Advancing and Sustaining a Clinical Teacher Preparation Partnership: An Exploratory Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrido, Melissa Downey

2012-01-01

The national call to "turn [teacher education] upside down" (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, Report of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and Partnerships for Improved Student Learning [NCATE], 2010, p. ii) and states' subsequent commitments to pilot recommendations necessitates study of successful…

Mild Normobaric Hypoxia Exposure for Human-Autonomy System Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, Chad L.; Kennedy, Kellie D.; Crook, Brenda L.; Williams, Ralph A.; Schutte, Paul

2017-01-01

An experiment investigated the impact of normobaric hypoxia induction on aircraft pilot performance to specifically evaluate the use of hypoxia as a method to induce mild cognitive impairment to explore human-autonomous systems integration opportunities. Results of this exploratory study show that the effect of 15,000 feet simulated altitude did not induce cognitive deficits as indicated by performance on written, computer-based, or simulated flight tasks. However, the subjective data demonstrated increased effort by the human test subject pilots to maintain equivalent performance in a flight simulation task. This study represents current research intended to add to the current knowledge of performance decrement and pilot workload assessment to improve automation support and increase aviation safety.

SEI Overview

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-11

SOA DoD NextGen Chief Architect Support FAB-T, PMAG and EELV study GPS III satellite and OCX N-CSDS Global Hawk GSRA and UCS ORS SAF/A6...Workshop ATAM QAW eLearning Pilots Technical Assessments QUASAR Mission Success in Complex Environments Line-Funded Exploratory New Starts (LENS

An Exploratory Study of a Gender Equity Program for Secondary School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, John G.

1996-01-01

The effectiveness of a program designed to make secondary school students in Canada more aware of barriers to women in the workplace was studied in a preliminary development phase and a pilot test with 13 students and 23 comparisons. Results indicate that the instruction is effective in increasing student knowledge. (SLD)

Correlation of Selected Cognitive Abilities and Cognitive Processing Parameters: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snow, Richard E.; And Others

This pilot study investigated some relationships between tested ability variables and processing parameters obtained from memory search and visual search tasks. The 25 undergraduates who participated had also participated in a previous investigation by Chiang and Atkinson. A battery of traditional ability tests and several film tests were…

An Exploratory Study of Face-to-Face and Cyberbullying in Sixth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Accordino, Denise B.; Accordino, Michael P.

2011-01-01

In a pilot study, sixth grade students (N = 124) completed a questionnaire assessing students' experience with bullying and cyberbullying, demographic information, quality of parent-child relationship, and ways they have dealt with bullying/cyberbullying in the past. Two multiple regression analyses were conducted. The multiple regression analysis…

The Development and Validation of the Instructional Dissent Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodboy, Alan K.

2011-01-01

Two studies (N = 420) were conducted to develop and validate the instructional dissent scale (IDS) for use in the college classroom. Participants in study 1 were 210 students who completed the IDS pilot inventory which was subjected to an exploratory factor analysis yielding three distinct factors of dissent (i.e., expressive, rhetorical,…

Quality of Life: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lankhorst, Gustaaf J.

1989-01-01

A 12-item list of human abilities/activities was developed to measure quality of life of 9 rheumatoid arthritis adults from 2 aspects: "present condition" and "relative importance" of each item. Pilot testing indicated that importance and present condition represent different aspects. Differences between self-assessments and physicians'…

The Development of the Meta-Affective Trait Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uzuntiryaki-Kondakci, Esen; Kirbulut, Zubeyde Demet

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a Meta-Affective Trait Scale (MATS) to measure the meta-affective inclinations related to emotions that students have while they are studying for their classes. First, a pilot study was performed with 380 10th-grade students. Results of the exploratory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure of the…

A Pilot Classroom-Based Study of Attention and Working Memory Strategies for Primary-Aged Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colmar, Susan; Davis, Nash; Sheldon, Linda

2016-01-01

An exploratory applied study, using a set of attention and working memory strategies specifically developed for students and named Memory Mates, was completed with normally developing students attending a primary school. Students in one classroom received the intervention, while the other classroom functioned as a control group. The study was…

Managerial Styles in Academe: Do Men and Women Differ?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Rebecca

A pilot study was conducted on the communication styles of male and female administrators at a university campus. Interviews were conducted with four male and four female administrators about their background, motivations and career goals, support, problems, and leadership styles. Because of the exploratory nature of the investigation, the…

World Language Teacher Candidate Performance on Edtpa: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildebrandt, Susan A.; Swanson, Pete

2014-01-01

Federal and state legislation continues to promote teacher accountability in the United States. The new edTPA, a subject-specific teacher performance assessment, is purported to measure beginning teacher readiness and is being pilot tested and implemented for licensure and certification decisions across the country. In this exploratory…

Students' Critical Thinking Skills in a Thai ICT Schools Pilot Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rumpagaporn, Methinee Wongwanich; Darmawan, I. Gusti Ngurah

2007-01-01

This study is exploratory, examining to what extent the Thai ICT (information and communication technology) schools have classroom learning environments that are associated with certain teacher characteristics using questionnaires, interview surveys, and computer-based classroom observations in order to collect data from 13 Thai ICT model schools.…

Exploring German Preservice Teachers' Electronic and Professional Literacy Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuchs, Carolin

2006-01-01

This article presents findings from an exploratory pilot project which aimed at fostering electronic and professional literacy skills of preservice language teachers through computer-mediated peer collaboration. The research context is a qualitative case study involving cooperation via the email and chat functions of "FirstClass" among…

Elimination of quinine in two subjects after ingestion of tonic water : an exploratory study.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-08-01

Biological specimens from 8 fatal aviation accidents out of 775 fatal aviation accidents analyzed in 1991 and 1992 were found to contain quinine. In one case, the investigators sought to identify the source of quinine found in the pilot. It was sugge...

Implementing Service Learning into a Graduate Social Work Course: A Step-by-Step Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Evelyn Marie

2012-01-01

Service learning is a powerful pedagogical tool linking community service to academic learning. Several steps are necessary to implement service learning effectively into the curriculum. This study uses a case example as an exploratory study to pilot-test data on how service learning impacts student outcomes. The paper will (1) provide an overview…

The Effect of Cognitive Behavior Therapy on Decision Making in Adolescents Who Self-Harm: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oldershaw, Anna; Simic, Mima; Grima, Emanuela; Jollant, Fabrice; Richards, Clair; Taylor, Lucy; Schmidt, Ulrike

2012-01-01

Research shows poor decision making in adolescents who self-harm and a positive correlation between decision-making abilities and duration since last self-harm episode. This exploratory study investigated whether decision making in self-harming adolescents could be improved through treatment with a novel cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). It also…

Group Simulation for "Authentic" Assessment in a Maternal-Child Lecture Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hensel, Desiree; Stanley, Leah

2014-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore student perceptions and outcomes surrounding the use of a labor and delivery simulation as a midterm exam in a maternal-newborn lecture course. An exploratory case study design was used to gain a holistic view of the simulation experience. Data from focus groups, written debriefings, simulation…

Exploratory studies to decide whether and how to proceed with full-scale evaluations of public health interventions: a systematic review of guidance.

PubMed

Hallingberg, Britt; Turley, Ruth; Segrott, Jeremy; Wight, Daniel; Craig, Peter; Moore, Laurence; Murphy, Simon; Robling, Michael; Simpson, Sharon Anne; Moore, Graham

2018-01-01

Evaluations of complex interventions in public health are frequently undermined by problems that can be identified before the effectiveness study stage. Exploratory studies, often termed pilot and feasibility studies, are a key step in assessing the feasibility and value of progressing to an effectiveness study. Such studies can provide vital information to support more robust evaluations, thereby reducing costs and minimising potential harms of the intervention. This systematic review forms the first phase of a wider project to address the need for stand-alone guidance for public health researchers on designing and conducting exploratory studies. The review objectives were to identify and examine existing recommendations concerning when such studies should be undertaken, questions they should answer, suitable methods, criteria for deciding whether to progress to an effectiveness study and appropriate reporting. We searched for published and unpublished guidance reported between January 2000 and November 2016 via bibliographic databases, websites, citation tracking and expert recommendations. Included papers were thematically synthesized. The search retrieved 4095 unique records. Thirty papers were included, representing 25 unique sources of guidance/recommendations. Eight themes were identified: pre-requisites for conducting an exploratory study, nomenclature, guidance for intervention assessment, guidance surrounding any future evaluation study design, flexible versus fixed design, progression criteria to a future evaluation study, stakeholder involvement and reporting of exploratory studies. Exploratory studies were described as being concerned with the intervention content, the future evaluation design or both. However, the nomenclature and endorsed methods underpinning these aims were inconsistent across papers. There was little guidance on what should precede or follow an exploratory study and decision-making surrounding this. Existing recommendations are inconsistent concerning the aims, designs and conduct of exploratory studies, and guidance is lacking on the evidence needed to inform when to proceed to an effectiveness study. PROSPERO 2016, CRD42016047843.

AgRISTARS: Foreign commodity production forecasting. The 1980 US corn and soybeans exploratory experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, J. T.; Carnes, J. G. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The U.S. corn and soybeans exploratory experiment is described which consisted of evaluations of two technology components of a production forecasting system: classification procedures (crop labeling and proportion estimation at the level of a sampling unit) and sampling and aggregation procedures. The results from the labeling evaluations indicate that the corn and soybeans labeling procedure works very well in the U.S. corn belt with full season (after tasseling) LANDSAT data. The procedure should be readily adaptable to corn and soybeans labeling required for subsequent exploratory experiments or pilot tests. The machine classification procedures evaluated in this experiment were not effective in improving the proportion estimates. The corn proportions produced by the machine procedures had a large bias when the bias correction was not performed. This bias was caused by the manner in which the machine procedures handled spectrally impure pixels. The simulation test indicated that the weighted aggregation procedure performed quite well. Although further work can be done to improve both the simulation tests and the aggregation procedure, the results of this test show that the procedure should serve as a useful baseline procedure in future exploratory experiments and pilot tests.

A Randomized Controlled Exploratory Pilot Study to Evaluate the Effect of Rotigotine Transdermal Patch on Parkinson's Disease-Associated Chronic Pain.

PubMed

Rascol, Olivier; Zesiewicz, Theresa; Chaudhuri, K Ray; Asgharnejad, Mahnaz; Surmann, Erwin; Dohin, Elisabeth; Nilius, Sigrid; Bauer, Lars

2016-07-01

Pain is a troublesome nonmotor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). This double-blind exploratory pilot study (NCT01744496) was the first to specifically investigate the effect of a dopamine agonist on PD-associated pain as primary outcome. Patients with advanced PD (ie, receiving levodopa) and at least moderate PD-associated chronic pain (≥3 months, ≥4 points on 11-point Likert pain scale) were randomized to rotigotine (optimal/maximum dose ≤16 mg/24h) or placebo and maintained for 12 weeks. Primary efficacy variable was change in pain severity (Likert pain scale) from baseline to end of maintenance. Secondary variables included percentage of responders (≥2-point Likert pain scale reduction), King's PD Pain Scale (KPPS) domains, and PD Questionnaire (PDQ-8). Statistical analyses were exploratory. Of 68 randomized patients, 60 (rotigotine, 30; placebo, 30) were evaluable for efficacy. A numerical improvement in pain was observed in favor of rotigotine (Likert pain scale: least-squares mean [95%CI] treatment difference, -0.76 [-1.87 to 0.34]; P = .172), and proportion of responders was 18/30 (60%) rotigotine vs 14/30 (47%) placebo. An ∼2-fold numerical improvement in KPPS domain "fluctuation-related pain" was observed with rotigotine vs placebo. Rotigotine improved PDQ-8 vs placebo (-8.01 [-15.56 to -0.46]; P = .038). These results suggest rotigotine may improve PD-associated pain; a large-scale confirmatory study is needed. © 2015, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

Capturing Career Reflections: Construction of an Instrument to Explore Careers and Career Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Kimberly S.; Hite, Linda M.; Mansour-Cole, Dina

2006-01-01

This study describes the development and validation of an instrument to tap employee reflections on career interests, needs and career development opportunities. Item construction was based on issues identified in previous qualitative research and themes prevalent in recent HRD career development literature. Pilot data for an exploratory factor…

The Online Life of Individuals Experiencing Socioeconomic Disadvantage: How Do They Experience Information?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smeaton, Kathleen; Bruce, Christine S.; Hughes, Hilary; Davis, Kate

2017-01-01

Introduction: This paper explores the online information experiences of individuals experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage in Australia. As access to online information becomes increasingly critical those without access are in danger of being left behind. This exploratory pilot study examines the way that digital exclusion may be experienced.…

An Exploratory Analysis of Student-Community Interactions in Urban Agriculture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grossman, Julie; Sherard, Maximilian; Prohn, Seb M.; Bradley, Lucy; Goodell, L. Suzanne; Andrew, Katherine

2012-01-01

Urban agriculture initiatives are on the rise, providing healthy food while teaching a land ethic to youth. In parallel, increasing numbers of university graduates are obtaining Extension work requiring the effective communication of science in a diverse, urban, low-income setting. This study evaluates a pilot service-learning program, the…

The Role of Family Affect in Juvenile Drug Court Offenders' Substance Use and HIV Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolou-Shams, Marina; Hadley, Wendy; Conrad, Selby M.; Brown, Larry K.

2012-01-01

Family-based interventions targeting parenting factors, such as parental monitoring and parent-child communication, have been successful in reducing adolescent offenders' substance use and delinquency. This pilot, exploratory study focuses on family and parenting factors that may be relevant in reducing juvenile offenders' substance use and sexual…

Design, Customization and Implementation of Energy Simulation with 5E Model in Elementary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lye, Sze Yee; Wee, Loo Kang; Kwek, Yao Chie; Abas, Suriati; Tay, Lee Yong

2014-01-01

Science simulations are popular among educators as such simulations afford for multiple visual representation and interactivity. Despite the popularity and abundance on the internet, our literature review suggested little research has been conducted on the use of simulation in elementary school. Thus, an exploratory pilot case study was conducted…

Perspective-Taking, Position Power, and Third Party Intervention Style: A Classroom Application.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, David E.

In order to understand how power affects other relationships, to offer an exploratory methodology for operationalizing an intervention typology, and to eventually develop a theoretical model that predicts affective influence on third party intervention modes in given conflict situations, a pilot study hypothesized that the frequency of preferred…

A Parent-Implemented Intervention to Improve Imitation Skills by Children with Autism: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaghlawan, Hasan Y.; Ostrosky, Michaelene M.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the effects of a modified reciprocal imitation training (RIT) on the imitation skills of children with autism. Two parents were trained and coached to use the modified RIT with their young children with autism in home settings. The modified RIT was composed of contingent imitation, descriptive…

Toking and Driving: Characteristics of Canadian University Students Who Drive after Cannabis Use--An Exploratory Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Benedikt; Rodopoulos, Jenny; Rehm, Jurgen; Ivsins, Andrew

2006-01-01

Cannabis use is increasingly prevalent among young adults in Canada. Due to cannabis' impairment effects, driving under the influence of cannabis has recently developed into a traffic-safety concern, yet little is known about the specific circumstances and factors characterizing this behavior among young people. In this study, we interviewed a…

"The Project Cannot Be Approved in Its Current Form": Feminist Visual Research Meets the Human Research Ethics Committee

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitt, Penelope

2014-01-01

This article reflects on a university human research ethics committee's unease regarding a feminist visual pilot study within the field of education. The small exploratory study proposed to explore a migrant mother's production of her son's identity through her family photograph collection. The committee requested substantial…

Pilot Study Evaluation of Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training Utilising STORM in a British University Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gask, Linda; Coupe, Nia; McElvenny, Damien; Green, Gill

2017-01-01

Recent years have seen increasing awareness of the wide range of mental health problems faced by students. Gatekeeper training has been shown to have a positive impact on knowledge and attitudes about suicide prevention, although the evidence for skills acquisition is limited. We utilised the STORM® training package in an exploratory study to…

Reducing Seclusion Timeout and Restraint Procedures with At-Risk Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Joseph B.; Peterson, Reece; Tetreault, George; Hagen, Emily Vander

2007-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to review the effects of professional staff training in crisis management and de-escalation techniques on the use of seclusion timeout and restraint procedures with at-risk students in a K-12 special day school. An exploratory pre-post study was conducted over a two-year period, comparing the use of these…

Identifying the support needs of fathers affected by post-partum depression: a pilot study.

PubMed

Letourneau, N; Duffett-Leger, L; Dennis, C-L; Stewart, M; Tryphonopoulos, P D

2011-02-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to describe the experiences, support needs, resources, and barriers to support for fathers whose partners had post-partum depression (PPD) in preparation for a larger study. Qualitative methods and community-based research approaches were used in this exploratory/descriptive multi-site study, conducted in New Brunswick and Alberta. Telephone interviews were conducted with a total of 11 fathers in New Brunswick (n= 7) and Alberta (n= 4). Fathers experienced a number of depressive symptoms including: anxiety, lack of time and energy, irritability, feeling sad or down, changes in appetite, and thoughts of harm to self or baby. The most common barriers for fathers were lack of information regarding PPD resources and difficulty seeking support. This pilot study establishes the feasibility of the larger-scale exploration of fathers' experiences in supporting their spouses affected by PPD. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing.

Pilot Study Evaluating the Impact of Dialogic Reading and Shared Reading at Transition to Primary School: Early Literacy Skills and Parental Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pillinger, Claire; Wood, Clare

2014-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated the positive impact of shared reading (SR) and dialogic reading (DR) on young children's language and literacy development. This exploratory study compared the relative impact of parental DR and shared reading interventions on 4-year-old children's early literacy skills and parental attitudes to reading…

Study of the Results in the Acquisition of Core Competencies in Schools That Integrate Primary Education and Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andreu Duran, Maria; Godall Castell, Pere; Amador Guillem, Miquel; Castro Morera, Maria

2017-01-01

The goal of this research was to carry out an exploratory study on how music education integrated into primary schooling (children from 6 to 12 years old) can help in acquiring the core competencies characteristic of this stage. The study was conducted by developing a validated instrument, pilot-tested for reliability, to assess the eight core…

An exploratory investigation of the STOL landing maneuver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whyte, P. H.

1979-01-01

The parameters influencing the STOL landing are identified and their effect on the ease and quality of the flare maneuver is discussed. Data from actual landings, supported by pilot commentary and pilot opinion rating, are analyzed. Hypotheses concerning the prediction of STOL handling qualities in the flare are proposed, and suggestions for future research are presented.

Exploratory Research to Design a School Nurse-Delivered Intervention to Treat Adolescent Overweight and Obesity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gellar, Lauren; Druker, Sue; Osganian, Stavroula K.; Gapinski, Mary Ann; LaPelle, Nancy; Pbert, Lori

2012-01-01

Objective: In preparation for a pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of a school nurse-delivered intervention, focus groups were conducted to gain insight into the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the design and implementation of the intervention. Setting and Participants: Fifteen focus groups at participating schools. One hundred subjects,…

Pilgrimage to Wellness: An Exploratory Report of Rural African American Clergy Perceptions of Church Health Promotion Capacity

PubMed Central

Carter-Edwards, Lori; Hooten, Elizabeth Gerken; Bruce, Marino A.; Toms, Forrest; Lloyd, Cheryl LeMay; Ellison, Calvin

2013-01-01

Churches serve a vital role in African American communities and may be effective vehicles for health promotion in rural areas where disease burden is disproportionately greater and healthcare access is more limited than other communities. Endorsement by church leadership is often necessary for the approval of programs and activities within churches; however, little is known about how church leaders perceive their respective churches as health promotion organizations. The purpose of this exploratory pilot was to report perceptions of church capacity to promote health among African American clergy leaders of predominantly African American rural churches. The analysis sample included 27 pastors of churches in Eastern NC who completed a survey on church health promotion capacity and perceived impact on their own health. Capacities assessed included perceived need and impact of health promotion activities, church preparedness to promote health, health promotion actions to take, and the existence and importance of health ministry attributes. The results from this pilot study indicated a perceived need to increase the capacity of their churches to promote health. Conducting health programs, displaying health information, collaborations within the church (i.e., kitchen committee working with the health ministry), partnerships outside of the church, and funding were most commonly reported needed capacities. Findings from this exploratory work lay the foundation for the development of future, larger observational studies that can specify some of the key factors associated with organizational change and ultimately health promotion in these rural church settings. PMID:22694157

Technical summary of accomplishments made in preparation for the USSR barley exploratory experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, G. M.; Dailey, C. L.

1982-01-01

The highlights of the work accomplished under each subcomponent of the U.S.S.R. Barley Pilot Experiment, which is scheduled for completion in 1984, are summarized. A significant amount of developmental system implementation activity was in the final stages of preparation prior to the rescoping of project tasks. Unpublished materials which are significant to this exploratory experiment are incorporated into the appendixes.

Determination of diffusivities in the Rustler Formation from exploratory-shaft construction at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Ken; Beyeler, Walt

1985-01-01

The construction of an exploratory shaft 12 feet in diameter into the Salado Formation (repository horizon for transuranic waste material) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site in southeastern New Mexico affected water-levels in water-bearing zones above the repository horizon. By reading the construction history of the exploratory shaft, an approximation of construction-generated hydraulic stresses at the shaft was made. The magnitude of the construction-generated stresses was calibrated using the hydrographs from one hydrologic test pad. Whereas flow rates from the Magenta Dolomite and Culebra Dolomite Members in the Rustler Formation into the exploratory shaft were unknown, the ratio of transmissivity to storage (diffusivity) was determined by mathematically simulating the aquifers and the hydrologic stresses with flood-wave-response digital model. These results indicate that the Magenta Dolomite and Culebra Dolomite Members of the Rustler Formation can be modeled as homogeneous, isotropic, and confined water-bearing zones. One simple and consistent explanation, but by no means the only explanation, of the lack of a single diffusivity value in the Culebra aquifer is that the open-hole observation wells at the hydrologic test pads dampen the amplitude of water-level changes. (USGS)

Integrating Safety in the Aviation System: Interdepartmental Training for Pilots and Maintenance Technicians

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattson, Marifran; Petrin, Donald A.; Young, John P.

2001-01-01

The study of human factors has had a decisive impact on the aviation industry. However, the entire aviation system often is not considered in researching, training, and evaluating human factors issues especially with regard to safety. In both conceptual and practical terms, we argue for the proactive management of human error from both an individual and organizational systems perspective. The results of a multidisciplinary research project incorporating survey data from professional pilots and maintenance technicians and an exploratory study integrating students from relevant disciplines are reported. Survey findings suggest that latent safety errors may occur during the maintenance discrepancy reporting process because pilots and maintenance technicians do not effectively interact with one another. The importance of interdepartmental or cross-disciplinary training for decreasing these errors and increasing safety is discussed as a primary implication.

Beyond the Therapeutic Hour: An Exploratory Pilot Study of Using Technology to Enhance Alliance and Engagement within Face-to-Face Psychotherapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Penelope; Simpson, Susan

2015-01-01

In this paper we introduce and investigate the capacity for a novel, technologically advanced system (goACT) to enhance face-to-face psychotherapy. Specifically, we explore the capacity for goACT to enhance therapeutic alliance (TA) and engagement, and reduce distress. Using a mixed-methods, multiple-baseline design we present the first study to…

Piloted simulator investigation of helicopter control systems effects on handling qualities during instrument flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forrest, R. D.; Chen, R. T. N.; Gerdes, R. M.; Alderete, T. S.; Gee, D. R.

1979-01-01

An exploratory piloted simulation was conducted to investigate the effects of the characteristics of helicopter flight control systems on instrument flight handling qualities. This joint FAA/NASA study was motivated by the need to improve instrument flight capability. A near-term objective is to assist in updating the airworthiness criteria for helicopter instrument flight. The experiment consisted of variations of single-rotor helicopter types and levels of stability and control augmentation systems (SCAS). These configurations were evaluated during an omnirange approach task under visual and instrument flight conditions. The levels of SCAS design included a simple rate damping system, collective decoupling plus rate damping, and an attitude command system with collective decoupling. A limited evaluation of stick force versus airspeed stability was accomplished. Some problems were experienced with control system mechanization which had a detrimental effect on longitudinal stability. Pilot ratings, pilot commentary, and performance data related to the task are presented.

An Experimental Study of the Effect of Shared Information on Pilot/Controller Re-Route Negotiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Todd C.; Hansman, R. John

1999-01-01

Air-ground data link systems are being developed to enable pilots and air traffic controllers to share information more fully. The sharing of information is generally expected to enhance their shared situation awareness and foster more collaborative decision making. An exploratory, part-task simulator experiment is described which evaluates the extent to which shared information may lead pilots and controllers to cooperate or compete when negotiating route amendments. The results indicate an improvement in situation awareness for pilots and controllers and a willingness to work cooperatively. Independent of data link considerations, the experiment also demonstrates the value of providing controllers with a good-quality weather representation on their plan view displays. Observed improvements in situation awareness and separation assurance are discussed. It is argued that deployment of this relatively simple, low-risk addition to the plan view displays be accelerated.

Interactive binocular treatment (I-BiT) for amblyopia: results of a pilot study of 3D shutter glasses system.

PubMed

Herbison, N; Cobb, S; Gregson, R; Ash, I; Eastgate, R; Purdy, J; Hepburn, T; MacKeith, D; Foss, A

2013-09-01

A computer-based interactive binocular treatment system (I-BiT) for amblyopia has been developed, which utilises commercially available 3D 'shutter glasses'. The purpose of this pilot study was to report the effect of treatment on visual acuity (VA) in children with amblyopia. Thirty minutes of I-BiT treatment was given once weekly for 6 weeks. Treatment sessions consisted of playing a computer game and watching a DVD through the I-BiT system. VA was assessed at baseline, mid-treatment, at the end of treatment, and at 4 weeks post treatment. Standard summary statistics and an exploratory one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed. Ten patients were enrolled with strabismic, anisometropic, or mixed amblyopia. The mean age was 5.4 years. Nine patients (90%) completed the full course of I-BiT treatment with a mean improvement of 0.18 (SD=0.143). Six out of nine patients (67%) who completed the treatment showed a clinically significant improvement of 0.125 LogMAR units or more at follow-up. The exploratory one-way ANOVA showed an overall effect over time (F=7.95, P=0.01). No adverse effects were reported. This small, uncontrolled study has shown VA gains with 3 hours of I-BiT treatment. Although it is recognised that this pilot study had significant limitations-it was unblinded, uncontrolled, and too small to permit formal statistical analysis-these results suggest that further investigation of I-BiT treatment is worthwhile.

Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Environmental School Transition Anxiety Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loke, Stephen W.; Lowe, Patricia A.

2013-01-01

A pilot study was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the Environmental School Transition Anxiety Scale (E-STAS) with a sample of 220 fourth- to sixth-grade students who were about to or had completed their school transition. The results of an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the students' responses on the E-STAS produced a…

Internet Relay Chat as a Tool in the Autonomous Development of ESL Learners' English Language Ability: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coniam, David; Wong, Richard

2004-01-01

This pilot study explores the use of Internet Relay Chat facilities such as ICQ in an independent-use mode, as a vehicle for potential English language enhancement. In a small-scale study, a number of Hong Kong secondary school students (Grades 7-10) agreed to participate in an on-line "chatting" programme (in a text-only mode) for a minimum of 20…

An Exploratory Evaluation of the Data from the Pilot Teacher Compensation Survey: School Year 2005-06. Research and Development Report. NCES 2008-440

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Frank; Cornman, Stephen Q.

2008-01-01

The Common Core of Data (CCD) is an annual collection of public elementary and secondary education data administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and its collection agent, the U.S. Census Bureau. Data for CCD surveys are provided by state education agencies (SEAs). This report presents summary data from the Pilot Teacher…

An exploratory study of the perceived impact of health problems of landmine/UXO victims versus another disability group

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The purpose of this exploratory study is to pilot a biopsychosocial instrument called the Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP) on a cohort of landmine/Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) victims with lower limb disability versus a cohort of persons with similar disability due to other trauma or medical causes. The aim is to provide greater understanding of the psychosocial impact of landmine/UXO injury to inform victim assistance a interventions within Lao PDR. Methods This study employs a mixed methods design, which involved piloting the PIPP instrument through an interviewer administered questionnaire and demographic questionnaire. Fifty one participants were interviewed in both urban and rural locations within Lao PDR. Results An analysis of the data reveals significant differences in perceived impact for pain, anxiety and how recently the injury/illness occurred. Both groups complained of high levels of anxiety and depression; landmine/UXO victims who complained of anxiety and depression reported a much greater impact on life satisfaction and mood. Conclusion The perceived impact of the disability is greatest on psychosocial factors for both cohorts, but especially in landmine/UXO victims emphasising the need to focus on improving psychosocial interventions for landmine/UXO victims within Victim assistance programmes in Lao PDR. PMID:23016958

Assessing the Promise of a Supplemental Reading Intervention for At-Risk First Grade Students in a Public School Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mokhtari, Kouider; Neel, Joanna L.; Kaiser, Forrest; Le, Hong-Hai

2015-01-01

In this exploratory quasi-experimental case study, we assessed the promise of a yearlong supplemental reading intervention with a small pilot group of at-risk first grade readers in an elementary school setting. Using standardized measures of reading proficiency, we found that after 47 hours of one-on-one tutoring instruction, students read…

Evaluating the Risks of School Dropout amongst Children in the Care of the French Child Protection System: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Derivois, Daniel; Guillier-Pasut, Nathalie; Karray, Amira; Cénat, Jude-Mary; Brolles, Lisbeth; Matsuhara, Hanae

2015-01-01

The aim of this pilot study is to identify the best way of preventing and assessing the livelihood and risk of school dropout amongst children entrusted to the care of the French child protection system in the Département of Rhone. The sample comprised 91 children and adolescents aged 4- to 17-years-old, of whom 45 were girls. The data were…

Identification of Human Factors in Unmanned Aviation Via Pilot Incident Reports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Cardoza, Colleen; Null, Cynthia

2015-01-01

There is a need for incident data relevant to the operation of civilian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the National Air Space (NAS). Currently, very limited incident and accident data are available from military sources, and the tightly-restricted civilian UAS industry has produced very few incident reports that could shed light on design issues relevant to human factors. An exploratory study is being conducted to examine the feasibility of collecting voluntary critical incident reports from UAS pilots, and using the information to identify areas where human factors guidelines will be of assistance. Experienced UAS pilots are participating in small focus groups in which they are prompted to describe critical incidents that either reveal a system flaw, or highlight a case where the human operator contributed to system resilience or mission success. The de-identified incidents are being analyzed to identify contributing factors, with a focus on design issues that either hindered or assisted the pilot in dealing with the incident. Preliminary findings will be described.

The Effects of Shared Information on Pilot-Controller Situation Awareness And Re-Route Negotiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Todd C.; Hansman, R. John; Endsley, Mica R.; Amonlirdviman, Keith

1999-01-01

The effect of shared information is assessed in terms of pilot-controller negotiating behavior and shared situation awareness. Pilot goals and situation awareness requirements are developed and compared against those of air traffic controllers to identify areas of common and competing interest. An exploratory, part-task simulator experiment is described which evaluates the extent to which shared information may lead pilots and controllers to cooperate or compete when negotiating route amendments. Results are presented which indicate that shared information enhances situation awareness and can engender more collaborative interaction between pilots and air traffic controllers. Furthermore, the value of providing controllers with a good-quality weather overlay on their plan view displays is demonstrated. Observed improvements in situation awareness and separation assurance are discussed.

An Exploratory Survey of Information Requirements for Instrument Approach Charts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-03-01

This report documents a user centered survey and interview effort conducted to analyze the information content of : current Instrument Approach Plates (IAP). In the pilot opinion survey of approach chart information requirements, : respondents indica...

A FUEL-RICH PRECOMBUSTOR. FIELD EVALUATION OF LOW-EMISSION COAL BURNER TECHNOLOGY ON UTILITY BOILERS - VOLUME IV. ALTERNATE CON- CEPTS FOR SOX, NOX, AND PARTICULATE EMISSIONS CONTROL FROM

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results a study of the use of precombustors for the simultaneous control of S02, NOx, and ash emissions from coal combustion. In Phase 1, exploratory testing was conducted on a small pilot scale--293 kW (million Btu/hr)-pulverized-coal-fired precombustor to ident...

Influence of Serotonin Transporter SLC6A4 Genotype on the Effect of Psychosocial Stress on Cognitive Performance: An Exploratory Pilot Study.

PubMed

Beversdorf, David Q; Carpenter, Allen L; Alexander, Jessica K; Jenkins, Neil T; Tilley, Michael R; White, Catherine A; Hillier, Ashleigh J; Smith, Ryan M; Gu, Howard H

2018-06-01

Previous research has shown an effect of various psychosocial stressors on unconstrained cognitive flexibility, such as searching through a large set of potential solutions in the lexical-semantic network during verbal problem-solving. Functional magnetic resonance imaging has shown that the presence of the short (S) allele (lacking a 43-base pair repeat) of the promoter region of the gene (SLC6A4) encoding the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) protein is associated with a greater amygdalar response to emotional stimuli and a greater response to stressors. Therefore, we hypothesized that the presence of the S-allele is associated with greater stress-associated impairment in performance on an unconstrained cognitive flexibility task, anagrams. In this exploratory pilot study, 28 healthy young adults were genotyped for long (L)-allele versus S-allele promoter region polymorphism of the 5-HTT gene, SLC6A4. Participants solved anagrams during the Trier Social Stress Test, which included public speaking and mental arithmetic stressors. We compared the participants' cognitive response to stress across genotypes. A Gene×Stress interaction effect was observed in this small sample. Comparisons revealed that participants with at least one S-allele performed worse during the Stress condition. Genetic susceptibility to stress conferred by SLC6A4 appeared to modulate unconstrained cognitive flexibility during psychosocial stress in this exploratory sample. If confirmed, this finding may have implications for conditions associated with increased stress response, including performance anxiety and cocaine withdrawal. Future work is needed both to confirm our findings with a larger sample and to explore the mechanisms of this proposed effect.

Human Factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems: Lessons from Incident Reports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Null, Cynthia

2016-01-01

An exploratory study is being conducted to examine the feasibility of collecting voluntary critical incident reports from RPAS pilots. Twenty-three experienced RPAS pilots volunteered to participate in focus groups in which they described critical incidents from their own experience. Participants were asked to recall (1) incidents that revealed a system flaw, or (2) highlighted a case where the human operator contributed to system resilience or mission success. Participants were asked to only report incidents that could be included in a public document. A total of 90 incidents were reported. Human factor issues included the impact of reduced sensory cues, traffic separation in the absence of an out-the-window view, control latencies, vigilance during monotonous and ultra-long endurance flights, control station design considerations, transfer of control between control stations, the management of lost link procedures, and decision-making during emergencies.

Pilot of a diabetes primary prevention program in a hard-to-reach, low-income, immigrant Hispanic population.

PubMed

Millard, Ann V; Graham, Margaret A; Wang, Xiaohui; Mier, Nelda; Sánchez, Esmeralda R; Flores, Isidore; Elizondo-Fournier, Marta

2011-10-01

An immigrant Hispanic population in the Texas-Mexico border region urgently requested assistance with diabetes. The project team implemented an exploratory pilot intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes in the general population through enhanced nutrition and physical activity. Social networks in low-income rural areas(colonias) participated in an adaptation of the Diabetes Empowerment Education Program. The program had a pre-post-test design with a comparison group. The intervention had a small but significant effect in lowering body mass index, the biological outcome variable. The process evaluation shows that the participants valued the pilot project and found it culturally and economically appropriate. This program was the first primary prevention program in diabetes to address a general population successfully. The study shows that low-income, rural Mexican American families will take ownership of a program that is participatory and tailored to their culture and economic situation.

A simplified rotor system mathematical model for piloted flight dynamics simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, R. T. N.

1979-01-01

The model was developed for real-time pilot-in-the-loop investigation of helicopter flying qualities. The mathematical model included the tip-path plane dynamics and several primary rotor design parameters, such as flapping hinge restraint, flapping hinge offset, blade Lock number, and pitch-flap coupling. The model was used in several exploratory studies of the flying qualities of helicopters with a variety of rotor systems. The basic assumptions used and the major steps involved in the development of the set of equations listed are described. The equations consisted of the tip-path plane dynamic equation, the equations for the main rotor forces and moments, and the equation for control phasing required to achieve decoupling in pitch and roll due to cyclic inputs.

Neuropsychological assessment of decision making in alcohol-dependent commercial pilots.

PubMed

Georgemiller, Randy; Machizawa, Sayaka; Young, Kathleen M; Martin, Cynthia N

2013-09-01

The aim of this exploratory archival study was to discern the utility of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in identifying adaptive decision-making capacities among pilots with a history of alcohol dependence both with and without Cluster B personality features. Participants included 18 male airmen at the rank of captain with a history of receiving alcohol dependence treatment and subsequent referral for a fitness-for-duty evaluation. Data from prior comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations conducted in a private practice setting at the mandate of the FAA utilizing criteria outlined in the HIMS program was used. ANOVA was conducted to compare pilots with (N = 4) and without Cluster B personality features (N = 14) on measures of decisionmaking capacities, intelligence, and executive functioning. Pilots with Cluster B personality features were found to have a significantly lower Total Net T-Score on IGT (M = 35.00, SD = 9.27) than pilots without features of Cluster B (M = 56.36, SD = 9.55). Furthermore, with the exception of the first 20 cards (i.e., Net 1); the groups significantly differed in their Net scores. No statistically significant difference was found on airmen's intelligence and executive functioning. The present study found that alcohol-dependent airmen with Cluster B personality features evidenced significantly poorer decisionmaking capacities as measured by the ICT in comparison to alcohol dependent airman without Cluster B personality features. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

The challenge of regional accents for aviation English language proficiency standards: a study of difficulties in understanding in air traffic control-pilot communications.

PubMed

Tiewtrakul, T; Fletcher, S R

2010-02-01

Although English has been the international aviation language since 1951, formal language proficiency testing for key aviation personnel has only recently been implemented by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It aims to ensure minimum acceptable levels of English pronunciation and comprehension universally, but does not attend to particular regional dialect difficulties. However, evidence suggests that voice transmissions between air traffic controllers and pilots are a particular problem in international airspace and that pilots may not understand messages due to the influence of different accents when using English. This study explores the potential impact of 'non-native English' in pilot-air traffic control transmissions using a 'conversation analysis' technique to examine approach phase recordings from Bangkok International Airport. Results support that communication errors, defined by incidents of pilots not understanding, occur significantly more often when speakers are both non-native English, messages are more complex and when numerical information is involved. These results and their possible implications are discussed with reference to the development of ICAO's new language proficiency standards. Statement of Relevance: This study builds on previous work and literature, providing further evidence to show that the risks caused by language and linguistics in aviation must be explored more deeply. Findings are particularly contemporary and relevant today, indicating that recently implemented international standards would benefit from further exploratory research and development.

Cross-cultural validation of instruments measuring health beliefs about colorectal cancer screening among Korean Americans.

PubMed

Lee, Shin-Young; Lee, Eunice E

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study was to report the instrument modification and validation processes to make existing health belief model scales culturally appropriate for Korean Americans (KAs) regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) screening utilization. Instrument translation, individual interviews using cognitive interviewing, and expert reviews were conducted during the instrument modification phase, and a pilot test and a cross-sectional survey were conducted during the instrument validation phase. Data analyses of the cross-sectional survey included internal consistency and construct validity using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The main issues identified during the instrument modification phase were (a) cultural and linguistic translation issues and (b) newly developed items reflecting Korean cultural barriers. Cross-sectional survey analyses during the instrument validation phase revealed that all scales demonstrate good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha=.72~.88). Exploratory factor analysis showed that susceptibility and severity loaded on the same factor, which may indicate a threat variable. Items with low factor loadings in the confirmatory factor analysis may relate to (a) lack of knowledge about fecal occult blood testing and (b) multiple dimensions of the subscales. Methodological, sequential processes of instrument modification and validation, including translation, individual interviews, expert reviews, pilot testing and a cross-sectional survey, were provided in this study. The findings indicate that existing instruments need to be examined for CRC screening research involving KAs.

An exploratory study on emotion recognition in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome and multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Jehna, Margit; Neuper, Christa; Petrovic, Katja; Wallner-Blazek, Mirja; Schmidt, Reinhold; Fuchs, Siegrid; Fazekas, Franz; Enzinger, Christian

2010-07-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic multifocal CNS disorder which can affect higher order cognitive processes. Whereas cognitive disturbances in MS are increasingly better characterised, emotional facial expression (EFE) has rarely been tested, despite its importance for adequate social behaviour. We tested 20 patients with a clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of MS (CIS) or MS and 23 healthy controls (HC) for the ability to differ between emotional facial stimuli, controlling for the influence of depressive mood (ADS-L). We screened for cognitive dysfunction using The Faces Symbol Test (FST). The patients demonstrated significant decreased reaction-times regarding emotion recognition tests compared to HC. However, the results also suggested worse cognitive abilities in the patients. Emotional and cognitive test results were correlated. This exploratory pilot study suggests that emotion recognition deficits might be prevalent in MS. However, future studies will be needed to overcome the limitations of this study. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and psychometric testing of the Mariani Nursing Career Satisfaction Scale.

PubMed

Mariani, Bette; Allen, Lois Ryan

2014-01-01

The Mariani Nursing Career Satisfaction Scale (MNCSS) was developed to explore the influence of mentoring on career satisfaction of registered nurses (RNs). A review of the literature revealed no contemporary valid and reliable measure of career satisfaction. The MNCSS is a semantic differential of 16 opposite adjective pairs on which participants rate feelings about their nursing career. The MNCSS was used in a pilot study and three major studies exploring career satisfaction of RNs. Validity, reliability, and exploratory factor analysis (FA) were computed to explore the internal structure of the instrument. The newly developed instrument had a content validity index (CVI) of .84 and Cronbach's alpha internal consistency reliabilities of .93-.96 across three major studies. Exploratory FA (N = 496) revealed a univocal instrument with one factor that explains 57.8% of the variance in career satisfaction scores. The MNCSS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring career satisfaction. FA of the combined data from three studies yielded one factor that measures the concept of career satisfaction.

How might health services capture patient-reported safety concerns in a hospital setting? An exploratory pilot study of three mechanisms.

PubMed

O'Hara, Jane Kathryn; Armitage, Gerry; Reynolds, Caroline; Coulson, Claire; Thorp, Liz; Din, Ikhlaq; Watt, Ian; Wright, John

2017-01-01

Emergent evidence suggests that patients can identify and report safety issues while in hospital. However, little is known about the best method for collecting information from patients about safety concerns. This study presents an exploratory pilot of three mechanisms for collecting data on safety concerns from patients during their hospital stay. Three mechanisms for capturing safety concerns were coproduced with healthcare professionals and patients, before being tested in an exploratory trial using cluster randomisation at the ward level. Nine wards participated, with each mechanism being tested over a 3-month study period. Patients were asked to feed back safety concerns via the mechanism on their ward (interviewing at their bedside, paper-based form or patient safety 'hotline'). Safety concerns were subjected to a two-stage review process to identify those that would meet the definition of a patient safety incident. Differences between mechanisms on a range of outcomes were analysed using inferential statistics. Safety concerns were thematically analysed to develop reporting categories. 178 patients were recruited. Patients in the face-to-face interviewing condition provided significantly more safety concerns per patient (1.91) compared with the paper-based form (0.92) and the patient safety hotline (0.43). They were also significantly more likely to report one or more concerns, with 64% reporting via the face-to-face mechanism, compared with 41% via the paper-based form and 19% via the patient safety hotline. No mechanism differed significantly in the number of classified patient safety incidents or physician-rated preventability and severity. Interviewing at the patient's bedside is likely to be the most effective means of gathering safety concerns from inpatients, potentially providing an opportunity for health services to gather patient feedback about safety from their perspective. 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/.

Body Weight and Mood State Modifications in Mixed Martial Arts: An Exploratory Pilot.

PubMed

Brandt, Ricardo; Bevilacqua, Guilherme G; Coimbra, Danilo R; Pombo, Luiz C; Miarka, Bianca; Lane, Andrew M

2018-06-20

Brandt, R, Bevilacqua, GG, Coimbra, DR, Pombo, LC, Miarka, B, and Lane, AM. Body weight and mood state modifications in mixed martial arts: An exploratory pilot. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters typically use rapid weight loss (RWL) as a strategy to make competition weight. The aim of the present study was to compare body weight and mood changes in professional male MMA athletes who used strategies to rapidly lose weight (n = 9) and with MMA athletes who did not (n = 3). Body mass and mood states of anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension, and vigor and total mood disturbance were assessed (a) 30 days before competition, (b) at the official weigh-in 1 day before competition, (c) 10 minutes before competition, and (d) 10 minutes postcompetition. Results indicated that RWL associated with reporting higher confusion and greater total mood disturbance at each assessment point. Rapid weight loss also associated with high anger at the official weigh-in. However, in performance, RWL did not have deleterious effects on performance. The RWL group also reported greater total mood disturbance at all assessment points with a moderate difference effect size. Research supports the notion that RWL associates with potentially dysfunctional mood states.

An analysis of pilot error-related aircraft accidents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kowalsky, N. B.; Masters, R. L.; Stone, R. B.; Babcock, G. L.; Rypka, E. W.

1974-01-01

A multidisciplinary team approach to pilot error-related U.S. air carrier jet aircraft accident investigation records successfully reclaimed hidden human error information not shown in statistical studies. New analytic techniques were developed and applied to the data to discover and identify multiple elements of commonality and shared characteristics within this group of accidents. Three techniques of analysis were used: Critical element analysis, which demonstrated the importance of a subjective qualitative approach to raw accident data and surfaced information heretofore unavailable. Cluster analysis, which was an exploratory research tool that will lead to increased understanding and improved organization of facts, the discovery of new meaning in large data sets, and the generation of explanatory hypotheses. Pattern recognition, by which accidents can be categorized by pattern conformity after critical element identification by cluster analysis.

Academic Women in Protest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theodore, Athena

This paper is an exploratory inquiry into some aspects of protest for sex equality by academic women. The analysis is based on published and unpublished information on sex discrimination in academia, as well as a sample of 65 cases of academic women obtained from a pilot survey. Following introductory material, Part II emphasizes patterns of…

A pilot study to validate measures of the theory of reasoned action for organ donation behavior.

PubMed

Wong, Shui Hung; Chow, Amy Yin Man

2018-04-01

The present study aimed at taking the first attempt in validating the measures generated based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA). A total of 211 university students participated in the study, 95 were included in the exploratory factor analysis and 116 were included in the confirmatory factor analysis. The TRA measurements were established with adequate psychometric properties, internal consistency, and construct validity. Findings also suggested that attitude toward organ donation has both a cognitive and affective nature, while the subjective norm of the family seems to be important to students' views on organ donation.

Tryptophan-kynurenine and lipid related metabolites as blood biomarkers for first-episode drug-naïve patients with major depressive disorder: An exploratory pilot case-control study.

PubMed

Kuwano, Nobuki; Kato, Takahiro A; Setoyama, Daiki; Sato-Kasai, Mina; Shimokawa, Norihiro; Hayakawa, Kohei; Ohgidani, Masahiro; Sagata, Noriaki; Kubo, Hiroaki; Kishimoto, Junji; Kang, Dongchon; Kanba, Shigenob

2018-04-15

Early intervention in depression has been critical to prevent its negative impact including suicide. Recent blood biomarker studies for major depressive disorder (MDD) have suggested that tryptophan-kynurenine and lipid related metabolites are involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. However, there have been limited studies investigating these blood biomarkers in first-episode drug-naïve MDD, which are particularly important for early intervention in depression. As an exploratory pilot case-control study, we examined the above blood biomarkers, and analyzed how these biomarkers are associated with clinical variables in first-episode drug-naïve MDD patients, based on metabolome/lipidome analysis. Plasma tryptophan and kynurenine levels were significantly lower in MDD group (N = 15) compared to healthy controls (HC) group (N = 19), and plasma tryptophan was the significant biomarker to identify MDD group (area under the curve = 0.740). Lower serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was the predictive biomarker for severity of depression in MDD group (R 2 = 0.444). Interestingly, depressive symptoms were variously correlated with plasma tryptophan-kynurenine and lipid related metabolites. Moreover, plasma tryptophan-kynurenine metabolites and cholesteryl esters (CEs) were significantly correlated in MDD group, but not in HC group. This study had small sample size, and we did not use the multiple test correction. This is the first study to suggest that not only tryptophan-kynurenine metabolites but also HDL-C and CEs are important blood biomarkers for first-episode drug-naïve MDD patients. The present study sheds new light on early intervention in clinical practice in depression, and further clinical studies especially large-scale prospective studies are warranted. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis of Dementia by Machine learning methods in Epidemiological studies: a pilot exploratory study from south India.

PubMed

Bhagyashree, Sheshadri Iyengar Raghavan; Nagaraj, Kiran; Prince, Martin; Fall, Caroline H D; Krishna, Murali

2018-01-01

There are limited data on the use of artificial intelligence methods for the diagnosis of dementia in epidemiological studies in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. A culture and education fair battery of cognitive tests was developed and validated for population based studies in low- and middle-income countries including India by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group. We explored the machine learning methods based on the 10/66 battery of cognitive tests for the diagnosis of dementia based in a birth cohort study in South India. The data sets for 466 men and women for this study were obtained from the on-going Mysore Studies of Natal effect of Health and Ageing (MYNAH), in south India. The data sets included: demographics, performance on the 10/66 cognitive function tests, the 10/66 diagnosis of mental disorders and population based normative data for the 10/66 battery of cognitive function tests. Diagnosis of dementia from the rule based approach was compared against the 10/66 diagnosis of dementia. We have applied machine learning techniques to identify minimal number of the 10/66 cognitive function tests required for diagnosing dementia and derived an algorithm to improve the accuracy of dementia diagnosis. Of 466 subjects, 27 had 10/66 diagnosis of dementia, 19 of whom were correctly identified as having dementia by Jrip classification with 100% accuracy. This pilot exploratory study indicates that machine learning methods can help identify community dwelling older adults with 10/66 criterion diagnosis of dementia with good accuracy in a LMIC setting such as India. This should reduce the duration of the diagnostic assessment and make the process easier and quicker for clinicians, patients and will be useful for 'case' ascertainment in population based epidemiological studies.

Establishment of an Italian chronic migraine database: a multicenter pilot study.

PubMed

Barbanti, Piero; Fofi, L; Cevoli, S; Torelli, P; Aurilia, C; Egeo, G; Grazzi, L; D'Amico, D; Manzoni, G C; Cortelli, P; Infarinato, F; Vanacore, N

2018-05-01

To optimize chronic migraine (CM) ascertainment and phenotype definition, provide adequate clinical management and health care procedures, and rationalize economic resources allocation, we performed an exploratory multicenter pilot study aimed at establishing a CM database, the first step for developing a future Italian CM registry. We enrolled 63 consecutive CM patients in four tertiary headache centers screened with face-to-face interviews using an ad hoc dedicated semi-structured questionnaire gathering detailed information on life-style, behavioral and socio-demographic factors, comorbidities, and migraine features before and after chronicization and healthcare resource use. Our pilot study provided useful insights revealing that CM patients (1) presented in most cases symptoms of peripheral trigeminal sensitization, a relatively unexpected feature which could be useful to unravel different CM endophenotypes and to predict trigeminal-targeted treatments' responsiveness; (2) had been frequently admitted to emergency departments; (3) had undergone, sometime repeatedly, unnecessary or inappropriate investigations; (4) got rarely illness benefit exemption or disability allowance only. We deem that the expansion of the database-shortly including many other Italian headache centers-will contribute to more precisely outline CM endophenotypes, hence improving management, treatment, and economic resource allocation, ultimately reducing CM burden on both patients and health system.

Examining the social ecology of a bar-crawl: An exploratory pilot study.

PubMed

Clapp, John D; Madden, Danielle R; Mooney, Douglas D; Dahlquist, Kristin E

2017-01-01

Many of the problems associated with alcohol occur after a single drinking event (e.g. drink driving, assault). These acute alcohol problems have a huge global impact and account for a large percentage of unintentional and intentional injuries in the world. Nonetheless, alcohol research and preventive interventions rarely focus on drinking at the event-level since drinking events are complex, dynamic, and methodologically challenging to observe. This exploratory study provides an example of how event-level data may be collected, analyzed, and interpreted. The drinking behavior of twenty undergraduate students enrolled at a large Midwestern public university was observed during a single bar crawl event that is organized by students annually. Alcohol use was monitored with transdermal alcohol devices coupled with ecological momentary assessments and geospatial data. "Small N, Big Data" studies have the potential to advance health behavior theory and to guide real-time interventions. However, such studies generate large amounts of within subject data that can be challenging to analyze and present. This study examined how to visually display event-level data and also explored the relationship between some basic indicators and alcohol consumption.

AAU Research Institution Pilots Transfer Institute To Enhance Minority Educational Opportunities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elvin, Rebecca S.; Wood, Gerald L.

In an effort to improve minority recruitment and retention, the University of Arizona collaborated with Pima Community College to launch the Exploratory Transfer Institute (ETI), a summer program to encourage minority students who were not considering transfer to do so. The ETI was conceived, planned, and implemented through a relatively complex…

Development and validation of an asthma first aid knowledge questionnaire.

PubMed

Luckie, Kate; Pang, Tsz Chun; Kritikos, Vicky; Saini, Bandana; Moles, Rebekah Jane

2018-05-01

There is no gold standard outcome assessment for asthma first-aid knowledge. We therefore aimed to develop and validate an asthma first-aid knowledge questionnaire (AFAKQ) to be used before and after educational interventions. The AFAKQ was developed based on a content analysis of existing asthma knowledge questionnaires and current asthma management guidelines. Content and face validity was performed by a review panel consisting of expert respiratory physicians, researchers and parents of school aged children. A 21 item questionnaire was then pilot tested among a sample of caregivers, health professionals and pharmacy students. Exploratory Factor analysis was performed to determine internal consistency. The initial 46 item version of the AFAKQ, was reduced to 21 items after revision by the expert panel. This was then pilot tested amongst 161 participants and further reduced to 14 items. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a parsimonious one factor solution with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.77 with the 14 item AFAKQ. The AFAKQ is a valid tool ready for application in evaluating the impact of educational interventions on asthma first-aid knowledge. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Development and Psychometric Properties of the Immigration Law Concerns Scale (ILCS) for HIV Testing.

PubMed

Lechuga, Julia; Galletly, Carol L; Broaddus, Michelle R; Dickson-Gomez, Julia B; Glasman, Laura R; McAuliffe, Timothy L; Vega, Miriam Y; LeGrand, Sarah; Mena, Carla A; Barlow, Morgan L; Valera, Erik; Montenegro, Judith I

2017-11-08

To develop, pilot test, and conduct psychometric analyses of an innovative scale measuring the influence of perceived immigration laws on Latino migrants' HIV-testing behavior. The Immigration Law Concerns Scale (ILCS) was developed in three phases: Phase 1 involved a review of law and literature, generation of scale items, consultation with project advisors, and subsequent revision of the scale. Phase 2 involved systematic translation- back translation and consensus-based editorial processes conducted by members of a bilingual and multi-national study team. In Phase 3, 339 sexually active, HIV-negative Spanish-speaking, non-citizen Latino migrant adults (both documented and undocumented) completed the scale via audio computer-assisted self-interview. The psychometric properties of the scale were tested with exploratory factor analysis and estimates of reliability coefficients were generated. Bivariate correlations were conducted to test the discriminant and predictive validity of identified factors. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor, 17-item scale. subscale reliability ranged from 0.72 to 0.79. There were significant associations between the ILCS and the HIV-testing behaviors of participants. Results of the pilot test and psychometric analysis of the ILCS are promising. The scale is reliable and significantly associated with the HIV-testing behaviors of participants. Subscales related to unwanted government attention and concerns about meeting moral character requirements should be refined.

Development and validation of the Perceived Food Environment Questionnaire in a French-Canadian population.

PubMed

Carbonneau, Elise; Robitaille, Julie; Lamarche, Benoît; Corneau, Louise; Lemieux, Simone

2017-08-01

The present study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire assessing perceived food environment in a French-Canadian population. A questionnaire, the Perceived Food Environment Questionnaire, was developed assessing perceived accessibility to healthy (nine items) and unhealthy foods (three items). A pre-test sample was recruited for a pilot testing of the questionnaire. For the validation study, another sample was recruited and completed the questionnaire twice. Exploratory factor analysis was performed on the items to assess the number of factors (subscales). Cronbach's α was used to measure internal consistency reliability. Test-retest reliability was assessed with Pearson correlations. Online survey. Men and women from the Québec City area (n 31 in the pre-test sample; n 150 in the validation study sample). The pilot testing did not lead to any change in the questionnaire. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-subscale structure. The first subscale is composed of six items assessing accessibility to healthy foods and the second includes three items related to accessibility to unhealthy foods. Three items were removed from the questionnaire due to low loading on the two subscales. The subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0·77 for healthy foods and 0·62 for unhealthy foods) and test-retest reliability (r=0·59 and 0·60, respectively; both P<0·0001). The Perceived Food Environment Questionnaire was developed for a French-Canadian population and demonstrated good psychometric properties. Further validation is recommended if the questionnaire is to be used in other populations.

Cardiac data increase association between self-report and both expert ratings of task load and task performance in flight simulator tasks: An exploratory study.

PubMed

Lehrer, Paul; Karavidas, Maria; Lu, Shou-En; Vaschillo, Evgeny; Vaschillo, Bronya; Cheng, Andrew

2010-05-01

Seven professional airplane pilots participated in a one-session test in a Boeing 737-800 simulator. Mental workload for 18 flight tasks was rated by experienced test pilots (hereinafter called "expert ratings") and by study participants' self-report on NASA's Task Load Index (TLX) scale. Pilot performance was rated by a check pilot. The standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDNN) significantly added 3.7% improvement over the TLX in distinguishing high from moderate-load tasks and 2.3% improvement in distinguishing high from combined moderate and low-load tasks. Minimum RRI in the task significantly discriminated high- from medium- and low-load tasks, but did not add significant predictive variance to the TLX. The low-frequency/high-frequency (LF:HF) RRI ratio based on spectral analysis of R-R intervals, and ventricular relaxation time were each negatively related to pilot performance ratings independently of TLX values, while minimum and average RRI were positively related, showing added contribution of these cardiac measures for predicting performance. Cardiac results were not affected by controlling either for respiration rate or motor activity assessed by accelerometry. The results suggest that cardiac assessment can be a useful addition to self-report measures for determining flight task mental workload and risk for performance decrements. Replication on a larger sample is needed to confirm and extend the results. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of scales to assess patients' perception of physicians' cultural competence in health care interactions.

PubMed

Ahmed, Rukhsana; Bates, Benjamin R

2012-07-01

This study describes the development of scales to measure patients' perception of physicians' cultural competence in health care interactions and thus contributes to promoting awareness of physician-patient intercultural interaction processes. Surveys were administrated to a total of 682 participants. Exploratory factor analyses were employed to assess emergent scales and subscales to develop reliable instruments. The first two phases were devoted to formative research and pilot study. The third phase was devoted to scale development, which resulted in a five-factor solution to measure patient perception of physicians' cultural competence for patient satisfaction.

Exploratory Factor Analyses of the CAHPS® Hospital Pilot Survey Responses across and within Medical, Surgical, and Obstetric Services

PubMed Central

O'Malley, A James; Zaslavsky, Alan M; Hays, Ron D; Hepner, Kimberly A; Keller, San; Cleary, Paul D

2005-01-01

Objectives To estimate the associations among hospital-level scores from the Consumer Assessments of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Hospital pilot survey within and across different services (surgery, obstetrics, medical), and to evaluate differences between hospital- and patient-level analyses. Data Source CAHPS Hospital pilot survey data provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Study Design Responses to 33 questionnaire items were analyzed using patient- and hospital-level exploratory factor analytic (EFA) methods to identify both a patient-level and hospital-level composite structures for the CAHPS Hospital survey. The latter EFA was corrected for patient-level sampling variability using a hierarchical model. We compared results of these analyses with each other and to separate EFAs conducted at the service level. To quantify the similarity of assessments across services, we compared correlations of different composites within the same service with those of the same composite across different services. Data Collection Cross-sectional data were collected during the summer of 2003 via mail and telephone from 19,720 patients discharged from November 2002 through January 2003 from 132 hospitals in three states. Principal Findings Six factors provided the best description of inter-item covariation at the patient level. Analyses that assessed variability across both services and hospitals suggested that three dimensions provide a parsimonious summary of inter-item covariation at the hospital level. Hospital-level factor structures also differed across services; as much variation in quality reports was explained by service as by composite. Conclusions Variability of CAHPS scores across hospitals can be reported parsimoniously using a limited number of composites. There is at least as much distinct information in composite scores from different services as in different composite scores within each service. Because items cluster slightly differently in the different services, service-specific composites may be more informative when comparing patients in a given service across hospitals. When studying individual-level variability, a more differentiated structure is probably more appropriate. PMID:16316439

A Pilot Study of a Novel Method of Measuring Stigma about Depression Developed for Latinos in the Faith-Based Setting.

PubMed

Caplan, Susan

2016-08-01

In order to understand the effects of interventions designed to reduce stigma about mental illness, we need valid measures. However, the validity of commonly used measures is compromised by social desirability bias. The purpose of this pilot study was to test an anonymous method of measuring stigma in the community setting. The method of data collection, Preguntas con Cartas (Questions with Cards) used numbered playing cards to conduct anonymous group polling about stigmatizing beliefs during a mental health literacy intervention. An analysis of the difference between Preguntas con Cartas stigma votes and corresponding face-to-face individual survey results for the same seven stigma questions indicated that there was a statistically significant differences in the distributions between the two methods of data collection (χ(2) = 8.27, p = 0.016). This exploratory study has shown the potential effectiveness of Preguntas con Cartas as a novel method of measuring stigma in the community-based setting.

Brain response to taste in overweight children: A pilot feasibility study.

PubMed

Bohon, Cara

2017-01-01

Understanding the neural response to food and food cues during early stages of weight gain in childhood may help us determine the drive processes involved in unhealthy eating behavior and risk for obesity. Healthy weight and overweight children ages 6-8 (N = 18; 10 with BMI between 5th and 85th %ile and 8 with BMI >85th %ile) underwent fMRI scans while anticipating and receiving tastes of chocolate milkshake. Parents completed a Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Results reveal greater response to milkshake taste receipt in overweight children in the right insula, operculum, precentral gyrus, and angular gyrus, and bilateral precuneus and posterior cingulate. No group differences were found for brain response to a visual food cue. Exploratory analyses revealed interactions between self-report measures of eating behavior and weight status on brain response to taste. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence of feasibility of studying young children's taste processing and suggests a possible developmental shift in brain response to taste.

Brain response to taste in overweight children: A pilot feasibility study

PubMed Central

Bohon, Cara

2017-01-01

Understanding the neural response to food and food cues during early stages of weight gain in childhood may help us determine the drive processes involved in unhealthy eating behavior and risk for obesity. Healthy weight and overweight children ages 6–8 (N = 18; 10 with BMI between 5th and 85th %ile and 8 with BMI >85th %ile) underwent fMRI scans while anticipating and receiving tastes of chocolate milkshake. Parents completed a Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Results reveal greater response to milkshake taste receipt in overweight children in the right insula, operculum, precentral gyrus, and angular gyrus, and bilateral precuneus and posterior cingulate. No group differences were found for brain response to a visual food cue. Exploratory analyses revealed interactions between self-report measures of eating behavior and weight status on brain response to taste. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence of feasibility of studying young children’s taste processing and suggests a possible developmental shift in brain response to taste. PMID:28235080

Flying Schedule-Matching Descents to Explore Flight Crews' Perceptions of Their Load and Task Feasibility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Lynne Hazel; Sharma, Shivanjli; Lozito, Sharon; Kaneshige, John; Hayashi, Miwa; Dulchinos, Victoria

2012-01-01

Multiple studies have investigated the development and use of ground-based (controller) tools to manage and schedule traffic in future terminal airspace. No studies have investigated the impacts that such tools (and concepts) could have on the flight-deck. To begin to redress the balance, an exploratory study investigated the procedures and actions of ten Boeing-747-400 crews as they flew eight continuous descent approaches in the Los Angeles terminal airspace, with the descents being controlled using speed alone. Although the study was exploratory in nature, four variables were manipulated: speed changes, route constraints, clearance phraseology, and winds. Despite flying the same scenarios with the same events and timing, there was at least a 50 second difference in the time it took crews to fly the approaches. This variation is the product of a number of factors but highlights potential difficulties for scheduling tools that would have to accommodate this amount of natural variation in descent times. The primary focus of this paper is the potential impact of ground scheduling tools on the flight crews performance and procedures. Crews reported "moderate to low" workload, on average; however, short periods of intense and high workload were observed. The non-flying pilot often reported a higher level of workload than the flying-pilot, which may be due to their increased interaction with the Flight Management Computer, when using the aircraft automation to assist with managing the descent clearances. It is concluded that ground-side tools and automation may have a larger impact on the current-day flight-deck than was assumed and that studies investigating this impact should continue in parallel with controller support tool development.

Metrology in health: a pilot study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, M.; Matos, A.

2015-02-01

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze some relevant issues which arise when the concept of metrological traceability is applied to health care facilities. Discussion is structured around the results that were obtained through a characterization and comparative description of the practices applied in 45 different Portuguese health entities. Following a qualitative exploratory approach, the information collected was the support for the initial research hypotheses and the development of the questionnaire survey. It was also applied a quantitative methodology that included a descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of the experimental data set.

Satellite Power Systems (SPS) concept definition study exhibit C. Volume 3: Experimental verification definition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

An environmentally oriented microwave technology exploratory research program aimed at reducing the uncertainty associated with microwave power system critical technical issues is described. Topics discussed include: (1) Solar Power Satellite System (SPS) development plan elements; (2) critical technology issues related to the SPS preliminary reference configuration; (3) pilot plant to demonstrate commercial viability of the SPS system; and (4) research areas required to demonstrate feasibility of the SPS system. Progress in the development of advanced GaAs solar cells is reported along with a power distribution subsystem.

Researchers’ Perceptions of the Ethical Implications of Pharmacogenomics Research with Children

PubMed Central

Avard, D.; Silverstein, T.; Sillon, G.; Joly, Y.

2009-01-01

Background This paper presents the results of an exploratory qualitative study that assesses Canadian pediatric researchers’ perceptions of a pre-selected group of ethical issues raised by pharmacogenomics research with children. Methods As a pilot study, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with Canadian pediatric pharmacogenomic researchers. The interviews were guided by the following themes: (1) benefits and risks of inclusion, (2) the consent/assent process, and (3) the return of research results. Results Issues about assent, consent, risks and benefits, as well as the communication of results were addressed by the respondents. Some issues, such as the unique vulnerability of children, the long term privacy concerns associated with biobanking, additional core elements that need to be discussed and included in the consent/assent forms, as well as the challenges of communicating research results in a pediatric research were not explicitly identified by the respondents. Conclusion Further consideration should be given to address the ethical challenges of including children in pharmacogenomics research. This exploratory study indicates that further guidance is needed if children are to be protected and yet benefit from such research. PMID:19204423

Exploratory piloted simulator study of the effects of winglets on handling qualities of a representative agricultural airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ogburn, M. E.; Brown, P. W.

1980-01-01

The effects on handling qualities of adding winglets to a representative agricultural aircraft configuration during swath-run maneuvering were evaluated. Aerodynamic data used in the simulation were based on low-speed wind tunnel tests of a full scale airplane and a subscale model. The Cooper-Harper handling qualities rating scale, supplementary pilot comments, and pilot vehicle performance data were used to describe the handling qualities of the airplane with the different wing-tip configurations. Results showed that the lateral-directional handling qualities of the airplane were greatly affected by the application of winglets and winglet cant angle. The airplane with winglets canted out 20 deg exhibited severely degraded lateral directional handling qualities in comparison to the basic airplane. When the winglets were canted inward 10 deg, the flying qualities of the configuration were markedly improved over those of the winglet-canted-out configuration or the basic configuration without winglets, indicating that proper tailoring of the winglet design may afford a potential benefit in the area of handling qualities.

Bioengineered Temporomandibular Joint Disk Implants: Study Protocol for a Two-Phase Exploratory Randomized Preclinical Pilot Trial in 18 Black Merino Sheep (TEMPOJIMS)

PubMed Central

Monje, Florencio Gil; González-García, Raúl; Little, Christopher B; Mónico, Lisete; Pinho, Mário; Santos, Fábio Abade; Carrapiço, Belmira; Gonçalves, Sandra Cavaco; Morouço, Pedro; Alves, Nuno; Moura, Carla; Wang, Yadong; Jeffries, Eric; Gao, Jin; Sousa, Rita; Neto, Lia Lucas; Caldeira, Daniel; Salvado, Francisco

2017-01-01

Background Preclinical trials are essential to test efficacious options to substitute the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disk. The contemporary absence of an ideal treatment for patients with severe TMJ disorders can be related to difficulties concerning the appropriate study design to conduct preclinical trials in the TMJ field. These difficulties can be associated with the use of heterogeneous animal models, the use of the contralateral TMJ as control, the absence of rigorous randomized controlled preclinical trials with blinded outcomes assessors, and difficulties involving multidisciplinary teams. Objective This study aims to develop a new, reproducible, and effective study design for preclinical research in the TMJ domain, obtaining rigorous data related to (1) identify the impact of bilateral discectomy in black Merino sheep, (2) identify the impact of bilateral discopexy in black Merino sheep, and (3) identify the impact of three different bioengineering TMJ discs in black Merino sheep. Methods A two-phase exploratory randomized controlled preclinical trial with blinded outcomes is proposed. In the first phase, nine sheep are randomized into three different surgical bilateral procedures: bilateral discectomy, bilateral discopexy, and sham surgery. In the second phase, nine sheep are randomized to bilaterally test three different TMJ bioengineering disk implants. The primary outcome is the histological gradation of TMJ. Secondary outcomes are imaging changes, absolute masticatory time, ruminant time per cycle, ruminant kinetics, ruminant area, and sheep weight. Results Previous preclinical studies in this field have used the contralateral unoperated side as a control, different animal models ranging from mice to a canine model, with nonrandomized, nonblinded and uncontrolled study designs and limited outcomes measures. The main goal of this exploratory preclinical protocol is to set a new standard for future preclinical trials in oromaxillofacial surgery, particularly in the TMJ field, by proposing a rigorous design in black Merino sheep. The authors also intend to test the feasibility of pilot outcomes. The authors expect to increase the quality of further studies in this field and to progress in future treatment options for patients undergoing surgery for TMJ disk replacement. Conclusions The study has commenced, but it is too early to provide results or conclusions. PMID:28254733

Pilot study of atomoxetine in patients with Parkinson's disease and dopa-unresponsive Freezing of Gait.

PubMed

Revuelta, Gonzalo J; Embry, Aaron; Elm, Jordan J; Gregory, Chris; Delambo, Amy; Kautz, Steve; Hinson, Vanessa K

2015-01-01

Freezing of gait (FoG) is a common and debilitating condition in Parkinson's disease (PD) associated with executive dysfunction. A subtype of FoG does not respond to dopaminergic therapy and may be related to noradrenergic deficiency. This pilot study explores the effects of atomoxetine on gait in PD patients with dopa-unresponsive FoG using a novel paradigm for objective gait assessment. Ten patients with PD and dopa-unresponsive FoG were enrolled in this eight-week open label pilot study. Assessments included an exploratory gait analysis protocol that quantified spatiotemporal parameters during straight-away walking and turning, while performing a dual task. Clinical, and subjective assessments of gait, quality of life, and safety were also administered. The primary outcome was a validated subjective assessment for FoG (FOG-Q). Atomoxetine was well tolerated, however, no significant change was observed in the primary outcome. The gait analysis protocol correlated well with clinical scales, but not with subjective assessments. DBS patients were more likely to increase gait velocity (p = 0.033), and improved in other clinical assessments. Objective gait analysis protocols assessing gait while dual tasking are feasible and useful for this patient population, and may be superior correlates of FoG severity than subjective measures. These findings can inform future trials in this population.

Children of National Guard troops: a pilot study of deployment, patriotism, and media coverage.

PubMed

Pfefferbaum, Betty; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Jacobs, Anne K; Houston, J Brian

2013-01-01

This exploratory pilot study examined the psychosocial effects of the war in Iraq, patriotism, and attention to war-related media coverage in the children of National Guard troops across phases of parental deployment--pre deployment, during deployment, and post deployment. Participants included 11 children, ages 8 to 18 years. Data collected in each deployment phase included demographics, the Behavior Assessment System for Children, (Second Edition, BASC-2), patriotism (national identity, uncritical patriotism, and constructive patriotism), and attention to war-related media coverage. School problems and emotional symptoms were significantly higher during deployment than post deployment. National identity and constructive patriotism increased and uncritical patriotism decreased post deployment from levels during deployment. Uncritical patriotism correlated positively with emotional symptoms and correlated negatively with personal adjustment. Constructive patriotism correlated positively with emotional symptoms and with internalizing problems. Greater attention to war-related media coverage correlated with uncritical patriotism, and attention to internet coverage correlated with constructive patriotism. Attention to media coverage was linked to greater emotional and behavioral problems and was negatively correlated with personal adjustment. The results of this pilot study identified relationships of both patriotism and attention to media coverage with children's emotional and behavioral status and personal adjustment suggesting areas for future investigation.

Characterizing Stressors and Modifiable Health Risk Factors Among Homeless Smokers: An Exploratory Pilot Study.

PubMed

Kendzor, Darla E; Reitzel, Lorraine R; Businelle, Michael S

2015-10-01

This pilot study was conducted to explore the associations between stressors related to homelessness and modifiable health risk factors (poor diet, insufficient physical activity, and overweight/obesity) and to provide direction for future research. Participants (N = 57) were homeless adults enrolled in a smoking cessation program. Analyses were conducted to characterize the sample as well as the relations between relevant stressors (discrimination, chronic stress, and fear and mistrust) and health risk factors. Inadequate daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fiber was common. High-fat diet and insufficient physical activity were also prevalent, and the majority of participants were overweight/obese. Participants commonly endorsed discrimination, fear of victimization, mistrust of others, and several other stressors. Greater endorsement of stressors was associated with a high-fat diet. Results suggest that lifestyle interventions and policy changes may be warranted in homeless shelters to attenuate the potential effects of stressors on high-fat dietary consumption among smokers. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

A pilot study of the experience of participating in a Therapeutic Touch practice group.

PubMed

Moore, Theresa; Ting, Brigid; Rossiter-Thornton, Maria

2008-09-01

This pilot study explored the experience of participating in a Therapeutic Touch practice group. A qualitative descriptive-exploratory method was used, involving 12 members of practice groups in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. Analysis of the data using an extraction-synthesis process yielded four themes: (a) learning with others through sharing and hands-on experience is valued; (b) connecting with a network of supportive relationships that sustain self and Therapeutic Touch practice; (c) comfort-discomfort arising with self, others, or ideas; and (d) meaningful changes emerge while experiencing group energy and Therapeutic Touch. The findings expand current knowledge about the positive aspects of participating in practice groups and provide a beginning understanding of member discomfort, which had not been previously reported. This knowledge will be useful to Therapeutic Touch organizations, practice group leaders, and group members. It will also guide health care agencies and practitioners of other healing modalities who may be considering establishing practice groups.

Development and initial validation of an Aviation Safety Climate Scale.

PubMed

Evans, Bronwyn; Glendon, A Ian; Creed, Peter A

2007-01-01

A need was identified for a consistent set of safety climate factors to provide a basis for aviation industry benchmarking. Six broad safety climate themes were identified from the literature and consultations with industry safety experts. Items representing each of the themes were prepared and administered to 940 Australian commercial pilots. Data from half of the sample (N=468) were used in an exploratory factor analysis that produced a 3-factor model of Management commitment and communication, Safety training and equipment, and Maintenance. A confirmatory factor analysis on the remaining half of the sample showed the 3-factor model to be an adequate fit to the data. The results of this study have produced a scale of safety climate for aviation that is both reliable and valid. This study developed a tool to assess the level of perceived safety climate, specifically of pilots, but may also, with minor modifications, be used to assess other groups' perceptions of safety climate.

The reduction of intoxication and disorder in premises licensed to serve alcohol: an exploratory randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Moore, Simon C; Brennan, Iain R; Murphy, Simon; Byrne, Ellie; Moore, Susan N; Shepherd, Jonathan P; Moore, Laurence

2010-10-14

Licensed premises offer a valuable point of intervention to reduce alcohol-related harm. To describe the research design for an exploratory trial examining the feasibility and acceptability of a premises-level intervention designed to reduce severe intoxication and related disorder. The study also aims to assess the feasibility of a potential future large scale effectiveness trial and provide information on key trial design parameters including inclusion criteria, premises recruitment methods, strategies to implement the intervention and trial design, outcome measures, data collection methods and intra-cluster correlations. A randomised controlled trial in licensed premises that had experienced at least one assault in the year preceding the intervention, documented in police or hospital Emergency Department (ED) records. Premises were recruited from four study areas by piloting four recruitment strategies of varying intensity. Thirty two licensed premises were grouped into matched pairs to reduce potential bias and randomly allocated to the control or intervention condition. The study included a nested process evaluation to provide information on intervention acceptability and implementation. Outcome measures included police-recorded violent incidents, assault-related attendances at each premises' local ED and patron Breath Alcohol Concentration assessed on exiting and entering study premises. The most successful recruitment method involved local police licensing officers and yielded a 100% success rate. Police-records of violence provided the most appropriate source of data about disorder at the premises level. The methodology of an exploratory trial is presented and despite challenges presented by the study environment it is argued an exploratory trial is warranted. Initial investigations in recruitment methods suggest that study premises should be recruited with the assistance of police officers. Police data were of sufficient quality to identify disorder and street surveys are a feasible method for measuring intoxication at the individual level. UKCRN 7090; ISRCTN: 80875696. Medical Research Council (G0701758) to Simon Moore, Simon Murphy, Laurence Moore and Jonathan Shepherd.

The reduction of intoxication and disorder in premises licensed to serve alcohol: An exploratory randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Licensed premises offer a valuable point of intervention to reduce alcohol-related harm. Objective To describe the research design for an exploratory trial examining the feasibility and acceptability of a premises-level intervention designed to reduce severe intoxication and related disorder. The study also aims to assess the feasibility of a potential future large scale effectiveness trial and provide information on key trial design parameters including inclusion criteria, premises recruitment methods, strategies to implement the intervention and trial design, outcome measures, data collection methods and intra-cluster correlations. Design A randomised controlled trial in licensed premises that had experienced at least one assault in the year preceding the intervention, documented in police or hospital Emergency Department (ED) records. Premises were recruited from four study areas by piloting four recruitment strategies of varying intensity. Thirty two licensed premises were grouped into matched pairs to reduce potential bias and randomly allocated to the control or intervention condition. The study included a nested process evaluation to provide information on intervention acceptability and implementation. Outcome measures included police-recorded violent incidents, assault-related attendances at each premises' local ED and patron Breath Alcohol Concentration assessed on exiting and entering study premises. Results The most successful recruitment method involved local police licensing officers and yielded a 100% success rate. Police-records of violence provided the most appropriate source of data about disorder at the premises level. Conclusion The methodology of an exploratory trial is presented and despite challenges presented by the study environment it is argued an exploratory trial is warranted. Initial investigations in recruitment methods suggest that study premises should be recruited with the assistance of police officers. Police data were of sufficient quality to identify disorder and street surveys are a feasible method for measuring intoxication at the individual level. Trial registration UKCRN 7090; ISRCTN: 80875696 Funding Medical Research Council (G0701758) to Simon Moore, Simon Murphy, Laurence Moore and Jonathan Shepherd PMID:20946634

Construct validation of emotional labor scale for a sample of Pakistani corporate employees.

PubMed

Akhter, Noreen

2017-02-01

To translate, adapt and validate emotional labour scale for Pakistani corporate employees. This study was conducted in locale of Rawalpindi and Islamabad from October 2014 to December 2015, and comprised customer service employees of commercial banks and telecommunication companies. It comprised of two independent parts. Part one had two steps. Step one involved translation and adaptation of the instrument. In the second step psychometric properties of the translated scale were established by administering it to customer services employees from commercial banks and the telecommunication sector. Data of the pilot study was analysed by using exploratory factor analysis to extract the initial factor of emotional labour. Part two comprised the main study. Commercial bank employees were included in the sample by using convenient sampling technique. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. There were 145 participants in the first study and 495 in the second study . Exploratory factor analysis initially generated three-factor model of emotional labour which was further confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis suggesting that emotional labour had three distinct dimensions, i.e. surface acting, deep acting and genuine expressions of emotions. The emotional labour scale was found to be a valid and reliable measure.

Understanding Violence in Contemporary and Earlier Gangs: An Exploratory Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Judy P.; Taylor, Jerome

1995-01-01

Reviews the theory of reasoned action to demonstrate how it can be applied to understanding gang violence, and illustrates its potential applicability to a pilot sample of 30 contemporary and 18 earlier gangs living in a large metropolitan community. Results indicate this theory has been helpful in explaining higher levels of violence in…

Interdisciplinary Interactions within a Small-Scale Research Initiative Investigating Animation Creation as a Means of Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wishart, J. M.; Wakley, G.

2017-01-01

This paper reports an interdisciplinary research (IDR) initiative conducted by two lecturers from different university faculties who found they shared an interest in using animations to support teaching and learning. The research comprised an exploratory pilot to test the feasibility, and to explore the impact on learning, of having undergraduates…

Diagnosis of the Initial State of Formation of Research Competence of a Future Social Pedagogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhexembinova, Ainur K.; Shah, Saeeda; Taubayeva, Sharkul T.

2016-01-01

The article presents the results of the first series of practical research within the scope of an adopted program of pilot testing on "The Technology of Formation of Exploratory Competence in Future Social Teachers within the System of University Education." A set of questionnaires offered to students made it possible to identify the…

[Tool for measuring occupational stress: a nurses' stress inventory].

PubMed

Stacciarini, J M; Tróccoli, B T

2000-12-01

We present an exploratory study aiming at constructing an inventory to measure occupational stress in nurses ("Inventário de Estresse em Enfermeiros"--IEE). A set of items was initially constructed from previously defined categories based on interviews with nurses and then improved through semantic analysis by referees and a pilot-test with nursing students. A sample of 461 nurses--workers from the public services of the Federal District--who answered the IEE was used in the study. Factorial analysis indicated the presence of a second-order global factor and three first-order factors: Interpersonal Relationships, Stressful Career Roles and Intrinsic Job Factors.

Effects of Positive Psychology Interventions on Risk Biomarkers in Coronary Patients: A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Pilot Trial.

PubMed

Nikrahan, Gholam Reza; Laferton, Johannes A C; Asgari, Karim; Kalantari, Mehrdad; Abedi, Mohammad Reza; Etesampour, Ali; Rezaei, Abbas; Suarez, Laura; Huffman, Jeff C

2016-01-01

Among cardiac patients, positive psychologic factors are consistently linked with superior clinical outcomes and improvement in key markers of inflammation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. Further, positive psychology interventions (PPI) have effectively increased psychologic well-being in a wide variety of populations. However, there has been minimal study of PPIs in cardiac patients, and no prior study has evaluated their effect on key prognostic biomarkers of cardiac outcome. Accordingly, we investigated the effect of 3 distinct PPIs on risk biomarkers in cardiac patients. In an exploratory trial, 69 patients with recent coronary artery bypass graft surgery or percutaneous intervention were randomized to (1) one of three 6-week in-person PPIs (based on the work of Seligman, Lyubomirsky, or Fordyce) or (2) a wait-list control group. Risk biomarkers were assessed at baseline, postintervention (7 weeks), and at 15-week follow-up. Between-group differences in change from baseline biomarker levels were examined via random effects models. Compared with the control group, participants randomized to the Seligman (B = -2.06; p = 0.02) and Fordyce PPI (B = -1.54; p = 0.04) had significantly lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels at 7 weeks. Further, the Lyubomirsky PPI (B = -245.86; p = 0.04) was associated with a significantly lower cortisol awakening response at 7 weeks when compared with control participants. There were no other significant between-group differences. Despite being an exploratory pilot study with multiple between-group comparisons, this initial trial offers the first suggestion that PPIs might be effective in reducing risk biomarkers in high-risk cardiac patients. Copyright © 2016 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. All rights reserved.

Effects of positive psychology interventions on risk biomarkers in coronary patients: A randomized, wait-list controlled pilot trial

PubMed Central

Nikrahan, Gholam Reza; Laferton, Johannes A. C.; Asgari, Karim; Kalantari, Mehrdad; Abedi, Mohammad Reza; Etesampour, Ali; Rezaei, Abbas; Suarez, Laura; Huffman, Jeff C.

2016-01-01

Background Among cardiac patients, positive psychological factors are consistently linked with superior clinical outcomes and improvement in key markers of inflammation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. Further, positive psychology interventions (PPI) have effectively increased psychological well-being in a wide variety of populations. However, there has been minimal study of PPIs in cardiac patients, and no prior study has evaluated their effect on key prognostic biomarkers of cardiac outcome. Accordingly, we investigated the effect of three distinct PPIs on risk biomarkers in cardiac patients. Methods In an exploratory trial, 69 patients with recent coronary artery bypass graft surgery or percutaneous intervention were randomized to a) one of three 6-week in-person PPIs (based on the work of Seligman, Lyubomirsky, or Fordyce) or b) a wait-list control group. Risk biomarkers were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (7 weeks), and at 15 week follow-up. Between-group differences in change from baseline biomarker levels were examined via random effects models. Results Compared to the control group, participants randomized to the Seligman (B= −2.06; p= .02) and Fordyce PPI (B= −1.54; p= .04) had significantly lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels at 7 weeks. Further, the Lyubomirsky PPI (B= −245.86; p= .04) was associated with a significantly lower cortisol awakening response (CARg) at 7 weeks compared to control participants. There were no other significant between-group differences. Conclusion Despite being an exploratory pilot study with multiple between-group comparisons, this initial trial offers the first suggestion that PPIs might be effective in reducing risk biomarkers in high-risk cardiac patients. PMID:27129358

Physical activity and adolescents: an exploratory randomized controlled trial investigating the influence of affective and instrumental text messages.

PubMed

Sirriyeh, Reema; Lawton, Rebecca; Ward, Jane

2010-11-01

The present study attempts to develop and pilot the feasibility and efficacy of a novel intervention using affective messages as a strategy to increase physical activity (PA) levels in adolescents. Design An exploratory pilot randomized control trial was used to compare behaviour change over 2 weeks. A modified form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess PA behaviour. A total of 120 adolescents (16-19 years) from 4 sixth forms in West Yorkshire completed the field-based study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions, or the control condition (N=28). Participants in experimental conditions received 1 short messaging service (SMS) text message per day over the 2 weeks, which included manipulations of either affective beliefs (enjoyable/unenjoyable; N=31), instrumental beliefs (beneficial/harmful; N=30), or a combination of these (N=31). Control participants received one SMS text message per week. Outcomes were measured at baseline and at the end of the 2 week intervention. PA levels increased by the equivalent of 31.5  minutes of moderate (four metabolic equivalent) activity per week during the study. Main effects of condition (p=.049), and current physical activity level (p=.002) were identified, along with a significant interaction between condition and current activity level (p=.006). However, when the sample was split at baseline into active and inactive participants, a main effect of condition remained for inactive participants only (p=.001). Post hoc analysis revealed that inactive participants who received messages targeting affective beliefs increased their activity levels significantly more than the instrumental (p=.012), combined (p=.002), and control groups (p=.018). Strategies based on affective associations may be more effective for increasing PA levels in inactive individuals.

Results of a Culturally Adapted Internet-Enhanced Physical Activity Pilot Intervention for Overweight and Obese Young Adult African American Women.

PubMed

Joseph, Rodney P; Pekmezi, Dori; Dutton, Gareth R; Cherrington, Andrea L; Kim, Young-Il; Allison, Jeroan J; Durant, Nefertiti H

2016-03-01

This study evaluated a culturally relevant, social cognitive theory-based, Internet-enhanced physical activity (PA) pilot intervention developed for overweight/obese African American (AA) female college students. Using a 3-month, single group, pretest-posttest design, participants accessed a culturally relevant PA promotion website and engaged in four moderate-intensity PA sessions each week. Study completers (n = 25, mean age = 21.9 years) reported a decrease in sedentary screen time (p < .0001); however, no changes in moderate-to-vigorous PA were reported (p = .150). A significant increase in self-regulation for PA (p < .0001) and marginally significant increases in social support (p = .052) and outcome expectations (p = .057) for PA were observed. No changes in body mass index (p = .162), PA enjoyment (p = .151), or exercise self-efficacy (p = .086) were reported. Findings of this exploratory study show some preliminary support for Internet-enhanced approaches to promote PA among overweight/obese AA women. Future studies with larger samples are needed to further explore culturally relevant Internet-enhanced PA programs in this underserved population. © The Author(s) 2014.

Associations Among Depressive Symptoms, Wellness, Patient Involvement, Provider Cultural Competency, and Treatment Nonadherence: A Pilot Study Among Community Patients Seen at a University Medical Center.

PubMed

Hooper, Lisa M; Huffman, Lauren E; Higginbotham, John C; Mugoya, George C T; Smith, Annie K; Dumas, Tia N

2018-02-01

Treatment nonadherence is a pernicious problem associated with increasing rates of chronic diseases, escalating healthcare costs, and rising mortality in some patients. Although researchers have suggested numerous factors related to treatment nonadherence, several understudied aspects warrant attention, such as primary-care settings, provider cultural competence, and patient involvement. Adding to the research base, the present pilot study examined 88 primarily Black American and White American community patients from a large university medical center in the southern part of the United States. The study explored two research questions: (a) To what extent are there associations among depressive symptoms, wellness, patient involvement, cultural competency, and treatment nonadherence in a racially diverse community patient population? And (b) to what extent do the study exploratory variables and background characteristics predict treatment nonadherence, both separately and jointly? Depressive symptoms, the patient's perception of a provider's cultural competence, and marital/partnered status were found to be statistically significantly associated with treatment nonadherence, but not entirely in the directions expected.

Auto Therapy: Using Automobiles as Vehicles for Reminiscence With Older Adults.

PubMed

Anderson, Keith A; Weber, Katherine V

2015-01-01

Reminiscence can be beneficial for older adults and contribute to well-being and ego integrity. In this exploratory pilot study, researchers assessed the feasibility and tolerability of a novel reminiscence intervention using automobiles as the focal point. Nineteen older adults (N = 19) were asked to reminisce using photographs of automobiles from across their lifespan. The RE-AIM framework was used to assess the intervention in terms of reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. The intervention was well-received, quickly established rapport, and effectively fostered reminiscence. Social workers may find this intervention useful in helping older adults to explore their lives.

Evaluating the Usability and Usefulness of a Mobile App for Atrial Fibrillation Using Qualitative Methods: Exploratory Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Mansour, Moussa; Sperber, Jodi; Agboola, Stephen; Kvedar, Joseph; Jethwani, Kamal

2018-01-01

Background Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common form of heart arrhythmia and a potent risk factor for stroke. Nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are routinely prescribed to manage AFib stroke risk; however, nonadherence to treatment is a concern. Additional tools that support self-care and medication adherence may benefit patients with AFib. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived usability and usefulness of a mobile app designed to support self-care and treatment adherence for AFib patients who are prescribed NOACs. Methods A mobile app to support AFib patients was previously developed based on early stage interview and usability test data from clinicians and patients. An exploratory pilot study consisting of naturalistic app use, surveys, and semistructured interviews was then conducted to examine patients’ perceptions and everyday use of the app. Results A total of 12 individuals with an existing diagnosis of nonvalvular AFib completed the 4-week study. The average age of participants was 59 years. All participants somewhat or strongly agreed that the app was easy to use, and 92% (11/12) reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the app. Participant feedback identified changes that may improve app usability and usefulness for patients with AFib. Areas of usability improvement were organized by three themes: app navigation, clarity of app instructions and design intent, and software bugs. Perceptions of app usefulness were grouped by three key variables: core needs of the patient segment, patient workflow while managing AFib, and the app’s ability to support the patient’s evolving needs. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that mobile tools that target self-care and treatment adherence may be helpful to AFib patients, particularly those who are newly diagnosed. Additionally, participant feedback provided insight into the varied needs and health experiences of AFib patients, which may improve the design and targeting of the intervention. Pilot studies that qualitatively examine patient perceptions of usability and usefulness are a valuable and often underutilized method for assessing the real-world acceptability of an intervention. Additional research evaluating the AFib Connect mobile app over a longer period, and including a larger, more diverse sample of AFib patients, will be helpful for understanding whether the app is perceived more broadly to be useful and effective in supporting patient self-care and medication adherence. PMID:29549073

International survey on attitudes toward ethics in health technology assessment: An exploratory study.

PubMed

Arellano, Luis E; Willett, Jeffrey M; Borry, Pascal

2011-01-01

The objective of this exploratory study was to survey international health technology assessment (HTA) professionals to determine attitudes toward ethics in HTA. An exploratory, quantitative, cross-sectional study design was developed. The sample population (n = 636) was selected from authors of the 206 articles published in the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care between 2005 and 2007. A survey instrument was piloted and e-mailed. The response rate was low (n = 104; 16.4 percent). Respondents were primarily middle-aged (46 ± 11 years) male (62 percent) health professionals from Western countries (n = 92; 88.5 percent), with a mean of 10 (± 6 years) years of HTA experience. Although at least 90 percent of respondents agreed that healthcare decisions involved value judgments and that ethical analysis was important to HTA, respondents were divided as to whether normative (n = 45; 44.6 percent) or descriptive (n = 38; 37.6 percent) ethical recommendations were necessary. Most respondents (n = 83; 81.4 percent) believed that HTA should include citizen participation, but two thirds (n = 67; 67.0 percent) agreed that the final decision should be restricted to decision makers. A majority of respondents thought that ethical analysis could be discussed anywhere within the HTA process, either by an expert trained in ethics (n = 62; 60.8 percent) or by an external consultant (n = 80; 78.4 percent). This study showed that ethical discourse in HTA is constrained by practical considerations, which serves to limit moral inquiry. To increase ethical analysis, a positive attitude toward ethics needs to be fostered within the HTA community.

The use of message framing to promote sexual risk reduction in young adolescents: a pilot exploratory study

PubMed Central

Camenga, Deepa R.; Hieftje, Kimberly D.; Fiellin, Lynn E.; Edelman, E. Jennifer; Rosenthal, Marjorie S.; Duncan, Lindsay R.

2014-01-01

Few studies have explored the application of message framing to promote health behaviors in adolescents. In this exploratory study, we examined young adolescents’ selection of gain- versus loss-framed images and messages when designing an HIV-prevention intervention to promote delayed sexual initiation. Twenty-six adolescents (aged 10–14 years) participated in six focus groups and created and discussed posters to persuade their peers to delay the initiation of sexual activity. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed. A five-person multidisciplinary team analyzed the posters and focus group transcripts using thematic analysis. The majority of the posters (18/26, 69%) contained both gain- and loss-framed content. Of the 93/170 (56%) images and messages with framing, similar proportions were gain- (48/93, 52%) and loss-framed (45/93, 48%). Most gain-framed content (23/48, 48%) focused on academic achievement, whereas loss-framed content focused on pregnancy (20/45, 44%) and HIV/AIDS (14/45, 31%). These preliminary data suggest that young adolescents may prefer a combination of gain- and loss-framing in health materials to promote reduction in sexual risk behaviors. PMID:24452229

Exploring Disparities and Variability in Perceptions and Self-Reported Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Three Ethnic Subgroups of U.S. Blacks

PubMed Central

Gwede, Clement K.; William, Claire M.; Thomas, Kamilah B.; Tarver, Will L.; Quinn, Gwendolyn P.; Vadaparampil, Susan T.; Kim, Jongphil; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Meade, Cathy D.

2010-01-01

Purpose/Objectives To explore perceptions of colorectal cancer (CRC) and self-reported CRC screening behaviors among ethnic subgroups of U.S. blacks. Design Descriptive, cross-sectional, exploratory, developmental pilot. Setting Medically underserved areas in Hillsborough County, FL. Sample 62 men and women aged 50 years or older. Ethnic subgroup distribution included 22 African American, 20 English-speaking Caribbean-born, and 20 Haitian-born respondents. Methods Community-based participatory research methods were used to conduct face-to-face individual interviews in the community. Main Research Variables Ethnic subgroup, health access, perceptions of CRC (e.g., awareness of screening tests, perceived risk, perceived barriers to screening), healthcare provider recommendation, and self-reported CRC screening. Findings Awareness of CRC screening tests, risk perception, healthcare provider recommendation, and self-reported use of screening were low across all subgroups. However, only 55% of Haitian-born participants had heard about the fecal occult blood test compared to 84% for English-speaking Caribbean-born participants and 91% for African Americans. Similarly, only 15% of Haitian-born respondents had had a colonoscopy compared to 50% for the English-speaking Caribbean and African American subgroups. Conclusions This exploratory, developmental pilot study identified lack of awareness, low risk perception, and distinct barriers to screening. The findings support the need for a larger community-based study to elucidate and address disparities among subgroups. Implications for Nursing Nurses play a major role in reducing cancer health disparities through research, education, and quality care. Recognition of the cultural diversity of the U.S. black population can help nurses address health disparities and contribute to the health of the community. PMID:20797950

STEMS pilot trial: a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial to investigate the addition of patient direct access to physiotherapy to usual GP-led primary care for adults with musculoskeletal pain

PubMed Central

Ogollah, Reuben O; Jowett, Sue; Kigozi, Jesse; Tooth, Stephanie; Protheroe, Joanne; Hay, Elaine M; Salisbury, Chris; Foster, Nadine E

2017-01-01

Introduction Around 17% of general practitioner (GP) consultations are for musculoskeletal conditions, which will rise as the population ages. Patient direct access to physiotherapy provides one solution, yet adoption in the National Health Service (NHS) has been slow. Setting A pilot, pragmatic, non-inferiority, cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) in general practice and physiotherapy services in the UK. Objectives Investigate feasibility of a main RCT. Participants Adult patients registered in participating practices and consulting with a musculoskeletal problem. Interventions 4 general practices (clusters) randomised to provide GP-led care as usual or the addition of a patient direct access to physiotherapy pathway. Outcomes Process outcomes and exploratory analyses of clinical and cost outcomes. Data collection Participant-level data were collected via questionnaires at identification, 2, 6 and 12 months and through medical records. Blinding The study statistician and research nurses were blinded to practice allocation. Results Of 2696 patients invited to complete study questionnaires, 978 participated (intervention group n=425, control arm n=553) and were analysed. Participant recruitment was completed in 6 months. Follow-up rates were 78% (6 months) and 71% (12 months). No evidence of selection bias was observed. The direct access pathway was used by 90% of patients in intervention practices needing physiotherapy. Some increase in referrals to physiotherapy occurred from one practice, although waiting times for physiotherapy did not increase (28 days before, 26 days after introduction of direct access). No safety issues were identified. Clinical and cost outcomes were similar in both groups. Exploratory estimates of between group effect (using 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) Physical Component Summary (PCS)) at 6 months was −0.28 (95% CI −1.35 to 0.79) and at 12 months 0.12 (95% CI −1.27 to 1.51). Conclusions A full RCT is feasible and will provide trial evidence about the clinical and cost-effectiveness of patient direct access to physiotherapy. Trial registration number ISRCTN23378642. PMID:28286331

Brief Report: Development of the Family Perceptions Scale; a Novel Instrument for Evaluating Subjective Functioning in the Families of Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiffin, Paul A.; Kaplan, Carole; Place, Maurice

2011-01-01

A pool of 75 items relating to family functioning was created and piloted in a sample of 12-18 year olds (N = 673). The responses were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis which indicated the presence of three significant latent traits. The results were then used to inform the development of a rating instrument with five subscales labelled…

Job Satisfaction DEOCS 4.1 Construct Validity Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

focuses more specifically on satisfaction with the job. Included is a review of the 4.0 description and items, followed by the proposed modifications to...the factor. The DEOCS 4.0 description provided for job satisfaction is “the perception of personal fulfillment in a specific vocation, and sense of...piloting items on the DEOCS; (4) examining the descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis results, and aggregation statistics; and (5

Review of recent non-hyperbaric oxygen interventions for mild traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Wilson, Steffanie H; Roth, Michael; Lindblad, Anne S; Weaver, Lindell K

2016-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects 3.2 to 5.3 million persons in the United States (U.S.), and the impact in the U.S. military is proportionally higher. Consensus is lacking regarding an accepted outcome to measure the effectiveness of interventions to improve the symptoms associated with TBI, and no standard-of-care treatment exists for mild TBI (mTBI). A recent literature review evaluated hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO₂) interventions, and findings were mixed. We conducted a systematic review of non-HBO₂ mTBI interventional trials published in 2005-2015 in military and civilian populations. A total of 154 abstracts, seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and five pilot studies were reviewed. RCTs were evaluated using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials criteria. Results indicated that studies published within the period of review were small pilot studies for rehabilitation therapy and motion capture or virtual reality gaming interventions. Neuropsychological assessments were commonly specified outcomes, and most studies included a combination of symptom and neuropsychological assessments. Findings indicated a lack of large-scale, well-controlled trials to address the symptoms and sequelae of this condition, but results of small exploratory studies show evidence of potentially promising interventions. Copyright© Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.

Exploring the role of ethnic media and the community readiness to combat stigma attached to mental illness among Vietnamese immigrants: the pilot project Tam An (Inner Peace in Vietnamese).

PubMed

Han, Meekyung; Cao, Lien; Anton, Karen

2015-01-01

Vietnamese Americans are at high risk for developing mental health disorders due to multiple risk factors such as trauma and acculturative stress. However, the utilization of mental health services has been low. The pilot project Tam An was implemented to raise mental health awareness by engaging community resources in the Vietnamese population. Informed by the Community Readiness Model and through local ethnic media sources, messages to destigmatize mental health and promote the willingness to initiate mental health treatment were presented. Using an exploratory perspective, findings from focus group data suggest that the project improved the community's stage of readiness.

Developing, implementing and evaluating OSH interventions in SMEs: a pilot, exploratory study.

PubMed

Masi, Donato; Cagno, Enrico; Micheli, Guido J L

2014-01-01

The literature on occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions contains many debates on how interventions should work, but far less attention has been paid to how they actually do work, and to the contextual factors that influence their implementation, development and effect. The need of improving the understanding of the OSH interventions issue is particularly relevant for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), since they experience worse OSH conditions, and have fewer physical, economic and organizational resources if compared to larger enterprises; thus, SMEs strongly need to focus their few resources in the decision-making process so as to select and put in place only the most proper interventions. This exploratory study is based on interviews with safety officers of 5 SMEs, and it gives an overview of the key features of the actual intervention process in SMEs and of the contextual factors making this actual intervention process similar or dissimilar to the ideal case. The results show how much qualitative and experience driven the actual intervention process is; they should be used to direct the future research towards an increasingly applicable one, to enable practitioners from SMEs to develop, implement and evaluate their OSH interventions in an "ideal" way.

The Efficacy of Functional Electrical Stimulation of the Abdominal Muscles in the Treatment of Chronic Constipation in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Peace, Carla

2016-01-01

Chronic constipation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is common and the current methods of treatment are ineffective in some patients. Anecdotal observations suggest that functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the abdominal muscles may be effective in the management of constipation in these patients. Patients and Methods. In this exploratory investigation we studied the effects of FES on the whole gut transit time (WGTT) and the colonic transit time (CTT). In addition, we evaluated the treatment effect on the patients' constipation-related quality of life and on the use of laxatives and the use of manual bowel evacuation. FES was given for 30 minutes twice a day for a period of six weeks. Four female patients were studied. Results. The WGTT and CTT and constipation-related quality of life improved in all patients. The patients' use of laxatives was reduced. No adverse effects of FES treatment were reported. Conclusion. The findings of this pilot study suggest that FES applied to the abdominal muscles may be an effective treatment modality for severe chronic constipation in patients with MS. PMID:27200190

[PROtocol-based MObilizaTION on intensive care units : Design of a cluster randomized pilot study].

PubMed

Nydahl, P; Diers, A; Günther, U; Haastert, B; Hesse, S; Kerschensteiner, C; Klarmann, S; Köpke, S

2017-10-12

Despite convincing evidence for early mobilization of patients on intensive care units (ICU), implementation in practice is limited. Protocols for early mobilization, including in- and exclusion criteria, assessments, safety criteria, and step schemes may increase the rate of implementation and mobilization. Patients (population) on ICUs with a protocol for early mobilization (intervention), compared to patients on ICUs without protocol (control), will be more frequently mobilized (outcome). A multicenter, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized pilot study is presented. Five ICUs will receive an adapted, interprofessional protocol for early mobilization in randomized order. Before and after implementation, mobilization of ICU patients will be evaluated by randomized monthly one-day point prevalence surveys. Primary outcome is the percentage of patients mobilized out of bed, operationalized as a score of ≥3 on the ICU Mobility Scale. Secondary outcome parameters will be presence and/or length of mechanical ventilation, delirium, stay on ICU and in hospital, barriers to early mobilization, adverse events, and process parameters as identified barriers, used strategies, and adaptions to local conditions. Exploratory evaluation of study feasibility and estimation of effect sizes as the basis for a future explanatory study.

Reducing the blame culture through clinical audit in nuclear medicine: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Ross, P; Hubert, J; Wong, W L

2017-02-01

To identify the barriers and facilitators of doctors' engagement with clinical audit and to explore how and why these factors influenced doctors' decisions to engage with the NHS National Clinical Audit Programme. A single-embedded case study. Mixed methods sequential approach with explorative pilot study and follow-up survey. Pilot study comprised 13 semi-structured interviews with purposefully selected consultant doctors over a six-month period. Interview data coded and analysed using directed thematic content analysis with themes compared against the study's propositions. Themes derived from the pilot study informed the online survey question items. Exploratory factor analysis using STATA and descriptive statistical methods applied to summarise findings. Data triangulation techniques used to corroborate and validate findings across the different methodological techniques. NHS National PET-CT Clinical Audit Programme. Doctors reporting on the Audit Programme. Extent of engagement with clinical audit, factors that influence engagement with clinical audit. Online survey: 58/59 doctors responded (98.3%). Audit was found to be initially threatening (79%); audit was reassuring (85%); audit helped validate professional competence (93%); participation in audit improved reporting skills (76%). Three key factors accounted for 97.6% of the variance in survey responses: (1) perception of audit's usefulness, (2) a common purpose, (3) a supportive blame free culture of trust. Factor 1 influenced medical engagement most. The study documents performance feedback as a key facilitator of medical engagement with clinical audit. It found that medical engagement with clinical audit was associated with reduced levels of professional anxiety and higher levels of perceived self-efficacy.

A pilot study of physiological reactivity in children and maternal figures who lost relatives in a terrorist attack.

PubMed

Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Allen, James R; Hammond, Donna R; Whittlesey, Suzanne W; Vinekar, Shreekumar S; Feng, Yan

2013-01-01

Trauma is thought to interfere with normal grief by superimposing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. This exploratory pilot study examined the association between traumatic grief and objectively measured physiological reactivity to a trauma interview in 73 children who lost relatives in the Oklahoma City bombing as well as a potential link between children and their maternal figures in physiological reactivity. Although the authors found no association between posttraumatic stress and objectively measured physiological reactivity among children, they found significant differences in objectively measured reactivity associated with loss and grief. Children who lost "close" relatives evidenced greater objectively measured reactivity than those who lost "distant" relatives. For the most part, children with higher levels of grief evidenced greater objectively measured reactivity than those with lower levels of grief. The most interesting of the findings was the parallel pattern in objectively measured physiological reactivity between children and their maternal figures along with a positive association between children's objectively measured physiological reactivity and maternal figures' self-reported physiological reactivity. Research using larger representative samples studied early and over time is indicated to determine the potential significance of these findings.

A human laboratory pilot study with baclofen in alcoholic individuals

PubMed Central

Leggio, Lorenzo; Zywiak, William H.; McGeary, John E.; Edwards, Steven; Fricchione, Samuel R.; Shoaff, Jessica R.; Addolorato, Giovanni; Swift, Robert M.; Kenna, George A.

2015-01-01

Preclinical and clinical studies show that the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen may represent a pharmacotherapy for alcohol dependence (AD). However, the mechanisms by which baclofen affects drinking are not well characterized; thus this pilot study investigated possible baclofen’s biobehavioral mechanisms. The design was a double-blind controlled randomized human laboratory pilot study. Fourteen non-treatment seeking alcohol-dependent heavy drinking subjects received either baclofen 10 mg t.i.d. or an active placebo (cyproheptadine 2 mg t.i.d., to control for sedation) for a 7-day period. At day 8, participants performed an alcohol cue-reactivity (CR) followed by an alcohol self-administration (ASA). Additionally, we explored possible moderators that might guide future larger studies, i.e. anxiety, family history and onset of alcoholism, and D4 dopamine receptor (DRD4) and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms. The main results were a significant effect of baclofen for increasing stimulation (p=.001) and sedation (p<.01). Furthermore, when drinking during the ASA and the 2 days before was analyzed as a composite variable, there was a significant effect of baclofen to reduce alcohol consumption (p<.01). As for the exploratory analyses, baclofen’s effects to increase alcohol sedation and to reduce alcohol consumption were limited to those individuals with DRD4 ≥7 repeats (DRD4L). Yet, baclofen’s effects on alcohol consumption were also moderated by 5-HTTLPR LL genotype. In conclusion, baclofen’s ability to reduce alcohol drinking may be related to its effects on the biphasic effects of alcohol, but larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings. PMID:23262301

Feasibility and acceptability of two incentive-based implementation strategies for mental health therapists implementing cognitive-behavioral therapy: a pilot study to inform a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Beidas, Rinad S; Becker-Haimes, Emily M; Adams, Danielle R; Skriner, Laura; Stewart, Rebecca E; Wolk, Courtney Benjamin; Buttenheim, Alison M; Williams, Nathaniel J; Inacker, Patricia; Richey, Elizabeth; Marcus, Steven C

2017-12-15

Informed by our prior work indicating that therapists do not feel recognized or rewarded for implementation of evidence-based practices, we tested the feasibility and acceptability of two incentive-based implementation strategies that seek to improve therapist adherence to cognitive-behavioral therapy for youth, an evidence-based practice. This study was conducted over 6 weeks in two community mental health agencies with therapists (n = 11) and leaders (n = 4). Therapists were randomized to receive either a financial or social incentive if they achieved a predetermined criterion on adherence to cognitive-behavioral therapy. In the first intervention period (block 1; 2 weeks), therapists received the reward they were initially randomized to if they achieved criterion. In the second intervention period (block 2; 2 weeks), therapists received both rewards if they achieved criterion. Therapists recorded 41 sessions across 15 unique clients over the project period. Primary outcomes included feasibility and acceptability. Feasibility was assessed quantitatively. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with therapists and leaders to assess acceptability. Difference in therapist adherence by condition was examined as an exploratory outcome. Adherence ratings were ascertained using an established and validated observational coding system of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Both implementation strategies were feasible and acceptable-however, modifications to study design for the larger trial will be necessary based on participant feedback. With respect to our exploratory analysis, we found a trend suggesting the financial reward may have had a more robust effect on therapist adherence than the social reward. Incentive-based implementation strategies can be feasibly administered in community mental health agencies with good acceptability, although iterative pilot work is essential. Larger, fully powered trials are needed to compare the effectiveness of implementation strategies to incentivize and enhance therapists' adherence to evidence-based practices such as cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Immunological biomarkers associated with brain structure and executive function in late-life depression: exploratory pilot study.

PubMed

Smagula, Stephen F; Lotrich, Francis E; Aizenstein, Howard J; Diniz, Breno S; Krystek, Jeffrey; Wu, Gregory F; Mulsant, Benoit H; Butters, Meryl A; Reynolds, Charles F; Lenze, Eric J

2017-06-01

Several immunological biomarkers are altered in late-life major depressive disorder (LLD). Immunological alterations could contribute to LLD's consequences, but little is known about the relations between specific immunological biomarkers and brain health in LLD. We performed an exploratory pilot study to identify, from several candidates, the specific immunological biomarkers related to important aspects of brain health that are altered in LLD (brain structure and executive function). Adults (n = 31) were at least 60 years old and had major depressive disorder. A multiplex immunoassay assessed 13 immunological biomarkers, and we examined their associations with structural MRI (grey matter volume and white matter hyperintensity volume (WMH)) and executive function (Color-Word Interference and Trail-Making tests) measures. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the chemokine eotaxin had significant negative associations with grey matter volume (VEGF: n = 31, r = -0.65; eotaxin: n = 29, r = -0.44). Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) had a significant positive relationship with WMHs (n = 30, r = 0.52); interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) were also significantly associated with WMHs (IFN-γ: n = 31, r = 0.48; MIP-1α: n = 29, r = 0.45). Only eotaxin was associated with executive function (set-shifting performance as measured with the Trail-making test: n = 33, r = -0.43). Immunological markers are associated with brain structure in LLD. We found the immunological correlates of grey and white matter differ. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate whether these immunological correlates of brain health increase the risk of LLD's consequences. Eotaxin, which correlated with both grey matter volume and set-shifting performance, may be particularly relevant to neurodegeneration and cognition in LLD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Instrument translation and initial psychometric evaluation of the Danish Body Image Quality of Life Inventory.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Trine Bernholdt; Berg, Selina Kikkenborg; Dixon, Jane; Moons, Philip; Konradsen, Hanne

2016-12-01

Negative body perception has been reported in a number of patient populations. No instrument in Danish for measuring body image-related concerns has been available. Without such an instrument, understanding of the phenomenon in Danish-speaking populations is limited. The purpose of the study was thus to translate and validate a Danish version of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI), in order to obtain a valid instrument applicable for healthcare research. The study consisted of two phases: (i) instrument adaptation, including forward and back translation, expert committee comparisons and cognitive interviewing, and (ii) empirical testing of the Danish version (BIQLI-DA) with subsequent psychometric evaluation. Hypothesised correlations to other measures, including body mass index (BMI), Medical Outcome Short Form-8 (SF-8), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorder-7 and Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R ® ) were tested. In addition, exploratory factor structure analysis (EFA) and internal consistency on item and scale level were performed. The adapted instrument was found to be semantically sound, yet concerns about face validity did arise through cognitive interviews. Danish college students (n = 189, 65 men, M age = 21.1 years) participated in the piloting of the BIQLI-DA. Convergent construct validity was demonstrated through associations to related constructs. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a potential subscale structure. Finally, results showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92). Support for the validity of the BIQLI-DA might have been strengthened by repeating cognitive interviews after layout alterations, by piloting the instrument on a larger sample. This study demonstrated tentative support for the validity of the Danish Body Image Quality of Life (BIQLI-DA) and found the measure to be reliable in terms of internal consistency. Further exploration of response processes and construct validity is needed. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Exploratory Application of Augmented Reality/Mixed Reality Devices for Acute Care Procedure Training.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Leo; Zhang, Xiao Chi; Collins, Scott A; Karim, Naz; Merck, Derek L

2018-01-01

Augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality devices are enabling technologies that may facilitate effective communication in healthcare between those with information and knowledge (clinician/specialist; expert; educator) and those seeking understanding and insight (patient/family; non-expert; learner). Investigators initiated an exploratory program to enable the study of AR/MR use-cases in acute care clinical and instructional settings. Academic clinician educators, computer scientists, and diagnostic imaging specialists conducted a proof-of-concept project to 1) implement a core holoimaging pipeline infrastructure and open-access repository at the study institution, and 2) use novel AR/MR techniques on off-the-shelf devices with holoimages generated by the infrastructure to demonstrate their potential role in the instructive communication of complex medical information. The study team successfully developed a medical holoimaging infrastructure methodology to identify, retrieve, and manipulate real patients' de-identified computed tomography and magnetic resonance imagesets for rendering, packaging, transfer, and display of modular holoimages onto AR/MR headset devices and connected displays. Holoimages containing key segmentations of cervical and thoracic anatomic structures and pathology were overlaid and registered onto physical task trainers for simulation-based "blind insertion" invasive procedural training. During the session, learners experienced and used task-relevant anatomic holoimages for central venous catheter and tube thoracostomy insertion training with enhanced visual cues and haptic feedback. Direct instructor access into the learner's AR/MR headset view of the task trainer was achieved for visual-axis interactive instructional guidance. Investigators implemented a core holoimaging pipeline infrastructure and modular open-access repository to generate and enable access to modular holoimages during exploratory pilot stage applications for invasive procedure training that featured innovative AR/MR techniques on off-the-shelf headset devices.

Exploratory Application of Augmented Reality/Mixed Reality Devices for Acute Care Procedure Training

PubMed Central

Kobayashi, Leo; Zhang, Xiao Chi; Collins, Scott A.; Karim, Naz; Merck, Derek L.

2018-01-01

Introduction Augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality devices are enabling technologies that may facilitate effective communication in healthcare between those with information and knowledge (clinician/specialist; expert; educator) and those seeking understanding and insight (patient/family; non-expert; learner). Investigators initiated an exploratory program to enable the study of AR/MR use-cases in acute care clinical and instructional settings. Methods Academic clinician educators, computer scientists, and diagnostic imaging specialists conducted a proof-of-concept project to 1) implement a core holoimaging pipeline infrastructure and open-access repository at the study institution, and 2) use novel AR/MR techniques on off-the-shelf devices with holoimages generated by the infrastructure to demonstrate their potential role in the instructive communication of complex medical information. Results The study team successfully developed a medical holoimaging infrastructure methodology to identify, retrieve, and manipulate real patients’ de-identified computed tomography and magnetic resonance imagesets for rendering, packaging, transfer, and display of modular holoimages onto AR/MR headset devices and connected displays. Holoimages containing key segmentations of cervical and thoracic anatomic structures and pathology were overlaid and registered onto physical task trainers for simulation-based “blind insertion” invasive procedural training. During the session, learners experienced and used task-relevant anatomic holoimages for central venous catheter and tube thoracostomy insertion training with enhanced visual cues and haptic feedback. Direct instructor access into the learner’s AR/MR headset view of the task trainer was achieved for visual-axis interactive instructional guidance. Conclusion Investigators implemented a core holoimaging pipeline infrastructure and modular open-access repository to generate and enable access to modular holoimages during exploratory pilot stage applications for invasive procedure training that featured innovative AR/MR techniques on off-the-shelf headset devices. PMID:29383074

A Chinese version of the City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire: validity and reliability assessment.

PubMed

Gao, Wenjun; Yuan, Changrong; Wang, Jichuan; Du, Jiarui; Wu, Huiqiao; Qian, Xiaojie; Hinds, Pamela S

2013-01-01

The City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire is a widely accepted scale to assess quality of life in ostomy patients. However, the validity and reliability of the Chinese version (C-COH) have not been studied. The objective of the study was to assess the validity and reliability of the C-COH among ostomy patients sampled from Shanghai from August 2010 to June 2011. Content validity was examined based on the reviews of a panel of 10 experts; test-retest was conducted to assess the item reliabilities of the scale; a pilot sample (n = 274) was selected to explore the factorial structure of the C-COH using exploratory factor analysis; a validation sample (n = 370) was selected to confirm the findings from the exploratory study using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Statistical package SPSS version 16.0 was used for the exploratory factor analysis, and Amos 17.0 was used for the CFA. The C-COH was developed by modifying 1 item and excluding 11 items from the original scale. Four factors/subscales (physical well-being, psychological well-being, social well-being, and spiritual well-being) were identified and confirmed in the C-COH The scale reliabilities estimated from the CFA results for the 4 subscales were 0.860, 0.885, 0.864, and 0.686, respectively. Findings support the reliability and validity of the C-COH. The C-COH could be a useful measure of the level of quality of life among Chinese patients with a stoma and may provide important intervention implications for healthcare providers to help improve the life quality of patients with a stoma.

Evaluating the Usability and Usefulness of a Mobile App for Atrial Fibrillation Using Qualitative Methods: Exploratory Pilot Study.

PubMed

Hirschey, Jaclyn; Bane, Sunetra; Mansour, Moussa; Sperber, Jodi; Agboola, Stephen; Kvedar, Joseph; Jethwani, Kamal

2018-03-15

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common form of heart arrhythmia and a potent risk factor for stroke. Nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are routinely prescribed to manage AFib stroke risk; however, nonadherence to treatment is a concern. Additional tools that support self-care and medication adherence may benefit patients with AFib. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived usability and usefulness of a mobile app designed to support self-care and treatment adherence for AFib patients who are prescribed NOACs. A mobile app to support AFib patients was previously developed based on early stage interview and usability test data from clinicians and patients. An exploratory pilot study consisting of naturalistic app use, surveys, and semistructured interviews was then conducted to examine patients' perceptions and everyday use of the app. A total of 12 individuals with an existing diagnosis of nonvalvular AFib completed the 4-week study. The average age of participants was 59 years. All participants somewhat or strongly agreed that the app was easy to use, and 92% (11/12) reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the app. Participant feedback identified changes that may improve app usability and usefulness for patients with AFib. Areas of usability improvement were organized by three themes: app navigation, clarity of app instructions and design intent, and software bugs. Perceptions of app usefulness were grouped by three key variables: core needs of the patient segment, patient workflow while managing AFib, and the app's ability to support the patient's evolving needs. The results of this study suggest that mobile tools that target self-care and treatment adherence may be helpful to AFib patients, particularly those who are newly diagnosed. Additionally, participant feedback provided insight into the varied needs and health experiences of AFib patients, which may improve the design and targeting of the intervention. Pilot studies that qualitatively examine patient perceptions of usability and usefulness are a valuable and often underutilized method for assessing the real-world acceptability of an intervention. Additional research evaluating the AFib Connect mobile app over a longer period, and including a larger, more diverse sample of AFib patients, will be helpful for understanding whether the app is perceived more broadly to be useful and effective in supporting patient self-care and medication adherence. ©Jaclyn Hirschey, Sunetra Bane, Moussa Mansour, Jodi Sperber, Stephen Agboola, Joseph Kvedar, Kamal Jethwani. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (http://humanfactors.jmir.org), 15.03.2018.

Pilot Critical Incident Reports as a Means to Identify Human Factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Cardoza, Colleen; Null, Cynthia

2016-01-01

It has been estimated that aviation accidents are typically preceded by numerous minor incidents arising from the same causal factors that ultimately produced the accident. Accident databases provide in-depth information on a relatively small number of occurrences, however incident databases have the potential to provide insights into the human factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations based on a larger volume of less-detailed reports. Currently, there is a lack of incident data dealing with the human factors of unmanned aircraft systems. An exploratory study is being conducted to examine the feasibility of collecting voluntary critical incident reports from RPAS pilots. Twenty-three experienced RPAS pilots volunteered to participate in focus groups in which they described critical incidents from their own experience. Participants were asked to recall (1) incidents that revealed a system flaw, or (2) highlighted a case where the human operator contributed to system resilience or mission success. Participants were asked to only report incidents that could be included in a public document. During each focus group session, a note taker produced a de-identified written record of the incident narratives. At the end of the session, participants reviewed each written incident report, and made edits and corrections as necessary. The incidents were later analyzed to identify contributing factors, with a focus on design issues that either hindered or assisted the pilot during the events. A total of 90 incidents were reported. Human factor issues included the impact of reduced sensory cues, traffic separation in the absence of an out-the-window view, control latencies, vigilance during monotonous and ultra-long endurance flights, control station design considerations, transfer of control between control stations, the management of lost link procedures, and decision-making during emergencies. Pilots participated willingly and enthusiastically in the study, and generally had little difficulty recalling critical incidents. The results suggest that pilot interviews can be a productive method of gathering information on incidents that might not otherwise be reported. Some of the issues described in the reports have received significant attention in the literature, or are analogous to human factors of manned aircraft. In other cases, incident reports involved human factors that are poorly understood, and have not yet been the subject of extensive study. Although many of the reported incidents were related to pilot error, the participants also provided examples of the positive contribution that humans make to the operation of highly-automated systems.

Development and utilization of the Medicines Use Review patient satisfaction questionnaire

PubMed Central

Hindi, Ali; Parkhurst, Caroline; Rashidi, Yasamin; Ho, Shun Yan; Patel, Nilesh; Donyai, Parastou

2017-01-01

The Medicines Use Review is a community pharmacy service funded in the United Kingdom to improve patients’ adherence to medication and reduce medicines waste. The objective was to develop, pilot, and utilize a new Medicines Use Review patient satisfaction questionnaire. A questionnaire for patient self-completion was developed using a published framework of patient satisfaction with the Medicines Use Review service. The questions were validated using the content validity index and the questionnaire piloted through three pharmacies (February–April 2016). The revised questionnaire contained 12 questions with responses on a 5-point Likert scale, and a comments box. The questionnaire was distributed to patients following a Medicines Use Review consultation via community pharmacies (June–October 2016). Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach’s α were performed to investigate the relationships between the items and to examine structural validity. The survey results were examined for patients’ reported satisfaction with Medicines Use Reviews, while the handwritten comments were thematically analyzed and mapped against the questionnaire items. An estimated 2,151 questionnaires were handed out, and a total of 505 responses were received indicating a 24% response rate. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors with a cumulative variance of 68.8%, and Cronbach’s α showed high internal consistency for each factor (α=0.90 and α=0.89, respectively). The survey results demonstrated that patients could show a high degree of overall satisfaction with the service, even if initially reluctant to take part in a Medicines Use Review. The results support the Medicines Use Review patient satisfaction questionnaire as a suitable tool for measuring patient satisfaction with the Medicines Use Review service. A wider study is needed to confirm the findings about this community pharmacy-based adherence service. PMID:29118573

A Fitbit and Facebook mHealth intervention for promoting physical activity among adolescent and young adult childhood cancer survivors: A pilot study.

PubMed

Mendoza, Jason A; Baker, K Scott; Moreno, Megan A; Whitlock, Kathryn; Abbey-Lambertz, Mark; Waite, Alan; Colburn, Trina; Chow, Eric J

2017-12-01

Physical activity (PA) may be important for preventing chronic diseases for adolescent and young adult (AYA) childhood cancer survivors. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PA interventions for AYA survivors are sparse, but necessary to determine effective programs for increasing PA among this population. Thus, we conducted a pilot RCT, testing the feasibility of a mobile health (mHealth) intervention to promote PA among AYA survivors. We recruited 14- to 18-year-olds who were ≥1-year post cancer therapy from Seattle Children's Hospital. The 10-week intervention consisted of a wearable PA-tracking device (Fitbit Flex) and a peer-based virtual support group (Facebook group). Research staff helped set step goals and awarded badges weekly. Controls received usual care. Baseline assessments occurred before randomization and follow-up assessments occurred during weeks 8-10 of the intervention period. Feasibility criteria are defined below. Qualitative interviews assessed acceptability. Exploratory outcomes included PA, quality of life, and motivation for PA. All feasibility criteria were met: we recruited 60 survivors, intervention participants wore the Fitbit on the majority (71.5%) of intervention days, and ≥90% of all participants completed questionnaires. Qualitative data confirmed intervention acceptability. Exploratory analyses found no significant adjusted group differences for change in moderate-to-vigorous PA (4.4 vs. 5.0 min/day; P = 0.92) or sedentary time (-4.5 vs. 1.0 min/day; P = 0.73), comparing intervention subjects to controls. Some modest differences were found for select subscales of quality of life and motivation for PA. This mHealth PA intervention was feasible and acceptable to AYA childhood cancer survivors and warrants a fully powered RCT. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A pilot methodology study for the photographic assessment of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in patients treated with tretinoin.

PubMed

Rossi, A B; Leyden, J J; Pappert, A S; Ramaswamy, A; Nkengne, A; Ramaswamy, R; Nighland, M

2011-04-01

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a common occurrence in patients with acne vulgaris, particularly in those with skin of colour. A previous study has demonstrated the benefit of tretinoin (retinoic acid) in the treatment of PIH; however, there is currently no standard protocol to evaluate change in PIH following treatment. Based on these findings, we performed a pilot, exploratory, blinded, intraindividual-controlled methodology study that consisted of a photographic assessment protocol with facial mapping.   The study was based on a secondary analysis of a phase 4, community-based trial of 544 acne patients who were treated with tretinoin gel microsphere 0.04% or 0.1%. Only patients with Fitzpatrick types III-V (skin of colour) were included in the study; subjects with Fitzpatrick skin type VI were excluded because the photographic assessment did not allow for proper evaluation. Despite the small number of subjects evaluated (n=25), the results revealed consistent assessment of improvement in PIH between two independent graders (weighted κ=0.84). Further study with a larger population is recommended to validate the accuracy of this method. © 2010 Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2010 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Comparison of User Performance with Interactive and Static 3d Visualization - Pilot Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herman, L.; Stachoň, Z.

2016-06-01

Interactive 3D visualizations of spatial data are currently available and popular through various applications such as Google Earth, ArcScene, etc. Several scientific studies have focused on user performance with 3D visualization, but static perspective views are used as stimuli in most of the studies. The main objective of this paper is to try to identify potential differences in user performance with static perspective views and interactive visualizations. This research is an exploratory study. An experiment was designed as a between-subject study and a customized testing tool based on open web technologies was used for the experiment. The testing set consists of an initial questionnaire, a training task and four experimental tasks. Selection of the highest point and determination of visibility from the top of a mountain were used as the experimental tasks. Speed and accuracy of each task performance of participants were recorded. The movement and actions in the virtual environment were also recorded within the interactive variant. The results show that participants deal with the tasks faster when using static visualization. The average error rate was also higher in the static variant. The findings from this pilot study will be used for further testing, especially for formulating of hypotheses and designing of subsequent experiments.

Urdu translation and validation of shorter version of Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) on Pakistani bank employees.

PubMed

Akhter, Noreen

2017-10-01

To translate, adapt and validate shorter version of positive affect and negative affect scale on Pakistani corporate employees. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi from October 2014 to December 2015. The study was completed into two independent parts. In part one, the scale was translated by forward translation. Then it was pilot-tested and administered on customer services employees from commercial banks and the telecommunication sector. Data of the pilot study was analysed by using exploratory factor analysis to extract the initial factor of positive affect and negative affect scale. Part two comprised the main study. Commercial bank employees were included in the sample using convenient sampling technique. Data of the main study was analysed using confirmatory factor analysis in order to establish construct validity of positive affect and negative affect scale. There were145 participants in the first part of the study and 495 in the second. Results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor structure of positive affect and negative affect scale suggesting that the scale has two distinct domains, i.e. positive affect and negative affect. The shorter version of positive affect and negative affect scale was found to be a valid and reliable measure.

C2-Related Incidents Reported by UAS Pilots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Cardoza, Colleen; Null, Cynthia

2016-01-01

It has been estimated that aviation accidents are typically preceded by numerous minor incidents arising from the same causal factors that ultimately produced the accident. Accident databases provide in-depth information on a relatively small number of occurrences, however incident databases have the potential to provide insights into the human factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations based on a larger volume of less-detailed reports. Currently, there is a lack of incident data dealing with the human factors of unmanned aircraft systems. An exploratory study is being conducted to examine the feasibility of collecting voluntary critical incident reports from RPAS pilots. Twenty-three experienced RPAS pilots volunteered to participate in focus groups in which they described critical incidents from their own experience. Participants were asked to recall (1) incidents that revealed a system flaw, or (2) highlighted a case where the human operator contributed to system resilience or mission success. Participants were asked to only report incidents that could be included in a public document. During each focus group session, a note taker produced a de-identified written record of the incident narratives. At the end of the session, participants reviewed each written incident report, and made edits and corrections as necessary. The incidents were later analyzed to identify contributing factors, with a focus on design issues that either hindered or assisted the pilot during the events. A total of 90 incidents were reported. This presentation focuses on incidents that involved the management of the command and control (C2) link. The identified issues include loss of link, interference from undesired transmissions, voice latency, accidental control transfer, and the use of the lost link timer, or lost link OK features.

A potassium Rankine multimegawatt nuclear electric propulsion concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumeister, E.; Rovang, R.; Mills, J.; Sercel, J.; Frisbee, R.

1990-01-01

Multimegawatt nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) has been identified as a potentially attractive option for future space exploratory missions. A liquid-metal-cooled reactor, potassium Rankine power system that is being developed is suited to fulfill this application. The key features of the nuclear power system are described, and system characteristics are provided for various potential NEP power ranges and operational lifetimes. The results of recent mission studies are presented to illustrate some of the potential benefits to future space exploration to be gained from high-power NEP. Specifically, mission analyses have been performed to assess the mass and trip time performance of advanced NEP for both cargo and piloted missions to Mars.

THE PRENATAL PARENTAL REFLECTIVE FUNCTIONING QUESTIONNAIRE: EXPLORING FACTOR STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF A NEW MEASURE IN THE FINN BRAIN BIRTH COHORT PILOT STUDY.

PubMed

Pajulo, Marjukka; Tolvanen, Mimmi; Karlsson, Linnea; Halme-Chowdhury, Elina; Öst, Camilla; Luyten, Patrick; Mayes, Linda; Karlsson, Hasse

2015-01-01

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is the capacity to focus on experience and feelings in oneself and in the child. Individual differences in PRF reportedly affect child attachment and socioemotional development. In this study, we report work on developing a questionnaire to assess PRF during pregnancy (Prenatal Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire; P-PRFQ). The factor structure of the 33-item version of the P-PRFQ was explored using pilot study data from the Finn Brain Birth Cohort Study (n = 124 mothers, n = 82 fathers). Construct validity was assessed against the Pregnancy Interview (PI; A. Slade, L. Grunebaum, L. Huganir, & M. Reeves, 1987, 2002, 2011) in a subsample of 29 mothers from the same pilot sample. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a 14-item P-PRFQ, with three factors which seem to capture relevant aspects of prenatal parental mentalization-F1: "Opacity of mental states," F2: "Reflecting on the fetus-child," and F3: "The dynamic nature of the mental states." Functioning of the factor structure was further tested in the large cohort with 600 mothers and 600 fathers. Correlations with the PI result were high, both regarding total and factor scores of the P-PRFQ. Cost-effective tools to assess key areas of early parenting are needed for both research and clinical purposes. The 14-item P-PRFQ seems to be an applicable and promising new tool for assessing very early parental mentalizing capacity. © 2015 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

STEMS pilot trial: a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial to investigate the addition of patient direct access to physiotherapy to usual GP-led primary care for adults with musculoskeletal pain.

PubMed

Bishop, Annette; Ogollah, Reuben O; Jowett, Sue; Kigozi, Jesse; Tooth, Stephanie; Protheroe, Joanne; Hay, Elaine M; Salisbury, Chris; Foster, Nadine E

2017-03-12

Around 17% of general practitioner (GP) consultations are for musculoskeletal conditions, which will rise as the population ages. Patient direct access to physiotherapy provides one solution, yet adoption in the National Health Service (NHS) has been slow. A pilot, pragmatic, non-inferiority, cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) in general practice and physiotherapy services in the UK. Investigate feasibility of a main RCT. Adult patients registered in participating practices and consulting with a musculoskeletal problem. 4 general practices (clusters) randomised to provide GP-led care as usual or the addition of a patient direct access to physiotherapy pathway. Process outcomes and exploratory analyses of clinical and cost outcomes. Participant-level data were collected via questionnaires at identification, 2, 6 and 12 months and through medical records. The study statistician and research nurses were blinded to practice allocation. Of 2696 patients invited to complete study questionnaires, 978 participated (intervention group n=425, control arm n=553) and were analysed. Participant recruitment was completed in 6 months. Follow-up rates were 78% (6 months) and 71% (12 months). No evidence of selection bias was observed. The direct access pathway was used by 90% of patients in intervention practices needing physiotherapy. Some increase in referrals to physiotherapy occurred from one practice, although waiting times for physiotherapy did not increase (28 days before, 26 days after introduction of direct access). No safety issues were identified. Clinical and cost outcomes were similar in both groups. Exploratory estimates of between group effect (using 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) Physical Component Summary (PCS)) at 6 months was -0.28 (95% CI -1.35 to 0.79) and at 12 months 0.12 (95% CI -1.27 to 1.51). A full RCT is feasible and will provide trial evidence about the clinical and cost-effectiveness of patient direct access to physiotherapy. ISRCTN23378642. 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/.

Congestive heart failure adherence redesign trial: a pilot study

PubMed Central

Mangla, Ashvarya; Doukky, Rami; Powell, Lynda H; Avery, Elizabeth; Richardson, DeJuran; Calvin, James E

2014-01-01

Objective Heart failure (HF) continues to be a leading cause of hospital admissions, particularly in underserved patients. We hypothesised that providing individualised self-management support to patients and feedback on use of evidence-based HF therapies (EBT) to physicians could lead to improvements in care and decrease hospitalisations. To assess the feasibility of conducting a larger trial testing the efficacy of this dual-level intervention, we conducted the Congestive Heart failure Adherence Redesign Trial Pilot (CHART-P), a proof-of-concept, quasi-experimental, feasibility pilot study. Setting A large tertiary care medical centre in Chicago. Participants Low-income patients (80% of interventions at 1 month and by study completion, respectively. Median sodium intake declined (3.5 vs 2.0 g; p<0.01). There was no statistically significant change in medication adherence based on electronic pill cap monitoring or the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS); however, there was a trend towards improved adherence based on MMAS. All physicians received timely intervention. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrated that the protocol was feasible. It provided important insights about the need for intervention and the difficulties in treating patients with a variety of psychosocial problems that undercut their effective care. PMID:25475245

Pre-placement screenings: An exploratory study of their use in a sample of New South Wales workplaces.

PubMed

McHugh, Cate; Gibson, Libby

2011-01-01

To conduct an exploratory pilot study of pre-placement screening practice in Australia by examining the nature and use of pre-placement screenings in a sample of New South Wales (NSW) workplaces. 29 of 279 employers (10.3%) invited using three sources: a public list of self-insured NSW companies, a regional chamber of commerce group and researcher's contacts. The majority of respondents (31%) belonged to government administration and education. Half of the workplaces employed more than 200 people. Employers completed an online survey from a link sent by email. Sixteen (55%) of the companies had a formal process for conducting pre-placement screenings, that were conducted by a range of professionals using a variety of methods, with costs ranging from $80 to $350 (Aus). The majority of respondents (81%) reported that the pre-placement screenings included an assessment of the person's ability to perform the specific physical demands of the job, i.e. against the specified physical demands of the position. The majority of employers who completed screenings found them useful. The findings, while from a small sample size, provide evidence that pre-placement screenings are being conducted in Australian workplaces by various professionals, using varying methods and are valued by employers.

Necessary but not sufficient? Engaging young people in the development of an avatar-based online intervention designed to provide psychosocial support to young people affected by their own or a family member's cancer diagnosis.

PubMed

Phelps, Ceri; Minou, Masoumeh; Baker, Andrew; Hughes, Carol; French, Helen; Hawkins, Wayne; Leeuwenberg, Andrew; Crabtree, Rebecca; Hutchings, Paul B

2017-06-01

This study discusses the challenges and successes of engaging young people in a project aimed at developing an online counselling intervention for young people affected by cancer. For younger people with a diagnosis of cancer or who are caring for someone with cancer, the psychosocial consequences can create significant challenges for their social and educational development. Whilst young people have been shown to be reluctant to make use of traditional face-to-face counselling, research is beginning to suggest that effective therapeutic relationships can be formed with young people online. The first phase of the study involved working with a 'Young Persons' Panel' of healthy school pupils and university students to develop and pilot an online counselling intervention and study materials in preparation for a pilot evaluation of the intervention. An avatar-based virtual reality counselling world was created where young people can create their own avatar and receive counselling over the Internet from a qualified counsellor via an avatar in a virtual reality world. The process of engaging young people in the C:EVOLVE project enabled a unique intervention to be developed and demonstrated positive developmental opportunities. However, despite the rigorous approach to the development of the intervention, initial attempts within the pilot evaluation phase of the study showed difficulties recruiting to the study, and this phase of the study has currently ceased whilst further exploratory work takes place. This study has demonstrated the complexities of intervention development and evaluation research targeted at young people and the challenges created when attempting to bring clinical practice and research evaluation together. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Attitudes of clinician educators towards interprofessional education and collaboration: Insights from two interprofessional scales.

PubMed

Ong, Sik Yin; Tan, Nigel C K; Knab, Mary S; Farrell, Susan E; Lim, Wee Shiong

2017-09-01

The increasing complexity of healthcare needs underlines the growing importance of interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) in enhancing quality of patient care. In particular, clinician educators play an influential role in advocating IPECP. The primary goal of our exploratory pilot study is to explore 34 clinician educators' attitudes towards IPECP by using the adapted 14-item Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) and 15-item Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Mean scores of ATHCTS and RIPLS were 3.81 (SD = 0.90) and 4.02 (SD = 0.79), respectively. Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified four factors: team value (ATHCTS), team efficiency (ATHCTS), teamwork and collaboration (RIPLS), and professional socialisation (RIPLS). The "team efficiency" factor on the ATHCTS scored lowest (factor mean = 3.49) compared with other factors (factor means = 3.87-4.08). Correlation analyses revealed that the "team efficiency" factor had small correlations with other factors (r = -0.05-0.37). Our clinician educators valued IPECP in promoting teamwork and professional socialisation but they perceived IPECP to compromise efficiency. The issue of perceived inefficiency by clinician educators merits attention in order to promote wider implementation of IPECP.

Mindfulness practice as a teaching-learning strategy in higher education: A qualitative exploratory pilot study.

PubMed

Schwind, Jasna K; McCay, Elizabeth; Beanlands, Heather; Schindel Martin, Lori; Martin, Jennifer; Binder, Marni

2017-03-01

Students in higher education are experiencing stress and anxiety, such that it impedes their academic success and personal wellbeing. Brief mindfulness meditation and lovingkindness meditation are two aspects of mindfulness practice that have the potential to decrease students' feelings of anxiety and stress, and increase their sense of wellbeing and capacity for compassion for self and for others. To explore how undergraduate and graduate students experience brief instructor-guided mindfulness practice; specifically, on their feelings of stress and anxiety, and their sense of wellbeing. Qualitative exploratory pilot study. Fifty-two graduate and undergraduate students in different disciplines within a community services faculty of an urban university. Brief (five-minute) instructor-guided mindfulness practices were offered over eight weeks at the beginning and end of classes. Participating students were asked to also engage in individual home practice of five to fifteen-minute mindful breathing four to five times a week and to keep a log of their experiences. At end of term, individual and group feedback (N=13) was elicited from participating students. Six of the seven instructors who guided the mindfulness practices shared their experiences of the mindfulness activities. Students reported an increased sense of calm, and a decreased feeling of anxiety. Lovingkindness meditation was mostly perceived as a positive way to close the class. Their instructors also observed that the brief mindful breathing practice at start of class helped students become more grounded and focused before engaging in the course content. Challenges encountered focused on the need to provide more in-depth information about mindfulness, as it relates to higher education teaching-learning contexts, to both students and participating instructors. Implications for education suggest further research that includes fuller experiential training of participating instructors, as well as provision of a more comprehensive background on mindfulness to students. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anticipatory pleasure skills training: a new intervention to reduce anhedonia in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Favrod, Jérôme; Giuliani, Fabienne; Ernst, Fanny; Bonsack, Charles

2010-07-01

Anhedonia is a challenging symptom of schizophrenia and remains largely recalcitrant to current pharmacological treatments. The goal of this exploratory pilot study was to assess if a cognitive-sensory intervention could improve anticipatory pleasure. Five participants meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition, Text Revision) criteria for schizophrenia, presenting severe anhedonia and stabilized on atypical antipsychotic medication, received between 10 hours and 25 hours of training. Results show that the patients improved on the anticipatory scale of the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale. Daily activities of the patients were also increased. These preliminary data need to be interpreted with caution given the small sample of the study, but they offer promising paths to develop new interventions to alleviate anhedonia in schizophrenia.

Reducing the blame culture through clinical audit in nuclear medicine: a mixed methods study

PubMed Central

Ross, P; Hubert, J

2017-01-01

Objectives To identify the barriers and facilitators of doctors’ engagement with clinical audit and to explore how and why these factors influenced doctors’ decisions to engage with the NHS National Clinical Audit Programme. Design A single-embedded case study. Mixed methods sequential approach with explorative pilot study and follow-up survey. Pilot study comprised 13 semi-structured interviews with purposefully selected consultant doctors over a six-month period. Interview data coded and analysed using directed thematic content analysis with themes compared against the study’s propositions. Themes derived from the pilot study informed the online survey question items. Exploratory factor analysis using STATA and descriptive statistical methods applied to summarise findings. Data triangulation techniques used to corroborate and validate findings across the different methodological techniques. Setting NHS National PET-CT Clinical Audit Programme. Participants Doctors reporting on the Audit Programme. Main Outcome measures Extent of engagement with clinical audit, factors that influence engagement with clinical audit. Results Online survey: 58/59 doctors responded (98.3%). Audit was found to be initially threatening (79%); audit was reassuring (85%); audit helped validate professional competence (93%); participation in audit improved reporting skills (76%). Three key factors accounted for 97.6% of the variance in survey responses: (1) perception of audit’s usefulness, (2) a common purpose, (3) a supportive blame free culture of trust. Factor 1 influenced medical engagement most. Conclusions The study documents performance feedback as a key facilitator of medical engagement with clinical audit. It found that medical engagement with clinical audit was associated with reduced levels of professional anxiety and higher levels of perceived self-efficacy. PMID:28210493

Pilot Designed Aircraft Displays in General Aviation: An Exploratory Study and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conaway, Cody R.

From 2001-2011, the General Aviation (GA) fatal accident rate remained unchanged (Duquette & Dorr, 2014) with an overall stagnant accident rate between 2004 and 2013. The leading cause, loss of control in flight (NTSB, 2015b & 2015c) due to pilot inability to recognize approach to stall/spin conditions (NTSB, 2015b & 2016b). In 2013, there were 1,224 GA accidents in the U.S., accounting for 94% of all U.S. aviation accidents and 90% of all U.S. aviation fatalities that year (NTSB, 2015c). Aviation entails multiple challenges for pilots related to task management, procedural errors, perceptual distortions, and cognitive discrepancies. While machine errors in airplanes have continued to decrease over the years, human error still has not (NTSB, 2013). A preliminary analysis of a PC-based, Garmin G1000 flight deck was conducted with 3 professional pilots. Analyses revealed increased task load, opportunities for distraction, confusing perceptual ques, and hindered cognitive performance. Complex usage problems were deeply ingrained in the functionality of the system, forcing pilots to use fallible work arounds, add unnecessary steps, and memorize knob turns or button pushes. Modern computing now has the potential to free GA cockpit designs from knobs, soft keys, or limited display options. Dynamic digital displays might include changes in instrumentation or menu structuring depending on the phase of flight. Airspeed indicators could increase in size to become more salient during landing, simultaneously highlighting pitch angle on Attitude Indicators and automatically decluttering unnecessary information for landing. Likewise, Angle-of-Attack indicators demonstrate a great safety and performance advantage for pilots (Duquette & Dorr, 2014; NTSB, 2015b & 2016b), an instrument typically found in military platforms and now the Icon A5, light-sport aircraft (Icon, 2016). How does the design of pilots' environment---the cockpit---further influence their efficiency and effectiveness? To explore the possibilities for small aircraft displays, a participatory design investigation was conducted with 9 qualified instrument pilots. Aviators designed mock cockpits on a PC using pictorial cutouts of analog (e.g., mechanical dials) and digital (e.g., dynamic displays) controls. Data was analyzed qualitatively and compared to similar work. Finally, a template for GA displays was developed based on pilot input.

Cardiovascular Disease Self-Management: Pilot Testing of an mHealth Healthy Eating Program

PubMed Central

Pfaeffli Dale, Leila; Whittaker, Robyn; Eyles, Helen; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona; Ball, Kylie; Smith, Natasha; Maddison, Ralph

2014-01-01

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is crucial in the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet attendance is poor. Mobile technology (mHealth) offers a potential solution to increase reach of CR. This paper presents two development studies to determine mobile phone usage in adults with CVD and to evaluate the acceptability of an mHealth healthy eating CR program. Methods: CR attendees were surveyed to determine mobile phone usage rates. A second single-subject pilot study investigated perceptions of a 4-week theory-based healthy eating mHealth program and explored pre-post changes in self-efficacy. Results: 74 adults with CVD completed the survey (50/74 male; mean age 63 ± 10). Nearly all had mobile phones (70/74; 95%) and used the Internet (69/74; 93%), and most were interested in receiving CR by text message (57/74; 77%). 20 participants took part in the healthy eating pilot study. Participants read all/most of the text messages, and most (19/20) thought using mobile technology was a good way to deliver the program. The website was not widely used as visiting the website was reported to be time consuming. Exploratory t-tests revealed an increase in heart healthy eating self-efficacy post program, in particular the environmental self-efficacy subset (Mean = 0.62, SD = 0.74, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Text messaging was seen as a simple and acceptable way to deliver nutrition information and behavior change strategies; however, future research is needed to determine the effectiveness of such programs. PMID:25562145

Development and validation of instrument for ergonomic evaluation of tablet arm chairs

PubMed Central

Tirloni, Adriana Seára; dos Reis, Diogo Cunha; Bornia, Antonio Cezar; de Andrade, Dalton Francisco; Borgatto, Adriano Ferreti; Moro, Antônio Renato Pereira

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an evaluation instrument for tablet arm chairs based on ergonomic requirements, focused on user perceptions and using Item Response Theory (IRT). This exploratory study involved 1,633 participants (university students and professors) in four steps: a pilot study (n=26), semantic validation (n=430), content validation (n=11) and construct validation (n=1,166). Samejima's graded response model was applied to validate the instrument. The results showed that all the steps (theoretical and practical) of the instrument's development and validation processes were successful and that the group of remaining items (n=45) had a high consistency (0.95). This instrument can be used in the furniture industry by engineers and product designers and in the purchasing process of tablet arm chairs for schools, universities and auditoriums. PMID:28337099

Suitability of a Group Behavioural Therapy Module for Workplace Smoking Cessation Programs in Malaysia: a Pilot Study.

PubMed

Maarof, Muhammad Faizal; Ali, Adliah Mhd; Amit, Noh; Bakry, Mohd Makmor; Taha, Nur Akmar

2016-01-01

In Malaysia, data on components suitability the established smoking cessation module is limited. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate the suitability of the components developed in the module for group behavioural therapy in workplace smoking cessation programs. Twenty staff were identified but only eight individuals were selected according to the study criteria during the recruitment period in May 2014. Focus group discussion was conducted to identify themes relevant to the behavioural issues among smokers. Thematic analysis yielded seven major themes which were reasons for regular smoking, reasons for quitting, comprehending smoking characteristics, quit attempt experiences, support and encouragement, learning new skills and behaviour, and preparing for lapse/relapse or difficult situations. As a result, the developed module was found to be relevant and suitable for use based on these themes.

Gut microbiota in MS: possible influence of immunomodulators

PubMed Central

Cantarel, Brandi L.; Waubant, Emmanuelle; Chehoud, Christel; Kuczynski, Justin; DeSantis, Todd Z.; Warrington, Janet; Venkatesan, Arun; Fraser, Claire M.; Mowry, Ellen M.

2015-01-01

Objectives Differences in gut bacteria have been described in several autoimmune disorders. In this exploratory pilot study, we compared gut bacteria in multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls and evaluated the influence of glatiramer acetate and vitamin D treatment on the microbiota. Methods Subjects were otherwise healthy white women with or without relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who were vitamin D insufficient. Multiple sclerosis patients were untreated or were receiving glatiramer acetate. Subjects collected stool at baseline and after 90 days of vitamin D3 (5,000 IU/day) supplementation. The abundance of operational taxonomic units was evaluated by hybridization of 16S rRNA to a DNA microarray. Results While there was overlap of gut bacterial communities, the abundance of some operational taxonomic units, including Faecalibacterium, was lower in multiple sclerosis patients. Glatiramer acetate-treated MS subjects showed differences in community composition compared to untreated subjects, including Bacteroidaceae, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Lactobacillaceae, Clostridium, and Other Clostridiales. Compared to the other groups, untreated multiple sclerosis subjects had an increase in the Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus genera after vitamin D supplementation. Conclusions While overall bacterial communities were similar, specific operational taxonomic units differed between healthy and multiple sclerosis subjects. Glatiramer acetate and vitamin D supplementation were associated with differences or changes in the microbiota. This study was exploratory, and larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results. PMID:25775034

Gut microbiota in multiple sclerosis: possible influence of immunomodulators.

PubMed

Cantarel, Brandi L; Waubant, Emmanuelle; Chehoud, Christel; Kuczynski, Justin; DeSantis, Todd Z; Warrington, Janet; Venkatesan, Arun; Fraser, Claire M; Mowry, Ellen M

2015-06-01

Differences in gut bacteria have been described in several autoimmune disorders. In this exploratory pilot study, we compared gut bacteria in patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls and evaluated the influence of glatiramer acetate and vitamin D treatment on the microbiota. Subjects were otherwise healthy white women with or without relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who were vitamin D insufficient. Patients with multiple sclerosis were untreated or were receiving glatiramer acetate. Subjects collected stool at baseline and after 90 days of vitamin D3 (5000 IU/d) supplementation. The abundance of operational taxonomic units was evaluated by hybridization of 16S rRNA to a DNA microarray. While there was overlap of gut bacterial communities, the abundance of some operational taxonomic units, including Faecalibacterium, was lower in patients with multiple sclerosis. Glatiramer acetate-treated patients with multiple sclerosis showed differences in community composition compared with untreated subjects, including Bacteroidaceae, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Lactobacillaceae, Clostridium, and other Clostridiales. Compared with the other groups, untreated patients with multiple sclerosis had an increase in the Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus genera after vitamin D supplementation. While overall bacterial communities were similar, specific operational taxonomic units differed between healthy controls and patients with multiple sclerosis. Glatiramer acetate and vitamin D supplementation were associated with differences or changes in the microbiota. This study was exploratory, and larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.

A small-group functional balance intervention for individuals with Alzheimer disease: a pilot study.

PubMed

Ries, Julie D; Drake, Jamie Michelle; Marino, Christopher

2010-03-01

Individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) have a higher risk of falls than their cognitively intact peers. This pilot study was designed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a small-group balance exercise program for individuals with AD in a day center environment. Seven participants met the inclusion criteria: diagnosis of AD or probable AD, medical stability, and ability to walk (with or without assistive device). We used an exploratory pre- and post-test study design. Participants engaged in a functional balance exercise program in two 45-minute sessions each week for eight weeks. Balance activities were functional and concrete, and the intervention was organized into constant, blocked, massed practice. Outcome measures included Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and gait speed (GS; self-selected and fast assessed by an instrumented walkway). Data were analyzed by comparing individual change scores with previously identified minimal detectable change scores at the 90% confidence level (MDC90). Pre- and post-test data were acquired for five participants (two participants withdrew). The BBS improved in all five participants, and improved > or = 6.4 points (the MDC90 for the BBS in three participants. Four participants improved their performance on the TUG, and three participants improved > or = 4.09 seconds (the MDC90 for the TUG). Self-selected GS increased > or = 9.44 cm/sec (the MDC90 for gait speed) in three participants. Two participants demonstrated post-test self-selected GS comparable with their pretest fast GS. This pilot study suggests that a small-group functional balance intervention for individuals with AD is feasible and effective. Although participants had no explicit memory of the program, four of five improved in at least two outcome measures. Larger scale functional balance intervention studies with individuals with AD are warranted.

Technical efficiency of public district hospitals and health centres in Ghana: a pilot study

PubMed Central

Osei, Daniel; d'Almeida, Selassi; George, Melvill O; Kirigia, Joses M; Mensah, Ayayi Omar; Kainyu, Lenity H

2005-01-01

Background The Government of Ghana has been implementing various health sector reforms (e.g. user fees in public health facilities, decentralization, sector-wide approaches to donor coordination) in a bid to improve efficiency in health care. However, to date, except for the pilot study reported in this paper, no attempt has been made to make an estimate of the efficiency of hospitals and/or health centres in Ghana. The objectives of this study, based on data collected in 2000, were: (i) to estimate the relative technical efficiency (TE) and scale efficiency (SE) of a sample of public hospitals and health centres in Ghana; and (ii) to demonstrate policy implications for health sector policy-makers. Methods The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach was used to estimate the efficiency of 17 district hospitals and 17 health centres. This was an exploratory study. Results Eight (47%) hospitals were technically inefficient, with an average TE score of 61% and a standard deviation (STD) of 12%. Ten (59%) hospitals were scale inefficient, manifesting an average SE of 81% (STD = 25%). Out of the 17 health centres, 3 (18%) were technically inefficient, with a mean TE score of 49% (STD = 27%). Eight health centres (47%) were scale inefficient, with an average SE score of 84% (STD = 16%). Conclusion This pilot study demonstrated to policy-makers the versatility of DEA in measuring inefficiencies among individual facilities and inputs. There is a need for the Planning and Budgeting Unit of the Ghana Health Services to continually monitor the productivity growth, allocative efficiency and technical efficiency of all its health facilities (hospitals and health centres) in the course of the implementation of health sector reforms. PMID:16188021

Football with three ‘halves’: A qualitative exploratory study of the football3 model at the Football for Hope Festival 2010

PubMed Central

ZA, Kaufman; MA, Clark; ST, McGarvey

2015-01-01

The “football3” model refers to a restructuring of traditional football/soccer rules to bring social and developmental benefits to participating youth and their communities. The model incorporates three “halves”: pre-game discussion, football match, and post-game discussion. This study was carried out to shed light on the experiences of youth and adults with the football3 model at the Football for Hope Festival 2010. As an official 2010 FIFA World Cup event, the festival assembled 32 mixed-sex delegations of youth for cultural activities and a football tournament. The study's aim was to inform the model's future design and implementation. Twenty interviews, two focus group discussions, and participant observation were conducted. Findings highlight positive experiences with the model regarding cultural exchange and relationship building, Fair Play and social values, and gender integration. Challenges pertain to misunderstanding of the football3 model, tournament atmosphere, and skill level differences. Recommendations centre on systematically formulating desired outcomes, formalizing a curriculum and training plan, piloting football3 in a range of settings over an extended period of time, and emphasizing monitoring and evaluation to assess the model's effectiveness and impact. Future piloting and research should inform the potential scale-up of the model. PMID:27064214

Dance program for physical rehabilitation and participation in children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

López-Ortiz, Citlali; Gladden, Kim; Deon, Laura; Schmidt, Jennifer; Girolami, Gay; Gaebler-Spira, Deborah

2012-02-01

Objective : This pilot study aimed to examine a classical ballet program created for children with cerebral palsy (CP) as an emerging physical rehabilitation modality. The main program goals were to promote participation and to provide an artistic, physically therapeutic activity. Methods : The study was conducted in collaboration with a tertiary rehabilitation hospital, one outpatient physical therapy clinic, and one community center. As a pilot exploratory study, the research design included questionnaires to assess the participants' (children ( n  = 16), parents ( n  = 16), and therapists ( n  = 13)) perceptions on the therapeutic benefit of the dance program. A binomial statistical model was adopted for the analysis of the results. Results : Main results were that the children reported high enjoyment level ( p  < .0001) and desire for more classes (.0001); the parents reported perceived therapeutic benefit ( p  < .0001); and the therapists viewed the class as a positive adjunct to therapy ( p  < .0001). Conclusions : The main limitation of this work was the utilization of subjective outcome measures. However, this is the first step toward the development of objective measures of an intervention that, to our knowledge, has not been analyzed in the past. We conclude that the program has the potential of developing into an evidence based rehabilitation resource for children with CP.

Stress and Depression in Relation to Functional Health Behaviors in African American Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

PubMed

Williams, Edith M; Bruner, Larisa; Penfield, Megan; Kamen, Diane; Oates, James C

While increased psychological distress in SLE has been clinically and empirically reported, the relationship between emotional distress, treatment adherence, and disease activity are complex and even more unclear in African American lupus patients. In an effort to elucidate this phenomenon in these patients, this exploratory study aimed to investigate relationships between stress, depression, and various health behaviors in this group. Thirty patients invited to participate in this study were African American systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients attending rheumatology clinics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). This study was part of a larger interventional pilot study, the Balancing Lupus Experiences with Stress Strategies (BLESS) study, that included a comprehensive battery of psychosocial, quality of life, and behavior change measures. When looking at the association between anxiety/stress and functionality, levels of reported stress had strong effects upon functionality, especially between health distress and functionality. When looking at the association between depressive symptoms and functionality, depressive symptoms had moderate effects upon social/role limitations and nights spent in the hospital. Not only did the larger pilot project demonstrate significant reductions in stress and depression as a result of workshop participation; this nested study also showed that those improvements were positively associated with improved health behaviors. These results could have implications for developing interventions to improve disease experience and quality of life in SLE patients with stress and depression.

Neuromodulation integrating rTMS and neurofeedback for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Sokhadze, Estate M; El-Baz, Ayman S; Tasman, Allan; Sears, Lonnie L; Wang, Yao; Lamina, Eva V; Casanova, Manuel F

2014-12-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, language, stereotyped behaviors, and restricted range of interests. In previous studies low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been used, with positive behavioral and electrophysiological results, for the experimental treatment in ASD. In this study we combined prefrontal rTMS sessions with electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback (NFB) to prolong and reinforce TMS-induced EEG changes. The pilot trial recruited 42 children with ASD (~14.5 years). Outcome measures included behavioral evaluations and reaction time test with event-related potential (ERP) recording. For the main goal of this exploratory study we used rTMS-neurofeedback combination (TMS-NFB, N = 20) and waitlist (WTL, N = 22) groups to examine effects of 18 sessions of integrated rTMS-NFB treatment or wait period) on behavioral responses, stimulus and response-locked ERPs, and other functional and clinical outcomes. The underlying hypothesis was that combined TMS-NFB will improve executive functions in autistic patients as compared to the WTL group. Behavioral and ERP outcomes were collected in pre- and post-treatment tests in both groups. Results of the study supported our hypothesis by demonstration of positive effects of combined TMS-NFB neurotherapy in active treatment group as compared to control WTL group, as the TMS-NFB group showed significant improvements in behavioral and functional outcomes as compared to the WTL group.

Neuromodulation integrating rTMS and neurofeedback for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder: An exploratory study

PubMed Central

Sokhadze, Estate M.; El-Baz, Ayman S.; Tasman, Allan; Sears, Lonnie L.; Wang, Yao; Lamina, Eva V.; Casanova, Manuel F.

2014-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, language, stereotyped behaviors, and restricted range of interests. In previous studies low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been used, with positive behavioral and electrophysiological results, for the experimental treatment in ASD. In this study we combined prefrontal rTMS sessions with electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback (NFB) to prolong and reinforce TMS-induced EEG changes. The pilot trial recruited 42 children with ASD (~14.5 yrs). Outcome measures included behavioral evaluations and reaction time test with event-related potential (ERP) recording. For the main goal of this exploratory study we used rTMS-neurofeedback combination (TMS-NFB, N=20) and waitlist (WTL, N=22) groups to examine effects of 18 sessions of integrated rTMS-NFB treatment or wait period) on behavioral responses, stimulus and response-locked ERPs, and other functional and clinical outcomes. The underlying hypothesis was that combined TMS-NFB will improve executive functions in autistic patients as compared to the waitlist group. Behavioral and ERP outcomes were collected in pre- and post-treatment tests in both groups. Results of the study supported our hypothesis by demonstration of positive effects of combined TMS-NFB neurotherapy in active treatment group as compared to control waitlist group, as the TMS-NFB group showed significant improvements in behavioral and functional outcomes as compared to the waitlist group. PMID:25267414

The meaning of computers to a group of men who are homeless.

PubMed

Miller, Kathleen Swenson; Bunch-Harrison, Stacey; Brumbaugh, Brett; Kutty, Rekha Sankaran; FitzGerald, Kathleen

2005-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the experience with computers and the meaning of computers to a group of homeless men living in a long-term shelter. This descriptive exploratory study used semistructured interviews with seven men who had been given access to computers and had participated in individually tailored occupation based interventions through a Work Readiness Program. Three themes emerged from analyzing the interviews: access to computers, computers as a bridge to life-skill development, and changed self-perceptions as a result of connecting to technology. Because they lacked computer knowledge and feared failure, the majority of study participants had not sought out computers available through public access. The need for access to computers, the potential use of computers as a medium for intervention, and the meaning of computers to these men who represent the digital divide are described in this study.

[Surveillance of work-related suicide in France: An exploratory study].

PubMed

Bossard, C; Santin, G; Lopez, V; Imbernon, E; Cohidon, C

2016-06-01

Despite a large media coverage of the phenomenon, the number of work-related suicides is currently unknown in France. There are nevertheless some data available to document this important issue. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of an epidemiological surveillance system for work-related suicides designed to quantify and describe work-related suicides mainly according to economic sectors and occupational categories. Existing data sources in France were identified and evaluated for their relevance and their potential use in a multi-sources surveillance system. A regional pilot study was performed using the main relevant sources identified to investigate different aspects of the system design. Four major data sources were identified to be used to describe work-related suicides: death certificates, social insurance funds, data collected by the officers of the labor inspectorate and data collected from autopsy reports in forensic departments. The regional pilot study gave an estimate of 28 cases of work-related suicide in two years. The findings point out the difficulties involved and the criteria for successful implement of such a system. The study provides some solutions for carrying out this system, the achievement of which will depend upon particular resources and partners' agreements. Recommendations for the next steps have been made based on this work, including possible collaboration with forensic departments, which collect essential data for surveillance. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

An Exploratory Study Examining Risk Communication among Adolescent Children, Their Incarcerated Mothers, and Their Caregivers.

PubMed

Robillard, Alyssa G; Holliday, Rhonda C; DeHart, Dana D; Lewis, Kaleea; Rutherford, Yamisha; Amutah, Ndidi N

2016-01-01

Adolescent children of incarcerated mothers (ACIM) are typically left in the care of adults (primary caregivers) who play a crucial role in children's care and guidance, as well as in the facilitation of contact and communication with incarcerated mothers. The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of relationships and communication among adolescent children of incarcerated mothers, primary caregivers, and incarcerated mothers using pilot data. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with youth aged 12-17 (n=7) and caregivers (n=6) recruited through a non-profit organization working with incarcerated mothers and their children. Incarcerated mothers and primary caregivers represent an important family unit for ACIMs and may play a role in preventing risk behavior. A conceptual framework is offered for further consideration of mother and caregiver communication with youth and youth risk.

Acceptability and usability of a telepresence robot for geriatric primary care: A pilot.

PubMed

Vermeersch, Patricia; Sampsel, Debi D; Kleman, Carolyn

2015-01-01

The dual challenge of increasing numbers of older adults and overall increases in those with some form of insurance is driving the need to develop and evaluate novel methods of primary care delivery such as telehealth. The goal of this study was to explore the acceptability and usability of a remote presence robot (RPR) in a simulated primary care wellness encounter for older adults. A descriptive exploratory study was used to determine the acceptability and usability of the RPR operated by an APRN 250 miles from 13 older adults residing in a high rise during a simulated primary care visit. The results support previous research that technology such as the RPR can be both acceptable and useful for an older adult and primary care provider but only in certain circumstances. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Playfulness and Interaction: An Exploratory Study of Past and Current Exposure to Domestic Violence.

PubMed

Waldman-Levi, Amiya; Bundy, Anita; Katz, Noomi

2015-04-01

Violence against women affects mother-child interactions, which may in turn affect their children's playfulness. We examined the effect of a history of violence against mothers on mother-child interactions and children's playfulness. This cross-sectional pilot study consisted of 36 mother-child dyads residing in family crisis shelters due to serious violence from an intimate partner. One subgroup had experienced violence during childhood, another had posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Instruments included Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale, Test of Playfulness, and Coding Interactive Behavior System. Mann-Whitney test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated. Results indicated that children of mothers without PTSD were more playful than children of mothers with PTSD. Mothers who had not reported of childhood exposure to violence and who did not have PTSD had better interactions with more playful children.

Evaluation of a Serious Self-Regulation Game Intervention for Overweight-Related Behaviors ("Balance It"): A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Spook, Jorinde; Paulussen, Theo; Kok, Gerjo; van Empelen, Pepijn

2016-09-26

Serious games have the potential to promote health behavior. Because overweight is still a major issue among secondary vocational education students in the Netherlands, this study piloted the effects of "Balance It," a serious self-regulation game intervention targeting students' overweight-related behaviors: dietary intake and physical activity (PA). We aimed to pilot the effects of Balance It on secondary vocational education students' dietary intake and PA. In total, 501 secondary vocational education students participated at baseline (intervention: n=250; control: n=251) in this pre-post cluster randomized trial. After 4 weeks, at immediate posttest, 231 students filled in the posttest questionnaire (intervention: n=105; control: n=126). The sample had a mean age of 17.28 (SD 1.26, range 15-21) years, 62.8% (145/231) were female, and 26.8% (62/231) had a non-Dutch background. Body mass index (BMI kg/m 2 ) ranged from 14.4 to 31.1 (mean 21.1, SD 3.3). The intervention and control groups were compared on the primary (behavioral) outcomes of dietary intake (fruit and vegetable consumption, snack consumption, and soft drink consumption) and PA (moderate and vigorous). Additionally, we explored (1) differences between the intervention and control groups in determinants of dietary intake and PA, including attitude, self-efficacy, intention, barrier identification, action planning, and action control, and (2) differences between active (intervention) users and the control group in dietary intake, PA, and associated determinants. After corrections for multiple testing, we did not find significant differences between the intervention group and control group in terms of dietary intake, PA, and determinants of dietary intake and PA. Exploratory research indicated that only 27.6% (29/105) of the intervention group reported actual intervention use (ie, active users). For exploratory reasons, we compared the active users (n=29) with the control group (n=124) and corrected for multiple testing. Results showed that active users' snack consumption decreased more strongly (active users: mean change=-0.20; control group: mean change=-0.08; beta=-0.36, P=.01, R 2 change=.05), and their use of active transport had a stronger increase (active users: mean change=0.92; control group=-0.12; beta=1.58, P=.02, R 2 change=.03) than the control group. Results also revealed significant differences in action planning (active users: mean change=0.42; control group: mean change=0.07; beta=0.91, P=.01, R 2 change=.04) and action control (active users: mean change=0.63; control group: mean change=-0.05; beta=1.25, P=.001, R 2 change=.08) in terms of unhealthy eating. The Balance It intervention did not show favorable effects on dietary intake and PA compared to the control condition. However, only a small number of people in the intervention condition actually used Balance It (27.6%). Exploratory analyses did suggest that, if used as planned, Balance It could contribute to changing dietary intake and PA behaviors, albeit it remains debatable whether this would be sufficient to prevent overweight.

Evaluation of a Serious Self-Regulation Game Intervention for Overweight-Related Behaviors (“Balance It”): A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Paulussen, Theo; Kok, Gerjo; van Empelen, Pepijn

2016-01-01

Background Serious games have the potential to promote health behavior. Because overweight is still a major issue among secondary vocational education students in the Netherlands, this study piloted the effects of “Balance It,” a serious self-regulation game intervention targeting students’ overweight-related behaviors: dietary intake and physical activity (PA). Objective We aimed to pilot the effects of Balance It on secondary vocational education students’ dietary intake and PA. Methods In total, 501 secondary vocational education students participated at baseline (intervention: n=250; control: n=251) in this pre-post cluster randomized trial. After 4 weeks, at immediate posttest, 231 students filled in the posttest questionnaire (intervention: n=105; control: n=126). The sample had a mean age of 17.28 (SD 1.26, range 15-21) years, 62.8% (145/231) were female, and 26.8% (62/231) had a non-Dutch background. Body mass index (BMI kg/m2) ranged from 14.4 to 31.1 (mean 21.1, SD 3.3). The intervention and control groups were compared on the primary (behavioral) outcomes of dietary intake (fruit and vegetable consumption, snack consumption, and soft drink consumption) and PA (moderate and vigorous). Additionally, we explored (1) differences between the intervention and control groups in determinants of dietary intake and PA, including attitude, self-efficacy, intention, barrier identification, action planning, and action control, and (2) differences between active (intervention) users and the control group in dietary intake, PA, and associated determinants. Results After corrections for multiple testing, we did not find significant differences between the intervention group and control group in terms of dietary intake, PA, and determinants of dietary intake and PA. Exploratory research indicated that only 27.6% (29/105) of the intervention group reported actual intervention use (ie, active users). For exploratory reasons, we compared the active users (n=29) with the control group (n=124) and corrected for multiple testing. Results showed that active users’ snack consumption decreased more strongly (active users: mean change=–0.20; control group: mean change=–0.08; beta=–0.36, P=.01, R2 change=.05), and their use of active transport had a stronger increase (active users: mean change=0.92; control group=–0.12; beta=1.58, P=.02, R2 change=.03) than the control group. Results also revealed significant differences in action planning (active users: mean change=0.42; control group: mean change=0.07; beta=0.91, P=.01, R2 change=.04) and action control (active users: mean change=0.63; control group: mean change=–0.05; beta=1.25, P=.001, R2 change=.08) in terms of unhealthy eating. Conclusions The Balance It intervention did not show favorable effects on dietary intake and PA compared to the control condition. However, only a small number of people in the intervention condition actually used Balance It (27.6%). Exploratory analyses did suggest that, if used as planned, Balance It could contribute to changing dietary intake and PA behaviors, albeit it remains debatable whether this would be sufficient to prevent overweight. PMID:27670222

The Job Satisfaction of Finnish Nursing Staff: The Development of a Job Satisfaction Scale and Survey Results

PubMed Central

Kvist, Tarja; Mäntynen, Raija; Partanen, Pirjo; Turunen, Hannele; Miettinen, Merja; Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Katri

2012-01-01

This paper describes the development of the Kuopio University Hospital Job Satisfaction Scale (KUHJSS) and the results of the survey. The scale was developed through a systematic literature review, and its validity and reliability were assessed using several psychometric properties including expert evaluation (n = 5), a pilot survey (n = 172), and exploratory factor analysis. The final version of KUHJSS included 37 items. A large sample psychometric evaluation was made by nursing staff (n = 2708). The exploratory factor analysis revealed seven factors with modest internal consistency (0.64–0.92). The staff reported relatively high job satisfaction. The greatest satisfaction was derived from motivating factors associated with the work; the least, from the job's demands. Respondents who considered their working units to provide an excellent quality of care reported the highest job satisfaction in every subarea (P < .0001). The KUHJSS proved to be a reliable and valid tool for measuring job satisfaction in hospital care. PMID:23133750

The 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bizzell, R. M.; Prior, H. L.; Payne, R. W.; Disler, J. M.

1983-01-01

The results from the U.S./Canada Wheat and Barley Exploratory Experiment which was completed during FY 1980 are presented. The results indicate that the new crop identification procedures performed well for spring small grains and that they are conductive to automation. The performance of the machine processing techniques shows a significant improvement over previously evaluated technology. However, the crop calendars will require additional development and refinements prior to integration into automated area estimation technology. The evaluation showed the integrated technology to be capable of producing accurate and consistent spring small grains proportion estimates. However, barley proportion estimation technology was not satisfactorily evaluated. The low-density segments examined were judged not to give indicative or unequivocal results. It is concluded that, generally, the spring small grains technology is ready for evaluation in a pilot experiment focusing on sensitivity analyses to a variety of agricultural and meteorological conditions representative of the global environment. It is further concluded that a strong potential exists for establishing a highly efficient technology or spring small grains.

Developing a pilot curriculum to foster humanism among graduate medical trainees.

PubMed

Dotters-Katz, Sarah K; Chuang, Alice; Weil, Amy; Howell, Jennifer O

2018-01-01

Humanism is a central tenant of professionalism, a required competency for all residency programs. Yet, few residencies have formal curriculum for teaching this critical aspect of medicine. Instead, professionalism and humanism are often taught informally through role-modeling. With increased burnout, faculty professionalism may suffer and may compromise resident role-modeling. The objective of this study was to design a pilot curriculum to foster humanism in among residents and assess its ability to do so. Two-phase exploratory sequential mixed methods study. Phase 1: a qualitative analysis of residents' narratives regarding challenges to humanistic behavior, and identified themes of compassion, fatigue, communication challenges, and work-life balance. Themes used as needs assessment to build curriculum. Phase 2: three sessions with themes taken from faculty development course. Participants and controls completed baseline and 60-day follow-up questionnaires assessing burnout, compassion, satisfaction, and ability to practice psychological medicine. Phase one included Obstetrics/Gynecology and internal medicine residents. Phase two included residents from the above programs, who attended at least 2/3 interactive sessions designed to address the themes identified above. Twelve participants began and ten completed curriculum (83%). The curriculum met course objectives and was well-received (4.8/5). Burnout decreased (-3.1 vs. 2.5, P = 0.048). A trend toward improved compassion (4.4 vs.-0.6, P = 0.096) for participants compared to controls was noted. A pilot humanism curriculum for residents was well-received. Participants showed decreased burnout and trended to improved compassion scores. Development and evaluation of an expanded curriculum would further explore feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention.

Cooking practices, air quality, and the acceptability of advanced cookstoves in Haryana, India: an exploratory study to inform large-scale interventions.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, Rupak; Sambandam, Sankar; Pillarisetti, Ajay; Jack, Darby; Mukhopadhyay, Krishnendu; Balakrishnan, Kalpana; Vaswani, Mayur; Bates, Michael N; Kinney, Patrick L; Arora, Narendra; Smith, Kirk R

2012-09-05

In India, approximately 66% of households rely on dung or woody biomass as fuels for cooking. These fuels are burned under inefficient conditions, leading to household air pollution (HAP) and exposure to smoke containing toxic substances. Large-scale intervention efforts need to be informed by careful piloting to address multiple methodological and sociocultural issues. This exploratory study provides preliminary data for such an exercise from Palwal District, Haryana, India. Traditional cooking practices were assessed through semi-structured interviews in participating households. Philips and Oorja, two brands of commercially available advanced cookstoves with small blowers to improve combustion, were deployed in these households. Concentrations of particulate matter (PM) with a diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) related to traditional stove use were measured using real-time and integrated personal, microenvironmental samplers for optimizing protocols to evaluate exposure reduction. Qualitative data on acceptability of advanced stoves and objective measures of stove usage were also collected. Twenty-eight of the thirty-two participating households had outdoor primary cooking spaces. Twenty households had liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) but preferred traditional stoves as the cost of LPG was higher and because meals cooked on traditional stoves were perceived to taste better. Kitchen area concentrations and kitchen personal concentrations assessed during cooking events were very high, with respective mean PM2.5 concentrations of 468 and 718 µg/m3. Twenty-four hour outdoor concentrations averaged 400 µg/m3. Twenty-four hour personal CO concentrations ranged between 0.82 and 5.27 ppm. The Philips stove was used more often and for more hours than the Oorja. The high PM and CO concentrations reinforce the need for interventions that reduce HAP exposure in the aforementioned community. Of the two stoves tested, participants expressed satisfaction with the Philips brand as it met the local criteria for usability. Further understanding of how the introduction of an advanced stove influences patterns of household energy use is needed. The preliminary data provided here would be useful for designing feasibility and/or pilot studies aimed at intervention efforts locally and nationally.

Cooking practices, air quality, and the acceptability of advanced cookstoves in Haryana, India: an exploratory study to inform large-scale interventions

PubMed Central

Mukhopadhyay, Rupak; Sambandam, Sankar; Pillarisetti, Ajay; Jack, Darby; Mukhopadhyay, Krishnendu; Balakrishnan, Kalpana; Vaswani, Mayur; Bates, Michael N.; Kinney, Patrick L.; Arora, Narendra; Smith, Kirk R.

2012-01-01

Background In India, approximately 66% of households rely on dung or woody biomass as fuels for cooking. These fuels are burned under inefficient conditions, leading to household air pollution (HAP) and exposure to smoke containing toxic substances. Large-scale intervention efforts need to be informed by careful piloting to address multiple methodological and sociocultural issues. This exploratory study provides preliminary data for such an exercise from Palwal District, Haryana, India. Methods Traditional cooking practices were assessed through semi-structured interviews in participating households. Philips and Oorja, two brands of commercially available advanced cookstoves with small blowers to improve combustion, were deployed in these households. Concentrations of particulate matter (PM) with a diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) related to traditional stove use were measured using real-time and integrated personal, microenvironmental samplers for optimizing protocols to evaluate exposure reduction. Qualitative data on acceptability of advanced stoves and objective measures of stove usage were also collected. Results Twenty-eight of the thirty-two participating households had outdoor primary cooking spaces. Twenty households had liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) but preferred traditional stoves as the cost of LPG was higher and because meals cooked on traditional stoves were perceived to taste better. Kitchen area concentrations and kitchen personal concentrations assessed during cooking events were very high, with respective mean PM2.5 concentrations of 468 and 718 µg/m3. Twenty-four hour outdoor concentrations averaged 400 µg/m3. Twenty-four hour personal CO concentrations ranged between 0.82 and 5.27 ppm. The Philips stove was used more often and for more hours than the Oorja. Conclusions The high PM and CO concentrations reinforce the need for interventions that reduce HAP exposure in the aforementioned community. Of the two stoves tested, participants expressed satisfaction with the Philips brand as it met the local criteria for usability. Further understanding of how the introduction of an advanced stove influences patterns of household energy use is needed. The preliminary data provided here would be useful for designing feasibility and/or pilot studies aimed at intervention efforts locally and nationally. PMID:22989509

A framework to support human factors of automation in railway intelligent infrastructure.

PubMed

Dadashi, Nastaran; Wilson, John R; Golightly, David; Sharples, Sarah

2014-01-01

Technological and organisational advances have increased the potential for remote access and proactive monitoring of the infrastructure in various domains and sectors - water and sewage, oil and gas and transport. Intelligent Infrastructure (II) is an architecture that potentially enables the generation of timely and relevant information about the state of any type of infrastructure asset, providing a basis for reliable decision-making. This paper reports an exploratory study to understand the concepts and human factors associated with II in the railway, largely drawing from structured interviews with key industry decision-makers and attachment to pilot projects. Outputs from the study include a data-processing framework defining the key human factors at different levels of the data structure within a railway II system and a system-level representation. The framework and other study findings will form a basis for human factors contributions to systems design elements such as information interfaces and role specifications.

A Pilot Study: Testing of the Psychological Conditions Scale Among Hospital Nurses.

PubMed

Fountain, Donna M; Thomas-Hawkins, Charlotte

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Psychological Conditions Scale (PCS), a measure of drivers of engagement in hospital-based nurses. Research suggests drivers of engagement are positive links to patient, employee, and hospital outcomes. Although this scale has been used in other occupations, it has not been tested in nursing. A cross-sectional, methodological study using a convenience sample of 200 nurses in a large Magnet® hospital in New Jersey. Cronbach's α's ranged from .64 to .95. Principal components exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation revealed that 13 items loaded unambiguously in 3 domains and explained 76% of the variance. Mean PCS scores ranged from 3.62 to 4.68 on a 5-point Likert scale. The scale is an adequate measure of drivers of engagement in hospital-based nurses. Leadership efforts to promote the facilitators of engagement are recommended.

Lay Health Trainers Supporting Self-Management amongst Those with Low Heath Literacy and Diabetes: Lessons from a Mixed Methods Pilot, Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Bartlam, Bernadette; Rathod, Trishna; Rowlands, Gillian; Protheroe, Joanne

2016-01-01

This article reports a mixed methods process evaluation of a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial comparing a Lay Health Trainer (LHT) intervention and usual care for those with poorly controlled Type 2 Diabetes Melitus (T2DM). Set in a deprived area in the UK, this research explores patient and health care practitioner (HCP) views on whether a structured interview between a patient and a Lay Health Trainer (LHT), for the purpose of developing a tailored self-management plan for patients, is acceptable and likely to change health behaviours. In doing so, it considers the implications for a future, randomised controlled trial (RCT). Participants were patients, LHTs delivering the intervention, service managers, and practice nurses recruiting patients to the study. Patients were purposively sampled on their responses to a baseline survey, and semistructured interviews were conducted within an exploratory thematic analysis framework. Findings indicate that the intervention is acceptable to patients and HCPs. However, LHTs found it challenging to work with older patients with long-term and/or complex conditions. In order to address this, given an ageing population and concomitant increases in those with such health needs, LHT training should develop skills working with these populations. The design of any future RCT intervention should take account of this.

Serum metabolomics of slow vs. rapid motor progression Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.

PubMed

Roede, James R; Uppal, Karan; Park, Youngja; Lee, Kichun; Tran, Vilinh; Walker, Douglas; Strobel, Frederick H; Rhodes, Shannon L; Ritz, Beate; Jones, Dean P

2013-01-01

Progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) is highly variable, indicating that differences between slow and rapid progression forms could provide valuable information for improved early detection and management. Unfortunately, this represents a complex problem due to the heterogeneous nature of humans in regards to demographic characteristics, genetics, diet, environmental exposures and health behaviors. In this pilot study, we employed high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling to investigate the metabolic signatures of slow versus rapidly progressing PD present in human serum. Archival serum samples from PD patients obtained within 3 years of disease onset were analyzed via dual chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, with data extraction by xMSanalyzer and used to predict rapid or slow motor progression of these patients during follow-up. Statistical analyses, such as false discovery rate analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis, yielded a list of statistically significant metabolic features and further investigation revealed potential biomarkers. In particular, N8-acetyl spermidine was found to be significantly elevated in the rapid progressors compared to both control subjects and slow progressors. Our exploratory data indicate that a fast motor progression disease phenotype can be distinguished early in disease using high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling and that altered polyamine metabolism may be a predictive marker of rapidly progressing PD.

Exploratory analysis of glyburide as a novel therapy for preventing brain swelling.

PubMed

Sheth, Kevin N; Kimberly, W Taylor; Elm, Jordan J; Kent, Thomas A; Yoo, Albert J; Thomalla, Götz; Campbell, Bruce; Donnan, Geoffrey A; Davis, Stephen M; Albers, Gregory W; Jacobson, Sven; del Zoppo, Gregory; Simard, J Marc; Stern, Barney J; Mandava, Pitchaiah

2014-08-01

Malignant infarction is characterized by the formation of cerebral edema, and medical treatment is limited. Preclinical data suggest that glyburide, an inhibitor of SUR1-TRPM4, is effective in preventing edema. We previously reported feasibility of the GAMES-Pilot study, a two-center prospective, open label, phase IIa trial of 10 subjects at high risk for malignant infarction based on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) threshold of 82 cm(3) treated with RP-1127 (glyburide for injection). In this secondary analysis, we tested the hypothesis that RP-1127 may be efficacious in preventing poor outcome when compared to controls. Controls suffering large hemispheric infarction were obtained from the EPITHET and MMI-MRI studies. We first screened subjects for controls with the same DWI threshold used for enrollment into GAMES-Pilot, 82 cm(3). Next, to address imbalances, we applied a weighted Euclidean matching. Ninety day mRS 0-4, rate of decompressive craniectomy, and mortality were the primary clinical outcomes of interest. The mean age of the GAMES cohort was 51 years and initial DWI volume was 102 ± 23 cm(3). After Euclidean matching, GAMES subjects showed similar NIHSS, higher DWI volume, younger age and had mRS 0-4-90% versus 50% in controls p = 0.049; with a similar trend in mRS 0-3 (40 vs. 25%; p = 0.43) and trend toward lower mortality (10 vs. 35%; p = 0.21). In this pilot study, RP-1127-treated subjects showed better clinical outcomes when compared to historical controls. An adequately powered and randomized phase II trial of patients at risk for malignant infarction is needed to evaluate the potential efficacy of RP-1127.

The self-perceptions and interpersonal relationships of persons with significant physical disabilities: a qualitative pilot study.

PubMed

Riley, Donald; de Anda, Diane; Blackaller, Carrie Ann

2007-01-01

This exploratory, qualitative research was conducted to obtain the perspectives of people with significant physical disabilities regarding factors that have facilitated and hindered the development of a positive self-concept, participation in the broader society, and the formation of interpersonal relationships. The sample was high achieving in terms of education and/or career and attributed positive self-perceptions and their success in the broader society and interpersonal relationships to the attitudes and perceptions regarding their abilities, talents, and potential modeled in supportive family relationships. Females reported the influence of significant others most often, and males the effectiveness of their personality characteristics. Societal barriers, both practical and attitudinal, were reported along with the process for developing a positive selfperception despite these.

Effects of Dog-Assisted Therapy on Communication and Basic Social Skills of Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Scorzato, Ivano; Zaninotto, Leonardo; Romano, Michela; Menardi, Chiara; Cavedon, Lino; Pegoraro, Alessandra; Socche, Laura; Zanetti, Piera; Coppiello, Deborah

2017-06-01

Thirty-nine adults with severe to profound intellectual disability (ID) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 21) or a control group (n = 18). Assessment was blinded and included selected items from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the Behavioral Assessment Battery (BAB), and the Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP). The experimental group, who attended a dog-assisted treatment intervention over a 20-week period, showed significant improvements in several cognitive domains, including attention to movement (BAB-AM), visuomotor coordination (BAB-VM), exploratory play (BAB-EP), and motor imitation (BAB-CO-MI), as well as in some social skills, as measured by LAP items. Effects were specific to the intervention and independent of age or basic level of disability.

Congestive heart failure adherence redesign trial: a pilot study.

PubMed

Mangla, Ashvarya; Doukky, Rami; Powell, Lynda H; Avery, Elizabeth; Richardson, DeJuran; Calvin, James E

2014-12-04

Heart failure (HF) continues to be a leading cause of hospital admissions, particularly in underserved patients. We hypothesised that providing individualised self-management support to patients and feedback on use of evidence-based HF therapies (EBT) to physicians could lead to improvements in care and decrease hospitalisations. To assess the feasibility of conducting a larger trial testing the efficacy of this dual-level intervention, we conducted the Congestive Heart failure Adherence Redesign Trial Pilot (CHART-P), a proof-of-concept, quasi-experimental, feasibility pilot study. A large tertiary care medical centre in Chicago. Low-income patients (80% of interventions at 1 month and by study completion, respectively. Median sodium intake declined (3.5 vs 2.0 g; p<0.01). There was no statistically significant change in medication adherence based on electronic pill cap monitoring or the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS); however, there was a trend towards improved adherence based on MMAS. All physicians received timely intervention. This pilot study demonstrated that the protocol was feasible. It provided important insights about the need for intervention and the difficulties in treating patients with a variety of psychosocial problems that undercut their effective care. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Clinical assessment of pitch perception.

PubMed

Vaerenberg, Bart; Pascu, Alexandru; Del Bo, Luca; Schauwers, Karen; De Ceulaer, Geert; Daemers, Kristin; Coene, Martine; Govaerts, Paul J

2011-07-01

The perception of pitch has recently gained attention. At present, clinical audiologic tests to assess this are hardly available. This article reports on the development of a clinical test using harmonic intonation (HI) and disharmonic intonation (DI). Prospective collection of normative data and pilot study in hearing-impaired subjects. Tertiary referral center. Normative data were collected from 90 normal-hearing subjects recruited from 3 different language backgrounds. The pilot study was conducted on 18 hearing-impaired individuals who were selected into 3 pathologic groups: high-frequency hearing loss (HF), low-frequency hearing loss (LF), and cochlear implant users (CI). Normative data collection and exploratory diagnostics by means of the newly constructed HI/DI tests using intonation patterns to find the just noticeable difference (JND) for pitch discrimination in low-frequency harmonic complex sounds presented in a same-different task. JND for pitch discrimination using HI/DI tests in the hearing population and pathologic groups. Normative data are presented in 5 parameter statistics and box-and-whisker plots showing median JNDs of 2 (HI) and 3 Hz (DI). The results on both tests are statistically abnormal in LF and CI subjects, whereas they are not significantly abnormal in the HF group. The HI and DI tests allow the clinical assessment of low-frequency pitch perception. The data obtained in this study define the normal zone for both tests. Preliminary results indicate possible abnormal TFS perception in some hearing-impaired subjects.

Use of Fentanyl in Adolescents with Clinically Severe Obesity Undergoing Bariatric Surgery - a Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Vaughns, Janelle D.; Ziesenitz, Victoria C.; Williams, Elaine F.; Mushtaq, Alvina; Bachmann, Ricarda; Skopp, Gisela; Weiss, Johanna; Mikus, Gerd; van den Anker, Johannes N.

2018-01-01

Background The number of obese pediatric patients requiring anesthesia is rapidly increasing. Although fentanyl is a commonly used narcotic during surgery, there is no pharmacokinetic (PK) data available for optimal dosing of fentanyl in adolescents with clinically severe obesity. Materials and Methods An IRB-approved exploratory pilot study was conducted in 6 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years undergoing bariatric surgery. Mean total body weight (TBW) and mean BMI were 137.4 ± 14.3 kg, and 49.6 ± 6.4 kg/m2 (99.5th BMI percentile), respectively. Fentanyl was dosed intravenously for intraoperative analgesia based on ideal body weight per standard of care. PK blood samples were drawn over a 24 hour post-dose period. Fentanyl PK parameters were calculated by non-compartmental analysis. Results Mean fentanyl AUC0–∞ was 1.5 ± 0.5 h*ng/mL. Systemic clearance of fentanyl was 1522 ± 310 mL/min and 11.2 ± 2.6 mL/min*kg TBW. Volume of distribution was 635 ± 282 L and 4.7 ± 2.1 L/kg TBW. While absolute clearance was increased, absolute volume of distribution was comparable to previously established adult values. Conclusions These results suggest that fentanyl clearance is enhanced in adolescents with clinically severe obesity while volume of distribution is comparable to previously published studies. PMID:28238111

Effects of chronic kombucha ingestion on open-field behaviors, longevity, appetitive behaviors, and organs in c57-bl/6 mice: a pilot study.

PubMed

Hartmann, A M; Burleson, L E; Holmes, A K; Geist, C R

2000-09-01

Kombucha is a lightly fermented tea beverage popularly consumed as a self-prescribed folk-remedy for numerous ailments. Kombucha is claimed to enhance cognition, aid weight loss, and prolong life. This pilot study reports longevity, general health, and open-field exploratory behavioral outcomes from a 3-y longitudinal study of 64 C57-BL/6 mice (males and females), half of which chronically drank kombucha, and all of which experienced natural mortality. Compared by MANOVA to controls, mice that drank kombucha showed greater vertical exploration (P = 0.001) and a sex-interactive effect in novel object manipulation (P = 0.049). MANOVA of kombucha-drinking mice compared to controls detected differences in appetitive behaviors (food consumption, P < 0.001; beverage consumption, P = 0. 008), and gross body weight (P < 0.001). Appetitive behaviors changed with the addition of voluntary exercise on a running wheel, with differing patterns of change noted for males and females. Both male and female mice who drank kombucha lived longer than controls (P < 0.001), with the greatest variability among the male mice (sex interactive effect, P < 0.001). Comparable effects and mechanisms in humans remain uncertain, as do health safety issues, because serious health problems and fatalities have been reported and attributed to drinking kombucha.

Dance program for physical rehabilitation and participation in children with cerebral palsy

PubMed Central

López-Ortiz, Citlali; Gladden, Kim; Deon, Laura; Schmidt, Jennifer; Girolami, Gay; Gaebler-Spira, Deborah

2012-01-01

Objective: This pilot study aimed to examine a classical ballet program created for children with cerebral palsy (CP) as an emerging physical rehabilitation modality. The main program goals were to promote participation and to provide an artistic, physically therapeutic activity. Methods: The study was conducted in collaboration with a tertiary rehabilitation hospital, one outpatient physical therapy clinic, and one community center. As a pilot exploratory study, the research design included questionnaires to assess the participants' (children (n = 16), parents (n = 16), and therapists (n = 13)) perceptions on the therapeutic benefit of the dance program. A binomial statistical model was adopted for the analysis of the results. Results: Main results were that the children reported high enjoyment level (p < .0001) and desire for more classes (.0001); the parents reported perceived therapeutic benefit (p < .0001); and the therapists viewed the class as a positive adjunct to therapy (p < .0001). Conclusions: The main limitation of this work was the utilization of subjective outcome measures. However, this is the first step toward the development of objective measures of an intervention that, to our knowledge, has not been analyzed in the past. We conclude that the program has the potential of developing into an evidence based rehabilitation resource for children with CP. PMID:25431617

Improvement in Stress, General Self-Efficacy, and Health Related Quality of Life following Patient Education for Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Haugland, Trude; Veenstra, Marijke; Vatn, Morten H; Wahl, Astrid K

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study was to evaluate changes in general self-efficacy, health related quality of life (HRQoL), and stress among patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NET) following a multidisciplinary educational intervention. Forty-one patients were enrolled in this exploratory pilot study. A total of 37 patients completed the full 26-week intervention based on the principles of self-efficacy. General self-efficacy was measured by the General Self-Efficacy Scale, HRQoL was measured with the SF-36, and stress was measured with the Impact of Event Scale. Mixed effect models were used to evaluate changes in general self-efficacy, mental and physical components of HRQoL, and stress adjusting for demographic and clinical variables. Results showed significant improvements in patients' general self-efficacy (β = 0.71; P < 0.05), physical component scores of HRQoL (β = 3.09; P < 0.01), and stress (β = -2.10, P = 0.008). Findings suggest that patients with NET have the capacity to improve their ability to cope with their disease, problem-solve, improve their physical status, and reduce their stress following an educational intervention based on the principles of self-efficacy. These preliminary data provide a basis for future randomized controlled trials to test interventions to improve HRQoL for patients with NET.

Perceptions of a hospital-based animal assisted intervention program: An exploratory study.

PubMed

Abrahamson, Kathleen; Cai, Yun; Richards, Elizabeth; Cline, Krista; O'Haire, Marguerite E

2016-11-01

Research has shown that there are multiple benefits of animal assisted interventions for patients. However, the impact of interaction with these animals in staff is understudied, particularly in the acute care setting, and is thus a novel contribution to the literature on human-animal interaction. The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to contribute to the body of knowledge surrounding the experiences and perceptions of hospital staff who have participated in a hospital-based animal assisted intervention program. Nine face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted (4 staff nurses, 3 support staff members, and 2 hospital volunteers). Five themes emerged from the respondent interviews: (1) descriptions of the therapy dogs; (2) contacts with the dogs at work; (3) connection with the dogs outside of work; (4) benefits; (5) drawbacks. Our findings reflect abundantly positive hospital staff experiences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring student engagement among elementary students: pilot of the Student Engagement Instrument--Elementary Version.

PubMed

Carter, Chandra P; Reschly, Amy L; Lovelace, Matthew D; Appleton, James J; Thompson, Dianne

2012-06-01

Early school withdrawal, commonly referred to as dropout, is associated with a plethora of negative outcomes for students, schools, and society. Student engagement, however, presents as a promising theoretical model and cornerstone of school completion interventions. The purpose of the present study was to validate the Student Engagement Instrument-Elementary Version (SEI-E). The psychometric properties of this measure were assessed based on the responses of an ethnically diverse sample of 1,943 students from an urban locale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the 4-factor model of student engagement provided the best fit for the current data, which is divergent from previous SEI studies suggesting 5- and 6-factor models. Discussion and implications of these findings are presented in the context of student engagement and dropout prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Health-related quality of life of cancer patients with peripherally inserted central catheter: a pilot study.

PubMed

Kang, Junren; Chen, Wei; Sun, Wenyan; Ge, Ruibin; Li, Hailong; Ma, Enling; Su, Qingxia; Cheng, Fang; Hong, Jinhua; Zhang, Yuanjuan; Lei, Cheng; Wang, Xinchuan; Jin, Aiyun; Liu, Wanli

2017-09-11

This pilot exploratory study aimed to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients diagnosed with different types of cancer receiving peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). A multicenter cross-section study of cancer patients with PICCs was performed from February 1, 2013 to April 24, 2014. The primary objective of this study was to compare HRQOL in different cancer type patients with PICC. HRQOL was examined based on European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). Multiple linear regression models were conducted for coping with potential confounding variables. We also examined PICC-related quality of daily life with a self-made questionnaire. Three hundred and fifty-seven cancer patients with PICC completed the survey in nine teaching hospitals. Lung cancer patients with PICC reported the worst dyspnea. Digestive tract cancer patients reported the worst appetite loss. Patients with hematologic malignancy reported the worst emotional, social function, fatigue and financial impact. Breast cancer patients reported better HRQOL. Baseline variables were proven not significant predictors of EORTC QLQ-C30 global health status. In self-made survey, pain after PICC insertion was null or a little in 98.6% of cancer patients. Limitation of upper extremity activity was null or a little in 94.1% of patients. HRQOL varies in different types of cancer patients with PICC. PICC may have a low impact on cancer patients' HRQOL. Further large sample studies are needed.

Comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Chuna manual therapy versus conventional usual care for nonacute low back pain: study protocol for a pilot multicenter, pragmatic randomized controlled trial (pCRN study).

PubMed

Shin, Byung-Cheul; Kim, Me-Riong; Cho, Jae-Heung; Jung, Jae-Young; Kim, Koh-Woon; Lee, Jun-Hwan; Nam, Kibong; Lee, Min Ho; Hwang, Eui-Hyoung; Heo, Kwang-Ho; Kim, Namkwen; Ha, In-Hyuk

2017-01-17

While Chuna manual therapy is a Korean manual therapy widely used primarily for low back pain (LBP)-related disorders in Korea, well-designed studies on the comparative effectiveness of Chuna manual therapy are scarce. This study is the protocol for a three-armed, multicenter, pragmatic randomized controlled pilot trial. Sixty severe nonacute LBP patients (pain duration of at least 3 weeks, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) ≥5) will be recruited at four Korean medicine hospitals. Participants will be randomly allocated to the Chuna group (n = 20), usual care group (n = 20), or Chuna plus usual care group (n = 20) for 6 weeks of treatment. Usual care will consist of orally administered conventional medicine, physical therapy, and back pain care education. The trial will be conducted with outcome assessor and statistician blinding. The primary endpoint will be NRS of LBP at week 7 post randomization. Secondary outcomes include NRS of leg pain, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), the Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire, lumbar range of motion (ROM), the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) health survey, the Health Utility Index III (HUI-III), and economic evaluation and safety data. Post-treatment follow-ups will be conducted at 1, 4, and 10 weeks after conclusion of treatment. This study will assess the comparative effectiveness of Chuna manual therapy compared to conventional usual care. Costs and effectiveness (utility) data will be analyzed for exploratory cost-effectiveness analysis. If this pilot study does not reach a definite conclusion due to its small sample size, these results will be used as preliminary results to calculate sample size for future large-scale clinical trials and contribute in the assessment of feasibility of a full-scale multicenter trial. Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), KCT0001850 . Registered on 17 March 2016.

Motivational factors for consuming omega-3 PUFAs: an exploratory study with Danish consumers.

PubMed

Krutulyte, Rasa; Grunert, Klaus G; Scholderer, Joachim; Hagemann, Kit Skov; Elgaard, Peter; Nielsen, Brian; Graverholt, Jens Peter

2008-07-01

Growing consumer awareness of functional foods and understanding of their positive nutritional effects have led to the need of specific studies and have captured more attention than ever before. In Europe, Danish consumers have been found to be relatively negative towards the concept of functional foods. This paper presents the results of a qualitative pilot study that aimed to explore Danish consumers' motives for choosing omega-3/fish oil enriched products. The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) was applied as a theoretical framework to understand the process by which people choose healthy foods. By conducting qualitative in-depth interviews the study mostly focused on the role of behavioural intention predictors such as risk perception, outcome expectations and self-efficacy. The results of the study suggest that consumers' understanding of healthy eating as such does not relate to the choice of omega-3/fish oil, whereas perception of omega-3 as an ingredient in selected foods does indeed influence consumers' choice of carrier-ingredient combinations.

Developing a pilot curriculum to foster humanism among graduate medical trainees

PubMed Central

Dotters-Katz, Sarah K.; Chuang, Alice; Weil, Amy; Howell, Jennifer O.

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Humanism is a central tenant of professionalism, a required competency for all residency programs. Yet, few residencies have formal curriculum for teaching this critical aspect of medicine. Instead, professionalism and humanism are often taught informally through role-modeling. With increased burnout, faculty professionalism may suffer and may compromise resident role-modeling. The objective of this study was to design a pilot curriculum to foster humanism in among residents and assess its ability to do so. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-phase exploratory sequential mixed methods study. Phase 1: a qualitative analysis of residents’ narratives regarding challenges to humanistic behavior, and identified themes of compassion, fatigue, communication challenges, and work-life balance. Themes used as needs assessment to build curriculum. Phase 2: three sessions with themes taken from faculty development course. Participants and controls completed baseline and 60-day follow-up questionnaires assessing burnout, compassion, satisfaction, and ability to practice psychological medicine. Phase one included Obstetrics/Gynecology and internal medicine residents. Phase two included residents from the above programs, who attended at least 2/3 interactive sessions designed to address the themes identified above. RESULTS: Twelve participants began and ten completed curriculum (83%). The curriculum met course objectives and was well-received (4.8/5). Burnout decreased (−3.1 vs. 2.5, P = 0.048). A trend toward improved compassion (4.4 vs.−0.6, P = 0.096) for participants compared to controls was noted. CONCLUSION: A pilot humanism curriculum for residents was well-received. Participants showed decreased burnout and trended to improved compassion scores. Development and evaluation of an expanded curriculum would further explore feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention. PMID:29417062

Combination Therapy of All-Trans Retinoic Acid With Ursodeoxycholic Acid in Patients With Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Human Pilot Study.

PubMed

Assis, David N; Abdelghany, Osama; Cai, Shi-Ying; Gossard, Andrea A; Eaton, John E; Keach, Jill C; Deng, Yanhong; Setchell, Kenneth D R; Ciarleglio, Maria; Lindor, Keith D; Boyer, James L

2017-02-01

To perform an exploratory pilot study of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) combined with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). PSC is a progressive disorder for which there is no accepted therapy. Studies in human hepatocyte cultures and in animal models of cholestasis indicate that ATRA might have beneficial effects in cholestatic disorders. ATRA (45 mg/m/d, divided and given twice daily) was combined with moderate-dose UDCA in patients with PSC who had incomplete response to UDCA monotherapy. The combination was administered for 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week washout in which patients returned to UDCA monotherapy. We measured alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), bilirubin, cholesterol, bile acids, and the bile acid intermediate 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4) at baseline, week 12, and after washout. Fifteen patients completed 12 weeks of therapy. The addition of ATRA to UDCA reduced the median serum ALP levels (277±211 to 243±225 U/L, P=0.09) although this, the primary endpoint, did not reach significance. In contrast, median serum ALT (76±55 to 46±32 U/L, P=0.001) and C4 (9.8±19 to 7.9±11 ng/mL, P=0.03) levels significantly decreased. After washout, ALP and C4 levels nonsignificantly increased, whereas ALT levels significantly increased (46±32 to 74±74, P=0.0006), returning to baseline. In this human pilot study, the combination of ATRA and UDCA did not achieve the primary endpoint (ALP); however, it significantly reduced ALT and the bile acid intermediate C4. ATRA appears to inhibit bile acid synthesis and reduce markers of inflammation, making it a potential candidate for further study in PSC (NCT 01456468).

Static Wind-Tunnel and Radio-Controlled Flight Test Investigation of a Remotely Piloted Vehicle Having a Delta Wing Planform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yip, Long P.; Fratello, David J.; Robelen, David B.; Makowiec, George M.

1990-01-01

At the request of the United States Marine Corps, an exploratory wind-tunnel and flight test investigation was conducted by the Flight Dynamics Branch at the NASA Langley Research Center to improve the stability, controllability, and general flight characteristics of the Marine Corps Exdrone RPV (Remotely Piloted Vehicle) configuration. Static wind tunnel tests were conducted in the Langley 12 foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel to identify and improve the stability and control characteristics of the vehicle. The wind tunnel test resulted in several configuration modifications which included increased elevator size, increased vertical tail size and tail moment arm, increased rudder size and aileron size, the addition of vertical wing tip fins, and the addition of leading-edge droops on the outboard wing panel to improve stall departure resistance. Flight tests of the modified configuration were conducted at the NASA Plum Tree Test Site to provide a qualitative evaluation of the flight characteristics of the modified configuration.

Evaluation of Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) program: A community intervention for child abuse victims.

PubMed

Ray, Dee C; Lilly, J P; Gallina, Nancy; MacIan, Paula; Wilson, Brittany

2017-12-01

Children who have experienced physical abuse benefit from a multitude of community interventions including support programs to address emotional and behavioral stability. This pilot study evaluated the services of Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA), a community of bikers lending intervention to abused children, using a pre/post exploratory design. Participants (N=154) were children who had been referred by parents/guardians for current or past physical and/or sexual abuse. Parents/guardians of children were interviewed four times over a course of one year. Results indicated children demonstrated substantial improvements in their overall levels of emotional distress, conduct concerns, hyperactivity, and behavioral and emotional functioning. Overall, results support the premise that services provided by BACA may serve as a unique intervention for children who have experienced abuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A discrete choice experiment investigating preferences for funding drugs used to treat orphan diseases: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Mentzakis, Emmanouil; Stefanowska, Patricia; Hurley, Jeremiah

2011-07-01

Policy debate about funding criteria for drugs used to treat rare, orphan diseases is gaining prominence. This study presents evidence from a discrete choice experiment using a convenience sample of university students to investigate individual preferences regarding public funding for drugs used to treat rare diseases and common diseases. This pilot study finds that: other things equal, the respondents do not prefer to have the government spend more for drugs used to treat rare diseases; that respondents are not willing to pay more per life year gained for a rare disease than a common disease; and that respondents weigh relevant attributes of the coverage decisions (e.g. costs, disease severity and treatment effectiveness) similarly for both rare and common diseases. The results confirm the importance of severity and treatment effectiveness in preferences for public funding. Although this is the first study of its kind, the results send a cautionary message regarding the special treatment of orphan drugs in coverage decision-making.

Attitudes towards chemistry among engineering students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olivo Delgado, Carlos J.

The attitudes towards chemistry of the engineering students enrolled in an introductory course at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico were explored (n = 115). A mixed methodology was used in an exploratory-oriented research approach. The first stage consisted of the administration of a Likert scale attitudinal survey which was validated during the study's design process. The survey allowed collecting information about the participant's attitudes towards their personal opinion, their perspectives about peer's or relatives' opinion, relevant aspects of the discipline, and difficulty-increasing factors in the chemistry course. The scale internal reliability was measured in a pilot study with a convenience simple, obtaining an acceptable coefficient (Cronbach alpha = 0.731). Survey results evidenced a mainly neutral attitude towards the chemistry course, not highly negative or highly positive, in contrast with other studies in this field. On the other hand, the normality hypothesis was tested for the scores obtained by participants in the survey. Although the pilot study sample had an approximately normal distribution, the scores in obtained by the participants in the survey failed the normality test criteria. The second stage of the study was accomplished using a case study. Among the survey participants, some students were invited to in-depth interviews to elucidate the reasons why they have certain attitudes towards chemistry. Study time, instructor, motivation, term of study, and course schedule are the factors that interviewees agreed as contributors to success or failure in the chemistry course. Interview's participants emphasized that study time is determinant to pass the class. This methodological approach, quantitative followed by qualitative, was useful in describing the attitudes towards chemistry among university students of engineering.

Measuring Integration of Cancer Services to Support Performance Improvement: The CSI Survey

PubMed Central

Dobrow, Mark J.; Paszat, Lawrence; Golden, Brian; Brown, Adalsteinn D.; Holowaty, Eric; Orchard, Margo C.; Monga, Neerav; Sullivan, Terrence

2009-01-01

Objective: To develop a measure of cancer services integration (CSI) that can inform clinical and administrative decision-makers in their efforts to monitor and improve cancer system performance. Methods: We employed a systematic approach to measurement development, including review of existing cancer/health services integration measures, key-informant interviews and focus groups with cancer system leaders. The research team constructed a Web-based survey that was field- and pilot-tested, refined and then formally conducted on a sample of cancer care providers and administrators in Ontario, Canada. We then conducted exploratory factor analysis to identify key dimensions of CSI. Results: A total of 1,769 physicians, other clinicians and administrators participated in the survey, responding to a 67-item questionnaire. The exploratory factor analysis identified 12 factors that were linked to three broader dimensions: clinical, functional and vertical system integration. Conclusions: The CSI Survey provides important insights on a range of typically unmeasured aspects of the coordination and integration of cancer services, representing a new tool to inform performance improvement efforts. PMID:20676250

Intensive mothering ideology in France: A pilot study.

PubMed

Loyal, D; Sutter Dallay, A-L; Rascle, N

2017-12-01

The aim of this pilot study was to adapt the intensive mothering ideology concept in a French sample and to get an assessment tool. First, the Intensive Parenting Attitudes Questionnaire (IPAQ), a U.S. scale comprising 25 items, was translated and submitted online to French mothers and mothers-to-be (n=250). Structural validity was tested through confirmatory factor analysis with poor results. Secondly, to increase the cultural validity of a new tool, new items were derived from French women speech. French mothers and mothers-to-be (n=22) were asked about their views regarding motherhood and childcare (semi-structured interviews). A thematic content analysis was performed with good inter-judge agreement (0.53-0.86) and 27 items were created. Finally, the total set of 52 items was submitted online to French mothers and mothers-to-be (n=474). The structure was tested through exploratory factor analysis. A new tool called the Measure of Intensive Mothering Ideology (MIMI) was obtained. This 21 items scale with 6 dimensions (Essentialism, Consuming Fulfillment, Child-centrism, Challenge, Sacrifice and Stimulation) explains 59.75% of variance. Internal consistencies were satisfactory (0.61-0.83) and most dimensions were positively and moderately correlated (0.17-0.38). The MIMI is the first French-language scale assessing IMI and offers interesting research avenues notably regarding perinatal parental adaptation. Copyright © 2017 L'Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Lay Health Trainers Supporting Self-Management amongst Those with Low Heath Literacy and Diabetes: Lessons from a Mixed Methods Pilot, Feasibility Study

PubMed Central

Rathod, Trishna; Rowlands, Gillian

2016-01-01

This article reports a mixed methods process evaluation of a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial comparing a Lay Health Trainer (LHT) intervention and usual care for those with poorly controlled Type 2 Diabetes Melitus (T2DM). Set in a deprived area in the UK, this research explores patient and health care practitioner (HCP) views on whether a structured interview between a patient and a Lay Health Trainer (LHT), for the purpose of developing a tailored self-management plan for patients, is acceptable and likely to change health behaviours. In doing so, it considers the implications for a future, randomised controlled trial (RCT). Participants were patients, LHTs delivering the intervention, service managers, and practice nurses recruiting patients to the study. Patients were purposively sampled on their responses to a baseline survey, and semistructured interviews were conducted within an exploratory thematic analysis framework. Findings indicate that the intervention is acceptable to patients and HCPs. However, LHTs found it challenging to work with older patients with long-term and/or complex conditions. In order to address this, given an ageing population and concomitant increases in those with such health needs, LHT training should develop skills working with these populations. The design of any future RCT intervention should take account of this. PMID:27840834

Encountering the past in the present: An exploratory study of educational heritage tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, Magdalena H.; Kelman, Ari Y.

2017-02-01

This article presents an educational programme designed to explore the multicultural history of Poland. Targeting Jewish and non-Jewish students of Polish heritage, the Polonia Programme (PP) was conceptualised with the aim of applying the tools of experiential education to initiate a new approach to examining one of the world's most challenging and fraught historical narratives. The programme, piloted in the summer of 2014, takes two groups of young people from the United States to Poland each year. It features a combination of formal lectures and interactive tours, complemented by structured and semi-structured discussions. The destination of this particular tour, with these particular participants, both challenges and reinforces accepted notions of "heritage tourism" within an experiential educational framework. This framework enables a sense of group connectivity which allows students to be, perhaps, more open to alternative narratives about the past. The authors of this article, who were involved in evaluating the pilot launch of the Polonia Programme, found that the programme's experiential approach succeeded in encouraging participants in the pilot cohort to challenge ideas about their definitions of and preconceptions about "who and what counts as Polish". For many, the experience shifted their understanding of Poland towards one which took its multi-ethnic and multicultural history into account. Several discovered new perspectives on their own identity and heritage, while others reached a new understanding of the shared histories of Poles and Jews. The experiential nature of this programme also allowed students to encounter difficult histories: experience, then, became a vehicle for more challenging conversations and deeper learning.

Development and Validation of the Foundational Healthcare Leadership Self-assessment.

PubMed

Van Hala, Sonja; Cochella, Susan; Jaggi, Rachel; Frost, Caren J; Kiraly, Bernadette; Pohl, Susan; Gren, Lisa

2018-04-01

We sought to develop and validate a self-assessment of foundational leadership skills for early-career physicians. We developed a leadership self-assessment from a compilation of materials on health care leadership skills. A sequential exploratory study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative analysis for face, content, and construct validity of the self-assessment. First, two focus groups were conducted with leaders in medicine and family medicine residents, to refine the pilot self-assessment. The self-assessment pilot was then tested with family medicine residents across the country, and the results were quantitatively evaluated with principal component analysis. This data was used to reduce and group the statements into leadership domains for the final self-assessment. Twenty-two invited family medicine residency programs agreed to distribute the survey. A total of 163 family medicine residents completed the survey, representing 16 to 20 residency programs from 12 states (response rate 28.9% to 34.8%). Analysis showed important differences by residency year, with more advanced residents scoring higher. The analysis reduced the number of items from 33 on the pilot assessment to 21 on the final assessment, which the authors titled the Foundational Healthcare Leadership Self-assessment (FHLS). The 21 items were grouped into five leadership domains: accountability, collaboration, communication, team management, and self-management. The FHLS is a validated 21-item self-assessment of foundational leadership skills for early career physicians. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and quantifies skill within five domains of foundational leadership. The FHLS is a first step in developing educational and evaluative assessments for training medical residents as clinician leaders.

Evaluation of Brāhmī ghṛtam in children suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Bhalerao, Supriya; Munshi, Renuka; Nesari, Tanuja; Shah, Heenal

2013-01-01

Introduction: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. In view of the adverse effects associated with psycho-stimulants used for the treatment of this disorder, efficacy of Brāhmī ghṛtam was evaluated in this condition. Materials and Methods: After following due ethical considerations, children of either sex between the age group of 6 and 12 years diagnosed to be suffering from mixed variety of ADHD as per The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) IV criteria irrespective of other co-morbid psychiatric illnesses were recruited in the study. Initially a pilot study (n = 10) was carried out to confirm the efficacy of the identified dose of Brāhmī ghṛtam. Using this dose, further therapeutic confirmatory study (n = 27) was carried out, wherein Brāhmī ghṛtam was compared with methylphenidate. Effect on ADHD symptoms was assessed using the Dupaul ADHD rating scale and this was the main efficacy parameter. Results: In the pilot exploratory study, Brāhmī ghṛtam showed 66% decrease in total ADHD score. In the therapeutic confirmatory study, only 16% improvement was seen with Brāhmī ghṛtam, which was similar to methylphenidate, standard treatment for ADHD that was used as a comparator in the present study. No side-effects were reported in both studies. Conclusion: Our study thus has adequately demonstrated efficacy and safety of Brāhmī ghṛtam in ADHD. PMID:25284947

A pilot field evaluation on heat stress in sugarcane workers in Costa Rica: What to do next?

PubMed Central

Crowe, Jennifer; van Wendel de Joode, Berna; Wesseling, Catharina

2009-01-01

Background Climate change is producing major impacts including increasing temperatures in tropical countries, like Costa Rica, where the sugarcane industry employs thousands of workers who are exposed to extreme heat. Objectives This article outlines a pilot qualitative evaluation of working conditions and heat in the sugarcane industry. Design A literature review, direct observations and exploratory interviews with workers were conducted to reach a preliminary understanding of the dimensions of heat-related health issues in the sugarcane industry, as a basis for the design of future studies. Results The industry employs temporary workers from Nicaragua and Costa Rica as well as year-round employees. Temporary employees work 12-hour shifts during the harvest and processing (‘zafra’) season. In many cases, sugarcane field workers are required to carry their own water and often have no access to shade. Sugar mill workers are exposed to different levels of heat stress depending upon their job tasks, with the most intense heat and workload experienced by the oven (‘caldera’) cleaners. Conclusions Research is needed to achieve better understanding of the multiple factors driving and interacting with heat exposures in the sugarcane industry in order to improve the health and safety of workers while maintaining worker productivity. PMID:20052430

A Pilot Qualitative Investigation of Stakeholders’ Experiences and Opinions of Equine Insect Bite Hypersensitivity in England

PubMed Central

Lomas, Hannah R.

2018-01-01

Equine insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), commonly known as sweet itch or summer eczema, is a frustrating recurrent skin disease in the equine industry involving an immune reaction to the bites of Culicoides spp. midges. To investigate the impact of IBH in the field, an exploratory pilot study was conducted with equine stakeholders in one region of central England. Nine semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with horse owners and an equine veterinarian. The aim was to gain an understanding of experiences with IBH, and to gauge opinions on the value of the various management strategies horse owners use to control IBH. Awareness of IBH was generally high, particularly in those individuals who had previous experience with the condition. Those with previous experience of IBH commented on the significant effect on daily routines, and the associated cost implications. Most participants supported an integrated approach to hypersensitivity management, and this most commonly involved a combination of physical barriers and chemical repellents, but sometimes included feed supplementation. Overall, attitudes towards IBH suggested that the condition is a notable welfare and economic concern for stakeholders, but veterinary involvement tended to only be in more severe cases. Further research is required in the future to improve understanding, management and potential treatment of this condition. PMID:29315275

An evaluation of an employment pilot to support forensic mental health service users into work and vocational activities.

PubMed

Samele, Chiara; Forrester, Andrew; Bertram, Mark

2018-02-01

Few employment programmes exist to support forensic service users with severe mental health problems and a criminal history. Little is known about how best to achieve this. The Employment and Social Inclusion Project (ESIP) was developed and piloted to support forensic service users into employment and vocational activities. This pilot service evaluation aimed to assess the number of service users who secured employment/vocational activities and explored services users' and staff experiences. Quantitative data were collected to record the characteristics of participating service users and how many secured employment and engaged in vocational activities. Eighteen qualitative interviews were conducted with service users and staff. Fifty-seven service users engaged with the project, most were men (93.0%) and previously employed (82.5%). Four service users (7.0%) secured paid competitive employment. Eight (14.0%) gained other paid employment. Tailored one-to-one support to increase skills and build confidence was an important feature of the project. Creation of a painting and decorating programme offered training and paid/flexible work. This exploratory project achieved some success in assisting forensic service users into paid employment. Further research to identify what works well for this important group will be of great value.

Nursing students' attitudes towards information and communication technology: an exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic approach.

PubMed

Lee, Jung Jae; Clarke, Charlotte L

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically test a shortened version of the Information Technology Attitude Scales for Health, in the investigation of nursing students with clinical placement experiences. Nurses and nursing students need to develop high levels of competency in information and communication technology. However, they encounter statistically significant barriers in the use of the technology. Although some instruments have been developed to measure factors that influence nurses' attitudes towards technology, the validity is questionable and few studies have been developed to test the attitudes of nursing students, in particular. A cross-sectional survey design was performed. The Information Technology Attitude Scales for Health was used to collect data from October 2012-December 2012. A panel of experts reviewed the content of the instrument and a pilot study was conducted. Following this, a total of 508 nursing students, who were engaged in clinical placements, were recruited from six universities in South Korea. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed and reliability and construct validity were assessed. The resulting instrument consisted of 19 items across four factors. Reliability of the four factors was acceptable and the validity was supported. The instrument was shown to be both valid and reliable for measuring nursing students' attitudes towards technology, thus aiding in the current understandings of this aspect. Through these measurements and understandings, nursing educators and students are able to be more reflexive of their attitudes and can thus seek to develop them positively. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Oxytocin for Male Subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Comorbid Intellectual Disabilities: A Randomized Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Munesue, Toshio; Nakamura, Hiroyuki; Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Miura, Yui; Takeuchi, Noriyuki; Anme, Tokie; Nanba, Eiji; Adachi, Kaori; Tsubouchi, Kiyotaka; Sai, Yoshimichi; Miyamoto, Ken-ichi; Horike, Shin-ichi; Yokoyama, Shigeru; Nakatani, Hideo; Niida, Yo; Kosaka, Hirotaka; Minabe, Yoshio; Higashida, Haruhiro

2016-01-01

Approximately half of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) individuals suffer from comorbid intellectual disabilities (IDs). Oxytocin (OXT) receptors are highly expressed in temporal lobe structures and are likely to play a modulatory role in excitatory/inhibitory balance, at least based on animal model findings. Thus, it is feasible that in the highly representative group of Kanner-type ASD subjects, OXT could have a beneficial effect on social communication and social interaction. The aim of this pilot study is to investigate the feasibility and adverse events, such as epilepsy, of the long-term administration of intranasal OXT for adolescent and adult ASD subjects with ID because such patients frequently have seizures. We also addressed the question on how to scale the OXT effects to the core symptoms of social deficits because of the relative difficulty in obtaining objective measurements. Twenty-nine males (aged 15–40 years old) participated in a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled crossover study (each for 8 weeks) with OXT (16 IU/day). Except for seizures experienced by one participant, other serious adverse events did not occur. The primary and secondary outcomes measured using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale and several standard scales, respectively, revealed no difference between the OXT and placebo groups. Instead, in an exploratory analysis, the social interactions observed in the play sessions or in daily life were significantly more frequent in the initial half period in the OXT-first arm of the crossover trial. There were also significant correlations between the plasma OXT concentration and subscale scores for irritability on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist. In conclusion, this pilot study demonstrates that long-term administration of intranasal OXT is tolerable in a representative cohort of ASD individuals with ID and suggests that future multicenter trials of OXT are warranted and should include measurements of reciprocal social interactions based on daily life under closer surveillance for epilepsy. Trial registration: UMIN000007250. PMID:26834651

Life-Stage and Mobility: An Exploratory GPS Study of Mobility in Multigenerational Families, Ahmedabad, India.

PubMed

Isaacson, Michal; D'Ambrosio, Lisa; Samanta, Tannistha; Coughlin, Joseph

2015-01-01

As the population of older adults in India grows, research is needed to plan a sustainable future for India's older adults. This article reports results from a Global Positioning System (GPS)-based pilot study that examined the mobility of middle-class, older adults living in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Using mobility as a lens through which to examine the lives of older adults, we map potential research and identify policy areas of interest considering older adults in urban India. The study explores the role of life stage in mobility as well as the effects of gender and urban environment on mobility. Using this distinctive perspective on day-to-day life, we propose themes through which, using policy and planning tools, the living environments of older adults in Indian cities can be improved. These policy measures include focusing on walkability and pedestrian safety in residential areas and building on existing mixed land use to create high accessibility to goods and services in urban environments.

The use of information and communication technology to meet chronically ill patients' needs when living at home.

PubMed

Skär, Lisa; Söderberg, Siv

2011-01-01

The aim of the study was to describe influences, benefits, and limitations in using information and communication technology to meet chronically ill patients' needs when living at home. The study is a descriptive, exploratory designed pilot study and the intervention was performed using an electronic communication program enabling communication between ill persons and the district nurse in real time by web cam pictures and sound. The participant used the programme once or twice a week from February to August 2008. Data were collected by means of repeated interviews and logbook notes, and were subjected to qualitative content analysis. The results showed that all participants appreciated being able to communicate regardless of time and place and their experiences of using information and communication technology revealed that it created feelings of safety and security. The information and communication technology became a tool in their communication and improved nursing care among seriously chronically ill persons living at home.

Development and validation of the Australian Aboriginal racial identity and self-esteem survey for 8-12 year old children (IRISE_C).

PubMed

Kickett-Tucker, C S; Christensen, D; Lawrence, D; Zubrick, S R; Johnson, D J; Stanley, F

2015-10-24

In Australia, there is little empirical research of the racial identity of Indigenous children and youth as the majority of the current literature focuses on adults. Furthermore, there are no instruments developed with cultural appropriateness when exploring the identity and self-esteem of the Australian Aboriginal population, especially children. The IRISE_C (Racial Identity and Self-Esteem of children) inventory was developed to explore the elements of racial identity and self-esteem of urban, rural and regional Aboriginal children. This paper describes the development and validation of the IRISE_C instrument with over 250 Aboriginal children aged 8 to 12 years. A pilot of the IRISE C instrument was combined with individual interviews and was undertaken with 35 urban Aboriginal children aged 8-12 years. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to refine the survey and reduce redundant items in readiness for the main study. In the main study, the IRISE C was employed to 229 Aboriginal children aged 6-13 years across three sites (rural, regional and urban) in Western Australia. An exploratory factor analysis using Principal axis factoring was used to assess the fit of items and survey structure. A confirmatory factor analysis was then employed using LISREL (diagonally weighted least squares) to assess factor structures across domains. Internal consistency and reliability of subscales were assessed using Cronbach's co-efficient alpha. The pilot testing identified two key concepts - children's knowledge of issues related to their racial identity, and the importance, or salience, that they attach to these issues. In the main study, factor analyses showed two clear factors relating to: Aboriginal culture and traditions; and a sense of belonging to an Aboriginal community. Principal Axis Factoring of the Knowledge items supported a 2-factor solution, which explained 38.7% of variance. Factor One (Aboriginal culture) had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.835; Factor 2 (racial identity) had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.800, thus demonstrating high internal reliability of the scales. The IRISE_C has been shown to be a valid instrument useful of exploring the development of racial identity of Australian Aboriginal children across the 8-12 year old age range and across urban, rural and regional geographical locations.

The Emergence of Inclusive Exploratory Talk in Primary Students' Peer Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajala, Antti; Hilppo, Jaakko; Lipponen, Lasse

2012-01-01

In this study, we examine a prominent type of classroom talk, exploratory talk, in primary school peer interactions. Exploratory talk has been shown to be productive in facilitating problem solving and fostering school achievement. However, within the growing body of research concerning exploratory talk, the relation between exploratory talk and…

Eye Movement Training and Suggested Gaze Strategies in Tunnel Vision - A Randomized and Controlled Pilot Study.

PubMed

Ivanov, Iliya V; Mackeben, Manfred; Vollmer, Annika; Martus, Peter; Nguyen, Nhung X; Trauzettel-Klosinski, Susanne

2016-01-01

Degenerative retinal diseases, especially retinitis pigmentosa (RP), lead to severe peripheral visual field loss (tunnel vision), which impairs mobility. The lack of peripheral information leads to fewer horizontal eye movements and, thus, diminished scanning in RP patients in a natural environment walking task. This randomized controlled study aimed to improve mobility and the dynamic visual field by applying a compensatory Exploratory Saccadic Training (EST). Oculomotor responses during walking and avoiding obstacles in a controlled environment were studied before and after saccade or reading training in 25 RP patients. Eye movements were recorded using a mobile infrared eye tracker (Tobii glasses) that measured a range of spatial and temporal variables. Patients were randomly assigned to two training conditions: Saccade (experimental) and reading (control) training. All subjects who first performed reading training underwent experimental training later (waiting list control group). To assess the effect of training on subjects, we measured performance in the training task and the following outcome variables related to daily life: Response Time (RT) during exploratory saccade training, Percent Preferred Walking Speed (PPWS), the number of collisions with obstacles, eye position variability, fixation duration, and the total number of fixations including the ones in the subjects' blind area of the visual field. In the saccade training group, RTs on average decreased, while the PPWS significantly increased. The improvement persisted, as tested 6 weeks after the end of the training. On average, the eye movement range of RP patients before and after training was similar to that of healthy observers. In both, the experimental and reading training groups, we found many fixations outside the subjects' seeing visual field before and after training. The average fixation duration was significantly shorter after the training, but only in the experimental training condition. We conclude that the exploratory saccade training was beneficial for RP patients and resulted in shorter fixation durations after the training. We also found a significant improvement in relative walking speed during navigation in a real-world like controlled environment.

Eye Movement Training and Suggested Gaze Strategies in Tunnel Vision - A Randomized and Controlled Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Ivanov, Iliya V.; Mackeben, Manfred; Vollmer, Annika; Martus, Peter; Nguyen, Nhung X.; Trauzettel-Klosinski, Susanne

2016-01-01

Purpose Degenerative retinal diseases, especially retinitis pigmentosa (RP), lead to severe peripheral visual field loss (tunnel vision), which impairs mobility. The lack of peripheral information leads to fewer horizontal eye movements and, thus, diminished scanning in RP patients in a natural environment walking task. This randomized controlled study aimed to improve mobility and the dynamic visual field by applying a compensatory Exploratory Saccadic Training (EST). Methods Oculomotor responses during walking and avoiding obstacles in a controlled environment were studied before and after saccade or reading training in 25 RP patients. Eye movements were recorded using a mobile infrared eye tracker (Tobii glasses) that measured a range of spatial and temporal variables. Patients were randomly assigned to two training conditions: Saccade (experimental) and reading (control) training. All subjects who first performed reading training underwent experimental training later (waiting list control group). To assess the effect of training on subjects, we measured performance in the training task and the following outcome variables related to daily life: Response Time (RT) during exploratory saccade training, Percent Preferred Walking Speed (PPWS), the number of collisions with obstacles, eye position variability, fixation duration, and the total number of fixations including the ones in the subjects' blind area of the visual field. Results In the saccade training group, RTs on average decreased, while the PPWS significantly increased. The improvement persisted, as tested 6 weeks after the end of the training. On average, the eye movement range of RP patients before and after training was similar to that of healthy observers. In both, the experimental and reading training groups, we found many fixations outside the subjects' seeing visual field before and after training. The average fixation duration was significantly shorter after the training, but only in the experimental training condition. Conclusions We conclude that the exploratory saccade training was beneficial for RP patients and resulted in shorter fixation durations after the training. We also found a significant improvement in relative walking speed during navigation in a real-world like controlled environment. PMID:27351629

"Black cloud" vs. "white cloud" physicians - Myth or reality in apheresis medicine?

PubMed

Pham, Huy P; Raju, Dheeraj; Jiang, Ning; Williams, Lance A

2017-08-01

Many practitioners believe in the phenomenon of either being labeled a "black cloud" or "white cloud" while on-call. A "white-cloud" physician is one who usually gets fewer cases. A "black-cloud" is one who often has more cases. It is unclear if the designation is only superstitious or if there is some merit. Our aim is to objectively assess this phenomenon in apheresis medicine at our center. A one-year prospective study from 12/2014 to 11/2015 was designed to evaluate the number of times apheresis physicians and nurses were involved with emergent apheresis procedures between the hours from 10 PM and 7 AM. Other parameters collected include the names of the physician, apheresis nurse, type of emergent apheresis procedure, day of the week, and season of the year. During the study period, 32 emergent procedures (or "black-cloud" events) occurred. The median time between two consecutive events was 8 days (range: 1-34 days). We found no statistically significant association between the "black-cloud" events and attending physicians, nurses, day of the week, or season of the year by Chi-square and Fisher's analyses. However, exploratory analysis using association rule demonstrated that "black-cloud" events were more likely to happen on Thursday (2.19 times), with attending physician 2 (1.18 times), and during winter (1.15 times). The results of this pilot study may support the common perception that some physicians or nurses are either "black cloud" or "white cloud". A larger, multi-center study population is needed to validate the results of this pilot study. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Acute Whiplash Injury Study (AWIS): a protocol for a cluster randomised pilot and feasibility trial of an Active Behavioural Physiotherapy Intervention in an insurance private setting

PubMed Central

Wiangkham, Taweewat; Duda, Joan; Haque, M Sayeed; Price, Jonathan; Rushton, Alison

2016-01-01

Introduction Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) causes substantial social and economic burden internationally. Up to 60% of patients with WAD progress to chronicity. Research therefore needs to focus on effective management in the acute stage to prevent the development of chronicity. Approximately 93% of patients are classified as WADII (neck complaint and musculoskeletal sign(s)), and in the UK, most are managed in the private sector. In our recent systematic review, a combination of active and behavioural physiotherapy was identified as potentially effective in the acute stage. An Active Behavioural Physiotherapy Intervention (ABPI) was developed through combining empirical (modified Delphi study) and theoretical (social cognitive theory focusing on self-efficacy) evidence. This pilot and feasibility trial has been designed to inform the design of an adequately powered definitive randomised controlled trial. Methods and analysis Two parallel phases. (1) An external pilot and feasibility cluster randomised double-blind (assessor and participants), parallel two-arm (ABPI vs standard physiotherapy) clinical trial to evaluate procedures and feasibility. Six UK private physiotherapy clinics will be recruited and cluster randomised by a computer-generated randomisation sequence. Sixty participants (30 each arm) will be assessed at recruitment (baseline) and at 3 months postbaseline. The planned primary outcome measure is the neck disability index. (2) An embedded exploratory qualitative study using semistructured indepth interviews (n=3–4 physiotherapists) and a focus group (n=6–8 patients) and entailing the recruitment of purposive samples will explore perceptions of the ABPI. Quantitative data will be analysed descriptively. Qualitative data will be coded and analysed deductively (identify themes) and inductively (identify additional themes). Ethics and dissemination This trial is approved by the University of Birmingham Ethics Committee (ERN_15-0542). Trial registration number ISRCTN84528320. PMID:27412105

Acute Whiplash Injury Study (AWIS): a protocol for a cluster randomised pilot and feasibility trial of an Active Behavioural Physiotherapy Intervention in an insurance private setting.

PubMed

Wiangkham, Taweewat; Duda, Joan; Haque, M Sayeed; Price, Jonathan; Rushton, Alison

2016-07-13

Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) causes substantial social and economic burden internationally. Up to 60% of patients with WAD progress to chronicity. Research therefore needs to focus on effective management in the acute stage to prevent the development of chronicity. Approximately 93% of patients are classified as WADII (neck complaint and musculoskeletal sign(s)), and in the UK, most are managed in the private sector. In our recent systematic review, a combination of active and behavioural physiotherapy was identified as potentially effective in the acute stage. An Active Behavioural Physiotherapy Intervention (ABPI) was developed through combining empirical (modified Delphi study) and theoretical (social cognitive theory focusing on self-efficacy) evidence. This pilot and feasibility trial has been designed to inform the design of an adequately powered definitive randomised controlled trial. Two parallel phases. (1) An external pilot and feasibility cluster randomised double-blind (assessor and participants), parallel two-arm (ABPI vs standard physiotherapy) clinical trial to evaluate procedures and feasibility. Six UK private physiotherapy clinics will be recruited and cluster randomised by a computer-generated randomisation sequence. Sixty participants (30 each arm) will be assessed at recruitment (baseline) and at 3 months postbaseline. The planned primary outcome measure is the neck disability index. (2) An embedded exploratory qualitative study using semistructured indepth interviews (n=3-4 physiotherapists) and a focus group (n=6-8 patients) and entailing the recruitment of purposive samples will explore perceptions of the ABPI. Quantitative data will be analysed descriptively. Qualitative data will be coded and analysed deductively (identify themes) and inductively (identify additional themes). This trial is approved by the University of Birmingham Ethics Committee (ERN_15-0542). ISRCTN84528320. 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/

Assessing Quality of Working Life Among Malaysian Workers.

PubMed

Sulaiman, Nur Suffia; Choo, Wan Yuen; Mat Yassim, Abdul Rahim; Van Laar, Darren; Chinna, Karuthan; Majid, Hazreen Abdul

2015-11-01

The Work-Related Quality of Life Scale-2 (WRQLS-2) has been used to measure quality of working life (QOWL) in the United Kingdom. In this study, the scale was translated and normalized into Malay. The scale was translated using the back-translation method, pretesting, and pilot testing. It was conducted among health care and office workers. It was tested in 3 stages; confirmatory factor analysis at stages 1 and 3 and exploratory factor analysis at stage 2. The Malaysian WRQLS-2 had 5 factors: "General Well-Being," "Job and Career Satisfaction," "Employee Engagement," "Home-Work Interface," and "Stress at Work." The scale showed good convergent and construct validity and also reliability. Perception of good QOWL may differ because of cultural influences and varying work environments. The validated Malaysian WRQLS-2 can be used to determine the QOWL of Malaysian office and health care workers. © 2015 APJPH.

Developing the community environmental health role of the nurse.

PubMed

Carnegie, Elaine; Kiger, Alice

2010-06-01

This paper is a report from one phase of an exploratory case study. It investigated the environmental health concerns of members of communities within one city in the North East of Scotland. Individual interviews with stakeholders (n=21) and four focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of community nurses (n=19). Community nurse participants believed that their environmental health role remains underdeveloped. They indicated that they do not view the NHS as a resource for environmental health information. An environmental role is constrained by the NHS not being perceived as a source of information or expert in environmental health. They described limited contact between community nurses and public health medicine and uncertainty and conflict of interest between clinical groups regarding the scope of an environmental health role. Policy makers could support the development of an environmental advocacy role--a pilot of this is required.

Would you like to play together? Adults' attachment and the mirror game.

PubMed

Feniger-Schaal, Rinat; Noy, Lior; Hart, Yuval; Koren-Karie, Nina; Mayo, Avraham E; Alon, Uri

2016-01-01

Why is it easy for some people to play together and difficult for others? In this interdisciplinary pilot study, we looked at dyadic interaction in motion as a paradigm to explore the expression of attachment in adulthood. We used a device that gives simple, quantitative and automated indicators for the quality of interaction while playing the mirror game. Forty-seven participants played the mirror game with the same gender-matched expert players. In addition, participants were interviewed on the Adult Attachment Interview to assess their quality of attachment. Using high resolution kinematic measures, we found that secure attachment was correlated with high complexity of the game and low synchrony compared to insecure attachment. The findings suggest that security of attachment is related to a more exploratory and less rigid game than insecure-dismissing attachment. These preliminary findings imply that high resolution analysis of simple movement interaction could carry information about attachment behavior.

Development of the Holistic Nursing Competence Scale.

PubMed

Takase, Miyuki; Teraoka, Sachiko

2011-12-01

This study developed a scale to measure the nursing competence of Japanese registered nurses and to test its psychometric properties. Following the derivation of scale items and pilot testing, the final version of the scale was administered to 331 nurses to establish its internal consistency, as well as its construct and criterion-related validity. Using an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis, 36 items with a five-factor structure were retained to form the Holistic Nursing Competence Scale. These factors illustrate nurses' general aptitude and their competencies in staff education and management, ethical practice, the provision of nursing care, and professional development. The Scale has a positive correlation with the length of clinical experience. A Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.967. The Scale is a reliable and valid measure, helping both nurses and organizations to correctly evaluate nurses' competence and identify their needs for professional development. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The development and initial validation of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS).

PubMed

McElroy, Eoin; Shevlin, Mark

2014-03-01

Cyberchondria is a form of anxiety characterised by excessive online health research. It may lead to increased levels of psychological distress, worry, and unnecessary medical expenses. The aim of the present study was to develop a psychometrically sound measure of this dimension. A sample of undergraduate students (N = 208; 64% female) completed a pilot version of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS) along with the short form version of the depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21). Exploratory factor analysis identified a correlated five factor structure that were labelled 'Compulsion', 'Distress', 'Excessiveness', 'Reassurance Seeking' and 'Mistrust of Medical Professional'. The CSS demonstrated good psychometric properties; the subscales had high internal consistency, along with good concurrent and convergent validity. The CSS may prove useful in a wide variety of future research activities. It may also facilitate the development and validation of interventions for cyberchondria. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing physics learning identity: Survey development and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Sissi L.; Demaree, Dedra

2012-02-01

Innovative curricula aim to improve content knowledge and the goal of helping students develop practices and skills of authentic scientist through active engagement learning. To students, these classroom practices often seem very different from their previous learning experiences in terms of behavioral expectations, learning attitude, and what learning means. We propose that productive participation in these learning environments require students to modify their identity as learners in addition to refining their science conceptual understanding. In order to measure changes in learning identity, we developed a 49-item survey to assess students' 1) expectations of student and teacher roles, 2) self efficacy towards skills supported in the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) and 3) attitudes towards social learning. Using principle components exploratory factor analysis, we have established two reliable factors with subscales that measure these student characteristics. This paper presents the survey development, validation and pilot study results.

NURTURE: Development and Pilot Testing of a Novel Parenting Intervention for Mothers with Histories of an Eating Disorder

PubMed Central

Runfola, Cristin D.; Zucker, Nancy L.; Von Holle, Ann; Mazzeo, Suzanne; Hodges, Eric A.; Perrin, Eliana M.; Bentley, Margaret E.; Ulman, T. Frances; Hoffman, Elizabeth R.; Forsberg, Sarah; Ålgars, Monica; Zerwas, Stephanie; Pisetsky, Emily M.; Taico Colie, L.C.S.W.; Kuhns, Rebecca A.; Hamer, Robert M.; Bulik, Cynthia M.

2014-01-01

Objective To describe the treatment development and pilot testing of a group parenting intervention, NURTURE (Networking, Uniting, and Reaching out To Upgrade Relationships and Eating), for mothers with histories of eating disorders. Method Based on focus group findings, extant research, and expert opinion, NURTURE was designed to be delivered weekly over 16 (1.5 hour) sessions via an interactive web conferencing forum. It comprises four modules: 1) laying the foundation, 2) general parenting skills, 3) eating and feeding, and 4) breaking the cycle of risk. Pilot testing was conducted with three groups of 3–6 mothers (N = 13) who had children ages 0–3 years to determine feasibility (e.g., retention), acceptability (e.g., feedback questionnaire responses), and preliminary efficacy. Maternal satisfaction with NURTURE and changes in mother-child feeding relationship measures, maternal feeding style, maternal self-efficacy, and maternal psychopathology (eating disorder, depression, and anxiety symptoms) across three time points (baseline, post-treatment, 6-month follow-up) were examined. All outcomes were exploratory. Results The intervention was well tolerated with a 100% retention rate. Feedback from mothers was generally positive and indicated that the groups provided an engaging, supportive experience to participants. We observed changes suggestive of improvement in self-reported maternal self-efficacy and competence with parenting. There were no notable changes in measures of maternal feeding style or psychopathology. Discussion NURTURE is a feasible, acceptable, and potentially valuable intervention for mothers with eating disorder histories. Results of this pilot will inform a larger randomized-controlled intervention to determine efficacy and impact on child outcomes. PMID:23983082

NURTURE: development and pilot testing of a novel parenting intervention for mothers with histories of an eating disorder.

PubMed

Runfola, Cristin D; Zucker, Nancy L; Von Holle, Ann; Mazzeo, Suzanne; Hodges, Eric A; Perrin, Eliana M; Bentley, Margaret E; Ulman, T Frances; Hoffman, Elizabeth R; Forsberg, Sarah; Algars, Monica; Zerwas, Stephanie; Pisetsky, Emily M; Taico, Colie; Kuhns, Rebecca A; Hamer, Robert M; Bulik, Cynthia M

2014-01-01

To describe the treatment development and pilot testing of a group parenting intervention, NURTURE (Networking, Uniting, and Reaching out To Upgrade Relationships and Eating), for mothers with histories of eating disorders. Based on focus group findings, extant research, and expert opinion, NURTURE was designed to be delivered weekly over 16 (1.5 h) sessions via an interactive web conferencing forum. It comprises four modules: (1) laying the foundation, (2) general parenting skills, (3) eating and feeding, and (4) breaking the cycle of risk. Pilot testing was conducted with three groups of 3-6 mothers (N = 13) who had children ages 0-3 years to determine feasibility (e.g., retention), acceptability (e.g., feedback questionnaire responses), and preliminary efficacy. Maternal satisfaction with NURTURE and changes in mother-child feeding relationship measures, maternal feeding style, maternal self-efficacy, and maternal psychopathology (eating disorder, depression, and anxiety symptoms) across three time points (baseline, post-treatment, 6-month follow-up) were examined. All outcomes were exploratory. The intervention was well tolerated with a 100% retention rate. Feedback from mothers was generally positive and indicated that the groups provided an engaging, supportive experience to participants. We observed changes suggestive of improvement in self-reported maternal self-efficacy and competence with parenting. There were no notable changes in measures of maternal feeding style or psychopathology. NURTURE is a feasible, acceptable, and potentially valuable intervention for mothers with eating disorder histories. Results of this pilot will inform a larger randomized-controlled intervention to determine efficacy and impact on child outcomes. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development and psychometric properties of a self-regulation scale about leisure time physical activity in Iranian male adolescents.

PubMed

Abasi, Mohammad Hadi; Eslami, Ahmad Ali; Rakhshani, Fatemeh; Shiri, Mansoor

2016-01-01

Self-regulation is one of the current psychological concepts that have been known as a determinant of leisure time physical activity. Due to cultural and social diversity in different societies and age groups, application of specific questionnaires is essential to perform investigations about physical activities. The aim of this study is development and evaluation of psychometric properties of a self-regulation questionnaire about leisure time physical activity in Iranian male adolescents. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013, and data of 603 male students from 12 high schools in Isfahan were collected. A comprehensive literature review and similar questionnaire review were conducted and 25 items were selected or developed to measure self-regulation. Comprehensibility of items was evaluated in a pilot study and an expert panel evaluated face and content validity. Exploratory factors analysis (EFA) was used for evaluation of construct validity and extraction of sub-constructs of self-regulation. Leisure time physical activity was assessed using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The mean age of the participants was 16.3 years (SD =1.0) and the range was 15-19 years. Cronbach's α coefficient of the questionnaire in the pilot and main study was 0.84 and 0.90, respectively. EFA resulted in four sub-constructs including "enlistment of social support", "goal setting", "self-construction", and "self-monitoring", which explained 63.6% of the variance of self-regulation. Results of this investigation provide some support to the validity and reliability of the 16-item questionnaire of self-regulation abut leisure time physical activity in the target group.

Physical and functional measures related to low back pain in individuals with lower-limb amputation: an exploratory pilot study.

PubMed

Friel, Karen; Domholdt, Elizabeth; Smith, Douglas G

2005-01-01

For this study, we compared the physical impairments and functional deficits of individuals with lower-limb amputation (LLA) for those with and without low back pain (LBP). Nineteen participants with LLA were placed into two groups based on visual analog scores of LBP. We assessed functional limitations, iliopsoas length, hamstring length, abdominal strength, back extensor strength, and back extensor endurance. Data analysis included correlations and t-tests. We found significant correlations between pain score and functional limitations, iliopsoas length, and back extensor endurance. We also detected significant differences in functional limitations, iliopsoas length, back extensor strength, and back extensor endurance between those with and without LBP. We saw significant differences in back extensor strength and back extensor endurance between those with transtibial and transfemoral amputations. Differences exist in physical measures of individuals with LLA with and without LBP. Clinicians should consider these impairments in individuals with amputation who experience LBP. Because of the participants' characteristics, these findings may be applicable to veterans with LLA.

Developing Analytical Inspection Criteria for Health IT Personnel with Minimum Training in Cognitive Ergonomics: A Practical Solution to EHR Improving EHR Usability

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhen; Franklin, Amy; Walji, Muhammad; Zhang, Jiajie; Gong, Yang

2014-01-01

EHR usability has been identified as a major barrier to care quality optimization. One major challenge of improving EHR usability is the lack of systematic training in usability or cognitive ergonomics for EHR designers/developers in the vendor community and EHR analysts making significant configurations in healthcare organizations. A practical solution is to provide usability inspection tools that can be easily operationalized by EHR analysts. This project is aimed at developing a set of usability tools with demonstrated validity and reliability. We present a preliminary study of a metric for cognitive transparency and an exploratory experiment testing its validity in predicting the effectiveness of action-effect mapping. Despite the pilot nature of both, we found high sensitivity and specificity of the metric and higher response accuracy within a shorter time for users to determine action-effect mappings in transparent user interface controls. We plan to expand the sample size in our empirical study. PMID:25954439

The circumstances surrounding the death of 105 elders as a result of resident-to-resident incidents in dementia in long-term care homes.

PubMed

Caspi, Eilon

2018-05-31

Resident-to-resident incidents in dementia in long-term care homes resulting in deaths represent a growing concern among residents, family members, care providers, care advocacy organizations, and policy makers. Despite these concerns and experts' predictions by which injurious and fatal incidents will increase in the coming years due to the projected growth in the number of people with dementia, no studies have been conducted in North America on these fatal incidents. This exploratory pilot study makes first steps towards bridging this major gap in research and practice. Using publicly available information (primarily newspaper articles and death review reports), practically useful patterns were identified pertaining to the circumstances surrounding the death of 105 elders as a result of these incidents. The findings could inform various efforts to prevent future deaths in similar circumstances, keep vulnerable and frail residents safe, and encourage researchers to examine risk and protective factors for these incidents.

Development and Testing of the Nurse Manager EBP Competency Scale.

PubMed

Shuman, Clayton J; Ploutz-Snyder, Robert J; Titler, Marita G

2018-02-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the validity and reliability of an instrument to measure nurse manager competencies regarding evidence-based practice (EBP). The Nurse Manager EBP Competency Scale consists of 16 items for respondents to indicate their perceived level of competency on a 0 to 3 Likert-type scale. Content validity was demonstrated through expert panel review and pilot testing. Principal axis factoring and Cronbach's alpha evaluated construct validity and internal consistency reliability, respectively. Eighty-three nurse managers completed the scale. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 16-item scale with two subscales, EBP Knowledge ( n = 6 items, α = .90) and EBP Activity ( n = 10 items, α = .94). Cronbach's alpha for the entire scale was .95. The Nurse Manager EBP Competency Scale is a brief measure of nurse manager EBP competency with evidence of validity and reliability. The scale can enhance our understanding in future studies regarding how nurse manager EBP competency affects implementation.

Using the MEDiPORT humanoid robot to reduce procedural pain and distress in children with cancer: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Jibb, Lindsay A; Birnie, Kathryn A; Nathan, Paul C; Beran, Tanya N; Hum, Vanessa; Victor, J Charles; Stinson, Jennifer N

2018-06-12

Subcutaneous port needle insertions are painful and distressing for children with cancer. The interactive MEDiPORT robot has been programmed to implement psychological strategies to decrease pain and distress during this procedure. This study assessed the feasibility of a future MEDiPORT trial. The secondary aim was to determine the preliminary effectiveness of MEDiPORT in reducing child pain and distress during subcutaneous port accesses. This 5-month pilot randomized controlled trial used a web-based service to randomize 4- to 9-year-olds with cancer to the MEDiPORT cognitive-behavioral arm (robot using evidence-based cognitive-behavioral interventions) or active distraction arm (robot dancing and singing) while a nurse conducted a needle insertion. We assessed accrual and retention; technical difficulties; outcome measure completion by children, parents, and nurses; time taken to complete the study and clinical procedure; and child-, parent-, and nurse-rated acceptability. Descriptive analyses, with exploratory inferential testing of child pain and distress data, were used to address study aims. Forty children were randomized across study arms. Most (85%) eligible children participated and no children withdrew. Technical difficulties were more common in the cognitive-behavioral arm. Completion times for the study and needle insertion were acceptable and >96% of outcome measure items were completed. Overall, MEDiPORT and the study were acceptable to participants. There was no difference in pain between arms, but distress during the procedure was less pronounced in the active distraction arm. The MEDiPORT study appears feasible to implement as an adequately-powered effectiveness-assessing trial following modifications to the intervention and study protocol. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02611739. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Formative Qualitative Evaluation for "Exploratory" ITS Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Tom

1993-01-01

Discusses evaluation methods applicable to exploratory research areas, provides an overview of qualitative and formative methods for exploratory research on intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) and describes an exploratory study in ITS knowledge acquisition which involved working with three educators to build an ITS for high school physics.…

A case study of exploiting enterprise resource planning requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Nan; Jin, Mingzhou; Cheng, Jing-Ru C.

2011-05-01

The requirements engineering (RE) processes have become a key to conceptualising corporate-wide integrated solutions based on packaged enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The RE literature has mainly focused on procuring the most suitable ERP package. Little is known about how an organisation exploits the chosen ERP RE model to frame the business application development. This article reports an exploratory case study of a key tenet of ERP RE adoption, namely that aligning business applications to the packaged RE model leads to integral practices and economic development. The case study analysed a series interrelated pilot projects developed for a business division of a large IT manufacturing and service company, using Oracle's appl1ication implementation method (AIM). The study indicated that AIM RE improved team collaboration and project management experience, but needed to make hidden assumptions explicit to support data visibility and integrity. Our study can direct researchers towards rigorous empirical evaluations of ERP RE adoption, collect experiences and lessons learned for practitioners, and help generate more effective and mature processes when exploiting ERP RE methods.

Effects of Type of Exploratory Strategy and Prior Knowledge on Middle School Students' Learning of Chemical Formulas from a 3D Role-Playing Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ming-Puu; Wong, Yu-Ting; Wang, Li-Chun

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the type of exploratory strategy and level of prior knowledge on middle school students' performance and motivation in learning chemical formulas via a 3D role-playing game (RPG). Two types of exploratory strategies-RPG exploratory with worked-example and RPG exploratory without…

Strategies of experiment standardization and response optimization in a rat model of hemorrhagic shock and chronic hypertension.

PubMed

Reynolds, Penny S; Tamariz, Francisco J; Barbee, Robert Wayne

2010-04-01

Exploratory pilot studies are crucial to best practice in research but are frequently conducted without a systematic method for maximizing the amount and quality of information obtained. We describe the use of response surface regression models and simultaneous optimization methods to develop a rat model of hemorrhagic shock in the context of chronic hypertension, a clinically relevant comorbidity. Response surface regression model was applied to determine optimal levels of two inputs--dietary NaCl concentration (0.49%, 4%, and 8%) and time on the diet (4, 6, 8 weeks)--to achieve clinically realistic and stable target measures of systolic blood pressure while simultaneously maximizing critical oxygen delivery (a measure of vulnerability to hemorrhagic shock) and body mass M. Simultaneous optimization of the three response variables was performed though a dimensionality reduction strategy involving calculation of a single aggregate measure, the "desirability" function. Optimal conditions for inducing systolic blood pressure of 208 mmHg, critical oxygen delivery of 4.03 mL/min, and M of 290 g were determined to be 4% [NaCl] for 5 weeks. Rats on the 8% diet did not survive past 7 weeks. Response surface regression model and simultaneous optimization method techniques are commonly used in process engineering but have found little application to date in animal pilot studies. These methods will ensure both the scientific and ethical integrity of experimental trials involving animals and provide powerful tools for the development of novel models of clinically interacting comorbidities with shock.

What factors influence physiotherapy service provision in rural communities? A pilot study.

PubMed

Adams, Robyn; Sheppard, Lorraine; Jones, Anne; Lefmann, Sophie

2014-06-01

To obtain stakeholder perspectives on factors influencing rural physiotherapy service provision and insights into decision making about service provision. Purposive sampling, open-ended survey questions and semi-structured interviews were used in this exploratory, qualitative study. A rural centre and its regional referral centre formed the pilot sites. Nine participant perspectives were obtained on rural physiotherapy services. Stakeholder perspectives on factors influencing rural physiotherapy service provision and service level decision making. Workforce capacity and capability, decision maker's knowledge of the role and scope of physiotherapy, consideration of physiotherapy within resource allocation decisions and proof of practice emerged as key issues. The latter three were particularly reflected in public sector participant comments. Business models and market size were identified factors in influencing private practice. Influencing factors described by participants both align and extend our understanding of issues described in the rural physiotherapy literature. Participant insights add depth and meaning to quantitative data by revealing impacts on local service provision. Available funding and facility priorities were key determinants of public sector physiotherapy service provision, with market size and business model appearing more influential in private practice. The level of self direction or choice about which services to provide, emerged as a point of difference between public and private providers. Decisions by public sector physiotherapists about service provision appear constrained by existing capacity and workload. Further research into service level decision making might provide valuable insights into rural health service delivery. © 2014 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

A Pilot Study Promoting Participation of Families with Limited Resources in Early Autism Intervention

PubMed Central

Carr, Themba; Lord, Catherine

2016-01-01

Background Relatively little research about autism early intervention has occurred in families of low socioeconomic status. Barriers to participation for under-resourced families (i.e., families with low incomes or limited education), pose a significant problem. The purpose of this pilot study was to apply empirically supported methods promoting participation of families with low-income and low-education levels to an established intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method Participant recruitment specifically targeted families whose income was equal to or below two times the federal poverty line and whose caregiver(s) had no more than two years of college attendance. An evidence-based intervention was modified to be more accessible to participating families. Adaptations focused on decreasing access barriers, decreasing attrition, and promoting positive change within families. Success of the program was measured quantitatively and qualitatively. Results Twenty-seven families were referred to the project, 13 of which did not meet eligibility requirements. Eight families enrolled, maintained participation for the majority of the project and provided positive qualitative feedback of their experiences. Project and treatment attrition were calculated at 62% and 12.5%, respectively. Treatment attendance was high, but length of time to complete treatment was greatly influenced by the number of session cancellations. Conclusions The exploratory project demonstrated that practical modifications to standard early intervention protocols can promote engagement in families with limited resources. Recommendations for programs seeking to implement interventions in under-resourced communities are discussed. PMID:27019670

Developing an evidence-based methodological framework to systematically compare HTA coverage decisions: A mixed methods study.

PubMed

Nicod, Elena; Kanavos, Panos

2016-01-01

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) often results in different coverage recommendations across countries for a same medicine despite similar methodological approaches. This paper develops and pilots a methodological framework that systematically identifies the reasons for these differences using an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design. The study countries were England, Scotland, Sweden and France. The methodological framework was built around three stages of the HTA process: (a) evidence, (b) its interpretation, and (c) its influence on the final recommendation; and was applied to two orphan medicinal products. The criteria accounted for at each stage were qualitatively analyzed through thematic analysis. Piloting the framework for two medicines, eight trials, 43 clinical endpoints and seven economic models were coded 155 times. Eighteen different uncertainties about this evidence were coded 28 times, 56% of which pertained to evidence commonly appraised and 44% to evidence considered by only some agencies. The poor agreement in interpreting this evidence (κ=0.183) was partly explained by stakeholder input (ns=48 times), or by agency-specific risk (nu=28 uncertainties) and value preferences (noc=62 "other considerations"), derived through correspondence analysis. Accounting for variability at each stage of the process can be achieved by codifying its existence and quantifying its impact through the application of this framework. The transferability of this framework to other disease areas, medicines and countries is ensured by its iterative and flexible nature, and detailed description. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of the Preverbal Visual Assessment (PreViAs) questionnaire.

PubMed

Pueyo, Victoria; García-Ormaechea, Inés; González, Inmaculada; Ferrer, Concepción; de la Mata, Guillermo; Duplá, María; Orós, Pedro; Andres, Eva

2014-04-01

Visual cognitive functions of preverbal infants are evaluated by means of a behavioral assessment. Parents or primary caregivers may be appropriate to certify the acquisition of certain abilities. To develop the PreViAs (Preverbal Visual Assessment) questionnaire to assess visual behavior of infants under 24 months of age and to assess the normative outcomes for each item at each age. The process was divided into three phases: scale development (items and domains generation), pilot testing, and exploratory analysis. The final version of the PreViAs questionnaire consisted of 30 items, each related to one or more of four domains (visual attention, visual communication, visual-motor coordination, and visual processing). For the exploratory analysis, 298 children (159 boys and 139 girls) were recruited. Their ages ranged from 0.1 to 24 months (mean, 11.2 months). Internal consistency of the questionnaire was high for all domains (Cronbach's α coefficients of 0.85-0.94). The PreViAs questionnaire is a useful scale for assessing visual cognitive abilities of infants under 24 months of age. It is easy and feasible to complete by primary caregivers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Core skills assessment to improve mathematical competency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Michael; Bowe, Brian; Fhloinn, Eabhnat Ní

2013-12-01

Many engineering undergraduates begin third-level education with significant deficiencies in their core mathematical skills. Every year, in the Dublin Institute of Technology, a diagnostic test is given to incoming first-year students, consistently revealing problems in basic mathematics. It is difficult to motivate students to address these problems; instead, they struggle through their degree, carrying a serious handicap of poor core mathematical skills, as confirmed by exploratory testing of final year students. In order to improve these skills, a pilot project was set up in which a 'module' in core mathematics was developed. The course material was basic, but 90% or higher was required to pass. Students were allowed to repeat this module throughout the year by completing an automated examination on WebCT populated by a question bank. Subsequent to the success of this pilot with third-year mechanical engineering students, the project was extended to five different engineering programmes, across three different year-groups. Full results and analysis of this project are presented, including responses to interviews carried out with a selection of the students involved.

Fusion interfaces for tactical environments: An application of virtual reality technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haas, Michael W.

1994-01-01

The term Fusion Interface is defined as a class of interface which integrally incorporates both virtual and nonvirtual concepts and devices across the visual, auditory, and haptic sensory modalities. A fusion interface is a multisensory virtually-augmented synthetic environment. A new facility has been developed within the Human Engineering Division of the Armstrong Laboratory dedicated to exploratory development of fusion interface concepts. This new facility, the Fusion Interfaces for Tactical Environments (FITE) Facility is a specialized flight simulator enabling efficient concept development through rapid prototyping and direct experience of new fusion concepts. The FITE Facility also supports evaluation of fusion concepts by operation fighter pilots in an air combat environment. The facility is utilized by a multidisciplinary design team composed of human factors engineers, electronics engineers, computer scientists, experimental psychologists, and oeprational pilots. The FITE computational architecture is composed of twenty-five 80486-based microcomputers operating in real-time. The microcomputers generate out-the-window visuals, in-cockpit and head-mounted visuals, localized auditory presentations, haptic displays on the stick and rudder pedals, as well as executing weapons models, aerodynamic models, and threat models.

Improved Digit Span in Children after a 6-Week Intervention of Playing a Musical Instrument: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Guo, Xia; Ohsawa, Chie; Suzuki, Akiko; Sekiyama, Kaoru

2018-01-01

Previous studies have reported that music training not only improves children's musical skills, but also enhances their cognitive functions. However, there is a disagreement about what domain(s) might be affected. Moreover, effects of short-term (

[Can medical oncologists talk about cure to their patient after localized breast cancer treatment?

PubMed

Torregrosa, Cecile; Coutu-Nadeau, Louis-Philippe; Rodrigues, Manuel Jorge; Mamzer-Bruneel, Marie-France

2018-03-01

Despite ongoing therapeutic advances in oncology, the use of the term cure in front of patients remains controversial. The word remission is often preferred in clinical practice. The purpose of this research is to explore how oncologists vary in their usage and definition of the word cure when talking to patients. Qualitative and exploratory pilot study conducted by semi structured interviews with a group of French oncologists about a clinical vignette of localized breast cancer treated by surgery and complete adjuvant treatment. Thirteen oncologists participated in this study between January and March 2016. They were divided into two groups according to whether or not they use the term cure in their clinical practice. A first group of five doctors define the word cure as the lasting absence of relapse of the disease. Because of their duty of transparency and the uncertainty of post-therapeutic relapse, these five doctors tend to never use the word cure. The analysis of the second group of eight doctors, who do use of the word cure in their practice, highlighted an absence of consensus on its definition. However, all of them justify their use of it with the importance of expressing positive emotions such as hope to patients. Our findings confirm that there are divergent understandings of the concept of cure between oncologists and how they manage prognosis uncertainty. Medical language is thus influenced by scientific knowledge, but also by doctors' personal values and ways of thinking, perhaps influencing the doctor-patient relationship in turn. This exploratory study will be extended on a wider scale to explore the coexistence of other elements of diversity. Copyright © 2018 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Development of a new multimedia instrument to measure cancer-specific quality of life in Portuguese-speaking patients with varying literacy skills.

PubMed

Paiva, Carlos Eduardo; Siquelli, Felipe Augusto Ferreira; Zaia, Gabriela Rossi; de Andrade, Diocésio Alves Pinto; Borges, Marcos Aristoteles; Jácome, Alexandre A; Giroldo, Gisele Augusta Sousa Nascimento; Santos, Henrique Amorim; Hahn, Elizabeth A; Uemura, Gilberto; Paiva, Bianca Sakamoto Ribeiro

2016-01-01

To develop and validate a new multimedia instrument to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Portuguese-speaking patients with cancer. A mixed-methods study conducted in a large Brazilian Cancer Hospital. The instrument was developed along the following sequential phases: identification of HRQOL issues through qualitative content analysis of individual interviews, evaluation of the most important items according to the patients, review of the literature, evaluation by an expert committee, and pretesting. In sequence, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted (pilot testing, n = 149) to reduce the number of items and to define domains and scores. The psychometric properties of the IQualiV-OG-21 were measured in a large multicentre Brazilian study (n = 323). A software containing multimedia resources were developed to facilitate self-administration of IQualiV-OG-21; its feasibility and patients' preferences ("paper and pencil" vs. software) were further tested (n = 54). An exploratory factor analysis reduced the 30-item instrument to 21 items. The IQualiV-OG-21 was divided into 6 domains: emotional, physical, existential, interpersonal relationships, functional and financial. The multicentre study confirmed that it was valid and reliable. The electronic multimedia instrument was easy to complete and acceptable to patients. Regarding preferences, 61.1 % of them preferred the electronic format in comparison with the paper and pencil format. The IQualiV-OG-21 is a new valid and reliable multimedia HRQOL instrument that is well-understood, even by patients with low literacy skills, and can be answered quickly. It is a useful new tool that can be translated and tested in other cultures and languages.

Improved Digit Span in Children after a 6-Week Intervention of Playing a Musical Instrument: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Guo, Xia; Ohsawa, Chie; Suzuki, Akiko; Sekiyama, Kaoru

2017-01-01

Previous studies have reported that music training not only improves children's musical skills, but also enhances their cognitive functions. However, there is a disagreement about what domain(s) might be affected. Moreover, effects of short-term (

Development of the competency scale for primary care managers in Thailand: Scale development.

PubMed

Kitreerawutiwong, Keerati; Sriruecha, Chanaphol; Laohasiriwong, Wongsa

2015-12-09

The complexity of the primary care system requires a competent manager to achieve high-quality healthcare. The existing literature in the field yields little evidence of the tools to assess the competency of primary care administrators. This study aimed to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the competency scale for primary care managers in Thailand. The scale was developed using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions among policy makers, managers, practitioners, village health volunteers, and clients. The specific dimensions were extracted from 35 participants. 123 items were generated from the evidence and qualitative data. Content validity was established through the evaluation of seven experts and the original 123 items were reduced to 84 items. The pilot testing was conducted on a simple random sample of 487 primary care managers. Item analysis, reliability testing, and exploratory factor analysis were applied to establish the scale's reliability and construct validity. Exploratory factor analysis identified nine dimensions with 48 items using a five-point Likert scale. Each dimension accounted for greater than 58.61% of the total variance. The scale had strong content validity (Indices = 0.85). Each dimension of Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.70 to 0.88. Based on these analyses, this instrument demonstrated sound psychometric properties and therefore is considered an effective tool for assessment of the primary care manager competencies. The results can be used to improve competency requirements of primary care managers, with implications for health service management workforce development.

Attachment narratives in refugee children: interrater reliability and qualitative analysis in pilot findings from a two-site study.

PubMed

De Haene, Lucia; Dalgaard, Nina Thorup; Montgomery, Edith; Grietens, Hans; Verschueren, Karine

2013-06-01

Although forced migration research on refugee family functioning clearly points to the potential breakdown of parental availability and responsiveness in the context of cumulative migration stressors, studies exploring attachment security in refugee children are surprisingly lacking so far. The authors report their findings from a 2-site, small-scale administration of an attachment measure, adapted for use with refugee children aged between 4 and 9 years from a reliable and validated doll-play procedure. We evaluated interrater reliability and conducted a qualitative analysis of refugee children's narrative response to identify migration-specific representational markers of attachment quality. The level of agreement among 3 independent coders ranged between .54 to 1.00 for both study samples, providing initial psychometric evidence of the measure's value in assessing child attachment security in this population. The exploratory analysis of migration-related narrative markers pointed to specific parameters to be used in parent-child observational assessments in future validation of the attachment measure, such as parental withdrawal or trauma-communication within the parent-child dyad. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

An innovative approach to targeting pain in older people in the acute care setting.

PubMed

Phelan, Caroline

2010-06-01

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory pilot study which used mixed methods to determine (a) the feasibility of the study design for a larger multi site project and (b) whether a pain education promotion approach, termed 'Targeting Pain', using a multidisciplinary educational campaign and promotional media such as staff badges and ward signage, improves the detection and management of pain in older people in an acute care setting. Pre and post evaluation surveys and interviews were used to evaluate the approach. Findings showed an increase in pain assessment and documentation of pain by nursing staff, as well as an increase in the prescription of oral analgesics. However, the study indicated that the uptake regarding pain management from the education campaign was different between professional groups. Although there was a positive response by patients and staff to the use of staff badges, the ward signage failed to attract attention. The mixed methods approach used highlighted several areas that need to be improved for the next phase of the study.

Development and validation of a new Prescription Quality Index

PubMed Central

Hassan, Norul Badriah; Ismail, Hasanah Che; Naing, Lin; Conroy, Ronán M; Abdul Rahman, Abdul Rashid

2010-01-01

AIMS The aims were to develop and validate a new Prescription Quality Index (PQI) for the measurement of prescription quality in chronic diseases. METHODS The PQI were developed and validated based on three separate surveys and one pilot study. Criteria were developed based on literature search, discussions and brainstorming sessions. Validity of the criteria was examined using modified Delphi method. Pre-testing was performed on 30 patients suffering from chronic diseases. The modified version was then subjected to reviews by pharmacists and clinicians in two separate surveys. The rater-based PQI with 22 criteria was then piloted in 120 patients with chronic illnesses. Results were analysed using SPSS version 12.0.1 RESULTS Exploratory principal components analysis revealed multiple factors contributing to prescription quality. Cronbach's α for the entire 22 criteria was 0.60. The average intra-rater and inter-rater reliability showed good to moderate stability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.76 and 0.52, respectively). The PQI was significantly and negatively correlated with age (correlation coefficient −0.34, P < 0.001), number of drugs in prescriptions (correlation coefficient −0.51, P < 0.001) and number of chronic diseases/conditions (correlation coefficient −0.35, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The PQI is a promising new instrument for measuring prescription quality. It has been shown that the PQI is a valid, reliable and responsive tool to measure quality of prescription in chronic diseases. PMID:20840442

[Design and validation of scales to measure adolescent attitude toward eating and toward physical activity].

PubMed

Lima-Serrano, Marta; Lima-Rodríguez, Joaquín Salvador; Sáez-Bueno, Africa

2012-01-01

Different authors suggest that attitude is a mediator in behavior change, so it is a predictor of behavior practice. The main of this study was to design and to validate two scales for measure adolescent attitude toward healthy eating and adolescent attitude toward healthy physical activity. Scales were design based on a literature review. After, they were validated using an on-line Delphi Panel with eighteen experts, a pretest, and a pilot test with a sample of 188 high school students. Comprehensibility, content validity, adequacy, as well as the reliability (alpha of Cronbach test), and construct validity (exploratory factor analysis) of scales were tested. Scales validated by experts were considered appropriate in the pretest. In the pilot test, the ten-item Attitude to Eating Scale obtained α=0.72. The eight-item Attitude to Physical Activity Scale obtained α=0.86. They showed evidence of one-dimensional interpretation after factor analysis, a) all items got weights r>0.30 in first factor before rotations, b) the first factor explained a significant proportion of variance before rotations, and c) the total variance explained by the main factors extracted was greater than 50%. The Scales showed their reliability and validity. They could be employed to assess attitude to these priority intervention areas in Spanish adolescents, and to evaluate this intermediate result of health interventions and health programs.

Double-blind, controlled, clinical trial planned in germany to investigate the efficacy of psychotherapy combined with triptorelin in adult male patients with severe pedophilic disorders: presentation of the study protocol.

PubMed

Briken, Peer; Berner, Wolfgang

2012-01-01

The treatment of paraphilias, especially of pedophilia, centers upon cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy and pharmacologic interventions. Two open, uncontrolled clinical studies using the synthetic LHRH-agonist triptorelin suggested that, combined with psychotherapy, antiandrogen treatment reduced deviant sexual fantasies, urges, and behaviors in paraphilic patients. There is a need for further research using controlled, randomized trials to examine the effectiveness of sexual offender treatment including psychotherapeutic and pharmacologic interventions. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy together with intramuscular (IM) 3-monthly injections of triptorelin in adult men with severe pedophilia. In this multicenter, forensic psychiatric hospital-based, double-blind, controlled, parallel group phase IV trial conducted in Germany, convicted male sexual offenders aged ≥ 18 years with pedophilia, as defined by DSM-IV-TR criteria, will be randomized to receive study-specific psychotherapy together either with triptorelin or placebo for 12 months (total of 4 injections). This is a pilot study, therefore exploratory data analyses will be carried out of three different target parameters: 1. Changes in psychosexual characteristics using the Multiphasic Sex Inventory (scale: sexual abuse of children) 2. Changes in the risk of violent sexual behavior using the Sexual Violence Risk-20 total score 3. Changes in serum testosterone concentration Treatment effects will be assessed by comparing baseline values with those at the final examination (month 12). The absence of real-life stimulants to test for actual recidivism limits possible findings. The study will be conducted in agreement with the European GCP-guideline, all relevant legal requirements, and the legal framework for voluntary treatment of convicted sexual offenders in Germany.

Experiences of general practitioners, home care nurses, physiotherapists and seniors involved in a multidisciplinary home-based fall prevention programme: a mixed method study.

PubMed

Amacher, Astrid E; Nast, Irina; Zindel, Barbara; Schmid, Lukas; Krafft, Valérie; Niedermann, Karin

2016-09-05

The feasibility of effective fall prevention programmes (FPPs) for use in daily clinical practice needs to be assessed in the specific healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to explore the perceived benefits and barriers of an evidence-based, home-based pilot FPP among the involved seniors, general practitioners (GPs), home care nurses (HCNs) and physiotherapists (PTs), in order to develop tailored implementation strategies. The study was a mixed method study using an 'exploratory sequential design'. In the initial qualitative sequence, semi-structured interviews were performed with four participants from each group and analysed using a deductive content analysis. In the successive quantitative sequence, target group specific postal surveys were conducted with all participants. The triangulation of both steps allowed merging the in-depth experiences from the interviews with the general findings from the survey. In this evaluation study participated 17 seniors (mean age 79.7 (SD +/-6.2) years). 40 GPs, 12 HCNs and four PTs. All were satisfied with the organization and processes of the FPP. The main benefit, perceived by each target group, was the usefulness of the FPP in detecting risk of falling at the senior's home. A low number of recruiting GPs and HCNs, divergent opinions of the health professionals towards the aim of the FPP as well as no perceived need for changes by the seniors were the most important barriers to the participation of (more) seniors. Multidisciplinary home-based fall prevention is a useful approach to detect the risk of falling in seniors. The barriers identified need to be resolved through tailored strategies to facilitate the successful nationwide implementation of this pilot FPP.

Effect of rivastigmine on mobility of patients with higher-level gait disorder: a pilot exploratory study.

PubMed

Gurevich, Tanya; Balash, Yacov; Merims, Doron; Peretz, Chava; Herman, Talia; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M; Giladi, Nir

2014-06-01

Higher-level gait disorder (HLGD) in older adults is characterized by postural instability, stepping dysrhythmicity, recurrent falls and progressive immobility. Cognitive impairments are frequently associated with HLGD. The aim of this study was to compare gait and cognitive performance before and after the use of rivastigmine in patients with HLGD, free from cognitive impairment or Parkinsonism. Fifteen non-demented patients with HLGD (age 79.2 ± 5.9 years; 11 women; Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] 28.3 ± 1.4) received escalating doses of rivastigmine for 12 weeks in an open-label, pilot study. They were assessed before and after treatment (week 0 and week 12), and after a 4-week washout period (week 16). Assessments included the Mindstreams computerized neuropsychological battery, Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, gait speed and stride time variability. One-way multiple analysis of variance tests for repeated measures were used, and Pillai's trace test was considered as robust to investigate significant differences. The mean dose of rivastigmine during the 8-12 week period was 5.1 ± 2.3 mg/day. A positive effect was observed on the Mindstreams memory subscale and anxiety scores [Pillai's trace: F(6,724) = 0.508, p = 0.010; and F(7,792) = 0.545, p = 0.006, respectively, over the course of the study] as well as on mobility (TUG test) [Pillai's trace: F(4,863) = 0.448; p = 0.028], whereas gait speed and stride time variability did not change. The use of relatively low-dose rivastigmine did not affect gait speed and stride time variability; however, the general mobility and anxiety were improved. These preliminary results warrant a larger, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Environmental Heat Stress Among Young Working Women: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Rahman, Juma; Fakhruddin, S H M; Rahman, A K M Fazlur; Halim, M A

Heat waves are increasing significantly in frequency and severity and threaten the health and income of outdoor workers. Pregnant women workers are particularly at risk due to their delicate physiological systems and accountabilities to future generations. Animal and human studies propose that elevated body temperatures during pregnancy can induce adverse pregnancy outcomes. To measure the change in internal body temperature (Tcore) in young working women before, after, and during work (both outdoor and indoor) on hot humid days and relate threshold temperature to the upshot adverse effects of pregnancy (teratogenicity and related miscarriage). Tympanic temperatures were measured using infrared ear thermometers and workplace temperatures were collected using Lascar Data Logger. Brief exploratory interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data, and content analysis was also carried out. Body temperatures were found elevated among outdoor women workers compared with that of indoor women workers. The present study found that outdoor work during pregnancy in hot, humid days might increase body temperature up to levels that could induce fetal destruction or anomaly. Copyright © 2016 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study deviance-type scale in the development of Korean elder.

PubMed

Cho, Gun-Sang; Yi, Eun-Surk; Hwang, Hee-Jeong

2015-12-01

This research aims to develop a questionnaire of deviant behavior for the Korean elderly people which may make a big contribution to the examination of deviance behavior of the elderly people and may play an important role in providing a methodological basis. In order to accomplish the purpose of the this study, there were three different stages; (a) making preliminary question items, (b) refining the items of the scale through a plot study, and (c) finalizing question items by a main survey. In the first stage, 43 question items were developed using the open-ended questionnaire and structural inquiry of succession from 137 elderly people who are over 65 yr. In the second phase, based on data collected by the 200 elderly people pilot testing was performed through exploratory factor analysis and reliability test. The scale is a 27-item self-report questionnaire. In the main survey conducted by 184 elderly people, 21 items, which consisted of four subfactors, were finalized in order to measure deviance behaviors of the Korean elderly people: social deviance (n=8), economic deviance (n=5), psychological deviance (n=5), and physical deviance (n=3).

Evaluation Study of the Exploratory Visit: An Innovative Outreach Activity of the ILGWU's Friendly Visiting Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Holly; And Others

1977-01-01

The exploratory visit to recent retirees, an outreach component of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union Friendly Visiting Program, was evaluated. A post-test only control group effect study revealed exploratory visits were effective in establishing a link between the program and the retiree. (Author)

Development and validation of the Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ) for primary care patients with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Fu, Sau Nga; Chin, Weng Yee; Wong, Carlos King Ho; Yeung, Vincent Tok Fai; Yiu, Ming Pong; Tsui, Hoi Yee; Chan, Ka Hung

2013-01-01

To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Chinese questionnaire which assesses the barriers and enablers to commencing insulin in primary care patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes. Questionnaire items were identified using literature review. Content validation was performed and items were further refined using an expert panel. Following translation, back translation and cognitive debriefing, the translated Chinese questionnaire was piloted on target patients. Exploratory factor analysis and item-scale correlations were performed to test the construct validity of the subscales and items. Internal reliability was tested by Cronbach's alpha. Twenty-seven identified items underwent content validation, translation and cognitive debriefing. The translated questionnaire was piloted on 303 insulin naïve (never taken insulin) Type 2 diabetes patients recruited from 10 government-funded primary care clinics across Hong Kong. Sufficient variability in the dataset for factor analysis was confirmed by Bartlett's Test of Sphericity (P<0.001). Using exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation, 10 factors were generated onto which 26 items loaded with loading scores > 0.4 and Eigenvalues >1. Total variance for the 10 factors was 66.22%. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure was 0.725. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the first four factors were ≥0.6 identifying four sub-scales to which 13 items correlated. Remaining sub-scales and items with poor internal reliability were deleted. The final 13-item instrument had a four scale structure addressing: 'Self-image and stigmatization'; 'Factors promoting self-efficacy; 'Fear of pain or needles'; and 'Time and family support'. The Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ) appears to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing barriers to starting insulin. This short instrument is easy to administer and may be used by healthcare providers and researchers as an assessment tool for Chinese diabetic primary care patients, including the elderly, who are unwilling to start insulin.

A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of Different Mobile Messaging Interventions for Problem Drinking Compared to Weekly Drink Tracking

PubMed Central

van Stolk-Cooke, Katherine; Kuerbis, Alexis; Stadler, Gertraud; Baumel, Amit; Shao, Sijing; McKay, James R.; Morgenstern, Jon

2017-01-01

Introduction Recent evidence suggests that text messaging may help to reduce problem drinking as an extension to in-person services, but very little is known about the effectiveness of remote messaging on problem drinking as a stand-alone intervention, or how different types of messages may improve drinking outcomes in those seeking to moderate their alcohol consumption. Methods We conducted an exploratory, single-blind randomized controlled pilot study comparing four different types of alcohol reduction-themed text messages sent daily to weekly drink self-tracking texts in order to determine their impact on drinking outcomes over a 12-week period in 152 participants (≈ 30 per group) seeking to reduce their drinking on the internet. Messaging interventions included: weekly drink self-tracking mobile assessment texts (MA), loss-framed texts (LF), gain-framed texts (GF), static tailored texts (ST), and adaptive tailored texts (TA). Poisson and least squares regressions were used to compare differences between each active messaging group and the MA control. Results When adjusting for baseline drinking, participants in all messaging groups except GF significantly reduced the number of drinks consumed per week and the number of heavy drinking days compared to MA. Only the TA and GF groups were significantly different from MA in reducing the number of drinking days. While the TA group yielded the largest effect sizes on all outcome measures, there were no significant differences between active messaging groups on any outcome measure. 79.6% of individuals enrolled in the study wanted to continue receiving messages for an additional 12 weeks at the end of the study. Discussion Results of this pilot study indicate that remote automated text messages delivered daily can help adult problem drinkers reduce drinking frequency and quantity significantly more than once-a-week self-tracking messages only, and that tailored adaptive texts yield the largest effect sizes across outcomes compared to MA. Larger samples are needed to understand differences between messaging interventions and to target their mechanisms of efficacy. PMID:28146560

High fat diet induced atherosclerosis is accompanied with low colonic bacterial diversity and altered abundances that correlates with plaque size, plasma A-FABP and cholesterol: a pilot study of high fat diet and its intervention with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) or telmisartan in ApoE-/- mice.

PubMed

Chan, Yee Kwan; Brar, Manreetpal Singh; Kirjavainen, Pirkka V; Chen, Yan; Peng, Jiao; Li, Daxu; Leung, Frederick Chi-Ching; El-Nezami, Hani

2016-11-08

Atherosclerosis appears to have multifactorial causes - microbial component like lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and other pathogen associated molecular patterns may be plausible factors. The gut microbiota is an ample source of such stimulants, and its dependent metabolites and altered gut metagenome has been an established link to atherosclerosis. In this exploratory pilot study, we aimed to elucidate whether microbial intervention with probiotics L. rhamnosus GG (LGG) or pharmaceuticals telmisartan (TLM) could improve atherosclerosis in a gut microbiota associated manner. Atherosclerotic phenotype was established by 12 weeks feeding of high fat (HF) diet as opposed to normal chow diet (ND) in apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE -/- ) mice. LGG or TLM supplementation to HF diet was studied. Both LGG and TLM significantly reduced atherosclerotic plaque size and improved various biomarkers including endotoxin to different extents. Colonial microbiota analysis revealed that TLM restored HF diet induced increase in Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and decrease in alpha diversity; and led to a more distinct microbial clustering closer to ND in PCoA plot. Eubacteria, Anaeroplasma, Roseburia, Oscillospira and Dehalobacteria appeared to be protective against atherosclerosis and showed significant negative correlation with atherosclerotic plaque size and plasma adipocyte - fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) and cholesterol. LGG and TLM improved atherosclerosis with TLM having a more distinct alteration in the colonic gut microbiota. Altered bacteria genera and reduced alpha diversity had significant correlations to atherosclerotic plaque size, plasma A-FABP and cholesterol. Future studies on such bacterial functional influence in lipid metabolism will be warranted.

Australia's first transition to professional practice in primary care program for graduate registered nurses: a pilot study.

PubMed

Aggar, Christina; Bloomfield, Jacqueline; Thomas, Tamsin H; Gordon, Christopher J

2017-01-01

Increases in ageing, chronic illness and complex co-morbidities in the Australian population are adding pressure to the primary care nursing workforce. Initiatives to attract and retain nurses are needed to establish a sustainable and skilled future primary care nursing workforce. We implemented a transition to professional practice program in general practice settings for graduate nurses and evaluated graduate nurse competency, the graduate nurse experience and program satisfaction. This study aimed to determine whether a transition to professional practice program implemented in the general practice setting led to competent practice nurses in their first year post-graduation. A longitudinal, exploratory mixed-methods design was used to assess the pilot study. Data were collected at three times points (3, 6, 12 months) with complete data sets from graduate nurses ( n =  4) and preceptors ( n =  7). We assessed perceptions of the graduates' nursing competency and confidence, satisfaction with the preceptor/graduate relationship, and experiences and satisfaction with the program. Graduate nurse competency was assessed using the National Competency Standards for Nurses in General Practice. Semi-structured interviews with participants at Time 3 sought information about barriers, enablers, and the perceived impact of the program. Graduate nurses were found to be competent within their first year of clinical practice. Program perceptions from graduate nurses and preceptors were positive and the relationship between the graduate nurse and preceptor was key to this development. With appropriate support registered nurses can transition directly into primary care and are competent in their first year post-graduation. While wider implementation and research is needed, findings from this study demonstrate the potential value of transition to professional practice programs within primary care as a nursing workforce development strategy.

Safety and tolerability of varenicline tartrate (Champix(®)/Chantix(®)) for smoking cessation in HIV-infected subjects: a pilot open-label study.

PubMed

Cui, Qu; Robinson, Linda; Elston, Dawn; Smaill, Fiona; Cohen, Jeffrey; Quan, Corinna; McFarland, Nancy; Thabane, Lehana; McIvor, Andrew; Zeidler, Johannes; Smieja, Marek

2012-01-01

The prevalence of smoking in HIV-infected subjects is high. As a smoking cessation aid, varenicline (Champix(®), Pfizer, Saint-Laurent, QC, Canada or Chantix(®), Pfizer, Mission, KS) has not been previously evaluated in HIV-infected smokers. In this multicenter pilot open label study, varenicline 1.0 mg was used twice daily for 12 weeks with dose titration in the first week. Adverse events (AEs) during the treatment period were recorded. Changes from baseline in laboratory tests, vital signs, daily cigarette consumption, nicotine dependence, and withdrawal were measured through week 24. Self-reported abstinence was validated by serum cotinine at week 12. We enrolled 36 subjects with a mean of 29 pack-years of smoking and a minimum of 4 cigarettes per day. All but 1 were male, 33 (92%) were white. The most frequently reported AEs were nausea (33%), abnormal dreams (31%), affect lability (19%), and insomnia (19%). Six (17%) subjects discontinued varenicline due to AEs. No grade 3/4 laboratory abnormalities or serious AEs occurred during the study. There was no significant change in HIV viral load. CD4 counts increased by 69 cells/mm3 (p = 0.001) at week 24. Serum cotinine-verified 4-week continuous abstinence rate through weeks 9-12 was 42% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26-58%). AEs and abstinence rates were comparable to those in published randomized controlled trials conducted in generally healthy HIV-negative smokers. Varenicline was safe and appears effective among HIV-infected smokers in this exploratory study, although AEs were common. The most common AE was nausea, with no adverse effect on HIV treatment outcome. Close monitoring of liver enzymes and blood pressure is recommended for HIV-positive smokers taking varenicline.

Introducing Namaste Care to the hospital environment: a pilot study.

PubMed

St John, Kimberley; Koffman, Jonathan

2017-10-01

The rising prevalence of dementia is impacting on acute hospitals and placing increased expectations on health and social care professionals to improve the support and services they are delivering. It has been recommended that good practice in dementia care relies on adopting a palliative approach to care and meeting people's physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs. Increased dementia training for staff that includes initiatives that promote dignity; enhancing communication skills and recognizing that a person with dementia may be approaching the end of their lives are needed. Our study aim was to explore whether Namaste Care is an acceptable and effective service for people with advanced dementia being cared for on an acute hospital ward. This was an exploratory qualitative interview, pilot study. Individual, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with hospital healthcare staff working in an area of the hospital where Namaste Care had been implemented. Data were analysed using the framework approach. Eight interviews were completed with members of the multidisciplinary ward team. Two themes were identified: (I) difficulties establishing relationships with people with dementia in hospital (subthemes: lack of time and resources, lack of confidence leading to fear and anxiety); (II) the benefits of a Namaste Care service in an acute hospital setting (subthemes: a reduction in agitated behavior; connecting and communicating with patients with dementia using the senses; a way of showing people with dementia they are cared for and valued). This small-scale study indicates that Namaste Case has the potential to improve the quality of life of people with advanced dementia being cared for in an acute hospital setting. However, further research is required to explore more specifically its benefits in terms of improved symptom management and wellbeing of people with dementia on acute hospitals wards.

Development and psychometric properties of a self-regulation scale about leisure time physical activity in Iranian male adolescents

PubMed Central

Abasi, Mohammad Hadi; Eslami, Ahmad Ali; Rakhshani, Fatemeh; Shiri, Mansoor

2016-01-01

Background: Self-regulation is one of the current psychological concepts that have been known as a determinant of leisure time physical activity. Due to cultural and social diversity in different societies and age groups, application of specific questionnaires is essential to perform investigations about physical activities. The aim of this study is development and evaluation of psychometric properties of a self-regulation questionnaire about leisure time physical activity in Iranian male adolescents. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013, and data of 603 male students from 12 high schools in Isfahan were collected. A comprehensive literature review and similar questionnaire review were conducted and 25 items were selected or developed to measure self-regulation. Comprehensibility of items was evaluated in a pilot study and an expert panel evaluated face and content validity. Exploratory factors analysis (EFA) was used for evaluation of construct validity and extraction of sub-constructs of self-regulation. Leisure time physical activity was assessed using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results: The mean age of the participants was 16.3 years (SD =1.0) and the range was 15-19 years. Cronbach's α coefficient of the questionnaire in the pilot and main study was 0.84 and 0.90, respectively. EFA resulted in four sub-constructs including “enlistment of social support”, “goal setting”, “self-construction”, and “self-monitoring”, which explained 63.6% of the variance of self-regulation. Conclusions: Results of this investigation provide some support to the validity and reliability of the 16-item questionnaire of self-regulation abut leisure time physical activity in the target group. PMID:27095993

Correlation between gonial angle and dynamic tongue collapse in children with snoring/sleep disordered breathing - an exploratory pilot study.

PubMed

Anderson, S; Alsufyani, N; Isaac, A; Gazzaz, M; El-Hakim, H

2018-06-04

Drug induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is hoped to identify reasons of failure of adenotonsillectomy (AT) in treating pediatric sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Maxillomandibular disproportion has been studied as another association which may explain alternative pathogenesis of SDB. We aimed to explore the relation between the size of the gonial angle and inclination of the epiglottis measured from cone beam CT (CBCT) and tongue base collapse based on DISE in children with SDB. A retrospective chart review was conducted at a tertiary pediatric center. Children (6-17 years old) assessed at a multi-disciplinary Upper Airway Clinic, diagnosed with SDB and maxillo-mandibular disproportion (MMD), and who underwent DISE were eligible. Variables obtained from the electronic medical records of the clinic and prospective database included demographics, comorbidities, surgeries performed, investigations, DISE findings and CBCT findings. The gonial angle of subjects with and without tongue base collapse (TBC) on SNP were compared. In total 29 patients (13 male, 8 female) age 6-17 (median= 9) were eligible for the study from January 2009 - July 2016. We included 11 subjects, and 10 comparators. The mean gonial angle of the TBC group was 139.3°± 7.6°, while that of the comparison group was 129.4°±3.5 (mean difference -9.937, 95% CI of -15.454 to - 4.421, P = 0.001, power of test 0.95). Additionally, the mean inclination of the epiglottis had a mild positive correlation (r=0.32, p<0.05) with the gonial angle, in the whole cohort. This pilot study suggests that TBC may be mediated by a wider gonial angle in children with SDB patients. The posterior tilt of the epiglottis on CBCT may be a surrogate sign of TBC.

Telehealth for diabetes self-management education and support in an underserved, free clinic population: A pilot study.

PubMed

Threatt, Tiffaney B; Ward, Eileen D

Primary study objectives were to (1) describe mean change in A1c from baseline of a free clinic population enrolled in telehealth diabetes self-management education and support (DSME/S) services and (2) to compare change in A1C and other clinical outcomes measures with free clinic patients enrolled in a traditional face-to-face DSME/S program. An exploratory study design and comparative evaluation of telehealth DSME/S services in a free clinic population was used. Baseline clinical measures were collected upon referral. Diabetes educators met with patients individually over 2-3 months. Clinical outcomes measures were collected within 6 months of program completion. Data from the telehealth group was assessed individually and compared to a free clinic traditional DSME/S program population. Twelve patients completed a telehealth free clinic DSME/S pilot program with a mean ± SD change in A1C from baseline of -1.03 ± 1.53% (P = 0.050). Mean ± SD change in A1C from baseline in the free clinic population participating in traditional face-to-face DSME/S services was -1.42 ± 1.80% (P = 0.001). No significant differences in secondary outcomes measures, including body mass index and blood pressure, were revealed among the study populations. Expanding access to care in populations faced with challenges of socioeconomics, limited education, and lower health literacy is a step toward reducing health disparities and positively affecting care. Mean A1C can be improved with telehealth DSME/S services in an underserved, free clinic population. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Safety and Tolerability of Varenicline Tartrate (Champix®/Chantix®) for Smoking Cessation in HIV-Infected Subjects: A Pilot Open-Label Study

PubMed Central

Robinson, Linda; Elston, Dawn; Smaill, Fiona; Cohen, Jeffrey; Quan, Corinna; McFarland, Nancy; Thabane, Lehana; McIvor, Andrew; Zeidler, Johannes; Smieja, Marek

2012-01-01

Abstract The prevalence of smoking in HIV-infected subjects is high. As a smoking cessation aid, varenicline (Champix®, Pfizer, Saint-Laurent, QC, Canada or Chantix®, Pfizer, Mission, KS) has not been previously evaluated in HIV-infected smokers. In this multicenter pilot open label study, varenicline 1.0 mg was used twice daily for 12 weeks with dose titration in the first week. Adverse events (AEs) during the treatment period were recorded. Changes from baseline in laboratory tests, vital signs, daily cigarette consumption, nicotine dependence, and withdrawal were measured through week 24. Self-reported abstinence was validated by serum cotinine at week 12. We enrolled 36 subjects with a mean of 29 pack-years of smoking and a minimum of 4 cigarettes per day. All but 1 were male, 33 (92%) were white. The most frequently reported AEs were nausea (33%), abnormal dreams (31%), affect lability (19%), and insomnia (19%). Six (17%) subjects discontinued varenicline due to AEs. No grade 3/4 laboratory abnormalities or serious AEs occurred during the study. There was no significant change in HIV viral load. CD4 counts increased by 69 cells/mm3 (p=0.001) at week 24. Serum cotinine-verified 4-week continuous abstinence rate through weeks 9–12 was 42% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26–58%). AEs and abstinence rates were comparable to those in published randomized controlled trials conducted in generally healthy HIV-negative smokers. Varenicline was safe and appears effective among HIV-infected smokers in this exploratory study, although AEs were common. The most common AE was nausea, with no adverse effect on HIV treatment outcome. Close monitoring of liver enzymes and blood pressure is recommended for HIV-positive smokers taking varenicline. PMID:22007690

A Multidisciplinary Work-Related Low Back Pain Predictor Questionnaire: Psychometric Evaluation of Iranian Patient-Care Workers.

PubMed

Sarallah, Shojaei; Sadat, Tavafian Sedigheh; Jamshidi, Ahmad Reza; Joan, Wagner

2016-06-01

Psychometric evaluation design. Psychometric evaluation of a multidisciplinary work-related low back pain predictor questionnaire (MWRLBPPQ) of Iranians patient-care workers based on the social cognitive theory. Healthcare is one of the professions in which work-related musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent. The chronic low back pain experienced by patient caregivers can negatively impact their professional performance, and patient handling in a hospital is the main cause of low back pain in this population. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Qom, Iran from July 2014 to November 2014. A MWRLBPPQ based on nine concepts of the social cognitive theory and existing literature regarding chronic low back pain was developed. Ten patient-care workers first completed the questionnaire as a pilot test, allowing the ambiguities of the instrument to be resolved. Exploratory factor analysis was used to confirm construct validity. This questionnaire was distributed among 452 patient-care workers in hospitals located in different geographically areas in Qom, Iran. Cronbach's Alpha was calculated to assess reliability. In all, 452 caregivers of patients with mean age of 37.71 (standard deviation=8.3) years participated in the study. An exploratory factor analysis loaded seven concepts of self-efficacy, knowledge, outcome perception, self-control, emotional coping, and self-efficacy in overcoming impediments and challenges in the environment. All concepts were jointly accounted for 50.08% of variance of behavior change. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient showed favorable internal consistency (alpha=0.83), and test-retest of the scale with 2-week intervals indicated an appropriate stability for the MWRLBPPQ. The MWRLBPPQ is a reliable and valid theory-based instrument that can be used to predict factors influencing work-related low back pain among workers who lift and transfer patients in hospitals.

Healthy Eating Exploratory Program for the Elderly: Low Salt Intake in Congregate Meal Service.

PubMed

Seo, S; Kim, O Y; Ahn, J

2016-03-01

This study reported on an exploratory program to help the low income elderly improve healthy eating behavior, specifically by reducing salt intake. We conducted an exploratory program for 4 weeks for this study. The exploratory program involved offering menus with reduced salt and providing education on healthy eating. After the exploratory program, a survey of the elderly and in-depth interviews allowed us to evaluate the program for foodservice providers (dietitian, social workers, and volunteer workers). This study included both foodservice workers and elderly who actually used the foodservice in a congregate meal service system. This is a unique approach. A congregate meal service center in Seoul, Korea. Seventy four elderly in a congregate meal service center. Demographics were collected, and the healthy eating program and healthy eating education for elderly respondents were evaluated. The elderly showed high satisfaction with the exploratory program for healthy eating. We found no significant differences in satisfaction with the program between the elderly who attended education sessions and those who did not, but more of the elderly from the education sessions showed positive behavioral change intentions. The exploratory program influenced to reduce the salt intake of the elderly in congregate meal service. This study suggests cooperation of foodservice providers and the support of administrators is critical to the success of such programs.

Practice behaviors of RNs related to hazardous risks within the clinical setting.

PubMed

Gordon, G P

1999-06-01

A practice behavior survey was distributed to 250 RNs in the Metropolitan Detroit area. Seventy percent of the RNs responded to questions focused on needle-stick and splash injuries, handwashing, gloving, and other available measures that prevent injuries and infection. Respondents reported a larger than expected number of sticks (34.5%) and splashes (40.8%), but most of these instances were handled to the nurses' satisfaction. The nurses reported that while occupationally acquired hepatitis B/C, along with AIDS, are serious concerns, a large majority (75%) had not heard of the Campaign For Health Care Safety. The results of this survey have implications for research, practice, management, and public policy. This exploratory pilot survey raises numerous professional issues.

Preventing obesity at weaning: parental views about the EMPOWER programme.

PubMed

Barlow, J; Whitlock, S; Hanson, S; Davis, H; Hunt, C; Kirkpatrick, S; Rudolf, M

2010-11-01

Infant growth and lifestyle are now recognized as being critical determinants of later obesity. EMPOWER (Empowering Parents to Prevent Obesity at Weaning: Exploratory Research) was developed as an intervention for parents whose babies are at high risk. Delivered by specially trained health visitors, it is underpinned by the Family Partnership Model and uses a strengths-based, solution-focused way of working with families. Mothers of babies participating in the pilot of EMPOWER in Leeds were recruited to take part in a study to examine perceptions about the programme's acceptability and usefulness. Interviews were taped and transcribed, and thematic analysis undertaken. Families talked positively about the approach of the EMPOWER health visitor with her emphasis on listening, partnership working and shared problem-solving. Parents particularly valued the use of a non-judgemental approach, which they felt had helped them to discuss openly, sensitive issues such as weight and diet. They identified a number of important benefits ranging from increased knowledge about the most appropriate types and amount of food to feed their toddler, to more far-reaching changes within the family as a whole, including modifications to their own diet and lifestyle. Programmes of this nature were perceived as more valuable than the standard help that is currently available. The EMPOWER programme appears to be both acceptable and valued by targeted parents and a potentially effective means of supporting high-risk families to prevent their children from developing obesity. An exploratory randomized controlled trial is now underway to ascertain the feasibility of conducting a definitive phase 3 trial. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Neural responses to maternal praise and criticism: Relationship to depression and anxiety symptoms in high-risk adolescent girls

PubMed Central

Aupperle, Robin L.; Morris, Amanda S.; Silk, Jennifer S.; Criss, Michael M.; Judah, Matt R.; Eagleton, Sally G.; Kirlic, Namik; Byrd-Craven, Jennifer; Phillips, Raquel; Alvarez, Ruben P.

2016-01-01

Background The parent-child relationship may be an important factor in the development of adolescent depressive and anxious symptoms. In adults, depressive symptoms relate to increased amygdala and attenuated prefrontal activation to maternal criticism. The current pilot study examined how depressive and anxiety symptoms in a high-risk adolescent population relate to neural responses to maternal feedback. Given previous research relating oxytocin to maternal behavior, we conducted exploratory analyses using oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genotype. Methods Eighteen females (ages 12–16) listened to maternal praise, neutral, and critical statements during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants completed the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. The OXTR single nucleotide polymorphism, rs53576, was genotyped. Linear mixed models were used to identify symptom or allele (GG, AA/AG) by condition (critical, neutral, praise) interaction effects on brain activation. Results Greater symptoms related to greater right amygdala activation for criticism and reduced activation to praise. For left amygdala, greater symptoms related to reduced activation to both conditions. Anxiety symptoms related to differences in superior medial PFC activation patterns. Parental OXTR AA/AG allele related to reduced activation to criticism and greater activation to praise within the right amygdala. Conclusions Results support a relationship between anxiety and depressive symptoms and prefrontal-amygdala responses to maternal feedback. The lateralization of amygdala findings suggests separate neural targets for interventions reducing reactivity to negative feedback or increasing salience of positive feedback. Exploratory analyses suggest that parents' OXTR genetic profile influences parent-child interactions and related adolescent brain responses. PMID:27158587

Neural responses to maternal praise and criticism: Relationship to depression and anxiety symptoms in high-risk adolescent girls.

PubMed

Aupperle, Robin L; Morris, Amanda S; Silk, Jennifer S; Criss, Michael M; Judah, Matt R; Eagleton, Sally G; Kirlic, Namik; Byrd-Craven, Jennifer; Phillips, Raquel; Alvarez, Ruben P

2016-01-01

The parent-child relationship may be an important factor in the development of adolescent depressive and anxious symptoms. In adults, depressive symptoms relate to increased amygdala and attenuated prefrontal activation to maternal criticism. The current pilot study examined how depressive and anxiety symptoms in a high-risk adolescent population relate to neural responses to maternal feedback. Given previous research relating oxytocin to maternal behavior, we conducted exploratory analyses using oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genotype. Eighteen females (ages 12-16) listened to maternal praise, neutral, and critical statements during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants completed the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. The OXTR single nucleotide polymorphism, rs53576, was genotyped. Linear mixed models were used to identify symptom or allele (GG, AA/AG) by condition (critical, neutral, praise) interaction effects on brain activation. Greater symptoms related to greater right amygdala activation for criticism and reduced activation to praise. For left amygdala, greater symptoms related to reduced activation to both conditions. Anxiety symptoms related to differences in superior medial PFC activation patterns. Parental OXTR AA/AG allele related to reduced activation to criticism and greater activation to praise within the right amygdala. Results support a relationship between anxiety and depressive symptoms and prefrontal-amygdala responses to maternal feedback. The lateralization of amygdala findings suggests separate neural targets for interventions reducing reactivity to negative feedback or increasing salience of positive feedback. Exploratory analyses suggest that parents' OXTR genetic profile influences parent-child interactions and related adolescent brain responses.

Benefaction studies on the Hasan Celebi magnetite deposit, Turkey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pressler, Jean W.; Akar, Ali

1972-01-01

Bench-scale and semicontinuous tests were performed on surface, trench, and diamond drill core samples from the Hasan Celebi low-grade magnetite deposit to determine the optimum benefication procedures utilizing wet magnetic separation techniques. Composite core samples typically contain about 27 percent recoverable magnetite and require crushing and grinding through 1 mm in size to insure satisfactory separation of the gangue from the magnetite. Regrinding and cleaning the magnetite concentrate to 80 percent minus 150-mesh is necessary to obtain an optimum of 66 percent iron. Semicontinuous pilot-plant testing with the wet magnetic drum using the recycled middling technique indicates that as much as 83 percent of the acid-soluble iron can be recovered into a concentrate containing 66 percent iron, with minimum deleterious elements. This represents 27 weight percent of the original ore. Further tests will continue when the Maden Tetkik ve Arama Enstitusu (MTA) receives 24 tons of bulk sample from an exploratory drift and cross-cut now being driven through a section of the major reserve area.

Indigenous community health and climate change: integrating biophysical and social science indicators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donatuto, Jamie; Grossman, Eric E.; Konovsky, John; Grossman, Sarah; Campbell, Larry W.

2014-01-01

This article describes a pilot study evaluating the sensitivity of Indigenous community health to climate change impacts on Salish Sea shorelines (Washington State, United States and British Columbia, Canada). Current climate change assessments omit key community health concerns, which are vital to successful adaptation plans, particularly for Indigenous communities. Descriptive scaling techniques, employed in facilitated workshops with two Indigenous communities, tested the efficacy of ranking six key indicators of community health in relation to projected impacts to shellfish habitat and shoreline archaeological sites stemming from changes in the biophysical environment. Findings demonstrate that: when shellfish habitat and archaeological resources are impacted, so is Indigenous community health; not all community health indicators are equally impacted; and, the community health indicators of highest concern are not necessarily the same indicators most likely to be impacted. Based on the findings and feedback from community participants, exploratory trials were successful; Indigenous-specific health indicators may be useful to Indigenous communities who are assessing climate change sensitivities and creating adaptation plans.

Social circus program (Cirque du Soleil) promoting social participation of young people living with physical disabilities in transition to adulthood: a qualitative pilot study.

PubMed

Loiselle, Frédéric; Rochette, Annie; Tétreault, Sylvie; Lafortune, Michel; Bastien, Josée

2018-05-29

To explore the perceived impact of a social circus program on the participation level of young adults' living with physical disabilities from their own and their parents' perspective. Exploratory phenomenological qualitative design. A social circus program was offered for nine months. Perceived participation level was documented through pre and post semi-structured interviews. A pretested interview guide was used. Interviews were transcribed and coded by two independent researchers. The average age of the participants (n = 9) was 20.0 ± 1.4 years with 2/9 being female. Participation was perceived as being improved after the intervention from both perspectives (participants and parents) mainly for communication, mobility, relationships, community life and responsibilities. The intervention was perceived as strengthening self-perception and self-efficacy, which in turn enhanced participation level and decreased parents' bounding. The results show promises for social circus as a new approach in adult physical rehabilitation for this population in transition.

Cross-species assessments of motor and exploratory behavior related to bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Henry, Brook L; Minassian, Arpi; Young, Jared W; Paulus, Martin P; Geyer, Mark A; Perry, William

2010-07-01

Alterations in exploratory behavior are a fundamental feature of bipolar mania, typically characterized as motor hyperactivity and increased goal-directed behavior in response to environmental cues. In contrast, abnormal exploration associated with schizophrenia and depression can manifest as prominent withdrawal, limited motor activity, and inattention to the environment. While motor abnormalities are cited frequently as clinical manifestations of these disorders, relatively few empirical studies have quantified human exploratory behavior. This article reviews the literature characterizing motor and exploratory behavior associated with bipolar disorder and genetic and pharmacological animal models of the illness. Despite sophisticated assessment of exploratory behavior in rodents, objective quantification of human motor activity has been limited primarily to actigraphy studies with poor cross-species translational value. Furthermore, symptoms that reflect the cardinal features of bipolar disorder have proven difficult to establish in putative animal models of this illness. Recently, however, novel tools such as the human behavioral pattern monitor provide multivariate translational measures of motor and exploratory activity, enabling improved understanding of the neurobiology underlying psychiatric disorders.

Developing a Game Interface to Assess Risk Perception with Respect to Two Key Dimensions of Risk (Frequency and Severity) in Contexts Where Risks Are Elevated from Their Accepted, "Typical" Values.

PubMed

Goodman, William M; Ma, Zhenfeng; Andrade, Angie

2015-06-01

This four-stage study culminated in a game interface designed to calibrate people's perceptions of net risk (combining frequency and severity), in contexts where risks are elevated from their accepted, "typical" values, as when avalanche threats elevate the risks of "skiing" above levels skiers normally accept. Risk prompts are displayed dynamically, in naturalistic language, and not, for example, as static displays of dollar amounts or probabilities. Individual differences are measured. In Stage 1 (pilot), focus groups (n=9) piloted procedures, visual prompts, and examples of contexts where risks elevated from the "usual," for use in upcoming stages. In Stage 2 (exploratory), participants (primarily students; n=119; mean age, 20.1 years; 64 percent male) were assigned to risk contexts, answered demographic and risk-history questions, and then matched risk-description prompts to perceived "appropriate" levels along an ordinal risk scale. Descriptive measures and graphs showed response distributions; chi-squared analyses compared responses for different demographics. In Stage 3 (manipulating "cards"), participants (n=80; mean age, 37 years; 60 percent male) matched naturalistic risk prompts with ordinal risk positions. Regressions compared cards' placements with their "expected" (per exploratory Stage 2) placements. In Stage 4, the interface was coded in the Unity(®) (implemented at Business and IT Capstone, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada) development environment. In Stage 1, ambiguities in draft wordings/displays for Stage 2 were identified and corrected. Three risk contexts emerged: traffic/hidden intersection; skiing/avalanche; and swimming/drowning. In Stage 2, for traffic and skiing contexts, responses relating ordinal risk categories to realistic examples were observed to cluster around values potentially usable as markers. No associations appeared with demographic variables. In Stage 3, actual and "expected" ordinal-risk-category assignments for naturalistic risk markers were well correlated. "Approximate mappings" between markers and categories appeared stable. In Stage 4, the interface design incorporated the "approximate mappings"-yet also incorporated a "tuning phase," for measuring and recording individual differences. The interface can capture individual differences in risk perception on two key dimensions (frequency and severity)-viewed in dynamic, naturalistic scenarios, where risk levels are increased.

Exploring the Factor Structure of a Recovery Assessment Measure among Substance-Abusing Youth.

PubMed

Gonzales, Rachel; Hernandez, Mayra; Douglas, Samantha B; Yu, Chong Ho

2015-01-01

To date, the measurement of recovery in the field of substance abuse is limited. Youth recovery from substance abuse is an important area to consider, given the complexities of such issues. The Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) has been validated with mental health patient populations; however, its measurement characteristics have not been examined for individuals in substance abuse treatment. The current study explored the factor structure of the RAS with a sample of 80 substance-abusing youth who participated in a pilot aftercare study (Mage 20.5, SD=3.5; 71.3% male). Reliability analysis showed an internal consistency of α=.90 for the entire RAS measure among the youth sample. Results of exploratory factor analysis identified the following four factors: personal determination, skills for recovery, self-control in recovery, and social support/moving beyond recovery among the substance-abusing youth sample. The RAS also demonstrated sound convergent and divergent validity in comparison to other validated measures of functioning, sobriety, and well-being. Collectively, results support that the RAS has adequate psychometric properties for measuring recovery among substance-abusing youth.

The Influence of Parental Emotional Neglect on Assault Victims Seeking Treatment for Depressed Mood and Alcohol Misuse: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Bailey, Kylie A; Baker, Amanda L; McElduff, Patrick; Kavanagh, David J

2016-10-09

This study explores the relationship between reported parental emotional neglect when a child, assault type experienced, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression, and alcohol consumption in treatment seekers for comorbid depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse. Participants ( n = 220) with concurrent depression and alcohol misuse were recruited from the DAISI (Depression and Alcohol Integrated and Single-focussed Interventions) project. Assault type and PTSS were retrospectively assessed by the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale. The Measure of Parenting Style is a self-report measure that retrospectively assessed emotional neglect experienced as a child. An exploratory factor analysis using the tetrachoric correlation matrix (applying principal factor extraction with a varimax rotation) identified the two assault factors of sexual assault ( SA ) and physical assault ( PA ). A path analysis revealed that Maternal Emotional Neglect increased the impact of PTSS and depression. Paternal Emotional Neglect increased the impact of PA on PTSS and alcohol dependence symptoms. There appears to be differential effects of assault type and Maternal/Paternal emotional neglect on depression and alcohol misuse, suggesting that parenting roles serve distinct protective functions.

School-Based Fundamental-Motor-Skill Intervention for Children With Autism-Like Characteristics: An Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Bremer, Emily; Lloyd, Meghann

2016-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to demonstrate the impact of a fundamental-motor-skill (FMS) intervention on the motor skills of 3- to 7-year-old children with autism-like characteristics in an early intervention classroom. A secondary purpose was to qualitatively assess the impact of the program as described by the classroom's special education teacher. All children in the classroom (N = 5) took part in an FMS intervention for two 6-wk blocks (fall 2013 and winter 2014). Motor-skill proficiency and social skills were assessed at 3 times: baseline, after Block 1 of the intervention, and after Block 2 of the intervention. In addition, an interview was conducted with the classroom teacher after Assessment 3 to draw further insights into the relative success and impact of the program. Results were analyzed through a visual analysis and presented individually. They indicated improvements in the participants' individual FMS and social-skill scores, possible improvements in declarative knowledge, and an increase in the special education teacher's readiness to teach FMS; further research with larger, controlled samples is warranted.

Can social networking be used to promote engagement in child maltreatment prevention programs? Two pilot studies.

PubMed

Edwards-Gaura, Anna; Whitaker, Daniel; Self-Brown, Shannon

2014-08-01

Child maltreatment is one of the United States' most significant public health problems. In efforts to prevent maltreatment experts recommend use of Behavioral Parent Training Programs (BPTs), which focus on teaching skills that will replace and prevent maltreating behavior. While there is research to support the effectiveness of BPTs in maltreatment prevention, the reach of such programs is still limited by several barriers, including poor retention of families in services. Recently, new technologies have emerged that offer innovative opportunities to improve family engagement. These technologies include smartphones and social networking; however, very little is known about the potential of these to aid in maltreatment prevention. The primary goal of this study was to conduct 2 pilot exploratory projects. The first project administered a survey to parents and providers to gather data about at-risk parents' use of smartphones and online social networking technologies. The second project tested a social networking-enhanced brief parenting program with 3 intervention participants and evaluated parental responses. Seventy-five percent of parents surveyed reported owning a computer that worked. Eighty-nine percent of parents reported that they had reliable Internet access at home, and 67% said they used the Internet daily. Three parents participated in the intervention with all reporting improvement in parent-child interaction skills and a positive experience participating in the social networking-enhanced SafeCare components. In general, findings suggest that smartphones, social networking, and Facebook, in particular, are now being used by individuals who show risk factors for maltreatment. Further, the majority of parents surveyed in this study said that they like Facebook, and all parents surveyed said that they use Facebook and have a Facebook account. As well, all saw it as a potentially beneficial supplement for future parents enrolling in parenting programs.

The use of supplements and performance and image enhancing drugs in fitness settings: A exploratory cross-sectional investigation in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Mooney, Roisin; Simonato, Pierluigi; Ruparelia, Risha; Roman-Urrestarazu, Andres; Martinotti, Giovanni; Corazza, Ornella

2017-05-01

The strive for perfection is prevalent in the fitness industry. This study aimed to explore the use of products to enhance performance alongside exposure to exercise addiction, appearance anxiety and self-esteem in fitness settings. An online survey was prepared and piloted before wider dissemination in fitness clubs via snowballing and selected mailing lists. A list of commonly used products, including Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIEDs) was provided. Exercise addiction (Exercise Addiction Inventory; EAI), anxiety levels (Appearance Anxiety Inventory; AAI) and their self-esteem (Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale; RSE) were also measured. 377 questionnaires were completed. A significant number of participants declared the use products either to lose weight (16%) or to reach their fitness goals (41%). The Internet played a major role in both the supply of information and the provision of the enhancement products (33.7%) and side effects were reported (10.5%). Only a limited number of participants sought a medical opinion about taking products (5.1%). EAI scores were high (m=20.02 ± 4.1), AAI (m=15.98 ± 4.8) showed an intermediate level of anxiety, while self-esteem was low (RSE m=12.59 ± 2.2). This pilot study identified the emergence of a new drug trend in fitness settings and showed a potential relationship to exercise addiction, anxiety disorders and low self-esteem. The Internet played a crucial role in disseminating often untested products, including PIEDs without medical supervision and unwanted side-effects were reported. More studies in the field are required in order to safeguard public health and inform policy making. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cognitive rehabilitation for mild cognitive impairment: developing and piloting an intervention.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, Maria; Coen, Robert; O'Hora, Denis; Shiel, Agnes

2015-01-01

This was an exploratory study, with the purpose of developing and piloting an intervention for people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and their family members using cognitive rehabilitation. A case series design was used with pre- and post-intervention and 3-month follow-up outcome measures. Five participants (two males, three females; mean age 75 years) with a diagnosis of MCI attended the memory clinic with a family member. Intervention consisted of six to eight individual sessions of cognitive rehabilitation consisting of personalized interventions to address individually relevant goals delivered weekly. The main rehabilitation strategies utilized were external aids, personal diary, face-name association, relaxation, and encouraging participants to develop habits and routines. The primary outcome measure was goal attainment as assessed by Goal Attainment Scaling. Secondary outcome measures included measures of memory, anxiety, depression, and activities of daily living. Qualitative data were collected post-intervention by interview. Post-intervention 84% of the goals were attained, with 68% maintained at a 3-month follow-up. Mean anxiety and depression scores decreased during the intervention. No significant changes were recorded on a test of memory. The findings suggest that the strongest effect was in relation to compensatory strategies for prospective and episodic memory deficits. Feedback from participants during qualitative interviews indicated that they found strategies useful and implemented them in their daily routines. The findings support the use of a dyadic cognitive rehabilitation intervention for people with MCI and memory difficulties.

Valuing the benefits of genetic testing for retinitis pigmentosa: a pilot application of the contingent valuation method.

PubMed

Eden, Martin; Payne, Katherine; Combs, Ryan M; Hall, Georgina; McAllister, Marion; Black, Graeme C M

2013-08-01

Technological advances present an opportunity for more people with, or at risk of, developing retinitis pigmentosa (RP) to be offered genetic testing. Valuation of these tests using current evaluative frameworks is problematic since benefits may be derived from diagnostic information rather than improvements in health. This pilot study aimed to explore if contingent valuation method (CVM) can be used to value the benefits of genetic testing for RP. CVM was used to elicit willingness-to-pay (WTP) values for (1) genetic counselling and (2) genetic counselling with genetic testing. Telephone and face-to-face interviews with a purposive sample of individuals with (n=25), and without (n=27), prior experience of RP were used to explore the feasibility and validity of CVM in this context. Faced with a hypothetical scenario, the majority of participants stated that they would seek genetic counselling and testing in the context of RP. Between participant groups, respondents offered similar justifications for stated WTP values. Overall stated WTP was higher for genetic counselling plus testing (median=£524.00) compared with counselling alone (median=£224.50). Between-group differences in stated WTP were statistically significant; participants with prior knowledge of the condition were willing to pay more for genetic ophthalmology services. Participants were able to attach a monetary value to the perceived potential benefit that genetic testing offered regardless of prior experience of the condition. This exploratory work represents an important step towards evaluating these services using formal cost-benefit analysis.

Adult Response to Children's Exploratory Behaviours: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chak, Amy

2010-01-01

Children's interest in exploration is the hallmark of their curiosity. As people who are significant in organising children's environment, how teachers and parents respond to children's exploratory behaviours may promote or hinder the child's desire for further investigation. With reference to Kurt Lewin's concept of "total situation",…

Study protocol of a randomised controlled trial of intranasal ketamine compared with intranasal fentanyl for analgesia in children with suspected, isolated extremity fractures in the paediatric emergency department.

PubMed

Reynolds, Stacy L; Studnek, Jonathan R; Bryant, Kathleen; VanderHave, Kelly; Grossman, Eric; Moore, Charity G; Young, James; Hogg, Melanie; Runyon, Michael S

2016-09-08

Fentanyl is the most widely studied intranasal (IN) analgesic in children. IN subdissociative (INSD) ketamine may offer a safe and efficacious alternative to IN fentanyl and may decrease overall opioid use during the emergency department (ED) stay. This study examines the feasibility of a larger, multicentre clinical trial comparing the safety and efficacy of INSD ketamine to IN fentanyl and the potential role for INSD ketamine in reducing total opioid medication usage. This double-blind, randomised controlled, pilot trial will compare INSD ketamine (1 mg/kg) to IN fentanyl (1.5 μg/kg) for analgesia in 80 children aged 4-17 years with acute pain from a suspected, single extremity fracture. The primary safety outcome for this pilot trial will be the frequency of cumulative side effects and adverse events at 60 min after drug administration. The primary efficacy outcome will be exploratory and will be the mean reduction of pain scale scores at 20 min. The study is not powered to examine efficacy. Secondary outcome measures will include the total dose of opioid pain medication in morphine equivalents/kg/hour (excluding study drug) required during the ED stay, number and reason for screen failures, time to consent, and the number and type of protocol deviations. Patients may receive up to 2 doses of study drug. This study was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the local institutional review board and the study data safety monitoring board. This study data will be submitted for publication regardless of results and will be used to establish feasibility for a multicentre, non-inferiority trial. NCT02521415. 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/

Current Views and Perspectives on E-Mental Health: An Exploratory Survey Study for Understanding Public Attitudes Toward Internet-Based Psychotherapy in Germany.

PubMed

Apolinário-Hagen, Jennifer; Vehreschild, Viktor; Alkoudmani, Ramez M

2017-02-23

Despite the advanced development of evidence-based psychological treatment services, help-seeking persons with mental health problems often fail to receive appropriate professional help. Internet-delivered psychotherapy has thus been suggested as an efficient strategy to overcome barriers to access mental health care on a large scale. However, previous research indicated poor public acceptability as an issue for the dissemination of Internet-delivered therapies. Currently, little is known about the expectations and attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies in the general population. This is especially the case for countries such as Germany where electronic mental health (e-mental health) treatment services are planned to be implemented in routine care. This pilot study aimed to determine the expectations and attitudes toward Internet-based psychotherapy in the general population in Germany. Furthermore, it aimed to explore the associations between attitudes toward Internet-based therapies and perceived stress. To assess public attitudes toward Internet-based psychotherapy, we conducted both Web-based and paper-and-pencil surveys using a self-developed 14-item questionnaire (Cronbach alpha=.89). Psychological distress was measured by employing a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the 20-item German version of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ). In addition, we conducted explorative factor analysis (principal axis factor analysis with promax rotation). Spearman's rank correlations were used to determine the associations between attitudes toward Internet-based therapies and perceived stress. Descriptive analyses revealed that most respondents (N=1558; female: 78.95%, 1230/1558) indicated being not aware of the existence of Internet-delivered therapies (83.46%, 1141/1367). The average age was 32 years (standard deviation, SD 10.9; range 16-76). Through exploratory factor analysis, we identified 3 dimensions of public attitudes toward Internet-based therapies, which we labeled "usefulness or helpfulness," "relative advantage or comparability," and "accessibility or access to health care." Analyses revealed negative views about Internet-based therapies on most domains, such as perceived helpfulness. The study findings further indicated ambivalent attitudes: Although most respondents agreed to statements on expected improvements in health care (eg, expanded access), we observed low intentions to future use of Internet-delivered therapies in case of mental health problems. This pilot study showed deficient "e-awareness" and rather negative or ambivalent attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies in the German-speaking general population. However, research targeting determinants of the large-scale adoption of Internet-based psychotherapy is still in its infancy. Thus, further research is required to explore the "black box" of public attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies with representative samples, validated measures, and longitudinal survey designs. ©Jennifer Apolinário-Hagen, Viktor Vehreschild, Ramez M Alkoudmani. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 23.02.2017.

Current Views and Perspectives on E-Mental Health: An Exploratory Survey Study for Understanding Public Attitudes Toward Internet-Based Psychotherapy in Germany

PubMed Central

Vehreschild, Viktor; Alkoudmani, Ramez M

2017-01-01

Background Despite the advanced development of evidence-based psychological treatment services, help-seeking persons with mental health problems often fail to receive appropriate professional help. Internet-delivered psychotherapy has thus been suggested as an efficient strategy to overcome barriers to access mental health care on a large scale. However, previous research indicated poor public acceptability as an issue for the dissemination of Internet-delivered therapies. Currently, little is known about the expectations and attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies in the general population. This is especially the case for countries such as Germany where electronic mental health (e-mental health) treatment services are planned to be implemented in routine care. Objective This pilot study aimed to determine the expectations and attitudes toward Internet-based psychotherapy in the general population in Germany. Furthermore, it aimed to explore the associations between attitudes toward Internet-based therapies and perceived stress. Methods To assess public attitudes toward Internet-based psychotherapy, we conducted both Web-based and paper-and-pencil surveys using a self-developed 14-item questionnaire (Cronbach alpha=.89). Psychological distress was measured by employing a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the 20-item German version of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ). In addition, we conducted explorative factor analysis (principal axis factor analysis with promax rotation). Spearman’s rank correlations were used to determine the associations between attitudes toward Internet-based therapies and perceived stress. Results Descriptive analyses revealed that most respondents (N=1558; female: 78.95%, 1230/1558) indicated being not aware of the existence of Internet-delivered therapies (83.46%, 1141/1367). The average age was 32 years (standard deviation, SD 10.9; range 16-76). Through exploratory factor analysis, we identified 3 dimensions of public attitudes toward Internet-based therapies, which we labeled “usefulness or helpfulness,” “relative advantage or comparability,” and “accessibility or access to health care.” Analyses revealed negative views about Internet-based therapies on most domains, such as perceived helpfulness. The study findings further indicated ambivalent attitudes: Although most respondents agreed to statements on expected improvements in health care (eg, expanded access), we observed low intentions to future use of Internet-delivered therapies in case of mental health problems. Conclusions This pilot study showed deficient “e-awareness” and rather negative or ambivalent attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies in the German-speaking general population. However, research targeting determinants of the large-scale adoption of Internet-based psychotherapy is still in its infancy. Thus, further research is required to explore the “black box” of public attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies with representative samples, validated measures, and longitudinal survey designs. PMID:28232298

Self-management and Shared Decision-Making in Alcohol Dependence via a Mobile App: a Pilot Study.

PubMed

Barrio, Pablo; Ortega, Lluisa; López, Hugo; Gual, Antoni

2017-10-01

Mobile applications (apps) have created new opportunities in the field of alcohol dependence (AD) within new paradigms of shared decision-making and self-management. The aim of this study is to report the results of a pilot study testing the usability of and satisfaction with a mobile app (called SIDEAL) in AD patients. Adult AD outpatients were included. SIDEAL was installed on patients' personal phones. The Timeline Followback (TLFB) method for the preceding 6 weeks was administered both at baseline and after 6 weeks (end of the study). Self-reports from the app were also assessed at the end of the study and compared to data provided by the TLFB. An online questionnaire about usability and satisfaction was administered to participants after completion of the study. Exploratory efficacy analyses were conducted. Twenty-four patients were included (mean age 48 years (SD 11.3), women 50%). Most patients (22/24) selected a goal to reduce their consumption. Patients used the self-register module of the app for an average of 80% of the study days. The consumption and medication self-register modules were the most valued, as along with the weekly feedback provided by the app about participants' weekly rate of usage. Participants' satisfaction with the app was high. Significant reductions were observed in alcohol consumption (binge drinking days in the last 6 weeks declined from 25 (SD 18.6) to 5.8 (SD 8), p < 0.001; mean daily alcohol consumption in standard units declined from 6.5 (SD 4.3) to 1.9 (SD 1.8), p < 0.001). On most days (88%), patients achieved their self-imposed objectives. SIDEAL is a well-accepted and highly used app by AD patients that could improve their efficacy in managing their AD. Further larger, randomized studies are warranted.

Exploratory Programing in Georgia's Middle Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Louis L.; Allen, Michael G.

This study surveyed the nature and extent of exploratory programming in intermediate schools. A 22-item questionnaire was sent to all 285 of the state's middle and junior high schools. Of the 163 respondents, 160 indicated that they had some form of exploratory programming. The latter number included: (1) 155 schools with traditional exploratory…

The Effects of Feedback during Exploratory Mathematics Problem Solving: Prior Knowledge Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fyfe, Emily R.; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany; DeCaro, Marci S.

2012-01-01

Providing exploratory activities prior to explicit instruction can facilitate learning. However, the level of guidance provided during the exploration has largely gone unstudied. In this study, we examined the effects of 1 form of guidance, feedback, during exploratory mathematics problem solving for children with varying levels of prior domain…

Cross-species assessments of Motor and Exploratory Behavior related to Bipolar Disorder

PubMed Central

Henry, Brook L.; Minassian, Arpi; Young, Jared W.; Paulus, Martin P.; Geyer, Mark A.; Perry, William

2010-01-01

Alterations in exploratory behavior are a fundamental feature of bipolar mania, typically characterized as motor hyperactivity and increased goal-directed behavior in response to environmental cues. In contrast, abnormal exploration associated with schizophrenia and depression can manifest as prominent withdrawal, limited motor activity, and inattention to the environment. While motor abnormalities are cited frequently as clinical manifestations of these disorders, relatively few empirical studies have quantified human exploratory behavior. This article reviews the literature characterizing motor and exploratory behavior associated with bipolar disorder and genetic and pharmacological animal models of the illness. Despite sophisticated assessment of exploratory behavior in rodents, objective quantification of human motor activity has been limited primarily to actigraphy studies with poor cross-species translational value. Furthermore, symptoms that reflect the cardinal features of bipolar disorder have proven difficult to establish in putative animal models of this illness. Recently, however, novel tools such as the Human Behavioral Pattern Monitor provide multivariate translational measures of motor and exploratory activity, enabling improved understanding of the neurobiology underlying psychiatric disorders. PMID:20398694

Pulsatile dry cupping in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee - a randomized controlled exploratory trial.

PubMed

Teut, Michael; Kaiser, Stefan; Ortiz, Miriam; Roll, Stephanie; Binting, Sylvia; Willich, Stefan N; Brinkhaus, Benno

2012-10-12

Cupping is used in various traditional medicine forms to relieve pain in musculoskeletal diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cupping in relieving the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (OA). In a two-group, randomized controlled exploratory pilot study patients with a clinically and radiological confirmed knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence Grading Scale: 2-4) and a pain intensity > 40 mm on a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) were included. 40 Patients were randomized to either 8 sessions of pulsatile dry cupping within 4 weeks or no intervention (control). Paracetamol was allowed on demand for both groups. Outcomes were the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score, the pain intensity on a VAS (0 mm = no pain to 100 mm = maximum intensity) and Quality of Life (SF-36) 4 and 12 weeks after randomization. Use of Paracetamol was documented within the 4-week treatment period. Analyses were performed by analysis of covariance adjusting for the baseline value for each outcome. 21 patients were allocated to the cupping group (5 male; mean age 68 ± SD 7.2) and 19 to the control group (8 male; 69 ± 6.8). After 4 weeks the WOMAC global score improved significantly more in the cupping group with a mean of 27.7 (95% confidence interval 22.1; 33.3) compared to 42.2 (36.3; 48.1) in the control group (p = 0.001). After 12 weeks the WOMAC global score were still significantly different in favor for cupping (31.0 (24.9; 37.2) vs. 40.8 (34.4; 47.3) p = 0.032), however the WOMAC subscores for pain and stiffness were not significant anymore. Significantly better outcomes in the cupping group were also observed for pain intensity on VAS and for the SF-36 Physical Component Scale compared to the control group after 4 and 12 weeks. No significant difference was observed for the SF-36 Mental Component Scale and the total number of consumed Paracetamol tablets between both groups (mean 9.1, SD ± 20.0 vs. 11.5 ± 15.9). In this exploratory study dry cupping with a pulsatile cupping device relieved symptoms of knee OA compared to no intervention. Further studies comparing cupping with active treatments are needed. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01057043.

Pulsatile dry cupping in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee – a randomized controlled exploratory trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Introduction Cupping is used in various traditional medicine forms to relieve pain in musculoskeletal diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cupping in relieving the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods In a two-group, randomized controlled exploratory pilot study patients with a clinically and radiological confirmed knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence Grading Scale: 2-4) and a pain intensity > 40 mm on a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) were included. 40 Patients were randomized to either 8 sessions of pulsatile dry cupping within 4 weeks or no intervention (control). Paracetamol was allowed on demand for both groups. Outcomes were the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score, the pain intensity on a VAS (0 mm = no pain to 100 mm = maximum intensity) and Quality of Life (SF-36) 4 and 12 weeks after randomization. Use of Paracetamol was documented within the 4-week treatment period. Analyses were performed by analysis of covariance adjusting for the baseline value for each outcome. Results 21 patients were allocated to the cupping group (5 male; mean age 68 ± SD 7.2) and 19 to the control group (8 male; 69 ± 6.8). After 4 weeks the WOMAC global score improved significantly more in the cupping group with a mean of 27.7 (95% confidence interval 22.1; 33.3) compared to 42.2 (36.3; 48.1) in the control group (p = 0.001). After 12 weeks the WOMAC global score were still significantly different in favor for cupping (31.0 (24.9; 37.2) vs. 40.8 (34.4; 47.3) p = 0.032), however the WOMAC subscores for pain and stiffness were not significant anymore. Significantly better outcomes in the cupping group were also observed for pain intensity on VAS and for the SF-36 Physical Component Scale compared to the control group after 4 and 12 weeks. No significant difference was observed for the SF-36 Mental Component Scale and the total number of consumed Paracetamol tablets between both groups (mean 9.1, SD ± 20.0 vs. 11.5 ± 15.9). Conclusion In this exploratory study dry cupping with a pulsatile cupping device relieved symptoms of knee OA compared to no intervention. Further studies comparing cupping with active treatments are needed. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01057043 PMID:23057611

EMPOWER: An Intervention to Address Barriers to Pain Management in Hospice

PubMed Central

Cagle, John G.; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Cohen, Lauren W.; Porter, Laura S.; Hanson, Laura C.; Reed, David

2017-01-01

Context Concerns about pain medications are major barriers to pain management in hospice, but few studies have focused on systematic methods to address these concerns. Objective We conducted a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial with four hospices to test preliminary efficacy of the EMPOWER intervention which included: hospice staff education; staff screening of barriers to pain management at admission; and discussion about misunderstandings regarding pain management with family caregivers and patients. Methods 126 family caregivers (55 intervention; 71 control) were interviewed at two weeks post-admission. If patients survived three months post-admission, caregivers were re-interviewed. Results At two weeks, caregivers in the intervention group reported better knowledge about pain management (p=.001), fewer concerns about pain and pain medications (p=.008), and lower patient pain over the past week (p=.014); and trended toward improvement in most other areas under study. Exploratory analyses suggest EMPOWER had a greater effect for Black subjects (vs. Whites) on reducing concern about stigma. At three months, the intervention group trended better on most study outcomes. Conclusion EMPOWER is a promising model to reduce barriers to pain management in hospice. PMID:24880000

Islam and Environmental Consciousness: A New Scale Development.

PubMed

Emari, Hossein; Vazifehdoust, Hossein; Nikoomaram, Hashem

2017-04-01

This research proposed a new construct, Islamic environmental consciousness (IEC), and developed a measurement scale to support this construct. Churchill's (J Mark Res 16(1):64-73, 1979) paradigm, adapted by Negra and Mzoughi (Internet Res 22(4):426-442, 2012), was utilized. A total of 32 items were generated based on the verses of the Qur'an from nine interviews with teachers in an Islamic seminary. This set of items was reduced to 19 after dropping redundant or non-representative items. In a pilot study, factor analysis of the 19-item scale yielded a two-factor structure scale of seven items with a reliability ranging from 0.7 to 0.8. The Islamic environmental consciousness scale (IECS) was statistically confirmed and validated in a subsequent investigation. The proposed measurement scale warrants further exploratory study. Future research should assess the IECS's validity across different Muslim countries, locales, and various Islamic schools of thought and practice. IEC is proposed as a new construct that focuses primarily on the Qur'an and seeks to achieve acceptance by both Sunni and Shia denominations. In this study, both cognitive attitudes and behavioral aspects were considered in the design of the IECS.

Study deviance-type scale in the development of Korean elder

PubMed Central

Cho, Gun-Sang; Yi, Eun-Surk; Hwang, Hee-Jeong

2015-01-01

This research aims to develop a questionnaire of deviant behavior for the Korean elderly people which may make a big contribution to the examination of deviance behavior of the elderly people and may play an important role in providing a methodological basis. In order to accomplish the purpose of the this study, there were three different stages; (a) making preliminary question items, (b) refining the items of the scale through a plot study, and (c) finalizing question items by a main survey. In the first stage, 43 question items were developed using the open-ended questionnaire and structural inquiry of succession from 137 elderly people who are over 65 yr. In the second phase, based on data collected by the 200 elderly people pilot testing was performed through exploratory factor analysis and reliability test. The scale is a 27-item self-report questionnaire. In the main survey conducted by 184 elderly people, 21 items, which consisted of four subfactors, were finalized in order to measure deviance behaviors of the Korean elderly people: social deviance (n=8), economic deviance (n=5), psychological deviance (n=5), and physical deviance (n=3). PMID:26730382

Applications of machine-learning algorithms for infrared colour selection of Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morello, Giuseppe; Morris, P. W.; Van Dyk, S. D.; Marston, A. P.; Mauerhan, J. C.

2018-01-01

We have investigated and applied machine-learning algorithms for infrared colour selection of Galactic Wolf-Rayet (WR) candidates. Objects taken from the Spitzer Galactic Legacy Infrared Midplane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) catalogue of the infrared objects in the Galactic plane can be classified into different stellar populations based on the colours inferred from their broad-band photometric magnitudes [J, H and Ks from 2 Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), and the four Spitzer/IRAC bands]. The algorithms tested in this pilot study are variants of the k-nearest neighbours approach, which is ideal for exploratory studies of classification problems where interrelations between variables and classes are complicated. The aims of this study are (1) to provide an automated tool to select reliable WR candidates and potentially other classes of objects, (2) to measure the efficiency of infrared colour selection at performing these tasks and (3) to lay the groundwork for statistically inferring the total number of WR stars in our Galaxy. We report the performance results obtained over a set of known objects and selected candidates for which we have carried out follow-up spectroscopic observations, and confirm the discovery of four new WR stars.

Development and testing of the ‘Culture of Care Barometer’ (CoCB) in healthcare organisations: a mixed methods study

PubMed Central

Rafferty, Anne Marie; Philippou, Julia; Fitzpatrick, Joanne M; Pike, Geoff; Ball, Jane

2017-01-01

Objective Concerns about care quality have prompted calls to create workplace cultures conducive to high-quality, safe and compassionate care and to provide a supportive environment in which staff can operate effectively. How healthcare organisations assess their culture of care is an important first step in creating such cultures. This article reports on the development and validation of a tool, the Culture of Care Barometer, designed to assess perceptions of a caring culture among healthcare workers preliminary to culture change. Design/setting/participants An exploratory mixed methods study designed to develop and test the validity of a tool to measure ‘culture of care’ through focus groups and questionnaires. Questionnaire development was facilitated through: a literature review, experts generating items of interest and focus group discussions with healthcare staff across specialities, roles and seniority within three types of public healthcare organisations in the UK. The tool was designed to be multiprofessional and pilot tested with a sample of 467 nurses and healthcare support workers in acute care and then validated with a sample of 1698 staff working across acute, mental health and community services in England. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify dimensions underlying the Barometer. Results Psychometric testing resulted in the development of a 30-item questionnaire linked to four domains with retained items loading to four factors: organisational values (α=0.93, valid n=1568, M=3.7), team support (α=0.93, valid n=1557, M=3.2), relationships with colleagues (α=0.84, valid n=1617, M=4.0) and job constraints (α=0.70, valid n=1616, M=3.3). Conclusions The study developed a valid and reliable instrument with which to gauge the different attributes of care culture perceived by healthcare staff with potential for organisational benchmarking. PMID:28821526

The cultural validation of two scales to assess social stigma in leprosy.

PubMed

Peters, Ruth M H; Dadun; Van Brakel, Wim H; Zweekhorst, Marjolein B M; Damayanti, Rita; Bunders, Joske F G; Irwanto

2014-01-01

Stigma plays in an important role in the lives of persons affected by neglected tropical diseases, and assessment of stigma is important to document this. The aim of this study is to test the cross-cultural validity of the Community Stigma Scale (EMIC-CSS) and the Social Distance Scale (SDS) in the field of leprosy in Cirebon District, Indonesia. Cultural equivalence was tested by assessing the conceptual, item, semantic, operational and measurement equivalence of these instruments. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted to increase our understanding of the concept of stigma in Cirebon District. A process of translation, discussions, trainings and a pilot study followed. A sample of 259 community members was selected through convenience sampling and 67 repeated measures were obtained to assess the psychometric measurement properties. The aspects and items in the SDS and EMIC-CSS seem equally relevant and important in the target culture. The response scales were adapted to ensure that meaning is transferred accurately and no changes to the scale format (e.g. lay out, statements or questions) of both scales were made. A positive correlation was found between the EMIC-CSS and the SDS total scores (r=0.41). Cronbach's alphas of 0.83 and 0.87 were found for the EMIC-CSS and SDS. The exploratory factor analysis indicated for both scales an adequate fit as unidimensional scale. A standard error of measurement of 2.38 was found in the EMIC-CSS and of 1.78 in the SDS. The test-retest reliability coefficient was respectively, 0.84 and 0.75. No floor or ceiling effects were found. According to current international standards, our findings indicate that the EMIC-CSS and the SDS have adequate cultural validity to assess social stigma in leprosy in the Bahasa Indonesia-speaking population of Cirebon District. We believe the scales can be further improved, for instance, by adding, changing and rephrasing certain items. Finally, we provide suggestions for use with other neglected tropical diseases.

Development and testing of the 'Culture of Care Barometer' (CoCB) in healthcare organisations: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Rafferty, Anne Marie; Philippou, Julia; Fitzpatrick, Joanne M; Pike, Geoff; Ball, Jane

2017-08-18

Concerns about care quality have prompted calls to create workplace cultures conducive to high-quality, safe and compassionate care and to provide a supportive environment in which staff can operate effectively. How healthcare organisations assess their culture of care is an important first step in creating such cultures. This article reports on the development and validation of a tool, the Culture of Care Barometer, designed to assess perceptions of a caring culture among healthcare workers preliminary to culture change. An exploratory mixed methods study designed to develop and test the validity of a tool to measure 'culture of care' through focus groups and questionnaires. Questionnaire development was facilitated through: a literature review, experts generating items of interest and focus group discussions with healthcare staff across specialities, roles and seniority within three types of public healthcare organisations in the UK. The tool was designed to be multiprofessional and pilot tested with a sample of 467 nurses and healthcare support workers in acute care and then validated with a sample of 1698 staff working across acute, mental health and community services in England. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify dimensions underlying the Barometer. Psychometric testing resulted in the development of a 30-item questionnaire linked to four domains with retained items loading to four factors: organisational values (α=0.93, valid n=1568, M=3.7), team support (α=0.93, valid n=1557, M=3.2), relationships with colleagues (α=0.84, valid n=1617, M=4.0) and job constraints (α=0.70, valid n=1616, M=3.3). The study developed a valid and reliable instrument with which to gauge the different attributes of care culture perceived by healthcare staff with potential for organisational benchmarking. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A Multidisciplinary Work-Related Low Back Pain Predictor Questionnaire: Psychometric Evaluation of Iranian Patient-Care Workers

PubMed Central

Sarallah, Shojaei; Jamshidi, Ahmad Reza; Joan, Wagner

2016-01-01

Study Design Psychometric evaluation design. Purpose Psychometric evaluation of a multidisciplinary work-related low back pain predictor questionnaire (MWRLBPPQ) of Iranians patient-care workers based on the social cognitive theory. Overview of Literature Healthcare is one of the professions in which work-related musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent. The chronic low back pain experienced by patient caregivers can negatively impact their professional performance, and patient handling in a hospital is the main cause of low back pain in this population. Methods This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Qom, Iran from July 2014 to November 2014. A MWRLBPPQ based on nine concepts of the social cognitive theory and existing literature regarding chronic low back pain was developed. Ten patient-care workers first completed the questionnaire as a pilot test, allowing the ambiguities of the instrument to be resolved. Exploratory factor analysis was used to confirm construct validity. This questionnaire was distributed among 452 patient-care workers in hospitals located in different geographically areas in Qom, Iran. Cronbach's Alpha was calculated to assess reliability. Results In all, 452 caregivers of patients with mean age of 37.71 (standard deviation=8.3) years participated in the study. An exploratory factor analysis loaded seven concepts of self-efficacy, knowledge, outcome perception, self-control, emotional coping, and self-efficacy in overcoming impediments and challenges in the environment. All concepts were jointly accounted for 50.08% of variance of behavior change. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient showed favorable internal consistency (alpha=0.83), and test-retest of the scale with 2-week intervals indicated an appropriate stability for the MWRLBPPQ. Conclusions The MWRLBPPQ is a reliable and valid theory-based instrument that can be used to predict factors influencing work-related low back pain among workers who lift and transfer patients in hospitals. PMID:27340530

Hospital payment systems based on diagnosis-related groups: experiences in low- and middle-income countries

PubMed Central

Wittenbecher, Friedrich

2013-01-01

Abstract Objective This paper provides a comprehensive overview of hospital payment systems based on diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) in low- and middle-income countries. It also explores design and implementation issues and the related challenges countries face. Methods A literature research for papers on DRG-based payment systems in low- and middle-income countries was conducted in English, French and Spanish through Pubmed, the Pan American Health Organization’s Regional Library of Medicine and Google. Findings Twelve low- and middle-income countries have DRG-based payment systems and another 17 are in the piloting or exploratory stage. Countries have chosen from a wide range of imported and self-developed DRG models and most have adapted such models to their specific contexts. All countries have set expenditure ceilings. In general, systems were piloted before being implemented. The need to meet certain requirements in terms of coding standardization, data availability and information technology made implementation difficult. Private sector providers have not been fully integrated, but most countries have managed to delink hospital financing from public finance budgeting. Conclusion Although more evidence on the impact of DRG-based payment systems is needed, our findings suggest that (i) the greater portion of health-care financing should be public rather than private; (ii) it is advisable to pilot systems first and to establish expenditure ceilings; (iii) countries that import an existing variant of a DRG-based system should be mindful of the need for adaptation; and (iv) countries should promote the cooperation of providers for appropriate data generation and claims management. PMID:24115798

Middle School Exploratory Foreign Language Programs: A Position Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council of State Supervisors of Foreign Language.

Four types of exploratory foreign language programs are described: (1) the language overview course, (2) the trial-study course, (3) the Level I offering, and (4) the course for the non-college bound. It is largely in the middle schools (grades 6-8) and junior high schools (grades 7-9) that exploratory programs are being used. The language…

Envisioning Competence: Learning, Problem Solving, and Children at Work in the Exploratory Bicycle Shop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammond, Charles Florian

2010-01-01

This study examines the conceptual learning and cognitive development processes of schoolchildren engaged in problem solving activities in a non-school, workplace setting known as the exploratory bicycle shop. The exploratory bike shop is a commercial bicycle shop: a) that has been adapted for combined retail and educational purposes and b) where…

Occupational Therapy Treatment to Improve Upper Extremity Function in Individuals with Early Systemic Sclerosis: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Murphy, Susan L; Barber, Mary; Homer, Kristen; Dodge, Carole; Cutter, Gary; Khanna, Dinesh

2018-01-30

To determine feasibility and preliminary effects of an occupational therapy treatment to improve upper extremity (UE) function in patients with early systemic sclerosis (SSc) who have UE contractures. A one-arm pilot clinical rehabilitation trial was conducted at a university health system. Participants with SSc and ≥ 1 UE contracture (n = 21) participated in a total of 8 weekly in-person occupational therapy sessions. The therapy consisted of thermal modalities, tissue mobilization, and UE mobility. Between sessions, participants were instructed to complete UE home exercises. Feasibility was measured by percent enrollment and session attendance and duration. The primary outcome measure was the QuickDASH, secondary and exploratory outcomes included PROMIS physical function, objective UE measures, and skin thickening. Linear mixed models were performed to determine treatment effects on primary and secondary outcomes. Fifty percent (24/48) of potentially eligible participants were interested. Of those, 88% (21/24) enrolled; and nineteen out of 21 (91%) completed all sessions. The mean (SD) age was 47.9 years (± 16.1); 100% had diffuse SSc, and mean disease duration was 3.1 years. At 8 weeks, participants reported statistically significant improvement on QuickDASH and PROMIS physical function measures (p =.0012 and p = .004). Forty-seven and 53% percent of the sample achieved improvements that exceeded minimally important differences. In-person treatment sessions were feasible for individuals with SSc and demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements on UE and physical function. Future studies need to examine effects against a control condition and examine durability of treatment effects. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

On becoming a coach: a pilot intervention study with managers in long-term care.

PubMed

Cummings, Greta; Mallidou, Anastasia A; Masaoud, Elmabrok; Kumbamu, Ashok; Schalm, Corinne; Spence Laschinger, Heather K; Estabrooks, Carole A

2014-01-01

Health care leaders have called for the development of communication and leadership skills to improve manager-employee relationships, employee job satisfaction, quality care, and work environments. The aim of the study reported here was to pilot how a 2-day coaching workshop ("Coaching for Impressive CARE") conducted as a leadership development strategy influenced frontline care managers' coaching practices in residential long-term care (LTC) settings. We had four objectives: (a) to identify managers' perceptions of their role as a coach of employee performance in LTC facilities, (b) to understand managers' intentions to coach employee performance, (c) to examine opportunities and factors that contributed to or challenged implementation of workshop coaching skills in daily leadership/management practice, and (d) to examine managers' reports of using coaching practices and employee responses after the workshop. We used an exploratory/descriptive design involving pre-/post-workshop surveys, e-mail reminders, and focus groups to examine participation of 21 LTC managers in a 2-day coaching workshop and their use of coaching practices in the workplace. Focus group findings provided examples of how participants used their coaching skills in practice (e.g., communicating empathy) and how staff responded. Factors contributing to and challenging implementation of these coaching skills in the workplace were identified. Attitudes and intentions to be a coach increased significantly, and some coaching skills were used more frequently after the workshop, specifically planning for performance change with employees. The coaching workshop was feasible to implement, well received by participants, influenced their willingness to become coaches, and had some noted impact on their use of coaching behaviors in the workplace. Coaching skills by managers to improve staff performance with residents in LTC facilities can be learned.

Increased Plasma Levels of Select Deoxy-ceramide and Ceramide Species are Associated with Increased Odds of Diabetic Neuropathy in Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Hammad, Samar M; Baker, Nathaniel L; El Abiad, Jad M; Spassieva, Stefanka D; Pierce, Jason S; Rembiesa, Barbara; Bielawski, Jacek; Lopes-Virella, Maria F; Klein, Richard L

2017-03-01

Plasma deoxy-sphingoid bases are elevated in type 2 diabetes patients and correlate with the stage of diabetic distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy; however, associations between deoxy-sphingolipids (DSL) and neuropathy in type 1 diabetes have not been examined. The primary aim of this exploratory pilot study was to assess the associations between multiple sphingolipid species including DSL and free amino acids and the presence of symptomatic neuropathy in a DCCT/EDIC type 1 diabetes subcohort. Using mass spectroscopy, plasma levels of DSL and free amino acids in DCCT/EDIC type 1 diabetes participants (n = 80), with and without symptoms of neuropathy, were investigated. Patient-determined neuropathy was based on 15-item self-administered questionnaire (Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument) developed to assess distal symmetrical peripheral neuropathy in diabetes. Patients who scored ≥4, or reported inability to sense their feet during walking or to distinguish hot from cold water while bathing were considered neuropathic. Plasma levels of ceramide, sphingomyelin, hexosyl- and lactosylceramide species, and amino acids were measured and analyzed relative to neuropathy status in the patient. Deoxy-C24-ceramide, C24- and C26-ceramide were higher in patients with neuropathy than those without neuropathy. Cysteine was higher in patients with neuropathy. No differences in other sphingolipids or amino acids were detected. The covariate-adjusted Odds Ratios of positive patient-reported neuropathy was associated with increased levels of deoxy-C24-, and deoxy-C24:1-ceramide; C22-, C24-, and C26-ceramide; and cysteine. Plasma deoxy-ceramide and ceramide species may have potential diagnostic and prognostic significance in diabetic neuropathy.

Development and validation of the Consumer Quality index instrument to measure the experience and priority of chronic dialysis patients.

PubMed

van der Veer, Sabine N; Jager, Kitty J; Visserman, Ella; Beekman, Robert J; Boeschoten, Els W; de Keizer, Nicolette F; Heuveling, Lara; Stronks, Karien; Arah, Onyebuchi A

2012-08-01

Patient experience is an established indicator of quality of care. Validated tools that measure both experiences and priorities are lacking for chronic dialysis care, hampering identification of negative experiences that patients actually rate important. We developed two Consumer Quality (CQ) index questionnaires, one for in-centre haemodialysis (CHD) and the other for peritoneal dialysis and home haemodialysis (PHHD) care. The instruments were validated using exploratory factor analyses, reliability analysis of identified scales and assessing the association between reliable scales and global ratings. We investigated opportunities for improvement by combining suboptimal experience with patient priority. Sixteen dialysis centres participated in our study. The pilot CQ index for CHD care consisted of 71 questions. Based on data of 592 respondents, we identified 42 core experience items in 10 scales with Cronbach's α ranging from 0.38 to 0.88; five were reliable (α ≥ 0.70). The instrument identified information on centres' fire procedures as the aspect of care exhibiting the biggest opportunity for improvement. The pilot CQ index PHHD comprised 56 questions. The response of 248 patients yielded 31 core experience items in nine scales with Cronbach's α ranging between 0.53 and 0.85; six were reliable. Information on kidney transplantation during pre-dialysis showed most room for improvement. However, for both types of care, opportunities for improvement were mostly limited. The CQ index reliably and validly captures dialysis patient experience. Overall, most care aspects showed limited room for improvement, mainly because patients participating in our study rated their experience to be optimal. To evaluate items with high priority, but with which relatively few patients have experience, more qualitative instruments should be considered.

Physical Therapists' Views and Experiences of Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain and the Role of Acupuncture: Qualitative Exploration

PubMed Central

Bartlam, Bernadette; Bishop, Annette; Holden, Melanie A.; Barlas, Panos; Foster, Nadine E.

2015-01-01

Background Low back pain is often accepted as a “normal” part of pregnancy. Despite research suggesting that quality of life for women who are pregnant is adversely affected, most are advised to self-manage. Although the use of acupuncture for the management of persistent nonspecific low back pain has been recommended in recent UK national guidelines, its use in the management of pregnancy-related low back pain remains limited. Objectives This study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of physical therapists involved in treating women who are pregnant and have low back pain with the objective of informing the pretrial training program for a pilot randomized trial (Evaluating Acupuncture and Standard care for pregnant womEn with Back pain [EASE Back]). Design A qualitative phenomenological method with purposive sampling was used in the study. Methods Three focus groups and 3 individual semistructured interviews were undertaken, and an iterative exploratory thematic analysis was performed. To ensure transparency of the research process and the decisions made, an audit trail was created. Results Twenty-one physical therapists participated, and emergent issues included: a lack of experience in treating pregnancy-related complaints, mixed messages from previous acupuncture education, a mistrust of the current evidence for acupuncture safety and effectiveness, and personal and professional fear of causing harm. Conclusions The findings suggest that UK physical therapists are reluctant to use acupuncture in the management of pregnancy-related low back pain. The explanations for these findings include perceived lack of knowledge and confidence, as well as a pervasive professional culture of caution, particularly fears of inducing early labor and of litigation. These findings have been key to informing the content of the training program for physical therapists delivering acupuncture within the pilot EASE Back trial. PMID:25929530

Increased Plasma Levels of Select Deoxy-ceramide and Ceramide Species are Associated with Increased Odds of Diabetic Neuropathy in Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Baker, Nathaniel L.; El Abiad, Jad M.; Spassieva, Stefanka D.; Pierce, Jason S.; Rembiesa, Barbara; Bielawski, Jacek; Lopes-Virella, Maria F.; Klein, Richard L.; Investigators, DCCT/EDIC Group of

2017-01-01

Plasma deoxy-sphingoid bases are elevated in type 2 diabetes patients and correlate with the stage of diabetic distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy; however, associations between deoxy-sphingolipids (DSL) and neuropathy in type 1 diabetes have not been examined. The primary aim of this exploratory pilot study was to assess the associations between multiple sphingolipid species including DSL and free amino acids and the presence of symptomatic neuropathy in a DCCT/EDIC type 1 diabetes subcohort. Using mass spectroscopy, plasma levels of DSL and free amino acids in DCCT/EDIC type 1 diabetes participants (n = 80), with and without symptoms of neuropathy, were investigated. Patient-determined neuropathy was based on 15-item self-administered questionnaire (Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument) developed to assess distal symmetrical peripheral neuropathy in diabetes. Patients who scored ≥4, or reported inability to sense their feet during walking or to distinguish hot from cold water while bathing were considered neuropathic. Plasma levels of ceramide, sphingomyelin, hexosyl- and lactosylceramide species, and amino acids were measured and analyzed relative to neuropathy status in the patient. Deoxy-C24-ceramide, C24- and C26-ceramide were higher in patients with neuropathy than those without neuropathy. Cysteine was higher in patients with neuropathy. No differences in other sphingolipids or amino acids were detected. The covariate-adjusted Odds Ratios of positive patient-reported neuropathy was associated with increased levels of deoxy-C24-, and deoxy-C24:1-ceramide; C22-, C24-, and C26-ceramide; and cysteine. Plasma deoxy-ceramide and ceramide species may have potential diagnostic and prognostic significance in diabetic neuropathy. PMID:27388466

Knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors of oncology advanced practice nurses regarding advanced care planning for patients with cancer.

PubMed

Zhou, Guiyun; Stoltzfus, Jill C; Houldin, Arlene D; Parks, Susan M; Swan, Beth Ann

2010-11-01

To establish initial reliability and validity of a Web-based survey focused on oncology advanced practice nurses' (APNs') knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors regarding advanced care planning, and to obtain preliminary understanding of APNs' knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors and perceived barriers to advanced care planning. Descriptive, cross-sectional, pilot survey study. The eastern United States. 300 oncology APNs. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, a knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors survey was developed and reviewed for content validity. The survey was distributed to 300 APNs via e-mail and sent again to the 89 APNs who responded to the initial survey. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the survey's attitudinal and practice behavior portions. Respondents' demographics, knowledge, attitudes, practice behaviors, and perceived barriers to advanced care planning practice. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a five-factor solution from the survey's attitudes and practice behavior portions with internal consistency using Cronbach alpha. Respondents achieved an average of 67% correct answers in the 12-item knowledge section and scored positively in attitudes toward advanced care planning. Their practice behavior scores were marginally positive. The most common reported barriers were from patients' and families' as well as physicians' reluctance to discuss advanced care planning. The attitudinal and practice behaviors portions of the survey demonstrated preliminary construct validity and test-retest reliability. Regarding advanced care planning, respondents were moderately knowledgeable, but their advanced care planning practice was not routine. Validly assessing oncology APNs' knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors regarding advanced care planning will enable more tailored approaches to improve end-of-life care outcomes.

Developing and testing the patient-centred innovation questionnaire for hospital nurses.

PubMed

Huang, Ching-Yuan; Weng, Rhay-Hung; Wu, Tsung-Chin; Lin, Tzu-En; Hsu, Ching-Tai; Hung, Chiu-Hsia; Tsai, Yu-Chen

2018-03-01

Develop the patient-centred innovation questionnaire for hospital nurses and establish its validity and reliability. Patient-centred care has been adopted by health care managers in their efforts to improve health care quality. It is regarded as a core concept for developing innovation. A cross-sectional study was employed to collect data from hospital nurses in Taiwan. This study was divided into two stages: pilot study and main study. In the main study, 596 valid responses were collected. This study adopted reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and selected nurse innovation scale as a criterion to test criterion-related validity. Five-dimension patient-centred innovation questionnaire was proposed: access and practicability, co-ordination and communication, sharing power and responsibility, care continuity, family and person focus. Each dimension demonstrated a reliability of 0.89-0.98. All dimensions had acceptable convergent and discriminate validity. The patient-centred innovation questionnaire and nurse innovation scale exhibited a significantly positive correlation. Patient-centred innovation questionnaire not only had a good theoretical basis but also had sufficient reliability and construct validity, and criterion-related validity. Patient-centred innovation questionnaire could give a measure for evaluating the implementation of patient-centred care and could be used as a management tool during the process of nurse innovation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Priorization of facilitators for the implementation of medication review with follow-up service in Spanish community pharmacies through exploratory factor analysis].

PubMed

Gil, Modesta Inmaculada; Benrimoj, Shalom Isaac; Martínez-Martínez, Fernando; Cardero, Manuel; Gastelurrutia, Miguel Ángel

2013-01-01

to prioritize previously identified in Spain facilitators for the implementation of new Pharmaceutical Services that allow designing strategies for the implementation of Medication Review with follow-up (MRFup) service. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA). A draft of a questionnaire was performed based on a previous literature review and following the RAND/UCLA methodology. An expert panel worked with it and generated a definitive questionnaire which, after piloting, was used with a representative sample of pharmacists, owners or staff members, who were working in community pharmacy, using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) methodology. To understand underlying constructs in the questionnaire an EFA was performed. Different approaches were tested such as principal components factor analysis and principal axis factoring method. The best interpretability was achieved using the Factorization of Principal axis method with Direct Oblimin rotation, which explained the 40.0% of total variance. This produced four factors defined as: «Incentives», «External campaigns», «Expert in MRFup» and «Professionalism of the pharmacist». It can be stated that for implementation and sustainability of MRFup Service it is necessary being paid; also it must be explained to health professional and society in general. Practice of MRFup service demands pharmacists receiving a more clinical education and assuming more responsibilities as health professionals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Exploring the feasibility and acceptability of couple-based psychosexual support following prostate cancer surgery: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Men who undergo surgery for prostate cancer frequently experience significant side-effects including urinary and sexual dysfunction. These difficulties can lead to anxiety, depression and reduced quality of life. Many partners also experience psychological distress. An additional impact can be on the couple relationship, with changes to intimacy, and unmet psychosexual supportive needs in relation to sexual recovery and rehabilitation. The aim of this exploratory randomised controlled trial pilot study is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a novel family-relational-psychosexual intervention to support intimacy and reduce distress among couples following prostate cancer surgery and to estimate the efficacy of this intervention. Methods/Design The intervention will comprise six sessions of psychosexual and relationship support delivered by experienced couple-support practitioners. Specialist training in delivering the intervention will be provided to practitioners and they will be guided by a detailed treatment manual based on systemic principles. Sixty-eight couples will be randomised to receive either the intervention or standard care (comprising usual follow-up hospital appointments). A pre-test, post-test design will be used to test the feasibility of the intervention (baseline, end of intervention and six-month follow-up) and its acceptability to couples and healthcare professionals (qualitative interviews). Both individual and relational outcome measures will assess sexual functioning, anxiety and depression, couple relationship, use of health services and erectile dysfunction medication/technologies. An economic analysis will estimate population costs of the intervention, compared to usual care, using simple modelling to evaluate the affordability of the intervention. Discussion Given the increasing incidence and survival of post-operative men with prostate cancer, it is timely and appropriate to determine the feasibility of a definitive trial through a pilot randomised controlled trial of a family-relational-psychosexual intervention for couples. The study will provide evidence about the components of a couple-based intervention, its acceptability to patients and healthcare professionals, and its influence on sexual and relational functioning. Data from this study will be used to calculate sample sizes required for any definitive trial. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01842438. Registration date: 24 April 2013; Randomisation of first patient: 13 May 2013 PMID:24886676

Stand Out in Class: restructuring the classroom environment to reduce sedentary behaviour in 9-10-year-olds - study protocol for a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Clemes, Stacy A; Bingham, Daniel D; Pearson, Natalie; Chen, Yu-Ling; Edwardson, Charlotte; McEachan, Rosemary; Tolfrey, Keith; Cale, Lorraine; Richardson, Gerry; Fray, Mike; Bandelow, Stephan; Jaicim, Nishal Bhupendra; Salmon, Jo; Dunstan, David; Barber, Sally E

2018-01-01

Sedentary behaviour (sitting) is a highly prevalent negative health behaviour, with individuals of all ages exposed to environments that promote prolonged sitting. Excessive sedentary behaviour adversely affects health in children and adults. As sedentary behaviour tracks from childhood into adulthood, the reduction of sedentary time in young people is key for the prevention of chronic diseases that result from excessive sitting in later life. The sedentary school classroom represents an ideal setting for environmental change, through the provision of sit-stand desks. Whilst the use of sit-stand desks in classrooms demonstrates positive effects in some key outcomes, evidence is currently limited by small samples and/or short intervention durations, with few studies adopting randomised controlled trial (RCT) designs. This paper describes the protocol of a pilot cluster RCT of a sit-stand desk intervention in primary school classrooms. A two-arm pilot cluster RCT will be conducted in eight primary schools (four intervention, four control) with at least 120 year 5 children (aged 9-10 years). Sit-stand desks will replace six standard desks in the intervention classrooms. Teachers will be encouraged to ensure all pupils are exposed to the sit-stand desks for at least 1 h/day on average using a rotation system. Schools assigned to the control arm will continue with their usual practice, no environmental changes will be made to their classrooms. Measurements will be taken at baseline, before randomisation, and at the end of the schools' academic year. In this study, the primary outcomes of interest will be school and participant recruitment and attrition, acceptability of the intervention, and acceptability and compliance to the proposed outcome measures (including activPAL-measured school-time and school-day sitting, accelerometer-measured physical activity, adiposity, blood pressure, cognitive function, academic progress, engagement, and behaviour) for inclusion in a definitive trial. A full process evaluation and an exploratory economic evaluation will also be conducted to further inform a definitive trial. The primary output of this study will be acceptability data to inform the development of a definitive cluster RCT designed to examine the efficacy of this intervention on health- and education-related outcomes in UK primary school children. ISRCTN12915848 (retrospectively registered, date registered 9 November 2016).

Characterizing the EEG correlates of exploratory behavior.

PubMed

Bourdaud, Nicolas; Chavarriaga, Ricardo; Galan, Ferran; Millan, José Del R

2008-12-01

This study aims to characterize the electroencephalography (EEG) correlates of exploratory behavior. Decision making in an uncertain environment raises a conflict between two opposing needs: gathering information about the environment and exploiting this knowledge in order to optimize the decision. Exploratory behavior has already been studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Based on a usual paradigm in reinforcement learning, this study has shown bilateral activation in the frontal and parietal cortex. To our knowledge, no previous study has been done on it using EEG. The study of the exploratory behavior using EEG signals raises two difficulties. First, the labels of trial as exploitation or exploration cannot be directly derived from the subject action. In order to access this information, a model of how the subject makes his decision must be built. The exploration related information can be then derived from it. Second, because of the complexity of the task, its EEG correlates are not necessarily time locked with the action. So the EEG processing methods used should be designed in order to handle signals that shift in time across trials. Using the same experimental protocol as the fMRI study, results show that the bilateral frontal and parietal areas are also the most discriminant. This strongly suggests that the EEG signal also conveys information about the exploratory behavior.

Empowered to Play: A Case Study Describing the Impact of Powered Mobility on the Exploratory Play of Disabled Children.

PubMed

Sonday, Amshuda; Gretschel, Pam

2016-03-01

Exploratory play is one of the most vital ways in which children learn about their environment and develop. It is well documented that limited mobility restricts a child's ability to engage in their environment through exploratory play. In this study, a qualitative, collective case study design explored the impact of powered mobility on the exploratory play of two children with physical disabilities. Data were collected from the children, their parents and their siblings through participant observation and in-depth, informal interviews. This paper focuses on two themes: Opportunity to Play revealed how powered mobility increased opportunities for the children to become more actively engaged in exploratory play with others across a wider array of contexts, and My Child was Transformed highlighted significant changes in the affect and motivation of each child, which seemed to be linked to their increased internal control over their play choices. The findings suggest that the provision of powered mobility is a key contributor promoting the participation of physically disabled children in exploratory play. Because of undergraduate curricular constraints, a limitation of this study was that data were only confined to 2 months; affecting the depth of data gained that prolonged engagement would have offered. The study recommends for occupational therapy practice that occupational therapists advocate for easier access to powered mobility through governmental and policy means. The study also recommends further research be conducted on the experiences of the caregivers on how these powered mobility devices have influenced their day-to-day occupations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Factors associated with study attrition in a pilot randomised controlled trial to explore the role of exercise-assisted reduction to stop (EARS) smoking in disadvantaged groups.

PubMed

Thompson, T P; Greaves, C J; Ayres, R; Aveyard, P; Warren, F C; Byng, R; Taylor, R S; Campbell, J L; Ussher, M; Michie, S; West, R; Taylor, A H

2016-10-27

Study attrition has the potential to compromise a trial's internal and external validity. The aim of the present study was to identify factors associated with participant attrition in a pilot trial of the effectiveness of a novel behavioural support intervention focused on increasing physical activity to reduce smoking, to inform the methods to reduce attrition in a definitive trial. Disadvantaged smokers who wanted to reduce but not quit were randomised (N = 99), of whom 61 (62 %) completed follow-up assessments at 16 weeks. Univariable logistic regression was conducted to determine the effects of intervention arm, method of recruitment, and participant characteristics (sociodemographic factors, and lifestyle, behavioural and attitudinal characteristics) on attrition, followed by multivariable logistic regression on those factors found to be related to attrition. Participants with low confidence to quit, and who were undertaking less than 150 mins of moderate and vigorous physical activity per week at baseline were less likely to complete the 16-week follow-up assessment. Exploratory analysis revealed that those who were lost to follow-up early in the trial (i.e., by 4 weeks), compared with those completing the study, were younger, had smoked for fewer years and had lower confidence to quit in the next 6 months. Participants who recorded a higher expired air carbon monoxide reading at baseline were more likely to drop out late in the study, as were those recruited via follow-up telephone calls. Multivariable analyses showed that only completing less than 150 mins of physical activity retained any confidence in predicting attrition in the presence of other variables. The findings indicate that those who take more effort to be recruited, are younger, are heavier smokers, have less confidence to quit, and are less physically active are more likely to withdraw or be lost to follow-up.

Development and Validation of the Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ) for Primary Care Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

PubMed Central

Fu, Sau Nga; Chin, Weng Yee; Wong, Carlos King Ho; Yeung, Vincent Tok Fai; Yiu, Ming Pong; Tsui, Hoi Yee; Chan, Ka Hung

2013-01-01

Objectives To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Chinese questionnaire which assesses the barriers and enablers to commencing insulin in primary care patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes. Research Design and Method Questionnaire items were identified using literature review. Content validation was performed and items were further refined using an expert panel. Following translation, back translation and cognitive debriefing, the translated Chinese questionnaire was piloted on target patients. Exploratory factor analysis and item-scale correlations were performed to test the construct validity of the subscales and items. Internal reliability was tested by Cronbach’s alpha. Results Twenty-seven identified items underwent content validation, translation and cognitive debriefing. The translated questionnaire was piloted on 303 insulin naïve (never taken insulin) Type 2 diabetes patients recruited from 10 government-funded primary care clinics across Hong Kong. Sufficient variability in the dataset for factor analysis was confirmed by Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity (P<0.001). Using exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation, 10 factors were generated onto which 26 items loaded with loading scores > 0.4 and Eigenvalues >1. Total variance for the 10 factors was 66.22%. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure was 0.725. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the first four factors were ≥0.6 identifying four sub-scales to which 13 items correlated. Remaining sub-scales and items with poor internal reliability were deleted. The final 13-item instrument had a four scale structure addressing: ‘Self-image and stigmatization’; ‘Factors promoting self-efficacy; ‘Fear of pain or needles’; and ‘Time and family support’. Conclusion The Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ) appears to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing barriers to starting insulin. This short instrument is easy to administer and may be used by healthcare providers and researchers as an assessment tool for Chinese diabetic primary care patients, including the elderly, who are unwilling to start insulin. PMID:24236071

Development and initial validation of the appropriate antibiotic use self-efficacy scale.

PubMed

Hill, Erin M; Watkins, Kaitlin

2018-06-04

While there are various medication self-efficacy scales that exist, none assess self-efficacy for appropriate antibiotic use. The Appropriate Antibiotic Use Self-Efficacy Scale (AAUSES) was developed, pilot tested, and its psychometric properties were examined. Following pilot testing of the scale, a 28-item questionnaire was examined using a sample (n = 289) recruited through the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. Participants also completed other scales and items, which were used in assessing discriminant, convergent, and criterion-related validity. Test-retest reliability was also examined. After examining the scale and removing items that did not assess appropriate antibiotic use, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted on 13 items from the original scale. Three factors were retained that explained 65.51% of the variance. The scale and its subscales had adequate internal consistency. The scale had excellent test-retest reliability, as well as demonstrated convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity. The AAUSES is a valid and reliable scale that assesses three domains of appropriate antibiotic use self-efficacy. The AAUSES may have utility in clinical and research settings in understanding individuals' beliefs about appropriate antibiotic use and related behavioral correlates. Future research is needed to examine the scale's utility in these settings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Feature-level analysis of a novel smartphone application for smoking cessation.

PubMed

Heffner, Jaimee L; Vilardaga, Roger; Mercer, Laina D; Kientz, Julie A; Bricker, Jonathan B

2015-01-01

Currently, there are over 400 smoking cessation smartphone apps available, downloaded an estimated 780,000 times per month. No prior studies have examined how individuals engage with specific features of cessation apps and whether use of these features is associated with quitting. Using data from a pilot trial of a novel smoking cessation app, we examined: (i) the 10 most-used app features, and (ii) prospective associations between feature usage and quitting. Participants (n = 76) were from the experimental arm of a randomized, controlled pilot trial of an app for smoking cessation called "SmartQuit," which includes elements of both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Utilization data were automatically tracked during the 8-week treatment phase. Thirty-day point prevalence smoking abstinence was assessed at 60-day follow-up. The most-used features - quit plan, tracking, progress, and sharing - were mostly CBT. Only two of the 10 most-used features were prospectively associated with quitting: viewing the quit plan (p = 0.03) and tracking practice of letting urges pass (p = 0.03). Tracking ACT skill practice was used by fewer participants (n = 43) but was associated with cessation (p = 0.01). In this exploratory analysis without control for multiple comparisons, viewing a quit plan (CBT) as well as tracking practice of letting urges pass (ACT) were both appealing to app users and associated with successful quitting. Aside from these features, there was little overlap between a feature's popularity and its prospective association with quitting. Tests of causal associations between feature usage and smoking cessation are now needed.

Changes in the pattern of exploratory behavior are associated with the emergence of social dominance relationships in male rats.

PubMed

Arakawa, Hiroyuki

2006-01-01

This study examined the effect of the establishment of dominance relationships and subordination on exploratory behavior for both postpubertal and adult male rats. Prior to an open field test, subjects were housed either in isolation (IS) or in littermate pairs (PS) with mild dominance relationships without overt victory or defeat, or in pairs with clear hierarchical relationships as dominants (DOM) or subordinates (SUB). Stretch-attend postures and entries into the center area of the open-field were measured as an index of passive and active exploratory behavior, respectively, and crossings in the peripheral area were counted as activity. SUB rats, both postpubertal and adult, displayed less activity and lower levels of active exploratory behavior, whereas adult IS rats showed higher levels of active exploratory behavior compared to the other groups. Furthermore, both DOM and PS rats exhibited a more passive pattern of exploratory behavior in adulthood than in postpuberty. Thus the results show that an increase in the active exploratory pattern is inhibited by the establishment of social relationships among adult rats, while a decrease in activity is a primarily effect of subordination. The capacity to change exploratory patterns following subordination is found even in the postpubertal stage when adultlike social relationships have not yet appeared. Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Connectivism in Postsecondary Online Courses: An Exploratory Factor Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogg, Nanette; Lomicky, Carol S.

2012-01-01

This study explores 465 postsecondary students' experiences in online classes through the lens of connectivism. Downes' 4 properties of connectivism (diversity, autonomy, interactivity, and openness) were used as the study design. An exploratory factor analysis was performed. This study found a 4-factor solution. Subjects indicated that autonomy…

An Exploratory Study of the Implementation of Computer Technology in an American Islamic Private School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saleem, Mohammed M.

2009-01-01

This exploratory study of the implementation of computer technology in an American Islamic private school leveraged the case study methodology and ethnographic methods informed by symbolic interactionism and the framework of the Muslim Diaspora. The study focused on describing the implementation of computer technology and identifying the…

Effects of Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) and a B Complex Preparation on Dreaming and Sleep.

PubMed

Aspy, Denholm J; Madden, Natasha A; Delfabbro, Paul

2018-06-01

Anecdotal evidence indicates that supplementation with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) before bed can enhance dream vividness and recall. In a single pilot study, Ebben, Lequerica, and Spielman (2002) found that vitamin B6 had a dose-dependent effect of increasing scores on a composite measure of dream vividness, bizarreness, emotionality, and color. The present research replicated this study using a larger and more diverse sample of 100 participants from across Australia. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects on dreaming and sleep of ingesting 240 mg vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) before bed for five consecutive days. We also included an exploratory condition involving a B complex preparation containing a range of B vitamins. We found that vitamin B6 significantly increased the amount of dream content participants recalled but did not significantly affect dream vividness, bizarreness, or color, nor did it significantly affect other sleep-related variables. In contrast, participants in the B complex group showed significantly lower self-rated sleep quality and significantly higher tiredness on waking. We discuss the potential for using vitamin B6 in research on lucid dreaming.

Construction and psychometric characteristics of the self-concept scale of interaction in the classroom.

PubMed

Lobos Peña, Karla; Díaz Mújica, Alejandro; Bustos Navarrete, Claudio; Pérez Villalobos, María Victoria

2015-01-01

Both construction and psychometric characteristics of a self-concept scale associated with observable behaviors by students and teacher, useful to guide a pedagogic intervention in the classroom are presented. A total of 1,385 primary school students, aged between 8 and 12 years, from 24 high-social vulnerability schools of the Province of Concepción, Chile, participated in the study. The scale was constructed, including a theoretical review of the construct, pilot application with students and interjudge reliability. For the study of psychometric characteristics, exploratory factorial analysis (EFA), confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA), factorial invariance and recurrent validity were performed. A self-report instrument with 22 items shows a three-factor structure, with an explained variance of 44.71% and a high level of fi t for the model. CFA in two different samples showed fi t indicators for configural invariance. It also has concurrent validity. The scale has good psychometric properties to assess the academic self-concept in the dimensions of Capacity, Work Procedure, and Participation in class. This can be useful to guide an educational intervention in the context of the teacher-student interaction in the classroom, in primary schools with high socio-economic vulnerability.

Quality of data in multiethnic health surveys.

PubMed Central

Pasick, R. J.; Stewart, S. L.; Bird, J. A.; D'Onofrio, C. N.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: There has been insufficient research on the influence of ethno-cultural and language differences in public health surveys. Using data from three independent studies, the authors examine methods to assess data quality and to identify causes of problematic survey questions. METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this exploratory study, including secondary analyses of data from three baseline surveys (conducted in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese). Collection of additional data included interviews with investigators and interviewers; observations of item development; focus groups; think-aloud interviews; a test-retest assessment survey; and a pilot test of alternatively worded questions. RESULTS: The authors identify underlying causes for the 12 most problematic variables in three multiethnic surveys and describe them in terms of ethnic differences in reliability, validity, and cognitive processes (interpretation, memory retrieval, judgment formation, and response editing), and differences with regard to cultural appropriateness and translation problems. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple complex elements affect measurement in a multiethnic survey, many of which are neither readily observed nor understood through standard tests of data quality. Multiethnic survey questions are best evaluated using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods that reveal different types and causes of problems. PMID:11889288

Rumination and modes of processing around meal times in women with anorexia nervosa: qualitative and quantitative results from a pilot study.

PubMed

Cowdrey, Felicity A; Stewart, Anne; Roberts, Jill; Park, Rebecca J

2013-09-01

The primary aim of this exploratory study was to examine qualitatively and quantitatively the effects of rumination, mindful breathing, and distraction on processing styles and the meal time experience in women with a history of anorexia nervosa (AN). A quasi-experimental within-participant design was employed. Thirty-seven women with history of AN and all experiencing current eating disorder psychopathology listened to a single rumination, mindful breathing and distraction exercise before a meal time. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were employed. Specific themes were extracted for each exercise including avoidance, being in the moment and rumination. The rumination exercise led to significantly greater analytical self-focus. Mindful breathing led to significantly greater experiential self-focus compared with distraction in partially weight-restored AN participants. In AN, self-material is processed in a ruminative way and avoidance is valued. It is difficult to shift individuals with AN out of a rumination around meal times using brief mindful breathing. Future research should investigate at what stage of AN illness mindful-based and acceptance-based strategies are useful and how these strategies could be incorporated in treatment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Exploratory Study of Basement Moisture During Operation of Active Soil Depressurization Radon Control Systems

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

As part of an exploratory study, three houses were monitored for moisture indicators, radon levels, building operations, and other environmental parameters while ASD systems were cycled on and off. December 6, 2007, Revised 3/10/08.

Characterizing the community use of an ultralight wheelchair with "on the fly" adjustable seating functions: A pilot study.

PubMed

Mattie, Johanne; Borisoff, Jaimie; Miller, William C; Noureddin, Borna

2017-01-01

An ultralight manual wheelchair that allows users to independently adjust rear seat height and backrest angle during normal everyday usage was recently commercialized. Prior research has been performed on wheelchair tilt, recline, and seat elevation use in the community, however no such research has been done on this new class of manual ultralight wheelchair with "on the fly" adjustments. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate and characterize the use of the two adjustable seating functions available on the Elevation™ ultralight dynamic wheelchair during its use in the community. Eight participants had data loggers installed onto their own wheelchair for seven days to measure rear seat height, backrest angle position, occupied sitting time, and distance traveled. Analysis of rear seat height and backrest adjustment data revealed considerable variability in the frequency of use and positions used by participants. There was a wide spread of mean daily rear seat heights among participants, from 34.1 cm to 46.7 cm. Two sub-groups of users were further identified: those who sat habitually at a single typical rear seat height, and those who varied their rear seat height more continuously. Findings also showed that participants used the rear seat height adjustment feature significantly more often than the backrest adjustment feature. This obvious contrast in feature use may indicate that new users of this class of wheelchair may benefit from specific training. While the small sample size and exploratory nature of this study limit the generalizability of our results, our findings offer a first look at how active wheelchairs users are using a new class of ultralight wheelchair with "on the fly" seating adjustments in their communities. Further studies are recommended to better understand the impact of dynamic seating and positioning on activity, participation and quality of life.

The direction of shift-work rotation impacts metabolic risk independent of chronotype and social jetlag--an exploratory pilot study.

PubMed

Kantermann, Thomas; Duboutay, Françoise; Haubruge, Damien; Hampton, Shelagh; Darling, Andrea L; Berry, Jacqueline L; Kerkhofs, Myriam; Boudjeltia, Karim Zouaoui; Skene, Debra J

2014-12-01

The aim of this pilot study was to explore the risk of metabolic abnormalities in steel workers employed in different shift-work rotations. Male workers in a steel factory [16 employed in a fast clockwise rotation (CW), 18 in slow counterclockwise rotation (CC), 9 day workers (DW); mean age 43.3 ± SD 6.8 years] with at least 5 years experience in their current work schedule participated. All workers provided fasting blood samples between 06:00 and 08:00 h for plasma glucose, insulin, apo-lipoproteins A and B (ApoA, ApoB), high- and low-density lipoproteins (HDL and LDL), total cholesterol (tCH), triglycerides (TG), minimally oxidized (mox) LDL, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). HOMA index (homeostatic model assessment) was calculated to evaluate insulin resistance, beta cell function and risk of diabetes. Information on demographics, health, stimulants, sleep, social and work life, chronotype (phase of entrainment) and social jetlag (difference between mid-sleep on workdays and free days) as a surrogate for circadian disruption was collected by questionnaire. Neither chronotype nor social jetlag was associated with any of the metabolic risk blood markers. There were no significant differences in 25(OH)D, ApoA, ApoB, CRP, HDL, IL-8, insulin, LDL, mox-LDL, mox-LDL/ApoB ratio, tCH and TG levels between the three work groups. Although we did observe absolute differences in some of these markers, the small sample size of our study population might prevent these differences being statistically significant. Fasting glucose and HOMA index were significantly lower in CW compared to DW and CC, indicating lower metabolic risk. Reasons for the lower fasting glucose and HOMA index in CW workers remains to be clarified. Future studies of workers in different shift rotations are warranted to understand better the differential effects of shift-work on individual workers and their health indices.

Characterizing the community use of an ultralight wheelchair with “on the fly” adjustable seating functions: A pilot study

PubMed Central

Mattie, Johanne; Borisoff, Jaimie; Miller, William C.; Noureddin, Borna

2017-01-01

An ultralight manual wheelchair that allows users to independently adjust rear seat height and backrest angle during normal everyday usage was recently commercialized. Prior research has been performed on wheelchair tilt, recline, and seat elevation use in the community, however no such research has been done on this new class of manual ultralight wheelchair with “on the fly” adjustments. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate and characterize the use of the two adjustable seating functions available on the Elevation™ ultralight dynamic wheelchair during its use in the community. Eight participants had data loggers installed onto their own wheelchair for seven days to measure rear seat height, backrest angle position, occupied sitting time, and distance traveled. Analysis of rear seat height and backrest adjustment data revealed considerable variability in the frequency of use and positions used by participants. There was a wide spread of mean daily rear seat heights among participants, from 34.1 cm to 46.7 cm. Two sub-groups of users were further identified: those who sat habitually at a single typical rear seat height, and those who varied their rear seat height more continuously. Findings also showed that participants used the rear seat height adjustment feature significantly more often than the backrest adjustment feature. This obvious contrast in feature use may indicate that new users of this class of wheelchair may benefit from specific training. While the small sample size and exploratory nature of this study limit the generalizability of our results, our findings offer a first look at how active wheelchairs users are using a new class of ultralight wheelchair with “on the fly” seating adjustments in their communities. Further studies are recommended to better understand the impact of dynamic seating and positioning on activity, participation and quality of life. PMID:28278254

AgRISTARS: Foreign commodity production forecasting. The 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payne, R. W. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The crop identification procedures used performed were for spring small grains and are conducive to automation. The performance of the machine processing techniques shows a significant improvement over previously evaluated technology; however, the crop calendars require additional development and refinements prior to integration into automated area estimation technology. The integrated technology is capable of producing accurate and consistent spring small grains proportion estimates. Barley proportion estimation technology was not satisfactorily evaluated because LANDSAT sample segment data was not available for high density barley of primary importance in foreign regions and the low density segments examined were not judged to give indicative or unequvocal results. Generally, the spring small grains technology is ready for evaluation in a pilot experiment focusing on sensitivity analysis to a variety of agricultural and meteorological conditions representative of the global environment.

Development of a questionnaire for assessing the childbirth experience (QACE).

PubMed

Carquillat, Pierre; Vendittelli, Françoise; Perneger, Thomas; Guittier, Marie-Julia

2017-08-30

Due to its potential impact on women's psychological health, assessing perceptions of their childbirth experience is important. The aim of this study was to develop a multidimensional self-reporting questionnaire to evaluate the childbirth experience. Factors influencing the childbirth experience were identified from a literature review and the results of a previous qualitative study. A total of 25 items were combined from existing instruments or were created de novo. A draft version was pilot tested for face validity with 30 women and submitted for evaluation of its construct validity to 477 primiparous women at one-month post-partum. The recruitment took place in two obstetric clinics from Swiss and French university hospitals. To evaluate the content validity, we compared item responses to general childbirth experience assessments on a numeric, 0 to 10 rating scale. We dichotomized two group assessment scores: "0 to 7" and "8 to 10". We performed an exploratory factor analysis to identify underlying dimensions. In total, 291 women completed the questionnaire (response rate = 61%). The responses to 22 items were statistically significant between the 0 to 7 and 8 to 10 groups for the general childbirth experience assessments. An exploratory factor analysis yielded four sub-scales, which were labelled "relationship with staff" (4 items), "emotional status" (3 items), "first moments with the new born," (3 items) and "feelings at one month postpartum" (3 items). All 4 scales had satisfactory internal consistency levels (alpha coefficients from 0.70 to 0.85). The full 25-item version can be used to analyse each item by itself, and the short 4-dimension version can be scored to summarize the general assessment of the childbirth experience. The Questionnaire for Assessing the Childbirth Experience (QACE) could be useful as a screening instrument to identify women with negative childbirth experiences. It can be used as both a research instrument in its short version and a questionnaire for use in clinical practice in its full version.

Prevalence of workplace violence in Northwest Ethiopia: a multivariate analysis.

PubMed

Tiruneh, Bewket Tadesse; Bifftu, Berhanu Boru; Tumebo, Akililu Azazh; Kelkay, Mengistu Mekonnen; Anlay, Degefaye Zelalem; Dachew, Berihun Assefa

2016-01-01

Workplace violence has been acknowledged as a global problem, particularly in the health sector. However, there is scarce data on workplace violence among nurses in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of workplace violence and associated factors among nurses in northwest Ethiopia. Hospital based cross-sectional study design was employed in 386 nurses from April 1 - April 30, 2015. Data were collected through the use of self-administered questionnaire developed by the International Labor Office/International Council of Nurses/World Health Organization and Public Services International. To keep the quality of the data collection training was given to supervisors and data collectors. Piloting was done in Debark hospital two weeks before actual data collection to assess the tool's clarity and make amendments. The proposal was approved by the Institutional Review Board of University of Gondar prior to study commencement and a written consent was obtained from each study participant. The overall prevalence of workplace violence was 26.7 %. Exploratory logistic regression analyses suggested that age, number of staff in the same work shift, working in a male ward, history of workplace violence, and marital status were factors independently associated with workplace violence. The prevalence of workplace violence among nurses was high. Creating a prevention strategy involving different stakeholders is recommended.

Cutaneous electrical stimulation treatment in unresolved facial nerve paralysis: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Hyvärinen, Antti; Tarkka, Ina M; Mervaala, Esa; Pääkkönen, Ari; Valtonen, Hannu; Nuutinen, Juhani

2008-12-01

The purpose of this study was to assess clinical and neurophysiological changes after 6 mos of transcutaneous electrical stimulation in patients with unresolved facial nerve paralysis. A pilot case series of 10 consecutive patients with chronic facial nerve paralysis either of idiopathic origin or because of herpes zoster oticus participated in this open study. All patients received below sensory threshold transcutaneous electrical stimulation for 6 mos for their facial nerve paralysis. The intervention consisted of gradually increasing the duration of electrical stimulation of three sites on the affected area for up to 6 hrs/day. Assessments of the facial nerve function were performed using the House-Brackmann clinical scale and neurophysiological measurements of compound motor action potential distal latencies on the affected and nonaffected sides. Patients were tested before and after the intervention. A significant improvement was observed in the facial nerve upper branch compound motor action potential distal latency on the affected side in all patients. An improvement of one grade in House-Brackmann scale was observed and some patients also reported subjective improvement. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation treatment may have a positive effect on unresolved facial nerve paralysis. This study illustrates a possibly effective treatment option for patients with the chronic facial paresis with no other expectations of recovery.

How patients perceive the role of hospital chaplains: a preliminary exploration.

PubMed

Ellis, J M; McManus, C; Newton, B A

1995-09-01

An exploratory study of the attitudes of hospital patients to the service provided by hospital chaplains. Questionnaire study of hospital inpatients in December 1992. One large teaching hospital in London. 180 hospital inpatients in 14 different general wards, 168 (93%) of whom agreed to take part. Attitudes to chaplains and their role contained in 12 questions developed during a pilot study on hospital inpatients (16) and staff (14) and their relation to patients' age, sex, length of hospital stay, and religious beliefs, according to Kendall rank order correlations. Of 168(93%) respondents, 72(43%) were women; mean age of patients was 63.1 (SD 16.8) years. Forty five (27%) were inpatients of three days or less and 22(13%) for one month or more. 136(81%) were Christian; 17(10%) atheist, agnostic, or had no religion; and 15(9%) were of other religions. In general, patients showed positive attitudes towards the role of hospital chaplains and to the services they provided. The correlation analysis showed that there was a significant tendency for older patients, those who had been inpatients for longer, and those with religious beliefs to be more sympathetic to the role of hospital chaplains. Hospital chaplains provide a service which is appreciated by patients. This study provides a simple instrument for assessing patients' attitudes to chaplains.

An exploratory pilot study of nurse-midwives' attitudes toward active euthanasia and abortion.

PubMed

Musgrave, C F; Soudry, I

2000-12-01

Over the past three decades, active euthanasia and abortion have received increasing international attention. Since both these practices are relevant to the role of the nurse-midwife, it is important to know what influences their attitudes towards them. Therefore, the purpose of this study was: 1, to survey the attitudes of nurse-midwives' to active euthanasia and its legalization; 2, to determine the relationship between nurse-midwives' attitudes toward active euthanasia and its legalization, and attitudes toward abortion, self-reported religiosity and religious affiliation. The study setting was an international midwifery conference and the sample consisted of 139 nurse-midwives attending the conference. The majority of nurse-midwives displayed a positive attitude toward active euthanasia and its legalization. In addition, there was a positive relationship between their attitude to abortion and active euthanasia. Self-reported religiosity and religious affiliation were significantly related to attitudes toward active euthanasia and its legalization. An interesting positive relationship between country of practice and attitudes to euthanasia was also found. Nurse-midwives practicing in countries with more liberal euthanasia and assisted suicide legislation were more supportive of active euthanasia. With the increasing acceptance of active euthanasia's legalization, the results of this study pose some ethical questions that nurse-midwives internationally will have to consider.

A Restorative Justice Approach to Empathy Development in Sex Offenders: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roseman, Christopher P.; Ritchie, Martin; Laux, John M.

2009-01-01

The authors describe an exploratory study in sex offender treatment using a restorative justice approach to examine the shame, guilt, and empathy development of convicted sexual offenders. Implications for clinical practice and future research are highlighted. (Contains 3 tables.)

Overview of NASA's Carbon Monitoring System Flux-Pilot Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pawson, Steven; Gunson, Michael R.; Jucks, Kenneth

2011-01-01

NASA's space-based observations of physical, chemical and biological parameters in the Earth System along with state-of-the-art modeling capabilities provide unique capabilities for analyses of the carbon cycle. The Carbon Monitoring System is developing an exploratory framework for detecting carbon in the environment and its changes, with a view towards contributing to national and international monitoring activities. The Flux-Pilot Project aims to provide a unified view of land-atmosphere and ocean-atmosphere carbon exchange, using observation-constrained models. Central to the project is the application of NASA's satellite observations (especially MODIS), the ACOS retrievals of the JAXA-GOSAT observations, and the "MERRA" meteorological reanalysis produced with GEOS-S. With a primary objective of estimating uncertainty in computed fluxes, two land- and two ocean-systems are run for 2009-2010 and compared with existing flux estimates. An transport model is used to evaluate simulated CO2 concentrations with in-situ and space-based observations, in order to assess the realism of the fluxes and how uncertainties in fluxes propagate into atmospheric concentrations that can be more readily evaluated. Finally, the atmospheric partial CO2 columns observed from space are inverted to give new estimates of surface fluxes, which are evaluated using the bottom-up estimates and independent datasets. The focus of this presentation will be on the science goals and current achievements of the pilot project, with emphasis on how policy-relevant questions help focus the scientific direction. Examples include the issue of what spatio-temporal resolution of fluxes can be detected from polar-orbiting satellites and whether it is possible to use space-based observations to separate contributions to atmospheric concentrations of (say) fossil-fuel and biological activity

Developing a complex intervention for diet and activity behaviour change in obese pregnant women (the UPBEAT trial); assessment of behavioural change and process evaluation in a pilot randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Poston, Lucilla; Briley, Annette L; Barr, Suzanne; Bell, Ruth; Croker, Helen; Coxon, Kirstie; Essex, Holly N; Hunt, Claire; Hayes, Louise; Howard, Louise M; Khazaezadeh, Nina; Kinnunen, Tarja; Nelson, Scott M; Oteng-Ntim, Eugene; Robson, Stephen C; Sattar, Naveed; Seed, Paul T; Wardle, Jane; Sanders, Thomas A B; Sandall, Jane

2013-07-15

Complex interventions in obese pregnant women should be theoretically based, feasible and shown to demonstrate anticipated behavioural change prior to inception of large randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The aim was to determine if a) a complex intervention in obese pregnant women leads to anticipated changes in diet and physical activity behaviours, and b) to refine the intervention protocol through process evaluation of intervention fidelity. We undertook a pilot RCT of a complex intervention in obese pregnant women, comparing routine antenatal care with an intervention to reduce dietary glycaemic load and saturated fat intake, and increase physical activity. Subjects included 183 obese pregnant women (mean BMI 36.3 kg/m2). Compared to women in the control arm, women in the intervention arm had a significant reduction in dietary glycaemic load (33 points, 95% CI -47 to -20), (p < 0.001) and saturated fat intake (-1.6% energy, 95% CI -2.8 to -0. 3) at 28 weeks' gestation. Objectively measured physical activity did not change. Physical discomfort and sustained barriers to physical activity were common at 28 weeks' gestation. Process evaluation identified barriers to recruitment, group attendance and compliance, leading to modification of intervention delivery. This pilot trial of a complex intervention in obese pregnant women suggests greater potential for change in dietary intake than for change in physical activity, and through process evaluation illustrates the considerable advantage of performing an exploratory trial of a complex intervention in obese pregnant women before undertaking a large RCT. ISRCTN89971375.

Exploratory Study of the HOPE Foundation[C] Courageous Leadership Academy: Summary of Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Seth; Choi, KC; Herman, Becki

2011-01-01

The HOPE Foundation (HOPE) commissioned the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct an exploratory study of the implementation and impact of the Courageous Leadership Academy (CLA). In this report, the authors introduce the school reform model, describe the study methodology, present findings for each of the three research questions…

An Exploratory Study of Listening Practice Relative to Memory Testing and Lecture in Business Administration Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Robin T.

2007-01-01

This study investigates the combined impact of a memory test and subsequent listening practice in enhancing student listening abilities in collegiate business administration courses. The article reviews relevant literature and describes an exploratory study that was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of this technique with traditional…

Application of Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling to Evaluate the Academic Motivation Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guay, Frédéric; Morin, Alexandre J. S.; Litalien, David; Valois, Pierre; Vallerand, Robert J.

2015-01-01

In this research, the authors examined the construct validity of scores of the Academic Motivation Scale using exploratory structural equation modeling. Study 1 and Study 2 involved 1,416 college students and 4,498 high school students, respectively. First, results of both studies indicated that the factor structure tested with exploratory…

An Exploratory Study of Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivators and Student Performance in an Auditing Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mo, Songtao

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the association of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and student performance. This study performs an exploratory analysis and presents evidence to demonstrate that intrinsic motivators affect the connection between external motivators and student performance. The empirical tests follow the framework…

An Exploratory Multiple Case Study about Using Game-Based Learning in STEM Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vu, Phu; Feinstein, Sheryl

2017-01-01

This exploratory multiple case study attempted to examine whether game-based learning activities had any impacts on students' academic performances and behaviors, and what perceptions the teachers had toward implementing games into their classrooms. Data used in this study included 101 students' pre and post-test scores, and four structured…

Technical Communications in Aeronautics: Results of an Exploratory Study. NASA Technical Memorandum 101534, Parts 1 and 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinelli, Thomas E.; And Others

An exploratory study investigated technical communications in aeronautics by surveying aeronautical engineers and scientists. The study had five specific objectives: to solicit the opinions of aeronautical engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communications to their profession; to determine their use and production of…

Situated Analysis of Team Handball Players' Decisions: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenzen, Benoit; Theunissen, Catherine; Cloes, Marc

2009-01-01

This exploratory study aimed to investigate elements involved in decision making in team handball live situations and to provide coaches and educators with teaching recommendations. The study was positioned within the framework of the situated-action paradigm of which two aspects were of particular interest for this project: (a) the relationship…

Giving Voice to Reluctant Learners: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pringle, Mark T.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study is to hear from reluctant learners about their perceptions of their experiences in middle school and the meanings they make from these. This study will give voice to students, a stakeholder group that has been traditionally silent in the literature on K-12 learning and achievement. Capturing the perceptions…

Authentic Reading, Writing, and Discussion: An Exploratory Study of a Pen Pal Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gambrell, Linda B.; Hughes, Elizabeth M.; Calvert, Leah; Malloy, Jacquelynn A.; Igo, Brent

2011-01-01

In this exploratory study, reading, writing, and discussion were examined within the context of a pen pal intervention focusing on authentic literacy tasks. The study employed a mixed-method design with a triangulation-convergence model to explore the relationship between authentic literacy tasks and the literacy motivation of elementary students…

Consumer Rights and Accountability in Postsecondary Vocational-Technical Education: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Brian; Harmon, Lisa

Beginning in October 1987, Pelavin Associates conducted an exploratory study of consumer rights and accountability in postsecondary vocational-technical (PVT) programs for the U.S. Department of Education. The study focused on how effectively the governance structure--accreditation and federal and state regulation--ensures that consumer rights are…

Comprehension and Recall of Television's Computerized Image: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metallinos, Nikos; Chartrand, Sylvie

This exploratory study of the effects of the new visual communications media imagery (e.g., video games, digital television, and computer graphics) on the visual perception process is designed to provide a theoretical framework for research, introduce appropriate research instruments for such study, and experiment with the application of biometric…

Linkage between Free Exploratory Movements and Subjective Tactile Ratings.

PubMed

Yokosaka, Takumi; Kuroki, Scinob; Watanabe, Junji; Nishida, Shinya

2017-01-01

We actively move our hands and eyes when exploring the external world and gaining information about object's attributes. Previous studies showing that how we touch might be related to how we felt led us to consider whether we could decode observers' subjective tactile experiences only by analyzing their exploratory movements without explicitly asking how they perceived. However, in those studies, explicit judgment tasks were performed about specific tactile attributes that were prearranged by experimenters. Here, we systematically investigated whether exploratory movements can explain tactile ratings even when participants do not need to judge any tactile attributes. While measuring both hand and eye movements, we asked participants to touch materials freely without judging any specific tactile attributes (free-touch task) or to evaluate one of four tactile attributes (roughness, hardness, slipperiness, and temperature). We found that tactile ratings in the judgment tasks correlated with exploratory movements even in the free-touch task and that eye movements as well as hand movements correlated with tactile ratings. These results might open up the possibility of decoding tactile experiences by exploratory movements.

Impairment of exploratory behavior and spatial memory in adolescent rats in lithium-pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Kalemenev, S V; Zubareva, O E; Frolova, E V; Sizov, V V; Lavrentyeva, V V; Lukomskaya, N Ya; Kim, K Kh; Zaitsev, A V; Magazanik, L G

2015-01-01

Cognitive impairment in six-week -old rats has been studied in the lithium-pilocarpine model of adolescent temporal lobe epilepsy in humans. The pilocarpine-treated rats (n =21) exhibited (a) a decreased exploratory activity in comparison with control rats (n = 20) in the open field (OP) test and (b) a slower extinction of exploratory behavior in repeated OP tests. The Morris Water Maze (MWM) test showed that the effect of training was less pronounced in the pilocarpine-treated rats, which demonstrated disruption of predominantly short-term memory. Therefore, our study has shown that lithium-pilocarpine seizures induce substantial changes in exploratory behavior and spatial memory in adolescent rats. OP and MWM tests can be used in the search of drugs reducing cognitive impairments associated with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Nettle sting of Urtica dioica for joint pain--an exploratory study of this complementary therapy.

PubMed

Randall, C; Meethan, K; Randall, H; Dobbs, F

1999-09-01

This exploratory study aims to explore the present use of the common stinging nettle to treat joint pain. Eighteen self-selected patients using the nettle sting of Urtica dioica were interviewed. Information regarding patients' use of nettle therapy was elicited, in particular mode of application, dosage and effects. All except one respondent were sure that netles had been very helpful and several considered themselves cured. No observed side effects were reported, except a transient urticarial rash. This exploratory study suggests nettle sting is a useful, safe and cheap therapy which needs further study. A randomized controlled trial is planned in collaboration with a rheumatology specialist.

At-Risk Learner Preference in Engineering/Technical Graphics: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ernst, Jeremy V.

2011-01-01

This exploratory study investigated learner preferences of secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) Engineering/Technical Graphics students using the VARK Questionnaire. The VARK Questionnaire is an instrument that assists in determining students' dominant preferred learning styles, whether visual, aural, reading, or kinesthetic. This study…

Methodological considerations for a randomised controlled trial of podiatry care in rheumatoid arthritis: lessons from an exploratory trial.

PubMed

Turner, Deborah E; Helliwell, Philip S; Woodburn, James

2007-11-06

Whilst evidence exists to support the use of single treatments such as orthoses and footwear, the effectiveness of podiatry-led care as a complex intervention for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) related foot problems is unknown. The aim of this study was to undertake an exploratory randomised controlled parallel arm clinical trial (RheumAFooT) to inform the design and implementation of a definitive trial and to understand the potential benefits of this care. Patients with a definite diagnosis of RA, stable drug management 3 months prior to entry, and a current history of foot problems (pain, deformity, stiffness, skin or nail lesions, or footwear problems) were recruited from a hospital outpatient rheumatology clinic and randomised to receive 12 months of podiatry treatment or no care. The primary outcome was change in foot health status using the impairment/footwear (LFISIF) and activity limitation/participation restriction (LFISAP) subscales of the Leeds Foot Impact Scale. Disease Activity Score (DAS), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score and walking speed (m/s) were also recorded. Of the 80 patients identified, 64 patients were eligible to participate in the pilot and 34 were recruited. 16 patients were randomised to receive podiatry led foot care and 18 received no care. Against a backdrop of stable disease (DAS and HAQ scores), there was a statistically significant between group difference in the change in foot health status for foot impairment (LFISIF) but not activity/participation (LFISAP) or function (walking speed) over 12 months. In the podiatry arm, 1 patient declined treatment following randomisation (did not want additional hospital visits) and 3 self-withdrew (lost to follow-up). Patients received an average of 3 consultations for assessment and treatment comprising routine care for skin and nail lesions (n = 3), foot orthoses (n = 9), footwear referral to the orthotist (n = 5), and ultrasound guided intra-articular steroid injection (n = 1). In this exploratory trial patients were difficult to recruit (stable drug management and co-morbid disease) and retain (lack of benefit/additional treatment burden) but overall the intervention was safe (no adverse reactions). Twelve months of podiatry care maintained but did not improve foot health status. These observations are important for the design and implementation of a definitive randomised controlled trial. ISRCTN: 01982076.

Development and preliminary validation of a post-fistula repair reintegration instrument among Ugandan women.

PubMed

El Ayadi, Alison; Nalubwama, Hadija; Barageine, Justus; Neilands, Torsten B; Obore, Susan; Byamugisha, Josaphat; Kakaire, Othman; Mwanje, Haruna; Korn, Abner; Lester, Felicia; Miller, Suellen

2017-09-02

Obstetric fistula is a debilitating and traumatic birth injury affecting 2-3 million women globally, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Affected women suffer physically, psychologically and socioeconomically. International efforts have increased access to surgical treatment, yet attention to a holistic outcome of post-surgical rehabilitation is nascent. We sought to develop and pilot test a measurement instrument to assess post-surgical family and community reintegration. We conducted an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, beginning with 16 in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions with 17 women who underwent fistula surgery within two previous years to inform measure development. The draft instrument was validated in a longitudinal cohort of 60 women recovering from fistula surgery. Qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Socio-demographic characteristics were described using one-way frequency tables. We used exploratory factor analysis to determine the latent structure of the scale, then tested the fit of a single higher-order latent factor. We evaluated internal consistency and temporal stability reliability through Raykov's ρ and Pearson's correlation coefficient, respectively. We estimated a series of linear regression models to explore associations between the standardized reintegration measure and validated scales representing theoretically related constructs. Themes central to women's experiences following surgery included resuming mobility, increasing social interaction, improved self-esteem, reduction of internalized stigma, resuming work, meeting their own needs and the needs of dependents, meeting other expected and desired roles, and negotiating larger life issues. We expanded the Return to Normal Living Index to reflect these themes. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a four-factor structure, titled 'Mobility and social engagement', 'Meeting family needs', 'Comfort with relationships', and 'General life satisfaction', and goodness of fit statistics supported a higher-order latent variable of 'Reintegration.' Reintegration score correlated significantly with quality of life, depression, self-esteem, stigma, and social support in theoretically expected directions. As more women undergo surgical treatment for obstetric fistula, attention to the post-repair period is imperative. This preliminary validation of a reintegration instrument represents a first step toward improving measurement of post-surgical reintegration and has important implications for the evidence base of post-surgical reintegration epidemiology and the development and evaluation of fistula programming.

An Exploratory Study of Thai University Students' Understanding of World Englishes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saengboon, Saksit

2015-01-01

This exploratory study investigated the perceptions of Thai university students towards World Englishes (WEs). One hundred and ninety-eight students from three universities in Bangkok were administered a questionnaire inquiring about definitions of WEs, the Kachruvian concentric circles, the concepts of standard and ownership of English, Thai…

Parent Involvement in Children's Education: An Exploratory Study of Urban, Chinese Immigrant Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ji, Cheng Shuang; Koblinsky, Sally A.

2009-01-01

This exploratory study examined the involvement of Chinese immigrant parents in children's elementary and secondary education. Participants were 29 low-income, urban parents of public school children working primarily in the hospitality sector. Parents were interviewed about their academic expectations, knowledge of school performance, parent…

Competent Communication in the First College Year: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morreale, Sherwyn; Staley, Constance; Campbell, Tajshen

2015-01-01

First-year students' communication abilities are critical to succeeding in college and interacting professionally with faculty, student affairs staff, and administrators. The purpose of this exploratory study is to better understand how introductory-level college students, particularly those born since 1990, define competent communication in the…

An Exploratory Study: Assessment of Modeled Dioxin Exposure in Ceramic Art Studios (Final Report, 2008)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA announced the availability of the final report, An Exploratory Study: Assessment of Modeled Dioxin Exposure in Ceramic Art Studios. This report investigates the potential dioxin exposure to artists/hobbyists who use ball clay to make pottery and related products. Derm...

Existential Measurement: A Factor Analytic Study of Some Current Psychometric Instruments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thauberger, Patrick C.; And Others

1982-01-01

Research in existentialism and ontology has given rise to several psychometric instruments. Used both exploratory and confirmatory principal-factor analyses to study relationships among 16 existential scales. Exploratory factor analysis provided some support of the theory that the avoidance of existential confrontation is a central function of…

Investigating Crickets: Observing Animal Exploratory Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, G. M.

2008-01-01

For curriculum content-related reasons, inquiry activities can be difficult in classrooms unless the activities are approached in a manner that makes variations among student group findings understandable in the context of the study. Studies of individual animals and plant reactions to stimuli, such as insect exploratory behavior, allow the…

Sustaining Latina Student Organizations: An Exploratory Instrumental Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castellanos, Michelle

2016-01-01

Utilizing the exploratory case study methodology, the author examines the conditions that support and limit a Latina-based student organization at a predominately White institution of higher education. Seven organizational structures were found to influence the organization's ability to advance its aims, from interviews, documents, observations,…

Disaster Preparedness Information Needs of Individuals Attending an Adult Literacy Center: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Daniela; Tanwar, Manju; Yoho, Deborah W.; Richter, Jane V. E.

2009-01-01

Being prepared with accurate, credible, and timely information during a disaster can help individuals make informed decisions about taking appropriate actions. Unfortunately, many people have difficulty understanding health and risk-related resources. This exploratory, mixed methods study assessed disaster information seeking behaviors and…

Brief Report: An Exploratory Study of the Diagnostic Reliability for Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Lauren J.; Eapen, Valsamma; Maybery, Murray; Midford, Sue; Paynter, Jessica; Quarmby, Lyndsay; Smith, Timothy; Williams, Katrina; Whitehouse, Andrew J.

2017-01-01

Previous research shows inconsistency in clinician-assigned diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We conducted an exploratory study that examined the concordance of diagnoses between a multidisciplinary assessment team and a range of independent clinicians throughout Australia. Nine video-taped Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)…

An Exploratory Study of Student Satisfaction with University Web Page Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gundersen, David E.; Ballenger, Joe K.; Crocker, Robert M.; Scifres, Elton L.; Strader, Robert

2013-01-01

This exploratory study evaluates the satisfaction of students with a web-based information system at a medium-sized regional university. The analysis provides a process for simplifying data interpretation in captured student user feedback. Findings indicate that student classifications, as measured by demographic and other factors, determine…

Organic Chemistry Educators' Perspectives on Fundamental Concepts and Misconceptions: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duis, Jennifer M.

2011-01-01

An exploratory study was conducted with 23 organic chemistry educators to discover what general chemistry concepts they typically review, the concepts they believe are fundamental to introductory organic chemistry, the topics students find most difficult in the subject, and the misconceptions they observe in undergraduate organic chemistry…

Emotional Reactions of Students in Field Education: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Litvack, Andrea; Mishna, Faye; Bogo, Marion

2010-01-01

An exploratory study using qualitative methodology was undertaken with recent MSW graduates (N=12) from 2 graduate social work programs to identify and describe the students' emotional reactions to experiences in field education. Significant and interrelated themes emerged including the subjective and unique definitions of emotionally charged…

District Capacity and the Implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakely, Allison Wright

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between "district capacity" as measured by the District Capacity Assessment (DCA) and the "initial, depth, scale," and "sustained" implementation of an evidence-based practice (EBP), Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). This exploratory analysis…

The Temporal Properties of E-Learning: An Exploratory Study of Academics' Conceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martins, Jorge; Nunes, Miguel Baptista

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an exploratory study that investigates Portuguese academics' conceptions concerning the temporal properties of e-learning, in the context of traditional Higher Education Institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Grounded Theory methodology was used to systematically analyse data…

Vowel Intelligibility in Children with and without Dysarthria: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Erika S.; Leone, Dorothy; Moya-Gale, Gemma; Hsu, Sih-Chiao; Chen, Wenli; Ramig, Lorraine O.

2016-01-01

Children with dysarthria due to cerebral palsy (CP) present with decreased vowel space area and reduced word intelligibility. Although a robust relationship exists between vowel space and word intelligibility, little is known about the intelligibility of vowels in this population. This exploratory study investigated the intelligibility of American…

Teaching Social Skills in a Virtual Environment: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Jason; Parks-Savage, Agatha; Rehfuss, Mark

2009-01-01

This article reports on an exploratory study which examines the use of virtual environment technology as a tool to teach elementary school children social skills. Small group interventions were assessed to determine how the participants were measurably different on 7 different dependent variables: problem behaviors, academic competence,…

An Exploratory Study: Assessment of Modeled Dioxin Exposure in Ceramic Art Studios (External Review Draft)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA has released an external review draft entitled, An Exploratory Study: Assessment of Modeled Dioxin Exposure in Ceramic Art Studios(External Review Draft). The public comment period and the external peer-review workshop are separate processes that provide opportunities ...

The Effectiveness of Course Web Sites in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comunale, Christie L.; Sexton, Thomas R.; Voss, Diana J. Pedagano

2002-01-01

Describes an exploratory study of the educational effectiveness of course Web sites among undergraduate accounting students and graduate students in business statistics. Measured Web site visit frequency, usefulness of each site feature, and the impacts of Web sites on perceived learning and course performance. (Author/LRW)

An Exploratory Comparative Case Study of Employee Engagement in Christian Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, Jessica R.

2016-01-01

Numerous studies have identified a positive correlation between employee engagement and overall organizational performance. However, research on employee engagement specifically within higher education is limited, and even less attention has been focused on engagement within the context of Christian higher education. An exploratory comparative…

Teaching Writing in the Shadow of Standardized Writing Assessment: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brimi, Hunter

2012-01-01

This exploratory study results from interviews with five high school English teachers regarding their writing instruction. The researcher sought to answer these questions: (1) How had the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program's (TCAP) Writing Assessment affected their teaching as gauged by the teachers' statements regarding the assessment,…

Achieving Dramatic School Improvement: An Exploratory Study. A Cross-Site Analysis from the Evaluation of Comprehensive School Reform Program Implementation and Outcomes Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aladjem, Daniel K.; Birman, Beatrice F.; Orland, Martin; Harr-Robins, Jenifer; Heredia, Alberto; Parrish, Thomas B.; Ruffini, Stephen J.

2010-01-01

This exploratory study describes approaches to improving schools through retrospective, in-depth qualitative case studies. To select schools to be examined, the authors sought to identify Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) schools demonstrating two distinctive patterns of improved student achievement between 2000 and 2005, rapid-improvement (i.e.,…

Can Social Networking Be Used to Promote Engagement in Child Maltreatment Prevention Programs? Two Pilot Studies

PubMed Central

Edwards-Gaura, Anna; Whitaker, Daniel; Self-Brown, Shannon

2014-01-01

Introduction: Child maltreatment is one of the United States' most significant public health problems. In efforts to prevent maltreatment experts recommend use of Behavioral Parent Training Programs (BPTs), which focus on teaching skills that will replace and prevent maltreating behavior. While there is research to support the effectiveness of BPTs in maltreatment prevention, the reach of such programs is still limited by several barriers, including poor retention of families in services. Recently, new technologies have emerged that offer innovative opportunities to improve family engagement. These technologies include smartphones and social networking; however, very little is known about the potential of these to aid in maltreatment prevention. The primary goal of this study was to conduct 2 pilot exploratory projects. Methods: The first project administered a survey to parents and providers to gather data about at-risk parents' use of smartphones and online social networking technologies. The second project tested a social networking-enhanced brief parenting program with 3 intervention participants and evaluated parental responses. Results: Seventy-five percent of parents surveyed reported owning a computer that worked. Eighty-nine percent of parents reported that they had reliable Internet access at home, and 67% said they used the Internet daily. Three parents participated in the intervention with all reporting improvement in parent-child interaction skills and a positive experience participating in the social networking-enhanced SafeCare components. Conclusion: In general, findings suggest that smartphones, social networking, and Facebook, in particular, are now being used by individuals who show risk factors for maltreatment. Further, the majority of parents surveyed in this study said that they like Facebook, and all parents surveyed said that they use Facebook and have a Facebook account. As well, all saw it as a potentially beneficial supplement for future parents enrolling in parenting programs. PMID:25157304

Community-based walking exercise for peripheral artery disease: An exploratory pilot study

PubMed Central

Mays, Ryan J; Hiatt, William R; Casserly, Ivan P; Rogers, R Kevin; Main, Deborah S; Kohrt, Wendy M; Ho, P Michael; Regensteiner, Judith G

2016-01-01

Supervised walking exercise is an effective treatment to improve walking ability of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), but few exercise programs in community settings have been effective. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of a community-based walking exercise program with training, monitoring, and coaching (TMC) components to improve exercise performance and patient-reported outcomes in PAD patients. This was a randomized, controlled trial including PAD patients who previously received peripheral endovascular therapy or presented with stable claudication. Patients randomized (n=25) to the intervention group received a comprehensive community-based walking exercise program with elements of TMC over 14 weeks. Patients in the control group did not receive treatment beyond standard advice to walk. The primary outcome in the intent-to-treat (ITT) analyses was peak walking time (PWT) on a graded treadmill. Secondary outcomes included claudication onset time (COT) and patient-reported outcomes assessed via the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ). Intervention group patients (n=10) did not significantly improve PWT when compared with the control group patients (n=10) (mean±standard error: +2.1±0.7 vs. 0.0±0.7 min, p=0.052). Changes in COT and WIQ scores were greater for intervention patients compared with control patients (COT: +1.6±0.8 vs. −0.6±0.7 min, p=0.045; WIQ: +18.3±4.2 vs. −4.6±4.2%, p=0.001). This pilot using a walking program with TMC and an ITT analyses did not improve the primary outcome in PAD patients. Other walking performance and patient self-reported outcomes were improved following exercise in community settings. Further study is needed to determine whether this intervention improves outcomes in a trial employing a larger sample size. PMID:25755148

Life in the Middle: An Exploratory Study of California Community College Instructional Deans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sill, Nancy

2014-01-01

This two-phase sequential mixed methods exploratory study examined the perceived skill deficits of instructional deans at California community colleges to better understand the training and development needs that are necessary to support dean success and to prepare them for advancement in a timelier manner. This study is grounded in the…

Gender-Related Quality of Parent-Child Interactions and Early Adolescent Problem Behaviors: Exploratory Study with Midwestern Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spoth, Richard; Neppl, Tricia; Goldberg-Lillehoj, Catherine; Jung, Tony; Ramisetty-Mikler, Suhasini

2006-01-01

This article reports two exploratory studies testing a model guided by a social interactional perspective, positing an inverse relation between the quality of parent-child interactions and adolescent problem behaviors. It addresses mixed findings in the literature related to gender differences. Study 1 uses cross-sectional survey data from…

High School Teachers' Perspectives on the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajayi, Lasisi

2016-01-01

This was an exploratory study that examined high school teachers' perspectives about their early experiences with the English language arts Common Core State Standards. The sources of data for the study included a survey and structured interviews. Twenty-three high school ELA teachers from one unified school district in Southern California…

Caregiver Involvement in the Education of Youth in Foster Care: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beisse, Kay; Tyre, Ashli

2013-01-01

This study was an exploratory investigation of caregiver involvement in the education of youth in foster care. In this study, foster caregivers reported that they are involved in the education of children in their care and participate in at-home involvement activities more often than at-school involvement activities. Caregivers in this study…

Characteristics of Effective Pedagogy of Third Grade English Learners in Language Arts: An Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merwin, Gregory J.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify pedagogical and non-pedagogical factors that affect the academic achievement of English Learner (EL) students in the area of language arts at Dr. Albert Schweitzer Elementary School in Anaheim, California. The researcher conducted an exploratory multiple case study to develop a comprehensive, contextual…

An Exploratory Case Study of Hospitality Students' Perceptions of Experiential Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askren, Joe

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how students described the curriculum in the Introduction to Food Production class and how they perceived the curriculum prepared them for their future in the hospitality industry. The exploratory questions that guided the study were how do students describe the experiential learning curriculum in the…

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses of the WISC-IV with Gifted Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowe, Ellen W.; Dandridge, Jessica; Pawlush, Alexandra; Thompson, Dawna F.; Ferrier, David E.

2014-01-01

These 2 studies investigated the factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-4th edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003a) with exploratory factor analysis (EFA; Study 1) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; Study 2) among 2 independent samples of gifted students. The EFA sample consisted of 225 children who were referred for a…

School Self-Evaluations and School Inspections in Europe: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janssens, Frans J. G.; van Amelsvoort, Gonnie H. W. C. H.

2008-01-01

This article presents the results of an exploratory study into the effects of School Self-Evaluation (SSE) used by eight Education Inspectorates in seven European countries. This study reveals that in the countries where SSE is strongly incorporated into the school inspection system, there is a rather substantial degree of steering by the…

Toward a Theory of Student Satisfaction: An Exploratory Study of the "Quality of Student Life."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benjamin, Michael; Hollings, Ann E.

1995-01-01

The "Quality of Student Life" approach to studies of student satisfaction moves toward a coherent theory of satisfaction, based on an ecological perspective. Exploratory study (n=266) of senior undergraduate students demonstrated viability of this approach and the utility of the instrument developed to measure its dependent outcomes.…

An Exploratory Study of the Knowledge of Personal Safety Skills among Children with Developmental Disabilities and Their Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Hannah L.; Pavlik, Kathryn M.; Kim, Min Ah; Rogers, Karen C.

2017-01-01

Background: This study assessed the knowledge of personal safety skills among children with developmental disabilities and their parents' perceptions of children's knowledge. Method: This exploratory study examined the mental health records of 37 children with developmental disabilities referred for an abuse risk reduction group in a community…

Developing Students' Scientific Writing and Presentation Skills through Argument Driven Inquiry: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

C¸etin, Pinar Seda; Eymur, Gülüzar

2017-01-01

In this study, we employed a new instructional model that helps students develop scientific writing and presentation skills. Argument-driven inquiry (ADI) is one of the most novel instructional models that emphasizes the role of argumentation and inquiry in science education equally. This is an exploratory study where five ADI lab activities take…

Assessing the Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors of Human and Animal Health Students towards Antibiotic Use and Resistance: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study in the UK.

PubMed

Dyar, Oliver James; Hills, Holly; Seitz, Lara-Turiya; Perry, Alex; Ashiru-Oredope, Diane

2018-01-30

The Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance highlights the importance of training all healthcare professionals. No study has assessed patterns of students' knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning antibiotic use simultaneously across different healthcare course types. We conducted a cross-sectional multi-center survey among UK students. The survey was advertised through local survey coordinators at 25 universities. The online survey was accessible from 10th October to 17th November 2016 (before European Antibiotic Awareness Day). A total of 255 students from 25 universities participated, including students on medicine, pharmacy, nursing, physician associate, dentistry and veterinary medicine courses. Antibiotic resistance was considered to be a more important global challenge than climate change, obesity or food security ( p < 0.001). Most students (95%) believed that antibiotic resistance will be a problem for their future practice, but fewer (69%) thought that the antibiotics they will prescribe, administer or dispense will contribute to the problem. A fifth of students felt they had sufficient knowledge of antibiotic use for their future work. Our exploratory study suggests that UK human and animal healthcare students are aware of the importance of antibiotic resistance, but many still have certain misconceptions. Campaigns and improved educational efforts applying behavioral insights methodology could address these.

Exploratory study of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different environments of Mexico City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velasco, Erik; Siegmann, Philip; Siegmann, Hans C.

2004-09-01

Several studies regarding particulate matter in air pollution have been performed in Mexico City, but none have focused on environment exposure to particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAH), which are related to the occurrence of cardiopulmonary diseases and mortality. On this account, this study presents measurements of personal exposure to PPAH in different outdoor and indoor environments, as well as along roadways in Mexico City. The measurements were done with portable sensors based on photoelectric charging and diffusion charging to determine the PPAH concentrations and the joint active surface of all particles, respectively. The use of these two sensors in parallel is a useful tool to qualitatively identify the major sources and to describe the physical and chemical characteristics of the particles. The highest exposures were found in ambient air near traffic sources, mainly at sites with great influence of diesel vehicles, such as urban transfer bus stations. Roadway measurements showed that Mexican PPAH pollution levels are between those in large cities in Europe and USA. For indoor environments such as residences, shopping centers, restaurants and hospitality venues, it was found that secondhand smoke is the major contributor, however badly calibrated pilot stoves, inefficient ventilation and faulty air-conditioning systems can be additional sources of PPAH.

Precision medicine for hepatocelluar carcinoma using molecular pattern diagnostics: results from a preclinical pilot study.

PubMed

Agarwal, Rahul; Cao, Yuan; Hoffmeier, Klaus; Krezdorn, Nicolas; Jost, Lukas; Meisel, Alejandro Rodriguez; Jüngling, Ruth; Dituri, Francesco; Mancarella, Serena; Rotter, Björn; Winter, Peter; Giannelli, Gianluigi

2017-06-08

The aim of this study was to design a road map for personalizing cancer therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by using molecular pattern diagnostics. As an exploratory study, we investigated molecular patterns of tissues of two tumors from individual HCC patients, which in previous experiments had shown contrasting reactions to the phase 2 transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 inhibitor galunisertib. Cancer-driving molecular patterns encompass - inter alias - altered transcription profiles and somatic mutations in coding regions differentiating tumors from their respective peritumoral tissues and from each other. Massive analysis of cDNA ends and all-exome sequencing demonstrate a highly divergent transcriptional and mutational landscape, respectively, for the two tumors, that offers potential explanations for the tumors contrasting responses to galunisertib. Molecular pattern diagnostics (MPDs) suggest alternative, individual-tumor-specific therapies, which in both cases deviate from the standard sorafenib treatment and from each other. Suggested personalized therapies use kinase inhibitors and immune-focused drugs as well as low-toxicity natural compounds identified using an advanced bioinformatics routine included in the MPD protocol. The MPD pipeline we describe here for the prediction of suitable drugs for treatment of two contrasting HCCs may serve as a blueprint for the design of therapies for various types of cancer.

Effects of the combination of metyrapone and oxazepam on cocaine craving and cocaine taking: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study.

PubMed

Kablinger, Anita S; Lindner, Marie A; Casso, Stephanie; Hefti, Franz; DeMuth, George; Fox, Barbara S; McNair, Lindsay A; McCarthy, Bruce G; Goeders, Nicholas E

2012-07-01

Although cocaine dependence affects an estimated 1.6 million people in the USA, there are currently no medications approved for the treatment of this disorder. Experiments performed in animal models have demonstrated that inhibitors of the stress response effectively reduce intravenous cocaine self-administration. This exploratory, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of combinations of the cortisol synthesis inhibitor metyrapone, and the benzodiazepine oxazepam, in 45 cocaine-dependent individuals. The subjects were randomized to a total daily dose of 500 mg metyrapone/20 mg oxazepam (low dose), a total daily dose of 1500 mg metyrapone/20 mg oxazepam (high dose), or placebo for 6 weeks of treatment. The outcome measures were a reduction in cocaine craving and associated cocaine use as determined by quantitative measurements of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine (BE) in urine at all visits. Of the randomized subjects, 49% completed the study. The combination of metyrapone and oxazepam was well tolerated and tended to reduce cocaine craving and cocaine use, with significant reductions at several time points when controlling for baseline scores. These data suggest that further assessments of the ability of the metyrapone and oxazepam combination to support cocaine abstinence in cocaine-dependent subjects are warranted.

Supersymmetric QCD on the lattice: An exploratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, M.; Panagopoulos, H.

2017-08-01

We perform a pilot study of the perturbative renormalization of a supersymmetric gauge theory with matter fields on the lattice. As a specific example, we consider supersymmetric N =1 QCD (SQCD). We study the self-energies of all particles which appear in this theory, as well as the renormalization of the coupling constant. To this end we compute, perturbatively to one-loop, the relevant two-point and three-point Green's functions using both dimensional and lattice regularizations. Our lattice formulation involves the Wilson discretization for the gluino and quark fields; for gluons we employ the Wilson gauge action; for scalar fields (squarks) we use naïve discretization. The gauge group that we consider is S U (Nc), while the number of colors, Nc, the number of flavors, Nf, and the gauge parameter, α , are left unspecified. We obtain analytic expressions for the renormalization factors of the coupling constant (Zg) and of the quark (Zψ), gluon (Zu), gluino (Zλ), squark (ZA ±), and ghost (Zc) fields on the lattice. We also compute the critical values of the gluino, quark and squark masses. Finally, we address the mixing which occurs among squark degrees of freedom beyond tree level: we calculate the corresponding mixing matrix which is necessary in order to disentangle the components of the squark field via an additional finite renormalization.

The Rorschach test and Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome: a pilot case-control study.

PubMed

Balottin, Umberto; Rossi, Maura; Rossi, Giorgio; Viganò, Lucia; Nanti, Marta; Salini, Silvia; Lanzi, Giovanni; Termine, Cristiano

2009-10-01

To date only three studies, all lacking a control group, have investigated the personality style underlying tic disorders or Tourette's syndrome (TS), using the projective Rorschach test. Despite the recent controversy about its proper use in clinical practice and research, the Rorschach test may be useful to explore personality organization in TS. The research hypothesis under investigation in this exploratory study was that young TS patients exhibit a peculiar personality organization, with significantly increased indicators of poor emotional control, aggression, anxiety and depression, on the Rorschach test, compared to healthy controls. We analyed the Rorschach protocols of 17 newly diagnosed paediatric TS patients and 17 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Compared with the controls young TS patients recorded significantly lower mean percentages of F and F+ responses and a significantly higher number of FM and FC responses, thus showing reduced control of emotions and difficulty in integrating aggressivity. Furthermore, associations emerged between comorbidity with ADHD and increased emotional instability and between severity of tics and of OCD and a pattern of emotional hyper-control and application of rigid defensive mechanisms. These results seem to confirm the existence of a peculiar personality style in young TS patients and may have important implications, both pathogenetic and therapeutic.

Exploratory procedures of tactile images in visually impaired and blindfolded sighted children: how they relate to their consequent performance in drawing.

PubMed

Vinter, Annie; Fernandes, Viviane; Orlandi, Oriana; Morgan, Pascal

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study was to compare the types of exploratory procedures employed by children when exploring bidimensional tactile patterns and correlate the use of these procedures with the children's shape drawing performance. 18 early blind children, 20 children with low vision and 24 age-matched blindfolded sighted children aged approximately 7 or 11 years were included in the study. The children with a visual handicap outperformed the sighted children in terms of haptic exploration and did not produce less recognizable drawings than their sighted counterparts. Close relationships were identified between the types of exploratory procedures employed by the children and their subsequent drawing performance, regardless of visual status. This close link between action and perception in the haptic modality indicates the importance of training blind children in exploratory procedures at an early age. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Randomized, placebo-controlled, phase IV pilot study of ramosetron to evaluate the co-primary end points in male patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea.

PubMed

Ida, Motoko; Nishida, Akito; Akiho, Hiraku; Nakashima, Yoshihiro; Matsueda, Kei; Fukudo, Shin

2017-01-01

Global assessment allows patients to assess improvement in multiple irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. However, it was deemed important to assess "clinically meaningful improvements, focusing on the patient's chief complaint and the severity of major IBS symptoms" in addition to global assessment to show how ramosetron is effective for individual IBS symptoms. This is a pilot study to explore clinical endpoints focusing on the chief complaint of patients with IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D). The same database was used in a previously reported post-marketing phase IV, randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial in male patients with IBS-D. The hypothesis is completely different from that of the other study. Patients with IBS-D diagnosed according to Rome III criteria were given either 5 μg of ramosetron ( n  = 47) or placebo ( n  = 51) once daily for 12 weeks after a one-week baseline period. To explore and examine endpoints that allow evaluation of "clinically meaningful improvements focusing on the patient's chief complaint," the chief complaint and its relief by this study drug were assessed in this exploratory study. Rates of patients with abdominal pain/discomfort, stool form and stool frequency which patients had as a chief complaint before administration were 34.0, 19.1 and 25.5%, respectively, in the ramosetron 5 μg group and 42.0, 18.0, and 20.0% in the placebo group. Responder rates for improvement in symptoms of the chief complaint that patients had before administration were 53.2% in the ramosetron 5 μg group and 42.0% in the placebo group at the last point. The greatest symptomatic improvement in the chief complaint in the ramosetron 5 μg group compared to the placebo group was shown with respect to stool consistency. Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) scores were significantly lower in the ramosetron group than in the placebo group (4.36 ± 1.195 vs 4.85 ± 0.890 at the last point, P  = 0.027) throughout the treatment period, except at week 6. Ramosetron acted most effectively on stool consistency. Improvement in stool consistency is considered to be a clinically meaningful endpoint in showing how ramosetron was effective for individual IBS symptoms. (Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT00918411. Registered 9 June 2009).

Exploratory Study of Factors Related to Educational Scores of First Preclinical Year Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sitticharoon, Chantacha; Srisuma, Sorachai; Kanavitoon, Sawita; Summachiwakij, Sarawut

2014-01-01

The relationships among the scores of major subjects taught in the first preclinical year of a Thai medical school, previous academic achievements, and daily life activities are rarely explored. We therefore performed an exploratory study identifying various factors possibly related to the educational scores of these medical students.…

International Comparisons of Teachers' Salaries: An Exploratory Study. Survey Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barro, Steven M.; Suter, Larry

This paper, the final product of a study, "International Comparison of Teachers' Salaries," on an exploratory effort to compare salaries of elementary and secondary school teachers in the United States with those in other economically advanced countries. Data was obtained from Canada, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Japan,…

An Exploratory Study of Sustainable Development at Italian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vagnoni, Emidia; Cavicchi, Caterina

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to outline the current status of the implementation of sustainability practices in the context of Italian public universities, highlighting the strengths and gaps. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a qualitative approach, an exploratory study design has been outlined using the model of Glavic and Lukman (2007) focusing…

Comparing Fathers' Physical and Toy Play and Links to Child Behaviour: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St George, Jennifer; Fletcher, Richard; Palazzi, Kerrin

2017-01-01

Increasing amounts of research show that fathers' involvement in children's lives contributes to the child's social, emotional and cognitive development; however, much of the evidence comes from fathers' caregiving and object play. This exploratory study compared the characteristics of 24 Australian fathers' play in two contexts--toy play and…

Why Organizations Continue to Create Patient Information Leaflets with Readability and Usability Problems: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gal, Iddo; Prigat, Ayelet

2005-01-01

Readability and usability problems with patient information leaflets continue to be reported despite long-standing recognition of their existence and the availability of guidelines for developing health education materials. This exploratory study examined possible causes for such problems, based on interviews with professionals who developed…

The Effects of Training on a Young Child with Cortical Visual Impairment: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lueck, Amanda Hall; Dornbusch, Helen; Hart, Jeri

1999-01-01

This exploratory study investigated the effects of the components of visual environmental management, visual skills training, and visually dependent task training on the performance of visual behaviors of a toddler with multiple disabilities including cortical visual impairment. Training components were implemented by the mother during daily…

An Exploratory Study of Mothers' Perceptions of Acculturation within the Preschool Context. Working Paper. WR-523

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lara-Cinisomo, Sandraluz; Thomas, Audrey Alforque

2007-01-01

This exploratory study examines the mother's perceptions of her preschooler's acculturation process, using qualitative methods to collect data from six Latino immigrant mothers about their own acculturation and that of their preschool child. Three patterns emerged: parallel dyadic acculturation, vertex dyadic acculturation, and intersegmented…

Dyslexia and Psycho-Social Functioning: An Exploratory Study of the Role of Self-Esteem and Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terras, Melody M.; Thompson, Lucy C.; Minnis, Helen

2009-01-01

Individuals with dyslexia may have lower self-esteem and exhibit more emotional and behavioural difficulties than those without reading problems. However, the nature of any relationship between self-esteem and psychopathology remains unknown. This exploratory study assessed levels of self-esteem using the "Self-Perception Profile for…

Chinese Students' Perceptions of the Teaching in an Australian Accounting Programme--An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Grace; Cooper, Barry J.; Dellaportas, Steven

2015-01-01

This exploratory study is designed to elicit and understand the views of Mainland Chinese students concerning their learning experience in an Australian accounting education programme. The article contributes to the literature by investigating the issues and implications associated with international students' perceptions of teaching, as little…

Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems Braille Reading Assessment: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posey, Virginia K.; Henderson, Barbara W.

2012-01-01

Introduction: This exploratory study determined whether transcribing selected test items on an adult life and work skills reading test into braille could maintain the same approximate scale-score range and maintain fitness within the item response theory model as used by the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) for developing…

An Exploratory Study of Video Browsing User Interface Designs and Research Methodologies: Effectiveness in Information Seeking Tasks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tse, Tony; Vegh, Sandor; Shneiderman, Ben; Marchionini, Gary

1999-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop research methods to compare the effectiveness of two video browsing interface designs, or surrogates--one static (storyboard) and one dynamic (slide show)--on two distinct information seeking tasks (gist determination and object recognition). (AEF)

The Nature of Professional Learning Communities in New Zealand Early Childhood Education: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherrington, Sue; Thornton, Kate

2015-01-01

Professional learning communities are receiving increasing attention within the schooling sector but empirical research into their development and use within early childhood education contexts is rare. This paper reports initial findings of an exploratory study into the development of professional learning communities in New Zealand's early…

Self-Regulatory Efficacy and Mindset of At-Risk Students: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matheson, Ian A.

2015-01-01

There is a limited body of research examining how students' beliefs about intelligence and about their abilities relate to different learning environments. As reported here, I examined secondary school students' beliefs, goals, and expectations guided by Zimmerman's (2000) model of self-regulated learning. In this exploratory study, 230 secondary…

An Exploratory Study of Problem Gambling on Casino versus Non-Casino Electronic Gaming Machines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Dave; Pulford, Justin; Bellringer, Maria; Abbott, Max; Hodgins, David C.

2012-01-01

Electronic gaming machines (EGMs) have been frequently associated with problem gambling. Little research has compared the relative contribution of casino EGMs versus non-casino EGMs on current problem gambling, after controlling for demographic factors and gambling behaviour. Our exploratory study obtained data from questionnaires administered to…

Urban Service Providers' Perspectives on School Responses to Gay, Lesbian, and Questioning Students: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varjas, Kris; Graybill, Emily; Mahan, Will; Meyers, Joel; Dew, Brian; Marshall, Megan; Singh, Anneliese; Birckbichler, Lamar

2007-01-01

Perspectives regarding bullying of gay, lesbian, and questioning (GLQ) students were obtained from 16 school and community service providers in this exploratory study. Insights were gained regarding in-school responses to homophobic bullying threats beyond traditional punishments (e.g., suspension). Barriers to developing safe schools for GLQ…

Why Integrating Technology Has Been Unsuccessful in Kuwait? An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfelaij, Bader

2016-01-01

In Kuwait, unsuccessful attempts to use and integrate technology into classrooms and lecture halls are currently being witnessed in schools and higher education institutions. Such failure is believed to be the consequence of various challenges, such as cultural, technical and contextual challenges. In this exploratory study, the researcher has…

An Exploratory Study of the Impact of College Student Leadership Programs upon the Construct of Mindfulness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horowitz, Rich

2012-01-01

Mindfulness is a key skill that produces the greater psychological awareness identified by most leadership scholars as being essential to effective leadership. This study conducted an exploratory assessment of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cocurricular collegiate leadership programs through pre- and post-participation application of the…

Problematic Students of NASP-Approved Programs: An Exploratory Study of Graduate Student Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trimble, Leasha D.; Stroebel, Sandra S.; Krieg, Fred Jay; Rubenstein, Robert L.

2012-01-01

This study reports the findings of an electronic exploratory survey of National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Student Representatives. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the perspective of graduate students concerning problematic peers and their experiences with them in school psychology training programs.…

Supporting the Development of Risk-Taking Behaviours in the Early Years: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, Jane; Begley, Sharon

2007-01-01

Children's opportunities for independent play in natural outdoor spaces, and the associated opportunities to take and negotiate risk, are being eroded despite potential links between such play and the development of positive learning dispositions. This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study that documented the risk-taking behaviours…

Academic and Personal Development through Group Work: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steen, Sam

2011-01-01

This exploratory study linked academic and personal development within a group counseling intervention. A pre-test post-test research design compared social skills, learning behaviors, and achievement with a convenience sample and control group of students from three elementary schools. For the treatment group, grade point average in Language Arts…

Music Educators' Self-Perceptions of Interpersonal Skills: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Sandra A.; Seaver, Karen J.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study was to measure music educators' ("N" = 9) self-perceptions of their use of interpersonal skills. Participants rated themselves on 32 statements included on the "My Use of Interpersonal Skills Inventory" in pre- and posttest formats. Participants participated in a 4-week period of weekly…

What Do GCSE Examiners Think of "Thinking Aloud"? Findings from an Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greatorex, Jackie; Suto, Irenka W. M.

2008-01-01

Background: "Thinking aloud" is a well-established method of data collection in education, assessment, and other fields of research. However, while many researchers have reported their views on its usage, the first-hand experiences of research participants have received less attention. Purpose: The aim of this exploratory study was to…

Bullying and Victimisation Dynamics in High School: An Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lekunze, Lucy M. George; Strom, B. Ivan

2017-01-01

Bullying is a worldwide concern and erroneous perceptions of the phenomenon could underscore unsustainable interventions. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine, in-depth, how some high school teachers from two schools in New Jersey perceived student bullying. The primary research question was: What perceptions do…

An Exploratory Study of Emotional Affordance of a Massive Open Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Jeremy C. Y.

2014-01-01

This exploratory study examines emotional affordance of a massive open online course (MOOC). Postings in a discussion forum of a MOOC in computer science are analysed following a research design informed by virtual ethnography. Emotional affordance is investigated, focusing on non-achievement emotions which are not directly linked to achievement…

Applying Threshold Concepts Theory to an Unsettled Field: An Exploratory Study in Criminal Justice Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wimshurst, Kerry

2011-01-01

Criminal justice education is a relatively new program in higher education in many countries, and its curriculum and parameters remain unsettled. An exploratory study investigated whether threshold concepts theory provided a useful lens by which to explore student understandings of this multidisciplinary field. Eight high-performing final-year…

Group Work for Korean Expatriate Women in the United States: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suh, Suhyun; Lee, Myoung-Suk

2006-01-01

This paper presents the results of exploratory research with a group of seven Korean expatriate women. The study employed a modified Reality Therapy approach over eight meetings conducted by two professionally qualified leaders who also speak Korean. Qualitative research methods were used to analyze and describe the participants' experiences.…

An Exploratory Study of the Curricular Integration of Ethics in Executive MBA Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franco, Jaime M.

2011-01-01

An Exploratory Study of the Curricular Integration of Ethics in Executive MBA Programs News headlines of corporate scandals have unleashed a contentious debate of whether or not graduate management education has contributed to corporate collapses and the resultant financial crisis. In particular, questions abound as to the willingness of…

Mission Attachment and Job Satisfaction among Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing Service Professionals: An Exploratory Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fermin, Caroline P.

2017-01-01

This research study was an exploratory analysis to determine if a relationship existed between mission attachment and job satisfaction of emergency nonprofit domestic violence shelter/transitional housing workers. The study examined if the perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes were different between entry-level, middle-level, and senior-level…

An Exploratory Investigation of the Factor Structure of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dombrowski, Stefan C.; Watkins, Marley W.; Brogan, Michael J.

2009-01-01

This study investigated the factor structure of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS) using rigorous exploratory factor analytic and factor extraction procedures. The results of this study indicate that the RIAS is a single factor test. Despite these results, higher order factor analysis using the Schmid-Leiman procedure indicates…

Hip Hop Therapy: An Exploratory Study of a Rap Music Intervention with At-Risk and Delinquent Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyson, Edgar H.

2002-01-01

Presents an exploratory study of the therapeutic potential of "Hip-Hop" therapy, an "innovative synergy of rap music, bibliotherapy, and music therapy." Finds that the quantitative and qualitative results partially supported the hypothesis that under a specific set of conditions rap music would improve the therapeutic…

An Exploratory Study of Animal-Assisted Interventions Utilized by Mental Health Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Callaghan, Dana M.; Chandler, Cynthia K.

2011-01-01

This study implemented an exploratory analysis to examine how a sample of mental health professionals incorporates specific animal-assisted techniques into the therapeutic process. An extensive review of literature related to animal-assisted therapy (AAT) resulted in the identification of 18 techniques and 10 intentions for the practice of AAT in…

Contingency Management for Adolescent Smokers: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tevyaw, Tracy O'Leary; Gwaltney, Chad; Tidey, Jennifer W.; Colby, Suzanne M.; Kahler, Christopher W.; Miranda, Robert; Barnett, Nancy P.; Rohsenow, Damaris J.; Monti, Peter M.

2007-01-01

This exploratory study investigated the efficacy and feasibility of a contingency management (CM) protocol for adolescent smokers that included use of a reduction phase. Using a within-participants design, 19 adolescents completed three 7-day phases: (1) reinforcement for attendance and provision of breath samples (RA) phase, (2) a washout phase,…

An Exploratory Case Study of PBIS Implementation Using Social Network Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitcomb, Sara A.; Woodland, Rebecca H.; Barry, Shannon K.

2017-01-01

An exploratory case study is presented in which social network analysis (SNA) was used to explore how school teaming structures influence the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The authors theorized that PBIS leadership teams that include members with connections to all other information-sharing…

Introducing Case Management to Students in a Virtual World: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Joanne; Adams, Ruifang Hope

2013-01-01

This paper discusses a small, exploratory study introducing students to case management using role-plays conducted in a virtual world. Data from pre- and posttest questionnaires (to assess self-efficacy regarding a range of case management tasks) suggest students felt more confident in their abilities after virtual role-play participation. Also…

Personal Epistemologies of Statisticians in Academia: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Aurel H.; Stylianides, Andreas J.

2017-01-01

In this exploratory study, we investigated the personal epistemologies of statisticians in academia with the aim of offering some insight into what might be an availing epistemology for learning statistics. Findings from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six academics in the UK currently researching within the field of statistics showed…

How Safe Is a School? An Exploratory Study Comparing Measures and Perceptions of Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez, Diley; Floden, Lysbeth; Bosworth, Kris

2010-01-01

This exploratory study investigates the relation between incident reports to local law enforcement, and students' and teachers' perceptions of school safety. Using a combination of grounded theory and statistics, we compared quantitative data collected from law enforcement agencies with qualitative data provided by students and teachers during…

Development of the Human Factors Skills for Healthcare Instrument: a valid and reliable tool for assessing interprofessional learning across healthcare practice settings.

PubMed

Reedy, Gabriel B; Lavelle, Mary; Simpson, Thomas; Anderson, Janet E

2017-10-01

A central feature of clinical simulation training is human factors skills, providing staff with the social and cognitive skills to cope with demanding clinical situations. Although these skills are critical to safe patient care, assessing their learning is challenging. This study aimed to develop, pilot and evaluate a valid and reliable structured instrument to assess human factors skills, which can be used pre- and post-simulation training, and is relevant across a range of healthcare professions. Through consultation with a multi-professional expert group, we developed and piloted a 39-item survey with 272 healthcare professionals attending training courses across two large simulation centres in London, one specialising in acute care and one in mental health, both serving healthcare professionals working across acute and community settings. Following psychometric evaluation, the final 12-item instrument was evaluated with a second sample of 711 trainees. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 12-item, one-factor solution with good internal consistency (α=0.92). The instrument had discriminant validity, with newly qualified trainees scoring significantly lower than experienced trainees ( t (98)=4.88, p<0.001) and was sensitive to change following training in acute and mental health settings, across professional groups (p<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed an adequate model fit (RMSEA=0.066). The Human Factors Skills for Healthcare Instrument provides a reliable and valid method of assessing trainees' human factors skills self-efficacy across acute and mental health settings. This instrument has the potential to improve the assessment and evaluation of human factors skills learning in both uniprofessional and interprofessional clinical simulation training.

Predictors of parental discretionary choice provision using the health action process approach framework: Development and validation of a self-reported questionnaire for parents of 4-7-year-olds.

PubMed

Johnson, Brittany J; Zarnowiecki, Dorota; Hendrie, Gilly A; Golley, Rebecca K

2018-02-21

Children's intake of discretionary choices is excessive. This study aimed to develop a questionnaire measuring parents' attitudes and beliefs towards limiting provision of discretionary choices, using the Health Action Process Approach model. The questionnaire items were informed by the Health Action Process Approach model, which extends the Theory of Planned Behaviour to include both motivational (intention) and volitional (post-intention) factors that influence behaviour change. The questionnaire was piloted for content and face validity (expert panel, n = 5; parents, n = 4). Construct and predictive validity were examined in a sample of 178 parents of 4-7-year-old children who completed the questionnaire online. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analyses, Cronbach's alpha and multiple linear regression. Pilot testing supported content and face validity. Principal component analyses identified constructs that aligned with the eight constructs of the Health Action Process Approach model. Internal consistencies were high for all subscales, in both the motivational (Cronbach's alpha 0.77-0.88) and volitional phase (Cronbach's alpha 0.85-0.92). Initial results from validation tests support the development of a new questionnaire for measuring parent attitudes and beliefs regarding provision of discretionary choices to their 4-7-year-old children within the home. This new questionnaire can be used to gain greater insight into parents' attitudes and beliefs that influence ability to limit discretionary choices provision to children. Further research to expand understanding of the questionnaires' psychometric properties would be valuable, including confirmatory factor analysis and reproducibility. © 2018 Dietitians Association of Australia.

The Constructivist Approach? I Have Heard about It but I Have Never Seen It: "An Example of Exploratory Sequential Mixed Design Study"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Ahmet; Dogan, Soner; Demir, Selçuk Besir

2016-01-01

The present study was undertaken to investigate the quality of education based on the views of the students attending social studies education departments at the Faculties of Education and to determine the existing problems and present suggestions for their solutions. The study was conducted according to exploratory sequential mixed method. In…

The Constructivist Approach? I Have Heard about It but I Have Never Seen It "An Example of Exploratory Sequential Mixed Design Study"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Ahmet; Dogan, Soner; Demir, Selçuk Besir

2016-01-01

The present study was undertaken to investigate the quality of education based on the views of the students attending social studies education departments at the Faculties of Education and to determine the existing problems and present suggestions for their solutions. The study was conducted according to exploratory sequential mixed method. In…

An Exploratory Study of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in a Design Project by Students in Grades 9-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawanto, Oenardi; Butler, Deborah; Cartier, Sylvie; Santoso, Harry; Lawanto, Kevin; Clark, David

2013-01-01

This exploratory study evaluated self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies of 27 students in grades 9-12 during an engineering design project. The specific focus of the study was on student task interpretation and its relation to planning and cognitive strategies in design activities. Two research questions guided the study: (1) To what degree was…

"My Purpose Was to Help Them with Accounting, Not English": An Exploratory Study of Languages Other than English in Peer Assisted Study Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Supple, Briony J.; Best, Gill; Pearce, Amanda

2016-01-01

This paper considers when and for what purposes Peer Assisted Study Session (PASS) Leaders at an English medium university use their first language (when that language is not the dominant language of instruction) to facilitate PASS sessions in an English speaking university. This small qualitative exploratory study examines the experiences of…

To Flip or Not to Flip? An Exploratory Study Comparing Student Performance in Calculus I

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Larissa B.; McGivney-Burelle, Jean; Xue, Fei

2015-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory, mixed-methods study was to compare student performance in flipped and non-flipped sections of Calculus I. The study also examined students' perceptions of the flipping pedagogy. Students in the flipped courses reported spending, on average, an additional 1-2 hours per week outside of class on course content.…

Using Relevance Prompts: An Exploratory Study to Promote Eighth Graders' Comprehension and Retelling of Narrative Text

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogarty, Melissa S.; Davis, John L.; Anderson, Leah L.; Myint, Ahmarlay

2017-01-01

This exploratory study investigated the effects of modifying eighth grade students' purposes for reading through a prompt designed to increase engagement with the text. The current study was conducted using a randomized between-subjects design, with a relevance prompt as the between-subjects factor and reader proficiency as a covariate. A sample…

Reciprocal Learning in Partnership Practice: An Exploratory Study of a Home Visiting Program for Mothers with Depression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowler, Cathrine; Dunston, Roger; Lee, Alison; Rossiter, Chris; McKenzie, Jo

2012-01-01

This paper reports on a small exploratory study that investigates the place and role of reciprocal learning within a partnership-based home visiting program for mothers experiencing depression. The study is one important example of an increased focus on reciprocal learning within practice that has significant implications for the development of…

An Exploratory Study of Young Students' Core Virtues of e-Character Education: The Taiwanese Teachers' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Chih-Ming; Chou, Chien

2015-01-01

The e-character education (e-CE) approach refers to systems of ethics education that pertain specifically to cyberspace. This exploratory study used a survey to collect 2495 teachers' responses regarding virtues important to e-CE. Furthermore, in order to identify the teaching concerns associated with these most important virtues, this study used…

Educators in Industry: An Exploratory Study to Determine How Teacher Externships Influence K-12 Classroom Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Bradley; Shume, Teresa

2018-01-01

This exploratory study investigates the impacts of industry-based externships for K-12 teachers, and reports teachers' perspectives on how these experiences influenced K-12 classroom practices. The program of focus in this research study is the Educators in Industry: K-12 Externship Program. For four weeks in the summer, teacher-participants are…

Digital Badges for Teacher Mastery: An Exploratory Study of a Competency-Based Professional Development Badge System. CCT Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, James; Gonzalez, Pilar Carmina

2014-01-01

This study contributes knowledge about how a digital badge system integrated into an online, subject-matter-specific, and competency-based professional development (PD) program affected teachers' experiences with and perceptions of the program activities. The report presents findings from a one-year exploratory study of an online PD program, and…

An Exploratory Study of the Relationship between Collaboration and Mathematics and Game Outcomes. CRESST Report 797

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buschang, Rebecca E.; Chung, Gregory K. W. K.; Kim, Jinok

2011-01-01

This study is an exploratory study of the relationship between collaboration and mathematics and game outcomes in a video game aimed at teaching concepts related to rational numbers. The sample included 243 middle school students who played the video game either with one partner or individually for 40 minutes. Results suggest that participants…

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING DESIGN AND STUDENT LEARNING. FINAL REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MARX, BARBARA S.; MYRICK, RICHARD

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY WAS MADE OF THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING DESIGN UPON THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY AT STUDENT INFORMAL INTERACTIONS, AND THE NATURE AND CONTENT OF SUCH INTERACTIONS. THREE HIGH SCHOOLS WERE STUDIED, AND QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS WERE USED WITH THE 1631 STUDENTS IN THE TOP TWO GRADES. CONCEPTS WHICH WERE IDENTIFIED…

Is Counseling Going to the Dogs? An Exploratory Study Related to the Inclusion of an Animal in Group Counseling with Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lange, Amber M.; Cox, Jane A.; Bernert, Donna J.; Jenkins, Christie D.

2007-01-01

Research has demonstrated that the use of animals in counseling provides beneficial effects to clients. This article presents literature on Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), and details an exploratory study that applied AAT in an adolescent anger management group. Consistent with other research, beneficial effects noted in this study included a…

Virtual Trust in US-India Global Outsource Teams: A Qualitative Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gugliotti, Domenic

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to identify and analyze, trust behaviors used by members of an outsourced virtual team in an on and offshore engagement. The inability to build trust in outsourced engagements can cause serious damage to the collaboration within the virtual team causing it to fail. This study provides…

An Exploratory Study on K-12 Teachers' Use of Technology and Multimedia in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Florence; Carr, Marsha L.

2015-01-01

21st century has seen new technology and multimedia made available for integration in K-12 classrooms. This exploratory study examines K-12 teachers' use of technology and multimedia in the classroom in two southern counties in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of the study was to answer the following five research questions: 1) What…

Analysis of E-Mail Produced by Middle School Students with Disabilities Using Accessible Interfaces: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sohlberg, McKay Moore; Todis, Bonnie; Fickas, Stephen; Ehlhardt, Laurie

2011-01-01

The goal of this exploratory study was to investigate electronic communication as a potential method to enhance social communication in a range of students with disabilities. This study investigated the usability of an adapted e-mail interface, TeenMail, for 11 middle school students with significant learning and communication impairments who…

University Faculty Members' Perceptions of the Factors That Facilitate Technology Integration into Their Instruction: An Exploratory Case Study in Qatar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karkouti, Ibrahim Mohamad

2016-01-01

This qualitative, exploratory case study was designed to elicit faculty members' perceptions of the factors that facilitate technology integration into their instruction. The study was conducted at a midsized higher education institution in Qatar. Davis's (1986) technology acceptance model (TAM) is the conceptual framework that guided this study…

Geographic variation in the association between exploratory behavior and physiology in rufous-collared sparrows.

PubMed

Maldonado, Karin; van Dongen, Wouter F D; Vásquez, Rodrigo A; Sabat, Pablo

2012-01-01

Increasing research has attempted to clarify the links between animal personality and physiology. However, the mechanisms driving this association remain largely unknown, and knowledge of how ecological factors may affect its direction and strength is scant. In this study, we quantified variation in the association between exploratory behavior, basal metabolic rate (BMR), and total evaporative water loss (TEWL) in rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis) inhabiting desert, Mediterranean, and cold-temperate climates. We found that the exploratory behavior score was highest in birds from the cold-temperate site, which was characterized by a moderate level of ecological variability (seasonality). Moreover, the association between exploratory behavior and physiological variables differed among localities. Only birds from the Mediterranean site showed a positive correlation between exploratory behavior and BMR. We found no association between exploration and TEWL at any study site. Our findings suggest that differences in the ecological conditions experienced by each sparrow population result in a particular combination of behavioral and physiological traits. An understanding of this intraspecific variation along ecological gradients provides unique insights into how specific ecological conditions affect the coupling of behavioral and physiological traits and the mechanisms underlying that relationship.

Virtually-augmented interfaces for tactical aircraft.

PubMed

Haas, M W

1995-05-01

The term Fusion Interface is defined as a class of interface which integrally incorporates both virtual and non-virtual concepts and devices across the visual, auditory and haptic sensory modalities. A fusion interface is a multi-sensory virtually-augmented synthetic environment. A new facility has been developed within the Human Engineering Division of the Armstrong Laboratory dedicated to exploratory development of fusion-interface concepts. One of the virtual concepts to be investigated in the Fusion Interfaces for Tactical Environments facility (FITE) is the application of EEG and other physiological measures for virtual control of functions within the flight environment. FITE is a specialized flight simulator which allows efficient concept development through the use of rapid prototyping followed by direct experience of new fusion concepts. The FITE facility also supports evaluation of fusion concepts by operational fighter pilots in a high fidelity simulated air combat environment. The facility was utilized by a multi-disciplinary team composed of operational pilots, human-factors engineers, electronics engineers, computer scientists, and experimental psychologists to prototype and evaluate the first multi-sensory, virtually-augmented cockpit. The cockpit employed LCD-based head-down displays, a helmet-mounted display, three-dimensionally localized audio displays, and a haptic display. This paper will endeavor to describe the FITE facility architecture, some of the characteristics of the FITE virtual display and control devices, and the potential application of EEG and other physiological measures within the FITE facility.

Self-Management and Transition Readiness Assessment: Development, Reliability, and Factor Structure of the STARx Questionnaire.

PubMed

Ferris, M; Cohen, S; Haberman, C; Javalkar, K; Massengill, S; Mahan, J D; Kim, S; Bickford, K; Cantu, G; Medeiros, M; Phillips, A; Ferris, M T; Hooper, S R

2015-01-01

The Self-Management and Transition to Adulthood with Rx=Treatment (STARx) Questionnaire was developed to collect information on self-management and health care transition (HCT) skills, via self-report, in a broad population of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic conditions. Over several iterations, the STARx questionnaire was created with AYA, family, and health provider input. The development and pilot testing of the STARx Questionnaire took place with the assistance of 1219 AYAs with different chronic health conditions, in multiple institutions and settings over three phases: item development, pilot testing, reliability and factor structuring. The three development phases resulted in a final version of the STARx Questionnaire. The exploratory factor analysis of the third version of the 18-item STARx identified six factors that accounted for about 65% of the variance: Medication management, Provider communication, Engagement during appointments, Disease knowledge, Adult health responsibilities, and Resource utilization. Reliability estimates revealed good internal consistency and temporal stability, with the alpha coefficient for the overall scale being .80. The STARx was developmentally sensitive, with older patients scoring significantly higher on nearly every factor than younger patients. The STARx Questionnaire is a reliable, self-report tool with adequate internal consistency, temporal stability, and a strong, multidimensional factor structure. It provides another assessment strategy to measure self-management and transition skills in AYAs with chronic conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combat Agility Management System (CAMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skow, Andrew; Porada, William

1994-01-01

The proper management of energy becomes a complex task in fighter aircraft which have high angle of attack (AOA) capability. Maneuvers at high AOA are accompanied by high bleed rates (velocity decrease), a characteristic that is usually undesirable in a typical combat arena. Eidetics has developed under NASA SBIR Phase 1 and NAVAIR SBIR Phase 2 contracts a system which allows a pilot to more easily and effectively manage the trade-off of energy (airspeed or altitude) for turn rate while not imposing hard limits on the high AOA nose pointing capability that can be so important in certain air combat maneuver situations. This has been accomplished by incorporating a two-stage angle of attack limiter into the flight control laws. The first stage sets a limit on AOA to achieve a limit on the maximum bleed rate (selectable) by limiting AOA to values which are dependent on the aircraft attitude and dynamic pressure (or flight path, velocity, and altitude). The second stage sets an AOA limit near the AOA for C(sub l max). One of the principal benefits of such a system is that it enables a low-experience pilot to become much more proficient at managing his energy. The Phase 2 simulation work is complete, and an exploratory flight test on the F-18 HARV is planned for the Fall of 1994 to demonstrate/validate the concept.

The SPS Intern Experience: Preparing the 2009 SPS Outreach Catalyst Kit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watkins, Erica; Mills, Mary E.; Stacy, Scott A.; White, Gary; Rand, Kendra

2010-02-01

The Society of Physics Students' (SPS) Outreach Catalyst Kit -- also known as the SOCK, is a collection of exploratory physics and science activities specifically designed for SPS Chapters and collegiate physics departments to use in outreach presentations to local elementary, middle and high school students. New SOCKs have been prepared every year since 2001 by SPS national interns and office staff. This year's SOCK has a theme centered around Galileo Galilei and his experiments, in honor of 2009 being the International Year of Astronomy. The SOCK contains lessons, demonstration, and activities that span topics such as optics and the refracting telescope, inclined planes and the formation of moon craters. In this talk, I will highlight the procedure SPS uses in preparing and testing the SOCK activities at various pilot sites as well as discuss my overall experience as an SPS intern. )

Issues Related to the Frequency of Exploratory Analyses by Evidence Review Groups in the NICE Single Technology Appraisal Process.

PubMed

Kaltenthaler, Eva; Carroll, Christopher; Hill-McManus, Daniel; Scope, Alison; Holmes, Michael; Rice, Stephen; Rose, Micah; Tappenden, Paul; Woolacott, Nerys

2017-06-01

Evidence Review Groups (ERGs) critically appraise company submissions as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Single Technology Appraisal (STA) process. As part of their critique of the evidence submitted by companies, the ERGs undertake exploratory analyses to explore uncertainties in the company's model. The aim of this study was to explore pre-defined factors that might influence or predict the extent of ERG exploratory analyses. The aim of this study was to explore predefined factors that might influence or predict the extent of ERG exploratory analyses. We undertook content analysis of over 400 documents, including ERG reports and related documentation for the 100 most recent STAs (2009-2014) for which guidance has been published. Relevant data were extracted from the documents and narrative synthesis was used to summarise the extracted data. All data were extracted and checked by two researchers. Forty different companies submitted documents as part of the NICE STA process. The most common disease area covered by the STAs was cancer (44%), and most ERG reports (n = 93) contained at least one exploratory analysis. The incidence and frequency of ERG exploratory analyses does not appear to be related to any developments in the appraisal process, the disease area covered by the STA, or the company's base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). However, there does appear to be a pattern in the mean number of analyses conducted by particular ERGs, but the reasons for this are unclear and potentially complex. No clear patterns were identified regarding the presence or frequency of exploratory analyses, apart from the mean number conducted by individual ERGs. More research is needed to understand this relationship.

Exploring high school science students' perceptions of parental involvement in their education.

PubMed

Mji, Andile; Mbinda, Zoleka

2005-08-01

This exploratory study describes high school students' perceptions of their parents' involvement in their education and in relation to school achievement. A new 12-item Parental Involvement Scale was used to measure parents' involvement in curricular and extracurricular activities and using exploratory analyses to estimate the scale's properties. Exploratory analysis resulted in the reduction of the 12 items to 8, with an internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) .82. Grade 12 science students indicated that their less educated parents were involved in activities pertaining to their learning; however, high perceived parental involvement in curricular activities was related to low achievement. It is recommended that further exploratory analyses be undertaken to examine the reported two-dimensional model of the Parental Involvement Scale.

Effects of subchronic inhalation of vaporized plastic cement on exploratory behavior and Purkinje cell differentiation in the rat.

PubMed

Pascual, R; Salgado, C; Viancos, L; Figueroa, H R

1996-12-06

In the present study, the effects of preweaning cement vapor inhalation on exploratory behavior and cerebellar Purkinje cell differentiation were assessed. Sprague-Dawley albino rats were daily exposed to glue vapors between postnatal d 2 and 21. At postnatal d 22, all animals were submitted to the open-field test in order to evaluate their exploratory behavior. Then they were sacrificed, their brains dissected out, and cerebella stained according to the Golgi-Cox-Sholl procedure. Purkinje cells sampled from parasagittal sections of the cerebellar vermis were drawn under camera lucida and their dendritic domain was determined. The collected data indicate that glue solvent inhalation impairs both Purkinje cell differentiation and locomotor exploratory behavior.

An investigation into the prevalence of exploratory behavior in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).

PubMed

Quirke, Thomas; O'Riordan, Ruth

2015-01-01

Exploratory behavior in the wild is fundamentally linked to an animal's survival and natural life history. The ability to gather information about their environment, establish territories, assert dominance, communicate information regarding reproductive status and locate mates are closely associated with a range of exploratory behaviors. Understanding how these behaviors are performed within the captive setting is crucial in order to create a captive environment in which these behaviors can be expressed, and their function conserved. The objective of this research was to highlight the factors of captive husbandry and management that influence the occurrence of exploratory behaviour of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in captivity. One hundred and twelve cheetahs in 88 enclosures across nine zoological institutions in five countries were the subjects of this study. The presence of raised areas, number of movements between enclosures, group composition, sex and an interaction between group composition and the ability to view cheetahs in adjacent enclosures, all significantly influenced the prevalence of exploratory behavior in captive cheetahs. The presence of raised areas and an increasing number of movements between enclosures significantly increased the probability of observing exploratory behaviour, while this probability was significantly decreased for female cheetahs, when cheetahs were able to view conspecifics in adjacent enclosures, and were maintained in groups. A number of recommendations are discussed in relation to promoting exploratory behavior in captive cheetahs. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Could bioelectric impedance spectroscopy (BIS) measured appendicular intracellular water serve as a lean mass measurement in sarcopenia definitions? A pilot study.

PubMed

Siglinsky, E; Buehring, B; Krueger, D; Binkley, N; Yamada, Y

2018-03-25

DXA lean mass measurement for sarcopenia diagnosis is not always possible. Bioelectric impedance spectroscopy (BIS), a portable technology, is a potential alternative to DXA-measured lean mass. This pilot study explores the possibility and proposes an arbitrarily chosen potential cut-point for appendicular intracellular water corrected by height (aICW/ht 2 ). Sarcopenia definitions often include DXA lean mass measurement. However, DXA is not always available. We explored the potential of a less-expensive mobile method, bioelectric impedance spectroscopy (BIS), to assess lean mass for sarcopenia determination. We hypothesized that BIS-measured appendicular intracellular water (aICW/ht 2 ) would correlate with DXA-measured appendicular lean mass (ALM)/ht 2 and with functional parameters. If so, establishing an aICW/ht 2 cut-point in sarcopenia definitions may be feasible. Sixty-one community-dwelling women, mean age 79.9, had BIS and DXA lean mass, grip strength, gait speed, and jumping mechanography assessments. BIS aICW was calculated using limb length and intracellular water resistance. aICW/ht 2 was compared to DXA-measured ALM/ht 2 by linear regression. The European Working Group ALM/ht 2 and an exploratory aICW/ht 2 cut-point were utilized. In this cohort, ALM/ht 2 and aICW/ht 2 were moderately correlated, R 2  = 0.55, p < 0.0001. Lean mass was low in 7 and normal in 44 by BIS and DXA. Those with low aICW/ht 2 had lower grip strength (p = 0.04) and jump power (p = 0.0002) than those with normal aICW/ht 2 and ALM/ht 2 . Subjects with low ALM/ht 2 had lower jump power (p = 0.0006) but were not different in gait speed or grip strength. BIS aICW is correlated with DXA-measured ALM directly, and when height adjusted. An aICW/ht 2 cut-point of 6.5 L/m 2 identified 70% of women with low ALM/ht 2 . Women with low lean mass by DXA and BIS had poorer function measured by jump power. These pilot data support further evaluation of BIS measurement inclusion into sarcopenia definitions.

Systematic development of a theory-informed multifaceted behavioural intervention to increase physical activity of adults with type 2 diabetes in routine primary care: Movement as Medicine for Type 2 Diabetes.

PubMed

Avery, Leah; Charman, Sarah J; Taylor, Louise; Flynn, Darren; Mosely, Kylie; Speight, Jane; Lievesley, Matthew; Taylor, Roy; Sniehotta, Falko F; Trenell, Michael I

2016-07-19

Despite substantial evidence for physical activity (PA) as a management option for type 2 diabetes, there remains a lack of PA behavioural interventions suitable for delivery in primary care. This paper describes the systematic development of an evidence-informed PA behavioural intervention for use during routine primary care consultations. In accordance with the Medical Research Council Framework for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions, a four-stage systematic development process was undertaken: (1) exploratory work involving interviews and workshop discussions identified training needs of healthcare professionals and support needs of adults with type 2 diabetes; (2) a systematic review with meta- and moderator analyses identified behaviour change techniques and optimal intervention intensity and duration; (3) usability testing identified strategies to increase implementation of the intervention in primary care and (4) an open pilot study in two primary care practices facilitated intervention optimisation. Healthcare professional training needs included knowledge about type, intensity and duration of PA sufficient to improve glycaemic control and acquisition of skills to promote PA behaviour change. Patients lacked knowledge about type 2 diabetes and skills to enable them to make sustainable changes to their level of PA. An accredited online training programme for healthcare professionals and a professional-delivered behavioural intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes were subsequently developed. This multifaceted intervention was informed by the theory of planned behaviour and social cognitive theory and consisted of 15 behaviour change techniques. Intervention intensity and duration were informed by a systematic review. Usability testing resolved technical problems with the online training intervention that facilitated use on practice IT systems. An open pilot study of the intervention with fidelity of delivery assessment informed optimisation and identified mechanisms to enhance implementation of the intervention during routine diabetes consultations. Movement as Medicine for Type 2 diabetes represents an evidence-informed multifaceted behavioural intervention targeting PA for management of type 2 diabetes developed for delivery in primary care. The structured development process undertaken enhances transparency of intervention content, replicability and scalability. Movement as Medicine for Type 2 diabetes is currently undergoing evaluation in a pilot RCT. ISRCTN67997502.

Development and psychometric testing of the nursing student mentors' competence instrument (MCI): A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Tuomikoski, Anna-Maria; Ruotsalainen, Heidi; Mikkonen, Kristina; Miettunen, Jouko; Kääriäinen, Maria

2018-06-05

Mentors require competence at a diverse array of skills to mentor students during clinical practice. According to the latest evidence, competence at mentoring includes: knowledge, skills and attributes of individual students' learning objectives, core elements of nursing, learning processes, a reciprocal and trustful relationship, feedback, evaluation, cooperation with stakeholders, and the mentor's personal qualities. The purpose of the study was to test psychometric properties of a mentor's competence instrument developed to self-evaluate mentors' competence at mentoring nursing students in clinical practice. A cross-sectional, descriptive, explorative study design was used. Data were collected from mentors at five university hospitals in Finland in 2016. A total of 576 mentors participated in this study. The instrument was developed through systematic review, experts' evaluations, and pilot versions of the instrument tested in previous studies. The construct validity and reliability of the instrument were tested using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with promax rotation and Cronbach's alpha. A 10-factor model showed that the instrument has acceptable construct validity. Cronbach's alpha values for the subscales observed ranged from 0.76 to 0.90. The instrument exhibited acceptable psychometric properties, thereby proving itself a valuable tool for evaluating mentors' competence at mentoring students. Further assessments of its reliability, validity and generality for measuring mentor's competence for mentoring students in different contexts and cultures are recommended. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploratory Case Study: On School Counselors' Perceived Influence on Low Socioeconomic Students' College Enrollment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deslonde, Vernell L.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine the high school counselors' perception of their ability to influence low socioeconomic students' postsecondary enrollment decisions in seven Title I high schools in southern California. Perna and Thomas' Student Success model and the Delivery System of the American School…

An Exploratory Study of Women in the Health Professions Schools. Volume VII: Women in Podiatry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urban and Rural Systems Associates, San Francisco, CA.

In an exploratory study conducted for the Women's Action Program of HEW, the aims were to identify and explore the barriers to success that women face as MODVOPPP (Medicine, Osteopathic medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary medicine, Optometry, Podiatry, Pharmacy, and Public health) school applicants and students, and to describe the discrimination…

An Exploratory Study of Women in the Health Professions Schools: Volume VIII: Women in Pharmacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urban and Rural Systems Associates, San Francisco, CA.

In an exploratory study conducted for the Women's Action Program of HEW, the aims were to identify and explore the barriers to success that women face as MODVOPPP (Medicine, Osteopathic medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary medicine, Optometry, Podiatry, Pharmacy, and Public health) school applicants and students and to describe the discrimination…

An Exploratory Study of Women in the Health Professions Schools. Volume VI: Women in Optometry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urban and Rural Systems Associates, San Francisco, CA.

In an exploratory study conducted for the Women's Action Program of HEW, the aims were to identify and explore the barriers to success that women face as MODVOPPP (Medicine, Osteopathic medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary medicine, Optometry, Podiatry, Pharmacy, and Public health) school applicants and students and to describe the discrimination…

Enrollment Management Professionals in Community Colleges: An Exploratory Study of Their Influence on Student Recruitment and Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Tracy A.

2010-01-01

Community college leaders rely on enrollment management professionals (EMPs) to recruit and retain students, but research does not report the attributes these professionals should possess to contribute to student recruitment and retention. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if characteristics exist among EMPs that contribute to…

Evolution of Unit Fraction Conceptions in Two Fifth-Graders with a Learning Disability: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Jessica Heather; Tzur, Ron; Westenskow, Arla

2016-01-01

The literature seems limited in what is known about conceptual processes that underlie evolution of students with learning disabilities (SLD) conceptions of fractions. This exploratory study examines how a foundational scheme of unit fractions (1/n) may evolve through the mathematical activity of two fifth grade girls. We analyze data segments…

An Exploratory Study of Universal Design for Teaching Chemistry to Students with and without Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King-Sears, Margaret E.; Johnson, Todd M.; Berkeley, Sheri; Weiss, Margaret P.; Peters-Burton, Erin E.; Evmenova, Anya S.; Menditto, Anna; Hursh, Jennifer C.

2015-01-01

In this exploratory study, students in four co-taught high school chemistry classes were randomly assigned to a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) treatment or a comparison condition. Each co-teaching team taught one comparison and treatment class. UDL principles were operationalized for treatment: (a) a self-management strategy (using a…

An Exploratory Study of Indian University Students' Use of Social Networking Web Sites: Implications for the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agarwal, Shailja; Mital, Monika

2009-01-01

Social networking Web sites (SNWs) are online tools that have transformed the virtual encounters of the past that were technical and impersonal to today's virtual socialization that is truly nontechnical, social, and interpersonal. This article presents an exploratory study of Indian University students' use of SNWs. The results indicated that…

Building Virtually Free Subject Area Expertise through Social Media: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kooy, Brian K.

2016-01-01

Central to the ongoing success of the liaison model is the need for liaison librarians to stay informed and up-to-date about recent developments in the subject areas of their assigned academic departments and programs. This article describes an exploratory study conducted to determine whether information obtained from the social media accounts of…

Development and Validation of the Personal Strengths Inventory Using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liau, Albert Kienfie; Chow, Daryl; Tan, Teck Kiang; Senf, Konrad

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of the scores on a brief strengths-based assessment, the 22-item Personal Strengths Inventory (PSI). In Study 1, findings from exploratory factor analysis of 410 adolescents provided evidence for a five-factor solution--social competence (four items), emotional awareness (five…

Awareness of Number In Children With Severe And Profound Learning Difficulties: Three Exploratory Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Jill

2005-01-01

This paper reports on exploratory work investigating how children with severe and profound learning difficulties register an awareness of small quantities and how they might use this information to inform their understanding. It draws on studies of typically developing children and investigates their application to pupils whose response to…

Violence Exposure and Early Adolescent Alcohol Use: An Exploratory Study of Family Risk and Protective Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Kelli W.; Kliewer, Wendy

2006-01-01

In this short-term longitudinal exploratory interview study, the relations between exposure to community violence and subsequent alcohol use were examined, with a focus on caregiver and family variables as moderators. Maternal caregivers and their children (N = 101 families; 98% African American; M child age = 11.2 yrs) were interviewed separately…

Four-Quarter School Year. Results of an Exploratory Study of the Four-Quarter School Year in Metropolitan Atlanta.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Ernest L; And Others

Six Atlanta, Georgia, school systems initiated a four-quarter school year program in 1968-69. An exploratory study was conducted to develop procedures and instruments for a comprehensive examination of the plan. Strong support exists in all groups interviewed -- superintendents and steering committee members, students, parents, teachers,…

Technical Communications in Aeronautics: Results of an Exploratory Study. An Analysis of Managers' and Nonmanagers' Responses. NASA Technical Memorandum 101625.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinelli, Thomas E.; And Others

Data collected from an exploratory study concerned with the technical communications practices of aerospace engineers and scientists were analyzed to test the primary assumption that aerospace managers and nonmanagers have different technical communications practices. Five secondary assumptions were established for the analysis: (1) that the…