PaperBLAST: Text Mining Papers for Information about Homologs

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

Price, Morgan N.; Arkin, Adam P.

Large-scale genome sequencing has identified millions of protein-coding genes whose function is unknown. Many of these proteins are similar to characterized proteins from other organisms, but much of this information is missing from annotation databases and is hidden in the scientific literature. To make this information accessible, PaperBLAST uses EuropePMC to search the full text of scientific articles for references to genes. PaperBLAST also takes advantage of curated resources (Swiss-Prot, GeneRIF, and EcoCyc) that link protein sequences to scientific articles. PaperBLAST’s database includes over 700,000 scientific articles that mention over 400,000 different proteins. Given a protein of interest, PaperBLAST quicklymore » finds similar proteins that are discussed in the literature and presents snippets of text from relevant articles or from the curators. With the recent explosion of genome sequencing data, there are now millions of uncharacterized proteins. If a scientist becomes interested in one of these proteins, it can be very difficult to find information as to its likely function. Often a protein whose sequence is similar, and which is likely to have a similar function, has been studied already, but this information is not available in any database. To help find articles about similar proteins, PaperBLAST searches the full text of scientific articles for protein identifiers or gene identifiers, and it links these articles to protein sequences. Then, given a protein of interest, it can quickly find similar proteins in its database by using standard software (BLAST), and it can show snippets of text from relevant papers. We hope that PaperBLAST will make it easier for biologists to predict proteins’ functions.« less

PaperBLAST: Text Mining Papers for Information about Homologs

PubMed Central

Arkin, Adam P.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Large-scale genome sequencing has identified millions of protein-coding genes whose function is unknown. Many of these proteins are similar to characterized proteins from other organisms, but much of this information is missing from annotation databases and is hidden in the scientific literature. To make this information accessible, PaperBLAST uses EuropePMC to search the full text of scientific articles for references to genes. PaperBLAST also takes advantage of curated resources (Swiss-Prot, GeneRIF, and EcoCyc) that link protein sequences to scientific articles. PaperBLAST’s database includes over 700,000 scientific articles that mention over 400,000 different proteins. Given a protein of interest, PaperBLAST quickly finds similar proteins that are discussed in the literature and presents snippets of text from relevant articles or from the curators. PaperBLAST is available at http://papers.genomics.lbl.gov/. IMPORTANCE With the recent explosion of genome sequencing data, there are now millions of uncharacterized proteins. If a scientist becomes interested in one of these proteins, it can be very difficult to find information as to its likely function. Often a protein whose sequence is similar, and which is likely to have a similar function, has been studied already, but this information is not available in any database. To help find articles about similar proteins, PaperBLAST searches the full text of scientific articles for protein identifiers or gene identifiers, and it links these articles to protein sequences. Then, given a protein of interest, it can quickly find similar proteins in its database by using standard software (BLAST), and it can show snippets of text from relevant papers. We hope that PaperBLAST will make it easier for biologists to predict proteins’ functions. PMID:28845458

PaperBLAST: Text Mining Papers for Information about Homologs.

PubMed

Price, Morgan N; Arkin, Adam P

2017-01-01

Large-scale genome sequencing has identified millions of protein-coding genes whose function is unknown. Many of these proteins are similar to characterized proteins from other organisms, but much of this information is missing from annotation databases and is hidden in the scientific literature. To make this information accessible, PaperBLAST uses EuropePMC to search the full text of scientific articles for references to genes. PaperBLAST also takes advantage of curated resources (Swiss-Prot, GeneRIF, and EcoCyc) that link protein sequences to scientific articles. PaperBLAST's database includes over 700,000 scientific articles that mention over 400,000 different proteins. Given a protein of interest, PaperBLAST quickly finds similar proteins that are discussed in the literature and presents snippets of text from relevant articles or from the curators. PaperBLAST is available at http://papers.genomics.lbl.gov/. IMPORTANCE With the recent explosion of genome sequencing data, there are now millions of uncharacterized proteins. If a scientist becomes interested in one of these proteins, it can be very difficult to find information as to its likely function. Often a protein whose sequence is similar, and which is likely to have a similar function, has been studied already, but this information is not available in any database. To help find articles about similar proteins, PaperBLAST searches the full text of scientific articles for protein identifiers or gene identifiers, and it links these articles to protein sequences. Then, given a protein of interest, it can quickly find similar proteins in its database by using standard software (BLAST), and it can show snippets of text from relevant papers. We hope that PaperBLAST will make it easier for biologists to predict proteins' functions.

The Importance of Establishing Relevance in Motivating Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kember, David; Ho, Amber; Hong, Celina

2008-01-01

This article reports findings from a study which interviewed 36 undergraduate students about aspects of the teaching and learning environment which motivated or demotivated their study. It was found that students were motivated by a teaching environment characterized by eight main elements. This article reports in detail on the element of…

Professional Interaction, Relevant Practical Experience, and Intellectual Contributions at Nondoctoral AACSB-Accredited Accounting Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arlinghaus, Barry P.

2008-01-01

In this article, the author discusses a survey of faculty members at nondoctoral AACSB-accredited accounting programs in the United States. The purpose of the survey was to determine the environment for professional interaction and relevant experience in light of institutional demands for intellectual contributions. The findings show that the…

Using mixed methods to identify and answer clinically relevant research questions.

PubMed

Shneerson, Catherine L; Gale, Nicola K

2015-06-01

The need for mixed methods research in answering health care questions is becoming increasingly recognized because of the complexity of factors that affect health outcomes. In this article, we argue for the value of using a qualitatively driven mixed method approach for identifying and answering clinically relevant research questions. This argument is illustrated by findings from a study on the self-management practices of cancer survivors and the exploration of one particular clinically relevant finding about higher uptake of self-management in cancer survivors who had received chemotherapy treatment compared with those who have not. A cross-sectional study generated findings that formed the basis for the qualitative study, by informing the purposive sampling strategy and generating new qualitative research questions. Using a quantitative research component to supplement a qualitative study can enhance the generalizability and clinical relevance of the findings and produce detailed, contextualized, and rich answers to research questions that would be unachievable through quantitative or qualitative methods alone. © The Author(s) 2015.

Psychosocial Adaptation to Disability Within the Context of Positive Psychology: Findings from the Literature.

PubMed

Martz, Erin; Livneh, Hanoch

2016-03-01

This purpose of this article is to review of the trends of research that examined positive psychology constructs in the context of adapting to chronic illness and disability (CID). This article examines the empirical findings on the relationships between six selected positive psychology-associated constructs (optimism, hope, resilience, benefit-finding, meaning-making, and post-traumatic growth) and adaptation to disability. Six positive psychology constructs were selected to represent the trends found in recent literature published on CID. The process of choosing these six variables included reviewing chapters on positive psychology and CID, reviewing the top rehabilitation journals that typically publish articles on psychosocial adaptation to CID, using search engines to find relevant journal articles published since the year 2000, and selecting the most important constructs based on the authors’ professional judgment. The available evidence supports the unique benefits of these six positive psychology constructs in predicting successful adaptation to a range of disabling conditions. Based on the available findings, the authors offer four suggestions for occupational rehabilitation researchers.

Analysis and Interpretation of Findings Using Multiple Regression Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoyt, William T.; Leierer, Stephen; Millington, Michael J.

2006-01-01

Multiple regression and correlation (MRC) methods form a flexible family of statistical techniques that can address a wide variety of different types of research questions of interest to rehabilitation professionals. In this article, we review basic concepts and terms, with an emphasis on interpretation of findings relevant to research questions…

Exploring the Potential for Language Supportive Learning in English Medium Instruction: A Rwandan Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milligan, Lizzi O.; Clegg, John; Tikly, Leon

2016-01-01

This article puts forward the argument for language supportive learning for learners in English medium instruction (EMI) classrooms based on the findings from a mixed methods study in Rwanda. The article first reviews the relevant literature and research which looks at the concept of language support, focusing on textbooks and pedagogy in…

"Picturing" Culturally Relevant Literacy Practices: Using Photography to See How Literacy Curricula and Pedagogies Matter to Urban Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zenkov, Kristien; Pellegrino, Anthony; Harmon, James; Ewaida, Marriam; Bell, Athene; Lynch, Megan; Sell, Corey

2013-01-01

This article reports on the findings of a photography and literacy project the authors conducted with 117 diverse city students. Relying on a critical pedagogy framework, the foundations for this study include research on cultural relevance, literacy, and visual sociology. The authors used Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and photo…

Finding the Genesis for a Thesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caroll, Joyce Armstrong

2013-01-01

This article describes a prewriting heuristics strategy that can help students find the genesis of their thesis. The 3 functions of the heuristic procedure are that it aids in retrieving relevant information stored in the mind; draws attention to important information that can be further researched or accessed; and prepares the mind for the…

Applications of Tutoring Systems in Specialized Subject Areas: An Analysis of Skills, Methodologies, and Results.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heron, Timothy E.; Welsch, Richard G.; Goddard, Yvonne L.

2003-01-01

This article reviews how tutoring systems have been applied across specialized subject areas (e.g., music, horticulture, health and safety, social interactions). It summarizes findings, provides an analysis of skills learned within each tutoring system, identifies the respective methodologies, and reports relevant findings, implications, and…

Is Bologna Working? Employer and Graduate Reflections of the Quality, Value and Relevance of Business and Management Education in Four European Union Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Jane; Higson, Helen

2014-01-01

This article focuses on the relevance of undergraduate business and management higher education from the perspectives of recent graduates and graduate employers in four European countries. Drawing upon the findings of an empirical qualitative study in which data was collated and analysed using grounded theory research techniques, the paper draws…

Review of common conditions associated with periodontal ligament widening

PubMed Central

Mortazavi, Hamed

2016-01-01

Purpose The aim of this article is to review a group of lesions associated with periodontal ligament (PDL) widening. Materials and Methods An electronic search was performed using specialized databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Direct, and Scopus to find relevant studies by using keywords such as “periodontium”, “periodontal ligament”, “periodontal ligament space”, “widened periodontal ligament”, and “periodontal ligament widening”. Results Out of nearly 200 articles, about 60 were broadly relevant to the topic. Ultimately, 47 articles closely related to the topic of interest were reviewed. When the relevant data were compiled, the following 10 entities were identified: occlusal/orthodontic trauma, periodontal disease/periodontitis, pulpo-periapical lesions, osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, progressive systemic sclerosis, radiation-induced bone defect, bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis, and osteomyelitis. Conclusion Although PDL widening may be encountered by many dentists during their routine daily procedures, the clinician should consider some serious related conditions as well. PMID:28035300

Development and Validation of Search Filters to Identify Articles on Family Medicine in Online Medical Databases

PubMed Central

Pols, David H.J.; Bramer, Wichor M.; Bindels, Patrick J.E.; van de Laar, Floris A.; Bohnen, Arthur M.

2015-01-01

Physicians and researchers in the field of family medicine often need to find relevant articles in online medical databases for a variety of reasons. Because a search filter may help improve the efficiency and quality of such searches, we aimed to develop and validate search filters to identify research studies of relevance to family medicine. Using a new and objective method for search filter development, we developed and validated 2 search filters for family medicine. The sensitive filter had a sensitivity of 96.8% and a specificity of 74.9%. The specific filter had a specificity of 97.4% and a sensitivity of 90.3%. Our new filters should aid literature searches in the family medicine field. The sensitive filter may help researchers conducting systematic reviews, whereas the specific filter may help family physicians find answers to clinical questions at the point of care when time is limited. PMID:26195683

Physical examination of upper extremity compressive neuropathies.

PubMed

Popinchalk, Samuel P; Schaffer, Alyssa A

2012-10-01

A thorough history and physical examination are vital to the assessment of upper extremity compressive neuropathies. This article summarizes relevant anatomy and physical examination findings associated with upper extremity compressive neuropathies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prioritizing PubMed articles for the Comparative Toxicogenomic Database utilizing semantic information

PubMed Central

Wilbur, W. John

2012-01-01

The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) contains manually curated literature that describes chemical–gene interactions, chemical–disease relationships and gene–disease relationships. Finding articles containing this information is the first and an important step to assist manual curation efficiency. However, the complex nature of named entities and their relationships make it challenging to choose relevant articles. In this article, we introduce a machine learning framework for prioritizing CTD-relevant articles based on our prior system for the protein–protein interaction article classification task in BioCreative III. To address new challenges in the CTD task, we explore a new entity identification method for genes, chemicals and diseases. In addition, latent topics are analyzed and used as a feature type to overcome the small size of the training set. Applied to the BioCreative 2012 Triage dataset, our method achieved 0.8030 mean average precision (MAP) in the official runs, resulting in the top MAP system among participants. Integrated with PubTator, a Web interface for annotating biomedical literature, the proposed system also received a positive review from the CTD curation team. PMID:23160415

Prioritizing PubMed articles for the Comparative Toxicogenomic Database utilizing semantic information.

PubMed

Kim, Sun; Kim, Won; Wei, Chih-Hsuan; Lu, Zhiyong; Wilbur, W John

2012-01-01

The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) contains manually curated literature that describes chemical-gene interactions, chemical-disease relationships and gene-disease relationships. Finding articles containing this information is the first and an important step to assist manual curation efficiency. However, the complex nature of named entities and their relationships make it challenging to choose relevant articles. In this article, we introduce a machine learning framework for prioritizing CTD-relevant articles based on our prior system for the protein-protein interaction article classification task in BioCreative III. To address new challenges in the CTD task, we explore a new entity identification method for genes, chemicals and diseases. In addition, latent topics are analyzed and used as a feature type to overcome the small size of the training set. Applied to the BioCreative 2012 Triage dataset, our method achieved 0.8030 mean average precision (MAP) in the official runs, resulting in the top MAP system among participants. Integrated with PubTator, a Web interface for annotating biomedical literature, the proposed system also received a positive review from the CTD curation team.

Continuous Professional Development and ECEC Quality: Findings from a European Systematic Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peleman, Brecht; Lazzari, Arianna; Budginaite, Irma; Siarova, Hanna; Hauari, Hanan; Peeters, Jan; Cameron, Claire

2018-01-01

This article presents the findings of an analysis of the effects of CPD initiatives on the quality of the pedagogical practices of ECEC practitioners. It is part of a larger study commissioned by Eurofound and jointly conducted by VBJK, IOE and PPMI (Eurofound, 2015). In order to draw policy-relevant information that might support decision makers…

An automated procedure to identify biomedical articles that contain cancer-associated gene variants.

PubMed

McDonald, Ryan; Scott Winters, R; Ankuda, Claire K; Murphy, Joan A; Rogers, Amy E; Pereira, Fernando; Greenblatt, Marc S; White, Peter S

2006-09-01

The proliferation of biomedical literature makes it increasingly difficult for researchers to find and manage relevant information. However, identifying research articles containing mutation data, a requisite first step in integrating large and complex mutation data sets, is currently tedious, time-consuming and imprecise. More effective mechanisms for identifying articles containing mutation information would be beneficial both for the curation of mutation databases and for individual researchers. We developed an automated method that uses information extraction, classifier, and relevance ranking techniques to determine the likelihood of MEDLINE abstracts containing information regarding genomic variation data suitable for inclusion in mutation databases. We targeted the CDKN2A (p16) gene and the procedure for document identification currently used by CDKN2A Database curators as a measure of feasibility. A set of abstracts was manually identified from a MEDLINE search as potentially containing specific CDKN2A mutation events. A subset of these abstracts was used as a training set for a maximum entropy classifier to identify text features distinguishing "relevant" from "not relevant" abstracts. Each document was represented as a set of indicative word, word pair, and entity tagger-derived genomic variation features. When applied to a test set of 200 candidate abstracts, the classifier predicted 88 articles as being relevant; of these, 29 of 32 manuscripts in which manual curation found CDKN2A sequence variants were positively predicted. Thus, the set of potentially useful articles that a manual curator would have to review was reduced by 56%, maintaining 91% recall (sensitivity) and more than doubling precision (positive predictive value). Subsequent expansion of the training set to 494 articles yielded similar precision and recall rates, and comparison of the original and expanded trials demonstrated that the average precision improved with the larger data set. Our results show that automated systems can effectively identify article subsets relevant to a given task and may prove to be powerful tools for the broader research community. This procedure can be readily adapted to any or all genes, organisms, or sets of documents. Published 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Effects of Hearing Impairment and Hearing Aid Amplification on Listening Effort: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Ohlenforst, Barbara; Zekveld, Adriana A; Jansma, Elise P; Wang, Yang; Naylor, Graham; Lorens, Artur; Lunner, Thomas; Kramer, Sophia E

To undertake a systematic review of available evidence on the effect of hearing impairment and hearing aid amplification on listening effort. Two research questions were addressed: Q1) does hearing impairment affect listening effort? and Q2) can hearing aid amplification affect listening effort during speech comprehension? English language articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed, EMBASE, Cinahl, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO from inception to August 2014. References of eligible studies were checked. The Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, and Study design strategy was used to create inclusion criteria for relevance. It was not feasible to apply a meta-analysis of the results from comparable studies. For the articles identified as relevant, a quality rating, based on the 2011 Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Working Group guidelines, was carried out to judge the reliability and confidence of the estimated effects. The primary search produced 7017 unique hits using the keywords: hearing aids OR hearing impairment AND listening effort OR perceptual effort OR ease of listening. Of these, 41 articles fulfilled the Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, and Study design selection criteria of: experimental work on hearing impairment OR hearing aid technologies AND listening effort OR fatigue during speech perception. The methods applied in those articles were categorized into subjective, behavioral, and physiological assessment of listening effort. For each study, the statistical analysis addressing research question Q1 and/or Q2 was extracted. In seven articles more than one measure of listening effort was provided. Evidence relating to Q1 was provided by 21 articles that reported 41 relevant findings. Evidence relating to Q2 was provided by 27 articles that reported 56 relevant findings. The quality of evidence on both research questions (Q1 and Q2) was very low, according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Working Group guidelines. We tested the statistical evidence across studies with nonparametric tests. The testing revealed only one consistent effect across studies, namely that listening effort was higher for hearing-impaired listeners compared with normal-hearing listeners (Q1) as measured by electroencephalographic measures. For all other studies, the evidence across studies failed to reveal consistent effects on listening effort. In summary, we could only identify scientific evidence from physiological measurement methods, suggesting that hearing impairment increases listening effort during speech perception (Q1). There was no scientific, finding across studies indicating that hearing aid amplification decreases listening effort (Q2). In general, there were large differences in the study population, the control groups and conditions, and the outcome measures applied between the studies included in this review. The results of this review indicate that published listening effort studies lack consistency, lack standardization across studies, and have insufficient statistical power. The findings underline the need for a common conceptual framework for listening effort to address the current shortcomings.

Effects of Hearing Impairment and Hearing Aid Amplification on Listening Effort: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Ohlenforst, Barbara; Jansma, Elise P.; Wang, Yang; Naylor, Graham; Lorens, Artur; Lunner, Thomas; Kramer, Sophia E.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To undertake a systematic review of available evidence on the effect of hearing impairment and hearing aid amplification on listening effort. Two research questions were addressed: Q1) does hearing impairment affect listening effort? and Q2) can hearing aid amplification affect listening effort during speech comprehension? Design: English language articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed, EMBASE, Cinahl, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO from inception to August 2014. References of eligible studies were checked. The Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, and Study design strategy was used to create inclusion criteria for relevance. It was not feasible to apply a meta-analysis of the results from comparable studies. For the articles identified as relevant, a quality rating, based on the 2011 Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Working Group guidelines, was carried out to judge the reliability and confidence of the estimated effects. Results: The primary search produced 7017 unique hits using the keywords: hearing aids OR hearing impairment AND listening effort OR perceptual effort OR ease of listening. Of these, 41 articles fulfilled the Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, and Study design selection criteria of: experimental work on hearing impairment OR hearing aid technologies AND listening effort OR fatigue during speech perception. The methods applied in those articles were categorized into subjective, behavioral, and physiological assessment of listening effort. For each study, the statistical analysis addressing research question Q1 and/or Q2 was extracted. In seven articles more than one measure of listening effort was provided. Evidence relating to Q1 was provided by 21 articles that reported 41 relevant findings. Evidence relating to Q2 was provided by 27 articles that reported 56 relevant findings. The quality of evidence on both research questions (Q1 and Q2) was very low, according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Working Group guidelines. We tested the statistical evidence across studies with nonparametric tests. The testing revealed only one consistent effect across studies, namely that listening effort was higher for hearing-impaired listeners compared with normal-hearing listeners (Q1) as measured by electroencephalographic measures. For all other studies, the evidence across studies failed to reveal consistent effects on listening effort. Conclusion: In summary, we could only identify scientific evidence from physiological measurement methods, suggesting that hearing impairment increases listening effort during speech perception (Q1). There was no scientific, finding across studies indicating that hearing aid amplification decreases listening effort (Q2). In general, there were large differences in the study population, the control groups and conditions, and the outcome measures applied between the studies included in this review. The results of this review indicate that published listening effort studies lack consistency, lack standardization across studies, and have insufficient statistical power. The findings underline the need for a common conceptual framework for listening effort to address the current shortcomings. PMID:28234670

Brain dysfunction behind functional symptoms: neuroimaging and somatoform, conversive, and dissociative disorders.

PubMed

García-Campayo, Javier; Fayed, Nicolas; Serrano-Blanco, Antoni; Roca, Miquel

2009-03-01

Neuroimaging research in psychiatry has been increasing exponentially in recent years, yet many psychiatrists are relatively unfamiliar with this field. This article summarizes the findings of the most relevant research articles on the neuroimaging of somatoform, conversive, and dissociative disorders published from January 2007 through June 2008. Neuroimaging findings summarized here include alterations of stress regulation and coping in somatoform pain disorders, the importance of catastrophizing in somatization disorder, and the relevance of a history of physical/sexual abuse in irritable bowel syndrome. Regarding fibromyalgia, three of the most significant advances have been the impossibility of differentiating primary and concomitant fibromyalgia in the presence of quiescent underlying disease, the role of hippocampal dysfunction, and the possibility that fibromyalgia may be characterized as an aging process. In dissociative disorders, the high levels of elaborative memory encoding and the reduced size of the parietal lobe are highlighted. The most promising clinical consequence of these studies, in addition to improving knowledge about the etiology of these illnesses, is the possibility of using neuroimaging findings to identify subgroups of patients, which could allow treatments to be tailored.

Pinching Solutions of Slender Cylindrical Jets

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-01

NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681.2This research was supported in part by Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Cientifico y Tecnologico (FONDE...concentrate on inviscid irrotational flows of liquid jets. A review article has been written by Bogy [2]. Of relevance is also the work of Chandrasekhar...equations become elliptic and allow the possibility of admissible pinching solutions described in this article . It is interesting to find that for jets

[Text mining, a method for computer-assisted analysis of scientific texts, demonstrated by an analysis of author networks].

PubMed

Hahn, P; Dullweber, F; Unglaub, F; Spies, C K

2014-06-01

Searching for relevant publications is becoming more difficult with the increasing number of scientific articles. Text mining as a specific form of computer-based data analysis may be helpful in this context. Highlighting relations between authors and finding relevant publications concerning a specific subject using text analysis programs are illustrated graphically by 2 performed examples. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

An analysis of a typology of family health nursing practice.

PubMed

Macduff, Colin

2006-01-01

In this article, Colin Macduff analyses the construction and testing of a typology of family health nursing practice. Following a summary of relevant methods and findings from two linked empirical research studies, more detailed analysis of the conceptual foundations, nature and purpose of the typology is presented. This process serves to exemplify and address some of the issues highlighted in the associated article that reviews the use of typologies within nursing.

Claims of a 'new' stuttering treatment using time-out from speaking are exaggerated: a brief review of the literature and commentary on Hewat et al. (2006).

PubMed

James, Jack E

2007-07-15

In a recent article, Hewat et al. 1 claimed to have developed novel procedures for treating stuttering. The present article reviews relevant literature, and shows that the Hewat et al. claims of originality are exaggerated. It is concluded that the Hewat et al. study includes conceptual and methodological weaknesses that render their findings predominantly uninterpretable.

Teaching ethics and professionalism in plastic surgery: a systematic review.

PubMed

de Blacam, Catherine; Vercler, Christian J

2014-04-01

Maintenance of the highest ethical and professional standards in plastic surgery is in the best interests of our profession and the public whom we serve. Both the American Board of Medical Specialties and the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education mandate training in ethics and professionalism for all residents. Presently there is no gold standard in ethics and professionalism education. A systematic review on teaching ethics and professionalism in plastic surgery was performed for all articles from inception to May 23, 2013 in MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and ERIC. References of relevant publications were searched for additional papers. Key journals were hand searched and relevant conference proceedings were also reviewed. Duplicate and non-English articles were excluded. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to find articles that described a curriculum in ethics and/or professionalism in plastic surgery. Two hundred twenty-seven relevant articles were identified. One hundred seventy-four did not meet inclusion criteria based on screening of the title, and 39 of those did not meet inclusion criteria based on screening of the abstract or introductory paragraph. Of the 14 identified for full text review, only 2 articles described a set curriculum in ethics and/or professionalism in plastic surgery training and reported outcomes. A paucity of data exists regarding the structure, content, or relevant measures that can be applied to assess outcomes of a curriculum to teach ethics and professionalism to plastic surgery trainees. Endeavors to teach ethics and professionalism to plastic surgery trainees must rigorously document the process and outcomes to facilitate the maintenance of our profession.

Substance abuse prevention intervention research with Hispanic populations.

PubMed

Castro, Felipe González; Barrera, Manuel; Pantin, Hilda; Martinez, Charles; Felix-Ortiz, Maria; Rios, Rebeca; Lopez, Vera A; Lopez, Cristy

2006-09-01

Selected studies with specific relevance to substance abuse prevention interventions with Hispanic youth and families were examined to identify prior findings and emerging issues that may guide the design of future substance abuse prevention intervention research and its implementation with Hispanic populations. The origins of prevention research and role of risk and protective factors are examined, including culturally-specific risk and protective factors for Hispanic populations. Correlational studies, non-experimental interventions, and randomized controlled trials were examined for the period of 1974-2003. The literature search yielded 15 articles selected for this review that exhibited adequate methodological rigor. An added search for more recent studies identified three additional articles, for a total of 18 prevention intervention articles that were reviewed. Theoretical and methodological issues and recommendations are presented for future research aimed at improving the efficacy and effectiveness of future prevention intervention studies and their cultural relevance for Hispanic populations.

PolySearch2: a significantly improved text-mining system for discovering associations between human diseases, genes, drugs, metabolites, toxins and more.

PubMed

Liu, Yifeng; Liang, Yongjie; Wishart, David

2015-07-01

PolySearch2 (http://polysearch.ca) is an online text-mining system for identifying relationships between biomedical entities such as human diseases, genes, SNPs, proteins, drugs, metabolites, toxins, metabolic pathways, organs, tissues, subcellular organelles, positive health effects, negative health effects, drug actions, Gene Ontology terms, MeSH terms, ICD-10 medical codes, biological taxonomies and chemical taxonomies. PolySearch2 supports a generalized 'Given X, find all associated Ys' query, where X and Y can be selected from the aforementioned biomedical entities. An example query might be: 'Find all diseases associated with Bisphenol A'. To find its answers, PolySearch2 searches for associations against comprehensive collections of free-text collections, including local versions of MEDLINE abstracts, PubMed Central full-text articles, Wikipedia full-text articles and US Patent application abstracts. PolySearch2 also searches 14 widely used, text-rich biological databases such as UniProt, DrugBank and Human Metabolome Database to improve its accuracy and coverage. PolySearch2 maintains an extensive thesaurus of biological terms and exploits the latest search engine technology to rapidly retrieve relevant articles and databases records. PolySearch2 also generates, ranks and annotates associative candidates and present results with relevancy statistics and highlighted key sentences to facilitate user interpretation. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

PolySearch2: a significantly improved text-mining system for discovering associations between human diseases, genes, drugs, metabolites, toxins and more

PubMed Central

Liu, Yifeng; Liang, Yongjie; Wishart, David

2015-01-01

PolySearch2 (http://polysearch.ca) is an online text-mining system for identifying relationships between biomedical entities such as human diseases, genes, SNPs, proteins, drugs, metabolites, toxins, metabolic pathways, organs, tissues, subcellular organelles, positive health effects, negative health effects, drug actions, Gene Ontology terms, MeSH terms, ICD-10 medical codes, biological taxonomies and chemical taxonomies. PolySearch2 supports a generalized ‘Given X, find all associated Ys’ query, where X and Y can be selected from the aforementioned biomedical entities. An example query might be: ‘Find all diseases associated with Bisphenol A’. To find its answers, PolySearch2 searches for associations against comprehensive collections of free-text collections, including local versions of MEDLINE abstracts, PubMed Central full-text articles, Wikipedia full-text articles and US Patent application abstracts. PolySearch2 also searches 14 widely used, text-rich biological databases such as UniProt, DrugBank and Human Metabolome Database to improve its accuracy and coverage. PolySearch2 maintains an extensive thesaurus of biological terms and exploits the latest search engine technology to rapidly retrieve relevant articles and databases records. PolySearch2 also generates, ranks and annotates associative candidates and present results with relevancy statistics and highlighted key sentences to facilitate user interpretation. PMID:25925572

Development and Validation of Search Filters to Identify Articles on Family Medicine in Online Medical Databases.

PubMed

Pols, David H J; Bramer, Wichor M; Bindels, Patrick J E; van de Laar, Floris A; Bohnen, Arthur M

2015-01-01

Physicians and researchers in the field of family medicine often need to find relevant articles in online medical databases for a variety of reasons. Because a search filter may help improve the efficiency and quality of such searches, we aimed to develop and validate search filters to identify research studies of relevance to family medicine. Using a new and objective method for search filter development, we developed and validated 2 search filters for family medicine. The sensitive filter had a sensitivity of 96.8% and a specificity of 74.9%. The specific filter had a specificity of 97.4% and a sensitivity of 90.3%. Our new filters should aid literature searches in the family medicine field. The sensitive filter may help researchers conducting systematic reviews, whereas the specific filter may help family physicians find answers to clinical questions at the point of care when time is limited. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Issue-Relevant Values and Opinions About Gay Rights: Beyond Equality and Morality.

PubMed

Rhodebeck, Laurie

2018-01-01

Although many studies have examined the role of values in shaping public opinion, the number of values that inform this research is limited. This article employs the concept of issue-relevant values as a means to explore the broader range of values associated with policy issues. After discussing the concept in general terms, the article explores issue-relevant values pertinent to public opinion about gay rights. Using the policy examples of employment nondiscrimination and same-sex couple adoption, the present study identifies, measures, and assesses several values that add to the very short list previously used to explain public opinion about gay rights issues. Content from interest-group Web sites and news media coverage of the two issues aided in identifying the values. Data from an original Internet survey yield valid measures of the values. Multivariate analyses indicate that the values behave in predictable ways: they are strongly influenced by partisanship, and they strongly affect opinions about the two issues. The performance of the values is consistent with findings from previous research on the partisan basis of values and the value-based nature of opinions. The article concludes with suggestions for further empirical and theoretical work that could apply and extend the concept of issue-relevant values.

The visualization and availability of experimental research data at Elsevier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keall, Bethan

2014-05-01

In the digital age, the visualization and availability of experimental research data is an increasingly prominent aspect of the research process and of the scientific output that researchers generate. We expect that the importance of data will continue to grow, driven by technological advancements, requirements from funding bodies to make research data available, and a developing research data infrastructure that is supported by data repositories, science publishers, and other stakeholders. Elsevier is actively contributing to these efforts, for example by setting up bidirectional links between online articles on ScienceDirect and relevant data sets on trusted data repositories. A key aspect of Elsevier's "Article of the Future" program, these links enrich the online article and make it easier for researchers to find relevant data and articles and help place data in the right context for re-use. Recently, we have set up such links with some of the leading data repositories in Earth Sciences, including the British Geological Survey, Integrated Earth Data Applications, the UK Natural Environment Research Council, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory DAAC. Building on these links, Elsevier has also developed a number of data integration and visualization tools, such as an interactive map viewer that displays the locations of relevant data from PANGAEA next to articles on ScienceDirect. In this presentation we will give an overview of these and other capabilities of the Article of the Future, focusing on how they help advance communication of research in the digital age.

Image manipulation as research misconduct.

PubMed

Parrish, Debra; Noonan, Bridget

2009-06-01

A growing number of research misconduct cases handled by the Office of Research Integrity involve image manipulations. Manipulations may include simple image enhancements, misrepresenting an image as something different from what it is, and altering specific features of an image. Through a study of specific cases, the misconduct findings associated with image manipulation, detection methods and those likely to identify such manipulations, are discussed. This article explores sanctions imposed against guilty researchers and the factors that resulted in no misconduct finding although relevant images clearly were flawed. Although new detection tools are available for universities and journals to detect questionable images, this article explores why these tools have not been embraced.

Effect of oral healthcare education on knowledge, attitude and skills of care home nurses: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

de Lugt-Lustig, Kersti H M E; Vanobbergen, Jacques N O; van der Putten, Gert-Jan; De Visschere, Luc M J; Schols, Jos M G A; de Baat, Cees

2014-02-01

To systematically review the literature on the effect of providing oral healthcare education to care home nurses on their oral healthcare knowledge and attitude and their oral hygiene care skills. A literature search was obtained for relevant articles on oral healthcare education of nurses in care homes, using five electronic retrieval systems and databases. The search was limited to human studies, articles published in English and articles published during the period January 1990 to December 2011. The methodological quality of an article was assessed on the basis of criteria published by the Cochrane Collaboration. For articles not meeting all methodological quality criteria, relevance criteria were used to determine how much scientific evidence could be assigned to the study findings. In accordance with the methodological quality criteria, two randomized controlled trials were included. Additionally, four studies were included after determining the scientific evidence of the study findings. The studies included revealed some scientific evidence and indications that an oral healthcare education programme for care home nurses may improve the nurses' oral healthcare knowledge and attitude. Any effect of oral healthcare education to care home nurses' oral hygiene care skills could not be determined. Oral healthcare education may have a positive effect on care home nurses' oral healthcare knowledge and attitude and on care home residents' oral hygiene, whereas any effect on care home nurses' oral hygiene care skills could not be found. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Understanding Bacterial Isolates in Blood Culture and Approaches Used to Define Bacteria as Contaminants: A Literature Review.

PubMed

Hossain, Belal; Islam, Mohammad Shahidul; Rahman, Atiqur; Marzan, Mahfuza; Rafiqullah, Iftekhar; Connor, Nicholas E; Hasanuzzaman, Mohammad; Islam, Maksuda; Hamer, Davidson H; Hibberd, Patricia L; Saha, Samir K

2016-05-01

Interpretation of blood culture isolates is challenging due to a lack of standard methodologies for identifying contaminants. This problem becomes more complex when the specimens are from sick young infants, as a wide range of bacteria can cause illness among this group. We used 43 key words to find articles published between 1970 and 2011 on blood culture isolates and possible contaminants in the PubMed database. Experts were also consulted to obtain other relevant articles. Selection of articles followed systematic methods considering opinions from more than 1 reviewer. After reviewing the titles of 3869 articles extracted from the database, we found 307 relevant to our objective. Based on the abstracts, 42 articles were selected for the literature review. In addition, we included 7 more articles based on cross-references and expert advice. The most common methods for differentiating blood culture isolates were multiple blood cultures from the same subject, antibiograms and molecular testing. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Hemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis and group A and B streptococcus were always considered as pathogens, whereas Bacillus sp., Diphtheroids, Propionibacterium and Micrococcus were commonly regarded as contaminants. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most frequent isolates and usually reported as contaminants unless the patient had a specific condition, such as long-term hospitalization or use of invasive devices (catheters). Inaccurate interpretation of blood culture may falsely guide treatment and also has long-term policy implications. The combination of clinical and microbiological knowledge, patient's clinical history and laboratory findings are essential for appropriate interpretation of blood culture.

Computational Cognitive Neuroscience of Early Memory Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munakata, Yuko

2004-01-01

Numerous brain areas work in concert to subserve memory, with distinct memory functions relying differentially on distinct brain areas. For example, semantic memory relies heavily on posterior cortical regions, episodic memory on hippocampal regions, and working memory on prefrontal cortical regions. This article reviews relevant findings from…

Physiological profile of fighters influences training organisation in combat sports: response to Del Vecchio, Hirata, and Franchini (2011).

PubMed

Paillard, Thierry

2011-12-01

The article by Del Vecchio, et al. (2011) provides relevant information to trainers about the effort-pause ratio during mixed martial arts matches. Taking into account the physiological profiles of fighters would increase interest in these findings.

Recurrent Education. A Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rochte, Newton C.

To assist both practitioner and reader to find answers to questions on the theory and practice of recurrent education, this resource guide compiles 715 abstracts of relevant articles, books, and monographs, from many countries. Descriptors and identifiers, used in computer searches to identify the materials, are arranged alphabetically in the…

Southwest Cardiovascular Curriculum Project: Study Findings for American Indian Elementary Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Sally M.; And Others

1995-01-01

This article describes the Southwestern Cardiovascular Curriculum, a school-based, culturally relevant curriculum designed to prevent tobacco use and promote a good diet. Comparisons of American Indian students in participating and nonparticipating schools indicated that participants had significant increases in knowledge, better diets, increased…

Techniques for Automatically Generating Biographical Summaries from News Articles

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

non-trivial because of the many NLP areas that must be used to efficiently extract the relevant facts. Yet, no study has been done to determine how...also non-trivial because of the many NLP areas that must be used to efficiently extract the relevant facts. Yet, no study has been done to determine...AI) research is called Natural Language Processing ( NLP ). NLP seeks to find ways for computers to read and write documents in as human a way as

The association of suicide and bullying in childhood to young adulthood: a review of cross-sectional and longitudinal research findings.

PubMed

Brunstein Klomek, Anat; Sourander, Andre; Gould, Madelyn

2010-05-01

To review the research addressing the association of suicide and bullying, from childhood to young adulthood, including cross-sectional and longitudinal research findings. Relevant publications were identified via electronic searches of PsycNet and MEDLINE without date specification, in addition to perusing the reference lists of relevant articles. Cross-sectional findings indicate that there is an increased risk of suicidal ideation and (or) suicide attempts associated with bullying behaviour and cyberbullying. The few longitudinal findings available indicate that bullying and peer victimization lead to suicidality but that this association varies by sex. Discrepancies between the studies available may be due to differences in the studies' participants and methods. Bullying and peer victimization constitute more than correlates of suicidality. Future research with long-term follow-up should continue to identify specific causal paths between bullying and suicide.

The Neuroscience of PowerPoint[TM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horvath, Jared Cooney

2014-01-01

Many concepts have been published relevant to improving the design of PowerPoint[TM] (PP) presentations for didactic purposes, including the redundancy, modality, and signaling principles of multimedia learning. In this article, we review the recent neuroimaging findings that have emerged elucidating the neural structures involved in many of these…

El Sistema's Open Secrets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Eric

2011-01-01

In this article, the author talks about Venezuela's national youth orchestra program called El Sistema whose attributes offer a direct challenge to traditional Western music practices. As U.S. classical music--and all "high arts"--struggle to find relevance to more than the small "arts club" percentage of the U.S. populace, El…

Women in Academic Administration at the University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomas, Marina; Lavie, Jose Manuel; Duran, Maria del Mar; Guillamon, Cristina

2010-01-01

In this article we summarize the most relevant findings from a research study that endeavours to incorporate a gender perspective in the study of university administration. The study analyses the role of women in both horizontal and vertical administrative structures in four Catalan universities, taking into account their expectations and…

Temperament, Anxiety, and the Processing of Threat-Relevant Stimuli

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lonigan, Christopher J.; Vasey, Michael W.; Phillips, Beth M.; Hazen, Rebecca A.

2004-01-01

This article discusses converging evidence from developmental, clinical, and cognitive psychology suggesting that there is significant overlap between research findings on affect, temperament, and attentional processes associated with pathological anxiety. We offer a proposal for the integration of these 3 areas aimed at developing a more clear…

Advanced Image Search: A Strategy for Creating Presentation Boards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frey, Diane K.; Hines, Jean D.; Swinker, Mary E.

2008-01-01

Finding relevant digital images to create presentation boards requires advanced search skills. This article describes a course assignment involving a technique designed to develop students' literacy skills with respect to locating images of desired quality and content from Internet databases. The assignment was applied in a collegiate apparel…

Publications in anesthesia journals: quality and clinical relevance.

PubMed

Lauritsen, Jakob; Moller, Ann M

2004-11-01

Clinicians performing evidence-based anesthesia rely on anesthesia journals for clinically relevant information. The objective of this study was to analyze the proportion of clinically relevant articles in five high impact anesthesia journals. We evaluated all articles published in Anesthesiology, Anesthesia & Analgesia, British Journal of Anesthesia, Anesthesia, and Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica from January to June, 2000. Articles were assessed and classified according to type, outcome, and design; 1379 articles consisting of 5468 pages were evaluated and categorized. The most common types of article were animal and laboratory research (31.2%) and randomized clinical trial (20.4%). A clinically relevant article was defined as an article that used a statistically valid method and had a clinically relevant end-point. Altogether 18.6% of the pages had as their subject matter clinically relevant trials. We compared the Journal Impact Factor (a measure of the number of citations per article in a journal) and the proportion of clinically relevant pages and found that they were inversely proportional to each other.

The Cytoscape app article collection

PubMed Central

Pico, Alexander R; Bader, Gary D; Demchak, Barry; Guitart Pla, Oriol; Hull, Timothy; Longabaugh, William; Lopes, Christian; Lotia, Samad; Molenaar, Piet; Montojo, Jason; Morris, John H; Ono, Keiichiro; Schwikowski, Benno; Welker, David; Ideker, Trey

2014-01-01

As a network visualization and analysis platform, Cytoscape relies on apps to provide domain-specific features and functions. There are many resources available to support Cytoscape app development and distribution, including the Cytoscape App Store and an online “cookbook” for app developers. This article collection is another resource to help researchers find out more about relevant Cytoscape apps and to provide app developers with useful implementation tips. The collection will grow over time as new Cytoscape apps are developed and published. PMID:25580224

Inference for the physical sciences

PubMed Central

Jones, Nick S.; Maccarone, Thomas J.

2013-01-01

There is a disconnect between developments in modern data analysis and some parts of the physical sciences in which they could find ready use. This introduction, and this issue, provides resources to help experimental researchers access modern data analysis tools and exposure for analysts to extant challenges in physical science. We include a table of resources connecting statistical and physical disciplines and point to appropriate books, journals, videos and articles. We conclude by highlighting the relevance of each of the articles in the associated issue. PMID:23277613

How employee engagement matters for hospital performance.

PubMed

Lowe, Graham

2012-01-01

Managers increasingly understand that employee engagement is a prerequisite for high performance. This article examines how job, work environment, management and organizational factors influence levels of engagement among healthcare employees. Original data come from the Ontario Hospital Association-NRC Picker Employee Experience Survey, involving over 10,000 employees in 16 Ontario hospitals. The article provides a clear definition and measure of engagement relevant to healthcare. In addition to identifying the main drivers of engagement, findings shows that a high level of employee engagement is related to retention, patient-centred care, patient safety culture and employees' positive assessments of the quality of care or services provided by their team. Implications of these findings for healthcare leaders are briefly considered.

Students' perceptions of the relevance of mathematics in engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flegg, Jennifer; Mallet, Dann; Lupton, Mandy

2012-09-01

In this article, we report on the findings of an exploratory study into the experience of students as they learn first year engineering mathematics. Here we define engineering as the application of mathematics and sciences to the building and design of projects for the use of society [M. Kirschenman and B. Brenner, Education for Civil Engineering: A Profession of Practice, Leader. Manag. Eng. 10 (2010), p. 54]. Qualitative and quantitative data on students' views of the relevance of their mathematics study to their engineering studies and future careers in engineering was collected. The students described using a range of mathematics techniques (mathematics skills developed, mathematics concepts applied to engineering and skills developed relevant for engineering) for various usages (as a subject of study, a tool for other subjects or a tool for real world problems). We found a number of themes relating to the design of engineering mathematics curriculum emerged from the data. These included the relevance of mathematics within different engineering majors, the relevance of mathematics to future studies, the relevance of learning mathematical rigour and the effectiveness of problem-solving tasks in conveying the relevance of mathematics more effectively than other forms of assessment. We make recommendations for the design of engineering mathematics curriculum based on our findings.

Smokeless Tobacco Use in the United States Military: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Hunt, Yvonne M.; Augustson, Erik

2012-01-01

Introduction: Smokeless tobacco (ST) use represents an important target for intervention in the U.S. military population because it impairs “military readiness” and harms the health of the military. This paper aims to provide a systematic review of ST studies conducted in the U.S. military population in order to assess the content of existing ST research in this population, provide estimates of prevalence and clinically relevant use patterns, and discuss how these findings might be used to guide future ST research among this population. Methods: We reviewed articles published through December 2010 using PubMed and PsycINFO databases, Google Scholar, and any relevant articles’ reference lists. Inclusion criteria included focus on a U.S. military sample, English language, measured tobacco use, and ST prevalence was reported or could be calculated. To the extent possible, each article was coded for demographics, socioeconomic status, prevalence, amount, frequency, and length of use, and quit intentions/attempts. Results: Thirty-nine articles met criteria for inclusion. Less than half focused primarily on ST use among military personnel. The remaining studies measured ST use in the context of other behaviors. Findings related to clinically relevant behaviors included a need for more cohort and intervention studies, a better understanding of ST use in combination with cigarettes (i.e., concurrent use), and identifying risk factors for ST initiation and use. Discussion: ST use is prevalent among military personnel, as is concurrent use of cigarettes and ST. We provide a number of recommendations to guide future research in this important, yet understudied, area. PMID:22123789

Students' Knowledge of Nuclear Science and Its Connection with Civic Scientific Literacy in Two European Contexts: The Case of Newspaper Articles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsaparlis, Georgios; Hartzavalos, Sotiris; Nakiboğlu, Canan

2013-08-01

Nuclear science has uses and applications that are relevant and crucial for world peace and sustainable development, so knowledge of its basic concepts and topics should constitute an integral part of civic scientific literacy. We have used two newspaper articles that deal with uses of nuclear science that are directly relevant to life, society, economy, and international politics. One article discusses a new thermonuclear reactor, and the second one is about depleted uranium and its danger for health. 189 first-year undergraduate physics and primary education Greek students were given one of the two articles each, and asked to answer a number of accompanying questions dealing with knowledge that is part of the Greek high school curriculum. The study was repeated with 272 first-year undergraduate physics, physics education, science education, and primary education Turkish students. Acceptable or partially acceptable answers were provided on average by around 20 % of Greek and 11 % of Turkish students, while a large proportion (on the average, around 50 % of Greek and 27 % of Turkish students) abstained from answering the questions. These findings are disappointing, but should be seen in the light of the limited or no coverage of the relevant learning material in the Greek and the Turkish high-school programs. Student conceptual difficulties, misconceptions and implications for research and high school curricula are discussed.

Policy Analysis of the English Graduation Benchmark in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Chih-Min

2012-01-01

To nudge students to study English and to improve their English proficiency, many universities in Taiwan have imposed an English graduation benchmark on their students. This article reviews this policy, using the theoretic framework for education policy analysis proposed by Haddad and Demsky (1995). The author presents relevant research findings,…

Learning from Worked-Examples in Mathematics: Students Relate Procedures to Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renkl, Alexander

2017-01-01

This article discusses the relevance of the worked-example effect for mathematics education. This effect refers to the finding that, in initial cognitive skill acquisition, students profit more from studying worked examples as compared to solving problems. One reason for the effectiveness of worked examples is that the students get the opportunity…

A Note on the Definition of a Smooth Curve

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Euler, Russell; Sadek, Jawad

2005-01-01

In many elementary calculus textbooks in use today, the definition of a "smooth curve" is slightly ambiguous from the students' perspective. Even when smoothness is defined carefully, there is a shortage of relevant exercises that would serve to elaborate on related subtle points which many students may find confusing. In this article, the authors…

Information Systems as a Social Space: Collaborative Teaching of Social Literacies to Technical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalil, Claudia; Monson, Jo; Nodoba, Gaontebale

2010-01-01

This article describes a successful experimental collaborative teaching project to deliver a short course to develop work-relevant social literacies in technical students. Heterogeneous work contexts require both students and educators to find ways to integrate thinking and practices across disciplines. Teaching social literacies to information…

Single-Case Time Series with Bayesian Analysis: A Practitioner's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, W. Paul

2003-01-01

This article illustrates a simplified time series analysis for use by the counseling researcher practitioner in single-case baseline plus intervention studies with a Bayesian probability analysis to integrate findings from replications. The C statistic is recommended as a primary analysis tool with particular relevance in the context of actual…

Reasoning in the Australian Curriculum: Understanding Its Meaning and Using the Relevant Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Doug M.; Clarke, David J.; Sullivan, Peter

2012-01-01

The Australian Curriculum: Mathematics encourages teachers to consider seriously the four proficiencies: Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning. In responding to the reasoning proficiency, many teachers may find that the language of the classroom may well change. In this article, we discuss the meaning given to the term reasoning…

Developing Students' Emotional Well-Being in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Chunlei; Buchanan, Andrew

2014-01-01

There is a growing concern in general education and physical education about students' emotional well-being. However, there is minimal literature addressing what emotional well-being is and how it can be developed in physical education. To examine these concerns, this article presents the following findings: a review of relevant literature…

Distance Education in China: The Current State of e-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Li; Chen, Huina; Wang, Nan

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the current trends in and future prospects for distance education in primary, secondary, and higher education in China. Design/methodology/approach: This article reviews relevant literature and cases, and explores the current situation of distance education in China. Findings: The use of…

From Instructional Leadership to Leadership Capabilities: Empirical Findings and Methodological Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Viviane M. J.

2010-01-01

While there is considerable evidence about the impact of instructional leadership on student outcomes, there is far less known about the leadership capabilities that are required to confidently engage in the practices involved. This article uses the limited available evidence, combined with relevant theoretical analyses, to propose a tentative…

Conclusion: Women around the World Reshaping Leadership for Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grogan, Margaret

2010-01-01

Purpose: This short essay aims to reflect on the global experiences women in education have had in becoming leaders as noted in the articles in this special issue on women's leadership. Design/methodology/approach: The essay draws upon relevant historical and contemporary literature about women in the professions and in the workforce. Findings:…

An APOS Analysis of Natural Science Students' Understanding of Derivatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maharaj, Aneshkumar

2013-01-01

This article reports on a study which used the APOS (action-process-object-schema) theoretical framework to investigate university students' understanding of derivatives and their applications. Research was done at the Westville Campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The relevant rules for finding derivatives and their…

Health Protection Features of Student Youth in Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antonova, Tatyana V.; Kozhanov, Vladimir V.; Kolodovsky, Alexander A.; Shivrinskaya, Svetlana E.; Kudyashev, Nail K.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the study is conditioned by the adverse dynamics of students' physical and mental health, which creates objective obstacles to the development of research universities. The article aims to find out particular health protection features of student youth in research universities. The leading approach of the study is the systematic…

Financial Decentralization in Malaysian Schools: Strategies for Effective Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radzi, Norfariza Mohd; Ghani, Muhammad Faizal A.; Siraj, Saedah; Afshari, Mojgan

2013-01-01

This article presents findings on the essential strategies required at the school site and the relevant people responsible for the effective implementation of school-based financial management in Malaysia. Many lessons have been learned since more than a decade of the school-based financial management reform in Malaysia through the establishment…

Differentiating for Multiple Intelligences: A Study of Students' Understandings through the Use of Aesthetic Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crim, Courtney L.; Kennedy, Kimberley D.; Thornton, Jenifer S.

2013-01-01

This article reviews the relevant literature in regard to differentiation, multiple intelligences, and aesthetic representations. Next, it presents the methodology, reports findings, and discusses themes related to the authors' research questions. Finally, it concludes that tapping into students' multiple intelligence strength(s) is an excellent…

Bring Workplace Assessment into Business Communication Classrooms: A Proposal to Better Prepare Students for Professional Workplaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Han

2010-01-01

To help students better understand and be better prepared for professional workplaces, the author suggests that business communication teachers examine and learn from workplace assessment methods. Throughout the article, the author discusses the rationale behind this proposal, reviews relevant literature, reports interview findings on workplace…

Leadership and Gender: Conclusions Drawn from Wildrose School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Amy M.

2006-01-01

In this article, I present the findings of a single-site case study which examined the role of gender in constituent group perceptions of effective female leadership. First, a brief description of the Wildrose School community context is presented followed by an overview of relevant literature on female leadership. The emergent themes regarding…

The role of NGOs' service delivery experience in developing relevant research agendas: experience and challenges among NGOs in Malawi.

PubMed

Gooding, Kate

2017-05-04

There has been growing interest in the contribution of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to international health research. One strength that NGOs may bring to research involves the potential value of service delivery experience for indicating relevant research questions, namely through their involvement in service delivery, NGO staff may be aware of frontline knowledge gaps, allowing these staff to identify questions that lead to research with immediate relevance. However, there is little empirical evidence on research agendas within NGOs to assess whether their service delivery experience does lead to relevant research or conditions that affect this. This article examines the identification and selection of research questions within NGOs to explore the role of their service delivery experience in generating relevant research agendas. The article reports comparative case study research on four NGOs in Malawi, including two international and two Malawian organisations. Each NGO conducts research and undertakes service delivery and advocacy. Data collection included interviews, focus groups, observation and document review. Analysis involved thematic coding and use of diagrams. The case NGOs' experiences suggest that using service delivery to identify research questions does not always match NGOs' aims or capacities, and does not guarantee relevance. First, NGOs do not want to rely only on service delivery when developing research agendas; they consider other criteria and additional sources of ideas when selecting questions they see as relevant. Second, service delivery staff are not always well-placed to identify research topics; indeed, involvement in hectic, target-driven service delivery can hinder input to research agendas. Third, NGOs' ability to pursue questions inspired by service delivery depends on control over their research agendas; relationships with external actors and financial autonomy affect NGOs' capacity to undertake the research they see as relevant. Finally, the perceived relevance of research findings varies between audiences and depends on more than the research question. The findings suggest limits to the value and feasibility of a research agenda based on service delivery experience. Based on the analysis, the conclusion outlines strategies to support an effective role for NGOs' service delivery experience in development of research agendas.

Mentoring nursing students in the sexual health setting.

PubMed

Brown, Kate; Plant, Selina

2014-05-06

The sexual health setting provides many opportunities for nursing students to meet the competencies set out in the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Standards for Pre-Registration Nursing Education. However, students who are daunted by the setting may adopt a passive, observer role. Mentors may find it a challenge to facilitate the learning of pre-registration nursing students in this setting. This article explores several strategies that mentors can adopt to make learning active and relevant for nursing students. These strategies may also be relevant to other nursing fields and to midwifery students.

MRI brain imaging.

PubMed

Skinner, Sarah

2013-11-01

General practitioners (GPs) are expected to be allowed to request MRI scans for adults for selected clinically appropriate indications from November 2013 as part of the expansion of Medicare-funded MRI services announced by the Federal Government in 2011. This article aims to give a brief overview of MRI brain imaging relevant to GPs, which will facilitate explanation of scan findings and management planning with their patients. Basic imaging techniques, common findings and terminology are presented using some illustrative case examples.

Yellow dots in trichoscopy: relevance, clinical significance and peculiarities*

PubMed Central

Lima, Caren dos Santos; Lemes, Luciana Rodino; Melo, Daniel Fernandes

2017-01-01

Yellow dots are follicular ostium filled with keratin and/or sebum. Initially, they were exclusively associated with alopecia areata. Currently they have also been described in androgenetic alopecia, chronic cutaneous (discoid) lupus erythematosus, and dissecting cellulitis. Due to the growing importance of trichoscopy and its findings in the evaluation of the scalp, this article describes the main diseases in which yellow dots are a common trichoscopic finding, highlighting its characteristics in each dermatosis. PMID:29166518

How nurses can cope with stress and avoid burnout.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Stephanie

2014-11-01

This article draws on a systematic literature review to identify stressors in emergency and trauma nursing settings, and their potential effects on staff. After a search of relevant databases, six articles were chosen and analysed, and the main causes of stress in the workplace for emergency and trauma nurses were identified. These stressors include work demands and lack of time, lack of managerial support, patient aggression and violence, and staff exposure to traumatic events. Their effects on nurses include burnout, compassion fatigue, somatic complaints, mental health problems and difficulties in life outside work. The article goes on to discuss the implications of the findings on practice.

Impact of PubMed search filters on the retrieval of evidence by physicians.

PubMed

Shariff, Salimah Z; Sontrop, Jessica M; Haynes, R Brian; Iansavichus, Arthur V; McKibbon, K Ann; Wilczynski, Nancy L; Weir, Matthew A; Speechley, Mark R; Thind, Amardeep; Garg, Amit X

2012-02-21

Physicians face challenges when searching PubMed for research evidence, and they may miss relevant articles while retrieving too many nonrelevant articles. We investigated whether the use of search filters in PubMed improves searching by physicians. We asked a random sample of Canadian nephrologists to answer unique clinical questions derived from 100 systematic reviews of renal therapy. Physicians provided the search terms that they would type into PubMed to locate articles to answer these questions. We entered the physician-provided search terms into PubMed and applied two types of search filters alone or in combination: a methods-based filter designed to identify high-quality studies about treatment (clinical queries "therapy") and a topic-based filter designed to identify studies with renal content. We evaluated the comprehensiveness (proportion of relevant articles found) and efficiency (ratio of relevant to nonrelevant articles) of the filtered and nonfiltered searches. Primary studies included in the systematic reviews served as the reference standard for relevant articles. The average physician-provided search terms retrieved 46% of the relevant articles, while 6% of the retrieved articles were relevant (corrected) (the ratio of relevant to nonrelevant articles was 1:16). The use of both filters together produced a marked improvement in efficiency, resulting in a ratio of relevant to nonrelevant articles of 1:5 (16 percentage point improvement; 99% confidence interval 9% to 22%; p < 0.003) with no substantive change in comprehensiveness (44% of relevant articles found; p = 0.55). The use of PubMed search filters improves the efficiency of physician searches. Improved search performance may enhance the transfer of research into practice and improve patient care.

Clarity and strength of implications for practice in medical journal articles: an exploratory analysis

PubMed Central

Owens, Allessia P; Bartunek, Jean M

2011-01-01

Objective To examine how leading clinical journals report research findings, aiming to assess how they frame their implications for medical practice and to compare that literature's patterns with those of the management literature. Data Source Clinically relevant research articles from three leading clinical journals (N Engl J Med, JAMA, and Ann Intern Med). Methods Review of wording of a sequential sample from 2010, with categorisation, comparison among journals, and comparison with management literature. Results Clinical journals usually state that one approach did or did not differ from another approach (35 of 51 articles, 68.6%), but they recommended a specific course of action (‘therefore, x should be done’) in just 25.5%. One article gave instruction on how to implement the changes. Two-thirds of the reports called for further research. Half used tentative language. Management research articles nearly always specified who should use the information and drew from over 60 types of potential users, whereas the clinical literature named the audience in only 23.5% of clinicians. Conclusions Authors and editors of the clinical literature could test being more clear and direct in presenting implications of research findings for practice, including stating when the findings do not justify changes in practice. PMID:21450773

Using PubMed search strings for efficient retrieval of manual therapy research literature.

PubMed

Pillastrini, Paolo; Vanti, Carla; Curti, Stefania; Mattioli, Stefano; Ferrari, Silvano; Violante, Francesco Saverio; Guccione, Andrew

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to construct PubMed search strings that could efficiently retrieve studies on manual therapy (MT), especially for time-constrained clinicians. Our experts chose 11 Medical Subject Heading terms describing MT along with 84 additional potential terms. For each term that was able to retrieve more than 100 abstracts, we systematically extracted a sample of abstracts from which we estimated the proportion of studies potentially relevant to MT. We then constructed 2 search strings: 1 narrow (threshold of pertinent articles ≥40%) and 1 expanded (including all terms for which a proportion had been calculated). We tested these search strings against articles on 2 conditions relevant to MT (thoracic and temporomandibular pain). We calculated the number of abstracts needed to read (NNR) to identify 1 potentially pertinent article in the context of these conditions. Finally, we evaluated the efficiency of the proposed PubMed search strings to identify relevant articles included in a systematic review on spinal manipulative therapy for chronic low back pain. Fifty-five search terms were able to extract more than 100 citations. The NNR to find 1 potentially pertinent article using the narrow string was 1.2 for thoracic pain and 1.3 for temporomandibular pain, and the NNR for the expanded string was 1.9 and 1.6, respectively. The narrow search strategy retrieved all the randomized controlled trials included in the systematic review selected for comparison. The proposed PubMed search strings may help health care professionals locate potentially pertinent articles and review a large number of MT studies efficiently to better implement evidence-based practice. Copyright © 2015 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reflections on practitioner-researcher collaborative inquiry.

PubMed

Stockton, Rex; Morran, Keith

2010-04-01

We offer comments regarding two articles in this issue, one titled "Bridging the Practitioner-Scientist Gap in Group Psychotherapy Research" and a complementary article providing the results of a survey, entitled "A Survey of Canadian Group Psychotherapist Association Members' Perceptions of Psychotherapy Research." We also make several recommendations for collaborative research between practitioners and scientists, such as the inclusion of clinicians on the research team, practice research networks, and improved approaches to communicating clinically relevant research findings. Also discussed are reflections and recommendations from the authors' experience as scientist-practitioners.

Allegations of Sexual Abuse of a Child: What to Do when a Single Forensic Interview Isn't Enough

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faller, Kathleen Coulborn; Cordisco-Steele, Linda; Nelson-Gardell, Debra

2010-01-01

This article describes the state of knowledge about extended assessments/forensic evaluations in situations of possible sexual abuse. It provides a critical review of the modest body of relevant research, describes two models for extended assessments, and presents descriptive survey findings of 62 professionals conducting extended assessments,…

Assessment of the Contribution of Regional Higher Education Systems to the Socio-Economic Development of the Russian Regions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leshukov, O. V.; Yevseyeva, D. G.; Gromov, A. D.; Platonova, D. P.

2017-01-01

This article analyzes how Russia's networks of higher education institutions contribute to their host regions in terms of the following three major facets: the economic development; the human capital development; and the innovative development. To ensure the analytical framework used derives relevant and representative findings given the nature of…

Health Care, Heal Thyself! An Exploration of What Drives (and Sustains) High Performance in Organizations Today

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Jason A.

2008-01-01

What happens when researching the radical unveils the simplest of solutions? This article tells the story of the 2007 ISPI Annual Conference Encore Presentation, Healthcare, Heal Thyself, sharing the findings of an exploration into high-performance health care facilities and their relevance to all organizations today. It shows how to overcome…

The Usefulness of Different Types of Health Research: Perspectives from a Low-Income Country

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burchett, Helen; Mayhew, Susannah H.; Lavis, John N.; Dobrow, Mark J.

2015-01-01

This article explores the perceived value of public health research and the types of research considered useful in Ghana. Sixty-nine decision makers, researchers and stakeholders were interviewed. A broad range of research was highly valued. Two traits were important: an applied, relevant topic and quickly produced findings. Interviewees valued…

Update: Applications of Research in Music Education Yearbook. Volume 24

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2006

2006-01-01

Readers of the online journal "Update: Applications of Research in Music Education" who prefer a printed copy of articles most relevant to their work will find them in the new 2005-2006 "Update Yearbook." Now available to everyone interested in the latest music education trends, the Yearbook contains in print the entire online issues for…

Why Content Is King

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirsch, E. D., Jr.; Hansel, Lisa

2013-01-01

"If you want to be able to read with comprehension, you must become knowledgeable about the topic. The more relevant knowledge you have, the less it matters whether the text is complex or not," write Hirsch and Hansel in this article. Research has shown that a student who has extensive background knowledge of a topic will find it easy to…

Experiences of People with Learning Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyun, Elly; Hahn, Lyndsey; McConnell, David

2014-01-01

The aim of this review is to synthesise findings from research about the experiences of people with learning disabilities who have faced arrest and jail time. After an extensive search of the literature, four relevant articles were found. The first-person accounts presented in these four studies were pooled, and a thematic analysis was undertaken.…

Social Background, Civic Education and Political Participation of Young People--The German Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onken, Holger; Lange, Dirk

2014-01-01

Due to social and political change the process of young citizens' political socialization was put on a new basis in West European democracies over the last decades. In this article we discuss some aspects of this development and show their consequences. We analyse empirical findings from Germany, focussing on the relevant social factors which…

OATYC Journal, Volume XX, Numbers 1-2, Fall 1995-Spring 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houston, Linda, Ed.

1996-01-01

Published by the Ohio Association of Two Year Colleges, this journal provides a medium for sharing concepts, methods, and findings relevant to the classroom and an open forum for the discussion and review of problems. This volume consists of the fall 1995 and spring 1996 issues and provides the following articles: (1) "FOCUS: OMI College of…

OATYC Journal, Vol. IX, Nos. 1-2, Autumn 1983-Spring 1984.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fullen, James, Ed.

1984-01-01

"OATYC Journal," which is published by the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges, is designed as a forum for the exchange of concepts, methods, and findings relevant to the two-year college classroom. Along with commentaries and letters of reaction from the readership, the two issues of volume IX present the following major articles: (1)…

OATYC Journal; Vol. X, Nos. 1-2, Fall 1984-Spring 1985.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fullen, James, Ed.

1985-01-01

"OATYC Journal," published by the the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges, is designed as a forum for the exchange of concepts, methods, and findings relevant to the two-year college classroom. Along with commentaries and letters of reaction from the readership, the two issues of volume X present the following articles: (1)…

Designing and Realization of an Individual Educational Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yunusova, Gulnaz R.; Karunas, Ekaterina V.

2016-01-01

Relevance of the issue is caused by the change of a knowledge-oriented educational paradigm into an individual-oriented one. This change means that an individual is the most significant value in the modern process of teaching. The aim of the article is to find a theoretical proof for an individual study program design and test it in pedagogical…

Faculty Perceptions of Race to the Top Policy Influence on a University-Based Preparation Program Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyes-Guerra, Daniel; Lochmiller, Chad R.

2016-01-01

Florida's Race to the Top (RTTT) competition invited university-district partnerships to compete for funds aimed at improving principal preparation programs. In this article, we report findings from a qualitative case study focused on one program partnership funded by RTTT. Drawing upon interviews with faculty and relevant documents, we conducted…

Students' Perceptions of the Relevance of Mathematics in Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flegg, Jennifer; Mallet, Dann; Lupton, Mandy

2012-01-01

In this article, we report on the findings of an exploratory study into the experience of students as they learn first year engineering mathematics. Here we define engineering as the application of mathematics and sciences to the building and design of projects for the use of society [M. Kirschenman and B. Brenner, "Education for Civil…

Transforming the School Reform Agenda: A Framework for Including Student Voice in Urban School Renewal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friend, Jennifer; Caruthers, Loyce

2015-01-01

This article advances a framework for educators to create pathways to elicit students' diverse perspectives as qualitative data sources in the process of urban school renewal. Elements of the framework are discussed in conjunction with relevant research and findings from videotaped interviews with elementary (n = 144) and secondary (n = 28)…

OATYC Journal, Vol. VII, Nos 1-2, Fall 1981-Spring 1982.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fullen, James, Ed.

1982-01-01

"OATYC Journal," which is published by the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges, is designed as a forum for the exchange of concepts, methods, and findings relevant to the two-year college classroom. Along with commentaries and letters of reaction from the readership, the two issues of volume VII include the following articles: (1)…

OATYC Journal, Vol. II, Nos. 1-3, October 1976-Spring 1977.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fullen, James, Ed.

1977-01-01

"OATYC Journal," which is published by the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges, is designed as a forum for the exchange of concepts, methods, and findings relevant to the two-year college classroom. Along with commentaries and letters of reaction from the readership, the three issues of volume II contain the following major articles:…

OATYC Journal, Vol. V, Nos. 1-2, Fall 1979, Winter 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fullen, James, Ed.

1980-01-01

"OATYC Journal," which is published by the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges, is designed as a forum for the exchange of concepts, methods, and findings relevant to the two-year college classroom. Along with commentaries and letters of reaction from the readership, the two issues of volume V present the following articles: (1)…

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caouette, Ralph

2008-01-01

To be effective and relevant in twenty-first-century learning, art needs to be more inclusive. In this article, the author discusses how teachers can find a good example in Leonardo da Vinci for building an art program. His art, design, and curiosity are the perfect foundation for any art program, at any level. (Contains 3 resources and 3 online…

Health Professionals' Attitudes towards Evidence-Based Medicine and the Role of the Information Professional in Exploitation of the Research Evidence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Ruth A.; Rolinson, Janet; Urquhart, Christine J.

1998-01-01

A survey of 182 doctors, nurses, and allied professionals examined health professionals' awareness of evidence-based medicine (EBM). Results show most health professionals wanted workplace access to resources, that doctors preferred to do their own searching, and that health professionals doubted librarians could find relevant articles, suggesting…

Computed tomographic angiography in stroke imaging: fundamental principles, pathologic findings, and common pitfalls.

PubMed

Gupta, Rajiv; Jones, Stephen E; Mooyaart, Eline A Q; Pomerantz, Stuart R

2006-06-01

The development of multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) now permits visualization of the entire vascular tree that is relevant for the management of stroke within 15 seconds. Advances in MDCT have brought computed tomography angiography (CTA) to the frontline in evaluation of stroke. CTA is a rapid and noninvasive modality for evaluating the neurovasculature. This article describes the role of CTA in the management of stroke. Fundamentals of contrast delivery, common pathologic findings, artifacts, and pitfalls in CTA interpretation are discussed.

["The fungal jungle". Medical mycology on the Internet].

PubMed

Voss, H; Hort, W; Wagner, R; Mayser, P

2005-01-01

The World Wide Web offers an enormous variety of information about medical mycology. To go through the "fungal jungle" and find the website containing the information that is needed requires a great deal of effort and a lot of time. This article provides help in finding information about medical mycology and describes the contents of preselected websites in German and English. These pages address physicians, scientists, and students interested in dermato-mycology. Most of the pages also contain information about mycoses relevant to other medical specialties.

Treatment Considerations for the Cardiometabolic Signs of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Review of the Literature Since the 2013 Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guidelines.

PubMed

Fields, Errol L; Trent, Maria E

2016-05-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome is characterized by an excess in androgen levels, ovarian dysfunction, and polycystic ovarian morphology but is also associated with metabolic dysfunction and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. To our knowledge, there are few therapeutic recommendations for these cardiometabolic risk factors and little evidence of their long-term clinical relevance to cardiovascular health. To determine metabolic and/or cardiovascular outcomes in polycystic ovary syndrome treatment literature since the publication of the most recent Endocrine Society clinical practice guidelines in 2013. We searched PubMed using a string of variations of polycystic ovary syndrome, therapy/treatment, and adolescence, and we included English-language original research articles published while the 2013 clinical practice guidelines were disseminated (ie, articles published from January 1, 2011, to June 1, 2015). Articles that appeared relevant based on a review of titles and abstracts were read in full to determine relevancy. References from relevant articles were reviewed for additional studies. Four topic areas emerged: (1) lifestyle modification, (2) metformin vs placebo or estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives, (3) insulin-sensitizing agents, and (4) estrogen-progestin formulations. Most studies assessed the role of metformin as a monotherapy or dual therapy supplement and found significant benefit when including metformin in polycystic ovary syndrome treatment regimens. Studies showed improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors and, in several, androgen excess and cutaneous and menstrual symptoms. Studies were limited by sample size (range, 22-171), few adolescent participants, and short-term outcomes. Findings show potential for metformin and estrogen-progestin dual therapy but warrant longitudinal studies examining outcomes from adolescence through middle age to determine the effect on long-term cardiovascular health.

Five-Year Bibliometric Review of Genomic Nursing Science Research.

PubMed

Williams, Janet K; Tripp-Reimer, Toni; Daack-Hirsch, Sandra; DeBerg, Jennifer

2016-03-01

This bibliometric review profiles the focus, dissemination, and impact of genomic nursing science articles from 2010 to 2014. Data-based genomic nursing articles by nursing authors and articles by non-nurse principal investigators funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research were categorized into the Genomic Nursing Science Blueprint nursing areas. Bibliometric content analysis was used. A total of 197 articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 60.3% were on biologic plausibility, 12.1% on client self-management, 11.1% on decision making or decision support, 8.1% on family, and 4.0% on communication, with the remaining 4.0% of articles focused on other topics. Few (11.6%) addressed healthcare disparities in the study purpose. Thirty-four references (17.2%) were cited 10 or more times. Research-based genomic nursing science articles are in the discovery phase of inquiry. All topics were investigated in more than one country. Healthcare disparities were addressed in few studies. Research findings from interdisciplinary teams were disseminated beyond nursing audiences, with findings addressing biologic discovery, decision making or support, and family being cited most frequently. Gaps in the reviewed articles included cross-cutting themes, ethics, and clinical utility. Interdisciplinary research is needed to document clinical and system outcomes of genomic nursing science implementation in health care. Although the review identifies areas that are encountered in clinical practice, relevance to practice will depend on evaluation of findings and subsequent development of clinical guidelines. © 2016 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Teacher and student supports for implementation of the NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Severance, Samuel

Through three articles, this dissertation examines the use of supports for implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) within a large urban school district. Article one, titled Organizing for Teacher Agency in Curricular Co-design, examines the need for coherent curriculum materials that teachers' had a meaningful role in shaping and how the use of a co-design approach and specific tools and routines can help to address this need. Article two, titled Relevant Learning and Student Agency within a Citizen Science Design Challenge, examines the need for curriculum materials that provide students with learning experiences they find relevant and that expands their sense of agency and how a curriculum centered around a community-based citizen science design challenge can help achieve such an aim. Article three, titled Implementation of a Novel Professional Development Program to Support Teachers' Understanding of Modeling, examines the need for professional development that builds teachers' understanding of and skill in engaging their students in the practice of developing and using models and how a novel professional development program, the Next Generation Science Exemplar, can aid teachers in this regard by providing them with carefully sequenced professional development activities and specific modeling tools for use in the classroom.

A measure of knowledge flow between specific fields: Implications of interdisciplinarity for impact and funding

PubMed Central

Solomon, Gregg E. A.; Youtie, Jan; Porter, Alan L.

2017-01-01

Encouraging knowledge flow between mutually relevant disciplines is a worthy aim of research policy makers. Yet, it is less clear what types of research promote cross-disciplinary knowledge flow and whether such research generates particularly influential knowledge. Empirical questions remain as to how to identify knowledge-flow mediating research and how to provide support for this research. This study contributes to addressing these gaps by proposing a new way to identify knowledge-flow mediating research at the individual research article level, instead of at more aggregated levels. We identify journal articles that link two mutually relevant disciplines in three ways—aggregating, bridging, and diffusing. We then examine the likelihood that these papers receive subsequent citations or have funding acknowledgments. Our case study of cognitive science and educational research knowledge flow suggests that articles that aggregate knowledge from multiple disciplines are cited significantly more often than are those whose references are drawn primarily from a single discipline. Interestingly, the articles that meet the criteria for being considered knowledge-flow mediators are less likely to reflect funding, based on reported acknowledgements, than were those that did not meet these criteria. Based on these findings, we draw implications for research policymakers. PMID:29016631

Nursing students experienced personal inadequacy, vulnerability and transformation during their patient care encounter: A qualitative meta-synthesis.

PubMed

Kaldal, Maiken Holm; Kristiansen, Jette; Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth

2018-05-01

To identify, appraise and synthesize the best available evidence exploring nursing students' experiences of professional patient care encounters in a hospital unit. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines were followed and a meta-synthesis was conducted. Qualitative research articles were considered for inclusion in the review, and JBI's meta-aggregative approach to synthesizing qualitative evidence was followed. An extensive search for relevant literature was undertaken in scientific databases. Data were extracted from the included research articles, and qualitative research findings were pooled using the Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument. This involved categorization of findings on the basis of similarity of meaning and aggregation of these categories to produce a comprehensive set of synthesized findings. A total of five research articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The review process resulted in 46 subcategories that were aggregated into 13 categories. The categories generated four synthesized findings: personal existence; personal learning and development; being a professional fellow human; and clinical learning environment. We meta-synthesized that: Nursing students experienced personal inadequacy, vulnerability and a transformation during their patient care encounter. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a consensus approach for return of pathology incidental findings in the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project.

PubMed

Lockhart, Nicole C; Weil, Carol J; Carithers, Latarsha J; Koester, Susan E; Little, A Roger; Volpi, Simona; Moore, Helen M; Berkman, Benjamin E

2018-06-14

The active debate about the return of incidental or secondary findings in research has primarily focused on return to research participants, or in some cases, family members. Particular attention has been paid to return of genomic findings. Yet, research may generate other types of findings that warrant consideration for return, including findings related to the pathology of donated biospecimens. In the case of deceased biospecimen donors who are also organ and/or tissue transplant donors, pathology incidental findings may be relevant not to family members, but to potential organ or tissue transplant recipients. This paper will describe the ethical implications of pathology incidental findings in the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, the process for developing a consensus approach as to if/when such findings should be returned, possible implications for other research projects collecting postmortem tissues and how the scenario encountered in GTEx fits into the larger return of results/incidental findings debate. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Immunophenotyping of acute leukaemias by flow cytometry: a review.

PubMed

Pamnani, R

2009-12-01

To provide an overview of the utility of flow cytometry for phenotyping of acute leukaemias and selection-of monoclonal antibodies. The literature review was obtained through internet, journals and chapters in the relevant books. Relevant articles and chapters on immunophenotyping of acute leukaemias were selected from respected international journals and books in the field of haematology and were reviewed. Complete articles relevant to the topic were selected and reviewed and the necessary information extracted for this review. Flow cytometry has been used extensively in recent years to characterise haemopoeitic malignancies and done routinely in the developed world. This technique has greatly improved the diagnosis and classification of haemopoeitic malignancies and has been recommended by World Health Organisation classification (WHO) of tumours of haemopoeitic and lymphoid tissue. Application of flow cytometry for the diagnosis of leukaemias has been recently introduced in Kenya and is currently being undertaken in research using limited but appropriate panels of monoclonal antibodies. It is hoped that findings of this research will inform the use of flow cytometry as an ancillary diagnostic technique in our resource-constrained set up.

Radiolucent rim as a possible diagnostic aid for differentiating jaw lesions

PubMed Central

Mortazavi, Hamed; Rahmani, Somayeh; Jafari, Soudeh; Parvaei, Parvin

2015-01-01

In this study, we formulate a new proposal that complements previous classifications in order to assist dental practitioners in performing a differential diagnosis based on patients' radiographs. We used general search engines and specialized databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, MedLine Plus, Science Direct, Scopus, and well-recognized textbooks to find relevant studies by using keywords such as "jaw disease," "jaw lesions," "radiolucent rim," "radiolucent border," and "radiolucent halo." More than 200 articles were found, of which 70 were broadly relevant to the topic. We ultimately included 50 articles that were closely related to the topic of interest. When the relevant data were compiled, the following eight lesions were identified as having a radiolucent rim: periapical cemento-osseous dysplasia, focal cemento-osseous dysplasia, florid cemento-osseous dysplasia, cemento-ossifying fibroma, osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, odontoma, and cementoblastoma. We propose a novel subcategory, jaw lesions with a radiolucent rim, which includes eight entities. The implementation of this new category can help improve the diagnoses that dental practitioners make based on patients' radiographs. PMID:26730374

Top Medical Education Studies of 2016: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Fromme, H Barrett; Ryan, Michael S; Darden, Alix; D'Alessandro, Donna M; Mogilner, Leora; Paik, Steve; Turner, Teri L

2018-02-06

Education, like clinical medicine, should be based on the most current evidence in the field. Unfortunately, medical educators can be overwhelmed by the sheer volume and range of resources for this literature. This article provides an overview of 15 articles from 2016 that the authors consider the top articles in the field of pediatric medical education. The 7 authors, all medical educators with combined leadership and expertise across the continuum of pediatric medical education, used an iterative 3-stage process to review more than 6339 abstracts published in 2016. This process was designed to identify a small subset of articles that were most relevant to educational practices and most applicable to pediatric medical education. In the first 2 stages, pairs of authors independently reviewed and scored abstracts in 13 medical education-related journals and reached consensus to identify the articles that best met these criteria. In the final stage, all articles were discussed using a group consensus model to select the final articles included in this review. This article presents summaries of the 15 articles that were selected. The results revealed a cluster of studies related to observed standardized clinical encounters, self-assessment, professionalism, clinical teaching, competencies/milestones, and graduate medical education management strategies. We provide suggestions on how medical educators can apply the findings to their own practice and educational settings. This narrative review offers a useful tool for educators interested in keeping informed about the most relevant and valuable information in the field. Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Differential Diagnosis of Mediastinal and Hilar Lymphadenopathy with Focus on Occupational Diseases].

PubMed

Lux, H; Cavalcante, L Barreira; Baur, X

2018-06-01

Hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy may represent a diagnostic challenge in clinical practice. This article is intended to facilitate differential diagnosis by a systematic description of relevant pathologies, notably with occupational etiology. Clinical findings of relevant diseases, i. e. of tuberculosis, chronic beryllium disease, sarcoidosis, lung cancer, malignant lymphoma, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and histoplasmosis are compared.Case history, imaging and laboratory tests have important diagnostic impact. But also invasive methods can be necessary in order to exclude and prove malignancy, infection or autoimmune disease. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Investigation of Financial Conflict of Interest among Published Ventral Hernia Research.

PubMed

Cherla, Deepa V; Olavarria, Oscar A; Bernardi, Karla; Viso, Cristina P; Moses, Maya L; Holihan, Julie L; Ko, Tien C; Kao, Lillian S; Liang, Mike K

2018-03-01

Discordance exists between author self-disclosure and the Open Payments Database in various surgical fields, but the effects of this discordance on study design and presentation are unknown. We hypothesized that, among ventral hernia publications, discordance exists between industry and physician self-reported conflicts of interest (COIs); authors disclose relevant COIs; and disclosure and relevant COIs affect study favorability. We conducted a double-blinded, prospective, observational study of published articles. PubMed was searched in reverse chronological order for clinical articles pertaining to ventral hernias. Authors' self-disclosed conflicts were compared with those on the Open Payments Database. Two reviewers blinded to article disclosure status determined jointly whether the COIs were relevant to the article. Three blinded referees independently voted whether each article was favorable to discussed subject matter. The primary end point was study favorability. Secondary outcomes included disclosure status and relevance. One hundred articles were included. Compared with authors with no COIs, authors with a COI, self-disclosed or not, were twice as likely to write results favorable to industry. Of those with a COI, most of the articles had a relevant COI (37 of 45 [82.2%]), and 25% of relevant COIs were not disclosed by authors. Among authors with a relevant COI, study favorability remained unchanged at 68.5% (control: no COI 33.3%; p < 0.001). Within the ventral hernia literature, 70% of articles have a COI. Self-reporting of COI is discordant in 63% of articles. Twenty-five percent of relevant COI are not disclosed. Having a COI increases the chances that an article will cast a favorable impression on the company paying the authors by 200%. Copyright © 2017 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The invalidity of the impact factor as indicator of the impact of Latin American scientific journals].

PubMed

Monge-Nájera, Julián

2014-03-01

Use of the Impact Factor is currently being discarded in industrialized countries where, to name one case, up to 40% of the articles published in Nature are never cited, despite the high Impact Factor of that journal. However, it is still used in Latin America to evaluate journals and authors, potentially influencing who are given positions and who receives funding. To find out how valid the Impact Factor is for Latin American research, 1 used the database BINABITROP to see how much of the relevant literature was used to measure impact. I found that the Science Citation Index (SCI) excluded 96% of the relevant literature when measuring the impact of biological articles about Costa Rica for the studied year (2011). Therefore, the impact of Latin American science is unknown and the Impact Factor should not be used to assess how often a journal, institution or author are cited.

Clinical relevance in anesthesia journals.

PubMed

Lauritsen, Jakob; Møller, Ann M

2006-04-01

The purpose of this review is to present the latest knowledge and research on the definition and distribution of clinically relevant articles in anesthesia journals. It will also discuss the importance of the chosen methodology and outcome of articles. In the last few years, more attention has been paid to evidence-based medicine in anesthesia. Several articles on the subject have focused on the need to base clinical decisions on sound research employing both methodological rigor and clinically relevant outcomes. The number of systematic reviews in anesthesia literature is increasing as well as the focus on diminishing the number of surrogate outcomes. It has been shown that the impact factor is not a valid measure of establishing the level of clinical relevance to a journal. This review presents definitions of clinically relevant anesthesia articles. A clinically relevant article employs both methodological rigor and a clinically relevant outcome. The terms methodological rigor and clinical outcomes are fully discussed in the review as well as problems with journal impact factors.

How Single-Parent Children Speak about Poverty and Social Exclusion: Policy Implications from a Comparative, Qualitative, Cross-National Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spyrou, Spyros

2013-01-01

This article presents some of the key findings from a comparative, qualitative research study carried out in the United Kingdom, Greece, and Cyprus. The main goal of the study was to investigate single-parent children's experiences and understandings of poverty and social exclusion in their everyday lives and to make relevant policy…

Moodle as a Data Portal in a Study of Cultural Relevance in K-2 Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Patricia L.

2013-01-01

This article describes a multiyear research project involving practicing K-2 teachers and the incorporation of Moodle as a qualitative data portal. Utilizing a case study of two participants, findings from the Moodle-facilitated data point known as "e-forum" are used to examine whether the community-building goal of the research was…

Facilitating Long-Term Recovery from Natural Disasters: Psychosocial Programming for Tsunami-Affected Schools of Sri Lanka

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nastasi, Bonnie K.; Jayasena, Asoka; Summerville, Meredith; Borja, Amanda P.

2011-01-01

This article reports the findings of a school-based intervention project conducted in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka 15 to 18 months after the December 2004 Tsunami. The work responds to the need for culturally relevant programming to address long-term psychosocial recovery of children and adolescents affected by large scale disasters. Program…

Is Managing by Wandering around Still Relevant?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckner, Terrie M.

2008-01-01

Administrators sometimes let themselves get locked into the "front end" of their buildings. There are phone calls to take, emails to answer, payments to post, and events to plan. It's easy to find the day coming to a close and they haven't even taken time to grab lunch or venture beyond the lobby of the building. In this article, the author…

When Online Exchanges Byte: An Examination of the Policy Environment Governing Cyberbullying at the University Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faucher, Chantal; Jackson, Margaret; Cassidy, Wanda

2015-01-01

This article reports on findings from a scan of 465 policies relevant to the handling of cyberbullying in 74 Canadian universities. It first assesses the commonalities and differences in the policies. Second, it considers how their various lenses--a human rights perspective versus a student conduct perspective, for instance--can affect the…

Employment of College Graduates in the Era of Universalized Higher Education: A Comparative Study by School Type and Discipline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ching-Pao, Chuang; Joanne, Hu J. H.

2012-01-01

The employment performance (including salaries, relevant to studies and job satisfaction) of college graduates from different school types and disciplines after the universalization of higher education in Taiwan was examined and a comparative analysis was conducted in this article. The findings were as follows: 1) "Medicine and health"…

Rigor and Relevance of Contextualized Measures in Mathematics, Literacy and Inquiry Learning for Rural Public Schooling in Medellin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amador-Lankster, Clara

2018-01-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss a Fulbright Evaluation Framework and to analyze findings resulting from implementation of two contextualized measures designed as LEARNING BY DOING in response to achievement expectations from the National Education Ministry in Colombia in three areas. The goal of the Fulbright funded project was to…

[Creativity and psychiatric disorders: recent neuroscientific insights].

PubMed

Thys, E; Sabbe, B; de Hert, M

2011-01-01

Creativity is an important human characteristic on which many of mankind's achievements are based. For centuries practitioners of various disciplines have deliberated over the possible connection between creativity and psychopathology. Even today the issue is still being investigated, mainly by groups working more or less independently; these range from art experts to psychiatrists and neuroscientists. In this article we bring together the foremost recent neuroscientific findings on the subject. We searched for relevant articles via electronic databases using a broad-band search strategy and concentrating mainly on neuroscientific publications. Our study of relevant articles showed that both the definition and the measurability of creativity are still problematic. Psychometric and psychodiagnostic research supports a link between creativity and the psychopathology of bipolar, schizophrenic and especially schizotypal disorders; the results of imaging techniques are less consistent and genetic research reveals a link between creativity and proneness to psychosis. There seems to be a connection between creativity and psychopathology in the bipolar-schizophrenic continuum. This connection is even more evident within the individual components of creativity and symptom groups of these pathologies. There is a need for accurate definitions, measuring instruments and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Confidence interval or p-value?: part 4 of a series on evaluation of scientific publications.

PubMed

du Prel, Jean-Baptist; Hommel, Gerhard; Röhrig, Bernd; Blettner, Maria

2009-05-01

An understanding of p-values and confidence intervals is necessary for the evaluation of scientific articles. This article will inform the reader of the meaning and interpretation of these two statistical concepts. The uses of these two statistical concepts and the differences between them are discussed on the basis of a selective literature search concerning the methods employed in scientific articles. P-values in scientific studies are used to determine whether a null hypothesis formulated before the performance of the study is to be accepted or rejected. In exploratory studies, p-values enable the recognition of any statistically noteworthy findings. Confidence intervals provide information about a range in which the true value lies with a certain degree of probability, as well as about the direction and strength of the demonstrated effect. This enables conclusions to be drawn about the statistical plausibility and clinical relevance of the study findings. It is often useful for both statistical measures to be reported in scientific articles, because they provide complementary types of information.

The Association of Physical Activity and Academic Behavior: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Sullivan, Rachel A; Kuzel, AnnMarie H; Vaandering, Michael E; Chen, Weiyun

2017-05-01

In this systematic review, we assessed the existing research describing the effects of physical activity (PA) on academic behavior, with a special focus on the effectiveness of the treatments applied, study designs, outcome measures, and results. We obtained data from various journal search engines and 218 journal articles were downloaded that were relevant to PA and academic performance topics. The abstracts of all the articles were independently peer reviewed to assess whether they met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. The literature search was ongoing. Of the reviewed articles, 9 were chosen on the topic of PA effects on academic behavior. Each article was analyzed and summarized using a standard summary template. Overall, PA interventions commonly found positive effects on academic behavior, with few exceptions. There were additional unique findings regarding differences in outcome measures and PA treatments. The findings from these studies are significant and support the implementation or continuation of PA in schools to improve academic behavior and associated performance. More research needs to be conducted using the effective aspects of the treatments from this review with consistent outcome measures. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Measuring the Interestingness of Articles in a Limited User Environment Prospectus

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

Pon, Raymond K.

2007-04-18

Search engines, such as Google, assign scores to news articles based on their relevancy to a query. However, not all relevant articles for the query may be interesting to a user. For example, if the article is old or yields little new information, the article would be uninteresting. Relevancy scores do not take into account what makes an article interesting, which would vary from user to user. Although methods such as collaborative filtering have been shown to be effective in recommendation systems, in a limited user environment there are not enough users that would make collaborative filtering effective. I presentmore » a general framework for defining and measuring the ''interestingness'' of articles, called iScore, incorporating user-feedback including tracking multiple topics of interest as well as finding interesting entities or phrases in a complex relationship network. I propose and have shown the validity of the following: 1. Filtering based on only topic relevancy is insufficient for identifying interesting articles. 2. No single feature can characterize the interestingness of an article for a user. It is the combination of multiple features that yields higher quality results. For each user, these features have different degrees of usefulness for predicting interestingness. 3. Through user-feedback, a classifier can combine features to predict interestingness for the user. 4. Current evaluation corpora, such as TREC, do not capture all aspects of personalized news filtering systems necessary for system evaluation. 5. Focusing on only specific evolving user interests instead of all topics allows for more efficient resource utilization while yielding high quality recommendation results. 6. Multiple profile vectors yield significantly better results than traditional methods, such as the Rocchio algorithm, for identifying interesting articles. Additionally, the addition of tracking multiple topics as a new feature in iScore, can improve iScore's classification performance. 7. Multiple topic tracking yields better results than the best results from the last TREC adaptive filtering run. As future work, I will address the following hypothesis: Entities and the relationship among these entities using current information extraction technology can be utilized to identify entities of interest and relationships of interest, using a scheme such as PageRank. And I will address one of the following two hypotheses: 1. By addressing the multiple reading roles that a single user may have, classification results can be improved. 2. By tailoring the operating parameters of MTT, better classification results can be achieved.« less

Existing Approaches to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Education and Training for Health Professionals: Findings from an Integrative Literature Review.

PubMed

Kako, Mayumi; Hammad, Karen; Mitani, Satoko; Arbon, Paul

2018-04-01

This review was conducted to explore the literature to determine the availability, content, and evaluation of existing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) education programs for health professionals. An integrative review of the international literature describing disaster education for CBRN (2004-2016) was conducted. The following relevant databases were searched: Proquest, Pubmed, Science Direct, Scopus, Journals @ OVID, Google Scholar, Medline, and Ichuschi ver. 5 (Japanese database for health professionals). The search terms used were: "disaster," "chemical," "biological," "radiological," "nuclear," "CBRN," "health professional education," and "method." The following Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms, "education," "nursing," "continuing," "disasters," "disaster planning," and "bioterrorism," were used wherever possible and appropriate. The retrieved articles were narratively analyzed according to availability, content, and method. The content was thematically analyzed to provide an overview of the core content of the training. The literature search identified 619 potentially relevant articles for this study. Duplicates (n=104) were removed and 87 articles were identified for title review. In total, 67 articles were discarded, yielding 20 articles for all-text review, following 11 studies were retained for analysis, including one Japanese study. All articles published in English were from the USA, apart from the two studies located in Japan and Sweden. The most typical content in the selected literature was CBRN theory (n=11), followed by studies based on incident command (n=8), decontamination (n=7), disaster management (n=7), triage (n=7), personal protective equipment (PPE) use (n = 5), and post-training briefing (n=3). While the CBRN training course requires the participants to gain specific skills and knowledge, proposed training courses should be effectively constructed to include approaches such as scenario-based simulations, depending on the participants' needs. Kako M , Hammad K , Mitani S , Arbon P . Existing approaches to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) education and training for health professionals: findings from an integrative literature review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):182-190.

A Systematic Literature Review on Evaluation of Digital Tools for Authoring Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines.

PubMed

Khodambashi, Soudabeh; Nytrø, Øystein

2017-01-01

To facilitate the clinical guideline (GL) development process, different groups of researchers have proposed tools that enable computer-supported tools for authoring and publishing GLs. In a previous study we interviewed GL authors in different Norwegian institutions and identified tool shortcomings. In this follow-up study our goal is to explore to what extent GL authoring tools have been evaluated by researchers, guideline organisations, or GL authors. This article presents results from a systematic literature review of evaluation (including usability) of GL authoring tools. A controlled database search and backward snow-balling were used to identify relevant articles. From the 12692 abstracts found, 188 papers were fully reviewed and 26 papers were identified as relevant. The GRADEPro tool has attracted some evaluation, however popular tools and platforms such as DECIDE, Doctor Evidence, JBI-SUMARI, G-I-N library have not been subject to specific evaluation from an authoring perspective. Therefore, we found that little attention was paid to the evaluation of the tools in general. We could not find any evaluation relevant to how tools integrate and support the complex GL development workflow. The results of this paper are highly relevant to GL authors, tool developers and GL publishing organisations in order to improve and control the GL development and maintenance process.

Getting Started with Magnetic Resonance Neurography.

PubMed

Andreisek, Gustav; Bolog, Nicolae V

2018-07-01

This article provides a review of magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) and how to get started. It explains step by step how to establish MRN at an institution: how to set up MRN protocols, how to train technicians, what a report needs to contain, and how relevant findings should be communicated to the referring physician. Advanced imaging techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging are only briefly discussed at the end of the article because most of those techniques are difficult for beginners and are still not considered standard in the clinical routine. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Self-management priority setting and decision-making in adults with multimorbidity: A narrative review of literature

PubMed Central

Bratzke, Lisa C.; Muehrer, Rebecca J.; Kehl, Karen A.; Lee, Kyoung Suk; Ward, Earlise C.; Kwekkeboom, Kristine L.

2014-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this narrative review was to synthesize current research findings related to self-management, in order to better understand the processes of priority setting and decision-making in among adults with multimorbidity. Design A narrative literature review was undertaken, synthesizing findings from published, peer-reviewed empirical studies that addressed priority setting and/or decision-making in self-management of multimorbidity. Data sources A search of PubMed, PsychINFO, CINAHL and SocIndex databases was conducted from database inception through December 2013. References lists from selected empirical studies and systematic reviews were evaluated to identify any additional relevant articles. Review methods Full text of potentially eligible articles were reviewed and selected for inclusion if they described empirical studies that addressed priority setting or decision-making in self-management of multimorbidity among adults. Two independent reviewers read each selected article and extracted relevant data to an evidence table. Processes and factors and processes of multimorbidity self-management were identified and sorted into categories of priority setting, decision-making, and facilitators/barriers. Results Thirteen articles were selected for inclusion; most were qualitative studies describing processes, facilitators, and barriers of multimorbidity self-management. The findings revealed that patients prioritize a dominant chronic illness and re-prioritize over time as conditions and treatments change; that multiple facilitators (e.g. support programs) and barriers (e.g. lack of financial resources) impact individuals’ self-management priority setting and decision-making ability; as do individual beliefs, preferences, and attitudes (e.g., perceived personal control, preferences regarding treatment). Conclusions Health care providers need to be cognizant that individuals with multimorbidity engage in day-to-day priority setting and decision-making among their multiple chronic illnesses and respective treatments. Researchers need to develop and test interventions that support day-to-day priority setting and decision-making and improve health outcomes for individuals with multimorbidity. PMID:25468131

Self-management priority setting and decision-making in adults with multimorbidity: a narrative review of literature.

PubMed

Bratzke, Lisa C; Muehrer, Rebecca J; Kehl, Karen A; Lee, Kyoung Suk; Ward, Earlise C; Kwekkeboom, Kristine L

2015-03-01

The purpose of this narrative review was to synthesize current research findings related to self-management, in order to better understand the processes of priority setting and decision-making among adults with multimorbidity. A narrative literature review was undertaken, synthesizing findings from published, peer-reviewed empirical studies that addressed priority setting and/or decision-making in self-management of multimorbidity. A search of PubMed, PsychINFO, CINAHL and SocIndex databases was conducted from database inception through December 2013. References lists from selected empirical studies and systematic reviews were evaluated to identify any additional relevant articles. Full text of potentially eligible articles were reviewed and selected for inclusion if they described empirical studies that addressed priority setting or decision-making in self-management of multimorbidity among adults. Two independent reviewers read each selected article and extracted relevant data to an evidence table. Processes and factors of multimorbidity self-management were identified and sorted into categories of priority setting, decision-making, and facilitators/barriers. Thirteen articles were selected for inclusion; most were qualitative studies describing processes, facilitators, and barriers of multimorbidity self-management. The findings revealed that patients prioritize a dominant chronic illness and re-prioritize over time as conditions and treatments change; that multiple facilitators (e.g. support programs) and barriers (e.g. lack of financial resources) impact individuals' self-management priority setting and decision-making ability; as do individual beliefs, preferences, and attitudes (e.g., perceived personal control, preferences regarding treatment). Health care providers need to be cognizant that individuals with multimorbidity engage in day-to-day priority setting and decision-making among their multiple chronic illnesses and respective treatments. Researchers need to develop and test interventions that support day-to-day priority setting and decision-making and improve health outcomes for individuals with multimorbidity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selenium in bone health: roles in antioxidant protection and cell proliferation.

PubMed

Zeng, Huawei; Cao, Jay J; Combs, Gerald F

2013-01-10

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals, and several findings suggest that dietary Se intake may be necessary for bone health. Such findings may relate to roles of Se in antioxidant protection, enhanced immune surveillance and modulation of cell proliferation. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which Se supports these cellular processes can lead to a better understanding of the role of this nutrient in normal bone metabolism. This article reviews the current knowledge concerning the molecular functions of Se relevant to bone health.

Selenium in Bone Health: Roles in Antioxidant Protection and Cell Proliferation

PubMed Central

Zeng, Huawei; Cao, Jay J.; Combs, Gerald F.

2013-01-01

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals, and several findings suggest that dietary Se intake may be necessary for bone health. Such findings may relate to roles of Se in antioxidant protection, enhanced immune surveillance and modulation of cell proliferation. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which Se supports these cellular processes can lead to a better understanding of the role of this nutrient in normal bone metabolism. This article reviews the current knowledge concerning the molecular functions of Se relevant to bone health. PMID:23306191

Velopharyngeal insufficiency: diagnosis and management

PubMed Central

Shprintzen, Robert J.; Marrinan, Eileen

2009-01-01

Purpose of Review Journal articles relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) were reviewed. All articles ascertained by PubMed search were included. Recent Findings Articles reported on the application of magnetic resonance scanning, reliability tests of the International Working Group diagnostic protocol, the use of nasometry, and techniques designed to assess the function of the velopharyngeal mechanism. Treatment papers focused on outcomes in small samples of cases and complication rates from pharyngeal flap. One paper discussed ineffective speech therapy procedures. Summary There were relatively few papers this past year. Those that were published were hindered by small and heterogeneous sample sizes, and occasionally by inappropriate methods for assessing outcomes. None of the findings will have a major impact on the current state-of-the-art for diagnosis of VPI. The speech therapy paper has a very important message that should be taken to heart by all clinicians involved in the management of children with clefts and craniofacial disorders. PMID:19448542

The use of stereotypes and individuating information in political person perception.

PubMed

Crawford, Jarret T; Jussim, Lee; Madon, Stephanie; Cain, Thomas R; Stevens, Sean T

2011-04-01

This article introduces the political person perception model, which identifies conditions under which perceivers rely on stereotypes (party membership), individuating information (issue position), or both in political person perception. Three studies supported the model's predictions. Study 1 showed that perceivers gave primacy to target information that was narrowly relevant to a judgment, whether that information was stereotypic or individuating. Study 2 found that perceivers relied exclusively on individuating information when it was narrowly relevant to the judgment and relied on both stereotype and individuating information when individuating information was not narrowly relevant to the judgment but did imply a political ideology. Study 3 replicated these findings in a more ecologically valid context and showed that people relied on party information in the absence of narrowly relevant policy positions and when individuating information did not imply a political ideology. Implications for political person perception and theories of stereotyping are discussed.

The sound of cooperation: Musical influences on cooperative behavior.

PubMed

Kniffin, Kevin M; Yan, Jubo; Wansink, Brian; Schulze, William D

2017-03-01

Music as an environmental aspect of professional workplaces has been closely studied with respect to consumer behavior while sparse attention has been given to its relevance for employee behavior. In this article, we focus on the influence of music upon cooperative behavior within decision-making groups. Based on results from two extended 20-round public goods experiments, we find that happy music significantly and positively influences cooperative behavior. We also find a significant positive association between mood and cooperative behavior. Consequently, while our studies provide partial support for the relevance of affect in relation to cooperation within groups, we also show an independently important function of happy music that fits with a theory of synchronous and rhythmic activity as a social lubricant. More generally, our findings indicate that music and perhaps other atmospheric variables that are designed to prime consumer behavior might have comparably important effects for employees and consequently warrant closer investigation. Copyright © 2016 The Authors Journal of Organizational Behavior Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reflections on relevance: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in 2004.

PubMed

Balon, Richard

2005-01-01

Relevance of an article is a highly desirable yet hardly predictable quality at the time of its publication. Article relevance is frequently measured by the impact factor of the journal where the article is published. Furthermore, impact factor, citation index and citation analysis are used as a measure of research progress and scientific wealth of a nation. The wisdom and significance of this approach to relevance is debatable and thus discussed here. In 2004, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics published a variety of articles which, in the author's view, are clinically relevant. Several selected clinically relevant issues reviewed in this article include: the conceptualization of fibromyalgia as a stress disorder; the psychosocial impact and psychosocial interventions in cancer; the impact of alexithymia on patient care; the possible relationship between depression and nutrition (namely intake of folate and pyridoxal phosphate); the significance of hypercoagulability in panic-like anxiety; the questionable value of single isomer drugs, and the relevance and adequacy of clinimetrics versus psychometrics in clinical research. The reviewed issues seem to be relevant to clinical practice, research or both, but also to our critical thinking, and the critical review of the developments in psychiatry and psychology. Copyright 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.

RECOVER evidence and knowledge gap analysis on veterinary CPR. Part 1: Evidence analysis and consensus process: collaborative path toward small animal CPR guidelines.

PubMed

Boller, Manuel; Fletcher, Daniel J

2012-06-01

To describe the methodology used by the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) to evaluate the scientific evidence relevant to small animal CPR and to compose consensus-based clinical CPR guidelines for dogs and cats. This report is part of a series of 7 articles on the RECOVER evidence and knowledge gap analysis and consensus-based small animal CPR guidelines. It describes the organizational structure of RECOVER, the evaluation process employed, consisting of standardized literature searches, the analysis of relevant articles according to study design, species and predefined quality markers, and the drafting of clinical CPR guidelines based on these data. Therefore, this article serves as the methodology section for the subsequent 6 RECOVER articles. Academia, referral practice. RECOVER is a collaborative initiative that systematically evaluated the evidence on 74 topics relevant to small animal CPR and generated 101 clinical CPR guidelines from this analysis. All primary contributors were veterinary specialists, approximately evenly split between academic institutions and private referral practices. The evidence evaluation and guideline drafting processes were conducted according to a predefined sequence of steps designed to reduce bias and increase the repeatability of the findings, including multiple levels of review, culminating in a consensus process. Many knowledge gaps were identified that will allow prioritization of research efforts in veterinary CPR. Collaborative systematic evidence review is organizationally challenging but feasible and effective in veterinary medicine. More experience is needed to refine the process. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2012.

The Language of Scholarship: How to Rapidly Locate and Avoid Common APA Errors.

PubMed

Freysteinson, Wyona M; Krepper, Rebecca; Mellott, Susan

2015-10-01

This article is relevant for nurses and nursing students who are writing scholarly documents for work, school, or publication and who have a basic understanding of American Psychological Association (APA) style. Common APA errors on the reference list and in citations within the text are reviewed. Methods to quickly find and reduce those errors are shared. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Developmental Characteristics of Young Dual Language Learners: Implications for Policy and Practice in Infant and Toddler Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Dina C.; Espinosa, Linda M.

2014-01-01

This article discusses the current knowledge on the developmental characteristics and contexts of care for infants and toddlers who are growing up in bilingual environments at home and in their early care settings in the united States. The authors highlight relevant findings from the work of the Center of Early Care and Education Research-Dual…

Up and running. Choosing the right equipment service option.

PubMed

2011-08-01

If you're trying to decide between servicing your equipment in-house or using an outside party, you know that finding the best option can be complicated. To help manage the decision process, this article includes a matrix to organize and assess all relevant factors. We also discuss equipment maintenance insurance, which allows you to cap your service costs for some or all of your equipment.

A sparse representation of the pathologist's interaction with whole slide images to improve the assigned relevance of regions of interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santiago, Daniel; Corredor, Germán.; Romero, Eduardo

2017-11-01

During a diagnosis task, a Pathologist looks over a Whole Slide Image (WSI), aiming to find out relevant pathological patterns. Nonetheless, a virtual microscope captures these structures, but also other cellular patterns with different or none diagnostic meaning. Annotation of these images depends on manual delineation, which in practice becomes a hard task. This article contributes a new method for detecting relevant regions in WSI using the routine navigations in a virtual microscope. This method constructs a sparse representation or dictionary of each navigation path and determines the hidden relevance by maximizing the incoherence between several paths. The resulting dictionaries are then projected onto each other and relevant information is set to the dictionary atoms whose similarity is higher than a custom threshold. Evaluation was performed with 6 pathological images segmented from a skin biopsy already diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Results show that our proposal outperforms the baseline by more than 20%.

Systematic review of effects of current transtibial prosthetic socket designs--Part 2: Quantitative outcomes.

PubMed

Safari, Mohammad Reza; Meier, Margrit Regula

2015-01-01

This review is an attempt to untangle the complexity of transtibial prosthetic socket fit and perhaps find some indication of whether a particular prosthetic socket type might be best for a given situation. In addition, we identified knowledge gaps, thus providing direction for possible future research. We followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, using medical subject headings and standard key words to search for articles in relevant databases. No restrictions were made on study design and type of outcome measure used. From the obtained search results (n = 1,863), 35 articles were included. The relevant data were entered into a predefined data form that included the Downs and Black risk of bias assessment checklist. This article presents the results from the systematic review of the quantitative outcomes (n = 27 articles). Trends indicate that vacuum-assisted suction sockets improve gait symmetry, volume control, and residual limb health more than other socket designs. Hydrostatic sockets seem to create less inconsistent socket fittings, reducing a problem that greatly influences outcome measures. Knowledge gaps exist in the understanding of clinically meaningful changes in socket fit and its effect on biomechanical outcomes. Further, safe and comfortable pressure thresholds under various conditions should be determined through a systematic approach.

Effects of distraction on memory and cognition: a commentary.

PubMed

Craik, Fergus I M

2014-01-01

This commentary is a review of the findings and ideas reported in the preceding nine articles on the effects of distraction on aspects of cognitive performance. The articles themselves deal with the disruptive effects of distraction on recall of words, objects and events, also on visual processing, category formation and other cognitive tasks. The commentary assesses the part played by "domain-general" suppression of distracting information and the "domain-specific" competition arising when tasks and distraction involve very similar material. Some forms of distraction are meaningfully relevant to the ongoing task, and Treisman's (1964) model of selective attention is invoked to provide an account of findings in this area. Finally, individual differences to vulnerability to distraction are discussed; older adults are particularly affected by distracting stimuli although the failure to repress distraction can sometimes prove beneficial to later cognitive performance.

Simple and efficient machine learning frameworks for identifying protein-protein interaction relevant articles and experimental methods used to study the interactions.

PubMed

Agarwal, Shashank; Liu, Feifan; Yu, Hong

2011-10-03

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) is an important biomedical phenomenon. Automatically detecting PPI-relevant articles and identifying methods that are used to study PPI are important text mining tasks. In this study, we have explored domain independent features to develop two open source machine learning frameworks. One performs binary classification to determine whether the given article is PPI relevant or not, named "Simple Classifier", and the other one maps the PPI relevant articles with corresponding interaction method nodes in a standardized PSI-MI (Proteomics Standards Initiative-Molecular Interactions) ontology, named "OntoNorm". We evaluated our system in the context of BioCreative challenge competition using the standardized data set. Our systems are amongst the top systems reported by the organizers, attaining 60.8% F1-score for identifying relevant documents, and 52.3% F1-score for mapping articles to interaction method ontology. Our results show that domain-independent machine learning frameworks can perform competitively well at the tasks of detecting PPI relevant articles and identifying the methods that were used to study the interaction in such articles. Simple Classifier is available at http://sourceforge.net/p/simpleclassify/home/ and OntoNorm at http://sourceforge.net/p/ontonorm/home/.

Searching the scientific literature: implications for quantitative and qualitative reviews.

PubMed

Wu, Yelena P; Aylward, Brandon S; Roberts, Michael C; Evans, Spencer C

2012-08-01

Literature reviews are an essential step in the research process and are included in all empirical and review articles. Electronic databases are commonly used to gather this literature. However, several factors can affect the extent to which relevant articles are retrieved, influencing future research and conclusions drawn. The current project examined articles obtained by comparable search strategies in two electronic archives using an exemplar search to illustrate factors that authors should consider when designing their own search strategies. Specifically, literature searches were conducted in PsycINFO and PubMed targeting review articles on two exemplar disorders (bipolar disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and issues of classification and/or differential diagnosis. Articles were coded for relevance and characteristics of article content. The two search engines yielded significantly different proportions of relevant articles overall and by disorder. Keywords differed across search engines for the relevant articles identified. Based on these results, it is recommended that when gathering literature for review papers, multiple search engines should be used, and search syntax and strategies be tailored to the unique capabilities of particular engines. For meta-analyses and systematic reviews, authors may consider reporting the extent to which different archives or sources yielded relevant articles for their particular review. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-Authorship and Bibliographic Coupling Network Effects on Citations

PubMed Central

Biscaro, Claudio; Giupponi, Carlo

2014-01-01

This paper analyzes the effects of the co-authorship and bibliographic coupling networks on the citations received by scientific articles. It expands prior research that limited its focus on the position of co-authors and incorporates the effects of the use of knowledge sources within articles: references. By creating a network on the basis of shared references, we propose a way to understand whether an article bridges among extant strands of literature and infer the size of its research community and its embeddedness. Thus, we map onto the article – our unit of analysis – the metrics of authors' position in the co-authorship network and of the use of knowledge on which the scientific article is grounded. Specifically, we adopt centrality measures – degree, betweenneess, and closeness centrality – in the co-authorship network and degree, betweenness centrality and clustering coefficient in the bibliographic coupling and show their influence on the citations received in first two years after the year of publication. Findings show that authors' degree positively impacts citations. Also closeness centrality has a positive effect manifested only when the giant component is relevant. Author's betweenness centrality has instead a negative effect that persists until the giant component - largest component of the network in which all nodes can be linked by a path - is relevant. Moreover, articles that draw on fragmented strands of literature tend to be cited more, whereas the size of the scientific research community and the embeddedness of the article in a cohesive cluster of literature have no effect. PMID:24911416

Conditioned Stimuli’s Role in Relapse: Pre-Clinical Research on Pavlovian Instrumental Transfer

PubMed Central

Lamb, R.J.; Schindler, W.; Pinkston, Jonathan W.

2016-01-01

Rationale and Objective Pavlovian learning is central to many theories of addiction. In these theories, stimuli paired with drug ingestion become Conditioned Stimuli (CS) and subsequently elicit drug-seeking and -taking. However in most relevant studies, Pavlovian and instrumental learning are confounded. This confound may be avoided in Pavlovian-Instrumental-Transfer (PIT) procedures. In PIT, Pavlovian and instrumental learning are established separately, and then combined. In order to better understand the role of CSs in addiction, we review the relevant studies using PIT. Findings We identified seven articles examining PIT effects of ethanol- or cocaine-paired CSs. Under at least one condition six of these articles reported CS-elicited increases in responding previously maintained by drug. However, the only study using the optimal control condition failed to find a CS-elicited increase. Two studies examining CS specificity found the CS also increased responding maintained by a different reinforcer. Two studies examined if CSs elicit increases in actual drug-taking. Both failed to find CS-elicited increases, i.e., no study shows CS-elicited increases in actual drug-taking. Further, CS-elicited increases in extinguished responding are short-lived. Conclusions These findings are not entirely consistent with Pavlovian learning playing a central role in addiction. However, design issues can explain most of these inconsistencies. Studies without these design issues are needed. Additionally, existing theories hypothesize drug-paired CSs increase drug-taking by increasing motivation, by eliciting conditioned responses that make drug-seeking more probable, or by a combination of these. Work distinguishing between these mechanisms would also be useful. PMID:26800688

When is a randomised controlled trial health equity relevant? Development and validation of a conceptual framework.

PubMed

Jull, J; Whitehead, M; Petticrew, M; Kristjansson, E; Gough, D; Petkovic, J; Volmink, J; Weijer, C; Taljaard, M; Edwards, S; Mbuagbaw, L; Cookson, R; McGowan, J; Lyddiatt, A; Boyer, Y; Cuervo, L G; Armstrong, R; White, H; Yoganathan, M; Pantoja, T; Shea, B; Pottie, K; Norheim, O; Baird, S; Robberstad, B; Sommerfelt, H; Asada, Y; Wells, G; Tugwell, P; Welch, V

2017-09-25

Randomised controlled trials can provide evidence relevant to assessing the equity impact of an intervention, but such information is often poorly reported. We describe a conceptual framework to identify health equity-relevant randomised trials with the aim of improving the design and reporting of such trials. An interdisciplinary and international research team engaged in an iterative consensus building process to develop and refine the conceptual framework via face-to-face meetings, teleconferences and email correspondence, including findings from a validation exercise whereby two independent reviewers used the emerging framework to classify a sample of randomised trials. A randomised trial can usefully be classified as 'health equity relevant' if it assesses the effects of an intervention on the health or its determinants of either individuals or a population who experience ill health due to disadvantage defined across one or more social determinants of health. Health equity-relevant randomised trials can either exclusively focus on a single population or collect data potentially useful for assessing differential effects of the intervention across multiple populations experiencing different levels or types of social disadvantage. Trials that are not classified as 'health equity relevant' may nevertheless provide information that is indirectly relevant to assessing equity impact, including information about individual level variation unrelated to social disadvantage and potentially useful in secondary modelling studies. The conceptual framework may be used to design and report randomised trials. The framework could also be used for other study designs to contribute to the evidence base for improved health equity. © 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.

Review of the Gene-Environment Interaction Literature in Cancer: What Do We Know?

PubMed

Simonds, Naoko I; Ghazarian, Armen A; Pimentel, Camilla B; Schully, Sheri D; Ellison, Gary L; Gillanders, Elizabeth M; Mechanic, Leah E

2016-07-01

Risk of cancer is determined by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Although the study of gene-environment interactions (G×E) has been an active area of research, little is reported about the known findings in the literature. To examine the state of the science in G×E research in cancer, we performed a systematic review of published literature using gene-environment or pharmacogenomic flags from two curated databases of genetic association studies, the Human Genome Epidemiology (HuGE) literature finder and Cancer Genome-Wide Association and Meta Analyses Database (CancerGAMAdb), from January 1, 2001, to January 31, 2011. A supplemental search using HuGE was conducted for articles published from February 1, 2011, to April 11, 2013. A 25% sample of the supplemental publications was reviewed. A total of 3,019 articles were identified in the original search. From these articles, 243 articles were determined to be relevant based on inclusion criteria (more than 3,500 interactions). From the supplemental search (1,400 articles identified), 29 additional relevant articles (1,370 interactions) were included. The majority of publications in both searches examined G×E in colon, rectal, or colorectal; breast; or lung cancer. Specific interactions examined most frequently included environmental factors categorized as energy balance (e.g., body mass index, diet), exogenous (e.g., oral contraceptives) and endogenous hormones (e.g., menopausal status), chemical environment (e.g., grilled meats), and lifestyle (e.g., smoking, alcohol intake). In both searches, the majority of interactions examined were using loci from candidate genes studies and none of the studies were genome-wide interaction studies (GEWIS). The most commonly reported measure was the interaction P-value, of which a sizable number of P-values were considered statistically significant (i.e., <0.05). In addition, the magnitude of interactions reported was modest. Observations of published literature suggest that opportunity exists for increased sample size in G×E research, including GWAS-identified loci in G×E studies, exploring more GWAS approaches in G×E such as GEWIS, and improving the reporting of G×E findings. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Twenty-Five Years of Research on Childhood Anxiety Disorders: Publication Trends between 1982 and 2006 and a Selective Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muris, Peter; Broeren, Suzanne

2009-01-01

We examined trends in publications on childhood anxiety disorders over the past 25 years. A PsycINFO search was carried out to find relevant research articles published between 1982 and 2006. Results indicated a gradual and significant rise in the frequency of publications on childhood anxiety disorders during the past 25 years, and this increase…

Using internet search engines and library catalogs to locate toxicology information.

PubMed

Wukovitz, L D

2001-01-12

The increasing importance of the Internet demands that toxicologists become aquainted with its resources. To find information, researchers must be able to effectively use Internet search engines, directories, subject-oriented websites, and library catalogs. The article will explain these resources, explore their benefits and weaknesses, and identify skills that help the researcher to improve search results and critically evaluate sources for their relevancy, validity, accuracy, and timeliness.

The Accented EFL Teacher: Classroom Implications (El acento del profesor de inglés como lengua extranjera: implicaciones pedagógicas)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arboleda Arboleda, Argemiro; Castro Garcés, Ángela Yicely

2012-01-01

This article reports the findings of a research study on how significant having a foreign accent is for non-native English as a foreign language teachers and learners at university level. It points out the perceptions that teachers and students have about the most relevant issues in the teaching and learning processes. Data were collected by means…

An Exploration of the Viability of Partnership between "Dar Al-Ulum" and Higher Education Institutions in North West England Focusing upon Pedagogy and Relevance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geaves, Ron

2015-01-01

The article explores possibilities of collaboration between Muslim providers of traditional education ("dar al-ulums") and HE/FE institutions in close geographical proximity in the North West England. It reports the outcomes of a project carried out in 2011/2012 influenced by the findings of the Makadam/Scott-Baumann report in 2010, in…

Suicide and Suicide Risk in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations: Review and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Haas, Ann P.; Eliason, Mickey; Mays, Vickie M.; Mathy, Robin M.; Cochran, Susan D.; D'Augelli, Anthony R.; Silverman, Morton M.; Fisher, Prudence W.; Hughes, Tonda; Rosario, Margaret; Russell, Stephen T.; Malley, Effie; Reed, Jerry; Litts, David A.; Haller, Ellen; Sell, Randall L.; Remafedi, Gary; Bradford, Judith; Beautrais, Annette L.; Brown, Gregory K.; Diamond, Gary M.; Friedman, Mark S.; Garofalo, Robert; Turner, Mason S.; Hollibaugh, Amber; Clayton, Paula J.

2011-01-01

Despite strong indications of elevated risk of suicidal behavior in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, limited attention has been given to research, interventions or suicide prevention programs targeting these populations. This article is a culmination of a three-year effort by an expert panel to address the need for better understanding of suicidal behavior and suicide risk in sexual minority populations, and stimulate the development of needed prevention strategies, interventions and policy changes. This article summarizes existing research findings, and makes recommendations for addressing knowledge gaps and applying current knowledge to relevant areas of suicide prevention practice. PMID:21213174

Students' participation in Hult Prize and their decision for entrepreneurship: Data gathered from Hult Prize 2018 regional finals in Nigeria.

PubMed

Oluwatobi, Stephen; Oshokoya, Damilare; Atayero, Aderemi; Oludayo, Olumuyiwa; Nsofor, Colette; Oyebode, Adeola

2018-08-01

This data article is an expression of data that reflects how students' participation in the Hult Prize 2018 regional finals affects their decision to become entrepreneurs. The primary data was sourced using a questionnaire developed with Google doc form. Out of 120 students that participated in the Hult Prize 2018 regional finals in Nigeria, 103 of them responded. Their responses are as presented in this article. Such will be relevant to researchers who want to find out why students desire to become entrepreneurs and the best approach and timing to enable them.

Why are children in the same family so different from one another?*

PubMed Central

Plomin, Robert; Daniels, Denise

2011-01-01

Summary One of the most important findings that has emerged from human behavioral genetics involves the environment rather than heredity, providing the best available evidence for the importance of environmental influences on personality, psychopathology, and cognition. The research also converges on the remarkable conclusion that these environmental influences make two children in the same family as different from one another as are pairs of children selected randomly from the population. The theme of the target article is that environmental differences between children in the same family (called “nonshared environment”) represent the major source of environmental variance for personality, psychopathology, and cognitive abilities. One example of the evidence that supports this conclusion involves correlations for pairs of adopted children reared in the same family from early in life. Because these children share family environment but not heredity, their correlation directly estimates the importance of shared family environment. For most psychological characteristics, correlations for adoptive “siblings” hover near zero, which implies that the relevant environmental influences are not shared by children in the same family. Although it has been thought that cognitive abilities represent an exception to this rule, recent data suggest that environmental variance that affects IQ is also of the nonshared variety after adolescence. The article has three goals: (1) To describe quantitative genetic methods and research that lead to the conclusion that nonshared environment is responsible for most environmental variation relevant to psychological development, (2) to discuss specific nonshared environmental influences that have been studied to date, and (3) to consider relationships between nonshared environmental influences and behavioral differences between children in the same family. The reason for presenting this article in BBS is to draw attention to the far-reaching implications of finding that psychologically relevant environmental influences make children in a family different from, not similar to, one another. PMID:21807642

Why are children in the same family so different from one another?

PubMed

Plomin, Robert; Daniels, Denise

2011-06-01

One of the most important findings that has emerged from human behavioral genetics involves the environment rather than heredity, providing the best available evidence for the importance of environmental influences on personality, psychopathology, and cognition. The research also converges on the remarkable conclusion that these environmental influences make two children in the same family as different from one another as are pairs of children selected randomly from the population. The theme of the target article is that environmental differences between children in the same family (called "nonshared environment") represent the major source of environmental variance for personality, psychopathology, and cognitive abilities. One example of the evidence that supports this conclusion involves correlations for pairs of adopted children reared in the same family from early in life. Because these children share family environment but not heredity, their correlation directly estimates the importance of shared family environment. For most psychological characteristics, correlations for adoptive "siblings" hover near zero, which implies that the relevant environmental influences are not shared by children in the same family. Although it has been thought that cognitive abilities represent an exception to this rule, recent data suggest that environmental variance that affects IQ is also of the nonshared variety after adolescence. The article has three goals: (1) To describe quantitative genetic methods and research that lead to the conclusion that nonshared environment is responsible for most environmental variation relevant to psychological development, (2) to discuss specific nonshared environmental influences that have been studied to date, and (3) to consider relationships between nonshared environmental influences and behavioral differences between children in the same family. The reason for presenting this article in BBS is to draw attention to the far-reaching implications of finding that psychologically relevant environmental influences make children in a family different from, not similar to, one another.

Cognitive deficits caused by prefrontal cortical and hippocampal neural disinhibition.

PubMed

Bast, Tobias; Pezze, Marie; McGarrity, Stephanie

2017-10-01

We review recent evidence concerning the significance of inhibitory GABA transmission and of neural disinhibition, that is, deficient GABA transmission, within the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, for clinically relevant cognitive functions. Both regions support important cognitive functions, including attention and memory, and their dysfunction has been implicated in cognitive deficits characterizing neuropsychiatric disorders. GABAergic inhibition shapes cortico-hippocampal neural activity, and, recently, prefrontal and hippocampal neural disinhibition has emerged as a pathophysiological feature of major neuropsychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia and age-related cognitive decline. Regional neural disinhibition, disrupting spatio-temporal control of neural activity and causing aberrant drive of projections, may disrupt processing within the disinhibited region and efferent regions. Recent studies in rats showed that prefrontal and hippocampal neural disinhibition (by local GABA antagonist microinfusion) dysregulates burst firing, which has been associated with important aspects of neural information processing. Using translational tests of clinically relevant cognitive functions, these studies showed that prefrontal and hippocampal neural disinhibition disrupts regional cognitive functions (including prefrontal attention and hippocampal memory function). Moreover, hippocampal neural disinhibition disrupted attentional performance, which does not require the hippocampus but requires prefrontal-striatal circuits modulated by the hippocampus. However, some prefrontal and hippocampal functions (including inhibitory response control) are spared by regional disinhibition. We consider conceptual implications of these findings, regarding the distinct relationships of distinct cognitive functions to prefrontal and hippocampal GABA tone and neural activity. Moreover, the findings support the proposition that prefrontal and hippocampal neural disinhibition contributes to clinically relevant cognitive deficits, and we consider pharmacological strategies for ameliorating cognitive deficits by rebalancing disinhibition-induced aberrant neural activity. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Pharmacology of Cognition: a Panacea for Neuropsychiatric Disease? To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.19/issuetoc. © 2017 The British Pharmacological Society.

Cell and Gene Therapies: European View on Challenges in Translation and How to Address Them

PubMed Central

Rousseau, Cécile F.; Mačiulaitis, Romaldas; Śladowski, Dariusz; Narayanan, Gopalan

2018-01-01

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), i.e., cell and gene therapy products, is a rapidly evolving field of therapeutic development. A significant proportion of the products are being developed by academia or small/medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The many challenges in translation posed by this class of products include aspects covering: manufacturing, non-clinical development plan as relevant to clinical trial, marketing authorization, and reimbursement. In this context, the term translation refers to the relevance of non-clinical data in relation to how it impacts on appropriate and efficient clinical development. In order to successfully overcome these challenges, a clear understanding of the requirements and expectations of all the stakeholders is critical. This article aims to cover the potential challenges related to such translation and suggested approaches to find solutions based on experience and learnings from the perspective of European Union. While commercial challenges have a significant impact on the ATMPs in general, it is considered outside the scope of this article. However, by adopting a strong scientific basis for translation as suggested in this article, it is likely such an approach would help rather than harm successful real world clinical use of ATMPs.

Language changes in bilingual individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Stilwell, Becca L; Dow, Rebecca M; Lamers, Carolien; Woods, Robert T

2016-03-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) in those who are bilingual is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern society, yet little is known about the impact of AD on the bilingual's two languages. To gather information from the available literature on AD and bilingual individuals. The first author searched three electronic databases for relevant articles and retrieved 186 articles. Nine articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this review. Various research methods employed in assessing language changes in bilingual individuals with AD were captured. Preliminary findings suggest that both controls and bilingual individuals with Alzheimer's disease (BIAD) were more able on language-related tasks in their dominant language compared with their non-dominant language. The current literature would suggest that both languages in bilingual individuals are equally affected by AD; however, there is room to explore preliminary data on the fact that the non-dominant language, and indeed the dominant language, is more sensitive to AD. More robust, clinically relevant research designs that test current theoretical frameworks are needed to inform the development of appropriate assessments, diagnosis and person-centred care for bilingual individuals with AD. © 2015 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

A Systematic Review of Predictors of, and Reasons for, Adherence to Online Psychological Interventions.

PubMed

Beatty, Lisa; Binnion, Claire

2016-12-01

A key issue regarding the provision of psychological therapy in a self-guided online format is low rates of adherence. The aim of this systematic review was to assess both quantitative and qualitative data on the predictors of adherence, as well as participant reported reasons for adhering or not adhering to online psychological interventions. Database searches of PsycINFO, Medline, and CINAHL identified 1721 potentially relevant articles published between 1 January 2000 and 25 November 2015. A further 34 potentially relevant articles were retrieved from reference lists. Articles that reported predictors of, or reasons for, adherence to an online psychological intervention were included. A total of 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. Predictors assessed included demographic, psychological, characteristics of presenting problem, and intervention/computer-related predictors. Evidence suggested that female gender, higher treatment expectancy, sufficient time, and personalized intervention content each predicted higher adherence. Age, baseline symptom severity, and control group allocation had mixed findings. The majority of assessed variables however, did not predict adherence. Few clear predictors of adherence emerged overall, and most results were either mixed or too preliminary to draw conclusions. More research of predictors associated with adherence to online interventions is warranted.

Toward an affirmative lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender leadership paradigm.

PubMed

Fassinger, Ruth E; Shullman, Sandra L; Stevenson, Michael R

2010-04-01

This article presents an affirmative paradigm for understanding the leadership of sexual minorities-that is, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Although research on LGBT issues in leadership to date is almost nonexistent, there are several bodies of literature that can contribute to an understanding of the unique leadership challenges faced by sexual minority people. These include the literatures on stigma and marginalization, leadership in particular status groups (e.g., college students, women), and LGBT vocational issues (especially workplace climate and identity disclosure). We propose a new, multidimensional model of LGBT leadership enactment that incorporates sexual orientation (particularly regarding identity disclosure), gender orientation (including leader gender), and the situation (conceptualized here as group composition); the model also is embedded in context, the most relevant factors that affect the enactment of leadership being stigma and marginalization. We explicate this model with findings and concepts from relevant literatures, and we conclude the article with recommendations for building a scholarly literature in LGBT leadership. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Applying an information literacy rubric to first-year health sciences student research posters.

PubMed

Goodman, Xan; Watts, John; Arenas, Rogelio; Weigel, Rachelle; Terrell, Tony

2018-01-01

This article describes the collection and analysis of annotated bibliographies created by first-year health sciences students to support their final poster projects. The authors examined the students' abilities to select relevant and authoritative sources, summarize the content of those sources, and correctly cite those sources. We collected images of 1,253 posters, of which 120 were sampled for analysis, and scored the posters using a 4-point rubric to evaluate the students' information literacy skills. We found that 52% of students were proficient at selecting relevant sources that directly contributed to the themes, topics, or debates presented in their final poster projects, and 64% of students did well with selecting authoritative peer-reviewed scholarly sources related to their topics. However, 45% of students showed difficulty in correctly applying American Psychological Association (APA) citation style. Our findings demonstrate a need for instructors and librarians to provide strategies for reading and comprehending scholarly articles in addition to properly using APA citation style.

Applying an information literacy rubric to first-year health sciences student research posters*

PubMed Central

Goodman, Xan; Watts, John; Arenas, Rogelio; Weigel, Rachelle; Terrell, Tony

2018-01-01

Objective This article describes the collection and analysis of annotated bibliographies created by first-year health sciences students to support their final poster projects. The authors examined the students’ abilities to select relevant and authoritative sources, summarize the content of those sources, and correctly cite those sources. Methods We collected images of 1,253 posters, of which 120 were sampled for analysis, and scored the posters using a 4-point rubric to evaluate the students’ information literacy skills. Results We found that 52% of students were proficient at selecting relevant sources that directly contributed to the themes, topics, or debates presented in their final poster projects, and 64% of students did well with selecting authoritative peer-reviewed scholarly sources related to their topics. However, 45% of students showed difficulty in correctly applying American Psychological Association (APA) citation style. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate a need for instructors and librarians to provide strategies for reading and comprehending scholarly articles in addition to properly using APA citation style. PMID:29339940

A systematic review of methodology applied during preclinical anesthetic neurotoxicity studies: important issues and lessons relevant to the design of future clinical research.

PubMed

Disma, Nicola; Mondardini, Maria C; Terrando, Niccolò; Absalom, Anthony R; Bilotta, Federico

2016-01-01

Preclinical evidence suggests that anesthetic agents harm the developing brain thereby causing long-term neurocognitive impairments. It is not clear if these findings apply to humans, and retrospective epidemiological studies thus far have failed to show definitive evidence that anesthetic agents are harmful to the developing human brain. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the preclinical studies published over the past decade, with a focus on methodological issues, to facilitate the comparison between different preclinical studies and inform better design of future trials. The literature search identified 941 articles related to the topic of neurotoxicity. As the primary aim of this systematic review was to compare methodologies applied in animal studies to inform future trials, we excluded a priori all articles focused on putative mechanism of neurotoxicity and the neuroprotective agents. Forty-seven preclinical studies were finally included in this review. Methods used in these studies were highly heterogeneous-animals were exposed to anesthetic agents at different developmental stages, in various doses and in various combinations with other drugs, and overall showed diverse toxicity profiles. Physiological monitoring and maintenance of physiological homeostasis was variable and the use of cognitive tests was generally limited to assessment of specific brain areas, with restricted translational relevance to humans. Comparison between studies is thus complicated by this heterogeneous methodology and the relevance of the combined body of literature to humans remains uncertain. Future preclinical studies should use better standardized methodologies to facilitate transferability of findings from preclinical into clinical science. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparison and Enumeration of Chemical Graphs

PubMed Central

Akutsu, Tatsuya; Nagamochi, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

Chemical compounds are usually represented as graph structured data in computers. In this review article, we overview several graph classes relevant to chemical compounds and the computational complexities of several fundamental problems for these graph classes. In particular, we consider the following problems: determining whether two chemical graphs are identical, determining whether one input chemical graph is a part of the other input chemical graph, finding a maximum common part of two input graphs, finding a reaction atom mapping, enumerating possible chemical graphs, and enumerating stereoisomers. We also discuss the relationship between the fifth problem and kernel functions for chemical compounds. PMID:24688697

Medicare's Drug Discount Card Program: Beneficiaries' Experience with Choice

PubMed Central

Hassol, Andrea; Wrobel, Marian V.; Doksum, Teresa

2007-01-01

This article describes Medicare beneficiaries' experience with the choice among Medicare drug discount cards and is based primarily on surveys and focus groups with beneficiaries as well as interviews with other stakeholders. Although competition and choice have the potential to reduce cost and enhance quality in the Medicare Program, our findings highlight some of the challenges involved in making choice work in practice. Despite the unique and temporary nature of the drug discount card program, these findings have considerable relevance to the Part D drug benefit and to other Medicare initiatives that rely on choice. PMID:17722747

End of life care in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of the qualitative literature.

PubMed

Gysels, Marjolein; Pell, Christopher; Straus, Lianne; Pool, Robert

2011-03-09

End of life (EoL) care in sub-Saharan Africa still lacks the sound evidence-base needed for the development of effective, appropriate service provision. It is essential to make evidence from all types of research available alongside clinical and health service data, to ensure that EoL care is ethical and culturally appropriate. This article aims to synthesize qualitative research on EoL care in sub-Saharan Africa to inform policy, practice and further research. It seeks to identify areas of existing research; describe findings specifically relevant to the African context; and, identify areas lacking evidence. Relevant literature was identified through eight electronic databases: AMED, British Nursing Index & Archive, CINAHL, EMBASE, IBSS, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and the Social Sciences Citation Index; and hand searches. Inclusion criteria were: published qualitative or mixed-method studies in sub-Saharan Africa, about EoL care. Study quality was assessed using a standard grading scale. Relevant data including findings and practice recommendations were extracted and compared in tabular format. Of the 407 articles initially identified, 51 were included in the qualitative synthesis. Nineteen came from South Africa and the majority (38) focused on HIV/AIDS. Nine dealt with multiple or unspecified conditions and four were about cancer. Study respondents included health professionals, informal carers, patients, community members and bereaved relatives. Informal carers were typically women, the elderly and children, providing total care in the home, and lacking support from professionals or the extended family. Twenty studies focused on home-based care, describing how programmes function in practice and what is needed to make them effective. Patients and carers were reported to prefer institutional care but this needs to be understood in context. Studies focusing on culture discussed good and bad death, culture-specific approaches to symptoms and illness, and the bereavement process. The data support or complement the findings from quantitative research. The review prompts a reconsideration of the assumption that in Africa the extended family care for the sick, and that people prefer home-based care. The review identifies areas relevant for a research agenda on socio-cultural issues at the EoL in sub-Saharan Africa.

Evaluating WHO Healthy Cities in Europe: issues and perspectives.

PubMed

de Leeuw, Evelyne

2013-10-01

In this introductory article, we situate the findings of the Phase IV evaluation effort of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network in its historic evolutionary development. We review each of the contributions to this supplement in terms of the theoretical and methodological frameworks applied. Although the findings of each are both relevant and generated with a scholarly rigor that is appropriate to the context in which the evaluation took place, we find that particularly these contextual factors have not contributed to optimum quality of research. Any drawbacks in individual contributions cannot be attributed to their analysts and authors but relate to the complicated and evolving nature of the project. These factors are also reviewed.

Transgender identity development as represented by a group of female-to-male transgendered adults.

PubMed

Morgan, Sarah W; Stevens, Patricia E

2008-06-01

This article represents work done in the discipline of nursing to raise awareness about the lives and experiences of transgendered persons, who receive little coverage in our nursing textbooks, professional journals, or student clinical experiences. The findings presented here are from a larger qualitative examination of the lives and experiences of a group of 11 transgendered adults that examined four broad areas: transgender identity recognition, acknowledgement, and development; bodily experiences; relationships with others; and health care experiences. The focus of this article is the relevant findings related to four participants in the study who identified as female-to-male (FTM), meaning they were born female-bodied, but identify as male. The highlight here is on the recognition, acknowledgement, and development of transgender identity. Our intention is to expose uninformed people to first-hand accounts by FTM transgendered persons about their life trajectories, particularly during childhood, adolescence, and the early adult years.

Dentin Hypersensitivity: Etiology, Diagnosis and Treatment; A Literature Review

PubMed Central

Davari, AR; Ataei, E; Assarzadeh, H

2013-01-01

The objective of this review is to inform practitioners about dentin hypersensitivity (DH); to provide a brief overview of the diagnosis, etiology and clinical management of dentin hypersensitivity and to discuss technical approaches to relieve sensitivity. This clinical information is described in the context of the underlying biology. The author used PUBMED to find relevant English-language literature published in the period 1999 to 2010. The author used combinations of the search terms “dentin*”, “tooth”, “teeth”, “hypersensit*”, “desensitiz*”. Abstracts and also full text articles to identify studies describing etiology, prevalence, clinical features, controlled clinical trials of treatments and relevant laboratory research on mechanisms of action were used. PMID:24724135

Trends in news coverage about skin cancer prevention, 1993-2006: increasingly mixed messages for the public.

PubMed

Scully, Maree; Wakefield, Melanie; Dixon, Helen

2008-10-01

To provide a comprehensive overview of trends in news coverage about sun protection issues in an Australian setting over a 14-year period. A content analysis was performed on all relevant articles (N=547) published in two major daily newspapers, The Age and the Herald Sun, from 1993 to 2006. Articles were coded for article type, prominence, theme, spokesperson, topic slant and opinion slant. The most frequent themes were the health effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure (24% of articles), education/prevention (14%) and product issues (12%). Themes that became more dominant over time were vitamin D issues, solaria issues and fake tans. Sixty per cent of articles included a pro-sun protection spokesperson and 12% an anti-sun protection spokesperson, with the profile of anti-sun protection spokespeople increasing over time. Half the articles reported on topics positive for sun protection, whereas 18% reported on negative topics; however, this difference narrowed considerably from 2001 onwards. In opinionated articles, the opinions expressed by authors were mainly positive (57%) rather than negative (7%) for sun protection. The findings suggest that the mix of sun protection issues covered and views of sun protection have changed over time, resulting in greater coverage of controversies and issues not necessarily positive for sun protection objectives. These findings imply that evaluation of paid skin cancer prevention public education campaigns may need to take account of the changing news media environment in which they take place.

The reporting of theoretical health risks by the media: Canadian newspaper reporting of potential blood transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

PubMed Central

Wilson, Kumanan; Code, Catherine; Dornan, Christopher; Ahmad, Nadya; Hébert, Paul; Graham, Ian

2004-01-01

Background The media play an important role at the interface of science and policy by communicating scientific information to the public and policy makers. In issues of theoretical risk, in which there is scientific uncertainty, the media's role as disseminators of information is particularly important due to the potential to influence public perception of the severity of the risk. In this article we describe how the Canadian print media reported the theoretical risk of blood transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Methods We searched 3 newspaper databases for articles published by 6 major Canadian daily newspapers between January 1990 and December 1999. We identified all articles relating to blood transmission of CJD. In duplicate we extracted information from the articles and entered the information into a qualitative software program. We compared the observations obtained from this content analysis with information obtained from a previous policy analysis examining the Canadian blood system's decision-making concerning the potential transfusion transmission of CJD. Results Our search identified 245 relevant articles. We observed that newspapers in one instance accelerated a policy decision, which had important resource and health implication, by communicating information on risk to the public. We also observed that newspapers primarily relied upon expert opinion (47 articles) as opposed to published medical evidence (28 articles) when communicating risk information. Journalists we interviewed described the challenges of balancing their responsibility to raise awareness of potential health threats with not unnecessarily arousing fear amongst the public. Conclusions Based on our findings we recommend that journalists report information from both expert opinion sources and from published studies when communicating information on risk. We also recommend researchers work more closely with journalists to assist them in identifying and appraising relevant scientific information on risk. PMID:14706119

Medical literature searches: a comparison of PubMed and Google Scholar.

PubMed

Nourbakhsh, Eva; Nugent, Rebecca; Wang, Helen; Cevik, Cihan; Nugent, Kenneth

2012-09-01

Medical literature searches provide critical information for clinicians. However, the best strategy for identifying relevant high-quality literature is unknown. We compared search results using PubMed and Google Scholar on four clinical questions and analysed these results with respect to article relevance and quality. Abstracts from the first 20 citations for each search were classified into three relevance categories. We used the weighted kappa statistic to analyse reviewer agreement and nonparametric rank tests to compare the number of citations for each article and the corresponding journals' impact factors. Reviewers ranked 67.6% of PubMed articles and 80% of Google Scholar articles as at least possibly relevant (P = 0.116) with high agreement (all kappa P-values < 0.01). Google Scholar articles had a higher median number of citations (34 vs. 1.5, P < 0.0001) and came from higher impact factor journals (5.17 vs. 3.55, P = 0.036). PubMed searches and Google Scholar searches often identify different articles. In this study, Google Scholar articles were more likely to be classified as relevant, had higher numbers of citations and were published in higher impact factor journals. The identification of frequently cited articles using Google Scholar for searches probably has value for initial literature searches. © 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group.

Communication about environmental health risks: a systematic review.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick-Lewis, Donna; Yost, Jennifer; Ciliska, Donna; Krishnaratne, Shari

2010-11-01

Using the most effective methods and techniques for communicating risk to the public is critical. Understanding the impact that different types of risk communication have played in real and perceived public health risks can provide information about how messages, policies and programs can and should be communicated in order to be most effective. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the effectiveness of communication strategies and factors that impact communication uptake related to environmental health risks. A systematic review of English articles using multiple databases with appropriate search terms. Data sources also included grey literature. Key organization websites and key journals were hand searched for relevant articles. Consultation with experts took place to locate any additional references.Articles had to meet relevance criteria for study design [randomized controlled trials, clinical controlled trials, cohort analytic, cohort, any pre-post, interrupted time series, mixed methods or any qualitative studies), participants (those in community-living, non-clinical populations), interventions (including, but not limited to, any community-based methods or tools such as Internet, telephone, media-based interventions or any combination thereof), and outcomes (reported measurable outcomes such as awareness, knowledge or attitudinal or behavioural change). Articles were assessed for quality and data was extracted using standardized tools by two independent reviewers. Articles were given an overall assessment of strong, moderate or weak quality. There were no strong or moderate studies. Meta-analysis was not appropriate to the data. Data for 24 articles were analyzed and reported in a narrative format. The findings suggest that a multi-media approach is more effective than any single media approach. Similarly, printed material that offers a combination of information types (i.e., text and diagrams) is a more effective than just a single type, such as all text. Findings also suggest that factors influencing response to risk communications are impacted by personal risk perception, previous personal experience with risk, sources of information and trust in those sources. No single method of message delivery is best. Risk communication strategies that incorporate the needs of the target audience(s) with a multi-faceted delivery method are most effective at reaching the audience.

Review of the Gene-Environment Interaction Literature in Cancer: What do we know?

PubMed Central

Simonds, Naoko I.; Ghazarian, Armen A.; Pimentel, Camilla B.; Schully, Sheri D.; Ellison, Gary L.; Gillanders, Elizabeth M.; Mechanic, Leah E.

2016-01-01

Background Risk of cancer is determined by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Although the study of gene-environment (GxE) interactions has been an active area of research, little is reported about the known findings in the literature. Methods To examine the state of the science in GxE research in cancer, we performed a systematic review of published literature using gene-environment or pharmacogenomic flags from two curated databases of genetic association studies, the Human Genome Epidemiology (HuGE) literature finder and Cancer Genome-Wide Association and Meta Analyses Database (CancerGAMAdb), from January 1, 2001, to January 31, 2011. A supplemental search using HuGE was conducted for articles published February 1, 2011, to April 11, 2013. A 25% sample of the supplemental publications was reviewed. Results A total of 3,019 articles were identified in the original search. From these articles, 243 articles were determined to be relevant based on inclusion criteria (more than 3,500 interactions). From the supplemental search (1,400 articles identified), 29 additional relevant articles (1,370 interactions) were included. The majority of publications in both searches examined GxE in colon, rectal, or colorectal cancer types; breast; or lung cancer. Specific interactions examined most frequently included environmental factors categorized as energy balance (e.g., body mass index (BMI), diet), exogenous (e.g., oral contraceptives) and endogenous hormones (e.g., menopausal status), chemical environment (e.g., grilled meats), and lifestyle (e.g., smoking, alcohol intake). In both searches, the majority of interactions examined were using loci from candidate genes studies and none of the studies were genome-wide interaction studies (GEWIS). The most commonly reported measure was the interaction p-value, of which a sizable number of p-values were considered statistically significant (i.e., < 0.05). In addition, the magnitudes of interactions reported were modest. Conclusion Observations of published literature suggest that opportunity exists for increased sample size in GxE research, including GWAS identified loci in GxE studies, exploring more GWAS approaches in GxE such as GEWIS, and improving the reporting of GxE findings. PMID:27061572

Retrieving clinical evidence: a comparison of PubMed and Google Scholar for quick clinical searches.

PubMed

Shariff, Salimah Z; Bejaimal, Shayna Ad; Sontrop, Jessica M; Iansavichus, Arthur V; Haynes, R Brian; Weir, Matthew A; Garg, Amit X

2013-08-15

Physicians frequently search PubMed for information to guide patient care. More recently, Google Scholar has gained popularity as another freely accessible bibliographic database. To compare the performance of searches in PubMed and Google Scholar. We surveyed nephrologists (kidney specialists) and provided each with a unique clinical question derived from 100 renal therapy systematic reviews. Each physician provided the search terms they would type into a bibliographic database to locate evidence to answer the clinical question. We executed each of these searches in PubMed and Google Scholar and compared results for the first 40 records retrieved (equivalent to 2 default search pages in PubMed). We evaluated the recall (proportion of relevant articles found) and precision (ratio of relevant to nonrelevant articles) of the searches performed in PubMed and Google Scholar. Primary studies included in the systematic reviews served as the reference standard for relevant articles. We further documented whether relevant articles were available as free full-texts. Compared with PubMed, the average search in Google Scholar retrieved twice as many relevant articles (PubMed: 11%; Google Scholar: 22%; P<.001). Precision was similar in both databases (PubMed: 6%; Google Scholar: 8%; P=.07). Google Scholar provided significantly greater access to free full-text publications (PubMed: 5%; Google Scholar: 14%; P<.001). For quick clinical searches, Google Scholar returns twice as many relevant articles as PubMed and provides greater access to free full-text articles.

Animal to human translational paradigms relevant for approach avoidance conflict decision making.

PubMed

Kirlic, Namik; Young, Jared; Aupperle, Robin L

2017-09-01

Avoidance behavior in clinical anxiety disorders is often a decision made in response to approach-avoidance conflict, resulting in a sacrifice of potential rewards to avoid potential negative affective consequences. Animal research has a long history of relying on paradigms related to approach-avoidance conflict to model anxiety-relevant behavior. This approach includes punishment-based conflict, exploratory, and social interaction tasks. There has been a recent surge of interest in the translation of paradigms from animal to human, in efforts to increase generalization of findings and support the development of more effective mental health treatments. This article briefly reviews animal tests related to approach-avoidance conflict and results from lesion and pharmacologic studies utilizing these tests. We then provide a description of translational human paradigms that have been developed to tap into related constructs, summarizing behavioral and neuroimaging findings. Similarities and differences in findings from analogous animal and human paradigms are discussed. Lastly, we highlight opportunities for future research and paradigm development that will support the clinical utility of this translational work. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PathText: a text mining integrator for biological pathway visualizations

PubMed Central

Kemper, Brian; Matsuzaki, Takuya; Matsuoka, Yukiko; Tsuruoka, Yoshimasa; Kitano, Hiroaki; Ananiadou, Sophia; Tsujii, Jun'ichi

2010-01-01

Motivation: Metabolic and signaling pathways are an increasingly important part of organizing knowledge in systems biology. They serve to integrate collective interpretations of facts scattered throughout literature. Biologists construct a pathway by reading a large number of articles and interpreting them as a consistent network, but most of the models constructed currently lack direct links to those articles. Biologists who want to check the original articles have to spend substantial amounts of time to collect relevant articles and identify the sections relevant to the pathway. Furthermore, with the scientific literature expanding by several thousand papers per week, keeping a model relevant requires a continuous curation effort. In this article, we present a system designed to integrate a pathway visualizer, text mining systems and annotation tools into a seamless environment. This will enable biologists to freely move between parts of a pathway and relevant sections of articles, as well as identify relevant papers from large text bases. The system, PathText, is developed by Systems Biology Institute, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, National Centre for Text Mining (University of Manchester) and the University of Tokyo, and is being used by groups of biologists from these locations. Contact: brian@monrovian.com. PMID:20529930

Economic Evaluation of Environmental Health Interventions to Support Decision Making

PubMed Central

Hutton, Guy

2008-01-01

Environmental burden of disease represents one quarter of overall disease burden, hence necessitating greater attention from decision makers both inside and outside the health sector. Economic evaluation techniques such as cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis provide key information to health decision makers on the efficiency of environmental health interventions, assisting them in choosing interventions which give the greatest social return on limited public budgets and private resources. The aim of this article is to review economic evaluation studies in three environmental health areas—water, sanitation, hygiene (WSH), vector control, and air pollution—and to critically examine the policy relevance and scientific quality of the studies for selecting and funding public programmers. A keyword search of Medline from 1990–2008 revealed 32 studies, and gathering of articles from other sources revealed a further 18 studies, giving a total of 50 economic evaluation studies (13 WSH interventions, 16 vector control and 21 air pollution). Overall, the economic evidence base on environmental health interventions remains relatively weak—too few studies per intervention, of variable scientific quality and from diverse locations which limits generalisability of findings. Importantly, there still exists a disconnect between economic research, decision making and programmer implementation. This can be explained by the lack of translation of research findings into accessible documentation for policy makers and limited relevance of research findings, and the often low importance of economic evidence in budgeting decisions. These findings underline the importance of involving policy makers in the defining of research agendas and commissioning of research, and improving the awareness of researchers of the policy environment into which their research feeds. PMID:21572840

PHARMACOLOGY PART 2: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACOKINETICS.

PubMed

Currie, Geoffrey M

2018-05-03

Pharmacology principles provide key understanding that underpins the clinical and research roles of nuclear medicine practitioners. This article is the second in a series of articles that aims to enhance the understanding of pharmacological principles relevant to nuclear medicine. This article will build on the introductory concepts, terminology and principles of pharmacodynamics explored in the first article in the series. Specifically, this article will focus on the basic principles associated with pharmacokinetics. Article 3 will outline pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in general nuclear medicine, the fourth pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in nuclear cardiology, the fifth the pharmacology related to contrast media associated with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the final article will address drugs in the emergency trolley. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Supportive care for older people with frailty in hospital: An integrative review.

PubMed

Nicholson, Caroline; Morrow, Elizabeth M; Hicks, Allan; Fitzpatrick, Joanne

2017-01-01

Growing numbers of older people living with frailty and chronic health conditions are being referred to hospitals with acute care needs. Supportive care is a potentially highly relevant and clinically important approach which could bridge the practice gap between curative models of care and palliative care. However, future interventions need to be informed and underpinned by existing knowledge of supportive care. To identify and build upon existing theories and evidence about supportive care, specifically in relation to the hospital care of older people with frailty, to inform future interventions and their evaluation. An integrative review was used to identify and integrate theory and evidence. Electronic databases (Cochrane Medline, EMBASE and CIHAHL) were searched using the key term 'supportive care'. Screening identified studies employing qualitative and/or quantitative methods published between January 1990 and December 2015. Citation searches, reference checking and searches of the grey literature were also undertaken. Literature searches identified 2733 articles. After screening, and applying eligibility criteria based on relevance to the research question, studies were subject to methodological quality appraisal. Findings from included articles (n=52) were integrated using synthesis of themes. Relevant evidence was identified across different research literatures, on clinical conditions and contexts. Seven distinct themes of the synthesis were identified, these were: Ensuring fundamental aspects of care are met, Communicating and connecting with the patient, Carer and family engagement, Building up a picture of the person and their circumstances, Decisions and advice about best care for the person, Enabling self-help and connection to wider support, and Supporting patients through transitions in care. A tentative integrative model of supportive care for frail older people is developed from the findings. The findings and model developed here will inform future interventions and can help staff and hospital managers to develop appropriate strategies, staff training and resource allocation models to improve the quality of health care for older people. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Is searching full text more effective than searching abstracts?

PubMed Central

Lin, Jimmy

2009-01-01

Background With the growing availability of full-text articles online, scientists and other consumers of the life sciences literature now have the ability to go beyond searching bibliographic records (title, abstract, metadata) to directly access full-text content. Motivated by this emerging trend, I posed the following question: is searching full text more effective than searching abstracts? This question is answered by comparing text retrieval algorithms on MEDLINE® abstracts, full-text articles, and spans (paragraphs) within full-text articles using data from the TREC 2007 genomics track evaluation. Two retrieval models are examined: bm25 and the ranking algorithm implemented in the open-source Lucene search engine. Results Experiments show that treating an entire article as an indexing unit does not consistently yield higher effectiveness compared to abstract-only search. However, retrieval based on spans, or paragraphs-sized segments of full-text articles, consistently outperforms abstract-only search. Results suggest that highest overall effectiveness may be achieved by combining evidence from spans and full articles. Conclusion Users searching full text are more likely to find relevant articles than searching only abstracts. This finding affirms the value of full text collections for text retrieval and provides a starting point for future work in exploring algorithms that take advantage of rapidly-growing digital archives. Experimental results also highlight the need to develop distributed text retrieval algorithms, since full-text articles are significantly longer than abstracts and may require the computational resources of multiple machines in a cluster. The MapReduce programming model provides a convenient framework for organizing such computations. PMID:19192280

Relevans og intention. To analyser af en massemedietekst om okonomisk politik. ROLIG-papir 33 (Relevance and Intention. Two Analyses of a Mass Media Text on Economic Politics. ROLIG-paper 33).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heltoft, Lars; Geist, Uwe

The three papers in this publication analyze a newspaper article on "economic politics," or more specifically, the devaluing of the Danish kroner. The papers all examine some linguistic or structural feature of the language used in writing the article. Specific focus is on relevance theory and relevance in the article, the use of text…

The use of virtual communities of practice to improve interprofessional collaboration and education: findings from an integrated review.

PubMed

McLoughlin, Clodagh; Patel, Kunal D; O'Callaghan, Tom; Reeves, Scott

2018-03-01

The recent growth in online technology has led to a rapid increase in the sharing of health related information globally. Health and social care professionals are now using a wide range of virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) for learning, support, continuing professional education, knowledge management and information sharing. In this article, we report the findings from a review of the literature that explored the use of VCoPs by health and social care professionals to determine their potential for interprofessional education and collaboration. We employed integrated review methods to search and identify relevant VCoP articles. We undertook searches of PubMed and Google Scholar from 2000, which after screening, resulted in the inclusion of 19 articles. A thematic analysis generated the following key issues related to the use of VCoPs: 'definitions and approaches', 'technological infrastructure', 'reported benefits', 'participation issues', 'trust and privacy and 'technical ability'. Based on the findings from this review, there is some evidence that VCoPs can offer an informal method of professional and interprofessional development for clinicians, and can decrease social and professional isolation. However, for VCoPs to be successful, issues of privacy, trust, encouragement and technology need to be addressed.

SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP)

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

This article is the Introduction to a series written for people responsible for making decisions about health policies and programmes and for those who support these decision makers. Knowing how to find and use research evidence can help policymakers and those who support them to do their jobs better and more efficiently. Each article in this series presents a proposed tool that can be used by those involved in finding and using research evidence to support evidence-informed health policymaking. The series addresses four broad areas: 1. Supporting evidence-informed policymaking 2. Identifying needs for research evidence in relation to three steps in policymaking processes, namely problem clarification, options framing, and implementation planning 3. Finding and assessing both systematic reviews and other types of evidence to inform these steps, and 4. Going from research evidence to decisions. Each article begins with between one and three typical scenarios relating to the topic. These scenarios are designed to help readers decide on the level of detail relevant to them when applying the tools described. Most articles in this series are structured using a set of questions that guide readers through the proposed tools and show how to undertake activities to support evidence-informed policymaking efficiently and effectively. These activities include, for example, using research evidence to clarify problems, assessing the applicability of the findings of a systematic review about the effects of options selected to address problems, organising and using policy dialogues to support evidence-informed policymaking, and planning policy monitoring and evaluation. In several articles, the set of questions presented offers more general guidance on how to support evidence-informed policymaking. Additional information resources are listed and described in every article. The evaluation of ways to support evidence-informed health policymaking is a developing field and feedback about how to improve the series is welcome. PMID:20018098

Consulting as a Strategy for Knowledge Transfer

PubMed Central

Jacobson, Nora; Butterill, Dale; Goering, Paula

2005-01-01

Academic researchers who work on health policy and health services are expected to transfer knowledge to decision makers. Decision makers often do not, however, regard academics’ traditional ways of doing research and disseminating their findings as relevant or useful. This article argues that consulting can be a strategy for transferring knowledge between researchers and decision makers and is effective at promoting the “enlightenment” and “interactive” models of knowledge use. Based on three case studies, it develops a model of knowledge transfer–focused consulting that consists of six stages and four types of work. Finally, the article explores how knowledge is generated in consulting and identifies several classes of factors facilitating its use by decision makers. PMID:15960773

Music interventions for children with autism: narrative review of the literature.

PubMed

Simpson, Kate; Keen, Deb

2011-11-01

It is widely reported that music can be beneficial to individuals with autism. This review was undertaken to determine the evidence base for the use of music as an intervention for children with autism. After searching relevant databases, 128 articles were identified of which 20 articles met the study's inclusion criteria. Composed songs and improvisational music therapy were the predominant music techniques used. There was somewhat limited evidence to support the use of music interventions under certain conditions to facilitate social, communicative and behavioural skills in young children with autism. The implications of these findings in terms of use of music interventions, issues related to generalization and maintenance, and future research are discussed.

Parent-child learning interactions: A review of the literature on scaffolding.

PubMed

Mermelshtine, Roni

2017-06-01

Scaffolding can be observed during learning-based interactions, when interventions by parents are adjusted according to children's observed abilities, with the main goal of enabling the child to work independently (Wood et al., 1976, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, 17, 89). Such contingent instruction behaviours occur from infancy, and are said to be relevant for children's development of executive function, language acquisition, and cognitive and academic abilities. Scaffolding behaviours are considered a product of the family and the wider context, a process affected by parent and child characteristics, and the environment they inhabit. Over 40 years of scaffolding research has produced an abundance of findings. Early investigations were concerned with the conceptualization of scaffolding, whereas more recent studies build upon the theory, testing its correlates and relevance for child development. This article offers an overview of the literature, focusing on the relevance of scaffolding for child developmental outcomes, and the factors associated with individual differences in the process. The article is structured such that the origins of the theory and its definitions are discussed first, followed by an overview of the correlates of scaffolding. The review concludes with a critical evaluation of the literature, proposing novel avenues for future research. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Exploring the post-genomic world: differing explanatory and manipulatory functions of post-genomic sciences

PubMed Central

Holmes, Christina; Carlson, Siobhan M.; McDonald, Fiona; Jones, Mavis; Graham, Janice

2016-01-01

Richard Lewontin proposed that the ability of a scientific field to create a narrative for public understanding garners it social relevance. This article applies Lewontin's conceptual framework of the functions of science (manipulatory and explanatory) to compare and explain the current differences in perceived societal relevance of genetics/genomics and proteomics. We provide three examples to illustrate the social relevance and strong cultural narrative of genetics/genomics for which no counterpart exists for proteomics. We argue that the major difference between genetics/genomics and proteomics is that genomics has a strong explanatory function, due to the strong cultural narrative of heredity. Based on qualitative interviews and observations of proteomics conferences, we suggest that the nature of proteins, lack of public understanding, and theoretical complexity exacerbates this difference for proteomics. Lewontin's framework suggests that social scientists may find that omics sciences affect social relations in different ways than past analyses of genetics. PMID:27134568

Exploring the post-genomic world: differing explanatory and manipulatory functions of post-genomic sciences.

PubMed

Holmes, Christina; Carlson, Siobhan M; McDonald, Fiona; Jones, Mavis; Graham, Janice

2016-01-02

Richard Lewontin proposed that the ability of a scientific field to create a narrative for public understanding garners it social relevance. This article applies Lewontin's conceptual framework of the functions of science (manipulatory and explanatory) to compare and explain the current differences in perceived societal relevance of genetics/genomics and proteomics. We provide three examples to illustrate the social relevance and strong cultural narrative of genetics/genomics for which no counterpart exists for proteomics. We argue that the major difference between genetics/genomics and proteomics is that genomics has a strong explanatory function, due to the strong cultural narrative of heredity. Based on qualitative interviews and observations of proteomics conferences, we suggest that the nature of proteins, lack of public understanding, and theoretical complexity exacerbates this difference for proteomics. Lewontin's framework suggests that social scientists may find that omics sciences affect social relations in different ways than past analyses of genetics.

Using participatory research to challenge the status quo for women's cardiovascular health.

PubMed

Young, Lynne; Wharf Higgins, Joan

2010-12-01

Cardiovascular health research has been dominated by medical and patriarchal paradigms, minimizing a broader perspective of causes of disease. Socioeconomic status as a risk for cardiovascular disease is well established by research, yet these findings have had little influence. Participatory research (PR) that frames mixed method research has potential to bring contextualized clinically relevant findings into program planning and policy-making arenas toward developing meaningful health and social policies relevant to primary prevention. In this article we provide an overview of a PR program that included two quantitative and one qualitative studies and then we discuss lessons learned. The PR process we found was empowering for lone mothers, and transformative for lone mothers and researchers. Further, PR as an approach to research opened spaces in practice and policy-making arenas to raise upstream issues relevant to the health of low income lone mothers. We conclude that while PR is an effective approach to social determinants research, as a time-intensive endeavor, and one that does not easily align with research tradition, researchers must consider the strengths and drawbacks of PR when planning to implement such an approach. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

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

Vaswani, A.N.; Howard, J.E.

This is the 17th and final report of the Marshall Islands Medical Program as carried out by the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The purpose of these publications has been to provide information on the medical status of 253 Marshallese exposed to radiation fallout in 1954. The medical program fulfills a commitment to disclose unique medical information relevant to public health. Details of the Bravo thermonuclear accident that caused the exposure have been published. A 1955 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which described the acute medical effects on the population that required special medical care, remains amore » definitive and relevant description of events. Marshallese participation in this Congressionally mandated program is voluntary. Throughout the 44 years of the program, each participating individual`s relevant medical findings, laboratory data, disease morbidity, and mortality have been published in the BNL reports in a manner preserving patient confidentiality. In each report, there has been an attempt to interpret these findings and to infer the role of radiation exposure in their development. An equally important aspect of the reports has been the presentation of data that allows for analyses of the medical consequences of the Marshallese exposure.« less

VAiRoma: A Visual Analytics System for Making Sense of Places, Times, and Events in Roman History.

PubMed

Cho, Isaac; Dou, Wewnen; Wang, Derek Xiaoyu; Sauda, Eric; Ribarsky, William

2016-01-01

Learning and gaining knowledge of Roman history is an area of interest for students and citizens at large. This is an example of a subject with great sweep (with many interrelated sub-topics over, in this case, a 3,000 year history) that is hard to grasp by any individual and, in its full detail, is not available as a coherent story. In this paper, we propose a visual analytics approach to construct a data driven view of Roman history based on a large collection of Wikipedia articles. Extracting and enabling the discovery of useful knowledge on events, places, times, and their connections from large amounts of textual data has always been a challenging task. To this aim, we introduce VAiRoma, a visual analytics system that couples state-of-the-art text analysis methods with an intuitive visual interface to help users make sense of events, places, times, and more importantly, the relationships between them. VAiRoma goes beyond textual content exploration, as it permits users to compare, make connections, and externalize the findings all within the visual interface. As a result, VAiRoma allows users to learn and create new knowledge regarding Roman history in an informed way. We evaluated VAiRoma with 16 participants through a user study, with the task being to learn about roman piazzas through finding relevant articles and new relationships. Our study results showed that the VAiRoma system enables the participants to find more relevant articles and connections compared to Web searches and literature search conducted in a roman library. Subjective feedback on VAiRoma was also very positive. In addition, we ran two case studies that demonstrate how VAiRoma can be used for deeper analysis, permitting the rapid discovery and analysis of a small number of key documents even when the original collection contains hundreds of thousands of documents.

Retrieving Clinical Evidence: A Comparison of PubMed and Google Scholar for Quick Clinical Searches

PubMed Central

Bejaimal, Shayna AD; Sontrop, Jessica M; Iansavichus, Arthur V; Haynes, R Brian; Weir, Matthew A; Garg, Amit X

2013-01-01

Background Physicians frequently search PubMed for information to guide patient care. More recently, Google Scholar has gained popularity as another freely accessible bibliographic database. Objective To compare the performance of searches in PubMed and Google Scholar. Methods We surveyed nephrologists (kidney specialists) and provided each with a unique clinical question derived from 100 renal therapy systematic reviews. Each physician provided the search terms they would type into a bibliographic database to locate evidence to answer the clinical question. We executed each of these searches in PubMed and Google Scholar and compared results for the first 40 records retrieved (equivalent to 2 default search pages in PubMed). We evaluated the recall (proportion of relevant articles found) and precision (ratio of relevant to nonrelevant articles) of the searches performed in PubMed and Google Scholar. Primary studies included in the systematic reviews served as the reference standard for relevant articles. We further documented whether relevant articles were available as free full-texts. Results Compared with PubMed, the average search in Google Scholar retrieved twice as many relevant articles (PubMed: 11%; Google Scholar: 22%; P<.001). Precision was similar in both databases (PubMed: 6%; Google Scholar: 8%; P=.07). Google Scholar provided significantly greater access to free full-text publications (PubMed: 5%; Google Scholar: 14%; P<.001). Conclusions For quick clinical searches, Google Scholar returns twice as many relevant articles as PubMed and provides greater access to free full-text articles. PMID:23948488

Retrieval of diagnostic and treatment studies for clinical use through PubMed and PubMed's Clinical Queries filters.

PubMed

Lokker, Cynthia; Haynes, R Brian; Wilczynski, Nancy L; McKibbon, K Ann; Walter, Stephen D

2011-01-01

Clinical Queries filters were developed to improve the retrieval of high-quality studies in searches on clinical matters. The study objective was to determine the yield of relevant citations and physician satisfaction while searching for diagnostic and treatment studies using the Clinical Queries page of PubMed compared with searching PubMed without these filters. Forty practicing physicians, presented with standardized treatment and diagnosis questions and one question of their choosing, entered search terms which were processed in a random, blinded fashion through PubMed alone and PubMed Clinical Queries. Participants rated search retrievals for applicability to the question at hand and satisfaction. For treatment, the primary outcome of retrieval of relevant articles was not significantly different between the groups, but a higher proportion of articles from the Clinical Queries searches met methodologic criteria (p=0.049), and more articles were published in core internal medicine journals (p=0.056). For diagnosis, the filtered results returned more relevant articles (p=0.031) and fewer irrelevant articles (overall retrieval less, p=0.023); participants needed to screen fewer articles before arriving at the first relevant citation (p<0.05). Relevance was also influenced by content terms used by participants in searching. Participants varied greatly in their search performance. Clinical Queries filtered searches returned more high-quality studies, though the retrieval of relevant articles was only statistically different between the groups for diagnosis questions. Retrieving clinically important research studies from Medline is a challenging task for physicians. Methodological search filters can improve search retrieval.

Living with a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review.

PubMed

Laugesen, Britt; Lauritsen, Marlene Briciet; Jørgensen, Rikke; Sørensen, Erik Elgaard; Rasmussen, Philippa; Grønkjær, Mette

2016-12-01

This systematic review is aimed to identify and synthesize the best available evidence on parenting experiences of living with a child with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, including their experiences of healthcare and other services. A meta-synthesis was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. Qualitative research articles were considered for inclusion in the review and the meta-aggregative approach to synthesizing qualitative evidence from JBI was followed. An extensive search for relevant literature was undertaken in scientific databases. Data were extracted from the included research articles, and qualitative research findings were pooled using the Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument. This involved categorization of findings on the basis of similarity of meaning and aggregation of these categories to produce a comprehensive set of synthesized findings. A total of 21 research articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The review process resulted in 129 study findings that were aggregated into 15 categories. The categories generated six synthesized findings: an emotional roller coaster between hope and hopelessness; mothers as advocates in a battlefield within the system and family; parental experiences in a crossfire of blame, self-blame, and stigmatization; shuttling between supportive and nonsupportive services and professionals; routines, structures and strategies within everyday life; and despite multiple challenges, it is not all bad. The findings illustrate the complexity of parental experiences that are influenced by guilt, hope, blame, stigmatization, exhaustion, reconciliation, and professional collaboration. The findings address the impact that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has on everyday family life, and how parents seem to adapt to their life situation in the process of accepting their child's disorder.

Advancing alternate tools: why science education needs CRP and CRT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodo Seriki, Vanessa

2018-03-01

Ridgeway and Yerrick's paper, Whose banner are we waving?: exploring STEM partnerships for marginalized urban youth, unearthed the tensions that existed between a local community "expert" and a group of students and their facilitator in an afterschool program. Those of us who work with youth who are traditionally marginalized, understand the importance of teaching in culturally relevant ways, but far too often—as Ridgeway and Yerrick shared—community partners have beliefs, motives, and ideologies that are incompatible to the program's mission and goals. Nevertheless, we often enter partnerships assuming that the other party understands the needs of the students or community; understands how in U.S. society White is normative while all others are deficient; and understands how to engage with students in culturally relevant ways. This forum addresses the underlying assumption, described in the Ridgeway and Yerrick article, that educators—despite their background and experiences—are able to teach in culturally relevant ways. Additionally, I assert based on the finding in the article that just as Ladson-Billings and Tate (Teach Coll Rec 97(1):47-68, 1995) asserted, race in the U.S. society, as a scholarly pursuit, was under theorized. The same is true of science education; race in science education is under theorized and the use of culturally relevant pedagogy and critical race theory as a pedagogical model and analytical tool, respectively, in science education is minimal. The increased use of both would impact our understanding of who does science, and how to broaden participation among people of color.

Neuroimaging in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: beyond the frontostriatal circuitry.

PubMed

Cherkasova, Mariya V; Hechtman, Lily

2009-10-01

To review the findings of structural and functional neuroimaging studies in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with a focus on abnormalities reported in brain regions that lie outside the frontostriatal circuitry, which is currently believed to play a central role in the pathophysiology of ADHD. Relevant publications were found primarily by searching the MEDLINE and PubMed databases using the keywords ADHD and the abbreviations of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, positron emission tomography, and single photon emission computed tomography. The reference lists of the articles found through the databases were then reviewed for the purpose of finding additional articles. There is now substantial evidence of structural and functional alterations in regions outside the frontostriatal circuitry in ADHD, most notably in the cerebellum and the parietal lobes. Although there is compelling evidence suggesting that frontostriatal dysfunction may be central to the pathophysiology of ADHD, the neuroimaging findings point to distributed neural substrates rather than a single one. More research is needed to elucidate the nature of contributions of nonfrontostriatal regions to the pathophysiology of ADHD.

Passionate scholarship 2001-2010: a vision for making academe safer for joyous risk-takers.

PubMed

Heinrich, Kathleen T

2010-01-01

What is passionate scholarship? According to students and graduates from a nursing doctoral program interviewed 10 years ago, passionate scholars must risk committing to a personally meaningful and socially relevant topic close to the heart. This insight spawned a string of exploratory inquiries and educational interventions in search of the "ideal conditions" that foster passionate scholarship. Updating the findings of that original study published in Advances in Nursing Science in 2001, this article describes a 3-year, faculty development initiative. Beyond increasing scholarly productivity, the findings suggest that turning faculty groups into communities of scholarly caring can make academic environments safer for passionate risk-takers.

Meaning making in the aftermath of homicide.

PubMed

Armour, Marilyn

2003-07-01

Although sense making or finding benefit are well documented examples of meaning making processes, meaning making grounded in action has received less attention. This article adds a specific demonstration of the relevance of performed meanings to homicide survivors and other traumatized populations through a qualitative study of 38 members of 14 families. The central finding of the study points to "the intense pursuit of what matters" as a major avenue for meaning making in the aftermath of homicide, one which is expressed in action. Implications of this mode of meaning reconstruction are discussed relative to the re-establishment of a sense of coherence and self-continuity.

The relationship between time perspective and self-regulatory processes, abilities and outcomes: a protocol for a meta-analytical review.

PubMed

Baird, Harriet M; Webb, Thomas L; Martin, Jilly; Sirois, Fuschia M

2017-07-05

Both theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that time perspective is likely to influence self-regulatory processes and outcomes. Despite the theoretical and practical significance of such relations, the relationship between time perspective and self-regulatory processes and outcomes across different measures, samples and life domains, including health, has yet to be explored. The proposed review will develop a taxonomy for classifying measures according to the self-regulatory process, ability or outcome that they are likely to reflect. Electronic scientific databases will be searched, along with relevant conference abstract booklets and citation lists. Additionally, a call for unpublished data will be submitted to relevant bodies. To be eligible for inclusion, studies must include a measure of time perspective and a measure of at least one self-regulatory process, ability and/ or outcome. Eligibility will not be restricted by publication date, language, type of sample or setting. The bivariate correlations will be extracted (or calculated) and submitted to a random-effects meta-analysis. The sample-weighted average effect size, heterogeneity, risk of bias and publication bias will be calculated, and the effects of categorical and continuous moderator variables on the effect sizes will be determined. The proposed meta-analysis will synthesise previously conducted research; thus, ethical approval is not required. The findings will be submitted for publication in an international peer-reviewed journal and reported as part of the first author’s PhD thesis. The findings will also be disseminated to the research community and, where appropriate, to other interested parties through presentations at relevant academic and non-academic conferences. © 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.

Impact of tailored blogs and content on usage of Web CIPHER - an online platform to help policymakers better engage with evidence from research.

PubMed

Makkar, Steve R; Howe, Megan; Williamson, Anna; Gilham, Frances

2016-12-01

There is a need to develop innovations that can help bridge the gap between research and policy. Web CIPHER is an online tool designed to help policymakers better engage with research in order to increase its use in health policymaking. The aim of the present study was to test interventions in order to increase policymakers' usage of Web CIPHER. Namely, the impact of posting articles and blogs on topics relevant to the missions and scope of selected policy agencies in the Web CIPHER community. Five policy agencies were targeted for the intervention. Web CIPHER usage data was gathered over a 30-month period using Google Analytics. Time series analysis was used to evaluate whether publication of tailored articles and blogs led to significant changes in usage for all Web CIPHER members from policy agencies, including those from the five target agencies. We further evaluated whether these users showed greater increases in usage following publication of articles and blogs directly targeted at their agency, and if these effects were moderated by the blog author. Web CIPHER usage gradually increased over time and was significantly predicted by the number of articles but not blogs that were posted throughout the study period. Publication of articles on sexual and reproductive health was followed by sustained increases in usage among all users, including users from the policy agency that targets this area. This effect of topic relevance did not occur for the four remaining target agencies. Finally, page views were higher for articles targeted at one's agency compared to other agencies. This effect also occurred for blogs, particularly when the author was internal to one's agency. The findings suggest that Web CIPHER usage in general was motivated by general interest, engagement and appeal, as opposed to the agency specificity of content and work relevance. Blogs in and of themselves may not be effective at promoting usage. Thus, in order to increase policymakers' engagement with research through similar online platforms, a potentially effective approach would be to post abundant, frequently updated, engaging, interesting and widely appealing content irrespective of form.

Opportunities for Fluorochlorozirconate and Other Glass-Ceramic Detectors in Medical Imaging Devices

PubMed Central

Johnson, Jacqueline A.; Leonard, Russell L.; Lubinsky, AR; Schweizer, Stefan

2017-01-01

This article gives an overview of fluorochlorozirconate glass-ceramic scintillators and storage phosphor materials: how they are synthesized, what their properties are, and how they can be used in medical imaging. Such materials can enhance imaging in x-ray radiography, especially mammography and dental imaging, computed tomography, and positron emission tomography. Although focusing on fluorochlorozirconate materials, the reader will find the discussion is relevant to other luminescent glass and glass-ceramic systems. PMID:28890955

Stem cell biology and drug discovery

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

There are many reasons to be interested in stem cells, one of the most prominent being their potential use in finding better drugs to treat human disease. This article focuses on how this may be implemented. Recent advances in the production of reprogrammed adult cells and their regulated differentiation to disease-relevant cells are presented, and diseases that have been modeled using these methods are discussed. Remaining difficulties are highlighted, as are new therapeutic insights that have emerged. PMID:21649940

Change in Self-Efficacy as a Measure of Training Effectiveness at Squadron Officer School.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

findings which are discussed in the following paragraphs. (Farh, Werbel, and Bedeian, 1988:141; Farh and Dobbins, 1989:606; Fox and Dinur, 1988:581; Mabe ...look more objectively at himself, thereby increasing the accuracy of self-appraisal. Mabe and West (1982:280-296) reviewed 55 studies relevant to the...measures. Because Mabe and West studied research prior to their 1982 article, they found similar inconsistencies in preparing the ratee to make objective

The role of emotion in the learning and transfer of clinical skills and knowledge.

PubMed

McConnell, Meghan M; Eva, Kevin W

2012-10-01

Medical school and residency are emotional experiences for trainees. Most research examining emotion in medicine has focused on negative moods associated with physician burnout and poor quality of life. However, positive emotional states also may have important influences on student learning and performance. The authors present a review of the literature on the influence of emotion on cognition, specifically how individuals learn complex skills and knowledge and how they transfer that information to new scenarios. From September 2011 to February 2012, the authors searched Medline, PsycInfo, GoogleScholar, ERIC, and Web of Science, as well as the reference lists of relevant articles, for research on the interaction between emotion, learning, and knowledge transfer. They extracted representative themes and noted particularly relevant empirical findings. The authors found articles that show that emotion influences various cognitive processes that are involved in the acquisition and transfer of knowledge and skills. More specifically, emotion influences how individuals identify and perceive information, how they interpret it, and how they act on the information available in learning and practice situations. There are many ways in which emotions may influence medical education. Researchers must further explore the implications of these findings to ensure that learning is not treated simply as a rational, mechanistic process but that trainees are effectively prepared to perform under a wide range of emotional conditions.

Enterprise systems' life cycle in pursuit of resilient smart factory for emerging aircraft industry: a synthesis of Critical Success Factors'(CSFs), theory, knowledge gaps, and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashid, Asif; Masood, Tariq; Erkoyuncu, John Ahmet; Tjahjono, Benny; Khan, Nawar; Shami, Muiz-ud-din

2018-02-01

The research aims to investigate business value critical success factors (CSFs) of enterprise systems (ES) through their life cycle in pursuit of resilient smart factory for emerging aircraft industry. This article provides an extensive literature analysis of past 22 years based on conscientious criteria of authors: (i) who have published strategic content relevant to CSFs, (ii) received more than 300 citations and (iii) concurrently published two or more papers relevant to ES CSFs. The most cited strategic CSFs were termed as classical CSFs. The 22 CSFs were identified, validated and synthesised for better understanding of success across life cycle by aircraft industry experts. The top 10 empirically verified CSFs have numerous differences with past generic classical CSFs. This article canvases real insights of two distinct views: process and variance approaches of the ES CSFs. The process approach, which is a neglected research area, facilitates the researchers for identification of ES life cycle process coupled with a view of resource deployment when it is needed the most. While the variance approach facilitates practitioners and researchers in finding out which resource (CSF) is relatively more important. The significant findings for ES life cycle can help the practitioners and researchers to make rational decisions throughout the ES life cycle.

A review of mental health treatment dropout by ethnic minority youth.

PubMed

de Haan, Anna M; Boon, Albert E; de Jong, Joop T V M; Vermeiren, Robert R J M

2018-02-01

A large proportion of treatments in youth mental health care are prematurely terminated by the patient. Treatment dropout can have severe consequences. Since ethnic minority youth are treated less often for mental disorders than other youth, it is important to analyse their risk for dropout and to determine if there are ethnicity-specific determinants. This review aimed to provide an overview of the findings from empirical studies on child and adolescent therapy dropout by ethnic minority and to determine if there were ethnicity-specific dropout determinants. An extensive literature search was performed to locate relevant journal articles. Identified articles were inspected for relevant references and these articles were then included in the meta-analysis. A total of 27 studies were accepted for analysis. The results showed that ethnic minority patients have a higher risk of treatment dropout than ethnic majority patients and that dropout rates are ethnically specific. Several differences in dropout predictors among the ethnic groups were found. In spite of diverse results, review limitations, and the lack of several key variables in the available research, some clinical recommendations are made. The review indicates that to prevent dropout, therapists should pay attention to variables such as ethnic background, therapist-patient ethnic match, and the quality of the therapeutic relationship.

Qualitative systematic reviews: their importance for our understanding of research relevant to pain.

PubMed

Seers, Kate

2015-02-01

This article outlines what a qualitative systematic review is and explores what it can contribute to our understanding of pain. Many of us use evidence of effectiveness for various interventions when working with people in pain. A good systematic review can be invaluable in bringing together research evidence to help inform our practice and help us understand what works. In addition to evidence of effectiveness, understanding how people with pain experience both their pain and their care can help us when we are working with them to provide care that meets their needs. A rigorous qualitative systematic review can also uncover new understandings, often helping illuminate 'why' and can help build theory. Such a review can answer the question 'What is it like to have chronic pain?' This article presents the different stages of meta-ethnography, which is the most common methodology used for qualitative systematic reviews. It presents evidence from four meta-ethnographies relevant to pain to illustrate the types of findings that can emerge from this approach. It shows how new understandings may emerge and gives an example of chronic musculoskeletal pain being experienced as 'an adversarial struggle' across many aspects of the person's life. This article concludes that evidence from qualitative systematic reviews has its place alongside or integrated with evidence from more quantitative approaches.

Systematic reviews of complementary therapies – an annotated bibliography. Part 3: Homeopathy

PubMed Central

Linde, Klaus; Hondras, Maria; Vickers, Andrew; Riet, Gerben ter; Melchart, Dieter

2001-01-01

Background Complementary therapies are widespread but controversial. We aim to provide a comprehensive collection and a summary of systematic reviews of clinical trials in three major complementary therapies (acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy). This article is dealing with homeopathy. Potentially relevant reviews were searched through the register of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field, the Cochrane Library, Medline, and bibliographies of articles and books. To be included articles had to review prospective clinical trials of homeopathy; had to describe review methods explicitly; had to be published; and had to focus on treatment effects. Information on conditions, interventions, methods, results and conclusions was extracted using a pretested form and summarized descriptively. Results Eighteen out of 22 potentially relevant reviews preselected in the screening process met the inclusion criteria. Six reviews addressed the question whether homeopathy is effective across conditions and interventions. The majority of available trials seem to report positive results but the evidence is not convincing. For isopathic nosodes for allergic conditions, oscillococcinum for influenza-like syndromes and galphimia for pollinosis the evidence is promising while in other areas reviewed the results are equivocal. Interpretation Reviews on homeopathy often address general questions. While the evidence is promising for some topics the findings of the available reviews are unlikely to end the controversy on this therapy. PMID:11527508

Factors Associated with Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Occupations: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Motaarefi, Hossein; Mahmoudi, Hosein; Mohammadi, Eesa; Hasanpour-Dehkordi, Ali

2016-08-01

Needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs), are among the main job-related injuries that health care workers experience. In fact, contraction of hepatitis B or hepatitis C from work-related NSIs is one of the most common occupational hazards among health care workers. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with NSIs in health care occupation. In this study, a systematic and purposive review with emphasis on the research question was run to retrieve, evaluate and consolidate the required information. The following four key words were used to search for the relevant articles published from January 1998 to May 2015: NSI health care workers, risk factor and factors associated, in Science direct, EBSCO Host, PubMed, ProQuest, SID and Cochrane Library. Several steps of evaluation were taken to select and analyse the full texts of relevant articles. According to the inclusion criteria, we finally selected 11 articles from the 18642 retrieved articles. The data of the analysed articles indicated that the highest incidence of NSIs was seen in nurses and that the associated factors were age, level of education, number of shifts per month and history of related training. The highest rate of NSIs was related to instrument preparation followed by injection and recapping of used needles. Findings show that health care workers suffer a high rate of needlestick injuries. It was seen that device, location, or action cannot be separately considered as responsible for all types of the NSIs. Rather, each of them has a contribution to the NSIs. Nevertheless, factors with higher frequency should be given a higher priority.

Strategies for prevention of soccer related injuries: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Olsen, L; Scanlan, A; MacKay, M; Babul, S; Reid, D; Clark, M; Raina, P

2004-01-01

Methods: Standard systematic review methodology was modified and adopted for this review. Research questions and relevance criteria were developed a priori. Potentially relevant studies were located through electronic and hand searches. Articles were assessed for relevance and quality by two independent assessors, and the results of relevant articles were abstracted and synthesised. Results: A total of 44 potentially relevant articles from electronic (n = 37) and hand (n = 7) searches yielded four that met inclusion criteria. These four studies addressed a range of intervention strategies and varied with respect to results and quality of evidence. Conclusions: Some of the strategies look promising but lack adequate evaluation or require further research among younger players. Practice, policy, and research recommendations are provided as a result of the synthesis. PMID:14751956

Articles by Latin American Authors in Prestigious Journals Have Fewer Citations

PubMed Central

Meneghini, Rogerio; Packer, Abel L.; Nassi-Calò, Lilian

2008-01-01

Background The journal Impact factor (IF) is generally accepted to be a good measurement of the relevance/quality of articles that a journal publishes. In spite of an, apparently, homogenous peer-review process for a given journal, we hypothesize that the country affiliation of authors from developing Latin American (LA) countries affects the IF of a journal detrimentally. Methodology/Principal Findings Seven prestigious international journals, one multidisciplinary journal and six serving specific branches of science, were examined in terms of their IF in the Web of Science. Two subsets of each journal were then selected to evaluate the influence of author's affiliation on the IF. They comprised contributions (i) with authorship from four Latin American (LA) countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico) and (ii) with authorship from five developed countries (England, France, Germany, Japan and USA). Both subsets were further subdivided into two groups: articles with authorship from one country only and collaborative articles with authorship from other countries. Articles from the five developed countries had IF close to the overall IF of the journals and the influence of collaboration on this value was minor. In the case of LA articles the effect of collaboration (virtually all with developed countries) was significant. The IFs for non-collaborative articles averaged 66% of the overall IF of the journals whereas the articles in collaboration raised the IFs to values close to the overall IF. Conclusion/Significance The study shows a significantly lower IF in the group of the subsets of non-collaborative LA articles and thus that country affiliation of authors from non-developed LA countries does affect the IF of a journal detrimentally. There are no data to indicate whether the lower IFs of LA articles were due to their inherent inferior quality/relevance or psycho-social trend towards under-citation of articles from these countries. However, further study is required since there are foreseeable consequences of this trend as it may stimulate strategies by editors to turn down articles that tend to be under-cited. PMID:19030227

Citation analytics: Data exploration and comparative analyses of CiteScores of Open Access and Subscription-Based publications indexed in Scopus (2014-2016).

PubMed

Atayero, Aderemi A; Popoola, Segun I; Egeonu, Jesse; Oludayo, Olumuyiwa

2018-08-01

Citation is one of the important metrics that are used in measuring the relevance and the impact of research publications. The potentials of citation analytics may be exploited to understand the gains of publishing scholarly peer-reviewed research outputs in either Open Access (OA) sources or Subscription-Based (SB) sources in the bid to increase citation impact. However, relevant data required for such comparative analysis must be freely accessible for evidence-based findings and conclusions. In this data article, citation scores ( CiteScores ) of 2542 OA sources and 15,040 SB sources indexed in Scopus from 2014 to 2016 were presented and analyzed based on a set of five inclusion criteria. A robust dataset, which contains the CiteScores of OA and SB publication sources included, is attached as supplementary material to this data article to facilitate further reuse. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions of OA CiteScores and SB CiteScores are presented in tables. Boxplot representations and scatter plots are provided to show the statistical distributions of OA CiteScores and SB CiteScores across the three sub-categories (Book Series, Journal, and Trade Journal). Correlation coefficient and p-value matrices are made available within the data article. In addition, Probability Density Functions (PDFs) and Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDFs) of OA CiteScores and SB CiteScores are computed and the results are presented using tables and graphs. Furthermore, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison post-hoc tests are conducted to understand the statistical difference (and its significance, if any) in the citation impact of OA publication sources and SB publication source based on CiteScore . In the long run, the data provided in this article will help policy makers and researchers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to identify the appropriate publication source type and category for dissemination of scholarly research findings with maximum citation impact.

Why Most Biomedical Findings Echoed by Newspapers Turn Out to be False: The Case of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Gonon, François; Konsman, Jan-Pieter; Cohen, David; Boraud, Thomas

2012-01-01

Context Because positive biomedical observations are more often published than those reporting no effect, initial observations are often refuted or attenuated by subsequent studies. Objective To determine whether newspapers preferentially report on initial findings and whether they also report on subsequent studies. Methods We focused on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using Factiva and PubMed databases, we identified 47 scientific publications on ADHD published in the 1990s and soon echoed by 347 newspapers articles. We selected the ten most echoed publications and collected all their relevant subsequent studies until 2011. We checked whether findings reported in each “top 10” publication were consistent with previous and subsequent observations. We also compared the newspaper coverage of the “top 10” publications to that of their related scientific studies. Results Seven of the “top 10” publications were initial studies and the conclusions in six of them were either refuted or strongly attenuated subsequently. The seventh was not confirmed or refuted, but its main conclusion appears unlikely. Among the three “top 10” that were not initial studies, two were confirmed subsequently and the third was attenuated. The newspaper coverage of the “top 10” publications (223 articles) was much larger than that of the 67 related studies (57 articles). Moreover, only one of the latter newspaper articles reported that the corresponding “top 10” finding had been attenuated. The average impact factor of the scientific journals publishing studies echoed by newspapers (17.1 n = 56) was higher (p<0.0001) than that corresponding to related publications that were not echoed (6.4 n = 56). Conclusion Because newspapers preferentially echo initial ADHD findings appearing in prominent journals, they report on uncertain findings that are often refuted or attenuated by subsequent studies. If this media reporting bias generalizes to health sciences, it represents a major cause of distortion in health science communication. PMID:22984483

Simulated Patients in Physical Therapy Education: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Pritchard, Shane A; Blackstock, Felicity C; Nestel, Debra; Keating, Jenny L

2016-09-01

Traditional models of physical therapy clinical education are experiencing unprecedented pressures. Simulation-based education with simulated (standardized) patients (SPs) is one alternative that has significant potential value, and implementation is increasing globally. However, no review evaluating the effects of SPs on professional (entry-level) physical therapy education is available. The purpose of this study was to synthesize and critically appraise the findings of empirical studies evaluating the contribution of SPs to entry-level physical therapy education, compared with no SP interaction or an alternative education strategy, on any outcome relevant to learning. A systematic search was conducted of Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, AMED, ERIC, and CINAHL Plus databases and reference lists of included articles, relevant reviews, and gray literature up to May 2015. Articles reporting quantitative or qualitative data evaluating the contribution of SPs to entry-level physical therapy education were included. Two reviewers independently extracted study characteristics, intervention details, and quantitative and qualitative evaluation data from the 14 articles that met the eligibility criteria. Pooled random-effects meta-analysis indicated that replacing up to 25% of authentic patient-based physical therapist practice with SP-based education results in comparable competency (mean difference=1.55/100; 95% confidence interval=-1.08, 4.18; P=.25). Thematic analysis of qualitative data indicated that students value learning with SPs. Assumptions were made to enable pooling of data, and the search strategy was limited to English. Simulated patients appear to have an effect comparable to that of alternative educational strategies on development of physical therapy clinical practice competencies and serve a valuable role in entry-level physical therapy education. However, available research lacks the rigor required for confidence in findings. Given the potential advantages for students, high-quality studies that include an economic analysis should be conducted. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

Measuring the Interestingness of Articles in a Limited User Environment

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

Pon, R; Cardenas, A; Buttler, David

Search engines, such as Google, assign scores to news articles based on their relevance to a query. However, not all relevant articles for the query may be interesting to a user. For example, if the article is old or yields little new information, the article would be uninteresting. Relevance scores do not take into account what makes an article interesting, which would vary from user to user. Although methods such as collaborative filtering have been shown to be effective in recommendation systems, in a limited user environment, there are not enough users that would make collaborative filtering effective. A generalmore » framework, called iScore, is presented for defining and measuring the ‘‘interestingness of articles, incorporating user-feedback. iScore addresses the various aspects of what makes an article interesting, such as topic relevance, uniqueness, freshness, source reputation, and writing style. It employs various methods, such as multiple topic tracking, online parameter selection, language models, clustering, sentiment analysis, and phrase extraction to measure these features. Due to varying reasons that users hold about why an article is interesting, an online feature selection method in naι¨ve Bayes is also used to improve recommendation results. iScore can outperform traditional IR techniques by as much as 50.7%. iScore and its components are evaluated in the news recommendation task using three datasets from Yahoo! News, actual users, and Digg.« less

Diagnostic Features of Common Oral Ulcerative Lesions: An Updated Decision Tree

PubMed Central

Safi, Yaser

2016-01-01

Diagnosis of oral ulcerative lesions might be quite challenging. This narrative review article aims to introduce an updated decision tree for diagnosing oral ulcerative lesions on the basis of their diagnostic features. Various general search engines and specialized databases including PubMed, PubMed Central, Medline Plus, EBSCO, Science Direct, Scopus, Embase, and authenticated textbooks were used to find relevant topics by means of MeSH keywords such as “oral ulcer,” “stomatitis,” and “mouth diseases.” Thereafter, English-language articles published since 1983 to 2015 in both medical and dental journals including reviews, meta-analyses, original papers, and case reports were appraised. Upon compilation of the relevant data, oral ulcerative lesions were categorized into three major groups: acute, chronic, and recurrent ulcers and into five subgroups: solitary acute, multiple acute, solitary chronic, multiple chronic, and solitary/multiple recurrent, based on the number and duration of lesions. In total, 29 entities were organized in the form of a decision tree in order to help clinicians establish a logical diagnosis by stepwise progression. PMID:27781066

Damage control – trauma care in the first hour and beyond: a clinical review of relevant developments in the field of trauma care

PubMed Central

Midwinter, M

2013-01-01

Introduction Trauma provision in the UK is a topic of interest. Regional trauma networks and centres are evolving and research is blossoming, but what bearing does all this have on the care that is delivered to the individual patient? This article aims to provide an overview of key research concepts in the field of trauma care, to guide the clinician in decision making in the management of major trauma. Methods The Ovid MEDLINE®, EMBASE™ and PubMed databases were used to search for relevant articles on haemorrhage control, damage control resuscitation and its exceptions, massive transfusion protocols, prevention and correction of coagulopathy, acidosis and hypothermia, and damage-control surgery. Findings A wealth of research is available and a broad range has been reviewed to summarise significant developments in trauma care. Research has been categorised into disciplines and it is hoped that by considering each, a tailored management plan for the individual trauma patient will evolve, potentially improving patient outcome. PMID:23827287

At the Leading Front of Neuroscience: A Bibliometric Study of the 100 Most-Cited Articles

PubMed Central

Yeung, Andy W. K.; Goto, Tazuko K.; Leung, W. Keung

2017-01-01

Background: It might be difficult for clinicians and scientists to identify comprehensively the major research topics given the large number of publications. A bibliometric report that identifies the most-cited articles within the body of the relevant literature may provide insight and guidance for readers toward scientific topics that are considered important for researchers and all relevant workers of academia. To our knowledge, there is a lack of an overall evaluation of the most-cited articles and hence of a comprehensive review of major research topics in neuroscience. The present study was therefore proposed to analyze and characterize the 100 most-cited articles in neuroscience. Methods: Based on data provided from Web of Science, the 100 most-cited articles relevant to neuroscience were identified and characterized. Information was extracted for each included article to assess for the publication year, journal published, impact factor, adjusted impact factor, citation count (total, normalized, and adjusted), reference list, authorship and article type. Results: The total citation count for the 100 most-cited articles ranged from 7,326 to 2,138 (mean 3087.0) and the normalized citation count ranged from 0.163 to 0.007 (mean 0.054). The majority of the 100 articles were research articles (67%) and published from 1996 to 2000 (30%). The author and journal with the largest share of these 100 articles were Stephen M. Smith (n = 6) and Science (n = 13) respectively. Among the 100 most-cited articles, 37 were interlinked via citations of one another, and they could be classified into five major topics, four of which were scientific topics, namely neurological disorders, prefrontal cortex/emotion/reward, brain network, and brain mapping. The remaining topic was methodology. Interestingly 41 out of 63 of the rest, non-interlinked articles could also be categorized under the above five topics. Adjusted journal impact factor among these 100 articles did not appear to be associated with the corresponding adjusted citation count. Conclusion: The current study compiles a comprehensive list and analysis of the 100 most-cited articles relevant to neuroscience that enables the comprehensive identification and recognition of the most important and relevant research topics concerned. PMID:28785211

At the Leading Front of Neuroscience: A Bibliometric Study of the 100 Most-Cited Articles.

PubMed

Yeung, Andy W K; Goto, Tazuko K; Leung, W Keung

2017-01-01

Background: It might be difficult for clinicians and scientists to identify comprehensively the major research topics given the large number of publications. A bibliometric report that identifies the most-cited articles within the body of the relevant literature may provide insight and guidance for readers toward scientific topics that are considered important for researchers and all relevant workers of academia. To our knowledge, there is a lack of an overall evaluation of the most-cited articles and hence of a comprehensive review of major research topics in neuroscience. The present study was therefore proposed to analyze and characterize the 100 most-cited articles in neuroscience. Methods: Based on data provided from Web of Science, the 100 most-cited articles relevant to neuroscience were identified and characterized. Information was extracted for each included article to assess for the publication year, journal published, impact factor, adjusted impact factor, citation count (total, normalized, and adjusted), reference list, authorship and article type. Results: The total citation count for the 100 most-cited articles ranged from 7,326 to 2,138 (mean 3087.0) and the normalized citation count ranged from 0.163 to 0.007 (mean 0.054). The majority of the 100 articles were research articles (67%) and published from 1996 to 2000 (30%). The author and journal with the largest share of these 100 articles were Stephen M. Smith ( n = 6) and Science ( n = 13) respectively. Among the 100 most-cited articles, 37 were interlinked via citations of one another, and they could be classified into five major topics, four of which were scientific topics, namely neurological disorders, prefrontal cortex/emotion/reward, brain network, and brain mapping. The remaining topic was methodology. Interestingly 41 out of 63 of the rest, non-interlinked articles could also be categorized under the above five topics. Adjusted journal impact factor among these 100 articles did not appear to be associated with the corresponding adjusted citation count. Conclusion: The current study compiles a comprehensive list and analysis of the 100 most-cited articles relevant to neuroscience that enables the comprehensive identification and recognition of the most important and relevant research topics concerned.

Concepts of health and well-being in managers: An organizational study

PubMed Central

Boness, Christian

2011-01-01

Global changes and new managerial challenges require new concepts of health and well-being in organizational contexts. In the South African context, health and well-being of managers have gained relevance in organizations and in management sciences. International organizations, in particular, attempt to address the increasing demand for health care and the delivery of health services to their managers. Careful and appropriate health management requires research to evaluate context-specific health concepts and strategies. The purpose and aim of this article is to assess managerial concepts on health and well-being that could be used by the organization to contribute to managerial well-being by implementing health promotion according to managerial needs. At the same time, this article contributes to salutogenetic health research that is very rare with regard to the South African organizational management research. This study is a multi-method research study conducted in a selected international organization in South Africa. However, in this article, selected qualitative findings will only be presented. This organizational study presents selected research findings on health concepts and strategies employed by managers. Findings demonstrate that the managerial concepts of health and strategies mainly refer to not only physical but also to mental and spiritual aspects, with a priority on physical health and well-being. The findings presented are based on qualitative research methods and their research criteria. This assessment serves as a foundation for new approaches to health management within the international work context in South Africa. It also contributes to a paradigm shift from pathogenetic to salutogenetic concepts of health and well-being within the South African organizational work context. The article produces new insights into the qualitative health concepts of South African managers and expatriates and contributes to promoting salutogenesis in organization within South Africa. PMID:22028736

Non-syndromic craniosynostosis in children: Scoping review.

PubMed

Garrocho-Rangel, A; Manríquez-Olmos, L; Flores-Velázquez, J; Rosales-Berber, M-A; Martínez-Rider, R; Pozos-Guillén, A

2018-06-20

Craniosynostosis (CS) is a complex condition consisting of the early fusion of one or more cranial sutures in the intrauterine stage. The affected infant exhibits abnormal head shape at time of birth or shortly thereafter. It can be observed in normal individuals (non-syndromic CS or NSCS) or as a part of a multisystem syndrome. The purposes of the present article were to carry out a scoping review on Non-Syndromic CS and to discuss the most important findings retrieved. The steps of this scoping review were as follows: first, to pose a research question; second, to identify relevant studies to answer the research question; third, to select and retrieve the studies; fourth, to chart the critical data, and finally, to collate, summarize, and report the results from the most important articles. Relevant articles published over a 20-year period were identified and retrieved from five Internet databases: PubMed; EMBASE; Cochrane Library; Google Scholar, and EBSCO. Fourteen articles were finally included in the present scoping review. The following four most important clinical issues are discussed: (i) normal cranial development, clinical manifestations, and pathogenesis of NCSC; (ii) clinical evaluation of NCSC; (iii) treatment and post-surgical follow-up; and (iv) additional considerations. NSCS may be present with associated head shapes. Multiple early surgical reconstructive options are currently available for the disorder. Pediatric Dentistry practitioners must be familiarized with this condition and form part of a multi-approach health team as those responsible for the opportune oral health care of the affected child.

Newspaper coverage of human-pig chimera research: A qualitative study on select media coverage of scientific breakthrough.

PubMed

Hagan-Brown, Abena; Favaretto, Maddalena; Borry, Pascal

2017-07-01

A recently published article in the journal Cell by scientists from the Salk Institute highlighted the successful integration of stem cells from humans in pig embryos. This marks the first step toward the goal of growing human organs in animals for transplantation. There has, to date, been no research performed on the presentation of this breakthrough in the media. We thus assessed early newspaper coverage of the chimera study, looking into the descriptions as well as the benefits and concerns raised by the study mentioned by newspaper sources. We looked at newspaper coverage of the human-pig chimera study in the two weeks after the publication of the article describing the breakthrough in Cell. This time period spanned from January 26 to February 9, 2017. We used the LexisNexis Academic database and identified articles using the search string "hybrid OR chimera AND pig OR human OR embryo." The relevant articles were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Two researchers openly coded the articles independently using themes that emerged from the raw texts. Our search yielded 31 unique articles, after extensive screening for relevance and duplicates. Through our analysis, we were able to identify several themes in a majority of the texts. Almost every article gave descriptive information about the chimera experiment with details about the study findings. All of the articles mentioned the benefits of the study, citing both immediate- and long-term goals, which included creating transplantable human organs, disease and drug development, and personalized medicine, among others. Some of the articles highlighted some ethical, social, and health concerns that the study and its future implications pose. Many of the articles also offered reassurances over the concerns brought up by the experiment. Our results appeared to align with similar research performed on the media representation of sensitive scientific news coverage. We also explored the inconsistency between the tone of the titles and the articles that followed. However, it is still too early to speculate what impact the media will play in the public perception of this particular research. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assistive devices for balance and mobility: benefits, demands, and adverse consequences.

PubMed

Bateni, Hamid; Maki, Brian E

2005-01-01

To provide information on the advantages and possible disadvantages of using canes and walkers. English-language articles were identified by searching MEDLINE and PubMed (1966-May 2003) for key words cane or walker , excluding articles unrelated to mobility aids. Bibliographies were reviewed and ISI Web of Science citation searches were run to identify additional references. Over 1000 articles were selected for further evaluation. We extracted all studies of single-tip canes or pickup walkers addressing: (1) functional, biomechanic, or neuromotor benefits; (2) biomechanic, attentional, neuromotor, metabolic, or physiologic demands; and (3) falls, injuries, or other problems. We included approximately 10% of the articles originally identified. The methodology of each selected article, and findings relevant to the benefits, demands, or adverse effects of cane or walker use were summarized. Findings were synthesized by considering their relation to basic biomechanic principles. Some biomechanic findings appear to support the clinical view that canes and walkers can improve balance and mobility for older adults and people with other clinical conditions. However, a large proportion of users experience difficulties, and the use of such devices is associated with increased risk of falling. A small number of studies have characterized some of the specific demands and problems associated with using mobility aids. Clinical and biomechanic evaluations of canes and walkers confirm that these devices can improve balance and mobility. However, they can also interfere with ones ability to maintain balance in certain situations, and the strength and metabolic demands can be excessive. More research is needed to identify and solve specific problems. Such research may lead to improved designs and guidelines for safer use of canes and walkers.

A Research Practitioner's Perspective on Culturally Relevant Prevention: Scientific and Practical Considerations for Community-Based Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, James P., Jr.; Miller, Erica

2007-01-01

This article is a response to a number of articles that use a culturally relevant prevention (CRP) approach for ethnic and racial minorities. The reaction is from a research practitioner's viewpoint. The authors argue in favor of determining an operational definition of cultural relevance by implementing prevention services with fidelity in the…

Health Disparities in Women

PubMed Central

Hornbuckle, Lyndsey M; Amutah-Onukagha, Ndidiamaka; Bryan, Alicia; Skidmore Edwards, Elizabeth; Madzima, Takudzwa; Massey, Kelly; May, Linda; Robinson, Leah E

2017-01-01

AIMS AND SCOPE Clinical Medicine Insights: Women’s Health is an international, open-access, peer-reviewed journal which considers manuscripts on all aspects of the diagnosis, management, and prevention of disorders specific to women, in addition to related genetic, pathophysiological, and epidemiological topics. Clinical Medicine Insights: Women’s Health aims to provide researchers working in this complex, quickly developing field with online, open access to highly relevant scholarly articles by leading international researchers. In a field where the literature is ever-expanding, researchers increasingly need access to up-to-date, high-quality scholarly articles on areas of specific contemporary interest. This supplement is on Health Disparities in Women. This supplement aims to address this by presenting high-quality articles that allow readers to distinguish the signal from the noise. The editor in chief hopes that through this effort, practitioners and researchers will be aided in finding answers to some of the most complex and pressing issues of our time. PMID:28579867

Dogs and other metaphors: reflections on the influence of Mark Ylvisaker.

PubMed

McDonald, Skye

2010-08-01

Mark Ylvisaker's death in 2009 marked the sad cessation of a prolific and rich discourse regarding what matters in brain injury rehabilitation. In this article, I reflect on how my own work has converged with and been influenced by this great thinker and doer. My own work, like Ylvisaker's, has been oriented toward finding contextually relevant ways of assessing and remediating communication and social impairments in people with severe traumatic brain injury. In this article, common themes between Ylvisaker's work and my own are explored, including the usefulness of pragmatic language theory, which helps clarify why context is important when determining whether language is appropriate or not, and also to help reveal where problems occur in the use of subtle, diplomatic, or inferred meanings. This article also reflects upon Ylvisaker's models for remediation and the extent to which these can be encompassed within (as well as shape) more traditional models of social skills training.

Rewiring juvenile justice: the intersection of developmental neuroscience and legal policy.

PubMed

Cohen, Alexandra O; Casey, B J

2014-02-01

The past decade has been marked by historic opinions regarding the culpability of juveniles by the US Supreme Court. In 2005, the death penalty was abolished, 5 years later, life without parole for crimes, other than homicide, was banned, and then just last year, mandatory life sentences for any crime was abolished. The court referenced developmental science in all these cases. In this article, we highlight new scientific findings and their relevance to law and policy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sublingual and oral morphine administration. Review and new findings.

PubMed

Robison, J M; Wilkie, D J; Campbell, B

1995-12-01

Clinical reports rave about the efficacy of sublingual morphine, but most research data suggest that sublingual morphine lacks the necessary physical characteristics to be absorbed through sublingual tissues. This article clarifies these assertions by reviewing the clinical literature that supports sublingual administration, the theories relevant to sublingual morphine administration, and the pharmacokinetic research that supports or negates the benefit of this route. Recommendations for clinical nursing practice are provided to guide decision-making in care of patients with cancer pain.

Clinical Relevance Versus Statistical Significance: Aman and Colleagues Respond to Editorial.

PubMed

Aman, Michael G; Arnold, L Eugene; Barterian, Justin A

2018-05-01

We would like to respond to the thought-provoking editorial by Dr. Jon McClellan 1 regarding our article "Clinical Implications from the Treatment of Severe Childhood Aggression (TOSCA) Study: A Re-Analysis and Integration of Findings," published in the December 2017 issue of JAACAP. 2 We address some issues on which we partially disagree, and comment on convergence of opinion. Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Steps to strengthen ethics in organizations: research findings, ethics placebos, and what works.

PubMed

Pope, Kenneth S

2015-01-01

Research shows that many organizations overlook needs and opportunities to strengthen ethics. Barriers can make it hard to see the need for stronger ethics and even harder to take effective action. These barriers include the organization's misleading use of language, misuse of an ethics code, culture of silence, strategies of justification, institutional betrayal, and ethical fallacies. Ethics placebos tend to take the place of steps to see, solve, and prevent problems. This article reviews relevant research and specific steps that create change.

The Australian quarantine and biosecurity legislation: Constitutionality and critique.

PubMed

Gray, Anthony

2015-06-01

Australia's quarantine and biosecurity laws have been in focus recently with the serious outbreak of the ebola virus and the not-so-serious incident involving an actor's dogs apparently gaining unauthorised access to Australia. These incidents have coincided with the move to replace Australia's existing quarantine legislation with a modern regulatory framework for managing biosecurity risks. This article critiques the existing and new Australian legislation, comparing them with approaches in other jurisdictions and discussing some relevant public policy issues. In particular, the article comments on the constitutionality of the provisions relating to the detention of individuals for public health reasons, such as to control or limit the spread of disease, finding the new legislation to be an improvement on the existing one.

Family Caregivers' Experiences of Caring for a Relative With Younger Onset Dementia: A Qualitative Systematic Review.

PubMed

Cabote, Christy Joy; Bramble, Marguerite; McCann, Damhnat

2015-08-01

Family caregiving for people with younger onset dementia affects everyone in the family unit. This article presents findings of a qualitative systematic review exploring the experiences of family caregivers of persons with younger onset dementia. A systematic search resulted in the inclusion of five relevant articles, and two groups within the family unit were identified-child caregivers and adult and spousal caregivers. Using the thematic synthesis approach, five themes emerged: dementia damage, grief for loss of relationship, changes in family roles, positive and negative impacts of family caregiving, and transition to formal care. The review findings support increasing evidence that despite the stress of caring for a person with dementia damage, family members have the capacity to cope, adapt, and grow through their experiences. Nurses can assist families to identify their unique strengths and enhance family resiliency so they can navigate the "lonely road" of younger onset dementia. © The Author(s) 2015.

Consumerism 2: preregistration nursing and midwifery curricula.

PubMed

Fox, Jane

This article, the second of two parts, presents findings from a four-stage study exploring the extent to which consumerism and its related aspects have been incorporated into the preregistration nursing and midwifery curriculum. The study was undertaken in recognition that NHS policy (as considered in the first article: Vol 12(5): 321-6) increasingly gave emphasis to the development of a health service that was more consumer and user focused. The study involved use of a Delphi panel, postal questionnaire, review of curriculum documentation, and timetables, together with a small focused group discussion. Findings indicate some aspects relevant to consumerism in health care, e.g. communication and ethical principles were included in the curriculum. Other aspects, such as advocacy, quality assurance, and lay health beliefs, were viewed logically from the perspective of the professional role. In essence, no curriculum transparently addressed consumerism in a central and focused way, although midwifery--and to some extent mental health, learning disabilities, and child branches--gave more overt attention to consumerism than adult branches.

Keeping it in the family? People with learning disabilities and families employing their own care and support workers: Findings from a scoping review of the literature

PubMed Central

Manthorpe, Jill; Moriarty, Jo; Cornes, Michelle

2012-01-01

This article focuses on people with learning disabilities and their families who employ care or support workers using public (government) and/or private (self and family) funds. Such consumer-directed support takes place in England through personal budgets and direct payments. Research and material relevant to these employment relationships were explored in a scoping review undertaken by the authors in 2010. The review identified a small number of studies that involved people with learning disabilities as respondents, although more relied on family carers as proxy respondents. The findings from these studies covered recruitment and administration, employment of family members, training needs, the nature and content of employment relationships, and ending employment. The review observed that employment relationships, practices, and dynamics are surprisingly little explored in the literature and generally unobserved. The article concludes with specific messages from the review for family carers, for people with learning disabilities and for care and support workers. PMID:22123678

Management and leadership competence in hospitals: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Pihlainen, Vuokko; Kivinen, Tuula; Lammintakanen, Johanna

2016-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of management and leadership competence of health-care leaders and managers, especially in the hospital environment. Health-care leaders and managers in this study were both nursing and physician managers. Competence was assessed by evaluating the knowledge, skills, attitudes and abilities that enable management and leadership tasks. Design/methodology/approach - A systematic literature review was performed to find articles that identify and describe the characteristics of management and leadership competence. Searches of electronic databases were conducted using set criteria for article selection. Altogether, 13 papers underwent an inductive content analysis. Findings - The characteristics of management and leadership competence were categorized into the following groups: health-care-context-related, operational and general. Research limitations/implications - One limitation of the study is that only 13 articles were found in the literature regarding the characteristics of management and leadership competence. However, the search terms were relevant, and the search process was endorsed by an information specialist. The study findings imply the need to shift away from the individual approach to leadership and management competence. Management and leadership need to be assessed more frequently from a holistic perspective, and not merely on the basis of position in the organizational hierarchy or of profession in health care. Originality/value - The authors' evaluation of the characteristics of management and leadership competence without a concentrated profession-based approach is original.

An exploratory study of a text classification framework for Internet-based surveillance of emerging epidemics

PubMed Central

Torii, Manabu; Yin, Lanlan; Nguyen, Thang; Mazumdar, Chand T.; Liu, Hongfang; Hartley, David M.; Nelson, Noele P.

2014-01-01

Purpose Early detection of infectious disease outbreaks is crucial to protecting the public health of a society. Online news articles provide timely information on disease outbreaks worldwide. In this study, we investigated automated detection of articles relevant to disease outbreaks using machine learning classifiers. In a real-life setting, it is expensive to prepare a training data set for classifiers, which usually consists of manually labeled relevant and irrelevant articles. To mitigate this challenge, we examined the use of randomly sampled unlabeled articles as well as labeled relevant articles. Methods Naïve Bayes and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers were trained on 149 relevant and 149 or more randomly sampled unlabeled articles. Diverse classifiers were trained by varying the number of sampled unlabeled articles and also the number of word features. The trained classifiers were applied to 15 thousand articles published over 15 days. Top-ranked articles from each classifier were pooled and the resulting set of 1337 articles was reviewed by an expert analyst to evaluate the classifiers. Results Daily averages of areas under ROC curves (AUCs) over the 15-day evaluation period were 0.841 and 0.836, respectively, for the naïve Bayes and SVM classifier. We referenced a database of disease outbreak reports to confirm that this evaluation data set resulted from the pooling method indeed covered incidents recorded in the database during the evaluation period. Conclusions The proposed text classification framework utilizing randomly sampled unlabeled articles can facilitate a cost-effective approach to training machine learning classifiers in a real-life Internet-based biosurveillance project. We plan to examine this framework further using larger data sets and using articles in non-English languages. PMID:21134784

Evidence-based librarianship: searching for the needed EBL evidence.

PubMed

Eldredge, J D

2000-01-01

This paper discusses the challenges of finding evidence needed to implement Evidence-Based Librarianship (EBL). Focusing first on database coverage for three health sciences librarianship journals, the article examines the information contents of different databases. Strategies are needed to search for relevant evidence in the library literature via these databases, and the problems associated with searching the grey literature of librarianship. Database coverage, plausible search strategies, and the grey literature of library science all pose challenges to finding the needed research evidence for practicing EBL. Health sciences librarians need to ensure that systems are designed that can track and provide access to needed research evidence to support Evidence-Based Librarianship (EBL).

Systematic Review of Psychosocial Interventions for People With Spinal Cord Injury During Inpatient Rehabilitation: Implications for Evidence-Based Practice.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Bressington, Daniel; Chien, Wai Tong

2017-12-01

The bio-psychosocial model of spinal cord injury (SCI) highlights that psychosocial care is of equal importance as physical rehabilitation, and should be offered in the earlier stages of inpatient rehabilitation. This systematic review aimed to identify interventional research regarding psychosocial care for people with SCI during inpatient rehabilitation and synthesize the evidence of the effects and characteristics of these studies. A systematic search of relevant literature published between 1985 to July 2016 was conducted with six databases (Scopus, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Science Citation Index Expanded, PsycINFO, and the China Academic Journal Full-text Database). Reference lists of the identified articles were reviewed to find additional relevant articles. A total of four randomized controlled trials and seven non-randomized controlled trials were included in this review. The interventions focused on specialized types of SCI population with relatively high levels of psychological distress, pain or pressure ulcers. Studies reported some varied or inconsistent improvements in participants' cognitive appraisal, psychosocial adaptation or mental health but there were no significant effects on their coping ability. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, findings were synthesized narratively without conducting meta-analysis. This review found promising evidence that approaches to psychosocial care for people with SCI can improve their cognitive appraisal and psychosocial adaptation. Significant methodological limitations weakened study findings. Additionally, because studies were conducted in only a few developed countries with subgroups of patients having specific illness characteristics or severity, their generalizability to the wider SCI population is uncertain. Therefore, future research should adopt more robust study designs to test psychosocial interventions for SCI patients with different socio-cultural backgrounds and psychological adjustment conditions in the early stages of rehabilitation. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

A Systematic Review and Quantitative Meta-Analysis of Oxytocin's Effects on Feeding.

PubMed

Leslie, Monica; Silva, Paulo; Paloyelis, Yannis; Blevins, James; Treasure, Janet

2018-02-26

Oxytocin's anorexigenic effects have been widely documented and accepted; however, no paper has yet used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to compile previous findings in a single systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis. The current paper aimed to identify published and unpublished studies examining the effects of oxytocin on energy intake in animals and humans, and the factors that moderate this effect. Web of Science, Pub Med, and Ovid were searched for published and unpublished studies reporting the effects of oxytocin on energy intake in wild-type animals and in humans, when administered in the absence of other active drugs or surgery. 2049 articles were identified through the original systematic literature search, from which 54 articles were identified as relevant for inclusion in this review. An additional 3 relevant articles were identified in a later update of the literature search. Overall, a single-dose of oxytocin was found to reduce feeding in animals. Despite several individual studies which found that this effect persists to the end of the third week of chronic administration in rodent models, overall, this anorexigenic effect did not hold in the meta-analyses testing the effects of chronic administration. There was no overall effect of oxytocin on energy intake in humans, although a trend was identified for oxytocin to reduce consumption of solid foods. Oxytocin reduces energy intake when administered as a single dose. Oxytocin can inhibit feeding over two- to three-week periods in rodent models. These effects typically do not persist beyond the third week of treatment. The anorexigenic effect of oxytocin is moderated by pregnant status, dose, method of administration, and diet composition. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Economic Evaluations of Opioid Use Disorder Interventions: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Murphy, Sean M.; Polsky, Daniel

2017-01-01

Background The economic costs associated with opioid misuse are immense. Effective interventions for opioid use disorders are available; however, given the scarce resources faced by substance-use treatment providers and payers of all kinds, evidence of effectiveness is not always sufficient to encourage the adoption of a given therapy, nor should it be. Economic evaluations can provide evidence that will help stakeholders efficiently allocate their resources. Objective The purpose of this study was to review the literature on economic evaluations of opioid use disorder interventions. Methods We performed a systematic review of the major electronic databases from inception until present (August 2015). A sensitive approach was used to ensure a comprehensive list of relevant articles. Given the quality of existing reviews, we narrowed our search to studies published since 2007. The Drummond checklist was used to evaluate and categorize economic-evaluation studies according to their quality. Results A total of 98 articles were identified as potentially relevant to the current study. Of these 98 articles, half (n=49) were included in this study. Six of the included articles were review in nature. The remaining 43 articles performed an economic evaluation of an intervention for opioid use disorders. In general, the evidence on methadone-maintenance therapy (MMT) supports previous findings that MMT is an economically advantageous opioid-use-disorder therapy. The economic literature comparing MMT to other opioid-use-disorder pharmacotherapies is limited, as is the literature on other forms of therapy. Conclusions With the possible exception of MMT, additional high-quality economic evaluations are needed in order to assess the relative value of existing opioid-use-disorder interventions. PMID:27002518

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants exposed in utero to antipsychotics: a systematic review of published data.

PubMed

Gentile, Salvatore; Fusco, Maria Luigia

2017-06-01

The proportion of pregnancies exposed to either second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) or first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) varies between 0.3%-2% of all pregnancies, but, until now, little is known about the potential neurobehavioral teratogenicity of antipsychotics. Assessing this safety facet is the aim of this article. PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for eligible articles. PubMed (1954 to May 2016) was searched using several medical subject headings, variously combined. PubMed search results were also limited using the search filter for human studies published in English. Scopus and Google Scholar searches were filtered for article title (antipsychotics/neuroleptics, pregnancy). After excluding duplicates, 9,250 articles were identified and 29 met the following inclusion criteria: only articles that provided original/primary data on neurodevelopmental outcome in human offspring older than 4 months of age, independently of the study design, were selected for review. Indeed, some relevant neurodevelopmental milestones are achieved at this time. Length of study and neurodevelopmental assessment methodology did not influence the study selection. Unfortunately, published data on neurodevelopmental teratogenicity of SGAs mainly derive from case reports and small case-series studies. Even findings emerging from case-control and prospective/retrospective studies are of limited clinical relevance because of their small sample sizes. Limited data are also available on FGAs. Hence, we have to conclude that the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for children exposed in utero remain unclear. Low to very low quality evidence of retrieved data makes impossible to confirm or exclude potential long-lasting untoward effects on infant neurocognitive development associate with antenatal exposure to either SGAs or FGAs.

Career Choice in Academic Medicine: Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Straus, Sharon E; Straus, Christine; Tzanetos, Katina

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVES To review systematically the evidence about what factors influence the decision to choose or not choose a career in academic medicine. DESIGN A systematic review of relevant literature from 1990 to May 2005. DATA SOURCES Searches of The Cochrane Library, Medline (using Ovid and PubMed) from 1990 to May 2005, and EMBASE from 1990 to May 2005 were completed to identify relevant studies that explored the influential factors. Additional articles were identified from searching the bibliographies of retrieved articles. SELECTION OF STUDIES We attempted to identify studies that included residents, fellows, or staff physicians. No restrictions were placed on the study methodologies identified and all articles presenting empirical evidence were retrieved. For cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies, minimum inclusion criteria were the presence of defined groups, and the ability to extract relevant data. For surveys that involved case series, minimum inclusion criteria were a description of the population, and the availability of extractable data. Minimum inclusion criteria for qualitative studies were descriptions of the sampling strategy and methods. RESULTS The search identified 251 abstracts; 25 articles were included in this review. Completion of an MD with a graduate degree or fellowship program is associated with a career in academic medicine. Of the articles identified in this review, this finding is supported by the highest quality of evidence. Similarly, the completion of research and publication of this research in medical school and residency are associated with a career in academic medicine. The desire to teach, conduct research, and the intellectual stimulation and challenge provided in academia may also persuade people to choose this career path. The influence of a role model or a mentor was reported by physicians to impact their decision making. Trainees' interest in academic medicine wanes as they progress through their residency. CONCLUSIONS In order to revitalize academic medicine, we must engage trainees and retain their interest throughout their training. Research opportunities for medical students, and fellowships or graduate training can meet this challenge and influence career choice. Initiatives to stimulate and maintain interest in academic medicine should be evaluated in prospective studies across multiple sites. PMID:17105520

Information sources for obesity prevention policy research: a review of systematic reviews.

PubMed

Hanneke, Rosie; Young, Sabrina K

2017-08-08

Systematic identification of evidence in health policy can be time-consuming and challenging. This study examines three questions pertaining to systematic reviews on obesity prevention policy, in order to identify the most efficient search methods: (1) What percentage of the primary studies selected for inclusion in the reviews originated in scholarly as opposed to gray literature? (2) How much of the primary scholarly literature in this topic area is indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE? (3) Which databases index the greatest number of primary studies not indexed in PubMed, and are these databases searched consistently across systematic reviews? We identified systematic reviews on obesity prevention policy and explored their search methods and citations. We determined the percentage of scholarly vs. gray literature cited, the most frequently cited journals, and whether each primary study was indexed in PubMed. We searched 21 databases for all primary study articles not indexed in PubMed to determine which database(s) indexed the highest number of these relevant articles. In total, 21 systematic reviews were identified. Ten of the 21 systematic reviews reported searching gray literature, and 12 reviews ultimately included gray literature in their analyses. Scholarly articles accounted for 577 of the 649 total primary study papers. Of these, 495 (76%) were indexed in PubMed. Google Scholar retrieved the highest number of the remaining 82 non-PubMed scholarly articles, followed by Scopus and EconLit. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association was the most-cited journal. Researchers can maximize search efficiency by searching a small yet targeted selection of both scholarly and gray literature resources. A highly sensitive search of PubMed and those databases that index the greatest number of relevant articles not indexed in PubMed, namely multidisciplinary and economics databases, could save considerable time and effort. When combined with a gray literature search and additional search methods, including cited reference searching and consulting with experts, this approach could help maintain broad retrieval of relevant studies while improving search efficiency. Findings also have implications for designing specialized databases for public health research.

Career choice in academic medicine: systematic review.

PubMed

Straus, Sharon E; Straus, Christine; Tzanetos, Katina

2006-12-01

To review systematically the evidence about what factors influence the decision to choose or not choose a career in academic medicine. A systematic review of relevant literature from 1990 to May 2005. Searches of The Cochrane Library, Medline (using Ovid and PubMed) from 1990 to May 2005, and EMBASE from 1990 to May 2005 were completed to identify relevant studies that explored the influential factors. Additional articles were identified from searching the bibliographies of retrieved articles. We attempted to identify studies that included residents, fellows, or staff physicians. No restrictions were placed on the study methodologies identified and all articles presenting empirical evidence were retrieved. For cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies, minimum inclusion criteria were the presence of defined groups, and the ability to extract relevant data. For surveys that involved case series, minimum inclusion criteria were a description of the population, and the availability of extractable data. Minimum inclusion criteria for qualitative studies were descriptions of the sampling strategy and methods. The search identified 251 abstracts; 25 articles were included in this review. Completion of an MD with a graduate degree or fellowship program is associated with a career in academic medicine. Of the articles identified in this review, this finding is supported by the highest quality of evidence. Similarly, the completion of research and publication of this research in medical school and residency are associated with a career in academic medicine. The desire to teach, conduct research, and the intellectual stimulation and challenge provided in academia may also persuade people to choose this career path. The influence of a role model or a mentor was reported by physicians to impact their decision making. Trainees' interest in academic medicine wanes as they progress through their residency. In order to revitalize academic medicine, we must engage trainees and retain their interest throughout their training. Research opportunities for medical students, and fellowships or graduate training can meet this challenge and influence career choice. Initiatives to stimulate and maintain interest in academic medicine should be evaluated in prospective studies across multiple sites.

Multiple Enactments of Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landri, Paolo

2012-01-01

The article addresses the widespread claim to make educational research more relevant for practitioners, policy makers, potential users and stakeholders, and proposes a problematisation of the notion of "useful knowledge". The article illustrates the conceptual, instrumental and legitimative relevance of knowledge and highlights empirically the…

An Integrative Review of Psychosocial Concerns Among Young African American Breast Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

Nolan, Timiya S; Frank, Jennifer; Gisiger-Camata, Silvia; Meneses, Karen

African American (AA) women are more likely to be given a diagnosis of breast cancer at an early age, experience morbidity after treatment, and exhibit disparities in survivorship. Although psychosocial well-being is largely studied among breast cancer survivors, data are sparse regarding young AA survivors. This integrative review examined psychosocial concerns in survivorship among young AA survivors using a quality-of-life framework. PubMed, CINHAL, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and Scopus were searched for articles exploring psychosocial well-being in young AA survivors. The search yielded 237 articles that were retrieved and reviewed for relevance. Of these, 16 articles were selected based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data were evaluated and synthesized based on the quality-of-life model. Selected articles omitted the study of several psychological subconstructs and identified existing psychosocial concerns that require mitigation. The review revealed key areas of psychosocial concerns among young AA survivors including ongoing anxiety/depression, cognitive changes, and relationships. Identified gaps include paucity of research with young AA survivors and their residual psychosocial concerns. Review findings indicate a need to increase survivorship research on young AA survivors. Researchers, clinicians, and young AA survivors must partner in efforts to understand psychosocial concerns and translate findings into clinical practice (ie, use of psychosocial distress tools, distress de-escalation protocols, and individualized survivorship care plans) toward reduction of quality-of-life health disparities among young AA survivors.

Diet and psychological health.

PubMed

Miller, M

1996-09-01

This article reviews research that suggests a relationship between diet and psychological symptoms. Mind-body dualism (as it relates to clinical practice) and the limited role of nutrition in mainstream biomedical training and treatment are discussed as background issues. Two areas of inquiry that have generated relevant research findings in this area are reviewed: (1) orthomolecular theory and vitamin deficiencies, and (2) clinical ecology/environmental medicine theory and the impact of "food allergies." Although clinical case reports and promising research findings have been reported, the impact of diet on psychological health is neither widely accepted nor integrated into mental health treatment methods. Ongoing research findings in brain biochemistry and psychoneuroimmunology point to communication pathways that can provide a clearer understanding of the links between nutritional intake, central nervous system and immune function, and psychological health status. These findings may lead to greater acceptance of dietary treatment approaches among health practitioners addressing psychological disorders.

Systematic review of effects of current transtibial prosthetic socket designs-Part 1: Qualitative outcomes.

PubMed

Safari, Mohammad Reza; Meier, Margrit Regula

2015-01-01

This review is an attempt to untangle the complexity of transtibial prosthetic socket fit, determine the most important characteristic for a successful fitting, and perhaps find some indication of whether a particular prosthetic socket type might be best for a given situation. Further, it is intended to provide directions for future research. We followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and used medical subject headings and standard key words to search for articles in relevant databases. No restrictions were made on study design or type of outcome measure. From the obtained search results (n = 1,863), 35 articles were included. The relevant data were entered into a predefined data form that incorporated the Downs and Black risk of bias assessment checklist. Results for the qualitative outcomes (n = 19 articles) are synthesized. Total surface bearing sockets lead to greater activity levels and satisfaction in active persons with amputation, those with a traumatic cause of amputation, and younger persons with amputation than patellar tendon bearing sockets. Evidence on vacuum-assisted suction and hydrostatic sockets is inadequate, and further studies are much needed. To improve the scientific basis for prescription, comparison of and correlation between mechanical properties of interface material, socket designs, user characteristics, and outcome measures should be conducted and reported in future studies.

Getting Clearer About Surgical Innovation: A New Definition and a New Tool to Support Responsible Practice.

PubMed

Hutchison, Katrina; Rogers, Wendy; Eyers, Anthony; Lotz, Mianna

2015-12-01

This article presents an original definition of surgical innovation and a practical tool for identifying planned innovations. These will support the responsible introduction of surgical innovations. Frameworks developed for the safer introduction of surgical innovations rely upon identifying cases of innovation; oversight cannot occur unless innovations are identified. However, there is no consensus among surgeons about which interventions they consider innovative; existing definitions are vague and impractical. Using conceptual analysis, this article synthesizes findings from relevant literature, and from qualitative research with surgeons, to develop an original definition of surgical innovation and a tool for prospectively identifying planned surgical innovations. The tool has been developed in light of feedback from health care professionals, surgeons, and policy makers. This definition of innovation distinguishes between variations, introduction of established interventions, and innovations in surgical techniques or use of devices. It can be applied easily and consistently, is sensitive to the key features of innovation (newness and degree of change), is prospective, and focuses on features relevant to safety and evaluation. The accompanying tool is deliberately broad so that appropriate supports may, if necessary, be provided each time that a surgeon does something "new." The definition presented in this article overcomes a number of practical challenges. The definition and tool will be of value in supporting responsible surgical innovation, in particular, through the prospective identification of planned innovations.

Modifiable workplace risk factors contributing to workplace absence across health conditions: A stakeholder-centered best-evidence synthesis of systematic reviews.

PubMed

White, Marc; Wagner, Shannon; Schultz, Izabela Z; Murray, Eleanor; Bradley, Susan M; Hsu, Vernita; McGuire, Lisa; Schulz, Werner

2013-01-01

A challenge facing stakeholders is the identification and translation of relevant high quality research to inform policy and practice. This study engaged academic and community stakeholders in conducting a best evidence-synthesis to enhance knowledge use. To identify modifiable workplace disability risk and protective factors across common health conditions impacting work-related absence. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINHAL, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, BusinessSourceComplete, and ABI/Inform from 2000 to 2011. Systematic reviews that employed quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods of work-focused population were considered for inclusion. Two or more independent reviewers reviewed titles only, titles and abstracts, and/or full articles when assessing eligibility for inclusion. Selected articles underwent methodological screening. The search strategy, expert input and grey literature identified 2,467 unique records from which 142 full text articles underwent comprehensive review. Twenty-seven systematic reviews met eligibility criteria. Modifiable work factors found to have consistent evidence across two or more health conditions included lack of social support, increased physical demands at work, job strain, lack of supervisory support, increased psychological demands, low job satisfaction, low worker control of job, and poor leadership quality. The active engagement of stakeholders led to greater understanding of relevance of the study findings for community stakeholders and appreciation of the mutual benefits of collaboration.

Tics in TACs: A Step into an Avalanche? Systematic Literature Review and Conclusions.

PubMed

Wöber, Christian

2017-11-01

Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) comprise cluster headache, paroxysmal hemicrania, short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks, and hemicrania continua. In some cases, trigeminal neuralgia (TN, "tic douloureux") or TN-like pain may co-occur with TACs. This article will review the co-occurrence and overlap of TACs and tics in order to contribute to a better understanding of the issue and an improved management of the patients. For performing a systematic literature review Pubmed was searched using a total of ten terms. The articles identified were screened for further articles of relevance. TACs are related to tics in various ways. TN or TN-like paroxysms may co-occur with CH, PH, and HC, labeled as cluster-tic syndrome, PH-tic syndrome, and HC-tic syndrome. Such co-occurrence was not only found in the primary TACs but also in secondary headaches resembling TACs. The initial onset of TAC and tic may be simultaneous or separated by months or years. In acute attacks, tic and TAC may occur concurrently or much more often independently of each other. The term "cluster-tic syndrome" was also used in patients with a single type of pain in a twilight zone between TACs and TN fulfilling none of the relevant diagnostic criteria. Short-lasting neuralgiform headache attacks overlap with TN in terms of clinical features, imaging findings, and therapy. © 2017 American Headache Society.

Medication misuse in India: a major public health issue in India.

PubMed

Porter, Gillian; Grills, Nathan

2016-06-01

In India, it has been estimated that 50% of family spending on healthcare is on unnecessary medications or investigations. This, combined with the wide availability of medications, has seemingly contributed to increasing rates of antibiotic resistance and further impoverishment. In this literature review, we aim to characterize the extent of misuse and describe underlying factors contributing to the misuse of medication in India. This literature review included relevant articles published after 2000 that assessed medication use and misuse in India. A narrative review framework was used to analyse each article, confirm its inclusion, extract relevant information and group the findings under thematic areas. There were 115 articles included in this literature review. The literature demonstrated that the misuse of medications in India is widespread. The factors resulting in this involves all levels of the health system including regulation, enforcement and policy, healthcare providers and consumers. This is one of the most comprehensive reviews of medication misuse in India. It indicates the widespread nature of the problem and so highlights the need for action. This review provides a detailed understanding as to the complex interplay of factors that result in medication misuse in India. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sex and gonadal hormones in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease: what is relevant to the human condition?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Biologic sex and gonadal hormones matter in human aging and diseases of aging such as Alzheimer’s – and the importance of studying their influences relates directly to human health. The goal of this article is to review the literature to date on sex and hormones in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with an exclusive focus on interpreting the relevance of findings to the human condition. To this end, we highlight advances in AD and in sex and hormone biology, discuss what these advances mean for merging the two fields, review the current mouse model literature, raise major unresolved questions, and offer a research framework that incorporates human reproductive aging for future studies aimed at translational discoveries in this important area. Unraveling human relevant pathways in sex and hormone-based biology may ultimately pave the way to novel and urgently needed treatments for AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. PMID:23126652

Effects of Epilepsy on Language Functions: Scoping Review and Data Mining Findings.

PubMed

Dutta, Manaswita; Murray, Laura; Miller, Wendy; Groves, Doyle

2018-03-01

This study involved a scoping review to identify possible gaps in the empirical description of language functioning in epilepsy in adults. With access to social network data, data mining was used to determine if individuals with epilepsy are expressing language-related concerns. For the scoping review, scientific databases were explored to identify pertinent articles. Findings regarding the nature of epilepsy etiologies, patient characteristics, tested language modalities, and language measures were compiled. Data mining focused on social network databases to obtain a set of relevant language-related posts. The search yielded 66 articles. Epilepsy etiologies except temporal lobe epilepsy and older adults were underrepresented. Most studies utilized aphasia tests and primarily assessed single-word productions; few studies included healthy control groups. Data mining revealed several posts regarding epilepsy-related language problems, including word retrieval, reading, writing, verbal memory difficulties, and negative effects of epilepsy treatment on language. Our findings underscore the need for future specification of the integrity of language in epilepsy, particularly with respect to discourse and high-level language abilities. Increased awareness of epilepsy-related language issues and understanding the patients' perspectives about their language concerns will allow researchers and speech-language pathologists to utilize appropriate assessments and improve quality of care.

Visualizing Article Similarities via Sparsified Article Network and Map Projection for Systematic Reviews.

PubMed

Ji, Xiaonan; Machiraju, Raghu; Ritter, Alan; Yen, Po-Yin

2017-01-01

Systematic Reviews (SRs) of biomedical literature summarize evidence from high-quality studies to inform clinical decisions, but are time and labor intensive due to the large number of article collections. Article similarities established from textual features have been shown to assist in the identification of relevant articles, thus facilitating the article screening process efficiently. In this study, we visualized article similarities to extend its utilization in practical settings for SR researchers, aiming to promote human comprehension of article distributions and hidden patterns. To prompt an effective visualization in an interpretable, intuitive, and scalable way, we implemented a graph-based network visualization with three network sparsification approaches and a distance-based map projection via dimensionality reduction. We evaluated and compared three network sparsification approaches and the visualization types (article network vs. article map). We demonstrated the effectiveness in revealing article distribution and exhibiting clustering patterns of relevant articles with practical meanings for SRs.

The contribution of nurses to incident disclosure: a narrative review.

PubMed

Harrison, Reema; Birks, Yvonne; Hall, Jill; Bosanquet, Kate; Harden, Melissa; Iedema, Rick

2014-02-01

To explore (a) how nurses feel about disclosing patient safety incidents to patients, (b) the current contribution that nurses make to the process of disclosing patient safety incidents to patients and (c) the barriers that nurses report as inhibiting their involvement in disclosure. A systematic search process was used to identify and select all relevant material. Heterogeneity in study design of the included articles prohibited a meta-analysis and findings were therefore synthesised in a narrative review. A range of text words, synonyms and subject headings were developed in conjunction with the York Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and used to undertake a systematic search of electronic databases (MEDLINE; EMBASE; CENTRAL; PsycINFO; Health Management and Information Consortium; CINAHL; ASSIA; Science Citation Index; Social Science Citation Index; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects; Health Technology Assessment Database; Health Systems Evidence; PASCAL; LILACS). Retrieval of studies was restricted to those published after 1980. Further data sources were: websites, grey literature, research in progress databases, hand-searching of relevant journals and author contact. The title and abstract of each citation was independently screened by two reviewers and disagreements resolved by consensus or consultation with a third person. Full text articles retrieved were further screened against the inclusion and exclusion criteria then checked by a second reviewer (YB). Relevant data were extracted and findings were synthesised in a narrative empirical synthesis. The systematic search and selection process identified 15 publications which included 11 unique studies that emerged from a range of locations. Findings suggest that nurses currently support both physicians and patients through incident disclosure, but may be ill-prepared to disclose incidents independently. Barriers to nurse involvement included a lack of opportunities for education and training, and the multiple and sometimes conflicting roles within nursing. Numerous potential benefits were identified that may result from nurses having a greater contribution to the disclosure process, but the provision of support and training is essential to overcome the reported barriers faced by nurses internationally. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Policy-Relevant Child Maltreatment Research Strategy

PubMed Central

MacMillan, Harriet L; Jamieson, Ellen; Wathen, C Nadine; Boyle, Michael H; Walsh, Christine A; Omura, John; Walker, Jason M; Lodenquai, Gregory

2007-01-01

Child maltreatment is associated with a huge burden of suffering, yet there are serious gaps in knowledge about its epidemiology and approaches to intervention. This article describes the development of a proposed national research framework in child maltreatment, as requested by the Department of Justice, Canada, based on (1) a review of the literature, (2) consultation with experts, and (3) application of evaluation criteria for considering research priorities. The article identifies gaps in knowledge about child maltreatment in Canada and proposes a research agenda to make evidence-based policy decisions more likely. Although this work was driven by gaps in Canada's knowledge about child maltreatment, the international scope of the review and consultation process could make the findings useful to broader research and policy audiences. PMID:17517119

Canine gastritis.

PubMed

Webb, Craig; Twedt, David C

2003-09-01

Gastritis--inflammation of the stomach--is a frequently cited differential yet rarely characterized diagnosis in cases of canine anorexia and vomiting. Although the list of rule-outs for acute or chronic gastritis is extensive, a review of the veterinary literature reveals fewer than 15 articles that have focused on clinical cases of canine gastritis over the last 25 years. The dog frequently appears in the human literature as an experimentally manipulated model for the study of endoscopic techniques or the effect of medications on gastric mucosa. In the veterinary patient, cases of acute gastritis are rarely pursued with the complete diagnostic armamentarium, and cases of chronic gastritis are rarely found to occur as an entity isolated from the rest of the gastrointestinal tract. This article focuses on those findings most clinically relevant to cases of canine gastritis in veterinary medicine.

Ultra-wide-field imaging in diabetic retinopathy; an overview.

PubMed

Ghasemi Falavarjani, Khalil; Wang, Kang; Khadamy, Joobin; Sadda, Srinivas R

2016-06-01

To present an overview on ultra-wide-field imaging in diabetic retinopathy. A comprehensive search of the pubmed database was performed using the search terms of "ultra-wide-field imaging", "ultra-wide-field fluorescein angiography" and "diabetic retinopathy". The relevant original articles were reviewed. New advances in ultra-wide-field imaging allow for precise measurements of the peripheral retinal lesions. A consistent finding amongst these articles was that ultra-wide-field imaging improved detection of peripheral lesion. There was discordance among the studies, however, on the correlation between peripheral diabetic lesions and diabetic macular edema. Visualization of the peripheral retina using ultra-wide-field imaging improves diagnosis and classification of diabetic retinopathy. Additional studies are needed to better define the association of peripheral diabetic lesions with diabetic macular edema.

BIOSMILE web search: a web application for annotating biomedical entities and relations.

PubMed

Dai, Hong-Jie; Huang, Chi-Hsin; Lin, Ryan T K; Tsai, Richard Tzong-Han; Hsu, Wen-Lian

2008-07-01

BIOSMILE web search (BWS), a web-based NCBI-PubMed search application, which can analyze articles for selected biomedical verbs and give users relational information, such as subject, object, location, manner, time, etc. After receiving keyword query input, BWS retrieves matching PubMed abstracts and lists them along with snippets by order of relevancy to protein-protein interaction. Users can then select articles for further analysis, and BWS will find and mark up biomedical relations in the text. The analysis results can be viewed in the abstract text or in table form. To date, BWS has been field tested by over 30 biologists and questionnaires have shown that subjects are highly satisfied with its capabilities and usability. BWS is accessible free of charge at http://bioservices.cse.yzu.edu.tw/BWS.

[What's new in clinical dermatology?

PubMed

Petit, A

2017-12-01

In addition to continuous medical education, medical journals offer to dermatologists a huge variety of news that differ by their content, validity, originality and clinical relevance. I collected here various articles relative to clinical dermatology that have been published between September, 2016 and September, 2017. These papers have been chosen in the aim of reflecting such diversity. I just excluded, as far as possible, articles dealing with other issues that the reader will find further in this booklet (such as research, pediatric, instrumental, oncologic or therapeutic dermatology, or dermatology and internal medicine). Space restriction required to skip some commentaries while keeping the references to the selected papers, which the reader will be able to read carefully in its original form. © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés.

Information extraction from full text scientific articles: where are the keywords?

PubMed

Shah, Parantu K; Perez-Iratxeta, Carolina; Bork, Peer; Andrade, Miguel A

2003-05-29

To date, many of the methods for information extraction of biological information from scientific articles are restricted to the abstract of the article. However, full text articles in electronic version, which offer larger sources of data, are currently available. Several questions arise as to whether the effort of scanning full text articles is worthy, or whether the information that can be extracted from the different sections of an article can be relevant. In this work we addressed those questions showing that the keyword content of the different sections of a standard scientific article (abstract, introduction, methods, results, and discussion) is very heterogeneous. Although the abstract contains the best ratio of keywords per total of words, other sections of the article may be a better source of biologically relevant data.

Dignity and respect: facilitating meaningful occupation for SeSotho elders.

PubMed

Du Toit, Sanetta H J; Böning, Wilmarié; Van Der Merwe, Tania Rauch

2014-03-01

Frail and vulnerable adults are divested of meaningful encounters when modernization and urbanization force them to embrace an unconventional residential care environment as a home. The aim of this article is to report on a study of SeSotho elders living in residential care to illustrate how more meaningful and culturally relevant experiences could be facilitated for them. A content analysis was done of the individual opinions of 15 collaborators as a secondary scrutiny of information obtained during a nominal group process. MAJOR FINDINGS. Findings revealed that elders were prone to experience loneliness, helplessness, and boredom due to situations dominated by occupational injustice. Co-occupations, training of staff, and environmental adaptations that allow a sense of interdependence could contribute in facilitating occupational justice for elders from a traditional South African indigenous background living in residential care. Human dignity and respect are upheld within residential care when elders have access to purposeful and meaningful activities of their choice that are culturally appropriate. Occupational therapists should advocate for doing, belonging, and becoming by facilitating meaningful occupational participation that is culturally relevant for their clients.

Return of results in translational iPS cell research: considerations for donor informed consent

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Efforts have emerged internationally to recruit donors with specific disease indications and to derive induced pluripotent cell lines. These disease-specific induced pluripotent stem cell lines have the potential to accelerate translational goals such as drug discovery and testing. One consideration for donor recruitment and informed consent is the possibility that research will result in findings that are clinically relevant to the cell donor. Management protocols for such findings should be developed a priori and disclosed during the informed consent process. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has developed recommendations for informing donors in sponsored research. These recommendations include obtaining consent to recontact tissue donors for a range of scientific, medical and ethical considerations. This article reviews the basis for these recommendations and suggests conditions that may be appropriate when reporting findings to donors. PMID:23336317

Ophthalmic pathology of Nance-Horan syndrome: case report and review of the literature.

PubMed

Ding, Xiaoyan; Patel, Mrinali; Herzlich, Alexandra A; Sieving, Pamela C; Chan, Chi-Chao

2009-09-01

Nance-Horan syndrome (NHS) is a rare X-linked disorder typified by dense congenital central cataracts, microcornea, anteverted and simplex pinnae, brachymetacarpalia, and numerous dental anomalies due in most cases to a mutation in the NHS gene. We present a case of clinical manifestation and ocular pathology in a patient with NHS. This article also reviews and discusses the relevant literature. Classic and novel ocular pathological findings of a young male with NHS are described, including congenital cataracts, infantile glaucoma, scleral staphyloma, and severe retinal cystoid degeneration. We report a new pathological finding of severe retinal cystoid degeneration in this NHS patient and confirm abnormal development of the anterior chamber angle structure. These findings, coupled with our analysis of the available NHS literature, provide new understanding of the histopathological basis of ocular abnormalities and vision loss in NHS.

An evidence-based framework to measure quality of allied health care.

PubMed

Grimmer, Karen; Lizarondo, Lucylynn; Kumar, Saravana; Bell, Erica; Buist, Michael; Weinstein, Philip

2014-02-26

There is no standard way of describing the complexities of allied health (AH) care, or its quality. AH is an umbrella term which excludes medicine and nursing, and variably includes disciplines which provide therapy, diagnostic, or scientific services. This paper outlines a framework for a standard approach to evaluate the quality of AH therapy services. A realist synthesis framework describing what AH does, how it does it, and what is achieved, was developed. This was populated by the findings of a systematic review of literature published since 1980 reporting concepts of quality relevant to AH. Articles were included on quality measurement concepts, theories, debates, and/or hypothetical frameworks. Of 139 included articles, 21 reported on descriptions of quality potentially relevant to AH. From these, 24 measures of quality were identified, with 15 potentially relating to what AH does, 17 to how AH delivers care, 8 relating to short term functional outcomes, and 9 relating to longer term functional and health system outcomes. A novel evidence-based quality framework was proposed to address the complexity of AH therapies. This should assist in better evaluation of AH processes and outcomes, costs, and evidence-based engagement of AH providers in healthcare teams.

Consumer antibacterial soaps: effective or just risky?

PubMed

Aiello, Allison E; Larson, Elaine L; Levy, Stuart B

2007-09-01

Much has been written recently about the potential hazards versus benefits of antibacterial (biocide)-containing soaps. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to assess the studies that have examined the efficacy of products containing triclosan, compared with that of plain soap, in the community setting, as well as to evaluate findings that address potential hazards of this use--namely, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The PubMed database was searched for English-language articles, using relevant keyword combinations for articles published between 1980 and 2006. Twenty-seven studies were eventually identified as being relevant to the review. Soaps containing triclosan within the range of concentrations commonly used in the community setting (0.1%-0.45% wt/vol) were no more effective than plain soap at preventing infectious illness symptoms and reducing bacterial levels on the hands. Several laboratory studies demonstrated evidence of triclosan-adapted cross-resistance to antibiotics among different species of bacteria. The lack of an additional health benefit associated with the use of triclosan-containing consumer soaps over regular soap, coupled with laboratory data demonstrating a potential risk of selecting for drug resistance, warrants further evaluation by governmental regulators regarding antibacterial product claims and advertising. Further studies of this issue are encouraged.

Space for the Prisoner's Point of View.

PubMed

Haupt, Laura

2017-03-01

The lead article in this issue discusses a potentially free metaphorical space-that of decision-making-within the confines, tangible and intangible, of life in jail or prison. By interviewing prisoner-participants from six clinical studies, Paul Christopher and colleagues sought to find out how these men and women would answer open-ended questions about their decision to enroll in the research. What the interviewers heard was that none saw themselves as having been inappropriately pressured to do so. In fact, a significant percentage of the prisoners described being dissuaded from participating in the studies. The authors therefore advise that unfair exploitation poses the more relevant research risk to contemporary prisoners in the United States than does coercion, and they encourage investigations into whether prisoners are unfairly restricted or discouraged from joining clinical studies. Although Keramet Reiter makes no reference to etymology in her commentary responding to the article, her argument suggests that the roots of "coerce"-the Latin for "shut up" or "enclose"-remain relevant. Reiter argues that, under current conditions, the people shut up in prisons in the United States cannot make an unfettered choice to join a clinical trial. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Spirituality among Latinas/os: implications of culture in conceptualization and measurement.

PubMed

Campesino, Maureen; Schwartz, Gary E

2006-01-01

Despite growing transnational migration between the United States and Latin American countries, culturally relevant conceptualizations of spirituality among Latinas/os remain lacking in healthcare research. Grounded in Latina feminist theology, this article elucidates cultural values that influence spirituality and describes findings from a study using a new questionnaire to explore spirituality among Latinas in Puerto Rico and the US mainland. Results support the saliency of cultural values such as personalismo and familismo as the context for spiritual perspectives, which may function independently of the Catholic Church structure.

FDG-PET Assessment of Other Gynecologic Cancers.

PubMed

Faria, Silvana; Devine, Catherine; Viswanathan, Chitra; Javadi, Sanaz; Korivi, Brinda Rao; Bhosale, Priya R

2018-04-01

PET and PET/computed tomography play a role in the staging, monitoring of response to therapy, and surveillance for cervical and ovarian cancers. Currently, it is also an integral part of the assessment of patients with endometrial cancer and other gynecologic malignancies, such as vaginal and vulvar cancers and uterine sarcomas. In this article, we discuss in detail and highlight the potential role of PET and PET/computed tomography in evaluating these gynecologic malignancies using illustrative cases with relevant imaging findings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of basic physics principles to clinical neuroradiology: differentiating artifacts from true pathology on MRI.

PubMed

Hakky, Michael; Pandey, Shilpa; Kwak, Ellie; Jara, Hernan; Erbay, Sami H

2013-08-01

This article outlines artifactual findings commonly encountered in neuroradiologic MRI studies and offers clues to differentiate them from true pathology on the basis of their physical properties. Basic MR physics concepts are used to shed light on the causes of these artifacts. MRI is one of the most commonly used techniques in neuroradiology. Unfortunately, MRI is prone to image distortion and artifacts that can be difficult to identify. Using the provided case illustrations, practical clues, and relevant physical applications, radiologists may devise algorithms to troubleshoot these artifacts.

Spirituality Among Latinas/os Implications of Culture in Conceptualization and Measurement

PubMed Central

Campesino, Maureen; Schwartz, Gary E.

2009-01-01

Despite growing transnational migration between the United States and Latin American countries, culturally relevant conceptualizations of spirituality among Latinas/os remain lacking in healthcare research. Grounded in Latina feminist theology, this article elucidates cultural values that influence spirituality and describes findings from a study using a new questionnaire to explore spirituality among Latinas in Puerto Rico and the US mainland. Results support the saliency of cultural values such as personalismo and familismo as the context for spiritual perspectives, which may function independently of the Catholic Church structure. PMID:16495689

Steps to Strengthen Ethics in Organizations: Research Findings, Ethics Placebos, and What Works

PubMed Central

Pope, Kenneth S.

2015-01-01

Research shows that many organizations overlook needs and opportunities to strengthen ethics. Barriers can make it hard to see the need for stronger ethics and even harder to take effective action. These barriers include the organization’s misleading use of language, misuse of an ethics code, culture of silence, strategies of justification, institutional betrayal, and ethical fallacies. Ethics placebos tend to take the place of steps to see, solve, and prevent problems. This article reviews relevant research and specific steps that create change. PMID:25602131

Vocabulary Knowledge of Children With Cochlear Implants: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This article employs meta-analysis procedures to evaluate whether children with cochlear implants demonstrate lower spoken-language vocabulary knowledge than peers with normal hearing. Of the 754 articles screened and 52 articles coded, 12 articles met predetermined inclusion criteria (with an additional 5 included for one analysis). Effect sizes were calculated for relevant studies and forest plots were used to compare differences between groups of children with normal hearing and children with cochlear implants. Weighted effect size averages for expressive vocabulary measures (g = −11.99; p < .001) and for receptive vocabulary measures (g = −20.33; p < .001) indicated that children with cochlear implants demonstrate lower vocabulary knowledge than children with normal hearing. Additional analyses confirmed the value of comparing vocabulary knowledge of children with hearing loss to a tightly matched (e.g., socioeconomic status-matched) sample. Age of implantation, duration of implantation, and chronological age at testing were not significantly related to magnitude of weighted effect size. Findings from this analysis represent a first step toward resolving discrepancies in the vocabulary knowledge literature. PMID:26712811

What is lost when searching only one literature database for articles relevant to injury prevention and safety promotion?

PubMed

Lawrence, D W

2008-12-01

To assess what is lost if only one literature database is searched for articles relevant to injury prevention and safety promotion (IPSP) topics. Serial textword (keyword, free-text) searches using multiple synonym terms for five key IPSP topics (bicycle-related brain injuries, ethanol-impaired driving, house fires, road rage, and suicidal behaviors among adolescents) were conducted in four of the bibliographic databases that are most used by IPSP professionals: EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Through a systematic procedure, an inventory of articles on each topic in each database was conducted to identify the total unduplicated count of all articles on each topic, the number of articles unique to each database, and the articles available if only one database is searched. No single database included all of the relevant articles on any topic, and the database with the broadest coverage differed by topic. A search of only one literature database will return 16.7-81.5% (median 43.4%) of the available articles on any of five key IPSP topics. Each database contributed unique articles to the total bibliography for each topic. A literature search performed in only one database will, on average, lead to a loss of more than half of the available literature on a topic.

For the general internist: a review of relevant 2013 innovations in medical education.

PubMed

Roy, Brita; Willett, Lisa L; Bates, Carol; Duffy, Briar; Dunn, Kathel; Karani, Reena; Chheda, Shobhina G

2015-04-01

We conducted a review of articles published in 2013 to identify high-quality research in medical education that was relevant to general medicine education practice. Our review team consisted of six general internists with expertise in medical education of varying ranks, as well as a professional medical librarian. We manually searched 15 journals in pairs, and performed an online search using the PubMed search engine for all original research articles in medical education published in 2013. From the total 4,181 citations identified, we selected 65 articles considered most relevant to general medicine educational practice. Each team member then independently reviewed and rated the quality of each selected article using the modified Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument. We then reviewed the quality and relevance of each selected study and grouped them into categories of propensity for inclusion. Nineteen studies were felt to be of adequate quality and were of moderate to high propensity for inclusion. Team members then independently voted for studies they felt to be of the highest relevance and quality within the 19 selected studies. The ten articles with the greatest number of votes were included in the review. We categorized the studies into five general themes: Improving Clinical Skills in UME, Inpatient Clinical Teaching Methods, Advancements in Continuity Clinic, Handoffs/Transitions in Care, and Trainee Assessment. Most studies in our review of the 2013 literature in general medical education were limited to single institutions and non-randomized study designs; we identified significant limitations of each study. Selected articles may inform future research and practice of medical educators.

Are overweight and obese youths more often bullied by their peers? A meta-analysis on the correlation between weight status and bullying.

PubMed

van Geel, M; Vedder, P; Tanilon, J

2014-10-01

Research suggests that overweight and obese youths are stigmatized in contemporary society, and are more likely than normal-weight youths to become the victims of bullying. In the current study, meta-analyses were performed to analyze to what extent overweight and obese youths are more likely than normal-weight youths to be the victims of bullying. The databases Psychinfo, ERIC and Medline were searched for relevant articles. Retrieved articles were scanned to find further articles. Language was not used as an exclusion criterion. A total of 14 articles (N=55 231) were included in a meta-analysis on bullying and overweight youths, and a total of 16 articles (N=58 520) were included in a meta-analysis on bullying and obese youths. The results suggested that both overweight and obese youths were more likely to be victims of bullying. The results were not moderated by gender, overweight and obese boys and girls were equally likely to be victimized. Results remained significant after adjustment for publication bias. Both overweight and obesity are risk factors for being a victim of bullying.

Quality of Reporting of Bioequivalence Trials Comparing Generic to Brand Name Drugs: A Methodological Systematic Review

PubMed Central

van der Meersch, Amélie; Dechartres, Agnès; Ravaud, Philippe

2011-01-01

Background Generic drugs are used by millions of patients for economic reasons, so their evaluation must be highly transparent. Objective To assess the quality of reporting of bioequivalence trials comparing generic to brand-name drugs. Methodology/Principal Findings PubMed was searched for reports of bioequivalence trials comparing generic to brand-name drugs between January 2005 and December 2008. Articles were included if the aim of the study was to assess the bioequivalency of generic and brand-name drugs. We excluded case studies, pharmaco-economic evaluations, and validation dosage assays of drugs. We evaluated whether important information about funding, methodology, location of trials, and participants were reported. We also assessed whether the criteria required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicine Agency (EMA) to conclude bioequivalence were reported and that the conclusions were in agreement with the results. We identified 134 potentially relevant articles but eliminated 55 because the brand-name or generic drug status of the reference drug was unknown. Thus, we evaluated 79 articles. The funding source and location of the trial were reported in 41% and 56% of articles, respectively. The type of statistical analysis was reported in 94% of articles, but the methods to generate the randomization sequence and to conceal allocation were reported in only 15% and 5%, respectively. In total, 65 articles of single-dose trials (89%) concluded bioequivalence. Of these, 20 (31%) did not report the 3 criteria within the limits required by the FDA and 11 (17%) did not report the 2 criteria within the limits required by the EMA. Conclusions/Significance Important information to judge the validity and relevance of results are frequently missing in published reports of trials assessing generic drugs. The quality of reporting of such trials is in need of improvement. PMID:21858184

The value of neuroscience strategies to accelerate progress in psychological treatment research.

PubMed

Moras, Karla

2006-11-01

Major findings from the past 55 years of psychological treatment research indicate that 3 questions are now pivotal to continued practice-relevant progress: What is the nature of the problem(s) to be treated? What are the causal change mechanisms of efficacious psychological treatments? Can more efficient and broadly effective psychological treatments be developed? Contemporary cognitive, affective, and behavioural neurosciences offer particularly promising resources for psychological treatment research that can help accelerate progress regarding these questions. This article explains why the questions are pivotal and presents neuroscience findings to illustrate how progress can be made on each one and for diverse problems and disorders such as major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug addiction, and regulation of negative affect.

A review of recent analyses of the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS)

PubMed Central

Potter, D.; Nasserie, T.; Tonmyr, L.

2015-01-01

Abstract Introduction: The objective of this analysis is to identify, assess the quality and summarize the findings of peer-reviewed articles that used data from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS) published since November 2011 and data from provincial oversamples of the CIS as well as to illustrate evolving uses of these datasets. Methods: Articles were identified from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s data request records tracking access to CIS data and publications produced from that data. At least two raters independently reviewed and appraised the quality of each article. Results: A total of 32 articles were included. Common strengths of articles included clearly stated research aims, appropriate control variables and analyses, sufficient sample sizes, appropriate conclusions and relevance to practice or policy. Common problem areas of articles included unclear definitions for variables and inclusion criteria of cases. Articles frequently measured the associations between maltreatment, child, caregiver, household and agency/referral characteristics and investigative outcomes such as opening cases for ongoing services and placement. Conclusion: Articles using CIS data were rated positively on most quality indicators. Researchers have recently focussed on inadequately studied categories of maltreatment (exposure to intimate partner violence [IPV]), neglect and emotional maltreatment) and examined factors specific to First Nations children. Data from the CIS oversamples have been underutilized. The use of multivariate analysis techniques has increased. PMID:26605559

What do evidence-based secondary journals tell us about the publication of clinically important articles in primary healthcare journals?

PubMed Central

McKibbon, Kathleen Ann; Wilczynski, Nancy L; Haynes, Robert Brian

2004-01-01

Background We conducted this analysis to determine i) which journals publish high-quality, clinically relevant studies in internal medicine, general/family practice, general practice nursing, and mental health; and ii) the proportion of clinically relevant articles in each journal. Methods We performed an analytic survey of a hand search of 170 general medicine, general healthcare, and specialty journals for 2000. Research staff assessed individual articles by using explicit criteria for scientific merit for healthcare application. Practitioners assessed the clinical importance of these articles. Outcome measures were the number of high-quality, clinically relevant studies published in the 170 journal titles and how many of these were published in each of four discipline-specific, secondary "evidence-based" journals (ACP Journal Club for internal medicine and its subspecialties; Evidence-Based Medicine for general/family practice; Evidence-Based Nursing for general practice nursing; and Evidence-Based Mental Health for all aspects of mental health). Original studies and review articles were classified for purpose: therapy and prevention, screening and diagnosis, prognosis, etiology and harm, economics and cost, clinical prediction guides, and qualitative studies. Results We evaluated 60,352 articles from 170 journal titles. The pass criteria of high-quality methods and clinically relevant material were met by 3059 original articles and 1073 review articles. For ACP Journal Club (internal medicine), four titles supplied 56.5% of the articles and 27 titles supplied the other 43.5%. For Evidence-Based Medicine (general/family practice), five titles supplied 50.7% of the articles and 40 titles supplied the remaining 49.3%. For Evidence-Based Nursing (general practice nursing), seven titles supplied 51.0% of the articles and 34 additional titles supplied 49.0%. For Evidence-Based Mental Health (mental health), nine titles supplied 53.2% of the articles and 34 additional titles supplied 46.8%. For the disciplines of internal medicine, general/family practice, and mental health (but not general practice nursing), the number of clinically important articles was correlated withScience Citation Index (SCI) Impact Factors. Conclusions Although many clinical journals publish high-quality, clinically relevant and important original studies and systematic reviews, the articles for each discipline studied were concentrated in a small subset of journals. This subset varied according to healthcare discipline; however, many of the important articles for all disciplines in this study were published in broad-based healthcare journals rather than subspecialty or discipline-specific journals. PMID:15350200

The legal character and operational relevance of the Paris Agreement's temperature goal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajamani, Lavanya; Werksman, Jacob

2018-05-01

This article assesses the legal character and operational relevance of the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C temperature goal. This article begins with a textual analysis of the 1.5°C goal. It considers whether the goal creates individual or collective obligations for Parties, and whether it is sufficiently specific to enable the tracking of individual or collective performance. Next, it assesses the operational relevance of the 1.5°C temperature goal, by considering the role it will play in the Paris Agreement's institutions and procedures. To the extent that the goal plays a role, and implies global limits on greenhouse gas emissions, this article observes that it could have implications for the sharing of the effort between Parties. Thus, this article considers the relevance of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances, to understanding how the 1.5°C goal could be reached. In this context, this article explores whether the 1.5°C goal could play a role in the Paris Agreement's `ambition cycle'. Finally, this article asks whether there are any legal or political implications, individually or collectively under the Paris Agreement, should the Parties fail to achieve the 1.5°C goal. This article is part of the theme issue `The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'.

The legal character and operational relevance of the Paris Agreement's temperature goal.

PubMed

Rajamani, Lavanya; Werksman, Jacob

2018-05-13

This article assesses the legal character and operational relevance of the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C temperature goal. This article begins with a textual analysis of the 1.5°C goal. It considers whether the goal creates individual or collective obligations for Parties, and whether it is sufficiently specific to enable the tracking of individual or collective performance. Next, it assesses the operational relevance of the 1.5°C temperature goal, by considering the role it will play in the Paris Agreement's institutions and procedures. To the extent that the goal plays a role, and implies global limits on greenhouse gas emissions, this article observes that it could have implications for the sharing of the effort between Parties. Thus, this article considers the relevance of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances, to understanding how the 1.5°C goal could be reached. In this context, this article explores whether the 1.5°C goal could play a role in the Paris Agreement's 'ambition cycle'. Finally, this article asks whether there are any legal or political implications, individually or collectively under the Paris Agreement, should the Parties fail to achieve the 1.5°C goal.This article is part of the theme issue 'The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Text Mining Effectively Scores and Ranks the Literature for Improving Chemical-Gene-Disease Curation at the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database

PubMed Central

Johnson, Robin J.; Lay, Jean M.; Lennon-Hopkins, Kelley; Saraceni-Richards, Cynthia; Sciaky, Daniela; Murphy, Cynthia Grondin; Mattingly, Carolyn J.

2013-01-01

The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD; http://ctdbase.org/) is a public resource that curates interactions between environmental chemicals and gene products, and their relationships to diseases, as a means of understanding the effects of environmental chemicals on human health. CTD provides a triad of core information in the form of chemical-gene, chemical-disease, and gene-disease interactions that are manually curated from scientific articles. To increase the efficiency, productivity, and data coverage of manual curation, we have leveraged text mining to help rank and prioritize the triaged literature. Here, we describe our text-mining process that computes and assigns each article a document relevancy score (DRS), wherein a high DRS suggests that an article is more likely to be relevant for curation at CTD. We evaluated our process by first text mining a corpus of 14,904 articles triaged for seven heavy metals (cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, and nickel). Based upon initial analysis, a representative subset corpus of 3,583 articles was then selected from the 14,094 articles and sent to five CTD biocurators for review. The resulting curation of these 3,583 articles was analyzed for a variety of parameters, including article relevancy, novel data content, interaction yield rate, mean average precision, and biological and toxicological interpretability. We show that for all measured parameters, the DRS is an effective indicator for scoring and improving the ranking of literature for the curation of chemical-gene-disease information at CTD. Here, we demonstrate how fully incorporating text mining-based DRS scoring into our curation pipeline enhances manual curation by prioritizing more relevant articles, thereby increasing data content, productivity, and efficiency. PMID:23613709

Tools to Assess Behavioral and Social Science Competencies in Medical Education: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Carney, Patricia A; Palmer, Ryan T; Fuqua Miller, Marissa; Thayer, Erin K; Estroff, Sue E; Litzelman, Debra K; Biagioli, Frances E; Teal, Cayla R; Lambros, Ann; Hatt, William J; Satterfield, Jason M

2016-05-01

Behavioral and social science (BSS) competencies are needed to provide quality health care, but psychometrically validated measures to assess these competencies are difficult to find. Moreover, they have not been mapped to existing frameworks, like those from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate the quality of assessment tools used to measure BSS competencies. The authors searched the literature published between January 2002 and March 2014 for articles reporting psychometric or other validity/reliability testing, using OVID, CINAHL, PubMed, ERIC, Research and Development Resource Base, SOCIOFILE, and PsycINFO. They reviewed 5,104 potentially relevant titles and abstracts. To guide their review, they mapped BSS competencies to existing LCME and ACGME frameworks. The final included articles fell into three categories: instrument development, which were of the highest quality; educational research, which were of the second highest quality; and curriculum evaluation, which were of lower quality. Of the 114 included articles, 33 (29%) yielded strong evidence supporting tools to assess communication skills, cultural competence, empathy/compassion, behavioral health counseling, professionalism, and teamwork. Sixty-two (54%) articles yielded moderate evidence and 19 (17%) weak evidence. Articles mapped to all LCME standards and ACGME core competencies; the most common was communication skills. These findings serve as a valuable resource for medical educators and researchers. More rigorous measurement validation and testing and more robust study designs are needed to understand how educational strategies contribute to BSS competency development.

Tools to Assess Behavioral and Social Science Competencies in Medical Education: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Carney, Patricia A.; Palmer, Ryan T.; Miller, Marissa Fuqua; Thayer, Erin K.; Estroff, Sue E.; Litzelman, Debra K.; Biagioli, Frances E.; Teal, Cayla R.; Lambros, Ann; Hatt, William J.; Satterfield, Jason M.

2015-01-01

Purpose Behavioral and social science (BSS) competencies are needed to provide quality health care, but psychometrically validated measures to assess these competencies are difficult to find. Moreover, they have not been mapped to existing frameworks, like those from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate the quality of assessment tools used to measure BSS competencies. Method The authors searched the literature published between January 2002 and March 2014 for articles reporting psychometric or other validity/reliability testing, using OVID, CINAHL, PubMed, ERIC, Research and Development Resource Base, SOCIOFILE, and PsycINFO. They reviewed 5,104 potentially relevant titles and abstracts. To guide their review, they mapped BSS competencies to existing LCME and ACGME frameworks. The final, included articles fell into three categories: instrument development, which were of the highest quality; educational research, which were of the second highest quality; and curriculum evaluation, which were of lower quality. Results Of the 114 included articles, 33 (29%) yielded strong evidence supporting tools to assess communication skills, cultural competence, empathy/compassion, behavioral health counseling, professionalism, and teamwork. Sixty-two (54%) articles yielded moderate evidence and 19 (17%) weak evidence. Articles mapped to all LCME standards and ACGME core competencies; the most common was communication skills. Conclusions These findings serve as a valuable resource for medical educators and researchers. More rigorous measurement validation and testing and more robust study designs are needed to understand how educational strategies contribute to BSS competency development. PMID:26796091

Updates in venous thromboembolism management: evidence published in 2017.

PubMed

Bartlett, Matthew A; Bierle, Dennis M; Saadiq, Rayya A; Mauck, Karen F; Daniels, Paul R

2018-06-20

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) management is rapidly evolving and staying up-to-date is challenging. We identified the most practice-informing articles published in 2017 relevant to the nonspecialist provider managing VTE. We performed a systematic search of the literature (Appendix A), limiting the search to a publication date of 2017. Two reviewers screened the 2735 resulting abstracts to identify high-quality, clinically relevant publications related to VTE management. One-hundred and six full-text articles were considered for inclusion. The five authors used a modified Delphi method to reach consensus on inclusion of seven articles for in-depth appraisal, following predetermined criteria of clinical relevance to nonspecialist providers, potential for practice change, and strength of the evidence.

Human rights and the sexual and reproductive health of women living with HIV – a literature review

PubMed Central

Kumar, Shubha; Gruskin, Sofia; Khosla, Rajat; Narasimhan, Manjulaa

2015-01-01

Introduction Even as the number of women living with HIV around the globe continues to grow, realization of their sexual and reproductive health and human rights remains compromised. The objective of this study was to review the current state of knowledge on the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of women living with HIV to assess evidence and gaps. Methods Relevant databases were searched for peer-reviewed and grey literature. Search terms included a combination of MeSH terms and keywords representing women, HIV/AIDS, ART, human rights, sexual and reproductive health. We included both qualitative and quantitative literature published in English, French, or Spanish between July 2011 and December 2014. Results and discussion The search yielded 2228 peer-reviewed articles, of which 40 met the inclusion criteria in the final review. The grey literature search yielded 2186 documents of which seven met the inclusion criteria in the final review. Of the articles and documents reviewed, not a single peer-reviewed article described the explicit implementation of rights in programming, and only two documents from the grey literature did so. With one possible exception, no articles or documents were found which addressed rights comprehensively, or addressed the majority of relevant rights (i.e. equality; non-discrimination; participation; privacy and confidentiality; informed decision making; availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality (3AQ) of services individually or in their totality; and accountability). Additional findings indicate that the language of rights is used most often to describe the apparent neglect or violation of human rights and what does exist only addresses a few rights in the context of a few areas within sexual and reproductive health. Conclusions Findings from this review suggest the need to better integrate rights into interventions, particularly with attention to provider training, service delivery, raising awareness and capacity building among the community of women living with HIV. Further research is urgently needed to support the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women living with HIV, to identify what works and to inform future programming and policies to improve care, treatment and support for women living with HIV. PMID:26643461

Assisting allied health in performance evaluation: a systematic review.

PubMed

Lizarondo, Lucylynn; Grimmer, Karen; Kumar, Saravana

2014-11-14

Performance evaluation raises several challenges to allied health practitioners and there is no agreed approach to measuring or monitoring allied health service performance. The aim of this review was to examine the literature on performance evaluation in healthcare to assist in the establishment of a framework that can guide the measurement and evaluation of allied health clinical service performance. This review determined the core elements of a performance evaluation system, tools for evaluating performance, and barriers to the implementation of performance evaluation. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken. Five electronic databases were used to search for relevant articles: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsychInfo, and Academic Search Premier. Articles which focussed on any allied health performance evaluation or those which examined performance in health care in general were considered in the review. Content analysis was used to synthesise the findings from individual articles. A total of 37 articles were included in the review. The literature suggests there are core elements involved in performance evaluation which include prioritising clinical areas for measurement, setting goals, selecting performance measures, identifying sources of feedback, undertaking performance measurement, and reporting the results to relevant stakeholders. The literature describes performance evaluation as multi-dimensional, requiring information or data from more than one perspective to provide a rich assessment of performance. A range of tools or instruments are available to capture various perspectives and gather a comprehensive picture of health care quality. Every allied health care delivery system has different performance needs and will therefore require different approaches. However, there are core processes that can be used as a framework to evaluate allied health performance. A careful examination of barriers to performance evaluation and subsequent tailoring of strategies to overcome these barriers should be undertaken to achieve the aims of performance evaluation. The findings of this review should inform the development of a standardised framework that can be used to measure and evaluate allied health performance. Future research should explore the utility and overall impact of such framework in allied health service delivery.

Human rights and the sexual and reproductive health of women living with HIV--a literature review.

PubMed

Kumar, Shubha; Gruskin, Sofia; Khosla, Rajat; Narasimhan, Manjulaa

2015-01-01

Even as the number of women living with HIV around the globe continues to grow, realization of their sexual and reproductive health and human rights remains compromised. The objective of this study was to review the current state of knowledge on the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of women living with HIV to assess evidence and gaps. Relevant databases were searched for peer-reviewed and grey literature. Search terms included a combination of MeSH terms and keywords representing women, HIV/AIDS, ART, human rights, sexual and reproductive health. We included both qualitative and quantitative literature published in English, French, or Spanish between July 2011 and December 2014. The search yielded 2228 peer-reviewed articles, of which 40 met the inclusion criteria in the final review. The grey literature search yielded 2186 documents of which seven met the inclusion criteria in the final review. Of the articles and documents reviewed, not a single peer-reviewed article described the explicit implementation of rights in programming, and only two documents from the grey literature did so. With one possible exception, no articles or documents were found which addressed rights comprehensively, or addressed the majority of relevant rights (i.e. equality; non-discrimination; participation; privacy and confidentiality; informed decision making; availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality (3AQ) of services individually or in their totality; and accountability). Additional findings indicate that the language of rights is used most often to describe the apparent neglect or violation of human rights and what does exist only addresses a few rights in the context of a few areas within sexual and reproductive health. Findings from this review suggest the need to better integrate rights into interventions, particularly with attention to provider training, service delivery, raising awareness and capacity building among the community of women living with HIV. Further research is urgently needed to support the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women living with HIV, to identify what works and to inform future programming and policies to improve care, treatment and support for women living with HIV.

Development of a theory-based (PEN-3 and Health Belief Model), culturally relevant intervention on cervical cancer prevention among Latina immigrants using intervention mapping.

PubMed

Scarinci, Isabel C; Bandura, Lisa; Hidalgo, Bertha; Cherrington, Andrea

2012-01-01

The development of efficacious theory-based, culturally relevant interventions to promote cervical cancer prevention among underserved populations is crucial to the elimination of cancer disparities. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a theory-based, culturally relevant intervention focusing on primary (sexual risk reduction) and secondary (Pap smear) prevention of cervical cancer among Latina immigrants using intervention mapping (IM). The PEN-3 and Health Belief Model provided theoretical guidance for the intervention development and implementation. IM provides a logical five-step framework in intervention development: delineating proximal program objectives, selecting theory-based intervention methods and strategies, developing a program plan, planning for adoption in implementation, and creating evaluation plans and instruments. We first conducted an extensive literature review and qualitatively examined the sociocultural factors associated with primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer. We then proceeded to quantitatively validate the qualitative findings, which led to development matrices linking the theoretical constructs with intervention objectives and strategies as well as evaluation. IM was a helpful tool in the development of a theory-based, culturally relevant intervention addressing primary and secondary prevention among Latina immigrants.

Existing reporting guidelines for clinical trials are not completely relevant for implantable medical devices: a systematic review.

PubMed

Motte, Anne-France; Diallo, Stéphanie; van den Brink, Hélène; Châteauvieux, Constance; Serrano, Carole; Naud, Carole; Steelandt, Julie; Alsac, Jean-Marc; Aubry, Pierre; Cour, Florence; Pellerin, Olivier; Pineau, Judith; Prognon, Patrice; Borget, Isabelle; Bonan, Brigitte; Martelli, Nicolas

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to determine relevant items for reporting clinical trials on implantable medical devices (IMDs) and to identify reporting guidelines which include these items. A panel of experts identified the most relevant items for evaluating IMDs from an initial list based on reference papers. We then conducted a systematic review of articles indexed in MEDLINE. We retrieved reporting guidelines from the EQUATOR network's library for health research reporting. Finally, we screened these reporting guidelines to find those using our set of reporting items. Seven relevant reporting items were selected that related to four topics: randomization, learning curve, surgical setting, and device information. A total of 348 reporting guidelines were identified, among which 26 met our inclusion criteria. However, none of the 26 reporting guidelines presented all seven items together. The most frequently reported item was timing of randomization (65%). On the contrary, device information and learning curve effects were poorly specified. To our knowledge, this study is the first to identify specific items related to IMDs in reporting guidelines for clinical trials. We have shown that no existing reporting guideline is totally suitable for these devices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a Theory-Based (PEN-3 and Health Belief Model), Culturally Relevant Intervention on Cervical Cancer Prevention Among Latina Immigrants Using Intervention Mapping

PubMed Central

Scarinci, Isabel C.; Bandura, Lisa; Hidalgo, Bertha; Cherrington, Andrea

2014-01-01

The development of efficacious theory-based, culturally relevant interventions to promote cervical cancer prevention among underserved populations is crucial to the elimination of cancer disparities. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a theory-based, culturally relevant intervention focusing on primary (sexual risk reduction) and secondary (Pap smear) prevention of cervical cancer among Latina immigrants using intervention mapping (IM). The PEN-3 and Health Belief Model provided theoretical guidance for the intervention development and implementation. IM provides a logical five-step framework in intervention development: delineating proximal program objectives, selecting theory-based intervention methods and strategies, developing a program plan, planning for adoption in implementation, and creating evaluation plans and instruments. We first conducted an extensive literature review and qualitatively examined the socio-cultural factors associated with primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer. We then proceeded to quantitatively validate the qualitative findings, which led to development matrices linking the theoretical constructs with intervention objectives and strategies as well as evaluation. IM was a helpful tool in the development of a theory-based, culturally relevant intervention addressing primary and secondary prevention among Latina immigrants. PMID:21422254

Dietary magnesium intake and risk of metabolic syndrome: a meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Dibaba, D. T.; Xun, P.; Fly, A. D.; Yokota, K.; He, K.

2014-01-01

Aims To estimate quantitatively the association between dietary magnesium intake and risk of metabolic syndrome by combining the relevant published articles using meta-analysis. Methods We reviewed the relevant literature in PubMed and EMBASE published up until August 2013 and obtained additional information through Google or a hand search of the references in relevant articles. A random-effects or fixed-effects model, as appropriate, was used to pool the effect sizes on metabolic syndrome comparing individuals with the highest dietary magnesium intake with those having the lowest intake. The dose–response relationship was assessed for every 100-mg/day increment in magnesium intake and risk of metabolic syndrome. Result Six cross-sectional studies, including a total of 24 473 individuals and 6311 cases of metabolic syndrome, were identified as eligible for the meta-analysis. A weighted inverse association was found between dietary magnesium intake and the risk of metabolic syndrome (odds ratio 0.69, 95% CI 0.59, 0.81) comparing the highest with the lowest group. For every 100-mg/day increment in magnesium intake, the overall risk of having metabolic syndrome was lowered by 17% (odds ratio 0.83, 95% CI 0. 77, 0.89). Conclusion Findings from the present meta-analysis suggest that dietary magnesium intake is inversely associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Further studies, in particular well-designed longitudinal cohort studies and randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials, are warranted to provide solid evidence and to establish causal inference. PMID:24975384

BELTracker: evidence sentence retrieval for BEL statements

PubMed Central

Rastegar-Mojarad, Majid; Komandur Elayavilli, Ravikumar; Liu, Hongfang

2016-01-01

Biological expression language (BEL) is one of the main formal representation models of biological networks. The primary source of information for curating biological networks in BEL representation has been literature. It remains a challenge to identify relevant articles and the corresponding evidence statements for curating and validating BEL statements. In this paper, we describe BELTracker, a tool used to retrieve and rank evidence sentences from PubMed abstracts and full-text articles for a given BEL statement (per the 2015 task requirements of BioCreative V BEL Task). The system is comprised of three main components, (i) translation of a given BEL statement to an information retrieval (IR) query, (ii) retrieval of relevant PubMed citations and (iii) finding and ranking the evidence sentences in those citations. BELTracker uses a combination of multiple approaches based on traditional IR, machine learning, and heuristics to accomplish the task. The system identified and ranked at least one fully relevant evidence sentence in the top 10 retrieved sentences for 72 out of 97 BEL statements in the test set. BELTracker achieved a precision of 0.392, 0.532 and 0.615 when evaluated with three criteria, namely full, relaxed and context criteria, respectively, by the task organizers. Our team at Mayo Clinic was the only participant in this task. BELTracker is available as a RESTful API and is available for public use. Database URL: http://www.openbionlp.org:8080/BelTracker/finder/Given_BEL_Statement PMID:27173525

Culturally Relevant Palliative and End-of-Life Care for U.S. Indigenous Populations: An Integrative Review.

PubMed

Isaacson, Mary J; Lynch, Anna R

2018-03-01

American Indians/Alaska Natives (AIs/ANs) have higher rates of chronic illness and lack access to palliative/end-of-life (EOL) care. This integrative review ascertained the state of the science on culturally acceptable palliative/EOL care options for Indigenous persons in the United States. Databases searched: CINAHL, PubMed/MEDLINE, SocINDEX, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, ERIC, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and EBSCO Discovery Service 1880s-Present. Key terms used: palliative care, EOL care, and AI/AN. peer-reviewed articles published in English. Findings/Results: Twenty-nine articles were identified, 17 remained that described culturally specific palliative/EOL care for AIs/ANs. Synthesis revealed four themes: Communication, Cultural Awareness/Sensitivity, Community Guidance for Palliative/EOL Care Programs, Barriers and two subthemes: Trust/Respect and Mistrust. Limitations are lack of research funding, geographic isolation, and stringent government requirements. Palliative/EOL care must draw on a different set of skills that honor care beyond cure provided in a culturally sensitive manner.

Academic dishonesty today, unethical practices tomorrow?

PubMed

LaDuke, Rebekah D

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article was to review the most current published literature on the topics of academic dishonesty, unethical professional practices, and research that studied the correlation between these 2 areas of interest. Literature was retrieved by utilizing key words such as academic dishonesty, cheating, workplace dishonesty, and unethical behavior. Multiple research databases were used and a reference librarian in locating relevant research studies resulting in 16 research articles reviewed and 7 articles referenced within the literature review. Upon completion, it became apparent that nursing educators should be concerned that nursing students found to be academically dishonest today may have a higher incidence of displaying unethical practices as a registered nurse tomorrow. It also became clear that the nursing profession needs to conduct its own research in this field to verify findings discovered by other professions such as engineering, business, and psychology. Finally, recommendations were given on how nursing educators should handle the topic of ethics in nursing programs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice - 2016 Year in Review.

PubMed

Schatz, Michael; Sicherer, Scott H; Zeiger, Robert S

As editors, we concluded that it would be helpful to our readers to write a Year in Review article that highlights the Review, Original, and Clinical Communication articles published in 2016 in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. We summarized articles on the topics of asthma, rhinitis/rhinosinusitis, food allergy, anaphylaxis, drug allergy, urticarial/angioedema, eosinophilic disorders, and immunodeficiency. Within each topic, epidemiologic findings are presented, relevant aspects of prevention are described, and diagnostic and therapeutic advances are enumerated. Diagnostic tools described include history, skin tests, and in vitro tests. Treatments discussed include behavioral therapy, allergen avoidance therapy, positive and negative effects of pharmacologic therapy, and various forms of immunologic and desensitization management. We hope this review will help you, our readers, consolidate and use this extensive and practical knowledge for the benefit of your patients. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advocacy for Equity: Extending Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Predominantly White Suburban Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren-Grice, April

2017-01-01

Background/Context: This article describes Black educators in predominantly White suburban schools who have used advocacy through the lens of culturally relevant pedagogy and serve as Educational Cultural Negotiators to help the students of color in these spaces academically and socially. This article highlights the advocacy needed to address the…

Re-Thinking the Relevance of Philosophy of Education for Educational Policy Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Morwenna

2014-01-01

The overall question addressed in this article is,"What kind of philosophy of education is relevant to educational policy makers?" The article focuses on the following four themes: The meanings attached to the term philosophy (of education) by philosophers themselves; the meanings attached to the term philosophy (of education) by policy…

Emotion regulation in bereavement: searching for and finding emotional support in social network sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Döveling, Katrin

2015-04-01

In an age of rising impact of online communication in social network sites (SNS), emotional interaction is neither limited nor restricted by time or space. Bereavement extends to the anonymity of cyberspace. What role does virtual interaction play in SNS in dealing with the basic human emotion of grief caused by the loss of a beloved person? The analysis laid out in this article provides answers in light of an interdisciplinary perspective on online bereavement. Relevant lines of research are scrutinized. After laying out the theoretical spectrum for the study, hypotheses based on a prior in-depth qualitative content analysis of 179 postings in three different German online bereavement platforms are proposed and scrutinized in a quantitative content analysis (2127 postings from 318 users). Emotion regulation patterns in SNS and similarities as well as differences in online bereavement of children, adolescents and adults are revealed. Large-scale quantitative findings into central motives, patterns, and restorative effects of online shared bereavement in regulating distress, fostering personal empowerment, and engendering meaning are presented. The article closes with implications for further analysis in memorialization practices.

Histological and immunohistochemical findings of the action of botulinum toxin in salivary gland: systematic review.

PubMed

Oliveira, J B; Evêncio-Neto, J; Baratella-Evêncio, L

2017-01-01

The treatment of sialorrhea is necessary for the constant risks posed by hypersalivation. A new therapeutic option comes up with the application of botulinum toxin in salivary glands. However, little is known about its mechanism of action in glandular tissue. Based on the above, this work had the objective to systematically review the literature about the action of botulinum toxin on submandibular and parotid salivary glands tissues. Electronic search was performed in databases of great relevance for this study (PubMed, SciELO, HighWire, Crossref, Scopus, Science Direct, MEDLINE, OLDMEDLINE, Serials Database, NLM Catalog, LILACS and IBECS). Inclusion and exclusion criteria for articles were established, and a total number of 14 articles were selected and used. There are few publications that clarify how the salivary gland acini behave with application of botulinum toxin. Although, the immunohistochemical findings were consistent among authors, showing weak immunoreactivity in glands treated with botulinum toxin. Histometric data are divergent, requiring more detailed studies to answer the questions about the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin in salivary glands.

Navigating the legal and ethical foundations of informed consent and confidentiality in integrated primary care.

PubMed

Hudgins, Cathy; Rose, Sandra; Fifield, Peter Y; Arnault, Steve

2013-03-01

This article describes findings from ongoing research and analysis of current literature in addition to discussions with leaders in the field, communications with lawyers and administrators of advocacy and government agencies pertaining to integrated primary care (IPC). Standards of care are established based on a myriad of factors, including professional codes of ethics, case law, state and federal laws, professional standards, existing best practices, current professional guidelines, administrative rules and regulations, and licensing board regulations. Regulations may differ for behavioral health and medical providers, posing challenges in IPC settings. This article provides a review of these regulations, particularly 42CFR Part 2, a federal law governing confidentiality for substance abuse programs, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and state laws relevant to patient care in IPC settings. On the basis of findings from the study, the authors make recommendations related to patient care practices concerning informed consent and release of information procedures, treatment and warm hand-off protocols, documentation and electronic record keeping, agreements with other providers, and billing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

Is there room in the DSM for consideration of deaf people?

PubMed

Lala, F J

1998-10-01

Recent changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM (4th ed., American Psychiatric Association, 1994), show recognition that cultural factors are relevant to assessment; thus, including specific information relevant to Deaf culture should help DSM users understand their deaf clients. For the present article, literature was surveyed on the psychological needs of the Deaf, and specifically how the Deaf views those needs. The review focused on four articles (Carver, 1995, 1997; Chapman, 1994; Dolnick, 1993). These articles suggest consensus on the thesis that the Deaf, as a minority culture, should provide information on Deaf culture to members of the helping professions. In addition to enhancing care providers' understanding, this would help society do a better job of including the Deaf in planning relevant to their needs. In particular, culturally deaf people should urge inclusion of relevant information about the Deaf in the next DSM revision.

Ten steps to conducting health professional education research.

PubMed

Scott, Karen; Caldwell, Patrina; Schuwirth, Lambert

2015-08-01

The approaches used to educate future clinicians must be continually improved through evidence-based methods. Clinicians interested in conducting education research need to understand the terminology and conventions of health professional education, in the same way that health professional educators from education backgrounds need to be aware of clinical practices and scientific mores and jargon. This article provides clinicians with 10 steps to conducting health professional education research, and encourages collaboration between clinicians interested in education and health professional educators. The basic steps in conducting education research are introduced, beginning with literature searches, using appropriate terminology and writing conventions, and finding research collaborators. We encourage researchers to ask themselves, 'So what?' about their research idea to ensure it is interesting and relevant to a journal's readers. The nuts and bolts of educational research are then presented, including research questions and methodologies, outcome measures, theoretical frameworks and epistemologies. The final two steps aim to foster internationally relevant and well-designed research studies. Conducting and publishing education research is often difficult for clinicians, who struggle with what is required. Yet clinicians who teach are ideally placed to identify the knowledge gaps about how we can more effectively educate future clinicians. These 10 steps provide clinicians with guidance on how to conduct education research so relevant research findings can inform the education of future clinicians. Conducting and publishing education research is often difficult for clinicians. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fear of cancer recurrence: a theoretical review and its relevance for clinical presentation and management.

PubMed

Simonelli, Laura E; Siegel, Scott D; Duffy, Nicole M

2017-10-01

There is increasing recognition of the unique physical and psychosocial concerns of the growing population of cancer survivors. An emerging literature demonstrates that fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a problematic long-term and late effect for cancer survivors. In fact, FCR is a top concern, and this article provides a necessary synthesis of the extant research evidence and theory. Literature searches were conducted using databases including MEDLINE and PsychINFO using specified search terms including 'fear of recurrence' and 'worry about recurrence'. A comprehensive narrative review summarizes early empirical findings on FCR including current definitions, assessment tools, clinical presentations, quality of life impact, prevalence, trajectory and risk factors. This paper also critically reviews the relevant theoretical frameworks to best understand these findings and considers multiple psychosocial treatment models that may have relevance for addressing FCR in the clinical setting. There is evidence of substantial prevalence and quality of life impact of FCR. Several theories (e.g. self-regulation model of illness, a family-based model, uncertainty in illness theory, social-cognitive processing theory, terror management theory) directly or indirectly help conceptualize FCR and inform potential treatment options for those with clinically significant distress or impairment resulting from FCR. Further investigation into FCR is warranted to promote evidence-based care for this significant cancer survivorship concern. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nonparametric relevance-shifted multiple testing procedures for the analysis of high-dimensional multivariate data with small sample sizes.

PubMed

Frömke, Cornelia; Hothorn, Ludwig A; Kropf, Siegfried

2008-01-27

In many research areas it is necessary to find differences between treatment groups with several variables. For example, studies of microarray data seek to find a significant difference in location parameters from zero or one for ratios thereof for each variable. However, in some studies a significant deviation of the difference in locations from zero (or 1 in terms of the ratio) is biologically meaningless. A relevant difference or ratio is sought in such cases. This article addresses the use of relevance-shifted tests on ratios for a multivariate parallel two-sample group design. Two empirical procedures are proposed which embed the relevance-shifted test on ratios. As both procedures test a hypothesis for each variable, the resulting multiple testing problem has to be considered. Hence, the procedures include a multiplicity correction. Both procedures are extensions of available procedures for point null hypotheses achieving exact control of the familywise error rate. Whereas the shift of the null hypothesis alone would give straight-forward solutions, the problems that are the reason for the empirical considerations discussed here arise by the fact that the shift is considered in both directions and the whole parameter space in between these two limits has to be accepted as null hypothesis. The first algorithm to be discussed uses a permutation algorithm, and is appropriate for designs with a moderately large number of observations. However, many experiments have limited sample sizes. Then the second procedure might be more appropriate, where multiplicity is corrected according to a concept of data-driven order of hypotheses.

Global Health Governance and the Commercial Sector: A Documentary Analysis of Tobacco Company Strategies to Influence the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

PubMed Central

Weishaar, Heide; Collin, Jeff; Smith, Katherine; Grüning, Thilo; Mandal, Sema; Gilmore, Anna

2012-01-01

Background In successfully negotiating the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the World Health Organization (WHO) has led a significant innovation in global health governance, helping to transform international tobacco control. This article provides the first comprehensive review of the diverse campaign initiated by transnational tobacco corporations (TTCs) to try to undermine the proposed convention. Methods and Findings The article is primarily based on an analysis of internal tobacco industry documents made public through litigation, triangulated with data from official documentation relating to the FCTC process and websites of relevant organisations. It is also informed by a comprehensive review of previous studies concerning tobacco industry efforts to influence the FCTC. The findings demonstrate that the industry's strategic response to the proposed WHO convention was two-fold. First, arguments and frames were developed to challenge the FCTC, including: claiming there would be damaging economic consequences; depicting tobacco control as an agenda promoted by high-income countries; alleging the treaty conflicted with trade agreements, “good governance,” and national sovereignty; questioning WHO's mandate; claiming the FCTC would set a precedent for issues beyond tobacco; and presenting corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an alternative. Second, multiple tactics were employed to promote and increase the impact of these arguments, including: directly targeting FCTC delegations and relevant political actors, enlisting diverse allies (e.g., mass media outlets and scientists), and using stakeholder consultation to delay decisions and secure industry participation. Conclusions TTCs' efforts to undermine the FCTC were comprehensive, demonstrating the global application of tactics that TTCs have previously been found to have employed nationally and further included arguments against the FCTC as a key initiative in global health governance. Awareness of these strategies can help guard against industry efforts to disrupt the implementation of the FCTC and support the development of future, comparable initiatives in global health. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:22745607

Berberis vulgaris: specifications and traditional uses

PubMed Central

Rahimi-Madiseh, Mohammad; Lorigoini, Zahra; Zamani-gharaghoshi, Hajar; Rafieian-kopaei, Mahmoud

2017-01-01

The medicinal plants from genus Berberis are particularly important in traditional medicine and the food basket of Iranians. Given various plants from genus Berberis and their economic, nutritional, and medicinal status in Iran, this study seeks to investigate the findings of recent studies on the phytochemical characteristics, specifications, and uses of Berberis vulgaris. In this review article, 350 articles were initially retrieved from reliable scientific databases using relevant search terms. Then, 230 articles were selected and 120 were excluded after a primary analysis. Finally, 98 articles related to the subject under study were meticulously examined and the required data were extracted and classified according to the research purposes. The findings were divided into eight separate sections: Introducing Berberidaceae family, different species of Berberis, pharmaceutical organs, B. vulgaris nutrition facts and minerals, the antioxidants and alkaloids compounds in fruit and other organs, action mechanisms of preventing and treating diseases, traditional uses of B. vulgaris, and its properties reported by recent studies. The results briefly indicate that B. vulgaris contains a large number of phytochemical materials including ascorbic acid, vitamin K, several triterpenoids, more than 10 phenolic compounds and more than 30 alkaloids. Therefore B. vulgaris may have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, analgesic and anti-nociceptive and hepato-protective effects. Regarding the use of different organs of B. vulgaris in traditional medicine and their confirmed effects in the recent studies, it is possible to use different organs of B. vulgaris, especially fruit, to develop new drugs. PMID:28656092

"When does making detailed predictions make predictions worse?": Correction to Kelly and Simmons (2016).

PubMed

2016-10-01

Reports an error in "When Does Making Detailed Predictions Make Predictions Worse" by Theresa F. Kelly and Joseph P. Simmons ( Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , Advanced Online Publication, Aug 8, 2016, np). In the article, the symbols in Figure 2 were inadvertently altered in production. All versions of this article have been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-37952-001.) In this article, we investigate whether making detailed predictions about an event worsens other predictions of the event. Across 19 experiments, 10,896 participants, and 407,045 predictions about 724 professional sports games, we find that people who made detailed predictions about sporting events (e.g., how many hits each baseball team would get) made worse predictions about more general outcomes (e.g., which team would win). We rule out that this effect is caused by inattention or fatigue, thinking too hard, or a differential reliance on holistic information about the teams. Instead, we find that thinking about game-relevant details before predicting winning teams causes people to give less weight to predictive information, presumably because predicting details makes useless or redundant information more accessible and thus more likely to be incorporated into forecasts. Furthermore, we show that this differential use of information can be used to predict what kinds of events will and will not be susceptible to the negative effect of making detailed predictions. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved

A collective theory of happiness: words related to the word "happiness" in Swedish online newspapers.

PubMed

Garcia, Danilo; Sikström, Sverker

2013-06-01

It may be suggested that the representation of happiness in online media is collective in nature because it is a picture of happiness communicated by relatively few individuals to the masses. The present study is based on articles published in Swedish daily online newspapers in 2010; the data corpus comprises 1.5 million words. We investigated which words were most (un)common in articles containing the word "happiness" as compared with articles not containing this word. The results show that words related to people (by use of all relevant pronouns: you/me and us/them); important others (e.g., grandmother, mother); the Swedish royal wedding (e.g., Prince Daniel, Princess Victoria); and the FIFA World Cup (e.g., Zlatan, Argentina, Drogba) were highly recurrent in articles containing the word happiness. In contrast, words related to objects, such as money (e.g., millions, billions), bestselling gadgets (e.g., iPad, iPhone), and companies (e.g., Google, Windows), were predictive of contexts not recurrent with the word happiness. The results presented here are in accordance with findings in the happiness literature showing that relationships, not material things, are what make people happy. We suggest that our findings mirror a collective theory of happiness, that is, a shared picture or agreement, among members of a community, concerning what makes people happy. The fact that this representation is made public on such a large scale makes it collective in nature.

Reporting quality of music intervention research in healthcare: A systematic review.

PubMed

Robb, Sheri L; Hanson-Abromeit, Deanna; May, Lindsey; Hernandez-Ruiz, Eugenia; Allison, Megan; Beloat, Alyssa; Daugherty, Sarah; Kurtz, Rebecca; Ott, Alyssa; Oyedele, Oladele Oladimeji; Polasik, Shelbi; Rager, Allison; Rifkin, Jamie; Wolf, Emily

2018-06-01

Concomitant with the growth of music intervention research, are concerns about inadequate intervention reporting and inconsistent terminology, which limits validity, replicability, and clinical application of findings. Examine reporting quality of music intervention research, in chronic and acute medical settings, using the Checklist for Reporting Music-based Interventions. In addition, describe patient populations and primary outcomes, intervention content and corresponding interventionist qualifications, and terminology. Searching MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, HealthSTAR, and PsycINFO we identified articles meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria for a five-year period (2010-2015) and extracted relevant data. Coded material included reporting quality across seven areas (theory, content, delivery schedule, interventionist qualifications, treatment fidelity, setting, unit of delivery), author/journal information, patient population/outcomes, and terminology. Of 860 articles, 187 met review criteria (128 experimental; 59 quasi-experimental), with 121 publishing journals, and authors from 31 countries. Overall reporting quality was poor with <50% providing information for four of the seven checklist components (theory, interventionist qualifications, treatment fidelity, setting). Intervention content reporting was also poor with <50% providing information about the music used, decibel levels/volume controls, or materials. Credentialed music therapists and registered nurses delivered most interventions, with clear differences in content and delivery. Terminology was varied and inconsistent. Problems with reporting quality impedes meaningful interpretation and cross-study comparisons. Inconsistent and misapplied terminology also create barriers to interprofessional communication and translation of findings to patient care. Improved reporting quality and creation of shared language will advance scientific rigor and clinical relevance of music intervention research. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Interpreting biological degradative processes acting on mammalian hair in the living and the dead: which ones are taphonomic?

PubMed

Tridico, Silvana R; Koch, Sandra; Michaud, Amy; Thomson, Gordon; Kirkbride, K Paul; Bunce, Michael

2014-12-07

Although the taphonomic (post-mortem) degradation processes relevant to teeth and bones have been well described, those taking place with regards to mammalian hairs have not been characterized to the same extent. This present article describes, in detail, microscopic changes resulting from the actions of biological agents that digest and degrade hairs. The most noteworthy and prevalent agents responsible for the destruction of hair structure are fungi, which use a range of strategies to invade and digest hairs. One of the most important finds to emerge from this study is that taphonomic structures and processes can easily be interpreted by the unwary as 'real', or as class characteristics for a particular animal taxon. Moreover, under certain conditions, 'taphonomic' processes normally associated with the dead are also present on the hairs of the living. This work will improve the reliability of hair examinations in forensic, archaeological and palaeontological applications-in addition, the finding has relevance in the protection of mammalian collections susceptible to infestation. This article also addresses the popular myth that ancient peoples were often red-haired and discusses phenomena responsible for this observation. Insights gained from detailed characterization of taphonomic processes in 95 hairs from a variety of species demonstrate the range and breadth of degradative effects on hair structure and colour. Lastly, the study demonstrates that hairs often tell a story and that there is value of extracting as much morphological data as possible from hairs, prior to destructive sampling for biomolecules. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Interpreting biological degradative processes acting on mammalian hair in the living and the dead: which ones are taphonomic?

PubMed Central

Tridico, Silvana R.; Koch, Sandra; Michaud, Amy; Thomson, Gordon; Kirkbride, K. Paul; Bunce, Michael

2014-01-01

Although the taphonomic (post-mortem) degradation processes relevant to teeth and bones have been well described, those taking place with regards to mammalian hairs have not been characterized to the same extent. This present article describes, in detail, microscopic changes resulting from the actions of biological agents that digest and degrade hairs. The most noteworthy and prevalent agents responsible for the destruction of hair structure are fungi, which use a range of strategies to invade and digest hairs. One of the most important finds to emerge from this study is that taphonomic structures and processes can easily be interpreted by the unwary as ‘real’, or as class characteristics for a particular animal taxon. Moreover, under certain conditions, ‘taphonomic’ processes normally associated with the dead are also present on the hairs of the living. This work will improve the reliability of hair examinations in forensic, archaeological and palaeontological applications—in addition, the finding has relevance in the protection of mammalian collections susceptible to infestation. This article also addresses the popular myth that ancient peoples were often red-haired and discusses phenomena responsible for this observation. Insights gained from detailed characterization of taphonomic processes in 95 hairs from a variety of species demonstrate the range and breadth of degradative effects on hair structure and colour. Lastly, the study demonstrates that hairs often tell a story and that there is value of extracting as much morphological data as possible from hairs, prior to destructive sampling for biomolecules. PMID:25339725

Effects of Contributor Experience on the Quality of Health-Related Wikipedia Articles

PubMed Central

Fetahu, Besnik; Kimmerle, Joachim

2018-01-01

Background Consulting the Internet for health-related information is a common and widespread phenomenon, and Wikipedia is arguably one of the most important resources for health-related information. Therefore, it is relevant to identify factors that have an impact on the quality of health-related Wikipedia articles. Objective In our study we have hypothesized a positive effect of contributor experience on the quality of health-related Wikipedia articles. Methods We mined the edit history of all (as of February 2017) 18,805 articles that were listed in the categories on the portal health & fitness in the English language version of Wikipedia. We identified tags within the articles’ edit histories, which indicated potential issues with regard to the respective article’s quality or neutrality. Of all of the sampled articles, 99 (99/18,805, 0.53%) articles had at some point received at least one such tag. In our analysis we only considered those articles with a minimum of 10 edits (10,265 articles in total; 96 tagged articles, 0.94%). Additionally, to test our hypothesis, we constructed contributor profiles, where a profile consisted of all the articles edited by a contributor and the corresponding number of edits contributed. We did not differentiate between rollbacks and edits with novel content. Results Nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-tests indicated a higher number of previously edited articles for editors of the nontagged articles (mean rank tagged 2348.23, mean rank nontagged 5159.29; U=9.25, P<.001). However, we did not find a significant difference for the contributors’ total number of edits (mean rank tagged 4872.85, mean rank nontagged 5135.48; U=0.87, P=.39). Using logistic regression analysis with the respective article’s number of edits and number of editors as covariates, only the number of edited articles yielded a significant effect on the article’s status as tagged versus nontagged (dummy-coded; Nagelkerke R2 for the full model=.17; B [SE B]=-0.001 [0.00]; Wald c2 [1]=19.70; P<.001), whereas we again found no significant effect for the mere number of edits (Nagelkerke R2 for the full model=.15; B [SE B]=0.000 [0.01]; Wald c2 [1]=0.01; P=.94). Conclusions Our findings indicate an effect of contributor experience on the quality of health-related Wikipedia articles. However, only the number of previously edited articles was a predictor of the articles’ quality but not the mere volume of edits. More research is needed to disentangle the different aspects of contributor experience. We have discussed the implications of our findings with respect to ensuring the quality of health-related information in collaborative knowledge-building platforms. PMID:29748161

A systematic review of quality-of-life domains and items relevant to patients with spondyloarthritis.

PubMed

Kwan, Yu Heng; Fong, Warren; Tan, Victoria Ie Ching; Lui, Nai Lee; Malhotra, Rahul; Østbye, Truls; Thumboo, Julian

2017-10-01

To summarize, from the literature, quality-of-life (QoL) domains and items relevant to patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA), and to determine if commonly used SpA patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments include the identified domains. We used PRISMA statement for systematic review and searched Medline ® , Embase ® , and PsycInfo ® using relevant keywords. In addition, hand searches of references of the included articles were conducted. All articles were reviewed for inclusion by 2 independent reviewers. QoL domains and items relevant to patients with axial or peripheral SpA were extracted and presented using the adapted World Health Organization Quality-of-Life (WHOQOL) domain framework. SpA PROs were assessed to determine if they included the domains identified. We retrieved 14,343 articles, of which 34 articles fulfilled inclusion criteria for review. Twenty-five articles were conducted in the European population. Domains such as negative feelings and activities of daily living were found to be present in 28 and 27 articles, respectively. SpA impacted QoL in all domains of the adapted WHOQOL framework. Domains that differed between types of SpA were financial resources, general levels of independence and medication side effects. Embarrassment, self-image, and premature ageing were items that differed by geographical setting. PROs to capture domains for peripheral SpA were similar for axial SpA. We found that a wide range of domains and items of QoL were relevant to patients with SpA with minimal differences between patients with axial and peripheral SpA. Clinicians may consider using peripheral SpA PROs to measure QoL of patients with axial SpA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrating research, legal technical assistance, and advocacy to inform shared use legislation in Mississippi.

PubMed

Spengler, John O; Frost, Natasha R; Bryant, Katherine K

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article was to describe the process by which research findings informed the successful passage of legislation designed to increase opportunities for physical activity in Mississippi, and discuss implications and lessons learned from this process. The article is descriptive and conceptual, and addresses the collaborative process by which research, legal technical assistance, and advocacy informed and shaped shared use legislation in Mississippi. Collaborators informing this article were an Active Living Research grantee, a staff attorney with the Public Health Law Center, the American Heart Association Mississippi Government Relations Director, and community partners. The American Heart Association and Public Health Law Center developed policy guidance in the form of sample language for legislation as a starting point for states in determining policy needed to eliminate or reduce barriers to the shared use of school recreational facilities. The policy guidance was informed by evidence from Active Living Research-funded research studies. The American Heart Association, supporting a bill shaped by the policy guidance, led the effort to advocate for successful shared use legislation in Mississippi. Research should be policy relevant and properly translated and disseminated. Legal technical assistance should involve collaboration with both researchers and advocates so that policymakers have the information to make evidence-based decisions. Government relations directors should collaborate with legal technical staff to obtain and understand policy guidance relevant to their advocacy efforts. Effective collaborations, with an evidence-based approach, can lead to informed, successful policy change.

Effects of Contributor Experience on the Quality of Health-Related Wikipedia Articles.

PubMed

Holtz, Peter; Fetahu, Besnik; Kimmerle, Joachim

2018-05-10

Consulting the Internet for health-related information is a common and widespread phenomenon, and Wikipedia is arguably one of the most important resources for health-related information. Therefore, it is relevant to identify factors that have an impact on the quality of health-related Wikipedia articles. In our study we have hypothesized a positive effect of contributor experience on the quality of health-related Wikipedia articles. We mined the edit history of all (as of February 2017) 18,805 articles that were listed in the categories on the portal health & fitness in the English language version of Wikipedia. We identified tags within the articles' edit histories, which indicated potential issues with regard to the respective article's quality or neutrality. Of all of the sampled articles, 99 (99/18,805, 0.53%) articles had at some point received at least one such tag. In our analysis we only considered those articles with a minimum of 10 edits (10,265 articles in total; 96 tagged articles, 0.94%). Additionally, to test our hypothesis, we constructed contributor profiles, where a profile consisted of all the articles edited by a contributor and the corresponding number of edits contributed. We did not differentiate between rollbacks and edits with novel content. Nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-tests indicated a higher number of previously edited articles for editors of the nontagged articles (mean rank tagged 2348.23, mean rank nontagged 5159.29; U=9.25, P<.001). However, we did not find a significant difference for the contributors' total number of edits (mean rank tagged 4872.85, mean rank nontagged 5135.48; U=0.87, P=.39). Using logistic regression analysis with the respective article's number of edits and number of editors as covariates, only the number of edited articles yielded a significant effect on the article's status as tagged versus nontagged (dummy-coded; Nagelkerke R 2 for the full model=.17; B [SE B]=-0.001 [0.00]; Wald c 2 [1]=19.70; P<.001), whereas we again found no significant effect for the mere number of edits (Nagelkerke R 2 for the full model=.15; B [SE B]=0.000 [0.01]; Wald c 2 [1]=0.01; P=.94). Our findings indicate an effect of contributor experience on the quality of health-related Wikipedia articles. However, only the number of previously edited articles was a predictor of the articles' quality but not the mere volume of edits. More research is needed to disentangle the different aspects of contributor experience. We have discussed the implications of our findings with respect to ensuring the quality of health-related information in collaborative knowledge-building platforms. ©Peter Holtz, Besnik Fetahu, Joachim Kimmerle. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 10.05.2018.

Foreign Accent Syndrome As a Psychogenic Disorder: A Review

PubMed Central

Keulen, Stefanie; Verhoeven, Jo; De Witte, Elke; De Page, Louis; Bastiaanse, Roelien; Mariën, Peter

2016-01-01

In the majority of cases published between 1907 and 2014, FAS is due to a neurogenic etiology. Only a few reports about FAS with an assumed psychogenic origin have been published. The present article discusses the findings of a careful database search on psychogenic FAS. This review may be particularly relevant as it is the first to analyze the salient features of psychogenic FAS cases to date. This article hopes to pave the way for the view that psychogenic FAS is a cognate of neurogenic FAS. It is felt that this variant of FAS may have been underreported, as most of the psychogenic cases have been published after the turn of the century. This review may improve the diagnosis of the syndrome in clinical practice and highlights the importance of recognizing psychogenic FAS as an independent taxonomic entity. PMID:27199699

Automatically identifying health- and clinical-related content in wikipedia.

PubMed

Liu, Feifan; Moosavinasab, Soheil; Agarwal, Shashank; Bennett, Andrew S; Yu, Hong

2013-01-01

Physicians are increasingly using the Internet for finding medical information related to patient care. Wikipedia is a valuable online medical resource to be integrated into existing clinical question answering (QA) systems. On the other hand, Wikipedia contains a full spectrum of world's knowledge and therefore comprises a large partition of non-health-related content, which makes disambiguation more challenging and consequently leads to large overhead for existing systems to effectively filter irrelevant information. To overcome this, we have developed both unsupervised and supervised approaches to identify health-related articles as well as clinically relevant articles. Furthermore, we explored novel features by extracting health related hierarchy from the Wikipedia category network, from which a variety of features were derived and evaluated. Our experiments show promising results and also demonstrate that employing the category hierarchy can effectively improve the system performance.

The role of serum neuron-specific enolase in patients with prostate cancer: a systematic review of the recent literature.

PubMed

Muoio, Barbara; Pascale, Mariarosa; Roggero, Enrico

2018-01-01

In this systematic review, we evaluated the value of serum concentrations of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) in order to clarify the possible role of NSE in the diagnosis, management, treatment and monitoring of PCa. A comprehensive search of the recent literature was conducted to find relevant data on the role of NSE in PCa. Two hundred and eighty-two records were revealed, and 19 articles including 1,772 patients with PCa (either confirmed or suspected) were selected. After reviewing the articles, the major result was that elevated serum NSE appears to correlate with prognosis in advanced PCa, particularly in patients with progressive and metastatic castration-resistant PCa. Based on the existing literature, the role of serum NSE in PCa patients should be further evaluated.

Immigration and the modern welfare state: the case of USA and Germany.

PubMed

Wenzel, U; Bos, M

1997-10-01

"This article presents a comparison of the inclusion of migrants into welfare programmes in the USA and in Germany. In the first part of the article a brief overview is provided of immigration categories in both countries in order to demonstrate the relevance of these administrative regulations for the opportunities of individual migrants to participate in the welfare system. In the second part we elaborate in more detail on how welfare programmes have developed as basic mechanisms to include or exclude migrants. Our findings illustrate an increasing differentiation of membership statuses parallel to the expansion of modern welfare systems. In both the USA and Germany, the territorial principle and participation in the labour market are of prime importance to the access to social rights. In both cases all migrants may profit from contributory programmes." excerpt

The overlap between offending trajectories, criminal violence, and intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Piquero, Alex R; Theobald, Delphine; Farrington, David P

2014-03-01

This article investigates the overlap between offending trajectories, criminal violence, and intimate partner violence (IPV) and the factors associated with these behaviors. Knowledge on these questions is relevant to theory and policy. For the former, this article considers the extent to which specific theories are needed for understanding crime, criminal violence, and/or IPV, whereas for the latter, it may suggest specific offense- and offender-based policies. We use data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development that traces the offending, criminal violence, and IPV of males to age 50. Findings show that there is significant overlap between criminal violence and IPV, high-rate offending trajectories have increased odds of criminal violence and IPV, and early childhood risk factors have no additional effect on criminal violence and IPV in adulthood over and above the offending trajectories.

Virtopsy: Touch-free autopsy.

PubMed

Badam, Raj Kumar; Sownetha, Triekan; Babu, D B Gandhi; Waghray, Shefali; Reddy, Lavanya; Garlapati, Komali; Chavva, Sunanda

2017-01-01

The word "autopsy" denotes "to see with own eyes." Autopsy (postmortem) is a process that includes a thorough examination of a corpse noting everything related to anatomization, surface wounds, histological and culture studies. Virtopsy is a term extracted from two words "virtual" and "autopsy." It employs imaging methods that are routinely used in clinical medicine such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the field of autopsy, to find the reason for death. Virtopsy is a multi-disciplinary technology that combines forensic medicine and pathology, roentgenology, computer graphics, biomechanics, and physics. It is rapidly gaining importance in the field of forensics. This approach has been recently used by forensic odontologists, but yet to make its own mark in the field. This article mainly deals with "virtopsy" where in various articles were web searched, relevant data was selected, extracted, and summarized here.

Anterior Chest Wall in Axial Spondyloarthritis: Imaging, Interpretation, and Differential Diagnosis.

PubMed

Rennie, Winston J; Jans, Lennart; Jurik, Anne Grethe; Sudoł-Szopińska, Iwona; Schueller-Weidekamm, Claudia; Eshed, Iris

2018-04-01

Anterior chest wall (ACW) inflammation is not an uncommon finding in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) and reportedly occurs in 26% of these patients. Radiologists may only be familiar with spinal and peripheral joint imaging, possibly due to the inherent challenges of ACW imaging on some cross-sectional imaging modalities. Knowledge of relevant joint anatomy and the location of sites of inflammation allows the interpreting radiologist to better plan appropriate imaging tests and imaging planes. Accurate assessment of disease burden, sometimes in the absence of clinical findings, may alert the treating rheumatologist, allowing a better estimation of disease burden, increased accuracy of potential imaging scoring systems, and optimize assessment and response to treatment. This article reviews salient anatomy and various imaging modalities to optimize diagnosis, important differential diagnoses, and the interpretation of ACW imaging findings in ax-SpA. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Ophthalmic Pathology of Nance-Horan Syndrome: Case Report and Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Ding, Xiaoyan; Patel, Mrinali; Herzlich, Alexandra A.; Sieving, Pamela C.; Chan, Chi-Chao

2009-01-01

Background Nance-Horan syndrome (NHS) is a rare X-linked disorder typified by dense congenital central cataracts, microcornea, anteverted and simplex pinnae, brachymetacarpalia, and numerous dental anomalies due in most cases to a mutation in the NHS gene. Material and Methods We present a case of clinical manifestation and ocular pathology in a patient with NHS. This article also reviews and discusses the relevant literature. Results Classic and novel ocular pathological findings of a young male with NHS are described, including congenital cataracts, infantile glaucoma, scleral staphyloma, and severe retinal cystoid degeneration. Conclusions We report a new pathological finding of severe retinal cystoid degeneration in this NHS patient and confirm abnormal development of the anterior chamber angle structure. These findings, coupled with our analysis of the available NHS literature, provide new understanding of the histopathological basis of ocular abnormalities and vision loss in NHS. PMID:19941417

Formation of the Professional and Didactic Culture of the Future Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirzagitova, Alsu L.; Akhmetov, Linar G.

2016-01-01

Relevance: The relevance of the problem under investigation is caused by the fact that the problem of the formation of the professional and didactic culture of future teachers has not been sufficiently elaborated. The purpose of the article: The article aims to the solution of the problem of improving the content of future teachers' training with…

An International Review of the Development and Implementation of Shared Print Storage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genoni, Paul

2013-01-01

This article undertakes a review of the literature related to shared print storage and national repositories from 1980-2013. There is a separate overview of the relevant Australian literature. The coverage includes both relevant journal literature and major reports. In the process the article traces the developments in the theory and practice of…

The influence of staff training and education on prosthetic and orthotic service quality: A scoping review.

PubMed

Forghany, Saeed; Sadeghi-Demneh, Ebrahim; Trinler, Ursula; Onmanee, Pornsuree; Dillon, Michael P; Baker, Richard

2018-06-01

Education and training in prosthetics and orthotics typically comply with International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics standards based on three categories of prosthetic and orthotic professionals. This scoping study sought to describe the evidence base available to answer the question, How are prosthetic and orthotic services influenced by the training of staff providing them? Scoping review. A structured search of the peer-reviewed literature catalogued in major electronic databases yielded 3039 papers. Following review of title and abstract, 93 articles were considered relevant. Full-text review reduced this number to 25. Only two articles were identified as providing direct evidence of the effects of training and education on service provision. While both suggested that there was an impact, it is difficult to see how the more specific conclusions of either could be generalised. The other 23 articles provide a useful background to a range of issues including the specification of competencies that training programmes should deliver (3 articles), descriptions of a range of training programmes and the effects of training and education on student knowledge and skills. Although it is considered axiomatic, the service quality is dependent on practitioner education and training. There is insufficient evidence to establish whether levels of training and education in prosthetics and orthotics have an effect on the quality of prosthetic and orthotic services. Clinical relevance There is very little evidence about the effects of training and education of prosthetists and orthotists on service quality. While this is a somewhat negative finding, we feel that it is important to bring this to the attention of the prosthetics and orthotics community.

High-performance information search filters for acute kidney injury content in PubMed, Ovid Medline and Embase.

PubMed

Hildebrand, Ainslie M; Iansavichus, Arthur V; Haynes, R Brian; Wilczynski, Nancy L; Mehta, Ravindra L; Parikh, Chirag R; Garg, Amit X

2014-04-01

We frequently fail to identify articles relevant to the subject of acute kidney injury (AKI) when searching the large bibliographic databases such as PubMed, Ovid Medline or Embase. To address this issue, we used computer automation to create information search filters to better identify articles relevant to AKI in these databases. We first manually reviewed a sample of 22 992 full-text articles and used prespecified criteria to determine whether each article contained AKI content or not. In the development phase (two-thirds of the sample), we developed and tested the performance of >1.3-million unique filters. Filters with high sensitivity and high specificity for the identification of AKI articles were then retested in the validation phase (remaining third of the sample). We succeeded in developing and validating high-performance AKI search filters for each bibliographic database with sensitivities and specificities in excess of 90%. Filters optimized for sensitivity reached at least 97.2% sensitivity, and filters optimized for specificity reached at least 99.5% specificity. The filters were complex; for example one PubMed filter included >140 terms used in combination, including 'acute kidney injury', 'tubular necrosis', 'azotemia' and 'ischemic injury'. In proof-of-concept searches, physicians found more articles relevant to topics in AKI with the use of the filters. PubMed, Ovid Medline and Embase can be filtered for articles relevant to AKI in a reliable manner. These high-performance information filters are now available online and can be used to better identify AKI content in large bibliographic databases.

Detecting experimental techniques and selecting relevant documents for protein-protein interactions from biomedical literature.

PubMed

Wang, Xinglong; Rak, Rafal; Restificar, Angelo; Nobata, Chikashi; Rupp, C J; Batista-Navarro, Riza Theresa B; Nawaz, Raheel; Ananiadou, Sophia

2011-10-03

The selection of relevant articles for curation, and linking those articles to experimental techniques confirming the findings became one of the primary subjects of the recent BioCreative III contest. The contest's Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) task consisted of two sub-tasks: Article Classification Task (ACT) and Interaction Method Task (IMT). ACT aimed to automatically select relevant documents for PPI curation, whereas the goal of IMT was to recognise the methods used in experiments for identifying the interactions in full-text articles. We proposed and compared several classification-based methods for both tasks, employing rich contextual features as well as features extracted from external knowledge sources. For IMT, a new method that classifies pair-wise relations between every text phrase and candidate interaction method obtained promising results with an F1 score of 64.49%, as tested on the task's development dataset. We also explored ways to combine this new approach and more conventional, multi-label document classification methods. For ACT, our classifiers exploited automatically detected named entities and other linguistic information. The evaluation results on the BioCreative III PPI test datasets showed that our systems were very competitive: one of our IMT methods yielded the best performance among all participants, as measured by F1 score, Matthew's Correlation Coefficient and AUC iP/R; whereas for ACT, our best classifier was ranked second as measured by AUC iP/R, and also competitive according to other metrics. Our novel approach that converts the multi-class, multi-label classification problem to a binary classification problem showed much promise in IMT. Nevertheless, on the test dataset the best performance was achieved by taking the union of the output of this method and that of a multi-class, multi-label document classifier, which indicates that the two types of systems complement each other in terms of recall. For ACT, our system exploited a rich set of features and also obtained encouraging results. We examined the features with respect to their contributions to the classification results, and concluded that contextual words surrounding named entities, as well as the MeSH headings associated with the documents were among the main contributors to the performance.

The top 50 cited articles on chordomas.

PubMed

Ikpeze, Tochukwu; Mesfin, Addisu

2018-03-01

Chordomas are rare malignant primary tumors of the spine. In the mobile spine and sacrum an en-bloc resection is associated with decreased rates of recurrence. Our objective was to identify the top cited articles in chordoma research and to further analyze characteristics of these articles. In March 2017, we used ISI Web of Science (v5.11, Thomas Reuter, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) to search for the following key word: "chordoma". Articles were searched from 1900 to 2017. Articles were ranked based on number of citations. The results were evaluated to determine articles most clinically relevant to the management of chordomas. The top 50 articles that met the search criteria were further characterized on the basis of: title, author, citation density, journal of publication, year (and decade) of publication, institution and country of origin and paper topic. A total of 1,043 articles matched the search criteria. The most influential 50 articles were cited 65 to 290 times. The articles were published between 1926 and 2012, and all articles were published in English. Thirty-three publications (66%) originated from the United States and seven (14%) from Italy. Cancer accounted for the most frequent (n=9) destination journal followed by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (n=4). A total of 41 institutions contributed to the top 50 articles. The most common article types were: clinical 44% (n=22), papers that combined clinical and pathology findings 18% (n=9) and basic science research 14% (n=7). The top 50 cited articles on chordomas are predominantly clinical papers, arising from the United States and most frequently published in Cancer and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery .

Consultation-liaison psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine: the company they keep.

PubMed

Lipsitt, D R

2001-01-01

The objectives of this review are 1) to briefly describe the parallel historical developments of consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine [corrected]; 2) to analyze the extent to which the literature of C-L psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine relate to each other, given that both fields have evolved simultaneously in the history of psychiatry; and 3) to propose possible explanations for observed publication patterns in selected C-L resources and the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. The quasi-citation analysis includes two segments: 1) a review of selected key C-L psychiatry references to determine the extent to which classic articles from Psychosomatic Medicine are cited; and 2) an analysis of 60 years of Psychosomatic Medicine, sampling issues from the first 5 years of each decade and all issues of the year 2000 for articles of potential relevance to C-L psychiatry. References to Psychosomatic Medicine articles in C-L resources are tallied as percentages of total references in each source. Articles in Psychosomatic Medicine are assigned to one of three categories (A, B, or C) according to their perceived relevance to C-L psychiatry, from most (A) to least (C) relevant. The review of C-L sources ("basic" reading lists and reference lists of seminal articles and textbooks) revealed a wide range of Psychosomatic Medicine citations, from 0% to 27.4% (average, 7.5%). The survey of Psychosomatic Medicine sorted 1705 articles for their relevance to C-L psychiatry into category A (9.5-40.6%, average 21.3%), category B (70.4-86.3%, average 72.3%), and category C (0.7-12.1%, average 6.4%) for each half-decade for the past 60 years. The lowest number of category A articles appeared in the years 1970 to 1975, and the highest number appeared in 1950 to 1955; reciprocal results were found for category B articles. The lowest number of category C articles appeared in 1980 to 1985, and the highest number appeared in 1940 to 1945. For the six issues of 2000, the distributions of articles in categories A, B, and C are similar, continuing an upward trend beginning in 1975 of core (category A) articles. Explanations for publication patterns are speculatively related to various factors, such as a paucity of C-L research and researchers, the broad definition of C-L psychiatry, editorial policies, and the impact of World War II. Although C-L psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine have common roots, the reliance of the C-L literature on classic Psychosomatic Medicine articles has varied markedly, from none to about one-quarter of its references. Nevertheless, Psychosomatic Medicine has consistently published articles of theoretical and clinical interest to C-L psychiatrists, with more than 90% of published articles considered to be of high or moderate relevance to C-L psychiatry. A far higher percentage of articles in Psychosomatic Medicine would seem to be relevant to the field of C-L psychiatry than are cited in significant C-L literature. Psychosomatic Medicine's essential focus on empirical research may dissuade the more clinically oriented C-L psychiatrists.

Relevant Information and Informed Consent in Research: In Defense of the Subjective Standard of Disclosure.

PubMed

Dranseika, Vilius; Piasecki, Jan; Waligora, Marcin

2017-02-01

In this article, we seek to contribute to the debate on the requirement of disclosure in the context of informed consent for research. We defend the subjective standard of disclosure and describe ways to implement this standard in research practice. We claim that the researcher should make an effort to find out what kinds of information are likely to be relevant for those consenting to research. This invites researchers to take empirical survey information seriously, attempt to understand the cultural context, talk to patients to be better able to understand what can be potentially different concerns and interests prevalent in the target population. The subjective standard of disclosure should be seen as a moral ideal that perhaps can never be perfectly implemented but still can and should be used as a normative ideal guiding research practice. In the light of these discussions, we call for more empirical research on what considerations are likely to be perceived as relevant by potential research participants recruited from different socio-economic and cultural groups.

Diffusion in Single Supported Lipid Bilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, C. L.; Trapp, M.; Rheinstädter, M. C.

2011-03-01

Despite their potential relevance for the development of functionalized surfaces and biosensors, the study of single supported membranes using neutron scattering has been limited by the challenge of obtaining relevant dynamic information from a sample with minimal material. Using state of the art neutron instrumentation we have, for the first time, modeled lipid diffusion in single supported lipid bilayers. While we find that the diffusion coefficient for the single bilayer system is comparable to a multi-lamellar lipid system, the molecular mechanism for lipid motion in the single bilayer is a continuous diffusion process with no sign of the flow-like ballistic motion reported in the stacked membrane system. In the future, these membranes will be used to hold and align proteins, mimicking physiological conditions enabling the study of protein structure, function and interactions in relevant and highly topical membrane/protein systems with minimal sample material. C.L. Armstrong, M.D. Kaye, M. Zamponi, E. Mamontov, M. Tyagi, T. Jenkins and M.C. Rheinstädter, Soft Matter Communication, 2010, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C0SM00637H

3D facial expression recognition using maximum relevance minimum redundancy geometrical features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabiu, Habibu; Saripan, M. Iqbal; Mashohor, Syamsiah; Marhaban, Mohd Hamiruce

2012-12-01

In recent years, facial expression recognition (FER) has become an attractive research area, which besides the fundamental challenges, it poses, finds application in areas, such as human-computer interaction, clinical psychology, lie detection, pain assessment, and neurology. Generally the approaches to FER consist of three main steps: face detection, feature extraction and expression recognition. The recognition accuracy of FER hinges immensely on the relevance of the selected features in representing the target expressions. In this article, we present a person and gender independent 3D facial expression recognition method, using maximum relevance minimum redundancy geometrical features. The aim is to detect a compact set of features that sufficiently represents the most discriminative features between the target classes. Multi-class one-against-one SVM classifier was employed to recognize the seven facial expressions; neutral, happy, sad, angry, fear, disgust, and surprise. The average recognition accuracy of 92.2% was recorded. Furthermore, inter database homogeneity was investigated between two independent databases the BU-3DFE and UPM-3DFE the results showed a strong homogeneity between the two databases.

Nutrient deficiencies associated with nutrition-focused physical findings of the oral cavity.

PubMed

Radler, Diane Rigassio; Lister, Tracy

2013-12-01

Conducting nutrition-focused physical examinations and reporting the findings from the perspective of nutrition status strengthen the practitioner's assessments, interventions, and monitoring. The nutrition-focused physical examination of the oral cavity is particularly useful to identify nutrient deficiencies early and with accuracy as the tissues in the oral mucosa have a turnover rate of <1 week. As biomarkers may not always be reliable for identifying micronutrient deficiencies, these physical examinations are important for providing comprehensive nutrition care. The purpose of this article is to discuss the methods of conducting a nutrition-focused oral screening examination and compile and document the evidence regarding the effects of micronutrient deficiencies on the oral mucosa. The information is formatted into a table that can be used as a tool when conducting an oral screening by identifying possible deficiencies based on the observations and other relevant findings. The tool will also guide the practitioner in confirming the physical findings, suggesting interventions to treat the deficiency and how to monitor the outcomes.

A Review of MR Spectroscopy Studies of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

PubMed Central

Kondo, D.G.; Hellem, T.L.; Shi, X.-F.; Sung, Y.H.; Prescot, A.P.; Kim, T.S.; Huber, R.S.; Forrest, L.N.; Renshaw, P.F.

2015-01-01

Pediatric bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness whose pathophysiology is poorly understood and for which there is an urgent need for improved diagnosis and treatment. MR spectroscopy is a neuroimaging method capable of in vivo measurement of neurochemicals relevant to bipolar disorder neurobiology. MR spectroscopy studies of adult bipolar disorder provide consistent evidence for alterations in the glutamate system and mitochondrial function. In bipolar disorder, these 2 phenomena may be linked because 85% of glucose in the brain is consumed by glutamatergic neurotransmission and the conversion of glutamate to glutamine. The purpose of this article is to review the MR spectroscopic imaging literature in pediatric bipolar disorder, at-risk samples, and severe mood dysregulation, with a focus on the published findings that are relevant to glutamatergic and mitochondrial functioning. Potential directions for future MR spectroscopy studies of the glutamate system and mitochondrial dysfunction in pediatric bipolar disorder are discussed. PMID:24557702

Cross-Cultural Studies of Personality Traits and their Relevance to Psychiatry

PubMed Central

Terracciano, Antonio; McCrae, Robert R.

2009-01-01

Aims This article provides a brief review of recent cross-cultural research on personality traits at both individual and culture levels, highlighting the relevance of recent findings for psychiatry. Method In most cultures around the world, personality traits can be clearly summarized by the five broad dimensions of the Five-Factor Model (FFM), which makes it feasible to compare cultures on personality and psychopathology. Results Maturational patterns and sex differences in personality traits generally show cultural invariance, which generates the hypothesis that age of onset, clinical evolution, and sex differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders might follow similar universal patterns. The average personality profiles from 51 cultures show meaningful geographical distributions and associations with culture-level variables, but are clearly unrelated to national character stereotypes. Conclusions Aggregate personality scores can potentially be related to epidemiological data on psychiatric disorders, and dimensional personality models have implications for psychiatric diagnosis and treatment around the world. PMID:17128620

Extracting Characteristics of the Study Subjects from Full-Text Articles

PubMed Central

Demner-Fushman, Dina; Mork, James G

2015-01-01

Characteristics of the subjects of biomedical research are important in determining if a publication describing the research is relevant to a search. To facilitate finding relevant publications, MEDLINE citations provide Medical Subject Headings that describe the subjects’ characteristics, such as their species, gender, and age. We seek to improve the recommendation of these headings by the Medical Text Indexer (MTI) that supports manual indexing of MEDLINE. To that end, we explore the potential of the full text of the publications. Using simple recall-oriented rule-based methods we determined that adding sentences extracted from the methods sections and captions to the abstracts prior to MTI processing significantly improved recall and F1 score with only a slight drop in precision. Improvements were also achieved in directly assigning several headings extracted from the full text. These results indicate the need for further development of automated methods capable of leveraging the full text for indexing. PMID:26958181

Spatial transposition gradients in visual working memory.

PubMed

Rerko, Laura; Oberauer, Klaus; Lin, Hsuan-Yu

2014-01-01

In list memory, access to individual items reflects limits of temporal distinctiveness. This is reflected in the finding that neighbouring list items tend to be confused most often. This article investigates the analogous effect of spatial proximity in a visual working-memory task. Items were presented in different locations varying in spatial distance. A retro-cue indicated the location of the item relevant for the subsequent memory test. In two recognition experiments, probes matching spatially close neighbours of the relevant item led to more false alarms than probes matching distant neighbours or non-neighbouring memory items. In two probed-recall experiments, one with simultaneous, the other with sequential memory item presentation, items closer to the cued location were more frequently chosen for recall than more distant items. These results reflect a spatial transposition gradient analogous to the temporal transposition gradient in serial recall and challenge fixed-capacity models of visual working memory (WM).

Neuroimaging for psychotherapy research: Current trends

PubMed Central

WEINGARTEN, CAROL P.; STRAUMAN, TIMOTHY J.

2014-01-01

Objective This article reviews neuroimaging studies that inform psychotherapy research. An introduction to neuroimaging methods is provided as background for the increasingly sophisticated breadth of methods and findings appearing in psychotherapy research. Method We compiled and assessed a comprehensive list of neuroimaging studies of psychotherapy outcome, along with selected examples of other types of studies that also are relevant to psychotherapy research. We emphasized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) since it is the dominant neuroimaging modality in psychological research. Results We summarize findings from neuroimaging studies of psychotherapy outcome, including treatment for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia. Conclusions The increasing use of neuroimaging methods in the study of psychotherapy continues to refine our understanding of both outcome and process. We suggest possible directions for future neuroimaging studies in psychotherapy research. PMID:24527694

Comparing photoelectrochemical water oxidation, recombination kinetics and charge trapping in the three polymorphs of TiO2.

PubMed

Moss, Benjamin; Lim, Kee Kean; Beltram, Alessandro; Moniz, Savio; Tang, Junwang; Fornasiero, Paolo; Barnes, Piers; Durrant, James; Kafizas, Andreas

2017-06-07

In this article we present the first comparative study of the transient decay dynamics of photo-generated charges for the three polymorphs of TiO 2 . To our knowledge, this is the first such study of the brookite phase of TiO 2 over timescales relevant to the kinetics of water splitting. We find that the behavior of brookite, both in the dynamics of relaxation of photo-generated charges and in energetic distribution, is similar to the anatase phase of TiO 2 . Moreover, links between the rate of recombination of charge carriers, their energetic distribution and the mode of transport are made in light of our findings and used to account for the differences in water splitting efficiency observed across the three polymorphs.

Family wellbeing of individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review.

PubMed

Tint, Ami; Weiss, Jonathan A

2016-04-01

Families play an important role in supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorder across the lifespan. Indicators of family wellbeing can help to establish benchmarks for service provision and evaluation; however, a critical first step is a clear understanding of the construct in question. The purpose of the current scoping review was to (a) summarize current conceptualizations and measurements of family wellbeing, (b) synthesize key findings, and (c) highlight gaps and limitations in the extant literature. A final review of 86 articles highlighted the difficulty of synthesizing findings of family wellbeing in the autism spectrum disorder literature due to varied measurement techniques and the limited use of a common theoretical direction. Considerations for future research are presented with an eye toward policy relevance. © The Author(s) 2015.

Psychological screening program overview.

PubMed

Wright, Kathleen M; Huffman, Ann H; Adler, Amy B; Castro, Carl A

2002-10-01

This article reviews the literature on health surveillance conducted during military deployments, focusing on models for assessing the impact of operational deployments on peacekeepers. A discussion of the stressors and potential mental health consequences of peacekeeping operations follows with relevant examples of findings from U.S. and international military forces. Psychological screening in different peacekeeping operations conducted in U.S. Army-Europe is reviewed. The review begins with the redeployment screening of military personnel deployed to Bosnia mandated under the Joint Medical Surveillance Program, and continues through the present screening of units deployed to Kosovo. The detailed description of the screening program includes a discussion of procedures and measures and demonstrates the evolution of the program. A summary of key findings from the screening program and a discussion of future research directions are provided.

Taking a narrative approach to grief research: finding meaning in stories.

PubMed

Gilbert, Kathleen R

2002-04-01

This article explores the concepts of narrative as story, of storytelling, and of the narrative approach to qualitative research. Within this, I will also examine the social nature of narrative and the implications of this for research. I will look at the process of conducting a narrative study and the implications for participation in such a project and for the researcher investigating a phenomenon through this frame. In particular, the need to create stories to make order of disorder and find meaning in the meaningless is particularly relevant to the study of grief. In looking at the process of conducting a narrative study, questions about what can be analyzed and how it might be presented, some strengths and limitations of the narrative approach, and ethical questions also are considered.

Healthcare Benefits for Veterans: What Home Care Clinicians Need to Know.

PubMed

Erickson-Hurt, Carma; McGuirk, Dianne; Long, Carol O

2017-05-01

As the world prepares for an increasingly aging population with chronic debilitating diseases, the demand for home healthcare services is increasing. As such, home healthcare clinicians face increased pressure to find resources and continuing support for patients. One area that may be underutilized is accessing Veteran benefits. Home healthcare clinicians care for Veterans every day, and knowing what benefits are available and how to access those benefits can help some Veterans who may be struggling with healthcare needs. Home healthcare clinicians may find understanding Veteran's health benefits intimidating and may falsely assume that a Veteran is aware of his or her benefits. Staying current on home healthcare benefits can be challenging and this article is intended to provide an overview of current and relevant information regarding Veteran health benefits.

An expert review of the scientific literature on independent wheelchair transfers.

PubMed

Koontz, Alicia; Toro, Maria; Kankipati, Padmaja; Naber, Megan; Cooper, Rory

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to perform a literature review and seek expert opinion on the relevance and strength of the evidence concerning setup and transfer performance. Scientific literature databases were searched until June 2009 using 43 keywords resulting in 339 articles. These were internally reviewed and narrowed to 41 articles which were formally assessed by 13 external experts. Articles that 80% or more of the reviewers scored as moderately or highly relevant were included in the final results. Nineteen articles met the relevancy criteria. The aspects of setup that experts felt were addressed to some degree included vertical transfer distance, transferring across a gap and position of the mobility device relative to target destination. None of the 19 articles were scored as having strong to very strong resulting evidence. There is a consensus among studies that transferring to a higher surface implies greater exertion of the upper limb. However, there is no evidence concerning how high or low, how close, and how much space is needed next to the target surface so it can be accessible by a majority of wheelchair users.

High-intensity interval training for improving postprandial hyperglycemia.

PubMed

Little, Jonathan P; Francois, Monique E

2014-12-01

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has garnered attention in recent years as a time-efficient exercise option for improving cardiovascular and metabolic health. New research demonstrates that HIIT may be particularly effective for improving postprandial hyperglycemia in individuals with, or at risk for, type 2 diabetes (T2D). These findings have clinical relevance because elevated postprandial hyperglycemia is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This article summarizes the latest evidence demonstrating that HIIT can improve postprandial glucose control to highlight the potential application of HIIT in the prevention and management of T2D and associated cardiovascular complications.

Comparing the accuracy of personality judgements by the self and knowledgeable others.

PubMed

Kolar, D W; Funder, D C; Colvin, C R

1996-06-01

In this article we compare the accuracy of personality judgements by the self and by knowledgeable others. Self- and acquaintance judgements of general personality attributes were used to predict general, videotaped behavioral criteria. Results slightly favored the predictive validity of personality judgements made by single acquaintances over self-judgements, and significantly favored the aggregated personality judgements of two acquaintances over self-judgements. These findings imply that the most valid source for personality judgements that are relevant to patterns of overt behavior may not be self-reports but the consensus of the judgement of the community of one's peers.

Two Types of Perseveration in the Dimension Change Card Sort Task

PubMed Central

Hanania, Rima

2010-01-01

Three-year-old children in the Dimension Change Card Sort (DCCS) task can sort cards well by one dimension, but have difficulty switching to sort the same cards by another dimension when asked, i.e., they perseverate on the first relevant information. What is the information that children perseverate on? Using a new version of the DCCS, the experiments in this article reveal that there are two types of perseverators-- those who perseverate at the level of dimensions, and those who perseverate at the level of values (stimulus features). This novel finding has implications for theories of perseveration. PMID:20566206

[Cognitive behavior therapy for depression in children and adolescents - procedure, effects, and developments].

PubMed

Groen, Gunter; Petermann, Franz

2012-11-01

Cognitive behavior therapy offers a theoretically and empirically valid therapeutic approach for children and adolescents suffering from depression. It can be recommended according to present guidelines and efficacy studies. Further research and conceptual development, however, is necessary especially regarding the small to moderate effect sizes as well as the lack of long-term efficacy and effect factors. This article gives a short overview of the basics and contents of cognitive behavior therapy for depressive children and adolescents. It furthermore presents the latest findings and an assessment of its efficacy and relevant developments and perspectives.

Is phage therapy acceptable in the immunocompromised host?

PubMed

Borysowski, Jan; Górski, Andrzej

2008-09-01

Over the last decade, bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) have emerged as the major alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections. While a considerable body of evidence has accumulated for the efficacy and safety of phage therapy in immunocompetent patients, data remain relatively scarce regarding its use in the immunocompromised host. To our knowledge, the present article is the first to summarize all findings, of both experimental and clinical studies, that may be relevant to the employment of phage therapy in immunocompromised patients. The available data suggest that bacteriophages could also be an efficacious and safe therapeutic modality in such patients.

Behavioral neuroscience and the media.

PubMed

Blakeslee, Sandra; DiChristina, Mariette; Raeburn, Paul; Lambert, Kelly

2012-12-05

To provide assurance that accurate summaries of behavioral neuroscience findings are presented in mainstream news sources, it is important for scientists to cooperate with science journalists and, on occasion, write informative articles for lay audiences or contribute scientific knowledge in other relevant venues. Accordingly, three influential science journalists were invited to a special Presidential Symposium at the 2011 IBNS annual meeting to discuss (1) the importance of public dissemination of scientific knowledge, (2) insightful recommendations for effective science writing for mainstream audiences and (3) the potential impact of science blogs on the communication of science information. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Practicing participatory research in American Indian communities1–3

PubMed Central

Davis, Sally M; Reid, Raymond

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to explore the historical issues that affect research in American Indian communities and examine the implications of these issues as they relate to culturally sensitive, respectful, and appropriate research with this population. Methods include review and analysis of the literature and examination of our collective experience and that of our colleagues. Recommendations are given for conducting culturally sensitive, participatory research. We conclude that research efforts must build on the establishment of partnerships between investigators and American Indian communities to ensure accurate findings and analyses and to implement culturally relevant benefits. PMID:10195598

TAM receptors in apoptotic cell clearance, autoimmunity, and cancer.

PubMed

Nguyen, Khanh-Quynh; Tsou, Wen-I; Kotenko, Sergei; Birge, Raymond B

2013-08-01

Receptor tyrosine kinases, Tyro-3, Axl and Mer, collectively designated as TAM, are involved in the clearance of apoptotic cells. TAM ligands, Gas6 and Protein S, bind to the surfaces of apoptotic cells, and at the same time, interact directly with TAM expressed on phagocytes, impacting the engulfment and clearance of apoptotic cells and debris. The well-tuned and balanced actions of TAM may affect a variety of human pathologies including autoimmunity, retinal degeneration, and cancer. This article emphasizes some of the emerging findings and mechanistic insights into TAM functions that are clinically relevant and possibly therapeutically targeted.

A Socio-Psycholinguistic Perspective on Biliteracy: The Use of Miscue Analysis as a Culturally Relevant Assessment Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabuto, Bobbie

2016-01-01

Through the presentation of two bilingual reader profiles, this article will illustrate how miscue analysis can act as a culturally relevant assessment tool as it allows for the study of reading across different spoken and written languages. The research presented in this article integrates a socio-psycholinguistic perspective to reading and a…

Young People and the European Dimension in a Norwegian Context. Migration and National Critical Events as Challenges to Citizenship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skeie, Geir

2014-01-01

The article discusses the "European dimension" in a Norwegian context with focus on the relevance for young people in particular. Against a backdrop of literature discussing Norwegian majority self-understanding in relation to Europe, the article discusses some examples that are relevant for addressing the overall theme, namely recent…

Citation parameters of contact lens-related articles published in the ophthalmic literature.

PubMed

Cardona, Genís; Sanz, Joan P

2014-09-01

This study aimed at exploring the citation parameters of contact lenses articles published in the Ophthalmology thematic category of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). The Thompson Reuters Web of Science database was accessed to record bibliometric information and citation parameters of all journals listed under the Ophthalmology area of the 2011 JCR edition, including the journals with main publication interests in the contact lens field. In addition, the same database was used to unveil all contact lens-related articles published in 2011 in the same thematic area, whereupon differences in citation parameters between those articles published in contact lens and non-contact lens-related journals were explored. Significant differences in some bibliometric indicators such as half-life and overall citation count were found between contact lens-related journals (shorter half-life and fewer citations) and the median values for the Ophthalmology thematic area of the JCR. Visual examination of all Ophthalmology journals uncovered a total of 156 contact lens-related articles, published in 28 different journals, with 27 articles each for Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, Eye & Contact Lens, and Optometry and Vision Science. Significant differences in citation parameters were encountered between those articles published in contact lens and non-contact lens source journals. These findings, which disclosed contact lenses to be a fertile area of research, may be of interest to researchers and institutions. Differences in bibliometric indicators are of relevance to avoid unwanted bias when conducting between- and within-discipline comparisons of articles, journals, and researchers.

Promoting Ethics and Integrity in Management Academic Research: Retraction Initiative.

PubMed

Ayodele, Freida Ozavize; Yao, Liu; Haron, Hasnah

2018-02-13

In the management academic research, academic advancement, job security, and the securing of research funds at one's university are judged mainly by one's output of publications in high impact journals. With bogus resumes filled with published journal articles, universities and other allied institutions are keen to recruit or sustain the appointment of such academics. This often places undue pressure on aspiring academics and on those already recruited to engage in research misconduct which often leads to research integrity. This structured review focuses on the ethics and integrity of management research through an analysis of retracted articles published from 2005 to 2016. The study employs a structured literature review methodology whereby retracted articles published between 2005 and 2016 in the field of management science were found using Crossref and Google Scholar. The searched articles were then streamlined by selecting articles based on their relevance and content in accordance with the inclusion criteria. Based on the analysed retracted articles, the study shows evidence of ethical misconduct among researchers of management science. Such misconduct includes data falsification, the duplication of submitted articles, plagiarism, data irregularity and incomplete citation practices. Interestingly, the analysed results indicate that the field of knowledge management includes the highest number of retracted articles, with plagiarism constituting the most significant ethical issue. Furthermore, the findings of this study show that ethical misconduct is not restricted to a particular geographic location; it occurs in numerous countries. In turn, avenues of further study on research misconduct in management research are proposed.

Update in Internal Medicine

PubMed Central

López-Jiménez, Francisco; Brito, Máximo; Aude, Y. Wady; Scheinberg, Phillip; Kaplan, Mariana; Dixon, Denise A.; Schneiderman, Neil; Trejo, Jorge F.; López-Salazar, Luis Humberto; Ramírez-Barba, Ector Jaime; Kalil, Roberto; Ortiz, Carmen; Goyos, José; Buenaño, Alvaro; Kottiech, Samer; Lamas, Gervasio A.

2009-01-01

More than 500,000 new medical articles are published every year and available time to keep updated is scarcer every day. Nowadays, the task of selecting useful, consistent, and relevant information for clinicians is a priority in many major medical journals. This review has the aim of gathering the results of the most important findings in clinical medicine in the last few years. It is focused on results from randomized clinical trials and well-designed observational research. Findings were included preferentially if they showed solid results, and we avoided as much as possible including only preliminary data, or results that included only non-clinical outcomes. Some of the most relevant findings reported here include the significant benefit of statins in patients with coronary artery disease even with mean cholesterol level. It also provides a substantial review of the most significant trials assessing the effectiveness of IIb/IIIa receptor blockers. In gastroenterology many advances have been made in the H. pylori eradication, and the finding that the cure of H. pylori infection may be followed by gastroesophageal reflux disease. Some new antivirals have shown encouraging results in patients with chronic hepatitis. In the infectious disease arena, the late breaking trials in anti-retroviral disease are discussed, as well as the new trends regarding antibiotic resistance. This review approaches also the role of leukotriene modifiers in the treatment of asthma and discusses the benefit of using methylprednisolone in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome, among many other advances in internal medicine. PMID:11068074

National preceptor development program (PDP): Influential evidence and theory. The first of a 3-part series.

PubMed

Mulherin, Katrina; Walter, Sheila; Cox, Craig D

2018-03-01

Priority #3 of the Canadian Experiential Education Project for Pharmacy provided evidence-based guidance for the design and implementation of a national approach to preceptor development. In this first article (of three), findings from the project and recommendations to achieve a high-quality preceptor development program (PDP) are presented. A multi-method approach including detailed semi-structured interviews, classic literature review, and advisory committee feedback was employed. The research team performed an integrated analysis of all data to achieve the objectives of Priority #3. Fifteen formal interviews, 167 articles and two stakeholder meetings informed findings. Experiential Education programs exhibited commonality in content and usually delivered programs online using modules or live lectures. Not all programs required preceptor education despite it being mandated by academic accreditors. Academics' perceptions varied regarding pharmacists' baseline knowledge, skills and attitudes prior to engaging in the preceptor role. A national approach to a PDP was desired if jurisdictional content was accommodated. Copious interprofessional literature of generally fair quality did not identify superior preceptor development approaches although there were numerous descriptions of interventions. Only 29 articles measured educational outcomes. Outcomes included satisfaction rates, self-efficacy and perceived knowledge, skill retention, skill implementation and participation rates. Twelve recommendations were identified to guide successful development of a national PDP. In the absence of good evidence, adult educational theory provided a basis for an effective PDP. Findings from Priority #3 may be relevant not only to pharmacy in Canada but other health professions and counterparts in other western nations with similar approaches to professional education. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health literacy interventions for immigrant populations: a systematic review.

PubMed

Fernández-Gutiérrez, M; Bas-Sarmiento, P; Albar-Marín, M J; Paloma-Castro, O; Romero-Sánchez, J M

2018-03-01

Health literacy is considered a social health determinant that influences improvement in health, patient empowerment and reduction in inequalities. There is a lack of health literacy interventions for vulnerable social groups (i.e. immigrants), and nurses have shown little familiarity with the concept. This study aimed to identify and analyse whether interventions directed at immigrant populations improve the functional (basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills), interactive (social and cognitive skills) and critical (advanced cognitive and social skills in critically analyzing information and making informed decisions) dimensions of health literacy, taking into account the role played by nursing in these interventions. A systematic review of four databases including PubMed, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library and ERIC was conducted to identify relevant articles published between 2000 and 2015. Thirty-four articles met the inclusion criteria, and nine articles used a validated instrument. Few specific health literacy interventions for immigrant populations were found. The main findings of the studies showed positive changes in functional health literacy. However, the interventions were less effective in improving interactive and critical health literacy. Several of the findings of this review were based on studies that had their own limitations. The assessment of the articles was not blinded, and the review was restricted to articles written in Spanish and English. The interventions studied were reported as being effective in improving health literacy in immigrants, particularly the functional aspects. Regarding the role played by nursing, this review observed little involvement. It is important for educational strategies to include health literacy dimensions. The concept of health literacy should be included as a Nursing Outcomes Classification and in its subsequent validation taxonomy. To promote community health, health literacy must be a prioritized objective of health management and policies. © 2017 International Council of Nurses.

The associations of mobile touch screen device use with musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Toh, Siao Hui; Coenen, Pieter; Howie, Erin K.

2017-01-01

Background The use of mobile touch screen devices (MTSDs) has increased rapidly over the last decade, and there are concerns that their use may have negative musculoskeletal consequences; yet evidence on the association of MTSD use with musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures is currently dispersed. The aim of this study was to systematically review available literature on musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures associated with MTSD use. The synthesised information may facilitate wise use of MTSDs and may identify areas in need of further research. Methods EMBASE, Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO and Proquest electronic databases were searched for articles published up to June 2016, using keywords describing MTSD, musculoskeletal symptoms (e.g. pain, discomfort) and musculoskeletal exposures (e.g. posture, muscle activity). Two reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted relevant data and assessed methodological quality of included studies. Due to heterogeneity in the studies, a meta-analysis was not possible and a structured narrative synthesis of the findings was undertaken. Results A total of 9,908 articles were screened for eligibility with 45 articles finally included for review. Included articles were of cross-sectional, case-control or experimental laboratory study designs. No longitudinal studies were identified. Findings were presented and discussed in terms of the amount, features, tasks and positions of MTSD use and its association with musculoskeletal symptoms and musculoskeletal exposures. Conclusions There is limited evidence that MTSD use, and various aspects of its use (i.e. amount of usage, features, tasks and positions) are associated with musculoskeletal symptoms and exposures. This is due to mainly low quality experimental and case-control laboratory studies, with few cross-sectional and no longitudinal studies. Further research is warranted in order to develop guidelines for wise use of MTSDs. PMID:28787453

Integrating Brain Science into Health Studies: An Interdisciplinary Course in Contemplative Neuroscience and Yoga

PubMed Central

Wolfe, Uta; Moran, Amy

2017-01-01

As neuroscience knowledge grows in its scope of societal applications so does the need to educate a wider audience on how to critically evaluate its research findings. Efforts at finding teaching approaches that are interdisciplinary, accessible and highly applicable to student experience are thus ongoing. The article describes an interdisciplinary undergraduate health course that combines the academic study of contemplative neuroscience with contemplative practice, specifically yoga. The class aims to reach a diverse mix of students by teaching applicable, health-relevant neuroscience material while directly connecting it to first-hand experience. Outcomes indicate success on these goals: The course attracted a wide range of students, including nearly 50% non-science majors. On a pre/post test, students showed large increases in their knowledge of neuroscience. Students’ ratings of the course overall, of increases in positive feelings about its field, and of their progress on specific course objectives were highly positive. Finally, students in their written work applied neuroscience course content to their personal and professional lives. Such results indicate that this approach could serve as a model for the interdisciplinary, accessible and applied integration of relevant neuroscience material into the undergraduate health curriculum. PMID:29371845

[The relevance of sexuality in the treatment of borderline personality disorder].

PubMed

Neeleman, A J F

2007-01-01

Although many articles about borderline personality disorder have been published over the last 25 years, sexuality has not received much attention. Sexual functioning may however be relevant for the treatment of this disorder. To find out from research reports, the literature and clinical practice whether they contain evidence of varying degrees of problematical sexuality in borderline patients, and if so, to make an inventory of the evidence. A literature search was conducted via PubMed and Psycinfo using the search terms 'borderline personality disorder', 'sexuality' and 'research'. In addition, the literature was searched manually. Only six empirical studies about the sexual functioning of patients with borderline personality disorder were found. The research findings provided information about patients' problems with regard to intimate and sexual relations. These problems related to heightened sexual impulsivity, reduced satisfaction, increased sexual boredom, greater preoccupation with sex, avoidance of sex and a range of other sexual complaints. In addition, there is evidence that homosexuality and vulnerability regarding gender identity occur more frequently in these patients. Helping to integrate love and sexuality with a suitable partner seems to be an important developmental assignment for persons assisting borderline patients.

integrative literature review.

PubMed

Fage-Butler, Antoinette Mary; Jensen, Matilde Nisbeth

2015-01-01

Email communication is being integrated relatively slowly into doctor–patient communication. Patients have expressed enthusiasm for the medium, while doctors are generally more reluctant. As existing health communication models have characteristically assumed the co-presence of doctor and patient and primarily reflect medical practitioners’ perspectives, their suitability in relation to email communication and patients’ perspectives warrants further investigation. Following a two-step process and using the methodology of the integrative literature review, 29 articles from 2004–2014 are analysed with the aim of investigating the advantages and disadvantages of the medium of email from the patient’s perspective. The findings are compared to the health communication models of biomedicine, patient-centeredness, patient education and patient empowerment to investigate these models’ relevance for doctor–patient email communication. Results show that patients identify numerous advantages with email communication, including improved convenience and access, more detailed informational exchanges, greater reflection opportunities, freedom from the medical gaze and the potential to level out power imbalances, as well as a number of primarily medium-related disadvantages. The findings indicate that email can counteract some of the communicative problems associated with biomedicine and suggest the ongoing relevance of aspects of the models of patient empowerment, patient-centeredness and patient education for email communication.

[Marketing orientation in rehabilitation--exemplified by image analysis of a rehabilitation clinic for addictions].

PubMed

Altenhöner, T; Schönhoff, T; Wehmeier, D

2001-06-01

This article presents the findings of an image analysis carried out for a rehabilitation clinic for addictive diseases. The cross-sectional study was designed as an anonymous survey sent to relevant (regional) referral agencies (n = 90), e.g. counselling services for addictive diseases. The study covers the clinic's actual and ideal image, discriminating frequency of referrals, diagnostic categories, region, and type of institution. Results concerning the real profile indicate that on average the dimensions cooperation, communication with regard to personal contact, and reputation of the clinic were more critically judged than the issues information, communication with regard to discharge reports, standards of quality, and consideration of patients' needs. Cooperation, communication with regard to personal contact, and quality standards turned out to be the most important criteria from the referring agencies' perspective (ideal profile). A statistical comparison between those with high and low assignment rates suggested that customers rated the clinic more favourably than non-customers. Thus, it seems that the clinic's image has considerable influence on referral decisions. Particularly interesting is the additional finding that the referring institutions perceive pension insurers' directives to be of secondary relevance.

Cannabidiol regulation of emotion and emotional memory processing: relevance for treating anxiety-related and substance abuse disorders.

PubMed

Lee, Jonathan L C; Bertoglio, Leandro J; Guimarães, Francisco S; Stevenson, Carl W

2017-10-01

Learning to associate cues or contexts with potential threats or rewards is adaptive and enhances survival. Both aversive and appetitive memories are therefore powerful drivers of behaviour, but the inappropriate expression of conditioned responding to fear- and drug-related stimuli can develop into anxiety-related and substance abuse disorders respectively. These disorders are associated with abnormally persistent emotional memories and inadequate treatment, often leading to symptom relapse. Studies show that cannabidiol, the main non-psychotomimetic phytocannabinoid found in Cannabis sativa, reduces anxiety via 5-HT 1A and (indirect) cannabinoid receptor activation in paradigms assessing innate responses to threat. There is also accumulating evidence from animal studies investigating the effects of cannabidiol on fear memory processing indicating that it reduces learned fear in paradigms that are translationally relevant to phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder. Cannabidiol does so by reducing fear expression acutely and by disrupting fear memory reconsolidation and enhancing fear extinction, both of which can result in a lasting reduction of learned fear. Recent studies have also begun to elucidate the effects of cannabidiol on drug memory expression using paradigms with translational relevance to addiction. The findings suggest that cannabidiol reduces the expression of drug memories acutely and by disrupting their reconsolidation. Here, we review the literature demonstrating the anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol before focusing on studies investigating its effects on various fear and drug memory processes. Understanding how cannabidiol regulates emotion and emotional memory processing may eventually lead to its use as a treatment for anxiety-related and substance abuse disorders. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Pharmacology of Cognition: a Panacea for Neuropsychiatric Disease? To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.19/issuetoc. © 2017 The British Pharmacological Society.

An appraisal of the literature on teaching physical examination skills.

PubMed

Easton, Graham; Stratford-Martin, James; Atherton, Helen

2012-07-01

To discover which models for teaching physical examination skills have been proposed, and to appraise the evidence for each. We conducted a narrative review of relevant literature from 1990-2010. We searched the databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and ERIC (The Education Resource Information Centre) for the terms: 'physical examination' AND 'teaching' as both MESH terms and keyword searches. We excluded web-based or video teaching, non-physical examination skills (e.g. communication skills), and articles about simulated patients or models. We identified five relevant articles. These five studies outlined several approaches to teaching physical examination skills, including Peyton's 4-step model, an adaptation of his model to a 6-step model; the silent run through; and collaborative discovery. There was little evidence to support one method over others. One controlled trial suggested that silent run-through could improve performance of complex motor tasks, and another suggested that collaborative discovery improves students' ability to recognise key findings in cardiac examinations. There are several models for teaching physical examinations, but few are designed specifically for that purpose and there is little evidence to back any one model over another. We propose an approach which adopts several key features of these models. Future research could usefully evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed models, or develop innovative practical models for teaching examination skills.

Treatment of Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy in Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Scheinberg, Nataliya; Salbu, Rebecca L; Goswami, Gayotri; Cohen, Kenneth

2016-11-01

To review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, screening and diagnosis, and optimal treatment of diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) and its implications in older adults. A search of PubMed using the Mesh terms "diabetes," "type 1," "insulin-dependent," "T1DM," and "diabetic autonomic neuropathy" was performed to find relevant primary literature. Additional search terms "epidemiology," "geriatric," and "risk" were employed. All English-language articles from 2005 to 2015 appearing in these searches were reviewed for relevance. Related articles suggested in the PubMed search and clinical guidelines from the American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists were reviewed. These uncovered further resources for risk stratification, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of DAN. DAN is highly prevalent in the diabetes population and increases the risk of morbidity and mortality in older adults, yet, often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Treatment of DAN is complex in the older adult because of poor tolerability of many pharmacologic treatment options; therefore, great care must be taken when selecting therapy as to avoid unwanted adverse effects. With increasing life-expectancy of patients with diabetes mellitus, awareness of DAN and its implications to older adults is needed in primary care. Consistent screening and appropriate treatment of DAN in older adults with diabetes mellitus is essential in helping to maintain functional status and avoid adverse events.

The effects of conservative treatments on burn scars: A systematic review.

PubMed

Anthonissen, Mieke; Daly, Daniel; Janssens, Thaïs; Van den Kerckhove, Eric

2016-05-01

A variety of conservative treatments for burn scars are available, but there is no clear consensus on the evidence. The purpose of this study was to summarize the available literature on the effects of conservative treatments of burn scars in adults. RCTs and CCTs were sought in three databases, reference lists of retrieved articles and relevant reviews. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network scoring system was used to assess the quality of the selected studies. Information on the study characteristics, results and interventions was extracted. Twenty-two articles were included into the review and categorized in six topics: 5 on massage therapy, 4 on pressure therapy, 6 on silicone gel application, 3 on combined therapy of pressure and silicone, 3 on hydration and 1 on ultrasound. Pressure and silicone therapy are evidence-based conservative treatments of hypertrophic scar formation after a burn producing clinically relevant improvement of scar thickness, redness and pliability. Massage therapy could have a positive result on scar pliability, pain and pruritus, but with less supporting evidence. The use of moisturizers and lotions could have an effect on itching, but the findings are contradictory. Of all other non-invasive treatments such as splinting, casting, physical activity, exercise and mobilizations no RCTs or CCTs were found. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

The actual citation impact of European oncological research.

PubMed

López-Illescas, Carmen; de Moya-Anegón, Félix; Moed, Henk F

2008-01-01

This study provides an overview of the research performance of major European countries in the field Oncology, the most important journals in which they published their research articles, and the most important academic institutions publishing them. The analysis was based on Thomson Scientific's Web of Science (WoS) and calculated bibliometric indicators of publication activity and actual citation impact. Studying the time period 2000-2006, it gives an update of earlier studies, but at the same time it expands their methodologies, using a broader definition of the field, calculating indicators of actual citation impact, and analysing new and policy relevant aspects. Findings suggest that the emergence of Asian countries in the field Oncology has displaced European articles more strongly than articles from the USA; that oncologists who have published their articles in important, more general journals or in journals covering other specialties, rather than in their own specialist journals, have generated a relatively high actual citation impact; and that universities from Germany, and--to a lesser extent--those from Italy, the Netherlands, UK, and Sweden, dominate a ranking of European universities based on number of articles in oncology. The outcomes illustrate that different bibliometric methodologies may lead to different outcomes, and that outcomes should be interpreted with care.

Key elements of high-quality practice organisation in primary health care: a systematic review.

PubMed

Crossland, Lisa; Janamian, Tina; Jackson, Claire L

2014-08-04

To identify elements that are integral to high-quality practice and determine considerations relating to high-quality practice organisation in primary care. A narrative systematic review of published and grey literature. Electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Emerald Insight, PsycInfo, the Primary Health Care Research and Information Service website, Google Scholar) were searched in November 2013 and used to identify articles published in English from 2002 to 2013. Reference lists of included articles were searched for relevant unpublished articles and reports. Data were configured at the study level to allow for the inclusion of findings from a broad range of study types. Ten elements were most often included in the existing organisational assessment tools. A further three elements were identified from an inductive thematic analysis of descriptive articles, and were noted as important considerations in effective quality improvement in primary care settings. Although there are some validated tools available to primary care that identify and build quality, most are single-strategy approaches developed outside health care settings. There are currently no validated organisational improvement tools, designed specifically for primary health care, which combine all elements of practice improvement and whose use does not require extensive external facilitation.

A review of issues and concerns of family members of adult burn survivors.

PubMed

Sundara, Diana C

2011-01-01

The purpose of this review is to synthesize what is known about the issues and concerns of families of adult burn survivors from research and clinical articles written between 1973 and 2009. Electronic database searching, ancestry searching, and electronic hand searching were performed to identify relevant articles. Seventeen research studies and 14 clinical articles were identified. Families are often in crisis immediately after the injury. This crisis involves strong emotions, some of which may persist over time. Throughout the course of hospitalization, family issues include worries about their loved one's physical appearance, logistical concerns, and the transition to home. For partners, role changes and sexual concerns may be of particular importance. Extended family, friends, the burn team, and other families affected by a burn injury are important sources of support for family members. Few studies have been conducted beyond the time of hospitalization. Clinical articles have identified issues not present in the research literature. Further research is needed that focuses more closely on families and their experiences both in and out of the hospital. Implications for burn care providers based on the findings of this review are discussed.

Effects of technical editing in biomedical journals: a systematic review.

PubMed

Wager, Elizabeth; Middleton, Philippa

2002-06-05

Technical editing supposedly improves the accuracy and clarity of journal articles. We examined evidence of its effects on research reports in biomedical journals. Subset of a systematic review using Cochrane methods, searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, and other databases from earliest entries to February 2000 by using inclusive search terms; hand searching relevant journals. We selected comparative studies of the effects of editorial processes on original research articles between acceptance and publication in biomedical journals. Two reviewers assessed each study and performed independent data extraction. The 11 studies on technical editing indicate that it improves the readability of articles slightly (as measured by Gunning Fog and Flesch reading ease scores), may improve other aspects of their quality, can increase the accuracy of references and quotations, and raises the quality of abstracts. Supplying authors with abstract preparation instructions had no discernible effect. Considering the time and resources devoted to technical editing, remarkably little is know about its effects or the effects of imposing different house styles. Studies performed at 3 journals employing relatively large numbers of professional technical editors suggest that their editorial processes are associated with increases in readability and quality of articles, but these findings may not be generalizable to other journals.

Finding order in heterogeneity: types of quality-improvement intervention publications.

PubMed

Rubenstein, L V; Hempel, S; Farmer, M M; Asch, S M; Yano, E M; Dougherty, D; Shekelle, P W

2008-12-01

Stakeholders in quality improvement agree on the need for augmenting and synthesising the scientific literature supporting it. The diversity of perspectives, approaches, and contexts critical to advancing quality improvement science, however, creates challenges. The paper explores the heterogeneity in clinical quality improvement intervention (QII) publications. A preliminary classification framework was developed for QII articles, aiming for categories homogeneous enough to support coherent scientific discussion on QII reporting standards and facilitate systematic review. QII experts were asked to identify articles important to QII science. The framework was tested and revised by applying it to the article set. The final framework screened articles into (1) empirical literature on development and testing of QIIs; (2) QII stories, theories, and frameworks; (3) QII literature syntheses and meta-analyses; or (4) development and testing of QII-related tools. To achieve homogeneity, category (1) required division into (1a) development of QIIs; 1(b) history, documentation, or description of QIIs; or (1c) success, effectiveness or impact of QIIs. By discussing unique issues and established standards relevant to each category, QII stakeholders can advance QII practice and science, including the scope and conduct of systematic literature reviews.

Examining stress perceptions and coping strategies among Saudi nursing students: A systematic review.

PubMed

Labrague, Leodoro J; McEnroe-Petitte, Denise M; De Los Santos, Janet Alexis A; Edet, Olaide B

2018-06-01

Stress is a perennial problem in nursing education and Saudi student nurses are not immune. Despite the growing literature examining stress in Saudi student nurses, a broader perspective on this concept has not been explored. This paper is a report of a review systematically appraising and synthesizing existing scientific articles reporting stress perceptions and coping styles in Saudi student nurses. A systematic review method guided this review. Four (SCOPUS, CINAHL, PubMed, Ovid) bibliographic databases were searched to locate relevant articles. An electronic database search was performed in August 2017 to locate studies published from 2010 onwards. The search words included: "stress" OR "psychological stress", "coping" OR "psychological adaptation", "Saudi Arabia", "student", and "nurse". Eleven (11) articles met the inclusion criteria. Review of the findings showed moderate to high stress levels in Saudi student nurses that originated mainly from heavy workloads and taking care of patients. However, when the students' demographic characteristics were taken into account, inconclusive results were found, although some evidence showed higher stress levels in higher level students. Both active and passive coping styles were used by nursing students when dealing with stress. Consistent with international studies, Saudi student nurses experience a considerable levels of stress from various sources. Findings may provide a direction for nursing faculty in formulating stress interventions that are empirically tested and culturally appropriate. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Converging research needs across framework convention on tobacco control articles: making research relevant to global tobacco control practice and policy.

PubMed

Leischow, Scott J; Ayo-Yusuf, Olalekan; Backinger, Cathy L

2013-04-01

Much of the research used to support the ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was conducted in high-income countries or in highly controlled environments. Therefore, for the global tobacco control community to make informed decisions that will continue to effectively inform policy implementation, it is critical that the tobacco control community, policy makers, and funders have updated information on the state of the science as it pertains to provisions of the FCTC. Following the National Cancer Institute's process model used in identifying the research needs of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's relatively new tobacco law, a core team of scientists from the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco identified and commissioned internationally recognized scientific experts on the topics covered within the FCTC. These experts analyzed the relevant sections of the FCTC and identified critical gaps in research that is needed to inform policy and practice requirements of the FCTC. This paper summarizes the process and the common themes from the experts' recommendations about the research and related infrastructural needs. Research priorities in common across Articles include improving surveillance, fostering research communication/collaboration across organizations and across countries, and tracking tobacco industry activities. In addition, expanding research relevant to low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), was also identified as a priority, including identification of what existing research findings are transferable, what new country-specific data are needed, and the infrastructure needed to implement and disseminate research so as to inform policy in LMIC.

Black Holes: A Selected Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraknoi, Andrew

1991-01-01

Offers a selected bibliography pertaining to black holes with the following categories: introductory books; introductory articles; somewhat more advanced articles; readings about Einstein's general theory of relativity; books on the death of stars; articles on the death of stars; specific articles about Supernova 1987A; relevant science fiction…

Epidemiology of Major Depressive Disorder in Iran: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Sadeghirad, Behnam; Haghdoost, Ali-Akbar; Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Ananloo, Esmaeil Shahsavand; Ghaeli, Padideh; Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Talebian, Elham; Pourkhandani, Ali; Noorbala, Ahmad Ali; Barooti, Esmat

2010-01-01

Objectives: There are a large number of primary researches on the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in Iran; however, their findings are varied considerably. A systematic review was performed in order to summarize the findings. Methods: Electronic and manual searches in international and Iranian journals were conducted to find relevant studies reporting MDD prevalence. To maximize the sensitivity of the search, the references of relevant papers were also explored. We explored the potential sources of heterogeneity such as diagnostic tools, gender and other characteristics using meta-regression model. The combined mean prevalence rates were calculated for genders, studies using each type of instruments and for each province using meta-analysis method. Results: From 44 articles included in the systematic review, 24 reported current prevalence and 20 reported lifetime prevalence of MDD. The overall estimation of current prevalence of MDD was 4.1% (95% CI: 3.1-5.1). Women were 1.95 (95% CI: 1.55-2.45) times more likely to have MDD. The current prevalence of MDD in urban inhabitants was not significantly different from rural inhabitants. The analysis identified the variations in diagnostic tools as an important source of heterogeneity. Conclusions: Although there is not adequate information on MDD prevalence in some areas of Iran, the overall current prevalence of MDD in the country is high and females are at the greater risk of disease. PMID:21566767

Assessing Course Content Relevance for Employment of Adult Non-Formal Education and Training Graduates in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayombe, Celestin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to assess the course content relevance in contributing to wage- or self-employment of adult non-formal education and training (NFET) in the context of South Africa. The concern that informed this article is that adults who face long-term unemployment due to a lack of marketable skills remain unemployed after…

The architectural relevance of cybernetics

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

Frazer, J.H.

1993-12-31

This title is taken from an article by Gordon Pask in Architectural Design September 1969. It raises a number of questions which this article attempts to answer. How did Gordon come to be writing for an architectural publication? What was his contribution to architecture? How does he now come to be on the faculty of a school of architecture? And what indeed is the architectural relevance of cybernetics? 12 refs.

Activity Theory as a Tool to Address the Problem of Chemistry's Lack of Relevance in Secondary School Chemical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Aalsvoort, Joke

2004-01-01

In a previous article, the problem of chemistry's lack of relevance in secondary chemical education was analysed using logical positivism as a tool. This article starts with the hypothesis that the problem can be addressed by means of activity theory, one of the important theories within the sociocultural school. The reason for this expectation is…

Family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Blessitt, Esther; Voulgari, Stamatoula; Eisler, Ivan

2015-11-01

Research into the efficacy and practice of family therapy for the treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa has been ongoing for the past 4 decades. Research results continue to highlight the effective role of family therapy for the treatment of anorexia in adolescents. This review aims to present findings and opinions from relevant articles published over the past 12 months, related to the treatment of adolescent anorexia, utilizing family therapy and multi-family therapy. A number of recent articles continue to explore family therapy for adolescent anorexia, with particular emphasis being placed on attempting to pinpoint those elements of the approaches that may hold significance in relation to recovery from this dangerous illness and the development of new interventions that draw on the evidence to date for a family approach to the treatment of anorexia. Ongoing research is needed to identify the active ingredients of family therapy for anorexia.

Methodology discourses as boundary work in the construction of engineering education.

PubMed

Beddoes, Kacey

2014-04-01

Engineering education research is a new field that emerged in the social sciences over the past 10 years. This analysis of engineering education research demonstrates that methodology discourses have played a central role in the construction and development of the field of engineering education, and that they have done so primarily through boundary work. This article thus contributes to science and technology studies literature by examining the role of methodology discourses in an emerging social science field. I begin with an overview of engineering education research before situating the case within relevant bodies of literature on methodology discourses and boundary work. I then identify two methodology discourses--rigor and methodological diversity--and discuss how they contribute to the construction and development of engineering education research. The article concludes with a discussion of how the findings relate to prior research on methodology discourses and boundary work and implications for future research.

Counselling users of hearing technology: a comprehensive literature review.

PubMed

Meibos, Alex; Muñoz, Karen; Schultz, Jared; Price, Tanner; Whicker, John J; Caballero, Ana; Graham, Laurel

2017-12-01

The purpose of this review is to determine the scope of peer-reviewed empirical research related to counselling in audiology with patients using hearing technology and to identify limitations and gaps to guide recommendations for future research. A rapid evidence assessment was used to identify relevant articles for the review. Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Three themes were identified: (1) audiologist counselling perspectives, (2) counselling communication trends in practice and (3) audiologist experiences with professional training and reported patient outcomes. Findings revealed audiologists are more confident providing information than counselling that addresses adjustment aspects, and other communication gaps have been observed. There is limited research related to counselling in audiology. Audiologists continue to report a need for more training in counselling in their graduate programmes. Additional research is needed to determine effective ways to implement counselling in practice and to improve graduate student supervision for the development of counselling competencies and confidence in using skills in practice.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice 2017 Year in Review.

PubMed

Schatz, Michael; Sicherer, Scott H; Zeiger, Robert S

An impressive number of clinically impactful studies and reviews were published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice in 2017. As a service to our readers, the editors provide this Year in Review article to highlight and contextualize the advances published over the past year. We include information from articles on asthma, allergic rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, immunotherapy, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, food allergy, anaphylaxis, drug hypersensitivity, urticarial/angioedema, eosinophilic disorders, and immunodeficiency. Within each topic, epidemiologic findings are presented, relevant aspects of prevention are described, and diagnostic and therapeutic advances are enumerated. Treatments discussed include behavioral therapy, allergen avoidance therapy, positive and negative effects of pharmacologic therapy, and various forms of immunologic and desensitization management. We hope this review will help readers consolidate and use this extensive and practical knowledge for the benefit of patients. Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Value of information analysis in healthcare: a review of principles and applications.

PubMed

Tuffaha, Haitham W; Gordon, Louisa G; Scuffham, Paul A

2014-06-01

Economic evaluations are increasingly utilized to inform decisions in healthcare; however, decisions remain uncertain when they are not based on adequate evidence. Value of information (VOI) analysis has been proposed as a systematic approach to measure decision uncertainty and assess whether there is sufficient evidence to support new technologies. The objective of this paper is to review the principles and applications of VOI analysis in healthcare. Relevant databases were systematically searched to identify VOI articles. The findings from the selected articles were summarized and narratively presented. Various VOI methods have been developed and applied to inform decision-making, optimally designing research studies and setting research priorities. However, the application of this approach in healthcare remains limited due to technical and policy challenges. There is a need to create more awareness about VOI analysis, simplify its current methods, and align them with the needs of decision-making organizations.

Virtopsy: Touch-free autopsy

PubMed Central

Badam, Raj Kumar; Sownetha, Triekan; Babu, D. B. Gandhi; Waghray, Shefali; Reddy, Lavanya; Garlapati, Komali; Chavva, Sunanda

2017-01-01

The word “autopsy” denotes “to see with own eyes.” Autopsy (postmortem) is a process that includes a thorough examination of a corpse noting everything related to anatomization, surface wounds, histological and culture studies. Virtopsy is a term extracted from two words “virtual” and “autopsy.” It employs imaging methods that are routinely used in clinical medicine such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the field of autopsy, to find the reason for death. Virtopsy is a multi-disciplinary technology that combines forensic medicine and pathology, roentgenology, computer graphics, biomechanics, and physics. It is rapidly gaining importance in the field of forensics. This approach has been recently used by forensic odontologists, but yet to make its own mark in the field. This article mainly deals with “virtopsy” where in various articles were web searched, relevant data was selected, extracted, and summarized here. PMID:28584475

How people think about the chemicals in cigarette smoke: a systematic review.

PubMed

Morgan, Jennifer C; Byron, M Justin; Baig, Sabeeh A; Stepanov, Irina; Brewer, Noel T

2017-08-01

Laws and treaties compel countries to inform the public about harmful chemicals (constituents) in cigarette smoke. To encourage relevant research by behavioral scientists, we provide a primer on cigarette smoke toxicology and summarize research on how the public thinks about cigarette smoke chemicals. We systematically searched PubMed in July 2016 and reviewed citations from included articles. Four central findings emerged across 46 articles that met inclusion criteria. First, people were familiar with very few chemicals in cigarette smoke. Second, people knew little about cigarette additives, assumed harmful chemicals are added during manufacturing, and perceived cigarettes without additives to be less harmful. Third, people wanted more information about constituents. Finally, well-presented chemical information increased knowledge and awareness and may change behavior. This research area is in urgent need of behavioral science. Future research should investigate whether educating the public about these chemicals increases risk perceptions and quitting.

Variability of insulin degludec and glargine U300: A matter of methodology or just marketing?

PubMed

Heise, Tim; Heckermann, Sascha; DeVries, J Hans

2018-05-17

The variability in the time-action profiles of insulin preparations, in particular basal insulins, has been a matter of debate ever since the publication of a glucose clamp study comparing the day-to-day variability of three different basal insulins (glargine U100, detemir and NPH) in 2004 [1]. While critics did not contest the findings of a lower variability of some basal insulins in this and a later [2] glucose clamp study, they did question the relevance of a lower pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) variability for clinical endpoints [3, 4]. Nevertheless, this has not stopped marketeers to widely use the results of glucose clamp studies promoting insulins for higher predictability or a suggested flat PK/PD-profile fully covering 24 hours [5]. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A review of privacy and usability issues in mobile health systems: Role of external factors.

PubMed

Katusiime, Jane; Pinkwart, Niels

2017-10-01

The increased penetration of mobile devices has created opportunities in the health sector and led to emerging of mobile health systems. As much as the mobile health systems have registered tremendous progress, they have been faced with privacy and usability issues. Due to the sensitivity of health information, there is an ethical need to equip mobile health systems with adequate privacy measures. However, these systems should also be useable by the intended users. Even though many researchers are working on solutions, the issues still persist. External factors such as cultural differences have also contributed to the issues, yet they have been under researched. In this article, we conduct a systematic literature review of 22 articles, categorize and present privacy and usability issues and possible solutions. We then discuss the relevance and implications of external factors to the findings on privacy and usability. We end with recommendations to address these external factors.

Review of child and adolescent refugee mental health.

PubMed

Lustig, Stuart L; Kia-Keating, Maryam; Knight, Wanda Grant; Geltman, Paul; Ellis, Heidi; Kinzie, J David; Keane, Terence; Saxe, Glenn N

2004-01-01

To review stressful experiences and stress reactions among child and adolescent refugees, as well as interventions and ethical considerations in research and clinical work, within the framework of the chronological experiences of child refugees; namely, the phases of preflight, flight, and resettlement. Highlighted are special refugee populations such as unaccompanied minors, asylum seekers, and former child soldiers. Pertinent medical findings are summarized. The authors reviewed articles from 1990 to 2003 addressing the topics above. Literature was gathered from databases including PsycINFO, Medline, and SocioFile. Pertinent earlier papers and those from other disciplines cited in database-identified articles were also included. Child and adolescent refugees suffer from significant conflict-related exposures. Reactions to stress may be mediated by coping strategies, belief systems, and social relations. More research is needed on interventions, specifically on efficacy and cultural relevance. Interventions that have an impact on multiple ecological levels need further development and evaluation.

Drinking in later life: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies exploring older people's perceptions and experiences.

PubMed

Bareham, Bethany Kate; Kaner, Eileen; Spencer, Liam Patrick; Hanratty, Barbara

2018-05-04

alcohol presents risks to the health of older adults at levels that may have been 'safer' earlier in life. Moderate drinking is associated with some health benefits, and can play a positive role in older people's social lives. To support healthy ageing, we must understand older people's views with regards to their drinking. This study aims to synthesise qualitative evidence exploring the perceptions and experiences of alcohol use by adults aged 50 years and over. a pre-specified search strategy was applied to Medline, PsychINFO, Scopus, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases from starting dates. Grey literature, relevant journals, references and citations of included articles were searched. Two independent reviewers sifted articles and assessed study quality. Principles of thematic analysis were applied to synthesise the findings from included studies. of 2,056 unique articles identified, 25 articles met inclusion criteria. Four themes explained study findings: routines and rituals of older people's drinking; self-image as a responsible drinker; perceptions of alcohol and the ageing body; and older people's access to alcohol. Differences between gender, countries and social patterns are highlighted. older people perceive themselves as controlled and responsible drinkers. They may not recognise risks associated with alcohol, but appreciate its role in sustaining social and leisure activities important to health and well-being in later life. These are important considerations for intervention development. Drinking is routinised across the life course and may be difficult to change in retirement.

Rater methodology for stroboscopy: a systematic review.

PubMed

Bonilha, Heather Shaw; Focht, Kendrea L; Martin-Harris, Bonnie

2015-01-01

Laryngeal endoscopy with stroboscopy (LES) remains the clinical gold standard for assessing vocal fold function. LES is used to evaluate the efficacy of voice treatments in research studies and clinical practice. LES as a voice treatment outcome tool is only as good as the clinician interpreting the recordings. Research using LES as a treatment outcome measure should be evaluated based on rater methodology and reliability. The purpose of this literature review was to evaluate the rater-related methodology from studies that use stroboscopic findings as voice treatment outcome measures. Systematic literature review. Computerized journal databases were searched for relevant articles using terms: stroboscopy and treatment. Eligible articles were categorized and evaluated for the use of rater-related methodology, reporting of number of raters, types of raters, blinding, and rater reliability. Of the 738 articles reviewed, 80 articles met inclusion criteria. More than one-third of the studies included in the review did not report the number of raters who participated in the study. Eleven studies reported results of rater reliability analysis with only two studies reporting good inter- and intrarater reliability. The comparability and use of results from treatment studies that use LES are limited by a lack of rigor in rater methodology and variable, mostly poor, inter- and intrarater reliability. To improve our ability to evaluate and use the findings from voice treatment studies that use LES features as outcome measures, greater consistency of reporting rater methodology characteristics across studies and improved rater reliability is needed. Copyright © 2015 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Current knowledge on Mycobacterium leprae transmission: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Bratschi, Martin W; Steinmann, Peter; Wickenden, Anna; Gillis, Thomas P

2015-06-01

Summary The transmission pathways of Mycobacterium leprae are not fully understood. Solid evidence exists for an increased risk for individuals living in close contact with leprosy patients but the existence of zoonotic leprosy, environmental reservoirs and trauma-related transmission has also been established. To assess the current state of knowledge on M. leprae transmission, we conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature pertaining to this topic. Major electronic bibliographic databases were searched for relevant peer-reviewed articles published up to January 2014. No restrictions on study types, participants and location were applied, and all outcomes demonstrated to contribute to the transmission of M. leprae were considered. Included studies were grouped by mode of transmission, namely (i) human-to-human via aerosols or direct contact; (ii) direct inoculation (e.g. injury); and (iii) transmission to humans from environmental or zoonotic reservoirs, and by insects. The importance of the different transmission pathways and the strength of the evidence were assessed considering the number of publications describing similar findings, the consistency of the findings and the methodological quality of the studies. A total of 79 relevant articles were retained out of 3,805 hits resulting from the application of the search strategy. Solid evidence for transmission among contacts exists, and for zoonotic leprosy in the southern States of the USA. Based on the extant evidence, skin-to-skin contact, aerosols/droplets and shedding of bacteria into the environment and subsequent infection, e.g. through dust or small wounds, all remain possible options. No study has unequivocally demonstrated the mechanisms by which M. leprae bacteria travel from one case of leprosy to another.

Association Between Oral Health and Cognitive Status: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Wu, Bei; Fillenbaum, Gerda G.; Plassman, Brenda L.; Guo, Liang

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES We have carried out a systematic review of longitudinal studies examining the association between oral health and cognitive decline. DESIGN Studies, published 01/1993-03/2013, were identified by search of English language publications in PubMed/Medline using relevant MeSH terms and title/abstract keywords, and from CINAHL using relevant subject headings. After applying eligibility criteria, and adding four studies identified from article references, 56 of the 1412 articles identified remained: 40 were cross-sectional, and 16 longitudinal; 11 of the latter examined the impact of oral health on change in cognitive health or dementia incidence, five examined the reverse. SETTING Sources of information included administrative data, subject evaluations in parent studies, medical and dental records, self-reports, and in-person evaluations. MEASUREMENTS Most studies used subjects whose oral or cognitive status was known, adding the missing piece using standard measures. The oral health information most frequently studied included number of teeth, periodontal and caries problems, and denture use. Cognition was most frequently evaluated using the MMSE, or by determination of dementia. RESULTS Some studies found that oral health measures such as number of teeth and periodontal disease were associated with increased risk of cognitive decline or incident dementia, while others did not find the association. Similarly, cognitive decline was not consistently associated with greater loss of teeth or number of caries. Methodological limitations likely play a major role in explaining the inconsistent findings. CONCLUSION It is unclear how or whether oral health and cognitive status are related. Additional research is needed in which there is greater agreement on how oral health and cognitive states are assessed, in order to better examine the linkages between these two health outcomes. PMID:27037761

SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP) 7: Finding systematic reviews

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

This article is part of a series written for people responsible for making decisions about health policies and programmes and for those who support these decision makers. Systematic reviews are increasingly seen as a key source of information in policymaking, particularly in terms of assisting with descriptions of the impacts of options. Relative to single studies they offer a number of advantages related to understanding impacts and are also seen as a key source of information for clarifying problems and providing complementary perspectives on options. Systematic reviews can be undertaken to place problems in comparative perspective and to describe the likely harms of an option. They also assist with understanding the meanings that individuals or groups attach to a problem, how and why options work, and stakeholder views and experiences related to particular options. A number of constraints have hindered the wider use of systematic reviews in policymaking. These include a lack of awareness of their value and a mismatch between the terms employed by policymakers, when attempting to retrieve systematic reviews, and the terms used by the original authors of those reviews. Mismatches between the types of information that policymakers are seeking, and the way in which authors fail to highlight (or make obvious) such information within systematic reviews have also proved problematic. In this article, we suggest three questions that can be used to guide those searching for systematic reviews, particularly reviews about the impacts of options being considered. These are: 1. Is a systematic review really what is needed? 2. What databases and search strategies can be used to find relevant systematic reviews? 3. What alternatives are available when no relevant review can be found? PMID:20018114

Applying evidence-based surgery in daily clinical routine: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Krahn, Jan; Sauerland, Stefan; Rixen, Dieter; Gregor, Sven; Bouillon, Bertil; Neugebauer, Edmund A M

2006-03-01

Although the word evidence-based medicine (EBM) has gained wide popularity, only a few studies have evaluated how EBM works in clinical practice. We have prospectively evaluated the feasibility of evidence-based trauma surgery. Orthopaedic trauma surgeons were asked to produce clinical questions related to the treatment of current patients. An informaticist searched the literature (Medline, Cochrane Library, practice guidelines and textbooks) and reported the findings on every following day. The study's main endpoints were the rate of questions for which relevant evidence (>level V) was available and the time necessary to find and critically appraise medical evidence. In total, 44 EBM questions were formulated, mainly concerning treatment options. PubMed was searched for 39 questions, textbooks for 14, the Cochrane Library for 11, online guidelines for 9 and other sources were used for 4 questions. On average, 157 text items (three per questions) were identified as potentially relevant. Journal articles predominated (83%) over textbooks (10%). Sixty-eight percent of the questions (30 of 44) were answered, either on the basis level 1 (n=13 questions), level 2 (n=6), or level 4 evidence (n=14). Trying to answer a question required 53 min on average, split up between 39 min of database searches and 25 min of obtaining full text articles. In four cases, the evidence suggested a change in clinical management. The physicians were very appreciative of our project and found the provided evidence very helpful for their clinical decisions. Time will be the main barrier against the introduction of clinical EBM. It is likely that clinicians reduce EBM to those situations where evidence is likely to be found. Although the impact of EBM on patient-care was limited, the concept of EBM was successfully implemented.

Authoring Newspaper Science Articles: A Rewarding Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Espada, Wilson J.

2009-01-01

In this article, the author summarizes the rationale for using science articles in K-16 education and addresses some of its limitations. The author also encourages scientists and college science faculty to contribute contextually relevant articles that might include selected literary techniques to their local or state newspapers.

Sexuality and spirituality: the relevance of eastern traditions.

PubMed

Francoeur, R T

1992-01-01

This article outlines some of the major Eastern sexual and spiritual traditions (primarily Hinduism, Taoism and Tantrism), and discusses their relevance for the contemporary Western world. The article begins by examining the sources of Eastern sexual traditions, before and after the "Axial" period, the turning point at which male consciousness and power gained ascendancy over the female principle. Although a phallocentric view of the world came to dominate the East, Eastern cultures -- unlike the West -- maintained a respect for nature. According to this view, health and spirituality are gained only when humanity respects its place in the cosmos and lives in harmony with nature. The article then examines the sexual traditions of Hinduism, in which sexual asceticism not only coexisted but also complimented the celebration of sexual desire and pleasure. The article then discusses the Taoist traditions, which, among other things, stressed the importance of female sexual satisfaction. Taoism argued that men cannot experience true sexual ecstasy unless they develop the ability to control their ejaculation. The Tantric sexual tradition, the article explains, maintained that ultimate sexual pleasure would enable one to experience the true nature of reality. The article then goes on to review variations of these traditions: the Hindu Tantric Doctrine (Shaktism), the Buddhist Tantric Doctrine, and Tantra and Yoga. Finally, the article considers the relevance of these Eastern philosophies to the Western sexual tradition, which has tended to view sexuality as antagonistic to spiritual liberation.

A productive clash of perspectives? The interplay between articles' and authors' perspectives and their impact on Wikipedia edits in a controversial domain.

PubMed

Jirschitzka, Jens; Kimmerle, Joachim; Halatchliyski, Iassen; Hancke, Julia; Meurers, Detmar; Cress, Ulrike

2017-01-01

This study examined predictors of the development of Wikipedia articles that deal with controversial issues. We chose a corpus of articles in the German-language version of Wikipedia about alternative medicine as a representative controversial issue. We extracted edits made until March 2013 and categorized them using a supervised machine learning setup as either being pro conventional medicine, pro alternative medicine, or neutral. Based on these categories, we established relevant variables, such as the perspectives of articles and of authors at certain points in time, the (im)balance of an article's perspective, the number of non-neutral edits per article, the number of authors per article, authors' heterogeneity per article, and incongruity between authors' and articles' perspectives. The underlying objective was to predict the development of articles' perspectives with regard to the controversial topic. The empirical part of the study is embedded in theoretical considerations about editorial biases and the effectiveness of norms and rules in Wikipedia, such as the neutral point of view policy. Our findings revealed a selection bias where authors edited mainly articles with perspectives similar to their own viewpoint. Regression analyses showed that an author's perspective as well as the article's previous perspectives predicted the perspective of the resulting edits, albeit both predictors interact with each other. Further analyses indicated that articles with more non-neutral edits were altogether more balanced. We also found a positive effect of the number of authors and of the authors' heterogeneity on articles' balance. However, while the effect of the number of authors was reserved to pro-conventional medicine articles, the authors' heterogenity effect was restricted to pro-alternative medicine articles. Finally, we found a negative effect of incongruity between authors' and articles' perspectives that was pronounced for the pro-alternative medicine articles.

Safety of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) administered as DHA ethyl ester in a 9-month toxicity study in dogs.

PubMed

Dahms, Irina; Beilstein, Paul; Bonnette, Kimberly; Salem, Norman

2016-06-01

DHA Ethyl Ester (DHA-EE) is a 90% concentrated ethyl ester of docosahexaenoic acid manufactured from the microalgal oil. The objective of the 9-month study was to evaluate safety of DHA-EE administered to beagle dogs at dose levels 150, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg bw/day by oral gavage and to determine reversibility of any findings after a 2-month recovery period. DHA-EE was well tolerated at all doses. There were observations of dry flaky skin with occasional reddened areas at doses ≥1000 mg/kg bw/day. These findings lacked any microscopic correlate and were no longer present after the recovery period. There were no toxicologically relevant findings in body weights, body weight gains, food consumption, ophthalmological examinations, and ECG measurements. Test article-related changes in hematology parameters were limited to decreases in reticulocyte count in the high-dose males and considered non-adverse. In clinical chemistry parameters, dose-related decreases in cholesterol and triglycerides levels were observed at all doses in males and females and attributed to the known lipid-lowering effects of DHA. There were no effects on other clinical chemistry, urinalysis or coagulation parameters. There were no abnormal histopathology findings attributed to test article. The No-Observable-Adverse-Effect Level of DHA-EE was established at 2000 mg/kg bw/day for both genders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A performance and failure analysis of SAPHIRE with a MEDLINE test collection.

PubMed Central

Hersh, W R; Hickam, D H; Haynes, R B; McKibbon, K A

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Assess the performance of the SAPHIRE automated information retrieval system. DESIGN: Comparative study of automated and human searching of a MEDLINE test collection. MEASUREMENTS: Recall and precision of SAPHIRE were compared with those attributes of novice physicians, expert physicians, and librarians for a test collection of 75 queries and 2,334 citations. Failure analysis assessed the efficacy of the Metathesaurus as a concept vocabulary; the reasons for retrieval of nonrelevant articles and nonretrieval of relevant articles; and the effect of changing the weighting formula for relevance ranking of retrieved articles. RESULTS: Recall and precision of SAPHIRE were comparable to those of both physician groups, but less than those of librarians. CONCLUSION: The current version of the Metathesaurus, as utilized by SAPHIRE, was unable to represent the conceptual content of one-fourth of physician-generated MEDLINE queries. The most likely cause for retrieval of nonrelevant articles was the presence of some or all of the search terms in the article, with frequencies high enough to lead to retrieval. The most likely cause for nonretrieval of relevant articles was the absence of the actual terms from the query, with synonyms or hierarchically related terms present instead. There were significant variations in performance when SAPHIRE's concept-weighing formulas were modified. PMID:7719787

PHARMACOLOGY PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMAOCLOGY AND PHARMACODYNAMICS.

PubMed

Currie, Geoffrey M

2018-03-29

There is an emerging need for greater understanding of pharmacology principles amongst technical staff. Indeed, the responsibility of dose preparation and administration, under any level of supervision, demands foundation understanding of pharmacology. This is true for radiopharmaceuticals, contrast media and pharmaceutical interventions / adjunctive medications. Regulation around the same might suggest a need to embed pharmacology theory in undergraduate education programs and there is a need to disseminate that same foundation understanding to practicing clinicians. Moreover, pharmacology foundations can provide key understanding of the principles that underpin quantitative techniques (e.g. pharmacokinetics). This article is the first in a series of articles that aims to enhance the understanding of pharmacological principles relevant to nuclear medicine. This article will deal with the introductory concepts, terminology and principles that underpin the concepts to be discussed in the remainder of the series. The second article will build on the pharmacodynamic principles examined in this article with a treatment of pharmacokinetics. Article 3 will outline pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in general nuclear medicine, the fourth pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in nuclear cardiology, and the fifth the pharmacology related to contrast media associated with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Primary care interventions to reduce childhood obesity and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption: Food for thought for oral health professionals.

PubMed

Dooley, Diane; Moultrie, Nicolette M; Sites, Elsbeth; Crawford, Patricia B

2017-06-01

Childhood obesity remains a significant threat to America's children. Health care leaders have increasingly called upon oral health professionals to integrate healthy weight promotion and enhanced sugar-sweetened beverage counseling into their professional practices. The aim of this scoping review is to examine recent evidence regarding the effectiveness of primary care childhood obesity interventions that have potential for adoption by oral health professionals. Medine, and PubMed were searched from 2010 to 2016 for review articles and studies reporting patient outcomes or policy outcomes relevant to primary care childhood obesity interventions for children ages 2-11 years. Additional articles were accessed through relevant websites, journals, and references. Our screening criteria included interventions that could be adopted by oral health professionals. Forty-two articles met inclusion criteria. Effective interventions fell into four domains: family-based programs, motivational interviewing, office-based practice tools, and policy interventions. Despite strong evidence linking the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to childhood obesity, our review did not find evidence of primary care programs effectively targeting and reducing childhood sugary drinks. Effective primary care interventions for addressing childhood obesity have been identified, although only short-term effectiveness has been demonstrated. Dissemination of these practices as well as further research and advocacy are needed. Childhood obesity and poor oral health share many common risk factors. Additional research should focus on the benefits and feasibility of widespread interdisciplinary medical-oral health collaboration in addressing the two most prevalent diseases of childhood. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Interaction Between Low-Dose Methotrexate and Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs, Penicillins, and Proton Pump Inhibitors.

PubMed

Hall, Jill J; Bolina, Monika; Chatterley, Trish; Jamali, Fakhreddin

2017-02-01

To review the potential drug interactions between low-dose methotrexate (LD-MTX) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), penicillins, and proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) given the disparity between interactions reported for high-dose and low-dose MTX to help guide clinicians. A literature search was performed in MEDLINE (1946 to September 2016), EMBASE (1974 to September 2016), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970 to January 2015) to identify reports describing potential drug interactions between LD-MTX and NSAIDS, penicillins, or PPIs. Reference lists of included articles were reviewed to find additional eligible articles. All English-language observational, randomized, and pharmacokinetic (PK) studies assessing LD-MTX interactions in humans were analyzed to determine clinical relevance in making recommendations to clinicians. Clinical case reports were assigned a Drug Interaction Probability Scale score. A total of 32 articles were included (28 with NSAIDs, 3 with penicillins, and 2 with PPIs [1 including both PPI and NSAID]). Although there are some PK data to describe increased LD-MTX concentrations when NSAIDs are used concomitantly, the clinical relevance remains unclear. Based on the limited data on LD-MTX with penicillins and PPIs, no clinically meaningful interaction was identified. Given the available evidence, the clinical importance of the interaction between LD-MTX and NSAIDs, penicillins, and PPIs cannot be substantiated. Health care providers should assess the benefit and risk of LD-MTX regardless of concomitant drug use, including factors known to predispose patients to MTX toxicity, and continue to monitor clinical and laboratory parameters per guideline recommendations.

Do topical applications of bisphosphonates improve bone formation in oral implantology? A systematic review

PubMed Central

Lozano-Carrascal, Naroa; Hernández-Alfaro, Federico; Gehrke, Sergio-Alexandre; Gargallo-Albiol, Jordi; Calvo-Guirado, José-Luis

2017-01-01

Background The aim of this systematic literature review was to evaluate the feasibility of topical bisphosphonate application for preserving/enhancing alveolar bone in oral implantology. Material and Methods An electronic search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of knowledge, and Google-Scholar databases for articles dated from January 2000 to December 2016. Two reviewers assessed the quality of the studies independently. Results A total of 154 abstracts were identified, of which 18 potentially relevant articles were selected; a final total of nine papers were included for analysis. Comparison of the findings of the selected studies was made difficult by the heterogeneity of the articles, all of them animal research papers that showed heterogeneity in the methodologies used and a high or moderate risk of bias. Conclusions The topical application of bisphosphonate solution would appear to favor new bone formation in alveolar defects, and boosts the regenerative capacities of biomaterials resulting in increased bone density. Key words:Alveolar bone, bone regeneration, topical application, biomaterial, bisphosphonates. PMID:28624840

Drug safety evaluation of defibrotide.

PubMed

Richardson, Paul G; Corbacioglu, Selim; Ho, Vincent Trien-Vinh; Kernan, Nancy A; Lehmann, Leslie; Maguire, Craig; Maglio, Michelle; Hoyle, Margaret; Sardella, Marco; Giralt, Sergio; Holler, Ernst; Carreras, Enric; Niederwieser, Dietger; Soiffer, Robert

2013-01-01

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), also known as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), is a potentially life-threatening complication of chemotherapeutic conditioning used in preparation for hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (SCT). Defibrotide (DF) has been shown in Phase II and III trials to improve complete response in patients with severe VOD (sVOD). None of the articles, to date, provide a comprehensive review of the safety of DF in VOD and/or a range of other conditions. This article reviews current clinical findings on DF, primarily in terms of safety for use in treatment and prophylaxis of VOD, and relevant safety data for its use in other diseases. The literature review was conducted using a PubMed search with the fixed term 'defibrotide' in combination with ≥ 1 of 'safety', 'veno-occlusive disease' (with and without 'treatment', 'prevention'), 'oncology', 'myeloma', 'microangiopathy', 'anti-thrombotic' and 'peripheral vascular disorder'. Related articles from the EBMT and ASH conference websites were also included. DF was well tolerated in majority of the studies. The safety profile of DF is largely favourable with toxicities comparable to control populations in the setting of SCT complicated by sVOD.

Cardio-protective and anti-cancer therapeutic potential of Nigella sativa

PubMed Central

Shafiq, Hammad; Ahmad, Asif; Masud, Tariq; Kaleem, Muhammad

2014-01-01

Nigella sativa is the miraculous plant having a lot of nutritional and medicinal benefits, and attracts large number of nutrition and pharmacological researchers. N. sativa seed composition shows that it is the blessing of nature and it contains and many bioactive compounds like thymoquinone, α-hederin, alkaloids, flavonoids, antioxidants, fatty acids many other compounds that have positive effects on curing of different diseases. Several medicinal properties of N. sativa like its anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, antioxidant activities and many others are well acknowledged. However, this article focuses on activity of N. sativa against cardiovascular diseases and cancer. For gathering required data the authors went through vast number of articles using search engines like Science direct, ELSEVIER, Pub Med, Willey on Line Library and Google scholar and the findings were classified on the basis of relevance of the topic and were reviewed in the article. N. sativa is rich source of different biologically active compounds and is found effective in controlling number of cardiovascular diseases and various cancers both in vivo and in vitro studies. PMID:25859300

Global ovarian cancer health disparities

PubMed Central

Chornokur, Ganna; Amankwah, Ernest K.; Schildkraut, Joellen M.; Phelan, Catherine M.

2013-01-01

Objective The objective of this article is to broadly review the scientific literature and summarize the most up-to-date findings on ovarian cancer health disparities worldwide and in the United States (U.S.). Methods The present literature on disparities in ovarian cancer was reviewed. Original research and relevant review articles were included. Results Ovarian cancer health disparities exist worldwide and in the U.S. Ovarian cancer disproportionately affect African American women at all stages of the disease, from presentation through treatment, and ultimately increased mortality and decreased survival, compared to non-Hispanic White women. Increased mortality is likely to be explained by unequal access to care and non-standard treatment regimens frequently administered to African American women, but may also be attributed to genetic susceptibility, acquired co-morbid conditions and increased frequency of modifiable risk factors, albeit to substantially lesser extent. Unequal access to care is, in turn, largely a consequence of lower socioeconomic status and lack of private health insurance coverage among the African American population. Conclusions Our findings suggest the need for policy changes aimed at facilitating equal access to quality medical care. At the same time, further research is necessary to fully resolve racial disparities in ovarian cancer. PMID:23266352

Reading, readability, and legibility research: implications for notification letters.

PubMed

Zimmerman, D E

1993-01-01

This article defines communication science and then briefly describes three research areas relevant to worker notifications: (1) receiving of notification messages, (2) reading and understanding of notification messages, and (3) influences or effects of notification messages on workers. Next, the article focuses on the reading and legibility research relevant to worker notifications and then provides 16 guidelines for drafting worker notifications. Finally, the article suggests evaluating draft notifications by using one or more of the following: skilled editorial reviews, readability scoring, Cloze techniques, signal stopping techniques, in-depth personal interviews, focus groups, and usability testing.

Students' Knowledge of Nuclear Science and Its Connection with Civic Scientific Literacy in Two European Contexts: The Case of Newspaper Articles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsaparlis, Georgios; Hartzavalos, Sotiris; Nakiboglu, Canan

2013-01-01

Nuclear science has uses and applications that are relevant and crucial for world peace and sustainable development, so knowledge of its basic concepts and topics should constitute an integral part of civic scientific literacy. We have used two newspaper articles that deal with uses of nuclear science that are directly relevant to life, society,…

Preventing Radicalisation: A Systematic Review of Literature Considering the Lived Experiences of the UK's Prevent Strategy in Educational Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Laura; Soni, Anita

2017-01-01

This article surveys relevant literature on experiences of the Prevent Strategy in the UK in order to explore the role of schools in preventing radicalisation. The first section explores the concept of radicalisation and how this is positioned within UK policy and legislation followed by a review and critical appraisal of seven relevant articles.…

Measuring the Interestingness of Articles in a Limited User Environment

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

Pon, Raymond K.

Search engines, such as Google, assign scores to news articles based on their relevancy to a query. However, not all relevant articles for the query may be interesting to a user. For example, if the article is old or yields little new information, the article would be uninteresting. Relevancy scores do not take into account what makes an article interesting, which varies from user to user. Although methods such as collaborative filtering have been shown to be effective in recommendation systems, in a limited user environment, there are not enough users that would make collaborative filtering effective. A general framework,more » called iScore, is presented for defining and measuring the 'interestingness' of articles, incorporating user-feedback. iScore addresses various aspects of what makes an article interesting, such as topic relevancy, uniqueness, freshness, source reputation, and writing style. It employs various methods to measure these features and uses a classifier operating on these features to recommend articles. The basic iScore configuration is shown to improve recommendation results by as much as 20%. In addition to the basic iScore features, additional features are presented to address the deficiencies of existing feature extractors, such as one that tracks multiple topics, called MTT, and a version of the Rocchio algorithm that learns its parameters online as it processes documents, called eRocchio. The inclusion of both MTT and eRocchio into iScore is shown to improve iScore recommendation results by as much as 3.1% and 5.6%, respectively. Additionally, in TREC11 Adaptive Filter Task, eRocchio is shown to be 10% better than the best filter in the last run of the task. In addition to these two major topic relevancy measures, other features are also introduced that employ language models, phrases, clustering, and changes in topics to improve recommendation results. These additional features are shown to improve recommendation results by iScore by up to 14%. Due to varying reasons that users hold regarding why an article is interesting, an online feature selection method in naive Bayes is also introduced. Online feature selection can improve recommendation results in iScore by up to 18.9%. In summary, iScore in its best configuration can outperform traditional IR techniques by as much as 50.7%. iScore and its components are evaluated in the news recommendation task using three datasets from Yahoo! News, actual users, and Digg. iScore and its components are also evaluated in the TREC Adaptive Filter task using the Reuters RCV1 corpus.« less

On the Relevance of Bernstein for German-Speaking Switzerland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolander, Brook

2009-01-01

This article assesses the relevance of Basil Bernstein for German-speaking Switzerland. It argues that Bernstein is potentially relevant for German-speaking Switzerland in light of contemporary studies which highlight a connection between social background and differential school achievement. After contextualising Bernstein's theoretical outlook…

DISCOVER-AQ

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2017-01-31

... Relevant Documents:  DISCOVER-AQ - Airborne Science Data for Atmospheric Composition DISCOVER-AQ - NASA Earth ... DISCOVER-AQ - Mission Highlight Featured Articles : Articles featuring DISCOVER-AQ data products SCAR-B ...

Cognitive Rehabilitation After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Reference for Occupational Therapists.

PubMed

Stephens, Jaclyn A; Williamson, Karen-Nicole C; Berryhill, Marian E

2015-01-01

Nearly 1.7 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. These injuries can result in physical, emotional, and cognitive consequences. While many individuals receive cognitive rehabilitation from occupational therapists (OTs), the interdisciplinary nature of TBI research makes it difficult to remain up-to-date on relevant findings. We conducted a literature review to identify and summarize interdisciplinary evidence-based practice targeting cognitive rehabilitation for civilian adults with TBI. Our review summarizes TBI background, and our cognitive remediation section focuses on the findings from 37 recent (since 2006) empirical articles directly related to cognitive rehabilitation for individuals (i.e., excluding special populations such as veterans or athletes). This manuscript is offered as a tool for OTs engaged in cognitive rehabilitation and as a means to highlight arenas where more empirical, interdisciplinary research is needed.

Major influences on buying decision processes by international university students. Differences by continent of origin.

PubMed

Tirelli, Christian; Pilar Martínez-Ruiz, María; Gómez-Ladrón-De-Guevara, Ricardo

2013-12-01

To analyze how food values and other variables related to dietary acculturation affect international university students' food buying decisions, this article provides an in-depth review of relevant literature related to the food buying decisions of groups of sojourners, which suggest several research hypotheses. The data collection targeted international university students in Spain and used factorial analysis of the main components together with linear parametric regressions. The resulting findings offer distinct insights, according to sojourners' continent of origin. Specifically, whereas European students exhibit a higher propensity to value sustainable production practices in the food choices, American students emphasize flavor and exhibit a greater degree of adaptation. These findings in turn suggest some key managerial recommendations and research guidelines for both private and public operators in related fields. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting resilience and recovery in a Buddhist mental health support group.

PubMed

Phoenix, Bethany

2014-04-01

Communities of faith are important arenas for psychiatric mental health nurses to promote emotional well-being and support recovery for persons with mental health problems. This article describes an innovative faith-based mental health group, based on Buddhist philosophy and practice and established by an advanced practice psychiatric nurse, that uses psychoeducation, peer support, and faith encouragement to help participants find hope and meaning in the experience of mental health problems. A brief overview of Buddhism and selected concepts relevant to the philosophical framework of the Buddhist mental health support group is followed by a review of the common themes of the group discussions. These include: finding value in the illness experience; differentiating the proper role of treatment from that of Buddhist practice in optimizing mental health; and experiencing a deeper sense of joy, despite current suffering.

The Prospective Role of Plant Products in Radiotherapy of Cancer: A Current Overview

PubMed Central

Hazra, Banasri; Ghosh, Subhalakshmi; Kumar, Amit; Pandey, B. N.

2012-01-01

Treatment of cancer often requires exposure to radiation, which has several limitations involving non-specific toxicity toward normal cells, reducing the efficacy of treatment. Efforts are going on to find chemical compounds which would effectively offer protection to the normal tissues after radiation exposure during radiotherapy of cancer. In this regard, plant-derived compounds might serve as “leads” to design ideal radioprotectors/radiosensitizers. This article reviews some of the recent findings on prospective medicinal plants, phytochemicals, and their analogs, based on both in vitro and in vivo tumor models especially focused with relevance to cancer radiotherapy. Also, pertinent discussion has been presented on the molecular mechanism of apoptotic death in relation to the oxidative stress in cancer cells induced by some of these plant samples and their active constituents. PMID:22291649

Systematic Review of the Effect of Pictorial Warnings on Cigarette Packages in Smoking Behavior

PubMed Central

Liu, Bojing; Greiner, Felix; Bremberg, Sven; Galanti, Rosaria

2014-01-01

We used a structured approach to assess whether active smokers presented with pictorial warnings on cigarette packages (PWCP) had a higher probability of quitting, reducing, and attempting to quit smoking than did unexposed smokers. We identified 21 articles from among nearly 2500 published between 1993 and 2013, prioritizing coverage over relevance or quality because we expected to find only a few studies with behavioral outcomes. We found very large heterogeneity across studies, poor or very poor methodological quality, and generally null or conflicting findings for any explored outcome. The evidence for or against the use of PWCP is insufficient, suggesting that any effect of PWCP on behavior would be modest. Determining the single impact of PWCP on behavior requires studies with strong methodological designs and longer follow-up periods. PMID:25122019

Thyroid Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Review.

PubMed

Hanley, Patrick; Lord, Katherine; Bauer, Andrew J

2016-10-01

Normal thyroid gland function is critical for early neurocognitive development, as well as for growth and development throughout childhood and adolescence. Thyroid disorders are common, and attention to physical examination findings, combined with selected laboratory and radiologic tools, aids in the early diagnosis and treatment. To provide a practical review of the presentation, evaluation, and treatment of thyroid disorders commonly encountered in a primary care practice. We performed a literature review using the PubMed database. Results focused on reviews and articles published from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2015. Articles published earlier than 2010 were included when appropriate for historical perspective. Our review emphasized evidence-based management practices for the clinician, as well as consensus statements and guidelines. A total of 479 articles for critical review were selected based on their relevance to the incidence, pathophysiology, laboratory evaluation, radiological assessment, and treatment of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroid nodules, and thyroid cancer in children and adolescents. Eighty-three publications were selected for inclusion in this article based on their relevance to these topics. The primary care physician is often the first health care professional responsible for initiating the evaluation of a thyroid disorder in children and adolescents. Patients may be referred secondary to an abnormal newborn screening, self-referred after a caregiver raises concern, or identified to be at risk of a thyroid disorder based on findings from a routine well-child visit. Irrespective of the path of referral, knowledge of the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid nodules, as well as the general approach to evaluation and management, will help the primary care physician complete an initial assessment and determine which patients would benefit from referral to a pediatric endocrinologist. Early identification and treatment of thyroid disease in children and adolescents is critical to optimize growth and development. The primary care physician plays a critical role in identifying patients at risk. An understanding of risk factors, clinical signs and symptoms, and interpretation of screening laboratories ensures an efficient and accurate diagnosis of these common disorders. Regular communication between the primary care physician and the subspecialist is critical to optimize outcome because the majority of patients with thyroid disorders will require long-term to lifelong medical therapy and/or surveillance.

The visibility of scientific misconduct: A review of the literature on retracted journal articles.

PubMed

Hesselmann, Felicitas; Graf, Verena; Schmidt, Marion; Reinhart, Martin

2017-10-01

Retractions of scientific articles are becoming the most relevant institution for making sense of scientific misconduct. An increasing number of retracted articles, mainly attributed to misconduct, is currently providing a new empirical basis for research about scientific misconduct. This article reviews the relevant research literature from an interdisciplinary context. Furthermore, the results from these studies are contextualized sociologically by asking how scientific misconduct is made visible through retractions. This study treats retractions as an emerging institution that renders scientific misconduct visible, thus, following up on the sociology of deviance and its focus on visibility. The article shows that retractions, by highlighting individual cases of misconduct and general policies for preventing misconduct while obscuring the actors and processes through which retractions are effected, produce highly fragmented patterns of visibility. These patterns resemble the bifurcation in current justice systems.

Novel genomic findings in multiple myeloma identified through routine diagnostic sequencing.

PubMed

Ryland, Georgina L; Jones, Kate; Chin, Melody; Markham, John; Aydogan, Elle; Kankanige, Yamuna; Caruso, Marisa; Guinto, Jerick; Dickinson, Michael; Prince, H Miles; Yong, Kwee; Blombery, Piers

2018-05-14

Multiple myeloma is a genomically complex haematological malignancy with many genomic alterations recognised as important in diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic decision making. Here, we provide a summary of genomic findings identified through routine diagnostic next-generation sequencing at our centre. A cohort of 86 patients with multiple myeloma underwent diagnostic sequencing using a custom hybridisation-based panel targeting 104 genes. Sequence variants, genome-wide copy number changes and structural rearrangements were detected using an inhouse-developed bioinformatics pipeline. At least one mutation was found in 69 (80%) patients. Frequently mutated genes included TP53 (36%), KRAS (22.1%), NRAS (15.1%), FAM46C/DIS3 (8.1%) and TET2/FGFR3 (5.8%), including multiple mutations not previously described in myeloma. Importantly we observed TP53 mutations in the absence of a 17 p deletion in 8% of the cohort, highlighting the need for sequencing-based assessment in addition to cytogenetics to identify these high-risk patients. Multiple novel copy number changes and immunoglobulin heavy chain translocations are also discussed. Our results demonstrate that many clinically relevant genomic findings remain in multiple myeloma which have not yet been identified through large-scale sequencing efforts, and provide important mechanistic insights into plasma cell pathobiology. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Emerging ICT implementation issues in aged care.

PubMed

Kapadia, Vasvi; Ariani, Arni; Li, Junhua; Ray, Pradeep K

2015-11-01

Demand for aged care services continues to soar as a result of an aging population. This increasing demand requires more residential aged care facilities and healthcare workforce. One recommended solution is to keep older people in their homes longer and support their independent life through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). However, the aged care sector is still in the early stages of adopting ICT. The aim of this study was to identify the key issues that affect the adoption of ICT in the aged care sector. A systematic literature review was undertaken and involved four steps. The first two steps aimed to identify and select relevant articles. Data was then extracted from the selected articles and identified issues were analyzed and grouped into three major categories. ICT adoption issues were categorized into different perspectives, representing older people, health professionals and management. Our findings showed that all three groups were mostly concerned with issues around behavior, cost and lack of technical skills. Findings reported in this study will help decision makers at aged care settings to systematically understand issues related to ICT adoption and thus proactively introduce interventions to improve use of ICT in this sector. On the basis of our findings, we suggest future research focus on the examination of aged care workflow and assessment of return on ICT investment. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

What do we know about care home managers? Findings of a scoping review.

PubMed

Orellana, Katharine; Manthorpe, Jill; Moriarty, Jo

2017-03-01

This article reports selected findings from a scoping review of the literature about care home managers in England. The review was undertaken between December 2013 and April 2014, with searches conducted in December 2013, and completed in July 2014. Its aim was to identify the characteristics of care home managers, descriptions of their leadership and managerial roles, their experience, skills and support, and the managers' perceptions of their work and status and to identify knowledge gaps. The databases searched included Web of Knowledge, EBSCO, ASSIA, Embase, AgeInfo, NHS Evidence, Social Care Online and the publication platforms IngentaConnect, Wiley Online and JSTOR together with specialist sites and national information providers. Sixteen relevant studies directly about care home managers, reported in 24 articles, were identified. A further body of literature pertinent to the questions was located (n = 84), including sector reports, professional press, expert opinion, enquiries and reviews, and other material, which also informed the review. A consultation exercise with stakeholders informed the findings of the review. The review found that, despite frequent allusions to their impact on organisational culture, few studies have focused on care home managers, and, such as there are, mainly relate to managers of care homes for older people. This is despite managers' major responsibilities for the care of many frail and disabled people. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Lost in translation: Review of identification bias, translation bias and research waste in dentistry.

PubMed

Layton, Danielle M; Clarke, Michael

2016-01-01

To review how articles are retrieved from bibliographic databases, what article identification and translation problems have affected research, and how these problems can contribute to research waste and affect clinical practice. This literature review sought and appraised articles regarding identification- and translation-bias in the medical and dental literature, which limit the ability of users to find research articles and to use these in practice. Articles can be retrieved from bibliographic databases by performing a word or index-term (for example, MeSH for MEDLINE) search. Identification of articles is challenging when it is not clear which words are most relevant, and which terms have been allocated to indexing fields. Poor reporting quality of abstracts and articles has been reported across the medical literature at large. Specifically in dentistry, research regarding time-to-event survival analyses found the allocation of MeSH terms to be inconsistent and inaccurate, important words were omitted from abstracts by authors, and the quality of reporting in the body of articles was generally poor. These shortcomings mean that articles will be difficult to identify, and difficult to understand if found. Use of specialized electronic search strategies can decrease identification bias, and use of tailored reporting guidelines can decrease translation bias. Research that cannot be found, or cannot be used results in research waste, and undermines clinical practice. Identification- and translation-bias have been shown to affect time-to-event dental articles, are likely affect other fields of research, and are largely unrecognized by authors and evidence seekers alike. By understanding that the problems exist, solutions can be sought to improve identification and translation of our research. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence, incidence and aetiologies of pulmonary hypertension in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Bigna, Jean Joel; Noubiap, Jean Jacques; Nansseu, Jobert Richie; Aminde, Leopold Ndemnge

2017-06-16

There are no data summarising the epidemiology of pulmonary hypertension (PH) among adults residing in Africa. Establishment of accurate epidemiological data on PH in this region may guide decision-making toward interventions to curb the burden of PH in Africa. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the prevalence, incidence and aetiologies of PH among people residing in Africa. This systematic review and meta-analysis will follow the MOOSE guidelines for reporting. Relevant abstracts published until 30 September 2016 will be searched in PubMed/Medline, EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database), African Journals Online and Africa Index Medicus. Full texts of eligible studies will then be accessed through PubMed, Google Scholar, HINARI and the respective journals' websites. Relevant unpublished papers and conference proceedings will also be checked. Data will be analysed using STATA version 13 software. The study-specific estimates will be pooled through a random-effects meta-analysis model to obtain an overall summary estimate of the prevalence/incidence and aetiologies of PH across studies. Heterogeneity of studies will be evaluated by the χ 2 test on Cochrane's Q statistic. Funnel plot analysis and Egger's test will be done to detect publication bias. Results will be presented by geographical region (central, eastern, northern, southern and western Africa). The current study is based on published data; ethical approval is, therefore, not required. This review will guide policy, practice and research by providing information on the magnitude of PH among people residing in Africa. Findings will be presented in evidence tables of individual studies as well as in summary tables. The final report of this systematic review, in the form of a scientific paper, will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, findings will be presented at conferences and submitted to relevant health authorities. PROSPERO CRD42016049351. © 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.

Constructing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Chinese Heritage Language Classrooms: A Multiple-Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Hsu-Pai

2011-01-01

Culturally relevant pedagogy uses cultural references to develop students' knowledge and identities thereby empowering them academically, socially and politically. This article examined how four Chinese heritage languages teachers constructed culturally relevant pedagogy in their language instructions. Qualitative cross-case analysis indicated…

Prioritizing biological pathways by recognizing context in time-series gene expression data.

PubMed

Lee, Jusang; Jo, Kyuri; Lee, Sunwon; Kang, Jaewoo; Kim, Sun

2016-12-23

The primary goal of pathway analysis using transcriptome data is to find significantly perturbed pathways. However, pathway analysis is not always successful in identifying pathways that are truly relevant to the context under study. A major reason for this difficulty is that a single gene is involved in multiple pathways. In the KEGG pathway database, there are 146 genes, each of which is involved in more than 20 pathways. Thus activation of even a single gene will result in activation of many pathways. This complex relationship often makes the pathway analysis very difficult. While we need much more powerful pathway analysis methods, a readily available alternative way is to incorporate the literature information. In this study, we propose a novel approach for prioritizing pathways by combining results from both pathway analysis tools and literature information. The basic idea is as follows. Whenever there are enough articles that provide evidence on which pathways are relevant to the context, we can be assured that the pathways are indeed related to the context, which is termed as relevance in this paper. However, if there are few or no articles reported, then we should rely on the results from the pathway analysis tools, which is termed as significance in this paper. We realized this concept as an algorithm by introducing Context Score and Impact Score and then combining the two into a single score. Our method ranked truly relevant pathways significantly higher than existing pathway analysis tools in experiments with two data sets. Our novel framework was implemented as ContextTRAP by utilizing two existing tools, TRAP and BEST. ContextTRAP will be a useful tool for the pathway based analysis of gene expression data since the user can specify the context of the biological experiment in a set of keywords. The web version of ContextTRAP is available at http://biohealth.snu.ac.kr/software/contextTRAP .

Biologics in pediatric psoriasis - efficacy and safety.

PubMed

Dogra, Sunil; Mahajan, Rahul

2018-01-01

Childhood psoriasis is a special situation that is a management challenge for the treating dermatologist. As is the situation with traditional systemic agents, which are commonly used in managing severe psoriasis in children, the biologics are being increasingly used in the recalcitrant disease despite limited data on long term safety. Areas covered: We performed an extensive literature search to collect evidence-based data on the use of biologics in pediatric psoriasis. The relevant literature published from 2000 to September 2017 was obtained from PubMed, using the MeSH words 'biologics', 'biologic response modifiers' and 'treatment of pediatric/childhood psoriasis'. All clinical trials, randomized double-blind or single-blind controlled trials, open-label studies, retrospective studies, reviews, case reports and letters concerning the use of biologics in pediatric psoriasis were screened. Articles covering the use of biologics in pediatric psoriasis were screened and reference lists in the selected articles were scrutinized to identify other relevant articles that had not been found in the initial search. Articles without relevant information about biologics in general (e.g. its mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and adverse effects) and its use in psoriasis in particular were excluded. We screened 427 articles and finally selected 41 relevant articles. Expert opinion: The available literature on the use of biologics such as anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α agents, and anti-IL-12/23 agents like ustekinumab suggests that these are effective and safe in managing severe pediatric psoriasis although there is an urgent need to generate more safety data. Dermatologists must be careful about the potential adverse effects of the biologics before administering them to children with psoriasis. It is likely that with rapidly evolving scenario of biologics in psoriasis, these will prove to be very useful molecules particularly in managing severe and recalcitrant psoriasis in pediatric age group.

Publish or perish: writing clinical manuscripts suitable for publication.

PubMed

Batcheller, Joyce; Kirksey, Kenn M; VanDyke, Yvonne; Armstrong, Myrna L

2012-01-01

A successful hospital network and university faculty collaboration offered 21 staff nurses and nurse leaders opportunities to develop clinical manuscripts that would be suitable for publishing their innovative ideas. This process prepared them to synthesize relevant literature and develop their ideas into manuscripts. Ten nurses submitted their final manuscripts to refereed journals, and nine individuals or team members had their articles accepted. These accepted publications provided a boost to individual career development and stimulated further valuable professional dissemination goals. One major challenge was to seek further ways to find time to write while working in today's health care arena. Suggestions for future manuscript development are provided. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Mixed-Methods Design in Biology Education Research: Approach and Uses

PubMed Central

Warfa, Abdi-Rizak M.

2016-01-01

Educational research often requires mixing different research methodologies to strengthen findings, better contextualize or explain results, or minimize the weaknesses of a single method. This article provides practical guidelines on how to conduct such research in biology education, with a focus on mixed-methods research (MMR) that uses both quantitative and qualitative inquiries. Specifically, the paper provides an overview of mixed-methods design typologies most relevant in biology education research. It also discusses common methodological issues that may arise in mixed-methods studies and ways to address them. The paper concludes with recommendations on how to report and write about MMR. PMID:27856556

Believing is seeing: an evolving research program on patients' psychotherapy expectations.

PubMed

Constantino, Michael J

2012-01-01

In this article I discuss one facet of my evolving research program focused on patients' psychotherapy-related expectations. Although generally considered a common psychotherapeutic factor, expectations have been historically undervalued conceptually, empirically, and clinically. Attempting to somewhat redress this slight, I will (a) define the various forms of patients' psychotherapy-related expectations, (b) present relevant findings from research that my colleagues, students, and I have conducted, (c) summarize an integrative psychotherapy approach that underscores expectations as an explanatory construct for patients' corrective experiences, and (d) highlight future research directions for increasing our understanding of the nature and functions of the expectancy construct.

Build infrastructure in publishing scientific journals to benefit medical scientists

PubMed Central

Dai, Ni; Xu, Dingyao; Zhong, Xiyao; Li, Li; Ling, Qibo

2014-01-01

There is urgent need for medical journals to optimize their publishing processes and strategies to satisfy the huge need for medical scientists to publish their articles, and then obtain better prestige and impact in scientific and research community. These strategies include optimizing the process of peer-review, utilizing open-access publishing models actively, finding ways of saving costs and getting revenue, smartly dealing with research fraud or misconduct, maintaining sound relationship with pharmaceutical companies, and managing to provide relevant and useful information for clinical practitioners and researchers. Scientists, publishers, societies and organizations need to work together to publish internationally renowned medical journals. PMID:24653634

Culture, role conflict and caregiver stress: The lived experiences of family cancer caregivers in Nairobi.

PubMed

Githaiga, Jennifer Nyawira

2017-10-01

This article explores the experiences of a small group of Nairobi women caring for a family cancer patient at home. On the basis of literature on women as caregivers in Africa, and on other literature more broadly, it was anticipated that issues around generational roles, gender and women's cultural role would be relevant. Seven women participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews, while thirteen women participated in four mini focus groups. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings underscore the socio-cultural complexities of caregiving as a basis for evidence-based culturally appropriate structures to support family caregivers.

Toward an instructionally oriented theory of example-based learning.

PubMed

Renkl, Alexander

2014-01-01

Learning from examples is a very effective means of initial cognitive skill acquisition. There is an enormous body of research on the specifics of this learning method. This article presents an instructionally oriented theory of example-based learning that integrates theoretical assumptions and findings from three research areas: learning from worked examples, observational learning, and analogical reasoning. This theory has descriptive and prescriptive elements. The descriptive subtheory deals with (a) the relevance and effectiveness of examples, (b) phases of skill acquisition, and (c) learning processes. The prescriptive subtheory proposes instructional principles that make full exploitation of the potential of example-based learning possible. Copyright © 2013 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

The Latino Mental Health Project: A Local Mental Health Needs Assessment

PubMed Central

Adams, Sara T.; Calista, Joanne L.; Connell, Joy; Encarnación, José; Esparza, Nancy K.; Frohock, Jeanne; Hicks, Ellen; Kim, Saeromi; Kokernak, Gerald; McGrenra, Michael; Mestre, Ray; Pérez, Maria; Pinedo, Tatiana M.; Quagan, Rosemary; Rivera, Christina; Taucer, Patsy; Wang, Ed

2010-01-01

In this article, we present the results of a local needs assessment of the mental health experiences, service needs, and barriers to treatment-seeking of the Latino population in Worcester, Massachusetts. Overall, participants reported relatively high rates of experiences with symptoms of mental health problems, they indicated using a range of both formal and alternative mental health services, and they noted a variety of instrumental, attitudinal, and culturally-specific barriers to seeking mental health services. Findings are discussed with regards to the role that community-driven research can play in advancing efforts to provide relevant services to underserved populations. PMID:17279338

Build infrastructure in publishing scientific journals to benefit medical scientists.

PubMed

Dai, Ni; Xu, Dingyao; Zhong, Xiyao; Li, Li; Ling, Qibo; Bu, Zhaode

2014-02-01

There is urgent need for medical journals to optimize their publishing processes and strategies to satisfy the huge need for medical scientists to publish their articles, and then obtain better prestige and impact in scientific and research community. These strategies include optimizing the process of peer-review, utilizing open-access publishing models actively, finding ways of saving costs and getting revenue, smartly dealing with research fraud or misconduct, maintaining sound relationship with pharmaceutical companies, and managing to provide relevant and useful information for clinical practitioners and researchers. Scientists, publishers, societies and organizations need to work together to publish internationally renowned medical journals.

Marine Natural Products with P-Glycoprotein Inhibitor Properties

PubMed Central

Lopez, Dioxelis; Martinez-Luis, Sergio

2014-01-01

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a protein belonging to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters superfamily that has clinical relevance due to its role in drug metabolism and multi-drug resistance (MDR) in several human pathogens and diseases. P-gp is a major cause of drug resistance in cancer, parasitic diseases, epilepsy and other disorders. This review article aims to summarize the research findings on the marine natural products with P-glycoprotein inhibitor properties. Natural compounds that modulate P-gp offer great possibilities for semi-synthetic modification to create new drugs and are valuable research tools to understand the function of complex ABC transporters. PMID:24451193

Leadership styles in nursing.

PubMed

Cope, Vicki; Murray, Melanie

2017-06-21

Nurses are often asked to think about leadership, particularly in times of rapid change in healthcare, and where questions have been raised about whether leaders and managers have adequate insight into the requirements of care. This article discusses several leadership styles relevant to contemporary healthcare and nursing practice. Nurses who are aware of leadership styles may find this knowledge useful in maintaining a cohesive working environment. Leadership knowledge and skills can be improved through training, where, rather than having to undertake formal leadership roles without adequate preparation, nurses are able to learn, nurture, model and develop effective leadership behaviours, ultimately improving nursing staff retention and enhancing the delivery of safe and effective care.

Quality of standardised patient research reports in the medical education literature: review and recommendations.

PubMed

Howley, Lisa; Szauter, Karen; Perkowski, Linda; Clifton, Maurice; McNaughton, Nancy

2008-04-01

In order to assess or replicate the research findings of published reports, authors must provide adequate and transparent descriptions of their methods. We conducted 2 consecutive studies, the first to define reporting standards relating to the use of standardised patients (SPs) in research, and the second to evaluate the current literature according to these standards. Standards for reporting SPs in research were established by representatives of the Grants and Research Committee of the Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE). An extensive literature search yielded 177 relevant English-language articles published between 1993 and 2005. Search terms included: 'standardised patient(s)'; 'simulated patient(s)'; 'objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)', and 'clinical skills assessment'. Articles were limited to those reporting the use of SPs as an outcome measure and published in 1 of 5 prominent health sciences education journals. Data regarding the SP encounter, SP characteristics, training and behavioural measure(s) were gathered. A random selection of 121 articles was evaluated according to 29 standards. Reviewers judged that few authors provided sufficient details regarding the encounter (21%, n = 25), SPs (16%, n = 19), training (15%, n = 15), and behavioural measures (38%, n = 44). Authors rarely reported SP gender (27%, n = 33) and age range (22%, n = 26), whether training was provided for the SPs (39%, n = 47) or other raters (24%, n = 29), and psychometric evidence to support the behavioural measure (23%, n = 25). The findings suggest that there is a need for increased rigor in reporting research involving SPs. In order to support the validity of research findings, journal editors, reviewers and authors are encouraged to provide adequate detail when describing SP methodology.

Evidence-Based Dentistry in Everyday Practice.

PubMed

Gudray, Kiran; Walmsley, Anthony Damien

2016-12-01

This article informs readers of a method of implementing evidence-based dentistry in practice. Following these steps, practitioners should be able to use this skill in an efficient manner. The importance of evidence-based dentistry and its relevance to situations encountered in everyday practice is also highlighted. Clinical relevance: This article highlights a series of steps to be followed by practitioners to ensure that treatment provided is supported by the most recent, good quality evidence.

Evolutionary image simplification for lung nodule classification with convolutional neural networks.

PubMed

Lückehe, Daniel; von Voigt, Gabriele

2018-05-29

Understanding decisions of deep learning techniques is important. Especially in the medical field, the reasons for a decision in a classification task are as crucial as the pure classification results. In this article, we propose a new approach to compute relevant parts of a medical image. Knowing the relevant parts makes it easier to understand decisions. In our approach, a convolutional neural network is employed to learn structures of images of lung nodules. Then, an evolutionary algorithm is applied to compute a simplified version of an unknown image based on the learned structures by the convolutional neural network. In the simplified version, irrelevant parts are removed from the original image. In the results, we show simplified images which allow the observer to focus on the relevant parts. In these images, more than 50% of the pixels are simplified. The simplified pixels do not change the meaning of the images based on the learned structures by the convolutional neural network. An experimental analysis shows the potential of the approach. Besides the examples of simplified images, we analyze the run time development. Simplified images make it easier to focus on relevant parts and to find reasons for a decision. The combination of an evolutionary algorithm employing a learned convolutional neural network is well suited for the simplification task. From a research perspective, it is interesting which areas of the images are simplified and which parts are taken as relevant.

Dual Language Teachers' Stated Barriers to Implementation of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freire, Juan A.; Valdez, Verónica E.

2017-01-01

Culturally relevant pedagogy receives limited attention in many U.S. dual language classrooms. This article focuses on understanding the barriers eight elementary Spanish-English dual language teachers saw as preventing the implementation of culturally relevant pedagogy in their urban classrooms. Employing critical sociocultural theory and drawing…

The 50 Most Cited Articles in Invasive Neuromodulation.

PubMed

Ward, Max; Doran, Joseph; Paskhover, Boris; Mammis, Antonios

2018-06-01

Bibliometric analysis is a commonly used analytic tool for objective determination of the most influential and peer-recognized articles within a given field. This study is the first bibliometric analysis of the literature in the field of invasive neuromodulation, excluding deep brain stimulation. The objectives of this study are to identify the 50 most cited articles in invasive neuromodulation, provide an overview of the literature to assist in clinical education, and evaluate the effect of impact factor on manuscript recognition. Bibliometric analysis was performed using the Science Citation Index from the Institute for Scientific Information, accessed through the Web of Science. Search terms relevant to the field of invasive neuromodulation were used to identify the 50 most cited journal articles between 1900 and 2016. The median number of citations was 236 (range, 173-578). The most common topics among the articles were vagus nerve stimulation (n = 24), spinal cord stimulation (n = 9), and motor cortex stimulation (n = 6). Median journal impact factor was 5.57. Most of these articles (n = 19) contained level I, II, or III evidence. This analysis provides a brief look into the most cited articles within the field, many of which evaluated innovated procedures and therapies that helped to drive surgical neuromodulation forward. These landmark articles contain vital clinical and educational information that remains relevant to clinicians and students within the field and provide insight into areas of expanding research. Journal impact factor may play a significant role in determining the literary relevance and general awareness of invasive neuromodulation studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The context of employment discrimination: interpreting the findings of a field experiment.

PubMed

Midtbøen, Arnfinn H

2015-03-01

Although field experiments have documented the contemporary relevance of discrimination in employment, theories developed to explain the dynamics of differential treatment cannot account for differences across organizational and institutional contexts. In this article, I address this shortcoming by presenting the main empirical findings from a multi-method research project, in which a field experiment of ethnic discrimination in the Norwegian labour market was complemented with forty-two in-depth interviews with employers who were observed in the first stage of the study. While the experimental data support earlier findings in documenting that ethnic discrimination indeed takes place, the qualitative material suggests that theorizing in the field experiment literature have been too concerned with individual and intra-psychic explanations. Discriminatory outcomes in employment processes seems to be more dependent on contextual factors such as the number of applications received, whether requirements are specified, and the degree to which recruitment procedures are formalized. I argue that different contexts of employment provide different opportunity structures for discrimination, a finding with important theoretical and methodological implications. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2014.

Research Elements: new article types by Elsevier to facilitate reproducibility in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zudilova-Seinstra, Elena; van Hensbergen, Kitty; Wacek, Bart

2016-04-01

When researchers start to make plans for new experiments, this is the beginning of a whole cycle of work, including experimental designs, tweaking of existing methods, developing protocols, writing code, collecting and processing experimental data, etc. A large part of this very useful information rarely gets published, which makes experiments difficult to reproduce. The same holds for experimental data, which is not always provided in a reusable format and lacks descriptive information. Furthermore, many types of data, such as a replication data, negative datasets or data from "intermediate experiments" often don't get published because they have no place in a research journal. To address this concern, Elsevier launched a series of peer-reviewed journal titles grouped under the umbrella of Research Elements (https://www.elsevier.com/books-and-journals/research-elements) that allow researchers to publish their data, software, materials and methods and other elements of the research cycle in a brief article format. To facilitate reproducibility, Research Elements have thoroughly thought out submission templates that include all necessary information and metadata as well as peer-review criteria defined per article type. Research Elements can be applicable to multiple research areas; for example, a number of multidisciplinary journals (Data in Brief, SoftwareX, MethodsX) welcome submissions from a large number of subject areas. At other times, these elements are better served within a single field; therefore, a number of domain-specific journals (e.g.: Genomics Data, Chemical Data Collections, Neurocomputing) support the new article formats, too. Upon publication, all Research Elements are assigned with persistent identifiers for direct citation and easy discoverability. Persistent identifiers are also used for interlinking Research Elements and relevant research papers published in traditional journals. Some Research Elements allow post-publication article updates. In the presentation, we will share our experiences and summarize lessons learned during the last two years. We will focus on three types of novel research publications: data articles, software articles and lab resources. We will also present two very recent developments targeting researchers working in Earth and Observational Sciences. And finally, we will illustrate how Research Elements fit in the Research Data Management landscape of a rich variety of services developed at Elsevier to assist researchers in sharing, finding, accessing, linking together and analyzing relevant research data.

Citation analysis in journal rankings: medical informatics in the library and information science literature.

PubMed Central

Vishwanatham, R

1998-01-01

Medical informatics is an interdisciplinary field. Medical informatics articles will be found in the literature of various disciplines including library and information science publications. The purpose of this study was to provide an objectively ranked list of journals that publish medical informatics articles relevant to library and information science. Library Literature, Library and Information Science Abstracts, and Social Science Citation Index were used to identify articles published on the topic of medical informatics and to identify a ranked list of journals. This study also used citation analysis to identify the most frequently cited journals relevant to library and information science. PMID:9803294

Finding and Recommending Scholarly Articles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtz, Michael J.; Henneken, Edwin A.

2014-05-01

The rate at which scholarly literature is being produced has been increasing at approximately 3.5 percent per year for decades. This means that during a typical 40 year career the amount of new literature produced each year increases by a factor of four. The methods scholars use to discover relevant literature must change. Just like everybody else involved in information discovery, scholars are confronted with information overload. Two decades ago, this discovery process essentially consisted of paging through abstract books, talking to colleagues and librarians, and browsing journals. A time-consuming process, which could even be longer if material had to be shipped from elsewhere. Now much of this discovery process is mediated by online scholarly information systems. All these systems are relatively new, and all are still changing. They all share a common goal: to provide their users with access to the literature relevant to their specific needs. To achieve this each system responds to actions by the user by displaying articles which the system judges relevant to the user's current needs. Recently search systems which use particularly sophisticated methodologies to recommend a few specific papers to the user have been called "recommender systems". These methods are in line with the current use of the term "recommender system" in computer science. We do not adopt this definition, rather we view systems like these as components in a larger whole, which is presented by the scholarly information systems themselves. In what follows we view the recommender system as an aspect of the entire information system; one which combines the massive memory capacities of the machine with the cognitive abilities of the human user to achieve a human-machine synergy.

Analysis of queries sent to PubMed at the point of care: Observation of search behaviour in a medical teaching hospital

PubMed Central

Hoogendam, Arjen; Stalenhoef, Anton FH; Robbé, Pieter F de Vries; Overbeke, A John PM

2008-01-01

Background The use of PubMed to answer daily medical care questions is limited because it is challenging to retrieve a small set of relevant articles and time is restricted. Knowing what aspects of queries are likely to retrieve relevant articles can increase the effectiveness of PubMed searches. The objectives of our study were to identify queries that are likely to retrieve relevant articles by relating PubMed search techniques and tools to the number of articles retrieved and the selection of articles for further reading. Methods This was a prospective observational study of queries regarding patient-related problems sent to PubMed by residents and internists in internal medicine working in an Academic Medical Centre. We analyzed queries, search results, query tools (Mesh, Limits, wildcards, operators), selection of abstract and full-text for further reading, using a portal that mimics PubMed. Results PubMed was used to solve 1121 patient-related problems, resulting in 3205 distinct queries. Abstracts were viewed in 999 (31%) of these queries, and in 126 (39%) of 321 queries using query tools. The average term count per query was 2.5. Abstracts were selected in more than 40% of queries using four or five terms, increasing to 63% if the use of four or five terms yielded 2–161 articles. Conclusion Queries sent to PubMed by physicians at our hospital during daily medical care contain fewer than three terms. Queries using four to five terms, retrieving less than 161 article titles, are most likely to result in abstract viewing. PubMed search tools are used infrequently by our population and are less effective than the use of four or five terms. Methods to facilitate the formulation of precise queries, using more relevant terms, should be the focus of education and research. PMID:18816391

A Systematic Review of Physician Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

PubMed Central

Mintz, Laura Janine; Stoller, James K.

2014-01-01

Objective This review evaluates the current understanding of emotional intelligence (EI) and physician leadership, exploring key themes and areas for future research. Literature Search We searched the literature using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Business Source Complete for articles published between 1990 and 2012. Search terms included physician and leadership, emotional intelligence, organizational behavior, and organizational development. All abstracts were reviewed. Full articles were evaluated if they addressed the connection between EI and physician leadership. Articles were included if they focused on physicians or physicians-in-training and discussed interventions or recommendations. Appraisal and Synthesis We assessed articles for conceptual rigor, study design, and measurement quality. A thematic analysis categorized the main themes and findings of the articles. Results The search produced 3713 abstracts, of which 437 full articles were read and 144 were included in this review. Three themes were identified: (1) EI is broadly endorsed as a leadership development strategy across providers and settings; (2) models of EI and leadership development practices vary widely; and (3) EI is considered relevant throughout medical education and practice. Limitations of the literature were that most reports were expert opinion or observational and studies used several different tools for measuring EI. Conclusions EI is widely endorsed as a component of curricula for developing physician leaders. Research comparing practice models and measurement tools will critically advance understanding about how to develop and nurture EI to enhance leadership skills in physicians throughout their careers. PMID:24701306

Research and innovation in the development of everolimus for oncology.

PubMed

Lebwohl, David; Thomas, George; Lane, Heidi A; O'Reilly, Terence; Escudier, Bernard; Yao, James C; Pavel, Marianne; Franz, David; Berg, William; Baladi, Jean-Francois; Stewart, Jubilee; Motzer, Robert J

2011-03-01

The critical role of increased activity of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the pathophysiology of multiple diseases is well established. Inhibition of the mTOR pathway may block disease progression and improve patient outcomes. Everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, began in clinical development as part of a regimen (Certican, Zortress) for prevention of organ transplant rejection and is now an approved oncology agent. The objective of this review is to discuss the history of key findings and innovative cancer research undertaken to successfully develop everolimus as an oncology therapy (Afinitor) now approved for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and for subependymal giant cell astrocytomas (SEGAs) associated with tuberous sclerosis. In addition, data for the use of everolimus in the treatment of other cancers and rare diseases are also discussed. A PubMed search of English articles without time restrictions was conducted using the search terms 'everolimus or rapamycin' and 'cancer'. Bibliographies of retrieved articles were manually searched for additional relevant articles. Major cancer congresses were also searched. The clinical efficacy of everolimus alone and in combination with other agents has been observed in recently completed Phase II-III studies in a wide spectrum of tumors, including RCC, neuroendocrine tumors, tuberous sclerosis complex, SEGAs and angiomyolipomas, lymphoma and gastric, breast and hepatocellular cancers. These findings emphasize the importance of mTOR in diverse cancers and rare diseases and underscore the potential role for everolimus as an effective agent in multiple indications.

Mapping evidence on the distribution of human papillomavirus-related cancers in sub-Saharan Africa: scoping review protocol.

PubMed

Lekoane, Bridget K M; Mashamba-Thompson, Tivani P; Ginindza, Themba G

2017-11-17

Despite the introduction of HPV vaccines, the incidence of HPV-related cancers (cervical, penile, anal, vulvar, vagina, head, and neck) in sub-Saharan Africa has been rising. The increasing incidence of these HPV-related cancers has been attributed to changes in lifestyle-related risk factors, most notably sexual behavior. The main objective of this study is to map evidence on the distribution of HIV-related cancers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We will conduct a scoping review to explore, describe, and map literature on the distribution of HPV-related cancers in sub-Saharan Africa. The primary search will include peer-reviewed and review articles. The list of references from included studies will also be searched. The search will be performed using EBSCOhost platform by searching the following databases within the platform: Academic search complete, health source: nursing/academic edition, CINAHL with full text, PubMed, Science Direct, Google scholar and World Health Organization (WHO) library databases, and gray literature. The researcher will search the articles using keywords, from the included studies; abstract and full articles will be screened by two independent reviewers. The screening will be guided by the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A thematic content analysis will be used to present the narrative account of the reviews, using NVivo version 10. We anticipate finding relevant literature on the distribution of HPV-related cancers in sub-Saharan Africa. The study findings will help reveal research gaps to guide future research. PROSPERO CRD42017062403.

The visibility of scientific misconduct: A review of the literature on retracted journal articles

PubMed Central

Hesselmann, Felicitas; Graf, Verena; Schmidt, Marion; Reinhart, Martin

2016-01-01

Retractions of scientific articles are becoming the most relevant institution for making sense of scientific misconduct. An increasing number of retracted articles, mainly attributed to misconduct, is currently providing a new empirical basis for research about scientific misconduct. This article reviews the relevant research literature from an interdisciplinary context. Furthermore, the results from these studies are contextualized sociologically by asking how scientific misconduct is made visible through retractions. This study treats retractions as an emerging institution that renders scientific misconduct visible, thus, following up on the sociology of deviance and its focus on visibility. The article shows that retractions, by highlighting individual cases of misconduct and general policies for preventing misconduct while obscuring the actors and processes through which retractions are effected, produce highly fragmented patterns of visibility. These patterns resemble the bifurcation in current justice systems. PMID:28943647

Detecting experimental techniques and selecting relevant documents for protein-protein interactions from biomedical literature

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The selection of relevant articles for curation, and linking those articles to experimental techniques confirming the findings became one of the primary subjects of the recent BioCreative III contest. The contest’s Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) task consisted of two sub-tasks: Article Classification Task (ACT) and Interaction Method Task (IMT). ACT aimed to automatically select relevant documents for PPI curation, whereas the goal of IMT was to recognise the methods used in experiments for identifying the interactions in full-text articles. Results We proposed and compared several classification-based methods for both tasks, employing rich contextual features as well as features extracted from external knowledge sources. For IMT, a new method that classifies pair-wise relations between every text phrase and candidate interaction method obtained promising results with an F1 score of 64.49%, as tested on the task’s development dataset. We also explored ways to combine this new approach and more conventional, multi-label document classification methods. For ACT, our classifiers exploited automatically detected named entities and other linguistic information. The evaluation results on the BioCreative III PPI test datasets showed that our systems were very competitive: one of our IMT methods yielded the best performance among all participants, as measured by F1 score, Matthew’s Correlation Coefficient and AUC iP/R; whereas for ACT, our best classifier was ranked second as measured by AUC iP/R, and also competitive according to other metrics. Conclusions Our novel approach that converts the multi-class, multi-label classification problem to a binary classification problem showed much promise in IMT. Nevertheless, on the test dataset the best performance was achieved by taking the union of the output of this method and that of a multi-class, multi-label document classifier, which indicates that the two types of systems complement each other in terms of recall. For ACT, our system exploited a rich set of features and also obtained encouraging results. We examined the features with respect to their contributions to the classification results, and concluded that contextual words surrounding named entities, as well as the MeSH headings associated with the documents were among the main contributors to the performance. PMID:22151769

Interprofessional education and distance education: A review and appraisal of the current literature.

PubMed

McCutcheon, Livia R M; Alzghari, Saeed K; Lee, Young R; Long, William G; Marquez, Robyn

2017-07-01

Interprofessional education (IPE) is becoming essential for students and healthcare professionals. An evolving approach to implement it is via distance education. Distance education can provide a viable solution to deliver IPE in a variety of settings. A literature search on PubMed and Academic Search Complete databases was conducted, revealing 478 articles ranging from the years of 1971-2015. The articles were screened for relevance using the following inclusion criteria: 1) Is this study implementing IPE? 2) Is this study utilizing the instructional delivery method of distance education? 3) Does this study contain students from two or more healthcare professions? Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were systematically analyzed to identify data relevant for this review. Findings from this review provide a description of the teaching methods involved in distance education in promoting IPE and an assessment of the continuing use of distance education to foster IPE. Success varied depending upon on the distance-based instructional model utilized to facilitate IPE. Incorporating distance education to implement IPE can be an opportunity to develop team collaboration and communication skills among students. Teaching models presented in this review have the potential to be adapted to methods that leverage the power of evolving technology. Further research is needed to understand which distance education instructional delivery models best maximize the IPE experience. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rapid review shows that probiotics and fermented infant formulas do not cause d-lactic acidosis in healthy children.

PubMed

Łukasik, J; Salminen, S; Szajewska, H

2018-03-30

Extensive ongoing research on probiotics and infant formulas raises a number of safety questions. One concern is the potential influence of d-lactic acid-containing preparations on the health of infants and children. The aim of this review was to summarise the available knowledge on the ingestion of d-lactic acid-producing bacteria, acidified infant formulas and fermented infant formulas as a potential cause of paediatric d-lactic acidosis. A Medline database search was performed in July 2017, with no restrictions on the language, article type or publication date. The 1715 search results were screened for clinical trials, review articles, case series and case reports of relevance to the topic. We identified five randomised controlled trials from 2005 to 2017 covering 544 healthy infants and some case reports and experimental studies. No clinically relevant adverse effects of d-lactic acid-producing probiotics and fermented infant formulas were described in healthy children. However, a harmless, subclinical accumulation of d-lactate was theoretically possible. The only known cases of paediatric d-lactic acidosis occurred in patients with short bowel syndrome or, historically, in infants fed with acidified formulas. Our main finding was that probiotics and fermented formulas did not cause d-lactic acidosis in healthy children. ©2018 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Systematic Review: Land Cover, Meteorological, and Socioeconomic Determinants of Aedes Mosquito Habitat for Risk Mapping.

PubMed

Sallam, Mohamed F; Fizer, Chelsea; Pilant, Andrew N; Whung, Pai-Yei

2017-10-16

Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes ( Aedes albopictus and Ae. aegypti ) are global nuisances and are competent vectors for viruses such as Chikungunya (CHIKV), Dengue (DV), and Zika (ZIKV). This review aims to analyze available spatiotemporal distribution models of Aedes mosquitoes and their influential factors. A combination of five sets of 3-5 keywords were used to retrieve all relevant published models. Five electronic search databases were used: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar through 17 May 2017. We generated a hierarchical decision tree for article selection. We identified 21 relevant published studies that highlight different combinations of methodologies, models and influential factors. Only a few studies adopted a comprehensive approach highlighting the interaction between environmental, socioeconomic, meteorological and topographic systems. The selected articles showed inconsistent findings in terms of number and type of influential factors affecting the distribution of Aedes vectors, which is most likely attributed to: (i) limited availability of high-resolution data for physical variables, (ii) variation in sampling methods; Aedes feeding and oviposition behavior; (iii) data collinearity and statistical distribution of observed data. This review highlights the need and sets the stage for a rigorous multi-system modeling approach to improve our knowledge about Aedes presence/abundance within their flight range in response to the interaction between environmental, socioeconomic, and meteorological systems.

Opening the 'black box' of performance-based financing in low- and lower middle-income countries: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Renmans, Dimitri; Holvoet, Nathalie; Orach, Christopher Garimoi; Criel, Bart

2016-11-01

Although performance-based financing (PBF) receives increasing attention in the literature, a lot remains unknown about the exact mechanisms triggered by PBF arrangements. This article aims to summarize current knowledge on how PBF works, set out what still needs to be investigated and formulate recommendations for researchers and policymakers from donor and recipient countries alike. Drawing on an extensive systematic literature review of peer-reviewed journals, we analysed 35 relevant articles. To guide us through this variety of studies, point out relevant issues and structure findings, we use a comprehensive analytical framework based on eight dimensions. The review inter alia indicates that PBF is generally welcomed by the main actors (patients, health workers and health managers), yet what PBF actually entails is less straightforward. More research is needed on the exact mechanisms through which not only incentives but also ancillary components operate. This knowledge is essential if we really want to appreciate the effectiveness, desirability and appropriate format of PBF as one of the possible answers to the challenges in the health sector of low-and lower middle-income countries. A clear definition of the research constructs is a primordial starting point for such research. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A trend analysis of ergonomic research themes in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Chih-Long

2015-01-01

This paper examines the development of ergonomics in Taiwan by analysing 1404 scientific articles published by 113 permanent members of the Ergonomics Society of Taiwan (EST). Each article was classified by key words and abstract content. Each article was also coded by period of publication (1971-1992 (first period), 1993-1997 (second period), 1998-2002 (third period), 2003-2007 (fourth period), and 2008-2012 (fifth period), and against 13 topic categories. The results show that rate of publication has increased by approximately 100 articles every five years since 1993.The most popular topic was ergonomics assessment and analysis techniques in the first period, force exertion-related research in the second period, product design and evaluation in the third period, occupational safety and health in the fourth period and human-computer interface in the fifth period. Each of these is highly relevant to current contemporary issues around the world. Finally, potential areas for future ergonomics research in Taiwan are discussed. This study investigates the trends in academic papers published by members of the EST. Over time, topics have shifted from ergonomics evaluation methods to occupational safety and health, and human–computer interaction. The findings should be considered as important references for planning the future of ergonomics in Taiwan.

Mining and Utilizing Dataset Relevancy from Oceanographic Dataset (MUDROD) Metadata, Usage Metrics, and User Feedback to Improve Data Discovery and Access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Jiang, Y.; Yang, C. P.; Armstrong, E. M.; Huang, T.; Moroni, D. F.; McGibbney, L. J.

2016-12-01

Big oceanographic data have been produced, archived and made available online, but finding the right data for scientific research and application development is still a significant challenge. A long-standing problem in data discovery is how to find the interrelationships between keywords and data, as well as the intrarelationships of the two individually. Most previous research attempted to solve this problem by building domain-specific ontology either manually or through automatic machine learning techniques. The former is costly, labor intensive and hard to keep up-to-date, while the latter is prone to noise and may be difficult for human to understand. Large-scale user behavior data modelling represents a largely untapped, unique, and valuable source for discovering semantic relationships among domain-specific vocabulary. In this article, we propose a search engine framework for mining and utilizing dataset relevancy from oceanographic dataset metadata, user behaviors, and existing ontology. The objective is to improve discovery accuracy of oceanographic data and reduce time for scientist to discover, download and reformat data for their projects. Experiments and a search example show that the proposed search engine helps both scientists and general users search with better ranking results, recommendation, and ontology navigation.

Transtheoretical Model of Change during Travel Behavior Interventions: An Integrative Review.

PubMed

Friman, Margareta; Huck, Jana; Olsson, Lars E

2017-05-30

This study aims to identify the relevant empirical work, to synthesize its findings, and to thus attain a general understanding of the application of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in transport behavior research. An integrative literature review was used to determine whether or not the implemented interventions impact the stages and processes of travel behavior change. Data was collected from different databases. English language articles published between 2002 and 2017 were included. After sequentially narrowing the search and removing duplicates, 53 relevant papers remained, 13 of which fulfilled the stated criteria of constituting a transport intervention study using the TTM as a reference frame. The final 13 studies were classified and categorized according to stages and processes in the TTM. Findings showed that none of the interventions met the method requirements for a proper evaluation of design and outcome measurement. Reporting did not follow a standardized structure desirable when enabling comparative analyses. Allowing for these shortcomings, it is inferred that positive travel behavior changes have been obtained during some interventions. Importantly, although it was stated that the empirical studies were based on the TTM, the included interventions were implemented irrespective of the individual's stage of change. For future research, it will be necessary to conduct evaluations of higher quality.

Decision Making under Ambiguity and Objective Risk in Higher Age - A Review on Cognitive and Emotional Contributions.

PubMed

Liebherr, Magnus; Schiebener, Johannes; Averbeck, Heike; Brand, Matthias

2017-01-01

The ability of decision making plays a highly relevant role in our survival, but is adversely affected during the process of aging. The present review aims to provide a better understanding of age-related differences in decision making and the role of cognitive and emotional factors in this context. We reviewed the literature about age-effects on decision-making performance, focusing on decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In decisions under ambiguous risks, as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task, decisions are based on the experiences with consequences. In this case, many articles have attributed age-related impairments in decision making to changes in emotional and somatic reward- and punishment processing. In decisions under objective risks, as measured for example by the Game of Dice Task, decisions can be based on explicit information about risks and consequences. In this case, age-related changes have been attributed mainly to a cognitive decline, particularly impaired executive functions. However, recent findings challenge these conclusions. The present review summarizes neuropsychological and neurophysiological findings of age-related differences in decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In this context, the relevance of learning, but also of cognitive and emotional contributors - responsible for age-related differences in decision making - are additionally pointed out.

Decision Making under Ambiguity and Objective Risk in Higher Age – A Review on Cognitive and Emotional Contributions

PubMed Central

Liebherr, Magnus; Schiebener, Johannes; Averbeck, Heike; Brand, Matthias

2017-01-01

The ability of decision making plays a highly relevant role in our survival, but is adversely affected during the process of aging. The present review aims to provide a better understanding of age-related differences in decision making and the role of cognitive and emotional factors in this context. We reviewed the literature about age-effects on decision-making performance, focusing on decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In decisions under ambiguous risks, as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task, decisions are based on the experiences with consequences. In this case, many articles have attributed age-related impairments in decision making to changes in emotional and somatic reward- and punishment processing. In decisions under objective risks, as measured for example by the Game of Dice Task, decisions can be based on explicit information about risks and consequences. In this case, age-related changes have been attributed mainly to a cognitive decline, particularly impaired executive functions. However, recent findings challenge these conclusions. The present review summarizes neuropsychological and neurophysiological findings of age-related differences in decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In this context, the relevance of learning, but also of cognitive and emotional contributors – responsible for age-related differences in decision making – are additionally pointed out. PMID:29270145

Transtheoretical Model of Change during Travel Behavior Interventions: An Integrative Review

PubMed Central

Friman, Margareta; Huck, Jana; Olsson, Lars E.

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify the relevant empirical work, to synthesize its findings, and to thus attain a general understanding of the application of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in transport behavior research. An integrative literature review was used to determine whether or not the implemented interventions impact the stages and processes of travel behavior change. Data was collected from different databases. English language articles published between 2002 and 2017 were included. After sequentially narrowing the search and removing duplicates, 53 relevant papers remained, 13 of which fulfilled the stated criteria of constituting a transport intervention study using the TTM as a reference frame. The final 13 studies were classified and categorized according to stages and processes in the TTM. Findings showed that none of the interventions met the method requirements for a proper evaluation of design and outcome measurement. Reporting did not follow a standardized structure desirable when enabling comparative analyses. Allowing for these shortcomings, it is inferred that positive travel behavior changes have been obtained during some interventions. Importantly, although it was stated that the empirical studies were based on the TTM, the included interventions were implemented irrespective of the individual’s stage of change. For future research, it will be necessary to conduct evaluations of higher quality. PMID:28556810

Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings: introduction to the series.

PubMed

Lewin, Simon; Booth, Andrew; Glenton, Claire; Munthe-Kaas, Heather; Rashidian, Arash; Wainwright, Megan; Bohren, Meghan A; Tunçalp, Özge; Colvin, Christopher J; Garside, Ruth; Carlsen, Benedicte; Langlois, Etienne V; Noyes, Jane

2018-01-25

The GRADE-CERQual ('Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research') approach provides guidance for assessing how much confidence to place in findings from systematic reviews of qualitative research (or qualitative evidence syntheses). The approach has been developed to support the use of findings from qualitative evidence syntheses in decision-making, including guideline development and policy formulation. Confidence in the evidence from qualitative evidence syntheses is an assessment of the extent to which a review finding is a reasonable representation of the phenomenon of interest. CERQual provides a systematic and transparent framework for assessing confidence in individual review findings, based on consideration of four components: (1) methodological limitations, (2) coherence, (3) adequacy of data, and (4) relevance. A fifth component, dissemination (or publication) bias, may also be important and is being explored. As with the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach for effectiveness evidence, CERQual suggests summarising evidence in succinct, transparent, and informative Summary of Qualitative Findings tables. These tables are designed to communicate the review findings and the CERQual assessment of confidence in each finding. This article is the first of a seven-part series providing guidance on how to apply the CERQual approach. In this paper, we describe the rationale and conceptual basis for CERQual, the aims of the approach, how the approach was developed, and its main components. We also outline the purpose and structure of this series and discuss the growing role for qualitative evidence in decision-making. Papers 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in this series discuss each CERQual component, including the rationale for including the component in the approach, how the component is conceptualised, and how it should be assessed. Paper 2 discusses how to make an overall assessment of confidence in a review finding and how to create a Summary of Qualitative Findings table. The series is intended primarily for those undertaking qualitative evidence syntheses or using their findings in decision-making processes but is also relevant to guideline development agencies, primary qualitative researchers, and implementation scientists and practitioners.

Evaluation of the Steris Sensitive Equipment Decontamination (SED) Apparatus on a 463L Pallet

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

to decontaminate representative articles of sensitive equipment and operationally relevant materials for biological-warfare agent surrogate... Articles of Sensitive Equipment .................................................................. 25 2.9 Sensitive Equipment Inspection...45 3.6.2 Test Article Initial Inspection .............................................................. 47 3.6.3 Test

Extracellular vesicles: roles in gamete maturation, fertilization and embryo implantation

PubMed Central

Machtinger, Ronit; Laurent, Louise C.; Baccarelli, Andrea A.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound vesicles, found in biofluids, that carry and transfer regulatory molecules, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and proteins, and may mediate intercellular communication between cells and tissues. EVs have been isolated from a wide variety of biofluids, including plasma, urine, and, relevant to this review, seminal, follicular and uterine luminal fluid. We conducted a systematic search of the literature to review and present the currently available evidence on the possible roles of EVs in follicular growth, resumption of oocyte development and maturation (meiosis), sperm maturation, fertilization and embryo implantation. METHODS MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched using keywords pertaining to EVs, including ‘extracellular vesicles’, ‘microvesicles’, ‘microparticles’ and ‘exosomes’, combined with a range of terms associated with the period of development between fertilization and implantation, including ‘oocyte’, 'sperm’, 'semen’, 'fertilization’, ‘implantation’, ‘embryo’, ‘follicular fluid’, ‘epididymal fluid’ and ‘seminal fluid’. Relevant research articles published in English (both animal and human studies) were reviewed with no restrictions on publication date (i.e. from earliest database dates to July 2015). References from these articles were used to obtain additional articles. RESULTS A total of 1556 records were retrieved from the three databases. After removing duplicates and irrelevant titles, we reviewed the abstracts of 201 articles, which included 92 relevant articles. Both animal and human studies unequivocally identified various types of EVs in seminal, follicular and ULFs. Several studies provided evidence for the roles of EVs in these biofluids. In men, EVs in seminal fluid were linked with post-testicular sperm maturation, including sperm motility acquisition and reduction of oxidative stress. In women, EVs in follicular fluid were shown to contain miRNAs with potential roles in follicular growth, resumption of oocyte meiosis, steroidogenesis and prevention of polyspermy after fertilization. EVs were also detected in the media of cultured embryos, suggesting that EVs released from embryos and the uterus may mediate embryo-endometrium cross-talk during implantation. It is important to note that many of the biologically plausible functions of EVs in reproduction discussed in the current literature have not yet been substantiated by conclusive experimental evidence. CONCLUSIONS A detailed understanding of the contributions of EVs in the series of events from gametogenesis to fertilization and then on to implantation, in both normal and pathological cases, may enable the development of valuable tools to advance reproductive health. Because of the early stage of the field, it is unsurprising that the current literature includes not only growing experimental evidence, but also as-yet unproven hypotheses pertaining to the roles of EVs in key reproductive processes. In this review, we present a comprehensive survey of the rapidly expanding literature on this subject, highlighting both relevant findings and gaps in knowledge. PMID:26663221

[Cardiovascular manifestations of human toxocariasis].

PubMed

Bolívar-Mejía, Adrián; Rodríguez-Morales, Alfonso J; Paniz-Mondolfi, Alberto E; Delgado, Olinda

2013-01-01

Toxocariasis is a parasitic infection produced by helminths that cannot reach their adult stage in humans. For their etiological species (Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati), man is a paratenic host. Infection by such helminths can produce a variety of clinical manifestations, such as: visceral larvae migrans syndrome, ocular larvae migrans syndrome and covert toxocariasis. In the visceral larvae migrans syndrome, the organs that are mainly involved include liver, lungs, skin, nervous system, muscles, kidneys and the heart. Regarding the latter, the importance of cardiovascular manifestations in toxocariasis, as well as its clinical relevance, has increasingly begun to be recognized. The current article is based on a systematic information search, focused mainly on the clinical and pathological aspects of cardiovascular manifestations in toxocariasis, including its pathophysiology, laboratory findings, diagnosis and therapeutical options, with the objective of highlighting its importance as a zoonosis and its relevance to the fields of cardiovascular medicine in adults and children. Copyright © 2012 Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Living both well and sustainably: a review of the literature, with some reflections on future research, interventions and policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasser, Tim

2017-05-01

The idea that human well-being (WB) can be supported and even enhanced by using, producing, buying, selling and consuming less `stuff' is anathema to many living under consumer capitalism. Yet a growing research literature actually finds that frequent engagement in pro-ecological behaviours (PEBs) is positively correlated with personal WB. This paper reviews data relevant to three possible explanations for the apparent compatibility of PEBs and WB: (i) engaging in PEBs leads to psychological need satisfaction, which in turn causes WB; (ii) being in a good mood causes people to engage in more prosocial behaviours, including PEBs; and (iii) personal characteristics and lifestyles such as intrinsic values, mindfulness and voluntary simplicity cause both PEBs and WB. Because each explanation has some empirical support, I close by reflecting on some relevant interventions and policies that could strengthen each of these three pathways and thereby promote living both well and sustainably. This article is part of the themed issue 'Material demand reduction'.

Motivated social categorization: fundamental motives enhance people's sensitivity to basic social categories.

PubMed

Maner, Jon K; Miller, Saul L; Moss, Justin H; Leo, Jennifer L; Plant, E Ashby

2012-07-01

This article presents an evolutionary framework for identifying the characteristics people use to categorize members of their social world. Findings suggest that fundamental social motives lead people to implicitly categorize social targets based on whether those targets display goal-relevant phenotypic traits. A mate-search prime caused participants to categorize opposite-sex targets (but not same-sex targets) based on their level of physical attractiveness (Experiment 1). A mate-guarding prime interacted with relationship investment, causing participants to categorize same-sex targets (but not opposite-sex targets) based on their physical attractiveness (Experiment 2). A self-protection prime interacted with chronic beliefs about danger, increasing participants' tendency to categorize targets based on their racial group membership (Black or White; Experiment 3). This work demonstrates that people categorize others based on whether they display goal-relevant characteristics reflecting high levels of perceived desirability or threat. Social categorization is guided by fundamental evolved motives designed to enhance adaptive social outcomes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Evidence-based review of interventions for autism used in or of relevance to occupational therapy.

PubMed

Case-Smith, Jane; Arbesman, Marian

2008-01-01

Occupational therapy practitioners are among the professionals who provide services to children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), embracing both leadership and supportive roles in service delivery. The study's primary aims were as follows: (1) to identify, evaluate, and synthesize the research literature on interventions for ASD of relevance to occupational therapy and (2) to interpret and apply the research literature to occupational therapy. A total of 49 articles met the authors' criteria and were included in the review. Six categories of research topics were identified, the first 3 of which are most closely related to occupational therapy: (1) sensory integration and sensory-based interventions; (2) relationship-based, interactive interventions; (3) developmental skill-based programs; (4) social cognitive skill training; (5) parent-directed or parent-mediated approaches; and (6) intensive behavioral intervention. Under each category, themes supported by research evidence and applicable to occupational therapy were defined. The findings have implications for intervention methods, communication regarding efficacious practices to professionals and consumers, and future occupational therapy research.

Does the University-Industry Link Affect Solving Challenges of the Job Market? Lessons From Teacher Education and the Ministry of Education in Malawi

PubMed Central

Mkandawire, Matthews Tiwaone; Luo, Zubing; Maulidi, Felix Kondwani

2018-01-01

About half of the secondary school teachers in Malawi are professionally unqualified. Furthermore, the net enrolment of eligible pupils in secondary schools is at 36% per year. Hence, this study sought to establish factors affecting access to quality and relevant secondary education in Malawi with reference to coordination, collaboration, and feedback between secondary school teacher education institutions and the Ministry of Education. Officials from the Ministry of Education and secondary school teacher training colleges participated in the study. Findings suggest that there is weak collaboration, coordination, and feedback between teacher training institutions and the Ministry of Education which is affecting the quality and relevance of education in Malawi. The study has also established that the weak linkage has resulted into perceived mismatches between expectations of the ministry and those of the education institutions about the problem in question. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed in this article. PMID:29417093