Noninfectious hemodialysis catheter complications include catheter dysfunction, catheter-related thrombus, and central vein stenosis. The definitions, causes, and treatment strategies for catheter dysfunction are reviewed below. Catheter-related thrombus is a less common but serious complication of catheters, requiring catheter removal and systemic anticoagulation. In addition, the risk factors, clinical manifestation, and treatment options for central vein stenosis are outlined.

This case study explored the potential for using a synchronous online piano teaching internship as a service-learning project for graduate pedagogy interns. In partnership with the university, a local music retailer, and a local middle school, three pedagogy interns taught beginning piano to underprivileged teenaged students for 8 weeks. All instruction took place in the synchronous online environment using acoustic Disklavier pianos, Internet MIDI, Facetime, and traditional method books. As a result of the experience, the students demonstrated musical understanding and the pedagogy interns developed teaching techniques, displayed improved comprehension of course content, learned about current distance teaching technology, and considered the role of music education in society. Based on these results, it might be feasible to provide piano lessons to underserved populations in remote locations while offering meaningful internship experiences to pedagogy students through distance service-learning projects. Service-learning in the 21st centuryI know that the [teaching] internship is an important part of my pedagogy course. But, I already have two music degrees and I am incredibly busy. I am taking classes and … teach 25 piano students in town. I'm getting teaching experience outside of school and I really don't have time for this internship … I'm not sure what I'll gain from it, since I'm so pressed for time already. Plus, I don't see how we can teach piano online … I'm sure it won't feel like a real lesson. (Phil, doctoral student and teaching intern, prior to week 1 of the service-learning project) "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." (Gandhi)

Professional musicians employ self-regulation and deliberate practice strategies when learning music. Although self-regulation is difficult for beginners, presumably students practice deliberately as music becomes more difficult and they develop musical skills. It is not clear to what extent intermediate piano students self-regulate during learning. This study explored practice strategies used during at-home practice of nine intermediate-level teenaged piano students. Over a two-month period, piano students recorded three videos of themselves practicing. Data were triangulated from coded video, teacher interviews, and student questionnaires regarding practice habits, strategy use, and perceived challenges. Students regularly practiced under less-than-ideal circumstances and had limited attention spans, but skill level was not an indicator of self-regulation. Nine practice strategies were observed and reportedly employed. While six of the students mostly played through repertoire, three participants were motivated to deliberately use practice strategies and they attempted to self-regulate when practicing without a teacher present.

This case study compares the teaching strategies employed by a novice and an expert instructor of two beginning children’s group-piano classes. In the United States, there is a century-long tradition of teaching piano to children in groups, and group teaching is championed in pedagogy texts and at professional educator conferences throughout the world. However, there are few meaningful formal opportunities for professional development of group-teaching skills or for observation of successful group-piano instruction available to teachers who wish to develop group-teaching skills. This exploratory study seeks to provide some initial data about group-teaching practices of novice and expert teachers. Curricular considerations, teaching techniques, and student engagement and learning emerged as common themes. Analysis highlights how the components of these themes manifested themselves in these novice and expert teachers’ classes and describes how these teaching techniques affected students. It is hoped that future research will include testing new paradigms for training teachers to work effectively with groups of beginning piano students.

The purpose of this research was to compare the acquisition of sight-reading skills between two groups of beginning piano students: the control group: students studying sight-reading through traditional face-to-face instruction (n=9); and, the experimental group: students studying sight-reading through live online video instruction (n=10). Online sessions employed digital pianos, Internet MIDI software, acoustic pianos and Skype video-conferencing technology. Analysis of the data revealed significant improvement in sight-reading scores as a result of the treatment, with no significant difference between the groups (t=1.17, df 10=1.81, p=0.05). The gain scores for the online group revealed less standard deviation and a higher mean increase (55.4 per cent) than the face-to-face group (33.7 per cent). Both groups benefited from improved rhythmic security and reported an increase in persistence, enthusiasm, motivation and confidence following treatments. Additional benefits of online delivery were identified suggesting that online sight-reading instruction may be a viable substitute for face-to-face sight-reading training or as a supplement to regular lessons.