisionary patients. We conducted a retrospective review of 288 eyes, with a known history of glaucoma or ocular hypertension and who underwent initial SLT laser treatment between October 2018 and January 2020. SLT was performed on known glaucoma and treatment naïve patients where IOP control was deemed sub-optimal. All patient data was fully anonymised. We found that SLT was effective in lowering IOP. Around two-thirds of the eyes (181/280, 65%) achieved a reduction in IOP of 10% or more. Just under half (127/280, 45%) achieved a reduction of 20% or more. For a pre-SLT IOP of 14.6 mmHg, we found that no mean change in IOP is expected, and for each 1 mmHg by which the pre-SLT IOP exceeds this threshold, the mean reduction in IOP is expected to be 0.61 mmHg. We also found that combination therapies of PGA plus aqueous suppressants gave better outcomes compared with PGA alone. We found that revisionary SLT compared favourably with the first treatment, although first-time outcomes were not a good predictor of success with revisionary SLT. Primary and revisionary SLT has been shown to be effective across the cohort of patients in this study.

Cambios longitudinales en el índice de ROX y el puntaje de HACOR en pacientes críticos con insuficiencia respiratoria aguda por COVID-19 que requirieron cánula nasal de alto flujo: estudio de cohorte retrospectivo

ObjectivesValidate the IROX and HACOR scores, including their deltas, in determining their success, defined as survival and the need for intubation. DesignRetrospective cohort study involving 115 patients admitted to intensive care for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) and treated with high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC). Materials and methodsIROX and HACOR scores were evaluated at the initiation of HFNC use and at 24hours (delta). BackgroundIn patients with AHRF due to SARS-CoV-2, the study aimed to determine the success of HFNC by evaluating this index and score and their respective deltas at 24hours. ResultsAt 24hours, the IROX was higher in the success group (6.53 [4.80-10.44] vs. 4.76 [4.11-5.90]) and the HACOR was lower (4 [2-6] vs. 6 [5-6.75]), both results being significant (p=<0.001). The D-ROX was positively associated with survival (47.37 [-1.89-136.11] vs. 5.06 [-16.85-34.25]; p=0.002), contrary to the D-HACOR (-25 [-66.67-0] vs. 0 [-16.67-16.67]; p=<0.001). Multivariate analysis of D-IROX (HR=0.99, 95%CI [0.99-1], p=0.001) and D-HACOR (HR=1.01, 95%CI [1-1.01], p=0.001) indicated that both are valid predictors of survival and failure. ConclusionThe IROX and HACOR scores at 24hours, along with their deltas, are good predictors of success.

Factors affecting endoscopic third ventriculostomy success in adults.

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is a standard treatment in hydrocephalus of certain aetiologies. The most widely used predictive model is the ETV success score. This is frequently used to predict outcomes following ETV in adult patients; however, this was a model developed in paediatric patients with often distinct aetiologies of hydrocephalus. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of the model and to identify factors that influence ETV outcomes in adults. A retrospective study design was used to analyse consecutive patients who underwent ETV at a tertiary neurosurgical centre between 2012 and 2020. Observed ETV outcomes at 6months were compared to pre-operative predicted ETV success scores. A multivariable Bayesian logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors that best predicted ETV success and those factors that were redundant. A total of 136 patients were analysed during the 9-year study. Thirty-one patients underwent further cerebrospinal fluid diversion within 6months. The overall ETV success rate was 77%. Observed ETV outcomes corresponded well with predicted outcomes using the ETV success score for the higher scores, but less well for lower scores. Location of obstruction at the aqueduct irrespective of aetiology was the best predictor of success with odds of 1.65 of success. Elective procedures were also associated with higher success compared to urgent ones, whereas age under 70, nature and location of obstructive lesion (other than aqueductal) did not influence ETV success. ETV was successful in three-quarters of adult patient with hydrocephalus within 6months. Obstruction at the level of the aqueduct of any aetiology was a good predictor of ETV success. Clinicians should bear in mind that adult hydrocephalus responds differently to ETV compared to paediatric hydrocephalus, and more research is required to develop and validate an adult-specific predictive tool.

Evaluation of Diagnostic Accuracy of HACOR Score in Predicting the Success Rate of CPAP in Patients with COVID-19-Induced Hypoxemia

Background: In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated hypoxemic acute respiratory failure (ARF) may require continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and having an appropriate criterion for early diagnosis and prediction of CPAP failure or success can significantly reduce the mortality of these patients. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of heart rate, acidosis, consciousness, oxygenation, and respiratory rate (HACOR) score in predicting the success rate of CPAP in patients with COVID-19 induced hypoxemia. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 adult patients aged 63.23 ± 16.23 years with mild to moderate acute respiratory failure (COVID-19), partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) &lt; 300 mmHg, and partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2) &lt; 45 mmHg from March 21 to November 21, 2021. The patients were admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of Khatam Al-Anbia (PBUH) Hospital in Shoushtar (southwestern Iran) and were subjected to CPAP for respiratory support. The HACOR score was calculated one hour after the CPAP onset. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 22) using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, t-test, pair t-tests, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value indices were used to determine the diagnostic performance of the method. The significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The mean HACOR score one hour after the onset of CPAP was 3.50 ± 1.57 (P &lt; 0.001), with a mean of 153.84 ± 27.42 mmHg PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) ratio (P &lt; 0.001). The cut-off point for the HACOR score one hour after CPAP was 5, which had a sensitivity of 98.06% (94.45% - 99.60%) and a specificity of 83.33% (68.64% - 93.03%). Out of 200 patients, 157 patients (78.5%) had CPAP failure, and 43 patients (21.5%) underwent treatment. The diagnostic accuracy values of the HACOR score and PaO2/FiO2 ratio for predicting CPAP failure were 94.92% and 95.96%, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings support that although the HACOR score had a good diagnostic performance in predicting the success rate of CPAP in patients with COVID-19-induced hypoxemia, PaO2/FiO2 ratio was also shown to be a good predictor of success.

Impact of High-Flow Nasal Cannula Use in Subjects With COVID-19 ARDS at High Altitudes: Clinical Presentation and Prognostic Factors.

High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) reduces the need for intubation in adult subject with acute respiratory failure. Changes in hypobaric hypoxemia have not been studied for subject with an HFNC in ICUs at altitudes > 2,600 m above sea level. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of HFNC treatment in subjects with COVID-19 at high altitudes. We hypothesized that progressive hypoxemia and the increase in breathing frequency associated with COVID-19 in high altitudes affect the success of HFNC therapy and may also influence the performance of the traditionally used predictors of success and failure. This was a prospective cohort study of subjects >18 y with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19-induced ARDS requiring HFNC who were admitted to the ICU. Subjects were followed up during the 28 d of HFNC treatment or until failure. One hundred and eight subjects were enrolled. At admission to the ICU, FIO2 delivery between 0.5-0.8 (odds ratio 0.38 [95% CI 0.17-0.84]) was associated with a better response to HFNC therapy than oxygen delivery on admission between 0.8-1.0 (odds ratio 3.58 [95% CI 1.56-8.22]). This relationship continued during follow-ups at 2, 6, 12, and 24 h, with a progressive increase in the risk of failure (odds ratio 24 h 13.99 [95% CI 4.32-45.26]). A new cutoff for the ratio of oxygen saturation (ROX) index (ROX ≥ 4.88) after 24 h of HFNC administration was demonstrated to be the best predictor of success (odds ratio 11.0 [95% CI 3.3-47.0]). High-altitude subjects treated with HFNC for COVID-19 showed a high risk of respiratory failure and progressive hypoxemia when FIO2 requirements were > 0.8 after 24 h of treatment. In these subjects, personalized management should include continuous monitoring of individual clinical conditions (such as oxygenation indices, with cutoffs adapted to those corresponding to high-altitude cities).

Weapon morphology and performance predict fighting outcomes in the giant mesquite bug, Pachylis neocalifornicus

Abstract Many animals engage in direct competition with other members of their species over access to resources. Winning such contests often increases an individual’s fitness. Thus, it is important to understand which factors determine contest outcomes. In weapon-bearing species, body size and weapon size have been reported to be important predictors of fighting success. However, it is unclear if one trait is a better predictor of success compared to the other. Additionally, there are mixed results as to whether performance measurements (e.g. force output of a weapon) are better predictors of fighting success than linear measurements (e.g. weapon size and body size). In this study, we randomly paired 124 Pachylis neocalifornicus (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coreidae) males in territorial interactions to investigate whether differences in body size, weapon size or weapon performance best predict fighting outcomes. We found that weapon size and weapon performance are better predictors of fighting outcomes than body size. However, we did not find clear evidence that linear measurements are better than performance measurements at predicting contest winners, as suggested in a recent meta-analysis. These results highlight the importance of weapon performance measurements and encourage future studies to continue investigating how non-size related traits (e.g. performance) influence contest outcomes.

Evaluating the Usefulness of Human DNA Quantification to Predict DNA Profiling Success of Historical Bone Samples

This study assessed the usefulness of DNA quantification to predict the success of historical samples when analyzing SNPs, mtDNA, and STR targets. Thirty burials from six historical contexts were utilized, ranging in age from 80 to 800 years postmortem. Samples underwent library preparation and hybridization capture with two bait panels (FORCE and mitogenome), and STR typing (autosomal STR and Y-STR). All 30 samples generated small (~80 bp) autosomal DNA target qPCR results, despite mean mappable fragments ranging from 55-125 bp. The qPCR results were positively correlated with DNA profiling success. Samples with human DNA inputs as low as 100 pg resulted in ≥80% FORCE SNPs at 10X coverage. All 30 samples resulted in mitogenome coverage ≥100X despite low human DNA input (as low as 1 pg). With PowerPlex Fusion, ≥30 pg human DNA input resulted in >40% of auSTR loci. At least 59% of Y-STR loci were recovered with Y-target qPCR-based inputs of ≥24 pg. The results also indicate that human DNA quantity is a better predictor of success than the ratio of human to exogenous DNA. Accurate quantification with qPCR is feasible for historical bone samples, allowing for the screening of extracts to predict the success of DNA profiling.

Evaluating effectiveness of girdle-herbicide containment of below-ground spread of oak wilt (Bretziella fagacearum)

Oaks (Quercus spp) are one of the most important sources of timber, mast for wildlife, and ecosystem services across the eastern US. Increasingly, this genus is at risk from diseases including oak wilt, which is one of the most serious threats to oaks, caused by the fungus, Bretziella fagacearum. The upper Midwest has over 5 million ha of oak forests, much of which is on rocky glaciated soils where traditional methods of containing below-ground spread of oak wilt (e.g., vibratory plow lines) are not feasible. We evaluated an alternative containment method of girdling and herbicide (GH) of oak wilt infected trees as well as neighboring oak trees likely connected via root grafts. Our results demonstrated that GH was effective at controlling below-ground spread of oak wilt (overall success rate: 55 %). Best control was achieved when infection centers were small (≤4 newly infected trees), where GH was 81 % effective at containing oak wilt. Containment was only 29 % in larger infection centers (≥5 newly infected trees). The best predictor of success was the number of newly infected trees (p = 0.02) even when considering other factors that could dictate the size of infection centers (e.g., diameter of trees, or number of neighboring trees treated). Our results illustrate the importance of early and rapid management of oak wilt infections and offer a starting place for continued improvement of the GH methodology.

Civic education in Rwanda: the impact of the Itorero program

The authors discuss the transformation in civic education in Rwanda. Before the arrival of the colonizers, Rwanda had traditions in education and uniting societies. Colonialism destroyed the educational system and divided the society. The re-introduction of the traditional system has been also explored – the example of the Itorero program and its impact on the unity and reconciliation efforts of the government – on the basis of various conducted studies. The main aspects that are taken into account in this study include: the significance of civic education, the Itorero program and the best predictors of success, and the role of civic education in promoting the well-being of communities and nations. The authors not only analyze the functioning of the Itorero institution, but also aim to seek answers to the questions of whether and to what extent the Itorero program affects civic education and to what extent it is an effective tool for uniting the Rwandan society.

Successful IT Entrepreneurship in Nigeria: The Contingent Role of Mentorship

ABSTRACT This paper principally explores the determinants of successful information technology entrepreneurship in Nigeria’s IT sector. It further examines the moderating effect of mentorship (either by an IT practitioner or a non-IT practitioner) in the correlation between the independent variables of interest and dependent variable. Literature from the developed markets underscores a positive relationship between training and successful entrepreneurship. However, such relationship is seldom explored within the context of developing markets such as Nigeria. Thus, this paper explores the impact of specific factors such as IT-focused entrepreneurial training, being born by entrepreneur parents, business school training, faith in a supernatural and mentorship on IT entrepreneurial success A quantitative research design involving a web-based survey was used to collect data among 297 participants. All collected data were screened and analyzed using binary logistic regression and Exploratory Factor Analysis. The results showed that IT entrepreneurs who are born by entrepreneur parents are more likely to succeed than those without such family backgrounds. Also, the attendance of a business school is a significant predictive factor for IT entrepreneurial success in Nigeria. Surprisingly, no significant correlation exists between formal education in the IT field and IT entrepreneurial success. Further, no significant moderating effect of mentorship was present. This implies that IT entrepreneurs in Nigeria need to harness the benefits of entrepreneurial family background and business school education to sustainably grow their businesses and become successful. Also, committed federal government backing is needed to introduce innovative entrepreneurial initiatives to improve competence among IT entrepreneurs in Nigeria. General business/management training is needed besides conventional IT training as the former is a better predictor of success among IT entrepreneurs. Finally, trainings need to focus on building competencies for relationship management to aid access to resources for innovation and growth. Future studies should consider a qualitative approach to investigating the mediating impact of mentorship on IT entrepreneurship success in Nigeria.

Posts on central websites need less originality to be noticed

Information has major consequences for democracy and society. It is important to understand what factors favor its diffusion. The impact of the content of a message on its likelihood of going viral is poorly understood. Some studies say originality is important for a message not to be overlooked. Others give more relevance to paratextual elements—network centrality, timing, human cognitive limits. Here we propose that originality and centrality interact in a nontrivial way, which might explain why originality by itself is not a good predictor of success. We collected data from Reddit on users sharing hyperlinks. We estimated the originality of each post title and the centrality of the website hosting the shared link. We show that the interaction effect exists: if users share content from a central website, originality no longer increases the odds of receiving at least one upvote. The same is not true for the odds of becoming one of the top 10% scoring posts. We show that originality is concentrated in the domain network: domains in the core of the network produce more original content. Our results imply that research on online information virality needs to take into account the nontrivial interaction between originality and prominence.

Early treatment of white‐nose syndrome is necessary to stop population decline

Abstract Since its introduction to North America, white‐nose syndrome has been associated with declines greater than 90% in several bat species, prompting the development of treatments to reduce disease‐related mortality. As treatment application is scaled up, predicting responses at the population level will help in the development of management plans. We develop a model allowing for the implementation of multiple treatment scenarios in bat populations at risk of severe mortality from white‐nose syndrome. Our model allows for variation in over 10 parameters, including effectiveness of treatment, treatment‐related disturbance, number of individuals treated, number of hibernacula treated, herd immunity and movement among hibernacula. Additionally, the model allows treatments to be applied to individuals, the hibernaculum or a combination of the two. We simulated treatments for populations of 1000, 10,000 and 100,000 individuals, with the distribution of individuals within hibernacula based on field surveys of Myotis lucifugus. When treatments are applied to individuals, we found that treatment success was most influenced by the number of bats effectively treated, the magnitude of disturbance and the year of first treatment relative to initial mortality. For treatments applied to hibernacula, we found year of first treatment relative to initial mortality, magnitude of disturbance and effectiveness of treatment to be the best predictors of success. Treatments have the potential to mitigate white‐nose syndrome‐related mortality, but application of treatments after initial mass mortality seems to be of limited benefit. Unknowns surrounding influential treatment parameters, such as disturbance to hibernating bats, created substantial variation across outcomes and highlight the importance of obtaining field estimates of parameters associated with treatments. Synthesis and applications: While treatment applications can increase survival from white‐nose syndrome, their potential is strongly diminished when not applied before or during the early epidemic stages. Once the disease is established, increasing survival and reproduction through methods other than disease treatments could be a better option. In the United States, most areas yet to reach the late epidemic or established stage are in the west where bats do not aggregate in large colonies and treating a substantial number of individuals will be difficult.

A Critique of Emotional Intelligence

The main aim of this study was to identify the limitations of the extremely popular emotional intelligence construct as it is applied in leadership. The concept is popular because it argues that emotions and not intelligence quotient may perhaps be the true measure of human intelligence and the best predictor of success. Emotional intelligence has since been dubbed the cure-all for all of our social problems. However, this narrative review will reveal that as much as emotional intelligence is important and a necessity, unbridled and unhinged enthusiasm has obscured its dark side. This study is timely and relevant because blind acceptance and application of the emotional intelligence concept might be counter-productive to the leadership process. Keywords: emotional intelligence; leadership; Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT); Intelligence Quotient (IQ); Cognitive abilities. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/12-5-02 Publication date: July 31 st 2022

Vocabulary depth as preliteracy skill

The aim of this study is to explore the predictive value of vocabulary breadth and depth together with the classical variables of phonological awareness, naming speed and alphabetic knowledge in explaining progress in the initial learning of reading and writing in a sample of 162 students in the 3rd year of kindergarten. Early detection of risks in learning to read is essential to be able to intervene proactively if signs of dyslexia are found. The study of skills that predict successful literacy acquisition may be useful to identify risk indicators of learning disabilities in reading and writing in early childhood education. The results found confirm the contribution of classical variables and reveal that especially vocabulary depth seems to be a good predictor of success in early literacy performance. The educational implications of these findings are discussed.

Inhibin-B and FSH Are Good Indicators of Spermatogenesis but Not the Best Indicators of Fertility.

Biochemical markers of spermatogenesis and fertility assessment are important in the practical management of infertile males and the determination of an individual’s prognosis. We performed an analysis on 100 males with a male infertility factor. The following study inclusion parameters were analyzed: seminogram, FSH, LH, testosterone, estradiol, prolactin, TSH, and inhibin B concentrations. The patients were subsequently treated by reproductive endocrinologists in accordance with AUA/ASRM and EAU guidelines. The reproductive status was evaluated over a period of 3 years. We found a strong correlation of sperm count with inhibin B (r = 0.74, p < 0.001) and FSH concentration levels (r = −0.46, p < 0.001). Among 95 patients at follow-up, pregnancies occurred for 59 of their partners (48 spontaneous, 5 after IVF–ET, and 6 after IUI). Thirty-six patients remained childless despite the therapy. Sperm count and inhibin B level were the best predictors of natural fertilization (ROC AUC: 0.86 and 0.84; cut-off: 2.7 mln/mL and 45 pg/mL). Although inhibin B and FSH can be used to evaluate spermatogenesis and fertility, the initial sperm concentration appeared to be the best predictor of success. Pregnancy was achieved in a surprisingly large proportion of patients with a very low concentration of inhibin B and a low initial sperm count. It is noteworthy that 81% of the pregnancies were achieved without medically assisted reproduction.

Use of High-Flow Nasal Cannula in Patients With Pneumonia and Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure at Altitudes Above 2600 m: What Is the Best Predictor of Success?

Introduction: The use of high-flow nasal cannulas (HFNC) in patients with hypoxemic ventilatory failure reduces the need for mechanical ventilation and does not increase mortality when intubation is promptly applied. The aim of the study is to describe the behavior of HFNC in patients who live at high altitudes, and the performance of predictors of success/failure of this strategy. Methods: Prospective multicenter cohort study, with patients aged over 18 years recruited for 12 months in 2020 to 21. All had a diagnosis of hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to pneumonia, were admitted to intensive care units, and were receiving initial management with a high-flow nasal cannula. The variables assessed included need for intubation, mortality in ICU, and the validation of SaO2, respiratory rate (RR) and ROX index (IROX) as predictors of HFNC success / failure. Results: One hundred and six patients were recruited, with a mean age of 59 years and a success rate of 74.5%. Patients with treatment failure were more likely to be obese (BMI 27.2 vs 25.5; OR: 1.03; 95% CI: .95-1.1) and had higher severity scores at admission (APACHE II 12 vs 20; OR 1.15; 95% CI: 1.06-1.24). Respiratory rates after 12 (AUC .81 CI: .70-.92) and 18 h (AUC .85 CI: .72-0.90) of HFNC use were the best predictors of failure, performing better than those that included oxygenation. ICU mortality was higher in the failure group (6% vs 29%; OR 8.8; 95% CI:1.75-44.7). Conclusions: High-flow oxygen cannula therapy in patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure living at altitudes above 2600 m is associated with low rates of therapy failure and a reduced need for mechanical ventilation in the ICU. The geographical conditions and secondary physiological changes influence the performance of the traditionally validated predictors of therapy success. Respiratory rate <30 proved to be the best indicator of early success of the device at 12 h of use.

Hydrogen peroxide assisted endoscopic necrosectomy for walled-off pancreatic necrosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and aimsEndoscopic necrosectomy (EN) is the preferred approach for management of symptomatic or infected walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN). Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been reported to be a good adjunctive therapy for EN. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate effectiveness and safety of H2O2 assisted EN for WOPN. MethodsA comprehensive search of multiple databases (through December 2020) was performed to identify studies that reported outcomes of H2O2 assisted EN for WOPN. Outcomes assessed included clinical success, technical success, and adverse events. ResultsA total of 454 patients with mean age (47.3 ± 7.9 years) and WOPN size (12.4 ± 3.1 cm) were included from 15 studies. The median H2O2 concentration was 3% (range 0.1–3%), with dilution and volume ranging from 1:1 to 10:1 and 20 ml to 1 L, respectively. The rates of technical success, clinical success and adverse events was 97.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 94.8–98.6, I2 = 0), 89.8% (95% CI: 86.3–92.5, I2 = 0) and 17.9% (95% CI: 12.6–24.7, I2 = 38), respectively. The most common adverse event was bleeding (7.1%) followed by stent migration (5.3%). On meta-regression, WOPN size, patient age, use of metal stent, number of necrosectomies and transgastric access were not significant predictor for technical success, clinical success or adverse events. ConclusionH2O2 assisted EN is effective and safe for management of WOPN. Its use may be encouraged, and future randomized controlled studies are needed to study the optimal technique, concentration and best predictors of success.

What Are Predictors for Passing the OT Licensing Exam?

Abstract Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. The predictors of success on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®) were investigated by analyzing OT students' graduate-level course grades and their Occupational Therapy Knowledge Exam (OTKE) scores. The researchers found that pedagogy styles and success in foundational courses had no significant indication of overall first-time pass rates on the NBCOT. The best predictor of success on the NBCOT continues to be the OTKE. Primary Author and Speaker: Rebekah Wilson Additional Authors and Speakers: Hawii Mekonnen, Alexis Gaatz, Elizabeth Holmgren Contributing Authors: Kathy Lemley, Reivian Berrios Barillas

Is extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) still suitable for >1.5 cm intrarenal stones? Data analysis of 1902 SWLs

Purpose According to the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology guidelines, shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) is the least-invasive treatment option for kidney stones smaller than 2 cm. However, it is well known that SWL stone-free rates (SFR) decline as stone size increases. We sought to evaluate whether the size limit of 1.5 cm could be a better predictor of success after a single SWL session than current recommendations. Methods Data from an SWL-dedicated center were prospectively scrutinized according to stone locations and sizes. Information on patients’ demography, lithotripsy parameters, and outcomes was evaluated by multivariate analysis among 1902 SWLs. Results The overall SFR was 70.8% (1347/1902). SFRs according to stone size were <1 cm: 73.8% (825/1118), 1–1.5 cm: 70.4% (401/569) and >1.5 cm: 56.2% (121/215); and according to calculi location were lower pole (LP) 64.4% (398/618), mid pole 73.8% (339/459), upper pole 73.8% (273/370) and renal pelvis 74.1% (337/455). Multivariate analysis revealed better SFR independent better SFR in <1.5 cm (p < 0.01), and non-LP stones (p < 0.01). Conclusion SWL is an effective treatment modality for kidney stones. The single session reached up to 74.8% SFRs (range 70.8%–74.8%) when indicated for intrarenal non LP stones smaller than 1.5 cm. Patients with stones >1.5 cm or >1 cm located in the LP should be counseled on the lower SFRs after a single SWL session.