Transcription Matters: Transcribing Talk and Interaction to Facilitate Conversation Analysis of the Taken-for-Granted in Young Children's Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Christina

2010-01-01

The development of transcripts is central to the work of many researchers yet questions of what and how researchers transcribe, and why, receive little attention in research literature. Conversation analysis is one research approach that has consistently addressed the integral relationship between theoretical and methodological perspectives,…

How Do Principals Respond to Charter School Competition? Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cannata, Marisa

2011-01-01

The current study from the National Center on School Choice contributes to the research by exploring the factors that affect principals' perceptions of charter school competition and the extent to which their leadership behavior may change in response. Central research questions of the study were: (1) How do principals perceive the competition…

Storytelling as Research Praxis, and Conversations that Enabled It to Emerge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Carteret, Phoenix

2008-01-01

This paper introduces conversations and stories that were central to my PhD research. Journal writing, poetry, story and transcribed conversations became texts and data I reproduced in response to the research questions, dreams, memory work and collective biography workshops with my participants. The paper rechoreographs the process that enabled…

The Research Workshop: Bringing the World into Your Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogovin, Paula

This book explains how to develop a research workshop, demonstrating how children's interests and questions can become the central focus of the curriculum and offering dozens of techniques for organizing the classroom and the school day to support student research. The book also provides guidelines for finding a wide range of resources, fostering…

Experimental philosophy.

PubMed

Knobe, Joshua; Buckwalter, Wesley; Nichols, Shaun; Robbins, Philip; Sarkissian, Hagop; Sommers, Tamler

2012-01-01

Experimental philosophy is a new interdisciplinary field that uses methods normally associated with psychology to investigate questions normally associated with philosophy. The present review focuses on research in experimental philosophy on four central questions. First, why is it that people's moral judgments appear to influence their intuitions about seemingly nonmoral questions? Second, do people think that moral questions have objective answers, or do they see morality as fundamentally relative? Third, do people believe in free will, and do they see free will as compatible with determinism? Fourth, how do people determine whether an entity is conscious?

Factors Influencing Chinese Students' Decisions to Study in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Larry; Shen, Libi

2016-01-01

The central research question was: Why do Chinese students want to study in the United States? The participants were 20 Chinese students who studied in the U.S. Ten interview questions were used and data were processed in NVivo 10. Five major themes emerged from this study: (a) American culture benefits foreign perceptions of education in the…

Commentary on Sommer et al. 'A randomized experiment of the effects of including alternative medicine in the mandatory benefit package of health insurance.

PubMed

Heusser, P

2000-03-01

The study by Sommer et al. recently reported in Complementary Therapies in Medicine has been heavily criticised in Switzerland since its original publication. Its major problems are an inadequate reflection of real practice, an inadequate study design relative to the central research objective, questionable value of the applied instrument and procedure for health assessment, methodological and statistical problems, and failure to consider literature relevant to the topic. For these reasons, this experimental study does not allow an answer to its central questions as to costs and effectiveness of complementary medicine made available within Switzerland's mandatory basic health insurance provisions. We propose more practice-related, non-experimental prospective study designs to realistically answer these questions.

On Developing Independent Critical Thinking: What We Can Learn from Studies of the Research Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stotsky, Sandra

1991-01-01

Examines studies of what students do as they select and narrow a topic, locate sources, sift through these sources, and develop a central research question or thesis statement. Notes limitations of a related body of research focusing on other kinds of academic writing. Raises conceptual and methodological issues for researchers to address in…

[New Paradigms? Current Trends within National and International Psychotherapy Research].

PubMed

Strauß, Bernhard

2015-09-01

This article is devoted to the question which paradigms currently determine psychotherapy and psychotherapy research, and if there are indicators of paradigm changes in this field. The question of the efficacy and effectiveness (including the effectiveness of a transfer of psychotherapeutic knowledge to service) is specifically focussed as well as the question of the central therapeutic factors and the significance of the person of the therapist. It is argued that there are really some signals of a paradigm switch, with a turn away from controlled outcome research, representing only a minor part of patients in need of psychotherapy, towards a more specific process oriented research, also considering differential effects of the therapist. The most prominent indicator of a paradigm change is reflected by an increasing influence of patient oriented psychotherapy research which - consequently - should also be supported by the insurances as well as the funding organisations. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction. National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Report Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. on Drug Abuse (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD.

This publication answers questions about the consequences of abusing commonly prescribed medications including opioids, central nervous system depressants, and stimulants. In addition to offering information on what research says about how certain medications affect the brain and body, this publication also discusses treatment options. It examines…

A Three Year Follow-Up of a Preschool Intervention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrix, Sandra; Dokecki, Paul R.

This research addressed the question of how preschool experiences will be reflected in later development. Both cognitive functioning and social behavioral adjustment were explored. The central focus was on attitudes conducive to achievement which The Demonstration and Research Center for Early Education (DARCEE) preschool program sought to develop…

Adolescent Literacies in a Multicultural Context. Routledge Research in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cumming, Alister, Ed.

2012-01-01

This book presents results from a four-year project addressing the central question: What factors, challenges, and contexts contribute to and constrain literacy achievement among at-risk adolescent learners with culturally diverse backgrounds? Researchers consider the importance of several, interrelated factors that support the development of…

Phoenix Rising: An Autoethnographic Account of a Gifted Black Male with Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Shawn Anthony

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe my academic journey as a gifted Black male with dyslexia. The central research question was the following: What were some of the stories along my academic pathway that seem significant? The research design positioned me inside the culture in which I am the topic of examination. The research methodology…

What Coping Strategies and Support Mechanisms Have Elementary Teachers Found Most Effective?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrd, Kristie M.

2017-01-01

This basic qualitative research study explored the lives of 14 elementary teachers in their classroom environment to answer two central research questions which are: what coping strategies do teachers find most effective and what coping mechanisms provided by administration helps them cope with classroom stress? Data were collected through…

Intervening in Student Learning Abroad: A Research-Based Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berg, Michael Vande

2009-01-01

This paper summarizes the major conclusions of a four-year study designed to measure the intercultural and second language learning of more than 1300 US undergraduates enrolled at 61 programs abroad. Focusing on the central research question--whether US students learn effectively when left to their own devices while abroad, or whether students…

Seeking Social Capital and Expertise in a Newly-Formed Research Community: A Co-Author Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forte, Christine E.

2017-01-01

This exploratory study applies social network analysis techniques to existing, publicly available data to understand collaboration patterns within the co-author network of a federally-funded, interdisciplinary research program. The central questions asked: What underlying social capital structures can be determined about a group of researchers…

Education, Educational Research, and the "Grammar" of Understanding: A Response to David Bridges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smeyers, Paul

2009-01-01

This article is the author's response to a paper presented by David Bridges. Bridges' central question: "Is there something exclusive and superior about insider understanding which the outsider cannot understand?" is indeed not only crucial to the contexts he explicitly deals with, i.e. religious understanding, ethnographic research and…

Evidence, Engagement, and Technology: Themes of and the State of Primary Care Practice-based Network Research.

PubMed

Nease, Donald E

2016-01-01

Practice-based research supported by practice-based research network (PBRN) infrastructure has historically provided an important method for challenging guidelines and evidence arising from secondary and tertiary care settings. This sample of current practice-based research in this issue of the JABFM provides an opportunity to ask whether practice-based research continues to address questions relevant to primary care practices and clinicians and whether a PBRN infrastructure is instrumental to maintaining the relevance and feasibility of practice-based research. Based on this issue's articles, the current state of practice-based research seems to be good, at face value addressing relevant issues for primary care practices. Less clear is the degree to which PBRN infrastructures and relationships informed the questions asked and facilitated the implementation of the studies presented. Practice-based research-related articles that routinely report about how study questions arose-from practices and their clinicians, staff and communities, or elsewhere-could help directly answer questions of relevance. In addition, reporting how practices are recruited to practice-based research studies could inform the degree to which ongoing relationships central to PBRNs facilitate the recruitment and conduct of practice-based research. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Taxonomy of Teaching Methods and Teaching Forms for Youth in Non-Formal Education in the National Youth Council of Slovenia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miloševic Zupancic, Vesna

2018-01-01

Research from the field of non-formal education (NFE) in youth work emphasises the central role of experiential learning and learning in groups. The present paper aims to research teaching methods and teaching forms in NFE in youth work. The research sought to answer the following research questions: 'What teaching forms can be found in NFE for…

Analysis of United States Air Forces Central Government Purchase Card Reachback Viability

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

being a wealth of knowledge and answering every contingency and reachback question throughout our PMA trip • Ms. Karey Schaffer – for giving us a...11. Karey L. Shaffer Program Manager, Acquisition Research Program, GB

Identifying Culturally Competent Clinical Skills in Speech-Language Pathologists in the Central Valley of California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maul, Christine A.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this research was to identify specific clinical skills in speech-language pathologists (SLPs) that may constitute cultural competency, a term which currently lacks operational definition. Through qualitative interview methods, the following research questions were addressed: (1) What dominant themes, if any, can be found in SLPs'…

Impact of a High School Career and Technical Education Program on Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gogan, Bradley E.

2017-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder rates are climbing in the United States. Because this population is growing, research is needed to understand how to assist these individuals in pursuit of postsecondary educational and employment opportunities. The purpose of this qualitative study, as reflected in the central research question, was to investigate how a…

Return of research results from pharmacogenomic versus disease susceptibility studies: what’s drugs got to do with it?

PubMed Central

Dressler, Lynn G

2012-01-01

One of the most controversial ethical issues in genomics research is the return of individual research results to research subjects. As new technologies, including whole-genome sequencing, provide an increased opportunity for researchers to find clinically relevant research results, the questions related to if, when and how individual research results should be returned become more central to the ethical conduct of genomic research. In the absence of federal guidance on this issue, many groups and individuals have developed recommendations and suggestions to address these questions. Most of these recommendations have focused on the return of individual results from disease susceptibility studies. However, in addition to predicting the development of disease, genomic research also includes predicting an individual’s response to drugs, especially the risk of developing adverse events. This article evaluates and compares the return of individual research results from disease susceptibility studies versus pharmacogenomic studies. PMID:22676197

Return of research results from pharmacogenomic versus disease susceptibility studies: what's drugs got to do with it?

PubMed

Dressler, Lynn G

2012-06-01

One of the most controversial ethical issues in genomics research is the return of individual research results to research subjects. As new technologies, including whole-genome sequencing, provide an increased opportunity for researchers to find clinically relevant research results, the questions related to if, when and how individual research results should be returned become more central to the ethical conduct of genomic research. In the absence of federal guidance on this issue, many groups and individuals have developed recommendations and suggestions to address these questions. Most of these recommendations have focused on the return of individual results from disease susceptibility studies. However, in addition to predicting the development of disease, genomic research also includes predicting an individual's response to drugs, especially the risk of developing adverse events. This article evaluates and compares the return of individual research results from disease susceptibility studies versus pharmacogenomic studies.

US medical researchers, the Nuremberg Doctors Trial, and the Nuremberg Code. A review of findings of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments.

PubMed

Faden, R R; Lederer, S E; Moreno, J D

1996-11-27

The Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHRE), established to review allegations of abuses of human subjects in federally sponsored radiation research, was charged with identifying appropriate standards to evaluate the ethics of cold war radiation experiments. One central question for ACHRE was to determine what role, if any, the Nuremberg Code played in the norms and practices of US medical researchers. Based on the evidence from ACHRE's Ethics Oral History Project and extensive archival research, we conclude that the Code, at the time it was promulgated, had little effect on mainstream medical researchers engaged in human subjects research. Although some clinical investigators raised questions about the conduct of research involving human beings, the medical profession did not pursue this issue until the 1960s.

The Source of Tok Pisin Structures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goulden, Rick J.

1989-01-01

The source of the similarities and differences produced by pidginization is a central question studied in Pidgin-Creole linguistics. Several explanatory approaches are discussed that have guided research in this area, including simplification, substratum, independent innovation, and universals. (27 references) (Author/OD)

Dairy foods in a moderate energy restricted diet do not enhance central fat, weight & intra-abdominal adipose tissue loss or reduce adipocyte size & inflammatory markers in overweight & obese adults; Controlled feeding study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Research on the role of dairy foods to enhance weight and fat loss when incorporated into a modest weight loss diet has had mixed results. Objective: A 15 week controlled feeding study to answer the question: do dairy foods enhance central fat and weight loss when incorporated in a mode...

Structure and Processing in Tunisian Arabic: Speech Error Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamrouni, Nadia

2010-01-01

This dissertation presents experimental research on speech errors in Tunisian Arabic. The nonconcatenative morphology of Arabic shows interesting interactions of phrasal and lexical constraints with morphological structure during language production. The central empirical questions revolve around properties of "exchange errors". These…

Free-Form Comparative Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Robert F.

1975-01-01

The question of a central focus in comparative education was discussed, brief examples of research requirements considered, and kinds of selective association implied which could provide for more effective networking, thus connecting sectors of work within the Comparative and International Society to other organizations. (Author/RK)

[Conceptual and methodological issues involved in the research field of diagnostic reasoning].

PubMed

Di Persia, Francisco N

2016-05-01

The psychopathological field is crossed by dilemmas that put in question its methodological, conceptual and philosophical filiations. Since the early works of Ey and Jaspers until recent work of Berrios it has been in question the position psychopathology has in the field of medicine in general, and in the field of psychiatry in particular, especially if it should follow the principles of natural science or if it has an autonomous position between them. This debate has led to two opposing positions facing two different models of psychopathology: the biomedical model and the socio-constructionist model. In this work it is proposed to review the scope and difficulties involved in each model following two central axes: diagnostic reasoning and mental illness conceptual problem. Later, as a synthesis of the analysis proposed they are identified central concepts of each model that could allow the development of a hybrid model in psychopathology; in between them the comprehensive framework employed in symptoms recognition and the social component that characterizes it are highlighted. As a conclusion, these concepts are proposed as central aspects for conceptual and methodological clarification of the research field of diagnostic reasoning in psychopathology.

English Language Arts and Science Courses in a Virtual School: A Comparative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tustin, Rachel Sarah

2012-01-01

Virtual K-12 schools have rapidly become a popular choice for parents and students in the last decade. However, little research has been done on the instructional practices used in virtual courses. As reflected in the central research question, the purpose of this study was to explore how teachers provided instruction for Grade 7-10 students in…

Information Security: A Scientometric Study of the Profile, Structure, and Dynamics of an Emerging Scholarly Specialty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olijnyk, Nicholas Victor

2014-01-01

The central aim of the current research is to explore and describe the profile, dynamics, and structure of the information security specialty. This study's objectives are guided by four research questions: 1. What are the salient features of information security as a specialty? 2. How has the information security specialty emerged and evolved from…

Critical Issues in Empirical Human Science: The Contribution of Phenomenology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sexton-Hesse, Charlene A.

Issues that are central to science when the object of inquiry is the human being need clarification and analysis. These issues can be formulated as a question, such as, "How can researchers in adult and continuing education conduct research that is empirical human science; that is, how can they study human beings as persons with values, will,…

Research on Data Use: A Framework and Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coburn, Cynthia E.; Turner, Erica O.

2011-01-01

One of the central lessons from research on data use in schools and school districts is that assessments, student tests, and other forms of data are only as good as how they are used. But what influences how they are used? This relatively straightforward question turns out to be fairly complex to answer. Data use implicates a number of processes,…

My genes made me do it? The implications of behavioural genetics for responsibility and blame.

PubMed

Levitt, Mairi; Manson, Neil

2007-03-01

The idea of individual responsibility for action is central to our conception of what it is to be a person. Behavioural genetic research may seem to call into question the idea of individual responsibility with possible implications for the criminal justice system. These implications will depend on the understandings of the various agencies and professional groups involved in responding to violent and anti-social behaviour, and, the result of negotiations between them over resulting practice. The paper considers two kinds of approaches to the question of responsibility and 'criminal genes' arising from a sociological and philosophical perspective respectively. One is to consider the social context and possible practical implications of research into 'criminal genes' which will later be examined through interviews and discussions with a range of experts including lawyers and social workers. A second and different kind of approach is to ask whether the findings of behavioural genetics ought to have implications for attributions of responsibility. Issues of genetic influence are central to both approaches.

Hypothalamic amenorrhea. The effects of environmental stresses on the reproductive system: a central effect of the central nervous system.

PubMed

Warren, M P; Fried, J L

2001-09-01

Although the treatment of anovulation has become significantly more specialized and complex in the centuries since Hippocrates, a complete understanding of the causes and mechanisms of hypothalamic amenorrhea has not been achieved. Even the best research on hypothalamic amenorrhea is plagued by the lack of longitudinal studies, the use of different exercise models, the difficulty of controlling for caloric intake, and the fact that genetics may have a role in the disorder. Continuing research on metabolic rate, leptin, and other factors will ultimately answer many of the outstanding questions and will help to create better tools for treating this disorder.

Quality Assurance of Teachers in the Implementation of the Curriculum of Technical and Vocational Education in Colleges of Education (Technical) in North Cental Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attaochu, Egbita Ugbalu

2013-01-01

This study was carried out to ascertain the quality assurance of teachers (lecturers) in the implementation of the curriculum of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) in Colleges of Education (Technical) in North Central Nigeria. Two research questions were formulated and answered in this study. Survey research and evaluation designs were…

78 FR 65745 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-01

... benefits as earnings increase. The experimental design for BOND tests a benefit offset alone and in conjunction with enhanced work incentives counseling. The central research questions include: What is the... public survey data collections have four components--an impact study, a cost-benefit analysis, a...

Students' Entrepreneurial Intentions: An Inter-Regional Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franco, Mario; Haase, Heiko; Lautenschlager, Arndt

2010-01-01

Purpose: The central research questions which the paper aims to answer are: What are the entrepreneurial intentions of university students in different European regions? What are the factors that most contribute to entrepreneurial intentions and the potential differences between the regions? Design/methodology/approach: This cross-sectional study…

Teacher beliefs in contemporary science education goals and classroom practice: The case of Souhegan High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Jennifer Creed

The central research question for this study was: To what extent is a teacher's purported beliefs in contemporary science education goals embedded in his/her routine classroom practice? Two sub-research questions were necessary to investigate this central research question: (1) To what degree do Souhegan High School science teachers believe in the contemporary goals of science education? (2) What is a Souhegan High School science teacher's degree of conviction to his/her beliefs of particular goals? The goal of this study was to develop grounded hypotheses/research questions. Given the stated research questions, a case study design most appropriately met the intended purpose of this study. The study was initiated with the science teachers at Souhegan High School taking the survey of Contemporary Goals of Science Education (Zeidler & Duffy, 1994). Following analysis of the group's responses, two equal ranges of scores were established. In addition, a weighted mean provided data on a teacher's degree of conviction to his/her beliefs of particular goals. Three teachers were invited to continue with the study, each range represented. Classroom observations provided data in the next phase of inquiry. Samples of assessment tasks were also collected as data. Following classroom observations, interviews were conducted. These interviews were semi-structured, with the use of Newmann, Secada, and Wehlage (1995), Standards and Scoring Criteria for Classroom Instruction and Assessment Tasks as a vehicle for teacher reflection. Data collection and analyses occurred simultaneously as characterized by the constant comparative method in accordance with grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Spradley's Developmental Research Sequence (1980) provided a framework and process for implementing grounded theory which was modified to meet the goals of this study. Analysis of the data from the Survey of Contemporary Goals of Science Education showed strong preference for the contemporary goals of science education over past goals (n = 9). In addition, teachers showed a high degree of conviction in their beliefs of contemporary goals (average weighted mean for contemporary goals = 2.52) and a much lower degree of conviction in their beliefs of past goals (average weighted mean for past goals =.67). While addressing the main research question, the study's methodology was allowed to emerge from the interactions between researcher, participant, the data collection and analysis. This provided the researcher the opportunity to develop a research question from the data as outlined in grounded theory by Glaser and Strauss (1967). The study generated the grounded research question: What role do authentic science research projects play in a teacher's ability to embed his/her beliefs of science education in routine classroom practice? Authentic science research projects are investigations and lines of inquiry relating to an issue relevant to students' lives which, through research and experimentation, would demand engagement in the knowledge and processes of science (observing, hypothesizing, collecting data, inferring, etc.) and have value or meaning beyond school (Newmann, Secada, & Wehlage, 1995). By investigating science teachers' beliefs in the contemporary goals of science education and their classroom practice, this line of inquiry not only benefited the participants and the researcher in their pursuit of effective science education, but increased our knowledge base of science education reform and helped to provide a foundation for research in the future. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Justifying all the fuss about false belief.

PubMed

Russell, James

2005-07-01

The classic study by Wimmer and Perner showed that children below the age of about 4 years of age fail to appreciate others' false beliefs. This opened the floodgates to the theory-of-mind research programme. Recently, a study by Riggs and Simpson has called the central challenge of false belief into question, reporting similar difficulties with true belief. I would argue, however, that not only should the acquisition of false belief remain a central concern but that we should think harder about it and its earlier manifestations.

Exercise issues related to the neuromuscular function and adaptation to microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edgerton, Reggie

1989-01-01

Explored here is the question of whether astronauts can perform extravehicular activities effectively, efficiently, and productively. The loss of muscle mass, movement control, central nervous system function, muscle atrophy and fatigue, all consequent to weightlessness exposure, are discussed. The author recommends more research in these areas.

Persistence Factors of First-Generation Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braswell, Tawanda M.

2010-01-01

This dissertation utilized a qualitative narrative case study method to explore the unknown factors and elements of perseverance in spite of adversity and crisis. The study documented the lives of five African American women in order to describe, understand, and explain the central research question of how and why some first-generation learners…

Probing for Reasons: Presentations, Questions, Phases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Kellyn Farlow; Speiser, Bob

2010-01-01

This paper reports on a research study based on data from experimental teaching. Undergraduate dance majors were invited, through real-world problem tasks that raised central conceptual issues, to invent major ideas of calculus. This study focuses on work and thinking by these students, as they sought to build key ideas, representations and…

Trust and Organizational Citizenship: Moderating the Effects of School Socioeconomic Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Page A.

2013-01-01

This study examines the relationships between faculty trust and the organizational citizenship behaviors of elementary school teachers. The central research question of the investigation was "What aspects of organizational trust are the best predictors of organizational citizenship?" In a sample of 112 elementary schools in south-central…

Calculus Student Understanding of Continuity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wangle, Jayleen Lillian

2013-01-01

Continuity is a central concept in calculus. Yet very few students seem to understand the nature of continuity. The research described was conducted in two stages. Students were asked questions in multiple choice and true/false format regarding function, limit and continuity. These results were used to identify participants as strong, weak or…

Naming-Speed Processes, Timing, and Reading: A Conceptual Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Maryanne; Bowers, Patricia Greig; Biddle, Kathleen

2000-01-01

This article reviews evidence for seven central questions about the role of naming-speed deficits in developmental reading disabilities. Cross-sectional, longitudinal, and cross-linguistic research on naming-speed processes, timing processes, and reading is presented. An evolving model of visual naming illustrates areas of difference and areas of…

The Marathon Group Hypothesis: An Unanswered Question

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, Stephen E.; And Others

1973-01-01

The authors of this article contend that the Guinan and Foulds study was inadequately designed and executed, and the results indicate little of the "usefulness" of the test, much less illuminate the important hypothesis central to the investigation. Specific suggestions for further research in marathon group evaluation are made. (Author)

Experiences of African American College Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Aundria Chephan

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons that African-American alumni from a historically Black university (HBCU) and a predominantly White university (PWI) chose to attend, remain in, and graduate from college. The central research question was how do African Americans describe their college experiences? The secondary research…

New Opportunities for Principal Leadership: Shaping School Climates for Enhanced Teacher Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drago-Severson, Eleanor

2012-01-01

Background/Context: Improved professional development for teachers and principals is central to our national educational agenda. Principals struggle with the challenge of how to build school climates that improve practice in an era of heightened accountability and increasingly complex adaptive challenges. Purpose/Objective/Research Questions/Focus…

Performing Contrast Analysis in Factorial Designs: From NHST to Confidence Intervals and Beyond

PubMed Central

Wiens, Stefan; Nilsson, Mats E.

2016-01-01

Because of the continuing debates about statistics, many researchers may feel confused about how to analyze and interpret data. Current guidelines in psychology advocate the use of effect sizes and confidence intervals (CIs). However, researchers may be unsure about how to extract effect sizes from factorial designs. Contrast analysis is helpful because it can be used to test specific questions of central interest in studies with factorial designs. It weighs several means and combines them into one or two sets that can be tested with t tests. The effect size produced by a contrast analysis is simply the difference between means. The CI of the effect size informs directly about direction, hypothesis exclusion, and the relevance of the effects of interest. However, any interpretation in terms of precision or likelihood requires the use of likelihood intervals or credible intervals (Bayesian). These various intervals and even a Bayesian t test can be obtained easily with free software. This tutorial reviews these methods to guide researchers in answering the following questions: When I analyze mean differences in factorial designs, where can I find the effects of central interest, and what can I learn about their effect sizes? PMID:29805179

Formulating and Answering High-Impact Causal Questions in Physiologic Childbirth Science: Concepts and Assumptions.

PubMed

Snowden, Jonathan M; Tilden, Ellen L; Odden, Michelle C

2018-06-08

In this article, we conclude our 3-part series by focusing on several concepts that have proven useful for formulating causal questions and inferring causal effects. The process of causal inference is of key importance for physiologic childbirth science, so each concept is grounded in content related to women at low risk for perinatal complications. A prerequisite to causal inference is determining that the question of interest is causal rather than descriptive or predictive. Another critical step in defining a high-impact causal question is assessing the state of existing research for evidence of causality. We introduce 2 causal frameworks that are useful for this undertaking, Hill's causal considerations and the sufficient-component cause model. We then provide 3 steps to aid perinatal researchers in inferring causal effects in a given study. First, the researcher should formulate a rigorous and clear causal question. We introduce an example of epidural analgesia and labor progression to demonstrate this process, including the central role of temporality. Next, the researcher should assess the suitability of the given data set to answer this causal question. In randomized controlled trials, data are collected with the express purpose of answering the causal question. Investigators using observational data should also ensure that their chosen causal question is answerable with the available data. Finally, investigators should design an analysis plan that targets the causal question of interest. Some data structures (eg, time-dependent confounding by labor progress when estimating the effect of epidural analgesia on postpartum hemorrhage) require specific analytical tools to control for bias and estimate causal effects. The assumptions of consistency, exchangeability, and positivity may be especially useful in carrying out these steps. Drawing on appropriate causal concepts and considering relevant assumptions strengthens our confidence that research has reduced the likelihood of alternative explanations (eg bias, chance) and estimated a causal effect. © 2018 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

[Ethics of biomedical research: questions about patient information].

PubMed

Moutel, Grégoire

2013-02-01

All recommendations and laws concerning biomedical research, including the most recent in France in 2012, emphasize the quality of patient information to justify its participation. To optimize practices, it is important to take into account the central issues: what limits of information? What role for the relatives and family in the decision in case of disability or vulnerability of a patient? What need for specific information for long protocol and follow-up cohort? What information about research results? © 2013 médecine/sciences – Inserm / SRMS.

The Connectivity Map: a new tool for biomedical research.

PubMed

Lamb, Justin

2007-01-01

The ultimate objective of biomedical research is to connect human diseases with the genes that underlie them and drugs that treat them. But this remains a daunting task, and even the most inspired researchers still have to resort to laborious screens of genetic or chemical libraries. What if at least some parts of this screening process could be systematized and centralized? And hits found and hypotheses generated with something resembling an internet search engine? These are the questions the Connectivity Map project set out to answer.

Metacognitive Analysis of Pre-Service Teachers of Chemistry in Posting Questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoso, T.; Yuanita, L.

2017-04-01

Questions addressed to something can induce metacognitive function to monitor a person’s thinking process. This study aims to describe the structure of the level of student questions based on thinking level and chemistry understanding level and describe how students use their metacognitive knowledge in asking. This research is a case study in chemistry learning, followed by 87 students. Results of the analysis revealed that the structure of thinking level of student question consists of knowledge question, understanding and application question, and high thinking question; the structure of chemistry understanding levels of student questions are a symbol, macro, macro-micro, macro-process, micro-process, and the macro-micro-process. The level Questioning skill of students to scientific articles more qualified than the level questioning skills of students to the teaching materials. The analysis result of six student interviews, a student question demonstrate the metacognitive processes with categories: (1) low-level metacognitive process, which is compiled based on questions focusing on a particular phrase or change the words; (2) intermediate level metacognitive process, submission of questions requires knowledge and understanding, and (3) high-level metacognitive process, the student questions posed based on identifying the central topic or abstraction essence of scientific articles.

Working memory capacity and visual-verbal cognitive load modulate auditory-sensory gating in the brainstem: toward a unified view of attention.

PubMed

Sörqvist, Patrik; Stenfelt, Stefan; Rönnberg, Jerker

2012-11-01

Two fundamental research questions have driven attention research in the past: One concerns whether selection of relevant information among competing, irrelevant, information takes place at an early or at a late processing stage; the other concerns whether the capacity of attention is limited by a central, domain-general pool of resources or by independent, modality-specific pools. In this article, we contribute to these debates by showing that the auditory-evoked brainstem response (an early stage of auditory processing) to task-irrelevant sound decreases as a function of central working memory load (manipulated with a visual-verbal version of the n-back task). Furthermore, individual differences in central/domain-general working memory capacity modulated the magnitude of the auditory-evoked brainstem response, but only in the high working memory load condition. The results support a unified view of attention whereby the capacity of a late/central mechanism (working memory) modulates early precortical sensory processing.

An Interactive Cultural Transect: Designing, Deploying, and Evaluating an Online Virtual-Abroad Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Phil; Katsaros, Alex; Howard, Rosalyn; Lindgren, Robb

2012-01-01

This pilot project conducted by researchers from the University of Central Florida (UCF) seeks to answer the question: Does a real-time, two-way, mobile, remote webcasting system have special properties for learning compared with traditional distance learning platforms? Students enrolled in two online, undergraduate UCF courses explored South…

Investigating the Dynamics of Formative Assessment: Relationships between Teacher Knowledge, Assessment Practice and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Joan; Osmundson, Ellen; Dai, Yunyun; Ringstaff, Cathy; Timms, Michael

2015-01-01

This exploratory study of elementary school science examines questions central to policy, practice and research on formative assessment: What is the quality of teachers' content-pedagogical and assessment knowledge? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge and assessment practice? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge,…

Theories of Human Development that Enhance an Understanding of the College Transition Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guiffrida, Douglas A.

2009-01-01

Background/Context: Although theories of human development often play a central role in K-12 pedagogical practices, evidence suggests that developmental theories have not been used extensively to understand the college transition process or to develop programs to support students during these transitions. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus…

Exploring the Complexities of Children's Inquiries in Science: Knowledge Production through Participatory Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siry, Christina

2013-01-01

Beginning with the assumption that young children are capable of producing unprecedented knowledges about science phenomena, this paper explores the complexities of children's inquiries within open-ended investigations. I ask two central questions: (1) how can we (teachers, researchers, and children themselves) use and build upon…

How to Organize for Local Resource Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backstrom, Tomas

2009-01-01

Purpose: The generation of resources is a central issue for the sustainability of companies. The purpose of this paper is to deal with two research questions: "Is decentralized generation of resources a possible way to reach sustainability in modern work life?" and "What prerequisites must be formed by organizations and managers to reach…

Collaboration for Transformation: Community-Campus Engagement for Just and Sustainable Food Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levkoe, Charles Z.; Andrée, Peter; Bhatt, Vikram; Brynne, Abra; Davison, Karen M.; Kneen, Cathleen; Nelson, Erin

2016-01-01

This article focuses on the collaborations between academics and community-based organizations seeking to fundamentally reorganize the way food is produced, distributed, and consumed as well as valued. The central research question investigates whether and how the growth of community--campus engagement (CCE) can strengthen food movements. Drawing…

What Kind of Citizenship for European Higher Education? Beyond the Competent Active Citizen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biesta, Gert

2009-01-01

How might European higher education contribute to the promotion and development of European citizenship? In this article, the author addresses this question through a critical discussion of the notions of "active citizenship" and "civic competence", which play a central role in current policy and research on the role of…

Learning to Teach Mathematics Specialists in a Synchronous Online Course: A Self-Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hjalmarson, Margret A.

2017-01-01

This article uses a self-study research methodology to explore teaching an online course for mathematics specialists. The course included weekly videoconferencing sessions and focused on supporting their development as mathematics coaches working with K-8 teachers to enhance mathematics teaching and learning. The central question for the…

Self-Efficacy in Second/Foreign Language Learning Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raoofi, Saeid; Tan, Bee Hoon; Chan, Swee Heng

2012-01-01

This study reviews the empirical literature of self-efficacy, a central component of social cognitive theory, in the area of second language learning by focusing on two research questions: first, to what extent, has self-efficacy, as a predicting variable, been explored in the field of second language learning? Second, what factors affect…

What Develops in Emotional Development? Emotions, Personality, and Psychotherapy Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mascolo, Michael, F. Ed.; Griffin, Sharon, Ed.

It is difficult to make progress in the study of emotions and emotional development if the meanings assigned to central constructs vary widely across investigators. This book clarifies and synthesizes the different ways in which emotion researchers approach fundamental questions about the nature of emotion and emotional development. Theorist and…

The Decision-Making Process for Families Investing in Higher Education: A Family Systems Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHugh, Erin M.

2017-01-01

When families consider investing in their children's education they must weigh the perceived costs against the potential benefits, which becomes increasingly difficult as the cost of higher education continues to rise. Using a family systems approach, this phenomenological study explored the central research question, "How do families…

A Qualitative Study of Characteristics, Competencies, and Strategies of Transition Staff Working with Urban Latino

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz-Lorenzo, Omayra

2012-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore characteristics, competencies, and strategies of transition program employment representatives who attain successful employment outcomes for urban Latino/a youths with disabilities. This study employed in-depth interviewing as a method of data collection. The central research question guiding…

Questioning Questions: Elementary Teachers' Adaptations of Investigation Questions Across the Inquiry Continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biggers, Mandy

2018-02-01

Questioning is a central practice in science classrooms. However, not every question translates into a "good" science investigation. Questions that drive science investigations can be provided by many sources including the teacher, the curriculum, or the student. The variations in the source of investigation questions were explored in this study. A dataset of 120 elementary science classroom videos and associated lesson plans from 40 elementary teachers (K-5) across 21 elementary school campuses were scored on an instrument measuring the amount of teacher-direction or student-direction of the lessons' investigation questions. Results indicated that the investigation questions were overwhelmingly teacher directed in nature, with no opportunities for students to develop their own questions for investigation. This study has implications for researchers and practitioners alike, calling attention to the teacher-directed nature of investigation questions in existing science curriculum materials, and the need for teacher training in instructional strategies to adapt their existing curriculum materials across the continuum of teacher-directed and student-directed investigation questions. Teachers need strategies for adapting the teacher-directed questions provided in their existing curriculum materials in order to allow students the opportunity to engage in this essential scientific practice.

Cooperative learning model with high order thinking skills questions: an understanding on geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sari, P. P.; Budiyono; Slamet, I.

2018-05-01

Geometry, a branch of mathematics, has an important role in mathematics learning. This research aims to find out the effect of learning model, emotional intelligence, and the interaction between learning model and emotional intelligence toward students’ mathematics achievement. This research is quasi-experimental research with 2 × 3 factorial design. The sample in this research included 179 Senior High School students on 11th grade in Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java, Indonesia in academic year of 2016/2017. The sample was taken by using stratified cluster random sampling. The results showed that: the student are taught by Thinking Aloud Pairs Problem-Solving using HOTs questions provides better mathematics learning achievement than Make A Match using HOTs questions. High emotional intelligence students have better mathematics learning achievement than moderate and low emotional intelligence students, and moderate emotional intelligence students have better mathematics learning achievement than low emotional intelligence students. There is an interaction between learning model and emotional intelligence, and these affect mathematics learning achievement. We conclude that appropriate learning model can support learning activities become more meaningful and facilitate students to understand material. For further research, we suggest to explore the contribution of other aspects in cooperative learning modification to mathematics achievement.

Tumors of the central nervous system: clinical aspects, molecular mechanisms, unanswered questions, and future research directions.

PubMed

Babcock, Michael A; Kostova, Felina V; Guha, Abhijit; Packer, Roger J; Pollack, Ian F; Maria, Bernard L

2008-10-01

Central nervous system tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. Many histological subtypes and biological variants exist. The 2007 Neurobiology of Disease in Children Symposium, held in conjunction with the 36th annual meeting of the Child Neurology Society, aimed to define current knowledge in the field and to develop specific aims for future clinical, translational, and fundamental science. Because of advances in structural and metabolic imaging, surgical technique, and combination therapies, the life expectancy of children with some of the most common tumors, such as cerebellar astrocytomas and medulloblastomas, has improved. Other common tumor types, including diffuse pontine gliomas and malignant embryonal tumors, still have a dismal prognosis. As novel therapies are identified for pediatric central nervous system tumors, long-term survival may be associated with considerable disability. A cooperative effort is crucial to early diagnosis and to translating basic research findings into safe, effective new treatments.

AMOC decadal variability in Earth system models: Mechanisms and climate impacts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fedorov, Alexey

This is the final report for the project titled "AMOC decadal variability in Earth system models: Mechanisms and climate impacts". The central goal of this one-year research project was to understand the mechanisms of decadal and multi-decadal variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) within a hierarchy of climate models ranging from realistic ocean GCMs to Earth system models. The AMOC is a key element of ocean circulation responsible for oceanic transport of heat from low to high latitudes and controlling, to a large extent, climate variations in the North Atlantic. The questions of the AMOC stability, variability andmore » predictability, directly relevant to the questions of climate predictability, were at the center of the research work.« less

Centralization Versus Decentralization: A Location Analysis Approach for Librarians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shishko, Robert; Raffel, Jeffrey

One of the questions that seems to perplex many university and special librarians is whether to move in the direction of centralizing or decentralizing the library's collections and facilities. Presented is a theoretical approach, employing location theory, to the library centralization-decentralization question. Location theory allows the analyst…

A Qualitative Case Study Exploring an Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program Linking Teacher Efficacy, Engagement, and Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerrant, Lisa Y.

2016-01-01

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of eleven early childhood educators who participated in a professional development program. The study was guided by the central research question, "What are the perceptions of early childhood educators on the professional development program as it relates to teacher efficacy, engagement,…

The Impact of Credit-Based Transition Programs on Changing the Educational Aspirations of High School Seniors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howerter, Wendy Lou

2011-01-01

This correlational study samples twelfth grade (senior) students in one central Midwest high school and examines their participation in credit-based transition programs and their changes in educational aspirations. Surveys and community college data are used to collect quantitative data to address six research questions. Using Hossler and…

Inhibitory Functioning across ADHD Subtypes: Recent Findings, Clinical Implications, and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Zachary W.; Derefinko, Karen J.; Milich, Richard; Fillmore, Mark T.

2008-01-01

Although growing consensus supports the role of deficient behavioral inhibition as a central feature of the combined subtype of ADHD (ADHD/C; Barkley 1997 "Psychol Bull" 121:65-94; Nigg 2001 "Psychol Bull" 127:571-598), little research has focused on how this finding generalizes to the primarily inattentive subtype (ADHD/I). This question holds…

Top 10 Research Questions Related to Physical Activity and Multiple Sclerosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motl, Robert W.; Learmonth, Yvonne C.; Pilutti, Lara A.; Gappmaier, Eduard; Coote, Susan

2015-01-01

An estimated 2.5 million people worldwide are living with multiple sclerosis (MS), and this disease may be increasing in prevalence. MS is a disease of the central nervous system that is associated with heterogeneous symptoms and functional consequences, and the current first-line disease-modifying therapies often become ineffective later in the…

Accessibility Considerations for e-Learning in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boateng, John Kwame

2016-01-01

This paper reports on a study that explored the best ways to design e-learning in order to provide better access for adult learners with disabilities. Two districts from the Central Region of Ghana were selected and two major research questions guided the study. The five-point Likert scale was employed between May and August of 2014. The two…

The Initial Stages of First-Language Acquisition Begun in Adolescence: When Late Looks Early

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramirez, Naja Ferjan; Lieberman, Amy M.; Mayberry, Rachel I.

2013-01-01

Children typically acquire their native language naturally and spontaneously at a very young age. The emergence of early grammar can be predicted from children's vocabulary size and composition (Bates et al., 1994; Bates, Bretherton & Snyder, 1998; Bates & Goodman, 1997). One central question in language research is understanding what…

Revision of Space Utilization in the Ontario Colleges to Support Learner Centered Pedagogy, Technology and Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teitelbaum, Marilyn

2011-01-01

This report explores classrooms and adjacent corridors which, when combined, form one of the central areas within the college campus. Additionally, this report questions why these areas do not reflect learning centered principles and flexibility in their physical design. This report incorporates research by those who have explored and in some…

Solving Wicked Problems through Action Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crul, Liselore

2014-01-01

This account of practice outlines the Oxyme Action Learning Program which was conducted as part of the Management Challenge in my final year of the MSc in Coaching and Behavioral Change at Henley Business School. The central research questions were: (1) how action learning can help to solve wicked problems and (2) what the effect of an action…

Comparing Children's Performance on and Preference for a Number-Line Estimation Task: Tablet versus Paper and Pencil

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piatt, Carley; Coret, Marian; Choi, Michael; Volden, Joanne; Bisanz, Jeffrey

2016-01-01

Tablet computers (tablets) are positioned to be powerful, innovative, effective, and motivating research and assessment tools. We addressed two questions critical for evaluating the appropriateness of using tablets to study number-line estimation, a skill associated with math achievement and argued to be central to numerical cognition. First, is…

An Examination of Potential Variation in the Benefits of Higher Education for Health and Wellbeing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauldry, Shawn

2012-01-01

Understanding the implications of the significant expansion in higher education over the latter half of the 20th century remains one of the central questions of research in stratification and inequality. Attaining a college degree is associated with numerous advantages ranging from higher earnings to improved health and wellbeing. As higher…

Strategies Used to Teach Mathematics to Special Education Students from the Teachers' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Desline A.

2016-01-01

The perspectives of special education teachers on the strategies used to teach mathematics to special education students were examined in this dissertation. Three central research questions that guided the study are: (a) What were New York special education teachers' opinions about the methods they use to teach mathematics to special education…

"Dare I Ask?": Eliciting Prior Knowledge and Its Implications for Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dávila, Liv Thorstensson

2015-01-01

This article examines high school teachers' engagement of newcomer English learner students' prior knowledge. Three central research questions guided this study: 1) To what extent do teachers function as mediators of their students' prior knowledge? 2) What goes into teachers' thinking about how and when to elicit prior knowledge? and 3) How do…

Response of 55-year-old lodgepole pine to thinning.

Treesearch

James W. Barrett

1961-01-01

Does lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) as old as 55 years respond to thinning? Very little research has been done to answer this question for central Oregon stands because until recently they have been considered largely unmerchantable. Now, however, this species is recognized as a good potential source of pulpwood and small saw logs, and information...

Exploring Public Relations Excellence and Integrated Marketing Communications at Private, Nonprofit Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Shannon K.

2017-01-01

Purpose: Many recent articles discuss the increased marketization of higher education, but few examine whether such practices are executed at their optimum level of efficiency and efficacy. This study addressed the significant lack of research in this area and answers the central question of how optimally public relations and marketing departments…

"The Text Opened My Eyes": A Book Club on Teaching Writing to ELLs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrei, Elena; Ellerbe, Marcie; Cherner, Todd

2015-01-01

This qualitative study looked at a book club for US teachers in public schools focused on teaching writing to English language learners (ELLs). To guide the study, the central research questions were: (1) What are teachers' perceptions about a book club professional development experience?; and (2) How are teachers' views about second language…

Success in One High-Poverty, Urban Elementary School: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holman, Shavonna Leigh

2011-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the efforts implemented in a high-poverty, urban elementary school in order to increase academic achievement. The central research question was: (1) How do teachers and administrators in a high-poverty, urban school describe the strategies they use to achieve academic success? The sub-questions…

The students’ ability in mathematical literacy for the quantity, and the change and relationship problems on the PISA adaptation test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julie, Hongki; Sanjaya, Febi; Yudhi Anggoro, Ant.

2017-09-01

One of purposes of this study was to describe the solution profile of the junior high school students for the PISA adaptation test. The procedures conducted by researchers to achieve this objective were (1) adapting the PISA test, (2) validating the adapting PISA test, (3) asking junior high school students to do the adapting PISA test, and (4) making the students’ solution profile. The PISA problems for mathematics could be classified into four areas, namely quantity, space and shape, change and relationship, and uncertainty. The research results that would be presented in this paper were the result test for quantity, and change and relationship problems. In the adapting PISA test, there were fifteen questions that consist of two questions for the quantity group, six questions for space and shape group, three questions for the change and relationship group, and four questions for uncertainty. Subjects in this study were 18 students from 11 junior high schools in Yogyakarta, Central Java, and Banten. The type of research that used by the researchers was a qualitative research. For the first quantity problem, there were 38.89 % students who achieved level 3. For the second quantity problem, there were 88.89 % students who achieved level 2. For part a of the first change and relationship problem, there were 55.56 % students who achieved level 5. For part b of the first change and relationship problem, there were 77.78 % students who achieved level 2. For the second change and relationship problem, there were 38.89 % students who achieved level 2.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: an update focusing on phenomenology and pathophysiology.

PubMed

Cho, Hyong Jin; Skowera, Anna; Cleare, Anthony; Wessely, Simon

2006-01-01

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a controversial condition especially concerning its clinical definition and aetiopathogenesis. Most recent research progress has been made in phenomenology and pathophysiology and we focused our review on these two areas. The phenomenology research supports the notion of a discrete fatigue syndrome which can be distinguished from depression and anxiety. The current case definition, however, may need an improvement based on empirical data. Recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology of chronic fatigue syndrome continue to demonstrate the involvement of the central nervous system. Hyperserotonergic state and hypoactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis constitute other findings, but the question of whether these alterations are a cause or consequence of chronic fatigue syndrome still remains unanswered. Immune system involvement in the pathogenesis seems certain but the findings on the specific mechanisms are still inconsistent. Genetic studies provide some evidence of the syndrome being a partly genetic condition, but environmental effects seem to be still predominant and identification of specific genes is still at a very early stage. The recent findings suggest that further research is needed in improving the current case definition; investigating overlaps and boundaries among various functional somatic syndromes; answering the question of whether the pathophysiologic findings are a cause or consequence; and elucidating the involvement of the central nervous system, immune system and genetic factors.

A review of research on formal reasoning and science teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawson, Anton E.

A central purpose of education is to improve students' reasoning abilities. The present review examines research in developmental psychology and science education that has attempted to assess the validity of Piaget's theory of formal thought and its relation to educational practice. Should a central objective of schools be to help students become formal thinkers? To answer this question research has focused on the following subordinate questions: (1) What role does biological maturation play in the development of formal reasoning? (2) Are Piaget's formal tasks reliable and valid? (3) Does formal reasoning constitute a unified and general mode of intellectual functioning? (4) How does the presence or absence of formal reasoning affect school achievement? (5) Can formal reasoning be taught? (6) What is the structural or functional nature of advanced reasoning? The general conclusion drawn is that although Piaget's work and that which has sprung from it leaves a number of unresolved theoretical and methodological problems, it provides an important background from which to make substantial progress toward a most significant educational objective.All our dignity lies in thought. By thought we must elevate ourselves, not by space and time which we can not fill. Let us endeavor then to think well; therein lies the principle of morality. Blaise Pascal 1623-1662.

Epidemiologic Evidence to Guide the Understanding and Prevention of Gun Violence.

PubMed

Webster, Daniel W; Cerdá, Magdalena; Wintemute, Garen J; Cook, Philip J

2016-01-01

Gunfire from assaults, suicides, and unintentional shootings exacts an enormous burden on public health globally. The epidemiologic reviews in this special issue enhance our understanding of various forms of gun violence, inform interventions, and help chart directions for future research. The available science, however, is limited to answer many important questions necessary for mounting successful efforts to reduce gun violence. Certain data are lacking, and there are numerous analytical challenges to deriving unbiased estimates of policy impacts. Significant investments in research over the long term are warranted to answer questions central to successful prevention of gun violence. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Jewish Identities in Action: An Exploration of Models, Metaphors, and Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charme, Stuart; Horowitz, Bethamie; Hyman, Tali; Kress, Jeffrey S.

2008-01-01

"Jewish identity" has been a central concern both in the realm of research about American Jewry and to American Jewish educational programming, but what it means and how to best study it have come under question in recent years. In this article, four scholars describe the ways they understand Jewish identity among American Jews and how they study…

Multiple Intelligences: From the Ivory Tower to the Dusty Classroom - But Why?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kornhaber, Mindy L.

2004-01-01

This article draws on research conducted over a 10-year period in an attempt to answer three central questions about the widespread adoption of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (MI): Why do educators adopt MI? Once MI is adopted, does anything really change in practice? When educators claim MI is working, what is happening in practice?

Lost in Suburbia? Conversations with Teachers of Color about Their Experiences in Suburban Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Vera Jeannie

2010-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to explore the socialization and teaching experiences of eight teachers of color in two suburban high schools that are located within the same school district. The central research questions that guide the study are: How do teachers of color talk about their socialization and teaching experiences in two…

Employment Experiences of Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Perspectives of Youth and Their Supervisors. Data Trends #102

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, 2004

2004-01-01

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" sought answers to several questions of central importance in understanding why maintaining employment is so challenging to these youth, and in designing transition programs and…

How Is the Serial Order of a Visual Sequence Represented? Insights from Transposition Latencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurlstone, Mark J.; Hitch, Graham J.

2018-01-01

A central goal of research on short-term memory (STM) over the past 2 decades has been to identify the mechanisms that underpin the representation of serial order, and to establish whether these mechanisms are the same across different modalities and domains (e.g., verbal, visual, spatial). A fruitful approach to addressing this question has…

Object Selection Costs in Visual Working Memory: A Diffusion Model Analysis of the Focus of Attention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sewell, David K.; Lilburn, Simon D.; Smith, Philip L.

2016-01-01

A central question in working memory research concerns the degree to which information in working memory is accessible to other cognitive processes (e.g., decision-making). Theories assuming that the focus of attention can only store a single object at a time require the focus to orient to a target representation before further processing can…

Journey towards the centre of the earth: plant gravitropism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swatzell, L. J.; Kiss, J. Z.

2000-01-01

The study of gravitropism dates back about two hundred years, and although significant progress has been made in this field, the central question in gravitropism research is still unanswered. How is a physical stimulus transduced into a biochemical signal which ultimately elicits a response (curvature) in a plant? Simply put, how does a plant 'know' which way is down?.

Rural Women in Local Agrofood Production: Between Entrepreneurial Initiatives and Family Strategies. A Case Study in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anthopoulou, Theodosia

2010-01-01

Recent years have seen a relative flourishing in the Greek countryside of small women's businesses engaged in the production of local traditional agrofood products for an emerging consumer demand for foods of specific quality. In the present article the central research question may be summarized as: "to what extent do these women perceive…

Spatial and temporal variations in DOM composition in ecosystems: The importance of long-term monitoring of optical properties

Treesearch

R. Jaffe; D. McKnight; N. Maie; R. Cory; W. H. McDowell; J.L. Campbell

2008-01-01

Source, transformation, and preservation mechanisms of dissolved organic matter (DOM) remain elemental questions in contemporary marine and aquatic sciences and represent a missing link in models of global elemental cycles. Although the chemical character of DOM is central to its fate in the global carbon cycle, DOM characterizations in long-term ecological research...

Living in Chaos and Striving for Control: How Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Deal with Their Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toner, Michele; O'Donoghue, Thomas; Houghton, Stephen

2006-01-01

This article reports a Grounded Theory of "Living in Chaos and Striving for Control" developed in response to the central research question of how adults diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) deal with their disorder. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 males diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood.…

Repositioning the Facilities in Technical College Workshops for Efficiency: A Case Study of North Central Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umar, Ibrahim Y.; Ma'aji, Abdullahi S.

2010-01-01

This article focuses on assessing the facilities in Government Technical College workshops in the context of a developing country. A descriptive survey design was adopted. Two research questions and a hypothesis were formulated to guide the study. A 35-item questionnaire was developed based on the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)…

Openness in Adoption: What We Know So Far--A Critical Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfgram, Susan M.

2008-01-01

What are the factors that keep adoptive parents and birth parents connected and sustain their kinship relationships over time? This is the central research question critically reviewed across studies dating from 1987 to 2000. A preliminary review of the literature revealed 15 to 20 studies within this 13-year scope limited to the perspective of…

Flipping the Classroom: An Effective Approach to Deal with Diversity at Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konijn, W. S.; Essink, D. R.; de Cock Buning, T.; Zweekhorst, M. B. M.

2018-01-01

Even though the flipped classroom is an increasingly popular method in education, a literature search shows a gap in research on this method in higher education. This article describes an experiment with two central questions: (1) How do students and lecturers assess the effectiveness of the FC method? And (2) What are crucial design elements? To…

Affordances of Web 2.0 Technologies for Collaborative Advanced Writing in a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strobl. Carola

2014-01-01

Can online collaboration yield a positive effect on academic writing in a foreign language? If so, what exactly is the added value, compared to individual writing, and (how) does it translate to better output? These are the central questions addressed in this paper. L2 writing research has long highlighted the benefits of collaboration in terms of…

A Study of Women's Access to the Superintendency: Pathways from the Elementary Ranks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Julie M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this research was to describe the experiences of six women superintendents who began their careers as elementary principals. The central question was: What can we learn from the lived experience of women who came from a background as elementary educators and advanced to the superintendency in a variety of district contexts within…

Automation Is the Answer, but What Is the Question? Progress and Prospects for Central and Eastern European Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borgman, Christine L.

1996-01-01

Reports on a survey of 70 research libraries in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Results show that libraries are rapidly acquiring automated processing systems, CD-ROM databases, and connections to computer networks. Discusses specific data on system implementation and network services by country and by type of…

The Long-Term Effects of Bilingualism on Children of Immigration: Student Bilingualism and Future Earnings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agirdag, Orhan

2014-01-01

In this study, we examine the largely neglected long-term effects of bilingualism for students with roots in immigration. Our central research question is whether students' bilingual proficiencies have an impact on their future earnings in the USA. For this purpose, we used two different data-sets, i.e. the National Education Longitudinal…

A Question of Priorities: A Critical Investigation of the McKinney-Vento Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Keith Alan

2014-01-01

This critical policy ethnography analyzes the McKinney-Vento Act and how the policy is put into practice at a school district within Central Texas. Data comes from conversations with educators occupying key roles within the McKinney-Vento operational bureaucracy at the school district and the researcher's experience as an educator and volunteer at…

Exploring Teacher and School Resilience as a New Perspective to Solve Persistent Problems in the Educational Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schelvis, Roosmarijn M. C.; Zwetsloot, Gerard I. J. M.; Bos, Evelien H.; Wiezer, Noortje M.

2014-01-01

In this paper, we will explore the relevance, meaning and perspectives of teacher, team and school resilience. The central research questions are: does the concept of teacher, team and school resilience offer new and promising perspectives on persistent problems in the educational sector? And secondly; how can resilience at individual, team and…

Comparative Analysis of Classroom Speech in Upper Level Spanish College Courses: A Social Constructivist View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rondon-Pari, Graziela

2011-01-01

This study reflects a social constructivist theoretical framework in which the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is a central element, as two teaching approaches, communicative language teaching (CLT) and explicit focus on form (FonF) are examined. Research questions include: Are CLT and explicit FonF conducive to reaching the ZPD? Is there a…

Delusion in general and forensic psychiatry--historical and contemporary aspects.

PubMed

Hoff, Paul

2006-01-01

Delusion has always been a central topic for psychiatric research with regard to etiology and pathogenesis and to diagnosis, treatment, and forensic relevance. Throughout the history of psychiatry as a scientific discipline, there has been dissent on the issue of whether chronic delusion is a nosological entity of its own or just a specific type of another mental disorder, e.g. schizophrenia, mania, or personality disorder, and there already is a considerable literature on this. This article seeks to elucidate the central lines of thought that have governed the scientific debate on delusions and delusion-associated phenomena since the early 19th century. Special attention is given to the practical relevance of these theoretical considerations for forensic questions and psychiatric research. Due to the complex features of delusions, research in this area may well become paradigmatic for many other complicated psycho(patho)logical phenomena, e.g. consciousness, hallucinations and psychotic depression.

Salutogenesis.

PubMed

Lindström, Bengt; Eriksson, Monica

2005-06-01

The editor of the journal has taken the initiative to develop glossaries on central concepts in health promotion. The aim of this paper is to explain and clarify the key concepts of the salutogenic theory sense of coherence coined by Aaron Antonovsky. The explanations and interpretations are the result of an analysis of the scientific evidence base of the first 25 years of salutogenic research, described and discussed in an ongoing project on a systematic review by the above authors. The contemporary evidence shows the salutogenic approach could have a more central position in public health and health promotion research and practice. Furthermore, it could contribute to the solution of some of the most urgent public health problems of our time such as the question of mental health promotion. Finally, it could create a solid theoretical framework for health promotion.

Systemic challenges in bipolar disorder management: A patient-centered approach.

PubMed

Nestsiarovich, Anastasiya; Hurwitz, Nathaniel G; Nelson, Stuart J; Crisanti, Annette S; Kerner, Berit; Kuntz, Matt J; Smith, Alicia N; Volesky, Emma; Schroeter, Quentin L; DeShaw, Jason L; Young, S Stanley; Obenchain, Robert L; Krall, Ronald L; Jordan, Kimmie; Fawcett, Jan; Tohen, Mauricio; Perkins, Douglas J; Lambert, Christophe G

2017-12-01

As part of a series of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-funded large-scale retrospective observational studies on bipolar disorder (BD) treatments and outcomes, we sought the input of patients with BD and their family members to develop research questions. We aimed to identify systemic root causes of patient-reported challenges with BD management in order to guide subsequent studies and initiatives. Three focus groups were conducted where patients and their family members (total n = 34) formulated questions around the central theme, "What do you wish you had known in advance or over the course of treatment for BD?" In an affinity mapping exercise, participants clustered their questions and ranked the resulting categories by importance. The research team and members of our patient partner advisory council further rated the questions by expected impact on patients. Using a Theory of Constraints systems thinking approach, several causal models of BD management challenges and their potential solution were developed with patients using the focus group data. A total of 369 research questions were mapped to 33 categories revealing 10 broad themes. The top priorities for patient stakeholders involved pharmacotherapy and treatment alternatives. Analysis of causal relationships underlying 47 patient concerns revealed two core conflicts: for patients, whether or not to take pharmacotherapy, and for mental health services, the dilemma of care quality vs quantity. To alleviate the core conflicts identified, BD management requires a coordinated multidisciplinary approach including: improved access to mental health services, objective diagnostics, sufficient provider visit time, evidence-based individualized treatment, and psychosocial support. © 2017 The Authors. Bipolar Disorders Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Studying sea otter foraging ecology: A review of some methodological approaches

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tinker, M.T.; Estes, J.A.; Bodkin, James L.; Staedler, M.M.; Monson, Daniel H.; Maldini, Daniela; Calkins, Donald; Atkinson, Shannon; Meehan, Rosa

2004-01-01

The study of foraging ecology plays a central role in our understanding of animal populations and natural communities, and can also provide information necessary for the effective conservation of rare or endangered species. Sea otter researchers are interested in foraging ecology for many different reasons, but for heuristic purposes we identify three general types of research questions: (1) questions about the implications of foraging decisions to individual fitness, the evolutionary significance of feeding strategies, and the selective forces and constraints that shape an individual’s diet and feeding behavior; (2) questions about the population- level implications of foraging ecology; for example, how is the status of a population (with respect to carrying capacity) reflected by the foraging success or diet composition of individuals within the population (Fig. 1); and (3) questions about the community-level consequences of sea otter foraging. Sea otters provide an excellent study system for all three types of questions because they are a tractable species to study (generally feeding near shore and bringing all prey to the surface to consume), they exhibit a wide range of diets and foraging strategies in different habitats and at different population densities, they tend to have strong trophic interactions with their prey species, and their foraging behavior can have profound effects on community structure in the nearshore marine community.

Sampling in Qualitative Research

PubMed Central

LUBORSKY, MARK R.; RUBINSTEIN, ROBERT L.

2011-01-01

In gerontology the most recognized and elaborate discourse about sampling is generally thought to be in quantitative research associated with survey research and medical research. But sampling has long been a central concern in the social and humanistic inquiry, albeit in a different guise suited to the different goals. There is a need for more explicit discussion of qualitative sampling issues. This article will outline the guiding principles and rationales, features, and practices of sampling in qualitative research. It then describes common questions about sampling in qualitative research. In conclusion it proposes the concept of qualitative clarity as a set of principles (analogous to statistical power) to guide assessments of qualitative sampling in a particular study or proposal. PMID:22058580

Research on hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy.

PubMed

Schoenberger, N E

2000-04-01

There is a growing body of research evaluating the use of hypnosis with cognitive-behavioral techniques in the treatment of psychological disorders. The central question for research is whether the addition of hypnosis enhances the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatments. Overall, studies demonstrate a substantial benefit from the addition of hypnosis; however, the number of published studies is relatively small, and many of them have methodological limitations. For cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapies to be recognized as empirically supported treatments, a number of well-designed, randomized clinical trials are necessary. Currently, the efficacy of hypnosis as an adjunctive treatment remains unresolved.

Research resources for Drosophila: the expanding universe.

PubMed

Matthews, Kathleen A; Kaufman, Thomas C; Gelbart, William M

2005-03-01

Drosophila melanogaster has been the subject of research into central questions about biological mechanisms for almost a century. The experimental tools and resources that are available or under development for D. melanogaster and its related species, particularly those for genomic analysis, are truly outstanding. Here we review three types of resource that have been developed for D. melanogaster research: databases and other sources of information, biological materials and experimental services. These resources are there to be exploited and we hope that this guide will encourage new uses for D. melanogaster information, materials and services, both by those new to flies and by experienced D. melanogaster researchers.

The Effects of Age of Immersion and Working Memory on Second Language Processing of Island Constraints: An Eye-Movement Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Sehoon

2017-01-01

One of the central questions in recent second language processing research is whether the types of parsing heuristics and linguistic resources adult L2 learners compute during online processing are qualitatively similar or different from those used by native speakers of the target language. While the current L2 processing literature provides…

What Can We Learn from Studying Twins?: Exploring Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Human Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Stefanie

2006-01-01

Twin research has a long history and plays a central role in the ongoing exploration of the influence of genes and the environment on human development. Recent advances in molecular biology and the ability to identify the role of specific genes in human development raise new questions about how genes and the environment influence behavior. At the…

The Economic Domino Effect: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Community College Faculty's Lived Experiences during Financial Hard Times in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Tridai A.

2014-01-01

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of eight full-time community college faculty members who taught during the economic crisis of 2008. The study was guided by the central research question, "How do community college faculty members describe their lived experiences regarding the recent economic crisis of 2008 and its impact…

Components of the costs of controlling quality: a transaction cost economics approach.

PubMed

Stiles, R A; Mick, S S

1997-01-01

This article identifies the components that contribute to a healthcare organization's costs in controlling quality. A central tenet of our argument is that at its core, quality is the result of a series of transactions among members of a diverse network. Transaction cost economics is applied internally to analyze intraorganizational transactions that contribute to quality control, and questions for future research are posed.

Typology of School Dropout: The Dimensions and Dynamics of Dropout in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ananga, Eric Daniel

2011-01-01

This paper explores the dropout experience of children who dropped out of schools located in two rural communities in the Central Region of Ghana. The main research question sought to explore the meaning and types of drop out founded on the views of children who had dropped out of school. The study tracked 18 children aged 7-17 years. Snowball…

How to achieve synergy between medical education and cognitive neuroscience? An exercise on prior knowledge in understanding.

PubMed

Ruiter, Dirk J; van Kesteren, Marlieke T R; Fernandez, Guillen

2012-05-01

A major challenge in contemporary research is how to connect medical education and cognitive neuroscience and achieve synergy between these domains. Based on this starting point we discuss how this may result in a common language about learning, more educationally focused scientific inquiry, and multidisciplinary research projects. As the topic of prior knowledge in understanding plays a strategic role in both medical education and cognitive neuroscience it is used as a central element in our discussion. A critical condition for the acquisition of new knowledge is the existence of prior knowledge, which can be built in a mental model or schema. Formation of schemas is a central event in student-centered active learning, by which mental models are constructed and reconstructed. These theoretical considerations from cognitive psychology foster scientific discussions that may lead to salient issues and questions for research with cognitive neuroscience. Cognitive neuroscience attempts to understand how knowledge, insight and experience are established in the brain and to clarify their neural correlates. Recently, evidence has been obtained that new information processed by the hippocampus can be consolidated into a stable, neocortical network more rapidly if this new information fits readily into a schema. Opportunities for medical education and medical education research can be created in a fruitful dialogue within an educational multidisciplinary platform. In this synergetic setting many questions can be raised by educational scholars interested in evidence-based education that may be highly relevant for integrative research and the further development of medical education.

[Development of the nursing diagnosis risk for pressure ulcer].

PubMed

Santos, Cássia Teixeira Dos; Almeida, Miriam de Abreu; Oliveira, Magáli Costa; Victor, Marco Antônio de Goes; Lucena, Amália de Fátima

2015-06-01

The study objective was to develop the definition and compile the risk factors for a new Nursing Diagnosis entitled "Risk for pressure ulcer". The process was guided using the research question, "What are the risk factors for development of a PU and what is its definition?" An integrative literature review was conducted of articles published in Portuguese, English or Spanish from 2002 to 2012 and indexed on the Lilacs/SCIELO, MEDLINE/PubMed Central and Web of Science databases. The final sample comprised 21 articles that provided answers to the research question. These articles were analyzed and summarized in charts. A definition was constructed and 19 risk factors were selected for the new nursing diagnosis, "Risk for pressure ulcer". Identification and definition of the components of the new nursing diagnosis should aid nurses to prevent pressure ulcer events.

Serotonin dynamics in and around the central nervous system: is autism solvable without fundamental insights?

PubMed

Janušonis, Skirmantas

2014-12-01

Altered serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) signaling has been implicated in some developmental abnormalities of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the presumed role of 5-HT in ASD raises new questions in fundamental neuroscience. Specifically, it is not clear if the current piecemeal approach to 5-HT signaling in the mammalian body is effective and whether new conceptual approaches may be required. This review briefly discusses 5-HT production and circulation in the central nervous system and outside of it, especially with regard to ASD, and proposes a more encompassing approach that questions the utility of the "neurotransmitter" concept. It then introduces the idea of a generalized 5-HT packet that may offer insights into possible links between serotonergic varicosities and blood platelets. These approaches have theoretical significance, but they are also well positioned to advance our understanding of some long-standing problems in autism research. Copyright © 2014 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Equality as a central concept of nursing ethics: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Kangasniemi, Mari

2010-12-01

Equality is a central concept in the Western way of thinking and in health care. In ethics research within nursing science, equality is a key concept but the meaning of its contents is more or less presumptive. The purpose of this study was to define the concept of equality as a value of nursing ethics research. Data were collected through systematic literature review and analysed using deductive and inductive content analysis. Equality has been studied as a concept and in relation to ethical theories. In nursing ethics, research on equality on theoretical and functional level is presented. These levels consist of dimensions, i.e. themes, that equality is related to. The dimensions of the theoretical level are the equality of being, i.e. universal human value, and distributive equality, i.e. equal opportunities, circumstances and results. The dimensions of functional equality included themes such as critique of distributive equality, context, difference, power and care. Critique is aimed at incompatibility of theoretical level with practice. Context raises questions of each nursing situation in relation to equality. Variation within context is closely related to differences involving parties to nursing, and it is a starting point to questions of equality. Power is understood as comprising knowledge, skills and authority that create differences and questions of equality between nurses and patients and nurses and other professionals or students. Nursing as care always includes relationship between two or more persons and needs to be inspected from the point of view of equality. The concept of equality has been complex to achieve in practice. The dimensions of the levels of equality defined in this study provide an opportunity to reach a better understanding of equality in nursing ethics. There is still a great demand for more research on the concept of equality. © 2010 The Author. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2010 Nordic College of Caring Science.

On the validity of language: speaking, knowing and understanding in medical geography.

PubMed

Scarpaci, J L

1993-09-01

This essay examines methodological problems concerning the conceptualization and operationalization of phenomena central to medical geography. Its main argument is that qualitative research can be strengthened if the differences between instrumental and apparent validity are better understood than the current research in medical geography suggests. Its premise is that our definitions of key terms and concepts must be reinforced throughout the design of research should our knowledge and understanding be enhanced. In doing so, the paper aims to move the methodological debate beyond the simple dichotomies of quantitative vs qualitative approaches and logical positivism vs phenomenology. Instead, the argument is couched in a postmodernist hermeneutic sense which questions the validity of one discourse of investigation over another. The paper begins by discussing methods used in conceptualizing and operationalizing variables in quantitative and qualitative research design. Examples derive from concepts central to a geography of health-care behavior and well-being. The latter half of the essay shows the uses and misuses of validity studies in selected health services research and the current debate on national health insurance.

The State of the Environmental Awareness of Students from Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine - Selected Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cynk, Karolina

2017-03-01

In the article was presented results of international researches about environmental consciousness. The project was realized in 2015. The main purpose of this article is to describe the level of environmental knowledge, values and attitudes among university students from Central Eastern Europe. In introduction of article was defined concept of environmental awareness. The research problem is question: What are differences in the state of environmental awareness between respondents living in the Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine? In the first part text was presented methodology of the conducted research. The second part of the article concerns the analysis of the collected data. On the basis of the conducted research it can maintain that the students of Central and Eastern Europe generally declared interest the state of the environment. The overall outcome of the research leads to the conclusion that the highest proportion of the respondents who declared interest in the environmental protection came from Slovakia. The fact that in their opinion it should care about the environment more than the students from Poland and Ukraine may result from the higher level of the environmental awareness.

Methodology and technology for peripheral and central blood pressure and blood pressure variability measurement: current status and future directions - Position statement of the European Society of Hypertension Working Group on blood pressure monitoring and cardiovascular variability.

PubMed

Stergiou, George S; Parati, Gianfranco; Vlachopoulos, Charalambos; Achimastos, Apostolos; Andreadis, Emanouel; Asmar, Roland; Avolio, Alberto; Benetos, Athanase; Bilo, Grzegorz; Boubouchairopoulou, Nadia; Boutouyrie, Pierre; Castiglioni, Paolo; de la Sierra, Alejandro; Dolan, Eamon; Head, Geoffrey; Imai, Yutaka; Kario, Kazuomi; Kollias, Anastasios; Kotsis, Vasilis; Manios, Efstathios; McManus, Richard; Mengden, Thomas; Mihailidou, Anastasia; Myers, Martin; Niiranen, Teemu; Ochoa, Juan Eugenio; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Omboni, Stefano; Padfield, Paul; Palatini, Paolo; Papaioannou, Theodore; Protogerou, Athanasios; Redon, Josep; Verdecchia, Paolo; Wang, Jiguang; Zanchetti, Alberto; Mancia, Giuseppe; O'Brien, Eoin

2016-09-01

Office blood pressure measurement has been the basis for hypertension evaluation for almost a century. However, the evaluation of blood pressure out of the office using ambulatory or self-home monitoring is now strongly recommended for the accurate diagnosis in many, if not all, cases with suspected hypertension. Moreover, there is evidence that the variability of blood pressure might offer prognostic information that is independent of the average blood pressure level. Recently, advancement in technology has provided noninvasive evaluation of central (aortic) blood pressure, which might have attributes that are additive to the conventional brachial blood pressure measurement. This position statement, developed by international experts, deals with key research and practical issues in regard to peripheral blood pressure measurement (office, home, and ambulatory), blood pressure variability, and central blood pressure measurement. The objective is to present current achievements, identify gaps in knowledge and issues concerning clinical application, and present relevant research questions and directions to investigators and manufacturers for future research and development (primary goal).

Questioning Questions: Elementary Teachers' Adaptations of Investigation Questions across the Inquiry Continuum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biggers, Mandy

2018-01-01

Questioning is a central practice in science classrooms. However, not every question translates into a "good" science investigation. Questions that drive science investigations can be provided by many sources including the teacher, the curriculum, or the student. The variations in the source of investigation questions were explored in…

Selected Readings in Drama and Theatre Education: The IDEA '95 Papers (2nd, Brisbane, Australia, July 1995). NADIE Research Monograph Series, 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Philip, Ed.; Hoepper, Christine, Ed.

Documenting some of the myriad of voices assembled in Brisbane, Australia in July 1995 for the Second World Congress of the International Drama/Theatre and Education Association, the essays in this book address the central question of the Congress: What can be the role of drama/theatre and education in a rapidly changing world entering a new…

A Facet-Factorial Approach towards the Development and Validation of a Jazz Rhythm Section Performance Rating Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wesolowski, Brian C.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable rating scale to assess jazz rhythm sections in the context of jazz big band performance. The research questions that guided this study included: (a) what central factors contribute to the assessment of a jazz rhythm section? (b) what items should be used to describe and assess a jazz…

Ethical and Economic Issues. Policy Surveys: 1. Planning Survey; 2. State-Wide Coordinating Agencies; University Central Offices, Community College Systems Offices; 3. Private Foundations; 4. Higher Education Associations, Professional Associations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linnell, Robert H.; Marsh, Herbert W.

Policy questions regarding activities for which university faculty, administrators, and professional staff might derive additional income were examined in four mail surveys along with the impact of those activities on the individuals, the university, and society. Some of the activities considered include overload teaching, research, consulting,…

Career Preparation and the Liberal Arts: CIC Project on the Future of Independent Higher Education. Innovations in Teaching and Learning. Research Brief 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Philip M.

2015-01-01

This brief explores a central question: How does the independent sector of higher education balance expectations for job preparation with the preparation of students for full lives as educated citizens? The debate about the role of liberal arts institutions in preparing students for careers is not new. But several trends have made the debate more…

Can Science Education Research Give an Answer to Questions Posed by History of Science and Technology? The Case of Steam Engine's Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanderakis, Nikos E.

2009-01-01

According to the principle of virtual velocities, if on a simple machine in equilibrium we suppose a slight virtual movement, then the ratio of weights or forces equals the inverse ratio of velocities or displacements. The product of the weight raised or force applied multiplied by the height or displacement plays a central role there. British…

A Mixed Methods Case Study: Exploring the Association between Teachers' Perceived Self-Efficacy and Classroom Management Skills at a Middle School in Central Pennsylvania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart, Charles Edward

2017-01-01

Teacher efficacy has been researched for over 30 years, teacher efficacy refers to the beliefs of teachers in their abilities to have an impact on classroom management. Classroom management skills have been proven to be a plaguing aspect of the teaching and learning process over the past century. This study answers question about classroom…

Magic Mirror, On the Wall-Which Is the Right Study Design of Them All?-Part II.

PubMed

Vetter, Thomas R

2017-07-01

The assessment of a new or existing treatment or other intervention typically answers 1 of 3 central research-related questions: (1) "Can it work?" (efficacy); (2) "Does it work?" (effectiveness); or (3) "Is it worth it?" (efficiency or cost-effectiveness). There are a number of study designs that, on a situational basis, are appropriate to apply in conducting research. These study designs are generally classified as experimental, quasiexperimental, or observational, with observational studies being further divided into descriptive and analytic categories. This second of a 2-part statistical tutorial reviews these 3 salient research questions and describes a subset of the most common types of observational study designs. Attention is focused on the strengths and weaknesses of each study design to assist in choosing which is appropriate for a given study objective and hypothesis as well as the particular study setting and available resources and data. Specific studies and papers are highlighted as examples of a well-chosen, clearly stated, and properly executed study design type.

Live from Antarctica, Volume 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

In this fourth video of a four part 'Passport to Knowledge Special', hosted by Camille Moody Jennings from Maryland Public Television, children from Maryland and Alaska public schools had the opportunity to directly interact with and ask questions of scientists and researchers from the Antarctic, and learn about the different geological and meteorological research going on in the Antarctic and McMurdo Base at McMurdo Sound. The scientists questioned included: Donal Manahan (biologist from Un. of So. California), who described some of the geological features from Hut Point, the historic hut built by Capt. Scott in 1902; Sridar Anandakrishnan (Penn State Un.) whose research includes ice plate movement of the central ice sheet and earthquakes and how they affect the sheet; and Lt. j.g. Kate McNitt, who spends her winters investigating the trace gases, aerosols, CFC's and ozone levels over the Antarctic area that are affecting the seasonal ozone hole that appears in that region. Historical film footage of Capt. Scott's exploration of the Antarctic is included.

Live from Antarctica, volume 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

In this fourth video of a four part 'Passport to Knowledge Special', hosted by Camille Moody Jennings from Maryland Public Television, children from Maryland and Alaska public schools had the opportunity to directly interact with and ask questions of scientists and researchers from the Antarctic, and learn about the different geological and meteorological research going on in the Antarctic and McMurdo Base at McMurdo Sound. The scientists questioned included: Donal Manahan (biologist from Un. of So. California), who described some of the geological features from Hut Point, the historic hut built by Capt. Scott in 1902; Sridar Anandakrishnan (Penn State Un.) whose research includes ice plate movement of the central ice sheet and earthquakes and how they affect the sheet; and Lt. j.g. Kate McNitt, who spends her winters investigating the trace gases, aerosols, CFC's and ozone levels over the Antarctic area that are affecting the seasonal ozone hole that appears in that region. Historical film footage of Capt. Scott's exploration of the Antarctic is included.

Qualitative research in nutrition and dietetics: data collection issues.

PubMed

Draper, A; Swift, J A

2011-02-01

The wide scope of qualitative enquiry presents the researcher with a number of choices regarding data collection and sampling. Selecting data collection and sampling techniques can therefore be somewhat daunting, particularly because, often, there is no single, universally accepted 'correct' option. Appropriate research methods are, however, crucial to ensure high-quality research. This review, the second in the series, provides an overview of the principal techniques of data collection and sampling that may be used for qualitative research in nutrition and dietetics. In addition, it describes a process for choosing appropriate data collection and sampling methods that considers the extent to which they provide data that answers the research question(s) and are compatible with the philosophical assumptions about ontology, epistemology and methodology that underpin the overall design of a study. Finally, it discusses the central role that the researcher plays in qualitative data collection and encourages researchers to acknowledge and reflect upon their impact on the data. Other reviews in this series provide a model for embarking on a qualitative research project in nutrition and dietetics, an overview of the principal techniques of data analysis and quality assessment of this kind of research, and some practical advice relevant to nutrition and dietetics, along with glossaries of key terms. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

When pretesting fails to enhance learning concepts from reading texts.

PubMed

Hausman, Hannah; Rhodes, Matthew G

2018-05-03

Prior research suggests that people can learn more from reading a text when they attempt to answer pretest questions first. Specifically, pretests on factual information explicitly stated in a text increases the likelihood that participants can answer identical questions after reading than if they had not answered pretest questions. Yet, a central goal of education is to develop deep conceptual understanding. The present experiments investigated whether conceptual pretests facilitate learning concepts from reading texts. In Experiment 1, participants were given factual or conceptual pretest questions; a control group was not given a pretest. Participants then read a passage and took a final test consisting of both factual and conceptual questions. Some of the final test questions were repeated from the pretest and some were new. Although factual pretesting improved learning for identical factual questions, conceptual pretesting did not enhance conceptual learning. Conceptual pretest errors were significantly more likely to be repeated on the final test than factual pretest errors. Providing correct answers (Experiment 2) or correct/incorrect feedback (Experiment 3) following pretest questions enhanced performance on repeated conceptual test items, although these benefits likely reflect memorization and not conceptual understanding. Thus, pretesting appears to provide little benefit for learning conceptual information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The forensic evaluation and report: an agenda for research.

PubMed

Buchanan, Alec; Norko, Michael

2013-01-01

The written report is a central component of forensic psychiatric practice. In the report, an evaluator assembles and organizes data, interprets results of an evaluation, and offers an opinion in response to legal questions. The past 30 years have seen substantial development in principles and practice of forensic report writing. Drawing on recent advances in the psychiatric report, the authors explore topics including narrative, forensic ethics, coercion within the justice system, and implications of limitations on data in forming forensic opinions. They offer an analysis of unanswered questions in these areas, suggesting opportunities for further empirical study and theoretical development. This proposed agenda is important in training, in the development of policy, and in establishing professional guidelines.

Ecoinformatics: supporting ecology as a data-intensive science.

PubMed

Michener, William K; Jones, Matthew B

2012-02-01

Ecology is evolving rapidly and increasingly changing into a more open, accountable, interdisciplinary, collaborative and data-intensive science. Discovering, integrating and analyzing massive amounts of heterogeneous data are central to ecology as researchers address complex questions at scales from the gene to the biosphere. Ecoinformatics offers tools and approaches for managing ecological data and transforming the data into information and knowledge. Here, we review the state-of-the-art and recent advances in ecoinformatics that can benefit ecologists and environmental scientists as they tackle increasingly challenging questions that require voluminous amounts of data across disciplines and scales of space and time. We also highlight the challenges and opportunities that remain. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scaling, soil moisture and evapotranspiration in runoff models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Eric F.

1993-01-01

The effects of small-scale heterogeneity in land surface characteristics on the large-scale fluxes of water and energy in the land-atmosphere system has become a central focus of many of the climatology research experiments. The acquisition of high resolution land surface data through remote sensing and intensive land-climatology field experiments (like HAPEX and FIFE) has provided data to investigate the interactions between microscale land-atmosphere interactions and macroscale models. One essential research question is how to account for the small scale heterogeneities and whether 'effective' parameters can be used in the macroscale models. To address this question of scaling, the probability distribution for evaporation is derived which illustrates the conditions for which scaling should work. A correction algorithm that may appropriate for the land parameterization of a GCM is derived using a 2nd order linearization scheme. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated.

Achievement motivation and level of aspiration: adolescent Ethiopian immigrants in the Israeli education system.

PubMed

Horowitz, T R; Mosher, N

1997-01-01

This paper focuses on two questions: Are Ethiopian high school children who immigrated to Israel achievement motivated? To what extent does the presence or absence of certain components of the achievement construct in the indigenous value system of Ethiopian students affect progress at school? The study is based on pilot research conducted in Israel in 1987 for which the central research questions were: Are elements of motivation to be found in the indigenous value system of Ethiopian students? If so, what is their effect on progress at school? The research is based on a questionnaire administered to 88 Ethiopian students and 85 veteran Israeli students. The main findings of this research are: There are some elements in the socialization of Ethiopian students that can be looked upon as components of achievement motivation. These include a high level of aspiration, the ability to postpone gratification, and obedience. These elements help the Ethiopian children succeed at school. On the other hand, some elements in the socialization of Ethiopian children hinder their progress: conformity restraints on individual creativity and external locus of control.

An exploratory comparison of name generator content: Data from rural India.

PubMed

Shakya, Holly B; Christakis, Nicholas A; Fowler, James H

2017-01-01

Since the 1970s sociologists have explored the best means for measuring social networks, although few name generator analyses have used sociocentric data or data from developing countries, partly because sociocentric studies in developing countries have been scant. Here, we analyze 12 different name generators used in a sociocentric network study conducted in 75 villages in rural Karnataka, India. Having unusual sociocentric data from a non-Western context allowed us to extend previous name generator research through the unique analyses of network structural measures, an extensive consideration of homophily, and investigation of status difference between egos and alters. We found that domestic interaction questions generated networks that were highly clustered and highly centralized. Similarity between respondents and their nominated contacts was strongest for gender, caste, and religion. We also found that domestic interaction name generators yielded the most homogeneous ties, while advice questions yielded the most heterogeneous. Participants were generally more likely to nominate those of higher social status, although certain questions, such as who participants talk to uncovered more egalitarian relationships, while other name generators elicited the names of social contacts distinctly higher or lower in status than the respondent. Some questions also seemed to uncover networks that were specific to the cultural context, suggesting that network researchers should balance local relevance with global generalizability when choosing name generators.

Communication: slow relaxation, spatial mobility gradients, and vitrification in confined films

DOE PAGES

Mirigian, Stephen; Schweizer, Kenneth S.

2014-10-31

Two decades of experimental research indicate that spatial confinement of glass-forming molecular and polymeric liquids results in major changes of their slow dynamics beginning at large confinement distances. A fundamental understanding remains elusive given the generic complexity of activated relaxation in supercooled liquids and the major complications of geometric confinement, interfacial effects, and spatial inhomogeneity. For this research, we construct a predictive, quantitative, force-level theory of relaxation in free-standing films for the central question of the nature of the spatial mobility gradient. The key new idea is that vapor interfaces speed up barrier hopping in two distinct, but coupled, waysmore » by reducing near surface local caging constraints and spatially long range collective elastic distortion. Effective vitrification temperatures, dynamic length scales, and mobile layer thicknesses naturally follow. In conclusion, our results provide a unified basis for central observations of dynamic and pseudo-thermodynamic measurements.« less

Max '91: Flare research at the next solar maximum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennis, Brian; Canfield, Richard; Bruner, Marilyn; Emslie, Gordon; Hildner, Ernest; Hudson, Hugh; Hurford, Gordon; Lin, Robert; Novick, Robert; Tarbell, Ted

1988-01-01

To address the central scientific questions surrounding solar flares, coordinated observations of electromagnetic radiation and energetic particles must be made from spacecraft, balloons, rockets, and ground-based observatories. A program to enhance capabilities in these areas in preparation for the next solar maximum in 1991 is recommended. The major scientific issues are described, and required observations and coordination of observations and analyses are detailed. A program plan and conceptual budgets are provided.

What are the dietary treatment research priorities for inflammatory bowel disease? A short report based on a priority setting partnership with the James Lind Alliance.

PubMed

Lomer, M C; Hart, A L; Verjee, A; Daly, A; Solomon, J; Mclaughlin, J

2017-12-01

Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves a multidisciplinary approach comprising medical management and sometimes surgery. Although diet is central to IBD management, the optimal diet for patients with IBD is uncertain. A UK collaborative partnership within the James Lind Alliance was set up between patients, clinicians and other stakeholders to develop research priorities in IBD. The aim of this short report is to provide a comprehensive summary of the research priority findings relating to diet in the treatment of IBD. The James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership process was used to develop research priorities in IBD. In brief, patients, clinicians and other stakeholders were invited to provide up to five treatment uncertainties in IBD. These uncertainties were collated, revised and ranked, leading to a final top 10 research questions in IBD. A total of 1671 uncertainties from 531 participants were collected and refined to exclude duplicates leaving 1253 uncertainties. Of these, 348 were categorised as diet-related and grouped according to topic. There were 206 uncertainties related to how diet can be used to treat IBD or alleviate symptoms. Seventy-two percent of diet-related questions came from patients. One broadly diet-related and two diet-specific treatment uncertainties were included in the top 10 research priorities for IBD. Dietary treatment options in the management of IBD are important research priorities. Almost three-quarters of diet related questions came from patients, who were particularly interested in how diet can impact disease activity and symptom control. © 2017 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Panel on Graduate Education in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strom, S.; Edwards, S.; Gallagher, J. S.; Levy, E.; York, D.; van Horn, H.; Wyckoff, S.

1995-12-01

As a result of the shifting emphasis for public investment in basic research and higher education, opportunities for new PhDs to follow traditional academic research careers are expected to decrease. Given these realities, it is both essential and timely to re-examine the role of graduate schools in serving our discipline, our students, and the society which supports us. Central to the discussion are the questions: (1) What should be the goals and content of an astronomy graduate education in view of (a) the discipline's need to continue a tradition of carrying out world class research, and (b) our nation's need for imaginative, scientifically capable and adaptable young people, both in the technical workforce and as teachers in the nation's schools? (2) Should we consider changing our admissions policies, graduate curricula, funding patterns or academic culture to meet the needs of (a) our discipline, and (b) our nation? The panelists will share their current perspectives on these very challenging questions. A follow-up open discussion on these issues will be held on Tuesday evening. A detailed outline of the questions regarding the goals of graduate education in astronomy formulated by the AAS Education Policy Board may be found through the Education link on the AAS World Wide Web homepage.

Network Connectedness, Sense of Community, and Risk Perception of Climate Change Professionals in the Pacific Islands Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corlew, L. K.; Keener, V. W.; Finucane, M.

2013-12-01

The Pacific Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (Pacific RISA) Program conducted social network analysis research of climate change professionals (broadly defined) who are from or work in Hawaii and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) region. This study is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Pacific Islands Climate Science Center (PICSC) to address an identified need for a resource that quantifies the region's collaborative network of climate change professionals, and that supports the further development of cross-regional and inter-sectoral collaborations for future research and adaptation activities. A survey was distributed to nearly 1,200 people who are from and/or work in climate change related fields in the region. The Part One Survey questions (not confidential) created a preferential attachment network by listing major players in Hawaii and the USAPI, with additional open fields to identify important contacts in the greater professional network. Participants (n=340) identified 975 network contacts and frequency of communications (weekly, monthly, seasonally, yearly, at least once ever). Part Two Survey questions (confidential, n=302) explored climate change risk perceptions, Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC), sense of control over climate change impacts, sense of responsibility to act, policy beliefs and preferences regarding climate change actions, concern and optimism scales about specific impacts, and demographic information. Graphical representations of the professional network are being developed for release in September 2013 as a free online tool to promote and assist collaboration building among climate professionals in the region. The graphs are partitioned according to network 'hubs' (high centrality), participant location, and profession to clearly identify network strengths and opportunities for future collaborations across spatial and professional boundaries. For additional analyses, scores are assigned for participant degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and Eigenvector centrality from the Part One Survey, as well as PSOC, control, responsibility, risk perceptions, concern, optimism, and policy preferences from the Part Two Survey. Statistical interaction analyses explore factors motivating connectedness within the network, as well as climate change research and adaptation needs and priorities of participants.

On Sister, Where Art Thou? The Galilean Satellites After Galileo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKinnon, W. B.

2006-12-01

A rich picture has emerged of the four Galileans in the last decade, but for each moon fundamental questions naturally remain unanswered. I will attempt to review a selection of these whose broader application to planetary and satellite science may prove important. Io's volcanic hyperactivity is well known, and offers clues to Io's tidally heated interior state, but the same effusions obscure much of what happens in the interior. The magmas are hot, but how hot? What is the spatial pattern of tidal heating and how is magma transported? Are models based on upwelling of the Earth's upper mantle sufficient, or must more exotic models, such as porous flow through a non-convecting solid matrix, be invoked? What about the canonical (at least at one time) magma ocean? Are Io's spectacular mountains mere "window dressing" or vital clues to otherwise perplexing interior processes? Moving to the exterior moon, Callisto, the central scientific question for this body is how it acquired its ocean yet managed not to be deeply melted (differentiated)? Ganymede (an honorary sister) is ostensibly deeply differentiated, but the existence (if not persistence) of a strong magnetic dynamo within its iron core is a profound puzzle. At the surface, the relative roles of ice-water volcanism and tectonic resurfacing in creating the grooved and "smooth" terrains that cover 2/3 of the solar system's largest satellite remain debated. The stakes for understanding ice resurfacing elsewhere (Europa, Enceladus) are great. And it is Europa that commands our greatest attention. A decade of research has reached a level of maturity: while researchers may disagree on shell thickness, the consensus is that the ocean exists. With a massive body of liquid water, multiple energy sources proposed, and different paths to provide C and other biogenic elements, the central question is Europa's potential for life. There is no greater question.

The Living Experience of Feeling Playful.

PubMed

Baumann, Steven L; Tanzi, Donna; Lewis, Tricia A

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the living experience of feeling playful. Parse's research method was used to answer the question: What is the structure of the living experience of feeling playful? The participants were 10 persons, ages 9 to 83, living in the United States. The central finding of the study is the living experience of feeling playful is entertaining amusements amid burdens with uplifting endeavors strengthening affiliations with blissful moments of unfettered unfolding. The living experience of feeling playful is discussed in relation to the principles of the humanbecoming paradigm and in relation to how it can inform further research.

Innovations: clinical computing: an audio computer-assisted self-interviewing system for research and screening in public mental health settings.

PubMed

Bertollo, David N; Alexander, Mary Jane; Shinn, Marybeth; Aybar, Jalila B

2007-06-01

This column describes the nonproprietary software Talker, used to adapt screening instruments to audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) systems for low-literacy populations and other populations. Talker supports ease of programming, multiple languages, on-site scoring, and the ability to update a central research database. Key features include highly readable text display, audio presentation of questions and audio prompting of answers, and optional touch screen input. The scripting language for adapting instruments is briefly described as well as two studies in which respondents provided positive feedback on its use.

The future of graduate medical education in Germany - position paper of the Committee on Graduate Medical Education of the Society for Medical Education (GMA).

PubMed

David, Dagmar M; Euteneier, Alexander; Fischer, Martin R; Hahn, Eckhart G; Johannink, Jonas; Kulike, Katharina; Lauch, Robert; Lindhorst, Elmar; Noll-Hussong, Michael; Pinilla, Severin; Weih, Markus; Wennekes, Vanessa

2013-01-01

The German graduate medical education system is going through an important phase of changes. Besides the ongoing reform of the national guidelines for graduate medical education (Musterweiterbildungsordnung), other factors like societal and demographic changes, health and research policy reforms also play a central role for the future and competitiveness of graduate medical education. With this position paper, the committee on graduate medical education of the Society for Medical Education (GMA) would like to point out some central questions for this process and support the current discourse. As an interprofessional and interdisciplinary scientific society, the GMA has the resources to contribute in a meaningful way to an evidence-based and future-oriented graduate medical education strategy. In this position paper, we use four key questions with regards to educational goals, quality assurance, teaching competence and policy requirements to address the core issues for the future of graduate medical education in Germany. The GMA sees its task in contributing to the necessary reform processes as the only German speaking scientific society in the field of medical education.

Top 10 research priorities relating to stroke nursing: a rigorous approach to establish a national nurse-led research agenda.

PubMed

Rowat, Anne; Pollock, Alex; St George, Bridget; Cowey, Eileen; Booth, Joanne; Lawrence, Maggie

2016-11-01

To determine the top 10 research priorities specific to stroke nursing. It is important that stroke nurses build their research capability and capacity. This project built on a previous James Lind Alliance prioritization project, which established the shared stroke research priorities of stroke survivors, carers and health professionals. Research priority setting project using James Lind Alliance methods; a survey for interim prioritization and a consensus meeting for final priority setting. Between September - November 2014, stroke nurses were invited to select their top 10 priorities from a previously established list of 226 unique unanswered questions. These data were used to generate a list of shared research priorities (interim priority setting stage). A purposefully selected group of stroke nurses attended a final consensus meeting (April 2015) to determine the top 10 research priorities. During the interim prioritization stage, 97 stroke nurses identified 28 shared priority treatment uncertainties. At the final consensus meeting, 27 stroke nurses reached agreement on the top 10 stroke nursing research priorities. Five of the top 10 questions relate to stroke-specific impairments and five relate to rehabilitation and long-term consequences of stroke. The research agenda for stroke nursing has now been clearly defined, facilitating nurses to undertake research, which is of importance to stroke survivors and carers and central to supporting optimal recovery and quality of life after stroke. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Qualitative Research in Health Services Research - Discussion Paper, Part 3: Quality of Qualitative Research].

PubMed

Stamer, M; Güthlin, C; Holmberg, C; Karbach, U; Patzelt, C; Meyer, T

2015-12-01

The third and final discussion paper of the German Network of Health Services Research's (DNVF) "Qualitative Methods Working Group" demonstrates methods for the evaluation and quality of qualitative research in health services research. In this paper we discuss approaches described in evaluating qualitative studies, including: an orientation to the general principles of empirical research, an approach-specific course of action, as well as procedures based on the research-process and criteria-oriented approaches. Divided into general and specific aspects to be considered in a qualitative study quality evaluation, the central focus of the discussion paper undertakes an extensive examination of the process and criteria-oriented approaches. The general aspects include the participation of relevant groups in the research process as well as ethical aspects of the research and data protection issues. The more specific aspects in evaluating the quality of qualitative research include considerations about the research interest, research questions, and the selection of data collection methods and types of analyses. The formulated questions are intended to guide reviewers and researchers to evaluate and to develop qualitative research projects appropriately. The intention of this discussion paper is to ensure a transparent research culture, and to reflect on and discuss the methodological and research approach of qualitative studies in health services research. With this paper we aim to initiate a discussion on high quality evaluation of qualitative health services research. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Social Networking in an Agricultural Research Center: Using Data to Enhance Outcomes.

PubMed

Cramer, Mary E; Araz, Ozgur M; Wendl, Mary J

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present a case study of one midwestern Agricultural Center (Ag Center) that used social network analysis (SNA) to (1) evaluate its collaborations with extramural stakeholders and (2) strategically plan for extending outreach for goal achievement. An evaluation team developed a data collection instrument based on SNA principles. It was administered to the Ag Center's intramural stakeholders (N = 9), who were asked to identify the key extramural stakeholders with whom they had collaborated within the previous 12 months. Additional questions about each extramural stakeholder helped to categorize them according to SNA network measures for degree of centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality. Findings showed the Ag Center had N = 305 extramural stakeholders. Most of these were other researchers and did not represent the diverse group of stakeholders that the Ag Center had targeted for engagement. Only a few of the intramural stakeholders had national or international connections. Findings were used to improve and diversify connections in order to leverage the Ag Center's expertise and ability to translate research into new best practices and policies. The SNA case study has implications for other evaluators and project directors looking for methodologies that can monitor networks in large science consortia and help leaders plan for translating research into practice and policies by networking with those who can influence such change.

Roadmapping Future E-Government Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bicking, Melanie

Global electronic markets, virtual organisations, virtual identities, virtual products and services, and Internet-related crime are growing in prominence and importance. In a world that is increasingly non-physical and borderless, what are government's roles, responsibilities and limitations? The Internet plays a central role within the transformation process from traditional governments towards modern and innovative government that the requirements of an Information Society. Based on the findings of the eGovRTD2020 project, that aims at identifying key research challenges and at implementing a model for a holistic government with horizon 2020, this paper explains the necessity to investigate and understand the Internet and in particular government's role and responsibilities in it. Furthermore, the paper provides a research roadmap that details how to address certain issue related research questions.

Stem cell research in Brazil: the production of a new field of science.

PubMed

Zorzanelli, Rafaela Teixeira; Speroni, Angela Vasconi; Menezes, Rachel Aisengart; Leibing, Annette

2017-01-01

Based on a review of the literature published in the early twenty-first century by Brazilian researchers, the article offers an overview of stem cell research in Brazil. Three central topics were detected in these papers: (1) the funding of stem cell research in Brazil; (2) preclinical and clinical trials in Brazil; and (3) social anthropological analysis focused on ethical and legal matters. Our review identifies controversial questions in the construction of this scientific field, especially issues involving the media as a disseminator of values and of certain social representations, where new kinds of hope figure large. Within this climate of uncertainty, we find patients and their families energized by the promises of the "medicine of the future."

Data Sharing in Astrobiology: The Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lafuente, B.; Bristow, T.; Stone, N.; Pires, A.; Keller, R.; Downs, Robert; Blake, D.; Fonda, M.

2017-01-01

Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary area of scientific research focused on studying the origins of life on Earth and the conditions under which life might have emerged elsewhere in the universe. NASA uses the results of Astrobiology research to help define targets for future missions that are searching for life elsewhere in the universe. The understanding of complex questions in Astrobiology requires integration and analysis of data spanning a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy and planetary science. However, the lack of a centralized repository makes it difficult for Astrobiology teams to share data and benefit from resultant synergies. Moreover, in recent years, federal agencies are requiring that results of any federally funded scientific research must be available and useful for the public and the science community. The Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED), developed with a consolidated group of astrobiologists from different active research teams at NASA Ames Research Center, is designed to help to address these issues. AHED is a central, high-quality, long-term data repository for mineralogical, textural, morphological, inorganic and organic chemical, isotopic and other information pertinent to the advancement of the field of Astrobiology.

Data Sharing in Astrobiology: the Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lafuente, B.; Bristow, T.; Stone, N.; Pires, A.; Keller, R. M.; Downs, R. T.; Blake, D.; Fonda, M.

2017-01-01

Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary area of scientific research focused on studying the origins of life on Earth and the conditions under which life might have emerged elsewhere in the universe. NASA uses the results of Astrobiology research to help define targets for future missions that are searching for life elsewhere in the universe. The understanding of complex questions in Astrobiology requires integration and analysis of data spanning a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy and planetary science. However, the lack of a centralized repository makes it difficult for Astrobiology teams to share data and benefit from resultant synergies. Moreover, in recent years, federal agencies are requiring that results of any federally funded scientific research must be available and useful for the public and the science community. The Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED), developed with a consolidated group of astrobiologists from different active research teams at NASA Ames Research Center, is designed to help to address these issues. AHED is a central, high-quality, long-term data repository for mineralogical, textural, morphological, inorganic and organic chemical, isotopic and other information pertinent to the advancement of the field of Astrobiology.

Qualitative research and the epidemiological imagination: a vital relationship.

PubMed

Popay, J

2003-01-01

This paper takes as its starting point the assumption that the 'Epidemiological Imagination' has a central role to play in the future development of policies and practice to improve population health and reduce health inequalities within and between states but suggests that by neglecting the contribution that qualitative research can make epidemiology is failing to deliver this potential. The paper briefly considers what qualitative research is, touching on epistemological questions--what type of "knowledge" is generated--and questions of methods--what approaches to data collection, analysis and interpretation are involved). Following this the paper presents two different models of the relationship between qualitative and quantitative research. The enhancement model (which assumes that qualitative research findings add something extra to the findings of quantitative research) suggests three related "roles" for qualitative research: generating hypothesis to be tested by quantitative research, helping to construct more sophisticated measures of social phenomena and explaining unexpected research from quantitative research. In contrast, the Epistemological Model suggests that qualitative research is equal but different from quantitative research making a unique contribution through: researching parts other research approaches can't reach, increasing understanding by adding conceptual and theoretical depth to knowledge, shifting the balance of power between researchers and researched and challenging traditional epidemiological ways of "knowing" the social world. The paper illustrates these different types of contributions with examples of qualitative research and finally discusses ways in which the "trustworthiness" of qualitative research can be assessed.

The lived experience of doing the right thing: a parse method study.

PubMed

Smith, Sandra Maxwell

2012-01-01

The purposes of this research were to discover the structure of the experience of doing the right thing and to contribute to nursing knowledge. The Parse research method was used in this study to answer the research question: What is the structure of the lived experience of doing the right thing? Participants were 10 individuals living in the community. The central finding of this study was the following structure: The lived experience of doing the right thing is steadfast uprightness amid adversity, as honorableness with significant affiliations emerges with contentment. New knowledge extended the theory of humanbecoming and enhanced understanding of the experience of doing the right thing.

Theory and Practice in Participatory Research: Lessons from the Native Elder Care Study

PubMed Central

Goins, R. Turner; Garroutte, Eva Marie; Fox, Susan Leading; Dee Geiger, Sarah; Manson, Spero M.

2011-01-01

Models for community-based participatory research (CBPR) urge academic investigators to collaborate with communities to identify and pursue research questions, processes, and outcomes valuable to both partners. The tribal participatory research (TPR) conceptual model suggests modifications to CBPR to fit the special needs of American Indian communities. This paper draws upon authors’ collaboration with one American Indian tribe to recommend theoretical revision and practical strategies for conducting gerontological research in tribal communities. We rated the TPR model as a strong, specialized adaptation of participatory research principles. Although the need for some TPR mechanisms may vary, our experience recommends incorporating dissemination as a central TPR mechanism. Researchers and communities can expect well-crafted collaborative projects to generate particular types of positive project outcomes for both partners, but should prepare for both predictable and unique challenges. PMID:21292753

The Application of Finite Element Solution Techniques in Structural Analysis on a Microcomputer.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

my wife for her support of this research project and the amount of time she spent helping me in preparation. Thanks go to the personnel at Computer...questions which had to be answered concerning the microcomputer in relation to a sequentially programmed finite element program. The first was how big...central site, then usefullness of the microcomputer is limited. The first series of problems consisted of a simple truss structure, which was expanded

Social network analysis of a project-based introductory physics course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oakley, Christopher

2016-03-01

Research suggests that students benefit from peer interaction and active engagement in the classroom. The quality, nature, effect of these interactions is currently being explored by Physics Education Researchers. Spelman College offers an introductory physics sequence that addresses content and research skills by engaging students in open-ended research projects, a form of Project-Based Learning. Students have been surveyed at regular intervals during the second semester of trigonometry-based course to determine the frequency of interactions in and out of class. These interactions can be with current or past students, tutors, and instructors. This line of inquiry focuses on metrics of Social Network analysis, such as centrality of participants as well as segmentation of groups. Further research will refine and highlight deeper questions regarding student performance in this pedagogy and course sequence.

The Long-Term Agro-Ecosystem Research (LTAR) Network: A New In-Situ Data Network For Agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walbridge, M. R.

2014-12-01

Agriculture in the 21st Century faces significant challenges due to increases in the demand for agricultural products from a global population expected to reach 9.5 billion by 2050, changes in land use that are reducing the area of arable land worldwide, and the uncertainties associated with increasing climate variability and change. There is broad agreement that meeting these challenges will require significant changes in agro-ecosystem management at the landscape scale. In 2012, the USDA/ARS announced the reorganization of 10 existing benchmark watersheds, experimental ranges, and research farms into a Long-Term Agro-ecosystem Research (LTAR) network. Earlier this year, the LTAR network expanded to 18 sites, including 3 led by land grant universities and/or private foundations. The central question addressed by the LTAR network is, "How do we sustain or enhance productivity, profitability, and ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems and agricultural landscapes"? All 18 LTAR sites possess rich historical databases that extend up to 100 years into the past. However as LTAR moves forward, the focus is on collecting a core set of common measurements over the next 30-50 years that can be used to draw inferences regarding the nature of agricultural sustainability and how it varies across regional and continental-scale gradients. As such, LTAR is part long-term research network and part observatory network. Rather than focusing on a single site, each LTAR has developed regional partnerships that allow it to address agro-ecosystem function in the large basins and eco-climatic zones that underpin regional food production systems. Partners include other long-term in-situ data networks (e.g., Ameriflux, CZO, GRACEnet, LTER, NEON). 'Next steps' include designing and implementing a cross-site experiment addressing LTAR's central question.

Evaluation of a standardized all-terrain vehicle safety education intervention for youth in rural Central Illinois.

PubMed

Novak, Joshua A; Hafner, John W; Aldag, Jean C; Getz, Marjorie A

2013-01-01

Although research investigating all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riders and ATV injury patterns has led to support for legislative and educational efforts to decrease injuries in users younger than 16 years, there is little published data regarding the utility of ATV safety education programs. This study investigates the effectiveness of a standardized adolescent ATV safety program in changing the safety knowledge and safe ATV riding practices reported by rural Central Illinois youths. A convenience sample of 260 rural Central Illinois middle and high school students received an ATV safety presentation with both didactic and interactive features during the 2009-2010 school year. Preintervention and postintervention surveys were distributed and collected by teachers. Survey questions consisted of multiple-choice questions pertaining to demographics, ATV safety knowledge, and ATV riding practices. More than 200 surveys were collected prior to the intervention and 165 surveys were collected 12 to 24 weeks after the intervention. Percentages are reported, with differences in nominal variables tested by χ(2) test and interval variables by t test. Following the intervention, there was a significant increase in the correct response rate for ATV safety knowledge questions (45.2% vs 56.2%, P < .001). For adolescents who reported riding ATVs, both safety gear use (11.8% to 21.2%, P = .05) and helmet use (25.4% to 29.0%, P = .56) increased; changes were not significant. Adolescent ATV riders reporting 2 or more accidents showed a slight nonsignificant decrease (25.2% vs 23.4%, P = .77) between the time of the pretest and posttest. This safety program was effective at increasing ATV safety knowledge but demonstrates limited effect on safe riding practices.

The domestication of Foucault: Government, critique, war.

PubMed

Allen, Ansgar; Goddard, Roy

2014-12-01

Though Foucault was intrigued by the possibilities of radical social transformation, he resolutely resisted the idea that such transformation could escape the effects of power and expressed caution when it came to the question of revolution. In this article we argue that in one particularly influential line of development of Foucault's work his exemplary caution has been exaggerated in a way that weakens the political aspirations of post-Foucaldian scholarship. The site of this reduction is a complex debate over the role of normativity in Foucaldian research, where it has been claimed that Foucault's genealogical approach is unable to answer the question ' Why fight? ' The terms of this debate (on the neo-Foucaldian side) are limited by a dominant though selective interpretation of Foucault's analytics of power, where power is understood primarily in terms of government, rather than struggle. In response we suggest that if we reconfigure power-as-government to power-as-war, this adjusts the central concern. ' Why fight? ' becomes replaced by the more immediate question, ' How fight? ' Without denying the obvious benefits of cautious scholarly work, we argue that a reconfiguration of Foucault's analytics of power might help Foucaldian research to transcend the self-imposed ethic of political quietism that currently dominates the field.

Fishery management, development and food security in the Western and Central Pacific in the context of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Kevin C.; Glazier, Ed; Nicol, Simon J.; Hobday, Alistair J.

2015-03-01

In the coming decades, fishery resource managers and policy-makers in Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) will be increasingly challenged by the need to ensure food security in the context of a changing climate, increasing human pressure on the marine environment, and limited understanding of marine ecosystems and associated resources. These decision-makers must address a pressing and overarching question - how will pelagic resources and pressures on such resources change over time and space? Answering this question requires ongoing inquiry into critical dimensions of pelagic species and systems, for both the commercial tuna species that are managed by Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs), as well as nearshore pelagic fishes that support many small-scale fisheries and are managed at national and local levels. Research priorities include generating further insight into life history and physiology, oceanographic context, movement and migration, food webs, ecosystem dynamics and stock status. Concurrently, socioeconomic research is needed to tailor fisheries management strategies to local, national and regional conditions; and improve understanding of incentive structures among players in RFMOs such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. PICT-based scientists and managers are ideally situated to generate new fisheries-relevant data; however, investments are needed to expand the capacity for research, management, and sustainable fisheries development within PICTs. Such capacity building can be accelerated through collaboration between PICTs, RFMOs, and scientific centers of excellence in Distant Water Fishing Nations. Without increased capacity development, this region will be adversely affected by the impacts of climate change and less able to take advantage of opportunities for economic development.

Frequency and Content of Chat Questions by Time of Semester at the University of Central Florida: Implications for Training, Staffing and Marketing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goda, Donna; Bishop, Corinne

2008-01-01

The more than 4,000 "chats" received by the University of Central Florida's (UCF) Ask-A-Librarian digital reference service are the subject of this practitioner-based, descriptive case study. Question content from chats received during four semesters between January 2005 and May 2006 are categorized and plotted, by semester, to show the…

Using Student Writing and Lexical Analysis to Reveal Student Thinking about the Role of Stop Codons in the Central Dogma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prevost, Luanna B.; Smith, Michelle K.; Knight, Jennifer K.

2016-01-01

Previous work has shown that students have persistent difficulties in understanding how central dogma processes can be affected by a stop codon mutation. To explore these difficulties, we modified two multiple-choice questions from the Genetics Concept Assessment into three open-ended questions that asked students to write about how a stop codon…

Participant recruitment to FiCTION, a primary dental care trial - survey of facilitators and barriers.

PubMed

Keightley, A; Clarkson, J; Maguire, A; Speed, C; Innes, N

2014-11-01

To identify reasons behind a lower than expected participant recruitment rate within the FiCTION trial, a multi-centre paediatric primary dental care randomised controlled trial (RCT). An online survey, based on a previously published tool, consisting of both quantitative and qualitative responses, completed by staff in dental practices recruiting to FiCTION. Ratings from quantitative responses were aggregated to give overall scores for factors related to participant recruitment. Qualitative responses were independently grouped into themes. Thirty-nine anonymous responses were received. Main facilitators related to the support received from the central research team and importance of the research question. The main barriers related to low child eligibility rates and the integration of trial processes within routine workloads. These findings have directed strategies for enhancing participant recruitment at existing practices and informed recruitment of further practices. The results help provide a profile of the features required of practices to successfully screen and recruit participants. Future trials in this setting should consider the level of interest in the research question within practices, and ensure trial processes are as streamlined as possible. Research teams should actively support practices with participant recruitment and maintain enthusiasm among the entire practice team.

Telling the history of self-advocacy: a challenge for inclusive research.

PubMed

Walmsley, Jan

2014-01-01

This paper tells the story of Central England People First's (CEPF) History Project. This was an inclusive research project, owned and controlled by members of CEPF which sought to chart its 21-year history, 1990-2012. It illustrates both the strengths of such a project and some of the challenges. It concludes that using inclusive research methods enabled the story to be told, but that it was less successful in addressing questions about why the organization grew and prospered in the 1990s, only to struggle in its later years, and what this tells us about the conditions which enable self-advocacy to flourish. The paper was collaboratively written by the CEPF History Project team and an academic ally. Different fonts differentiate the contributions, although it is acknowledged that lots of the ideas were shared. This paper explores issues in telling the history of self advocacy using inclusive research methods. It explains how and why CEPF recorded its history, what we found out, and some of the questions we have had to think about: whose voices we hear what to include, what to leave out what parts of the research people with learning difficulties can do what self advocacy means to different people how to make use of research other people have done. It raises some new questions about directions for inclusive research. The Paper was written by the CEPF History team - Craig Hart, Ian Davies, Angela Still and Catherine O'Byrne - working with Jan Walmsley. We wanted to make it clear what were Jan Walmsley's ideas and what were our ideas. We have done this by writing our ideas in a different font. BUT lots of the ideas belong to all of us. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Relationship between Future Time Orientation and Item Nonresponse on Subjective Probability Questions: A Cross-Cultural Analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Sunghee; Liu, Mingnan; Hu, Mengyao

2017-06-01

Time orientation is an unconscious yet fundamental cognitive process that provides a framework for organizing personal experiences in temporal categories of past, present and future, reflecting the relative emphasis given to these categories. Culture lies central to individuals' time orientation, leading to cultural variations in time orientation. For example, people from future-oriented cultures tend to emphasize the future and store information relevant for the future more than those from present- or past-oriented cultures. For survey questions that ask respondents to report expected probabilities of future events, this may translate into culture-specific question difficulties, manifested through systematically varying "I don't know" item nonresponse rates. This study drew on the time orientation theory and examined culture-specific nonresponse patterns on subjective probability questions using methodologically comparable population-based surveys from multiple countries. The results supported our hypothesis. Item nonresponse rates on these questions varied significantly in the way that future-orientation at the group as well as individual level was associated with lower nonresponse rates. This pattern did not apply to non-probability questions. Our study also suggested potential nonresponse bias. Examining culture-specific constructs, such as time orientation, as a framework for measurement mechanisms may contribute to improving cross-cultural research.

Relationship between Future Time Orientation and Item Nonresponse on Subjective Probability Questions: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

PubMed Central

Lee, Sunghee; Liu, Mingnan; Hu, Mengyao

2017-01-01

Time orientation is an unconscious yet fundamental cognitive process that provides a framework for organizing personal experiences in temporal categories of past, present and future, reflecting the relative emphasis given to these categories. Culture lies central to individuals’ time orientation, leading to cultural variations in time orientation. For example, people from future-oriented cultures tend to emphasize the future and store information relevant for the future more than those from present- or past-oriented cultures. For survey questions that ask respondents to report expected probabilities of future events, this may translate into culture-specific question difficulties, manifested through systematically varying “I don’t know” item nonresponse rates. This study drew on the time orientation theory and examined culture-specific nonresponse patterns on subjective probability questions using methodologically comparable population-based surveys from multiple countries. The results supported our hypothesis. Item nonresponse rates on these questions varied significantly in the way that future-orientation at the group as well as individual level was associated with lower nonresponse rates. This pattern did not apply to non-probability questions. Our study also suggested potential nonresponse bias. Examining culture-specific constructs, such as time orientation, as a framework for measurement mechanisms may contribute to improving cross-cultural research. PMID:28781381

An exploratory comparison of name generator content: Data from rural India

PubMed Central

Shakya, Holly B.; Christakis, Nicholas A.; Fowler, James H.

2017-01-01

Since the 1970s sociologists have explored the best means for measuring social networks, although few name generator analyses have used sociocentric data or data from developing countries, partly because sociocentric studies in developing countries have been scant. Here, we analyze 12 different name generators used in a sociocentric network study conducted in 75 villages in rural Karnataka, India. Having unusual sociocentric data from a non-Western context allowed us to extend previous name generator research through the unique analyses of network structural measures, an extensive consideration of homophily, and investigation of status difference between egos and alters. We found that domestic interaction questions generated networks that were highly clustered and highly centralized. Similarity between respondents and their nominated contacts was strongest for gender, caste, and religion. We also found that domestic interaction name generators yielded the most homogeneous ties, while advice questions yielded the most heterogeneous. Participants were generally more likely to nominate those of higher social status, although certain questions, such as who participants talk to uncovered more egalitarian relationships, while other name generators elicited the names of social contacts distinctly higher or lower in status than the respondent. Some questions also seemed to uncover networks that were specific to the cultural context, suggesting that network researchers should balance local relevance with global generalizability when choosing name generators. PMID:28845086

Targeting bacterial central metabolism for drug development.

PubMed

Murima, Paul; McKinney, John D; Pethe, Kevin

2014-11-20

Current antibiotics, derived mainly from natural sources, inhibit a narrow spectrum of cellular processes, namely DNA replication, protein synthesis, and cell wall biosynthesis. With the worldwide explosion of drug resistance, there is renewed interest in the investigation of alternate essential cellular processes, including bacterial central metabolic pathways, as a drug target space for the next generation of antibiotics. However, the validation of targets in central metabolism is more complex, as essentiality of such targets can be conditional and/or contextual. Bearing in mind our enhanced understanding of prokaryotic central metabolism, a key question arises: can central metabolism be bacteria's Achilles' heel and a therapeutic target for the development of new classes of antibiotics? In this review, we draw lessons from oncology and attempt to address some of the open questions related to feasibility of targeting bacterial central metabolism as a strategy for developing new antibacterial drugs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dimensions of Questioning: A Qualitative Study of Current Classroom Practice in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussin, Habsah

2006-01-01

This study investigated questioning as practiced in Malaysian secondary school classrooms, to determine teachers' rationale for adopting certain techniques of questioning, and to use the findings to inform teacher education. Questioning is a central aspect of any classroom interaction as it serves so many functions but it is still an…

Neuroimmunology and neuroepigenetics in the establishment of sex differences in the brain

PubMed Central

McCarthy, Margaret M.; Nugent, Bridget M.; Lenz, Kathryn M.

2017-01-01

The study of sex differences in the brain is a topic of neuroscientific study that has broad reaching implications for culture, society and biomedical science. Recent research in rodent models has led to dramatic shifts in our views of the mechanisms underlying the sexual differentiation of the brain. These include the surprising discoveries of a role for immune cells and inflammatory mediators in brain masculinization and a role for epigenetic suppression in brain feminization. How and to what degree these findings will translate to human brain development will be questions of central importance in future research in this field. PMID:28638119

Hospital strategic planning diversity integration based organizational type and CEO tenure.

PubMed

Newhouse, John J

2007-01-01

The author investigated the strategic planning processes used by five different hospital types to integrate diversity practices into their operations. Chief executive officers from Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania were surveyed to examine how their hospitals used strategic planning in this process. The central research question was: Does this process vary on the basis of hospital type? The findings indicated that some differences do exist by hospital type, as well as the length of tenure for CEOs in their positions.

A Review of Concepts from Policy Studies Relevant to the Analysis of EFA in Developing Countries. Create Pathways to Access. Research Monograph No. 11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lall, Marie

2007-01-01

This paper aims to give an introduction to the central concepts and the literature of Policy Studies in education. The first part of the paper addresses the questions of what policy is. How is it made and why is it relevant? It looks in particular at the role of the state and the Policy cycle framework which is an analytical tool that helps to…

Feeling Peaceful: A Universal Living Experience.

PubMed

Doucet, Thomas J

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the living experience of feeling peaceful. Parse's research method was used to answer the question: What is the structure of the living experience of feeling peaceful? Twelve participants living in a community consented to partake in the study. The central finding of the study is the structure: feeling peaceful is contentedness amid tribulation, as unburdening surfaces with devout involvements. The findings are discussed in relation to the humanbecoming school of thought and extant literature.

Federal Organization for Technological Innovation. Hearings before the Subcommittee on Science, Research and Technology of the Committee on Science and Technology. House of Representatives, Ninety-Eighth Congress, Second Session (June 7, 12, 13, 14, 1984). No. 127.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Science and Technology.

These hearings focused on a number of bills that, in various degrees, call for new organizational arrangements in the federal government, for a stronger role in technological innovation. The central question addressed was whether the advancement of American technology needs the active participation of the federal government, be it in the currently…

Field endocrinology of nonhuman primates: past, present, and future.

PubMed

Higham, James P

2016-08-01

In the past few decades, research on nonhuman primate endocrinology has moved from the lab to the field, leading to a huge increase in both the breadth and depth of primate field studies. Here, I discuss the past, present, and future of primate field endocrinology. I review the history of the field, and go on to discuss methodological developments and the issues that they sometimes entail. Next, I consider ways in which we might conceptualize the role of hormones, and focus on the need to distinguish proximate from ultimate levels of explanation. Current potentially problematic issues in the field include: 1) an inability to obtain noninvasive measurements of Central Nervous System (CNS) rather than peripheral hormone concentrations; 2) research questions that become stuck (e.g., questions regarding sexual swelling expression mechanisms); 3) data dredging and post-hoc linking of hormones to any plausible variable, leading to a lack of clarity on their role in animal ecology and behavior. I finish by discussing several unanswered questions that might benefit from further research. These are how we might: 1) best obtain measurements for CNS hormone concentrations non-invasively; 2) measure hormone receptor expression alongside hormone concentrations; 3) consider the human endocrinology literature more thoroughly and perhaps take more multimarker approaches; 4) better consider the social environment, including audience and dyadic familiarity effects; and 5) apply our findings to conservation issues. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Planning and managing market research: Electric utility market research monograph series: Monograph 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whitelaw, R.W.

1987-01-01

The market research techniques available now to the electric utility industry have evolved over the last thirty years into a set of sophisticated tools that permit complex behavioral analyses that earlier had been impossible. The marketing questions facing the electric utility industry now are commensurately more complex than ever before. This document was undertaken to present the tools and techniques needed to start or improve the usefulness of market research activities within electric utilities. It describes proven planning and management techniques as well as decision criteria for structuring effective market research functions for each utility's particular needs. The monograph establishesmore » the parameters of sound utility market research given trade-offs between highly centralized or decentralized organizations, research focus, involvement in decision making, and personnel and management skills necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the structure chosen.« less

Test Pool Questions, Area III.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sloan, Jamee Reid

This manual contains multiple choice questions to be used in testing students on nurse training objectives. Each test includes several questions covering each concept. The concepts in section A, medical surgical nursing, are diseases of the following systems: musculoskeletal; central nervous; cardiovascular; gastrointestinal; urinary and male…

Core questions in domestication research

PubMed Central

Zeder, Melinda A.

2015-01-01

The domestication of plants and animals is a key transition in human history, and its profound and continuing impacts are the focus of a broad range of transdisciplinary research spanning the physical, biological, and social sciences. Three central aspects of domestication that cut across and unify this diverse array of research perspectives are addressed here. Domestication is defined as a distinctive coevolutionary, mutualistic relationship between domesticator and domesticate and distinguished from related but ultimately different processes of resource management and agriculture. The relative utility of genetic, phenotypic, plastic, and contextual markers of evolving domesticatory relationships is discussed. Causal factors are considered, and two leading explanatory frameworks for initial domestication of plants and animals, one grounded in optimal foraging theory and the other in niche-construction theory, are compared. PMID:25713127

Neuroeconomics: cross-currents in research on decision-making.

PubMed

Sanfey, Alan G; Loewenstein, George; McClure, Samuel M; Cohen, Jonathan D

2006-03-01

Despite substantial advances, the question of how we make decisions and judgments continues to pose important challenges for scientific research. Historically, different disciplines have approached this problem using different techniques and assumptions, with few unifying efforts made. However, the field of neuroeconomics has recently emerged as an inter-disciplinary effort to bridge this gap. Research in neuroscience and psychology has begun to investigate neural bases of decision predictability and value, central parameters in the economic theory of expected utility. Economics, in turn, is being increasingly influenced by a multiple-systems approach to decision-making, a perspective strongly rooted in psychology and neuroscience. The integration of these disparate theoretical approaches and methodologies offers exciting potential for the construction of more accurate models of decision-making.

Clean Air for London (CLEARFLO) Final Campaign Summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Worsnop, D. R.; Williams, L. R.; Herndon, S. C.

This field campaign funded the participation of scientists from seven different research groups and operated over thirty instruments during the Winter Intensive Operating Period (January-February 2012) of the Clean Air for London (ClearfLo) campaign. The campaign took place at a rural site in Detling, UK, 45 kilometers southeast of central London. The primary science questions for the ClearfLo winter IOP (intensive operational periods) were: 1) “what is the urban increment of particulate matter (PM) and other pollutants in the greater London area?” and 2) “what is the contribution of solid fuel use for home heating to wintertime PM?” An additionalmore » motivation for the Detling measurements was the question of whether coatings on black carbon particles enhance absorption.« less

Clinical Uncertainties, Health Service Challenges, and Ethical Complexities of HIV “Test-and-Treat”: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Shah, Kavita R.; Sarma, Karthik V.; Mahajan, Anish P.

2013-01-01

Despite the HIV “test-and-treat” strategy’s promise, questions about its clinical rationale, operational feasibility, and ethical appropriateness have led to vigorous debate in the global HIV community. We performed a systematic review of the literature published between January 2009 and May 2012 using PubMed, SCOPUS, Global Health, Web of Science, BIOSIS, Cochrane CENTRAL, EBSCO Africa-Wide Information, and EBSCO CINAHL Plus databases to summarize clinical uncertainties, health service challenges, and ethical complexities that may affect the test-and-treat strategy’s success. A thoughtful approach to research and implementation to address clinical and health service questions and meaningful community engagement regarding ethical complexities may bring us closer to safe, feasible, and effective test-and-treat implementation. PMID:23597344

Getting quality in qualitative research: a short introduction to feminist methodology and methods.

PubMed

Landman, Maeve

2006-11-01

The present paper reflects a practical activity undertaken by the Nutrition Society's qualitative research network in October 2005. It reflects the structure of that exercise. First, there is an introduction to feminist methodology and methods. The informing premise is that feminist methodology is of particular interest to practitioners (professional and/or academic) engaged in occupations numerically dominated by women, such as nutritionists. A critical argument is made for a place for feminist methodology in related areas of social research. The discussion points to the differences that exist between various feminist commentators, although the central aims of feminist research are broadly shared. The paper comprises an overview of organizing concepts, discussion and questions posed to stimulate discussion on the design and process of research informed by feminist methodology. Issues arising from that discussion are summarized.

Carbon Metabolic Pathways in Phototrophic Bacteria and Their Broader Evolutionary Implications

PubMed Central

Tang, Kuo-Hsiang; Tang, Yinjie J.; Blankenship, Robert Eugene

2011-01-01

Photosynthesis is the biological process that converts solar energy to biomass, bio-products, and biofuel. It is the only major natural solar energy storage mechanism on Earth. To satisfy the increased demand for sustainable energy sources and identify the mechanism of photosynthetic carbon assimilation, which is one of the bottlenecks in photosynthesis, it is essential to understand the process of solar energy storage and associated carbon metabolism in photosynthetic organisms. Researchers have employed physiological studies, microbiological chemistry, enzyme assays, genome sequencing, transcriptomics, and 13C-based metabolomics/fluxomics to investigate central carbon metabolism and enzymes that operate in phototrophs. In this report, we review diverse CO2 assimilation pathways, acetate assimilation, carbohydrate catabolism, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and some key, and/or unconventional enzymes in central carbon metabolism of phototrophic microorganisms. We also discuss the reducing equivalent flow during photoautotrophic and photoheterotrophic growth, evolutionary links in the central carbon metabolic network, and correlations between photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organisms. Considering the metabolic versatility in these fascinating and diverse photosynthetic bacteria, many essential questions in their central carbon metabolism still remain to be addressed. PMID:21866228

Questions Asked by Primary Student Teachers about Observations of a Science Demonstration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahtee, Maija; Juuti, Kalle; Lavonen, Jari; Suomela, Liisa

2011-01-01

Teacher questioning has a central role in guiding pupils to learn to make scientific observations and inferences. We asked 110 primary student teachers to write down what kind of questions they would ask their pupils about a demonstration. Almost half of the student teachers posed questions that were either inappropriate or presupposed that the…

Critical Review of Technical Questions Facing Low Impact Development and Green Infrastructure: A Perspective from the Great Plains.

PubMed

Vogel, Jason R; Moore, Trisha L; Coffman, Reid R; Rodie, Steven N; Hutchinson, Stacy L; McDonough, Kelsey R; McLemore, Alex J; McMaine, John T

2015-09-01

Since its inception, Low Impact Development (LID) has become part of urban stormwater management across the United States, marking progress in the gradual transition from centralized to distributed runoff management infrastructure. The ultimate goal of LID is full, cost-effective implementation to maximize watershed-scale ecosystem services and enhance resilience. To reach that goal in the Great Plains, the multi-disciplinary author team presents this critical review based on thirteen technical questions within the context of regional climate and socioeconomics across increasing complexities in scale and function. Although some progress has been made, much remains to be done including continued basic and applied research, development of local LID design specifications, local demonstrations, and identifying funding mechanisms for these solutions. Within the Great Plains and beyond, by addressing these technical questions within a local context, the goal of widespread acceptance of LID can be achieved, resulting in more effective and resilient stormwater management.

Perspectives on the geographic stability and mobility of people in cities

PubMed Central

Hanson, Susan

2005-01-01

A class of questions in the human environment sciences focuses on the relationship between individual or household behavior and local geographic context. Central to these questions is the nature of people's geographic mobility as well as the duration of their locational stability at varying spatial and temporal scales. The problem for researchers is that the processes of mobility/stability are temporally and spatially dynamic and therefore difficult to measure. Whereas time and space are continuous, analysts must select levels of aggregation for both length of time in place and spatial scale of place that fit with the problem in question. Previous work has emphasized mobility and suppressed stability as an analytic category. I focus here on stability and show how analyzing individuals' stability requires also analyzing their mobility. Through an empirical example centered on the relationship between entrepreneurship and place, I demonstrate how a spotlight on stability illuminates a resolution to the measurement problem by highlighting the interdependence between the time and space dimensions of stability/mobility. PMID:16230616

Top 10 research questions related to growth and maturation of relevance to physical activity, performance, and fitness.

PubMed

Malina, Robert M

2014-06-01

Growth, maturation, and development dominate the daily lives of children and adolescents for approximately the first 2 decades of life. Growth and maturation are biological processes, while development is largely a behavioral process. The 3 processes occur simultaneously and interact. They can be influenced by physical activity and also can influence activity, performance, and fitness. Allowing for these potential interactions, 10 questions on growth and maturation that have relevance to physical activity, performance, and fitness are presented. The questions are not mutually exclusive and address several broadly defined topical areas: exercise and growth, body weight status (body mass index, adiposity rebound, "unhealthy weight gain"), movement proficiency (hypothesized barrier, role in obesity), individual differences, tracking, maturity-associated variation in performance, and corresponding variation in physical activity. Central to the discussion of each is the need for a biocultural approach recognizing the interactions of biology and behavior as potential influences on the variables of interest.

Construing Morality at High versus Low Levels Induces Better Self-control, Leading to Moral Acts

PubMed Central

Wu, Chia-Chun; Wu, Wen-Hsiung; Chiou, Wen-Bin

2017-01-01

Human morality entails a typical self-control dilemma in which one must conform to moral rules or socially desirable norms while exerting control over amoral, selfish impulses. Extant research regarding the connection between self-control and level of construal suggest that, compared with a low-level, concrete construal (highlighting means and resources, e.g., answering ‘how’ questions), a high-level, abstract construal (highlighting central goals, e.g., answering ‘why’ questions) promotes self-control. Hence, construing morality at higher levels rather than lower levels should engender greater self-control and, it follows, promote a tendency to perform moral acts. We conducted two experiments to show that answering “why” (high-level construal) vs. “how” (low-level construal) questions regarding morality was associated with a situational state of greater self-control, as indexed by less Stroop interference in the Stroop color-naming task (Experiments 1 and 2). Participants exposed to “why” questions regarding morality displayed a greater inclination for volunteerism (Experiment 1), showed a lower tendency toward selfishness in a dictator game (Experiment 2), and were more likely to return undeserved money (Experiment 2) compared with participants exposed to “how” questions regarding morality. In both experiments, self-control mediated the effect of a high-level construal of morality on dependent measures. The current research constitutes a new approach to promoting prosociality and moral education. Reminding people to think abstractly about human morality may help them to generate better control over the temptation to benefit from unethical acts and make it more likely that they will act morally. PMID:28680415

Construing Morality at High versus Low Levels Induces Better Self-control, Leading to Moral Acts.

PubMed

Wu, Chia-Chun; Wu, Wen-Hsiung; Chiou, Wen-Bin

2017-01-01

Human morality entails a typical self-control dilemma in which one must conform to moral rules or socially desirable norms while exerting control over amoral, selfish impulses. Extant research regarding the connection between self-control and level of construal suggest that, compared with a low-level, concrete construal (highlighting means and resources, e.g., answering 'how' questions), a high-level, abstract construal (highlighting central goals, e.g., answering 'why' questions) promotes self-control. Hence, construing morality at higher levels rather than lower levels should engender greater self-control and, it follows, promote a tendency to perform moral acts. We conducted two experiments to show that answering "why" (high-level construal) vs. "how" (low-level construal) questions regarding morality was associated with a situational state of greater self-control, as indexed by less Stroop interference in the Stroop color-naming task (Experiments 1 and 2). Participants exposed to "why" questions regarding morality displayed a greater inclination for volunteerism (Experiment 1), showed a lower tendency toward selfishness in a dictator game (Experiment 2), and were more likely to return undeserved money (Experiment 2) compared with participants exposed to "how" questions regarding morality. In both experiments, self-control mediated the effect of a high-level construal of morality on dependent measures. The current research constitutes a new approach to promoting prosociality and moral education. Reminding people to think abstractly about human morality may help them to generate better control over the temptation to benefit from unethical acts and make it more likely that they will act morally.

Strategic Interviewing to Detect Deception: Cues to Deception across Repeated Interviews

PubMed Central

Masip, Jaume; Blandón-Gitlin, Iris; Martínez, Carmen; Herrero, Carmen; Ibabe, Izaskun

2016-01-01

Previous deception research on repeated interviews found that liars are not less consistent than truth tellers, presumably because liars use a “repeat strategy” to be consistent across interviews. The goal of this study was to design an interview procedure to overcome this strategy. Innocent participants (truth tellers) and guilty participants (liars) had to convince an interviewer that they had performed several innocent activities rather than committing a mock crime. The interview focused on the innocent activities (alibi), contained specific central and peripheral questions, and was repeated after 1 week without forewarning. Cognitive load was increased by asking participants to reply quickly. The liars’ answers in replying to both central and peripheral questions were significantly less accurate, less consistent, and more evasive than the truth tellers’ answers. Logistic regression analyses yielded classification rates ranging from around 70% (with consistency as the predictor variable), 85% (with evasive answers as the predictor variable), to over 90% (with an improved measure of consistency that incorporated evasive answers as the predictor variable, as well as with response accuracy as the predictor variable). These classification rates were higher than the interviewers’ accuracy rate (54%). PMID:27847493

Family learning research in museums: An emerging disciplinary matrix?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellenbogen, Kirsten M.; Luke, Jessica J.; Dierking, Lynn D.

2004-07-01

Thomas Kuhn's notion of a disciplinary matrix provides a useful framework for investigating the growth of research on family learning in and from museums over the last decade. To track the emergence of this disciplinary matrix we consider three issues. First are shifting theoretical perspectives that result in new shared language, beliefs, values, understandings, and assumptions about what counts as family learning. Second are realigning methodologies, driven by underlying disciplinary assumptions about how research in this arena is best conducted, what questions should be addressed, and criteria for valid and reliable evidence. Third is resituating the focus of our research to make the family central to what we study, reflecting a more holistic understanding of the family as an educational institution within larger learning infrastructure. We discuss research that exemplifies these three issues and demonstrates the ways in which shifting theoretical perspectives, realigning methodologies, and resituating research foci signal the existence of a nascent disciplinary matrix.

Community Problems in Five West Central Counties. Report No. 7 of a Series on Quality of Life and Development in Northwestern Wisconsin, February 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Virginia; Linn, Gary

As part of a study on development and the quality of life in northwestern Wisconsin, questions concerning important problems, public services, and environmental issues were asked of samples of 150 people in each of 4 west central counties (Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, and Polk) in 1974. Responses to similar questions asked in a 1973 study of St. Croix…

On the origin of biological construction, with a focus on multicellularity.

PubMed

van Gestel, Jordi; Tarnita, Corina E

2017-10-17

Biology is marked by a hierarchical organization: all life consists of cells; in some cases, these cells assemble into groups, such as endosymbionts or multicellular organisms; in turn, multicellular organisms sometimes assemble into yet other groups, such as primate societies or ant colonies. The construction of new organizational layers results from hierarchical evolutionary transitions, in which biological units (e.g., cells) form groups that evolve into new units of biological organization (e.g., multicellular organisms). Despite considerable advances, there is no bottom-up, dynamical account of how, starting from the solitary ancestor, the first groups originate and subsequently evolve the organizing principles that qualify them as new units. Guided by six central questions, we propose an integrative bottom-up approach for studying the dynamics underlying hierarchical evolutionary transitions, which builds on and synthesizes existing knowledge. This approach highlights the crucial role of the ecology and development of the solitary ancestor in the emergence and subsequent evolution of groups, and it stresses the paramount importance of the life cycle: only by evaluating groups in the context of their life cycle can we unravel the evolutionary trajectory of hierarchical transitions. These insights also provide a starting point for understanding the types of subsequent organizational complexity. The central research questions outlined here naturally link existing research programs on biological construction (e.g., on cooperation, multilevel selection, self-organization, and development) and thereby help integrate knowledge stemming from diverse fields of biology.

An official American Thoracic Society research statement: comparative effectiveness research in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

PubMed

Carson, Shannon S; Goss, Christopher H; Patel, Sanjay R; Anzueto, Antonio; Au, David H; Elborn, Stuart; Gerald, Joe K; Gerald, Lynn B; Kahn, Jeremy M; Malhotra, Atul; Mularski, Richard A; Riekert, Kristin A; Rubenfeld, Gordon D; Weaver, Terri E; Krishnan, Jerry A

2013-11-15

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is intended to inform decision making in clinical practice, and is central to patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). To summarize key aspects of CER definitions and provide examples highlighting the complementary nature of efficacy and CER studies in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. An ad hoc working group of the American Thoracic Society with experience in clinical trials, health services research, quality improvement, and behavioral sciences in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine was convened. The group used an iterative consensus process, including a review by American Thoracic Society committees and assemblies. The traditional efficacy paradigm relies on clinical trials with high internal validity to evaluate interventions in narrowly defined populations and in research settings. Efficacy studies address the question, "Can it work in optimal conditions?" The CER paradigm employs a wide range of study designs to understand the effects of interventions in clinical settings. CER studies address the question, "Does it work in practice?" The results of efficacy and CER studies may or may not agree. CER incorporates many attributes of outcomes research and health services research, while placing greater emphasis on meeting the expressed needs of nonresearcher stakeholders (e.g., patients, clinicians, and others). CER complements traditional efficacy research by placing greater emphasis on the effects of interventions in practice, and developing evidence to address the needs of the many stakeholders involved in health care decisions. Stakeholder engagement is an important component of CER.

Harry Stack Sullivan Colloquium: George Herbert Mead and Harry Stack Sullivan: an unfinished synthesis.

PubMed

Cottrell, L S

1978-05-01

HOW DO YOU create a new self? However he may phrase this question, it is a central theoretical and practical concern of the therapist every time he confronts a client who comes to him for help. What are the processes out of which the human self emerges? However he may phrase the question, it is a central concern of the social psychologist. The obvious convergence of interests indicated by these two questions should occasion no surprise among students of Sullivan and Mead. What perhaps should be surprising is that an effective synthesis of their theories has progressed no further than it has to date. My remarks today are based on the conviction that a more adequate psychiatric theory and practice and a more complete social psychological theory and research program depend on such a synthesis. Behavioral scientists concerned with the development of a truly interactionist social psychology are, I believe, generally agreed that George Herbert Mead (1863-1931), philosopher and social psychologist, and Harry Stack Sullivan (1892-1949), psychiatrist and social psychologist, have laid conceptual foundations upon which such a discipline can be erected. Now a vast assortment of activities is tagged as social psychology and its boundaries are, indeed, difficult to draw. However, for our present purposes we can define its focus as the study of the processes and products of inter- and intrapersonal and inter- and intragoup interaction, let the boundaries fall where they will.

Cross-National Trends in Religious Service Attendance

PubMed Central

Brenner, Philip S.

2016-01-01

The nature of religious change and the future of religion have been central questions of social science since its inception. But empirical research on this question has been quite American-centric, encouraged by the conventional wisdom that the United States is an outlier of religiosity in the developed world, and, more pragmatically, by the availability of survey data. The dramatic growth in the number and reach of cross-national surveys over the past two decades has offered a corrective. These data have allowed research on religious trends in the United States, Canada, and Europe, putting American trends into comparative relief. This research synthesis reviews the past quarter century of cross-national comparative survey research on religious behavior, focusing on religious service attendance as a commonly measured behavior that is arguably more equivalent across societies and cultures than other measures of religiosity. The lack of evidence for religious revival is highlighted, noting instead declining rates of attendance in the United States and Canada, and either declining rates or low “bottomed-out” stability in Western Europe, most of Eastern Europe, and Australia and New Zealand. Finally, countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are discussed to the extent that research allows, before a call for future research—in these places in particular—is made in order to correct for the Western and Christian focus of much of the research on cross-national religious trends. PMID:27274579

The domestication of Foucault

PubMed Central

Goddard, Roy

2014-01-01

Though Foucault was intrigued by the possibilities of radical social transformation, he resolutely resisted the idea that such transformation could escape the effects of power and expressed caution when it came to the question of revolution. In this article we argue that in one particularly influential line of development of Foucault’s work his exemplary caution has been exaggerated in a way that weakens the political aspirations of post-Foucaldian scholarship. The site of this reduction is a complex debate over the role of normativity in Foucaldian research, where it has been claimed that Foucault’s genealogical approach is unable to answer the question ‘Why fight?’ The terms of this debate (on the neo-Foucaldian side) are limited by a dominant though selective interpretation of Foucault’s analytics of power, where power is understood primarily in terms of government, rather than struggle. In response we suggest that if we reconfigure power-as-government to power-as-war, this adjusts the central concern. ‘Why fight?’ becomes replaced by the more immediate question, ‘How fight?’ Without denying the obvious benefits of cautious scholarly work, we argue that a reconfiguration of Foucault’s analytics of power might help Foucaldian research to transcend the self-imposed ethic of political quietism that currently dominates the field. PMID:26273130

A virtual tissue bank for primary central nervous system lymphomas in immunocompetent individuals.

PubMed

Ponzoni, Maurilio; Kwee, Ivo; Mazzucchelli, Luca; Ferreri, Andrés J M; Zucca, Emanuele; Doglioni, Claudio; Cavalli, Franco; Bertoni, Francesco

2007-01-01

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare form of extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with continuously increasing incidence in both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent individuals. PCNSL is a very aggressive tumor with a poor outcome, and its clinical outcome is much worse than for nodal lymphomas. Differently from lymphomas arising in lymph nodes or in other extranodal sites, the treatment of PCNSL remains very unsatisfactory. Current biologic knowledge of PCNSL is still limited and several fundamental questions remain to be answered. This is mainly due to the paucity of PCNSL material for adequate translational research. With the aim of providing biologic material to investigators interested in PCNSL, we have implemented a virtual tissue bank (VTB) for PCNSL in immunocompetent patients. After registration, the VTB is accessible via any web browser at www.ielsg.org. Only anonymous data are centralized at the website of the International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group, whilst the pathologic material is maintained at the local pathology institutes. (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Favouring more rigour when investigating human eating behaviour is like supporting motherhood and apple pie: A response to Robinson, Bevelander, Field, and Jones (2018).

PubMed

Hetherington, Marion M; Rolls, Barbara J

2018-05-11

In a 1987 paper, addressing questions about factors that influence the initiation, maintenance, and termination of food intake, we wrote, "development of systematic procedures to measure eating behaviour is essential if descriptive and inferential statistics are to be applied to answering such questions, giving them power and replicability" (Hetherington & Rolls, 1987 page 77). Therefore, as longstanding advocates of rigorous procedures in laboratory-based investigations of food intake, we welcome Robinson et al.'s (2018) clear recommendations for laboratory studies. However, this is akin to voting for "motherhood and apple pie", and few would argue against deployment of improved procedures for these studies. What then can we contribute to the debate in order to refine the recommendations made or add to them? Our most important message for researchers is that the central hypothesis or main research question will determine the most appropriate methods for any study. If a laboratory-based study is planned, then there are basic methodological questions that must be answered before proceeding to a final protocol. While such guidelines are needed to ensure basic methodological rigour, these should not be so prescriptive as to inhibit creativity. Here we provide several thoughts on how to advance studies of ingestive behaviour, including the need to apply appropriate controls, encouragement to move beyond convenience samples, and to remember the value of exploratory, observational, and naturalistic studies to complement laboratory-based studies. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Healthcare Systems in Comparative Perspective: Classification, Convergence, Institutions, Inequalities, and Five Missed Turns

PubMed Central

Beckfield, Jason; Olafsdottir, Sigrun; Sosnaud, Benjamin

2017-01-01

This essay reviews and evaluates recent comparative social science scholarship on healthcare systems. We focus on four of the strongest themes in current research: (1) the development of typologies of healthcare systems, (2) assessment of convergence among healthcare systems, (3) problematization of the shifting boundaries of healthcare systems, and (4) the relationship between healthcare systems and social inequalities. Our discussion seeks to highlight the central debates that animate current scholarship and identify unresolved questions and new opportunities for research. We also identify five currents in contemporary sociology that have not been incorporated as deeply as they might into research on healthcare systems. These five “missed turns” include an emphasis on social relations, culture, postnational theory, institutions, and causal mechanisms. We conclude by highlighting some key challenges for comparative research on healthcare systems. PMID:28769148

Apoptosis: a four-week laboratory investigation for advanced molecular and cellular biology students.

PubMed

DiBartolomeis, Susan M; Moné, James P

2003-01-01

Over the past decade, apoptosis has emerged as an important field of study central to ongoing research in many diverse fields, from developmental biology to cancer research. Apoptosis proceeds by a highly coordinated series of events that includes enzyme activation, DNA fragmentation, and alterations in plasma membrane permeability. The detection of each of these phenotypic changes is accessible to advanced undergraduate cell and molecular biology students. We describe a 4-week laboratory sequence that integrates cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, DNA isolation and analysis, and western blotting (immunoblotting) to follow apoptosis in cultured human cells. Students working in teams chemically induce apoptosis, and harvest, process, and analyze cells, using their data to determine the order of events during apoptosis. We, as instructors, expose the students to an environment closely simulating what they would encounter in an active cell or molecular biology research laboratory by having students coordinate and perform multiple tasks simultaneously and by having them experience experimental design using current literature, data interpretation, and analysis to answer a single question. Students are assessed by examination of laboratory notebooks for completeness of experimental protocols and analysis of results and for completion of an assignment that includes questions pertaining to data interpretation and apoptosis.

Innate host barriers to viral trafficking and population diversity: Lessons learned from poliovirus

PubMed Central

Pfeiffer, Julie K.

2011-01-01

Poliovirus is an error-prone enteric virus spread by the fecal-oral route, and rarely invades the central nervous system (CNS). However, in the rare instances when poliovirus invades the CNS, the resulting damage to motor neurons is striking and often permanent. In the pre-vaccine era, it is likely that most individuals within an epidemic community were infected; however, only 0.5% of infected individuals developed paralytic poliomyelitis. Paralytic poliomyelitis terrified the public and initiated a huge research effort, which was rewarded with two outstanding vaccines. During research to develop the vaccines, many questions were asked: Why did certain people develop paralysis? How does the virus move from the gut to the CNS? What limits viral trafficking to the CNS in the vast majority of infected individuals? Despite over 100 years of poliovirus research, many of these questions remain unanswered. The goal of this chapter is to review our knowledge of how poliovirus moves within and between hosts, how host barriers limit viral movement, how viral population dynamics impact viral fitness and virulence, and to offer hypotheses to explain the rare incidence of paralytic poliovirus disease. PMID:20951871

Optimizing literature search in systematic reviews - are MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL enough for identifying effect studies within the area of musculoskeletal disorders?

PubMed

Aagaard, Thomas; Lund, Hans; Juhl, Carsten

2016-11-22

When conducting systematic reviews, it is essential to perform a comprehensive literature search to identify all published studies relevant to the specific research question. The Cochrane Collaborations Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews (MECIR) guidelines state that searching MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL should be considered mandatory. The aim of this study was to evaluate the MECIR recommendations to use MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL combined, and examine the yield of using these to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) within the area of musculoskeletal disorders. Data sources were systematic reviews published by the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Review Group, including at least five RCTs, reporting a search history, searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and adding reference- and hand-searching. Additional databases were deemed eligible if they indexed RCTs, were in English and used in more than three of the systematic reviews. Relative recall was calculated as the number of studies identified by the literature search divided by the number of eligible studies i.e. included studies in the individual systematic reviews. Finally, cumulative median recall was calculated for MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL combined followed by the databases yielding additional studies. Deemed eligible was twenty-three systematic reviews and the databases included other than MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL was AMED, CINAHL, HealthSTAR, MANTIS, OT-Seeker, PEDro, PsychINFO, SCOPUS, SportDISCUS and Web of Science. Cumulative median recall for combined searching in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL was 88.9% and increased to 90.9% when adding 10 additional databases. Searching MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL was not sufficient for identifying all effect studies on musculoskeletal disorders, but additional ten databases did only increase the median recall by 2%. It is possible that searching databases is not sufficient to identify all relevant references, and that reviewers must rely upon additional sources in their literature search. However further research is needed.

Blood donors' preferences for blood donation for biomedical research.

PubMed

Raivola, Vera; Snell, Karoliina; Pastila, Satu; Helén, Ilpo; Partanen, Jukka

2018-03-23

Increasing numbers of blood donors are recruited to participate in biomedical research. As blood services depend on voluntary donors, successful recruitment calls for a better understanding of donors' expectations and attitudes toward the use of samples in research. Sixty-one semistructured interviews were conducted with blood donors at eight Finnish Red Cross Blood Service donation sites in Finland. The 10- to 30-minute interviews included open-ended questions about donors' views on blood donation for patients and for biomedical research. Central motives to donate blood for patients were identified against which views on research use were compared to see how these reflections differed. Six central motives for donating blood for patients were identified among donors. The interviewees were, in general, willing to donate blood for research, but considered research donation more likely if it could be easily integrated into their usual blood donation habits. Biomedical research was perceived as important but its social benefits were more abstract than a direct help to patients. Familiarity and reciprocity were key to the relationship between the blood service and blood donors. Donation for research introduces a new, more complex context to blood donation. Challenge to recognize concrete outcomes and benefits of donation may affect willingness to donate for research. Transparent communication of the role of the blood service in research and of the beneficiaries of the research is essential in maintaining trust. These results will help blood services in their planning to recruit blood donors for research projects. © 2018 The Authors Transfusion published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AABB.

7th Annual Systems Biology Symposium: Systems Biology and Engineering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galitski, Timothy P.

2008-04-01

Systems biology recognizes the complex multi-scale organization of biological systems, from molecules to ecosystems. The International Symposium on Systems Biology has been hosted by the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, Washington, since 2002. The annual two-day event gathers the most influential researchers transforming biology into an integrative discipline investingating complex systems. Engineering and application of new technology is a central element of systems biology. Genome-scale, or very small-scale, biological questions drive the enigneering of new technologies, which enable new modes of experimentation and computational analysis, leading to new biological insights and questions. Concepts and analytical methods in engineering aremore » now finding direct applications in biology. Therefore, the 2008 Symposium, funded in partnership with the Department of Energy, featured global leaders in "Systems Biology and Engineering."« less

Global Health Warning: Definitions Wield Power Comment on "Navigating Between Stealth Advocacy and Unconscious Dogmatism: The Challenge of Researching the Norms, Politics and Power of Global Health".

PubMed

Marten, Robert

2015-12-25

Gorik Ooms recently made a strong case for considering the centrality of normative premises to analyzing and understanding the underappreciated importance of the nexus of politics, power and process in global health. This critical commentary raises serious questions for the practice and study of global health and global health governance. First and foremost, this commentary underlines the importance of the question of what is global health, and why as well as how does this definition matter? This refocuses discussion on the importance of definitions and how they wield power. It also re-affirms the necessity of a deeper analysis and understanding of power and how it affects and shapes the practice of global health. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

In which wretched part of the world? A glimpse into western drug- and device-makers (and others) behaving badly.

PubMed

Gillon, John J

2013-01-01

A bioethics colleague wrote of the efforts of those in India "who struggle each and every day in this wretched part of the world" to eliminate corruption from the clinical and research practice of medicine, and from medical education. Wretchedness is the human condition. Corruption is endemic- and is a pandemic. Both have anchors as firm in the West as anywhere else in the world. The record of wretchedness-whether personal, corporate, institutional, or a combination thereof-is not measured in events, weeks, or months, but in patterns of practice often across decades. The conditions have no single home, residence, or country of origin. They exist when and where one abets acts or omissions that take advantage of power, or access to it, and adulterate or debase a system-particularly one of governance. The answer is to identify and share information on the problems and problem-makers, and so cooperate in efforts to increase transparency at all levels of medical research, care, and education. A reasoned first step in this regard would be the institution of a central website at which, inter alia, questioned research might be identified by journal, article, subject matter, publication date, and authors-and, where appropriate, company; specifics as to questioned data elements and history regarding communication to and with the authors as to the questioned data elements might be set forth; and some resolution of a matter might be posted.

Television Experience Patterns in Children and Juveniles; Illustrated by the Prize-Winning Programmes of the Prix Jeunesse 1964. Research Report. Publications of the International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television. No.1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keilhacker, Margarete; Vogg, Gunther

A study to test the appeal, reception, and response quality in the case of programs screened at the 1st. Prix Jeunesse contest in Munich by the observation of children and juveniles (age-grouped 6 to 12, 12 to 15, and 15 and over) is described in this paper. Specific questions considered are: 1. What conditions govern appeal? 2. Are age and sex…

Ciliates and the rare biosphere: a review.

PubMed

Dunthorn, Micah; Stoeck, Thorsten; Clamp, John; Warren, Alan; Mahé, Frédéric

2014-01-01

Here we provide a brief review of the rare biosphere from the perspective of ciliates and other microbial eukaryotes. We trace research on rarity from its lack of much in-depth focus in morphological and Sanger sequencing projects, to its central importance in analyses using high throughput sequencing strategies. The problem that the rare biosphere is potentially comprised of mostly errors is then discussed in the light of asking community-comparative, novel-diversity, and ecosystem-functioning questions. © 2014 The Author(s) Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology © 2014 International Society of Protistologists.

Research on combustion instability and application to solid propellant rocket motors. II.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culick, F. E. C.

1972-01-01

Review of the current state of analyses of combustion instability in solid-propellant rocket motors, citing appropriate measurements and observations. The work discussed has become increasingly important, both for the interpretation of laboratory data and for predicting the transient behavior of disturbances in full-scale motors. Two central questions are considered - namely, linear stability and nonlinear behavior. Several classes of problems are discussed as special cases of a general approach to the analysis of combustion instability. Application to motors, and particularly the limitations presently understood, are stressed.

Why is neuroimmunopharmacology crucial for the future of addiction research?

PubMed

Hutchinson, Mark R; Watkins, Linda R

2014-01-01

A major development in drug addiction research in recent years has been the discovery that immune signaling within the central nervous system contributes significantly to mesolimbic dopamine reward signaling induced by drugs of abuse, and hence is involved in the presentation of reward behaviors. Additionally, in the case of opioids, these hypotheses have advanced through to the discovery of the novel site of opioid action at the innate immune pattern recognition receptor Toll-like receptor 4 as the necessary triggering event that engages this reward facilitating central immune signaling. Thus, the hypothesis of major proinflammatory contributions to drug abuse was born. This review will examine these key discoveries, but also address several key lingering questions of how central immune signaling is able to contribute in this fashion to the pharmacodynamics of drugs of abuse. It is hoped that by combining the collective wisdom of neuroscience, immunology and pharmacology, into Neuroimmunopharmacology, we may more fully understanding the neuronal and immune complexities of how drugs of abuse, such as opioids, create their rewarding and addiction states. Such discoveries will point us in the direction such that one day soon we might successfully intervene to successfully treat drug addiction. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'NIDA 40th Anniversary Issue'. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perspective: Strategies for Developing Biostatistics Resources in an Academic Health Center

PubMed Central

Welty, Leah J.; Carter, Rickey E.; Finkelstein, Dianne; Harrell, Frank E.; Lindsell, Christopher J.; Macaluso, Maurizio; Mazumdar, Madhu; Nietert, Paul J.; Oster, Robert A.; Pollock, Brad H.; Roberson, Paula K.; Ware, James H.

2013-01-01

Biostatistics—the application of statistics to understanding health and biology—provides powerful tools for developing research questions, designing studies, refining measurements, analyzing data, and interpreting findings. Biostatistics plays an important role in health-related research, yet biostatistics resources are often fragmented, ad hoc, or oversubscribed within academic health centers (AHCs). Given the increasing complexity and quantity of health-related data, the emphasis on accelerating clinical and translational science, and the importance of conducting reproducible research, the need for the thoughtful development of biostatistics resources within AHCs is growing. In this article, the authors identify strategies for developing biostatistics resources in three areas: (1) recruiting and retaining biostatisticians; (2) efficiently using biostatistics resources; and (3) improving biostatistical contributions to science. AHCs should consider these three domains in building strong biostatistics resources, which they can leverage to support a broad spectrum of research. For each of the three domains, the authors describe the advantages and disadvantages of AHCs creating centralized biostatistics units rather than dispersing such resources across clinical departments or other research units. They also address the challenges biostatisticians face in contributing to research without sacrificing their individual professional growth or the trajectory of their research team. The authors ultimately recommend that AHCs create centralized biostatistics units, as this approach offers distinct advantages both to investigators who collaborate with biostatisticians as well as to the biostatisticians themselves, and it is better suited to accomplish the research and education missions of AHCs. PMID:23425984

The Art of Questions: Inquiry, the CCSS, and School Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wadham, Rachel

2013-01-01

This article examines the association among inquiry, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and school librarians. It explains the significance of asking questions, and describes the characteristics of the questions that are central to inquiry learning. The role of school librarians in inquiry learning and the implementation of CCSS is also…

"Staying on Task": What Constitutes Classwork in Peter Medway's "Finding a Language"?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pangilinan, J. P.

2015-01-01

In "Finding a Language", Peter Medway addresses questions of central importance to English teaching--questions of curriculum and of pedagogy. How he addresses these questions provides a sharp contrast to the current orthodoxies of a rigidly prescriptive national curriculum and a closely monitored regime of objective-led, skills-based…

Risk and Representation in Research Ethics: The NunatuKavut Experience.

PubMed

Brunger, Fern; Russell, Todd

2015-10-01

This article examines Canadian policy governing the ethics of research involving Indigenous communities. Academics and community members collaborated in research to examine how best to apply the Tri-Council Policy Statement guidelines in a community with complex and multiple political and cultural jurisdictions. We examined issues of NunatuKavut (Southern Inuit) authority and representation in relation to governance of research in a context where community identity is complex and shifting, and new provincial legislation mandates centralized ethics review. We describe the politics of risk--the ways in which collective identity and research risks are co-constructed. Our case study illustrates that collective consent to research must emphasize shifting identity construction in relation to the particular risks and benefits invoked by the research question, to ascertain with which groups or individuals the negotiation of risk should take place in the first place. We conclude by describing a necessary re-imagining of policy governing research ethics involving Indigenous communities. © The Author(s) 2015.

Central control of glucose homeostasis: the brain--endocrine pancreas axis.

PubMed

Thorens, B

2010-10-01

A large body of data gathered over the last decades has delineated the neuronal pathways that link the central nervous system with the autonomic innervation of the endocrine pancreas, which controls alpha- and beta-cell secretion activity and mass. These are important regulatory functions that are certainly keys for preserving the capacity of the endocrine pancreas to control glucose homeostasis over a lifetime. Identifying the cells involved in controlling the autonomic innervation of the endocrine pancreas, in response to nutrient, hormonal and environmental cues and how these cues are detected to activate neuronal activity are important goals of current research. Elucidation of these questions may possibly lead to new means for preserving or restoring defects in insulin and glucagon secretion associated with type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Michurinist Biology in the People's Republic of China, 1948-1956.

PubMed

Schneider, Laurence

2012-01-01

Michurinist biology was introduced to China in 1948; granted a state supported monopoly in 1952; and reduced to parity with western genetics from 1956. The Soviets exported it through the propaganda agencies Sino Soviet Friendship Association (SSFA) and VOKS (Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries). China's Ministry of Agriculture achieved broad public awareness and acceptance of Michurinist biology through a translation, publication, and Soviet guest speakers campaign - all managed by a team of agriculturalists led by Luo Tianyu, a veteran CCP (Communist Party) cadre. The campaign grew exponentially, but did not affect university or Chinese Academy of Sciences biology. Luo Tianyu's failed attempt to force Michurinist biology on a Beijing university triggered its second stage: monopoly status and a ban on "Mendelist-Morganist" biology in teaching, research, and publication. The CCP Central Committee supported this policy believing that Michurinst biology would increase agricultural production for the forthcoming first Five Year Plan; whereas, western genetics had no practical value. Michurinist biology flourished at all levels of education, research, and science literature; Western genetics was completely shut down. This only began to change when the CCP Central Committee became wary of China's dependency on Soviet technical expertise and failure to fully utilize that of China. Change was further promoted by significant attacks on Michurinist biology by Soviet and East German biologists. Soon, these developments informed China's "genetics question," which became a test case for larger questions about the definition of science and the relationship between scientists and the state. Under the guidance of Lu Dingyi's Central Committee Propaganda Department, the CCP eventually decided that, henceforth, science controversies would only be resolved by the science community; and that monopolies or ideological orthodoxies would not be imposed on science. At the same time, the CCP rescinded Michurinist biology's monopoly and the ban on western genetics. By the mid-1960s western genetics had successfully restored itself, largely due to the leadership of C. C. Tan, a former student of Dobzhansky. Michurinist biology's presence shrank and it became marginalized.

Impact of Aging on the Auditory System and Related Cognitive Functions: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Jayakody, Dona M. P.; Friedland, Peter L.; Martins, Ralph N.; Sohrabi, Hamid R.

2018-01-01

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), presbycusis, is a chronic health condition that affects approximately one-third of the world's population. The peripheral and central hearing alterations associated with age-related hearing loss have a profound impact on perception of verbal and non-verbal auditory stimuli. The high prevalence of hearing loss in the older adults corresponds to the increased frequency of dementia in this population. Therefore, researchers have focused their attention on age-related central effects that occur independent of the peripheral hearing loss as well as central effects of peripheral hearing loss and its association with cognitive decline and dementia. Here we review the current evidence for the age-related changes of the peripheral and central auditory system and the relationship between hearing loss and pathological cognitive decline and dementia. Furthermore, there is a paucity of evidence on the relationship between ARHL and established biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease, as the most common cause of dementia. Such studies are critical to be able to consider any causal relationship between dementia and ARHL. While this narrative review will examine the pathophysiological alterations in both the peripheral and central auditory system and its clinical implications, the question remains unanswered whether hearing loss causes cognitive impairment or vice versa. PMID:29556173

Network sampling coverage II: The effect of non-random missing data on network measurement

PubMed Central

Smith, Jeffrey A.; Moody, James; Morgan, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Missing data is an important, but often ignored, aspect of a network study. Measurement validity is affected by missing data, but the level of bias can be difficult to gauge. Here, we describe the effect of missing data on network measurement across widely different circumstances. In Part I of this study (Smith and Moody, 2013), we explored the effect of measurement bias due to randomly missing nodes. Here, we drop the assumption that data are missing at random: what happens to estimates of key network statistics when central nodes are more/less likely to be missing? We answer this question using a wide range of empirical networks and network measures. We find that bias is worse when more central nodes are missing. With respect to network measures, Bonacich centrality is highly sensitive to the loss of central nodes, while closeness centrality is not; distance and bicomponent size are more affected than triad summary measures and behavioral homophily is more robust than degree-homophily. With respect to types of networks, larger, directed networks tend to be more robust, but the relation is weak. We end the paper with a practical application, showing how researchers can use our results (translated into a publically available java application) to gauge the bias in their own data. PMID:27867254

Network sampling coverage II: The effect of non-random missing data on network measurement.

PubMed

Smith, Jeffrey A; Moody, James; Morgan, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Missing data is an important, but often ignored, aspect of a network study. Measurement validity is affected by missing data, but the level of bias can be difficult to gauge. Here, we describe the effect of missing data on network measurement across widely different circumstances. In Part I of this study (Smith and Moody, 2013), we explored the effect of measurement bias due to randomly missing nodes. Here, we drop the assumption that data are missing at random: what happens to estimates of key network statistics when central nodes are more/less likely to be missing? We answer this question using a wide range of empirical networks and network measures. We find that bias is worse when more central nodes are missing. With respect to network measures, Bonacich centrality is highly sensitive to the loss of central nodes, while closeness centrality is not; distance and bicomponent size are more affected than triad summary measures and behavioral homophily is more robust than degree-homophily. With respect to types of networks, larger, directed networks tend to be more robust, but the relation is weak. We end the paper with a practical application, showing how researchers can use our results (translated into a publically available java application) to gauge the bias in their own data.

Grappling with the Literature of Education Research and Practice

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

The absence of a central database and use of specialized language hinder nonexperts in becoming familiar with the science teaching and learning literature and using it to inform their work. The challenge of locating articles related to a specific question or problem, coupled with the difficulty of comprehending findings based on a variety of different perspectives and practices, can be prohibitively difficult. As I have transitioned from bench to classroom-based research, I have become familiar with how to locate, decipher, and evaluate the education research literature. In this essay, I point out analogies to the literature of science research and practice, and I reference some of the literature that I have found useful in becoming an education researcher. I also introduce a new regular feature, “Current Insights: Recent Research in Science Teaching and Learning,” which is designed to point CBE—Life Sciences Education (CBE-LSE) readers to current articles of interest in life sciences education, as well as more general and noteworthy publications in education research. PMID:18056300

Grappling with the literature of education research and practice.

PubMed

Dolan, Erin L

2007-01-01

The absence of a central database and use of specialized language hinder nonexperts in becoming familiar with the science teaching and learning literature and using it to inform their work. The challenge of locating articles related to a specific question or problem, coupled with the difficulty of comprehending findings based on a variety of different perspectives and practices, can be prohibitively difficult. As I have transitioned from bench to classroom-based research, I have become familiar with how to locate, decipher, and evaluate the education research literature. In this essay, I point out analogies to the literature of science research and practice, and I reference some of the literature that I have found useful in becoming an education researcher. I also introduce a new regular feature, "Current Insights: Recent Research in Science Teaching and Learning," which is designed to point CBE--Life Sciences Education (CBE-LSE) readers to current articles of interest in life sciences education, as well as more general and noteworthy publications in education research.

Translating tuberculosis research into global policies: the example of an international collaboration on diagnostics.

PubMed

Ramsay, A; Steingart, K R; Cunningham, J; Pai, M

2011-10-01

Using the example of an international collaboration on tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics, we mapped the key stages and stakeholders involved in translating research into global policies. In our experience, the process begins with advocacy for high-quality, policy-relevant research and appropriate funding. Following the assessment of current policy and the identification of key study areas, policy-relevant research questions need to be formulated and prioritised. It is important that a framework for translating evidence into policy at the target policymaking level, in this case global, is available to researchers. This ensures that research questions, study designs and research standards are appropriate to the type and quality of evidence required. The framework may evolve during the period of research and, as evidence requirements may change, vigilance is required. Formal and informal multi-stakeholder partnerships, as well as information sharing through extensive networking, facilitate efficient building of a broad evidence base. Coordination of activities by an international, neutral body with strong convening powers is important, as is regular interaction with policy makers. It is recognised that studies on diagnostic accuracy provide weak evidence that a new diagnostic will improve patient care when implemented to scale in routine settings. This may be one reason why there has been poor uptake of new tools by national TB control programmes despite global policy recommendations. Stronger engagement with national policy makers and donors during the research-intopolicy process may be needed to ensure that their evidence requirements are met and that global policies translate into national policies. National policies are central to translating global policies into practice.

Pervasive healthcare as a scientific discipline.

PubMed

Bardram, J E

2008-01-01

The OECD countries are facing a set of core challenges; an increasing elderly population; increasing number of chronic and lifestyle-related diseases; expanding scope of what medicine can do; and increasing lack of medical professionals. Pervasive healthcare asks how pervasive computing technology can be designed to meet these challenges. The objective of this paper is to discuss 'pervasive healthcare' as a research field and tries to establish how novel and distinct it is, compared to related work within biomedical engineering, medical informatics, and ubiquitous computing. The paper presents the research questions, approach, technologies, and methods of pervasive healthcare and discusses these in comparison to those of other related scientific disciplines. A set of central research themes are presented; monitoring and body sensor networks; pervasive assistive technologies; pervasive computing for hospitals; and preventive and persuasive technologies. Two projects illustrate the kind of research being done in pervasive healthcare. The first project is targeted at home-based monitoring of hypertension; the second project is designing context-aware technologies for hospitals. Both projects approach the healthcare challenges in a new way, apply a new type of research method, and come up with new kinds of technological solutions. 'Clinical proof-of-concept' is recommended as a new method for pervasive healthcare research; the method helps design and test pervasive healthcare technologies, and in ascertaining their clinical potential before large-scale clinical tests are needed. The paper concludes that pervasive healthcare as a research field and agenda is novel; it is addressing new emerging research questions, represents a novel approach, designs new types of technologies, and applies a new kind of research method.

The value of value of information: best informing research design and prioritization using current methods.

PubMed

Eckermann, Simon; Karnon, Jon; Willan, Andrew R

2010-01-01

Value of information (VOI) methods have been proposed as a systematic approach to inform optimal research design and prioritization. Four related questions arise that VOI methods could address. (i) Is further research for a health technology assessment (HTA) potentially worthwhile? (ii) Is the cost of a given research design less than its expected value? (iii) What is the optimal research design for an HTA? (iv) How can research funding be best prioritized across alternative HTAs? Following Occam's razor, we consider the usefulness of VOI methods in informing questions 1-4 relative to their simplicity of use. Expected value of perfect information (EVPI) with current information, while simple to calculate, is shown to provide neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition to address question 1, given that what EVPI needs to exceed varies with the cost of research design, which can vary from very large down to negligible. Hence, for any given HTA, EVPI does not discriminate, as it can be large and further research not worthwhile or small and further research worthwhile. In contrast, each of questions 1-4 are shown to be fully addressed (necessary and sufficient) where VOI methods are applied to maximize expected value of sample information (EVSI) minus expected costs across designs. In comparing complexity in use of VOI methods, applying the central limit theorem (CLT) simplifies analysis to enable easy estimation of EVSI and optimal overall research design, and has been shown to outperform bootstrapping, particularly with small samples. Consequently, VOI methods applying the CLT to inform optimal overall research design satisfy Occam's razor in both improving decision making and reducing complexity. Furthermore, they enable consideration of relevant decision contexts, including option value and opportunity cost of delay, time, imperfect implementation and optimal design across jurisdictions. More complex VOI methods such as bootstrapping of the expected value of partial EVPI may have potential value in refining overall research design. However, Occam's razor must be seriously considered in application of these VOI methods, given their increased complexity and current limitations in informing decision making, with restriction to EVPI rather than EVSI and not allowing for important decision-making contexts. Initial use of CLT methods to focus these more complex partial VOI methods towards where they may be useful in refining optimal overall trial design is suggested. Integrating CLT methods with such partial VOI methods to allow estimation of partial EVSI is suggested in future research to add value to the current VOI toolkit.

How Did the Information Flow in the #AlphaGo Hashtag Network? A Social Network Analysis of the Large-Scale Information Network on Twitter.

PubMed

Kim, Jinyoung

2017-12-01

As it becomes common for Internet users to use hashtags when posting and searching information on social media, it is important to understand who builds a hashtag network and how information is circulated within the network. This article focused on unlocking the potential of the #AlphaGo hashtag network by addressing the following questions. First, the current study examined whether traditional opinion leadership (i.e., the influentials hypothesis) or grassroot participation by the public (i.e., the interpersonal hypothesis) drove dissemination of information in the hashtag network. Second, several unique patterns of information distribution by key users were identified. Finally, the association between attributes of key users who exerted great influence on information distribution (i.e., the number of followers and follows) and their central status in the network was tested. To answer the proffered research questions, a social network analysis was conducted using a large-scale hashtag network data set from Twitter (n = 21,870). The results showed that the leading actors in the network were actively receiving information from their followers rather than serving as intermediaries between the original information sources and the public. Moreover, the leading actors played several roles (i.e., conversation starters, influencers, and active engagers) in the network. Furthermore, the number of their follows and followers were significantly associated with their central status in the hashtag network. Based on the results, the current research explained how the information was exchanged in the hashtag network by proposing the reciprocal model of information flow.

Secondary Use of Patients’ Electronic Records (SUPER): An Approach for Meeting Specific Data Needs of Clinical and Translational Researchers

PubMed Central

Sholle, Evan T.; Kabariti, Joseph; Johnson, Stephen B.; Leonard, John P.; Pathak, Jyotishman; Varughese, Vinay I.; Cole, Curtis L.; Campion, Thomas R.

2017-01-01

Academic medical centers commonly approach secondary use of electronic health record (EHR) data by implementing centralized clinical data warehouses (CDWs). However, CDWs require extensive resources to model data dimensions and harmonize clinical terminology, which can hinder effective support of the specific and varied data needs of investigators. We hypothesized that an approach that aggregates raw data from source systems, ignores initial modeling typical of CDWs, and transforms raw data for specific research purposes would meet investigator needs. The approach has successfully enabled multiple tools that provide utility to the institutional research enterprise. To our knowledge, this is the first complete description of a methodology for electronic patient data acquisition and provisioning that ignores data harmonization at the time of initial storage in favor of downstream transformation to address specific research questions and applications. PMID:29854228

Re-making the global economy of knowledge: do new fields of research change the structure of North-South relations?

PubMed

Connell, Raewyn; Pearse, Rebecca; Collyer, Fran; Maia, João; Morrell, Robert

2017-08-17

How is global-North predominance in the making of organized knowledge affected by the rise of new domains of research? This question is examined empirically in three interdisciplinary areas - climate change, HIV-AIDS, and gender studies - through interviews with 70 researchers in Southern-tier countries Brazil, South Africa and Australia. The study found that the centrality of the North was reinstituted as these domains came into existence, through resource inequalities, workforce mechanisms, and intellectual framing. Yet there are tensions in the global economy of knowledge, around workforce formation, hierarchies of disciplines, neoliberal management strategies, and mismatches with social need. Intellectual workers in the Southern tier have built significant research centres, workforces and some distinctive knowledge projects. These create wider possibilities of change in the global structure of organized knowledge production. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Benefiting from 'evil': an incipient moral problem in human stem cell research.

PubMed

Green, Ronald M

2002-11-01

When does benefiting from others' wrongdoing effectively make one a moral accomplice in their evil deeds? If stem cell research lives up to its therapeutic promise, this question (which has previously cropped up in debates over fetal tissue research or the use of Nazi research data) is likely to become a central one for opponents of embryo destruction. I argue that benefiting from wrongdoing is prima facie morally wrong under any of three conditions: (1) when the wrongdoing is one's agent; (2) when acceptance of benefit directly encourages the repetition of the wrongful deed (even though no agency relationship is involved); and (3) when acceptance of a benefit legitimates a wrongful practice. I conclude by showing that, because of the ways in which most embryonic stem cell lines come into being, people who oppose embryo destruction may use human embryonic stem cells without incurring moral blame.

Along paths converging to Bengt Saltin’s early contributions in exercise physiology

PubMed Central

Schantz, P

2015-01-01

A fascinating chain of events led in 1941 to the formation of the Department of Physiology at the Royal Gymnastic Central Institute (GCI) in Stockholm, Sweden. Erik Hohwü Christensen, from the scientifically advanced Lindhard School in Copenhagen became its first professor. A central research question for him concerned determining the limiting factors for maximal physical performance in man. This was the academic setting where the sports interested medical student Bengt Saltin was introduced to exercise physiology. In the summer of 1959, he became involved in a study on intermittent vs continuous running. A doctoral project, with Per-Olof Åstrand as his tutor, resulted in 1964 as the thesis “Aerobic work capacity and circulation at exercise in man. With special reference to the effect of prolonged exercise and/or heat exposure”. In the decade that followed, Saltin continued along that path. However, he also added a vital research line involving pioneering studies on skeletal muscles in the exercising man, a series of novel studies on the physiological demands in various sports, and studies of the effects of physical training within the general population. PMID:26589112

Social Buffering of Stress in Development: A Career Perspective

PubMed Central

Gunnar, Megan R.

2016-01-01

This review provides a broad overview of my research group's work on social buffering in human development in the context of the field. Much of the focus is on social buffering of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system, one of the two major arms of the mammalian stress system. This focus reflects the centrality of the HPA system in research on social buffering in the fields of developmental psychobiology and developmental science. However, buffering of the cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system is also discussed. The central developmental question in this area derives from attachment theory which argues that the infant's experience of stress and arousal regulation in the context of her early attachment relationships is not an immature form of social buffering experienced in adulthood, but rather the foundation out of which individual differences in the capacity to gain stress relief from social partners emerge. The emergence of social buffering in infancy, changes in social buffering throughout childhood and adolescence, the influence of early experience on later individual differences in social buffering, and critical gaps in our knowledge are described. PMID:28544861

Theory of mind and central coherence in adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome.

PubMed

Beaumont, Renae; Newcombe, Peter

2006-07-01

The study investigated theory of mind and central coherence abilities in adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) or Asperger syndrome (AS) using naturalistic tasks. Twenty adults with HFA/AS correctly answered significantly fewer theory of mind questions than 20 controls on a forced-choice response task. On a narrative task, there were no differences in the proportion of mental state words between the two groups, although the participants with HFA/AS were less inclined to provide explanations for characters' mental states. No between-group differences existed on the central coherence questions of the forced-choice response task, and the participants with HFA/AS included an equivalent proportion of explanations for non-mental state phenomena in their narratives as did controls. These results support the theory of mind deficit account of autism spectrum disorders, and suggest that difficulties in mental state attribution cannot be exclusively attributed to weak central coherence.

When is a research question not a research question?

PubMed

Mayo, Nancy E; Asano, Miho; Barbic, Skye Pamela

2013-06-01

Research is undertaken to answer important questions yet often the question is poorly expressed and lacks information on the population, the exposure or intervention, the comparison, and the outcome. An optimal research question sets out what the investigator wants to know, not what the investigator might do, nor what the results of the study might ultimately contribute. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the extent to which rehabilitation scientists optimally define their research questions. A cross-sectional survey of the rehabilitation research articles published during 2008. Two raters independently rated each question according to pre-specified criteria; a third rater adjudicated all discrepant ratings. The proportion of the 258 articles with a question formulated as methods or expected contribution and not as what knowledge was being sought was 65%; 30% of questions required reworking. The designs which most often had poorly formulated research questions were randomized trials, cross-sectional and measurement studies. Formulating the research question is not purely a semantic concern. When the question is poorly formulated, the design, analysis, sample size calculations, and presentation of results may not be optimal. The gap between research and clinical practice could be bridged by a clear, complete, and informative research question.

On the significance of future trends in flood frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernhardt, M.; Schulz, K.; Wieder, O.

2015-12-01

Floods are a significant threat for alpine headwater catchments and for the forelands. The formation of significant flood events is thereby often coupled on processes occurring in the alpine zone. Rain on snow events are just one example. The prediction of flood risks or trends of flood risks is of major interest to people under direct threat, policy and decision makers as well as for insurance companies. A lot of research was and is currently done in view of detecting future trends in flood extremes or return periods. From a pure physically based point of view, there is strong evidence that those trends exist. But, the central point question is if trends in flood events or other extreme events could be detected from a statistical point of view and on the basis of the available data. This study will investigate this question on the basis of different target parameters and by using long term measurements.

Chemical and molecular factors in irritable bowel syndrome: current knowledge, challenges, and unanswered questions.

PubMed

Camilleri, Michael; Oduyebo, Ibironke; Halawi, Houssam

2016-11-01

Several chemical and molecular factors in the intestine are reported to be altered and to have a potentially significant role in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), particularly in IBS with diarrhea. These include bile acids; short-chain fatty acids; mucosal barrier proteins; mast cell products such as histamine, proteases, and tryptase; enteroendocrine cell products; and mucosal mRNAs, proteins, and microRNAs. This article reviews the current knowledge and unanswered questions in the pathobiology of the chemical and molecular factors in IBS. Evidence continues to point to significant roles in pathogenesis of these chemical and molecular mechanisms, which may therefore constitute potential targets for future research and therapy. However, it is still necessary to address the interaction between these factors in the gut and to appraise how they may influence hypervigilance in the central nervous system in patients with IBS. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

A critical review of recent US market level health care strategy literature.

PubMed

Wells, R; Banaszak-Holl, J

2000-09-01

In this review, we argue that it would be profitable if the neoclassical economic theories that have dominated recent US market level health care strategy research could be complemented by greater use of sociological frameworks. Sociological theory can address three central questions that neoclassical economic theories have tended to slight: (1) how decision-makers' preferences are determined; (2) who the decision-makers are; and (3) how decision-makers' plans are translated into organizational action. We suggest five sociological frameworks that would enable researchers to address these issues better relative to market level strategy in health care. The frameworks are (1) institutional theory, (2) organizational ecology, (3) social movements, (4) social networks, and (5) internal organizational change. A recent global trend toward privatization of health care provision makes US market level strategy research increasingly applicable to non-US readers.

[SONG's theory on mast cells and meridian-acupoint and its research prospect].

PubMed

Li, Yongming

2016-10-12

The historical origin of researches regarding acupuncture and mast cells (MCs) is reviewed, and the hypothesis that dermal MCs might be correlated with the acupuncture phenomena proposed by SONG Jimei in 1977 is introduced. This hypothesis, for the first time, suggests MCs could be the cellular basis of meridian sensation and arrival of qi ( deqi ) of acupoints. With independent tests of several research institutes, currently sufficient evidences prove the scientific values of SONG 's theory as well as its potential values for the basic research and clinical practice of acupuncture. It is reported recently that MCs might receive signals from central nerve system and acupoint stimulation, showing cross-talk effects, therefore, MCs can be sensitized at acupoints. In this paper, with a review of 40-year research evidence, 15 biological characteristics regarding mast cells and acupuncture phenomena are identified, in the meanwhile, 10 key questions and research direction, including the distribution of MCs in skin and its general relationship with meridian-acupoint, etc. are proposed.

Aggregation, Validation, and Generalization of Qualitative Data - Methodological and Practical Research Strategies Illustrated by the Research Process of an empirically Based Typology.

PubMed

Weis, Daniel; Willems, Helmut

2017-06-01

The article deals with the question of how aggregated data which allow for generalizable insights can be generated from single-case based qualitative investigations. Thereby, two central challenges of qualitative social research are outlined: First, researchers must ensure that the single-case data can be aggregated and condensed so that new collective structures can be detected. Second, they must apply methods and practices to allow for the generalization of the results beyond the specific study. In the following, we demonstrate how and under what conditions these challenges can be addressed in research practice. To this end, the research process of the construction of an empirically based typology is described. A qualitative study, conducted within the framework of the Luxembourg Youth Report, is used to illustrate this process. Specifically, strategies are presented which increase the likelihood of generalizability or transferability of the results, while also highlighting their limitations.

Asking good clinical research questions and choosing the right study design.

PubMed

Bragge, P

2010-07-01

Clinicians and researchers seek answers to clinical research questions, primarily by accessing the results of clinical research studies. This paper moves the focus of research enquiry from getting answers to developing good clinical research questions. Using worked examples, the steps involved in refining questions drawn from various sources to create 'answerable' clinical research questions using the 'PICO' principle are described. Issues to consider in prioritising clinical research questions are also identified. Theoretical and practical considerations involved in choosing the right study design for a clinical research question are then discussed using the worked examples. These include: Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Setting a research question, aim and objective.

PubMed

Doody, Owen; Bailey, Maria E

2016-03-01

To describe the development of a research question, aim and objective. The first steps of any study are developing the research question, aim and objective. Subsequent steps develop from these and they govern the researchers' choice of population, setting, data to be collected and time period for the study. Clear, succinctly posed research questions, aims and objectives are essential if studies are to be successful. Researchers developing their research questions, aims and objectives generally experience difficulties. They are often overwhelmed trying to convert what they see as a relevant issue from practice into research. This necessitates engaging with the relevant published literature and knowledgeable people. This paper identifies the issues to be considered when developing a research question, aim and objective. Understanding these considerations will enable researchers to effectively present their research question, aim and objective. To conduct successful studies, researchers should develop clear research questions, aims and objectives.

Questioning in Tongan Science Classrooms: A Pilot Study to Identify Current Practice, Barriers and Facilitators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bay, Jacquie L.; Fohoko, Fehi; La'Akulu, Mumui; Leota, Ofa; Pulotu, Lesieli; Tu'Ipuloto, Sina; Tutoe, Salesi; Tovo, Oliveti; Vekoso, Ana; Pouvalu, Emeli H.

2016-01-01

Questioning is central to the development of scientific and health literacies. In exploring this concept, Tongan science teachers hypothesized that their ability to use and encourage questioning presented challenges in the context of Tongan social and cultural norms. This study set out to develop a peer-to-peer protocol to enable teachers to…

Beyond Questioning: Inquiry Strategies and Cognitive and Affective Elements of Jewish Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sigel, Irving E.; Kress, Jeffrey S.; Elias, Maurice J.

2007-01-01

Questioning-asking has not only long been seen as a central component of Jewish educational practice but has also been thought to be part of a broader culture of Judaism. In this article, we apply cognitive-developmental theories to advance the discussion of the use of questioning in Jewish education. Such theories allow Jewish educators to more…

Why and How. The Future of the Central Questions of Consciousness

PubMed Central

Havlík, Marek; Kozáková, Eva; Horáček, Jiří

2017-01-01

In this review, we deal with two central questions of consciousness how and why, and we outline their possible future development. The question how refers to the empirical endeavor to reveal the neural correlates and mechanisms that form consciousness. On the other hand, the question why generally refers to the “hard problem” of consciousness, which claims that empirical science will always fail to provide a satisfactory answer to the question why is there conscious experience at all. Unfortunately, the hard problem of consciousness will probably never completely disappear because it will always have its most committed supporters. However, there is a good chance that its weight and importance will be highly reduced by empirically tackling consciousness in the near future. We expect that future empirical endeavor of consciousness will be based on a unifying brain theory and will answer the question as to what is the function of conscious experience, which will in turn replace the implications of the hard problem. The candidate of such a unifying brain theory is predictive coding, which will have to explain both perceptual consciousness and conscious mind-wandering in order to become the truly unifying theory of brain functioning. PMID:29075226

Privacy Impact Assessment for the Central Data Exchange

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Central Data Exchange collects personally identifiable information, including personal answers to security questions. Learn how this data will be collected in the system, how it will be used, access to the data, and the purpose of data collection.

Channeling the Central Dogma

PubMed Central

Calabrese, Ronald L.

2014-01-01

How do neurons and networks achieve their characteristic electrical activity, regulate this activity homeostatically, and yet show population variability in expression? O'Leary et al. address some of these thorny questions in this theoretical analysis that starts with the Central Dogma. PMID:24853932

Questionnaire design: carry-over effects of overall acceptance question placement and pre-evaluation instructions on overall acceptance scores in central location tests.

PubMed

Bastian, Mauresa; Eggett, Dennis L; Jefferies, Laura K

2015-02-01

Question placement and usage of pre-evaluation instructions (PEI) in questionnaires for food sensory analysis may bias consumers' scores via carry-over effects. Data from consumer sensory panels previously conducted at a central location, spanning 11 years and covering a broad range of food product categories, were compiled. Overall acceptance (OA) question placement was studied with categories designated as first (the first evaluation question following demographic questions), after nongustation questions (immediately following questions that do not require panelists to taste the product), and later (following all other hedonic and just-about-right [JAR] questions, but occasionally before ranking, open-ended comments, and/or intent to purchase questions). Each panel was categorized as having or not having PEI in the questionnaire; PEI are instructions that appear immediately before the first evaluation question and show panelists all attributes they will evaluate before receiving test samples. Postpanel surveys were administered regarding the self-reported effect of PEI on panelists' evaluation experience. OA scores were analyzed and compared (1) between OA question placement categories and (2) between panels with and without PEI. For most product categories, OA scores tended to be lower when asked later in the questionnaire, suggesting evidence of a carry-over effect. Usage of PEI increased OA scores by 0.10 of a 9-point hedonic scale point, which is not practically significant. Postpanel survey data showed that presence of PEI typically improved the panelists' experience. Using PEI does not appear to introduce a meaningful carry-over effect. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Towards a Methodology for Validation of Centrality Measures in Complex Networks

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Living systems are associated with Social networks — networks made up of nodes, some of which may be more important in various aspects as compared to others. While different quantitative measures labeled as “centralities” have previously been used in the network analysis community to find out influential nodes in a network, it is debatable how valid the centrality measures actually are. In other words, the research question that remains unanswered is: how exactly do these measures perform in the real world? So, as an example, if a centrality of a particular node identifies it to be important, is the node actually important? Purpose The goal of this paper is not just to perform a traditional social network analysis but rather to evaluate different centrality measures by conducting an empirical study analyzing exactly how do network centralities correlate with data from published multidisciplinary network data sets. Method We take standard published network data sets while using a random network to establish a baseline. These data sets included the Zachary's Karate Club network, dolphin social network and a neural network of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Each of the data sets was analyzed in terms of different centrality measures and compared with existing knowledge from associated published articles to review the role of each centrality measure in the determination of influential nodes. Results Our empirical analysis demonstrates that in the chosen network data sets, nodes which had a high Closeness Centrality also had a high Eccentricity Centrality. Likewise high Degree Centrality also correlated closely with a high Eigenvector Centrality. Whereas Betweenness Centrality varied according to network topology and did not demonstrate any noticeable pattern. In terms of identification of key nodes, we discovered that as compared with other centrality measures, Eigenvector and Eccentricity Centralities were better able to identify important nodes. PMID:24709999

"The NASA Solar System Exploration n Research Vistula Institute: Year 1 with New Teams with New and Old Partners!"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daou, Doris

2015-08-01

Recognizing that science enables exploration, and exploration enables science, NASA created the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) to address basic and applied scientific questions fundamental to understanding the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids, and the moons of Mars. Primarily using virtual tools to communicate has eliminated the need for a traditional bricks and mortar institute, allowing the hundreds of researchers across the U.S. and the eight international partners to easily communicate and collaborate, from wherever they are. The small, central office located at NASA Ames Research Center in the heart of Silicon Valley, coordinates the institute activities. Newly found synergies across the teams, the sharing of data and facilities, and the ease of communication increase the efficiencies of scientific discovery. More importantly, the birth of ideas formed at the intersection of disparate disciplines can readily be pursued by groups that might not otherwise have formed, or even met! SSERVI follows on the heels of the highly successful NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI), a virtual institute dedicated solely to studies of the Moon. The creation of SSERVI has not only expanded our knowledge of the Earth’s nearest neighbor to include other stepping-stones to Mars, but also furthered our ability to address the scientific and technological questions we need to know…before we go!

The Impact of Religiosity on Suicidal Ideation Among Youth in Central Mexico

PubMed Central

Marsiglia, Flavio F.

2014-01-01

Although over 100 years of research has been dedicated to understanding the connection between religiosity and suicide, many questions still remain. This is especially true among adolescent populations in countries outside the US. In 2008, over 700 students attending eight alternative high school centers in central Mexico completed a health survey designed to provide a comprehensive overview of their physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. This article reports on the findings of a secondary analysis study of those data and focuses on the protective influence of religiosity on suicidal ideation. The findings of this study are discussed in light of the network theory’s assertion that there is a belonging aspect to religion, and also to the idea that in religiously homogeneous communities of Mexico, religion can have a protective effect on the suicidal ideation of its members. PMID:23054483

Communication: Slow relaxation, spatial mobility gradients, and vitrification in confined films.

PubMed

Mirigian, Stephen; Schweizer, Kenneth S

2014-10-28

Two decades of experimental research indicate that spatial confinement of glass-forming molecular and polymeric liquids results in major changes of their slow dynamics beginning at large confinement distances. A fundamental understanding remains elusive given the generic complexity of activated relaxation in supercooled liquids and the major complications of geometric confinement, interfacial effects, and spatial inhomogeneity. We construct a predictive, quantitative, force-level theory of relaxation in free-standing films for the central question of the nature of the spatial mobility gradient. The key new idea is that vapor interfaces speed up barrier hopping in two distinct, but coupled, ways by reducing near surface local caging constraints and spatially long range collective elastic distortion. Effective vitrification temperatures, dynamic length scales, and mobile layer thicknesses naturally follow. Our results provide a unified basis for central observations of dynamic and pseudo-thermodynamic measurements.

Cell-based therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis

PubMed Central

Scolding, Neil J; Pasquini, Marcelo; Reingold, Stephen C; Cohen, Jeffrey A; Atkins, Harold; Banwell, Brenda; Bar-Or, Amit; Bebo, Bruce; Bowen, James; Burt, Richard; Calabresi, Peter; Cohen, Jeffrey; Comi, Giancarlo; Connick, Peter; Cross, Anne; Cutter, Gary; Derfuss, Tobias; Ffrench-Constant, Charles; Freedman, Mark; Galipeau, Jacques; Goldman, Myla; Goldman, Steven; Goodman, Andrew; Green, Ari; Griffith, Linda; Hartung, Hans-Peter; Hemmer, Bernhard; Hyun, Insoo; Iacobaeus, Ellen; Inglese, Matilde; Jubelt, Burk; Karussis, Dimitrios; Küry, Patrick; Landsman, Douglas; Laule, Cornelia; Liblau, Roland; Mancardi, Giovanni; Ann Marrie, Ruth; Miller, Aaron; Miller, Robert; Miller, David; Mowry, Ellen; Muraro, Paolo; Nash, Richard; Ontaneda, Daniel; Pasquini, Marcelo; Pelletier, Daniel; Peruzzotti-Jametti, Luca; Pluchino, Stefano; Racke, Michael; Reingold, Stephen; Rice, Claire; Ringdén, Olle; Rovira, Alex; Saccardi, Riccardo; Sadiq, Saud; Sarantopoulos, Stefanie; Savitz, Sean; Scolding, Neil; Soelberg Sorensen, Per; Pia Sormani, Maria; Stuve, Olaf; Tesar, Paul; Thompson, Alan; Trojano, Maria; Uccelli, Antonio; Uitdehaag, Bernard; Utz, Ursula; Vukusic, Sandra; Waubant, Emmanuelle; Wilkins, Alastair

2017-01-01

Abstract The availability of multiple disease-modifying medications with regulatory approval to treat multiple sclerosis illustrates the substantial progress made in therapy of the disease. However, all are only partially effective in preventing inflammatory tissue damage in the central nervous system and none directly promotes repair. Cell-based therapies, including immunoablation followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, mesenchymal and related stem cell transplantation, pharmacologic manipulation of endogenous stem cells to enhance their reparative capabilities, and transplantation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, have generated substantial interest as novel therapeutic strategies for immune modulation, neuroprotection, or repair of the damaged central nervous system in multiple sclerosis. Each approach has potential advantages but also safety concerns and unresolved questions. Moreover, clinical trials of cell-based therapies present several unique methodological and ethical issues. We summarize here the status of cell-based therapies to treat multiple sclerosis and make consensus recommendations for future research and clinical trials. PMID:29053779

Coming Full Circle: Contributions of Central and Peripheral Oxytocin Actions to Energy Balance

PubMed Central

Blevins, James E.

2013-01-01

The neuropeptide oxytocin has emerged as an important anorexigen in the regulation of energy balance. Its effects on food intake have largely been attributed to limiting meal size through interactions in key regulatory brain regions such as the hypothalamus and hindbrain. Pharmacologic and pair-feeding studies indicate that its ability to reduce body mass extends beyond that of food intake, affecting multiple factors that determine energy balance such as energy expenditure, lipolysis, and glucose regulation. Systemic administration of oxytocin recapitulates many of its effects when administered centrally, raising the questions of whether and to what extent circulating oxytocin contributes to energy regulation. Its therapeutic potential to treat metabolic conditions remains to be determined, but data from diet-induced and genetically obese rodent models as well as application of oxytocin in humans in other areas of research have revealed promising results thus far. PMID:23270805

Minimization of nanosatellite low frequency magnetic fields.

PubMed

Belyayev, S M; Dudkin, F L

2016-03-01

Small weight and dimensions of the micro- and nanosatellites constrain researchers to place electromagnetic sensors on short booms or on the satellite body. Therefore the electromagnetic cleanliness of such satellites becomes a central question. This paper describes the theoretical base and practical techniques for determining the parameters of DC and very low frequency magnetic interference sources. One of such sources is satellite magnetization, the reduction of which improves the accuracy and stability of the attitude control system. We present design solutions for magnetically clean spacecraft, testing equipment, and technology for magnetic moment measurements, which are more convenient, efficient, and accurate than the conventional ones.

Taking the cooking out of food: nutrition & the national curriculum.

PubMed

Stitt, S; Jepson, M; Paulson-Box, E

1995-01-01

This is a discussion paper which generates some important research questions for educationalists. The teaching of food skills are at danger of being lost from the school cirriculum by changes imposed by the National Curriculum. This sinister (i.e., unexplained/undefined) development generates potential problems for the teaching of cookery and for the food and eating traditions of British society. The central concern for nutrition educationalists is that cooking is becoming more and more de-domesticated and consequently will become more systemised, more mass produced; in which case, young people need not be educated in basic cooking skills.

An emerging action science of social settings.

PubMed

Seidman, Edward

2012-09-01

Seymour B. Sarason's innovative ideas have influenced much of my work. These same ideas-in particular, his concepts of social settings, behavioral and programmatic regularities, and the universe of alternatives-also serve as the foundation for an action science of social settings. Questions regarding theory, measurement, intervention, and research design and data analysis are central to the development of this action science, and there have been recent innovations in each of these areas. However, future challenges remain for the field. We must continue to move forward to advance an action science of social settings and make a real difference in people's lives.

[Current state of competence assessment in nursing].

PubMed

Darmann-Finck, Ingrid; Reuschenbach, Bernd

2013-01-01

Competency measurement is central to the optimisation of outcome oriented educational processes in nursing, similar to the concept of evidence based practice. The classification of measurement tools provides the basis for describing the current state of research and development in relation to competence measurement in nursing science, and any gaps are identified. The article concludes with questioning the importance of outcome oriented quality orientation in order to achieve an increase in quality during training. Further methodological developments and qualitative studies are needed to examine the context specific processes of interaction and learning, beyond competence diagnostics. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

The Endpoint Hypothesis: A Topological-Cognitive Assessment of Geographic Scale Movement Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klippel, Alexander; Li, Rui

Movement patterns of individual entities at the geographic scale are becoming a prominent research focus in spatial sciences. One pertinent question is how cognitive and formal characterizations of movement patterns relate. In other words, are (mostly qualitative) formal characterizations cognitively adequate? This article experimentally evaluates movement patterns that can be characterized as paths through a conceptual neighborhood graph, that is, two extended spatial entities changing their topological relationship gradually. The central questions addressed are: (a) Do humans naturally use topology to create cognitive equivalent classes, that is, is topology the basis for categorizing movement patterns spatially? (b) Are ‘all’ topological relations equally salient, and (c) does language influence categorization. The first two questions are addressed using a modification of the endpoint hypothesis stating that: movement patterns are distinguished by the topological relation they end in. The third question addresses whether language has an influence on the classification of movement patterns, that is, whether there is a difference between linguistic and non-linguistic category construction. In contrast to our previous findings we were able to document the importance of topology for conceptualizing movement patterns but also reveal differences in the cognitive saliency of topological relations. The latter aspect calls for a weighted conceptual neighborhood graph to cognitively adequately model human conceptualization processes.

What does 'race' have to do with medical education research?

PubMed

Muzzin, Linda; Mickleborough, Tim

2013-08-01

We live in a world of ethnoracial conflict. This is confirmed every day by opening and reading the newspaper. This everyday world seems far away in the pages of a medical education journal, but is it? The goal of this paper is to suggest that one need not look very far in medical education to encounter ethnoracial issues, and further, that research methods that are not ethnoracially biased must be employed to study these topics. We will draw attention to the relevance of employing an ethical conceptual approach to research involving 'race' by demonstrating how one author researching internationally educated health professionals has put 'race' front and centre in his analysis. He does this by using a postcolonial method of analysis termed a 'doubled-research' technique that sets up categories such as 'race' but then decolonizes them to avoid essentialism or stereotyping. We compare this method to another mainstream method employed for the same topic of inquiry which has sidelined 'race' in the analysis, potentially hiding findings about ethnoracial relations involving health professionals in our 'multicultural' society. This demonstration leads to the important question of whether research methods can be epistemologically racist-a question that has been raised about conventional research on education in general. Our argument is not meant to be the last word on this topic, but the first in this journal. We conclude that there is an internal ethics or axiology within research perspectives and methodologies that needs to be examined where ethnoracial issues are prominent. The use of mainstream approaches to undertake research can unintentionally 'leave unsaid' central aspects of what is researched while antiracist methods such as the one described in this article can open up the data to allow for a richer and deeper understanding of the problem. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

"Where is Everybody?" An Account of Fermi's Question

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Jones, E. M.

1985-03-01

Enrico Fermi's famous question, now central to debates about the prevalence of extraterrestrial civilizations, arose during a luncheon conversation with Emil Konopinski, Edward Teller, and Herbert York in the summer of 1950. Fermi's companions on that day have provided accounts of the incident.

The Bilingual Adaptation: How Minds Accommodate Experience

PubMed Central

Bialystok, Ellen

2017-01-01

According to some estimates, more than half of the world’s population is multilingual to some extent. Because of the centrality of language use to human experience and the deep connections between linguistic and nonlinguistic processing, it would not be surprising to find that there are interactions between bilingualism and cognitive and brain processes. The present review uses the framework of experience-dependent plasticity to evaluate the evidence for systematic modifications of brain and cognitive systems that can be attributed to bilingualism. The review describes studies investigating the relation between bilingualism and cognition in infants and children, younger and older adults, and patients, using both behavioral and neuroimaging methods. Excluded are studies whose outcomes focus primarily on linguistic abilities because of their more peripheral contribution to the central question regarding experience-dependent changes to cognition. Although most of the research discussed in the review reports some relation between bilingualism and cognitive or brain outcomes, several areas of research, notably behavioral studies with young adults, largely fail to show these effects. These discrepancies are discussed and considered in terms of methodological and conceptual issues. The final section proposes an account based on “executive attention” to explain the range of research findings and to set out an agenda for the next steps in this field. PMID:28230411

FOSS Tools for Research Infrastructures - A Success Story?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stender, V.; Schroeder, M.; Wächter, J.

2015-12-01

Established initiatives and mandated organizations, e.g. the Initiative for Scientific Cyberinfrastructures (NSF, 2007) or the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI, 2008), promote and foster the development of sustainable research infrastructures. The basic idea behind these infrastructures is the provision of services supporting scientists to search, visualize and access data, to collaborate and exchange information, as well as to publish data and other results. Especially the management of research data is gaining more and more importance. In geosciences these developments have to be merged with the enhanced data management approaches of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). The Centre for GeoInformationTechnology (CeGIT) at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences has the objective to establish concepts and standards of SDIs as an integral part of research infrastructure architectures. In different projects, solutions to manage research data for land- and water management or environmental monitoring have been developed based on a framework consisting of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) components. The framework provides basic components supporting the import and storage of data, discovery and visualization as well as data documentation (metadata). In our contribution, we present our data management solutions developed in three projects, Central Asian Water (CAWa), Sustainable Management of River Oases (SuMaRiO) and Terrestrial Environmental Observatories (TERENO) where FOSS components build the backbone of the data management platform. The multiple use and validation of tools helped to establish a standardized architectural blueprint serving as a contribution to Research Infrastructures. We examine the question of whether FOSS tools are really a sustainable choice and whether the increased efforts of maintenance are justified. Finally it should help to answering the question if the use of FOSS for Research Infrastructures is a success story.

Providing Opportunities for Argumentation in Science Exam Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Lauren; Solorza, Ruben; Fissore, Cinzia

2018-01-01

This article explores undergraduates' efforts to engage in scientific argumentation during exam settings. Thirteen undergraduate students enrolled in an environmental science course completed exams with questions linked around a central theme. Three types of questions were used, including those that prompted students to construct scientific…

Ask a SEER Registrar - SEER Registrars

Cancer.gov

First submit questions to your central registry as required and they will submit them to SEER. Use the form on this page to submit questions to SEER staff about coding cancer cases or SEER's reporting guideline materials. Coding and abstracting answers are on SEER Inquiry System website.

A Consensus-Driven Agenda for Emergency Medicine Firearm Injury Prevention Research

PubMed Central

Ranney, Megan L.; Fletcher, Jonathan; Alter, Harrison; Barsotti, Christopher; Bebarta, Vikhyat S.; Betz, Marian E.; Carter, Patrick M.; Cerdá, Magdalena; Cunningham, Rebecca M.; Crane, Peter; Fahimi, Jahan; Miller, Matthew J.; Rowhani-Rahbar, Ali; Vogel, Jody A.; Wintemute, Garen J.; Shah, Manish N.; Waseem, Muhammad

2016-01-01

Objective To identify critical Emergency Medicine (EM)-focused firearm injury research questions and to develop an evidence-based research agenda. Methods National content experts were recruited to a technical advisory group for the American College of Emergency Physicians Research Committee. Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was used to identify research questions by consensus. The technical advisory group decided to focus on five widely accepted categorizations of firearm injury. Subgroups conducted literature reviews on each topic and developed preliminary lists of EM-relevant research questions. In-person meetings and conference calls were held to iteratively refine the extensive list of research questions, following NGT guidelines. Feedback from external stakeholders was reviewed and integrated. Results Fifty-nine final EM-relevant research questions were identified, including questions that cut across all firearm injury topics and questions specific to self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide); intimate partner violence; peer (non-partner) violence; mass violence; and unintentional (“accidental”) injury. Some questions could be addressed through research conducted in emergency departments (EDs); others would require work in other settings. Conclusions The technical advisory group identified key EM-relevant firearm injury research questions. EM-specific data is limited for most of these questions. Funders and researchers should consider increasing their attention to firearm injury prevention and control, particularly to the questions identified here and in other recently developed research agendas. PMID:27998625

A Consensus-Driven Agenda for Emergency Medicine Firearm Injury Prevention Research.

PubMed

Ranney, Megan L; Fletcher, Jonathan; Alter, Harrison; Barsotti, Christopher; Bebarta, Vikhyat S; Betz, Marian E; Carter, Patrick M; Cerdá, Magdalena; Cunningham, Rebecca M; Crane, Peter; Fahimi, Jahan; Miller, Matthew J; Rowhani-Rahbar, Ali; Vogel, Jody A; Wintemute, Garen J; Waseem, Muhammad; Shah, Manish N

2017-02-01

To identify critical emergency medicine-focused firearm injury research questions and develop an evidence-based research agenda. National content experts were recruited to a technical advisory group for the American College of Emergency Physicians Research Committee. Nominal group technique was used to identify research questions by consensus. The technical advisory group decided to focus on 5 widely accepted categorizations of firearm injury. Subgroups conducted literature reviews on each topic and developed preliminary lists of emergency medicine-relevant research questions. In-person meetings and conference calls were held to iteratively refine the extensive list of research questions, following nominal group technique guidelines. Feedback from external stakeholders was reviewed and integrated. Fifty-nine final emergency medicine-relevant research questions were identified, including questions that cut across all firearm injury topics and questions specific to self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide), intimate partner violence, peer (nonpartner) violence, mass violence, and unintentional ("accidental") injury. Some questions could be addressed through research conducted in emergency departments; others would require work in other settings. The technical advisory group identified key emergency medicine-relevant firearm injury research questions. Emergency medicine-specific data are limited for most of these questions. Funders and researchers should consider increasing their attention to firearm injury prevention and control, particularly to the questions identified here and in other recently developed research agendas. Copyright © 2016 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Harnessing neuroplasticity for clinical applications

PubMed Central

Sur, Mriganka; Dobkin, Bruce H.; O'Brien, Charles; Sanger, Terence D.; Trojanowski, John Q.; Rumsey, Judith M.; Hicks, Ramona; Cameron, Judy; Chen, Daofen; Chen, Wen G.; Cohen, Leonardo G.; deCharms, Christopher; Duffy, Charles J.; Eden, Guinevere F.; Fetz, Eberhard E.; Filart, Rosemarie; Freund, Michelle; Grant, Steven J.; Haber, Suzanne; Kalivas, Peter W.; Kolb, Bryan; Kramer, Arthur F.; Lynch, Minda; Mayberg, Helen S.; McQuillen, Patrick S.; Nitkin, Ralph; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Reuter-Lorenz, Patricia; Schiff, Nicholas; Sharma, Anu; Shekim, Lana; Stryker, Michael; Sullivan, Edith V.; Vinogradov, Sophia

2011-01-01

Neuroplasticity can be defined as the ability of the nervous system to respond to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, function and connections. Major advances in the understanding of neuroplasticity have to date yielded few established interventions. To advance the translation of neuroplasticity research towards clinical applications, the National Institutes of Health Blueprint for Neuroscience Research sponsored a workshop in 2009. Basic and clinical researchers in disciplines from central nervous system injury/stroke, mental/addictive disorders, paediatric/developmental disorders and neurodegeneration/ageing identified cardinal examples of neuroplasticity, underlying mechanisms, therapeutic implications and common denominators. Promising therapies that may enhance training-induced cognitive and motor learning, such as brain stimulation and neuropharmacological interventions, were identified, along with questions of how best to use this body of information to reduce human disability. Improved understanding of adaptive mechanisms at every level, from molecules to synapses, to networks, to behaviour, can be gained from iterative collaborations between basic and clinical researchers. Lessons can be gleaned from studying fields related to plasticity, such as development, critical periods, learning and response to disease. Improved means of assessing neuroplasticity in humans, including biomarkers for predicting and monitoring treatment response, are needed. Neuroplasticity occurs with many variations, in many forms, and in many contexts. However, common themes in plasticity that emerge across diverse central nervous system conditions include experience dependence, time sensitivity and the importance of motivation and attention. Integration of information across disciplines should enhance opportunities for the translation of neuroplasticity and circuit retraining research into effective clinical therapies. PMID:21482550

A pragmatic analysis of vulnerability in clinical research.

PubMed

Wendler, David

2017-09-01

Identifying which subjects are vulnerable, and implementing safeguards to protect them, is widely regarded as essential to clinical research. Commentators have endorsed a number of responses to these challenges and have thereby made significant progress in understanding vulnerability in clinical research. At the same time, this literature points to a central contradiction which calls into question its potential to protect vulnerable subjects in practice. Specifically, analysis suggests that all human subjects are vulnerable and vulnerability in clinical research is comparative and context dependent, in the sense that individuals are vulnerable relative to others and in some contexts only. Yet, if everyone is vulnerable, there seems to be no point in citing the vulnerability of some individuals. Moreover, the conclusion that everyone is vulnerable seems inconsistent with the claims that vulnerability is comparative and context dependent, raising concern over whether it will be possible to develop a comprehensive account of vulnerability that is internally consistent. The solution to this dilemma lies in recognition of the fact that the practical significance of claims regarding vulnerability depends on the context in which they are used. The claims that appear to lead to the central contradiction are in fact accurate conclusions that follow from different uses of the term 'vulnerability'. The present manuscript describes this 'pragmatic' approach to vulnerability in clinical research and considers its implications for ensuring that subjects receive appropriate protection. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Theme section on mesophotic coral ecosystems: advances in knowledge and future perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loya, Yossi; Eyal, Gal; Treibitz, Tali; Lesser, Michael P.; Appeldoorn, Richard

2016-03-01

The Second International Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) workshop was held in Eilat, Israel, October 26-31, 2014. Here we provide an account of: (1) advances in our knowledge of MCE ecology, including the central question of the potential vertical connectivity between MCEs and shallow-water reefs (SWRs), and that of the validity of the deep-reef refugia hypothesis (DRRH); (2) the contribution of the 2014 MCE workshop to the central question presented in (1), as well as its contribution to novel MCE studies on corals, sponges, fish, and crabs; and (3) gaps, priorities, and recommendations for future research stemming from the workshop. Despite their close proximity to well-studied SWRs, and the growing evidence of their importance, our scientific knowledge of MCEs is still in its infancy. During the last five years, we have witnessed an ever-increasing scientific interest in MCEs, expressed in the exponential increase in the number of publications studying this unique environment. The emerging consensus is that lower MCE benthic assemblages represent unique communities, either of separate species or genetically distinct individuals within species, and any significant support for the DRRH will be limited to upper MCEs. Determining the health and stability of MCEs, their biodiversity, and the degree of genetic connectivity among SWRs and MCEs, will ultimately indicate the ability of MCEs to contribute to the resilience of SWRs and help to guide future management and conservation strategies. MCEs deserve therefore management consideration in their own right. With the technological advancements taking place in recent years that facilitate access to MCEs, the prospects for exciting and innovative discoveries resulting from MCE research, spanning a wide variety of fields, are immense.

Cats on the Couch: The Experimental Production of Animal Neurosis.

PubMed

Winter, Alison

2016-03-01

Argument In the 1940s-50s, one of the most central questions in psychological research related to the nature of neurosis. In the final years of the Second World War and the following decade, neurosis became one of the most prominent psychiatric disorders, afflicting a high proportion of military casualties and veterans. The condition became central to the concerns of several psychological fields, from psychoanalysis to Pavlovian psychology. This paper reconstructs the efforts of Chicago psychiatrist Jules Masserman to study neurosis in the laboratory during the 1940s and 1950s. Masserman used Pavlovian techniques in a bid to subject this central psychoanalytic subject to disciplined scientific experimentation. More generally, his project was an effort to bolster the legitimacy of psychoanalysis as a human science by articulating a convergence of psychoanalytic categories across multiple species. Masserman sought to orchestrate a convergence of psychological knowledge between fields that were often taken to be irreconcilable. A central focus of this paper is the role of moving images in this project, not only as a means of recording experimental data but also as a rhetorical device. The paper argues that for Masserman film played an important role in enabling scientific observers (and then subsequent viewers) to see agency and emotion in the animals they observed.

Burnout-depression overlap: a review.

PubMed

Bianchi, Renzo; Schonfeld, Irvin Sam; Laurent, Eric

2015-03-01

Whether burnout is a form of depression or a distinct phenomenon is an object of controversy. The aim of the present article was to provide an up-to-date review of the literature dedicated to the question of burnout-depression overlap. A systematic literature search was carried out in PubMed, PsycINFO, and IngentaConnect. A total of 92 studies were identified as informing the issue of burnout-depression overlap. The current state of the art suggests that the distinction between burnout and depression is conceptually fragile. It is notably unclear how the state of burnout (i.e., the end stage of the burnout process) is conceived to differ from clinical depression. Empirically, evidence for the distinctiveness of the burnout phenomenon has been inconsistent, with the most recent studies casting doubt on that distinctiveness. The absence of consensual diagnostic criteria for burnout and burnout research's insufficient consideration of the heterogeneity of depressive disorders constitute major obstacles to the resolution of the raised issue. In conclusion, the epistemic status of the seminal, field-dominating definition of burnout is questioned. It is suggested that systematic clinical observation should be given a central place in future research on burnout-depression overlap. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Supervisors' experiences of workplace supervision of nursing and paramedic students in rural settings: a scoping review.

PubMed

Trede, Franziska; McEwen, Celina; Kenny, Amanda; O'Meara, Peter

2014-05-01

We present our findings from a scoping review that sought to identify what is known about nursing and paramedic clinical supervisors' experiences of their supervision practices in rural settings. Our interest in these two groups is based on the central role that nurses and paramedics play in rural health care. Scoping reviews support identification of a broad range of literature, including all types of study designs. We adopted Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage approach: identifying the research question; identifying relevant studies; study selection; charting the data; and collating, summarising and reporting results. Databases searched included Academic Search Complete, Springer, Factiva, ProQuest, Ebsco, Informit, VOCEDplus and Scopus. Based on our research question and inclusion and exclusion criteria we selected relevant literature and summarised and reported it using Arksey and O'Malley's framework. The review yielded five articles from four countries: Sweden, Belgium, Malaysia and Australia. From this scoping review, we identified key themes related to supervisors' experiences, including clarification of expectations, support from managers and colleagues, the need for shared understanding between university, students and supervisors and required skills and competence in supervising students. © 2013.

Significant Work Is About Self-Realization and Broader Purpose: Defining the Key Dimensions of Meaningful Work.

PubMed

Martela, Frank; Pessi, Anne B

2018-01-01

Research on meaningful work has proliferated in recent years, with an increasing understanding of the centrality of meaningfulness for work-related motivation, commitment, and well-being. However, ambiguity around the main construct, "meaningful work," has hindered this progress as various researchers have used partly overlapping, partly differing conceptualizations. To bring clarity to this issue, we examine a broad range of various definitions of meaningful work and come to argue that meaningfulness in the broadest sense is about work significance as an overall evaluation of work as regards whether it is intrinsically valuable and worth doing. Furthermore, we argue that there are two key sub-dimensions to this work significance: Broader purpose as work serving some greater good or prosocial goals (the intrinsic value of work beyond the person in question). And self-realization as a sense of autonomy, authenticity and self-expression at work (the intrinsic value of work for the person in question). Previous definitions of meaningful work feature typically one or two of these elements-significance, broader purpose, self-realization -, but in the future it would be beneficial to clearly acknowledge all three elements in both definitions and operationalizations of meaningful work.

Significant Work Is About Self-Realization and Broader Purpose: Defining the Key Dimensions of Meaningful Work

PubMed Central

Martela, Frank; Pessi, Anne B.

2018-01-01

Research on meaningful work has proliferated in recent years, with an increasing understanding of the centrality of meaningfulness for work-related motivation, commitment, and well-being. However, ambiguity around the main construct, “meaningful work,” has hindered this progress as various researchers have used partly overlapping, partly differing conceptualizations. To bring clarity to this issue, we examine a broad range of various definitions of meaningful work and come to argue that meaningfulness in the broadest sense is about work significance as an overall evaluation of work as regards whether it is intrinsically valuable and worth doing. Furthermore, we argue that there are two key sub-dimensions to this work significance: Broader purpose as work serving some greater good or prosocial goals (the intrinsic value of work beyond the person in question). And self-realization as a sense of autonomy, authenticity and self-expression at work (the intrinsic value of work for the person in question). Previous definitions of meaningful work feature typically one or two of these elements—significance, broader purpose, self-realization –, but in the future it would be beneficial to clearly acknowledge all three elements in both definitions and operationalizations of meaningful work. PMID:29632502

Freedom in responsibility: on the relevance of "sin" as a hermeneutic guiding principle in bioethical decision making.

PubMed

Gräb-Schmidt, Elisabeth

2005-08-01

This essay deals with questions of responsibility concerning technology, in particular, gene technology and the special problem of research on embryos. I raise issues concerning the extent of humans' authority to act and the limits of human freedom. In what way is that freedom given, and what kind of responsibility results from it? By discussing various concepts of human freedom in the tradition of European philosophy, as juxtaposed to the Protestant understanding of freedom, this essay discusses the restricting limits, and the obligation to take responsibility. It will turn out that the question concerning freedom cannot be answered without understanding what being human involves. From a Christian perspective, this implies that the foundational relationship between human freedom and sin will be central to an assessment of the human ability to take responsibility. By obliterating the limits of human freedom, sin jeopardizes the very essence of that freedom. The project of taking into account the sinful state of the human condition thus aims at developing a realistic picture of the authority of humans in action, even in view of the human tasks of promoting science and research.

Linguistic relativity.

PubMed

Wolff, Phillip; Holmes, Kevin J

2011-05-01

The central question in research on linguistic relativity, or the Whorfian hypothesis, is whether people who speak different languages think differently. The recent resurgence of research on this question can be attributed, in part, to new insights about the ways in which language might impact thought. We identify seven categories of hypotheses about the possible effects of language on thought across a wide range of domains, including motion, color, spatial relations, number, and false belief understanding. While we do not find support for the idea that language determines the basic categories of thought or that it overwrites preexisting conceptual distinctions, we do find support for the proposal that language can make some distinctions difficult to avoid, as well as for the proposal that language can augment certain types of thinking. Further, we highlight recent evidence suggesting that language may induce a relatively schematic mode of thinking. Although the literature on linguistic relativity remains contentious, there is growing support for the view that language has a profound effect on thought. WIREs Cogni Sci 2011 2 253-265 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.104 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Trust and Its Role in the Medical Encounter.

PubMed

Holland, Stephen; Stocks, David

2017-09-01

This paper addresses two research questions. The first is theoretical: What is trust? In the first half of this paper we present a distinctive tripartite analysis. We describe three attitudes, here called reliance, specific trust and general trust, each of which is characterised and illustrated. We argue that these attitudes are related, but not reducible, to one another. We suggest that the current impasse in the analysis of trust is in part due to the fact that some writers allude to these distinctions, but unclearly so, whilst others elide them altogether. The second research question focuses on doctor-patient interaction. Trust is often said to be central in medical encounters but this strikes us as too vague. The success of doctor-patient relations in part depends on adopting the most appropriate of the three attitudes we delineate. We argue that reliance is the appropriate attitude for most medical encounters. When circumstances do require trust, the distinction between specific trust and general trust is crucial. We describe medical encounters requiring specific trust. General trust is less often required in medicine; but it is appropriate in some cases and, when called for, it is called for strongly.

Governance in Afghanistan: Context and Possibilities

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-19

Nathaniel. Russia in Central Asia in 1889 & the Anglo-Russian Question. London: Longmans, Green , and Co., 1889. Drage, Geoffrey. Russian Affairs. New York...Richard Bentley, 1839. Gray, John Alfred. At the Court of the Amir of Afghanistan. New York: Kegan Paul, 2002. Holdich, T. Hungerford. Through Central

CENTRAL FOOD STORE FACILITIES FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BLOOMFIELD, BYRON C.

INSPECTION OF A NUMBER OF INSTALLATIONS WAS ORIENTED TOWARD ARCHITECTURAL AND PLANNING QUESTIONS INVOLVING ECONOMICS AND SERVICES OF CENTRAL FOOD STORE FACILITIES. COMMENCING WITH THE PURCHASING PHILOSOPHY WHICH OVERVIEWS THE ORGANIZATION OF FOODS PURCHASING, SELECTION OF PERSONNEL, SPECIFICATIONS FOR PURCHASING, TECHNIQUES FOR PURCHASING, AND…

Narrative comprehension in 4-7-year-old children with autism: testing the Weak Central Coherence account.

PubMed

Nuske, Heather Joy; Bavin, Edith L

2011-01-01

Despite somewhat spared structural language development in high-functioning autism, communicative comprehension deficits persist. Comprehension involves the integration of meaning: global processing is required. The Weak Central Coherence theory suggests that individuals with autism are biased to process information locally. This cognitive style may impair comprehension, particularly if inferencing is required. However, task performance may be facilitated by this cognitive style if local processing is required. The current study was designed to examine the extent to which the 'weak central coherence' cognitive style affects comprehension and inferential processing of spoken narratives. The children with autism were expected to perform comparatively poorer on inferences relating to event scripts and comparatively better on inferences requiring deductive reasoning. Fourteen high-functioning children with autism were recruited from databases of various autism organizations (mean age = 6:7, 13 males, one female) and were matched on a receptive vocabulary and a picture-completion task with 14 typically developing children recruited from a local childcare centre (mean age = 4:10, seven males, seven females). The children were read short stories and asked questions about the stories. Results indicated that the children with autism were less able to make inferences based on event scripts, but the groups did not differ significantly on inferences requiring deductive logical reasoning. Despite similar group performance on questions relating to the main idea of the stories, only for the typically developing group was good performance on extracting the main idea of the narratives significantly correlated with performance on all other comprehension tasks. Findings provide some support for the Weak Central Coherence theory and demonstrate that young children with autism do not spontaneously integrate information in order to make script inferences, as do typically developing children. These findings may help to explain communicative problems of young children with autism and can be applied to intervention programme development. More research on the link between a 'weak central coherence' cognitive style and communicative comprehension in autism will be valuable in understanding the comprehension deficits associated with autism. © 2010 Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.

The NOAA El Niño Rapid Response Field Campaign: Science Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dole, R. M.; Spackman, J. R.; Webb, R. S.; Barnet, C.; Cifelli, R.; Compo, G. P.; Fairall, C. W.; Hartten, L. M.; Hoell, A.; Intrieri, J. M.; Kiladis, G. N.; Johnston, P. E.; Hoerling, M. P.; Newman, M.; Smith, C. A.; Wick, G. A.; Wolfe, D. E.; Wolter, K.

2016-12-01

Forecasts by mid-summer 2015 indicated the likelihood of a strong and potentially record El Niño for the upcoming winter. The forecasts posed a fundamental challenge to NOAA: To what extent could the agency adapt its research and services, given advance information of a potentially extreme climate event? Taking a proactive approach, NOAA initiated the NOAA El Niño Rapid Response (ENRR) project. The ENRR included an observational field campaign led by the ESRL Physical Sciences Division together with model experiments performed to optimize observational strategies and support NOAA services in anticipating risks and impacts related to this event. The full ENRR ultimately involved contributions from across NOAA as well as from external partners. This presentation focuses on the ENRR field campaign. It summarizes the primary drivers for the campaign, questions, hypotheses, and objectives, a few surprises and lessons learned, and concludes with thoughts on future directions. The main aim of the field campaign was to determine the initial tropical atmospheric response linking this El Niño to its global impacts. Intensive observations were conducted in a data-sparse region over the central Pacific Ocean near the heart of El Niño, using NOAA's Gulfstream IV (G-IV) to obtain wind, temperature, moisture, and precipitation profiles from dropsondes, tail Doppler radar, and flight level observations. Most flights were over the central tropical Pacific, sampling organized tropical convection and convective outflow. The G-IV data were augmented in the central Pacific by radiosonde launches from Kiritimati and in the eastern tropical Pacific from the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown. In the extratropics, a scanning X-band radar was deployed in Santa Clara CA. Additional extratropical flights were conducted by NOAA with the Global Hawk, and by partners at NASA Ames and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Data from the ENRR campaign were provided in real-time for assimilation into operational prediction models through the Global Telecommunication System, and are available to the community through the NOAA ESRL/PSD web site ENRR data. The data are being used now to address a broad array of research questions, and provide an unprecedented set of tropical atmospheric observations during a strong El Niño to support future research.

Education, Racism, and the Military: A Critical Race Theory Analysis of the GI Bill and Its Implications for African Americans in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mencke, Bernadette Kristine Buchanan

2010-01-01

This study examined the impact of the Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944 (the GI Bill) on African Americans' quest for higher education. The central question guiding this study follows: Why has higher education been so elusive for African Americans? With reference to this question, the following sub-questions were addressed: (1) How can the…

Ethics committees and the changed clinical research environment in India in 2016: A perspective!

PubMed

Davis, Sanish; Sule, Poonam; Bughediwala, Murtuza; Pandya, Vrunda; Sinha, Shilpi

2017-01-01

Institutional and Independent Ethics Committees (ECs) have as their primary mission the protection of human research subjects. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization has in the period 2013-2016 introduced several new regulations and amendments to existing regulations overseeing the conduct of Research in India. Several of these have direct effect on the functioning of the EC from a review, approval, and oversight mechanism. The Ethics Council of Indian Society for Clinical Research conducted a questionnaire survey among EC members to understand the impact of these changes in their functioning. The domains surveyed included awareness about recent changes/amendments and impacts, serious adverse events (SAEs) and compensation, informed consent and audio-video recording, monitoring and auditing of research, and future working of ECs. Seventy-nine percent of ECs are of the opinion that the new regulations/guidelines will add to their existing burden in the process of review and approval, providing subject protection and research oversight. Even though 68% of ECs stated that they are comfortable with SAE assessment and compensation determination, they state that there is variability in calculation of compensation amount using the formulae. An overwhelming majority (80%) of ECs stated that they were not in favor of centralized EC for providing review, approval, and oversight of clinical studies. Ethics Committees act as local regulator for clinical trials at sites providing Human Subject protection. The survey captures the contemporary issues faced by the ECs and also raises important questions on the ease of doing research, oversight of approved research, and administrative burden on the EC. Recent changes in regulations have on the one hand empowered Ethics committees but brought in challenges in the way that they provide oversight and monitor research carried out at the site.

Adrift in the Gray Zone: IRB Perspectives on Research in the Learning Health System.

PubMed

Lee, Sandra Soo-Jin; Kelley, Maureen; Cho, Mildred K; Kraft, Stephanie Alessi; James, Cyan; Constantine, Melissa; Meyer, Adrienne N; Diekema, Douglas; Capron, Alexander M; Wilfond, Benjamin S; Magnus, David

2016-01-01

Human subjects protection in healthcare contexts rests on the premise that a principled boundary distinguishes clinical research and clinical practice. However, growing use of evidence-based clinical practices by health systems makes it increasingly difficult to disentangle research from a wide range of clinical activities that are sometimes called "research on medical practice" (ROMP), including quality improvement activities and comparative effectiveness research. The recent growth of ROMP activities has created an ethical and regulatory gray zone with significant implications for the oversight of human subjects research. We conducted six semi-structured, open-ended focus group discussions with IRB members to understand their experiences and perspectives on ethical oversight of ROMP, including randomization of patients to standard treatments. Our study revealed that IRB members are unclear or divided on the central questions at stake in the current policy debate over ethical oversight of ROMP: IRB members struggle to make a clear distinction between clinical research and medical practice improvement, lack consensus on when ROMP requires IRB review and oversight, and are uncertain about what constitutes incremental risk when patients are randomized to different treatments, any of which may be offered in usual care. They characterized the central challenge as a balancing act, between, on the one hand, making information fully transparent to patients and providing adequate oversight, and on the other hand, avoiding a chilling effect on the research process or harming the physician-patient relationship. Evidence-based guidance that supports IRB members in providing adequate and effective oversight of ROMP without impeding the research process or harming the physician-patient relationship is necessary to realize the full benefits of the learning health system.

Separating the Research Question from the Laboratory Techniques: Advancing High-School Biology Teachers' Ability to Ask Research Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasson, Eilat; Yarden, Anat

2012-01-01

Inquiry is essentially a process in which research questions are asked and an attempt is made to find the answers. However, the formulation of operational research questions of the sort used in authentic scientific inquiry is not a trivial task. Here, we set out to explore the possible influence of separating the research question from the…

A difficult time with the permit process.

PubMed

Benson, Etienne

2011-01-01

In the 1970s, new forms of public scrutiny were applied to the research methods of field biologists in the United States, particularly those studying endangered species and marine mammals. This paper shows how such scrutiny affected researchers' choice of research methods through an analysis of a key moment in a decade-long controversy over the conservation of bowhead whales. In 1978, researchers at the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory received funding from the Bureau of Land Management to radio-tag bowhead whales. Although this promising but still largely untested technique might have answered one of the central scientific questions in the controversy, it ultimately went unused. Technical considerations played a role in the decision not to use the technique, but the most important factor was scientists' concerns about potential backlash from Iñupiat whalers and animal protectionists. The same forces that had made marine mammalogists more influential than ever and that had put into their hands the resources necessary to develop more effective research techniques also placed serious constraints on where, when, and how they could do their research.

Defining the Medical Library Association research agenda: methodology and final results from a consensus process

PubMed Central

Eldredge, Jonathan D.; Harris, Martha R.; Ascher, Marie T.

2009-01-01

Objective: Using a group consensus methodology, the research sought to generate a list of the twelve to fifteen most important and answerable research questions in health sciences librarianship as part of a broader effort to implement the new Medical Library Association (MLA) research policy. Methods: The delphi method was used. The committee distributed a brief survey to all estimated 827 MLA leaders and 237 MLA Research Section members, requesting they submit what they considered to be the most important and answerable research questions facing the profession. The submitted questions were then subjected to 2 rounds of voting to produce a short list of top-ranked questions. Results: The survey produced 62 questions from 54 MLA leaders and MLA Research Section members, who responded from an estimated potential population of 1,064 targeted colleagues. These questions were considered by the process participants to be the most important and answerable research questions facing the profession. Through 2 rounds of voting, these 62 questions were reduced to the final 12 highest priority questions. Conclusion: The modified delphi method accomplished its desired survey and consensus goals. Future survey and consensus processes will be revised to generate more initial questions and to distill a larger number of ranked prioritized research questions. PMID:19626143

Coping with Dialectical Tensions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brockriede, Wayne

This paper discusses some of the central issues involved in philosophizing about rhetoric by raising two primary questions within the context of three traditional branches of philosophy: ontology, axiology, and epistemology. The two questions raised are: What are dialectical tensions in a philosophy of rhetoric? and How does a person try to cope…

75 FR 35764 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of Income and Program Participation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-23

... survey designed as a continuous series of national panels. The SIPP is molded around a central ``core... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE U.S. Census Bureau Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey... supplemented with questions designed to address specific needs. Examples of these types of questions include...

Response Switching and Self-Efficacy in Peer Instruction Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Kelly; Schell, Julie; Ho, Andrew; Lukoff, Brian; Mazur, Eric

2015-01-01

Peer Instruction, a well-known student-centered teaching method, engages students during class through structured, frequent questioning and is often facilitated by classroom response systems. The central feature of any Peer Instruction class is a conceptual question designed to help resolve student misconceptions about subject matter. We provide…

Refocusing--Building a Future for Entrepreneurial Education and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, David; Galloway, Laura

2014-01-01

The field of entrepreneurship has struggled with fundamental questions concerning the subject's nature and purpose. To whom and to what means are educational and training agendas ultimately directed? Such questions have become of central importance to policy makers, practitioners and academics alike. There are suggestions that university business…

Social Welfare and the Market Economy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Joel I.

1992-01-01

Reports on a study that questions whether private enterprise can maintain quality while reducing costs of providing social welfare services. Reviews three aspects of privatization: (1) competitive markets; (2) rationality; and (3) cost reduction. Concludes by questioning a central claim of economic theory: that free markets and private firms are…

Centralization vs. Decentralization: A Location Analysis Approach for Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raffel, Jeffrey; Shishko, Robert

1972-01-01

An application of location theory to the question of centralized versus decentralized library facilities for a university, with relevance for special libraries is presented. The analysis provides models for a single library, for two or more libraries, or for decentralized facilities. (6 references) (Author/NH)

Elder-friendly emergency services in Brazil: necessary conditions for care.

PubMed

Santos, Mariana Timmers Dos; Lima, Maria Alice Dias da Silva; Zucatti, Paula Buchs

2016-01-01

To identify and analyze the aspects necessary to provide an elder-friendly emergency service (ES) from the perspective of nurses. This is a descriptive, quantitative study using the Delphi technique in three rounds. Nurses with professional experience in the ES and/or researchers with publications and/or conducting research in the study area were selected. The first round of the Delphi panel had 72 participants, the second 49, and the third 44. An online questionnaire was used based on a review of the scientific literature with questions organized into the central dimensions of elder-friendly hospitals. A five-point Likert scale was used for each question and a 70% consensus level was established. There were 38 aspects identified as necessary for elderly care that were organized into central dimensions. The study's results are consistent with the findings in scientific literature and suggest indicators for quality of care and training for an elder-friendly ES. Identificar e analisar aspectos necessários para um atendimento amigo do idoso nos serviços de emergência (SE), na perspectiva de enfermeiros. Estudo descritivo, quantitativo, com utilização da Técnica Delphi, em três rodadas. Foram selecionados enfermeiros com experiência profissional em SE e/ou pesquisadores com publicações e/ou desenvolvendo pesquisas na área de estudo. A primeira rodada do painel Delphi contou com 72 participantes, a segunda com 49 e a terceira com 44. Foi utilizado questionário on-line, baseado na revisão da literatura científica, com questões organizadas em dimensões centrais de hospitais amigos do idoso. Foi utilizada uma escala de Likert de 5 pontos para cada questão e estabelecido nível de consenso de 70%. Foram identificados 38 aspectos necessários para o atendimento ao idoso, organizados em dimensões centrais. Os resultados do estudo são consistentes com os achados na literatura científica e sugerem indicadores para qualidade do cuidado e para formação de SE amigos do idoso.

Challenges faced by caregivers of children on antiretroviral therapy at Mutale Municipality selected healthcare facilities, Vhembe District, Limpopo Province.

PubMed

Mafune, Rhudzani V; Lebese, Rachel T; Nemathaga, Livhuwani H

2017-08-28

Children depend solely on caregivers who can be either parents or guardians for drug administration to enhance adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART), which might pose any number of challenges. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the challenges faced by caregivers of children on ART at Mutale Municipality, Vhembe District, Limpopo Province. The research design was qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature. The population consisted of 16 caregivers who were 18 years of age and above, and mentally capable, irrespective of educational qualifications, caring for children aged between 0 and 15 years who were on ART between April 2013 and October 2014. Non-probability, purposive sampling was used to select the 16 caregivers. Required permission, approval and ethical clearance were obtained from the University of Venda Higher Degree Committee, Limpopo Provincial Health Department and relevant institutions. An in-depth, individual, unstructured interview method was used to collect data. One central question was asked: 'What are the challenges you experience when caring for a child on antiretroviral treatment?' Subsequent questions were based on the participants' responses to the central question. Qualitative data were analysed by means of Tesch's open-coding method. The findings of this study revealed that participants, that is, caregivers of children on ART, experienced financial burdens because of transport costs needed to comply with follow-up dates and insufficient of money for food, clothing the child in need of care, pocket money for lunch boxes during school hours and time lost while waiting for consultations. Participants reported some level of stigmatisation against children on ART by family members, especially the husbands or in-laws of the secondary caregivers. Many primary and secondary caregivers seemed to have given up seeking support from government and community structures. The conclusions drawn from this research are that caregivers hardly receive any support from family members or the community. Fear of disclosing the HIV-positive status of children resulted in the delay of financial support from the government, thus leading to serious financial burden on the caregivers.

The effects of an inquiry-based earth science course on the spatial thinking of pre-service elementary teacher education students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weakley, Kevin Douglas

This study examined the effectiveness of two geography courses at improving student spatial thinking skills. Spatial thinking is an important cognitive skill in the sciences and everyday life. A taxonomy of spatial thinking was constructed by Gersmehl (2008) in geography education which included core modes assessed in this study: comparison, region, transition, analogy, pattern, and association. Two additional modes related to space over time, change and movement, were also assessed. The central research question in this study is: What are the effects of a pre-service teacher education earth science content course (Geography 1900) that is conceptually designed and inquiry-based on the spatial thinking of university students compared to the Geography 1020 course that follows a lecture format with an atlas study component? The six sub-questions to this central question were: (1) What spatial thinking modes are embedded in the Geography 1900 course based on the Gersmehl (2008) classification of modes of spatial thinking? (2) What modes of spatial thinking do pre-service elementary education students exhibit prior to instruction in Geography 1900 and 1020? (3) What changes occur in spatial thinking and spatial skills as a result of enrolling in and completing a conceptually based, inquiry course (Geography 1900) that has embedded clearly identifiable spatial tasks based on Gersmehl's classification? (4) What are the effects of Geography 1900 on the modes of spatial thinking that students apply at the completion of the course? (5) What modes of spatial thinking do students transfer from the classroom to the outdoors as they move about campus? (6) Are there differences in spatial thinking between the Geography 1900 population and the Geography 1020 comparison sample of students that received a different course treatment? The research used a mixed methods approach with both quantitative and qualitative information. Statistically significant changes were observed in the use of spatial constructs and concepts by students in each of the course treatments that were compared. Students were also observed to apply spatial modes outside the classroom that represented the spatial thinking within the new context of the university environment as they observed and described the landscape.

A research agenda for gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Urbach, D R; Horvath, K D; Baxter, N N; Jobe, B A; Madan, A K; Pryor, A D; Khaitan, L; Torquati, A; Brower, S T; Trus, T L; Schwaitzberg, S

2007-09-01

Development of a research agenda may help to inform researchers and research-granting agencies about the key research gaps in an area of research and clinical care. The authors sought to develop a list of research questions for which further research was likely to have a major impact on clinical care in the area of gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery. A formal group process was used to conduct an iterative, anonymous Web-based survey of an expert panel including the general membership of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). In round 1, research questions were solicited, which were categorized, collapsed, and rewritten in a common format. In round 2, the expert panel rated all the questions using a priority scale ranging from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). In round 3, the panel re-rated the 40 questions with the highest mean priority score in round 2. A total of 241 respondents to round 1 submitted 382 questions, which were reduced by a review panel to 106 unique questions encompassing 33 topics in gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery. In the two successive rounds, respectively, 397 and 385 respondents ranked the questions by priority, then re-ranked the 40 questions with the highest mean priority score. High-priority questions related to antireflux surgery, the oncologic and immune effects of minimally invasive surgery, and morbid obesity. The question with the highest mean priority ranking was: "What is the best treatment (antireflux surgery, endoluminal therapy, or medication) for GERD?" The second highest-ranked question was: "Does minimally invasive surgery improve oncologic outcomes as compared with open surgery?" Other questions covered a broad range of research areas including clinical research, basic science research, education and evaluation, outcomes measurement, and health technology assessment. An iterative, anonymous group survey process was used to develop a research agenda for gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery consisting of the 40 most important research questions in the field. This research agenda can be used by researchers and research-granting agencies to focus research activity in the areas most likely to have an impact on clinical care, and to appraise the relevance of scientific contributions.

XVI European Charcot Foundation Lecture: Nutrition and environment, can MS be prevented?

PubMed Central

Simon, Kelly Claire; Munger, Kassandra L; Ascherio, Alberto

2012-01-01

Multiple sclerosis is a relatively common debilitating neurologic disease that affects people in early adulthood. While the characteristic pathology of MS has been well described, the etiology of the disease is not well understood, despite decades of research and the identification of strong genetic and environmental candidates for susceptibility. A question central to all diseases, but posed specifically for MS at the XVI European Charcot Foundation Lecture, was ‘Can MS be prevented?’ To address this question, we have evaluated the available data regarding nutritional and environmental factors that may be related to MS susceptibility and suggest the extent to which a potential intervention may reduce disease burden. It is our opinion that intervention, particularly supplementation with vitamin D, could have a dramatic impact on disease prevalence. Understanding that any intervention or behavioral modification will surely act in the context of genetic susceptibility and unidentified stochastic events, it is likely that not all MS is ‘preventable’. Epidemiologic observation has provided key insights into environmental and nutritional factors that may alter one’s susceptibility to MS, however, there are still many questions in unraveling the etiology of this complex disease. PMID:21975017

Modelling the evolution of a bi-partite network Peer referral in interlocking directorates*

PubMed Central

Edling, Christofer

2010-01-01

A central part of relational ties between social actors are constituted by shared affiliations and events. The action of joint participation reinforces personal ties between social actors as well as mutually shared values and norms that in turn perpetuate the patterns of social action that define groups. Therefore the study of bipartite networks is central to social science. Furthermore, the dynamics of these processes suggests that bipartite networks should not be considered static structures but rather be studied over time. In order to model the evolution of bipartite networks empirically we introduce a class of models and a Bayesian inference scheme that extends previous stochastic actor-oriented models for unimodal graphs. Contemporary research on interlocking directorates provides an area of research in which it seems reasonable to apply the model. Specifically, we address the question of how tie formation, i.e. director recruitment, contributes to the structural properties of the interlocking directorate network. For boards of directors on the Stockholm stock exchange we propose that a prolific mechanism in tie formation is that of peer referral. The results indicate that such a mechanism is present, generating multiple interlocks between boards. PMID:24944435

Along paths converging to Bengt Saltin's early contributions in exercise physiology.

PubMed

Schantz, P

2015-12-01

A fascinating chain of events led in 1941 to the formation of the Department of Physiology at the Royal Gymnastic Central Institute (GCI) in Stockholm, Sweden. Erik Hohwü Christensen, from the scientifically advanced Lindhard School in Copenhagen became its first professor. A central research question for him concerned determining the limiting factors for maximal physical performance in man. This was the academic setting where the sports interested medical student Bengt Saltin was introduced to exercise physiology. In the summer of 1959, he became involved in a study on intermittent vs continuous running. A doctoral project, with Per-Olof Åstrand as his tutor, resulted in 1964 as the thesis "Aerobic work capacity and circulation at exercise in man. With special reference to the effect of prolonged exercise and/or heat exposure". In the decade that followed, Saltin continued along that path. However, he also added a vital research line involving pioneering studies on skeletal muscles in the exercising man, a series of novel studies on the physiological demands in various sports, and studies of the effects of physical training within the general population. © 2015 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Therapeutic itineraries of transvestites from the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil].

PubMed

Souza, Martha Helena Teixeira de; Signorelli, Marcos Claudio; Coviello, Denise Martin; Pereira, Pedro Paulo Gomes

2014-07-01

The scope of this paper is to shed light on the therapeutic itineraries of transvestites from Santa Maria in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. The study sought to follow the complex trajectories followed by transvestites in their quest for health care. Field research was conducted between January and November 2012 with transvestites from different cities in the state who were living in Santa Maria at the time. It involved qualitative methodology using ethnographic research. The results showed that the interviewees avoid institutionalized health services, opting for other forms of health care. In this respect, it is noteworthy that of the group of 49 transvestites who were included in this study, 48 sought health care in "African religion groups" or "batuque" ("drumming"), as they refer to them. The transvestites stated that they opted for "African religion groups" as they saw them as places that were able to afford forms of care and protection, without questioning bodily changes and sexual orientation. This article may help to shed light on some of the unusual trajectories of transvestites in their quest for health care.

I Wish I'd Asked That: The Culture of Asking Questions in Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baleisis, Audra

2009-01-01

I will present the results from a qualitative study of the values and norms for thinking about science in academic astronomy, as seen through astronomers’ beliefs about departmental speech events. In-depth interviews were carried out with 12 graduate students and 9 faculty members from a prominent astronomy department at a large, public university. Interviewees were asked about a variety of speaking events in their department. The speaking events chosen were those at which: (1) graduate students could be presenters and/or ask questions, and (2) presenters spoke about science research to an audience of academic peers. This included Coffee Hour, Journal Club, research seminars, Colloquium, and dissertation defense talks. These events are part of the socialization of students into "acting like an astronomer.” Socialization is a process by which novices learn the rules (can and can't do), norms (should and shouldn't do), and values of a culture. The values of astronomy culture are encoded within the rules for participation in these events and the assumptions that audience members make about speakers. When these values contradict each other speakers face the dilemma of choosing between conflicting behaviors. One of the central dilemmas that arose in this study was that of whether or not to ask a question during a talk. Both graduate students and faculty members wanted students to speak up more often. However, students had conflicting worries - of voicing a question and it being a "stupid question” vs. having remained silent if it turned out to have been a "good question.” I will argue that this anxiety is a product of academic culture and not an indicator of individual failure, and discuss a number of factors that influence this situation, such as the perceived goals of each event, and astronomers’ beliefs about intelligence and learning.

Evolution of diffusion and dissemination theory.

PubMed

Dearing, James W

2008-01-01

The article provides a review and considers how the diffusion of innovations Research paradigm has changed, and offers suggestions for the further development of this theory of social change. Main emphases of diffusion Research studies are compared over time, with special attention to applications of diffusion theory-based concepts as types of dissemination science. A considerable degree of paradigmatic evolution is observed. The classical diffusion model focused on adopter innovativeness, individuals as the locus of decision, communication channels, and adoption as the primary outcome measures in post hoc observational study designs. The diffusion systems in question were centralized, with fidelity of implementation often assumed. Current dissemination Research and practice is better characterized by tests of interventions that operationalize one or more diffusion theory-based concepts and concepts from other change approaches, involve complex organizations as the units of adoption, and focus on implementation issues. Foment characterizes dissemination and implementation Research, Reflecting both its interdisciplinary Roots and the imperative of spreading evidence-based innovations as a basis for a new paradigm of translational studies of dissemination science.

Leading multi-professional teams in the children's workforce: an action research project.

PubMed

Stuart, Kaz

2012-01-01

The 2004 Children Act in the UK saw the introduction of integrated working in children's services. A raft of change followed with processes designed to make joint working easier, and models and theories to support the development of integrated work. This paper explores the links between key concepts and practice. A practitioner action research approach is taken using an autoethnographic account kept over six months. The research question was, to what extent is this group collaborating? When the architecture of practice was revealed, differences between espoused and real practice could be seen. Whilst understanding and displaying the outward signs of an effective multi professional group, the individuals did not trust one another. This was exhibited by covert interprofessional issues. As a result, collaborative inertia was achieved. This realisation prompted them to participate in further developmental and participative action research. The paper concludes that trust and relational agency are central to effective leadership of multi professional teams.

Leading multi-professional teams in the children’s workforce: an action research project

PubMed Central

Stuart, Kaz

2012-01-01

Introduction The 2004 Children Act in the UK saw the introduction of integrated working in children’s services. A raft of change followed with processes designed to make joint working easier, and models and theories to support the development of integrated work. This paper explores the links between key concepts and practice. Methods A practitioner action research approach is taken using an autoethnographic account kept over six months. The research question was, to what extent is this group collaborating? Results When the architecture of practice was revealed, differences between espoused and real practice could be seen. Whilst understanding and displaying the outward signs of an effective multi professional group, the individuals did not trust one another. This was exhibited by covert interprofessional issues. As a result, collaborative inertia was achieved. This realisation prompted them to participate in further developmental and participative action research. Conclusion The paper concludes that trust and relational agency are central to effective leadership of multi professional teams. PMID:22371690

Development of the Central Dogma Concept Inventory (CDCI) Assessment Tool

PubMed Central

Newman, Dina L.; Snyder, Christopher W.; Fisk, J. Nick; Wright, L. Kate

2016-01-01

Scientific teaching requires scientifically constructed, field-tested instruments to accurately evaluate student thinking and gauge teacher effectiveness. We have developed a 23-question, multiple select–format assessment of student understanding of the essential concepts of the central dogma of molecular biology that is appropriate for all levels of undergraduate biology. Questions for the Central Dogma Concept Inventory (CDCI) tool were developed and iteratively revised based on student language and review by experts. The ability of the CDCI to discriminate between levels of understanding of the central dogma is supported by field testing (N = 54), and large-scale beta testing (N = 1733). Performance on the assessment increased with experience in biology; scores covered a broad range and showed no ceiling effect, even with senior biology majors, and pre/posttesting of a single class focused on the central dogma showed significant improvement. The multiple-select format reduces the chances of correct answers by random guessing, allows students at different levels to exhibit the extent of their knowledge, and provides deeper insight into the complexity of student thinking on each theme. To date, the CDCI is the first tool dedicated to measuring student thinking about the central dogma of molecular biology, and version 5 is ready to use. PMID:27055775

Central Localization of Plasticity Involved in Appetitive Conditioning in "Lymnaea"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straub, Volko A.; Styles, Benjamin J.; Ireland, Julie S.; O'Shea, Michael; Benjamin, Paul R.

2004-01-01

Learning to associate a conditioned (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US) results in changes in the processing of CS information. Here, we address directly the question whether chemical appetitive conditioning of "Lymnaea" feeding behavior involves changes in the peripheral and/or central processing of the CS by using extracellular recording…

Court-Driven Reform and Equal Educational Opportunity: Centralization, Decentralization, and the Shifting Judicial Role

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Superfine, Benjamin Michael

2010-01-01

Judicial decisions focusing on equal educational opportunity involve significant issues of educational governance and often involve explicit questions about the extent to which authority to make educational decisions should be centralized or decentralized across various institutions and entities. This review aims at clarifying scholars'…

2011 floods of the central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

* Do floods contribute to the transport and fate of contaminants that affect human and ecosystem health? In an effort to help address these and other questions, USGS Professional Paper 1798 consists of independent but complementary chapters dealing with various scientific aspects of the 2011 floods in the Central United States.

The Collision of Athletics & Consolidation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graves, Bill

2010-01-01

For decades, people questioned the sense of having two school districts, each with its own superintendent, central office and high school, operating in the same small town of The Dalles on the banks of the Columbia River in north-central Oregon. But election campaigns to consolidate repeatedly failed because each community had strong emotional…

Development of the Central Dogma Concept Inventory (CDCI) Assessment Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Dina L.; Snyder, Christopher W.; Fisk, J. Nick; Wright, L. Kate

2016-01-01

Scientific teaching requires scientifically constructed, field-tested instruments to accurately evaluate student thinking and gauge teacher effectiveness. We have developed a 23-question, multiple select--format assessment of student understanding of the essential concepts of the central dogma of molecular biology that is appropriate for all…

Channeling the Central Dogma.

PubMed

Calabrese, Ronald L

2014-05-21

How do neurons and networks achieve their characteristic electrical activity, regulate this activity homeostatically, and yet show population variability in expression? In this issue of Neuron, O'Leary et al. (2014) address some of these thorny questions in this theoretical analysis that starts with the Central Dogma. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Viewer Perspective Affects Central Bottleneck Requirements in Spatial Translation Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franz, Elizabeth A.; Sebastian, Alexandra; Hust, Christina; Norris, Tom

2008-01-01

A psychological refractory period (PRP) approach and the locus of slack logic were applied to examine the novel question of whether spatial translation processes can begin before the central bottleneck when effector or noneffector stimuli are processed from an egocentric (viewer-centered) perspective. In single tasks, trials requiring spatial…

Osteosarcoma enters a post genomic era with in silico opportunities: Generation of the High Dimensional Database for facilitating sarcoma biology research: A report from the Children's Oncology Group and the QuadW Foundation.

PubMed

Glover, Jason; Man, Tsz-Kwong; Barkauskas, Donald A; Hall, David; Tello, Tanya; Sullivan, Mary Beth; Gorlick, Richard; Janeway, Katherine; Grier, Holcombe; Lau, Ching; Toretsky, Jeffrey A; Borinstein, Scott C; Khanna, Chand; Fan, Timothy M

2017-01-01

The prospective banking of osteosarcoma tissue samples to promote research endeavors has been realized through the establishment of a nationally centralized biospecimen repository, the Children's Oncology Group (COG) biospecimen bank located at the Biopathology Center (BPC)/Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Although the physical inventory of osteosarcoma biospecimens is substantive (>15,000 sample specimens), the nature of these resources remains exhaustible. Despite judicious allocation of these high-value biospecimens for conducting sarcoma-related research, a deeper understanding of osteosarcoma biology, in particular metastases, remains unrealized. In addition the identification and development of novel diagnostics and effective therapeutics remain elusive. The QuadW-COG Childhood Sarcoma Biostatistics and Annotation Office (CSBAO) has developed the High Dimensional Data (HDD) platform to complement the existing physical inventory and to promote in silico hypothesis testing in sarcoma biology. The HDD is a relational biologic database derived from matched osteosarcoma biospecimens in which diverse experimental readouts have been generated and digitally deposited. As proof-of-concept, we demonstrate that the HDD platform can be utilized to address previously unrealized biologic questions though the systematic juxtaposition of diverse datasets derived from shared biospecimens. The continued population of the HDD platform with high-value, high-throughput and mineable datasets allows a shared and reusable resource for researchers, both experimentalists and bioinformatics investigators, to propose and answer questions in silico that advance our understanding of osteosarcoma biology.

Minimization of nanosatellite low frequency magnetic fields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belyayev, S. M., E-mail: belyayev@isr.lviv.ua; Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 11428; Dudkin, F. L.

2016-03-15

Small weight and dimensions of the micro- and nanosatellites constrain researchers to place electromagnetic sensors on short booms or on the satellite body. Therefore the electromagnetic cleanliness of such satellites becomes a central question. This paper describes the theoretical base and practical techniques for determining the parameters of DC and very low frequency magnetic interference sources. One of such sources is satellite magnetization, the reduction of which improves the accuracy and stability of the attitude control system. We present design solutions for magnetically clean spacecraft, testing equipment, and technology for magnetic moment measurements, which are more convenient, efficient, and accuratemore » than the conventional ones.« less

Economic impact of stimulated technological activity. Part 1: Overall economic impact of technological progress: Its measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

Investigations were performed at the national economic level to explore the aggregate effects of technological progress on economic growth. Inadequacies in existing marco-economic yardsticks forced the study to focus on the cost savings effects achieved through technological progress. The central questions discussed in this report cover: (1) role of technological progress in economic growth, (2) factors determining the rate of economic growth due to technological progress; (3) quantitative measurements of relationships between technological progress, its determinants, and subsequent economic growth; and (4) effects of research and development activities of the space program. For Part 2, see N72-32174.

Radiation processing and market economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagórski, Z. P.

1998-06-01

In the system of totalitarian economy, regulated by bureaucracy, the real value of equipment, materials and services is almost completely unknown, what makes impossible the comparison of different technologies, eliminates competition, disturbs research and development. With introduction of market economy in Central and Eastern Europe, the radiation processing has lost doubtful support, becoming an independent business, subject to laws of free market economy. Only the most valuable objects of processing have survived that test. At the top of the list are: radiation sterilization of medical equipment and radiation induced crosslinking of polymers, polyethylene in particular. New elements of competition has entered the scene, as well as questions of international regulations and standards have appeared.

Properties of language networks and language systems. Comment on "Approaching human language with complex networks" by Cong and Liu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Shuiyuan; Xu, Chunshan

2014-12-01

Language is generally considered a defining feature of human beings, a key medium for interpersonal communication, a fundamental tool for human thinking and an important vehicle for culture transmission. For the anthropoids to evolve into human being, the emergence of linguistic system is a vital step. Then, how can language serve functions so complicated and so important? To answer this question, it is necessary to probe into a central topic in linguistics: the structure of language, which has been inevitably involved in various fields of linguistic research-the functions of languages, the evolution of languages, the typology of languages, etc.

Questioning Our Questions: Assessing Question Asking Practices to Evaluate a yPAR Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Sarah; Langhout, Regina Day

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research was to examine question asking practices in a youth participatory action research (yPAR) after school program housed at an elementary school. The research question was: In which ways did the adult question asking practices in a yPAR setting challenge and/or reproduce conventional models of power in educational…

Motivated cognition and fairness: Insights, integration, and creating a path forward.

PubMed

Barclay, Laurie J; Bashshur, Michael R; Fortin, Marion

2017-06-01

How do individuals form fairness perceptions? This question has been central to the fairness literature since its inception, sparking a plethora of theories and a burgeoning volume of research. To date, the answer to this question has been predicated on the assumption that fairness perceptions are subjective (i.e., "in the eye of the beholder"). This assumption is shared with motivated cognition approaches, which highlight the subjective nature of perceptions and the importance of viewing individuals arriving at those perceptions as active and motivated processors of information. Further, the motivated cognition literature has other key insights that have been less explicitly paralleled in the fairness literature, including how different goals (e.g., accuracy, directional) can influence how individuals process information and arrive at their perceptions. In this integrative conceptual review, we demonstrate how interpreting extant theory and research related to the formation of fairness perceptions through the lens of motivated cognition can deepen our understanding of fairness, including how individuals' goals and motivations can influence their subjective perceptions of fairness. We show how this approach can provide integration as well as generate new insights into fairness processes. We conclude by highlighting the implications that applying a motivated cognition perspective can have for the fairness literature and by providing a research agenda to guide the literature moving forward. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Going Beyond Einstein with the Constellation-X Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Nicholas

2007-01-01

The Constellation-X mission will address the questions: "What happens to matter close to a black hole?" and "What is Dark Energy?" These questions are central to the NASA Beyond Einstein Program, where Constellation-X plays a central role. The mission will address these questions by using high throughput X-ray spectroscopy to observe the effects of strong gravity close to the event horizon of black holes, and to observe the formation and evolution of clusters of galaxies in order to precisely determine Cosmological parameters. To achieve these primary science goals requires a factor of 25-100 increase in sensitivity for high resolution X-ray spectroscopy.'The mission will also perform routine high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of faint 2nd extended X-ray source populations. This will provide diagnostic information such as density, elemental abundances, velocity; and ionization state for a wide range of astrophysical problems, including new constraints on the Neutron Star equation of state.

Long-term soil warming and Carbon Cycle Feedbacks to the Climate System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Melillo, Jerry M.

2014-04-30

The primary objective of the proposed research was to quantify and explain the effects of a sustained in situ 5oC soil temperature increase on net carbon (C) storage in a northeastern deciduous forest ecosystem. The research was done at an established soil warming experiment at the Harvard Forest in central Massachusetts – Barre Woods site established in 2001. In the field, a series of plant and soil measurements were made to quantify changes in C storage in the ecosystem and to provide insights into the possible relationships between C-storage changes and nitrogen (N) cycling changes in the warmed plots. Fieldmore » measurements included: 1) annual woody increment; 2) litterfall; 3) carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux from the soil surface; 4) root biomass and respiration; 5) microbial biomass; and 6) net N mineralization and net nitrification rates. This research was designed to increase our understanding of how global warming will affect the capacity of temperate forest ecosystems to store C. The work explored how soil warming changes the interactions between the C and N cycles, and how these changes affect land-atmosphere feedbacks. This core research question framed the project – What are the effects of a sustained in situ 5oC soil temperature increase on net carbon (C) storage in a northeastern deciduous forest ecosystem? A second critical question was addressed in this research – What are the effects of a sustained in situ 5{degrees}C soil temperature increase on nitrogen (N) cycling in a northeastern deciduous forest ecosystem?« less

Chromosomal polymorphism in mammals: an evolutionary perspective.

PubMed

Dobigny, Gauthier; Britton-Davidian, Janice; Robinson, Terence J

2017-02-01

Although chromosome rearrangements (CRs) are central to studies of genome evolution, our understanding of the evolutionary consequences of the early stages of karyotypic differentiation (i.e. polymorphism), especially the non-meiotic impacts, is surprisingly limited. We review the available data on chromosomal polymorphisms in mammals so as to identify taxa that hold promise for developing a more comprehensive understanding of chromosomal change. In doing so, we address several key questions: (i) to what extent are mammalian karyotypes polymorphic, and what types of rearrangements are principally involved? (ii) Are some mammalian lineages more prone to chromosomal polymorphism than others? More specifically, do (karyotypically) polymorphic mammalian species belong to lineages that are also characterized by past, extensive karyotype repatterning? (iii) How long can chromosomal polymorphisms persist in mammals? We discuss the evolutionary implications of these questions and propose several research avenues that may shed light on the role of chromosome change in the diversification of mammalian populations and species. © 2015 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Promoting self-awareness and reflection through an experiential mind-body skills course for first year medical students.

PubMed

Saunders, Pamela A; Tractenberg, Rochelle E; Chaterji, Ranjana; Amri, Hakima; Harazduk, Nancy; Gordon, James S; Lumpkin, Michael; Haramati, Aviad

2007-10-01

This research examines student evaluations of their experience and attitudes in an 11 week mind-body skills course for first year medical students. The aim is to understand the impact of this course on students' self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-care as part of their medical education experience. This study uses a qualitative content analysis approach to data analysis. The data are 492 verbatim responses from 82 students to six open-ended questions about the students' experiences and attitudes after a mind-body skills course. These questions queried students' attitudes about mind-body medicine, complementary medicine, and their future as physicians using these approaches. The data revealed five central themes in students' responses: connections, self discovery, stress relief, learning, and medical education. Mind-body skills groups represent an experiential approach to teaching mind-body techniques that can enable students to achieve self-awareness and self-reflection in order to engage in self-care and to gain exposure to mind-body medicine while in medical school.

Establishing Mouse Models for Zika Virus-induced Neurological Disorders Using Intracerebral Injection Strategies: Embryonic, Neonatal, and Adult.

PubMed

Herrlinger, Stephanie A; Shao, Qiang; Ma, Li; Brindley, Melinda; Chen, Jian-Fu

2018-04-26

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus currently endemic in North, Central, and South America. It is now established that the ZIKV can cause microcephaly and additional brain abnormalities. However, the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of ZIKV in the developing brain remains unclear. Intracerebral surgical methods are frequently used in neuroscience research to address questions about both normal and abnormal brain development and brain function. This protocol utilizes classical surgical techniques and describes methods that allow one to model ZIKV-associated human neurological disease in the mouse nervous system. While direct brain inoculation does not model the normal mode of virus transmission, the method allows investigators to ask targeted questions concerning the consequence after ZIKV infection of the developing brain. This protocol describes embryonic, neonatal, and adult stages of intraventricular inoculation of ZIKV. Once mastered, this method can become a straightforward and reproducible technique that only takes a few hours to perform.

Science education: A meta-analysis of major questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Ronald D.; Kahl, Stuart R.; Glass, Gene V.; Smith, Mary Lee

A multi-institutional endeavor was initiated to integrate the findings of extant research studies directed toward the major science education research questions. The research questions were selected by a largely empirical process of identifiying the most frequently researched questions in the literature. These questions were assigned to various researchers who developed coding sheets and procedures with many features in common. This article describes the overall operation of the project, the research questions identified, and some rudiments of meta-analysis. The results of the several meta-analysis are reported in the other articles of this issue of the Journal. The final article in this issue deals with research topics for which data are drawn from one or more of the separate meta-analyses.

Socratic Dialogue, the Humanities and the Art of the Question

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Sebastian

2006-01-01

Plato's depiction of Socrates' interrogations in his early dialogues provides an enduring example of the importance of asking questions as an educative method. This article considers the central educational elements of Socratic dialogue and the ways in which these were developed in the 20th century, particularly in "The Socratic Method"…

Valuing Wildlands

Treesearch

R.A. Efroymson; H.I. Jager; W.W. Hargrove

2010-01-01

One of the central problems of land and water management is "the way in which scarce resources are allocated among alternative uses and users. The question is, of course, fundamental to economic models and modes of thought in ecology"(Rapport and Turner 1977). Many questions that are at the heart of environmental scape ecology and EcoRAs (the primary topics...

Exploring the Macro-Micro Dynamic in Data Use Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Pamela A.

2012-01-01

In their opening comments to this special issue on data use, Coburn and Turner point to "one of the most central questions in social theory: the interrelationship between macro-social structure and micro-level action." Questions about data use--which entail social phenomena that range from federal policy to moment-to-moment interactions…

On Knowing: Art and Visual Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncum, Paul, Ed.; Bracey, Ted, Ed.

The question of whether or not art can be distinguished from all that is called visual culture has become central to art theoretical discussion over recent decades. This collection of essays and responses addresses this question with the specific aim of making sense of an epistemology of art, with the assumption that nothing less than a persuasive…

Integrating Sex and Drugs into the Principles Course: Market-Failures versus Failures-of-Market Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colander, David

2003-01-01

Argues that microeconomics principles courses are structured around an approach to policy that avoids many controversial but central policy issues including: the interplay of moral issues and efficiency; questions of consumer sovereignty; and questions of the interrelation between measures of efficiency and income distribution. Suggests a dual…

Feasibility planning study for a behavior database. Volume III Appendix B, Compendium of survey questions on drinking and driving and occupant restraints

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1987-04-01

The general objective of the project was to determine the feasibility of and the general requirements for a centralized database on driver behavior and attitudes related to drunk driving and occupant restraints. Volume III is a compendium of question...

The political economy of noncompliance in China: The case of industrial energy policy

DOE PAGES

Van Aken, Tucker; Lewis, Orion A.

2015-03-18

One of the greatest challenges facing China today is the central government's ability to ensure that policies are implemented effectively at the local level, particularly policies that seek to make China's economic growth model more sustainable. These policies face resistance from local authorities and enterprises that benefit from the status quo. This raises a key research question: why do some provinces more fully implement these central policies? We argue the extent of local implementation is best conceptualized as a rational balance between economic and political incentives: localities with regulatory autonomy, low regulatory capacity and alternative interests will not fully implementmore » policies that are at odds with local economic imperatives. By examining a critical case of central policy implementation—industrial energy intensity reduction in the eleventh five-year plan—this article demonstrates that, regardless of industrial makeup or economic development, provinces that have greater regulatory autonomy for noncompliance coupled with alternative economic interests do not, on average, perform as well. As a result, using a nested analysis approach this study illustrates this argument with both quantitative analysis and original case study evidence from fieldwork interviews.« less

Using Student Writing and Lexical Analysis to Reveal Student Thinking about the Role of Stop Codons in the Central Dogma

PubMed Central

Prevost, Luanna B.; Smith, Michelle K.; Knight, Jennifer K.

2016-01-01

Previous work has shown that students have persistent difficulties in understanding how central dogma processes can be affected by a stop codon mutation. To explore these difficulties, we modified two multiple-choice questions from the Genetics Concept Assessment into three open-ended questions that asked students to write about how a stop codon mutation potentially impacts replication, transcription, and translation. We then used computer-assisted lexical analysis combined with human scoring to categorize student responses. The lexical analysis models showed high agreement with human scoring, demonstrating that this approach can be successfully used to analyze large numbers of student written responses. The results of this analysis show that students’ ideas about one process in the central dogma can affect their thinking about subsequent and previous processes, leading to mixed models of conceptual understanding. PMID:27909016

A review of international biobanks and networks: success factors and key benchmarks.

PubMed

Vaught, Jim; Kelly, Andrea; Hewitt, Robert

2009-09-01

Biobanks and biobanking networks are involved in varying degrees in the collection, processing, storage, and dissemination of biological specimens. This review outlines the approaches that 16 of the largest biobanks and biobanking networks in Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia have taken to collecting and distributing human research specimens and managing scientific initiatives while covering operating costs. Many are small operations that exist as either a single or a few freezers in a research laboratory, hospital clinical laboratory, or pathology suite. Larger academic and commercial biobanks operate to support large clinical and epidemiological studies. Operational and business models depend on the medical and research missions of their institutions and home countries. Some national biobanks operate with a centralized physical biobank that accepts samples from multiple locations. Others operate under a "federated" model where each institution maintains its own collections but agrees to list them on a central shared database. Some collections are "project-driven" meaning that specimens are collected and distributed to answer specific research questions. "General" collections are those that exist to establish a reference collection, that is, not to meet particular research goals but to be available to respond to multiple requests for an assortment of research uses. These individual and networked biobanking systems operate under a variety of business models, usually incorporating some form of partial cost recovery, while requiring at least partial public or government funding. Each has a well-defined biospecimen-access policy in place that specifies requirements that must be met-such as ethical clearance and the expertise to perform the proposed experiments-to obtain samples for research. The success of all of these biobanking models depends on a variety of factors including well-defined goals, a solid business plan, and specimen collections that are developed according to strict quality and operational controls.

Integrating centralized and decentralized organization structures: an education and development model.

PubMed

Sheriff, R; Banks, A

2001-01-01

Organization change efforts have led to critically examining the structure of education and development departments within hospitals. This qualitative study evaluated an education and development model in an academic health sciences center. The model combines centralization and decentralization. The study results can be used by staff development educators and administrators when organization structure is questioned. This particular model maximizes the benefits and minimizes the limitations of centralized and decentralized structures.

Pursuing Personal Passion: Learner-Centered Research Mentoring.

PubMed

Phillips, William R

2018-01-01

New researchers often face difficulty finding and focusing research questions. I describe a new tool for research mentoring, the Pursuing Personal Passion (P3) interview, and a systematic approach to help learners organize their curiosity and develop researchable questions aligned with their personal and professional priorities. The learner-centered P3 research interview parallels the patient-centered clinical interview. This paper reviews experience with 27 research mentees over the years 2009 to 2016, using the P3 approach to identify their initial research topics, classify their underlying passions and track the evolution into their final research questions. These researchers usually identified one of three personal passions that provided lenses to focus their research: problem, person, or process. Initial research topics focused on: problem (24%, 6), person (48%, 12) and process (28%, 7). Final research questions evolved into: problem (20%, 5), person (32%, 8) and process (48%, 12). Identification of the underlying passion can lead researchers who start with one general topic to develop it into very different research questions. Using this P3 approach, mentors can help new researchers focus their interests into researchable questions, successful studies, and organized programs of scholarship.

Examining Research Questions on Germination from the Perspective of Scientific Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir Kaçan, Sibel

2015-01-01

This study was conducted with the participation of 31 pre-service science teachers. Participants were asked to develop various research questions on germination. The study aims to examine research questions on the subject germination from the perspective of scientific creativity. The research questions were examined using the fluency, science…

A quarter-century of HIV prevention intervention efforts among children and adolescents across the globe

PubMed Central

Stanton, Bonita; Li, Xiaoming

2014-01-01

In 1988 a group of pediatricians, developmental, clinical, child and social psychologists, anthropologists and health educators began researching in Baltimore, Maryland, on an Human Immunodefiency Virus (HIV) prevention intervention, Focus on Youth (FOY). Over the next 25 years, the questions being addressed by FOY reflected those of the global HIV research experience. During the first phase, the questions being addressed by the broader research community included: Can HIV risk behaviors be purposefully impacted by behavioral interventions? If so, how do successful interventions differ from those that are not effective? Are theory-based interventions more likely to be effective than information-only-based interventions? Can theories be translated into culturally and developmentally appropriate interventions including those that are appropriate for children and adolescents? Should parents be involved – and if so, how? During its next phase, the FOY team increasingly became concerned with a disturbing reality. A large number of interventions had been developed and some had been shown to have evidence of impact. But virtually all of these interventions had been conducted in the USA or Europe. The questions facing researchers included: With the global burden of HIV disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), especially those in southern Africa, the Caribbean and parts of Asia, what is known about the effectiveness of western-based interventions in these culturally, racially and economically disparate settings? With the exciting proliferation of interventions, federal agencies in the USA and international agencies including Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS realized the importance of assessing the research portfolio and developing metrics of effectiveness. The questions during this phase included: What is an “effective” intervention? How are effective interventions implemented in a new setting? This phase merged with the next phase as researchers and public health workers realized that the dissemination to a new community of an intervention developed and found to be effective in one community requires change. The central questions during this time included: What changes or kinds of changes can be made to an intervention without undermining its effectiveness? What aspects of an intervention cannot be changed without potentially undermining its effectiveness? What constitutes a “change”? Who should be involved in this decision-making? These efforts culminated in our current phase, one focused on implementation. We must learn more about the factors that allow an intervention to survive and thrive and selectively target these critical factors. The main objective of this paper is to review our experiences and lessons learned in developing, implementing and evaluating FOY in a wide range of socio-cultural settings over the past quarter of century. PMID:24839584

Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 2: Context, research questions and designs.

PubMed

Korstjens, Irene; Moser, Albine

2017-12-01

In the course of our supervisory work over the years, we have noticed that qualitative research tends to evoke a lot of questions and worries, so-called frequently asked questions (FAQs). This series of four articles intends to provide novice researchers with practical guidance for conducting high-quality qualitative research in primary care. By 'novice' we mean Master's students and junior researchers, as well as experienced quantitative researchers who are engaging in qualitative research for the first time. This series addresses their questions and provides researchers, readers, reviewers and editors with references to criteria and tools for judging the quality of qualitative research papers. This second article addresses FAQs about context, research questions and designs. Qualitative research takes into account the natural contexts in which individuals or groups function to provide an in-depth understanding of real-world problems. The research questions are generally broad and open to unexpected findings. The choice of a qualitative design primarily depends on the nature of the research problem, the research question(s) and the scientific knowledge one seeks. Ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory are considered to represent the 'big three' qualitative approaches. Theory guides the researcher through the research process by providing a 'lens' to look at the phenomenon under study. Since qualitative researchers and the participants of their studies interact in a social process, researchers influence the research process. The first article described the key features of qualitative research, the third article will focus on sampling, data collection and analysis, while the last article focuses on trustworthiness and publishing.

Visualizing the Bay: Bringing a Research Experience into a High Enrollment Online Oceanography Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, D. L.; Anglin, J.

2005-12-01

General education courses at many universities are required to demonstrate specific student learning outcomes and methodologies of learning assessment that can be measure the success, or lack thereof, of meeting these outcomes. A primary learning outcome of the SJSU general education program is to have students apply a scientific approach to problems of the earth and environment. This requirement can be challenging in high enrollment classes offered at universities without the resources of graduate teaching assistantships. In order to meet this outcome through an active learning environment, we have redesigned a web-based oceanography course, primarily for non-science majors, that has students assume the role of shipboard scientists on a number of ocean-going virtual research experiences. One activity has students participate on a virtual research voyage based on a multi-beam sonar study of the central San Francisco Bay described in USGS Circular 1259 by Chin et al (2004). Students carry out the duties of virtual shipboard scientists, including pre- and post-cruise scientific meetings, sonar data acquisition, processing and visualization, and interpretation of the seafloor mapping data using a combination of scientific visualizations, animations, and audio and video segments. While on the voyage, students are required to: (1) determine the navigational hazards posed by three submerged rocks near the main shipping lane in the bay, (2) assess the long-term viability of a disposal site for mud dredged from the bay, and (3) generate a sediment characteristics map of the bay floor that can be used as a basis for future studies of contaminant transport. Upon completion of the voyage students are required to write an abstract describing their research for publication in the proceedings volume of a virtual scientific conference in the form of an essay question on the mid-term exam. Based on the work of over 200 students, this question has received the highest score of four essay questions on the exam during the past two terms.

Exploring Pre-Service Science Teacher Methods and Strategies for the Driving Questions in Research Inquiry: From Consulting an Instructor to Group Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydin, Miraç

2016-01-01

An important stage in any research inquiry is the development of research questions that need to be answered. The strategies to develop research questions should be defined and described, but few studies have considered this process in greater detail. This study explores pre-service science teachers' research questions and the strategies they can…

Central City White Flight: Racial and Nonracial Causes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frey, William H.

The cumulative adverse impact of residential white flight from large central cities on the residual population has led policy makers to be wary of instituting programs which will further exacerbate the process. Recent policy debates have evolved over the question of whether white city-to-suburb movement is affected more significantly by…

Open Access, Retention and Throughput at the Central University of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Beer, K. J.

2006-01-01

The most debatable question in higher education today is: Why first "open access" to promote massafication and now "capping" to restrict learner intake? (cf. SA Media Information 2004). Concerning the managing of this difficult and extremely sensitive issue, the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) has come a long…

Responsibility and Accountability in Educational Leadership: Keeping Democracy and Social Justice Central to Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Colleen L.

2010-01-01

There has been, without question, a persistent demand for holding both leaders and teachers accountable for increasing test scores in schools, particularly in schools serving impoverished children and youth. This concern for increasing test scores and holding educational leaders and teachers accountable for student achievement is central to…

An International Education Perspective Study of Teachers in the Central United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merz, Sydney A.; Fox, Rebecca K.

2016-01-01

The study explored nursery through secondary teachers' perceptions of international education in their teaching practices. All teachers lived in a rural area of the central US. Data were drawn from a web-based survey comprised of 28 questions addressing international education; interview data provided further understanding of one teacher's efforts…

Questioning the Scholarly Discussion around Decentralization in Turkish Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Soner Onder

2016-01-01

From the beginning of Turkish Republic till date, Turkish Education System (TES) has been steered by a handful of politicians and civil servants, who enjoy maximum centralized authority. Over the years, therefore, centralized management has repeatedly been blamed for the deadlocks hampering progress in the TES. Turkish scholars often seem to find…

Moral Choices in Contemporary Society: A Study Guide for Courses by Newspaper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcolongo, Francis J.

The study guide for a newspaper course on moral choices in contemporary society provides overviews, definitions, and review questions to accompany the reader and related articles. Designed for independent study, the guide helps students to understand central concepts, relate various readings to a central theme, and pursue additional reading on…

Structural Evolution of central part of the Tuzgolu (Salt Lake) Basin, Central Anatolia, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ada, M.; Cemen, I.; Çaptuğ, A.; Demirci, M.; Engin, C.

2017-12-01

The Tuzgolu Basin in Central Anatolia, Turkey, covers low-relief areas located between the Pontide Mountains to the North and Tauride Mountains to the South. The basin started to form as a rift basin during the Late Maastrichtian. The main Tuzgolu-Aksaray fault zone on the eastern margin of the basin and the northwest trending Yeniceoba and Cihanbeyli fault zones on the western margin of the basin were probably developed during that time. The basin has also experienced westward extension in response to westward escape of the Anatolian plate since Late Miocene. Several geologic studies have been conducted in the Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake) Basin and surrounding areas to determine structural and tectono-stratigraphic development of the basin. However, there are still many questions regarding the structural evolution of the basin. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the structural evolution of the central Tuzgolu Basin based on the structural interpretation of available 2-D seismic reflection profiles, well log analysis and construction of structural cross sections. The cross-sections will be based on depth converted seismic lines to determine structural geometry of the faults and folds. A preliminary Petrel project has been prepared using available seismic profiles. Our preliminary structural interpretations suggest that a well-developed rollover anticline was developed with respect to the westward extension in Central Anatolia. The rollover anticline is faulted in its crest area by both down-to-the west and down-to-the east normal faults. The geometry of the main boundary fault at depth still remains in question. We anticipate that this question will be resolved based on depth converted structural cross-sections and their restoration.

Addressing gaps in international blood availability and transfusion safety in low- and middle-income countries: a NHLBI workshop.

PubMed

Custer, Brian; Zou, Shimian; Glynn, Simone A; Makani, Julie; Tayou Tagny, Claude; El Ekiaby, Magdy; Sabino, Ester C; Choudhury, Nabajyoti; Teo, Diana; Nelson, Kenrad; Peprah, Emmanuel; Price, LeShawndra; Engelgau, Michael M

2018-05-01

In April 2017, a workshop sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Division of Blood Diseases and Resources, and the Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science was held to discuss blood availability and transfusion safety in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The purpose of the workshop was to identify research opportunities for implementation science (IS) to improve the availability of safe blood and blood components and transfusion practices in LMICs. IS describes the late stages of the translational research spectrum and studies optimal and sustainable strategies to deliver proven-effective interventions. Regional working groups were formed to focus on opportunities and challenges in East Africa, Central/West Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Western Pacific Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. The need for an "adequate supply of safe blood" emerged as the major overriding theme. Among the regional working groups, common cross-cutting themes were evident. The majority of research questions, priorities, and strategies fell into the categories of blood availability, blood transfusion safety, appropriate use of blood, quality systems, health economics and budgeting, and training and education in IS. The workshop also brought into focus inadequate country-level data that can be used as the basis for IS initiatives. A mixed approach of needs assessment and targeted interventions with sufficient evidence base to move toward sustainment is an appropriate next step for blood availability and transfusion safety research in LMICs. © 2018 AABB.

Death receptor Fas (CD95) signaling in the central nervous system: tuning neuroplasticity?

PubMed

Reich, Arno; Spering, Christopher; Schulz, Jörg B

2008-09-01

For over a decade, neuroscientific research has focused on processes of apoptosis and its contribution to the pathophysiology of neurological diseases. In the central nervous system, the degree of intrinsic mitochondrial-mediated apoptotic signaling expresses a cell's individual metabolic stress, whereas activation of the extrinsic death receptor-induced cascade is regarded as a sign of imbalanced cellular networks. Under physiological conditions, most neurons possess death receptors without being sensitive to receptor-mediated apoptosis. This paradox raises two questions: what is the evolutionary advantage of expressing potentially harmful proteins? How is their signaling controlled? This review summarizes the functional relevance of FasL-Fas signaling--a quintessential death ligand/receptor system--in different neurological disease models ranging from traumatic, inflammatory and ischemic to neurodegenerative processes. Furthermore, it outlines alternative non-apoptotic Fas signaling, shedding new light on its neuroplastic capacity. Finally, receptor-proximal regulatory proteins are introduced and identified as potential protagonists of disease-modifying neurological therapies.

Sex differences in righting from supine to prone in rats (Rattus norvegicus): a masculinized skeletomusculature is not required.

PubMed

Field, Evelyn F; Martens, David J; Watson, Neil V; Pellis, Sergio M

2005-05-01

Previous research has shown that sex differences exist in the composition of lateral movements (E. F. Field, I. Q. Whishaw, & S. M. Pellis, 1996, 1997a, 1997b; see also records 1996-06132-009, 1997-05322-015, and 1997-04722-005). An unresolved question is whether sex differences are present in other movements, such as rotation around the longitudinal axis, and whether this difference is dependent on a feminine or masculine skeletomusculature. Female rats (Rattus norvegicus) first rotate their forequarters and then their hindquarters in the same direction. Male rats exhibit rotation of the hindquarters counter to the direction of forequarter rotation. Males with the testicular feminized mutation, who have a feminized skeletomusculature and masculinized central nervous system, are similar to male controls. This study provides evidence that sex differences in movement integration are not restricted to the lateral plane, are not solely due to sex differences in skeletomusculature, and thus are likely mediated by the central nervous system. 2005 APA, all rights reserved

Exploring the Complexities of Children's Inquiries in Science: Knowledge Production Through Participatory Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siry, Christina

2013-12-01

Beginning with the assumption that young children are capable of producing unprecedented knowledges about science phenomena, this paper explores the complexities of children's inquiries within open-ended investigations. I ask two central questions: (1) how can we (teachers, researchers, and children themselves) use and build upon children's explorations in science in practice? and (2) what pedagogical approaches can position children as experts on their experiences to facilitate children's sense of ownership in the process of learning science? Six vignettes from a Kindergarten classroom are analyzed to elaborate the central claim of this work, which is that when children are engaged in collaborative open-ended activities, science emerges from their interactions. Open-ended structures allowed for teachers and children to facilitate further investigations collaboratively, and participatory structures mediated children's representations and explanations of their investigations. Evidence of children's interactions is used to illustrate the complexities of children's explorations, and pedagogical approaches that create the spaces for children to create knowledge are highlighted.

Guiding the Process of Culturally Competent Care With Hispanic Patients: A Grounded Theory Study.

PubMed

Sobel, Linda L; Metzler Sawin, Erika

2016-05-01

To explore nursing care actions that lead to culturally competent care for Hispanic patients. Nurses report apprehension when delivering nursing care because of language barriers and a lack of Hispanic cultural understanding. Research is needed to inform culturally aware nursing practice actions for Hispanic patients. The study used a qualitative, grounded theory design to address the questions: (a) What cultural knowledge should nurses have when caring for Hispanic patients and families and (b) What nursing actions should nurses take to provide culturally competent care? Hispanic lay health promoters and Hispanic community members were interviewed to make recommendations for care. A model was identified that informs culturally competent nursing care. "Connectedness," the central phenomenon, describes nursing actions and contains subthemes explaining influences on nursing care. "Up to You" and "At the Mercy of the System" are descriptive themes influencing connectedness. Connectedness is central to culturally well-informed nurse-patient interactions. © The Author(s) 2014.

Cell-based therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Scolding, Neil J; Pasquini, Marcelo; Reingold, Stephen C; Cohen, Jeffrey A

2017-11-01

The availability of multiple disease-modifying medications with regulatory approval to treat multiple sclerosis illustrates the substantial progress made in therapy of the disease. However, all are only partially effective in preventing inflammatory tissue damage in the central nervous system and none directly promotes repair. Cell-based therapies, including immunoablation followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, mesenchymal and related stem cell transplantation, pharmacologic manipulation of endogenous stem cells to enhance their reparative capabilities, and transplantation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, have generated substantial interest as novel therapeutic strategies for immune modulation, neuroprotection, or repair of the damaged central nervous system in multiple sclerosis. Each approach has potential advantages but also safety concerns and unresolved questions. Moreover, clinical trials of cell-based therapies present several unique methodological and ethical issues. We summarize here the status of cell-based therapies to treat multiple sclerosis and make consensus recommendations for future research and clinical trials. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

Structured Cable for High-Current Coils of Tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, Christopher; McIntyre, Peter; Sattarov, Akhdiyor; Mann, Thomas

2011-10-01

The 45 kA superconducting cable for the ITER central solenoid coil has yielded questionable results in two recent tests. In both cases the cable Tc increased after cycling only a fraction of the design life, indicating degradation due to fatigue and fracture among the superconducting strands. The Accelerator Research Lab at Texas A&M University is developing a design for a Nb3Sn structured cable suitable for such tokamak coils. The superconductor is configured in 6 sub-cables, and each subcable is supported within a channel of a central support structure within a high-strength armor sheath. The structured cable addresses two issues that are thought to compromise opposition at high current. The strands are supported without cross-overs (which produce stress concentration); and armor sheath and core structure bypass stress through the coil and among subcables so that the stress within each subcable is only what is produced directly upon it. Details of the design and plans for development will be presented.

Experiences from Pagan Women: A Closer Look at Croning Rituals

PubMed Central

Manning, Lydia K.

2012-01-01

In this qualitative study I explore how Pagan women conceptualize aging, more specifically social aging, through the ritual process of being a Pagan and becoming a Crone. The central question of this research revolves around how older women who identify as Pagan experience, understand, and conceptualize their social aging and their role as aging women in American society. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and explore the meaning of aging for women identifying as Pagan. Major emergent themes within the data demonstrate that the croning ritual, a central aspect of Paganism, affirms these women in their process of aging. These women, through the ritual of croning, are able to understand their aging as celebration, maintain a positive sense of self while aging, and reclaim visibility as aging women. These women were able to embed their experiences of aging within a unique and specific cultural framework, a spiritual and foundational framework cultivating a spiritual connection with nature. PMID:23559691

To label or not to label: applications of quantitative proteomics in neuroscience research.

PubMed

Filiou, Michaela D; Martins-de-Souza, Daniel; Guest, Paul C; Bahn, Sabine; Turck, Christoph W

2012-02-01

Proteomics has provided researchers with a sophisticated toolbox of labeling-based and label-free quantitative methods. These are now being applied in neuroscience research where they have already contributed to the elucidation of fundamental mechanisms and the discovery of candidate biomarkers. In this review, we evaluate and compare labeling-based and label-free quantitative proteomic techniques for applications in neuroscience research. We discuss the considerations required for the analysis of brain and central nervous system specimens, the experimental design of quantitative proteomic workflows as well as the feasibility, advantages, and disadvantages of the available techniques for neuroscience-oriented questions. Furthermore, we assess the use of labeled standards as internal controls for comparative studies in humans and review applications of labeling-based and label-free mass spectrometry approaches in relevant model organisms and human subjects. Providing a comprehensive guide of feasible and meaningful quantitative proteomic methodologies for neuroscience research is crucial not only for overcoming current limitations but also for gaining useful insights into brain function and translating proteomics from bench to bedside. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Learning Biology through Research Papers: A Stimulus for Question-Asking by High-School Students

PubMed Central

Brill, Gilat; Yarden, Anat

2003-01-01

Question-asking is a basic skill, required for the development of scientific thinking. However, the way in which science lessons are conducted does not usually stimulate question-asking by students. To make students more familiar with the scientific inquiry process, we developed a curriculum in developmental biology based on research papers suitable for high-school students. Since a scientific paper poses a research question, demonstrates the events that led to the answer, and poses new questions, we attempted to examine the effect of studying through research papers on students' ability to pose questions. Students were asked before, during, and after instruction what they found interesting to know about embryonic development. In addition, we monitored students' questions, which were asked orally during the lessons. Questions were scored according to three categories: properties, comparisons, and causal relationships. We found that before learning through research papers, students tend to ask only questions of the properties category. In contrast, students tend to pose questions that reveal a higher level of thinking and uniqueness during or following instruction with research papers. This change was not observed during or following instruction with a textbook. We suggest that learning through research papers may be one way to provide a stimulus for question-asking by high-school students and results in higher thinking levels and uniqueness. PMID:14673492

Posing the research question: not so simple.

PubMed

Thabane, Lehana; Thomas, Tara; Ye, Chenglin; Paul, James

2009-01-01

The success of any research process relies, in part, on how well investigators are able to translate a clinical problem into a research question-a task that is not so simple for novice investigators. The PICOT approach requires that the framing of the research question specify the target Population, the Intervention of interest, the Comparator intervention, key Outcomes, and the Time frame over which the outcomes are assessed. This paper describes the use of the PICOT structure in framing research questions and examines PICOT criteria as applied to the anesthesia literature. We also provide a roadmap for applying the PICOT format in identifying and framing clear research questions. In addition to searching MEDLINE for the literature on framing research questions, we performed a systematic review of articles published in four key anesthesia journals in 2006, including Anesthesiology, Anesthesia & Analgesia, the British Journal of Anaesthesia, and the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. Three hundred thirteen articles (n = 313) were included in this review, with the following distribution by study design: 139 (44%) randomized controlled trials, 129 (41%) cohort studies, and 45 (15%) case-controlled, cross-sectional studies or systematic reviews. Overall, 96% (95% confidence interval: 91,100) of articles did not apply the PICOT approach in reporting the research question. The PICOT approach may be helpful in defining and clearly stating the research question. It remains to be determined whether or not compliance with the PICOT style, or any other format for framing research questions, is associated with a higher quality of research reporting.

Experience-dependent central vision deficits: Neurobiology and visual acuity.

PubMed

Williams, Kate; Balsor, Justin L; Beshara, Simon; Beston, Brett R; Jones, David G; Murphy, Kathryn M

2015-09-01

Abnormal visual experience during childhood often leads to amblyopia, with strong links to binocular dysfunction that can include poor acuity in both eyes, especially in central vision. In animal models of amblyopia, the non-deprived eye is often considered normal and what limits binocular acuity. This leaves open the question whether monocular deprivation (MD) induces binocular dysfunction similar to what is found in amblyopia. In previous studies of MD cats, we found a loss of excitatory receptors restricted to the central visual field representation in visual cortex (V1), including both eyes' columns. This led us to ask two questions about the effects of MD: how quickly are receptors lost in V1? and is there an impact on binocular acuity? We found that just a few hours of MD caused a rapid loss of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor proteins across all of V1. But after a few days of MD, there was recovery in the visual periphery, leaving a loss of AMPA receptors only in the central region of V1. We reared animals with early MD followed by a long period of binocular vision and found binocular acuity deficits that were greatest in the central visual field. Our results suggest that the greater binocular acuity deficits in the central visual field are driven in part by the long-term loss of AMPA receptors in the central region of V1. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning to Ask Naive Questions with IT Product Design Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunn, Wendy

2008-01-01

What does it mean to use, or do, theory in the scholarship of teaching and learning? The article approaches the question by considering the role of design anthropology in developing studio-based engineering programmes. Central to my discussion within situated contexts of learning is the idea of practice-based exploration conceived as a way of…

Public Administration: What is It, Why Teach It and Does It Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenwick, John; McMillan, Janice

2014-01-01

What is understood by "public administration" in the contemporary UK higher education setting? Is it still being taught and, if so, why? These questions initially appear to be fairly straightforward but any review of the topic quickly poses some rather more tricky areas of enquiry. This article will focus upon three central questions.…

Emergent issues in forest plan revision: a dialogue

Treesearch

Susan I. Stewart; Pamela J. Jakes; Paul Monson

1998-01-01

Working with National Forest planners can raise many questions for social scientists regarding their role in planning or plan revision. Social scientists from the North Central Forest Experiment Station and the National Forest System Eastern Region debate 3 questions that continue to surface in their work with Forest Service managers on plan revision: first, what is...

Prosodic Markers of Saliency in Humorous Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pickering, Lucy; Corduas, Marcella; Eisterhold, Jodi; Seifried, Brenna; Eggleston, Alyson; Attardo, Salvatore

2009-01-01

Much of what we think we know about the performance of humor relies on our intuitions about prosody (e.g., "it's all about timing"); however, this has never been empirically tested. Thus, the central question addressed in this article is whether speakers mark punch lines in jokes prosodically and, if so, how. To answer this question,…

Real-time Responsiveness for Ethics Oversight During Disaster Research.

PubMed

Eckenwiler, Lisa; Pringle, John; Boulanger, Renaud; Hunt, Matthew

2015-11-01

Disaster research has grown in scope and frequency. Research in the wake of disasters and during humanitarian crises--particularly in resource-poor settings--is likely to raise profound and unique ethical challenges for local communities, crisis responders, researchers, and research ethics committees (RECs). Given the ethical challenges, many have questioned how best to provide research ethics review and oversight. We contribute to the conversation concerning how best to ensure appropriate ethical oversight in disaster research and argue that ethical disaster research requires of researchers and RECs a particular sort of ongoing, critical engagement which may not be warranted in less exceptional research. We present two cases that typify the concerns disaster researchers and RECs may confront, and elaborate upon what this ongoing engagement might look like--how it might be conceptualized and utilized--using the concept of real-time responsiveness (RTR). The central aim of RTR, understood here as both an ethical ideal and practice, is to lessen the potential for research conducted in the wake of disasters to create, perpetuate, or exacerbate vulnerabilities and contribute to injustices suffered by disaster-affected populations. Well cultivated and deployed, we believe that RTR may enhance the moral capacities of researchers and REC members, and RECs as institutions where moral agency is nurtured and sustained. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Regional Military Security Cooperation in North America

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-11

will serve as the main research sources. The primary research question is how might the United States better facilitate greater security cooperation...militarily between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico? Secondary research questions are why do we need increased security integration? How do current...research question has several associated tertiary questions . The paper consists of five chapters. Chapters 1 through 3 are introductory and

Questions for Surveys

PubMed Central

Schaeffer, Nora Cate; Dykema, Jennifer

2011-01-01

We begin with a look back at the field to identify themes of recent research that we expect to continue to occupy researchers in the future. As part of this overview, we characterize the themes and topics examined in research about measurement and survey questions published in Public Opinion Quarterly in the past decade. We then characterize the field more broadly by highlighting topics that we expect to continue or to grow in importance, including the relationship between survey questions and the total survey error perspective, cognitive versus interactional approaches, interviewing practices, mode and technology, visual aspects of question design, and culture. Considering avenues for future research, we advocate for a decision-oriented framework for thinking about survey questions and their characteristics. The approach we propose distinguishes among various aspects of question characteristics, including question topic, question type and response dimension, conceptualization and operationalization of the target object, question structure, question form, response categories, question implementation, and question wording. Thinking about question characteristics more systematically would allow study designs to take into account relationships among these characteristics and identify gaps in current knowledge. PMID:24970951

Early Childhood Teacher Research: From Questions to Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castle, Kathryn

2011-01-01

What is early childhood teacher research and why is it important? How does a teacher researcher formulate a research question and a plan for doing research? How do teachers apply research results to effect change? "Early Childhood Teacher Research" is an exciting new resource that will address the sorts of questions and concerns that pre- and…

Optimization of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Cohort Studies in Asia.

PubMed

Leung, Wai K

2015-07-01

With the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) increasing rapidly in many Asian countries, including Hong Kong, it is important that patient characteristics are better understood. For example, are the phenotypes, behaviors, complications, and even treatment responses found in Asian patients similar to those of their Western counterparts? To formally address these questions, a properly designed local cohort study is needed. Whilst IBD is still relatively uncommon in Asia, the establishment of a local IBD registry will significantly contribute to the answering of these questions. The Hong Kong IBD registry was established to fill the gap in the understanding of IBD patients, and to foster research into IBD in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong IBD registry is a territory-wide registry that includes all public hospitals in Hong Kong. We included all IBD patients who were currently receiving medical care at these hospitals. With the help of the central computer medical record system of the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong, all clinical events, medications usage, endoscopy records, and laboratory results of patients in the registry were captured. Apart from data collection, the registry is also establishing a bio-specimen bank of blood and stool samples of IBD patients for future research. The IBD registry is a very useful platform for population-based studies on IBD in Asia.

An encounter between 4e cognition and attachment theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petters, Dean

2016-10-01

This paper explores a constructive revision of the conceptual underpinnings of Attachment Theory through an encounter with the diverse elements of 4e cognition. Attachment relationships involve the development of preference for one or a few carers and expectations about their availability and responsiveness as a haven of safety and a base from which to explore. In attachment theory, mental representations have been assigned a central organising role in explaining attachment phenomena. The 4e cognition approaches in cognitive science raise a number of questions about the development and interplay of attachment and cognition. These include: (1) the nature of what Bowlby called 'internal working models of attachment'; (2) the extent to which the infant-carer dyad functions as an extension of the infant's mind; and (3) whether Bowlby's attachment control system concept can be usefully re-framed in enactive terms where traditional cognitivist representations are: (3i) substituted for sensorimotor skill-focused mediating representations; (3ii) viewed as arising from autopoietic living organisms; and/or (3iii) mostly composed from the non-contentful mechanisms of basic minds? A theme that cross-cuts these research questions is how representations for capturing meaning, and structures for adaptive control, are both required to explain the full range of behaviour of interest to Attachment Theory researchers.

High Priority Research Needs for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Robinson, Karen A.; Saldanha, Ian J.; Wilson, Lisa M.; Nicholson, Wanda K.

2012-01-01

Abstract Objective Identification of unanswered research questions about the management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is necessary to focus future research endeavors. We developed a process for elucidating the highest priority research questions on GDM. Methods Using a systematic review on GDM as a starting point, we developed an eight-step process: (1) identification of research gaps, (2) feedback from the review's authors, (3) translation of gaps into researchable questions using population, intervention, comparators, outcomes, setting (PICOS) framework, (4) local institutions' stakeholders' refinement of research questions, (5) national stakeholders' use of Delphi method to develop consensus on the importance of research questions, (6) prioritization of outcomes, (7) conceptual framework, and (8) evaluation. Results We identified 15 high priority research questions for GDM. The research questions focused on medication management of GDM (e.g., various oral agents vs. insulin), delivery management for women with GDM (e.g., induction vs. expectant management), and identification of risk factors for, prevention of, and screening for type 2 diabetes in women with prior GDM. Stakeholders rated the development of chronic diseases in offspring, cesarean delivery, and birth trauma as high priority outcomes to measure in future studies. Conclusions We developed an eight-step process using a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders to identify 15 research questions of high clinical importance. Researchers, policymakers, and funders can use this list to direct research efforts and resources to the highest priority areas to improve care for women with GDM. PMID:22747422

[Priorities for health policy and systems research focused on human resources in health].

PubMed

Reveiz, Ludovic; Chapman, Evelina; Flórez, Carlos E Pinzón; Torres, Rubén

2013-11-01

Identify priorities for health policy and systems research related to human resources in Latin America and Caribbean countries. An online survey was designed based on a search in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and LILACS that contributed previously prioritized research questions. Respondents, mainly researchers and decision-makers, were identified through various sources. The first round, directed at researchers, aimed at refining and adding research questions and prioritizing questions that researchers regarded as relevant or very relevant. The second round was directed at researchers and decision-makers. A question was considered a priority when 50% (or more) of respondents described it as "relevant" or "very relevant." The first round included 20 questions on human resources and 33/66 researchers responded. Questions suggested by the researchers were added, resulting in 26 questions for the second round, which were sent to 121 researchers and decision-makers. Respondent representation by country was uniform in both rounds. In the second round, 14/26 (54%) questions were described as very relevant. Priority issues related to regulation of the market, integration of education and health care needs, and distribution of human resources. The response rate was 50% in the first round (33/66), and 34% in the second round (41/121). The results of this exercise provide a starting point for mobilization of resources for health policy and systems research. Identification of health systems research priorities is an effective and efficient strategy for reorienting political, financial, management, and social organization efforts for attaining universal health coverage.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention injury research agenda: identification of acute care research topics of interest to the Centers for disease Control and Prevention--National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

PubMed

Jurkovich, Gregory J; Rivara, Frederick P; Johansen, Jennifer M; Maier, Ronald V

2004-05-01

The purpose of this report is to identify the most important research questions pertaining to the acute care of the injured patient using a Web-based Delphi technique to achieve expert opinion consensus. Experts in trauma care from the United States and Canada (n =39) generated structured research questions and then ranked these questions in order of importance, using a Web-based survey for question generation, question ranking, and a Delphi technique of consensus. Guidelines for question construction and ranking specified that participants considered questions that fall within the interest and domain of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC). One hundred thirty-seven questions in 18 distinct categories of interest were initially generated. After two rounds of merging, collating, reassessing, and ranking by significance and importance, 25 research questions were deemed most important and significant in the care of the injured patient. Ten of these (40%) were considered to be appropriate issues for the CDC-NCIPC to address and fund, dealing with injury prevention strategies, trauma systems design and funding, the epidemiology of injury, and global outcome determinants. These 25 questions were also reviewed with consideration given to the most likely source of federal funding of investigations. This report identifies the areas of trauma care in which research efforts might best be directed. Fully 40% of the key research questions could be considered to fall under the interest and auspices of the CDC-NCIPC. The remaining questions cover a broad range of topics and likely funding sources, emphasizing the need for a coordinated oversight of research funding in trauma care.

Maternal and perinatal health research priorities beyond 2015: an international survey and prioritization exercise.

PubMed

Souza, Joao Paulo; Widmer, Mariana; Gülmezoglu, Ahmet Metin; Lawrie, Theresa Anne; Adejuyigbe, Ebunoluwa Aderonke; Carroli, Guillermo; Crowther, Caroline; Currie, Sheena M; Dowswell, Therese; Hofmeyr, Justus; Lavender, Tina; Lawn, Joy; Mader, Silke; Martinez, Francisco Eulógio; Mugerwa, Kidza; Qureshi, Zahida; Silvestre, Maria Asuncion; Soltani, Hora; Torloni, Maria Regina; Tsigas, Eleni Z; Vowles, Zoe; Ouedraogo, Léopold; Serruya, Suzanne; Al-Raiby, Jamela; Awin, Narimah; Obara, Hiromi; Mathai, Matthews; Bahl, Rajiv; Martines, José; Ganatra, Bela; Phillips, Sharon Jelena; Johnson, Brooke Ronald; Vogel, Joshua P; Oladapo, Olufemi T; Temmerman, Marleen

2014-08-07

Maternal mortality has declined by nearly half since 1990, but over a quarter million women still die every year of causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal-health related targets are falling short of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals and a post-2015 Development Agenda is emerging. In connection with this, setting global research priorities for the next decade is now required. We adapted the methods of the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) to identify and set global research priorities for maternal and perinatal health for the period 2015 to 2025. Priority research questions were received from various international stakeholders constituting a large reference group, and consolidated into a final list of research questions by a technical working group. Questions on this list were then scored by the reference working group according to five independent and equally weighted criteria. Normalized research priority scores (NRPS) were calculated, and research priority questions were ranked accordingly. A list of 190 priority research questions for improving maternal and perinatal health was scored by 140 stakeholders. Most priority research questions (89%) were concerned with the evaluation of implementation and delivery of existing interventions, with research subthemes frequently concerned with training and/or awareness interventions (11%), and access to interventions and/or services (14%). Twenty-one questions (11%) involved the discovery of new interventions or technologies. Key research priorities in maternal and perinatal health were identified. The resulting ranked list of research questions provides a valuable resource for health research investors, researchers and other stakeholders. We are hopeful that this exercise will inform the post-2015 Development Agenda and assist donors, research-policy decision makers and researchers to invest in research that will ultimately make the most significant difference in the lives of mothers and babies.

CENTRAL, PEDro, PubMed, and EMBASE are the most comprehensive databases indexing randomized controlled trials of physical therapy interventions.

PubMed

Michaleff, Zoe A; Costa, Leonardo O P; Moseley, Anne M; Maher, Christopher G; Elkins, Mark R; Herbert, Robert D; Sherrington, Catherine

2011-02-01

Many bibliographic databases index research studies evaluating the effects of health care interventions. One study has concluded that the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) has the most complete indexing of reports of randomized controlled trials of physical therapy interventions, but the design of that study may have exaggerated estimates of the completeness of indexing by PEDro. The purpose of this study was to compare the completeness of indexing of reports of randomized controlled trials of physical therapy interventions by 8 bibliographic databases. This study was an audit of bibliographic databases. Prespecified criteria were used to identify 400 reports of randomized controlled trials from the reference lists of systematic reviews published in 2008 that evaluated physical therapy interventions. Eight databases (AMED, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, Hooked on Evidence, PEDro, PsycINFO, and PubMed) were searched for each trial report. The proportion of the 400 trial reports indexed by each database was calculated. The proportions of the 400 trial reports indexed by the databases were as follows: CENTRAL, 95%; PEDro, 92%; PubMed, 89%; EMBASE, 88%; CINAHL, 53%; AMED, 50%; Hooked on Evidence, 45%; and PsycINFO, 6%. Almost all of the trial reports (99%) were found in at least 1 database, and 88% were indexed by 4 or more databases. Four trial reports were uniquely indexed by a single database only (2 in CENTRAL and 1 each in PEDro and PubMed). The results are only applicable to searching for English-language published reports of randomized controlled trials evaluating physical therapy interventions. The 4 most comprehensive databases of trial reports evaluating physical therapy interventions were CENTRAL, PEDro, PubMed, and EMBASE. Clinicians seeking quick answers to clinical questions could search any of these databases knowing that all are reasonably comprehensive. PEDro, unlike the other 3 most complete databases, is specific to physical therapy, so studies not relevant to physical therapy are less likely to be retrieved. Researchers could use CENTRAL, PEDro, PubMed, and EMBASE in combination to conduct exhaustive searches for randomized trials in physical therapy.

Globalization, Innovation, and the Declining Significance of Qualifications Led Social and Economic Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strathdee, Rob

2005-01-01

This paper raises questions regarding the ability of new qualifications frameworks and assessment systems to promote innovation and social inclusion. Of interest in this paper is the centrality of tacit skill in promoting innovation. Tacit skill is central to innovation, although its positional character is not well understood by policy-makers. It…

Core Ideas of Democratic Civic Education and the Great Transformation in Central and Eastern Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patrick, John J.

This paper discusses the importance of civic education in the transformation from totalitarian communism to constitutional democracy in Central and Eastern Europe. The primary question of civic education for this great transformation is: What are the few core ideas of democratic civic education that learners must know and support to prepare them…

Centrality and Charisma: Comparing How Leader Networks "and" Attributions Affect Team Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balkundi, Prasad; Kilduff, Martin; Harrison, David A.

2011-01-01

When leaders interact in teams with their subordinates, they build social capital that can have positive effects on team performance. Does this social capital affect team performance because subordinates come to see the leader as charismatic? We answered this question by examining 2 models. First, we tested the charisma-to-centrality model…

The importance of environment vs. disturbance in the vegetation mosaic of central Arizona

Treesearch

Cynthia D. Huebner; John L. Vankat

2003-01-01

The vegetation of central Arizona is a mosaic of four vegetation types: chaparral, chaparral grassland, woodland, and woodland grassland. We analysed ten environmental variables, three disturbance variables, and five disturbance indicators to answer the question: What is the relative importance of environment and disturbance in explaining the vegetation pattern of our...

Higher Education Governance in Central and Eastern Europe: A Perspective on Hungary and Poland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarlea, Silvana

2017-01-01

This paper seeks to answer the question of what motivates governments to introduce and implement reforms in higher education (HE). The political and economic reasons why some governments in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), for the period 1990 and 2015, have invested resources in order to facilitate cooperation between employers…

An Identification of Interpersonal Skills for Building Army Civilian Leaders

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

3 B. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ................................................................... 3 C. RESEARCH ... RESEARCH ................ 122 APPENDIX A. SURVEY QUESTIONS............................................................ 125 APPENDIX B. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS...Program RDEC Research , Development and Engineering Center RQ Research Question SBLM Sustaining Base Leadership and Management SDC Supervisory

Taking evolution seriously in political science.

PubMed

Lewis, Orion; Steinmo, Sven

2010-09-01

In this essay, we explore the epistemological and ontological assumptions that have been made to make political science "scientific." We show how political science has generally adopted an ontologically reductionist philosophy of science derived from Newtonian physics and mechanics. This mechanical framework has encountered problems and constraints on its explanatory power, because an emphasis on equilibrium analysis is ill-suited for the study of political change. We outline the primary differences between an evolutionary ontology of social science and the physics-based philosophy commonly employed. Finally, we show how evolutionary thinking adds insight into the study of political phenomena and research questions that are of central importance to the field, such as preference formation.

Measurement Models for Reasoned Action Theory.

PubMed

Hennessy, Michael; Bleakley, Amy; Fishbein, Martin

2012-03-01

Quantitative researchers distinguish between causal and effect indicators. What are the analytic problems when both types of measures are present in a quantitative reasoned action analysis? To answer this question, we use data from a longitudinal study to estimate the association between two constructs central to reasoned action theory: behavioral beliefs and attitudes toward the behavior. The belief items are causal indicators that define a latent variable index while the attitude items are effect indicators that reflect the operation of a latent variable scale. We identify the issues when effect and causal indicators are present in a single analysis and conclude that both types of indicators can be incorporated in the analysis of data based on the reasoned action approach.

[Organization of scientific-methodological work in Central Military Clinical Hospital named after A.A. Vishnevskiĭ].

PubMed

Beliakin, S A; Fokin, Iu N; Kokhan, E P; Frolkin, M N

2009-09-01

There was congested a wide experience of organization and management of scientific work in the 3rd CMCH by Vishnevsky A.A. for a term of more than 40 years. This experience is subjected to generalization, analyze for the purpose of determination of it's priority orientations of improvement. Scientific-methods work in hospital is rated as a complex of measures, organisationaly-planed and coordinated by purpose and reinforcement of scientific schools of the 3rd CMCH by Vishnevsky A.A., as a basis of effective delivery of specialized medical aid. The vector of scientific researches is directed, generally, to solving questions of military and field medicine.

Engineering Approaches to Illuminating Brain Structure and Dynamics

PubMed Central

Deisseroth, Karl; Schnitzer, Mark J.

2017-01-01

Historical milestones in neuroscience have come in diverse forms, ranging from the resolution of specific biological mysteries via creative experimentation to broad technological advances allowing neuroscientists to ask new kinds of questions. The continuous development of tools is driven with a special necessity by the complexity, fragility, and inaccessibility of intact nervous systems, such that inventive technique development and application drawing upon engineering and the applied sciences has long been essential to neuroscience. Here we highlight recent technological directions in neuroscience spurred by progress in optical, electrical, mechanical, chemical, and biological engineering. These research areas are poised for rapid growth and will likely be central to the practice of neuroscience well into the future. PMID:24183010

Human smuggling in Austria: a comparative analysis of data on smuggled migrants from former Yugoslavia and the Russian Federation.

PubMed

Peterka-Benton, Daniela

2011-01-01

This article provides a summary of the author’s research on human smuggling in Austria comparing migrants from Former Yugoslavia and the Russian Federation. The project’s primary intent was to collect more detailed information on migrants seeking asylum in Austria and their use of smuggling services to leave their home countries, including detailed information on demographics, force or threat of force by smugglers, routes and methods of transportation, costs of smuggling, payment methods, and deeper perceptual questions regarding the flight. Another central premise of the article discusses how current distinctions between human smuggling and human trafficking are arbitrary in many regards.

Topical Review: Families Coping With Child Trauma: A Naturalistic Observation Methodology

PubMed Central

Barrett, Anna; Bowles, Peter; Conroy, Rowena; Mehl, Matthias R.

2016-01-01

Objective To introduce a novel, naturalistic observational methodology (the Electronically Activated Recorder; EAR) as an opportunity to better understand the central role of the family environment in children’s recovery from trauma. Methods Discussion of current research methods and a systematic literature review of EAR studies on health and well-being. Results Surveys, experience sampling, and the EAR method each provide different opportunities and challenges for studying family interactions. We identified 17 articles describing relevant EAR studies. These investigated questions of emotional well-being, communicative behaviors, and interpersonal relationships, predominantly in adults. 5 articles reported innovative research in children, triangulating EAR-observed behavioral data (e.g., on child conflict at home) with neuroendocrine assay, sociodemographic information, and parent report. Finally, we discussed psychometric, practical, and ethical considerations for conducting EAR research with children and families. Conclusions Naturalistic observation methods such as the EAR have potential for pediatric psychology studies regarding trauma and the family environment. PMID:25797943

["Grounded theory" develops medicine. Popular research method for exploring human behavior can discover new connections].

PubMed

Thulesius, Hans; Barfod, Toke; Ekström, Helene; Håkansson, Anders

2004-09-30

Grounded theory (GT) is a popular research method for exploring human behavior. GT was developed by the medical sociologists Glaser and Strauss while they studied dying in hospitals in the 1960s resulting in the book "Awareness of dying". The goal of a GT is to generate conceptual theories by using all types of data but without applying existing theories and hypotheses. GT procedures are mostly inductive as opposed to deductive research where hypotheses are tested. A good GT has a core variable that is a central concept connected to many other concepts explaining the main action in the studied area. A core variable answers the question "What's going on?". Examples of core variables are: "Cutting back after a heart attack"--how people adapt to life after a serious illness; and "Balancing in palliative cancer care"--a process of weighing, shifting, compensating and compromising when treating people with a progressive and incurable illness trajectory.

Enhanced laboratory capacity development: a boost for effective tuberculosis control in resource-limited settings.

PubMed

Alabi, Abraham Sunday; Traoré, Afsatou Ndama; Loembe, Marguerite Massinga; Ateba-Ngoa, Ulysse; Frank, Matthias; Adegnika, Ayola Akim; Lell, Bertrand; Mahoumbou, Jocelyn; Köhler, Carsten; Kremsner, Peter Gottfried; Grobusch, Martin Peter

2017-03-01

Both routine and research tuberculosis (TB) laboratory capacity urgently need to be expanded in large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2009, the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL) took a strategic decision to expand its activities by building TB laboratory capacity to address research questions and to improve routine diagnostic and treatment capacity. Over the past 7 years, a standard laboratory has been developed that is contributing significantly to TB diagnosis, treatment, and control in Gabon; training has also been provided for TB research staff in Central Africa. CERMEL has a cordial relationship with the Gabon National TB Control Programme (PNLT), which has culminated in a successful Global Fund joint application. This endeavour is considered a model for similar developments needed in areas of high TB prevalence and where TB control remains poor to date. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Low Vision Rehabilitation, Age-Related Vision Loss, and Risk: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis

PubMed Central

Laliberte Rudman, Debbie; Egan, Mary Y.; McGrath, Colleen E.; Kessler, Dorothy; Gardner, Paula; King, Judy; Ceci, Christine

2016-01-01

Purpose: Given the centrality of risk in geriatric rehabilitation, it is critically important to attend to how conceptualizations of risk shape research, policies, and rehabilitation practices. This paper presents a critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) of literature addressing risk and low vision rehabilitation for older adults with age-related vision loss (ARVL) to identify key guiding assumptions regarding risk and discuss implications for what gets attended to, and not attended to, within research and rehabilitation. Design and Methods: This CIS combined guidelines proposed by Dixon-Woods and colleagues (2006—Conducting a critical interpretive synthesis of the literature on access to healthcare by vulnerable groups. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 6, 35) and Alvesson and Sandberg (2011—Generating research questions through problematization. Academy of Management Review, 36, 247–271; 2013—Constructing research questions: Doing interesting research. London: Sage). The iterative review process involved 3 steps: literature search and selection, data extraction, and syntheses to identify boundary assumptions. The dataset included 83 research and practice description articles. Results: Older adults with ARVL were constructed as “at risk” for various adverse outcomes, particularly dependency and self-harm, and as posing risks to others. An epidemiological approach to risk based in assumptions aligned with a technico-scientific perspective was dominant, with risk conceptualized as an embodied, individual-level phenomenon that is to be determined and managed through objective screening and expert monitoring. Implications: Key concerns include a lack of: attention to the tensions created when rehabilitation research and practice attempt to promote independence while simultaneously reducing risk, incorporation of aging adults’ perspectives on risk, and analysis of environmental factors that shape risks. Research that starts by valuing older adults’ experiences and attends to context can inform rehabilitation practices that support health-promoting, risk-taking, and facilitate collaborative approaches to risk management. PMID:26888757

The relevance of α-KLOTHO to the central nervous system: Some key questions.

PubMed

Cararo-Lopes, Marina Minto; Mazucanti, Caio Henrique Yokoyama; Scavone, Cristoforo; Kawamoto, Elisa Mitiko; Berwick, Daniel Charles

2017-07-01

α-Klotho is well described as an anti-aging protein, with critical roles in kidney function as a transmembrane co-receptor for FGF23, and as a soluble factor in serum. α-Klotho is also expressed in the choroid plexus, where it is released into the cerebrospinal fluid. Nonetheless, α-Klotho is also expressed in the brain parenchyma. Accumulating evidence indicates that this pool of α-Klotho, which we define as brain α-Klotho, may play important roles as a neuroprotective factor and in promoting myelination, thereby supporting healthy brain aging. Here we summarize what is known about brain α-Klotho before focusing on the outstanding scientific questions related to its function. We believe there is a need for in vitro studies designed to distinguish between brain α-Klotho and other pools of α-Klotho, and for a greater understanding of the basic function of soluble α-Klotho. The mechanism by which the human KL-VS variant affects cognition also requires further elucidation. To help address these questions we suggest some experimental approaches that other laboratories might consider. In short, we hope to stimulate fresh ideas and encourage new research approaches that will allow the importance of α-Klotho for the aging brain to become clear. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Sharp Transition from Nonmetallic Au246 to Metallic Au279 with Nascent Surface Plasmon Resonance.

PubMed

Higaki, Tatsuya; Zhou, Meng; Lambright, Kelly J; Kirschbaum, Kristin; Sfeir, Matthew Y; Jin, Rongchao

2018-05-02

The optical properties of metal nanoparticles have attracted wide interest. Recent progress in controlling nanoparticles with atomic precision (often called nanoclusters) provide new opportunities for investigating many fundamental questions, such as the transition from excitonic to plasmonic state, which is a central question in metal nanoparticle research because it provides insights into the origin of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) as well as the formation of metallic bond. However, this question still remains elusive because of the extreme difficulty in preparing atomically precise nanoparticles larger than 2 nm. Here we report the synthesis and optical properties of an atomically precise Au 279 (SR) 84 nanocluster. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic analysis reveals that the Au 279 nanocluster shows a laser power dependence in its excited state lifetime, indicating metallic state of the particle, in contrast with the nonmetallic electronic structure of the Au 246 (SR) 80 nanocluster. Steady-state absorption spectra reveal that the nascent plasmon band of Au 279 at 506 nm shows no peak shift even down to 60 K, consistent with plasmon behavior. The sharp transition from nonmetallic Au 246 to metallic Au 279 is surprising and will stimulate future theoretical work on the transition and many other relevant issues.

Should MD-PhD programs encourage graduate training in disciplines beyond conventional biomedical or clinical sciences?

PubMed

O'Mara, Ryan J; Hsu, Stephen I; Wilson, Daniel R

2015-02-01

The goal of MD-PhD training programs is to produce physician-scientists with unique capacities to lead the future biomedical research workforce. The current dearth of physician-scientists with expertise outside conventional biomedical or clinical sciences raises the question of whether MD-PhD training programs should allow or even encourage scholars to pursue doctoral studies in disciplines that are deemed nontraditional, yet are intrinsically germane to major influences on health. This question is especially relevant because the central value and ultimate goal of the academic medicine community is to help attain the highest level of health and health equity for all people. Advances in medical science and practice, along with improvements in health care access and delivery, are steps toward health equity, but alone they will not come close to eliminating health inequalities. Addressing the complex health issues in our communities and society as a whole requires a biomedical research workforce with knowledge, practice, and research skills well beyond conventional biomedical or clinical sciences. To make real progress in advancing health equity, educational pathways must prepare physician-scientists to treat both micro and macro determinants of health. The authors argue that MD-PhD programs should allow and encourage their scholars to cross boundaries into less traditional disciplines such as epidemiology, statistics, anthropology, sociology, ethics, public policy, management, economics, education, social work, informatics, communications, and marketing. To fulfill current and coming health care needs, nontraditional MD-PhD students should be welcomed and supported as valuable members of our biomedical research workforce.

Osteosarcoma enters a post genomic era with in silico opportunities: Generation of the High Dimensional Database for facilitating sarcoma biology research: A report from the Children's Oncology Group and the QuadW Foundation

PubMed Central

Glover, Jason; Man, Tsz-Kwong; Barkauskas, Donald A.; Hall, David; Tello, Tanya; Sullivan, Mary Beth; Gorlick, Richard; Janeway, Katherine; Grier, Holcombe; Lau, Ching; Toretsky, Jeffrey A.; Borinstein, Scott C.; Khanna, Chand

2017-01-01

The prospective banking of osteosarcoma tissue samples to promote research endeavors has been realized through the establishment of a nationally centralized biospecimen repository, the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) biospecimen bank located at the Biopathology Center (BPC)/Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Although the physical inventory of osteosarcoma biospecimens is substantive (>15,000 sample specimens), the nature of these resources remains exhaustible. Despite judicious allocation of these high-value biospecimens for conducting sarcoma-related research, a deeper understanding of osteosarcoma biology, in particular metastases, remains unrealized. In addition the identification and development of novel diagnostics and effective therapeutics remain elusive. The QuadW-COG Childhood Sarcoma Biostatistics and Annotation Office (CSBAO) has developed the High Dimensional Data (HDD) platform to complement the existing physical inventory and to promote in silico hypothesis testing in sarcoma biology. The HDD is a relational biologic database derived from matched osteosarcoma biospecimens in which diverse experimental readouts have been generated and digitally deposited. As proof-of-concept, we demonstrate that the HDD platform can be utilized to address previously unrealized biologic questions though the systematic juxtaposition of diverse datasets derived from shared biospecimens. The continued population of the HDD platform with high-value, high-throughput and mineable datasets allows a shared and reusable resource for researchers, both experimentalists and bioinformatics investigators, to propose and answer questions in silico that advance our understanding of osteosarcoma biology. PMID:28732082

Blending Education and Polymer Science: Semi Automated Creation of a Thermodynamic Property Database.

PubMed

Tchoua, Roselyne B; Qin, Jian; Audus, Debra J; Chard, Kyle; Foster, Ian T; de Pablo, Juan

2016-09-13

Structured databases of chemical and physical properties play a central role in the everyday research activities of scientists and engineers. In materials science, researchers and engineers turn to these databases to quickly query, compare, and aggregate various properties, thereby allowing for the development or application of new materials. The vast majority of these databases have been generated manually, through decades of labor-intensive harvesting of information from the literature; yet, while there are many examples of commonly used databases, a significant number of important properties remain locked within the tables, figures, and text of publications. The question addressed in our work is whether, and to what extent, the process of data collection can be automated. Students of the physical sciences and engineering are often confronted with the challenge of finding and applying property data from the literature, and a central aspect of their education is to develop the critical skills needed to identify such data and discern their meaning or validity. To address shortcomings associated with automated information extraction, while simultaneously preparing the next generation of scientists for their future endeavors, we developed a novel course-based approach in which students develop skills in polymer chemistry and physics and apply their knowledge by assisting with the semi-automated creation of a thermodynamic property database.

Blending Education and Polymer Science: Semiautomated Creation of a Thermodynamic Property Database

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tchoua, Roselyne B.; Qin, Jian; Audus, Debra J.

Structured databases of chemical and physical properties play a central role in the everyday research activities of scientists and engineers. In materials science, researchers and engineers turn to these databases to quickly query, compare, and aggregate various properties, thereby allowing for the development or application of new materials. The vast majority of these databases have been generated manually, through decades of labor-intensive harvesting of information from the literature, yet while there are many examples of commonly used databases, a significant number of important properties remain locked within the tables, figures, and text of publications. The question addressed in our workmore » is whether and to what extent the process of data collection can be automated. Students of the physical sciences and engineering are often confronted with the challenge of finding and applying property data from the literature, and a central aspect of their education is to develop the critical skills needed to identify such data and discern their meaning or validity. To address shortcomings associated with automated information extraction while simultaneously preparing the next generation of scientists for their future endeavors, we developed a novel course-based approach in which students develop skills in polymer chemistry and physics and apply their knowledge by assisting with the semiautomated creation of a thermodynamic property database.« less

Ecohydrologic separation of water between trees and streams in a Mediterranean climate

Treesearch

J. Renee Brooks; Holly R. Barnard; Rob Coulombe; Jeffrey J. McDonnell

2010-01-01

Here, we directly explore links between hydrology and transpiration at the small watershed scale in a seasonally dry climate. Our central questions were: to what extent do trees and streams return the same water pool to the hydrosphere and how does this vary spatially within a watershed? These questions are fundamental to testing watershed hydrology models and coupled...

The Incidence of Clueing in Multiple Choice Testbank Questions in Accounting: Some Evidence from Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibbett, Nicole L.; Wheldon, Brett J.

2016-01-01

In 2014 Central Queensland University (CQU) in Australia banned the use of multiple choice questions (MCQs) as an assessment tool. One of the reasons given for this decision was that MCQs provide an opportunity for students to "pass" by merely guessing their answers. The mathematical likelihood of a student passing by guessing alone can…

Bridging the Gap: Creating a New Approach for Assuring 21st Century Employability Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolff, Ralph; Booth, Melanie

2017-01-01

Which higher education paths will truly prepare students for the future is a big question with serious implications for students and families who invest their time and money, as well as for employers and communities that seek capable career candidates. It also leads to a bigger question: "Should graduates' employability be central to the…

Education for Work: A Review Essay of Historical, Cross-Cultural, and Disciplinary Perspectives on Vocational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuchinke, K. Peter

2013-01-01

In this review essay, K. Peter Kuchinke uses three recent publications to consider the question of how to educate young people for work and career. Historically, this question has been central to vocational education, and it is receiving renewed attention in the context of concerns over the ability of schools to provide adequate preparation for…

Artifact-based reflective interviews for identifying pragmatic epistemological resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shubert, Christopher Walden

Physics Education Research studies the science of teaching and learning physics. The process of student learning is complex, and the factors that affect it are numerous. Describing students' understanding of physics knowledge and reasoning is the basis for much productive research; however, such research fails to account for certain types of student learning difficulties. In this dissertation, I explore one source of student difficulty: personal epistemology, students' ideas about knowledge and knowing. Epistemology traditionally answers three questions: What is knowledge? How is knowledge created? And, how do we know what we know? An individual's responses to these questions can affect learning in terms of how they approach tasks involving the construction and application of knowledge. The key issue addressed in this dissertation is the effect of methodological choices on the validity and reliability of claims concerning personal epistemology. My central concern is contextual validity, how what is said about one's epistemology is not identical to how one behaves epistemologically. In response to these issues, I present here a new methodology for research on student epistemology: video artifact-based reflective interview protocols. These protocols begin with video taping students in their natural classroom activities, and then asking the participants epistemological questions immediately after watching selected scenes from their activity, contextually anchoring them in their actual learning experience. The data from these interviews is viewed in the framework of Epistemological Resource Theory, a framework of small bits of knowledge whose coordination in a given context is used to describe personal epistemology. I claim that the privileged data from these interviews allows detailed epistemological resources to be identified, and that these resources can provide greater insight into how student epistemologies are applied in learning activities. This research, situated within an algebra-based physics for life scientists course reform project, focuses on student work in Modeling Informed Instruction (MII) laboratory activities, which are an adaptation of Modeling Instruction. The development of these activities is based on the epistemological foundations of Modeling Instruction, and these foundations are used to describe a potential assessment for the epistemological effectiveness of a curriculum.

Anticipatory governance for social-ecological resilience.

PubMed

Boyd, Emily; Nykvist, Björn; Borgström, Sara; Stacewicz, Izabela A

2015-01-01

Anticipation is increasingly central to urgent contemporary debates, from climate change to the global economic crisis. Anticipatory practices are coming to the forefront of political, organizational, and citizens' society. Research into anticipation, however, has not kept pace with public demand for insights into anticipatory practices, their risks and uses. Where research exists, it is deeply fragmented. This paper seeks to identify how anticipation is defined and understood in the literature and to explore the role of anticipatory practice to address individual, social, and global challenges. We use a resilience lens to examine these questions. We illustrate how varying forms of anticipatory governance are enhanced by multi-scale regional networks and technologies and by the agency of individuals, drawing from an empirical case study on regional water governance of Mälaren, Sweden. Finally, we discuss how an anticipatory approach can inform adaptive institutions, decision making, strategy formation, and societal resilience.

[Drug information centers-instruments for health care research?].

PubMed

Hach, Isabel; Meusel, Dirk; Maywald, Ulf; Kirch, Wilhelm

2005-07-15

Patient- and physician-centered drug information services (DICs) can contribute to a better communication between doctors and patients and health care research. Furthermore, gaps within health care can be identified. Data of two DICs (the physician-centered service is in operation for almost 10 years, the patient-centered service since 2001), both established in the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology of the TU Dresden, Germany, were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The consultation frequency in both DICs was high (2004: 129 enquiries by physicians; 1,358 by patients). Questions concerning highly prevalent drug groups, i. e., cardiovascular drugs (physicians: 20%; patients: 30%) and drugs targeting the central nervous system (physicians: 22%; patients: 17%) were asked most frequently. The results indicate that patient's drug information in primary care needs improvement. Although in both DICs similar drug groups were asked, the authors suggest that the time factor is the core obstacle to sufficient information rather than knowledge deficits of physicians.

Ethnicity, Forms of Capital, and Educational Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Driessen, Geert W. J. M.

2001-11-01

Bourdieu's cultural capital thesis is an attempt to explain how social class influences the transmission of educational inequality. In this article, the question of the extent to which various forms of capital also apply to ethnic minorities stands central. On the basis of Dutch and American research findings, a model is formulated and empirically tested with the aid of data from the Dutch Primary Education cohort study. Students from four ethnic groups are included: Dutch, Surinamese, Turkish, and Moroccan. The main variables are language and math test scores, socio-economic milieu, and a number of capital indicators, including financial resources, linguistic resources, parental reading behavior, and educational resources within the family. The results show no mediating effect of resources within the various ethnic groups. The findings also suggest that in research and practice it is relevant to not treat ethnic groups as one homogenous group, but to differentiate between the various groups.

Taming power: Generative historical consciousness.

PubMed

Winter, David G

2016-04-01

Power is a necessary dimension of all human enterprises. It can inspire and illuminate, but it can also corrupt, oppress, and destroy. Therefore, taming power has been a central moral and political question for most of human history. Writers, theorists, and researchers have suggested many methods and mechanisms for taming power: through affiliation and love, intellect and reason, responsibility, religion and values, democratic political structures, and separation of powers. Historical examples and social science research suggest that each has some success, but also that each is vulnerable to being hijacked by power itself. I therefore introduce generative historical consciousness (GHC) as a concept and measure that might help to secure the benefits of power while protecting against its outrages and excesses. I conclude by discussing the role that GHC may have played in the peaceful resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Is parental socio-economic status related to the initiation of substance abuse by young people in an English city? An event history analysis.

PubMed

Sutherland, Alex

2012-04-01

This paper aims to examine the relationship between parental socio-economic status (SES) and adolescent substance use. The central question posed in the title is approached in two stages. First, theoretical and empirical research in this area is reviewed. Second, data from an ongoing longitudinal study of young people in England (the Peterborough Adolescent and Young Adult Development Study--PADS+) are used to highlight the nature of this relationship in one city. Results from discrete-time event history analyses show that when examining what predicts initiation of substance use, familial and demographic factors emerge as important predictors, but SES does not appear to be relevant. The concluding discussion focuses on whether support is found for hypotheses derived from the existing literature and implications for future research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cultural prototypes and dimensions of honor.

PubMed

Cross, Susan E; Uskul, Ayse K; Gerçek-Swing, Berna; Sunbay, Zeynep; Alözkan, Cansu; Günsoy, Ceren; Ataca, Bilge; Karakitapoglu-Aygün, Zahide

2014-02-01

Research evidence and theoretical accounts of honor point to differing definitions of the construct in differing cultural contexts. The current studies address the question "What is honor?" using a prototype approach in Turkey and the Northern United States. Studies 1a/1b revealed substantial differences in the specific features generated by members of the two groups, but Studies 2 and 3 revealed cultural similarities in the underlying dimensions of self-respect, moral behavior, and social status/respect. Ratings of the centrality and personal importance of these factors were similar across the two groups, but their association with other relevant constructs differed. The tripartite nature of honor uncovered in these studies helps observers and researchers alike understand how diverse responses to situations can be attributed to honor. Inclusion of a prototype analysis into the literature on honor cultures can provide enhanced coverage of the concept that may lead to testable hypotheses and new theoretical developments.

Revisiting Symbolic Interactionism as a Theoretical Framework Beyond the Grounded Theory Tradition.

PubMed

Handberg, Charlotte; Thorne, Sally; Midtgaard, Julie; Nielsen, Claus Vinther; Lomborg, Kirsten

2015-08-01

The tight bond between grounded theory (GT) and symbolic interactionism (SI) is well known within the qualitative health research field. We aimed to disentangle this connection through critical reflection on the conditions under which it might add value as an underpinning to studies outside the GT tradition. Drawing on an examination of the central tenets of SI, we illustrate with a field study using interpretive description as methodology how SI can be applied as a theoretical lens through which layers of socially constructed meaning can help surface the subjective world of patients. We demonstrate how SI can function as a powerful framework for human health behavior research through its capacity to orient questions, inform design options, and refine analytic directions. We conclude that using SI as a lens can serve as a translation mechanism in our quest to interpret the subjective world underlying patients' health and illness behavior. © The Author(s) 2014.

Conception and development of the Second Life® Embryo Physics Course.

PubMed

Gordon, Richard

2013-06-01

The study of embryos with the tools and mindset of physics, started by Wilhelm His in the 1880s, has resumed after a hiatus of a century. The Embryo Physics Course convenes online allowing interested researchers and students, who are scattered around the world, to gather weekly in one place, the virtual world of Second Life®. It attracts people from a wide variety of disciplines and walks of life: applied mathematics, artificial life, bioengineering, biophysics, cancer biology, cellular automata, civil engineering, computer science, embryology, electrical engineering, evolution, finite element methods, history of biology, human genetics, mathematics, molecular developmental biology, molecular biology, nanotechnology, philosophy of biology, phycology, physics, self-reproducing systems, stem cells, tensegrity structures, theoretical biology, and tissue engineering. Now in its fifth year, the Embryo Physics Course provides a focus for research on the central question of how an embryo builds itself.

[Chapter 4. Governing Big Data for Health, national and international issues].

PubMed

Rial-Sebbag, Emmanuelle

2017-10-27

The use of health data is increasingly seen as a central issue for research and also for care. The generation of these data is an added value for the conduct of large-scale studies, it is even considered as an (r) evolution in the methodology of research or even for personalized medicine. Several factors have influenced the acceleration in the use of health data (advances in genetics, technology and diversification of sources) leading to a re-questioning of the legal principles for the protection of health data in both French law and European law. Indeed, first, the massive production of data (Big Data) in the field of health affects the quantity and the quality of the data which consequently reconfigure the tools of protection of private life and on the informational risk. Second, the use of these data is based on existing fundamental principles while raising new challenges for their governance.

Organizational change for services integration in public human service organizations: experiences in seven counties.

PubMed

Packard, Thomas; Patti, Rino; Daly, Donna; Tucker-Tatlow, Jennifer

2012-01-01

This is a study of organizational change strategies employed in seven county human service agencies to improve the coordination of services through the structural integration of previously free standing organizations or the development of voluntary interagency collaborative service delivery systems. The central question involves the identification of organizational change tactics which contributed to the success of the organizational change initiatives. The literature on organizational change is reviewed, with particular attention to a framework developed by Fernandez and Rainey based on their extensive review and synthesis of the research on successful change strategies in the public and business sectors. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from over 250 individuals and from agency documents. Findings are compared with the success factors identified by Fernandez and Rainey, and refinements to their propositions are suggested. More precise methods for measuring successful and unsuccessful change initiatives are suggested. Implications for practice and research are presented.

Mitochondrial Function in Sepsis

PubMed Central

Arulkumaran, Nishkantha; Deutschman, Clifford S.; Pinsky, Michael R.; Zuckerbraun, Brian; Schumacker, Paul T.; Gomez, Hernando; Gomez, Alonso; Murray, Patrick; Kellum, John A.

2015-01-01

Mitochondria are an essential part of the cellular infrastructure, being the primary site for high energy adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production through oxidative phosphorylation. Clearly, in severe systemic inflammatory states, like sepsis, cellular metabolism is usually altered and end organ dysfunction not only common but predictive of long term morbidity and mortality. Clearly, interest is mitochondrial function both as a target for intracellular injury and response to extrinsic stress have been a major focus of basic science and clinical research into the pathophysiology of acute illness. However, mitochondria have multiple metabolic and signaling functions that may be central in both the expression of sepsis and its ultimate outcome. In this review, the authors address five primary questions centered on the role of mitochondria in sepsis. This review should be used as both a summary source in placing mitochondrial physiology within the context of acute illness and as a focal point for addressing new research into diagnostic and treatment opportunities these insights provide. PMID:26871665

MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION IN SEPSIS.

PubMed

Arulkumaran, Nishkantha; Deutschman, Clifford S; Pinsky, Michael R; Zuckerbraun, Brian; Schumacker, Paul T; Gomez, Hernando; Gomez, Alonso; Murray, Patrick; Kellum, John A

2016-03-01

Mitochondria are an essential part of the cellular infrastructure, being the primary site for high-energy adenosine triphosphate production through oxidative phosphorylation. Clearly, in severe systemic inflammatory states, like sepsis, cellular metabolism is usually altered, and end organ dysfunction is not only common, but also predictive of long-term morbidity and mortality. Clearly, interest is mitochondrial function both as a target for intracellular injury and response to extrinsic stress have been a major focus of basic science and clinical research into the pathophysiology of acute illness. However, mitochondria have multiple metabolic and signaling functions that may be central in both the expression of sepsis and its ultimate outcome. In this review, the authors address five primary questions centered on the role of mitochondria in sepsis. This review should be used both as a summary source in placing mitochondrial physiology within the context of acute illness and as a focal point for addressing new research into diagnostic and treatment opportunities these insights provide.

Missed opportunities for impact in patient and carer involvement: a mixed methods case study of research priority setting.

PubMed

Snow, R; Crocker, J C; Crowe, S

2015-01-01

Healthcare workers want to listen more to patients and their carers in all sorts of areas of healthcare. This can include choosing topics for medical research. We looked at how patients and carers have helped to choose topics for research about type I diabetes. We aimed to find out if, and why, researchers often rejected their choices. We looked at a project which brought together patients, carers and healthcare workers to choose topics for research about type 1 diabetes. The group first asked patients, carers and healthcare workers to suggest ideas for research questions. But the group had to follow rules about what counted as a good research question. Some people's ideas did not count as good research questions, and they were rejected at the start. We looked at who were most likely to have their ideas rejected at the start. We found that patients and carers were most likely to have a suggestion rejected. Then we looked at the rejected questions in detail. They were mostly about curing diabetes, preventing diabetes and understanding how diabetes works. There were also some questions about access to medicines and the quality of care. Researchers should ask patients and carers for help deciding what counts as a good research question from the start of projects like these. We should also think about what might be getting in the way of patients and carers making more of a difference in research. Background Patients and carers are increasingly involved in deciding on topics for medical research. However, so far, it has been difficult to gain an accurate picture of the impact of such involvement because of poor reporting and evaluation in published studies to date. This study aimed to explore how a partnership of patients, carers, healthcare professionals and organisations identified questions for future research and why patients and carers had a limited impact on this process. Methods In the first stage of the partnership process, relevant service users and providers (including patients, carers, healthcare professionals and voluntary organisations) were invited to submit suggested research questions about the treatment of type 1 diabetes, via a national online and paper survey. The partnership followed formal protocols that defined a researchable question. This meant that many respondents' suggested research questions were rejected at the start of the process. We analysed survey submissions to find out which groups of respondents were most likely to have their suggestions rejected and what these suggestions were about. Results Five hundred eighty-three respondents submitted 1143 suggested research questions, of which 249 (21.8 %) were rejected at the first stage. Respondents with lived experience of this long-term condition (patients and carers) were more likely than those without lived experience to submit a research question that would be rejected (35.6 vs. 16.5 %; p  < 0.0005). Among the rejected questions submitted by patients and carers, there were several key themes: questions about cure, cause and prevention, understanding the disease, healthcare policy and economics. Conclusions In this case study, early decisions about what constituted a researchable question restricted patients' and carers' contributions to priority setting. When discussions about a project's remit take place before service users are involved, researchers risk distorting the potential impact of involvement. Impact assessments should consider not only the differences patients and carers make to research but also the differences they could have made in the absence of systemic barriers. We recommend that initiatives aimed at involving patients and carers in identifying research questions involve them as early as possible, including in decisions about how and why suggested research questions are selected or rejected.

Search for clues to Mesozoic graben on Long Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rogers, W.B.; Aparisi, M.; Sirkin, L.

1989-01-01

The position of Long Island between the Hartford Basin of Connecticut and graben structures reported from seismic reflection studies offshore to the south of the island suggests the possibility that other grabens associated with the early Mesozoic rifting might be buried beneath central Long Island. The hypothesis that post-rift tectonic activity would be related to the rift grabens and that such activity would be expressed in the post-rift sedimentary deposits led to a study of the Cretaceous and Pleistocene section to seek clues for buried grabens on Long Island. The Pleistocene glacial deposits in central and eastern Long Island have been mapped and a pollen zonation in the Upper Cretaceous section in the central part established. This work, combined with literature research, suggests the following: 1. (1) In central Long Island, the spacing of wells which reach basement enables a NE- striking zone free of basement samples to be defined where a buried graben could occur. This zone is referred to as the "permissible zone" because within it the data permit the existence of a hidden graben. 2. (2) The abrupt changes in the thickness of some pollen zones in the Upper Cretaceous deposits of central Long Island may be related to Cretaceous faulting. 3. (3) Buried preglacial valleys, the confluence of glacial lobes and major glacial outwash channels seem concentrated in west central and central Long Island. The loci of these drainage features may reflect structural control by a basement depression. 4. (4) The "permissible zone" is aligned with the zone of structures in an offshore zone south of central Long Island and with the Hartford Basin in Connecticut. Geophysical anomalies also fit into this pattern. 5. (5) A definitive answer to the question of a buried graben on Long Island will require a seismic line across the "permissible zone", or further drilling. ?? 1989.

Autonomic responses to exercise: where is central command?

PubMed

Williamson, J W

2015-03-01

A central command is thought to involve a signal arising in a central area of the brain eliciting a parallel activation of the autonomic nervous system and skeletal muscle contraction during exercise. Although much of the neural circuitry involved in autonomic control has been identified, defining the specific higher brain region(s) serving in a central command capacity has proven more challenging. Investigators have been faced with redundancies in regulatory systems, feedback mechanisms and the complexities ofhuman neural connectivity. Several studies have attempted to address these issues and provide more definitive neuroanatomical information. However, none have clearly answered the question, "where is central command?" Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Research on injury prevention: topics for systematic review.

PubMed

Rivara, F P; Johansen, J M; Thompson, D C

2002-06-01

Duplication should be avoided in research and only effective intervention programs should be implemented. To arrive at a consensus among injury control investigators and practitioners on the most important research questions for systematic review in the area of injury prevention. Delphi survey. A total of 34 injury prevention experts were asked to submit questions for systematic review. These were then collated; experts then ranked these on importance and availability of research. Twenty one experts generated 79 questions. The prevention areas with the most number of questions generated were fires and burns, motor vehicle, and violence (other than intimate partner), and the least were other interventions (which included Safe Communities), and risk compensation. These were ranked by mean score. There was good agreement between the mean score and the proportion of experts rating questions as important or very important. Nine of the top 24 questions were rated as having some to a substantial amount of research available, and 15 as having little research available. The Delphi technique provided a useful means to develop consensus on injury prevention research needs and questions for systematic review.

Reviewing the regulatory barriers for nanomedicine: global questions and challenges.

PubMed

Bowman, Diana M; Gatof, Jake

2015-01-01

Nanomedicine will play an increasing role in prevention and treatment across the entire healthcare spectrum. However, their precise market size, economic value and areas of application remain unclear. This opacity, including the question of what constitutes nanomedicine matters, especially when considered alongside the key regulatory questions and concerns. This article begins by placing these key questions into context in relation to the current scientific state of the art, focusing particular attention on the human health and safety context. In exploring these central questions surrounding the regulation of nanomedicine, this perspective also explores existing and suggested frameworks that aim to deal with emerging technologies more generally. It then outlines priority areas for action and general conclusions specific to nanomedicine.

Setting priorities for a research agenda to combat drug-resistant tuberculosis in children.

PubMed

Velayutham, B; Nair, D; Ramalingam, S; Perez-Velez, C M; Becerra, M C; Swaminathan, S

2015-12-21

Numerous knowledge gaps hamper the prevention and treatment of childhood drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Identifying research priorities is vital to inform and develop strategies to address this neglected problem. To systematically identify and rank research priorities in childhood drug-resistant TB. Adapting the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) methodology, we compiled 53 research questions in four research areas, then classified the questions into three research types. We invited experts in childhood drug-resistant TB to score these questions through an online survey. A total of 81 respondents participated in the survey. The top-ranked research question was to identify the best combination of existing diagnostic tools for early diagnosis. Highly ranked treatment-related questions centred on the reasons for and interventions to improve treatment outcomes, adverse effects of drugs and optimal treatment duration. The prevalence of drug-resistant TB was the highest-ranked question in the epidemiology area. The development type questions that ranked highest focused on interventions for optimal diagnosis, treatment and modalities for treatment delivery. This is the first effort to identify and rank research priorities for childhood drug-resistant TB. The result is a resource to guide research to improve prevention and treatment of drug-resistant TB in children.

[Wishes for the future of science: an analysis of dementia and ageing on The National Research Agenda (NWA)].

PubMed

Jansen, Sytske; Meulenbroek, Olga; Olde Rikkert, Marcel G M

2016-09-01

The National Research Agenda (NWA) assembles topics on which scientist can focus in the coming years. A study carried out by de Radboudumc in Nijmegen examined how many questions are put to the NWA on dementia and ageing. What priority does society give to this research field and who ask questions about this? With the method of the NWA as reference frame a supplementary route on dementia/ageing was proposed. Of the 11.700 questions submitted to the NWA almost 2.5% is about dementia/ageing. Compared to other medical issues this is a relatively high percentage. This analysis provides 21 research questions which give a good idea of the questions that where asked about the themes of ageing and dementia. Half of the questions came from citizens, therefore we can speak of a socially supported agenda in this area. However, most of the valid questions came from professional organizations involved in dementia. In the Netherlands a relatively high priority is given by authors of questions for the NWA to research on dementia and ageing. Questions from professionals are complemented by citizens who ask other relevant questions that provide a new perspective and are an addition to the knowledge questions from scientists.

Difficult Questions of Difficult Questions: The Role of The Researcher and Transcription Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Holly

2018-01-01

This paper refracts a comparison of three distinct transcription styles through questions of researcher reflexivity. It uses the data from a single question asked by the researcher in multiple interviews for a small empirical project. These data are transcribed in three ways, and the resulting transcripts are discussed in relation to the analysis…

Critical notes on stigma and medicalization according to the psycological and athropological view.

PubMed

Viégas, Lygia de Sousa; Harayama, Rui Massato; de Souza, Marilene Proença Rebello

2015-09-01

This article aims to reflect on ethical aspects involved in the social sciences and humanities researches conducted in the educational context. In this debate, which goes beyond the limits of Resolution 466/2012 and the Plataforma Brasil bureaucracies, we refer to Psychology and Anthropology critical readings in order to emphasize the ethical risks in the medicalized view of education and human development, which has contributed to the production of stigmas that reinforces school exclusion. As central elements of this questioning, we highlight: the debate about the illusion that research in humanities and social sciences do not imply ethical risks and the false dichotomy of biomedical sciences x social and human sciences within the research in psychology and anthropology in education. Attesting to the importance of such problems we referred to researches of national and international authors in the field of school /educational psychology and neuroscience. Through these considerations, the article concludes for the importance of ethical rigor in humanities and social sciences researches, focusing not only in the construction of the project and the methodological procedures of data collection, but also in the research results interpretations and in the publication of reports and scientific articles.

Identifying trial recruitment uncertainties using a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership - the PRioRiTy (Prioritising Recruitment in Randomised Trials) study.

PubMed

Healy, Patricia; Galvin, Sandra; Williamson, Paula R; Treweek, Shaun; Whiting, Caroline; Maeso, Beccy; Bray, Christopher; Brocklehurst, Peter; Moloney, Mary Clarke; Douiri, Abdel; Gamble, Carrol; Gardner, Heidi R; Mitchell, Derick; Stewart, Derek; Jordan, Joan; O'Donnell, Martin; Clarke, Mike; Pavitt, Sue H; Guegan, Eleanor Woodford; Blatch-Jones, Amanda; Smith, Valerie; Reay, Hannah; Devane, Declan

2018-03-01

Despite the problem of inadequate recruitment to randomised trials, there is little evidence to guide researchers on decisions about how people are effectively recruited to take part in trials. The PRioRiTy study aimed to identify and prioritise important unanswered trial recruitment questions for research. The PRioRiTy study - Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) included members of the public approached to take part in a randomised trial or who have represented participants on randomised trial steering committees, health professionals and research staff with experience of recruiting to randomised trials, people who have designed, conducted, analysed or reported on randomised trials and people with experience of randomised trials methodology. This partnership was aided by the James Lind Alliance and involved eight stages: (i) identifying a unique, relevant prioritisation area within trial methodology; (ii) establishing a steering group (iii) identifying and engaging with partners and stakeholders; (iv) formulating an initial list of uncertainties; (v) collating the uncertainties into research questions; (vi) confirming that the questions for research are a current recruitment challenge; (vii) shortlisting questions and (viii) final prioritisation through a face-to-face workshop. A total of 790 survey respondents yielded 1693 open-text answers to 6 questions, from which 1880 potential questions for research were identified. After merging duplicates, the number of questions was reduced to 496. Questions were combined further, and those that were submitted by fewer than 15 people and/or fewer than 6 of the 7 stakeholder groups were excluded from the next round of prioritisation resulting in 31 unique questions for research. All 31 questions were confirmed as being unanswered after checking relevant, up-to-date research evidence. The 10 highest priority questions were ranked at a face-to-face workshop. The number 1 ranked question was "How can randomised trials become part of routine care and best utilise current clinical care pathways?" The top 10 research questions can be viewed at www.priorityresearch.ie . The prioritised questions call for a collective focus on normalising trials as part of clinical care, enhancing communication, addressing barriers, enablers and motivators around participation and exploring greater public involvement in the research process.

Basic research needed for stimulating the development of behavioral technologies

PubMed Central

Mace, F. Charles

1994-01-01

The costs of disconnection between the basic and applied sectors of behavior analysis are reviewed, and some solutions to these problems are proposed. Central to these solutions are collaborations between basic and applied behavioral scientists in programmatic research that addresses the behavioral basis and solution of human behavior problems. This kind of collaboration parallels the deliberate interactions between basic and applied researchers that have proven to be so profitable in other scientific fields, such as medicine. Basic research questions of particular relevance to the development of behavioral technologies are posed in the following areas: response allocation, resistance to change, countercontrol, formation and differentiation/discrimination of stimulus and response classes, analysis of low-rate behavior, and rule-governed behavior. Three interrelated strategies to build connections between the basic and applied analysis of behavior are identified: (a) the development of nonhuman animal models of human behavior problems using operations that parallel plausible human circumstances, (b) replication of the modeled relations with human subjects in the operant laboratory, and (c) tests of the generality of the model with actual human problems in natural settings. PMID:16812734

A systems perspective on research and treatment with abused and neglected children.

PubMed

Clyman, R B

2000-01-01

To discuss two systems-level changes in the organization and financing of mental health and child welfare services that will increasingly affect abused and neglected children: the implementation of managed care processes and the incorporation of accountability mechanisms in the management of mental health and child welfare services, particularly the use of systematic outcomes assessments. A central goal of the paper is to identify critical research questions which will help us to understand the impact of these changes on maltreated children. These two systems-level changes are described, and ways they may affect maltreated children are addressed. Both managed care and the growing focus on managing services by monitoring outcomes may positively or negatively affect maltreated children. Both of these trends are affecting the mental health and child welfare systems. It is likely that they will affect maltreated children's access to and the quality, cost, and outcomes of mental health and child welfare services. Systematic research on the impact of these large-scale changes can increase the likelihood that these changes will benefit maltreated children. A number of critical areas are identified for future research.

Processing and Memory of Central versus Peripheral Information as a Function of Reading Goals: Evidence from Eye-Movements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeari, Menahem; van den Broek, Paul; Oudega, Marja

2015-01-01

The present study examined the effect of reading goals on the processing and memory of central and peripheral textual information. Using eye-tracking methodology, we compared the effect of four common reading goals--entertainment, presentation, studying for a close-ended (multiple-choice) questions test, and studying for an open-ended questions…

Extended Follow-Up Frequently Asked Questions | Division of Cancer Prevention

Cancer.gov

1. What is the PLCO Central Data Coordinating Center?The PLCO Central Data Coordinating Center (CDCC) is an extension of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. The extension will be coordinated by one site under the direction of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) rather than ten PLCO Screening Centers to reduce costs. Westat which has served

Theory of Mind and Central Coherence in Adults with High-Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaumont, Renae; Newcombe, Peter

2006-01-01

The study investigated theory of mind and central coherence abilities in adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) or Asperger syndrome (AS) using naturalistic tasks. Twenty adults with HFA/AS correctly answered significantly fewer theory of mind questions than 20 controls on a forced-choice response task. On a narrative task, there were no…

Strengthening research capacity in the Pacific: an example from the Atoifi Health Research Group, Solomon Islands.

PubMed

MacLaren, David; Asugeni, James; Redman-MacLaren, Michelle

2015-12-01

To provide an example of one model of research capacity building for mental health from a remote setting in Solomon Islands. The Atoifi Health Research Group is building health research capacity with a health service on the remote east coast of Malaita, Solomon Islands. The group uses a 'learn-by-doing' approach embedded in health service and community-level health projects. The group is eclectic in nature and deliberately engages a variety of partners to discover culturally informed methods of collecting, analysing and disseminating research findings. Key successes of the Atoifi Health Research Group are: that it was initiated by Solomon Islanders with self-expressed desire to learn about research; the learn-by-doing model; inclusion of community people to inform questions and socio-cultural appropriateness; and commitment to ongoing support by international researchers. Given different social, cultural, economic, geographic, spiritual and service contexts across the Pacific, locally appropriate approaches need to be considered. Such approaches challenge the orthodox approach of centralized investment to replicate specialist driven approaches of funder nations. Increasing expertise at all levels through participatory capacity building models that define and address local problems may be more sustainable and responsive to local mental health contexts. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Recommendations for Exploration Space Medicine from the Apollo Medical Operations Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheuring, R. a.; Davis, J. R.; Duncan, J. M.; Polk, J. D.; Jones, J. A.; Gillis, D. B.

2007-01-01

Introduction: A study was requested in December, 2005 by the Space Medicine Division at the NASA-Johnson Space Center (JSC) to identify Apollo mission issues relevant to medical operations that had impact to crew health and/or performance. The objective was to use this new information to develop medical requirements for the future Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM), Lunar Habitat, and Advanced Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits that are currently being developed within the exploration architecture. Methods: Available resources pertaining to medical operations on the Apollo 7 through 17 missions were reviewed. Ten categories of hardware, systems, or crew factors were identified in the background research, generating 655 data records in a database. A review of the records resulted in 280 questions that were then posed to surviving Apollo crewmembers by mail, face-to-face meetings, or online interaction. Response analysis to these questions formed the basis of recommendations to items in each of the categories. Results: Thirteen of 22 surviving Apollo astronauts (59%) participated in the project. Approximately 236 pages of responses to the questions were captured, resulting in 107 recommendations offered for medical consideration in the design of future vehicles and EVA suits based on the Apollo experience. Discussion: The goals of this project included: 1) Develop or modify medical requirements for new vehicles; 2) create a centralized database for future access; and 3) take this new knowledge and educate the various directorates at NASA-JSC who are participating in the exploration effort. To date, the Apollo Medical Operations recommendations are being incorporated into the exploration mission architecture at various levels and a centralized database has been developed. The Apollo crewmembers input has proved to be an invaluable resource, prompting ongoing collaboration as the requirements for the future exploration missions continue to evolve and be refined.

Tree Nonstructural Carbohydrate Reserves Across Eastern US Temperate Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantooth, J.; Dietze, M.

2015-12-01

Understanding the roles, importance, and dynamics of tree non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) is currently an active area of research. The question of how the relationships between NSCs, growth, and mortality can be used to develop more accurate projections of forest dynamics is central to this research. To begin to address this question, we have asked an even more fundamental question: How much are trees allocating carbon to storage, in the form of NSCs, versus new growth? Ecological theory predicts that there should be trade-offs between different plant life history strategies provided that there are the carbon mass-balance constraints to enforce these trade-offs. Current data on tree NSCs lack the spatial and taxonomic extent required to properly address this question. Therefore, we established a network of forest inventory plots at ten sites across the eastern US and measured growth in adult trees using increment cores and repeat measures of diameter at breast height (DBH). Increment cores were also used to measure sapwood NSCs. We hypothesized that across the eastern US, shade tolerant species, e.g. Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) have the largest NSC reserves and that shade intolerant species have the lowest reserves. We also hypothesized that NSC reserves increase with temperature and precipitation, as with growth, and that within species NSC reserves increase with growth rate. Initial analyses of tree NSCs indicates that trees of intermediate shade tolerance, e.g. Red Oak (Quercus rubra) have the highest concentrations of sapwood NSCs, and among the highest growth rates. Across the entire study region, NSC concentrations are positively correlated with tree size and growth rate. Within species, NSC concentrations are also positively correlated with growth rate. Across functional groups healthy individuals have significantly higher sapwood NSC concentrations than visibly stressed individuals. There are also significantly lower NSC concentrations in sapwood of dead trees.

Developing a research agenda for the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons: results of a delphi approach.

PubMed

Burt, Caroline G; Cima, Robert R; Koltun, Walter A; Littlejohn, Charles E; Ricciardi, Rocco; Temple, Larissa K; Rothenberger, David A; Baxter, Nancy N

2009-05-01

By use of a systematic approach, the aim of this project was to survey a group of colorectal specialists and reach a consensus on the research questions of highest importance in terms of clinical care. A modified Delphi process was performed. In Round 1 research questions were solicited from members of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. A review group categorized the results, combined similar questions, and presented them to The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons membership in Round 2 for prioritizing according to importance. In Round 3 the 50 questions with the highest scores in Round 2 were reranked by The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons membership to produce the 20 highest-priority research questions. A total of 203 respondents in Round 1 submitted 746 questions. The review team reduced these to 105 individual questions encompassing 21 topics in colorectal surgical practice. In Rounds 2 and 3, 399 and 360 respondents, respectively, prioritized the questions presented. The final 20 items included 14 questions related to colorectal cancer, and 6 were on benign disease topics. The research agenda produced by this study reflects the clinical issues of greatest importance to colorectal surgeons. The results are of potential benefit to researchers, funding organizations, medical journals, and ultimately, patients.

N2 and P3 modulation during partial inhibition in a modified go/nogo task.

PubMed

Nguyen, An T; Moyle, Jonson J; Fox, Allison M

2016-09-01

The neural response following the partial inhibition of responses can provide insight into the processes underlying response inhibition. We examined the N2 and P3 on trials where participants correctly responded to go stimuli, successfully inhibited their response to nogo stimuli, and nogo trials where they initiated but did not complete their response (partial inhibitions) in an adult sample (N=24, M(age)=21.17, SD(age)=3.52). An enhanced and delayed N2 was observed on partially inhibited compared to successfully inhibited nogo trials. Further analysis showed that this modulation was error-related. An enhanced central P3 was observed following successful inhibitions compared to correct go trials, but not following partial inhibitions. The results suggest that the central P3 enhancement is specific to the complete and successful inhibition of responses. Therefore, the absence of a central P3 on partial inhibitions could reflect insufficient inhibition or a monitored failure in inhibiting the response. Although, our findings provide support for the role of P3 in response inhibition, it raises questions about the processes involved in the subsequent inhibition or correction of the erroneous response. Further research examining the neural response following both partial and unsuccessful inhibitions could provide insight regarding these processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growing season net ecosystem CO2 exchange of two desert ecosystems with alkaline soils in Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Li, Longhui; Chen, Xi; van der Tol, Christiaan; Luo, Geping; Su, Zhongbo

2014-01-01

Central Asia is covered by vast desert ecosystems, and the majority of these ecosystems have alkaline soils. Their contribution to global net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) is of significance simply because of their immense spatial extent. Some of the latest research reported considerable abiotic CO2 absorption by alkaline soil, but the rate of CO2 absorption has been questioned by peer communities. To investigate the issue of carbon cycle in Central Asian desert ecosystems with alkaline soils, we have measured the NEE using eddy covariance (EC) method at two alkaline sites during growing season in Kazakhstan. The diurnal course of mean monthly NEE followed a clear sinusoidal pattern during growing season at both sites. Both sites showed significant net carbon uptake during daytime on sunny days with high photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) but net carbon loss at nighttime and on cloudy and rainy days. NEE has strong dependency on PAR and the response of NEE to precipitation resulted in an initial and significant carbon release to the atmosphere, similar to other ecosystems. These findings indicate that biotic processes dominated the carbon processes, and the contribution of abiotic carbon process to net ecosystem CO2 exchange may be trivial in alkaline soil desert ecosystems over Central Asia.

Overlap and distinction between measures of insight and self-stigma.

PubMed

Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit

2018-05-24

Multiple studies on insight into one's illness and self-stigma among patients with serious mental illness and their relatives have shown that these constructs are related to one another and that they affect outcome. However, a critical exploration of the items used to assess both constructs raises questions with regard to the possible overlapping and centrality of items. The current study used five different samples to explore the possible overlap and distinction between insight and self-stigma, and to identify central items, via network analyses and principal component factor analysis. Findings from the network analyses showed overlap between insight and self-stigma exist with a relatively clearer observational distinction between the constructs among the two parent samples in comparison to the patient samples. Principal component factor analysis constrained to two factors showed that a relatively high percentage of items were not loaded on either factor, and in a few datasets, several insight items were loaded on the self-stigma scale and vice versa. The author discusses implications for research and calls for rethinking the way insight is assessed. Clinical implications are also discussed in reference to central items of social isolation, future worries and stereotype endorsement among the different study groups. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growing season net ecosystem CO2 exchange of two desert ecosystems with alkaline soils in Kazakhstan

PubMed Central

Li, Longhui; Chen, Xi; van der Tol, Christiaan; Luo, Geping; Su, Zhongbo

2014-01-01

Central Asia is covered by vast desert ecosystems, and the majority of these ecosystems have alkaline soils. Their contribution to global net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) is of significance simply because of their immense spatial extent. Some of the latest research reported considerable abiotic CO2 absorption by alkaline soil, but the rate of CO2 absorption has been questioned by peer communities. To investigate the issue of carbon cycle in Central Asian desert ecosystems with alkaline soils, we have measured the NEE using eddy covariance (EC) method at two alkaline sites during growing season in Kazakhstan. The diurnal course of mean monthly NEE followed a clear sinusoidal pattern during growing season at both sites. Both sites showed significant net carbon uptake during daytime on sunny days with high photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) but net carbon loss at nighttime and on cloudy and rainy days. NEE has strong dependency on PAR and the response of NEE to precipitation resulted in an initial and significant carbon release to the atmosphere, similar to other ecosystems. These findings indicate that biotic processes dominated the carbon processes, and the contribution of abiotic carbon process to net ecosystem CO2 exchange may be trivial in alkaline soil desert ecosystems over Central Asia. PMID:24455157

Central American mothers report family history of depression and alcohol abuse as a predictor of teenage health risk behaviors.

PubMed

Maradiegue, Ann

2010-10-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships of family history of depression and alcohol abuse as a predictor of health risk behaviors among Central American teenagers. Demographic data were collected from a convenience sample of 101 Central American mothers with a teenage daughter ages 12-17 years who were living in Northern Virginia. The research questions assessed the family history of depression, alcohol abuse, and maternal depression. Scores were calculated to predict risk of teenage health risk behaviors. The Hispanic mothers in this study reported that their teenagers had significant health risk behaviors, including school dropout and expulsion, alcohol and substance use, pregnancy, and gang membership. Family history of depression and alcohol abuse in a first degree relative predicted teenage risk behavior 71% of the time. There is no consensus on a standard screening approach for depression in teenagers. Developing a standardized approach to gathering information from teenagers that includes genetic family traits may have significant effects on interventions for teenage health risk behavior and ways to provide the best services for vulnerable teenagers. The results of this study have implications for nurse practitioners caring for teenagers. ©2010 The Author(s) Journal compilation ©2010 American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

The insect central complex as model for heterochronic brain development-background, concepts, and tools.

PubMed

Koniszewski, Nikolaus Dieter Bernhard; Kollmann, Martin; Bigham, Mahdiyeh; Farnworth, Max; He, Bicheng; Büscher, Marita; Hütteroth, Wolf; Binzer, Marlene; Schachtner, Joachim; Bucher, Gregor

2016-06-01

The adult insect brain is composed of neuropils present in most taxa. However, the relative size, shape, and developmental timing differ between species. This diversity of adult insect brain morphology has been extensively described while the genetic mechanisms of brain development are studied predominantly in Drosophila melanogaster. However, it has remained enigmatic what cellular and genetic mechanisms underlie the evolution of neuropil diversity or heterochronic development. In this perspective paper, we propose a novel approach to study these questions. We suggest using genome editing to mark homologous neural cells in the fly D. melanogaster, the beetle Tribolium castaneum, and the Mediterranean field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus to investigate developmental differences leading to brain diversification. One interesting aspect is the heterochrony observed in central complex development. Ancestrally, the central complex is formed during embryogenesis (as in Gryllus) but in Drosophila, it arises during late larval and metamorphic stages. In Tribolium, it forms partially during embryogenesis. Finally, we present tools for brain research in Tribolium including 3D reconstruction and immunohistochemistry data of first instar brains and the generation of transgenic brain imaging lines. Further, we characterize reporter lines labeling the mushroom bodies and reflecting the expression of the neuroblast marker gene Tc-asense, respectively.

Patient-centered prioritization of bladder cancer research.

PubMed

Smith, Angela B; Chisolm, Stephanie; Deal, Allison; Spangler, Alejandra; Quale, Diane Z; Bangs, Rick; Jones, J Michael; Gore, John L

2018-05-04

Patient-centered research requires the meaningful involvement of patients and caregivers throughout the research process. The objective of this study was to create a process for sustainable engagement for research prioritization within oncology. From December 2014 to 2016, a network of engaged patients for research prioritization was created in partnership with the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN): the BCAN Patient Survey Network (PSN). The PSN leveraged an online bladder cancer community with additional recruitment through print advertisements and social media campaigns. Prioritized research questions were developed through a modified Delphi process and were iterated through multidisciplinary working groups and a repeat survey. In year 1 of the PSN, 354 patients and caregivers responded to the research prioritization survey; the number of responses increased to 1034 in year 2. The majority of respondents had non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and the mean time since diagnosis was 5 years. Stakeholder-identified questions for noninvasive, invasive, and metastatic disease were prioritized by the PSN. Free-text questions were sorted with thematic mapping. Several questions submitted by respondents were among the prioritized research questions. A final prioritized list of research questions was disseminated to various funding agencies, and a highly ranked NMIBC research question was included as a priority area in the 2017 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute announcement of pragmatic trial funding. Patient engagement is needed to identify high-priority research questions in oncology. The BCAN PSN provides a successful example of an engagement infrastructure for annual research prioritization in bladder cancer. The creation of an engagement network sets the groundwork for additional phases of engagement, including design, conduct, and dissemination. Cancer 2018. © 2018 American Cancer Society. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

The role of the faculty mentor to the REU experience: insights from an international REU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, C.; Cahill, A. T.; Lemmons, K.

2012-12-01

The Texas A&M REU in Costa Rica provides students with an opportunity to participate in research on the ecohydrology of a tropical pre-montane forest. The international and field components of this program require both that students to work in research clusters of several faculty and students, and that each of the clusters contribute to a primary research question of closing the water budget for a small watershed. Specifically, students and faculty participate in precipitation (P), evapotranspiration (E), hydrology (Q) or subsurface storage (DS) research clusters. It is argued that having the students at a central research station location and focusing their research on a common research problem is an important aspect of an international REU program to avoid a feeling of isolation and to ensure that the students remain safe in their research and during their free time. However, this shared experience and research question can highlight differences among the faculty mentors and make the students evaluate their individual experience more critically. To better understand the relationship between the REU student and their faculty mentor(s), we have been conducting pre- and post-surveys, interviews, and focus groups to understand their experience in the REU and the manner in which the faculty mentor can affect that experience and the desire to continue in research. Results of the pre-trip survey suggest that the undergraduate students are most concerned about their projects and show little no concern about the faculty mentor with whom they will be completing their research. Post-trip results from 2011 and 2012 suggest that mentors had a much greater impact on the experience than expected. Many students said that their future research/graduate school plans were significantly affected by their REU mentor relationship. One student said that by working closely with mentors, "you know that what you are doing and learning is pertinent because you are learning it from actual researchers." The overall results suggest that the student-to-mentor relationship created through these authentic experiences is highly influential in either encouraging or discouraging students to conduct future research and/or attend graduate school.

American Society of Clinical Oncology policy statement: oversight of clinical research.

PubMed

2003-06-15

Well-publicized lapses in the review or implementation of clinical research studies have raised public questions about the integrity of the clinical research process. Public trust in the integrity of research is critical not only for funding and participation in clinical trials but also for confidence in the treatments that result from the trials. The questions raised by these unfortunate cases pose an important opportunity to reassess the clinical trials oversight system to ensure the integrity of clinical research and the safety of those who enroll in clinical trials. Since its inception, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has worked for the advancement of cancer treatments through clinical research and to help patients gain prompt access to scientifically excellent and ethically unimpeachable clinical trials. As an extension of its mission, ASCO is affirming with this policy statement the critical importance of a robust review and oversight system to ensure that clinical trials participants give fully informed consent and that their safety is a top priority. Ensuring the integrity of research cannot be stressed enough because of its seminal connection to the advancement of clinical cancer treatment. The overall goal of this policy is to enhance public trust in the cancer clinical trials process. To achieve this, the following elements are essential: 1. Ensure safety precautions for clinical trial participants and their fully informed consent. 2. Ensure the validity and integrity of scientific research. 3. Enhance the educational training of clinical scientists and research staff to ensure the highest standards of research conduct. 4. Promote accountability and responsibility among all those involved in clinical research (not just those serving on institutional review boards [IRBs], but also institutional officials, researchers, sponsors, and participants) and ensure support for an effective oversight process. 5. Enhance the professional and public understanding of clinical research oversight. 6. Enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the clinical research oversight system. This policy statement makes recommendations in several areas that serve as principles to support an improved system of oversight for clinical research. ASCO will work with all parties involved in the clinical research system to develop the steps necessary to implement these recommendations. Centralized Trial Review: A large percentage of oncology clinical trials are coordinated through the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) system of cooperative groups, which already incorporates centralized scientific review. As such, there is a tremendous opportunity to employ a centralized mechanism to provide ethical review by highly trained IRB members, allowing local IRBs to take advantage of the financial and time efficiencies that central review provides. Centralized review boards (CRBs) would also contribute consistency and efficiency to the process. Once successfully completed, the review would represent an approval to open the protocol at all of the institutions that have subscribed to the centralized review system. Local IRBs would be able to devote time usually spent on initial review to ongoing monitoring of the trial taking place at their institution. Considering the enormous size and complexity of the clinical research enterprise, ASCO envisions multiple CRBs, which could be distributed as regional review boards. Central review will use a single protocol and consent form, and monitor and evaluate adverse events (AEs) on a global basis, eliminating many of the time-consuming steps for the local IRB. Global monitoring and assessment of AEs has real potential to enhance trial participants' safety by giving local institutions more information on the overall trial and enabling them to devote more time to ongoing review of the trial onsite. Use of a CRB also has real potential to reduce the costs of clinical trial oversight by allowing local IRBs to eliminate the costs of initial review. These efficiencies will likely lead to institutions redirecting funds toward monitoring ongoing trials. Although a CRB has potential to improve the efficiency of the process, a CRB could also have tremendous ability to delay valuable trials. Checks and balances must be included in the newly devised system to ensure timely review and appeals of CRB actions. ASCO proposes the advent of a new pilot program for centralizing review of clinical trials. It requires clear engagement of all stakeholders in planning the experiment, clear articulation of the goals, and assurance of federal regulatory protection for institutions choosing to participate. If successful, this CRB pilot project could be expanded to include multi-institutional industry-sponsored research. Education and Training:Education and training are critical to the ultimate success of an improved oversight system. All members of the research team should receive comprehensive education on conducting scientifically and ethically valid clinical research. The curriculum should also include information on the prevailing local and federal regulations that pertain to the clinical trials process. IRB members should also receive ongoing education and training in the review of clinical research protocols. IRB training should pay particular attention to nonscientific members to give them the tools necessary to speak on behalf of research participants. ASCO should develop a curriculum that focuses on the proper conduct of human research and emphasize ethically sound clinical research in the context of its Annual Meeting. Informed Consent: Investigators and review boards have specific roles to play in ensuring the education of trial participants through the informed consent process, both when they are considering trial enrollment and as they participate in the trial. Review boards and investigators should focus primarily on the informed consent process, rather than the informed consent documents. Federal Oversight: The federal government has an important role to play in the oversight of clinical research. This role should be expanded to cover all research, not just that which is funded by the federal government or conducted with the oversight of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) and the FDA should provide clear regulatory support and guidance for local institutions that choose to employ a CRB. In the case of the pilot CRB discussed in this policy statement, it should serve as the preferred option for the cancer cooperative group clinical trials. Ideally, the federal government should unify and streamline its regulations for the oversight of clinical research. Resources Supporting Clinical Research Infrastructure:An effective oversight process demands the highest quality scientific and ethical review and onsite monitoring of the safety of trial participants. This can only be accomplished by the involvement of an experienced IRB that receives funding, resources, and institutional support enabling it to fulfill its mandate. Critical to the integrity of research is the absence of bias in the process. ASCO strongly recommends the adoption of standards for the identification, management, and, where appropriate, elimination of conflicts of interests, whether they are actual, potential, or apparent.

Fostering Creative Thinking in the Institutional Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-10

creative thought . Primary Research Question Given the imperatives of warfighting challenge #10 and the necessity of field grade officers to influence...thinking throughout their organizations. This drives the primary research question, “does CGSOC foster creative thought for resident students?” If...organizations. Secondary Research Questions In order to answer the primary question, “does CGSOC foster creative thought in resident students?” the

Current views on hunter-gatherer nutrition and the evolution of the human diet.

PubMed

Crittenden, Alyssa N; Schnorr, Stephanie L

2017-01-01

Diet composition and food choice are not only central to the daily lives of all living people, but are consistently linked with turning points in human evolutionary history. As such, scholars from a wide range of fields have taken great interest in the role that subsistence has played in both human cultural and biological evolution. Central to this discussion is the diet composition and nutrition of contemporary hunters and gatherers, who are frequently conscripted as model populations for ancestral human nutrition. Research among the world's few remaining foraging populations is experiencing a resurgence, as they are making the final transition away from diets composed of wild foods, to those dominated by domesticated cultigens and/or processed foods. In an effort to glean as much information as possible, before such populations are no longer hunting and gathering, researchers interested in the evolution of human nutrition are rapidly collecting and accessing new and more data. Methods of scientific inquiry are in the midst of rapid change and scholars are able to revisit long-standing questions using state of the art analyses. Here, using the most relevant findings from studies in ethnography, nutrition, human physiology, and microbiomes, we provide a brief summary of the study of the evolution of human nutrition as it has specifically pertained to data coming from living hunter-gatherers. In doing so, we hope to bridge the disciplines that are currently invested in research on nutrition and health among foraging populations. © 2017 American Association of Physical Anthropologists.

Identifying primary care patient safety research priorities in the UK: a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership

PubMed Central

Stocks, Susan Jill; Alam, Rahul; Taylor, Sian; Rolfe, Carly; Glover, Steven William; Whitcombe, Joanne; Campbell, Stephen M

2018-01-01

Objectives To identify the top 10 unanswered research questions for primary care patient safety research. Design A modified nominal group technique. Setting UK. Participants Anyone with experience of primary care including: patients, carers and healthcare professionals. 341 patients and 86 healthcare professionals submitted questions. Main outcomes A top 10, and top 30, future research questions for primary care patient safety. Results 443 research questions were submitted by 341 patients and 86 healthcare professionals, through a national survey. After checking for relevance and rephrasing, a total of 173 questions were collated into themes. The themes were largely focused on communication, team and system working, interfaces across primary and secondary care, medication, self-management support and technology. The questions were then prioritised through a national survey, the top 30 questions were taken forward to the final prioritisation workshop. The top 10 research questions focused on the most vulnerable in society, holistic whole-person care, safer communication and coordination between care providers, work intensity, continuity of care, suicide risk, complex care at home and confidentiality. Conclusions This study was the first national prioritisation exercise to identify patient and healthcare professional priorities for primary care patient safety research. The research priorities identified a range of important gaps in the existing evidence to inform everyday practice to address primary care patient safety. PMID:29490970

Student Learning Abroad: What Our Students Are Learning, What They're Not, and What We Can Do about It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vande Berg, Michael, Ed.; Paige, R. Michael, Ed.; Lou, Kris Hemming, Ed.

2012-01-01

A central purpose of this book is to question the claims commonly made about the educational benefits of study abroad. Traditional metrics of enrollment increases and student self-report, and practices of structural immersion, are being questioned as educators voice growing uncertainty about what students are or are not in fact learning abroad.…

Once the Beat Gets Going It Really Grooves: Informal Music Learning as Experienced by Two Irish Traditional Musicians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldron, Janice

2007-01-01

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to discover the manner in which two Irish musicians, Loretto Reid and Brian Taheny, taught/and or transmitted traditional music at the Celtic College Summer School in Goderich, Ontario. Two central questions, each followed by several sub-questions, served to focus the study: "How did you learn…

The Problem of Teaching and Mental Development at School Age ["Problema obuchenija i Uustvennogo razvitija v shkol'nom vozraste"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vygotsky, Lev S.

2017-01-01

How learning relates to development in children of school age is the most central and fundamental question. Without an answer to this, problems of pedagogical psychology and analysis of the pedagogical process can neither be properly resolved nor even stated. Nevertheless, this question remains the most obscure and unexplained of all the basic…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, Nan; Williams, Christopher

This report is intended to answer the question: “What international experiences with ‘eco-cities’ can help the central Chinese government evaluate the performance of Chinese cities that pursue ‘lowcarbon’ urban development?” To answer this question, we reviewed the literature on eco-cities and closely related concepts, surveyed performance indicators used to evaluate sustainable urban development around the world, and compiled case studies of exceptional eco- and sustainable cities.

Effective stakeholder participation in setting research priorities using a Global Evidence Mapping approach.

PubMed

Clavisi, Ornella; Bragge, Peter; Tavender, Emma; Turner, Tari; Gruen, Russell L

2013-05-01

We present a multistep process for identifying priority research areas in rehabilitation and long-term care of traumatic brain-injured (TBI) patients. In particular, we aimed to (1) identify which stakeholders should be involved; (2) identify what methods are appropriate; (3) examine different criteria for the generation of research priority areas; and (4) test the feasibility of linkage and exchange among researchers, decision makers, and other potential users of the research. Potential research questions were identified and developed using an initial scoping meeting and preliminary literature search, followed by a facilitated mapping workshop and an online survey. Identified research questions were then prioritized against specific criteria (clinical importance, novelty, and controversy). Existing evidence was then mapped to the high-priority questions using usual processes for search, screening, and selection. A broad range of stakeholders were then brought together at a forum to identify priority research themes for future research investment. Using clinical and research leaders, smaller targeted planning workshops prioritized specific research projects for each of the identified themes. Twenty-six specific questions about TBI rehabilitation were generated, 14 of which were high priority. No one method identified all high-priority questions. Methods that relied solely on the views of clinicians and researchers identified fewer high-priority questions compared with methods that used broader stakeholder engagement. Evidence maps of these high-priority questions yielded a number of evidence gaps. Priority questions and evidence maps were then used to inform a research forum, which identified 12 priority themes for future research. Our research demonstrates the value of a multistep and multimethod process involving many different types of stakeholders for prioritizing research to improve the rehabilitation outcomes of people who have suffered TBI. Enhancing stakeholder representation can be augmented using a combination of methods and a process of linkage and exchange. This process can inform decisions about prioritization of research areas. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Platte River Hydrologic Observatory (PRIVHO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, F.; Ramirez, J. A.; Thurow, T. L.

2004-12-01

The Platte River Hydrologic Observatory (PRIVHO), located within the Platte River Basin, of the U.S. central Great Plains, affords excellent interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary research opportunities for scientists to examine the impacts of scaling, to investigate forcing feedbacks and coupling of various interconnected hydrological, geological, climatological and biological systems, and to test the applicability and limits of prediction in keeping with all five of CUAHSI's priority science criteria; linking hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles, sustainability of water resources, hydrologic and ecosystem interactions, hydrologic extremes, and fate and transport of contaminants. In addition, PRIVHO is uniquely positioned to investigate many human dimension questions such as those related to interstate and intrastate conflicts over water use, evolution of water policy and law in the wake of advancing science, societal and economic changes that are driven by water use, availability and management, and human impacts on climate and land use changes. The Platte River traverses several important environmental gradients, including temperature and precipitation-to-evaporation ratio, is underlain by the High Plains Aquifer under much of its reach, crosses a number of terrestrial ecoregions, and in central Nebraska, serves as a vital link in the Central Flyway, providing habitat for 300 species of migratory birds and many threatened or endangered species. The Platte River flows through metropolitan, urban and agricultural settings and is impacted by both point and non-point pollution. The Platte River is one of the most over-appropriated rivers in the country with 15 major dams, hundreds of small reservoirs, and thousands of irrigation wells. The river provides municipal and industrial water supplies for about 3.5 million people, irrigation water for millions of acres of farmland, and generates millions of dollars of hydroelectric power. PRIVHO will allow researchers to address science questions related to; the impacts of drought, managed agriculture, and water resource development and use on riparian ecosystem health, hyporheic flow dynamics and contaminant attenuation within braided streams, groundwater-surface water interaction, and the influences of climate modes such as ENSO, NAO, PDO, etc. on river hydrological dynamics. Infrastructure is in place within PRIVHO to collect core hydrologic data including precipitation, stream discharge, groundwater levels, precipitation, surface and groundwater quality, soil moisture, remotely sensed water quality, vegetative cover data, soil moisture and vegetative wetness data, and information related to migratory waterfowl, terrestrial animals and aquatic organisms.

Strategic considerations for support of humans in space and Moon/Mars exploration missions. Life sciences research and technology programs, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Summary charts of the following topics are presented: the Percentage of Critical Questions in Constrained and Robust Programs; the Executive Committee and AMAC Disposition of Critical Questions for Constrained and Robust Programs; and the Requirements for Ground-based Research and Flight Platforms for Constrained and Robust Programs. Data Tables are also presented and cover the following: critical questions from all Life Sciences Division Discipline Science Plans; critical questions listed by category and criticality; all critical questions which require ground-based research; critical questions that would utilize spacelabs listed by category and criticality; critical questions that would utilize Space Station Freedom (SSF) listed by category and criticality; critical questions that would utilize the SSF Centrifuge; facility listed by category and criticality; critical questions that would utilize a Moon base listed by category and criticality; critical questions that would utilize robotic missions listed by category and criticality; critical questions that would utilize free flyers listed by category and criticality; and critical questions by deliverables.

Promoting self-awareness and reflection through an experiential Mind-Body Skills course for first year medical students

PubMed Central

SAUNDERS, PAMELA A.; TRACTENBERG, ROCHELLE E.; CHATERJI, RANJANA; AMRI, HAKIMA; HARAZDUK, NANCY; GORDON, JAMES S.; LUMPKIN, MICHAEL; HARAMATI, AVIAD

2015-01-01

Background This research examines student evaluations of their experience and attitudes in an 11 week mind-body skills course for first year medical students. Aims The aim is to understand the impact of this course on students’ self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-care as part of their medical education experience. Methods This study uses a qualitative content analysis approach to data analysis. The data are 492 verbatim responses from 82 students to six open-ended questions about the students’ experiences and attitudes after a mind-body skills course. These questions queried students’ attitudes about mind-body medicine, complementary medicine, and their future as physicians using these approaches. Results The data revealed five central themes in students’ responses: connections, self discovery, stress relief, learning, and medical education. Conclusions Mind-body skills groups represent an experiential approach to teaching mind-body techniques that can enable students to achieve self-awareness and self-reflection in order to engage in self-care and to gain exposure to mind-body medicine while in medical school. PMID:17852720

An obsolete dichotomy? Rethinking the rural–urban interface in terms of food security and production in the global south.

PubMed

Lerner, Amy M; Eakin, Hallie

2011-01-01

The global food system is coming under increasing strain in the face of urban population growth. The recent spike in global food prices (2007–08) provoked consumer protests, and raised questions about food sovereignty and how and where food will be produced. Concurrently, for the first time in history the majority of the global population is urban, with the bulk of urban growth occurring in smaller-tiered cities and urban peripheries, or ‘peri-urban’ areas of the developing world. This paper discusses the new emerging spaces that incorporate a mosaic of urban and rural worlds, and reviews the implications of these spaces for livelihoods and food security. We propose a modified livelihoods framework to evaluate the contexts in which food production persists within broader processes of landscape and livelihood transformation in peri-urban locations. Where and how food production persists are central questions for the future of food security in an urbanising world. Our proposed framework provides directions for future research and highlights the role of policy and planning in reconciling food production with urban growth.

[Shortage and need of physicians in Germany? Questions addressed to health services research].

PubMed

Adler, G; v d Knesebeck, J-H

2011-02-01

The problem of shortage of physicians has been discussed controversially in Germany for years, and the different positions of the interest groups involved have not been resolved. The question of the present and anticipated future requirement of physicians is central for an appropriate and necessary medical care of the population. In the analysis, supply and demand of medical care have to be distinguished. Relatively reliable data do exist for the supply of physicians; however, the changing number of working hours that male and--in particular female--physicians are willing to contribute should be taken into consideration. Reliable data for the future demand are presently not available. Several variables (e.g., demography, disease spectrum of an aging society, medical progress, the changing rules of working hours, and the shift of medical care between hospital and practice care) depend on future developments. Considering the existing serious indicators of a growing shortage of physicians, it is recommended to put more effort into the scientific investigation of these factors. More profound data should improve the basis for decisions in health and education politics.

Can Broad Consent be Informed Consent?

PubMed Central

Sheehan, Mark

2011-01-01

In biobanks, a broader model of consent is often used and justified by a range of different strategies that make reference to the potential benefits brought by the research it will facilitate combined with the low level of risk involved (provided adequate measures are in place to protect privacy and confidentiality) or a questioning of the centrality of the notion of informed consent. Against this, it has been suggested that the lack of specific information about particular uses of the samples means that such consent cannot be fully autonomous and so is unethical. My answer to the title question is a definite ‘yes’. Broad consent can be informed consent and is justified by appeal to the principle of respect for autonomy. Indeed, I will suggest that the distinction between the various kinds of consent is not a distinction between kinds of consent but between the kinds of choice a person makes. When an individual makes a choice (of any kind) it is important that they do so according to the standards of informed consent and consistent with the choice that they are making. PMID:22102849

Scientific Literacy and Student Attitudes: Perspectives from PISA 2006 science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bybee, Rodger; McCrae, Barry

2011-01-01

International assessments provide important knowledge about science education and help inform decisions about policies, programmes, and practices in participating countries. In 2006, science was the primary domain for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), supported by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Compared to the school curriculum orientation of Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), PISA provides a perspective that emphasises the application of knowledge to science and technology-related life situations. The orientation of PISA includes both knowledge and attitudes as these contribute to students' competencies that are central to scientific literacy. In addition to students' knowledge and competencies, the 2006 PISA survey gathered data on students' interest in science, support for scientific enquiry, and responsibility towards resources and environments. The survey used both a non-contextualised student questionnaire and contextualised questions. The latter is an innovative approach which embedded attitudinal questions at the conclusion of about two-thirds of the test units. The results presented in this article make connections between students' attitudes and interests in science and scientific literacy.

How is the Inquiry Skills of Biology Preservice Teachers in Biotechnology Lecture?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayat, M. S.; Rustaman, N. Y.

2017-09-01

This study was to investigate the inquiry skills of biology pre-service teachers in one teachers college in Central Java in biotechnology lecture. The method used is a case study of 29 biology preservice teacher. Data were collected using observation sheets, questionnaires, and interview guidelines. Research findings collected through questionnaires show that most students are accustomed to asking questions and formulating biotechnology issues; Skilled in conducting experiments; Skilled in obtaining relevant information from various sources; As well as skilled at processing, analyzing and interpreting data. Based on observation: lectures are not dominated by lecturers, students are able to solve problems encountered and conduct investigations. Based on the interview towards lecturers: students are always actively involved in questioning, investigation, inquiry, problem solving and experimenting in lectures. Why do most students show good inquiry skills? Because students are accustomed to invited inquiry in biology lectures. The impact, the students become more ready to be invited to do more advanced inquiry, such as real-world application inquiry, because the skill of inquiry is essentially trained.

Navigating uncertain waters: a critical review of inferring foraging behaviour from location and dive data in pinnipeds.

PubMed

Carter, Matt Ian Daniel; Bennett, Kimberley A; Embling, Clare B; Hosegood, Philip J; Russell, Debbie J F

2016-01-01

In the last thirty years, the emergence and progression of biologging technology has led to great advances in marine predator ecology. Large databases of location and dive observations from biologging devices have been compiled for an increasing number of diving predator species (such as pinnipeds, sea turtles, seabirds and cetaceans), enabling complex questions about animal activity budgets and habitat use to be addressed. Central to answering these questions is our ability to correctly identify and quantify the frequency of essential behaviours, such as foraging. Despite technological advances that have increased the quality and resolution of location and dive data, accurately interpreting behaviour from such data remains a challenge, and analytical methods are only beginning to unlock the full potential of existing datasets. This review evaluates both traditional and emerging methods and presents a starting platform of options for future studies of marine predator foraging ecology, particularly from location and two-dimensional (time-depth) dive data. We outline the different devices and data types available, discuss the limitations and advantages of commonly-used analytical techniques, and highlight key areas for future research. We focus our review on pinnipeds - one of the most studied taxa of marine predators - but offer insights that will be applicable to other air-breathing marine predator tracking studies. We highlight that traditionally-used methods for inferring foraging from location and dive data, such as first-passage time and dive shape analysis, have important caveats and limitations depending on the nature of the data and the research question. We suggest that more holistic statistical techniques, such as state-space models, which can synthesise multiple track, dive and environmental metrics whilst simultaneously accounting for measurement error, offer more robust alternatives. Finally, we identify a need for more research to elucidate the role of physical oceanography, device effects, study animal selection, and developmental stages in predator behaviour and data interpretation.

Gaps in Current Knowledge and Priorities for Future Research in Dry Eye.

PubMed

Saldanha, Ian J; Dickersin, Kay; Hutfless, Susan T; Akpek, Esen K

2017-12-01

Dry eye, a common yet underrecognized and evolving field, has few recommended treatment algorithms, mostly based on expert consensus rather than robust research evidence. There are high costs associated with managing dry eye and conducting research to identify effective and safe long-term treatments. To support evidence-based management of dry eye, our purpose was to identify and prioritize important clinical research questions for future clinical research. We translated recommendations from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2013 Preferred Practice Patterns for dry eye into answerable clinical research questions about treatment effectiveness. Clinicians around the world who manage patients with dry eye rated each question's importance from 0 (not important) to 10 (very important) using a 2-round online Delphi survey. We considered questions as "important" if ≥75% of respondents assigned a rating of 6 or more in round 2. We mapped the identified important clinical research questions to reliable systematic reviews published up to March 2016. Seventy-five clinicians from at least 21 countries completed both Delphi rounds. Among the 58 questions, 24 met our definition of "important": 9/24 and 7/24 addressed topical and systemic treatments, respectively. All 4 questions with the highest 25th percentiles addressed topical treatments. Although 6/24 "important" questions were associated with 4 existing reliable systematic reviews, none of these reviews came to a definitive conclusion about treatment effectiveness. We identified gaps pertaining to treatment options for dry eye. Future clinical research on the management of dry eye should strongly consider these prioritized questions.

European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - Establishing the key unanswered research questions within gastrointestinal endoscopy.

PubMed

Rees, Colin J; Ngu, Wee Sing; Regula, Jaroslaw; Bisschops, Raf; Saftoiu, Adrian; Dekker, Evelien; Gralnek, Ian; Ciocirlan, Mihai; Dinis-Ribeiro, Mario; Jover, Rodrigo; Meisner, Søren; Spada, Cristiano; Hassan, Cesare; Valori, Roland; Hucl, Tomas; Le Moine, Olivier; Domagk, Dirk; Kaminski, Michal F; Bretthauer, Michael; Rutter, Matthew D; Aabakken, Lars; Ponchon, Thierry; Fockens, Paul; Siersema, Peter D

2016-10-01

Background and study aim: Gastrointestinal endoscopy is a rapidly evolving research field. The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) plays a key role in shaping opinion and endoscopy activity throughout Europe and further afield. Establishing key unanswered questions within the field of endoscopy and prioritizing those that are important enables researchers and funders to appropriately allocate resources. Methods: Over 2 years, the ESGE Research Committee gathered information on research priorities and refined them through a modified Delphi approach. Consultations were held with the ESGE Governing Board and Quality Improvement Committee to identify important unanswered questions. Research workshops were held at the 21st United European Gastroenterology Week. Research questions were refined by the ESGE Research Committee and Governing Board, compiled into an online survey, and distributed to all ESGE members, who were invited to rank each question by priority. Results: The final questionnaire yielded 291 responses from over 60 countries. The three countries with the highest response rates were Spain, Italy, and United Kingdom. Most responders were from teaching hospitals (62 %) and were specialist endoscopists (51 %). Responses were analyzed with weighted rankings, resulting in prioritization of 26 key unanswered questions. The top ranked generic questions were: 1) How do we define the correct surveillance interval following endoscopic diagnosis? 2) How do we correctly utilize advanced endoscopic imaging? 3) What are the best markers of endoscopy quality? Conclusion: Following this comprehensive process, the ESGE has identified and ranked the key unanswered questions within the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy. Researchers, funders, and journals should prioritize studies that seek to answer these important questions. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Educational research in Sweden: Reform strategies and research policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marklund, Inger

1981-06-01

Educational R & D in Sweden is to a large extent policy-oriented. It has been an integrated part of the Swedish educational reform system and has brought about a dialogue between politicians, administrators and researchers. Several circumstances have contributed to the `Swedish model'. One is the system with government-appointed committees in which researchers often play an active part. Another is that the Swedish educational system is highly centralized, with the National Board of Education (NBE) as the central authority, responsible for primary, secondary and adult education. A third — and a crucial one — is that, since 1962, the NBE has had increasing funds for educational R & D at its disposal. These funds account for the main part of the economic resources for R & D, along with resources allocated to research appointments at research departments of universities. Educational R & D, conducted primarily within the NBE funds, has recently been evaluated by a government-appointed committee. In its evaluations of the impact of educational R & D, the committee distinguished between the effects of R & D and the effect correlates. It concluded that the impact of R & D is more indirect than direct, more long-term than immediate. The effects are also more easily recognized at levels above the actual school situation. This finding could be interpreted as a consequence of the policy-orientation of educational R & D, which at the same time shows the difficulties in reaching the `school level' with research and development results. There are two general trends in Sweden, which will influence both research planning and research use. First, there is a trend towards the decentralization of decision-making and responsibility for the educational system. Secondly, there is a trend towards the `sectionalization' of the R & D system as a whole. This sectionalization will mean that research will to a great extent be planned to meet needs from different parts of society — labour market, social welfare, industrial development, etc. As a consequence, the question of the impact of research will be an even more debated one and will probably lead to the development of `research on research' as an increasingly important research area.

Questioning ORACLE: An Assessment of ORACLE's Analysis of Teachers' Questions and [A Comment on "Questioning ORACLE"].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarth, John; And Others

1986-01-01

Analysis of teachers' questions, part of the ORACLE (Observation Research and Classroom Learning Evaluation) project research, is examined in detail. Scarth and Hammersley argue that the rules ORACLE uses for identifying different types of questions involve levels of ambiguity and inference that threaten reliability and validity of the study's…

NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute: Merging Science and Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pendleton, Yvonne J.

2016-10-01

Established in 2013, through joint funding from the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is focused on science at the intersection of these two enterprises. Addressing questions of value to the human exploration program that also represent important research relevant to planetary science, SSERVI creates a bridge between HEOMD and SMD. The virtual institute model reduces travel costs, but its primary virtue is the ability to join together colleagues who bring the right expertise, techniques and tools, regardless of their physical location, to address multi-faceted problems, at a deeper level than could be achieved through the typical period of smaller research grants. In addition, collaboration across team lines and international borders fosters the creation of new knowledge, especially at the intersections of disciplines that might not otherwise overlap.SSERVI teams investigate the Moon, Near-Earth Asteroids, and the moons of Mars, addressing questions fundamental to these target bodies and their near space environments. The institute is currently composed of nine U.S. teams of 30-50 members each, distributed geographically across the United States, ten international partners, and a Central Office located at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, CA. U.S. teams are competitively selected through peer-reviewed proposals submitted to NASA every 2-3 years, in response to a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN). The current teams were selected under CAN-1, with funding for five years (2014-2019). A smaller, overlapping set of teams are expected to be added in 2017 in response to CAN-2, thereby providing continuity and a firm foundation for any directional changes NASA requires as the CAN-1 teams end their term. This poster describes the research areas and composition of the institute to introduce SSERVI to the broader planetary science community and to researchers who want to participate in future opportunities.

Quantifying the Assessment Loads of Students and Staff: The Challenge of Selecting Appropriate Metrics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Shirley V.

2015-01-01

Assessment is central to learning. It is also central to the cost of providing higher education. Choosing how much and what forms of assessment are questions not only of good teaching but of good policy. Measuring the amount of assessment set in each course provides a basis on which to determine equitable and appropriate workloads for students and…

JPRS Report, Soviet Union, Economic Affairs

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-10-28

Vladimir Dmitriyevich, our newspaper reported the fact that the International Air Services Central Administration for Civil Aviation recently held...of the TsUMVS [ International Air Services Central Administration]. The question of the status of MKU was also posed. Judging by this informa- tion...places restauarants are now being turned into self- service cafeterias, which has met with passengers’ approval. There are already 117 such cafeteria

Careers, Communication and Culture in Foreign Language Teaching. A Guide for Building the Modern Curriculum. Selected Papers from the 1974 Central States Conference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grittner, Frank M., Ed.

This book consists of eleven papers presented at the 1974 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. The papers are intended to be representative of the spirit, content, and theme of the Conference: "Foreign Language Teaching: A Kaleidoscopic Perspective." The underlying theme deals with a question that concerns many language…