Comprehension and Learning from Refutation and Expository Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diakidoy, Irene-Anna N.; Mouskounti, Thalia; Ioannides, Christos

2011-01-01

The study compared the effects of a refutation text on comprehension and learning outcomes to those of a standard expository text. Undergraduate students with varying amounts of accurate and inaccurate prior knowledge read and recalled a refutation or an expository text about energy. Comprehension measures included the amount of text information…

Reading comprehension and its underlying components in second-language learners: A meta-analysis of studies comparing first- and second-language learners.

PubMed

Melby-Lervåg, Monica; Lervåg, Arne

2014-03-01

We report a systematic meta-analytic review of studies comparing reading comprehension and its underlying components (language comprehension, decoding, and phonological awareness) in first- and second-language learners. The review included 82 studies, and 576 effect sizes were calculated for reading comprehension and underlying components. Key findings were that, compared to first-language learners, second-language learners display a medium-sized deficit in reading comprehension (pooled effect size d = -0.62), a large deficit in language comprehension (pooled effect size d = -1.12), but only small differences in phonological awareness (pooled effect size d = -0.08) and decoding (pooled effect size d = -0.12). A moderator analysis showed that characteristics related to the type of reading comprehension test reliably explained the variation in the differences in reading comprehension between first- and second-language learners. For language comprehension, studies of samples from low socioeconomic backgrounds and samples where only the first language was used at home generated the largest group differences in favor of first-language learners. Test characteristics and study origin reliably contributed to the variations between the studies of language comprehension. For decoding, Canadian studies showed group differences in favor of second-language learners, whereas the opposite was the case for U.S. studies. Regarding implications, unless specific decoding problems are detected, interventions that aim to ameliorate reading comprehension problems among second-language learners should focus on language comprehension skills.

Content validity of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for multiple sclerosis from the perspective of speech and language therapists.

PubMed

Renom, Marta; Conrad, Andrea; Bascuñana, Helena; Cieza, Alarcos; Galán, Ingrid; Kesselring, Jürg; Coenen, Michaela

2014-11-01

The Comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a comprehensive framework to structure the information obtained in multidisciplinary clinical settings according to the biopsychosocial perspective of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and to guide the treatment and rehabilitation process accordingly. It is now undergoing validation from the user perspective for which it has been developed in the first place. To validate the content of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for MS from the perspective of speech and language therapists (SLTs) involved in the treatment of persons with MS (PwMS). Within a three-round e-mail-based Delphi Study 34 SLTs were asked about PwMS' problems, resources and aspects of the environment treated by SLTs. Responses were linked to ICF categories. Identified ICF categories were compared with those included in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for MS to examine its content validity. Thirty-four SLTs named 524 problems and resources, as well as aspects of environment. Statements were linked to 129 ICF categories (60 Body-functions categories, two Body-structures categories, 42 Activities-&-participation categories, and 25 Environmental-factors categories). SLTs confirmed 46 categories in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set. Twenty-one ICF categories were identified as not-yet-included categories. This study contributes to the content validity of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for MS from the perspective of SLTs. Study participants agreed on a few not-yet-included categories that should be further discussed for inclusion in a revised version of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set to strengthen SLTs' perspective in PwMS' neurorehabilitation. © 2014 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Effectiveness of comprehensive care programs for patients with multiple chronic conditions or frailty: A systematic literature review.

PubMed

Hopman, Petra; de Bruin, Simone R; Forjaz, Maria João; Rodriguez-Blazquez, Carmen; Tonnara, Giuseppe; Lemmens, Lidwien C; Onder, Graziano; Baan, Caroline A; Rijken, Mieke

2016-07-01

To describe comprehensive care programs targeting multimorbid and/or frail patients and to estimate their effectiveness regarding improvement of patient and caregiver related outcomes, healthcare utilization and costs. Systematic search in six electronic databases for scientific papers published between January 2011 and March 2014, supplemented by reference tracking. Wagner's Chronic Care Model (CCM) was used to operationalize comprehensive care. The quality of the included studies was assessed, and a best-evidence synthesis was applied. Nineteen publications were included describing effects of eighteen comprehensive care programs for multimorbid or frail patients, of which only one was implemented in a European country. Programs varied in target groups, settings, interventions and number of CCM components addressed. Providing comprehensive care might result in more patient satisfaction, less depressive symptoms, a better health-related quality of life or functioning of multimorbid or frail patients, but the evidence is insufficient. There is no evidence that comprehensive care reduces the number of primary care or GP visits or healthcare costs. Regarding the use of inpatient care, the evidence was insufficient. No evidence was found for a beneficial effect of comprehensive care on caregiver-related outcomes. Despite the fact that over the years several (good-quality) studies have been performed to estimate the value of comprehensive care for multimorbid and/or frail patients, evidence for their effectiveness remains insufficient. More good-quality studies and/or studies allowing meta-analysis are needed to determine which specific target groups at what moment will benefit from comprehensive care. Moreover, evaluation studies could improve by using more appropriate outcome measures, e.g. measures that relate to patient-defined (personal) goals of care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive treatments for social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia: A critical review and effect-size analysis of controlled studies.

PubMed

Kurtz, Matthew M; Gagen, Emily; Rocha, Nuno B F; Machado, Sergio; Penn, David L

2016-02-01

Recent advances in psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia have targeted social cognitive deficits. A critical literature review and effect-size (ES) analysis was conducted to investigate the efficacy of comprehensive programs of social cognitive training in schizophrenia. Results revealed 16 controlled studies consisting of seven models of comprehensive treatment with only three of these treatment models investigated in more than one study. The effects of social cognitive training were reported in 11/15 studies that included facial affect recognition skills (ES=.84) and 10/13 studies that included theory-of-mind (ES=.70) as outcomes. Less than half (4/9) of studies that measured attributional style as an outcome reported effects of treatment, but effect sizes across studies were significant (ESs=.30-.52). The effect sizes for symptoms were modest, but, with the exception of positive symptoms, significant (ESs=.32-.40). The majority of trials were randomized (13/16), selected active control conditions (11/16) and included at least 30 participants (12/16). Concerns for this area of research include the absence of blinded outcome raters in more than 50% of trials and low rates of utilization of procedures for maintaining treatment fidelity. These findings provide preliminary support for the broader use of comprehensive social cognitive training procedures as a psychosocial intervention for schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building Comprehensive High School Guidance Programs through the Smaller Learning Communities Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Geralyn

2013-01-01

Despite many reform initiatives, including the federally funded initiative titled the Smaller Learning Communities' (SLC) Model, many students are still underexposed to comprehensive guidance programs. The purpose of this mixed method project study was to examine which components in a comprehensive guidance program for the learning academies at a…

Classroom Simulation to Prepare Teachers to Use Evidence-Based Comprehension Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ely, Emily; Alves, Kat D.; Dolenc, Nathan R.; Sebolt, Stephanie; Walton, Emily A.

2018-01-01

Reading comprehension is an area of weakness for many students, including those with disabilities. Innovative technology methods may play a role in improving teacher readiness to use evidence-based comprehension practices for all students. In this experimental study, researchers examined a classroom simulation (TLE TeachLivE™) to improve…

QRAC-the-Code: a comprehension monitoring strategy for middle school social studies textbooks.

PubMed

Berkeley, Sheri; Riccomini, Paul J

2013-01-01

Requirements for reading and ascertaining information from text increase as students advance through the educational system, especially in content-rich classes; hence, monitoring comprehension is especially important. However, this is a particularly challenging skill for many students who struggle with reading comprehension, including students with learning disabilities. A randomized pre-post experimental design was employed to investigate the effectiveness of a comprehension monitoring strategy (QRAC-the-Code) for improving the reading comprehension of 323 students in grades 6 and 7 in inclusive social studies classes. Findings indicated that both general education students and students with learning disabilities who were taught a simple comprehension monitoring strategy improved their comprehension of textbook content compared to students who read independently and noted important points. In addition, students in the comprehension monitoring condition reported using more reading strategies after the intervention. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Faculty Self-Study in the Elementary School. Working Papers. Revised Edition 1973.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg. Bureau of Planning and Evaluation.

This guide for the study of a school district by its faculty members and administrators, along with parents, begins with suggested procedures for initiating and conducting a self-study. The guide itself contains two major sections: comprehensive study areas and content study areas. Included in the comprehensive areas for study are administration…

A dynamic developmental link between verbal comprehension-knowledge (Gc) and reading comprehension: verbal comprehension-knowledge drives positive change in reading comprehension.

PubMed

Reynolds, Matthew R; Turek, Joshua J

2012-12-01

Intelligence and general academic achievement have a well-established relation, but the interrelated development of the two constructs over time is less well-known. In this study, the dynamic developmental relation between verbal comprehension-knowledge (Gc) and reading comprehension was examined by applying bivariate dual change score models (McArdle, 2009) to longitudinal data collected from children aged 9 through 15 who were part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD SECCYD). A unidirectional dynamic link was found in which higher levels of prior Gc led to increased positive change in reading comprehension scores. This unidirectional link was not altered by including intelligence measured at 24-months, SES, sex, basic reading, and reading volume as time-invariant covariates. Gc is a leading indicator of reading comprehension and should be considered when developing and monitoring long-term reading comprehension interventions for children. Copyright © 2012 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lexical development of noun and predicate comprehension and production in isiZulu

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Saaliha

2016-01-01

This study seeks to investigate the development of noun and predicate comprehension and production in isiZulu-speaking children between the ages of 25 and 36 months. It compares lexical comprehension and production in isiZulu, using an Italian developed and validated vocabulary assessment tool: The Picture Naming Game (PiNG) developed by Bello, Giannantoni, Pettenati, Stefanini and Caselli (2012). The PiNG tool includes four subtests, one each for subnoun comprehension (NC), noun production (NP), predicate comprehension (PC), and predicate production (PP). Children are shown these lexical items and then asked to show comprehension and produce certain lexical items. After adaptation into the South African context, the adapted version of PiNG was used to directly assess the lexical development of isiZulu with the three main objectives to (1) test the efficiency of the adaptation of a vocabulary tool to measure isiZulu comprehension and production development, (2) test previous findings done in many cross-linguistic comparisons that have found that both comprehension and production performance increase with age for a lesser-studied language, and (3) present our findings around the comprehension and production of the linguistic categories of nouns and predicates. An analysis of the results reported in this study show an age effect throughout the entire sample. Across all the age groups, the comprehension of the noun and predicate subtests was better performed than the production of noun and predicate subtests. With regard to lexical items, the responses of children showed an influence of various factors, including the late acquisition of items, possible problems with stimuli presented to them, and the possible input received by the children from their home environment. PMID:27542416

Lexical development of noun and predicate comprehension and production in isiZulu.

PubMed

Nicolas, Ramona Kunene; Ahmed, Saaliha

2016-07-28

This study seeks to investigate the development of noun and predicate comprehension and production in isiZulu-speaking children between the ages of 25 and 36 months. It compares lexical comprehension and production in isiZulu, using an Italian developed and validated vocabulary assessment tool: The Picture Naming Game (PiNG) developed by Bello, Giannantoni, Pettenati, Stefanini and Caselli (2012). The PiNG tool includes four subtests, one each for subnoun comprehension (NC), noun production (NP), predicate comprehension (PC), and predicate production (PP). Children are shown these lexical items and then asked to show comprehension and produce certain lexical items. After adaptation into the South African context, the adapted version of PiNG was used to directly assess the lexical development of isiZulu with the three main objectives to (1) test the efficiency of the adaptation of a vocabulary tool to measure isiZulu comprehension and production development, (2) test previous findings done in many cross-linguistic comparisons that have found that both comprehension and production performance increase with age for a lesser-studied language, and (3) present our findings around the comprehension and production of the linguistic categories of nouns and predicates. An analysis of the results reported in this study show an age effect throughout the entire sample. Across all the age groups, the comprehension of the noun and predicate subtests was better performed than the production of noun and predicate subtests. With regard to lexical items, the responses of children showed an influence of various factors, including the late acquisition of items, possible problems with stimuli presented to them, and the possible input received by the children from their home environment.

Investigating Comprehension in Real World Tasks: Understanding Jury Instructions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charrow, Veda R.; Charrow, Robert

This paper discusses the results of part of an ongoing project studying an aspect of real world language usage, the comprehension of standard jury instructions. Problems in the comprehension of these instructions include the memory load that they impose, the fact that most instructions are read only once, and the fact that instructions are written…

The Relationship among Oral Language, Decoding Skills, and Reading Comprehension in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cronin, Kathleen A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among oral language, decoding, and reading comprehension for children with autism. Participants included 13 English-speaking children with a diagnosis of high-functioning autism (IQ > 70) who were included in a typical classroom, and who had parents who spoke English. Parts of the…

The Role of Reading Comprehension in Large-Scale Subject-Matter Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Ting

2013-01-01

This study was designed with the overall goal of understanding how difficulties in reading comprehension are associated with early adolescents' performance in large-scale assessments in subject domains including science and civic-related social studies. The current study extended previous research by taking a cognition-centered approach based on…

Effects of metalinguistic awareness on reading comprehension and the mediator role of reading fluency from grades 2 to 4.

PubMed

Li, Liping; Wu, Xinchun

2015-01-01

This study examined the contribution of metalinguistic awareness including morphological awareness, phonological awareness and orthographical awareness to reading comprehension, and the role of reading fluency as a mediator of the effects of metalinguistic awareness on reading comprehension from grades 2 to 4. Four hundred and fifteen elementary students in China mainland were administered a test battery that included measures of morphological awareness, phonological awareness, orthographical awareness, reading fluency, reading comprehension and IQ. Hierarchical regression and structural equation models (SEM) were used to analyze the data. Morphological awareness uniquely explained 9%, 10% and 13% variance of reading comprehension respectively from grade 2 to grade 4, however, phonological awareness and orthographical awareness did not contribute to reading comprehension; Reading fluency partially mediated the effect of morphological awareness on reading comprehension in grades 2-4. These findings indicated that reading fluency and morphological awareness should be facilitated in the Chinese instruction. Morphological awareness played an important role in Chinese reading and affected reading comprehension in grades 2 to 4; Reading fluency was a significant link between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in grades 2-4.

Effects of Metalinguistic Awareness on Reading Comprehension and the Mediator Role of Reading Fluency from Grades 2 to 4

PubMed Central

Li, Liping; Wu, Xinchun

2015-01-01

Purpose This study examined the contribution of metalinguistic awareness including morphological awareness, phonological awareness and orthographical awareness to reading comprehension, and the role of reading fluency as a mediator of the effects of metalinguistic awareness on reading comprehension from grades 2 to 4. Methods Four hundred and fifteen elementary students in China mainland were administered a test battery that included measures of morphological awareness, phonological awareness, orthographical awareness, reading fluency, reading comprehension and IQ. Hierarchical regression and structural equation models (SEM) were used to analyze the data. Results Morphological awareness uniquely explained 9%, 10% and 13% variance of reading comprehension respectively from grade 2 to grade 4, however, phonological awareness and orthographical awareness did not contribute to reading comprehension; Reading fluency partially mediated the effect of morphological awareness on reading comprehension in grades 2-4. Conclusions These findings indicated that reading fluency and morphological awareness should be facilitated in the Chinese instruction. Morphological awareness played an important role in Chinese reading and affected reading comprehension in grades 2 to 4; Reading fluency was a significant link between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in grades 2-4. PMID:25799530

Improving Reading Comprehension and Social Studies Knowledge among Middle School Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Elizabeth; Wanzek, Jeanne; Vaughn, Sharon; Roberts, Greg; Fall, Ana-Mari

2015-01-01

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of a content knowledge and reading comprehension treatment implemented by eighth-grade general education social studies teachers among students with disabilities included in the classes. Data on students with disabilities across 2 years of study were combined for the analysis presented here. Students in…

Neural mechanisms of discourse comprehension: a human lesion study

PubMed Central

Colom, Roberto; Grafman, Jordan

2014-01-01

Discourse comprehension is a hallmark of human social behaviour and refers to the act of interpreting a written or spoken message by constructing mental representations that integrate incoming language with prior knowledge and experience. Here, we report a human lesion study (n = 145) that investigates the neural mechanisms underlying discourse comprehension (measured by the Discourse Comprehension Test) and systematically examine its relation to a broad range of psychological factors, including psychometric intelligence (measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale), emotional intelligence (measured by the Mayer, Salovey, Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test), and personality traits (measured by the Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Personality Inventory). Scores obtained from these factors were submitted to voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping to elucidate their neural substrates. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that working memory and extraversion reliably predict individual differences in discourse comprehension: higher working memory scores and lower extraversion levels predict better discourse comprehension performance. Lesion mapping results indicated that these convergent variables depend on a shared network of frontal and parietal regions, including white matter association tracts that bind these areas into a coordinated system. The observed findings motivate an integrative framework for understanding the neural foundations of discourse comprehension, suggesting that core elements of discourse processing emerge from a distributed network of brain regions that support specific competencies for executive and social function. PMID:24293267

The Effectiveness of Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Bereaved Persons: A Comprehensive Quantitative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Currier, Joseph M.; Neimeyer, Robert A.; Berman, Jeffrey S.

2008-01-01

Previous quantitative reviews of research on psychotherapeutic interventions for bereaved persons have yielded divergent findings and have not included many of the available controlled outcome studies. This meta-analysis summarizes results from 61 controlled studies to offer a more comprehensive integration of this literature. This review examined…

Comprehensive risk analysis for structure type selection.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-04-01

Optimization of bridge selection and design traditionally has been sought in terms of the finished structure. This study presents a : more comprehensive risk-based analysis that includes user costs and accidents during the construction phase. Costs f...

Selective Comprehensives: The Social Composition of Top Comprehensive Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton Trust, 2013

2013-01-01

This study looks at publicly available data on the proportion of pupils eligible and claiming for free school meals (FSM) in the top 500 comprehensive state schools and at how representative they are of their localities and of their school type. We have looked at the top 500 when measured by five good GCSEs including English and Maths and at the…

Comparing the Impact of Rates of Text-to-Speech Software on Reading Fluency and Comprehension for Adults with Reading Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coleman, Mari Beth; Killdare, Laura K.; Bell, Sherry Mee; Carter, Amanda M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of text-to-speech software on reading fluency and comprehension for four postsecondary students with below average reading fluency and comprehension including three students diagnosed with learning disabilities and concomitant conditions (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, seizure…

Evaluation of attention training and metacognitive facilitation to improve reading comprehension in aphasia.

PubMed

Lee, Jaime B; Moore Sohlberg, McKay

2013-05-01

This pilot study investigated the impact of direct attention training combined with metacognitive facilitation on reading comprehension in individuals with aphasia. A single-subject, multiple baseline design was employed across 4 participants to evaluate potential changes in reading comprehension resulting from an 8-week intervention using Attention Process Training-3 (APT-3). The primary outcome measure was a maze reading task. Pre- and posttesting included attention and reading comprehension measures. Visual inspection of graphed performance data across conditions was used as the primary method of analysis. Treatment effect sizes were calculated for changes in reading comprehension probes from baseline to maintenance phases. Two of the study's 4 participants demonstrated improvements in maze reading, with corresponding effect sizes that were small in magnitude according to benchmarks for aphasia treatment research. All 4 participants made improvements on select standardized measures of attention. Interventions that include a metacognitive component with direct attention training may elicit improvements in participants' attention and allocation of resources. Maze passage reading is a repeated measure that appears sensitive to treatment-related changes in reading comprehension. Issues for future research related to measurement, candidacy, and clinical delivery are discussed.

Comprehension-Based versus Production-Based Grammar Instruction: A Meta-Analysis of Comparative Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shintani, Natsuko; Li, Shaofeng; Ellis, Rod

2013-01-01

This article reports a meta-analysis of studies that investigated the relative effectiveness of comprehension-based instruction (CBI) and production-based instruction (PBI). The meta-analysis only included studies that featured a direct comparison of CBI and PBI in order to ensure methodological and statistical robustness. A total of 35 research…

Validation of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for obstructive pulmonary diseases from the patient's perspective.

PubMed

Marques, Alda; Jácome, Cristina; Gonçalves, Ana; Silva, Sara; Lucas, Carla; Cruz, Joana; Gabriel, Raquel

2014-06-01

This study aimed to validate the Comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for obstructive pulmonary diseases (OPDs) from the perspective of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A cross-sectional qualitative study was carried out with outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using focus groups with an ICF-based approach. Qualitative data were analysed using the meaning condensation procedure by two researchers with expertise in the ICF. Thirty-two participants (37.5% women; 63.8 ± 11.3 years old) were included in six focus groups. A total of 61 (86%) ICF categories of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for OPD were confirmed. Thirty-nine additional second-level categories not included in the Core Set were identified: 15 from the body functions component, four from the body structures, nine from the activities and participation and 11 from the environmental factors. The majority of the categories included in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for OPD were confirmed from the patients' perspective. However, additional categories, not included in the Core Set, were also reported. The categories included in the Core Set were not confirmed and the additional categories need to be investigated further to develop an instrument tailored to patients' needs. This will promote patient-centred assessments and rehabilitation interventions.

Epidemiological characteristics and methodological quality of meta-analyses on diabetes mellitus treatment: a systematic review.

PubMed

Wu, Xin Yin; Lam, Victor C K; Yu, Yue Feng; Ho, Robin S T; Feng, Ye; Wong, Charlene H L; Yip, Benjamin H K; Tsoi, Kelvin K F; Wong, Samuel Y S; Chung, Vincent C H

2016-11-01

Well-conducted meta-analyses (MAs) are considered as one of the best sources of clinical evidence for treatment decision. MA with methodological flaws may introduce bias and mislead evidence users. The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics and methodological quality of MAs on diabetes mellitus (DM) treatments. Systematic review. Cochrane Database of Systematic Review and Database of Abstract of Reviews of Effects were searched for relevant MAs. Assessing methodological quality of systematic reviews (AMSTAR) tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of included MAs. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify association between characteristics of MA and AMSTAR results. A total of 252 MAs including 4999 primary studies and 13,577,025 patients were included. Over half of the MAs (65.1%) only included type 2 DM patients and 160 MAs (63.5%) focused on pharmacological treatments. About 89.7% MAs performed comprehensive literature search and 89.3% provided characteristics of included studies. Included MAs generally had poor performance on the remaining AMSTAR items, especially in assessing publication bias (39.3%), providing lists of studies (19.0%) and declaring source of support comprehensively (7.5%). Only 62.7% MAs mentioned about harm of interventions. MAs with corresponding author from Asia performed less well in providing MA protocol than those from Europe. Methodological quality of MA on DM treatments was unsatisfactory. There is considerable room for improvement, especially in assessing publication bias, providing lists of studies and declaring source of support comprehensively. Also, there is an urgent need for MA authors to report treatment harm comprehensively. © 2016 European Society of Endocrinology.

Embedding perseverative interest of a child with autism in text may result in improved reading comprehension: A pilot study.

PubMed

El Zein, Farah; Solis, Michael; Lang, Russell; Kim, Min Kyung

2016-06-01

We investigated the effects of embedding the perseverative interest (PI) of a child with autism (i.e. cars) within texts on reading comprehension. A PI text condition (text altered to include cars) was compared with a non-PI text condition (same story without cars inserted) in an alternating treatment design. Dependent variables were responses to reading comprehension questions and number of words uttered during an oral retell (i.e. curriculum-based measures [CBMs]). The reading level, instructional routines, and therapist where held constant across the randomly alternated conditions. Both CBMs suggested that reading comprehension was enhanced when the story included the child's PI. These preliminary findings suggest that embedding the PIs of students with autism spectrum disorder within readings may result in more accurate responses to reading comprehension questions and more detailed oral retelling. These findings are discussed in terms of potential directions for future research.

Perceived Usefulness of a Strategy-Based Peer Annotation System for Improving Academic Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, I-Jung; Chen, Wen-Chun

2016-01-01

This study examines the enhancing effect of peer annotation on the academic English reading of nonnative-Englishspeaking graduate students. To facilitate peer collaboration, the present study included the development of a strategybased online reading system. Through peer annotation, the students not only achieved enhanced reading comprehension but…

The Correlation of IQ and Emotional Intelligence with Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghabanchi, Zargham; Rastegar, Rabe'e

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of both IQ and emotional intelligence on reading comprehension in Iran. Forty-five EFL college students from Payame Noor University of Gonbad and Azad University of Gorgan participated in this study. Three independent tests were administrated, including Bar-On's emotional intelligence inventory…

Using Listener Judgments to Investigate Linguistic Influences on L2 Comprehensibility and Accentedness: A Validation and Generalization Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito, Kazuya; Trofimovich, Pavel; Isaacs, Talia

2017-01-01

The current study investigated linguistic influences on comprehensibility (ease of understanding) and accentedness (linguistic nativelikeness) in second language (L2) learners' extemporaneous speech. Target materials included picture narratives from 40 native French speakers of English from different proficiency levels. The narratives were…

Principal Component Analysis Study of Visual and Verbal Metaphoric Comprehension in Children with Autism and Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mashal, Nira; Kasirer, Anat

2012-01-01

This research extends previous studies regarding the metaphoric competence of autistic and learning disabled children on different measures of visual and verbal non-literal language comprehension, as well as cognitive abilities that include semantic knowledge, executive functions, similarities, and reading fluency. Thirty seven children with…

The Impact of Training Metacognitive Strategies on Reading Comprehension among ESL Learner's

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habibian, Maryam

2015-01-01

The present study investigates the impact of training metacognitive strategies in reading comprehension and has been conducted among students from University Putra Malaysia. Forty eight subjects majoring in English including both males and females participated in the study. They have been chosen from first level of reading and divided into two…

The Relationship between Good Readers' Attention, Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Mustafa; Çetinkaya, Ezgi

2017-01-01

This study aimed to examine the relationship between fourth-graders' reading fluency, reading comprehension and attention. It was conducted using the relational screening model and included 132 fourth-graders with grade level adequate reading skills. The study results showed that good readers' attention had significant effects on reading speed,…

CCD Analog Programmable Microprocessor (APUP) Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

so important to electronic warfare support measures applicatLons. A comprehensive imager develop- ment program is currently being formulated to... comprehensive treatment of this subject could easily fill a book as it has at least twice in the past (1,2) These textbooks F’ (3)are periodically updated... comprehensive treatment of circuit modeling, the resultant noise predictions are included here as expected values in further describing critical

Reading, Comprehension, and Memory Processes: Abstracts of Doctoral Dissertations Published in "Dissertation Abstracts International," January through June 1980 (Vol. 40 Nos. 7 through 12).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills, Urbana, IL.

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 23 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the effects on reading comprehension of a number of reader-related factors, including lookback during studying, oral versus silent reading modes, reading…

Comprehensive care improves physical recovery of hip-fractured elderly Taiwanese patients with poor nutritional status.

PubMed

Liu, Hsin-Yun; Tseng, Ming-Yueh; Li, Hsiao-Juan; Wu, Chi-Chuan; Cheng, Huey-Shinn; Yang, Ching-Tzu; Chou, Shih-Wei; Chen, Ching-Yen; Shyu, Yea-Ing L

2014-06-01

The effects of nutritional management among other intervention components have not been examined for hip-fractured elderly persons with poor nutritional status. Accordingly, this study explored the intervention effects of an in-home program using a comprehensive care model that included a nutrition-management component on recovery of hip-fractured older persons with poor nutritional status at hospital discharge. A secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial with 24-month follow-up. A 3000-bed medical center in northern Taiwan. Subjects were included only if they had "poor nutritional status" at hospital discharge, including those at risk for malnutrition or malnourished. The subsample included 80 subjects with poor nutritional status in the comprehensive care group, 87 in the interdisciplinary care group, and 85 in the usual care group. The 3 care models were usual care, interdisciplinary care, and comprehensive care. Usual care provided no in-home care, interdisciplinary care provided 4 months of in-home rehabilitation, and comprehensive care included management of depressive symptoms, falls, and nutrition as well as 1 year of in-home rehabilitation. Data were collected on nutritional status and physical functions, including range of motion, muscle power, proprioception, balance and functional independence, and analyzed using a generalized estimating equation approach. We also compared patients' baseline characteristics: demographic characteristics, type of surgery, comorbidities, length of hospital stay, cognitive function, and depression. Patients with poor nutritional status who received comprehensive care were 1.67 times (95% confidence interval 1.06-2.61) more likely to recover their nutritional status than those who received interdisciplinary and usual care. Furthermore, the comprehensive care model improved the functional independence and balance of patients who recovered their nutritional status over the first year following discharge, but not of those who had not yet recovered. An in-home program using the comprehensive care model with a nutritional component effectively improved the nutritional status of hip-fractured patients with poor nutrition. This comprehensive care intervention more effectively improved recovery of functional independence and balance for patients with recovered nutritional status. Copyright © 2014 American Medical Directors Association, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Summary of Final Reports. SCDP Milwaukee Evaluation Report #36

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Patrick J.

2012-01-01

This report contains a summary of the findings from the various topical reports that comprise the author's comprehensive longitudinal study. As a summary, it does not include extensive details regarding the study samples and scientific methodologies employed in those topical studies. The research revealed a pattern of school choice results that…

Prevalence and determinants of comprehensive eye care in a group of patients with diabetes: a cross-sectional study in a sub-Saharan African setting.

PubMed

Jingi, Ahmadou M; Noubiap, Jean Jacques; Bilong, Yannick; Tankeu, Aurel T; Ebana Mvogo, Côme

2018-02-27

We aimed to investigate the determinants of comprehensive eye examination in diabetes patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study at the eye department of the Douala General Hospital. Adult patients with diabetes were consecutively interviewed on the history of their diabetes. Main outcomes were a first ever comprehensive eye examination including fundoscopy, and diagnosis-to-fundoscopy time. 52 patients were included of whom 59.6% were males with a mean age of 55.9 ± 10.9 years. 51.9% have had counselling on the risk of visual impairment and blindness due to diabetes, and 61.5% [95% CI 47-74.7] have had a comprehensive eye examination. Of those with a first ever fundoscopy, only 21.9% had the test performed within 1 year of diagnosis. Thus, after an average of 10 years of the diagnosis of diabetes, 13.5% (7/52) of patients have had a comprehensive eye examination within 1 year of diagnosis. Only dose with duration of diabetes of more than 10 years were 7-24 times more likely to have a comprehensive eye examination. In summary, patients with diabetes in this low-income setting do not receive a comprehensive eye care as recommended. Most patients will get an eye examination at least 10 years after the diagnosis of diabetes.

[Cryopresipitate in comprehensive conservative therapy of patients with acute purulent pyelonephritis].

PubMed

Neimark, A I; Samchuk, Yu G; Gatkin, M Ya; Momot, A P

2017-06-01

To investigate the effectiveness of cryoprecipitate in the comprehensive conservative therapy of patients with acute purulent pyelonephritis. We conducted a retrospective analysis of medical records of patients who were diagnosed with acute non-obstructive pyelonephritis from 2007to 2015. During this period, a total of 3912 patients with acute non-obstructive pyelonephritis were treated at the Department of Urology. Patients were assigned to either receive or not receive cryoprecipitate in the comprehensive conservative therapy. The comprehensive conservative therapy of both groups included antibacterial agents, detoxification, anti-inflammatory therapy. In the study group, patients received additional treatment with cryoprecipitate. By that way we estimated the number of patients who avoided surgery in both groups. There were 3912 patients divided into two groups. The first group included 756 patients (19.3%) who received cryoprecipitate in the comprehensive therapy of pyelonephritis. Of them, 735 patients (97.3%) did not require surgical treatment, and only 21 patients (2.7%) underwent surgery. The second group comprised 3156 patients (80.7%) who did not receive cryoprecipitate. Of them, 2974 patients (94.2%) were treated conservatively without surgical intervention and 182 patients (5.8%) received conservative therapy concurrently with surgical treatment. Therefore, including cryoprecipitate in the comprehensive conservative therapy of acute non-obstructive pyelonephritis results in twice smaller percentage of patients (2.7% vs 5.8%) requiring surgery compared to the comprehensive conservative therapy alone.

Research on Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Heating Project Based on Analytic Hierarchy Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Shenchao; Yang, Yanchun; Liu, Yude; Zhang, Peng; Li, Siwei

2018-01-01

It is effective to reduce haze in winter by changing the distributed heat supply system. Thus, the studies on comprehensive index system and scientific evaluation method of distributed heat supply project are essential. Firstly, research the influence factors of heating modes, and an index system with multiple dimension including economic, environmental, risk and flexibility was built and all indexes were quantified. Secondly, a comprehensive evaluation method based on AHP was put forward to analyze the proposed multiple and comprehensive index system. Lastly, the case study suggested that supplying heat with electricity has great advantage and promotional value. The comprehensive index system of distributed heating supply project and evaluation method in this paper can evaluate distributed heat supply project effectively and provide scientific support for choosing the distributed heating project.

Developing Needs Analysis-Based Reading Comprehension Learning Materials: A Study on the Indonesian Language Study Program Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salam, S.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research was to describe the need of development of "Reading Comprehension" teaching materials to students and lecturers of Indonesian Language and Literature Education Department, Gorontalo. This research is included in the research and development to develop educational products in the form of teaching materials.…

Vocabulary Knowledge and Morphological Awareness in Chinese as a Heritage Language (CHL) Reading Comprehension Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Haomin; Koda, Keiko

2018-01-01

This study explored the role of vocabulary knowledge and morphological awareness in reading comprehension ability of Chinese as a heritage language (CHL) learners. One hundred ninety five CHL students participated in this study and completed a series of measures including two sets of vocabulary knowledge (one consisting of items pertaining to…

The Effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading on Informational Text Comprehension and Metacognitive Awareness of Fifth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCown, Margaret Averill

2013-01-01

This study examined the effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) on informational text comprehension and metacognitive awareness of fifth grade students. This study tested the theories of metacognition and social cognition with a focus on self-regulation and self-efficacy. Participating students included a heterogeneous mix of regular…

Open-Trial Pilot Study of a Comprehensive Outpatient Psychosocial Treatment for Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopata, Christopher; Lipinski, Alanna M.; Thomeer, Marcus L.; Rodgers, Jonathan D.; Donnelly, James P.; McDonald, Christin A.; Volker, Martin A.

2017-01-01

This study examined the feasibility and initial outcomes of a comprehensive outpatient psychosocial treatment (MAXout) for children aged 7-12 years with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. The 18-week treatment, two 90-minute sessions per week, included instruction and therapeutic activities targeting social/social communication skills,…

Figurative Language Comprehension in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analytic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalandadze, Tamar; Norbury, Courtenay; Naerland, Terje; Naess, Kari-Anne B.

2018-01-01

We present a meta-analysis of studies that compare figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and in typically developing controls who were matched based on chronological age or/and language ability. A total of 41 studies and 45 independent effect sizes were included based on predetermined inclusion criteria.…

Assessing reading comprehension with narrative and expository texts: Dimensionality and relationship with fluency, vocabulary and memory.

PubMed

Santos, Sandra; Cadime, Irene; Viana, Fernanda L; Chaves-Sousa, Séli; Gayo, Elena; Maia, José; Ribeiro, Iolanda

2017-02-01

Reading comprehension assessment should rely on valid instruments that enable adequate conclusions to be taken regarding students' reading comprehension performance. In this article, two studies were conducted to collect validity evidence for the vertically scaled forms of two Tests of Reading Comprehension for Portuguese elementary school students in the second to fourth grades, one with narrative texts (TRC-n) and another with expository ones (TRC-e). Two samples of 950 and 990 students participated in Study 1, the study of the dimensionality of the TRC-n and TRC-e forms, respectively. Confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence of an acceptable fit for the one-factor solution for all test forms. Study 2 included 218 students to collect criterion-related validity. The scores obtained in each of the test forms were significantly correlated with the ones obtained in other reading comprehension measures and with the results obtained in oral reading fluency, vocabulary and working memory tests. Evidence suggests that the test forms are valid measures of reading comprehension. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association Between National Board Dental Examination Part II Scores and Comprehensive Examinations at Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

PubMed

Lee, Min Kyeong; Allareddy, Veerasathpurush; Howell, T Howard; Karimbux, Nadeem Y

2011-01-01

Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) uses a hybrid problem-based approach to teaching in the predoctoral program. The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a formative examination designed to assess the performance of students in the problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. At HSDM three comprehensive examinations with OSCE components are administered during the third and fourth years of clinical training. The National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part II is taken in the final year of the predoctoral program. This study examines the association between the NBDE Part II and the comprehensive exams held at HSDM. Predoctoral students from the HSDM classes of 2005 and 2006 were included in this study. The outcome variable of interest was the scores obtained by students in the NBDE Part II, and the main independent variable of interest was the performance of students in the comprehensive exams (honors, pass, make-up exam to pass). The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to examine the association between the grades obtained in the each of the three comprehensive exams and the NBDE Part II scores. Multivariable linear regression analysis was also used to examine the association between the NBDE Part II scores and the comprehensive exam grades. The effect of potential confounding factors including age, sex, and race/ethnicity was adjusted. The results suggest that students who performed well in the comprehensive exams performed better on the NBDE Part II, even after adjusting for confounding factors. Future studies will examine the long-term impact of PBL on postdoctoral plans and career choices.

A Study of the Sustained Effects of Comprehensive School Reform Programs in Pennsylvania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, William; Baugh, Carnell; Sheffer, Jim

2005-01-01

The general purpose of this study is to present post-funding Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) data to address the more lasting features of CSR programs, their relation to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and support of its requirements, and the impact of CSR on student achievement. For the schools included in this study, many of the components…

Naturalistic Text Comprehension. Advances in Discourse Processes, Volume LIII.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oostendorp, Herrre van, Ed.; Zwaah, Rolf A., Ed.

A collection of essays on the comprehension of text brings together perspectives of different disciplines on discourse. Articles include: "Naturalistic Texts and Naturalistic Tasks" (Herre van Oostendorp, Rolf A. Zwaan); "Psychological Studies of Naturalistic Text" (Arthur C. Graesser, Joseph P. Magliano, Karl Haberlandt);…

Identifying Information Focuses in Listening Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Hong-yan

2011-01-01

The study explains the process of learners' listening comprehension within Halliday's information theory in functional grammar, including the skills of identifying focuses while listening in college English teaching. Identifying information focuses in listening is proved to improve the students' communicative listening ability by the means of a…

Death Penalty Decisions: Instruction Comprehension, Attitudes, and Decision Mediators.

PubMed

Patry, Marc W; Penrod, Steven D

2013-01-01

A primary goal of this research was to empirically evaluate a set of assumptions, advanced in the Supreme Court's ruling in Buchanan v. Angelone (1998), about jury comprehension of death penalty instructions. Further, this research examined the use of evidence in capital punishment decision making by exploring underlying mediating factors upon which death penalty decisions may be based. Manipulated variables included the type of instructions and several variations of evidence. Study 1 was a paper and pencil study of 245 undergraduate mock jurors. The experimental design was an incomplete 4×2×2×2×2 factorial model resulting in 56 possible conditions. Manipulations included four different types of instructions, presence of a list of case-specific mitigators to accompany the instructions, and three variations in the case facts: age of the defendant, bad prior record, and defendant history of emotional abuse. Study 2 was a fully-crossed 2×2×2×2×2 experiment with four deliberating mock juries per cell. Manipulations included jury instructions (original or revised), presence of a list of case-specific mitigators, defendant history of emotional abuse, bad prior record, and heinousness of the crime. The sample of 735 jury-eligible participants included 130 individuals who identified themselves as students. Participants watched one of 32 stimulus videotapes based on a replication of a capital sentencing hearing. The present findings support previous research showing low comprehension of capital penalty instructions. Further, we found that higher instruction comprehension was associated with higher likelihood of issuing life sentence decisions. The importance of instruction comprehension is emphasized in a social cognitive model of jury decision making at the sentencing phase of capital cases.

Death Penalty Decisions: Instruction Comprehension, Attitudes, and Decision Mediators

PubMed Central

Patry, Marc W.; Penrod, Steven D.

2013-01-01

A primary goal of this research was to empirically evaluate a set of assumptions, advanced in the Supreme Court’s ruling in Buchanan v. Angelone (1998), about jury comprehension of death penalty instructions. Further, this research examined the use of evidence in capital punishment decision making by exploring underlying mediating factors upon which death penalty decisions may be based. Manipulated variables included the type of instructions and several variations of evidence. Study 1 was a paper and pencil study of 245 undergraduate mock jurors. The experimental design was an incomplete 4×2×2×2×2 factorial model resulting in 56 possible conditions. Manipulations included four different types of instructions, presence of a list of case-specific mitigators to accompany the instructions, and three variations in the case facts: age of the defendant, bad prior record, and defendant history of emotional abuse. Study 2 was a fully-crossed 2×2×2×2×2 experiment with four deliberating mock juries per cell. Manipulations included jury instructions (original or revised), presence of a list of case-specific mitigators, defendant history of emotional abuse, bad prior record, and heinousness of the crime. The sample of 735 jury-eligible participants included 130 individuals who identified themselves as students. Participants watched one of 32 stimulus videotapes based on a replication of a capital sentencing hearing. The present findings support previous research showing low comprehension of capital penalty instructions. Further, we found that higher instruction comprehension was associated with higher likelihood of issuing life sentence decisions. The importance of instruction comprehension is emphasized in a social cognitive model of jury decision making at the sentencing phase of capital cases. PMID:24072981

Comprehension of Connected Discourse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosberg, Ludwig; Shima, Fred

A rationale was developed for researching reading comprehension based on information gain. Previous definitions of comprehension which were reviewed included operational vs. nonoperational and skills vs. processes. Comprehension was viewed as an informational processing event which includes a constellation of cognitive and learning processes. Two…

Effects of Tier I Differentiation and Reading Intervention on Reading Fluency, Comprehension, and High Stakes Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jefferson, Ruth E.; Grant, Christina E.; Sander, Janay B.

2017-01-01

This quasi-experimental study examined differences in student reading outcomes. Participants were third grade non-struggling readers. Intervention classrooms included core curriculum instruction plus evidence-based reading comprehension instruction and differentiated repeated readings. Comparison classrooms provided core curriculum instruction…

Developing Reading Comprehension with Moving Image Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maine, Fiona; Shields, Robin

2015-01-01

This paper reports the findings from a small-scale exploratory study that investigated how moving-image narratives might enable children to develop transferable reading comprehension strategies. Using short, animated, narrative films, 28 primary-aged children engaged in a 10-week programme that included the explicit instruction of comprehension…

Enhancing L2 Reading Comprehension with Hypermedia Texts: Student Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrett-Rucks, Paula; Howles, Les; Lake, William M.

2015-01-01

This study extends current research about L2 hypermedia texts by investigating the combined use of audiovisual features including: (a) Contextualized images, (b) rollover translations, (c) cultural information, (d) audio explanations and (e) comprehension check exercises. Specifically, student perceptions of hypermedia readings compared to…

Vocational Education and Training in Sweden.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrahamsson, Kenneth

Rather than a distinct vocational education and training (VET) system, Swedish institutions include VET as part of an educational philosophy stressing equity, integration, and comprehensiveness. The VET system forms part of a comprehensive model of education stressing active citizenship, work life orientation, and preparation for further studies.…

Predicting Performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment for Third Grade Reading Students Using Reading Curriculum Based Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirkham, Scott; Lampley, James H.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between three predictor variables (Fall R-CBM, Winter R-CBM, and Spring R-CBM) and the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program third grade reading and language arts assessment. The population selected for this study included all third grade students from an East Tennessee school…

Open-Trial Pilot Study of a Comprehensive School-Based Intervention for High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopata, Christopher; Thomeer, Marcus L.; Volker, Martin A.; Lee, Gloria K.; Smith, Tristram H.; Rodgers, Jonathan D.; Smith, Rachael A.; Gullo, Gaetano; McDonald, Christin A.; Mirwis, Joshua; Toomey, Jennifer A.

2013-01-01

There is a notable lack of manualized comprehensive school-based interventions (CSBIs) for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs). This pilot study examined the feasibility and initial efficacy of a CSBI for 12 children with HFASDs, aged 6 to 9 years. Treatment included a 3-week summer preparation program followed by a…

Selected Factors in Reading Comprehension for Deaf and Hearing Adults: Phonological Skills and Metacognition.

PubMed

Wang, Ye; Silvestri, Julia A; Jahromi, Laudan B

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify factors related to reading comprehension, and to compare similarities and differences in the reading processes of deaf and hearing adults. The sample included four groups, each consisting of 15 adults. The groups were identified as (a) deaf high-achieving readers, (b) deaf low-achieving readers, (c) hearing high-achieving readers, and (d) hearing low-achieving readers. Measurement instruments included a demographic form along with assessments of reading comprehension, phonological skills, and metacognition, the latter of which contained both a making-inferences measure and a think-aloud discussion with a reading strategies checklist. Results indicated that deaf high-achieving readers performed similarly to hearing high-achieving readers, except for phonological skills, and that for all participants, phonological skills and metacognition were related to reading comprehension skills.

WWC Review of the Report "The Impact of Collaborative Strategic Reading on the Reading Comprehension of Grade 5 Students in Linguistically Diverse Schools." What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2013

2013-01-01

The study reviewed in this paper examined the impact of "Collaborative Strategic Reading" ("CSR"), a set of instructional strategies used to build reading proficiency, on the reading comprehension of fifth-grade students. The analysis included 1,355 students from 74 social studies classrooms within 26 linguistically diverse…

The Comprehension Problems of Children with Poor Reading Comprehension despite Adequate Decoding: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Spencer, Mercedes; Wagner, Richard K

2018-06-01

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the comprehension problems of children who have a specific reading comprehension deficit (SCD), which is characterized by poor reading comprehension despite adequate decoding. The meta-analysis included 86 studies of children with SCD who were assessed in reading comprehension and oral language (vocabulary, listening comprehension, storytelling ability, and semantic and syntactic knowledge). Results indicated that children with SCD had deficits in oral language ( d = -0.78, 95% CI [-0.89, -0.68], but these deficits were not as severe as their deficit in reading comprehension ( d = -2.78, 95% CI [-3.01, -2.54]). When compared to reading comprehension age-matched normal readers, the oral language skills of the two groups were comparable ( d = 0.32, 95% CI [-0.49, 1.14]), which suggests that the oral language weaknesses of children with SCD represent a developmental delay rather than developmental deviance. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

The Cumulative Effect of Hyperactivity and Peer Relationships on Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Kaprea F.

2014-01-01

The impact of hyperactivity and peer relationships on academic achievement has long been highlighted in the professional literature. This study highlights how much variation in reading comprehension scores, an indicator of academic achievement, are accounted for by hyperactivity, conduct problems, and peer problems. The participants included 129…

EFL Learners' Levels of Comprehension Across Text Structures: A Comparison of Literal and Inferential Comprehension of Descriptive and Enumerative Expository Texts.

PubMed

Saadatnia, Mahmood; Ketabi, Saeed; Tavakoli, Mansoor

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between text structure and two levels of reading comprehension, namely literal and inferential, in Iranian EFL learners. Studies have generally found that learners perform differently after they have read different text structures (Amiri et al. in Proc Soc Behav Sci 66:402-409, 2012). The text structures in focus were descriptive and enumerative expository texts. One hundred eighty upper-intermediate EFL learners were assigned four reading passages, two including descriptive and the other two enumerative text structure, followed by both literal and inferential multiple-choice items. A number of paired-samples t tests were run to provide answers to the research questions of this study. The results indicated that the participants meaningfully outperformed on the descriptive texts at both levels of literal and inferential comprehension. The findings also revealed that in both text structures of description and enumeration, literal comprehension significantly outweighed inferential comprehension. Implications were made for L2 materials developers, language teachers, and language testers regarding the consideration of text typical features in their practice.

Antibiotics are the Most Commonly Identified Cause of Perioperative Hypersensitivity Reactions

PubMed Central

Kuhlen, James L.; Camargo, Carlos A.; Balekian, Diana S.; Blumenthal, Kimberly G.; Guyer, Autumn; Morris, Theresa; Long, Aidan; Banerji, Aleena

2016-01-01

Background Hypersensitivity reactions (HSR) during the perioperative period are unpredictable and can be life threatening. Prospective studies for evaluation of perioperative HSR are lacking and data on causative agents varies between different studies. Objective To prospectively determine the success of a comprehensive allergy evaluation plan for patients with HSR during anesthesia, including identification of causative agent and outcomes during subsequent anesthesia exposure. Methods All patients referred for perioperative HSR between November 2013 and March 2015, from a Boston teaching hospital, were evaluated using a standardized protocol with skin testing (ST) within 6 months of HSR. Comprehensive allergy evaluation included collection of patient information, including characteristics of HSR during anesthesia. We reviewed results of ST and/or test doses for all potential causative medications Event-related tryptase levels were reviewed when available. Results Over 17 months, 25 patients completed the comprehensive allergy evaluation. Fifty-two percent (13/25) were female with a median age of 52 (IQR 43–66) years. The most frequently observed HSR systems were cutaneous (68%), cardiovascular (64%), and pulmonary (24%). A culprit drug, defined as a positive ST, was identified in 36% (9/25) of patients. The most common agent identified was cefazolin (6/9). Following our comprehensive evaluation and management plan, seven (7/8, 88%) patients tolerated subsequent anesthesia. Conclusions Cefazolin was the most commonly identified cause of perioperative HSR in our study population. Skin testing patients within 6 months of a perioperative HSR may improve the odds of finding a positive result. Tolerance of subsequent anesthesia is generally achieved in patients undergoing our comprehensive evaluation. PMID:27039234

Antibiotics Are the Most Commonly Identified Cause of Perioperative Hypersensitivity Reactions.

PubMed

Kuhlen, James L; Camargo, Carlos A; Balekian, Diana S; Blumenthal, Kimberly G; Guyer, Autumn; Morris, Theresa; Long, Aidan; Banerji, Aleena

2016-01-01

Hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) during the perioperative period are unpredictable and can be life threatening. Prospective studies for the evaluation of perioperative HSRs are lacking, and data on causative agents vary between different studies. The objective of this study was to prospectively determine the success of a comprehensive allergy evaluation plan for patients with HSRs during anesthesia, including identification of a causative agent and outcomes during subsequent anesthesia exposure. All patients referred for a perioperative HSR between November 2013 and March 2015, from a Boston teaching hospital, were evaluated using a standardized protocol with skin testing (ST) within 6 months of HSR. Comprehensive allergy evaluation included collection of patient information, including characteristics of HSR during anesthesia. We reviewed the results of ST and/or test doses for all potential causative medications Event-related tryptase levels were reviewed when available. Over 17 months, 25 patients completed the comprehensive allergy evaluation. Fifty-two percent (13 of 25) were female with a median age of 52 (interquartile range 43-66) years. The most frequently observed HSR systems were cutaneous (68%), cardiovascular (64%), and pulmonary (24%). A culprit drug, defined as a positive ST, was identified in 36% (9 of 25) of patients. The most common agent identified was cefazolin (6 of 9). After our comprehensive evaluation and management plan, 7 (7 of 8, 88%) patients tolerated subsequent anesthesia. Cefazolin was the most commonly identified cause of a perioperative HSR in our study population. Skin testing patients within 6 months of a perioperative HSR may improve the odds of finding a positive result. Tolerance of subsequent anesthesia is generally achieved in patients undergoing our comprehensive evaluation. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Informed consent comprehension and recollection in adult dental patients: A systematic review.

PubMed

Moreira, Narjara Conduru Fernandes; Pachêco-Pereira, Camila; Keenan, Louanne; Cummings, Greta; Flores-Mir, Carlos

2016-08-01

Patients' ability to recollect and comprehend treatment information plays a fundamental role in their decision making. The authors considered original studies assessing recollection or comprehension of dental informed consent in adults. The authors searched 6 electronic databases and partial gray literature and hand searched and cross-checked reference lists published through April 2015. The authors assessed the risk of bias in the included studies via different validated tools according to the study design. Nineteen studies were included: 5 randomized clinical trials, 8 cross-sectional studies, 3 qualitative studies, 2 mixed-methods studies, and 1 case series. Conventional informed consent processes yielded comprehension results of 27% to 85% and recollection of 20% to 86%, whereas informed consent processes enhanced by additional media ranged from 44% to 93% for comprehension and from 30% to 94% for recollection. Patient self-reported understanding ranged positively, with most patients feeling that they understood all or almost all the information presented. Results of qualitative data analyses indicated that patients did not always understand explanations, although dentists thought they did. Some patients firmly stated that they did not receive any related information. Only a few patients were able to remember complications related to their treatment options. Results of this systematic review should alert dentists that although patients in general report that they understand information given to them, they may have limited comprehension. Additional media may improve conventional informed consent processes in dentistry in a meaningful way. Copyright © 2016 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How Children Talk Together to Make Meaning from Texts: A Dialogic Perspective on Reading Comprehension Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maine, Fiona

2013-01-01

This study considers reading comprehension as a dialogic transaction of making meaning from text. The concept of text and reading is taken to include the visual and multimodal as well as written forms. Case studies of children discussing texts are analysed to explore how children engage in inter-mental and intra-mental processes of reading,…

Text-Based Vocabulary Intervention Training Study: Supporting Fourth Graders with Low Reading Comprehension and Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solís, Michael; Scammacca, Nancy; Barth, Amy E.; Roberts, Garrett J.

2017-01-01

This experimental study examined the effectiveness of a text-based reading and vocabulary intervention with self-regulatory supports for 4th graders with low reading comprehension. Students with standard scores on the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test between 1.0 standard deviation (SD) and 0.5 SD below the normative sample were included (N=44) and…

Is Oral/Text Reading Fluency a “Bridge” to Reading Comprehension?

PubMed Central

Kim, Young-Suk Grace; Park, Chea Hyeong; Wagner, Richard K.

2015-01-01

In the present study we investigated developmental relations among word reading fluency, listening comprehension, and text reading fluency to reading comprehension in a relatively transparent language, Korean. A total of 98 kindergartners and 170 first graders in Korea were assessed on a series of tasks involving listening comprehension, word reading fluency, text reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Results from multigroup structural equation models showed that text reading fluency was a dissociable construct for both kindergartners and first graders. In addition, a developmental pattern emerged: listening comprehension was not uniquely related to text reading fluency for first graders, but not for kindergartners, over and above word reading fluency. In addition, text reading fluency was uniquely related to reading comprehension for kindergartners, but not for first graders, after accounting for word reading fluency and listening comprehension. For first graders, listening comprehension dominated the relations. There were no differences in the pattern of relations for skilled and less skilled readers in first grade. Results are discussed from a developmental perspective for reading comprehension component skills including text reading fluency. PMID:25653474

Orthostatic hypotension and overall mortality in 1050 older patients of the outpatient comprehensive geriatric assessment unit.

PubMed

Freud, Tamar; Punchik, Boris; Kagan, Ella; Barzak, Alex; Press, Yan

2018-03-02

Orthostatic hypotension is a common problem in individuals aged ≥65 years. Its association with mortality is not clear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate associations between orthostatic hypotension and overall mortality in a sample of individuals aged ≥65 years who were seen at the Outpatient Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Unit, Clalit Health Services, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Individuals who were evaluated in the Outpatient Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Unit between January 2005 and December 2015, and who had data on orthostatic hypotension were included in the study. The database included sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, functional and cognitive state, geriatric syndromes reached over the course of the assessment, and comorbidity. Data on mortality were also collected. The study sample included 1050 people, of whom 626 underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment and 424 underwent geriatric consultation. The mean age was 77.3 ± 5.4 years and 35.7% were men. Orthostatic hypotension was diagnosed in 294 patients (28.0%). In univariate analysis, orthostatic hypotension was associated with overall mortality only in patients aged 65-75 years (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.07-2.2), but in the multivariate model this association disappeared. In older frail patients, orthostatic hypotension was not an independent risk factor for overall mortality. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; ••: ••-••. © 2018 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Is the evaluation of risk of bias in periodontology and implant dentistry comprehensive? A systematic review.

PubMed

Faggion, Clovis Mariano; Listl, Stefan; Alarcón, Marco Antonio

2015-05-01

The objective of this study was to assess how authors of systematic reviews (SRs) with meta-analyses published in periodontology and implant dentistry evaluate risk of bias (ROB) in primary studies included in these reviews. A literature search for SRs with meta-analyses was performed in PubMed and Cochrane library databases up to July 20th 2014. The reference lists of included articles were screened for further reviews. The standards of evaluating ROB in primary studies were evaluated by using a 14-item checklist based on the Cochrane approach for evaluating ROB. Standards in ROB evaluations in Cochrane and paper-based SRs were compared using the Fisher's exact test. All searches, data extraction and evaluations were performed independently and in duplicate. Seventy SRs were included (45 paper-based and 25 Cochrane SRs, respectively). The median percentage of items addressed was 58% (interquartile range 4-100%). Cochrane SRs more frequently included ROB assessments than paper-based reviews in terms of examiner blinding (p = 0.0026), selective outcome reporting (p = 0.0207) and other bias (p = 0.0241). The ROB evaluation in primary studies currently included in SRs with meta-analyses in periodontology and implant dentistry is not sufficiently comprehensive. Cochrane SRs have more comprehensive ROB evaluation than paper-based reviews. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Coastal Studies in a Comprehensive Summer Field Geology Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Barry; Jones, Richard J.

1979-01-01

Describes a college geology course that incorporates a coastal segment. Field studies are done on Plum Island and include examining beaches, dune fields, and an adjacent marsh and spit. Topics include sedimentation, coastal geomorphology, botanical effects, and coastal studies methodology. (MA)

Character Reading Fluency, Word Segmentation Accuracy, and Reading Comprehension in L2 Chinese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Helen H.; Jiang, Xin

2013-01-01

This study investigated the relationships between lower-level processing and general reading comprehension among adult L2 (second-language) beginning learners of Chinese, in both target and non-target language learning environments. Lower-level processing in Chinese reading includes the factors of character-naming accuracy, character-naming speed,…

Informational Text Comprehension: Its Challenges and How Collaborative Strategic Reading Can Help

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCown, Margaret Averill; Thomason, Gina B.

2014-01-01

With the increased emphasis on informational text with Common Core State Standards and the difficulty many students have with this type of text, this study examined the effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) on informational text comprehension and metacognitive awareness of fifth grade students. Participating students included a…

Effects of a Technology-Assisted Reading Comprehension Intervention for English Learners with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jozwik, Sara L.; Douglas, Karen H.

2017-01-01

This study integrated technology tools into a reading comprehension intervention that used explicit instruction to teach strategies (i.e., asking questions, making connections, and coding the text to monitor for meaning) to mixed-ability small groups, which included four English Learners with learning disabilities in a fourth-grade general…

Maximizing Student Learning: The Effects of a Comprehensive School-Based Program for Preventing Problem Behaviors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, J. Ron; Martella, Ronald M.; Marchand-Martella, Nancy

2002-01-01

A study evaluated a comprehensive school-wide program based on an effective behavioral support approach for preventing disruptive behaviors implemented in seven elementary schools. The program included a school-wide discipline program, tutoring, conflict resolution, and functional behavioral intervention plans. Schools showed positive effects on…

U. S. Fourth Graders' Informational Text Comprehension: Indicators from NAEP

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schugar, Heather R.; Dreher, Miriam Jean

2017-01-01

This study is a secondary analysis of reading data collected from over 165,000 fourth graders as part of the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress. Using hierarchical linear modelling, the authors investigated factors associated with students' informational text comprehension, including out-of-school reading engagement, and in-school…

Comprehending Implied Meaning in English as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taguchi, Naoko

2005-01-01

This study investigated whether second language (L2) proficiency affects pragmatic comprehension, namely the ability to comprehend implied meaning in spoken dialogues, in terms of accuracy and speed of comprehension. Participants included 46 native English speakers at a U.S. university and 160 Japanese students of English in a college in Japan who…

Effects of an Individualized Narrative Intervention on Children's Storytelling and Comprehension Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Trina D.; Kajian, Mandana; Petersen, Douglas B.; Bilyk, Nicholas

2013-01-01

Narrative skills that are important for preschoolers include retelling stories, telling personal stories, and answering questions about stories. Narrative abilities form the foundation of reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an individually delivered language intervention on the narrative skills of…

The Development of a Comprehensive Intervention Plan for Millsboro Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, LouAnn

2012-01-01

The focus of this Executive Position Paper (EPP) is school improvement through the development and implementation a comprehensive, research-based, intervention plan for Millsboro Middle School (MMS) in the Indian River School District (IRSD). Studies conducted for this EPP began with an informal investigation of MMS data that included the Delaware…

Effects of Expository Text Structure Interventions on Comprehension: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyle, Nicole; Vasquez, Ariana C.; Lignugaris/Kraft, Benjamin; Gillam, Sandra L.; Reutzel, D. Ray; Olszewski, Abbie; Segura, Hugo; Hartzheim, Daphne; Laing, Woodrow; Pyle, Daniel

2017-01-01

This meta-analysis synthesizes results from expository text structure interventions designed to increase comprehension for students in kindergarten to grade 12 published between 1970 and 2013. Twenty-one studies were identified, 19 of which met criteria for a meta-analysis, including 48 studywise effect sizes that were meta-analyzed to determine…

Bringing Science to Bear: An Empirical Assessment of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lester, Paul B.; McBride, Sharon; Bliese, Paul D.; Adler, Amy B.

2011-01-01

This article outlines the U.S. Army's effort to empirically validate and assess the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) program. The empirical assessment includes four major components. First, the CSF scientific staff is currently conducting a longitudinal study to determine if the Master Resilience Training program and the Comprehensive…

Bidirectional Relations between Text Reading Prosody and Reading Comprehension in the Upper Primary School Grades: A Longitudinal Perspective

PubMed Central

Veenendaal, Nathalie J.; Groen, Margriet A.; Verhoeven, Ludo

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the directionality of the relationship between text reading prosody and reading comprehension in the upper grades of primary school. We compared three theoretical possibilities: Two unidirectional relations from text reading prosody to reading comprehension and from reading comprehension to text reading prosody and a bidirectional relation between text reading prosody and reading comprehension. Further, we controlled for autoregressive effects and included decoding efficiency as a measure of general reading skill. Participants were 99 Dutch children, followed longitudinally, from fourth- to sixth-grade. Structural equation modeling showed that the bidirectional relation provided the best fitting model. In fifth-grade, text reading prosody was related to prior decoding and reading comprehension, whereas in sixth-grade, reading comprehension was related to prior text reading prosody. As such, the results suggest that the relation between text reading prosody and reading comprehension is reciprocal, but dependent on grade level. PMID:27667916

Nuclear medicine and imaging research. Quantitative studies in radiopharmaceutical science. Comprehensive progress report, January 1, 1983-June 30, 1985

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

Beck, R.N.; Cooper, M.D.

1985-09-01

This comprehensive report outlines the progress made during the past three years in the areas described below. In all instances, initial studies have been carried out and the technical feasibility of carrying through each study has been demonstrated. The studies described include development of cesium-130 and bromine-75 radioisotope generators, the feasibility of using rubidium-82 as a myocardial imaging agent, and radiochemical preparation of C-11 deoxyglucose. 28 refs. (DT)

Improved informed consent documents for biomedical research do not increase patients’ understanding but reduce enrolment: a study in real settings

PubMed Central

Paris, Adeline; Deygas, Béatrice; Cornu, Catherine; Thalamas, Claire; Maison, Patrick; Duale, Christian; Kane, Maty; Hodaj, Enkelejda; Cracowski, Jean-Luc

2015-01-01

Aims The aim was to evaluate the comprehension of participants of an improved informed consent document (ICD). Method This was a randomized controlled French multicentre study performed in real conditions. Participants were adult patients undergoing screening for enrolment in biomedical research studies, who agreed to answer a validated questionnaire evaluating objective and subjective comprehension scored from 0 (no comprehension) to 100 (excellent comprehension). Patients were provided either the original ICD or an ICD modified in terms of structure and readability. The primary end point was the score of objective comprehension. The secondary end-points were the enrolment rate in the clinical study and patient characteristics associated with the score of objective comprehension. Results Four hundred and eighty-one patients were included, 241 patients in the original ICD group and 240 patients in the modified ICD group. There was no difference between the two groups for the score of objective comprehension (original ICD 72.7 (95% CI 71.3, 74.1) vs. modified ICD 72.5 (95% CI 71.0, 74.0); P = 0.81). However, the rate of enrolment in the clinical study was lower in the group who received the modified ICD (64.4% (95% CI 58.3, 70.5)) than for the original ICD (73.0% (95% CI 67.4, 78.7)) (P = 0.042). Only female gender and high educational level were associated with a better objective comprehension. Conclusions Improving ICDs had no effect on participants’ understanding, whereas the rate of enrolment was lower in this group. In attempts at improving potential participants’ understanding of clinical research information, efforts and future trials should focus on other ways to improve comprehension. PMID:26147763

Comprehension Tools for Teachers: Reading for Understanding from Prekindergarten through Fourth Grade

PubMed Central

Connor, Carol McDonald; Phillips, Beth M.; Kaschak, Michael; Apel, Kenn; Kim, Young-Suk; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Crowe, Elizabeth C.; Thomas-Tate, Shurita; Johnson, Lakeisha Cooper; Lonigan, Christopher J.

2015-01-01

This paper describes the theoretical framework, as well as the development and testing of the intervention, Comprehension Tools for Teachers (CTT), which is composed of eight component interventions targeting malleable language and reading comprehension skills that emerging research indicates contribute to proficient reading for understanding for prekindergarteners through fourth graders. Component interventions target processes considered largely automatic as well as more reflective processes, with interacting and reciprocal effects. Specifically, we present component interventions targeting cognitive, linguistic, and text-specific processes, including morphological awareness, syntax, mental-state verbs, comprehension monitoring, narrative and expository text structure, enacted comprehension, academic knowledge, and reading to learn from informational text. Our aim was to develop a tool set composed of intensive meaningful individualized small group interventions. We improved feasibility in regular classrooms through the use of design-based iterative research methods including careful lesson planning, targeted scripting, pre- and postintervention proximal assessments, and technology. In addition to the overall framework, we discuss seven of the component interventions and general results of design and efficacy studies. PMID:26500420

Modern Speed-Reading Apps Do Not Foster Reading Comprehension.

PubMed

Acklin, Dina; Papesh, Megan H

2017-01-01

New computer apps are gaining popularity by suggesting that reading speeds can be drastically increased when eye movements that normally occur during reading are eliminated. This is done using rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), where words are presented 1 at a time, thus preventing natural eye movements such as saccades, fixations, and regressions from occurring. Al- though the companies producing these apps suggest that RSVP reading does not yield comprehension deficits, research investigating the role of eye movements in reading documents shows the necessity of natural eye movements for accurate comprehension. The current study explored variables that may affect reading comprehension during RSVP reading, including text difficulty (6th grade and 12th grade), text presentation speed (static, 700 wpm, and 1,000 wpm), and working memory capacity (WMC). Consistent with recent work showing a tenuous relationship between comprehension and WMC, participants' WMC did not predict comprehension scores. Instead, comprehension was most affected by reading speed: Static text was associated with superior performance, relative to either RSVP reading condition. Furthermore, slower RSVP speeds yielded better verbatim comprehension, and faster speeds benefited inferential comprehension.

Children's understanding of Aesop's fables: relations to reading comprehension and theory of mind.

PubMed

Pelletier, Janette; Beatty, Ruth

2015-01-01

Two studies examined children's developing understanding of Aesop's fables in relation to reading comprehension and to theory of mind. Study 1 included 172 children from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 6 in a school-wide examination of the relation between reading comprehension skills and understanding of Aesop's fables told orally. Study 2 examined the relation between theory of mind and fables understanding among 186 Junior (4-year-old) and Senior (5-year-old) Kindergarten children. Study 1 results showed a developmental progression in fables understanding with children's responses becoming increasingly decontextualized as they were able to extract the life lesson. After general vocabulary, passage comprehension predicted fables understanding. Study 2 results showed a relation between young children's theory of mind development and their understanding of fables. After general vocabulary, second-order theory of mind predicted children's fables understanding. Findings point to the importance of developing mental state awareness in children's ability to judge characters' intentions and to understand the deeper message embedded in fables.

Representation and processing of mass and count nouns: a review

PubMed Central

Fieder, Nora; Nickels, Lyndsey; Biedermann, Britta

2014-01-01

Comprehension and/or production of noun phrases and sentences requires the selection of lexical-syntactic attributes of nouns. These lexical-syntactic attributes include grammatical gender (masculine/feminine/neuter), number (singular/plural) and countability (mass/count). While there has been considerable discussion regarding gender and number, relatively little attention has focused on countability. Therefore, this article reviews empirical evidence for lexical-syntactic specification of nouns for countability. This includes evidence from studies of language production and comprehension with normal speakers and case studies which assess impairments of mass/count nouns in people with acquired brain damage. Current theories of language processing are reviewed and found to be lacking specification regarding countability. Subsequently, the theoretical implications of the empirical studies are discussed in the context of frameworks derived from these accounts of language production (Levelt, 1989; Levelt et al., 1999) and comprehension (Taler and Jarema, 2006). The review concludes that there is empirical support for specification of nouns for countability at a lexical-syntactic level. PMID:24966849

The Coherence Formation Model of Illustrated Text Comprehension: A Path Model of Attention to Multimedia Text

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzhugh, Shannon Leigh

2012-01-01

The study reported here tests a model that includes several factors thought to contribute to the comprehension of static multimedia learning materials (i.e. background knowledge, working memory, attention to components as measured with eye movement measures). The model examines the effects of working memory capacity, domain specific (biology) and…

The Push for More Challenging Texts: An Analysis of Early Readers' Rate, Accuracy, and Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amendum, Steven J.; Conradi, Kristin; Liebfreund, Meghan D.

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between the challenge level of text and early readers' reading comprehension. This relationship was also examined with consideration to students' word recognition accuracy and reading rate. Participants included 636 students, in Grades 1-3, in a southeastern state. Results suggest that…

The Development of Children's Algebraic Thinking: The Impact of a Comprehensive Early Algebra Intervention in Third Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanton, Maria; Stephens, Ana; Knuth, Eric; Gardiner, Angela Murphy; Isler, Isil; Kim, Jee-Seon

2015-01-01

This article reports results from a study investigating the impact of a sustained, comprehensive early algebra intervention in third grade. Participants included 106 students; 39 received the early algebra intervention, and 67 received their district's regularly planned mathematics instruction. We share and discuss students' responses to a written…

Randomized, Controlled Trial of a Comprehensive Program for Young Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Helen E.; Falco, Ruth A.; Hanita, Makoto

2016-01-01

This randomized, controlled trial, comparing the Comprehensive Autism Program (CAP) and business as usual programs, studied outcomes for 3-5 year old students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants included 84 teachers and 302 students with ASD and their parents. CAP utilized specialized curricula and training components to implement…

Analyzing the Reliability of the easyCBM Reading Comprehension Measures: Grade 5. Technical Report #1204

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Irvin, P. Shawn; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2012-01-01

In this technical report, we present the results of a reliability study of the fifth-grade multiple choice reading comprehension measures available on the easyCBM learning system conducted in the spring of 2011. Analyses include split-half reliability, alternate form reliability, person and item reliability as derived from Rasch analysis,…

Analyzing the Reliability of the easyCBM Reading Comprehension Measures: Grade 2. Technical Report #1201

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Cheng-Fei; Irvin, P. Shawn; Alonzo, Julie; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Tindal, Gerald

2012-01-01

In this technical report, we present the results of a reliability study of the second-grade multiple choice reading comprehension measures available on the easyCBM learning system conducted in the spring of 2011. Analyses include split-half reliability, alternate form reliability, person and item reliability as derived from Rasch analysis,…

Analyzing the Reliability of the easyCBM Reading Comprehension Measures: Grade 4. Technical Report #1203

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Irvin, P. Shawn; Alonzo, Julie; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Tindal, Gerald

2012-01-01

In this technical report, we present the results of a reliability study of the fourth-grade multiple choice reading comprehension measures available on the easyCBM learning system conducted in the spring of 2011. Analyses include split-half reliability, alternate form reliability, person and item reliability as derived from Rasch analysis,…

Analyzing the Reliability of the easyCBM Reading Comprehension Measures: Grade 6. Technical Report #1205

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, P. Shawn; Alonzo, Julie; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Tindal, Gerald

2012-01-01

In this technical report, we present the results of a reliability study of the sixth-grade multiple choice reading comprehension measures available on the easyCBM learning system conducted in the spring of 2011. Analyses include split-half reliability, alternate form reliability, person and item reliability as derived from Rasch analysis,…

Analyzing the Reliability of the easyCBM Reading Comprehension Measures: Grade 7. Technical Report #1206

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, P. Shawn; Alonzo, Julie; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Tindal, Gerald

2012-01-01

In this technical report, we present the results of a reliability study of the seventh-grade multiple choice reading comprehension measures available on the easyCBM learning system conducted in the spring of 2011. Analyses include split-half reliability, alternate form reliability, person and item reliability as derived from Rasch analysis,…

Analyzing the Reliability of the easyCBM Reading Comprehension Measures: Grade 3. Technical Report #1202

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Cheng-Fei; Irvin, P. Shawn; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2012-01-01

In this technical report, we present the results of a reliability study of the third-grade multiple choice reading comprehension measures available on the easyCBM learning system conducted in the spring of 2011. Analyses include split-half reliability, alternate form reliability, person and item reliability as derived from Rasch analysis,…

The Differential Relations between Verbal, Numerical and Spatial Working Memory Abilities and Children's Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakhill, Jane; Yuill, Nicola; Garnham, Alan

2011-01-01

Working memory predicts children's reading comprehension but it is not clear whether this relation is due to a modality-specific or general working memory. This study, which investigated the relations between children's reading skills and working memory (WM) abilities in 3 modalities, extends previous work by including measures of both reading…

What’s in the Pool? A Comprehensive Identification of Disinfection By-Products and Assessment of Mutagenicity of Chlorinated and Brominated Swimming Pool Water

EPA Science Inventory

Swimming pool disinfectants and disinfection by-products (DBPs) have been linked to human health effects, including asthma and bladder cancer, but no studies have provided a comprehensive identification of DBPs in pool water and related those DBPs to the mutagenicity of pool wate...

Role of Narrative Skills on Reading Comprehension: Spanish-English and Cantonese-English Dual Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uchikoshi, Yuuko; Yang, Lu; Liu, Siwei

2018-01-01

This longitudinal study examined the role of narrative skills in English reading comprehension, after controlling for vocabulary and decoding, with a sample of 112 dual language learners (DLLs), including both Spanish-English and Cantonese-English children. Decoding, vocabulary, and narrative samples were collected in the winter of first grade and…

Comprehensive Bibliography of Pakistan Archaeology: Paleolithic to Historic Times. South Asia Series, Occasional Paper No. 24.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Denise E.

The comprehensive bibliography is a compilation of twentieth century documents about Pakistan prehistory from Paleolithic times to the arrival of the Greeks in approximately 330 B.C., also includes some of the major archaeological studies in adjacent countries which have a bearing on the interpretation and comparative analysis of Pakistan…

What's in The Pool? A Comprehensive Identification Of Disinfection By-Products and Assessment of Mutagenicity of Chlorinated and Brominated Swimming Pool Water

EPA Science Inventory

Swimming pool disinfectants and disinfection by-products (DBPs) have been linked to human health effects, including asthma and bladder cancer, but no studies have provided a comprehensive identification of DBPs in the water and related that to mutagenicity. We performed a compreh...

Strategies for Increasing Reading Comprehension Skills in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finnegan, Elizabeth; Mazin, Amanda L.

2016-01-01

As the number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) being prepared for statewide assessment rises, there is increased demand for effective instructional strategies to improve reading comprehension scores in these students. The authors synthesized the findings of 15 studies, which included 88 school-aged students identified with ASD. The…

The nutrition-based comprehensive intervention study on childhood obesity in China (NISCOC): a randomised cluster controlled trial.

PubMed

Li, Yanping; Hu, Xiaoqi; Zhang, Qian; Liu, Ailing; Fang, Hongyun; Hao, Linan; Duan, Yifan; Xu, Haiquan; Shang, Xianwen; Ma, Jun; Xu, Guifa; Du, Lin; Li, Ying; Guo, Hongwei; Li, Tingyu; Ma, Guansheng

2010-05-02

Childhood obesity and its related metabolic and psychological abnormalities are becoming serious health problems in China. Effective, feasible and practical interventions should be developed in order to prevent the childhood obesity and its related early onset of clinical cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this paper is to describe the design of a multi-centred random controlled school-based clinical intervention for childhood obesity in China. The secondary objective is to compare the cost-effectiveness of the comprehensive intervention strategy with two other interventions, one only focuses on nutrition education, the other only focuses on physical activity. The study is designed as a multi-centred randomised controlled trial, which included 6 centres located in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shandong province, Heilongjiang province and Guangdong province. Both nutrition education (special developed carton style nutrition education handbook) and physical activity intervention (Happy 10 program) will be applied in all intervention schools of 5 cities except Beijing. In Beijing, nutrition education intervention will be applied in 3 schools and physical activity intervention among another 3 schools. A total of 9750 primary students (grade 1 to grade 5, aged 7-13 years) will participate in baseline and intervention measurements, including weight, height, waist circumference, body composition (bioelectrical impendence device), physical fitness, 3 days dietary record, physical activity questionnaire, blood pressure, plasma glucose and plasma lipid profiles. Data concerning investments will be collected in our study, including costs in staff training, intervention materials, teachers and school input and supervising related expenditure. Present study is the first and biggest multi-center comprehensive childhood obesity intervention study in China. Should the study produce comprehensive results, the intervention strategies would justify a national school-based program to prevent childhood obesity in China.

A systematic review of readability and comprehension instruments used for print and web-based cancer information.

PubMed

Friedman, Daniela B; Hoffman-Goetz, Laurie

2006-06-01

Adequate functional literacy skills positively influence individuals' ability to take control of their health. Print and Web-based cancer information is often written at difficult reading levels. This systematic review evaluates readability instruments (FRE, F-K, Fog, SMOG, Fry) used to assess print and Web-based cancer information and word recognition and comprehension tests (Cloze, REALM, TOFHLA, WRAT) that measure people's health literacy. Articles on readability and comprehension instruments explicitly used for cancer information were assembled by searching MEDLINE and Psyc INFO from 1993 to 2003. In all, 23 studies were included; 16 on readability, 6 on comprehension, and 1 on readability and comprehension. Of the readability investigations, 14 focused on print materials, and 2 assessed Internet information. Comprehension and word recognition measures were not applied to Web-based information. None of the formulas were designed to determine the effects of visuals or design factors that could influence readability and comprehension of cancer education information.

Cluster randomized trial assessing the effects of rapid ethical assessment on informed consent comprehension in a low-resource setting.

PubMed

Addissie, Adamu; Abay, Serebe; Feleke, Yeweyenhareg; Newport, Melanie; Farsides, Bobbie; Davey, Gail

2016-07-12

Maximizing comprehension is a major challenge for informed consent processes in low-literacy and resource-limited settings. Application of rapid qualitative assessments to improve the informed consent process is increasingly considered useful. This study assessed the effects of Rapid Ethical Assessment (REA) on comprehension, retention and quality of the informed consent process. A cluster randomized trial was conducted among participants of HPV sero-prevalence study in two districts of Northern Ethiopia, in 2013. A total of 300 study participants, 150 in the intervention and 150 in the control group, were included in the study. For the intervention group, the informed consent process was designed with further revisions based on REA findings. Informed consent comprehension levels and quality of the consent process were measured using the Modular Informed Consent Comprehension Assessment (MICCA) and Quality of Informed Consent (QuIC) process assessment tools, respectively. Study recruitment rates were 88.7 % and 80.7 % (p = 0.05), while study retention rates were 85.7 % and 70.3 % (p < 0.005) for the intervention and control groups respectively. Overall, the mean informed consent comprehension scores for the intervention and control groups were 73.1 % and 45.2 %, respectively, with a mean difference in comprehension score of 27.9 % (95 % CI 24.0 % - 33.4 %; p < 0.001,). Mean scores for quality of informed consent for the intervention and control groups were 89.1 % and 78.5 %, respectively, with a mean difference of 10.5 % (95 % CI 6.8 -14.2 %; p < 0.001). Levels of informed consent comprehension, quality of the consent process, study recruitment and retention rates were significantly improved in the intervention group. We recommend REA as a potential modality to improve informed consent comprehension and quality of informed consent process in low resource settings.

Brain activation for reading and listening comprehension: An fMRI study of modality effects and individual differences in language comprehension

PubMed Central

Buchweitz, Augusto; Mason, Robert A.; Tomitch, Lêda M. B.; Just, Marcel Adam

2010-01-01

The study compared the brain activation patterns associated with the comprehension of written and spoken Portuguese sentences. An fMRI study measured brain activity while participants read and listened to sentences about general world knowledge. Participants had to decide if the sentences were true or false. To mirror the transient nature of spoken sentences, visual input was presented in rapid serial visual presentation format. The results showed a common core of amodal left inferior frontal and middle temporal gyri activation, as well as modality specific brain activation associated with listening and reading comprehension. Reading comprehension was associated with more left-lateralized activation and with left inferior occipital cortex (including fusiform gyrus) activation. Listening comprehension was associated with extensive bilateral temporal cortex activation and more overall activation of the whole cortex. Results also showed individual differences in brain activation for reading comprehension. Readers with lower working memory capacity showed more activation of right-hemisphere areas (spillover of activation) and more activation in the prefrontal cortex, potentially associated with more demand placed on executive control processes. Readers with higher working memory capacity showed more activation in a frontal-posterior network of areas (left angular and precentral gyri, and right inferior frontal gyrus). The activation of this network may be associated with phonological rehearsal of linguistic information when reading text presented in rapid serial visual format. The study demonstrates the modality fingerprints for language comprehension and indicates how low- and high working memory capacity readers deal with reading text presented in serial format. PMID:21526132

Australian seafood compositional profiles: A pilot study. Vitamin D and mercury content.

PubMed

Padula, David; Greenfield, Heather; Cunningham, Judy; Kiermeier, Andreas; McLeod, Catherine

2016-02-15

Given the scarcity of comprehensive nutritional data for Australia's >400 commercially produced seafood species a pilot study was undertaken to collect and analyse 22 species of wild and aquaculture seafood in order to develop a model for future comprehensive surveys. The species analysed were: Atlantic salmon, Australian sardine, prawn (six species), barramundi, abalone (three species), blue sprat, burrowing blackfish, gummy shark, oyster (four species), ocean trout and yellowtail kingfish. The analyses undertaken in this pilot study were: moisture, protein, total fat, cholesterol, fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamins A and D, and 21 mineral elements (including total mercury and methyl mercury). The data reported here are for vitamin D and mercury only. Comprehensive data have already been published elsewhere. Issues identified that should be addressed prior to undertaking a more extensive and representative study of the remaining major edible commercial Australian seafood species include: choice of samples and nutrients for analysis, facilities for sample handling and storage, data management and scrutiny, and laboratory quality control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space station final study report. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Volume 1 of the Final Study Report provides an Executive Summary of the Phase B study effort conducted under contract NAS8-36526. Space station Phase B implementation resulted in the timely establishment of preliminary design tasks, including trades and analyses. A comprehensive summary of project activities in conducting this study effort is included.

Contextual Constraint Treatment for coarse coding deficit in adults with right hemisphere brain damage: Generalization to narrative discourse comprehension

PubMed Central

Blake, Margaret Lehman; Tompkins, Connie A.; Scharp, Victoria L.; Meigh, Kimberly M.; Wambaugh, Julie

2014-01-01

Coarse coding is the activation of broad semantic fields that can include multiple word meanings and a variety of features, including those peripheral to a word’s core meaning. It is a partially domain-general process related to general discourse comprehension and contributes to both literal and non-literal language processing. Adults with damage to the right cerebral hemisphere (RHD) and a coarse coding deficit are particularly slow to activate features of words that are relatively distant or peripheral. This manuscript reports a pre-efficacy study of Contextual Constraint Treatment (CCT), a novel, implicit treatment designed to increase the efficiency of coarse coding with the goal of improving narrative comprehension and other language performance that relies on coarse coding. Participants were four adults with RHD. The study used a single-subject controlled experimental design across subjects and behaviors. The treatment involves pre-stimulation, using a hierarchy of strong- and moderately-biased contexts, to prime the intended distantly-related features of critical stimulus words. Three of the four participants exhibited gains in auditory narrative discourse comprehension, the primary outcome measure. All participants exhibited generalization to untreated items. No strong generalization to processing nonliteral language was evident. The results indicate that CCT yields both improved efficiency of the coarse coding process and generalization to narrative comprehension. PMID:24983133

The Effects of Listening to Expository Text on First Graders' Listening Comprehension and Book Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraemer, Linda A.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of listening to expository text on first graders' listening comprehension and book choice. The participants for this study included 77 first grade students from four heterogeneous classes at a suburban elementary school in the New York City metropolitan area. During the pretest and…

Feasibility and Initial Efficacy of a Comprehensive School-Based Intervention for High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopata, Christopher; Thomeer, Marcus L.; Volker, Martin A.; Lee, Gloria K.; Smith, Tristram H.; Smith, Rachael A.; Mcdonald, Christin A.; Rodgers, Jonathan D.; Lipinski, Alanna M.; Toomey, Jennifer A.

2012-01-01

This study examined the feasibility and initial efficacy of a comprehensive school-based intervention (CSBI) for 12 children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders, aged 6 to 9 years. Treatment included a 3-week summer preparation program followed by a 10-month CSBI, comprising social skills groups, therapeutic activities, face and voice…

"Every Child Ready": Exposure to a Comprehensive Instructional Model Improves Students' Growth Trajectories in Multiple Early Learning Domains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Abby G.; Curby, Timothy W.; Brown, Chavaughn A.; Truong, Felicia R.

2017-01-01

The current study investigates the impact of Every Child Ready (ECR), a comprehensive instructional model that includes: "What to teach, how to teach and how to know instruction is effective." The ECR instructional model is designed to provide high quality instruction to children via a play-based, thematic curriculum. Participants…

An Investigation of Basic and Borderline Proficient Students' Comprehension Reading Achievement Using the Read 180 Computerized Instructional Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piper, Deborah L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to see if students made gains in reading achievement in the area of reading comprehension by having used a computerized reading instructional program entitled "READ 180RTM." The researcher included a qualitative component to gather teacher and parent perceptions of the use of this program. The theoretical…

The Effects of Repeated Readings on the Reading Fluency and Comprehension for High School Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandenberg, Amy C.; Boon, Richard T.; Fore, Cecil, III; Bender, William N.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the efficacy of repeated readings on the oral reading fluency rate and reading comprehension accuracy of high school students with specific learning disabilities. The participants included three tenth and eleventh grade students with specific learning disabilities in a study skills resource…

Selected Factors in Reading Comprehension for Deaf and Hearing Adults: Phonological Skills and Metacognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ye; Silvestri, Julia A.; Jahromi, Laudan B.

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify factors related to reading comprehension, and to compare similarities and differences in the reading processes of deaf and hearing adults. The sample included four groups, each consisting of 15 adults. The groups were identified as (a) deaf high-achieving readers, (b) deaf low-achieving readers, (c) hearing…

The Effects of Explicit Reading Strategy Instruction and Cooperative Learning on Reading Comprehension in Fourth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lencioni, Gina M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of explicit direct instruction and cooperative learning on reading comprehension in fourth grade students. A quasi-experimental design was used. There were six cognitive and three affective measures used to collect quantitative data. Cognitive measures included California State Test scores,…

The Impact of a Comprehensive Tier I Core Kindergarten Program on the Achievement of Students at Risk in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Ben; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K.; Fien, Hank; Doabler, Christian T.; Chard, David J.

2011-01-01

This study examined the efficacy of a core kindergarten mathematics program, ELM, a 120-lesson comprehensive curriculum providing instruction in (a) number operations, (b) geometry, (c) measurement, and (d) vocabulary. ELM is designed to address the learning needs of all students, including at-risk students in the general education or Tier I…

Environmental Camp as a Comprehensive Communication Tool to Promote the RRR Concept to Elementary Education Students at Koh Si Chang School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Supakata, Nuta; Puangthongthub, Sitthichok; Srithongouthai, Sarawut; Kanokkantapong, Vorapot; Chaikaew, Pasicha

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop and implement a Reduce-Reuse-Recycle (RRR) communication strategy through environmental camp as a comprehensive communication tool to promote the RRR concept to elementary school students. Various activities from five learning bases including the folding milk carton game, waste separation relay, recycling…

Comprehensive stroke units: a review of comparative evidence and experience.

PubMed

Chan, Daniel K Y; Cordato, Dennis; O'Rourke, Fintan; Chan, Daniel L; Pollack, Michael; Middleton, Sandy; Levi, Chris

2013-06-01

Stroke unit care offers significant benefits in survival and dependency when compared to general medical ward. Most stroke units are either acute or rehabilitation, but comprehensive (combined acute and rehabilitation) model (comprehensive stroke unit) is less common. To examine different levels of evidence of comprehensive stroke unit compared to other organized inpatient stroke care and share local experience of comprehensive stroke units. Cochrane Library and Medline (1980 to December 2010) review of English language articles comparing stroke units to alternative forms of stroke care delivery, different types of stroke unit models, and differences in processes of care within different stroke unit models. Different levels of comparative evidence of comprehensive stroke units to other models of stroke units are collected. There are no randomized controlled trials directly comparing comprehensive stroke units to other stroke unit models (either acute or rehabilitation). Comprehensive stroke units are associated with reduced length of stay and greatest reduction in combined death and dependency in a meta-analysis study when compared to other stroke unit models. Comprehensive stroke units also have better length of stay and functional outcome when compared to acute or rehabilitation stroke unit models in a cross-sectional study, and better length of stay in a 'before-and-after' comparative study. Components of stroke unit care that improve outcome are multifactorial and most probably include early mobilization. A comprehensive stroke unit model has been successfully implemented in metropolitan and rural hospital settings. Comprehensive stroke units are associated with reductions in length of stay and combined death and dependency and improved functional outcomes compared to other stroke unit models. A comprehensive stroke unit model is worth considering as the preferred model of stroke unit care in the planning and delivery of metropolitan and rural stroke services. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2012 World Stroke Organization.

Effectiveness of secondary prevention and treatment interventions for crack-cocaine abuse: a comprehensive narrative overview of English-language studies.

PubMed

Fischer, Benedikt; Blanken, Peter; Da Silveira, Dartiu; Gallassi, Andrea; Goldner, Elliot M; Rehm, Jürgen; Tyndall, Mark; Wood, Evan

2015-04-01

There are an estimated several million crack-cocaine users globally; use is highest in the Americas. Most crack users are socio-economically marginalized (e.g., homeless), and feature elevated risks for morbidity (e.g., blood-borne viruses), mortality and crime/violence involvement, resulting in extensive burdens. No comprehensive reviews of evidence-based prevention and/or treatment interventions specifically for crack use exist. We conducted a comprehensive narrative overview of English-language studies on the efficacy of secondary prevention and treatment interventions for crack (cocaine) abuse/dependence. Literature searches (1990-2014) using pertinent keywords were conducted in main scientific databases. Titles/abstracts were reviewed for relevance, and full studies were included in the review if involving a primary prevention/treatment intervention study comprising a substantive crack user sample. Intervention outcomes considered included drug use, health risks/status (e.g., HIV or sexual risks) and select social outcome indicators. Targeted (e.g., behavioral/community-based) prevention measures show mixed and short-term effects on crack use/HIV risk outcomes. Material (e.g., safer crack use kit distribution) interventions also document modest efficacy in risk reduction; empirical assessments of environmental (e.g., drug consumption facilities) for crack smokers are not available. Diverse psycho-social treatment (including contingency management) interventions for crack abuse/dependence show some positive but also limited/short-term efficacy, yet likely constitute best currently available treatment options. Ancillary treatments show little effects but are understudied. Despite ample studies, pharmaco-therapeutic/immunotherapy treatment agents have not produced convincing evidence; select agents may hold potential combined with personalized approaches and/or psycho-social strategies. No comprehensively effective 'gold-standard' prevention/treatment interventions for crack abuse exist; concerted research towards improved interventions is urgently needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measures of outdoor play and independent mobility in children and youth: A methodological review.

PubMed

Bates, Bree; Stone, Michelle R

2015-09-01

Declines in children's outdoor play have been documented globally, which are partly due to heightened restrictions around children's independent mobility. Literature on outdoor play and children's independent mobility is increasing, yet no paper has summarized the various methodological approaches used. A methodological review could highlight most commonly used measures and comprehensive research designs that could result in more standardized methodological approaches. Methodological review. A standardized protocol guided a methodological review of published research on measures of outdoor play and children's independent mobility in children and youth (0-18 years). Online searches of 8 electronic databases were conducted and studies included if they contained a subjective/objective measure of outdoor play or children's independent mobility. References of included articles were scanned to identify additional articles. Twenty-four studies were included on outdoor play, and twenty-three on children's independent mobility. Study designs were diverse. Common objective measures included accelerometry, global positioning systems and direct observation; questionnaires, surveys and interviews were common subjective measures. Focus groups, activity logs, monitoring sheets, travel/activity diaries, behavioral maps and guided tours were also utilized. Questionnaires were used most frequently, yet few studies used the same questionnaire. Five studies employed comprehensive, mixed-methods designs. Outdoor play and children's independent mobility have been measured using a wide variety of techniques, with only a few studies using similar methodologies. A standardized methodological approach does not exist. Future researchers should consider including both objective measures (accelerometry and global positioning systems) and subjective measures (questionnaires, activity logs, interviews), as more comprehensive designs will enhance understanding of each multidimensional construct. Creating a standardized methodological approach would improve study comparisons. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A classification of errors in lay comprehension of medical documents.

PubMed

Keselman, Alla; Smith, Catherine Arnott

2012-12-01

Emphasis on participatory medicine requires that patients and consumers participate in tasks traditionally reserved for healthcare providers. This includes reading and comprehending medical documents, often but not necessarily in the context of interacting with Personal Health Records (PHRs). Research suggests that while giving patients access to medical documents has many benefits (e.g., improved patient-provider communication), lay people often have difficulty understanding medical information. Informatics can address the problem by developing tools that support comprehension; this requires in-depth understanding of the nature and causes of errors that lay people make when comprehending clinical documents. The objective of this study was to develop a classification scheme of comprehension errors, based on lay individuals' retellings of two documents containing clinical text: a description of a clinical trial and a typical office visit note. While not comprehensive, the scheme can serve as a foundation of further development of a taxonomy of patients' comprehension errors. Eighty participants, all healthy volunteers, read and retold two medical documents. A data-driven content analysis procedure was used to extract and classify retelling errors. The resulting hierarchical classification scheme contains nine categories and 23 subcategories. The most common error made by the participants involved incorrectly recalling brand names of medications. Other common errors included misunderstanding clinical concepts, misreporting the objective of a clinical research study and physician's findings during a patient's visit, and confusing and misspelling clinical terms. A combination of informatics support and health education is likely to improve the accuracy of lay comprehension of medical documents. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Examining Associations Among ADHD, Homework Behavior, and Reading Comprehension: A Twin Study.

PubMed

Little, Callie W; Hart, Sara A; Schatschneider, Christopher; Taylor, Jeanette

2016-07-01

Previous literature has indicated an important association between reading comprehension and both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and homework habits. This investigation sought to extend previous knowledge by providing information about how ADHD and homework behavior (i.e., completing homework regularly) may jointly influence reading comprehension. Using a genetically sensitive design, this study examined the genetic and environmental influences on and between ADHD, homework behavior and reading comprehension. Participants for this study included 691 twin pairs (351 monozygotic, 340 same-sex dizygotic) from the Florida Twin Project on Behavior and Environment (FTP-BE) and 2647 twin pairs (865 monozygotic, 1782 dizygotic) from the larger Florida Twin Project on Reading (FTP-R) in Grades 3 through 7. Three separate models, each representing a different definition of ADHD (full ADHD, inattention only, and hyperactivity/impulsivity only), showed similar patterns of results; therefore, results of the full ADHD model are discussed. Overlapping genetic influences were found between ADHD, homework behavior, and reading comprehension, but no shared environmental influences among all three. However, shared environmental influences overlapped between homework behavior and reading comprehension. Although the sources of this environmental overlap are unknown, these results have implications for improving homework practices and their subsequent influence on literacy skills through homework environments. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

Children’s understanding of Aesop’s fables: relations to reading comprehension and theory of mind

PubMed Central

Pelletier, Janette; Beatty, Ruth

2015-01-01

Two studies examined children’s developing understanding of Aesop’s fables in relation to reading comprehension and to theory of mind. Study 1 included 172 children from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 6 in a school-wide examination of the relation between reading comprehension skills and understanding of Aesop’s fables told orally. Study 2 examined the relation between theory of mind and fables understanding among 186 Junior (4-year-old) and Senior (5-year-old) Kindergarten children. Study 1 results showed a developmental progression in fables understanding with children’s responses becoming increasingly decontextualized as they were able to extract the life lesson. After general vocabulary, passage comprehension predicted fables understanding. Study 2 results showed a relation between young children’s theory of mind development and their understanding of fables. After general vocabulary, second-order theory of mind predicted children’s fables understanding. Findings point to the importance of developing mental state awareness in children’s ability to judge characters’ intentions and to understand the deeper message embedded in fables. PMID:26500569

Kindergarten predictors of second versus eighth grade reading comprehension impairments.

PubMed

Adlof, Suzanne M; Catts, Hugh W; Lee, Jaehoon

2010-01-01

Multiple studies have shown that kindergarten measures of phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge are good predictors of reading achievement in the primary grades. However, less attention has been given to the early predictors of later reading achievement. This study used a modified best-subsets variable-selection technique to examine kindergarten predictors of early versus later reading comprehension impairments. Participants included 433 children involved in a longitudinal study of language and reading development. The kindergarten test battery assessed various language skills in addition to phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, naming speed, and nonverbal cognitive ability. Reading comprehension was assessed in second and eighth grades. Results indicated that different combinations of variables were required to optimally predict second versus eighth grade reading impairments. Although some variables effectively predicted reading impairments in both grades, their relative contributions shifted over time. These results are discussed in light of the changing nature of reading comprehension over time. Further research will help to improve the early identification of later reading disabilities.

Random glucose is useful for individual prediction of type 2 diabetes: results of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP).

PubMed

Kowall, Bernd; Rathmann, Wolfgang; Giani, Guido; Schipf, Sabine; Baumeister, Sebastian; Wallaschofski, Henri; Nauck, Matthias; Völzke, Henry

2013-04-01

Random glucose is widely used in routine clinical practice. We investigated whether this non-standardized glycemic measure is useful for individual diabetes prediction. The Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP), a population-based cohort study in north-east Germany, included 3107 diabetes-free persons aged 31-81 years at baseline in 1997-2001. 2475 persons participated at 5-year follow-up and gave self-reports of incident diabetes. For the total sample and for subjects aged ≥50 years, statistical properties of prediction models with and without random glucose were compared. A basic model (including age, sex, diabetes of parents, hypertension and waist circumference) and a comprehensive model (additionally including various lifestyle variables and blood parameters, but not HbA1c) performed statistically significantly better after adding random glucose (e.g., the area under the receiver-operating curve (AROC) increased from 0.824 to 0.856 after adding random glucose to the comprehensive model in the total sample). Likewise, adding random glucose to prediction models which included HbA1c led to significant improvements of predictive ability (e.g., for subjects ≥50 years, AROC increased from 0.824 to 0.849 after adding random glucose to the comprehensive model+HbA1c). Random glucose is useful for individual diabetes prediction, and improves prediction models including HbA1c. Copyright © 2012 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Transactional Strategies Instruction on the Reading Comprehension of a Diverse Group of Second Graders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sunjoo Shawn

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of TSI in teaching reading comprehension to a diverse group of second graders. The diversity included various levels of readiness in reading, language status such as English learners and native speakers of English, and various levels of participation by children in a whole-class setting.…

Quantifying the Efficiency of a Translator: The Effect of Syntactical and Literal Written Translations on Language Comprehension Using the Machine Translation System FALCon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCulloh, Ian A.; Morton, Jillian; Jantzi, Jennifer K.; Rodriguez, Amy M.; Graham, John

2008-01-01

This study introduces a new method of evaluating human comprehension in the context of machine translation using a language translation program known as the FALCon (Forward Area Language Converter). The participants include 48 freshmen from the United States Military Academy enrolled in the General Psychology course, PL100. Results of this study…

Health System Features That Enhance Access to Comprehensive Primary Care for Women Living with HIV in High-Income Settings: A Systematic Mixed Studies Review.

PubMed

O'Brien, Nadia; Hong, Quan Nha; Law, Susan; Massoud, Sarah; Carter, Allison; Kaida, Angela; Loutfy, Mona; Cox, Joseph; Andersson, Neil; de Pokomandy, Alexandra

2018-04-01

Women living with HIV in high-income settings continue to experience modifiable barriers to care. We sought to determine the features of care that facilitate access to comprehensive primary care, inclusive of HIV, comorbidity, and sexual and reproductive healthcare. Using a systematic mixed studies review design, we reviewed qualitative, mixed methods, and quantitative studies identified in Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases (January 2000 to August 2017). Eligibility criteria included women living with HIV; high-income countries; primary care; and healthcare accessibility. We performed a thematic synthesis using NVivo. After screening 3466 records, we retained 44 articles and identified 13 themes. Drawing on a social-ecological framework on engagement in HIV care, we situated the themes across three levels of the healthcare system: care providers, clinical care environments, and social and institutional factors. At the care provider level, features enhancing access to comprehensive primary care included positive patient-provider relationships and availability of peer support, case managers, and/or nurse navigators. Within clinical care environments, facilitators to care were appointment reminder systems, nonidentifying clinic signs, women and family spaces, transportation services, and coordination of care to meet women's HIV, comorbidity, and sexual and reproductive healthcare needs. Finally, social and institutional factors included healthcare insurance, patient and physician education, and dispelling HIV-related stigma. This review highlights several features of care that are particularly relevant to the care-seeking experience of women living with HIV. Improving their health through comprehensive care requires a variety of strategies at the provider, clinic, and greater social and institutional levels.

Evidence Base Update for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Smith, Tristram; Iadarola, Suzannah

2015-01-01

This evidence base update examines the level of empirical support for interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) younger than 5 years old. It focuses on research published since a previous review in this journal (Rogers & Vismara, 2008 ). We identified psychological or behavioral interventions that had been manualized and evaluated in either (a) experimental or quasi-experimental group studies or (b) systematic reviews of single-subject studies. We extracted data from all studies that met these criteria and were published after the previous review. Interventions were categorized across two dimensions. First, primary theoretical principles included applied behavior analysis (ABA), developmental social-pragmatic (DSP), or both. Second, practice elements included scope (comprehensive or focused), modality (individual intervention with the child, parent training, or classrooms), and intervention targets (e.g., spoken language or alternative and augmentative communication). We classified two interventions as well-established (individual, comprehensive ABA and teacher-implemented, focused ABA + DSP), 3 as probably efficacious (individual, focused ABA for augmentative and alternative communication; individual, focused ABA + DSP; and focused DSP parent training), and 5 as possibly efficacious (individual, comprehensive ABA + DSP; comprehensive ABA classrooms; focused ABA for spoken communication; focused ABA parent training; and teacher-implemented, focused DSP). The evidence base for ASD interventions has grown substantially since 2008. An increasing number of interventions have some empirical support; others are emerging as potentially efficacious. Priorities for future research include improving outcome measures, developing interventions for understudied ASD symptoms (e.g., repetitive behaviors), pinpointing mechanisms of action in interventions, and adapting interventions for implementation with fidelity by community providers.

Systematic review of the neural basis of social cognition in patients with mood disorders.

PubMed

Cusi, Andrée M; Nazarov, Anthony; Holshausen, Katherine; Macqueen, Glenda M; McKinnon, Margaret C

2012-05-01

This review integrates neuroimaging studies of 2 domains of social cognition--emotion comprehension and theory of mind (ToM)--in patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. The influence of key clinical and method variables on patterns of neural activation during social cognitive processing is also examined. Studies were identified using PsycINFO and PubMed (January 1967 to May 2011). The search terms were "fMRI," "emotion comprehension," "emotion perception," "affect comprehension," "affect perception," "facial expression," "prosody," "theory of mind," "mentalizing" and "empathy" in combination with "major depressive disorder," "bipolar disorder," "major depression," "unipolar depression," "clinical depression" and "mania." Taken together, neuroimaging studies of social cognition in patients with mood disorders reveal enhanced activation in limbic and emotion-related structures and attenuated activity within frontal regions associated with emotion regulation and higher cognitive functions. These results reveal an overall lack of inhibition by higher-order cognitive structures on limbic and emotion-related structures during social cognitive processing in patients with mood disorders. Critically, key variables, including illness burden, symptom severity, comorbidity, medication status and cognitive load may moderate this pattern of neural activation. Studies that did not include control tasks or a comparator group were included in this review. Further work is needed to examine the contribution of key moderator variables and to further elucidate the neural networks underlying altered social cognition in patients with mood disorders. The neural networks under lying higher-order social cognitive processes, including empathy, remain unexplored in patients with mood disorders.

An Investigation of the Effects of Reader Characteristics on Reading Comprehension Of a General Chemistry Text

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neiles, Kelly Y.

There is great concern in the scientific community that students in the United States, when compared with other countries, are falling behind in their scientific achievement. Increasing students' reading comprehension of scientific text may be one of the components involved in students' science achievement. To investigate students' reading comprehension this quantitative study examined the effects of different reader characteristics, namely, students' logical reasoning ability, factual chemistry knowledge, working memory capacity, and schema of the chemistry concepts, on reading comprehension of a chemistry text. Students' reading comprehension was measured through their ability to encode the text, access the meanings of words (lexical access), make bridging and elaborative inferences, and integrate the text with their existing schemas to make a lasting mental representation of the text (situational model). Students completed a series of tasks that measured the reader characteristic and reading comprehension variables. Some of the variables were measured using new technologies and software to investigate different cognitive processes. These technologies and software included eye tracking to investigate students' lexical accessing and a Pathfinder program to investigate students' schema of the chemistry concepts. The results from this study were analyzed using canonical correlation and regression analysis. The canonical correlation analysis allows for the ten variables described previously to be included in one multivariate analysis. Results indicate that the relationship between the reader characteristic variables and the reading comprehension variables is significant. The resulting canonical function accounts for a greater amount of variance in students' responses then any individual variable. Regression analysis was used to further investigate which reader characteristic variables accounted for the differences in students' responses for each reading comprehension variable. The results from this regression analysis indicated that the two schema measures (measured by the Pathfinder program) accounted for the greatest amount of variance in four of the reading comprehension variables (encoding the text, bridging and elaborative inferences, and delayed recall of a general summary). This research suggest that providing students with background information on chemistry concepts prior to having them read the text may result in better understanding and more effective incorporation of the chemistry concepts into their schema.

Comprehensive sector-wide strategies to prevent and control obesity: what are the potential health and broader societal benefits? A case study from Australia.

PubMed

Kite, James; Hector, Debra J; St George, Alexis; Pedisic, Zeljko; Phongsavan, Philayrath; Bauman, Adrian; Mitchell, Jo; Bellew, Bill

2015-09-30

Several countries have recently established multistakeholder strategies to prevent or control overweight and obesity; however, studies have not yet been done on their effectiveness and likely impact. This study's objectives were to (i) explore sector-wide benefits and impacts likely to accrue from implementing an obesity prevention strategy in the Australian state of New South Wales; (ii) discuss the wider implications of the findings for research and practice; and (iii) strengthen the case for sustained implementation of a comprehensive, intersectoral approach. A case study approach, including evidence reviews and illustrative epidemiological models, was used to show potential benefits from meeting selected targets and objectives specified in the strategy. For adults, improved health outcomes potentially include reductions in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, various cancers, osteoarthritis, infant mortality and healthcare costs. Potential benefits beyond the health sector involve disability payments, absenteeism, worker productivity, workplace injuries and insurance claims. For children and adolescents, improved health outcomes potentially include metabolic risk factors, dental health, prehypertension/hypertension, cardiovascular disease risk factors, depression, rates of mortality in hospitalised children, bullying and otitis media. Sector-wide health, social and economic benefits from successful implementation of multisector obesity prevention strategies are likely to be substantial if specified targets are achieved. Epidemiological modelling described in this paper for selected examples provides illustrative rather than comprehensive evidence for potential benefits. Process evaluation of the extent of implementation of these multisectoral strategies, together with the accumulated data on intervention effectiveness, will determine their potential population health benefit. Quantifying the health and social benefits that are likely to accrue if comprehensive sector-wide obesity prevention and control strategies are established can strengthen advocacy for their sustained implementation.

A Dominance Analysis Approach to Determining Predictor Importance in Third, Seventh, and Tenth Grade Reading Comprehension Skills

PubMed Central

Tighe, Elizabeth; Schatschneider, Christopher

2015-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate and rank order by importance the contributions of various cognitive predictors to reading comprehension in third, seventh, and tenth graders. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that for third grade, the best fit was a four-factor solution including Fluency, Verbal Reasoning, Nonverbal Reasoning, and Working Memory factors. For seventh and tenth grade, three-factor solutions with Fluency, Reasoning, and Working Memory factors were the best fit. The three and four-factor models were used in separate dominance analyses for each grade to rank order the factors by predictive importance to reading comprehension. Results indicated that Fluency and Verbal Reasoning were the most important predictors of third grade reading comprehension. For seventh grade, Fluency and Reasoning were the most important predictors. By tenth grade, Reasoning was the most important predictor of reading comprehension. Working Memory was the least predictive of reading comprehension across all grade levels. These results suggest that inferential reasoning skills become an important contributor to reading comprehension at increasing grade levels. PMID:26346315

Proverb comprehension impairments in schizophrenia are related to executive dysfunction.

PubMed

Thoma, Patrizia; Hennecke, Marie; Mandok, Tobias; Wähner, Alfred; Brüne, Martin; Juckel, Georg; Daum, Irene

2009-12-30

The study aimed to investigate the pattern of proverb comprehension impairment and its relationship to proverb familiarity and executive dysfunction in schizophrenia. To assess the specificity of the impairment pattern to schizophrenia, alcohol-dependent patients were included as a psychiatric comparison group, as deficits of executive function and theory of mind as well as dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex, which have been related to proverb comprehension difficulties, are common in both disorders. Twenty-four schizophrenia patients, 20 alcohol-dependent patients and 34 healthy controls were administered a multiple-choice proverb interpretation task incorporating ratings of subjective familiarity and measures of executive function. Schizophrenia patients chose the correct abstract and meaningful interpretations less frequently and instead chose the incorrect concrete (both meaningless and meaningful) proverb interpretations more often than alcohol-dependent patients and healthy controls. Relative to healthy controls, schizophrenia patients also chose more abstract-meaningless response alternatives and were impaired in all executive domains. Impaired divided attention was most consistently associated with proverb interpretation deficits in both patient groups. Taken together, schizophrenia patients showed a specific pattern of proverb comprehension impairments related to executive dysfunction and symptoms. The comparison with the alcohol-dependent subgroup suggests that a more comprehensive and severe impairment of complex higher-order cognitive functions including executive behavioural control and non-literal language comprehension might be associated with frontal dysfunction in schizophrenia as compared to alcohol use disorder.

Learning disabled and average readers' working memory and comprehension: does metacognition play a role?

PubMed

Swanson, H L; Trahan, M

1996-09-01

The present study investigates (a) whether learning disabled readers' working memory deficits that underlie poor reading comprehension are related to a general system, and (b) whether metacognition contributes to comprehension beyond what is predicted by working memory and word knowledge. To this end, performance between learning and disabled (N = 60) and average readers (N = 60) was compared on the reading comprehension, reading rate, and vocabulary subtests of the Nelson Skills Reading Test, Sentence Span test composed of high and low imagery words, and a Metacognitive Questionnaire. As expected, differences between groups in working memory, vocabulary, and reading measures emerged, whereas ability groups were statistically comparable on the Metacognitive Questionnaire. A within-group analysis indicated that the correlation patterns between working memory, vocabulary, metacognition, and reading comprehension were not the same between ability groups. For predicting reading comprehension, the metacognitive questionnaire best predicted learning disabled readers' performance, whereas the working memory span measure that included low-imagery words best predicted average achieving readers' comprehension. Overall, the results suggest that the relationship between learning disabled readers' generalised working memory deficits and poor reading comprehension may be mediated by metacognition.

Morphological awareness and reading comprehension: Examining mediating factors.

PubMed

Levesque, Kyle C; Kieffer, Michael J; Deacon, S Hélène

2017-08-01

The relation between morphological awareness-defined as the awareness of and ability to manipulate the smallest units of meaning in language-and reading comprehension remains in need of specification. In this study, we evaluated four potential intervening variables through which morphological awareness may contribute indirectly to reading comprehension. We assessed word reading and vocabulary as well as children's ability to read and analyze the meaning of morphologically complex words (morphological decoding and morphological analysis, respectively). Controls of phonological awareness and nonverbal ability were included in the model. Participants were 221 English-speaking children in Grade 3. Multivariate path analyses revealed evidence of two indirect relations and one direct relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension. In the first indirect path, morphological awareness contributed to morphological decoding, which then influenced word reading and finally reading comprehension. In a second indirect path, morphological awareness contributed to morphological analysis, which contributed to reading comprehension. Finally, in a direct path, morphological awareness contributed to reading comprehension beyond all other variables. These findings inform as to the potential mechanisms underlying the relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A content analysis of peripheral arterial disease patient-reported outcome measures using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

PubMed

Osborne, Candice Lee; Kauvar, David Seth

2017-10-17

The purpose of this study was to link, classify and describe the content of peripheral arterial disease (PAD)-specific patient-reported outcome measures using the International Classification of Functioning. The results were then analyzed to determine if these assessments provide clinicians and researchers with a comprehensive understanding of the lived experience of patients with PAD. Each meaningful concept in identified PAD assessments was linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to determine included and excluded content areas. An overall perspective was assigned to each assessment item. Inter-rater reliability was established using a kappa statistic. The body functions component is most frequently addressed overall followed by the activities and participation component. International Classification of Functioning chapter and category distribution vary greatly between assessments and no assessment comprehensively examines community participation and relationships. The majority of the assessment items are of the health status-disability and quality of life perspectives. The results of this study suggest the need for the development of a comprehensive PAD assessment that includes a more even distribution of International Classification of Functioning topics and subtopics. A more comprehensive assessment would better capture the lived experience of this patient population. Implications for Rehabilitation A better understanding of the data collected using the current peripheral arterial disease-specific patient-reported outcome measures may contribute to the development of more comprehensive assessment tools that will ultimately lead to improved patient care. This study contributes to the preliminary foundation for the development of a peripheral arterial disease International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set. Clinicians and researchers interested in using peripheral arterial disease-specific patient-reported outcome measures for clinical and research purposes can better understand what topics are included and excluded in the collection and what perspectives are addressed.

The Role of Elaboration in the Comprehension and Retention of Prose: A Critical Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reder, Lynne M.

1980-01-01

Recent research in the area of prose comprehension is reviewed, including factors that affect amount of recall, representations of text structures, and use of world knowledge to aid comprehension. The need for more information processing models of comprehension is emphasized. Elaboration is considered important for comprehension and retention.…

The Effects of Reading Fluency Interventions on the Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Performance of Elementary Students With Learning Disabilities: A Synthesis of the Research from 2001 to 2014

PubMed Central

Stevens, Elizabeth A.; Walker, Melodee A.; Vaughn, Sharon

2016-01-01

Fluent word reading is hypothesized to facilitate reading comprehension by improving automatic word reading, thus releasing a reader’s cognitive resources to focus on meaning. Many students with learning disabilities (LD) struggle to develop reading fluency, which affects reading comprehension. This synthesis extends Chard, Vaughn, and Tyler’s (2002) review, synthesizing fluency intervention research from 2001 to 2014. The search yielded 19 studies examining reading fluency and comprehension outcomes of reading fluency interventions for students with LD in kindergarten through 5th grade. Results showed repeated reading (RR), multicomponent interventions, and assisted reading with audiobooks produced gains in reading fluency and comprehension. Providing a model of fluent reading and performance feedback, using easier level text, setting a performance criterion, and practicing RR with peers also contributed to improved outcomes. Findings suggest that RR remains the most effective intervention for improving reading fluency for students with LD. Limitations include sample size, only three group design studies, and infrequent use of standardized measures. PMID:27067939

The Effects of Reading Fluency Interventions on the Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Performance of Elementary Students With Learning Disabilities: A Synthesis of the Research from 2001 to 2014.

PubMed

Stevens, Elizabeth A; Walker, Melodee A; Vaughn, Sharon

Fluent word reading is hypothesized to facilitate reading comprehension by improving automatic word reading, thus releasing a reader's cognitive resources to focus on meaning. Many students with learning disabilities (LD) struggle to develop reading fluency, which affects reading comprehension. This synthesis extends Chard, Vaughn, and Tyler's (2002) review, synthesizing fluency intervention research from 2001 to 2014. The search yielded 19 studies examining reading fluency and comprehension outcomes of reading fluency interventions for students with LD in kindergarten through 5th grade. Results showed repeated reading (RR), multicomponent interventions, and assisted reading with audiobooks produced gains in reading fluency and comprehension. Providing a model of fluent reading and performance feedback, using easier level text, setting a performance criterion, and practicing RR with peers also contributed to improved outcomes. Findings suggest that RR remains the most effective intervention for improving reading fluency for students with LD. Limitations include sample size, only three group design studies, and infrequent use of standardized measures.

Readers in Adult Basic Education.

PubMed

Barnes, Adrienne E; Kim, Young-Suk; Tighe, Elizabeth L; Vorstius, Christian

The present study explored the reading skills of a sample of 48 adults enrolled in a basic education program in northern Florida, United States. Previous research has reported on reading component skills for students in adult education settings, but little is known about eye movement patterns or their relation to reading skills for this population. In this study, reading component skills including decoding, language comprehension, and reading fluency are reported, as are eye movement variables for connected-text oral reading. Eye movement comparisons between individuals with higher and lower oral reading fluency revealed within- and between-subject effects for word frequency and word length as well as group and word frequency interactions. Bivariate correlations indicated strong relations between component skills of reading, eye movement measures, and both the Test of Adult Basic Education ( Reading subtest) and the Woodcock-Johnson III Diagnostic Reading Battery Passage Comprehension assessments. Regression analyses revealed the utility of decoding, language comprehension, and lexical activation time for predicting achievement on both the Woodcock Johnson III Passage Comprehension and the Test of Adult Basic Education Reading Comprehension.

Discrimination and instructional comprehension: guided discretion, racial bias, and the death penalty.

PubMed

Lynch, M; Haney, C

2000-06-01

This study links two previously unrelated lines of research: the lack of comprehension of capital penalty-phase jury instructions and discriminatory death sentencing. Jury-eligible subjects were randomly assigned to view one of four versions of a simulated capital penalty trial in which the race of defendant (Black or White) and the race of victim (Black or White) were varied orthogonally. Dependent measures included a sentencing verdict (life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty), ratings of penalty phase evidence, and a test of instructional comprehension. Results indicated that instructional comprehension was poor overall and that, although Black defendants were treated only slightly more punitively than White defendants in general, discriminatory effects were concentrated among participants whose comprehension was poorest. In addition, the use of penalty phase evidence differed as a function of race of defendant and whether the participant sentenced the defendant to life or death. The study suggest that racially biased and capricious death sentencing may be in part caused or exacerbated by the inability to comprehend penalty phase instructions.

An Experimental Study of the Effects of External Physiological Parameters on the Photoplethysmography Signals in the Context of Local Blood Pressure (Hydrostatic Pressure Changes).

PubMed

Yuan, Hongwei; Poeggel, Sven; Newe, Thomas; Lewis, Elfed; Viphavakit, Charusluk; Leen, Gabriel

2017-03-10

A comprehensive study of the effect of a wide range of controlled human subject motion on Photoplethysmographic signals is reported. The investigation includes testing of two separate groups of 5 and 18 subjects who were asked to undertake set exercises whilst simultaneously monitoring a wide range of physiological parameters including Breathing Rate, Heart Rate and Localised Blood Pressure using commercial clinical sensing systems. The unique finger mounted PPG probe equipped with miniature three axis accelerometers for undertaking this investigation was a purpose built in-house version which is designed to facilitate reproducible application to a wide range of human subjects and the study of motion. The subjects were required to undertake several motion based exercises including standing, sitting and lying down and transitions between these states. They were also required to undertake set arm movements including arm-swinging and wrist rotation. A comprehensive set of experimental results corresponding to all motion inducing exercises have been recorded and analysed including the baseline (BL) value (DC component) and the amplitude of the oscillation of the PPG. All physiological parameters were also recorded as a simultaneous time varying waveform. The effects of the motion and specifically the localised Blood Pressure (BP) have been studied and related to possible influences of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and hemodynamic pressure variations. It is envisaged that a comprehensive study of the effect of motion and the localised pressure fluctuations will provide valuable information for the future minimisation of motion artefact effect on the PPG signals of this probe and allow the accurate assessment of total haemoglobin concentration which is the primary function of the probe.

National Postsecondary Student Aid Study: Student Financial Aid Estimates for 1999-2000. E.D. Tabs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Education Statistics (ED), Washington, DC.

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) is a comprehensive survey that examines how students and their families pay for postsecondary education. The study included nationally representative samples of students, including those who do and do not receive financial aid. This report has been prepared to provide some key estimates as…

The Effect of Activity with E-Book on Vocabulary and Story Comprehension: A Comparison between Kindergarteners at Risk of Learning Disabilities and Typically Developing Kindergarteners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shamir, Adina; Korat, Ofra; Shlafer, Inessa

2011-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of e-book activity for vocabulary acquisition and story comprehension among kindergarteners at risk for learning disabilities (LD) as opposed to typically developing (TD) children. Participants included 136 children aged between five and seven (M = 71.2; SD = 5.64, in months),…

A Comprehensive Examination of Reading Heterogeneity in Students with High Functioning Autism: Distinct Reading Profiles and Their Relation to Autism Symptom Severity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntyre, Nancy S.; Solari, Emily J.; Grimm, Ryan P.; E. Lerro, Lindsay; E. Gonzales, Joseph; Mundy, Peter C.

2017-01-01

The goal of this study was to identify unique profiles of readers in a sample of 8-16 year olds with higher functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) and examine the profiles in relation to ASD symptom severity. Eighty-one students were assessed utilizing a comprehensive reading battery that included basic word reading, language, and…

A Comprehensive Examination of Reading Heterogeneity in Students with High Functioning Autism: Distinct Reading Profiles and Their Relations to Autism Symptom Severity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntyre, Nancy S.; Solari, Emily J.; Grimm, Ryan P.; Lerro, Lindsay E.; Gonzalez, Joseph E.; Mundy, Peter C.

2017-01-01

The goal of this study was to identify unique profiles of readers in a sample of 8-16 year olds with higher functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) and examine the profiles in relation to ASD symptom severity. Eighty-one students were assessed utilizing a comprehensive reading battery that included basic word reading, language, and…

The contribution of executive skills to reading comprehension.

PubMed

Sesma, Heather Whitney; Mahone, E Mark; Levine, Terry; Eason, Sarah H; Cutting, Laurie E

2009-05-01

Although word recognition deficits (WRD) are a known cause of reading comprehension deficits (RCD), other contributions to RCD, including executive function (EF), have not been fully explored. We examined the contribution of EF (working memory and planning), along with attention, decoding, fluency, and vocabulary to reading comprehension in 60 children (including 16 WRD and 10 RCD), ages 9-15 years. After controlling for commonly accepted contributors to reading comprehension (i.e., attention, decoding skills, fluency, and vocabulary), EF continued to make a significant contribution to reading comprehension but not to word recognition skills. These findings highlight the need for consideration of the role of EF in RCD.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF EXECUTIVE SKILLS TO READING COMPREHENSION

PubMed Central

Sesma, Heather Whitney; Mahone, E. Mark; Levine, Terry; Eason, Sarah H.; Cutting, Laurie E.

2009-01-01

Although word recognition deficits (WRD) are a known cause of reading comprehension deficits (RCD), other contributions to RCD, including executive function (EF), have not been fully explored. We examined the contribution of EF (working memory and planning), along with attention, decoding, fluency, and vocabulary to reading comprehension in 60 children (including 16 WRD and 10 RCD), ages 9–15 years. After controlling for commonly accepted contributors to reading comprehension (i.e., attention, decoding skills, fluency, and vocabulary), EF continued to make a significant contribution to reading comprehension but not to word recognition skills. These findings highlight the need for consideration of the role of EF in RCD. PMID:18629674

Annual Bibliography, 2011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jo. B., Comp.

2012-01-01

This classified, comprehensive bibliography for Appalachian studies includes books, journal articles, government documents, and selected newspaper articles published in 2010, plus relevant titles indexed in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database. Also, a number of earlier citations not included in the previous bibliography are listed here.…

Comprehensibility of traffic signs among urban drivers in Turkey.

PubMed

Kirmizioglu, Erkut; Tuydes-Yaman, Hediye

2012-03-01

Traffic signs are commonly used traffic safety tools, mainly developed to provide crucial information in a short time to support safe drive; but the success depends on their comprehensibility by the drivers. Also, a sudden change in the traditionally used and accepted signs can cause significant safety problem, as in the case of cancellation of red oblique bars in 2004 as a part of the European Union Harmonization Process of Turkey. Having a severe traffic safety problem in Turkey, a need to assess both the comprehensibility of internationally accepted traffic signs and current level of driver education, was the main motivation behind this study. A paper-based survey study in 2009 that reached a sample of 1478 urban drivers in the City of Ankara, focused on the determination of comprehensibility of 30 selected traffic signs, which are commonly used and critical for safety, including two recently changed signs. The meaning of each sign is sought using an open-ended question format to capture different levels and types of comprehensions, which enabled the detection of "opposite" and "partially correct" answers besides "wrong" and "correct" ones. High comprehensibility of 9 control group signs shows the validity of the study. The recently changed signs are among the oppositely associated ones proving the increased risk in traffic safety and need for more aggressive campaigning to publicize them. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A pilot study to assess oral health literacy by comparing a word recognition and comprehension tool.

PubMed

Khan, Khadija; Ruby, Brendan; Goldblatt, Ruth S; Schensul, Jean J; Reisine, Susan

2014-11-18

Oral health literacy is important to oral health outcomes. Very little has been established on comparing word recognition to comprehension in oral health literacy especially in older adults. Our goal was to compare methods to measure oral health literacy in older adults by using the Rapid Estimate of Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30) tool including word recognition and comprehension and by assessing comprehension of a brochure about dry mouth. 75 males and 75 females were recruited from the University of Connecticut Dental practice. Participants were English speakers and at least 50 years of age. They were asked to read the REALD-30 words out loud (word recognition) and then define them (comprehension). Each correctly-pronounced and defined word was scored 1 for total REALD-30 word recognition and REALD-30 comprehension scores of 0-30. Participants then read the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research brochure "Dry Mouth" and answered three questions defining dry mouth, causes and treatment. Participants also completed a survey on dental behavior. Participants scored higher on REALD-30 word recognition with a mean of 22.98 (SD = 5.1) compared to REALD-30 comprehension with a mean of 16.1 (SD = 4.3). The mean score on the brochure comprehension was 5.1 of a possible total of 7 (SD = 1.6). Pearson correlations demonstrated significant associations among the three measures. Multivariate regression showed that females and those with higher education had significantly higher scores on REALD-30 word-recognition, and dry mouth brochure questions. Being white was significantly related to higher REALD-30 recognition and comprehension scores but not to the scores on the brochure. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of using the REALD-30 and a brochure to assess literacy in a University setting among older adults. Participants had higher scores on the word recognition than on comprehension agreeing with other studies that recognition does not imply understanding.

Neural Mechanism Underling Comprehension of Narrative Speech and Its Heritability: Study in a Large Population.

PubMed

Babajani-Feremi, Abbas

2017-09-01

Comprehension of narratives constitutes a fundamental part of our everyday life experience. Although the neural mechanism of auditory narrative comprehension has been investigated in some studies, the neural correlates underlying this mechanism and its heritability remain poorly understood. We investigated comprehension of naturalistic speech in a large, healthy adult population (n = 429; 176/253 M/F; 22-36 years of age) consisting of 192 twin pairs (49 monozygotic and 47 dizygotic pairs) and 237 of their siblings. We used high quality functional MRI datasets from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) in which a story-based paradigm was utilized for the auditory narrative comprehension. Our results revealed that narrative comprehension was associated with activations of the classical language regions including superior temporal gyrus (STG), middle temporal gyrus (MTG), and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in both hemispheres, though STG and MTG were activated symmetrically and activation in IFG were left-lateralized. Our results further showed that the narrative comprehension was associated with activations in areas beyond the classical language regions, e.g. medial superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and supplementary motor area (SMA). Of subcortical structures, only the hippocampus was involved. The results of heritability analysis revealed that the oral reading recognition and picture vocabulary comprehension were significantly heritable (h 2  > 0.56, p < 10 - 13 ). In addition, the extent of activation of five areas in the left hemisphere, i.e. STG, IFG pars opercularis, SFGmed, SMA, and precuneus, and one area in the right hemisphere, i.e. MFG, were significantly heritable (h 2  > 0.33, p < 0.0004). The current study, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to investigate auditory narrative comprehension and its heritability in a large healthy population. Referring to the excellent quality of the HCP data, our results can clarify the functional contributions of linguistic and extra-linguistic cortices during narrative comprehension.

Cognitively active older adults' comprehension and metacomprehension of negated text.

PubMed

Margolin, Sara J

2018-05-14

Background/Study context: Previous research has demonstrated that negated text is universally difficult to understand, and while readers are aware of the difficulty, they are not always able to direct this awareness to improve their comprehension of negation. The present research aimed to determine whether this holds true for older adults, even while maintaining good cognitive function through reading activity. The study used an online paradigm, where young (age range 19-24) and older (age range 60-87) adults read passages, rated their comprehension, and answered questions about what they read. Data analysis included analysis of variance for comprehension accuracy and metacomprehension judgment as well as gamma correlation analysis for the relationship between these two variables to determine accuracy of metacomprehension judgments. . Older readers, who took part in library activities and book discussion groups, had better comprehension than young adults overall and were also better able to judge their own comprehension of negative text. These results suggested that remaining cognitively active may help older adults not only maintain their ability to understand text but may also enhance their ability to assess their own comprehension of that text. In addition, these readers were likely able to use their experience with reading to compensate for any working memory deficits that may occur with age and which may detrimentally affect their ability to understand complex text constructions, such as negation.

Comprehensive and subacute care interventions improve health-related quality of life for older patients after surgery for hip fracture: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Shyu, Yea-Ing L; Liang, Jersey; Tseng, Ming-Yueh; Li, Hsiao-Juan; Wu, Chi-Chuan; Cheng, Huey-Shinn; Chou, Shih-Wei; Chen, Ching-Yen; Yang, Ching-Tzu

2013-08-01

Elderly patients with hip fracture have been found to benefit from subacute care interventions that usually comprise usual care with added geriatric intervention, early rehabilitation, and supported discharge. However, no studies were found on the effects of combining subacute care and health-maintenance interventions on health outcomes for elders with hip fracture. To compare the effects of an interdisciplinary comprehensive care programme with those of subacute care and usual care programmes on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for elderly patients with hip fracture. Randomised controlled trial. A 3000-bed medical centre in northern Taiwan. Patients with hip fracture (N=299) were randomised into three groups: subacute care (n=101), comprehensive care (n=99), and usual care (n=99). Subacute care included geriatric consultation, continuous rehabilitation, and discharge planning. Comprehensive care consisted of subacute care plus health-maintenance interventions to manage depressive symptoms, manage malnutrition, and prevent falls. Usual care included only 1-2 in-hospital rehabilitation sessions, discharge planning without environmental assessment, no geriatric consultation, and no in-home rehabilitation. HRQoL was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 Taiwan version at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after discharge. Participants in the comprehensive care group improved more in physical function, role physical, general health and mental health than those in the usual care group. The subacute care group had greater improvement in physical function, role physical, vitality, and social function than the usual care group. The intervention effects for both comprehensive and subacute care increased over time, specifically from 6 months after hip fracture onward, and reached a maximum at 12 months following discharge. Both comprehensive care and subacute care programmes may improve health outcomes of elders with hip fracture. Our results may provide a reference for health care providers in countries using similar programmes with Chinese/Taiwanese immigrant populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How To Tutor Students with Reading Comprehension Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Richard; Hasbrouck, Jan E.; Denton, Carolyn

2002-01-01

Suggestions for tutoring students with reading comprehension problems include careful selection of books with readable text segments, use of comprehension strategies such as paraphrasing brief sections, and reading to find specific information. Several reading comprehension strategies for students are summarized. (Contains 7 references.) (DB)

Adults with mild intellectual disabilities: can their reading comprehension ability be improved?

PubMed

van den Bos, K P; Nakken, H; Nicolay, P G; van Houten, E J

2007-11-01

Adults with a mild intellectual disability (ID) often show poor decoding and reading comprehension skills. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of teaching text comprehension strategies to these adults. Specific research goals were to determine (1) the effects of two instruction conditions, i.e. strategy instruction to individuals and strategy instruction in small groups in a reciprocal teaching context; (2) intervention programme effects on specific strategy tests (so-called direct effects), and possible differences between strategies; (3) (long-term) transfer effects of the programme on general reading comprehension ability; and (4) the regression of general text comprehension by the variables of technical reading, IQ, reading comprehension of sentences (RCS), and pretest and posttest scores on the strategies taught. In total, 38 adults (age range 20-72 years; mean age of 36 years) with ID participated in the study. IQs ranged from 45 to 69 with a mean IQ of 58. The intervention programme involved 15 weekly lessons of 1 h each, taught during 3 months. Blocks of lessons included each of Brown and Palincsar's strategies of summarizing, questioning, clarifying and predicting, as participants read and studied narrative and expository texts. Results indicated no significant difference between group and individual instruction conditions. Second, direct programme effects - as determined by posttest-pretest contrasts for strategy tests - were substantial, except for the questioning strategy. Third, even more substantial was the transfer effect to general text comprehension. Moreover, the results on this test were well maintained at a follow-up test. Finally, the variance of general reading comprehension ability was best explained by the test of RCS, and only moderately by the strategies trained. The presently used intervention programme provides a good starting point for adults with ID to become better readers.

Comprehensive care programs for patients with multiple chronic conditions: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

de Bruin, Simone R; Versnel, Nathalie; Lemmens, Lidwien C; Molema, Claudia C M; Schellevis, François G; Nijpels, Giel; Baan, Caroline A

2012-10-01

To provide insight into the characteristics of comprehensive care programs for patients with multiple chronic conditions and their impact on patients, informal caregivers, and professional caregivers. Systematic literature search in multiple electronic databases for English language papers published between January 1995 and January 2011, supplemented by reference tracking and a manual search on the internet. Wagner's chronic care model (CCM) was used to define comprehensive care. After inclusion, the methodological quality of each study was assessed. A best-evidence synthesis was applied to draw conclusions. Forty-two publications were selected describing thirty-three studies evaluating twenty-eight comprehensive care programs for multimorbid patients. Programs varied in the target patient groups, implementation settings, number of included interventions, and number of CCM components to which these interventions related. Moderate evidence was found for a beneficial effect of comprehensive care on inpatient healthcare utilization and healthcare costs, health behavior of patients, perceived quality of care, and satisfaction of patients and caregivers. Insufficient evidence was found for a beneficial effect of comprehensive care on health-related quality of life in terms of mental functioning, medication use, and outpatient healthcare utilization and healthcare costs. No evidence was found for a beneficial effect of comprehensive care on cognitive functioning, depressive symptoms, functional status, mortality, quality of life in terms of physical functioning, and caregiver burden. Because of the heterogeneity of comprehensive care programs, it is as yet too early to draw firm conclusions regarding their effectiveness. More rigorous evaluation studies are necessary to determine what constitutes best care for the increasing number of people with multiple chronic conditions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temporal lobe networks supporting the comprehension of spoken words.

PubMed

Bonilha, Leonardo; Hillis, Argye E; Hickok, Gregory; den Ouden, Dirk B; Rorden, Chris; Fridriksson, Julius

2017-09-01

Auditory word comprehension is a cognitive process that involves the transformation of auditory signals into abstract concepts. Traditional lesion-based studies of stroke survivors with aphasia have suggested that neocortical regions adjacent to auditory cortex are primarily responsible for word comprehension. However, recent primary progressive aphasia and normal neurophysiological studies have challenged this concept, suggesting that the left temporal pole is crucial for word comprehension. Due to its vasculature, the temporal pole is not commonly completely lesioned in stroke survivors and this heterogeneity may have prevented its identification in lesion-based studies of auditory comprehension. We aimed to resolve this controversy using a combined voxel-based-and structural connectome-lesion symptom mapping approach, since cortical dysfunction after stroke can arise from cortical damage or from white matter disconnection. Magnetic resonance imaging (T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging-based structural connectome), auditory word comprehension and object recognition tests were obtained from 67 chronic left hemisphere stroke survivors. We observed that damage to the inferior temporal gyrus, to the fusiform gyrus and to a white matter network including the left posterior temporal region and its connections to the middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, and cingulate cortex, was associated with word comprehension difficulties after factoring out object recognition. These results suggest that the posterior lateral and inferior temporal regions are crucial for word comprehension, serving as a hub to integrate auditory and conceptual processing. Early processing linking auditory words to concepts is situated in posterior lateral temporal regions, whereas additional and deeper levels of semantic processing likely require more anterior temporal regions.10.1093/brain/awx169_video1awx169media15555638084001. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Motorist compliance with standard traffic control devices.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1989-04-01

This report describes a study of motorist compliance with standard traffic control : devices. The research included a comprehensive review of past studies, contacts : with traffic, law enforcement, and department of motor vehicles personnel, and an :...

Recycled materials in Portland cement concrete

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-06-01

This report pertains to a comprehensive study involving the use of recycled materials in Portland cement concrete. Three different materials were studied including crushed glass (CG), street sweepings (SS), and recycled concrete (RC). Blast furnace s...

Spaceflight and Neurosurgery: A Comprehensive Review of the Relevant Literature.

PubMed

Swinney, Christian C; Allison, Zain

2018-01-01

Spaceflight and the associated gravitational fluctuations may impact various components of the central nervous system. These include changes in intracranial pressure, the spine, and neurocognitive performance. The implications of altered astronaut performance on critical spaceflight missions are potentially significant. The current body of research on this important topic is extremely limited, and a comprehensive review has not been published. Herein, the authors address this notable gap, as well as the role of the neurosurgeon in optimizing potential diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. A literature search was conducted using the PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases, with no time constraints. Significant manuscripts on physiologic changes associated with spaceflight and microgravity were identified and reviewed. Manifestations were separated into 1 of 3 general categories, including changes in intracranial pressure, the spine, and neurocognitive performance. A comprehensive literature review yielded 27 studies with direct relevance to the impact of microgravity and spaceflight on nervous system physiology. This included 7 studies related to intracranial pressure fluctuations, 17 related to changes in the spinal column, and 3 related to neurocognitive change. The microgravity environment encountered during spaceflight impacts intracranial physiology. This includes changes in intracranial pressure, the spinal column, and neurocognitive performance. Herein, we present a systematic review of the published literature on this issue. Neurosurgeons should have a key role in the continued study of this important topic, contributing to both diagnostic and therapeutic understanding. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of comprehensive environmental effect about coastal zone development activities in Liaoning Province and management advice.

PubMed

Wang, Wei-Wei; Cai, Yue-Yin; Sun, Yong-Guang; Ma, Hong-Wei

2015-07-01

Using spatial analysis function of Arcgis software, the present study investigated the building environment impact evaluation index system of coastal development in Liaoning Province. The factors of it included of current state of environmental quality, environmental impact of marine development and marine environmental disaster. Weighted factor analysis and comprehensive index method were utilized. At the end, comprehensive environment effect of coastal development in Liaoning Province were evaluated successfully. The result showed that the environmental effect of development activity were most serious, along the Zhao Jiatun coast in north of Zhimao bay and coast of Mianhua island in Dalian bay.

An Examination of the Associations between ADHD, Homework Behavior and Reading Comprehension

PubMed Central

Little, Callie W.; Hart, Sara A.; Schatschneider, Christopher; Taylor, Jeanette

2015-01-01

Previous literature has indicated an important association between reading comprehension and both ADHD and homework habits. This investigation sought to extend previous knowledge by providing information about how ADHD and homework behavior (i.e., completing homework regularly) may jointly influence reading comprehension. Using a genetically sensitive design, this study examined the genetic and environmental influences on and between ADHD, homework behavior and reading comprehension. Participants for this study included 691 twin pairs (351 monozygotic, 340 same-sex dizygotic) from the Florida Twin Project on Behavior and Environment (FTP-BE) and 2647 twin pairs (865 monozygotic, 1782 dizygotic) from the larger Florida Twin Project on Reading (FTP-R) in grades 3 through 7. Three separate models, each representing a different definition of ADHD (full ADHD, Inattention only, and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity only), showed similar patterns of results, therefore, results of the full ADHD model are discussed. Overlapping genetic influences were found between ADHD, homework behavior and reading comprehension, but no shared environmental influences among all three. However, shared environmental influences overlapped between homework behavior and reading comprehension. Although the sources of this environmental overlap are unknown, these results have implications for improving homework practices and their subsequent influence on literacy skills through homework environments. PMID:25349092

Measurement properties of instruments that assess participation in young people with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review.

PubMed

Lami, Francesca; Egberts, Kristine; Ure, Alexandra; Conroy, Rowena; Williams, Katrina

2018-03-01

To systematically review the measurement properties of instruments assessing participation in young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A search was performed in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and PubMed combining three constructs ('ASD', 'test of participation', 'measurement properties'). Results were restricted to articles including people aged 6 to 29 years. The 2539 identified articles were independently screened by two reviewers. For the included articles, data were extracted using standard forms and their risk of bias was assessed. Nine studies (8 cross-sectional) met the inclusion criteria, providing information on seven different instruments. The total sample included 634 participants, with sex available for 600 (males=494; females=106) and age available for 570, with mean age for these participants 140.58 months (SD=9.11; range=36-624). Included instruments were the school function assessment, vocational index, children's assessment of participation and enjoyment/preferences for activities of children, experience sampling method, Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory, Computer Adaptive Test, adolescent and young adult activity card sort, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System parent-proxy peer relationships. Seven studies assessed reliability and validity; good properties were reported for half of the instruments considered. Most studies (n=6) had high risk of bias. Overall the quality of the evidence for each tool was limited. Validation of these instruments, or others that comprehensively assess participation, is needed. Future studies should follow recommended methodological standards. Seven instruments have been used to assess participation in young people with autism. One instrument, with excellent measurement properties in one study, does not comprehensively assess participation. Studies of three instruments that incorporate a more comprehensive assessment of participation have methodological limitations. Overall, limited evidence exists regarding measurement properties of participation assessments for young people with autism. © 2017 Mac Keith Press.

Racism as a determinant of health: a protocol for conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Paradies, Yin; Priest, Naomi; Ben, Jehonathan; Truong, Mandy; Gupta, Arpana; Pieterse, Alex; Kelaher, Margaret; Gee, Gilbert

2013-09-23

Racism is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of health. A growing body of epidemiological evidence shows strong associations between self-reported racism and poor health outcomes across diverse minority groups in developed countries. While the relationship between racism and health has received increasing attention over the last two decades, a comprehensive meta-analysis focused on the health effects of racism has yet to be conducted. The aim of this review protocol is to provide a structure from which to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that assess the relationship between racism and health. This research will consist of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Studies will be considered for review if they are empirical studies reporting quantitative data on the association between racism and health for adults and/or children of all ages from any racial/ethnic/cultural groups. Outcome measures will include general health and well-being, physical health, mental health, healthcare use and health behaviors. Scientific databases (for example, Medline) will be searched using a comprehensive search strategy and reference lists will be manually searched for relevant studies. In addition, use of online search engines (for example, Google Scholar), key websites, and personal contact with experts will also be undertaken. Screening of search results and extraction of data from included studies will be independently conducted by at least two authors, including assessment of inter-rater reliability. Studies included in the review will be appraised for quality using tools tailored to each study design. Summary statistics of study characteristics and findings will be compiled and findings synthesized in a narrative summary as well as a meta-analysis. This review aims to examine associations between reported racism and health outcomes. This comprehensive and systematic review and meta-analysis of empirical research will provide a rigorous and reliable evidence base for future research, policy and practice, including information on the extent of available evidence for a range of racial/ethnic minority groups.

The effects of cognitively demanding dual-task driving condition on elderly people's driving performance; Real driving monitoring.

PubMed

Ebnali, Mahdi; Ahmadnezhad, Pedram; Shateri, Alireza; Mazloumi, Adel; Ebnali Heidari, Majid; Nazeri, Ahmad Reza

2016-09-01

Using in-vehicle audio technologies such as audio systems and voice messages is regarded as a common secondary task. Such tasks, known as the sources of non-visual distraction, affect the driving performance. Given the elderly drivers' cognitive limitations, driving can be even more challenging to drivers. The current study examined how listening to economic news, as a cognitively demanding secondary task, affects elderly subjects' driving performance and whether their comprehension accuracy is associated with these effects. Participants of the study (N=22) drove in a real condition with and without listening to economic news. Measurements included driving performance (speed control, forward crash risk, and lateral lane position) and task performance (comprehension accuracy). The mean driving speed, duration of driving in unsafe zones and numbers of overtaking decreased significantly when drivers were engaged in the dual-task condition. Moreover, the cognitive secondary task led to a higher speed variability. Our results demonstrate that there was not a significant relationship between the lane changes and the activity of listening to economic news. However, a meaningful difference was observed between general comprehension and deep comprehension on the one hand and driving performance on the other. Another aspect of our study concerning the drivers' ages and their comprehension revealed a significant relationship between age above 75 and comprehension level. Drivers aging 75 and older showed a lower level of deep comprehension. Our study demonstrates that elderly drivers compensated driving performance with safety margin adoption while they were cognitively engaged. In this condition, however, maintaining speed proved more demanding for drivers aging 75 and older. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Severe humeral erosion in a bedridden patient: a comprehensive intervention to prevent bone fracture.

PubMed

Ferriero, Giorgio; Brunetto, Alessandro; Sartorio, Francesco; Vercelli, Stefano

2004-12-01

This article reports a 1-yr prospective study related to a bedridden patient with rotator cuff tear arthropathy featuring severe erosion of the proximal part of the humerus. To prevent spontaneous humeral fracture, a comprehensive intervention was planned. This included drug therapy for osteoporosis and pain, nurse team training on patient handling techniques, and patient and caregiver education. After 1 yr, clinical and radiologic findings are stable.

A Study of the Effects of Variation of Short-Term Memory Load, Reading Response Length, and Processing Hierarchy on TOEFL Listening Comprehension Item Performance. Report 33.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henning, Grant

Criticisms of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) have included speculation that the listening test places too much burden on short-term memory as compared with comprehension, that a knowledge of reading is required to respond successfully, and that many items appear to require mere recall and matching rather than higher-order…

Guiding Readers--Layers of Meaning: A Handbook for Teaching Reading Comprehension to 7-11-Year-Olds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tennent, Wayne; Reedy, David; Hobsbaum, Angela; Gamble, Nikki

2016-01-01

How can teachers foster good reading in pupils aged 7-11? This book explains the way to do it. What is this book about? Reading comprehension is so much more than just reading words, and this book explains how to develop all aspects of it for pupils aged 7-11. Written by top experts in the field, it includes eleven in-depth case studies--taken…

Background | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

Cancer.gov

The term "proteomics" refers to a large-scale comprehensive study of a specific proteome resulting from its genome, including abundances of proteins, their variations and modifications, and interacting partners and networks in order to understand cellular processes involved.  Similarly, “Cancer proteomics” refers to comprehensive analyses of proteins and their derivatives translated from a specific cancer genome using a human biospecimen or a preclinical model (e.g., cultured cell or animal model).

Reading Comprehension Mediates the Relationship between Syntactic Awareness and Writing Composition in Children: A Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Tong, Xiuhong; McBride, Catherine

2016-12-01

This research aimed to explore the relation between syntactic awareness and writing composition in 129 Hong Kong Chinese children. These children were from a ten-year longitudinal project. At each year, a number of measures were administered. The 129 children's data of nonverbal reasoning at age 4, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, vocabulary knowledge at age 8, reading comprehension at age 12 and syntactic awareness and writing composition skills at ages 11 and 12 were included in this study. Syntactic awareness was longitudinally and uniquely predictive of Chinese children's writing composition, and children's performance in early writing composition was uniquely associated with their later syntactic skills, even when controlling for the contributions from age, nonverbal and verbal abilities, phonological awareness, and morphological awareness. The relationship between syntactic awareness and writing composition was mediated by children's performance in reading comprehension. These findings may suggest a reciprocal relation between syntactic awareness and writing composition, and this association may vary with ability in reading comprehension in Chinese children.

What Are the Perceptions, Experiences, and Behaviors of Health Care Providers After Implementation of a Comprehensive Smoke-Free Hospital Policy?

PubMed

Luck, Kerrie E; Doucet, Shelley

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions, experiences, and behaviors of health care providers (HCPs) after the implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free policy. This qualitative descriptive study, using semi-structured interviews, was conducted with 28 HCPs working in a Canadian hospital. Four overarching themes emerged from the analysis including (a) greater support for tobacco reduction, (b) enhanced patient care and interactions, (c) improved staff morale, and (d) some barriers still exist. The main findings suggest a comprehensive smoke-free hospital environment can strengthen the tobacco-free workplace culture within a hospital setting among HCPs where support for tobacco reduction is amplified, patient care and interactions regarding tobacco dependence are improved, and staff morale is enhanced. While there are still some challenging barriers as well as opportunities for improvements, the implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free policy heightened the call-to-action among HCPs to take a more active role in tobacco reduction.

What Are the Perceptions, Experiences, and Behaviors of Health Care Providers After Implementation of a Comprehensive Smoke-Free Hospital Policy?

PubMed Central

Luck, Kerrie E.; Doucet, Shelley

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions, experiences, and behaviors of health care providers (HCPs) after the implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free policy. This qualitative descriptive study, using semi-structured interviews, was conducted with 28 HCPs working in a Canadian hospital. Four overarching themes emerged from the analysis including (a) greater support for tobacco reduction, (b) enhanced patient care and interactions, (c) improved staff morale, and (d) some barriers still exist. The main findings suggest a comprehensive smoke-free hospital environment can strengthen the tobacco-free workplace culture within a hospital setting among HCPs where support for tobacco reduction is amplified, patient care and interactions regarding tobacco dependence are improved, and staff morale is enhanced. While there are still some challenging barriers as well as opportunities for improvements, the implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free policy heightened the call-to-action among HCPs to take a more active role in tobacco reduction. PMID:29568792

Alpha band event-related desynchronization underlying social situational context processing during irony comprehension: A magnetoencephalography source localization study.

PubMed

Akimoto, Yoritaka; Takahashi, Hidetoshi; Gunji, Atsuko; Kaneko, Yuu; Asano, Michiko; Matsuo, Junko; Ota, Miho; Kunugi, Hiroshi; Hanakawa, Takashi; Mazuka, Reiko; Kamio, Yoko

2017-12-01

Irony comprehension requires integration of social contextual information. Previous studies have investigated temporal aspects of irony processing and its neural substrates using psychological/electroencephalogram or functional magnetic resonance imaging methods, but have not clarified the temporospatial neural mechanisms of irony comprehension. Therefore, we used magnetoencephalography to investigate the neural generators of alpha-band (8-13Hz) event-related desynchronization (ERD) occurring from 600 to 900ms following the onset of a critical sentence at which social situational contexts activated ironic representation. We found that the right anterior temporal lobe, which is involved in processing social knowledge and evaluating others' intentions, exhibited stronger alpha ERD following an ironic statement than following a literal statement. We also found that alpha power in the left anterior temporal lobe correlated with the participants' communication abilities. These results elucidate the temporospatial neural mechanisms of language comprehension in social contexts, including non-literal processing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stakeholders' Perspectives towards the Use of the Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP) for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Manitoba.

PubMed

Shooshtari, Shahin; Temple, Beverley; Waldman, Celeste; Abraham, Sneha; Ouellette-Kuntz, Héléne; Lennox, Nicholas

2017-07-01

No standardized tool is used in Canada for comprehensive health assessments of adults with intellectual disabilities. This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of implementing the Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP) in Manitoba, Canada. This was a qualitative study using a purposive sample of physicians, nurse practitioners, support workers and families. Data were collected through individual interviews and focus groups and were analysed using content analysis. Use of the CHAP was perceived as beneficial for persons with intellectual disabilities. Improved continuity of care was of the reported benefits. Six barriers for the future implementation of the CHAP were identified including the time required to complete the CHAP, and the perceived lack of physicians' willingness to do comprehensive assessments. The future implementation of the CHAP was strongly supported. For its successful implementation, training of healthcare professionals and support staff and change in regulations and policies were recommended. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Individual differences in fifth graders’ reading and language predict their comprehension monitoring development: An eye-movement study

PubMed Central

Connor, Carol McDonald; Radach, Ralph; Vorstius, Christian; Day, Stephanie L.; McLean, Leigh; Morrison, Frederick J.

2015-01-01

In this study, we investigated fifth-graders’ (n=52) fall literacy, academic language, and motivation, and how these skills predicted fall and spring comprehension monitoring on an eye movement task. Comprehension monitoring was defined as the identification and repair of misunderstandings when reading text. In the eye movement task, children read two sentences; the second included either a plausible or implausible word in the context of the first sentence. Stronger readers had shorter reading times overall suggesting faster processing of text. Generally fifth-graders reacted to the implausible word (i.e., longer gaze duration on the implausible v. the plausible word, which reflects lexical access). Students with stronger academic language, compared to those with weaker academic language, generally spent more time re-reading the implausible target compared to the plausible target. This difference increased from fall to spring. Results support the centrality of academic language for meaning integration, setting standards of coherence, and utilizing comprehension repair strategies. PMID:27065721

The efficacy of hypnosis as an intervention for labor and delivery pain: a comprehensive methodological review.

PubMed

Landolt, Alison S; Milling, Leonard S

2011-08-01

This paper presents a comprehensive methodological review of research on the efficacy of hypnosis for reducing labor and delivery pain. To be included, studies were required to use a between-subjects or mixed model design in which hypnosis was compared with a control condition or alternative intervention in reducing labor pain. An exhaustive search of the PsycINFO and PubMed databases produced 13 studies satisfying these criteria. Hetero-hypnosis and self-hypnosis were consistently shown to be more effective than standard medical care, supportive counseling, and childbirth education classes in reducing pain. Other benefits included better infant Apgar scores and shorter Stage 1 labor. Common methodological limitations of the literature include a failure to use random assignment, to specify the demographic characteristics of samples, and to use a treatment manual. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effectiveness of the Barton's Intervention Program on Reading Comprehension and Reading Attitude of Students with Dyslexia.

PubMed

Mihandoost, Zeinab; Elias, Habibah

2011-01-01

The current research tested the differences in reading attitude and reading comprehension in the dyslexic students between the control group and the experimental group following the Barton intervention program. Dyslexia screening instrument and reading text were employed in order to identify dyslexic students. The population of the study included 138 dyslexic students studying in schools in Ilam, Iran. From this population, 64 students were randomly selected and assigned to an experimental group as well as a control group. The experimental group was taught for 36 sessions, using the Barton's method at two levels, and ten lessons were provided to improve the reading skill. The reading comprehension and reading attitude instruments were employed for the measurement of the attitude and comprehension before and after the intervention program. The analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between the control group and the experimental group following the Barton intervention program. This study showed that dyslexic students learned to read, and a more direct instruction related to decoding could influence their progress more than the general exposure to education.

Students with Learning Disabilities Perspective on Reading Comprehension Instruction: A Qualitative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Dale Rennard

2017-01-01

The three article dissertation was a presentation of students' with learning disabilities perspectives on reading comprehension instruction. Article 1 set out to provide an historical perspective of reading and reading comprehension instruction. Topics covered in this research review included: reading comprehension, reading and learning…

Air Force Training: Further Analysis and Planning Needed to Improve Effectiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

training, and (3) established virtual training plans that include desirable characteristics of a comprehensive strategy. GAO reviewed Air Force training...requirements may not reflect current and emerging training needs, because the Air Force has not comprehensively reassessed the assumptions underlying them...include all desirable characteristics of a comprehensive strategy, such as a risk-based investment strategy or a time line for addressing training needs

Surface, Water and Air Biocharacterization - A Comprehensive Characterization of Microorganisms and Allergens in Spacecraft Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierson, Duane L.; Ott, C. Mark; Cruz, Patricia; Buttner, Mark P.

2009-01-01

A Comprehensive Characterization of Microorganisms and Allergens in Spacecraft (SWAB) will use advanced molecular techniques to comprehensively evaluate microbes on board the space station, including pathogens (organisms that may cause disease). It also will track changes in the microbial community as spacecraft visit the station and new station modules are added. This study will allow an assessment of the risk of microbes to the crew and the spacecraft. Research Summary: Previous microbial analysis of spacecraft only identify microorganisms that will grow in culture, omitting greater than 90% of all microorganisms including pathogens such as Legionella (the bacterium which causes Legionnaires' disease) and Cryptosporidium (a parasite common in contaminated water) The incidence of potent allergens, such as dust mites, has never been systematically studied in spacecraft environments and microbial toxins have not been previously monitored. This study will use modern molecular techniques to identify microorganisms and allergens. Direct sampling of the ISS allows identification of the microbial communities present, and determination of whether these change or mutate over time. SWAB complements the nominal ISS environmental monitoring by providing a comparison of analyses from current media-based and advanced molecular-based technologies.

Neural correlates of three cognitive processes involved in theory of mind and discourse comprehension.

PubMed

Lin, Nan; Yang, Xiaohong; Li, Jing; Wang, Shaonan; Hua, Huimin; Ma, Yujun; Li, Xingshan

2018-04-01

Neuroimaging studies have found that theory of mind (ToM) and discourse comprehension involve similar brain regions. These brain regions may be associated with three cognitive components that are necessarily or frequently involved in ToM and discourse comprehension, including social concept representation and retrieval, domain-general semantic integration, and domain-specific integration of social semantic contents. Using fMRI, we investigated the neural correlates of these three cognitive components by exploring how discourse topic (social/nonsocial) and discourse processing period (ending/beginning) modulate brain activation in a discourse comprehension (and also ToM) task. Different sets of brain areas showed sensitivity to discourse topic, discourse processing period, and the interaction between them, respectively. The most novel finding was that the right temporoparietal junction and middle temporal gyrus showed sensitivity to discourse processing period only during social discourse comprehension, indicating that they selectively contribute to domain-specific semantic integration. Our finding indicates how different domains of semantic information are processed and integrated in the brain and provides new insights into the neural correlates of ToM and discourse comprehension.

Reading comprehension of deaf students in regular education.

PubMed

Luccas, Marcia Regina Zemella; Chiari, Brasília Maria; Goulart, Bárbara Niegia Garcia de

2012-01-01

To evaluate and compare the reading comprehension of deaf students included in regular classrooms of public schools with and without specialized educational support. Observational analytic study with 35 students with sensorineural hearing loss, with and without educational support. All subjects were assessed with the Word Reading Competence Test (WRCT), the Picture-Print Matching Test by Choice (PPMT-C), and the Sentence Reading Comprehension Test (SRCT). In the tests regarding comprehension of words (WRCT and PPMT-C), the results showed no difference in the performance of deaf students who attend and do not attend educational support. Regarding reading comprehension of sentences, the application of the SRCT also did not show differences between the groups of deaf students. A significant correlation was found between age and grade, indicating that the older the students and the higher their educational level, the better their performance in reading sentences. The results indicate that deaf students, regardless of attending educational support, read words better than sentences. There is no difference in reading comprehension between deaf students who receive and do not receive specialized pedagogical monitoring.

Conspicuity, memorability, comprehension, and priming in road hazard warning signs.

PubMed

Charlton, Samuel G

2006-05-01

This study assessed driver reactions to 16 road hazard warning signs of various formats by projecting life-sized video of road scenes to drivers in a driving simulator. A range of measures, including attentional and search conspicuity, implicit and explicit recognition, dynamic and static comprehension, and sign priming were collected. Of the signs tested, road works and school warning signs were most often detected, remembered, and understood. Slippery surface warnings were associated with some of the lowest detection and comprehension rates. The effectiveness of the different formats depended on the type of hazard sign. In the case of road works warnings, a flashing variable message format was only slightly more conspicuous than the large dimension format, equal in comprehensibility, and perhaps somewhat worse in terms of memorability. For the school warnings, however, the flashing variable message format appeared to convey a greater sense of potential hazard, produced superior search conspicuity and priming, and was equal in terms of memorability and comprehensibility. The range of measures worked well as a whole with the two measures of conspicuity and the measure of static comprehension showing the greatest consistency.

A new computer code for discrete fracture network modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Chaoshui; Dowd, Peter

2010-03-01

The authors describe a comprehensive software package for two- and three-dimensional stochastic rock fracture simulation using marked point processes. Fracture locations can be modelled by a Poisson, a non-homogeneous, a cluster or a Cox point process; fracture geometries and properties are modelled by their respective probability distributions. Virtual sampling tools such as plane, window and scanline sampling are included in the software together with a comprehensive set of statistical tools including histogram analysis, probability plots, rose diagrams and hemispherical projections. The paper describes in detail the theoretical basis of the implementation and provides a case study in rock fracture modelling to demonstrate the application of the software.

An Examination of Research Collaboration in Psychometrics Utilizing Social Network Analysis Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiCrecchio, Nicole C.

2016-01-01

Co-authorship networks have been studied in many fields as a way to understand collaboration patterns. However, a comprehensive exploration of the psychometrics field has not been conducted. Also, few studies on co-author networks have included longitudinal analyses as well as data on the characteristics of authors in the network. Including both…

Enhancing Comprehensibility among ELF users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilang, Jeffrey Dawala; Teo, Adisa

2012-01-01

The predicted widespread use of English as a lingua franca following ASEAN's 2015 integration mushroomed intelligibility studies between and among Asean nationals including Bruneians, Burmese, Cambodians, Filipinos, Indonesians, Laotians, Malaysians, Singaporeans, Thais and Vietnamese. Previous studies regarding ASEAN nationals' intelligibility…

Neural Basis of Action Understanding: Evidence from Sign Language Aphasia.

PubMed

Rogalsky, Corianne; Raphel, Kristin; Tomkovicz, Vivian; O'Grady, Lucinda; Damasio, Hanna; Bellugi, Ursula; Hickok, Gregory

2013-01-01

The neural basis of action understanding is a hotly debated issue. The mirror neuron account holds that motor simulation in fronto-parietal circuits is critical to action understanding including speech comprehension, while others emphasize the ventral stream in the temporal lobe. Evidence from speech strongly supports the ventral stream account, but on the other hand, evidence from manual gesture comprehension (e.g., in limb apraxia) has led to contradictory findings. Here we present a lesion analysis of sign language comprehension. Sign language is an excellent model for studying mirror system function in that it bridges the gap between the visual-manual system in which mirror neurons are best characterized and language systems which have represented a theoretical target of mirror neuron research. Twenty-one life long deaf signers with focal cortical lesions performed two tasks: one involving the comprehension of individual signs and the other involving comprehension of signed sentences (commands). Participants' lesions, as indicated on MRI or CT scans, were mapped onto a template brain to explore the relationship between lesion location and sign comprehension measures. Single sign comprehension was not significantly affected by left hemisphere damage. Sentence sign comprehension impairments were associated with left temporal-parietal damage. We found that damage to mirror system related regions in the left frontal lobe were not associated with deficits on either of these comprehension tasks. We conclude that the mirror system is not critically involved in action understanding.

Applying a Multiple Group Causal Indicator Modeling Framework to the Reading Comprehension Skills of Third, Seventh, and Tenth Grade Students

PubMed Central

Tighe, Elizabeth L.; Wagner, Richard K.; Schatschneider, Christopher

2015-01-01

This study demonstrates the utility of applying a causal indicator modeling framework to investigate important predictors of reading comprehension in third, seventh, and tenth grade students. The results indicated that a 4-factor multiple indicator multiple indicator cause (MIMIC) model of reading comprehension provided adequate fit at each grade level. This model included latent predictor constructs of decoding, verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, and working memory and accounted for a large portion of the reading comprehension variance (73% to 87%) across grade levels. Verbal reasoning contributed the most unique variance to reading comprehension at all grade levels. In addition, we fit a multiple group 4-factor MIMIC model to investigate the relative stability (or variability) of the predictor contributions to reading comprehension across development (i.e., grade levels). The results revealed that the contributions of verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, and working memory to reading comprehension were stable across the three grade levels. Decoding was the only predictor that could not be constrained to be equal across grade levels. The contribution of decoding skills to reading comprehension was higher in third grade and then remained relatively stable between seventh and tenth grade. These findings illustrate the feasibility of using MIMIC models to explain individual differences in reading comprehension across the development of reading skills. PMID:25821346

Nurses' understanding influences comprehension of patients admitted in the observation unit.

PubMed

Desme, Aline; Mendes, Nathalie; Perruche, Franck; Veillard, Elsa; Elie, Caroline; Moulinet, Françoise; Sanson, Fabienne; Georget, Jean-Michel; Tissier, Anne; Pourriat, Jean-Louis; Claessens, Yann-Erick

2013-01-01

Comprehension is poor in patients admitted in the emergency observation unit. Teamwork communication gaps could contribute to patients' misunderstanding of their health condition. To determine in patients admitted in the emergency observation unit whether comprehension of diagnosis, prognosis, and management depended on nurses' comprehension, the authors conducted a prospective observational study in a busy adult emergency department of a tertiary teaching hospital in Paris over 2 months. Consecutive patients admitted in the emergency observation unit were included. Patients' and nurses' comprehension of diagnosis, prognosis, and management was compared with the statements of the emergency department attending physicians for these items. The authors observed whether patients' misunderstanding was associated with nurses' misunderstanding. A total of 544 patients were evaluated. For each patient, nurses' and patients' comprehension was available. Patients understood severity in 40%, organ involved in 69%, medical wording in 57%, reason for admission in 48%, and discharge instruction in 67%. In comparison with patients, nurses better understood each item except for discharge instruction. The authors observed that patients' comprehension was better when nurses understood diagnosis (p <.0001), reasons for admission (p =.032) and discharge instructions (p =.002). Nurses' understanding of severity did not modify patients' comprehension. These results support the conclusions that communication gaps in teamwork alter patients' comprehension and that nurses' and patients' misunderstandings are associated. Therefore, improving communication by nurses and physicians to patients may improve patients' understanding.

The Psycholinguistics of Basic Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perfetti, Charles A.; Van Dyke, Julie; Hart, Lesley

2001-01-01

Reviews major issues in research on reading, including theories of word reading, cross-writing comparisons, comprehension, reading difficulties, learning how to read, and cognitive neuroscience studies of reading. (Author/VWL)

Renewable Energy Zones for the Africa Clean Energy Corridor

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

Wu, Grace C.; Deshmukh, Ranjit; Ndhlukula, Kudakwashe

Multi-criteria Analysis for Planning Renewable Energy (MapRE) is a study approach developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with the support of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The approach combines geospatial, statistical, energy engineering, and economic methods to comprehensively identify and value high-quality wind, solar PV, and solar CSP resources for grid integration based on techno-economic criteria, generation profiles (for wind), and socio-environmental impacts. The Renewable Energy Zones for the Africa Clean Energy Corridor study sought to identify and comprehensively value high-quality wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), and concentrating solar power (CSP) resources in 21 countries in the East andmore » Southern Africa Power Pools to support the prioritization of areas for development through a multi-criteria planning process. These countries include Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The study includes the methodology and the key results including renewable energy potential for each region.« less

How do typographical factors affect reading text and comprehension performance in Arabic?

PubMed

Ganayim, Deia; Ibrahim, Raphiq

2013-04-01

The objective of this study was to establish basic reading performance that could lead to useful design recommendations for print display text formats and layouts for the improvement of reading and comprehension performance of print text, such as academic writings, books, and newspapers, of Arabic language. Readability of English print text has been shown to be influenced by a number of typographical variables, including interline spacing, column setting and line length, and so on.Therefore, it is very important to improve the reading efficiency and satisfaction of print text reading and comprehension by following simple design guidelines. Most existing research on readability of print text is oriented to build guidelines for designing English texts rather than Arabic. However, guidelines built for English script cannot be simply applied for Arabic script because of orthographic differences. In the current study, manipulating interline spacing and column setting and line length generated nine text layouts. The reading and comprehension performance of 210 native Arab students assigned randomly to the different text layouts was compared. Results showed that the use of multicolumn setting (with medium or short line length) affected comprehension achievement but not reading and comprehension speed. Participants' comprehension scores were better for the single-column (with long line length) than for the multicolumn setting. However, no effect was found for interline spacing. The recommendations for appropriate print text format and layout in Arabic language based on the results of objective measures facilitating reading and comprehension performance is a single-column (with long line length) layout with no relevance of the interline spacing.

Juvenile Psychopathic Personality Traits are Associated with Poor Reading Achievement

PubMed Central

DeLisi, Matt; Beaver, Kevin M.; Wexler, Jade; Barth, Amy; Fletcher, Jack

2011-01-01

The current study sought to further the understanding of the linkage between maladaptive behavior and cognitive problems by examining the relations between psychopathic personality traits and reading comprehension performance. Data were derived from a study of 432 predominately African-American and Hispanic middle-school students. Dependent variables consisted of three measures of reading comprehension. Psychopathy measures included the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional traits (ICU—teacher rated) and the self-reported Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory (YPI). Findings from regression models indicated that self-report and teacher ratings of psychopathy were statistically significant inverse predictors of reading performance. Specifically, affective facets of psychopathy were potent predictors of reading comprehension over and above ADHD, IQ, and an impulsivity component of psychopathy. Study results extend the utility of psychopathy construct generally and affective traits specifically to reading achievement, which has broad implications. Findings are discussed with respect to future research and prevention. PMID:20957434

A Study of Seventh-Graders Comprehensions of Human Reproduction Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrow, Lloyd Harley

1977-01-01

Study of an Iowa junior high school revealed that: (1) seventh grade pupils' knowledge levels were raised after studying human reproduction concepts and that (2) the pupils were of the opinion that human reproduction studies should be included in life science classes. (MB)

The Effects of Home-Based Cognitive Training on Verbal Working Memory and Language Comprehension in Older Adulthood

PubMed Central

Payne, Brennan R.; Stine-Morrow, Elizabeth A. L.

2017-01-01

Effective language understanding is crucial to maintaining cognitive abilities and learning new information through adulthood. However, age-related declines in working memory (WM) have a robust negative influence on multiple aspects of language comprehension and use, potentially limiting communicative competence. In the current study (N = 41), we examined the effects of a novel home-based computerized cognitive training program targeting verbal WM on changes in verbal WM and language comprehension in healthy older adults relative to an active component-control group. Participants in the WM training group showed non-linear improvements in performance on trained verbal WM tasks. Relative to the active control group, WM training participants also showed improvements on untrained verbal WM tasks and selective improvements across untrained dimensions of language, including sentence memory, verbal fluency, and comprehension of syntactically ambiguous sentences. Though the current study is preliminary in nature, it does provide initial promising evidence that WM training may influence components of language comprehension in adulthood and suggests that home-based training of WM may be a viable option for probing the scope and limits of cognitive plasticity in older adults. PMID:28848421

The Effects of Home-Based Cognitive Training on Verbal Working Memory and Language Comprehension in Older Adulthood.

PubMed

Payne, Brennan R; Stine-Morrow, Elizabeth A L

2017-01-01

Effective language understanding is crucial to maintaining cognitive abilities and learning new information through adulthood. However, age-related declines in working memory (WM) have a robust negative influence on multiple aspects of language comprehension and use, potentially limiting communicative competence. In the current study ( N = 41), we examined the effects of a novel home-based computerized cognitive training program targeting verbal WM on changes in verbal WM and language comprehension in healthy older adults relative to an active component-control group. Participants in the WM training group showed non-linear improvements in performance on trained verbal WM tasks. Relative to the active control group, WM training participants also showed improvements on untrained verbal WM tasks and selective improvements across untrained dimensions of language, including sentence memory, verbal fluency, and comprehension of syntactically ambiguous sentences. Though the current study is preliminary in nature, it does provide initial promising evidence that WM training may influence components of language comprehension in adulthood and suggests that home-based training of WM may be a viable option for probing the scope and limits of cognitive plasticity in older adults.

Oral morphosyntactic competence as a predictor of reading comprehension in children with specific language impairment.

PubMed

Buil-Legaz, Lucía; Aguilar-Mediavilla, Eva; Rodríguez-Ferreiro, Javier

2016-07-01

Children with a diagnosis of specific language impairment (SLI) present impaired oral comprehension. According to the simple view of reading, general amodal linguistic capacity accounts for both oral and reading comprehension. Considering this, we should expect SLI children to display a reading comprehension deficit. However, previous research regarding the association between reading disorders and SLI has yielded inconsistent results. To study the influence of prior oral comprehension competence over reading comprehension during the first years of reading acquisition of bilingual Catalan-Spanish children with SLI (ages 7-8). We assessed groups of bilingual Catalan-Spanish SLI and matched control children at ages 7 and 8 with standardized reading comprehension tasks including grammatical structures, sentence and text comprehension. Early oral competence and prior non-verbal intelligence were also measured and introduced into regression analyses with the participants' reading results in order to state the relation between the comprehension of oral and written material. Although we found no significant differences between the scores of our two participant groups in the reading tasks, data regarding their early oral competence, but not non-verbal intelligence measures, significantly influence their reading outcome. The results extend our knowledge regarding the course of literacy acquisition of children with SLI and provide evidence in support of the theories that assume common linguistic processes to be responsible for both oral and reading comprehension. © 2016 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Relational Care for Perinatal Substance Use: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Kramlich, Debra; Kronk, Rebecca

2015-01-01

The purpose of this systematic review of the literature is to highlight published studies of perinatal substance use disorder that address relational aspects of various care delivery models to identify opportunities for future studies in this area. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies that included relational variables, such as healthcare provider engagement with pregnant women and facilitation of maternal-infant bonding, were identified using PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO databases. Key words included neonatal abstinence syndrome, drug, opioid, substance, dependence, and pregnancy. Six studies included in this review identified statistically and/or clinically significant positive maternal and neonatal outcomes thought to be linked to engagement in antenatal care and development of caring relationships with healthcare providers. Comprehensive, integrated multidisciplinary services for pregnant women with substance use disorder aimed at harm reduction are showing positive results. Evidence exists that pregnant women's engagement with comprehensive services facilitated by caring relationships with healthcare providers may improve perinatal outcomes. Gaps in the literature remain; studies have yet to identify the relative contribution of multiple risk factors to adverse outcomes as well as program components most likely to improve outcomes.

34 CFR 663.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS FACULTY RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

34 CFR 663.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS FACULTY RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

34 CFR 663.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS FACULTY RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

34 CFR 663.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS FACULTY RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

34 CFR 662.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

34 CFR 663.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS FACULTY RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

34 CFR 662.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

34 CFR 662.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

34 CFR 662.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

34 CFR 662.7 - What definitions apply to this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULBRIGHT-HAYS DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH ABROAD FELLOWSHIP... studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages...

Delamination Assessment Tool for Spacecraft Composite Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Portela, Pedro; Preller, Fabian; Wittke, Henrik; Sinnema, Gerben; Camanho, Pedro; Turon, Albert

2012-07-01

Fortunately only few cases are known where failure of spacecraft structures due to undetected damage has resulted in a loss of spacecraft and launcher mission. However, several problems related to damage tolerance and in particular delamination of composite materials have been encountered during structure development of various ESA projects and qualification testing. To avoid such costly failures during development, launch or service of spacecraft, launcher and reusable launch vehicles structures a comprehensive damage tolerance verification approach is needed. In 2009, the European Space Agency (ESA) initiated an activity called “Delamination Assessment Tool” which is led by the Portuguese company HPS Lda and includes academic and industrial partners. The goal of this study is the development of a comprehensive damage tolerance verification approach for launcher and reusable launch vehicles (RLV) structures, addressing analytical and numerical methodologies, material-, subcomponent- and component testing, as well as non-destructive inspection. The study includes a comprehensive review of current industrial damage tolerance practice resulting from ECSS and NASA standards, the development of new Best Practice Guidelines for analysis, test and inspection methods and the validation of these with a real industrial case study. The paper describes the main findings of this activity so far and presents a first iteration of a Damage Tolerance Verification Approach, which includes the introduction of novel analytical and numerical tools at an industrial level. This new approach is being put to the test using real industrial case studies provided by the industrial partners, MT Aerospace, RUAG Space and INVENT GmbH

The effect of a rehabilitation nursing intervention model on improving the comprehensive health status of patients with hand burns.

PubMed

Li, Lin; Dai, Jia-Xi; Xu, Le; Huang, Zhen-Xia; Pan, Qiong; Zhang, Xi; Jiang, Mei-Yun; Chen, Zhao-Hong

2017-06-01

To observe the effect of a rehabilitation intervention on the comprehensive health status of patients with hand burns. Most studies of hand-burn patients have focused on functional recovery. There have been no studies involving a biological-psychological-social rehabilitation model of hand-burn patients. A randomized controlled design was used. Patients with hand burns were recruited to the study, and sixty patients participated. Participants were separated into two groups: (1) The rehabilitation intervention model group (n=30) completed the rehabilitation intervention model, which included the following measures: enhanced social support, intensive health education, comprehensive psychological intervention, and graded exercise. (2) The control group (n=30) completed routine treatment. Intervention lasted 5 weeks. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student's t test were conducted. The rehabilitation intervention group had significantly better scores than the control group for comprehensive health, physical function, psychological function, social function, and general health. The differences between the index scores of the two groups were statistically significant. The rehabilitation intervention improved the comprehensive health status of patients with hand burns and has favorable clinical application. The comprehensive rehabilitation intervention model used here provides scientific guidance for medical staff aiming to improve the integrated health status of hand-burn patients and accelerate their recovery. What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community? Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

ESL Elementary Teachers' Use of Children's Picture Books to Initiate Explicit Instruction of Reading Comprehension Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Khaiyali, Al Tiyb S.

2014-01-01

Reading comprehension instruction has been recognized as a key factor in developing any reading and literacy program. Therefore, many attempts were devoted to improve explicit comprehension strategy instruction at different school levels and fields including EFL and ESL. Despite these efforts, explicit comprehension instruction is still drought…

34 CFR 303.115 - Comprehensive child find system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Comprehensive child find system. 303.115 Section 303... Components of A Statewide System § 303.115 Comprehensive child find system. Each system must include a comprehensive child find system that meets the requirements in §§ 303.302 and 303.303. (Approved by Office of...

34 CFR 303.321 - Comprehensive child find system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2011-07-01 2010-07-01 true Comprehensive child find system. 303.321 Section 303.321... Services Identification and Evaluation § 303.321 Comprehensive child find system. (a) General. (1) Each system must include a comprehensive child find system that is consistent with part B of the Act (see 34...

34 CFR 303.115 - Comprehensive child find system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Comprehensive child find system. 303.115 Section 303... Components of A Statewide System § 303.115 Comprehensive child find system. Each system must include a comprehensive child find system that meets the requirements in §§ 303.302 and 303.303. (Approved by Office of...

50 CFR 80.81 - What must an agency submit when applying for a comprehensive-management-system grant?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... of the agency's comprehensive management system including inventory, strategic plan, operational plan... for a comprehensive-management-system grant? 80.81 Section 80.81 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES... when applying for a comprehensive-management-system grant? A State fish and wildlife agency must submit...

Regulation of reverse cholesterol transport - a comprehensive appraisal of available animal studies

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Plasma levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are strongly inversely correlated to the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. A major recognized functional property of HDL particles is to elicit cholesterol efflux and consequently mediate reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). The recent introduction of a surrogate method aiming at determining specifically RCT from the macrophage compartment has facilitated research on the different components and pathways relevant for RCT. The current review provides a comprehensive overview of studies carried out on macrophage-specific RCT including a quick reference guide of available data. Knowledge and insights gained on the regulation of the RCT pathway are summarized. A discussion of methodological issues as well as of the respective relevance of specific pathways for RCT is also included. PMID:22458435

24 CFR 968.315 - Comprehensive Plan (including five-year action plan).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... comprehensive plan including, but not limited to, the physical and management needs assessments, viability...) Physical needs assessment—(i) Requirements. The physical needs assessment identifies all of the work that a... physical needs assessment is completed without regard to the availability of funds, and shall include the...

24 CFR 968.315 - Comprehensive Plan (including five-year action plan).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... comprehensive plan including, but not limited to, the physical and management needs assessments, viability...) Physical needs assessment—(i) Requirements. The physical needs assessment identifies all of the work that a... physical needs assessment is completed without regard to the availability of funds, and shall include the...

24 CFR 968.315 - Comprehensive Plan (including five-year action plan).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... comprehensive plan including, but not limited to, the physical and management needs assessments, viability...) Physical needs assessment—(i) Requirements. The physical needs assessment identifies all of the work that a... physical needs assessment is completed without regard to the availability of funds, and shall include the...

The evolution of comprehensive haemophilia care in the United States: perspectives from the frontline.

PubMed

Aledort, L M

2016-09-01

The establishment of dedicated comprehensive treatment centres more than a half century ago transformed the management of haemophilia in the United States. Formerly, a disease associated with crippling disability and premature death, today, persons with haemophilia who are treated appropriately from infancy and do not develop inhibitors can expect a normal life expectancy and relatively few bleeding episodes. The evolution of the comprehensive haemophilia care, while chastened by the viral epidemics of the 1980s, has been marked by ongoing advances, including prophylaxis, immune tolerance induction, new drugs and gene therapy research. Current challenges include sustaining the comprehensive care model despite decreased funding and expanding the delivery and affordability of comprehensive haemophilia care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Crack propagation life of detail fractures in rails

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1988-10-01

The results of a comprehensive study of the crack propagation behavior of detail fractures in railroad rails are presented. The study includes full-scale crack growth experiments in a test track under simulated heavy freight train service, similar fi...

NORTHERN OHIO AEROSOL STUDY: STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS EVALUATION

EPA Science Inventory

A consortium of Universities, located in northwest Ohio have received funds to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of land applied biosolids in that state. This USDA funded study includes observing land application practices and evaluating biosolids, soils, runoff water and bioaer...

Recognition and Comprehension of "Narrow Focus" by Young Adults With Prelingual Hearing Loss Using Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants.

PubMed

Segal, Osnat; Kishon-Rabin, Liat

2017-12-20

The stressed word in a sentence (narrow focus [NF]) conveys information about the intent of the speaker and is therefore important for processing spoken language and in social interactions. The ability of participants with severe-to-profound prelingual hearing loss to comprehend NF has rarely been investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the recognition and comprehension of NF by young adults with prelingual hearing loss compared with those of participants with normal hearing (NH). The participants included young adults with hearing aids (HA; n = 10), cochlear implants (CI; n = 12), and NH (n = 18). The test material included the Hebrew Narrow Focus Test (Segal, Kaplan, Patael, & Kishon-Rabin, in press), with 3 subtests, which was used to assess the recognition and comprehension of NF in different contexts. The following results were obtained: (a) CI and HA users successfully recognized the stressed word, with the worst performance for CI; (b) HA and CI comprehended NF less well than NH; and (c) the comprehension of NF was associated with verbal working memory and expressive vocabulary in CI users. Most CI and HA users were able to recognize the stressed word in a sentence but had considerable difficulty understanding it. Different factors may contribute to this difficulty, including the memory load during the task itself and linguistic and pragmatic abilities. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5572792.

Protective effects of middle school comprehensive sex education with family involvement.

PubMed

Grossman, Jennifer M; Tracy, Allison J; Charmaraman, Linda; Ceder, Ineke; Erkut, Sumru

2014-11-01

School-based comprehensive sex education programs can reduce early adolescents' risky sexual behavior. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a 3-year comprehensive sex education program in delaying vaginal sex for middle school students and whether the family component of the intervention contributes to its effectiveness. This longitudinal evaluation followed a cohort of 6th graders (N = 2453) through the end of 8th grade. The design used random assignment of 24 schools into treatment and comparison conditions. The analysis included multiple-group logistic regression to assess differences in delay of sex between intervention and comparison groups. In schools where the program was taught, 16% fewer boys and 15% fewer girls had had sex by the end of 8th grade compared to boys and girls at comparison schools. Completing family activities during the first year of the program predicted delayed sexual debut for boys. Theory-based, developmentally appropriate, comprehensive sex education programs that include parent involvement can be effective in delaying vaginal sex for middle school students. Parent involvement is particularly important for boys, as family activities may encourage parents to talk with their sons earlier and more frequently. © 2014, American School Health Association.

Case Study of an Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Service in Australia

PubMed Central

Baum, Fran; Lawless, Angela; Labonté, Ronald; Sanders, David; Boffa, John; Edwards, Tahnia; Javanparast, Sara

2016-01-01

Abstract Universal health coverage provides a framework to achieve health services coverage but does not articulate the model of care desired. Comprehensive primary health care includes promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative interventions and health equity and health as a human right as central goals. In Australia, Aboriginal community-controlled health services have pioneered comprehensive primary health care since their inception in the early 1970s. Our five-year project on comprehensive primary health care in Australia partnered with six services, including one Aboriginal community-controlled health service, the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. Our findings revealed more impressive outcomes in several areas—multidisciplinary work, community participation, cultural respect and accessibility strategies, preventive and promotive work, and advocacy and intersectoral collaboration on social determinants of health—at the Aboriginal community-controlled health service compared to the other participating South Australian services (state-managed and nongovernmental ones). Because of these strengths, the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress’s community-controlled model of comprehensive primary health care deserves attention as a promising form of implementation of universal health coverage by articulating a model of care based on health as a human right that pursues the goal of health equity. PMID:28559679

Hospital-Based Comprehensive Care Programs for Children With Special Health Care Needs

PubMed Central

Cohen, Eyal; Jovcevska, Vesna; Kuo, Dennis Z.; Mahant, Sanjay

2014-01-01

Objective To examine the effectiveness of hospital-based comprehensive care programs in improving the quality of care for children with special health care needs. Data Sources A systematic review was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts SocioFile, and Web of Science. Study Selection Evaluations of comprehensive care programs for categorical (those with single disease) and noncategorical groups of children with special health care needs were included. Selected articles were reviewed independently by 2 raters. Data Extraction Models of care focused on comprehensive care based at least partially in a hospital setting. The main outcome measures were the proportions of studies demonstrating improvement in the Institute of Medicine’s quality-of-care domains (effectiveness of care, efficiency of care, patient or family centeredness, patient safety, timeliness of care, and equity of care). Data Synthesis Thirty-three unique programs were included, 13 (39%) of which were randomized controlled trials. Improved outcomes most commonly reported were efficiency of care (64% [49 of 76 outcomes]), effectiveness of care (60% [57 of 95 outcomes]), and patient or family centeredness (53% [10 of 19 outcomes). Outcomes less commonly evaluated were patient safety (9% [3 of 33 programs]), timeliness of care (6% [2 of 33 programs]), and equity of care (0%). Randomized controlled trials occurred more frequently in studies evaluating categorical vs noncategorical disease populations (11 of 17 [65%] vs 2 of 16 [17%], P = .008). Conclusions Although positive, the evidence supporting comprehensive hospital-based programs for children with special health care needs is restricted primarily to nonexperimental studies of children with categorical diseases and is limited by inadequate outcome measures. Additional high-quality evidence with appropriate comparative groups and broad outcomes is necessary to justify continued development and growth of programs for broad groups of children with special health care needs. PMID:21646589

Reading Speed, Comprehension and Eye Movements While Reading Japanese Novels: Evidence from Untrained Readers and Cases of Speed-Reading Trainees

PubMed Central

Miyata, Hiromitsu; Minagawa-Kawai, Yasuyo; Watanabe, Shigeru; Sasaki, Toyofumi; Ueda, Kazuhiro

2012-01-01

Background A growing body of evidence suggests that meditative training enhances perception and cognition. In Japan, the Park-Sasaki method of speed-reading involves organized visual training while forming both a relaxed and concentrated state of mind, as in meditation. The present study examined relationships between reading speed, sentence comprehension, and eye movements while reading short Japanese novels. In addition to normal untrained readers, three middle-level trainees and one high-level expert on this method were included for the two case studies. Methodology/Principal Findings In Study 1, three of 17 participants were middle-level trainees on the speed-reading method. Immediately after reading each story once on a computer monitor, participants answered true or false questions regarding the content of the novel. Eye movements while reading were recorded using an eye-tracking system. Results revealed higher reading speed and lower comprehension scores in the trainees than in the untrained participants. Furthermore, eye-tracking data by untrained participants revealed multiple correlations between reading speed, accuracy and eye-movement measures, with faster readers showing shorter fixation durations and larger saccades in X than slower readers. In Study 2, participants included a high-level expert and 14 untrained students. The expert showed higher reading speed and statistically comparable, although numerically lower, comprehension scores compared with the untrained participants. During test sessions this expert moved her eyes along a nearly straight horizontal line as a first pass, without moving her eyes over the whole sentence display as did the untrained students. Conclusions/Significance In addition to revealing correlations between speed, comprehension and eye movements in reading Japanese contemporary novels by untrained readers, we describe cases of speed-reading trainees regarding relationships between these variables. The trainees overall tended to show poor performance influenced by the speed-accuracy trade-off, although this trade-off may be reduced in the case of at least one high-level expert. PMID:22590519

Sign language comprehension: the case of Spanish sign language.

PubMed

Rodríguez Ortiz, I R

2008-01-01

This study aims to answer the question, how much of Spanish Sign Language interpreting deaf individuals really understand. Study sampling included 36 deaf people (deafness ranging from severe to profound; variety depending on the age at which they learned sign language) and 36 hearing people who had good knowledge of sign language (most were interpreters). Sign language comprehension was assessed using passages of secondary level. After being exposed to the passages, the participants had to tell what they had understood about them, answer a set of related questions, and offer a title for the passage. Sign language comprehension by deaf participants was quite acceptable but not as good as that by hearing signers who, unlike deaf participants, were not only late learners of sign language as a second language but had also learned it through formal training.

Developing comprehensive and Brief ICF core sets for morbid obesity for disability assessment in Taiwan: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Lin, Y-N; Chang, K-H; Lin, C-Y; Hsu, M-I; Chen, H-C; Chen, H-H; Liou, T-H

2014-04-01

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) provides a framework for measuring functioning and disability based on a biopsychosocial model. The aim of this study was to develop comprehensive and brief ICF core sets for morbid obesity for disability assessment in Taiwan. Observational Other Twenty-nine multidisciplinary experts of ICF METHODS: The questionnaire contained 112 obesity-relevant and second-level ICF categories. Using a 5-point Likert scale, the participants rated the significance of the effects of each category on the heath status of people with obesity. Correlation between an individual's score and the average score of the group indicated consensus. The categories were selected for the comprehensive core set for obesity if more than 50% of the experts rated them as "important" in the third round of the Delphi exercise, and for the brief core set if more than 80% of the experts rated them "very important." Twenty-nine experts participated in the study. These included 18 physicians, 4 dieticians, 3 physical therapists, 2 nurses, and 2 ICF experts. The comprehensive core set for morbid obesity contained 61 categories. Of these, 26 categories were from the component body function, 8 were from body structure, 18 were from activities and participation, and 9 were from environmental factors. The brief core set for obesity disability contained 29 categories. Of these, 19 categories were from the component body function, 3 were from body structure, 6 were from activities and participation, and one was from environmental factors. The comprehensive and brief ICF core sets provide comprehensive information on the health effects of morbid obesity and concise information for clinical practice. Comprehensive and brief core sets were created after three rounds of Delphi technique. Further validation study of these core sets by applying to patients with morbid obesity is needed. The comprehensive ICF core set for morbid obesity provides comprehensive information on the health effects of morbid obesity; the brief core set can provide concise information for clinical practice.

Neural circuit of verbal humor comprehension in schizophrenia - an fMRI study.

PubMed

Adamczyk, Przemysław; Wyczesany, Miroslaw; Domagalik, Aleksandra; Daren, Artur; Cepuch, Kamil; Błądziński, Piotr; Cechnicki, Andrzej; Marek, Tadeusz

2017-01-01

Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit problems with understanding the figurative meaning of language. This study evaluates neural correlates of diminished humor comprehension observed in schizophrenia. The study included chronic schizophrenia (SCH) outpatients (n = 20), and sex, age and education level matched healthy controls (n = 20). The fMRI punchline based humor comprehension task consisted of 60 stories of which 20 had funny, 20 nonsensical and 20 neutral (not funny) punchlines. After the punchlines were presented, the participants were asked to indicate whether the story was comprehensible and how funny it was. Three contrasts were analyzed in both groups reflecting stages of humor processing: abstract vs neutral stories - incongruity detection; funny vs abstract - incongruity resolution and elaboration; and funny vs neutral - complete humor processing. Additionally, parametric modulation analysis was performed using both subjective ratings separately. Between-group comparisons revealed that the SCH subjects had attenuated activation in the right posterior superior temporal gyrus (BA 41) in case of irresolvable incongruity processing of nonsensical puns; in the left dorsomedial middle and superior frontal gyri (BA 8/9) in case of incongruity resolution and elaboration processing of funny puns; and in the interhemispheric dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (BA 24) in case of complete processing of funny puns. Additionally, during comprehensibility ratings the SCH group showed a suppressed activity in the left dorsomedial middle and superior frontal gyri (BA 8/9) and revealed weaker activation during funniness ratings in the left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (BA 24). Interestingly, these differences in the SCH group were accompanied behaviorally by a protraction of time in both types of rating responses and by indicating funny punchlines less comprehensible. Summarizing, our results indicate neural substrates of humor comprehension processing impairments in schizophrenia, which is accompanied by fronto-temporal hypoactivation.

Taking a Comprehensive Approach to Common Core Rollout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illingworth, Amy

2016-01-01

One district, South Bay Union School District, devises and executes a comprehensive strategy that includes training for district staff, teachers and coaches, including using PLCs and professional development in the implementation of Common Core English language arts standards.

34 CFR 303.115 - Comprehensive child find system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Comprehensive child find system. 303.115 Section 303.115... Components of A Statewide System § 303.115 Comprehensive child find system. Each system must include a comprehensive child find system that meets the requirements in §§ 303.302 and 303.303. (Approved by Office of...

Fiber Optics Technician. Curriculum Research Project. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittington, Herschel K.

A study examined the role of technicians in the fiber optics industry and determined those elements that should be included in a comprehensive curriculum to prepare fiber optics technicians for employment in the Texas labor market. First the current literature, including the ERIC database and equipment manufacturers' journals were reviewed. After…

Extra Pay for Extra Duties, 1967-1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Association, Washington, DC. Research Div.

The practice of adding supplements to teachers' salaries for the guidance of pupil-participating extracurricular activities is widely used. To meet the demand for information on "extra pay for extra duties," a comprehensive study was made, including extra pay for extra duties of both athletic and nonathletic activities. Included are only those…

24 CFR 968.320 - HUD review and approval of comprehensive plan (including five-year action plan).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... modifications required to make the comprehensive plan approvable. The PHA must re-submit the comprehensive plan... writing containing any false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry, in any matter within the...

24 CFR 968.320 - HUD review and approval of comprehensive plan (including five-year action plan).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... modifications required to make the comprehensive plan approvable. The PHA must re-submit the comprehensive plan... writing containing any false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry, in any matter within the...

Systematic review of the neural basis of social cognition in patients with mood disorders

PubMed Central

Cusi, Andrée M.; Nazarov, Anthony; Holshausen, Katherine; MacQueen, Glenda M.; McKinnon, Margaret C.

2012-01-01

Background This review integrates neuroimaging studies of 2 domains of social cognition — emotion comprehension and theory of mind (ToM) — in patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. The influence of key clinical and method variables on patterns of neural activation during social cognitive processing is also examined. Methods Studies were identified using PsycINFO and PubMed (January 1967 to May 2011). The search terms were “fMRI,” “emotion comprehension,” “emotion perception,” “affect comprehension,” “affect perception,” “facial expression,” “prosody,” “theory of mind,” “mentalizing” and “empathy” in combination with “major depressive disorder,” “bipolar disorder,” “major depression,” “unipolar depression,” “clinical depression” and “mania.” Results Taken together, neuroimaging studies of social cognition in patients with mood disorders reveal enhanced activation in limbic and emotion-related structures and attenuated activity within frontal regions associated with emotion regulation and higher cognitive functions. These results reveal an overall lack of inhibition by higher-order cognitive structures on limbic and emotion-related structures during social cognitive processing in patients with mood disorders. Critically, key variables, including illness burden, symptom severity, comorbidity, medication status and cognitive load may moderate this pattern of neural activation. Limitations Studies that did not include control tasks or a comparator group were included in this review. Conclusion Further work is needed to examine the contribution of key moderator variables and to further elucidate the neural networks underlying altered social cognition in patients with mood disorders. The neural networks underlying higher-order social cognitive processes, including empathy, remain unexplored in patients with mood disorders. PMID:22297065

Making Connections in Elementary and Middle School Social Studies. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Andrew P.

2010-01-01

This comprehensive, reader-friendly text demonstrates how personal connections can be incorporated into social studies education while meeting standards of the National Council for the Social Studies. Praised for its wealth of strategies that go beyond social studies content teaching--including classroom strategies, pedagogical techniques,…

A SUMMARY OF STUDIES IN ACHIEVEMENT OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE GRADUATES IN COLLEGE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MCCLELLAND, JOHN B.

TWENTY-SEVEN STUDIES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS SYNTHESIS OF RESEARCH ON THE APPROPRIATENESS OF HIGH SCHOOL VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE STUDENTS GOING ON TO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. MOST OF THE STUDIES INVOLVED STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE TREATMENT. THE STUDIES ARE ORGANIZED INTO SECTIONS--(1) COMPREHENSIVE, (2) ACHIEVEMENT IN LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES, (3)…

Analysis of strategic plans to assess planning for sustainability of comprehensive community initiatives.

PubMed

Sridharan, Sanjeev; Go, Sodam; Zinzow, Heidi; Gray, Aracelis; Barrett, Melissa Gutierrez

2007-02-01

In order to achieve the intended impact on a community, comprehensive community initiatives must sustain programs once they have been implemented. However, planning for sustainability is challenging and is rarely incorporated in the planning process of an initiative. The current study examined 19 5-year plans developed during the planning phase of the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to assess the extent to which the construct of sustainability was incorporated. The plan analysis was supplemented with results from other components of the complex evaluation design implemented as part of the process evaluation of Comprehensive Strategy. Results suggested that sustainability was not accounted for during the planning phase of this initiative. The implications of these findings, including the importance of planning for sustainability in order to achieve sustainability, are discussed.

Comprehension by older people of medication information with or without supplementary pharmaceutical pictograms.

PubMed

Ng, Annie W Y; Chan, Alan H S; Ho, Vincy W S

2017-01-01

This study examined the benefits of pharmaceutical pictograms for improving comprehension of medication information for older people. Fifty Hong Kong Chinese older people completed a medical information comprehension task for five drugs. Participants in the control group were presented with text labels while those in the experimental group were given the text labels plus supplementary pharmaceutical pictograms, and then all reported their understanding of the medication information conveyed. Lower educated older people had poorer understanding of medication information. The addition of pharmaceutical pictograms significantly improved the comprehension of medication information for older people. The majority of older people tested with pictograms favored adding pictograms to text and thought the pictograms were useful for conveying medical information rather than using written text alone. The findings suggested that pharmaceutical and health care professionals should include pharmaceutical pictograms on labels to better convey instructions on medication to older people. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of attitudes and perceptions of independent community pharmacy owners/managers on the comprehensiveness of strategic planning.

PubMed

Harrison, Donald L

2006-01-01

To assess the attitudes and perceptions of independent community pharmacy owners/managers about the comprehensiveness of strategic planning conducted for their pharmacies. Cross-sectional study. United States. Nationwide random sample of 1,250 owners/managers of independent community pharmacies. Mailed survey. Comprehensiveness of strategic planning conducted; components used in the strategic planning process. Attitudes and perceptions of owners/managers of independent community pharmacies toward strategic planning. A total of 527 (42.1%) usable questionnaires were returned. Of the 141 (26.8%) respondents who indicated that they conduct strategic planning, most components of the process were used. However, only 78 (55.3%) of those respondents conducted a review of pharmacy systems, and only 60 (42.6%) periodically evaluated implemented strategies. Approximately 88% of the variance in comprehensiveness was accounted for by 12 variables identified as significantly associated with the comprehensiveness of strategic planning conducted by owners/managers of independent community pharmacies. These included factors such as favorable cost-benefit relationship, impact of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, and remaining competitive in the pharmacy marketplace. While a minority of the survey population, respondents who reported conducting strategic planning used a reasonably comprehensive process. Further, several variables were identified as significant factors associated with comprehensiveness of strategic planning conducted.

Water in the Great Basin region; Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, Don; Eakin, Thomas E.

1974-01-01

The Great Basin Region is defined to include the drainage of the Great Basin physiographic section (Fennman, 1931) in Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. In October 1966, the President’s Water Resources Council requested that a comprehensive framework study be made in the Great Basin Region under the leadership of the Pacific Southwest Interagency Committee. The study, which included evaluation of the water resources of the region and guidelines for future study and development, was completed June 30, 1971. Results of the study received limited distribution.The purpose of this atlas is to make available to the public the hydrologic data (including a general appraisal) that were compiled for the comprehensive framework study. Most of the work was done by a water-resources work group consisting of members from several Federal and State agencies under the chairmanship of Thomas E. Eakin of the U.S. Geological Survey. This atlas contains some data not included in the framework study.The data presented herein are reconnaissance in nature and should be used with discretion. The maps are highly generalized and are intended only to illustrate the regional distribution of the supply and general chemical quality of the water. Sources of more detailed information on the hydrology of specific parts of the Great Basin region are listed in the selected references.

Obtaining Unique, Comprehensive Deep Seismic Sounding Data Sets for CTBT Monitoring and Broad Seismological Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-02

TYPE Final Report 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 26-Sep-01 to 26-Jun-07 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE OBTAINING UNIQUE, COMPREHENSIVE DEEP SEISMIC ... seismic records from 12 major Deep Seismic Sounding (DSS) projects acquired in 1970-1980’s in the former Soviet Union. The data include 3-component...records from 22 Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (PNEs) and over 500 chemical explosions recorded by a grid of linear, reversed seismic profiles covering a

A Catalog of Solar White-Light Flares (1859-1982), Including Their Statistical Properties and Associated Emissions.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-20

comprehensively studied. Among those aspects in need of further observational descriptions are (1) morphology (a description of the various WLF forms in terms of...Sacramento Peak, we compiled the list O ourselves. To the best of our knowledge the final list of events is comprehensive , although we have recently...and Conway, M. (1950) The solar, flare of 1949 November 19, Observatory .70.77. 33. Porret, M. (1952) Communications Ecrites : Soelil, I’Astronomie

The Teaching Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Sandra

2004-01-01

One of the most comprehensive studies to highlight the achievement gap between students in the United States and those in many other countries is the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS showed that a handful of countries (with Japan near the top) consistently outperformed the others studied (including the United…

Evaluation of use of reading comprehension strategies to improve reading comprehension of adult college students with acquired brain injury.

PubMed

Griffiths, Gina G; Sohlberg, McKay Moore; Kirk, Cecilia; Fickas, Stephen; Biancarosa, Gina

2016-01-01

Adults with mild to moderate acquired brain injury (ABI) often pursue post-secondary or professional education after their injuries in order to enter or re-enter the job market. An increasing number of these adults report problems with reading-to-learn. The problem is particularly concerning given the growing population of adult survivors of ABI. Despite the rising need, empirical evaluation of reading comprehension interventions for adults with ABI is scarce. This study used a within-subject design to evaluate whether adult college students with ABI with no more than moderate cognitive impairments benefited from using reading comprehension strategies to improve comprehension of expository text. Integrating empirical support from the cognitive rehabilitation and special education literature, the researchers designed a multi-component reading comprehension strategy package. Participants read chapters from an introductory-level college anthropology textbook in two different conditions: strategy and no-strategy. The results indicated that reading comprehension strategy use was associated with recall of more correct information units in immediate and delayed free recall tasks; more efficient recall in the delayed free recall task; and increased accuracy recognising statements from a sentence verification task designed to reflect the local and global coherence of the text. The findings support further research into using reading comprehension strategies as an intervention approach for the adult ABI population. Future research needs include identifying how to match particular reading comprehension strategies to individuals, examining whether reading comprehension performance improves further through the incorporation of systematic training, and evaluating texts from a range of disciplines and genres.

Intrinsic ethics regarding integrated assessment models for climate management.

PubMed

Schienke, Erich W; Baum, Seth D; Tuana, Nancy; Davis, Kenneth J; Keller, Klaus

2011-09-01

In this essay we develop and argue for the adoption of a more comprehensive model of research ethics than is included within current conceptions of responsible conduct of research (RCR). We argue that our model, which we label the ethical dimensions of scientific research (EDSR), is a more comprehensive approach to encouraging ethically responsible scientific research compared to the currently typically adopted approach in RCR training. This essay focuses on developing a pedagogical approach that enables scientists to better understand and appreciate one important component of this model, what we call intrinsic ethics. Intrinsic ethical issues arise when values and ethical assumptions are embedded within scientific findings and analytical methods. Through a close examination of a case study and its application in teaching, namely, evaluation of climate change integrated assessment models, this paper develops a method and case for including intrinsic ethics within research ethics training to provide scientists with a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the critical role of values and ethical choices in the production of research outcomes.

Effects of comprehensive education protocol in decreasing pre-hospital stroke delay among Chinese urban community population.

PubMed

Chen, Shengyun; Sun, Haixin; Zhao, Xingquan; Fu, Paul; Yan, Wang; Yilong, Wang; Hongyan, Jia; Yan, Zhang; Wenzhi, Wang

2013-06-01

Studies have shown that awareness of early stroke symptoms and the use of ambulances are two important factors in decreasing pre-hospital stroke delay. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a comprehensive educational stroke protocol in improving stroke response times. Two urban communities in Beijing (population ≍50 000), matched in economic status and geography, were enrolled in this study. A comprehensive educational protocol, which included public lectures and distribution of instructive material for the community and its medical staff, was implemented from August 2008 to December 2010. Surveillance of new onset stroke in both communities was carried out during the same period. Pre-hospital delay time and percentage of patients using emergency medical services (EMS) were compared between the two communities. After comprehensive educational protocol, we found that: (i) pre-hospital delay (time from stroke symptom onset to hospital arrival) decreased from 180 to 79 minutes, (ii) the proportion of patients arriving within three hours of stroke onset increased from 55·8% to 80·4%, (iii) pre-hospital delay of stroke patients with symptoms of paralysis, numbness, and speech impediments was decreased, and (iv) the proportion of stroke patients calling for EMS increased from 50·4% to 60·7%. The comprehensive educational stroke protocol was significantly effective in decreasing pre-hospital stroke delay.

Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Study of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms.

PubMed

Bavendam, Tamara G; Norton, Jenna M; Kirkali, Ziya; Mullins, Chris; Kusek, John W; Star, Robert A; Rodgers, Griffin P

2016-11-01

Lower urinary tract symptoms are common in the United States population, leading to significant economic, quality of life and public health issues. The burden will increase as the population ages, and risk factors for lower urinary tract symptoms, including diabetes and obesity, remain highly prevalent. Improving clinical management and establishing the knowledge base to prevent lower urinary tract symptoms will require a comprehensive research approach that examines factors beyond the lower urinary tract. While the study of extra-lower urinary tract factors has increased recently, current urological research does not systematically account for the broad set of potential contributing factors spanning biological, behavioral, psychological/executive function and sociocultural factors. A comprehensive assessment of potential contributors to risk, treatment response and progression is necessary to reduce the burden of this condition in the United States. We considered challenges to continuing the predominantly lower urinary tract dysfunction centric approach that has dominated previous research of lower urinary tract symptoms. We developed a new, comprehensive framework for urology research that includes a broader set of potential factors contributing to lower urinary tract symptoms. This framework aims to broaden research to consider a comprehensive set of potential contributing factors and to engage a broad range of researchers in the investigation of as many extra-lower urinary tract factors as possible, with the goal of improving clinical care and prevention. We propose a new framework for future urology research, which should help to reduce the medical and economic burden of lower urinary tract symptoms in the United States population. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implicit and Explicit Attitudes towards America in Socio Digital Influence: Trust and Social Identity in Cyberspace

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-16

comprehensive survey of personality, values, institutional trust, mass media usage, and political attitudes and ideology (including a comprehensive...including China, Russia, and the USA, September 2015). A follow-up survey was administered to the same individuals 6 months later (N=9165), and a behavioral...dataset has been collected in the first year and a half of a three year research plan. In Wave 1, a comprehensive survey of personality, values

A mortality comparison of participants and non-participants in a comprehensive health examination among elderly people living in an urban Japanese community.

PubMed

Iwasa, Hajime; Yoshida, Hideyo; Kim, Hunkyung; Yoshida, Yuko; Kwon, Jinhee; Sugiura, Miho; Furuna, Taketo; Suzuki, Takao

2007-06-01

Recent studies have revealed that there are critical differences between participants and non-participants in health examinations. The aim of this study was to examine mortality differences between participants and non-participants in a comprehensive health examination for prevention of geriatric syndromes among community-dwelling elderly people, using a three-year prospective cohort study. The study population included 854 adults aged 70 to 84 at baseline. The following items were all studied: the status of participation in the comprehensive health examination as an independent variable, age, gender, number of years of education, living alone, presence of chronic diseases, experience of falls over one year, history of hospitalization over one year, self-rated health, body mass index, instrumental activities of daily living, and subjective well-being as covariates; and all-cause mortality during a three-year follow-up as a dependent variable. In an adjusted Cox's proportional hazard regression model, the mortality risk for participants in the comprehensive health examination was significantly lower than that of non-participants (Risk Ratio (for participants)= 0.44, 95% confidence interval=0.24 to 0.78). The present study shows that there is a large mortality difference between participants and non-participants. Our findings suggest two possible interpretations: 1) There is a bias due to self-selection for participation in the trial, which was not eliminated by adjustment for the covariates in the statistical model; 2) There is an intervention effect associated with participation in the comprehensive health examination which reduces the mortality risk.

Emotion word comprehension from 4 to 16 years old: a developmental survey.

PubMed

Baron-Cohen, Simon; Golan, Ofer; Wheelwright, Sally; Granader, Yael; Hill, Jacqueline

2010-01-01

Whilst previous studies have examined comprehension of the emotional lexicon at different ages in typically developing children, no survey has been conducted looking at this across different ages from childhood to adolescence. To report how the emotion lexicon grows with age. Comprehension of 336 emotion words was tested in n = 377 children and adolescents, aged 4-16 years old, divided into 6 age-bands. Parents or teachers of children under 12, or adolescents themselves, were asked to indicate which words they knew the meaning of. Between 4 and 11 years old, the size of the emotional lexicon doubled every 2 years, but between 12 and 16 years old, developmental rate of growth of the emotional lexicon leveled off. This survey also allows emotion words to be ordered in terms of difficulty. Studies using emotion terms in English need to be developmentally sensitive, since during childhood there is considerable change. The absence of change after adolescence may be an artifact of the words included in this study. This normative developmental data-set for emotion vocabulary comprehension may be useful when testing for delays in this ability, as might arise for environmental or neurodevelopmental reasons.

The Effectiveness of the Barton’s Intervention Program on Reading Comprehension and Reading Attitude of Students with Dyslexia

PubMed Central

Mihandoost, Zeinab; Elias, Habibah

2011-01-01

Objective: The current research tested the differences in reading attitude and reading comprehension in the dyslexic students between the control group and the experimental group following the Barton intervention program. Methods: Dyslexia screening instrument and reading text were employed in order to identify dyslexic students. The population of the study included 138 dyslexic students studying in schools in Ilam, Iran. From this population, 64 students were randomly selected and assigned to an experimental group as well as a control group. The experimental group was taught for 36 sessions, using the Barton’s method at two levels, and ten lessons were provided to improve the reading skill. The reading comprehension and reading attitude instruments were employed for the measurement of the attitude and comprehension before and after the intervention program. Results: The analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between the control group and the experimental group following the Barton intervention program. Conclusion: This study showed that dyslexic students learned to read, and a more direct instruction related to decoding could influence their progress more than the general exposure to education. PMID:24644446

Analysis of the comprehensibility of chemical hazard communication tools at the industrial workplace.

PubMed

Ta, Goh Choo; Mokhtar, Mazlin Bin; Mohd Mokhtar, Hj Anuar Bin; Ismail, Azmir Bin; Abu Yazid, Mohd Fadhil Bin Hj

2010-01-01

Chemical classification and labelling systems may be roughly similar from one country to another but there are significant differences too. In order to harmonize various chemical classification systems and ultimately provide consistent chemical hazard communication tools worldwide, the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) was endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Several countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Malaysia, are now in the process of implementing GHS. It is essential to ascertain the comprehensibility of chemical hazard communication tools that are described in the GHS documents, namely the chemical labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Comprehensibility Testing (CT) was carried out with a mixed group of industrial workers in Malaysia (n=150) and factors that influence the comprehensibility were analysed using one-way ANOVA. The ability of the respondents to retrieve information from the SDS was also tested in this study. The findings show that almost all the GHS pictograms meet the ISO comprehension criteria and it is concluded that the underlying core elements that enhance comprehension of GHS pictograms and which are also essential in developing competent persons in the use of SDS are training and education.

Engineering the fitness of older patients for chemotherapy: an exploration of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in practice.

PubMed

McCarthy, Alexandra L; Cook, Peta S; Yates, Patsy

2014-03-01

Clinicians often report that currently available methods to assess older patients, including standard clinical consultations, do not elicit the information necessary to make an appropriate cancer treatment recommendation for older cancer patients. An increasingly popular way of assessing the potential of older patients to cope with chemotherapy is a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment. What constitutes Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, however, is open to interpretation and varies from one setting to another. Furthermore, Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment's usefulness as a predictor of fitness for chemotherapy and as a determinant of actual treatment is not well understood. In this article, we analyse how Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment was developed for use in a large cancer service in an Australian capital city. Drawing upon Actor-Network Theory, our findings reveal how, during its development, Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment was made both a tool and a science. Furthermore, we briefly explore the tensions that we experienced as scholars who analyse medico-scientific practices and as practitioner-designers charged with improving the very tools we critique. Our study contributes towards geriatric oncology by scrutinising the medicalisation of ageing, unravelling the practices of standardisation and illuminating the multiplicity of 'fitness for chemotherapy'.

The Impact of L1 Metaphorical Comprehension on L2 Metaphorical Comprehension of Iraqi EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arif, Mahmoud; Abdullah, Imran Ho

2017-01-01

The major goal of this research is to investigate learners' metaphorical comprehension in L1 and its effect on the metaphorical comprehension in L2 by Iraqi EFL learners at secondary school. In which, they encounter difficulties understanding English texts and lectures, primarily when metaphor is included, which leads to the misunderstanding of…

Transfer of fallout radionuclides derived from Fukushima NPP accident: 1 year study on transfer of radionuclides through hydrological processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onda, Yuichi; Kato, Hiroaki; Patin, Jeremy; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Tsujimura, Maki; Wakahara, Taeko; Fukushima, Takehiko

2013-04-01

Previous experiences such as Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident have confirmed that fallout radionuclides on the ground surface migrate through natural environment including soils and rivers. Therefore, in order to estimate future changes in radionuclide deposition, migration process of radionuclides in forests, soils, ground water, rivers should be monitored. However, such comprehensive studies on migration through forests, soils, ground water and rivers have not been conducted so far. Here, we present the following comprehensive investigation was conducted to confirm migration of radionuclides through natural environment including soils and rivers. 1)Study on depth distribution of radiocaesium in soils within forests, fields, and grassland 2)Confirmation of radionuclide distribution and investigation on migration in forests 3)Study on radionuclide migration due to soil erosion under different land use 4)Measurement of radionuclides entrained from natural environment including forests and soils 5)Investigation on radionuclide migration through soil water, ground water, stream water, spring water under different land use 6)Study on paddy-to-river transfer of radionuclides through suspended sediments 7)Study on river-to-ocean transfer of radionuclides via suspended sediments 8)Confirmation of radionuclide deposition in ponds and reservoirs

77 FR 51044 - Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge, PR; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-23

... plants, haying, research studies, wildlife surveying and monitoring, scientific collections, and camping... interest, including West Indian whistling ducks and kestrels. Under this alternative, specific activities...

Applying transportation asset management in Connecticut.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-12-01

The study consists primarily of a detailed review of those states that utilize transportation asset management (TAM) systems that may be applicable for Connecticuts consideration, and includes as well the identification of a comprehensive pavement...

Comparison of closed-ended, open-ended, and perceived informed consent comprehension measures for a mock HIV prevention trial among women in Tanzania.

PubMed

MacQueen, Kathleen M; Chen, Mario; Ramirez, Catalina; Nnko, Soori E A; Earp, Kelly M

2014-01-01

Verifying participant comprehension continues to be a difficult ethical and regulatory challenge for clinical research. An increasing number of articles assessing methods to improve comprehension have been published, but they use a wide range of outcome measures including open-ended, closed-ended, and self-perceived measures of comprehension. Systematic comparisons of different measures have rarely been reported. This study evaluated the likely direction of bias observed when using open-ended, closed-ended, and perceived ease of comprehension measures among women administered a mock informed consent process in Mwanza, Tanzania. Participants were randomized to either a closed-ended or an open-ended assessment of comprehension, administered the consent process for a hypothetical HIV prevention trial in Kiswahili, and then administered a comprehension assessment, per their randomization. They were then asked how easy or hard it was to understand each of the informed consent components measured in the comprehension assessment. Women in the closed-ended arm had significantly higher overall comprehension scores than in the open-ended arm. Perceived scores were significantly higher when compared to both open-ended and close-ended scores within arms but were similar between arms. Findings highlight the importance of comprehension assessments in complex clinical trials that go beyond asking participants if they understand or have any questions. They also indicate the need for continued exploration of objective measures of comprehension in international clinical research settings, so that points in need of clarification can be efficiently and effectively identified and addressed. Such measures would reduce burdens on both staff and participants that result from well-intentioned but potentially unnecessary time spent explaining in unwarranted detail things already understood.

High-level radioactive waste management alternatives

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

None

1974-05-01

A summary of a comprehensive overview study of potential alternatives for long-term management of high-level radioactive waste is presented. The concepts studied included disposal in geologic formations, disposal in seabeds, disposal in ice caps, disposal into space, and elimination by transmutation. (TFD)

A study of the academic performance of medical students in the comprehensive examination of the basic sciences according to the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status.

PubMed

Moslehi, Mohsen; Samouei, Rahele; Tayebani, Tayebeh; Kolahduz, Sima

2015-01-01

Considering the increasing importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in different aspects of life, such as academic achievement, the present survey is aimed to predict academic performance of medical students in the comprehensive examination of the basic sciences, according to the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status. The present survey is a descriptive, analytical, and cross-sectional study performed on the medical students of Isfahan, Tehran, and Mashhad Universities of Medical Sciences. Sampling the universities was performed randomly after which selecting the students was done, taking into consideration the limitation in their numbers. Based on the inclusion criteria, all the medical students, entrance of 2005, who had attended the comprehensive basic sciences examination in 2008, entered the study. The data collection tools included an Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (standardized in Isfahan), the average score of the first to fifth semesters, total average of each of the five semesters, and the grade of the comprehensive basic sciences examination. The data were analyzed through stepwise regression coefficient by SPSS software version 15. The results indicated that the indicators of independence from an emotional intelligence test and average scores of the first and third academic semesters were significant in predicting the students' academic performance in the comprehensive basic sciences examination. According to the obtained results, the average scores of students, especially in the earlier semesters, as well as the indicators of independence and the self-esteem rate of students can influence their success in the comprehensive basic sciences examination.

Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation of the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Promote Metaphor Comprehension in Parkinson Disease: A Case Study.

PubMed

Tremblay, Christina; Monetta, Laura; Langlois, Mélanie; Schneider, Cyril

2016-01-01

This single-case research-designed study explored whether intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) could improve metaphor comprehension in people with Parkinson disease (PD) and language impairments. A right-handed participant with PD diagnosed 9 years ago, receiving long-term treatment with levodopa, and with metaphor comprehension impairment was recruited to undergo 10 sessions of sham stimulation (in 2wk), a washout period (6wk), and then 10 sessions of iTBS (in 2wk). Clinical scores of metaphor comprehension and motor evaluation (Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale part III) and transcranial magnetic stimulation to test the excitability of the primary motor cortex (M1) were used at baseline, postsham, post-iTBS, and at 3 follow-ups (8, 14, and 20wk post-iTBS). Metaphor comprehension was improved after iTBS, and the highest scores were obtained 8 weeks later (P=.01). This improvement was correlated with the increase of the right M1 excitability (r=-.86, P=.03) and with the decrease of transcallosal inhibition latency from the left to the right hemisphere (r=-.88, P=.02). Sham yielded no effect (P>.05). Administration of iTBS over the right DLPFC improved metaphor comprehension likely by a long-term influence on brain synaptic plasticity, including improvement of interhemispheric dialogue. More studies are warranted to confirm these findings in larger samples of participants with PD. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Survey of Coronal Dimmings and EIT Wave Transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Barbara J.

2003-01-01

We present the results of a comprehensive catalog of EIT wave transients and coronal dimmings. We will compiled a set of more than 170 events, and we present strong evidence for the association of the co-development of coronal dimmings and EIT waves. Both limb and disk events are included in this study. We also include the speeds, locations, and associated flare timing in this study.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Morphological Awareness Intervention: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brimo, Danielle

2016-01-01

Researchers have established that morphological awareness is an important skill because it contributes unique variance to word-level reading and reading comprehension; however, few studies include students with reading disorders. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate whether training morphological awareness would improve morphological…

Identifying Students Difficulties in Understanding Concepts Pertaining to Cell Water Relations: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedler, Y.; And Others

This study identified students' conceptual difficulties in understanding concepts and processes associated with cell water relationships (osmosis), determined possible reasons for these difficulties, and pilot-tested instruments and research strategies for a large scale comprehensive study. Research strategies used included content analysis of…

Teaching reading comprehension to learners with autism spectrum disorder: Discrepancies between teacher and research-recommended practices.

PubMed

Accardo, Amy L; Finnegan, Elizabeth G

2017-11-01

Students with autism spectrum disorder have been found to experience difficulty with reading comprehension despite intact decoding and word recognition. This identified need for targeted reading comprehension remediation results in a need for teachers to utilize research-based practices and to individualize instruction for students with autism spectrum disorder; however, teachers report a lack of access to such practices. This study utilized survey methodology to gather perceptions and experiences of teachers and to compare teacher preparedness to use effective instructional practices emerging from the extant research to teacher-reported effective practices in the classroom. Study findings, based on 112 participants, reveal a discrepancy between teacher-reported effective practices, and the practices identified as effective through research, indicating a research to practice gap. Implications for practice include professional development recommendations, and the need for increased communication between researchers and teachers.

Assessing understanding of relative clauses: a comparison of multiple-choice comprehension versus sentence repetition.

PubMed

Frizelle, Pauline; O'Neill, Clodagh; Bishop, Dorothy V M

2017-11-01

Although sentence repetition is considered a reliable measure of children's grammatical knowledge, few studies have directly compared children's sentence repetition performance with their understanding of grammatical structures. The current study aimed to compare children's performance on these two assessment measures, using a multiple-choice picture-matching sentence comprehension task and a sentence repetition task. Thirty-three typically developing children completed both assessments, which included relative clauses representing a range of syntactic roles. Results revealed a similar order of difficulty of constructions on both measures but little agreement between them when evaluating individual differences. Interestingly, repetition was the easier of the two measures, with children showing the ability to repeat sentences they did not understand. This discrepancy is primarily attributed to the additional processing load resulting from the design of multiple-choice comprehension tasks, and highlights the fact that these assessments are invoking skills beyond those of linguistic competence.

The relationship among pressure ulcer risk factors, incidence and nursing documentation in hospital-acquired pressure ulcer patients in intensive care units.

PubMed

Li, Dan

2016-08-01

To explore the quality/comprehensiveness of nursing documentation of pressure ulcers and to investigate the relationship between the nursing documentation and the incidence of pressure ulcers in four intensive care units. Pressure ulcer prevention requires consistent assessments and documentation to decrease pressure ulcer incidence. Currently, most research is focused on devices to prevent pressure ulcers. Studies have rarely considered the relationship among pressure ulcer risk factors, incidence and nursing documentation. Thus, a study to investigate this relationship is needed to fill this information gap. A retrospective, comparative, descriptive, correlational study. A convenience sample of 196 intensive care units patients at the selected medical centre comprised the study sample. All medical records of patients admitted to intensive care units between the time periods of September 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012 were audited. Data used in the analysis included 98 pressure ulcer patients and 98 non-pressure ulcer patients. The quality and comprehensiveness of pressure ulcer documentation were measured by the modified European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Pressure Ulcers Assessment Instrument and the Comprehensiveness in Nursing Documentation instrument. The correlations between quality/comprehensiveness of pressure ulcer documentation and incidence of pressure ulcers were not statistically significant. Patients with pressure ulcers had longer length of stay than patients without pressure ulcers stay. There were no statistically significant differences in quality/comprehensiveness scores of pressure ulcer documentation between dayshift and nightshift. This study revealed a lack of quality/comprehensiveness in nursing documentation of pressure ulcers. This study demonstrates that staff nurses often perform poorly on documenting pressure ulcer appearance, staging and treatment. Moreover, nursing documentation of pressure ulcers does not provide a complete picture of patients' care needs that require nursing interventions. The implication of this study involves pressure ulcer prevention and litigable risk of nursing documentation. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

On the Wing of a Whitebird: A Tomie dePaola Resource Book

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hornburg, Val

2005-01-01

This book provides literacy ideas for many of the books Tomie dePaola has illustrated and/or written. Ideas for introducing each book are presented, as are comprehension questions. Ideas for making connections through other curriculum areas, including writing, art, mathematics, science, social studies and drama, are included as well.

Transmitting Success: Comprehensive Peer Mentoring for At-Risk Students in Developmental Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales, Erik E.; Ambrose-Roman, Sarah; Perez-Maldonado, Rosa

2016-01-01

This study presents and assesses a developmental math focused peer mentoring program at a public urban university. Over three semesters 45 mentees participated in the program. Results include substantive increases in developmental pass rates as well as increases in self-efficacy and social integration. Other noteworthy findings include the…

The Relationship of Pitch Sight-Singing Skills with Tonal Discrimination, Language Reading Skills, and Academic Ability in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reifinger, James L., Jr.

2018-01-01

This study investigated correlates that might explain variance in beginning sight-singing achievement, including tonal discrimination, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and academic ability. Both curriculum-based and standardized tests were used, including the Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, and…

42 CFR 484.55 - Condition of participation: Comprehensive assessment of patients.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Standard: Drug regimen review. The comprehensive assessment must include a review of all medications the patient is currently using in order to identify any potential adverse effects and drug reactions, including ineffective drug therapy, significant side effects, significant drug interactions, duplicate drug...

INTEGRATION OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND PROCESS INTENSIFICATION IN THE DESIGN OF PROCESSES FOR UTILIZING BIOBASED GLYCEROL

EPA Science Inventory

The expected results include an integrated process and mechanical design including a fabrication plan for the glycerol dehydration reactor, comprehensive heat and material balance, environmental impact assessment and comprehensive safety review. The resulting process design w...

Racism as a determinant of health: a protocol for conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Racism is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of health. A growing body of epidemiological evidence shows strong associations between self-reported racism and poor health outcomes across diverse minority groups in developed countries. While the relationship between racism and health has received increasing attention over the last two decades, a comprehensive meta-analysis focused on the health effects of racism has yet to be conducted. The aim of this review protocol is to provide a structure from which to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that assess the relationship between racism and health. Methods This research will consist of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Studies will be considered for review if they are empirical studies reporting quantitative data on the association between racism and health for adults and/or children of all ages from any racial/ethnic/cultural groups. Outcome measures will include general health and well-being, physical health, mental health, healthcare use and health behaviors. Scientific databases (for example, Medline) will be searched using a comprehensive search strategy and reference lists will be manually searched for relevant studies. In addition, use of online search engines (for example, Google Scholar), key websites, and personal contact with experts will also be undertaken. Screening of search results and extraction of data from included studies will be independently conducted by at least two authors, including assessment of inter-rater reliability. Studies included in the review will be appraised for quality using tools tailored to each study design. Summary statistics of study characteristics and findings will be compiled and findings synthesized in a narrative summary as well as a meta-analysis. Discussion This review aims to examine associations between reported racism and health outcomes. This comprehensive and systematic review and meta-analysis of empirical research will provide a rigorous and reliable evidence base for future research, policy and practice, including information on the extent of available evidence for a range of racial/ethnic minority groups PMID:24059279

Newspaper Activities for Elementary Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinellas County District School Board, Clearwater, FL.

"How to Begin" instructions are given in this teachers guide followed by illustrated sections on using the newspaper in the Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and Art programs. The activities in Language Arts include: word study and spelling, speaking and listening, composition and handwriting, comprehension, critical thinking…

The Impact of Comprehensive School Nursing Services on Students' Academic Performance.

PubMed

Kocoglu, Deniz; Emiroglu, Oya Nuran

2017-03-01

Introduction: School nursing services should be evaluated through health and academic outcomes of students; however, it is observed that the number of studies in this field is limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of comprehensive school nursing services provided to 4th grade primary school students on academic performance of students. Methods: The quasi-experimental study was conducted with 31 students attending a randomly selected school in economic disadvantaged area in Turky. Correlation analysis, repeated measures analyses of variance, multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data with SPSS software. Results: At the end of school nursing practices, an increase was occurred in students' academic achievement grades whereas a decrease was occurred in absenteeism and academic procrastination behaviors. Whilst it was determined that nursing interventions including treatment/ procedure and surveillance was associated to the decrease of absenteeism, it also was discovered that the change in the health status of the student after nursing interventions was related to the increase of the academic achievement grade and the decrease of the academic procrastination behavior score. Conclusion: In this study, the conclusion that comprehensive school nursing services contributed positively to the academic performance of students has been reached. In addition, it can be suggested that effective school nursing services should include services such as acute-chronic disease treatment, first aid, health screening, health improvement-protection, health education, guidance and counseling and case management.

Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome: diagnostic yield of comprehensive clinical evaluation of pediatric first-degree relatives.

PubMed

Giudici, Valentina; Spanaki, Adriani; Hendry, Jennifer; Mead-Regan, Sarah; Field, Ella; Zuccotti, Gian Vincenzo; Abrams, Dominic; Lowe, Martin; Kaski, Juan Pablo

2014-12-01

Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) is most often caused by heritable cardiac diseases. Studies in adults have identified evidence of inherited cardiovascular diseases in up to 53% of families, but data on the prevalence of familial disease in children are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield of clinical screening in pediatric first-degree relatives of victims of SADS using a systematic and comprehensive protocol. Patients referred for family screening after sudden cardiac death (SCD) of a family member were, retrospectively, enrolled into the study. Systematic evaluation of the children included clinical examination, family history, electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram, 24-hour tape, and signal-averaged ECG. Older patients also underwent exercise testing, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and ajmaline provocation testing. A total of 90 children from 52 consecutive families were included in the study. An inherited cardiac disease was identified in seven first-degree children from seven (13.5%) families (five children were diagnosed with Brugada syndrome, one with long QT syndrome, and one with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia). Two further children had late potentials on signal-averaged ECGs with no other abnormalities. These data show a high prevalence of inherited heart disease in pediatric first-degree relatives of SADS victims. The results highlight the importance of a systematic, comprehensive approach and ongoing screening of pediatric family members. ©2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Implementing oral care practices and policy into long-term care: the Brushing up on Mouth Care project.

PubMed

McNally, Mary; Martin-Misener, Ruth; McNeil, Karen; Brillant, Martha; Moorhouse, Paige; Crowell, Sandra; Matthews, Debora; Clovis, Joanne

2015-03-01

Optimal mouth care is integral to the health and quality of life of dependent older adults.Yet, a persistent lack of adequate oral care in long-term care (LTC) facilities exacerbates the burden of disease experienced by residents. The reasons for this are complex and create enormous challenges for care providers, clinicians, and administrators dedicated to comprehensive high quality care. The aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive program for daily mouth care for LTC. A case study design using a participatory and qualitative approach examined how individual, organizational (workplace practices and culture), and system factors (standards and policy) influenced the development and implementation of a comprehensive program to improve the delivery of daily oral care in LTC. The research was undertaken in 3 LTC residences administered under the same health authority and included personal care providers, nurse managers, and directors of care. A comprehensive program for care providers including, education, resources, and organizational guidelines, to improve the delivery of daily mouth care to LTC residents was created, rolled out, and refined over a 12-month period. Data was collected through diary studies, targeted interviews, field notes, oral care activities records, site team meetings, and direct feedback from members of the care team. The oral care intervention resulted in a heightened awareness, support and greater efficiency amongst care team. The presence of a "champion" was a key feature for sustaining processes. Management had a clear role to play to ensure support and accountability for the intervention. Optimizing oral care in long-term care can be achieved through an integrated approach that includes education, provision of resources, an oral care champion, support from managers and administrators, and appropriate organizational policy. Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reading Comprehension and Phonics Research: Review of Correlational Analyses with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students.

PubMed

Luft, Pamela

2018-04-01

This manuscript reviews 28 studies of reading research on deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students published since 2000 that used correlational analyses. The examination focused on assessment issues affecting measurement and analysis of relationships between early phonological or orthographic skills and reading comprehension. Mixed outcomes complicate efforts to determine evidence-based practices, and to develop an accurate model of reading. Across the 28 studies, DHH participants represented a wide age range with potential floor and ceiling effects that reduce score variability for valid correlations. Many studies assessed readers beyond the optimal ages during which early skills develop and are most useful for reading. Reading skills also were assessed using a diverse array of measures and skill definitions. Particularly for reading comprehension, word-level and text-level abilities appear to be different constructs. Suggestions include more consistent skill definitions and differential timing for early- versus later-developing skill assessments to ensure more robust correlational relationships.

The HESP (High Energy Solar Physics) project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kai, K.

1986-01-01

A project for space observations of solar flares for the coming solar maximum phase is briefly described. The main objective is to make a comprehensive study of high energy phenomena of flares through simultaneous imagings in both hard and soft X-rays. The project will be performed with collaboration from US scientists. The HESP (High Energy Solar Physics) WG of ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences) has extensively discussed future aspects of space observations of high energy phenomena of solar flares based on successful results of the Hinotori mission, and proposed a comprehensive research program for the next solar maximum, called the HESP (SOLAR-A) project. The objective of the HESP project is to make a comprehensive study of both high energy phenomena of flares and quiet structures including pre-flare states, which have been left uncovered by SMM and Hinotori. For such a study simultaneous imagings with better resolutions in space and time in a wide range of energy will be extremely important.

Barriers to Employment Among Social Security Disability Insurance Beneficiaries in the Mental Health Treatment Study.

PubMed

Milfort, Roline; Bond, Gary R; McGurk, Susan R; Drake, Robert E

2015-12-01

This study examined barriers to employment among Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries who received comprehensive vocational and mental health services but were not successful in returning to work. This study examined barriers to employment among 430 SSDI beneficiaries with mental disorders who received evidence-based vocational and mental health services for two years but worked less than one month or not at all. Comprehensive care teams, which included employment specialists, made consensus judgments for each participant, identifying the top three barriers to employment from a checklist of 14 common barriers. Teams most frequently identified three barriers to employment: poorly controlled symptoms of mental illness (55%), nonengagement in supported employment (44%), and poorly controlled general medical problems (33%). Other factors were identified much less frequently. Some SSDI beneficiaries, despite having access to comprehensive services, continued to experience psychiatric impairments, difficulty engaging in vocational services, and general medical problems that limited their success in employment.

Idiom Comprehension Deficits in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Korean Autism Social Language Task.

PubMed

Lee, Seul Bee; Song, Seung Ha; Ham, Ju Hyun; Song, Dong Ho; Cheon, Keun-Ah

2015-11-01

High-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves pragmatic impairment of language skills. Among numerous tasks for assessing pragmatic linguistic skills, idioms are important to evaluating high-functioning ASD. Nevertheless, no assessment tool has been developed with specific consideration of Korean culture. Therefore, we designed the Korean Autism Social Language Task (KASLAT) to test idiom comprehension in ASD. The aim of the current study was to introduce this novel psychological tool and evaluate idiom comprehension deficits in high-functioning ASD. The participants included 42 children, ages 6-11 years, who visited our child psychiatric clinic between April 2014 and May 2015. The ASD group comprised 16 children; the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) group consisted of 16 children. An additional 10 normal control children who had not been diagnosed with either disorder participated in this study. Idiom comprehension ability was assessed in these three groups using the KASLAT. Both ASD and ADHD groups had significantly lower scores on the matched and mismatched tasks, compared to the normal control children (matched tasks mean score: ASD 11.56, ADHD 11.56, normal control 14.30; mismatched tasks mean score: ASD 6.50, ADHD 4.31, normal control 11.30). However, no significant differences were found in scores of KASLAT between the ADHD and ASD groups. These findings suggest that children with ASD exhibit greater impairment in idiom comprehension, compared to normal control children. The KASLAT may be useful in evaluating idiom comprehension ability.

Evaluation, Modification, and Validation of Pictograms Depicting Medication Instructions in the Elderly.

PubMed

Berthenet, Marion; Vaillancourt, Régis; Pouliot, Annie

2016-01-01

Poor health literacy has been recognized as a limiting factor in the elderly's ability to comprehend written or verbal medication information and also to successfully adhere to medical regimens. The objective of this study was to validate a set of pictograms depicting medication instructions for use among the elderly to support health literacy. Elderly outpatients were recruited in 3 community pharmacies in Canada. One-on-one structured interviews were conducted to assess comprehension of 76 pictograms from the International Pharmaceutical Federation. Comprehension was assessed using transparency testing and pictogram translucency, or the degree to which the pictogram represents the intended message. A total of 135 participants were enrolled in this study, and 76 pictograms were assessed. A total of 50 pictograms achieved more than 67% comprehension. Pictograms depicting precautions and warnings against certain side effects were generally not well understood. Gender, age, and education level all had a significant impact on the interpretation scores of certain individual pictograms. When all pictograms were included, younger males had a significantly higher comprehension score than older females, and participants with a higher level of education provided significantly higher translucency scores. Even when pictograms reached the comprehension threshold set by the International Organization for Standardization in the general populations, only 50 of these pictograms achieved more than 67% comprehension among the elderly, confirming that validation in this subpopulation should be conducted prior to using specific pictograms. Accompanying pictograms with education about these pictograms and important counseling points remains extremely important.

42 CFR 441.106 - Comprehensive mental health program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Comprehensive mental health program. 441.106 Section 441.106 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Comprehensive mental health program. (a) If the plan includes services in public institutions for mental...

42 CFR 441.106 - Comprehensive mental health program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Comprehensive mental health program. 441.106 Section 441.106 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Comprehensive mental health program. (a) If the plan includes services in public institutions for mental...

42 CFR 441.106 - Comprehensive mental health program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Comprehensive mental health program. 441.106 Section 441.106 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Comprehensive mental health program. (a) If the plan includes services in public institutions for mental...

42 CFR 441.106 - Comprehensive mental health program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Comprehensive mental health program. 441.106 Section 441.106 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Comprehensive mental health program. (a) If the plan includes services in public institutions for mental...

42 CFR 441.106 - Comprehensive mental health program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Comprehensive mental health program. 441.106 Section 441.106 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Comprehensive mental health program. (a) If the plan includes services in public institutions for mental...

13 CFR 108.320 - Contents of comprehensive business plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Contents of comprehensive business plan. 108.320 Section 108.320 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NEW MARKETS... Contents of comprehensive business plan. (a) Executive summary. The executive summary must include a...

A physically-based approach of treating dust-water cloud interactions in climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, P.; Karydis, V.; Barahona, D.; Sokolik, I. N.; Nenes, A.

2011-12-01

All aerosol-cloud-climate assessment studies to date assume that the ability of dust (and other insoluble species) to act as a Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) is determined solely by their dry size and amount of soluble material. Recent evidence however clearly shows that dust can act as efficient CCN (even if lacking appreciable amounts of soluble material) through adsorption of water vapor onto the surface of the particle. This "inherent" CCN activity is augmented as the dust accumulates soluble material through atmospheric aging. A comprehensive treatment of dust-cloud interactions therefore requires including both of these sources of CCN activity in atmospheric models. This study presents a "unified" theory of CCN activity that considers both effects of adsorption and solute. The theory is corroborated and constrained with experiments of CCN activity of mineral aerosols generated from clays, calcite, quartz, dry lake beds and desert soil samples from Northern Africa, East Asia/China, and Northern America. The unified activation theory then is included within the mechanistic droplet activation parameterization of Kumar et al. (2009) (including the giant CCN correction of Barahona et al., 2010), for a comprehensive treatment of dust impacts on global CCN and cloud droplet number. The parameterization is demonstrated with the NASA Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) Chemical Transport Model using wind fields computed with the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) general circulation model. References Barahona, D. et al. (2010) Comprehensively Accounting for the Effect of Giant CCN in Cloud Activation Parameterizations, Atmos.Chem.Phys., 10, 2467-2473 Kumar, P., I.N. Sokolik, and A. Nenes (2009), Parameterization of cloud droplet formation for global and regional models: including adsorption activation from insoluble CCN, Atmos.Chem.Phys., 9, 2517- 2532

From empower to Green Dot : successful strategies and lessons learned in developing comprehensive sexual violence primary prevention programming.

PubMed

Cook-Craig, Patricia G; Millspaugh, Phyllis H; Recktenwald, Eileen A; Kelly, Natalie C; Hegge, Lea M; Coker, Ann L; Pletcher, Tisha S

2014-10-01

This case study describes Kentucky's partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) EMPOWER (Enhancing and Making Programs Work to End Rape) program to enhance the mission and services of existing rape crisis centers to include comprehensive primary prevention programming to reduce rates of sexual violence perpetration. The planning process and the successful implementation of a statewide, 5-year, randomized control trial study of a bystander prevention program (Green Dot), and its evaluation are described. Lessons learned in generating new questions, seeking funding, building relationships and capacity, and disseminating knowledge are presented. © The Author(s) 2014.

A case for the sentence in reading comprehension.

PubMed

Scott, Cheryl M

2009-04-01

This article addresses sentence comprehension as a requirement of reading comprehension within the framework of the narrow view of reading that was advocated in the prologue to this forum. The focus is on the comprehension requirements of complex sentences, which are characteristic of school texts. Topics included in this discussion are (a) evidence linking sentence comprehension and syntax with reading, (b) syntactic properties of sentences that make them difficult to understand, (c) clinical applications for the assessment of sentence comprehension as it relates to reading, and (d) evidence and methods for addressing sentence complexity in treatment. Sentence complexity can create comprehension problems for struggling readers. The contribution of sentence comprehension to successful reading has been overlooked in models that emphasize domain-general comprehension strategies at the text level. The author calls for the evaluation of sentence comprehension within the context of content domains where complex sentences are found.

The role of flower pollen extract in managing patients affected by chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a comprehensive analysis of all published clinical trials.

PubMed

Cai, Tommaso; Verze, Paolo; La Rocca, Roberto; Anceschi, Umberto; De Nunzio, Cosimo; Mirone, Vincenzo

2017-04-21

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is still a challenge to manage for all physicians. We feel that a summary of the current literature and a systematic review to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of flower pollen extract would be helpful for physicians who are considering a phytotherapeutic approach to treating patients with CP/CPPS. A comprehensive search of the PubMed and Embase databases up to June 2016 was performed. This comprehensive analysis included both pre-clinical and clinical trials on the role of flower pollen extract in CP/CPPS patients. Moreover, a meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed. The NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and Quality of Life related questionnaires (QoL) were the most commonly used tools to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of pollen extract. Pre-clinical studies demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative role of pollen extract. 6 clinical, non-controlled studies including 206 patients, and 4 RCTs including 384 patients were conducted. The mean response rate in non-controlled studies was 83.6% (62.2%-96.0%). The meta-analysis revealed that flower pollen extract could significantly improve patients' quality of life [OR 0.52 (0.34-.0.81); p = 0.02]. No significant adverse events were reported. Most of these studies presented encouraging results in terms of variations in NIH-CPSI and QoL scores. These studies suggest that the use of flower pollen extract for the management of CP/CPPS patients is beneficial. Future publications of robust evidence from additional RCTs and longer-term follow-up would provide more support encouraging the use of flower pollen extracts for CP/CPPS patients.

The quality of systematic reviews of health-related outcome measurement instruments.

PubMed

Terwee, C B; Prinsen, C A C; Ricci Garotti, M G; Suman, A; de Vet, H C W; Mokkink, L B

2016-04-01

Systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments are important tools for the selection of instruments for research and clinical practice. Our aim was to assess the quality of systematic reviews of health-related outcome measurement instruments and to determine whether the quality has improved since our previous study in 2007. A systematic literature search was performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE between July 1, 2013, and June 19, 2014. The quality of the reviews was rated using a study-specific checklist. A total of 102 reviews were included. In many reviews the search strategy was considered not comprehensive; in only 59 % of the reviews a search was performed in EMBASE and in about half of the reviews there was doubt about the comprehensiveness of the search terms used for type of measurement instruments and measurement properties. In 41 % of the reviews, compared to 30 % in our previous study, the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed. In 58 %, compared to 55 %, the quality of the included instruments was assessed. In 42 %, compared to 7 %, a data synthesis was performed in which the results from multiple studies on the same instrument were somehow combined. Despite a clear improvement in the quality of systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments in comparison with our previous study in 2007, there is still room for improvement with regard to the search strategy, and especially the quality assessment of the included studies and the included instruments, and the data synthesis.

Fundamental reform of payment for adult primary care: comprehensive payment for comprehensive care.

PubMed

Goroll, Allan H; Berenson, Robert A; Schoenbaum, Stephen C; Gardner, Laurence B

2007-03-01

Primary care is essential to the effective and efficient functioning of health care delivery systems, yet there is an impending crisis in the field due in part to a dysfunctional payment system. We present a fundamentally new model of payment for primary care, replacing encounter-based imbursement with comprehensive payment for comprehensive care. Unlike former iterations of primary care capitation (which simply bundled inadequate fee-for-service payments), our comprehensive payment model represents new investment in adult primary care, with substantial increases in payment over current levels. The comprehensive payment is directed to practices to include support for the modern systems and teams essential to the delivery of comprehensive, coordinated care. Income to primary physicians is increased commensurate with the high level of responsibility expected. To ensure optimal allocation of resources and the rewarding of desired outcomes, the comprehensive payment is needs/risk-adjusted and performance-based. Our model establishes a new social contract with the primary care community, substantially increasing payment in return for achieving important societal health system goals, including improved accessibility, quality, safety, and efficiency. Attainment of these goals should help offset and justify the costs of the investment. Field tests of this and other new models of payment for primary care are urgently needed.

Fundamental Reform of Payment for Adult Primary Care: Comprehensive Payment for Comprehensive Care

PubMed Central

Berenson, Robert A.; Schoenbaum, Stephen C.; Gardner, Laurence B.

2007-01-01

Primary care is essential to the effective and efficient functioning of health care delivery systems, yet there is an impending crisis in the field due in part to a dysfunctional payment system. We present a fundamentally new model of payment for primary care, replacing encounter-based imbursement with comprehensive payment for comprehensive care. Unlike former iterations of primary care capitation (which simply bundled inadequate fee-for-service payments), our comprehensive payment model represents new investment in adult primary care, with substantial increases in payment over current levels. The comprehensive payment is directed to practices to include support for the modern systems and teams essential to the delivery of comprehensive, coordinated care. Income to primary physicians is increased commensurate with the high level of responsibility expected. To ensure optimal allocation of resources and the rewarding of desired outcomes, the comprehensive payment is needs/risk-adjusted and performance-based. Our model establishes a new social contract with the primary care community, substantially increasing payment in return for achieving important societal health system goals, including improved accessibility, quality, safety, and efficiency. Attainment of these goals should help offset and justify the costs of the investment. Field tests of this and other new models of payment for primary care are urgently needed. PMID:17356977

Multisyllabic Word Reading as a Moderator of Morphological Awareness and Reading Comprehension

PubMed Central

Gilbert, Jennifer K.; Goodwin, Amanda P.; Compton, Donald L.; Kearns, Devin M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the relation between morphological awareness on reading comprehension is moderated by multisyllabic word reading ability in fifth grade students (N = 169, 53.7% female, 65.2% minority status, 69.2% free/reduced lunch status), oversampled for poor reading skill, when controlling for general knowledge and vocabulary. Based on the lexical quality hypothesis (Perfetti, 2007), it was expected that morphological awareness would have a stronger effect on comprehension for children with poor word reading skills, suggesting possible use of morphological awareness for word identification support. Results indicated that neither morphological awareness nor word reading was uniquely associated with reading comprehension when both were included in the model along with vocabulary and general knowledge. Instead, the interaction between word reading and morphological awareness explained significant additional variance in reading comprehension. By probing this interaction, it was determined that the effect of morphological awareness on reading comprehension was significant for the 39% of the sample that had more difficulty reading multisyllabic words), but not for students at the higher end of the multisyllabic word reading continuum. We conclude from these results that the relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension is moderated by multisyllabic word reading ability, providing support for the lexical quality hypothesis (Perfetti, 2007). Although we have only correlational data, we suggest tentative instructional practices for improving the reading skill of upper elementary struggling readers. PMID:24219914

A Study on the Transition from School to the World of Work in Korea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Wonsup

The school-to-work transition in Korea was examined in a comprehensive study that included an overview of the realities of the school-to-work transition in Korea and a survey of 694 Koreans aged 15-29 years who had completed high school. The sample included 366 respondents who were in enrolled in a two-year college or higher level of postsecondary…

Neighborhood Poverty and Adolescent Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBride Murry, Velma; Berkel, Cady; Gaylord-Harden, Noni K.; Copeland-Linder, Nikeea; Nation, Maury

2011-01-01

This article provides a comprehensive review of studies conducted over the past decade on the effects of neighborhood and poverty on adolescent normative and nonnormative development. Our review includes a summary of studies examining the associations between neighborhood poverty and adolescent identity development followed by a review of studies…

Effects of Source-Apportioned Coarse Particulate Matter (PM) on Allergic Responses in Mice

EPA Science Inventory

The Cleveland Multiple Air Pollutant Study (CMAPS) is one of the first comprehensive studies conducted to evaluate particulate matter (PM) over local and regional scales. Cleveland and the nearby Ohio River Valley impart significant regional sources of air pollution including coa...

Ecoenzymatic Stoichiometry of Stream Sediments with Comparison to Terrestrial Soils

EPA Science Inventory

In this study, we extend the development of ecoenzymatic stoichiometry to the surface sediments of stream ecosystems using data collected in a nationwide survey. The data set is larger and more comprehensive than those used in our previous studies. The data include the first broa...

An Investigation of an Intervention to Promote Inference Generation by Adolescent Poor Comprehenders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denton, Carolyn A.; York, Mary J.; Francis, David J.; Haring, Christa; Ahmed, Yusra; Bidulescu, Adrian

2017-01-01

This brief experimental study investigated the initial promise of an intervention designed to promote inference generation in adolescents with reading comprehension difficulties. The intervention, provided for nine sessions, included multisyllable word study, teacher explanation and modeling of inference generation and other comprehension…

Women's Studies Sourcebook: A Comprehensive, Classified Bibliography of Books.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Judith D., Comp.

Over 1,000 entries are presented in this bibliography of resources about women. Subject categories include the following: abortion; academia; art; biography; black women; business, banking, and economics; crime; day care; education; employment; health; history; Jewish women; lesbianism; literary works; medicine; music; national studies; police…

A Dramatic Approach to Reading Comprehension: Strategies and Activities for Classroom Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelner, Lenore Blank; Flynn, Rosalind M.

2006-01-01

Integration occurs when separate parts or elements are combined into a unified whole. This book focuses on classroom arts integration--equally incorporating skills in drama and reading comprehension into all lessons. Drama and reading comprehension share a multitude of authentic connections, including meaning making and interpretation. Each…

76 FR 61378 - Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, Clallam County, WA; Comprehensive Conservation Plan and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

... winter, including dabbling and diving ducks, shorebirds, and bald eagles. Dungeness Refuge also provides... wildlife and habitat in the CCP and environmental document? What research or monitoring studies are needed...

Minnesota Freight Flows, 1990 : a compilation of data by mode and commodity

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-02-01

Extensive transportation systems, which include highways, rivers, Great Lakes ports, railroads, airports, and pipelines, link Minnesota to markets throughout the North American Continent. This study provides a comprehensive source of freight flow inf...

Comprehensive and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Metamorphosis-Related Proteins in the Veined Rapa Whelk, Rapana venosa.

PubMed

Song, Hao; Wang, Hai-Yan; Zhang, Tao

2016-06-15

Larval metamorphosis of the veined rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) is a pelagic to benthic transition that involves considerable structural and physiological changes. Because metamorphosis plays a pivotal role in R. venosa commercial breeding and natural populations, the endogenous proteins that drive this transition attract considerable interest. This study is the first to perform a comprehensive and quantitative proteomic analysis related to metamorphosis in a marine gastropod. We analyzed the proteomes of competent R. venosa larvae and post-larvae, resulting in the identification of 5312 proteins, including 470 that were downregulated and 668 that were upregulated after metamorphosis. The differentially expressed proteins reflected multiple processes involved in metamorphosis, including cytoskeleton and cell adhesion, ingestion and digestion, stress response and immunity, as well as specific tissue development. Our data improve understanding of the physiological traits controlling R. venosa metamorphosis and provide a solid basis for further study.

Localising semantic and syntactic processing in spoken and written language comprehension: an Activation Likelihood Estimation meta-analysis.

PubMed

Rodd, Jennifer M; Vitello, Sylvia; Woollams, Anna M; Adank, Patti

2015-02-01

We conducted an Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to identify brain regions that are recruited by linguistic stimuli requiring relatively demanding semantic or syntactic processing. We included 54 functional MRI studies that explicitly varied the semantic or syntactic processing load, while holding constant demands on earlier stages of processing. We included studies that introduced a syntactic/semantic ambiguity or anomaly, used a priming manipulation that specifically reduced the load on semantic/syntactic processing, or varied the level of syntactic complexity. The results confirmed the critical role of the posterior left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (LIFG) in semantic and syntactic processing. These results challenge models of sentence comprehension highlighting the role of anterior LIFG for semantic processing. In addition, the results emphasise the posterior (but not anterior) temporal lobe for both semantic and syntactic processing. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Moral Virtue and Practical Wisdom: Theme Comprehension in Children, Youth and Adults

PubMed Central

Narvaez, Darcia; Gleason, Tracy; Mitchell, Christyan

2010-01-01

Three hypotheses were tested about the relation of moral comprehension to prudential comprehension by contrasting comprehension of themes in moral stories with comprehension of themes in prudential stories among third grade, fifth grade and college students (n = 168) in Study 1, and among college students, young and middle aged adults, and older adults (n = 96) in Study 2. In both studies, all groups were statistically significantly better at moral theme comprehension than prudential theme comprehension, suggesting that moral comprehension may develop prior to prudential comprehension. In Study 2, all groups performed equally on moral theme generation whereas both adult groups were significantly better than college students on prudential theme generation. Overall, the findings of these studies provide modest evidence that moral and prudential comprehension each develop separately, and that the latter may develop more slowly. PMID:21171549

Investigating Students' Attitudes towards Private Sector Work during Study in Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-asqah, Amnah

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the students' attitudes towards private sector work during study. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a comprehensive social survey (including questionnaire and interviewing) distributed to experts in departments and colleges in King Saud University and Princess Nora University. Findings:…

Principals' Instructional Leadership within a Teacher Performance Appraisal System: Enhancing Students' Academic Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ovando, Martha N.; Ramirez, Alfredo, Jr.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify principals' instructional leadership actions within a comprehensive teacher evaluation system in successful schools rated as recognized or exemplary by the accountability measures in place. The study followed a multiple case study approach. Participants included six school administrators within the same…

A Pilot Study of Biomedical Text Comprehension using an Attention-Based Deep Neural Reader: Design and Experimental Analysis

PubMed Central

Lee, Kyubum; Kim, Byounggun; Jeon, Minji; Kim, Jihye; Tan, Aik Choon

2018-01-01

Background With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology centered on deep-learning, the computer has evolved to a point where it can read a given text and answer a question based on the context of the text. Such a specific task is known as the task of machine comprehension. Existing machine comprehension tasks mostly use datasets of general texts, such as news articles or elementary school-level storybooks. However, no attempt has been made to determine whether an up-to-date deep learning-based machine comprehension model can also process scientific literature containing expert-level knowledge, especially in the biomedical domain. Objective This study aims to investigate whether a machine comprehension model can process biomedical articles as well as general texts. Since there is no dataset for the biomedical literature comprehension task, our work includes generating a large-scale question answering dataset using PubMed and manually evaluating the generated dataset. Methods We present an attention-based deep neural model tailored to the biomedical domain. To further enhance the performance of our model, we used a pretrained word vector and biomedical entity type embedding. We also developed an ensemble method of combining the results of several independent models to reduce the variance of the answers from the models. Results The experimental results showed that our proposed deep neural network model outperformed the baseline model by more than 7% on the new dataset. We also evaluated human performance on the new dataset. The human evaluation result showed that our deep neural model outperformed humans in comprehension by 22% on average. Conclusions In this work, we introduced a new task of machine comprehension in the biomedical domain using a deep neural model. Since there was no large-scale dataset for training deep neural models in the biomedical domain, we created the new cloze-style datasets Biomedical Knowledge Comprehension Title (BMKC_T) and Biomedical Knowledge Comprehension Last Sentence (BMKC_LS) (together referred to as BioMedical Knowledge Comprehension) using the PubMed corpus. The experimental results showed that the performance of our model is much higher than that of humans. We observed that our model performed consistently better regardless of the degree of difficulty of a text, whereas humans have difficulty when performing biomedical literature comprehension tasks that require expert level knowledge. PMID:29305341

Basic Learning Skills Grades K-6. Minimum Statewide Educational Objectives Approved by the Board of Education May 27, 1977.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia State Dept. of Education, Richmond. Div. of Elementary Education.

The specific educational objectives or basic learning skills are listed for the Virginia elementary school grades. Minimum skills are listed in reading, communications, and mathematics. Terminal objectives for reading include skills in word identification or decoding, comprehension, and study skills. Communication skills include listening,…

A study of the academic performance of medical students in the comprehensive examination of the basic sciences according to the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status

PubMed Central

Moslehi, Mohsen; Samouei, Rahele; Tayebani, Tayebeh; Kolahduz, Sima

2015-01-01

Background: Considering the increasing importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in different aspects of life, such as academic achievement, the present survey is aimed to predict academic performance of medical students in the comprehensive examination of the basic sciences, according to the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status. Materials and Methods: The present survey is a descriptive, analytical, and cross-sectional study performed on the medical students of Isfahan, Tehran, and Mashhad Universities of Medical Sciences. Sampling the universities was performed randomly after which selecting the students was done, taking into consideration the limitation in their numbers. Based on the inclusion criteria, all the medical students, entrance of 2005, who had attended the comprehensive basic sciences examination in 2008, entered the study. The data collection tools included an Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (standardized in Isfahan), the average score of the first to fifth semesters, total average of each of the five semesters, and the grade of the comprehensive basic sciences examination. The data were analyzed through stepwise regression coefficient by SPSS software version 15. Results: The results indicated that the indicators of independence from an emotional intelligence test and average scores of the first and third academic semesters were significant in predicting the students’ academic performance in the comprehensive basic sciences examination. Conclusion: According to the obtained results, the average scores of students, especially in the earlier semesters, as well as the indicators of independence and the self-esteem rate of students can influence their success in the comprehensive basic sciences examination. PMID:26430693

The effects of infographics and several quantitative versus qualitative formats for cardiovascular disease risk, including heart age, on people's risk understanding.

PubMed

Damman, Olga C; Vonk, Suzanne I; van den Haak, Maaike J; van Hooijdonk, Charlotte M J; Timmermans, Danielle R M

2018-03-11

To study how comprehension of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is influenced by: (1) infographics about qualitative risk information, with/without risk numbers; (2) which qualitative risk dimension is emphasized; (3) heart age vs. traditional risk format. For aim 1, a 2 (infographics versus text) x 2 (risk number versus no risk number) between-subjects design was used. For aim 2, three pieces of information were tested within-subjects. Aim 3 used a simple comparison group. Participants (45-65 yrs old) were recruited through an online access panel; low educated people were oversampled. They received hypothetical risk information (20%/61yrs). Primary outcomes: recall, risk appraisals, subjective/objective risk comprehension. behavioral intentions, information evaluations. Infographics of qualitative risk dimensions negatively affected recall, subjective risk comprehension and information evaluations. No effect of type of risk dimension was found on risk perception. Heart age influenced recall, comprehension, evaluations and affective risk appraisals. Infographics of hypothetical CVD risk information had detrimental effects on measures related to risk perception/comprehension, but effects were mainly seen in undereducated participants. Heart age influenced perceptions/comprehension of hypothetical risk in a way that seemed to support understanding. Heart age seems a fruitful risk communication approach in disease risk calculators. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Classroom Teacher's Guide to Reading Improvement in Middle School Social Studies. Revised Edition. Resource Monograph No. 17.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guttinger, Hellen I., Ed.

The reading improvement activities in this handbook are intended for use by middle school social studies teachers. Focusing on study skills, vocabulary development, and comprehension development, the activities include (1) surveying social studies texts and content area reading materials, (2) outlining, (3) spelling, (4) syllabication, (5) word…

The effectiveness of group-based comprehensive risk-reduction and abstinence education interventions to prevent or reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus, and sexually transmitted infections: two systematic reviews for the Guide to Community Preventive Services.

PubMed

Chin, Helen B; Sipe, Theresa Ann; Elder, Randy; Mercer, Shawna L; Chattopadhyay, Sajal K; Jacob, Verughese; Wethington, Holly R; Kirby, Doug; Elliston, Donna B; Griffith, Matt; Chuke, Stella O; Briss, Susan C; Ericksen, Irene; Galbraith, Jennifer S; Herbst, Jeffrey H; Johnson, Robert L; Kraft, Joan M; Noar, Seth M; Romero, Lisa M; Santelli, John

2012-03-01

Adolescent pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are major public health problems in the U.S. Implementing group-based interventions that address the sexual behavior of adolescents may reduce the incidence of pregnancy, HIV, and other STIs in this group. Methods for conducting systematic reviews from the Guide to Community Preventive Services were used to synthesize scientific evidence on the effectiveness of two strategies for group-based behavioral interventions for adolescents: (1) comprehensive risk reduction and (2) abstinence education on preventing pregnancy, HIV, and other STIs. Effectiveness of these interventions was determined by reductions in sexual risk behaviors, pregnancy, HIV, and other STIs and increases in protective sexual behaviors. The literature search identified 6579 citations for comprehensive risk reduction and abstinence education. Of these, 66 studies of comprehensive risk reduction and 23 studies of abstinence education assessed the effects of group-based interventions that address the sexual behavior of adolescents, and were included in the respective reviews. Meta-analyses were conducted for each strategy on the seven key outcomes identified by the coordination team-current sexual activity; frequency of sexual activity; number of sex partners; frequency of unprotected sexual activity; use of protection (condoms and/or hormonal contraception); pregnancy; and STIs. The results of these meta-analyses for comprehensive risk reduction showed favorable effects for all of the outcomes reviewed. For abstinence education, the meta-analysis showed a small number of studies, with inconsistent findings across studies that varied by study design and follow-up time, leading to considerable uncertainty around effect estimates. Based on these findings, group-based comprehensive risk reduction was found to be an effective strategy to reduce adolescent pregnancy, HIV, and STIs. No conclusions could be drawn on the effectiveness of group-based abstinence education. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The evaluation of pharmaceutical pictograms among elderly patients in community pharmacy settings – a multicenter pilot study

PubMed Central

Balcerzak, Marcin; Drelich, Ewelina; Białoszewska, Katarzyna; Cwalina, Natalia; Krysinski, Jerzy; Pouliot, Annie; Vaillancourt, Regis

2018-01-01

Introduction The search for new ways to optimize the use of medications by patients has led the pharmaceutical community to promote the idea of introducing pictograms into routine practice. The main intention of pictograms is to ease patient adherence and to reduce potential risks or errors associated with the use of medications. Purpose To evaluate a series of pharmaceutical pictograms for patient comprehension. Patients and methods The study was conducted in community pharmacies within a European Union country that belongs to the professional research network. Structured interviews were used to evaluate the pictograms for patient comprehension. This consisted of an assessment of the following: the transparency and translucency of the pictograms, health literacy, and pictogram recall. Participants were also given the opportunity to provide feedback on how to improve the pictograms. The primary endpoint was pictogram comprehension. Secondary outcomes included recall of the pictograms and pictogram translucency. Results The study included 68 patients with whom face-to-face interviews were performed. Low transparency results (≤25%) and extensive patient feedback in initial interviews led to the withdrawal of certain pictograms (n=15) from the evaluation. Among the pictograms included in the final stage of our research, 22 pictograms (62.8%) obtained an acceptable transparency level ≥66%. All pictograms passed the short-term recall test with positive results. Conclusion A majority of the designed and modified pictograms reached satisfactory guess-ability scores. Feedback from patients enabled modification of the pictograms and proved that patients have an important voice in the discussion regarding the design of additional pictograms. PMID:29497281

Odor and odorous chemical emissions from animal buildings: part 4-correlations between sensory and chemical measurements

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study supplemented the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study (NAEMS) with one year of comprehensive measurements of odor emission at five swine and four dairy buildings. The measurements included both standard human sensory measurements using dynamic forced-choice olfactometry and chemical an...

Second Interim Report of the Broadly-Based Community Study of Exceptional Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milwaukee Public Schools, WI. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

Presented are recommendations of a Milwaukee public school study for the purpose of providing a meaningful, effective, and comprehensive educational program for exceptional students. Fourteen recommendations covering the broad policy of exceptional education include policies on integration into normal school programs, transportation, and early…

Classrooms that Work: Teaching and Learning Generic Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stasz, Cathleen

1994-01-01

Eight vocational and academic classes taught by four different teachers at three comprehensive high schools were studied to identify classroom practices that facilitate teaching and learning generic skills. The teachers studied had a mix of instructional goals for students, including subject matter knowledge and skills, complex reasoning skills…

Flight Instructor: Airplane. Written Test Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Aviation Administration (DOT), Washington, DC. Flight Standards Service.

The Flight Standards Service of the Federal Aviation Administration developed the guide to assist applicants who are preparing for the Flight Instructor Certificate with Airplane Rating. The guide contains comprehensive study outlines and a list of recommended study materials and tells how to obtain those publications. It also includes sample test…

Culture as a variable in neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology: A comprehensive review

PubMed Central

Wajman, José Roberto; Bertolucci, Paulo Henrique Ferreira; Mansur, Letícia Lessa; Gauthier, Serge

2015-01-01

Culture is a dynamic system of bidirectional influences among individuals and their environment, including psychological and biological processes, which facilitate adaptation and social interaction. One of the main challenges in clinical neuropsychology involves cognitive, behavioral and functional assessment of people with different sociocultural backgrounds. In this review essay, examining culture from a historical perspective to ethical issues in cross-cultural research, including the latest significant and publications, the authors sought to explore the main features related to cultural variables in neuropsychological practice and to debate the challenges found regarding the operational methods currently in use. Literature findings suggest a more comprehensive approach in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, including an interface between elementary disciplines and applied neuropsychology. Thus, as a basis for discussion on this issue, the authors analyzed key-topics related to the study of new trends in sociocultural neuroscience and the application of their concepts from a clinical perspective. PMID:29213964

Reliability and validity of the C-BiLLT: a new instrument to assess comprehension of spoken language in young children with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs.

PubMed

Geytenbeek, Joke J; Mokkink, Lidwine B; Knol, Dirk L; Vermeulen, R Jeroen; Oostrom, Kim J

2014-09-01

In clinical practice, a variety of diagnostic tests are available to assess a child's comprehension of spoken language. However, none of these tests have been designed specifically for use with children who have severe motor impairments and who experience severe difficulty when using speech to communicate. This article describes the process of investigating the reliability and validity of the Computer-Based Instrument for Low Motor Language Testing (C-BiLLT), which was specifically developed to assess spoken Dutch language comprehension in children with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs. The study included 806 children with typical development, and 87 nonspeaking children with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs, and was designed to provide information on the psychometric qualities of the C-BiLLT. The potential utility of the C-BiLLT as a measure of spoken Dutch language comprehension abilities for children with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs is discussed.

Role of Oral Proficiency on Reading Comprehension: Within-Language and Cross-Language Relationships

PubMed Central

Uchikoshi, Yuuko; Yang, Lu; Lohr, Brandi; Leung, Genevieve

2016-01-01

This longitudinal study examined the role of oral proficiency, as measured with elicited narratives using a wordless picture book, Frog Where are You? (Meyer, 1969/1994), on English reading comprehension with a total of 102 English Language Learners (ELLs), including both Spanish and Cantonese speakers. Narrative samples were collected in the winter of first grade and reading skills were assessed on the same children one year later in second grade. Children were enrolled in either bilingual programs or mainstream programs. Multiple regression results show it was not the quantity and variety of words used in the narratives that predicted English reading comprehension one year later. Instead, the ability to produce a coherent oral narrative, in either the home language or English, explained a small variance in English reading comprehension for both English learner groups. These findings highlight the importance of examining narrative skills, especially as measured by narrative structure. Implications for parents and educators are discussed. PMID:28717774

Predicting health literacy among English-as-a-second-Language older Chinese immigrant women to Canada: comprehension of colon cancer prevention information.

PubMed

Todd, Laura; Hoffman-Goetz, Laurie

2011-06-01

Inadequate health literacy has been identified as a barrier to the utilization of health-care services, including cancer screening. This study examined predictors of health literacy among 106 older Chinese immigrant women to Canada and how colon cancer information presented in their first versus second language affected health literacy skill. Only 38.7% of the women had adequate health literacy based on Short Test of Functional Health Literacy for Adults, and 54.3% had adequate comprehension of the colon cancer information. Comprehension of the cancer information was significantly lower among women who received the information in English compared with those who received the information in Chinese. Age, acculturation, self-reported proficiency reading English, and education were significant predictors of health literacy but varied depending on the measure of health literacy used and language of the information. Presentation of cancer prevention information in one's first rather than second language improves health literacy but does not eliminate comprehension difficulties for older ESL Chinese immigrants.

Neural correlates underlying the comprehension of deceitful and ironic communicative intentions.

PubMed

Bosco, Francesca M; Parola, Alberto; Valentini, Maria C; Morese, Rosalba

2017-09-01

Neuroimaging studies have shown that a left fronto-temporo-parietal cerebral network is recruited in the comprehension of both deceitful and ironic speech acts. However, no studies to date have directly compared neural activation during the comprehension of these pragmatic phenomena. We used fMRI to investigate the existence of common and specific neural circuits underlying the comprehension of the same speech act, uttered with different communicative intentions, i.e., of being sincere, deceitful or ironic. In particular, the novelty of the present study is that it explores the existence of a specific cerebral area involved in the recognition of irony versus deceit. We presented 23 healthy participants with 48 context stories each followed by a target sentence. For each story we designed different versions eliciting, respectively, different pragmatic interpretations of the same target sentence - literal, deceitful or ironic-. We kept the semantic and syntactic complexity of the target sentence constant across the conditions. Our results showed that the recognition of ironic communicative intention activated the left temporo-parietal junction (lTPJ), the left inferior frontal gyrus (lIFG), the left middle frontal gyrus (lMFG), the left middle temporal gyrus (lMTG), and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC). Comprehension of deceitful communicative intention activated the lIFG, the lMFG, and the lDLPFC. fMRI analysis revealed that a left fronto-temporal network-including the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the middle frontal gyrus (MFG)-is activated in both irony and deceit recognition. The original result of the present investigation is that the lMTG was found to be more active in the comprehension of ironic versus deceitful communicative intention, thus suggesting its specific role in irony recognition. To conclude, our results showed that common cerebral areas are recruited in the comprehension of both pragmatic phenomena, while the lMTG has a key role in the recognition of ironic versus deceitful communicative intention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applying Various Comprehension Strategies. Learning Package No. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simic, Marge; Smith, Carl, Comp.

Originally developed for the Department of Defense Schools (DoDDS) system, this learning package on applying various comprehension strategies is designed for teachers who wish to upgrade or expand their teaching skills on their own. The package includes a comprehensive search of the ERIC database; a lecture giving an overview on the topic; the…

Development of Early Measures of Comprehension: Innovation in Individual Growth and Development Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wackerle-Hollman, Alisha K.; Rodriguez, Megan I.; Bradfield, Tracy A.; Rodriguez, Michael C.; McConnell, Scott R.

2015-01-01

Early comprehension is an important, but not well-understood, contribution to early literacy and language development. Specifically, research regarding the nature of skills representative of early comprehension, including how they contribute to later reading success, is needed to support best practices to adequately prepare students. This article…

The Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners' Stress and Their Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peyman, Somayeh; Sadighi, Firooz

2011-01-01

This investigation intended to find out the relationship between EFL learners' stress and their reading comprehension. The subjects who included ninety EFL juniors from Shiraz Azad University were asked to answer a standardized reading comprehension test and a stress questionnaire. After finding out the results of stress questionnaire, 10% of the…

THE COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOLS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SMITH, REX M.

THE COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IS DEFINED AS ONE WHICH MEETS THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS AT ALL LEVELS BY PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE AND ELECTIVE PROGRAMS FOR THOSE STUDENTS REQUIRING SALABLE SKILLS UPON GRADUATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL, AS WELL AS A BROAD ELECTIVE PROGRAM FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION. INCLUDED ARE SUMMARIES OF THE…

The impact of Nanocomposites across their Lifecycle

EPA Science Inventory

There are limited systematic comprehensive studies on the aging of different composites, release of nanoparticles, and identifying their different forms. The polymer type, the aging conditions including UV dose and moisture affect the amount of the release of nanofillers (nanopar...

Charter Schools, Civil Rights and School Discipline: A Comprehensive Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Losen, Daniel J.; Keith, Michael A., II; Hodson, Cheri L.; Martinez, Tia E.

2016-01-01

This report, along with the companion spreadsheet, provides the first comprehensive description ever compiled of charter school discipline. In 2011-12, every one of the nation's 95,000 public schools was required to report its school discipline data, including charter schools. This analysis, which includes more than 5,250 charter schools, focuses…

The child's awareness of the concept of mental disease. A case study.

PubMed

Donfrancesco, R; Caterino, E; Mugnaini, D; Berio, G

2002-06-01

In international literature not many papers discuss the comprehension of the mental disease concept by children and their ability to understand its behavioral and ethical consequences. A knowledge of this domain could be very important for health professionals and practitioners who have to cope with children abused by adult relatives with psychiatric illnesses. The case study of an 8 year-old girl describes a brief child training, projected to facilitate the recovery of the child mother relationship, through the child's comprehension of the concept of mental disease. The girl was initially assessed in a child psychiatric clinic after a period of hospitalization caused by a severe physical aggression committed by the mother during an acute schizophrenic episode (an attempt of homicide and suicide). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other psychopathologies were absent in the child. The training project included: 1) the achievement of a confidential relationship between the girl and the doctor, 2) the child's comprehension of the general concept of illness, 3) the child's comprehension of the concept of mental illness and the absence of responsibility relative to the bizarre and aggressive behavior of the psychiatric patient. After 2 months of child training, the girl showed a partial but sufficient comprehension of the concept of mental illness. Hence, the girl successfully restored her relationship with the mother, without developing any psychopathological effects. This result was confirmed after one year.

Informed consent document improvement does not increase patients' comprehension in biomedical research

PubMed Central

Paris, Adeline; Brandt, Christian; Cornu, Catherine; Maison, Patrick; Thalamas, Claire; Cracowski, Jean-Luc

2010-01-01

AIMS International guidelines on ethics in biomedical research require that the informed consent of all enrolled participants is obtained. A written document describing the research, the informed consent (IC) document, must be given to all participants by the investigator. Most IC documents are long, containing much information. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the modification of the IC document by a working group or systematic improvement in its lexicosyntactic readability can improve comprehension of the written information given to patients participating in biomedical research. METHODS One hundred and fifty-nine patients were randomized to read one of the three versions of the IC document: unchanged document, document modified using systematic improvement of lexicosyntactic readability and document modified by a working group. RESULTS Neither the improvement in the lexicosyntactic readability, nor the intervention of the working group significantly improved the score of objective comprehension for the subjects included in this study: it was 66.6 (95% confidence interval 64.0, 69.2) for the control group, 68.8 (66.2, 71.4) for the group with the document improved for lexicosyntactic readability and 69.2 (66.0, 72.4) for the group who read the document improved by the working group (P= 0.38). CONCLUSIONS We failed to show that improving IC document comprehension through a lexicosyntactic approach or by a working group leads to better comprehension. PMID:20233193

Outpatient Management of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Quality Improvement Project.

PubMed

Chau, Kim T; Nguyen, Jacqueline; Miladinovic, Branko; Lilly, Carol M; Ashmeade, Terri L; Balakrishnan, Maya

2016-11-01

An increasing number of infants are diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). The study's primary objectives were to describe an academic medical center's level IV neonatal ICU's (NICU's) comprehensive outpatient NAS management effort, measure guideline compliance, and assess its safety. Secondary objectives were to describe the duration and cumulative methadone exposure, and to improve parent and provider knowledge of NAS. The study included 22 infants having a gestational age of 35-41 weeks, diagnosed with NAS, and discharged for outpatient methadone management. Discharges spanned 10 months and included 3 improvement periods. The outpatient program includes comprehensive discharge planning, a focused electronic health record (EHR) template, management guidelines, and parent and provider education. Providers complied with using the outpatient management guideline and EHR template, and assessed weight, NAS symptoms, and methadone dose during appointments. Two infants required NAS-related hospital readmission in the study period. From improvement period 1 to period 3 there was no difference in total outpatient days on methadone (58, 53, 74 days, respectively) or cumulative methadone dose (2.7, 2.6, 3.1mg/kg, respectively). A downward trend pattern in cumulative methadone exposure was noted in improvement period 2. Pre- and postimplementation surveys revealed that after implementation, parents had better understanding of NAS before delivery (71% vs. 100%, p = 0.009), while providers had increased comfort with outpatient management (24% vs. 67%, p < 0.001) and educating parents (48% vs. 82%, p = 0.001). This preliminary study suggests that outpatient NAS management can be safe when a comprehensive management program is implemented and can result in provider compliance with the program. Copyright 2016 The Joint Commission.

The interictal language profile in adult epilepsy.

PubMed

Bartha-Doering, Lisa; Trinka, Eugen

2014-10-01

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature on the interictal language profile in adult patients with epilepsy. An extensive literature search was performed using MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PASCAL, and PSYNDEXplus databases. Key aspects of inclusion criteria were adult patients with epilepsy, patient number >10, and in-depth qualitative investigations of a specific language modality or administration of tests of at least two different language modalities, including comprehension, naming, repetition, reading, writing, and spontaneous speech. Our search strategy yielded 933 articles on epilepsy and language. Of these, 31 met final eligibility criteria. Most included articles focused on temporal lobe epilepsy; only three studies were interested in the language profile of patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsies, and one study on frontal lobe epilepsy met inclusion criteria. Study results showed a pronounced heterogeneity of language abilities in patients with epilepsy, varying from intact language profiles to impairment in several language functions. However, at least 17% of patients displayed deficits in more than one language function, with naming, reading comprehension, spontaneous speech, and discourse production being most often affected. This review underscores the need to evaluate different language functions-including spontaneous speech, discourse abilities, naming, auditory and reading comprehension, reading, writing, and repetition-individually in order to obtain a reliable profile of language functioning in patients with epilepsy. Moreover, our findings show that in contrast to the huge scientific interest of memory functions in epilepsy, the examination of language functions so far played a minor role in epilepsy research, emphasizing the need for future research activities in this field. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 International League Against Epilepsy.

Upper extremity sensory feedback therapy in chronic cerebrovascular accident patients with impaired expressive aphasia and auditory comprehension.

PubMed

Balliet, R; Levy, B; Blood, K M

1986-05-01

Electromyographic (EMG) sensory feedback therapy (SFT) was used in the neuromuscular retraining of the nonfunctional upper extremity in five chronic left cerebrovascular accident (CVA) patients with impaired expressive and auditory comprehension. Speech diagnoses included global, moderate-to-severe Broca, and Wernicke aphasias. These patients had experienced increased despondency associated with previous therapy failures and often had indicated that they wished to have their involved extremity amputated, so that it would no longer be in the way. In this study, specific behavioral training strategies to increase patient involvement were used, including: general relaxation, modified SFT instruction, and home exercises, which were supported by family and/or friends. After an average of 50 therapy sessions, all patients were successfully retrained to use their right upper extremity at the gross-assist level. This resulted in feelings of increased self-esteem to the extent that amputation was no longer requested. It is concluded that EMG SFT can be beneficial in the neuromuscular reeducation of paretic upper extremity muscles of CVA patients with expressive aphasia and (impaired) auditory comprehension.

Geoscience and a Lunar Base: A Comprehensive Plan for Lunar Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, G. Jeffrey (Editor); Spudis, Paul D. (Editor)

1990-01-01

This document represents the proceedings of the Workshop on Geoscience from a Lunar Base. It describes a comprehensive plan for the geologic exploration of the Moon. The document begins by explaining the scientific importance of studying the Moon and outlines the many unsolved problems in lunar science. Subsequent chapters detail different, complementary approaches to geologic studies: global surveys, including orbiting spacecraft such as Lunar Observer and installation of a global geophysical network; reconnaissance sample return mission, by either automated rovers or landers, or by piloted forays; detailed field studies, which involve astronauts and teleoperated robotic field geologists. The document then develops a flexible scenario for exploration and sketches the technological developments needed to carry out the exploration scenario.

The Effect of Screen Size on Mobile Phone User Comprehension of Health Information and Application Structure: An Experimental Approach.

PubMed

Al Ghamdi, Ebtisam; Yunus, Faisal; Da'ar, Omar; El-Metwally, Ashraf; Khalifa, Mohamed; Aldossari, Bakheet; Househ, Mowafa

2016-01-01

This research analyzes the impact of mobile phone screen size on user comprehension of health information and application structure. Applying experimental approach, we asked randomly selected users to read content and conduct tasks on a commonly used diabetes mobile application using three different mobile phone screen sizes. We timed and tracked a number of parameters, including correctness, effectiveness of completing tasks, content ease of reading, clarity of information organization, and comprehension. The impact of screen size on user comprehension/retention, clarity of information organization, and reading time were mixed. It is assumed on first glance that mobile screen size would affect all qualities of information reading and comprehension, including clarity of displayed information organization, reading time and user comprehension/retention of displayed information, but actually the screen size, in this experimental research, did not have significant impact on user comprehension/retention of the content or on understanding the application structure. However, it did have significant impact on clarity of information organization and reading time. Participants with larger screen size took shorter time reading the content with a significant difference in the ease of reading. While there was no significant difference in the comprehension of information or the application structures, there were a higher task completion rate and a lower number of errors with the bigger screen size. Screen size does not directly affect user comprehension of health information. However, it does affect clarity of information organization, reading time and user's ability to recall information.

Cost-effectiveness of a comprehensive programme for drug-resistant tuberculosis in China.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Christopher; Hui, Zhang; Lixia, Wang; Renzhong, Li; Yunzhou, Ruan; Mingting, Chen; Yanlin, Zhao; Jin, Zhao; Wei, Su; Caihong, Xu; Cheng, Chen; Alston, Timothy; Yan, Qu; Chengfei, Lv; Yunting, Fu; Shitong, Huan; Qiang, Sun; Scano, Fabio; Chin, Daniel P; Floyd, Katherine

2015-11-01

To investigate the cost-effectiveness of a comprehensive programme for drug-resistant tuberculosis launched in four sites in China in 2011. In 2011-2012, we reviewed the records of 172 patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis who enrolled in the comprehensive programme and we collected relevant administrative data from hospitals and China's public health agency. For comparison, we examined a cohort of 81 patients who were treated for drug-resistant tuberculosis in 2006-2009. We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis, from a societal perspective, that included probabilistic uncertainty. We measured early treatment outcomes based on three-month culture results and modelled longer-term outcomes to facilitate estimation of the comprehensive programme's cost per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted. The comprehensive programme cost 8837 United States dollars (US$) per patient treated. Low enrolment rates meant that some fixed costs were higher, per patient, than expected. Although the comprehensive programme appeared 30 times more costly than the previous one, it resulted in greater health benefits. The comprehensive programme, which cost US$ 639 (95% credible interval: 112 to 1322) per DALY averted, satisfied the World Health Organization's criterion for a very cost-effective intervention. The comprehensive programme, which included rapid screening, standardized care and financial protection, improved individual outcomes for MDR tuberculosis in a cost-effective manner. To support post-2015 global heath targets, the comprehensive programme should be expanded to non-residents and other areas of China.

Reorganization of the Peralta Community College District: A Study of Reorganization of the Territory Presently Included in the Plumas County Portion of the District. Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 54.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alt, Weston M.

In compliance with legislative mandate, this two-part report provides a comprehensive feasibility assessment of the reorganization of territory presently included in the Plumas County portion of the Peralta Community College District (PCCD). Part I begins with an overview of the study and its background, and then discusses barriers to and…

Clinical research of comprehensive rehabilitation in treating brachial plexus injury patients.

PubMed

Zhou, Jun-Ming; Gu, Yu-Dong; Xu, Xiao-Jun; Zhang, Shen-Yu; Zhao, Xin

2012-07-01

Brachial plexus injury is one of the difficult medical problems in the world. The aim of this study was to observe the clinical therapeutic effect of comprehensive rehabilitation in treating dysfunction after brachial plexus injury. Forty-three cases of dysfunction after brachial plexus injury were divided into two groups randomly. The treatment group, which totaled 21 patients (including 14 cases of total brachial plexus injury and seven cases of branch brachial plexus injury), was treated with comprehensive rehabilitation including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, mid-frequency electrotherapy, Tuina therapy, and occupational therapy. The control group, which totaled 22 patients (including 16 cases of total brachial plexus injury and six cases of branch brachial plexus injury), was treated with home-based electrical nerve stimulation and occupational therapy. Each course was of 30 days duration and the patients received four courses totally. After four courses, the rehabilitation effect was evaluated according to the brachial plexus function evaluation standard and electromyogram (EMG) assessment. In the treatment group, there was significant difference in the scores of brachial plexus function pre- and post-treatment (P < 0.01) in both "total" and "branch" injury. The scores of two "total injury" groups had statistical differences (P < 0.01), while the scores of two "branch injury" groups had statistical differences (P < 0.05) after four courses. EMG suggested that the appearance of regeneration potentials of the recipient nerves in the treatment group was earlier than the control group and had significant differences (P < 0.05). Comprehensive rehabilitation was more effective in treating dysfunction after brachial plexus injury than nonintegrated rehabilitation.

Reader-Text Interactions: How Differential Text and Question Types Influence Cognitive Skills Needed for Reading Comprehension

PubMed Central

Eason, Sarah H.; Goldberg, Lindsay F.; Young, Katherine M.; Geist, Megan C.; Cutting, Laurie E.

2015-01-01

Current research has shown that comprehension can vary based on text and question types, and that readers’ word recognition and background knowledge may account for these differences. Other reader characteristics such as semantic and syntactic awareness, inferencing, planning/organizing have also all been linked to reading comprehension, but have not been examined with regard to specific text and question types. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between reader characteristics, text types, and question types, in children aged 10–14. We sought to compare children’s performance when comprehending narrative, expository, and functional text, as well as to explore differences between children’s performance on comprehension questions that assess their literal or inferential comprehension of a passage. To examine such differences, we analyzed the degree to which distinct cognitive skills (semantic and syntactic awareness, inferencing, planning/organizing) contribute to performance on varying types of texts and questions. This study found main effects of text and question types, as well as an interaction in which relations between question types varied between text types. Analyses indicated that higher order cognitive skills, including the ability to make inferences and to plan and organize information, contribute to comprehension of more complex text (e.g., expository vs. narrative) and question types (e.g., inferential vs. literal), and therefore are important components of reading for later elementary and middle school students. These findings suggest that developing these skills in early elementary school may better equip students for comprehending the texts they will encounter in higher grades. PMID:26566295

Idiom Comprehension Deficits in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Korean Autism Social Language Task

PubMed Central

Lee, Seul Bee; Song, Seung Ha; Ham, Ju Hyun; Song, Dong Ho

2015-01-01

Purpose High-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves pragmatic impairment of language skills. Among numerous tasks for assessing pragmatic linguistic skills, idioms are important to evaluating high-functioning ASD. Nevertheless, no assessment tool has been developed with specific consideration of Korean culture. Therefore, we designed the Korean Autism Social Language Task (KASLAT) to test idiom comprehension in ASD. The aim of the current study was to introduce this novel psychological tool and evaluate idiom comprehension deficits in high-functioning ASD. Materials and Methods The participants included 42 children, ages 6-11 years, who visited our child psychiatric clinic between April 2014 and May 2015. The ASD group comprised 16 children; the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) group consisted of 16 children. An additional 10 normal control children who had not been diagnosed with either disorder participated in this study. Idiom comprehension ability was assessed in these three groups using the KASLAT. Results Both ASD and ADHD groups had significantly lower scores on the matched and mismatched tasks, compared to the normal control children (matched tasks mean score: ASD 11.56, ADHD 11.56, normal control 14.30; mismatched tasks mean score: ASD 6.50, ADHD 4.31, normal control 11.30). However, no significant differences were found in scores of KASLAT between the ADHD and ASD groups. Conclusion These findings suggest that children with ASD exhibit greater impairment in idiom comprehension, compared to normal control children. The KASLAT may be useful in evaluating idiom comprehension ability. PMID:26446644

Who Did What to Whom? The Relationship between Syntactic Aspects of Sentence Comprehension and Text Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poulsen, Mads; Gravgaard, Amalie K. D.

2016-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between syntactic comprehension at the sentence level and text-level comprehension. The study isolated the specific contribution of syntax by asking whether sentence comprehension efficiency of difficult syntactic constructions explained variance in text comprehension after controlling for sentence…

The cost of starting and maintaining a large home hemodialysis program.

PubMed

Komenda, Paul; Copland, Michael; Makwana, Jay; Djurdjev, Ogdjenka; Sood, Manish M; Levin, Adeera

2010-06-01

Home extended hours hemodialysis improves some measurable biological and quality-of-life parameters over conventional renal replacement therapies in patients with end-stage renal disease. Published small studies evaluating costs have shown savings in terms of ongoing operating costs with this modality. However, all estimates need to include the total costs, including infrastructure, patient training, and maintenance; patient attrition by death, transplantation, technique failure; and the necessity of in-center dialysis. We describe a comprehensive funding model for a large centrally administered but locally delivered home hemodialysis program in British Columbia, Canada that covered 122 patients, of which 113 were still in the program at study end. The majority of patients performed home nocturnal hemodialysis in this 2-year retrospective study. All training periods, both in-center and in-home dialysis, medications, hospitalizations, and deaths were captured using our provincial renal database and vital statistics. Comparative data from the provincial database and pricing models were used for costing purposes. The total comprehensive costs per patient-incorporating startup, home, and in-center dialysis; medications; home remodeling; and consumables-was $59,179 for years 2004-2005 and $48,648 for 2005-2006. The home dialysis patients required multiple in-center dialysis runs, significantly contributing to the overall costs. Our study describes a valid, comprehensive funding model delineating reliable cost estimates of starting and maintaining a large home-based hemodialysis program. Consideration of hidden costs is important for administrators and planners to take into account when designing budgets for home hemodialysis.

Effects of mental health benefits legislation: a community guide systematic review.

PubMed

Sipe, Theresa Ann; Finnie, Ramona K C; Knopf, John A; Qu, Shuli; Reynolds, Jeffrey A; Thota, Anilkrishna B; Hahn, Robert A; Goetzel, Ron Z; Hennessy, Kevin D; McKnight-Eily, Lela R; Chapman, Daniel P; Anderson, Clinton W; Azrin, Susan; Abraido-Lanza, Ana F; Gelenberg, Alan J; Vernon-Smiley, Mary E; Nease, Donald E

2015-06-01

Health insurance benefits for mental health services typically have paid less than benefits for physical health services, resulting in potential underutilization or financial burden for people with mental health conditions. Mental health benefits legislation was introduced to improve financial protection (i.e., decrease financial burden) and to increase access to, and use of, mental health services. This systematic review was conducted to determine the effectiveness of mental health benefits legislation, including executive orders, in improving mental health. Methods developed for the Guide to Community Preventive Services were used to identify, evaluate, and analyze available evidence. The evidence included studies published or reported from 1965 to March 2011 with at least one of the following outcomes: access to care, financial protection, appropriate utilization, quality of care, diagnosis of mental illness, morbidity and mortality, and quality of life. Analyses were conducted in 2012. Thirty eligible studies were identified in 37 papers. Implementation of mental health benefits legislation was associated with financial protection (decreased out-of-pocket costs) and appropriate utilization of services. Among studies examining the impact of legislation strength, most found larger positive effects for comprehensive parity legislation or policies than for less-comprehensive ones. Few studies assessed other mental health outcomes. Evidence indicates that mental health benefits legislation, particularly comprehensive parity legislation, is effective in improving financial protection and increasing appropriate utilization of mental health services for people with mental health conditions. Evidence was limited for other mental health outcomes. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effects of Mental Health Benefits Legislation

PubMed Central

Sipe, Theresa Ann; Finnie, Ramona K.C.; Knopf, John A.; Qu, Shuli; Reynolds, Jeffrey A.; Thota, Anilkrishna B.; Hahn, Robert A.; Goetzel, Ron Z.; Hennessy, Kevin D.; McKnight-Eily, Lela R.; Chapman, Daniel P.; Anderson, Clinton W.; Azrin, Susan; Abraido-Lanza, Ana F.; Gelenberg, Alan J.; Vernon-Smiley, Mary E.; Nease, Donald E.

2015-01-01

Context Health insurance benefits for mental health services typically have paid less than benefits for physical health services, resulting in potential underutilization or financial burden for people with mental health conditions. Mental health benefits legislation was introduced to improve financial protection (i.e., decrease financial burden) and to increase access to, and use of, mental health services. This systematic review was conducted to determine the effectiveness of mental health benefits legislation, including executive orders, in improving mental health. Evidence acquisition Methods developed for the Guide to Community Preventive Services were used to identify, evaluate, and analyze available evidence. The evidence included studies published or reported from 1965 to March 2011 with at least one of the following outcomes: access to care, financial protection, appropriate utilization, quality of care, diagnosis of mental illness, morbidity and mortality, and quality of life. Analyses were conducted in 2012. Evidence synthesis Thirty eligible studies were identified in 37 papers. Implementation of mental health benefits legislation was associated with financial protection (decreased out-of-pocket costs) and appropriate utilization of services. Among studies examining the impact of legislation strength, most found larger positive effects for comprehensive parity legislation or policies than for less-comprehensive ones. Few studies assessed other mental health outcomes. Conclusions Evidence indicates that mental health benefits legislation, particularly comprehensive parity legislation, is effective in improving financial protection and increasing appropriate utilization of mental health services for people with mental health conditions. Evidence is limited for other mental health outcomes. PMID:25998926

Short-term Evaluation of a Comprehensive Education Program Including Inhaler Training and Disease Management on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

PubMed

Yoo, Kwang Ha; Chung, Wou Young; Park, Joo Hun; Hwang, Sung Chul; Kim, Tae Eun; Oh, Min Jung; Kang, Dae Ryong; Rhee, Chin Kook; Yoon, Hyoung Kyu; Kim, Tae Hyung; Kim, Deog Kyeom; Park, Yong Bum; Kim, Sang Ha; Yum, Ho Kee

2017-10-01

Proper education regarding inhaler usage and optimal management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is essential for effectively treating patients with COPD. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive education program including inhaler training and COPD management. We enlisted 127 patients with COPD on an outpatient basis at 43 private clinics in Korea. The patients were educated on inhaler usage and disease management for three visits across 2 weeks. Physicians and patients were administered a COPD assessment test (CAT) and questionnaires about the correct usage of inhalers and management of COPD before commencement of this program and after their third visit. The outcomes of 127 COPD patients were analyzed. CAT scores (19.6±12.5 vs. 15.1±12.3) improved significantly after this program (p<0.05). Patients with improved CAT scores of 4 points or more had a better understanding of COPD management and the correct technique for using inhalers than those who did not have improved CAT scores (p<0.05). A comprehensive education program including inhaler training and COPD management at a primary care setting improved CAT scores and led to patients' better understanding of COPD management. Copyright©2017. The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases

Efficacy of lifestyle modification for long-term weight control.

PubMed

Wadden, Thomas A; Butryn, Meghan L; Byrne, Kirstin J

2004-12-01

A comprehensive program of lifestyle modification induces loss of approximately 10% of initial weight in 16 to 26 weeks, as revealed by a review of recent randomized controlled trials, including the Diabetes Prevention Program. Long-term weight control is facilitated by continued patient-therapist contact, whether provided in person or by telephone, mail, or e-mail. High levels of physical activity and the consumption of low-calorie, portion-controlled meals, including liquid meal replacements, can also help maintain weight loss. Additional studies are needed of the effects of macronutrient content (e.g., low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate diets) on long-term changes in weight and health. Research also is needed on effective methods of providing comprehensive weight loss control to the millions of Americans who need it.

Free jet feasibility study of a thermal acoustic shield concept for AST/VCE application-dual flow. Comprehensive data report. Volume 1: Test nozzles and acoustic data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janardan, B. A.; Brausch, J. F.; Price, A. O.

1984-01-01

Acoustic and diagnostic data that were obtained to determine the influence of selected geometric and aerodynamic flow variables of coannular nozzles with thermal acoustic shields are summarized in this comprehensive data report. A total of 136 static and simulated flight acoustic test points were conducted with 9 scale-model nozzles The tested nozzles included baseline (unshielded), 180 deg shielded, and 360 deg shielded dual flow coannular plug configurations. The baseline configurations include a high radius ratio unsuppressed coannular plug nozzle and a coanuular plug nozzle and a coannular plug nozzle with a 20-chute outer stream suppressor. The tests were conducted at nozzle temperatures and pressure typical of operating conditions of variable cycle engine.

Analysis of the construct of dignity and content validity of the patient dignity inventory

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Maintaining dignity, the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect, is considered as a goal of palliative care. The aim of this study was to analyse the construct of personal dignity and to assess the content validity of the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) in people with an advance directive in the Netherlands. Methods Data were collected within the framework of an advance directives cohort study. This cohort study is aiming to get a better insight into how decisions are made at the end of life with regard to advance directives in the Netherlands. One half of the cohort (n = 2404) received an open-ended question concerning factors relevant to dignity. Content labels were assigned to issues mentioned in the responses to the open-ended question. The other half of the cohort (n = 2537) received a written questionnaire including the PDI. The relevance and comprehensiveness of the PDI items were assessed with the COSMIN checklist ('COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments'). Results The majority of the PDI items were found to be relevant for the construct to be measured, the study population, and the purpose of the study but the items were not completely comprehensive. The responses to the open-ended question indicated that communication and care-related aspects were also important for dignity. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the PDI items were relevant for people with an advance directive in the Netherlands. The comprehensiveness of the items can be improved by including items concerning communication and care. PMID:21682924

Analysis of the construct of dignity and content validity of the patient dignity inventory.

PubMed

Albers, Gwenda; Pasman, H Roeline W; Rurup, Mette L; de Vet, Henrica C W; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D

2011-06-19

Maintaining dignity, the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect, is considered as a goal of palliative care. The aim of this study was to analyse the construct of personal dignity and to assess the content validity of the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) in people with an advance directive in the Netherlands. Data were collected within the framework of an advance directives cohort study. This cohort study is aiming to get a better insight into how decisions are made at the end of life with regard to advance directives in the Netherlands. One half of the cohort (n = 2404) received an open-ended question concerning factors relevant to dignity. Content labels were assigned to issues mentioned in the responses to the open-ended question. The other half of the cohort (n = 2537) received a written questionnaire including the PDI. The relevance and comprehensiveness of the PDI items were assessed with the COSMIN checklist ('COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments'). The majority of the PDI items were found to be relevant for the construct to be measured, the study population, and the purpose of the study but the items were not completely comprehensive. The responses to the open-ended question indicated that communication and care-related aspects were also important for dignity. This study demonstrated that the PDI items were relevant for people with an advance directive in the Netherlands. The comprehensiveness of the items can be improved by including items concerning communication and care.

Perspectives of rural and remote primary healthcare services on the meaning and goals of clinical governance.

PubMed

Kwedza, Ruyamuro K; Larkins, Sarah; Johnson, Julie K; Zwar, Nicholas

2017-10-01

Definitions of clinical governance are varied and there is no one agreed model. This paper explored the perspectives of rural and remote primary healthcare services, located in North Queensland, Australia, on the meaning and goals of clinical governance. The study followed an embedded multiple case study design with semi-structured interviews, document analysis and non-participant observation. Participants included clinicians, non-clinical support staff, managers and executives. Similarities and differences in the understanding of clinical governance between health centre and committee case studies were evident. Almost one-third of participants were unfamiliar with the term or were unsure of its meaning; alongside limited documentation of a definition. Although most cases linked the concept of clinical governance to key terms, many lacked a comprehensive understanding. Similarities between cases included viewing clinical governance as a management and administrative function. Differences included committee members' alignment of clinical governance with corporate governance and frontline staff associating clinical governance with staff safety. Document analysis offered further insight into these perspectives. Clinical governance is well-documented as an expected organisational requirement, including in rural and remote areas where geographic, workforce and demographic factors pose additional challenges to quality and safety. However, in reality, it is not clearly, similarly or comprehensively understood by all participants.

An orthopedist's guide to shoulder ultrasound: a systematic review of examination protocols.

PubMed

Amoo-Achampong, Kelms; Nwachukwu, Benedict U; McCormick, Frank

2016-11-01

The utilization of musculoskeletal ultrasound has expanded within the setting of the orthopedic clinic as a cost-effective, point-of-care diagnostic tool for shoulder pathology. In experienced hands, ultrasound exhibits capabilities equivalent to that of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of many shoulder diseases including full-thickness and partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. Although similarly effective in identifying additional shoulder disease processes, major obstacles to its widespread use include user dependence and intrinsic limitation to extra-articular diagnosis. The purpose of this review is to present a step-by-step guide of how to perform a comprehensive shoulder examination and to discuss the appropriate use, economic benefit and implementation of ultrasound within the clinic. A systematic search (June 2016) of PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE databases was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for literature presenting shoulder ultrasound examination protocols. Included studies were peer-reviewed articles or academic society endorsed protocols presenting comprehensive sonographic examinations of the adult shoulder. Papers with limited or single structure examination descriptions, non-English language, and publication dates before 1980 were excluded. Final papers meeting criteria were secondarily screened for publication after 2005 to reflect the current state of ultrasound imaging. The search yielded 1,725 unique articles with 17 studies meeting final selection criteria. Information from identified studies was summarized to formulate a 4-part shoulder examination protocol, including steps most pertinent to orthopedic in-office diagnoses. In agreement with previous studies, the inexperienced orthopedic surgeon can be quickly trained to expert level proficiency in shoulder ultrasound diagnosis. Using an established protocol, a comprehensive, yet effective shoulder ultrasound examination can be performed within ten minutes. Further, ultrasound provides opportunity to off-set costs through the engagement of revenue generating activity for the orthopedic practice.

Acoustic Analyses and Intelligibility Assessments of Timing Patterns among Chinese English Learners with Different Dialect Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hsueh Chu

2015-01-01

This paper includes two interrelated studies. The first production study investigates the timing patterns of English as spoken by Chinese learners with different dialect backgrounds. The second comprehension study explores native and non-native speakers' assessments of the intelligibility of Chinese-accented English, and examines the effects of…

40 CFR 57.405 - Formulation, approval, and implementation of requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... study shall be submitted after the end of the worst case three-month period as a part of the next semi... study demonstrating that the SCS will prevent violations of the NAAQS in the smelter's DLA at all times. The reliability study shall include a comprehensive analysis of the system's operation during one or...

Informed consent comprehension in African research settings.

PubMed

Afolabi, Muhammed O; Okebe, Joseph U; McGrath, Nuala; Larson, Heidi J; Bojang, Kalifa; Chandramohan, Daniel

2014-06-01

Previous reviews on participants' comprehension of informed consent information have focused on developed countries. Experience has shown that ethical standards developed on Western values may not be appropriate for African settings where research concepts are unfamiliar. We undertook this review to describe how informed consent comprehension is defined and measured in African research settings. We conducted a comprehensive search involving five electronic databases: Medline, Embase, Global Health, EthxWeb and Bioethics Literature Database (BELIT). We also examined African Index Medicus and Google Scholar for relevant publications on informed consent comprehension in clinical studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. 29 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria; meta-analysis was possible in 21 studies. We further conducted a direct comparison of participants' comprehension on domains of informed consent in all eligible studies. Comprehension of key concepts of informed consent varies considerably from country to country and depends on the nature and complexity of the study. Meta-analysis showed that 47% of a total of 1633 participants across four studies demonstrated comprehension about randomisation (95% CI 13.9-80.9%). Similarly, 48% of 3946 participants in six studies had understanding about placebo (95% CI 19.0-77.5%), while only 30% of 753 participants in five studies understood the concept of therapeutic misconception (95% CI 4.6-66.7%). Measurement tools for informed consent comprehension were developed with little or no validation. Assessment of comprehension was carried out at variable times after disclosure of study information. No uniform definition of informed consent comprehension exists to form the basis for development of an appropriate tool to measure comprehension in African participants. Comprehension of key concepts of informed consent is poor among study participants across Africa. There is a vital need to develop a uniform definition for informed consent comprehension in low literacy research settings in Africa. This will be an essential step towards developing appropriate tools that can adequately measure informed consent comprehension. This may consequently suggest adequate measures to improve the informed consent procedure. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comprehensive Transit Plan for the Virgin Islands - Technical Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1989-01-01

This report contains a description of the elements and recommendations of a transportation study of the islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Island archipelago. An extensive data collection effort, including traffic volum...

Small Group Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Joseph E.

1978-01-01

Summarizes research on small group processes by giving a comprehensive account of the types of variables primarily studied in the laboratory. These include group structure, group composition, group size, and group relations. Considers effects of power, leadership, conformity to social norms, and role relationships. (Author/AV)

Kent State University's sustainable transportation initiative : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

This past year the author embarked on a study of sustainable transportation options in and around Kent State Universitys campus, including much of the city of Kent itself. Kents most recent Comprehensive Plan attempted to develop a model for th...

Adaptation of Educational Text to an Open Interactive Learning System: A Case Study for ReTuDiS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samarakou, M.; Fylladitakis, E. D.; Tsaganou, G.; Gelegenis, J.; Karolidis, D.; Prentakis, P.

2013-01-01

Theoretical education is mainly based on university text-books, which usually include texts not structured according to any theory of text comprehension. Structuring a text is a demanding process. Text should be organized and structured in order to include descriptions on micro and macro-level representation of the knowledge domain. Since this is…

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT TAXONOMY PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF MIDPOINTS, ENDPOINTS, DAMAGES, AND AREAS OF PROTECTION

EPA Science Inventory

Prior to conducting a comprehensive impact assessment, such as a Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA), there is a need to discuss the range of impacts which could and should be included. Up to this point in time, there has not been available a comprehensive list of impacts for po...

Performance in Mathematical Problem Solving as a Function of Comprehension and Arithmetic Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voyer, Dominic

2011-01-01

Many factors influence a student's performance in word (or textbook) problem solving in class. Among them is the comprehension process the pupils construct during their attempt to solve the problem. The comprehension process may include some less formal representations, based on pupils' real-world knowledge, which support the construction of a…

The Effect of a Course Management System (CMS)-Supported Strategy Instruction on EFL Reading Comprehension and Strategy Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Yea-Ru; Talley, Paul C.

2014-01-01

This paper reports on the effect of a Moodle-supported strategy instruction on both reading comprehension and strategy use among EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students. Specific reading strategy training was first integrated into a Moodle system, which included reading exercises on problem identification, monitoring comprehension,…

How Adolescents Comprehend Unfamiliar Proverbs: The Role of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Processes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nippold, Marilyn A.; Allen, Melissa M.; Kirsch, Dixon I.

2000-01-01

Relationships between word knowledge and proverb comprehension was examined in 150 typically achieving adolescents (ages 12, 15, and 18). Word knowledge was associated with proverb comprehension in all groups, particularly in the case of abstract proverbs. Results support a model of proverb comprehension in adolescents that includes bottom-up in…

A Rationale for Building a Comprehensive Science Program for Inner-City Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Charles Arthur

The intent of this dissertation was to develop a science curriculum from an inner-city perspective. Five units and a rationale for inner-city education are included. The units include both physical and biological science topics. The units are as follows: (1) Rationale for Building a Comprehensive Science Program for Inner-City Education; (2) With…

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: Helping All Students Achieve 60 Minutes of Physical Activity Each Day

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliot, Eloise; Erwin, Heather; Hall, Tina; Heidorn, Brent

2013-01-01

The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance recommends that all schools implement a comprehensive school physical activity program. Physical activity is important to the overall health and well-being of everyone, including all school age children. The benefits of physical activity are well documented and include the…

Comprehensive treatment of generalized parodontitis.

PubMed

Mdinaradze, N

2006-06-01

The complexity of pathogenesis of periodontitis makes the use of comprehensive treatment necessary. We observed 60 patients, 20 women and 40 men among them aged from 20 to 50. In the course of parodontitis, we determined the intensity of inflammatory-destructive changes (Pi) in the course of periodontitis, the degree of fang denudation, the depth of gum and parodontal recesses, degree of the teeth becoming loose; we conducted the microbiological study of the oral cavity microflora and drew up an antibiotic graph. We included laser therapy in the comprehensive treatment course of generalized parodontitis. We divided the patients into two groups. The patients of the first group were treated in two stages. We used peridex, composed of chlorhexidine for antiseptic treatment of oral cavity. We used a combined solution of sage, eucalyptus, camomile and calendula to irrigate the oral cavity. At the second stage we used ointment applications with the composition of 3% indometacin, heparin, vitamins, sea-buckthorn oil and antibiotics. In the course of comprehensive treatment of the patients of the II group we included laser therapy. Our interest in the laser beam, as in the means of parodontitis treatment was stimulated by a number of properties of the laser beam and namely, its anti-inflammatory, desensitizing and antibacterial action promotes intensifying the reparation processes and does not entail any complications. The mentioned method has produced the best therapeutic results and has resulted in the reduced treatment period.

A Longitudinal Study of Idiom and Text Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levorato, M. Chiara; Roch, Maja; Nesi, Barbara

2007-01-01

The relation between text and idiom comprehension in children with poor text comprehension skills was investigated longitudinally. In the first phase of the study, six-year-old first graders with different levels of text comprehension were compared in an idiom and sentence comprehension task. Text comprehension was shown to be more closely related…

A Feasibility Study for Developing an Innovative Course of Study for the Contemporary School Band Program. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1968

Five nationally recognized high school band directors conducted a study to investigate the problems and determine the feasibility of developing and publishing a comprehensive curriculum guide for school band programs. A review of materials relevant to the study included the examination of state and city music curriculum guides, of publications…

The Importance of Native American Studies in the Social Studies Curriculum. Occasional Paper #8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fyfe, Kenneth S.; Elwell, William C., Ed.

This publication presents guidelines and suggestions for expanding the role of Native American studies in the present K-12 social studies curriculum. A comprehensive understanding of America's past can only be gained when the history of the Native American people is included. American history is still too often presented as the history of European…

A framework for developing an evidence-based, comprehensive tobacco control program

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Tobacco control is an area where the translation of evidence into policy would seem to be straightforward, given the wealth of epidemiological, behavioural and other types of research available. Yet, even here challenges exist. These include information overload, concealment of key (industry-funded) evidence, contextualization, assessment of population impact, and the changing nature of the threat. Methods In the context of Israel's health targeting initiative, Healthy Israel 2020, we describe the steps taken to develop a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. We elaborate on the following: a) scientific issues influencing the choice of tobacco control strategies; b) organization of existing evidence of effectiveness of interventions into a manageable form, and c) consideration of relevant philosophical and political issues. We propose a framework for developing a plan and illustrate this process with a case study in Israel. Results Broad consensus exists regarding the effectiveness of most interventions, but current recommendations differ in the emphasis they place on different strategies. Scientific challenges include integration of complex and sometimes conflicting information from authoritative sources, and lack of estimates of population impact of interventions. Philosophical and political challenges include the use of evidence-based versus innovative policymaking, the importance of individual versus governmental responsibility, and whether and how interventions should be prioritized. The proposed framework includes: 1) compilation of a list of potential interventions 2) modification of that list based on local needs and political constraints; 3) streamlining the list by categorizing interventions into broad groupings of related interventions; together these groupings form the basis of a comprehensive plan; and 4) refinement of the plan by comparing it to existing comprehensive plans. Conclusions Development of a comprehensive tobacco control plan is a complex endeavour, involving crucial decisions regarding intervention components. "Off the shelf" plans, which need to be adapted to local settings, are available from a variety of sources, and a multitude of individual recommendations are available. The proposed framework for adapting existing approaches to the local social and political climate may assist others planning for smoke-free societies. Additionally, this experience has implications for development of evidence-based health plans addressing other risk factors. PMID:20507612

A framework for developing an evidence-based, comprehensive tobacco control program.

PubMed

Rosen, Laura; Rosenberg, Elliot; McKee, Martin; Gan-Noy, Shosh; Levin, Diane; Mayshar, Elana; Shacham, Galia; Borowski, John; Nun, Gabi Bin; Lev, Boaz

2010-05-27

Tobacco control is an area where the translation of evidence into policy would seem to be straightforward, given the wealth of epidemiological, behavioural and other types of research available. Yet, even here challenges exist. These include information overload, concealment of key (industry-funded) evidence, contextualization, assessment of population impact, and the changing nature of the threat. In the context of Israel's health targeting initiative, Healthy Israel 2020, we describe the steps taken to develop a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. We elaborate on the following: a) scientific issues influencing the choice of tobacco control strategies; b) organization of existing evidence of effectiveness of interventions into a manageable form, and c) consideration of relevant philosophical and political issues. We propose a framework for developing a plan and illustrate this process with a case study in Israel. Broad consensus exists regarding the effectiveness of most interventions, but current recommendations differ in the emphasis they place on different strategies. Scientific challenges include integration of complex and sometimes conflicting information from authoritative sources, and lack of estimates of population impact of interventions. Philosophical and political challenges include the use of evidence-based versus innovative policymaking, the importance of individual versus governmental responsibility, and whether and how interventions should be prioritized.The proposed framework includes: 1) compilation of a list of potential interventions 2) modification of that list based on local needs and political constraints; 3) streamlining the list by categorizing interventions into broad groupings of related interventions; together these groupings form the basis of a comprehensive plan; and 4) refinement of the plan by comparing it to existing comprehensive plans. Development of a comprehensive tobacco control plan is a complex endeavour, involving crucial decisions regarding intervention components. "Off the shelf" plans, which need to be adapted to local settings, are available from a variety of sources, and a multitude of individual recommendations are available. The proposed framework for adapting existing approaches to the local social and political climate may assist others planning for smoke-free societies. Additionally, this experience has implications for development of evidence-based health plans addressing other risk factors.

A comprehensive picture of palliative care at home from the people involved.

PubMed

Appelin, Gunilla; Brobäck, Gunilla; Berterö, Carina

2005-12-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the comprehensive picture of palliative care in the home, as experienced by the people involved. The study is a secondary analysis of three phenomenological studies including six cancer patients, six next of kin and six district nurses. Data were collected in qualitative interviews using an interview guide. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. In this secondary analysis, data were analysed by hermeneutic analysis guided by Gadamer. The guiding questions during the reading were: Is there an advantage receiving palliative care at home? Is there a disadvantage receiving palliative care at home? The findings indicate that the advantages of palliative care at home is; striving for normal life, including the care in the home composed of physical care and emotional/mental care. Striving for normal life also includes emotional feelings, safety and resources and policies which regulates this activity. Disadvantages of palliative care at home are commitment, composed of adaptation and extra work, and demands, composed of frustration and uncertainty. If the people involved are to be able to manage the situation and optimize living while dying, there must be support and resources facilitating the situation.

A comprehensive model for executing knowledge management audits in organizations: a systematic review.

PubMed

Shahmoradi, Leila; Ahmadi, Maryam; Sadoughi, Farahnaz; Piri, Zakieh; Gohari, Mahmood Reza

2015-01-01

A knowledge management audit (KMA) is the first phase in knowledge management implementation. Incomplete or incomprehensive execution of the KMA has caused many knowledge management programs to fail. A study was undertaken to investigate how KMAs are performed systematically in organizations and present a comprehensive model for performing KMAs based on a systematic review. Studies were identified by searching electronic databases such as Emerald, LISA, and the Cochrane library and e-journals such as the Oxford Journal and hand searching of printed journals, theses, and books in the Tehran University of Medical Sciences digital library. The sources used in this study consisted of studies available through the digital library of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences that were published between 2000 and 2013, including both Persian- and English-language sources, as well as articles explaining the steps involved in performing a KMA. A comprehensive model for KMAs is presented in this study. To successfully execute a KMA, it is necessary to perform the appropriate preliminary activities in relation to the knowledge management infrastructure, determine the knowledge management situation, and analyze and use the available data on this situation.

Does Listening to Mozart Affect Listening Ability?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Becki J.; Punyanunt-Carter, Narissra; Cheah, Tsui Yi; Watson, W. Joe; Rubin, Rebecca B.

2007-01-01

Considerable research has been conducted testing Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky's (1993) Mozart Effect (ME). This study attempts to replicate, in part, research that tested the ME on listening comprehension abilities. Also included in this study is an examination of control group issues in current day research. We hypothesized that students who listen to…

Faith Matters: Developing the Our Whole Lives Evaluation and Promotion Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Melissa

2011-01-01

This article discusses the importance of faith-based organizations implementing comprehensive sexuality education into their ministries, including a review of a study of 5,819 religious teens by Christian Community Inc., a nonprofit research and resource development organization. The study by Christian Community Inc. had a major impact in the…

NIE's Study of Minimum Competency Testing: A Process for the Clarification of Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herndon, Enid

The National Institute of Education's (NIE) process of studying minimum competency testing (MCT) includes: (1) a clarification hearing to provide a public forum to discuss divergent views on salient issues related to MCT programs; (2) two investigative teams to explore the different perspectives on the issues, build comprehensive cases which…

Creating Pathways for Postsecondary Educational Access and Attainment for Latino Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robledo, Marisol

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to further investigate how one successful comprehensive high school serving a large percentage of Latino students builds college-going culture. The study examined two perspectives on college-going culture; that of the school staff (including administrators, school counselors, and teacher leaders), and of…

Interinstitutional Comparison of Instructional Costs and Productivity, by Academic Discipline: A National Study. AIR 1994 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Middaugh, Michael F.

An examination of instructional costs and productivity was conducted in a national study of publicly supported colleges and universities. Of an initial pool of institutions selected from two national associations of colleges and universities, 101 participated including 58 comprehensive institutions, 22 doctoral institutions, 16 research…

Are More Stringent NCLB State Accountability Systems Associated with Better Student Outcomes? An Analysis of NAEP Results across States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Xin

2012-01-01

This study developed a comprehensive measure of the stringency level of NCLB states' accountability systems, including the strength of their annual measurable objectives, confidence intervals, performance indexing, retesting, minimum subgroup size, and the difficulty levels of proficiency standards. This study related accountability stringency in…

Vocational English as a Second Language for Welding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gujral, Liveleen K.; And Others

This curriculum is designed to for use with adult refugees studying welding. The first portion of the guide includes 21 lessons in which students are given the opportunity to develop aural comprehension and reading skills while studying such topics as body parts and clothing, safety, welding tools, arc and gas welding, fractions and measurements,…

Mental Load in Listening, Speech Shadowing and Simultaneous Interpreting: A Pupillometric Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tommola, Jorma; Hyona, Jukka

This study investigated the sensitivity of the pupillary response as an indicator of average mental load during three language processing tasks of varying complexity. The tasks included: (1) listening (without any subsequent comprehension testing); (2) speech shadowing (repeating a message in the same language while listening to it); and (3)…

A Study on the Affordances and Constraints of the Instructional Use of Project Read

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosgrove, Margaret

2017-01-01

This research study was designed and conducted to evaluate the regular education teacher's perspective on the effective use of Project Read to adequately instruct spelling mastery at the first grade level. The Project Read curriculum is divided into three major strands including phonics, reading comprehension, and written expression. Project…

Cognitive Style and Reading Comprehension in L1 and L2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vivaldo-Lima, Javier

This paper presents the results of a research study carried out with Mexican college students to analyze the relationship between readers' cognitive styles (field dependent/independent) and their performance at different levels of written discourse processing in Spanish (L1) and English (L2). The sample for the study included 452 undergraduate…

Sound Diffraction Around Movable Partitions in Teaching Spaces. Education Building Report 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choudhury, N. K. D.

This study concerns the diffraction of sound around flexible partitions used in teaching spaces. It includes a comprehensive study of the acoustical conditions in several school buildings in India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. The noise reduction properties of some typical partitions the minimum height of the partition between two teaching…

A Study of the Feasibility of Implementing the "CAMPUS" Planning Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keene, T. Wayne

A study was conducted to determine the feasibility of implementing the CAMPUS (Comprehensive Analytical Methods for Planning in University/College Systems) PMS model for planning and resource allocation purposes in the University of South Florida College of Education. A description of CAMPUS PMS was developed, including the nature, output…

Correlation Study of Physics Achievement, Learning Strategy, Attitude and Gender in an Introductory Physics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sezgin Selcuk, Gamze

2010-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between multiple predictors of physics achievement including reported use of four learning strategy clusters (elaboration, organization, comprehension monitoring and rehearsal), attitudes towards physics (sense of care and sense of interest) and a demographic variable (gender) in order to determine the…

The Effects of Background Information on Standarized Test Scores.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feeley, Joan T.; Wepner, Shelley B.

A study was conducted to determine the effects of exposure to the topics included on the comprehension subtest of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (ND), Form F, on college freshmen's performance on the test. In addition, the study investigated whether those students with background information would indicate their awareness of this knowledge on a…

Translation of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale into an Equivalent Spanish Version

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collazo, Andres A.

2005-01-01

A Spanish version of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS) was developed by applying a method derived from the cross-cultural and psychometric literature. The method included five sequenced studies: (a) translation and back-translation, (b) comprehension assessment, (c) psychometric equivalence study of two mixed-language versions,…

Comparing Active Pediatric Obesity Treatments Using Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilles, Allyson; Cassano, Michael; Shepherd, Elizabeth J.; Higgins, Diana; Hecker, Jeffrey E.; Nangle, Douglas W.

2008-01-01

The current meta-analysis reviews research on the treatment of pediatric obesity focusing on studies that have been published since 1994. Eleven studies (22 comparisons, 115 effect sizes, N = 447) were included in the present meta-analysis. Results indicated that comprehensive behavioral interventions may be improved in at least two ways:…

Descriptive Study of Aircraft Hijacking. Criminal Justice Monograph, Volume III, No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turi, Robert R.; And Others

The purpose of this study was to comprehensively describe all aspects of the phenomenon known as "skyjacking." The latest statistics on airline hijacking are included, which were obtained through written correspondence and personal interviews with Federal Aviation Authority officials in Washington, D. C. and Houston, Texas. Legal and…

Comprehensive Characteristics of Bottom Sediments of Water Bodies of Various Types in the Kiliya Delta of the Danube River

EPA Science Inventory

The "triad" approach, including analysis of the total content of toxicants, bioassay of bottom sediments, and the study of the structure of zoo- and phytobenthos communities, was used in assessing the quality of bottom sediments. It has been found that the studied bottom sediment...

AN EMPIRICAL BAYES APPROACH TO COMBINING ESTIMATES OF THE VALUE OF A STATISTICAL LIFE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

This analysis updates EPA's standard VSL estimate by using a more comprehensive collection of VSL studies that include studies published between 1992 and 2000, as well as applying a more appropriate statistical method. We provide a pooled effect VSL estimate by applying the empi...

Rehabilitation of Critical Illness Polyneuropathy and Myopathy Patients: An Observational Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novak, Primoz; Vidmar, Gaj; Kuret, Zala; Bizovicar, Natasa

2011-01-01

Critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy (CIPNM) frequently develops in patients hospitalized in intensive care units. The number of patients with CIPNM admitted to inpatient rehabilitation is increasing. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the outcome of their rehabilitation. Twenty-seven patients with CIPNM were included in…

From the Patient Perspective, Consent Forms Fall Short of Providing Information to Guide Decision Making

PubMed Central

Manta, Christine J.; Ortiz, Jacqueline; Moulton, Benjamin W.; Sonnad, Seema S.

2016-01-01

Objective This study aimed to gather qualitative feedback on patient perceptions of informed consent forms and elicit recommendations to improve readability and utility for enhanced patient safety and engagement in shared decision making. Methods Sixty in person interviews were conducted consisting of a literacy and numeracy assessment, a comprehension quiz to assess retention of key information and open ended questions to determine reactions, clarity of information and suggestions for improvement. Results While 68% of the participants had education beyond high school, many still missed comprehension questions and found the forms difficult to read. Recurrent suggestions included: specific formatting changes to enhance readability, a need for additional sources of information, mixed attitudes towards inclusion of risk information and the recognized importance of physician-patient conversations. Conclusion This study provides evidence from the patient perspective that consent forms are too complex and fail to achieve comprehension. Future studies should be conducted using patients’ suggestions for form redesign and inclusion of supplemental educational tools in order to optimize communication and safety to achieve more informed health care decision making. PMID:27490160

World Hip Trauma Evaluation (WHiTE): framework for embedded comprehensive cohort studies.

PubMed

Costa, Matthew L; Griffin, Xavier L; Achten, Juul; Metcalfe, David; Judge, Andrew; Pinedo-Villanueva, Rafael; Parsons, Nicholas

2016-10-21

Osteoporotic hip fractures present a significant global challenge to patients, clinicians and healthcare systems. It is estimated that hip fracture accounts for 1.4% of total social and healthcare costs in the established market economies. The World Hip Trauma Evaluation (WHiTE) was set up to measure outcome in a comprehensive cohort of UK patients with hip fracture. All patients in the cohort are treated under a single comprehensive treatment pathway. A core outcome set, including health-related quality of life, is collected on all the patients. This protocol describes the current multicentre project that will be used as a vehicle to deliver a series of embedded observational studies. Research Ethics Committee approval was granted (Rec reference 11/LO/0927, approved 18/8/2011) and each hospital trust provided National Health Service (NHS) approvals. The study is registered with National Institute of Health Research Portfolio (UKCRN ID 12351) and the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN63982700). Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Academic Achievement of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in an ASL/English Bilingual Program

PubMed Central

Wilbur, Ronnie B.

2016-01-01

There has been a scarcity of studies exploring the influence of students’ American Sign Language (ASL) proficiency on their academic achievement in ASL/English bilingual programs. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of ASL proficiency on reading comprehension skills and academic achievement of 85 deaf or hard-of-hearing signing students. Two subgroups, differing in ASL proficiency, were compared on the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress and the reading comprehension subtest of the Stanford Achievement Test, 10th edition. Findings suggested that students highly proficient in ASL outperformed their less proficient peers in nationally standardized measures of reading comprehension, English language use, and mathematics. Moreover, a regression model consisting of 5 predictors including variables regarding education, hearing devices, and secondary disabilities as well as ASL proficiency and home language showed that ASL proficiency was the single variable significantly predicting results on all outcome measures. This study calls for a paradigm shift in thinking about deaf education by focusing on characteristics shared among successful deaf signing readers, specifically ASL fluency. PMID:26864688

An analysis of the reading strategies used by adult and student deaf readers.

PubMed

Banner, Alyssa; Wang, Ye

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify and examine effective reading strategies used by adult deaf readers compared with student deaf readers. There were a total of 11 participants: 5 deaf adults ranging from 27 to 36 years and 6 deaf students ranging from 16 to 20 years. Assessment methods included interview and think-aloud procedures in which individuals were interrupted 3 times during the reading of a text to answer questions about their internal cognitive processes. It was found that both student and adult groups had highly skilled readers who demonstrated higher level reading strategies and less skilled readers who demonstrated lower level strategies, and only the highest skilled reader demonstrated both breadth and depth of strategies in all three categories: "constructing meaning," "monitoring and improving comprehension," and "evaluating comprehension." The study contributes evidence toward two identified gaps in the existing body of research: (a) the lack of investigation into the reading strategies utilized by deaf readers in text comprehension and (b) the overemphasis of most research on studying less skilled deaf readers while overlooking highly proficient deaf readers.

An appraisal of the ground-water resources of the Juniata River Basin, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seaber, Paul R.; Hollyday, Este F.

1966-01-01

This report describes the availability, quantity, quality, variability, and cost of development of the ground-water resources in the Juniata River basin, one of the larger sub-basins of the Susquehanna River basin. The report has been prepared for and under specifications established by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, and the Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.A comprehensive study of the water and related land resources of the Susquehanna River basin was authorized by the Congress of the United States in October 1961, and the task of preparing a report and of coordinating the work being done by others in support of the study was assigned to the Corps of Engineers. The comprehensive study is being conducted by several Federal departments and independent agencies in cooperation with the States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The Public Health Service under its authority in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (P. L. 660) initiated a comprehensive water quality control program for the Chesapeake drainage basin, which includes the Susquehanna River basin.

Characteristics and Methodological Quality of Meta-Analyses on Hypertension Treatments-A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Wu, Xin Yin; Du, Xin Jian; Ho, Robin S T; Lee, Clarence C Y; Yip, Benjamin H K; Wong, Martin C S; Wong, Samuel Y S; Chung, Vincent C H

2017-02-01

Methodological quality of meta-analyses on hypertension treatments can affect treatment decision-making. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the methodological quality of meta-analyses on hypertension treatments. One hundred and fifty-eight meta-analyses were identified. Overall, methodological quality was unsatisfactory in the following aspects: comprehensive reporting of financial support (1.9%), provision of included and excluded lists of studies (22.8%), inclusion of grey literature (27.2%), and inclusion of protocols (32.9%). The 126 non-Cochrane meta-analyses had poor performance on almost all the methodological items. Non-Cochrane meta-analyses focused on nonpharmacologic treatments were more likely to consider scientific quality of included studies when making conclusions. The 32 Cochrane meta-analyses generally had good methodological quality except for comprehensive reporting of the sources of support. These results highlight the need for cautious interpretation of these meta-analyses, especially among physicians and policy makers when guidelines are formulated. Future meta-analyses should pay attention to improving these methodological aspects. ©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Comprehensive Strategy to Construct In-house Database for Accurate and Batch Identification of Small Molecular Metabolites.

PubMed

Zhao, Xinjie; Zeng, Zhongda; Chen, Aiming; Lu, Xin; Zhao, Chunxia; Hu, Chunxiu; Zhou, Lina; Liu, Xinyu; Wang, Xiaolin; Hou, Xiaoli; Ye, Yaorui; Xu, Guowang

2018-05-29

Identification of the metabolites is an essential step in metabolomics study to interpret regulatory mechanism of pathological and physiological processes. However, it is still a big headache in LC-MSn-based studies because of the complexity of mass spectrometry, chemical diversity of metabolites, and deficiency of standards database. In this work, a comprehensive strategy is developed for accurate and batch metabolite identification in non-targeted metabolomics studies. First, a well defined procedure was applied to generate reliable and standard LC-MS2 data including tR, MS1 and MS2 information at a standard operational procedure (SOP). An in-house database including about 2000 metabolites was constructed and used to identify the metabolites in non-targeted metabolic profiling by retention time calibration using internal standards, precursor ion alignment and ion fusion, auto-MS2 information extraction and selection, and database batch searching and scoring. As an application example, a pooled serum sample was analyzed to deliver the strategy, 202 metabolites were identified in the positive ion mode. It shows our strategy is useful for LC-MSn-based non-targeted metabolomics study.

Comprehensive evaluation of impacts of distributed generation integration in distribution network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Sujiang; Zhou, Erbiao; Ji, Fengkun; Cao, Xinhui; Liu, Lingshuang; Liu, Zifa; Wang, Xuyang; Cai, Xiaoyu

2018-04-01

All Distributed generation (DG) as the supplement to renewable energy centralized utilization, is becoming the focus of development direction of renewable energy utilization. With the increasing proportion of DG in distribution network, the network power structure, power flow distribution, operation plans and protection are affected to some extent. According to the main impacts of DG, a comprehensive evaluation model of distributed network with DG is proposed in this paper. A comprehensive evaluation index system including 7 aspects, along with their corresponding index calculation method is established for quantitative analysis. The indices under different access capacity of DG in distribution network are calculated based on the IEEE RBTS-Bus 6 system and the evaluation result is calculated by analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The proposed model and method are verified effective and validity through case study.

Sensitive and comprehensive analysis of O-glycosylation in biotherapeutics: a case study of novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein.

PubMed

Kim, Unyong; Oh, Myung Jin; Seo, Youngsuk; Jeon, Yinae; Eom, Joon-Ho; An, Hyun Joo

2017-09-01

Glycosylation of recombinant human erythropoietins (rhEPOs) is significantly associated with drug's quality and potency. Thus, comprehensive characterization of glycosylation is vital to assess the biotherapeutic quality and establish the equivalency of biosimilar rhEPOs. However, current glycan analysis mainly focuses on the N-glycans due to the absence of analytical tools to liberate O-glycans with high sensitivity. We developed selective and sensitive method to profile native O-glycans on rhEPOs. O-glycosylation on rhEPO including O-acetylation on a sialic acid was comprehensively characterized. Details such as O-glycan structure and O-acetyl-modification site were obtained from tandem MS. This method may be applied to QC and batch analysis of not only rhEPOs but also other biotherapeutics bearing multiple O-glycosylations.

[Improving speech comprehension using a new cochlear implant speech processor].

PubMed

Müller-Deile, J; Kortmann, T; Hoppe, U; Hessel, H; Morsnowski, A

2009-06-01

The aim of this multicenter clinical field study was to assess the benefits of the new Freedom 24 sound processor for cochlear implant (CI) users implanted with the Nucleus 24 cochlear implant system. The study included 48 postlingually profoundly deaf experienced CI users who demonstrated speech comprehension performance with their current speech processor on the Oldenburg sentence test (OLSA) in quiet conditions of at least 80% correct scores and who were able to perform adaptive speech threshold testing using the OLSA in noisy conditions. Following baseline measures of speech comprehension performance with their current speech processor, subjects were upgraded to the Freedom 24 speech processor. After a take-home trial period of at least 2 weeks, subject performance was evaluated by measuring the speech reception threshold with the Freiburg multisyllabic word test and speech intelligibility with the Freiburg monosyllabic word test at 50 dB and 70 dB in the sound field. The results demonstrated highly significant benefits for speech comprehension with the new speech processor. Significant benefits for speech comprehension were also demonstrated with the new speech processor when tested in competing background noise.In contrast, use of the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) did not prove to be a suitably sensitive assessment tool for comparative subjective self-assessment of hearing benefits with each processor. Use of the preprocessing algorithm known as adaptive dynamic range optimization (ADRO) in the Freedom 24 led to additional improvements over the standard upgrade map for speech comprehension in quiet and showed equivalent performance in noise. Through use of the preprocessing beam-forming algorithm BEAM, subjects demonstrated a highly significant improved signal-to-noise ratio for speech comprehension thresholds (i.e., signal-to-noise ratio for 50% speech comprehension scores) when tested with an adaptive procedure using the Oldenburg sentences in the clinical setting S(0)N(CI), with speech signal at 0 degrees and noise lateral to the CI at 90 degrees . With the convincing findings from our evaluations of this multicenter study cohort, a trial with the Freedom 24 sound processor for all suitable CI users is recommended. For evaluating the benefits of a new processor, the comparative assessment paradigm used in our study design would be considered ideal for use with individual patients.

[Case-control study on comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine therapy for preventing postsurgery stiffness after operation for terrible triad of the elbow].

PubMed

Lin, Guang-Mao; Liu, Liang-Le; Ye, Li-Jie; Li, Qi; Liu, Mei-Fen

2014-11-01

To study therapeutic effects of comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine therapy for preventing postsurgery stiffness after operation for terrible triad of the elbow. From December 2008 to December 2013,32 patients with elbow triad were randomly divided into two groups: therapy group and control group. There were 17 patients in control group including 12 males and 5 females with a mean age of (41.0 ± 7.1) years old. The patients in control group were received the past procedure therapy. There were 15 patients in therapy group, including 10 males and 5 females with a mean age of (41.3 ± 7.6) years old. The patients in therapy group were received comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine therapy, including passive exercise training at early stage (0 to 2 weeks after operation), transition from passive to active exercise training at middle stage (3 to 4 weeks after operation), and active exercise training at late stage (5 to 12 weeks after operation). Other treatment methods, such as orally taking or externally use of Chinese herbal medicine, manipulation and physiotherapy, were used at all stages. The Mayo Elbow Performance Score, patient satisfaction and complications were evaluated and analyzed. All the patients were followed up, and the mean duration was 7.5 months. There were no complications such as internal fixation loosing, obvious displacement fracture and heterotopic ossification occurred. The Mayo score and patient satisfaction in therapy group were higher than those in control group (t = 12.78, P = 0.00; χ2 = 8.719, P = 0.003). Seven patients needed reoperation in control group, compared with 1 patient in therapy group (χ2 = 4.626, P = 0.032). The comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine therapy is effective to prevent postoperative stiffness after operation for terrible triad of the elbow by using different methods at different stages, which is worthy of spread and application.

Study on Evaluation Index System of Green mine construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, xin; Yang, JunJie; Yan, Hongcai; Cao, Hongjun

2017-11-01

Green mine is a new and science comprehensive construction mode of mine, which runs the concept of green development through the whole process of mineral resources development and utilization, promotes the transformation and upgrading of mineral enterprises and achieves the healthy and sustainable development of mining industry. This paper is based on “the basic conditions of national green mine”, combined with the current situation of green mine construction, constructing green mine construction evaluation index system which is divided into five areas, including management, comprehensive utilization of mineral resources. technological innovation. ecological environment and cultural construction.

Web-Based Interactive Writing Environment: Development and Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Jie Chi; Ko, Hwa Wei; Chung, I. Ling

2005-01-01

This study reports the development and evaluation of a web-based interactive writing environment designed for elementary school students. The environment includes three writing themes, "story pass on", "story chameleon" and "thousand ideas", to encourage reading comprehension, creativity and problem-solving skills of…

John A. Davidson: Coccidologist, artist, teacher and naturalist

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dr. John Davidson was honored at the XIV International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies with the Career Achievement award for his outstanding research on scale insects, particularly armored scales. His contributions with colleagues and students include a comprehensive treatise on the economic armo...

Environmental Education: Some Global and Local Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lisowski, Marilin; Williams, Robert

1993-01-01

Environmental education is an interdisciplinary approach that draws on biology, mathematics, chemistry, social studies, and humanities and provides a balanced, comprehensive perspective. Knowledge and skills required are applicable to regional, statewide, and global concerns. Methods include infusion, issue investigation and action, and educating…

THE PATHOLOGY OF MENTAL RETARDATION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CROME, L.; STERN, J.

DATA FROM RECENT COMPREHENSIVE STUDIES OF THE PATHOLOGY OF MENTAL RETARDATION ARE ASSEMBLED, INCLUDING MATERIAL ON ETIOLOGY, MORPHOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS. AREAS COVERED ARE (1) GENETIC CAUSES OF MENTAL RETARDATION, (2) DISORDERS OF GESTATION, (3) BIRTH INJURY, (4) GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS OF POSTNATAL CAUSES OF MENTAL…

78 FR 4430 - Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, FL; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-22

..., Florida. In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge for the next 15 years. ADDRESSES.... Research will include a broader suite of species, as well as habitat studies to adaptively manage for...

Effects of Embedded Processing Tasks on Learning Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hobbs, D. J.

1987-01-01

Describes a British study with undergraduate accountancy students which compared the quantitative and qualitative effects of three types of embedded tasks or questions--relational-semantic, transpose-semantic, and non-semantic--on learning outcomes. Variables investigated included mathematical background, recall, and comprehension. Relevance of…

Effects of Comprehensive Technologies on the Improvement of Acidified Vineyard Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hongguo; Wang, Qiunan; Xu, Feng; Jin, Jun; Wang, Guoyu; Liu, Jianguo

2018-01-01

Soil acidification is an important factor that restricts the yield and quality of fruits. In this study, the comprehensive improving technologies were applied on the vineyards in which the soil pH is below 5.5. The technologies include application of soil conditioner, organic fertilizer and bacterial manure, and growth of green manure and natural grass. The results show that the comprehensive improving technologies can raise the pH of 0-15 cm soil layer by 0.5-0.8 unit and the pH of 15-30 cm soil layer by 0.3-0.6 unit. The soil bulk densities are decreased by 0.77-10.42%. The contents of organic matter, total N, available P and K in the soils are all increased. Therefore, the soil fertilities are improved. The yields of grape fruits are increased by 12.77-14.94%, and the contents of soluble solid in the grapes are raised by 7.01-9.55%, by the comprehensive measure of seaweed liquid silicon plus sheep manure plus growth of green manure. The comprehensive measure of soil conditioner Naduoli No. 1 plus bacterial manure plus natural grass increases the yields of grape by 7.67%, raises the content of soluble solid in the grape by 8.6%. But the effect of the comprehensive measure of unslaked lime plus sheep manure plus growth of green manure is not clear.

Biopsychosocial correlates of hope in Asian patients with cancer: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Mahendran, Rathi; Chua, Shi Min; Yee, Isaac J; Tan, Joyce Y S; Kua, Ee Heok; Griva, Konstadina

2016-01-01

Objective To examine the factors associated with hope and hopelessness in patients with cancer in Asian countries, and the instruments used to measure hope and hopelessness. Methords A comprehensive systematic review was conducted with search terms, including cancer, hope, hopelessness and individual Asian country names, on CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus databases. Only quantitative studies on adult cancer populations in Asia examining hope or hopelessness were included. Results A total of 2062 unique articles were retrieved from the databases, and 32 studies were selected for inclusion in this review. Hope and hopelessness were most frequently measured with the Herth Hope Index and the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale, respectively. The biopsychosocial factors that were most consistently associated with hope and hopelessness included sociodemographic variables (education, employment and economic status); clinical factors (cancer stage, physical condition and symptoms); and psychosocial factors (emotional distress, social support and connections, quality of life, control or self-efficacy, as well as adjustment and resilience). Discussion There is a need for more studies from South and Southeast Asia as most studies hailed from East Asia. This review highlighted the possibility of cultural differences influencing factors related to hope, suggesting that cross-cultural studies specifically would facilitate understanding behind these variations, although future reviews on hope should also include studies on hopelessness for a comprehensive understanding of the concept. Finally, more longitudinal research could be conducted to assess whether the factors associated with hope and hopelessness change over time and disease progression. PMID:27855093

Comprehensive Fund-Raising Campaigns: A Basic Guide for Governing Boards of Independent Institutions. Fund-Raising Topics. Board Basics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schrum, Jake B., Ed.

2001-01-01

This guide for the governing boards of independent institutions discusses conducting a comprehensive fund-raising campaign. A comprehensive fund-raising campaign is broader and more strategic than past capital fund raising campaigns. Its financial goals include all potential gifts from annual fund donors, all gifts for the endowment, all gifts for…

Wolves, Confederates, and the Happy Few: The Influence of Comprehension, Agreement, and Group Membership on the Attitude toward Irony

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Mulken, Margot; Burgers, Christian; van der Plas, Bram

2011-01-01

Comprehension is an important factor in the functioning of irony. Readers who are unaware of the irony in an utterance are "sheep," whereas readers who understand the irony are "wolves" (Gibbs & Izett, 2005). Factors that may impact on the attitude toward irony not only include comprehension, but agreement (agreeing with…

A Pilot Study of Biomedical Text Comprehension using an Attention-Based Deep Neural Reader: Design and Experimental Analysis.

PubMed

Kim, Seongsoon; Park, Donghyeon; Choi, Yonghwa; Lee, Kyubum; Kim, Byounggun; Jeon, Minji; Kim, Jihye; Tan, Aik Choon; Kang, Jaewoo

2018-01-05

With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology centered on deep-learning, the computer has evolved to a point where it can read a given text and answer a question based on the context of the text. Such a specific task is known as the task of machine comprehension. Existing machine comprehension tasks mostly use datasets of general texts, such as news articles or elementary school-level storybooks. However, no attempt has been made to determine whether an up-to-date deep learning-based machine comprehension model can also process scientific literature containing expert-level knowledge, especially in the biomedical domain. This study aims to investigate whether a machine comprehension model can process biomedical articles as well as general texts. Since there is no dataset for the biomedical literature comprehension task, our work includes generating a large-scale question answering dataset using PubMed and manually evaluating the generated dataset. We present an attention-based deep neural model tailored to the biomedical domain. To further enhance the performance of our model, we used a pretrained word vector and biomedical entity type embedding. We also developed an ensemble method of combining the results of several independent models to reduce the variance of the answers from the models. The experimental results showed that our proposed deep neural network model outperformed the baseline model by more than 7% on the new dataset. We also evaluated human performance on the new dataset. The human evaluation result showed that our deep neural model outperformed humans in comprehension by 22% on average. In this work, we introduced a new task of machine comprehension in the biomedical domain using a deep neural model. Since there was no large-scale dataset for training deep neural models in the biomedical domain, we created the new cloze-style datasets Biomedical Knowledge Comprehension Title (BMKC_T) and Biomedical Knowledge Comprehension Last Sentence (BMKC_LS) (together referred to as BioMedical Knowledge Comprehension) using the PubMed corpus. The experimental results showed that the performance of our model is much higher than that of humans. We observed that our model performed consistently better regardless of the degree of difficulty of a text, whereas humans have difficulty when performing biomedical literature comprehension tasks that require expert level knowledge. ©Seongsoon Kim, Donghyeon Park, Yonghwa Choi, Kyubum Lee, Byounggun Kim, Minji Jeon, Jihye Kim, Aik Choon Tan, Jaewoo Kang. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 05.01.2018.

77 FR 51044 - Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, PR; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-23

... the human environment, which we included in the draft comprehensive conservation plan and... observation, wildlife photography, environmental education, and interpretation; bicycling, hiking, walking...

Towards the development of a comprehensive framework: Qualitative systematic survey of definitions of clinical research quality

PubMed Central

von Niederhäusern, Belinda; Schandelmaier, Stefan; Mi Bonde, Marie; Brunner, Nicole; Hemkens, Lars G.; Rutquist, Marielle; Bhatnagar, Neera; Guyatt, Gordon H.; Pauli-Magnus, Christiane; Briel, Matthias

2017-01-01

Objective To systematically survey existing definitions, concepts, and criteria of clinical research quality, both developed by stakeholder groups as well as in the medical literature. This study serves as a first step in the development of a comprehensive framework for the quality of clinical research. Study design and setting We systematically and in duplicate searched definitions, concepts and criteria of clinical research quality on websites of stakeholders in clinical research until no further insights emerged and in MEDLINE up to February 2015. Stakeholders included governmental bodies, regulatory agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, academic and commercial contract research organizations, initiatives, research ethics committees, patient organizations and funding agencies from 13 countries. Data synthesis involved descriptive and qualitative analyses following the Framework Method on definitions, concepts, and criteria of clinical research quality. Descriptive codes were applied and grouped into clusters to identify common and stakeholder-specific quality themes. Results Stakeholder concepts on how to assure quality throughout study conduct or articles on quality assessment tools were common, generally with no a priori definition of the term quality itself. We identified a total of 20 explicit definitions of clinical research quality including varying quality dimensions and focusing on different stages in the clinical research process. Encountered quality dimensions include ethical conduct, patient safety/rights/priorities, internal validity, precision of results, generalizability or external validity, scientific and societal relevance, transparency and accessibility of information, research infrastructure and sustainability. None of the definitions appeared to be comprehensive either in terms of quality dimensions, research stages, or stakeholder perspectives. Conclusion Clinical research quality is often discussed but rarely defined. A framework defining clinical research quality across stakeholders’ individual perspectives is desirable to facilitate discussion, assessment, and improvement of quality at all stages of clinical research. PMID:28715491

Improving patients' understanding of terms and phrases commonly used in self-reported measures of sexual function.

PubMed

Alexander, Angel M; Flynn, Kathryn E; Hahn, Elizabeth A; Jeffery, Diana D; Keefe, Francis J; Reeve, Bryce B; Schultz, Wesley; Reese, Jennifer Barsky; Shelby, Rebecca A; Weinfurt, Kevin P

2014-08-01

There is a significant gap in research regarding the readability and comprehension of existing sexual function measures. Patient-reported outcome measures may use terms not well understood by respondents with low literacy. This study aims to test comprehension of words and phrases typically used in sexual function measures to improve validity for all individuals, including those with low literacy. We recruited 20 men and 28 women for cognitive interviews on version 2.0 of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System(®) (PROMIS(®) ) Sexual Function and Satisfaction measures. We assessed participants' reading level using the word reading subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test. Sixteen participants were classified as having low literacy. In the first round of cognitive interviews, each survey item was reviewed by five or more people, at least two of whom had lower than a ninth-grade reading level (low literacy). Patient feedback was incorporated into a revised version of the items. In the second round of interviews, an additional three or more people (at least one with low literacy) reviewed each revised item. Participants with low literacy had difficulty comprehending terms such as aroused, orgasm, erection, ejaculation, incontinence, and vaginal penetration. Women across a range of literacy levels had difficulty with clinical terms like labia and clitoris. We modified unclear terms to include parenthetical descriptors or slang equivalents, which generally improved comprehension. Common words and phrases used across measures of self-reported sexual function are not universally understood. Researchers should appreciate these misunderstandings as a potential source of error in studies using self-reported measures of sexual function. This study also provides evidence for the importance of including individuals with low literacy in cognitive pretesting during the measure development. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Beyond Comprehension Strategy Instruction: What's Next?

PubMed

Elleman, Amy M; Compton, Donald L

2017-04-20

In this article, we respond to Catts and Kamhi's (2017) argument that reading comprehension is not a single ability. We provide a brief review of the impact of strategy instruction, the importance of knowledge in reading comprehension, and possible avenues for future research and practice. We agree with Catts and Kamhi's argument that reading comprehension is a complex endeavor and that current recommended practices do not reflect the complexity of the construct. Knowledge building, despite its important role in comprehension, has been relegated to a back seat in reading comprehension instruction. In the final section of the article, we outline possible avenues for research and practice (e.g., generative language instruction, dialogic approaches to knowledge building, analogical reasoning and disciplinary literacy, the use of graphics and media, inference instruction) for improving reading-comprehension outcomes. Reading comprehension is a complex ability, and comprehension instruction should reflect this complexity. If we want to have an impact on long-term growth in reading comprehension, we will need to expand our current repertoire of instructional methods to include approaches that support the acquisition and integration of knowledge across a variety of texts and topics.

Visualizing risks in cancer communication: A systematic review of computer-supported visual aids.

PubMed

Stellamanns, Jan; Ruetters, Dana; Dahal, Keshav; Schillmoeller, Zita; Huebner, Jutta

2017-08-01

Health websites are becoming important sources for cancer information. Lay users, patients and carers seek support for critical decisions, but they are prone to common biases when quantitative information is presented. Graphical representations of risk data can facilitate comprehension, and interactive visualizations are popular. This review summarizes the evidence on computer-supported graphs that present risk data and their effects on various measures. The systematic literature search was conducted in several databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL. Only studies with a controlled design were included. Relevant publications were carefully selected and critically appraised by two reviewers. Thirteen studies were included. Ten studies evaluated static graphs and three dynamic formats. Most decision scenarios were hypothetical. Static graphs could improve accuracy, comprehension, and behavioural intention. But the results were heterogeneous and inconsistent among the studies. Dynamic formats were not superior or even impaired performance compared to static formats. Static graphs show promising but inconsistent results, while research on dynamic visualizations is scarce and must be interpreted cautiously due to methodical limitations. Well-designed and context-specific static graphs can support web-based cancer risk communication in particular populations. The application of dynamic formats cannot be recommended and needs further research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of worksite and employee variables on employee engagement in telephonic health coaching programs: a retrospective multivariate analysis.

PubMed

Grossmeier, Jessica

2013-01-01

This study assessed 11 determinants of health coaching program participation. A cross-sectional study design used secondary data to assess the role of six employee-level and five worksite-level variables on telephone-based coaching enrollment, active participation, and completion. Data was provided by a national provider of worksite health promotion program services for employers. A random sample of 34,291 employees from 52 companies was selected for inclusion in the study. Survey-based measures included age, gender, job type, health risk status, tobacco risk, social support, financial incentives, comprehensive communications, senior leadership support, cultural support, and comprehensive program design. Gender-stratified multivariate logistic regression models were applied using backwards elimination procedures to yield parsimonious prediction models for each of the dependent variables. Employees were more likely to enroll in coaching programs if they were older, female, and in poorer health, and if they were at worksites with fewer environmental supports for health, clear financial incentives for participation in coaching, more comprehensive communications, and more comprehensive programs. Once employees were enrolled, program completion was greater among those who were older, did not use tobacco, worked at a company with strong communications, and had fewer environmental supports for health. Both worksite-level and employee-level factors have significant influences on health coaching engagement, and there are gender differences in the strength of these predictors.

Impact of Pharmacist-Conducted Comprehensive Medication Reviews for Older Adult Patients to Reduce Medication Related Problems.

PubMed

Kiel, Whitney J; Phillips, Shaun W

2017-12-31

Older adults are demanding increased healthcare attention with regards to prescription use due in large part to highly complex medication regimens. As patients age, medications often have a more pronounced effect on older adults, negatively impacting patient safety and increasing healthcare costs. Comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) optimize medications for elderly patients and help to avoid inappropriate medication use. Previous literature has shown that such CMRs can successfully identify and reduce the number of medication-related problems and improve acute healthcare utilization. The purpose of this pharmacy resident research study is to examine the impact of pharmacist-conducted geriatric medication reviews to reduce medication-related problems within a leading community health system in southwest Michigan. Furthermore, the study examines type of pharmacist interventions made during medication reviews, acute healthcare utilization, and physician assessment of the pharmacist's value. The study was conducted as a retrospective post-hoc analysis on ambulatory patients who received a CMR by a pharmacist at a primary care practice. Inclusion criteria included patients over 65 years of age with concurrent use of at least five medications who were a recent recipient of a CMR. Exclusion criteria included patients with renal failure, or those with multiple providers involved in primary care. The primary outcome was the difference in number of medication-related problems, as defined by the START and STOPP Criteria (Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment/Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions). Secondary outcomes included hospitalizations, emergency department visits, number and type of pharmacist interventions, acceptance rate of pharmacist recommendations, and assessment of the pharmacist's value by clinic providers. There were a total of 26 patients that received a comprehensive medication review from the pharmacist and were compared to a control group, patients that did not receive a CMR. The average patient age for both groups was 76 years old. A total of 11 medication-related problems in the intervention group patients were identified compared with 24 medication-related problems in the control group ( p -value 0.002). Pharmacist-led comprehensive medication reviews were associated with a statistically significant different in the number of medication-related problems as defined by the START and STOPP criteria.

Rationale, Design, and Methodology of the APOLLON trial: A comPrehensive, ObservationaL registry of heart faiLure with midrange and preserved ejectiON fraction.

PubMed

Özlek, Bülent; Özlek, Eda; Çelik, Oğuzhan; Çil, Cem; Doğan, Volkan; Tekinalp, Mehmet; Zencirkıran Ağuş, Hicaz; Kahraman, Serkan; Ösken, Altuğ; Rencüzoğulları, İbrahim; Tanık, Veysel Ozan; Bekar, Lütfü; Çakır, Mustafa Ozan; Kaya, Bedri Caner; Tibilli, Hakan; Çelik, Yunus; Başaran, Özcan; Mert, Kadir Uğur; Sevinç, Samet; Demirci, Erkan; Dondurmacı, Engin; Biteker, Murat

2018-05-01

Although almost half of chronic heart failure (HF) patients have mid-range (HFmrEF) and preserved left-ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF), no studies have been carried out with these patients in our country. This study aims to determine the demographic characteristics and current status of the clinical background of HFmrEF and HFpEF patients in a multicenter trial. A comPrehensive, ObservationaL registry of heart faiLure with mid range and preserved ejectiON fraction (APOLLON) trial will be an observational, multicenter, and noninterventional study conducted in Turkey. The study population will include 1065 patients from 12 sites in Turkey. All data will be collected at one point in time and the current clinical practice will be evaluated (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT03026114). We will enroll all consecutive patients admitted to the cardiology clinics who were at least 18 years of age and had New York Heart Association class II, III, or IV HF, elevated brain natriuretic peptide levels within the last 30 days, and an left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of at least 40%. Patients fulfilling the exclusion criteria will not be included in the study. Patients will be stratified into two categories according to LVEF: mid-range EF (HFmrEF, LVEF 40%-49%) and preserved EF (HFpEF, LVEF ≥50%). Regional quota sampling will be performed to ensure that the sample was representative of the Turkish population. Demographic, lifestyle, medical, and therapeutic data will be collected by this specific survey. The APOLLON trial will be the largest and most comprehensive study in Turkey evaluating HF patients with a LVEF ≥40% and will also be the first study to specifically analyze the recently designated HFmrEF category.

Damaging effects of visible light. Comprehensive progress report

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

None

1981-01-01

Research progress is reported on studies of retinal light damage. A myriad of variables effect the production of light damage. These include age, prior light history, body temperature, vitamin A status, intensity, wavelength and duration of light. The intensity-duration function and the age function have been studied in detail in rats. Studies have been begun on the wavelength variable. (ACR)

78 FR 61844 - North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-04

... Comprehensive Study AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY... in the preparation of the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study (Hurricane Sandy). The USACE is... Comprehensive Study authorized under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, Public Law 113-2 are to (1) provide...

The influence of age, hearing, and working memory on the speech comprehension benefit derived from an automatic speech recognition system.

PubMed

Zekveld, Adriana A; Kramer, Sophia E; Kessens, Judith M; Vlaming, Marcel S M G; Houtgast, Tammo

2009-04-01

The aim of the current study was to examine whether partly incorrect subtitles that are automatically generated by an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system, improve speech comprehension by listeners with hearing impairment. In an earlier study (Zekveld et al. 2008), we showed that speech comprehension in noise by young listeners with normal hearing improves when presenting partly incorrect, automatically generated subtitles. The current study focused on the effects of age, hearing loss, visual working memory capacity, and linguistic skills on the benefit obtained from automatically generated subtitles during listening to speech in noise. In order to investigate the effects of age and hearing loss, three groups of participants were included: 22 young persons with normal hearing (YNH, mean age = 21 years), 22 middle-aged adults with normal hearing (MA-NH, mean age = 55 years) and 30 middle-aged adults with hearing impairment (MA-HI, mean age = 57 years). The benefit from automatic subtitling was measured by Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) tests (Plomp & Mimpen, 1979). Both unimodal auditory and bimodal audiovisual SRT tests were performed. In the audiovisual tests, the subtitles were presented simultaneously with the speech, whereas in the auditory test, only speech was presented. The difference between the auditory and audiovisual SRT was defined as the audiovisual benefit. Participants additionally rated the listening effort. We examined the influences of ASR accuracy level and text delay on the audiovisual benefit and the listening effort using a repeated measures General Linear Model analysis. In a correlation analysis, we evaluated the relationships between age, auditory SRT, visual working memory capacity and the audiovisual benefit and listening effort. The automatically generated subtitles improved speech comprehension in noise for all ASR accuracies and delays covered by the current study. Higher ASR accuracy levels resulted in more benefit obtained from the subtitles. Speech comprehension improved even for relatively low ASR accuracy levels; for example, participants obtained about 2 dB SNR audiovisual benefit for ASR accuracies around 74%. Delaying the presentation of the text reduced the benefit and increased the listening effort. Participants with relatively low unimodal speech comprehension obtained greater benefit from the subtitles than participants with better unimodal speech comprehension. We observed an age-related decline in the working-memory capacity of the listeners with normal hearing. A higher age and a lower working memory capacity were associated with increased effort required to use the subtitles to improve speech comprehension. Participants were able to use partly incorrect and delayed subtitles to increase their comprehension of speech in noise, regardless of age and hearing loss. This supports the further development and evaluation of an assistive listening system that displays automatically recognized speech to aid speech comprehension by listeners with hearing impairment.

Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation improves outcome for patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Findings from the COPE-ICD randomised clinical trial.

PubMed

Berg, Selina Kikkenborg; Pedersen, Preben U; Zwisler, Ann-Dorthe; Winkel, Per; Gluud, Christian; Pedersen, Birthe D; Svendsen, Jesper H

2015-02-01

The aim of this randomised clinical trial was to assess a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation intervention including exercise training and psycho-education vs 'treatment as usual' in patients treated with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). In this study 196 patients with first time ICD implantation (mean age 57.2 (standard deviation (SD)=13.2); 79% men) were randomised (1:1) to comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation vs 'treatment as usual'. Altogether 144 participants completed the 12 month follow-up. The intervention consisted of twelve weeks of exercise training and one year of psycho-educational follow-up focusing on modifiable factors associated with poor outcomes. Two primary outcomes, general health score (Short Form-36 (SF-36)) and peak oxygen uptake (VO₂), were used. Post-hoc analyses included SF-36 and ICD therapy history. Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation significantly increased VO2 uptake after exercise training to 23.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 20.9-22.7) vs 20.8 (95% CI 18.9-22.7) ml/min/kg in the control group (p=0.004 (multiplicity p=0.015)). Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation significantly increased general health; at three months (mean 62.8 (95% CI 58.1-67.5) vs 64.4 (95% CI: 59.6-69.2)) points; at six months (mean 66.7 (95% CI 61.5-72.0) vs 61.9 (95% CI 56.1-67.7) points); and 12 months (mean 63.5 (95% CI 57.7-69.3) vs 62.1 (95% CI 56.2-68.0)) points (p <0.05). Explorative analyses showed a significant difference between groups in favour of the intervention group. No significant difference was seen in ICD therapy history. Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation combining exercise training and a psycho-educational intervention improves VO₂-uptake and general health. Furthermore, mental health seems improved. No significant difference was found in the number of ICD shocks or anti-tachycardia pacing therapy. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014.

A Comprehensive Study of Mass Murder Precipitants and Motivations of Offenders.

PubMed

Taylor, Melanie A

2018-02-01

Much speculation has been made in the media as to the causes of mass murder in the United States, yet little empirical research exists to verify factors leading to violence. Prior research primarily relies on case study methodologies or small data sets, but none have focused on the underlying issues observed in a comprehensive national sample. Data for the current study include 152 mass murders reported through the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports and USA Today from 2007 to 2011, which were then matched with media reports for each event. The current study shows that mass murders typically occur following a triggering event, are committed by non-strangers, and are rarely committed by persons with mental illnesses. A more realistic image of these incidents is critical, as misperceptions of offenders and case characteristics can improperly shape public policies.

Reading and listening comprehension and their relation to inattention and hyperactivity.

PubMed

Cain, Kate; Bignell, Simon

2014-03-01

Children with diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently have reading problems. To date, it is not clear whether poor reading is associated with both inattention and hyperactivity and also whether poor reading comprehension is the result of poor word reading skills or more general language comprehension weaknesses. We report two studies to examine how reading and listening comprehension skills are related to inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Separate groups of 7- to 11-year-olds participated in each study. In both studies, we used teacher ratings of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity to identify three groups at risk of ADHD: poor attention, high hyperactivity, poor attention and high hyperactivity, and also same-age controls. In Study 1, we explored how inattention and hyperactivity predicted reading after controlling for non-verbal IQ and vocabulary. In Study 2, we compared listening and reading comprehension in these groups. Poor attention was related to poor reading comprehension, although the relation was partially mediated by word reading skill (Study 1). Groups with high hyperactivity had weak listening comprehension relative to reading comprehension (Study 2). These results indicate that the reading comprehension problems of children with attention difficulties are related to poor word reading and that listening comprehension is particularly vulnerable in children at risk of ADHD. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Validation of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for Vocational Rehabilitation From the Perspective of Physical Therapists: International Delphi Survey.

PubMed

Kaech Moll, Veronika M; Escorpizo, Reuben; Portmann Bergamaschi, Ruth; Finger, Monika E

2016-08-01

The Comprehensive ICF Core Set for vocational rehabilitation (VR) is a list of essential categories on functioning based on the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), which describes a standard for interdisciplinary assessment, documentation, and communication in VR. The aim of this study was to examine the content validity of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for VR from the perspective of physical therapists. A 3-round email survey was performed using the Delphi method. A convenience sample of international physical therapists working in VR with work experience of ≥2 years were asked to identify aspects they consider as relevant when evaluating or treating clients in VR. Responses were linked to the ICF categories and compared with the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for VR. Sixty-two physical therapists from all 6 WHO world regions responded with 3,917 statements that were subsequently linked to 338 ICF categories. Fifteen (17%) of the 90 categories in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for VR were confirmed by the physical therapists in the sample. Twenty-two additional ICF categories were identified that were not included in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for VR. Vocational rehabilitation in physical therapy is not well defined in every country and might have resulted in the small sample size. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized to all physical therapists practicing in VR. The content validity of the ICF Core Set for VR is insufficient from solely a physical therapist perspective. The results of this study could be used to define a physical therapy-specific set of ICF categories to develop and guide physical therapist clinical practice in VR. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

Identifying Role Diffusion in School Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Astramovich, Randall L.; Hoskins, Wendy J.; Gutierrez, Antonio P.; Bartlett, Kerry A.

2013-01-01

Role ambiguity in professional school counseling is an ongoing concern despite recent advances with comprehensive school counseling models. The study outlined in this article examined role diffusion as a possible factor contributing to ongoing role ambiguity in school counseling. Participants included 109 graduate students enrolled in a…

40 CFR 1.47 - Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... waste sites and spills (including oil spills); long-term strategic planning and special studies; economic and long-term environmental analyses; economic impact assessment of RCRA and CERCLA regulations... responsibility for implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive...

40 CFR 1.47 - Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... waste sites and spills (including oil spills); long-term strategic planning and special studies; economic and long-term environmental analyses; economic impact assessment of RCRA and CERCLA regulations... responsibility for implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive...

40 CFR 57.405 - Formulation, approval, and implementation of requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... completion of the measures specified in the approved plan evaluating the performance and adequacy of the SCS.... The reliability study shall include a comprehensive analysis of the system's operation during one or... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) PRIMARY NONFERROUS SMELTER ORDERS Supplementary Control System...

40 CFR 57.405 - Formulation, approval, and implementation of requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... completion of the measures specified in the approved plan evaluating the performance and adequacy of the SCS.... The reliability study shall include a comprehensive analysis of the system's operation during one or... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) PRIMARY NONFERROUS SMELTER ORDERS Supplementary Control System...

40 CFR 57.405 - Formulation, approval, and implementation of requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... completion of the measures specified in the approved plan evaluating the performance and adequacy of the SCS.... The reliability study shall include a comprehensive analysis of the system's operation during one or... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) PRIMARY NONFERROUS SMELTER ORDERS Supplementary Control System...

40 CFR 57.405 - Formulation, approval, and implementation of requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... completion of the measures specified in the approved plan evaluating the performance and adequacy of the SCS.... The reliability study shall include a comprehensive analysis of the system's operation during one or... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) PRIMARY NONFERROUS SMELTER ORDERS Supplementary Control System...

"Show-Me Bedtime Reading'" An Unusual Study of the Benefits of Reading to Deaf Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Deborah

1989-01-01

Nine primary-age children at a residential school for the deaf were read bedtime stories using a Total Communication approach. Every child subsequently demonstrated growth on each of several language assessments, including language comprehension and expressive language. (JDD)

Aspectual Coercion in Eye Movements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, David J.

2013-01-01

Comprehension includes interpreting sentences in terms of aspectual categories such as processes ("Harry climbed") and culminations ("Harry reached the top"). Adding a verbal modifier such as "for many years" to a culmination coerces its interpretation from one to many culminations. Previous studies have found that coercion increases lexical…

What’s in the Pool? A Comprehensive Identification of Disinfection By-products and Assessment of Mutagenicity of Chlorinated and Brominated Swimming Pool Water

PubMed Central

Richardson, Susan D.; DeMarini, David M.; Kogevinas, Manolis; Fernandez, Pilar; Marco, Esther; Lourencetti, Carolina; Ballesté, Clara; Heederik, Dick; Meliefste, Kees; McKague, A. Bruce; Marcos, Ricard; Font-Ribera, Laia; Grimalt, Joan O.; Villanueva, Cristina M.

2010-01-01

Background Swimming pool disinfectants and disinfection by-products (DBPs) have been linked to human health effects, including asthma and bladder cancer, but no studies have provided a comprehensive identification of DBPs in the water and related that to mutagenicity. Objectives We performed a comprehensive identification of DBPs and disinfectant species in waters from public swimming pools in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that disinfect with either chlorine or bromine and we determined the mutagenicity of the waters to compare with the analytical results. Methods We used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to measure trihalomethanes in water, GC with electron capture detection for air, low- and high-resolution GC/MS to comprehensively identify DBPs, photometry to measure disinfectant species (free chlorine, monochloroamine, dichloramine, and trichloramine) in the waters, and an ion chromatography method to measure trichloramine in air. We assessed mutagenicity with the Salmonella mutagenicity assay. Results We identified > 100 DBPs, including many nitrogen-containing DBPs that were likely formed from nitrogen-containing precursors from human inputs, such as urine, sweat, and skin cells. Many DBPs were new and have not been reported previously in either swimming pool or drinking waters. Bromoform levels were greater in brominated than in chlorinated pool waters, but we also identified many brominated DBPs in the chlorinated waters. The pool waters were mutagenic at levels similar to that of drinking water (~ 1,200 revertants/L-equivalents in strain TA100–S9 mix). Conclusions This study identified many new DBPs not identified previously in swimming pool or drinking water and found that swimming pool waters are as mutagenic as typical drinking waters. PMID:20833605

[Influence of comprehensive intervention composed of nutrition and exercise on the development of exercise habits and self-perceived health among community-dwelling elderly individuals].

PubMed

Takai, Itsushi

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of comprehensive intervention on the development of exercise habits and self-perceived health among community-dwelling elderly individuals. A total of 44 elderly individuals (mean age: 71.1±5.0SD) who had provided consent to participate in the study were randomly allocated to either an intervention (n=23) or control group (n=21). The intervention group participated in a comprehensive intervention program (including nutrition classes, group exercise and enjoying meals with other community members). The following factors were measured: age, the frequency of going out, a history of falls, the frequency of exercise, the duration of exercise, self-efficacy for exercise, the stage model of change, self-perceived health before, immediately after and one month after the intervention. The attendance rate in the intervention group was over 90%. The intervention group exhibited significant improvements in the frequency of exercise (p=0.001), duration of exercise (p=0.02) and self-efficacy for exercise (p=0.012) compared with the control group following the intervention program. On follow-up, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in the frequency of exercise (p=0.027) and self-efficacy for exercise (p=0.043) compared with the control group. These findings suggested that a comprehensive intervention program composed of nutrition and exercise can improve the developing exercise habits and self-perceived health. Self-perceived health was improved by several factors, which appeears to have contributed to the results. These factors include sharing and exchanging ideas and having the opportunity to enjoy meals with other community members. Further activities promoting such interactions and exercise habits are therefore necessary.

Association between language and hearing disorders – risk identification

PubMed Central

Samelli, Alessandra Giannella; Rondon-Melo, Silmara; Rabelo, Camila Maia; Molini-Avejonas, Daniela Regina

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To identify children at risk for hearing and/or language disorders and to investigate the association between these risks by conducting pre-validated hearing and language screenings. METHODS: The study was conducted during a polio vaccination campaign in August of 2013 in basic health units in western São Paulo. Parents of children between 2 and 5 years of age were asked to complete two screening tools: a hearing questionnaire (regarding hearing development) and a language production and comprehension scale (including the major language development milestones). The screening tools were administered by different researchers. We compared the risk of having language disorders among children at risk for hearing loss versus children not at risk, as well as the attributable risk and odds ratios. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression analyses were used. RESULTS: The study included 479 children with a mean age of three and one-half years, of whom 26.9% were identified as at risk for deficits in language production, 8.6% were at risk for deficits in language comprehension and 14% were at risk for hearing disorders. The children at risk for hearing disorders were twice as likely as those not at risk to exhibit language production and comprehension deficits. CONCLUSION: The results of this study highlight the importance of establishing and adopting low-cost procedures such as screenings to identify children at risk of developing language and/or hearing disorders in early childhood. PMID:28492720

Some unsolved problems in discrete mathematics and mathematical cybernetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korshunov, Aleksei D.

2009-10-01

There are many unsolved problems in discrete mathematics and mathematical cybernetics. Writing a comprehensive survey of such problems involves great difficulties. First, such problems are rather numerous and varied. Second, they greatly differ from each other in degree of completeness of their solution. Therefore, even a comprehensive survey should not attempt to cover the whole variety of such problems; only the most important and significant problems should be reviewed. An impersonal choice of problems to include is quite hard. This paper includes 13 unsolved problems related to combinatorial mathematics and computational complexity theory. The problems selected give an indication of the author's studies for 50 years; for this reason, the choice of the problems reviewed here is, to some extent, subjective. At the same time, these problems are very difficult and quite important for discrete mathematics and mathematical cybernetics. Bibliography: 74 items.

DiseaseConnect: a comprehensive web server for mechanism-based disease–disease connections

PubMed Central

Liu, Chun-Chi; Tseng, Yu-Ting; Li, Wenyuan; Wu, Chia-Yu; Mayzus, Ilya; Rzhetsky, Andrey; Sun, Fengzhu; Waterman, Michael; Chen, Jeremy J. W.; Chaudhary, Preet M.; Loscalzo, Joseph; Crandall, Edward; Zhou, Xianghong Jasmine

2014-01-01

The DiseaseConnect (http://disease-connect.org) is a web server for analysis and visualization of a comprehensive knowledge on mechanism-based disease connectivity. The traditional disease classification system groups diseases with similar clinical symptoms and phenotypic traits. Thus, diseases with entirely different pathologies could be grouped together, leading to a similar treatment design. Such problems could be avoided if diseases were classified based on their molecular mechanisms. Connecting diseases with similar pathological mechanisms could inspire novel strategies on the effective repositioning of existing drugs and therapies. Although there have been several studies attempting to generate disease connectivity networks, they have not yet utilized the enormous and rapidly growing public repositories of disease-related omics data and literature, two primary resources capable of providing insights into disease connections at an unprecedented level of detail. Our DiseaseConnect, the first public web server, integrates comprehensive omics and literature data, including a large amount of gene expression data, Genome-Wide Association Studies catalog, and text-mined knowledge, to discover disease–disease connectivity via common molecular mechanisms. Moreover, the clinical comorbidity data and a comprehensive compilation of known drug–disease relationships are additionally utilized for advancing the understanding of the disease landscape and for facilitating the mechanism-based development of new drug treatments. PMID:24895436

Figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic review

PubMed Central

Kalandadze, Tamar; Norbury, Courtenay; Nærland, Terje; Næss, Kari-Anne B

2016-01-01

We present a meta-analysis of studies that compare figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and in typically developing controls who were matched based on chronological age or/and language ability. A total of 41 studies and 45 independent effect sizes were included based on predetermined inclusion criteria. Group matching strategy, age, types of figurative language, and cross-linguistic differences were examined as predictors that might explain heterogeneity in effect sizes. Overall, individuals with autism spectrum disorder showed poorer comprehension of figurative language than their typically developing peers (Hedges’ g = –0.57). A meta-regression analysis showed that group matching strategy and types of figurative language were significantly related to differences in effect sizes, whereas chronological age and cross-linguistic differences were not. Differences between the autism spectrum disorder and typically developing groups were small and nonsignificant when the groups were matched based on the language ability. Metaphors were more difficult to comprehend for individuals with autism spectrum disorder compared with typically developing controls than were irony and sarcasm. Our findings highlight the critical role of core language skills in figurative language comprehension. Interventions and educational programmes designed to improve social communication skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder may beneficially target core language skills in addition to social skills. PMID:27899711

Attention Process Training-3 to improve reading comprehension in mild aphasia: A single-case experimental design study.

PubMed

Lee, Jaime B; Sohlberg, McKay Moore; Harn, Beth; Horner, Robert; Cherney, Leora R

2018-06-04

People with aphasia frequently present with nonlinguistic deficits, in addition to their compromised language abilities, which may contribute to their problems with reading comprehension. Treatment of attention, working memory and executive control may improve reading comprehension in individuals with aphasia, particularly those with mild reading problems. This single-case experimental design study evaluated the efficacy of Attention Process Training-3, an intervention combining direct attention training and metacognitive facilitation, for improving reading comprehension in individuals with mild aphasia. A multiple baseline design across six participants was used to evaluate treatment effects. The primary outcome measure was a maze reading task. Cognitive measures were administered pre- and post-treatment. Visual inspection of graphed maze reading performance data indicated a basic effect between APT-3 and improved maze reading for three of the six participants. Quantitative analyses, using Tau-U, corroborated findings identified through visual analysis. The overall effect size was significant (Tau = .48, p = .01). Results suggest that APT-3 has the potential to improve reading in individuals with aphasia, but that it may be more efficacious under certain conditions. Treatment and participant variables, including intensity of treatment and metacognitive strategy usage, are discussed as potential influences on participants' responsiveness to APT-3.

A randomized trial of pictorial versus prose-based medication information pamphlets.

PubMed

Thompson, Andrew E; Goldszmidt, Mark A; Schwartz, Alan J; Bashook, Philip G

2010-03-01

The goal of this study was to compare prose and pictorial-based information pamphlets about the medication methotrexate in the domains of free recall, cued recall, comprehension and utility. A single blind, randomized trial of picture versus prose-based information pamphlets including 100 participants aged 18-65 years of age, who had not completed high school, could read English, and had no prior knowledge about methotrexate. Superiority of pamphlet type was assessed using immediate free recall, cued recall and comprehension. There were no differences between picture and prose pamphlets in free recall, cued recall, and comprehension either immediately or after a 1-week interval. Immediate free recall of important information was 17-26%; free recall fell even lower to 7-16% after 1 week. The pictorial pamphlet was preferred over the prose-based pamphlet. This study found no benefit in free recall, cued recall, or comprehension through the addition of pictograms to a simple prose-based medication pamphlet. In order for them to be effective in clinical practice, even simple medication information pamphlets that have been assessed for patients' ability to comprehend them cannot be used as the sole means for conveying important medication-related information to patients. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlates of lower comprehension of informed consent among participants enrolled in a cohort study in Pune, India.

PubMed

Joglekar, Neelam S; Deshpande, Swapna S; Sahay, Seema; Ghate, Manisha V; Bollinger, Robert C; Mehendale, Sanjay M

2013-03-01

Optimum comprehension of informed consent by research participants is essential yet challenging. This study explored correlates of lower comprehension of informed consent among 1334 participants of a cohort study aimed at estimating HIV incidence in Pune, India. As part of the informed consent process, a structured comprehension tool was administered to study participants. Participants scoring ≥90% were categorised into the 'optimal comprehension group', whilst those scoring 80-89% were categorised into the 'lower comprehension group'. Data were analysed to identify sociodemographic and behavioural correlates of lower consent comprehension. The mean ± SD comprehension score was 94.4 ± 5.00%. Information pertaining to study-related risks was not comprehended by 61.7% of participants. HIV-negative men (adjusted OR [AOR] = 4.36, 95% CI 1.71-11.05) or HIV-negative women (AOR = 13.54, 95% CI 6.42-28.55), illiteracy (AOR= 1.65, 95% CI 1.19-2.30), those with a history of multiple partners (AOR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.12-2.66) and those never using condoms (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.01-1.82) were more likely to have lower consent comprehension. We recommend exploration of domains of lower consent comprehension using a validated consent comprehension tool. Improved education in these specific domains would optimise consent comprehension among research participants.

Cost-effectiveness of multidisciplinary management of Tinnitus at a specialized Tinnitus centre

PubMed Central

Cima, Rilana; Joore, Manuela; Maes, Iris; Scheyen, Dyon; Refaie, Amr El; Baguley, David M; Vlaeyen, Johan WS; Anteunis, Lucien

2009-01-01

Background Tinnitus is a common chronic health condition that affects 10% to 20% of the general population. Among severe sufferers it causes disability in various areas. As a result of the tinnitus, quality of life is often impaired. At present there is no cure or uniformly effective treatment, leading to fragmentized and costly tinnitus care. Evidence suggests that a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach in treating tinnitus is effective. The main objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness, costs, and cost-effectiveness of a comprehensive treatment provided by a specialized tinnitus center versus usual care. This paper describes the study protocol. Methods/Design In a randomized controlled clinical trial 198 tinnitus patients will be randomly assigned to a specialized tinnitus care group or a usual care group. Adult tinnitus sufferers referred to the audiological centre are eligible. Included patients will be followed for 12 months. Primary outcome measure is generic quality of life (measured with the Health Utilities Index Mark III). Secondary outcomes are severity of tinnitus, general distress, tinnitus cognitions, tinnitus specific fear, and costs. Based on health state utility outcome data the number of patients to include is 198. Economic evaluation will be performed from a societal perspective. Discussion This is, to our knowledge, the first randomized controlled trial that evaluates a comprehensive treatment of tinnitus and includes a full economic evaluation from a societal perspective. If this intervention proves to be effective and cost-effective, implementation of this intervention is considered and anticipated. Trial Registration The trial has been registered at ClinicalTrial.gov. The trial registration number is NCT00733044 PMID:19210767

Integrated Immune Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crucian, Brian

2009-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews NASA's Integrated Immune Experiment. The objectives include: 1) Address significant lack of data regarding immune status during flight; 2) Replace several recent immune studies with one comprehensive study that will include in-flight sampling; 3) Determine the in-flight status of immunity, physiological stress, viral immunity/reactivation; 4) Determine the clinical risk related to immune dysregulation for exploration class spaceflight; and 5) Determine the appropriate monitoring strategy for spaceflight-associated immune dysfunction, that could be used for the evaluation of countermeasures.

Low-Temperature Enhanced Geothermal System using Carbon Dioxide as the Heat-Transfer Fluid

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

Eastman, Alan D.

2014-07-24

This report describes work toward a supercritical CO 2-based EGS system at the St. Johns Dome in Eastern Arizona, including a comprehensive literature search on CO 2-based geothermal technologies, background seismic study, geological information, and a study of the possible use of metal oxide heat carriers to enhance the heat capacity of sCO 2. It also includes cost estimates for the project, and the reasons why the project would probably not be cost effective at the proposed location.

Physics and chemistry of antimicrobial behavior of ion-exchanged silver in glass.

PubMed

Borrelli, N F; Senaratne, W; Wei, Y; Petzold, O

2015-02-04

The results of a comprehensive study involving the antimicrobial activity in a silver ion-exchanged glass are presented. The study includes the glass composition, the method of incorporating silver into the glass, the effective concentration of the silver available at the glass surface, and the effect of the ambient environment. A quantitative kinetic model that includes the above factors in predicting the antimicrobial activity is proposed. Finally, experimental data demonstrating antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with correlation to the predicted model is shown.

Reading, Comprehension, and Memory Processes: Abstracts of Doctoral Dissertations Published in "Dissertation Abstracts International," January through June 1979 (Vol. 39 Nos. 7 through 12).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills, Urbana, IL.

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 21 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: children's development of syntactic aspects of reading comprehension, the relative contributions of the individual and the text in the comprehension and retention…

75 FR 9924 - Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, MT

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-04

...-time staff of five employees and various summer temporaries manage and study the refuge habitats and... majority of fishing occurring on Red Rock. In addition, the refuge is open to limited hunting of ducks..., conducting numerous studies to determine the effects and best methods of restoration, including any effects...

Factors Affecting Burden of South Koreans Providing Care to Disabled Older Family Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Minhong; Yoon, Eunkyung; Kropf, Nancy P.

2007-01-01

This study examined the determinants of caregiving burden among South Koreans who care for their disabled older family members. A sample of 1,000 primary caregivers taken from the Comprehensive Study for Elderly Welfare Policy in Seoul, South Korea was analyzed. Independent variables included the demographic characteristics of caregivers and care…

Comprehensive Treatment of Women with Postpartum Psychosis across Health Care Systems from Swedish Psychiatrists' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engqvist, Inger; Ahlin, Arne; Ferszt, Ginette; Nilsson, Kerstin

2011-01-01

Studies concerning the psychiatrist's experiences of treating women with postpartum psychosis (PPP) or how they react to these women are limited in the literature. In this study a qualitative design is used. Data collection includes semi-structured interviews with nine Swedish psychiatrists working in psychiatric hospitals. The audio-taped…

"A Better Vision of What Social Studies Can Be": How Elementary Teachers' Philosophies Influence Their Use of the "History Alive!" Textbook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hintz, Kathryn

2014-01-01

In this qualitative research project, I investigated curricular decision making and the relationship among teacher philosophies, textbook materials, and classroom practice. Participants included 5 experienced 5th-grade teachers who used a comprehensive social studies textbook package, "History Alive! America's Past". Information was…

Cultural Universality and Specificity of Student Engagement in School: The Results of an International Study from 12 Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Shui-fong; Jimerson, Shane; Shin, Hyeonsook; Cefai, Carmel; Veiga, Feliciano H.; Hatzichristou, Chryse; Polychroni, Fotini; Kikas, Eve; Wong, Bernard P. H.; Stanculescu, Elena; Basnett, Julie; Duck, Robert; Farrell, Peter; Liu, Yi; Negovan, Valeria; Nelson, Brett; Yang, Hongfei; Zollneritsch, Josef

2016-01-01

Background: A comprehensive understanding of the contextual factors that are linked to student engagement requires research that includes cross-cultural perspectives. Aims: This study investigated how student engagement in school is associated with grade, gender, and contextual factors across 12 countries. It also investigated whether these…

Feasibility Study on the Use of Computer Managed Learning in Secondary Schools in the U.S.A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charp, Sylvia

A brief description of computer managed instruction (CMI), including its applications and capabilities, introduces case studies of schools in the United States that are using three different CMI systems. The first system discussed is the Comprehensive Achievement Monitoring (CAM) Program, which was developed by a small school district (Hopkins,…

The Implementation of Enrollment Management at Two Public Universities Experiencing Demographic and Funding Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Stephen

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of enrollment management at two public universities. The theoretical framework was conceptual and centered on the effectiveness of the implementation process as a pivotal factor in the development of a comprehensive enrollment management operation. This multi-site case study included 14…

Communication Skills of a Teacher and Its Role in the Development of the Students' Academic Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Alamgir; Khan, Salahuddin; Zia-Ul-Islam, Syed; Khan, Manzoor

2017-01-01

Basically the current study sought to assess the perception of students regarding the role of teacher communication skills in their academics success. Comprehensive questionnaire carrying information including social economic and demographic aspects of the study was designed by the researcher to achieve the set objectives. All those universities…

Financing Vocational Training in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Region Human Development Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziderman, Adrian

This document is part of the World Bank's comprehensive study of post-basic education and training in Sub-Sahara Africa and includes findings from three short field studies conducted in South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbawe in early 2001. Chapter titles are as follows: Executive Summary; Introduction; Conventional Patterns of Financing Training;…

An Analysis of Corporal Punishment Practices in the State of Mississippi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams-Damond, Twyla A.

2014-01-01

The focus of this research mainly centers on a quantitative descriptive overview of corporal punishment practices in the state of Mississippi, but this study also includes a legal document analysis component. This study forms the Mississippi portion of a comprehensive analysis of the demographics of corporal punishment in the public schools of the…

Developing General Literacy Ability and Intercultural Sensitivity through English Literacy Instruction: Using Global Literature for Korean EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bae, Jiyoung

2012-01-01

This study explored L2 literacy ability and intercultural sensitivity of Korean late elementary to early middle school students learning English as a foreign language. This study investigated the latent variable structure of L2 literacy abilities, including fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing abilities, and intercultural…

Personality Correlates of Aggression: Evidence from Measures of the Five-Factor Model, UPPS Model of Impulsivity, and BIS/BAS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Joshua D.; Zeichner, Amos; Wilson, Lauren F.

2012-01-01

Although many studies of personality and aggression focus on multidimensional traits and higher order personality disorders (e.g., psychopathy), lower order, unidimensional traits may provide more precision in identifying specific aspects of personality that relate to aggression. The current study includes a comprehensive measurement of lower…