Sample records for improbable methodological challenges

  1. Improbable Outcomes: Infrequent or Extraordinary?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teigen, Karl Halvor; Juanchich, Marie; Riege, Anine H.

    2013-01-01

    Research on verbal probabilities has shown that "unlikely" or "improbable" events are believed to correspond to numerical probability values between 10% and 30%. However, building on a pragmatic approach of verbal probabilities and a new methodology, the present paper shows that unlikely outcomes are most often associated with outcomes that have a…

  2. Collaborative Reform and Other Improbable Dreams: The Challenges of Professional Development Schools. SUNY Series, Teacher Preparation and Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnston, Marilyn, Ed.; Brosnan, Patti, Ed.; Cramer, Don, Ed.; Dove, Tim, Ed.

    This collection of papers examines a 10-year process of teacher education reform at Ohio State University, describing 13 Professional Development Schools (PDSs). After "Introduction: Context, Challenges, and Consequences: PDSs in the Making" (Marilyn Johnston), there are 16 papers in four parts. Part 1, "Contextualizing PDS Work and…

  3. "Facebooked: Romeo and Juliet" as Educational Theatre: An Improbable Fiction?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zdriluk, Helen

    2016-01-01

    This article addresses intersections of digital technology and Drama Education, with attention to an undergraduate playbuilding project focused on digital citizenship. It explores the challenges involved in structuring a technologically interactive presentation, as well as the positive impact of the piece achieved through the interplay of two…

  4. Functional Relevance of Improbable Antibody Mutations for HIV Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Development.

    PubMed

    Wiehe, Kevin; Bradley, Todd; Meyerhoff, R Ryan; Hart, Connor; Williams, Wilton B; Easterhoff, David; Faison, William J; Kepler, Thomas B; Saunders, Kevin O; Alam, S Munir; Bonsignori, Mattia; Haynes, Barton F

    2018-06-13

    HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) require high levels of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-catalyzed somatic mutations for optimal neutralization potency. Probable mutations occur at sites of frequent AID activity, while improbable mutations occur where AID activity is infrequent. One bottleneck for induction of bnAbs is the evolution of viral envelopes (Envs) that can select bnAb B cell receptors (BCR) with improbable mutations. Here we define the probability of bnAb mutations and demonstrate the functional significance of key improbable mutations in three bnAb B cell lineages. We show that bnAbs are enriched for improbable mutations, which implies that their elicitation will be critical for successful vaccine induction of potent bnAb B cell lineages. We discuss a mutation-guided vaccine strategy for identification of Envs that can select B cells with BCRs that have key improbable mutations required for bnAb development. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. DoD Support of Civil Authorities During No-Notice Complex Catastrophes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-01

    April17, 2002. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/New+challenges+for=the=unified=command=plan.=%28Military... a099817513 (accessed Mar 2, 2013) 3 Nassim ...Nicholas Taleb , “The Black Swan: The impact of the Highly Improbable “ New York Times, April 22, 2007 20 4 Homeland Security Act of 2002

  6. Young Children Discriminate Improbable from Impossible Events in Fiction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weisberg, Deena Skolnick; Sobel, David M.

    2012-01-01

    Can young children discriminate impossible events, which cannot happen in reality, from improbable events, which are unfamiliar but could possibly happen in reality? When asked explicitly to categorize these types of events, 4-year-olds (N = 54) tended to report that improbable events were impossible, consistent with prior results (Shtulman &…

  7. Old Challenges and New Vistas for Comparative Education? Insights Gained from Improbable Relations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amos, S. Karin

    2014-01-01

    In this article I aim to initiate a more systematic dialogue between what is currently termed postfoundationalism and the mainstream of comparative education. I argue that comparative education, which is not only interdisciplinary by definition but also the one sub-discipline of education focusing most rigorously on relations, is the privileged…

  8. Is There a Doctorate in the House? With Such a Significant Shortfall of African Americans with PH.D.s in Science, Engineering and Technology, More HBCUs Are Taking on the Challenge of Offering the Terminal Degree

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamilton, Kendra

    2004-01-01

    In the battle to increase the numbers of African American Ph.D.s in science, technology and engineering, the nation may just have a secret weapon: historically Black colleges and universities. The statement may sound improbable. After all, only a handful of the nation's HBCUs offer doctoral programs. And education has long been the field of choice…

  9. Practicing Possibilities: Parents' Explanations of Unusual Events and Children's Possibility Thinking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nolan-Reyes, Charlotte; Callanan, Maureen A.; Haigh, Kirsten A.

    2016-01-01

    Young children tend to judge improbable events to be impossible, yet there is variability across age and across individuals. Our study examined parent-child conversations about impossible and improbable events and links between parents' explanations about those events and children's possibility judgments in a reasoning task. Regression analyses…

  10. Lessons from the Reading Brain for Reading Development and Dyslexia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolf, Maryanne; Ullman-Shade, Catherine; Gottwald, Stephanie

    2016-01-01

    This essay is about the improbable emergence of written language six millennia ago that gave rise to the even more improbable, highly sophisticated reading brain of the twenty-first century. How it emerged and what it comprises--both in its most basic iteration in the very young reader and in its most elaborated iteration in the expert reader--is…

  11. Not silent, invisible: literature's chance encounters with deaf heroes and heroines.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Donna M

    2010-01-01

    Literature is both a rich resource and a blunt instrument in conveying the complexities of identity, in particular, the elusive deaf identity. The rarity of the fully realized deaf person in memoir and fiction shapes the way readers regard deaf people and throws up fresh challenges in redesigning stories of deafness free of the taint of triumphalism or complaint. Competing but authentic representations of deafness and deaf people's experiences allow readers to variously witness, immerse themselves in, and navigate their way through those experiences. Consequently, establishing universal truths about deaf lives is a risky business and an improbable goal.

  12. The probability of object-scene co-occurrence influences object identification processes.

    PubMed

    Sauvé, Geneviève; Harmand, Mariane; Vanni, Léa; Brodeur, Mathieu B

    2017-07-01

    Contextual information allows the human brain to make predictions about the identity of objects that might be seen and irregularities between an object and its background slow down perception and identification processes. Bar and colleagues modeled the mechanisms underlying this beneficial effect suggesting that the brain stocks information about the statistical regularities of object and scene co-occurrence. Their model suggests that these recurring regularities could be conceptualized along a continuum in which the probability of seeing an object within a given scene can be high (probable condition), moderate (improbable condition) or null (impossible condition). In the present experiment, we propose to disentangle the electrophysiological correlates of these context effects by directly comparing object-scene pairs found along this continuum. We recorded the event-related potentials of 30 healthy participants (18-34 years old) and analyzed their brain activity in three time windows associated with context effects. We observed anterior negativities between 250 and 500 ms after object onset for the improbable and impossible conditions (improbable more negative than impossible) compared to the probable condition as well as a parieto-occipital positivity (improbable more positive than impossible). The brain may use different processing pathways to identify objects depending on whether the probability of co-occurrence with the scene is moderate (rely more on top-down effects) or null (rely more on bottom-up influences). The posterior positivity could index error monitoring aimed to ensure that no false information is integrated into mental representations of the world.

  13. Why Cosmic Fine-Tuning Needs to BE Explained

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manson, Neil Alan

    Discoveries in modern physics and Big Bang cosmology indicate that if either the initial conditions of the universe or the physical laws governing its development had differed even slightly, life could never have developed. It is for this reason that the universe is said to be ``fine-tuned'' for life. I argue that cosmic fine-tuning, which some want to dismiss as the way things just happen to be, in fact needs to be explained. In Chapter One I provide an overview of the evidence that the universe is fine-tuned for life. In Chapter Two I present a set of sufficient conditions for a fact's needing to be explained. The conditions are that the fact is improbable and that a ``tidy'' explanation of it is available. A tidy explanation of a fact is considerably less improbable than that fact and makes the obtaining of that fact considerably less improbable. Chapters Three, Four, and Five are devoted to showing that cosmic Chapter Three I argue that the universe's being finely tuned for life can meaningfully be considered improbable. In Chapter Four I claim that there is at least one tidy explanation of cosmic fine-tuning: that the universe was created by some sort of extramundane designer. In Chapters Four and Five I respond to three objections. The first is that the design hypothesis is ad hoc. The second is that we have no reason to believe a supernatural designer would prefer life-permitting cosmoi to other possible cosmoi and that our tendency to believe otherwise is the result of anthropocentrism. The third is that the design hypothesis never buys us an explanatory advantage.

  14. Seizures in the elderly: development and validation of a diagnostic algorithm.

    PubMed

    Dupont, Sophie; Verny, Marc; Harston, Sandrine; Cartz-Piver, Leslie; Schück, Stéphane; Martin, Jennifer; Puisieux, François; Alecu, Cosmin; Vespignani, Hervé; Marchal, Cécile; Derambure, Philippe

    2010-05-01

    Seizures are frequent in the elderly, but their diagnosis can be challenging. The objective of this work was to develop and validate an expert-based algorithm for the diagnosis of seizures in elderly people. A multidisciplinary group of neurologists and geriatricians developed a diagnostic algorithm using a combination of selected clinical, electroencephalographical and radiological criteria. The algorithm was validated by multicentre retrospective analysis of data of patients referred for specific symptoms and classified by the experts as epileptic patients or not. The algorithm was applied to all the patients, and the diagnosis provided by the algorithm was compared to the clinical diagnosis of the experts. Twenty-nine clinical, electroencephalographical and radiological criteria were selected for the algorithm. According to criteria combination, seizures were classified in four levels of diagnosis: certain, highly probable, possible or improbable. To validate the algorithm, the medical records of 269 elderly patients were analyzed (138 with epileptic seizures, 131 with non-epileptic manifestations). Patients were mainly referred for a transient focal deficit (40%), confusion (38%), unconsciousness (27%). The algorithm best classified certain and probable seizures versus possible and improbable seizures, with 86.2% sensitivity and 67.2% specificity. Using logistical regression, 2 simplified models were developed, the first with 13 criteria (Se 85.5%, Sp 90.1%), and the second with 7 criteria only (Se 84.8%, Sp 88.6%). In conclusion, the present study validated the use of a revised diagnostic algorithm to help diagnosis epileptic seizures in the elderly. A prospective study is planned to further validate this algorithm. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Electrophysiological correlates of anticipating improbable but desired events.

    PubMed

    Fuentemilla, Lluís; Cucurell, David; Marco-Pallarés, Josep; Guitart-Masip, Marc; Morís, Joaquín; Rodríguez-Fornells, Antoni

    2013-09-01

    Psychological studies have emphasized that motivation is regulated by the anticipation of the emotional impact from the possible occurrence of unexpected rewarding events. Here, we scrutinized the existence of a corresponding neural signal by means of event-related potentials (ERPs) and computational modeling. In the first experiment, we designed a task that manipulated the probability of gaining a monetary reward and measured ERPs during anticipation and at reward delivery. A sustained frontocentral neural activity (i.e., the stimulus preceding negativity, SPN) was evidenced during the anticipation period. Critically, the SPN was found to increase in amplitude as the reward became more unexpected. Changes in the SPN were found to be predictive of individual differences in risk seeking, suggesting that a greater risk attitude involved a greater motivational state for receiving an improbable reward. In the second experiment, SPN results associated with unexpected monetary gains were replicated in a condition in which participants avoided monetary losses and the occurrence of unexpected rewards was also associated with an increase in the amount of self-reported pleasure. These findings support the existence of a neural ERP signature that encodes the process of tuning our motivation to the possibility of receiving a desirable but improbable rewarding outcome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. The role of CO2 capture and utilization in mitigating climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mac Dowell, Niall; Fennell, Paul S.; Shah, Nilay; Maitland, Geoffrey C.

    2017-04-01

    To offset the cost associated with CO2 capture and storage (CCS), there is growing interest in finding commercially viable end-use opportunities for the captured CO2. In this Perspective, we discuss the potential contribution of carbon capture and utilization (CCU). Owing to the scale and rate of CO2 production compared to that of utilization allowing long-term sequestration, it is highly improbable the chemical conversion of CO2 will account for more than 1% of the mitigation challenge, and even a scaled-up enhanced oil recovery (EOR)-CCS industry will likely only account for 4-8%. Therefore, whilst CO2-EOR may be an important economic incentive for some early CCS projects, CCU may prove to be a costly distraction, financially and politically, from the real task of mitigation.

  17. A Statistical Approach to Illustrate the Challenge of Astrobiology for Public Outreach.

    PubMed

    Foucher, Frédéric; Hickman-Lewis, Keyron; Westall, Frances; Brack, André

    2017-10-26

    In this study, we attempt to illustrate the competition that constitutes the main challenge of astrobiology, namely the competition between the probability of extraterrestrial life and its detectability. To illustrate this fact, we propose a simple statistical approach based on our knowledge of the Universe and the Milky Way, the Solar System, and the evolution of life on Earth permitting us to obtain the order of magnitude of the distance between Earth and bodies inhabited by more or less evolved past or present life forms, and the consequences of this probability for the detection of associated biosignatures. We thus show that the probability of the existence of evolved extraterrestrial forms of life increases with distance from the Earth while, at the same time, the number of detectable biosignatures decreases due to technical and physical limitations. This approach allows us to easily explain to the general public why it is very improbable to detect a signal of extraterrestrial intelligence while it is justified to launch space probes dedicated to the search for microbial life in the Solar System.

  18. A Statistical Approach to Illustrate the Challenge of Astrobiology for Public Outreach

    PubMed Central

    Westall, Frances; Brack, André

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we attempt to illustrate the competition that constitutes the main challenge of astrobiology, namely the competition between the probability of extraterrestrial life and its detectability. To illustrate this fact, we propose a simple statistical approach based on our knowledge of the Universe and the Milky Way, the Solar System, and the evolution of life on Earth permitting us to obtain the order of magnitude of the distance between Earth and bodies inhabited by more or less evolved past or present life forms, and the consequences of this probability for the detection of associated biosignatures. We thus show that the probability of the existence of evolved extraterrestrial forms of life increases with distance from the Earth while, at the same time, the number of detectable biosignatures decreases due to technical and physical limitations. This approach allows us to easily explain to the general public why it is very improbable to detect a signal of extraterrestrial intelligence while it is justified to launch space probes dedicated to the search for microbial life in the Solar System. PMID:29072614

  19. Unscientific beliefs about scientific topics in nutrition.

    PubMed

    Brown, Andrew W; Ioannidis, John P A; Cope, Mark B; Bier, Dennis M; Allison, David B

    2014-09-01

    Humans interact with food daily. Such repeated exposure creates a widespread, superficial familiarity with nutrition. Personal familiarity with nutrition from individual and cultural perspectives may give rise to beliefs about food not grounded in scientific evidence. In this summary of the session entitled “Unscientific Beliefs about Scientific Topics in Nutrition,” we discuss accumulated work illustrating and quantifying potentially misleading practices in the conduct and, more so, reporting of nutrition science along with proposed approaches to amelioration. We begin by defining “unscientific beliefs” and from where such beliefs may come, followed by discussing how large bodies of nutritional epidemiologic observations not only create highly improbable patterns of association but implausible magnitudes of implied effect. Poor reporting practices, biases, and methodologic issues that have distorted scientific understandings of nutrition are presented, followed by potential influences of conflicts of interest that extend beyond financial considerations. We conclude with recommendations for improving the conduct, reporting, and communication of nutrition-related research to ground discussions in evidence rather than solely on beliefs.

  20. Children’s imagination and belief: Prone to flights of fancy or grounded in reality?

    PubMed Central

    Lane, Jonathan D.; Ronfard, Samuel; Francioli, Stéphane P.; Harris, Paul L.

    2016-01-01

    Children ranging from 4 to 8 years (n = 39) reported whether they could imagine various improbable phenomena (e.g., a person making onion juice) as well as various impossible phenomena (e.g., a person turning an onion into a banana) and then described what they imagined. In their descriptions, children mentioned ordinary causes much more often than extraordinary causes. Descriptions of such ordinary causes were provided more often in relation to improbable (rather than impossible) phenomena. Following these imaginative efforts, children judged if each phenomenon could really happen. To check whether these reality judgments were affected by children’s attempts to imagine, a control group (n = 39) made identical reality judgments but were not first prompted to imagine each phenomenon. Children across the age range judged that impossible phenomena cannot really happen but, with increasing age, judged that improbable phenomena can happen. This pattern emerged in both the imagination and control groups; thus simply prompting children to imagine did not alter their reality judgments. However, within the imagination group, judgments that phenomena can really happen were associated with children’s claims to have successfully imagined the phenomena and with certain characteristics of their descriptions: imagining ordinary causes and imagining phenomena obtain. Results highlight close links between imagination and reality judgments in childhood. Contrary to the notion that young children have a rich imagination that readily defies reality, results indicate that their imagination is grounded in reality, as are their beliefs. PMID:27060420

  1. The Scientific Response to Creationism.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cracraft, Joel

    1982-01-01

    Examines proposition that creationism is legitimate science, including philosophical basis of that claim and methods used to discredit contemporary scientific thought. Discusses creationist's arguments against scientific findings related to second law of thermodynamics, improbability of evolution, earth's age, geological record, fossil transitions…

  2. A new approach to aid the characterisation and identification of metabolites of a model drug; partial isotope enrichment combined with novel formula elucidation software.

    PubMed

    Hobby, Kirsten; Gallagher, Richard T; Caldwell, Patrick; Wilson, Ian D

    2009-01-01

    This work describes the identification of 'isotopically enriched' metabolites of 4-cyanoaniline using the unique features of the software package 'Spectral Simplicity'. The software is capable of creating the theoretical mass spectra for partially isotope-enriched compounds, and subsequently performing an elemental composition analysis to give the elemental formula for the 'isotopically enriched' metabolite. A novel mass spectral correlation method, called 'FuzzyFit', was employed. 'FuzzyFit' utilises the expected experimental distribution of errors in both mass accuracy and isotope pattern and enables discrimination between statistically probable and improbable candidate formulae. The software correctly determined the molecular formulae of ten previously described metabolites of 4-cyanoaniline confirming the technique of partial isotope enrichment can produce results analogous to standard methodologies. Six previously unknown species were also identified, based on the presence of the unique 'designer' isotope ratio. Three of the unknowns were tentatively identified as N-acetylglutamine, O-methyl-N acetylglucuronide and a putative fatty acid conjugate. The discovery of a significant number of unknown species of a model drug with a comprehensive history of investigation highlights the potential for enhancement to the analytical process by the use of 'designer' isotope ratio compounds. The 'FuzzyFit' methodology significantly aided the elucidation of candidate formulae, by provision of a vastly simplified candidate formula data set. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Methadone Maintenance: The Addict's Family Recreated.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartzman, John; Bokos, Peter

    1979-01-01

    A study of four methadone clinics, the addicts treated at these clinics, and their families, reveals basic dissonances in treatment ideology and professional-paraprofessional relationships which, combined with the addict's particular mode of functioning, make significant change in his behavior improbable. (Author)

  4. Improbable Success: Risk Communication and the Terrorism Hazard

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-03-01

    1998). Risk perception and communication. Proceedings of the North American Conference on Pesticide Spray Drift Management, March 29–April 1, 1998...commonwealth, ecclesiasticall and civill. Edited by Michael Oakeshott. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1946. Hodler, R., Loertscher, S., & Rohner, D. (2007

  5. Peer review versus editorial review and their role in innovative science.

    PubMed

    Steinhauser, Georg; Adlassnig, Wolfram; Risch, Jesaka Ahau; Anderlini, Serena; Arguriou, Petros; Armendariz, Aaron Zolen; Bains, William; Baker, Clark; Barnes, Martin; Barnett, Jonathan; Baumgartner, Michael; Baumgartner, Thomas; Bendall, Charles A; Bender, Yvonne S; Bichler, Max; Biermann, Teresa; Bini, Ronaldo; Blanco, Eduardo; Bleau, John; Brink, Anthony; Brown, Darin; Burghuber, Christopher; Calne, Roy; Carter, Brian; Castaño, Cesar; Celec, Peter; Celis, Maria Eugenia; Clarke, Nicky; Cockrell, David; Collins, David; Coogan, Brian; Craig, Jennifer; Crilly, Cal; Crowe, David; Csoka, Antonei B; Darwich, Chaza; Del Kebos, Topiciprin; Derinaldi, Michele; Dlamini, Bongani; Drewa, Tomasz; Dwyer, Michael; Eder, Fabienne; de Palma, Raúl Ehrichs; Esmay, Dean; Rött, Catherine Evans; Exley, Christopher; Falkov, Robin; Farber, Celia Ingrid; Fearn, William; Felsmann, Sophie; Flensmark, Jarl; Fletcher, Andrew K; Foster, Michaela; Fountoulakis, Kostas N; Fouratt, Jim; Blanca, Jesus Garcia; Sotelo, Manuel Garrido; Gittler, Florian; Gittler, Georg; Gomez, Juan; Gomez, Juan F; Polar, Maria Grazia Gonzales; Gonzalez, Jossina; Gösselsberger, Christoph; Habermacher, Lynn; Hajek, Michael; Hakala, Faith; Haliburton, Mary-Sue; Hankins, John Robert; Hart, Jason; Hasslberger, Sepp; Hennessey, Donalyn; Herrmann, Andrea; Hersee, Mike; Howard, Connie; Humphries, Suzanne; Isharc, Laeeth; Ivanovski, Petar; Jenuth, Stephen; Jerndal, Jens; Johnson, Christine; Keleta, Yonas; Kenny, Anna; Kidd, Billie; Kohle, Fritz; Kolahi, Jafar; Koller-Peroutka, Marianne; Kostova, Lyubov; Kumar, Arunachalam; Kurosawa, Alejandro; Lance, Tony; Lechermann, Michael; Lendl, Bernhard; Leuchters, Michael; Lewis, Evan; Lieb, Edward; Lloyd, Gloria; Losek, Angelika; Lu, Yao; Maestracci, Saadia; Mangan, Dennis; Mares, Alberto W; Barnett, Juan Mazar; McClain, Valerie; McNair, John Sydney; Michael, Terry; Miller, Lloyd; Monzani, Partizia; Moran, Belen; Morris, Mike; Mößmer, Georg; Mountain, Johny; Phuthe, Onnie Mary Moyo; Muñoz, Marcos; Nakken, Sheri; Wambui, Anne Nduta; Neunteufl, Bettina; Nikolić, Dimitrije; Oberoi, Devesh V; Obmode, Gregory; Ogar, Laura; Ohara, Jo; Rybine, Naion Olej; Owen, Bryan; Owen, Kim Wilson; Parikh, Rakesh; Pearce, Nicholas J G; Pemmer, Bernhard; Piper, Chris; Prince, Ian; Reid, Terence; Rindermann, Heiner; Risch, Stefan; Robbins, Josh; Roberts, Seth; Romero, Ajeandro; Rothe, Michael Thaddäus; Ruiz, Sergio; Sacher, Juliane; Sackl, Wolfgang; Salletmaier, Markus; Sanand, Jairaj; Sauerzopf, Clemens; Schwarzgruber, Thomas; Scott, David; Seegers, Laura; Seppi, David; Shields, Kyle; Siller-Matula, Jolanta; Singh, Beldeu; Sithole, Sibusio; Six, Florian; Skoyles, John R; Slofstra, Jildou; Sole, Daphne Anne; Sommer, Werner F; Sonko, Mels; Starr-Casanova, Chrislie J; Steakley, Marjorie Elizabeth; Steinhauser, Wolfgang; Steinhoff, Konstantin; Sterba, Johannes H; Steppan, Martin; Stindl, Reinhard; Stokely, Joe; Stokely, Karri; St-Pierre, Gilles; Stratford, James; Streli, Christina; Stryg, Carl; Sullivan, Mike; Summhammer, Johann; Tadesse, Amhayes; Tavares, David; Thompson, Laura; Tomlinson, Alison; Tozer, Jack; Trevisanato, Siro I; Trimmel, Michaela; Turner, Nicole; Vahur, Paul; van der Byl, Jennie; van der Maas, Tine; Varela, Leo; Vega, Carlos A; Vermaak, Shiloh; Villasenor, Alex; Vogel, Matt; von Wintzigerode, Georg; Wagner, Christoph; Weinberger, Manuel; Weinberger, Peter; Wilson, Nick; Wolfe, Jennifer Finocchio; Woodley, Michael A; Young, Ian; Zuraw, Glenn; Zwiren, Nicole

    2012-10-01

    Peer review is a widely accepted instrument for raising the quality of science. Peer review limits the enormous unstructured influx of information and the sheer amount of dubious data, which in its absence would plunge science into chaos. In particular, peer review offers the benefit of eliminating papers that suffer from poor craftsmanship or methodological shortcomings, especially in the experimental sciences. However, we believe that peer review is not always appropriate for the evaluation of controversial hypothetical science. We argue that the process of peer review can be prone to bias towards ideas that affirm the prior convictions of reviewers and against innovation and radical new ideas. Innovative hypotheses are thus highly vulnerable to being "filtered out" or made to accord with conventional wisdom by the peer review process. Consequently, having introduced peer review, the Elsevier journal Medical Hypotheses may be unable to continue its tradition as a radical journal allowing discussion of improbable or unconventional ideas. Hence we conclude by asking the publisher to consider re-introducing the system of editorial review to Medical Hypotheses.

  6. When Bad Masks Turn Good

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abraham, Roberto G.

    In keeping with the spirit of a meeting on ‘masks,' this talk presents two short stories on the theme of dust. In the first, dust plays the familiar role of the evil obscurer, the enemy to bedefeated by the cunning observer in order to allow a key future technology (adaptive optics) to be exploited fully by heroic astronomers. In the second story, dust itself emerges as the improbable hero, in the form of a circumstellar debris disks. I will present evidence of a puzzling near-infrared excess in the continuum of high-redshift galaxies and will argue that the seemingly improbable origin of this IR excess is a population of young circumstellar disks formed around high-mass stars in distant galaxies. Assuming circumstellar disks extend down to lower masses,as they do in our own Galaxy, the excess emission presents us with an exciting opportunity to measure the formation rate of planetary systems in distant galaxies at cosmic epochs before our own solar system formed.

  7. 14 CFR 25.697 - Lift and drag devices, controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 25.697 Lift and drag devices, controls. (a) Each lift device control must be designed so that the pilots... drag device control must be designed and located to make inadvertent operation improbable. Lift and...

  8. 14 CFR 25.697 - Lift and drag devices, controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 25.697 Lift and drag devices, controls. (a) Each lift device control must be designed so that the pilots... drag device control must be designed and located to make inadvertent operation improbable. Lift and...

  9. 14 CFR 25.697 - Lift and drag devices, controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 25.697 Lift and drag devices, controls. (a) Each lift device control must be designed so that the pilots... drag device control must be designed and located to make inadvertent operation improbable. Lift and...

  10. 14 CFR 25.697 - Lift and drag devices, controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Control Systems § 25.697 Lift and drag devices, controls. (a) Each lift device control must be designed so that the pilots... drag device control must be designed and located to make inadvertent operation improbable. Lift and...

  11. A Response: How Sound Is High/Scope Research?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Engelmann, Siegfried

    1999-01-01

    In a previous issue, Lawrence Schweinhart and David Weikart conclude that children who attended a direct-instruction preschool program had significantly greater adult felony arrests than children following the High/Scope or nursery-school curricula. Analysis of research methods suggests improbable links between preschool experience and adult…

  12. Contour Entropy: A New Determinant of Perceiving Ground or a Hole

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillam, Barbara J.; Grove, Philip M.

    2011-01-01

    Figure-ground perception is typically described as seeing one surface occluding another. Figure properties, not ground properties, are considered the significant factors. In scenes, however, a near surface will often occlude multiple contours and surfaces, often at different depths, producing alignments that are improbable except under conditions…

  13. "The Dyslogic Syndrome": Some Improbable Implications to Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, Daniel L.

    The author traces developments in the education of children with learning disabilities and comments on implications for teacher education. He suggests that a critical neglect of the study of cognition exists. The cognitive orientation, which includes emphases on active participation, student responsibility and long-term acquisitions, is discussed,…

  14. The Development of Possibility Judgment within and across Domains

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shtulman, Andrew

    2009-01-01

    The ability to differentiate possible events from impossible ones is an invaluable skill when reasoning about claims that transcend the perceptual evidence at hand, yet preschool-aged children do not readily make this differentiation when reasoning about physically extraordinary events [Shtulman, A., & Carey, S. (2007). "Improbable or impossible?…

  15. Music and Pedagogy in the Platonic City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bourgault, Sophie

    2012-01-01

    That Plato regarded music as an extremely powerful means to cultivate morality and good citizenship is well-known. And yet, it is highly improbable that music advocates would turn to Plato's oeuvre--largely because Plato's name is commonly associated with ascetic otherworldliness and with much loathing for artistic creativity and innovation. These…

  16. 14 CFR 25.1309 - Equipment, systems, and installations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... airplane or the ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions is improbable. (c) Warning... requirements of paragraph (b) of this section must be shown by analysis, and where necessary, by appropriate ground, flight, or simulator tests. The analysis must consider— (1) Possible modes of failure, including...

  17. 14 CFR 29.1309 - Equipment, systems, and installations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... rotorcraft or the ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions is improbable. (c) Warning... requirements of paragraph (b)(2) of this section must be shown by analysis and, where necessary, by appropriate ground, flight, or simulator tests. The analysis must consider— (1) Possible modes of failure, including...

  18. 14 CFR 25.1309 - Equipment, systems, and installations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... airplane or the ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions is improbable. (c) Warning... requirements of paragraph (b) of this section must be shown by analysis, and where necessary, by appropriate ground, flight, or simulator tests. The analysis must consider— (1) Possible modes of failure, including...

  19. 14 CFR 25.1309 - Equipment, systems, and installations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... airplane or the ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions is improbable. (c) Warning... requirements of paragraph (b) of this section must be shown by analysis, and where necessary, by appropriate ground, flight, or simulator tests. The analysis must consider— (1) Possible modes of failure, including...

  20. 14 CFR 29.1309 - Equipment, systems, and installations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... rotorcraft or the ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions is improbable. (c) Warning... requirements of paragraph (b)(2) of this section must be shown by analysis and, where necessary, by appropriate ground, flight, or simulator tests. The analysis must consider— (1) Possible modes of failure, including...

  1. 14 CFR 29.1309 - Equipment, systems, and installations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... rotorcraft or the ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions is improbable. (c) Warning... requirements of paragraph (b)(2) of this section must be shown by analysis and, where necessary, by appropriate ground, flight, or simulator tests. The analysis must consider— (1) Possible modes of failure, including...

  2. 14 CFR 25.1309 - Equipment, systems, and installations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... airplane or the ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions is improbable. (c) Warning... requirements of paragraph (b) of this section must be shown by analysis, and where necessary, by appropriate ground, flight, or simulator tests. The analysis must consider— (1) Possible modes of failure, including...

  3. Quantifying Improbability: An Analysis of the Lloyd’s of London Business Blackout Cyber Attack Scenario

    DTIC Science & Technology

    Scenarios that describe cyber attacks on the electric grid consistently predict significant disruptions to the economy and citizens quality of life...phenomena that deserve further investigation, such as the importance of some individual power plants in influencing the adversarys probability of

  4. Air Pollution. Teachers Clearinghouse for Science and Society Education Supplement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Vranken, Nancy S., Ed.

    To the casual observer, it seems improbable that human beings could produce a global environmental change. However, collective human activities have taxed the Earth's recuperative powers to their limit. The conflict of a global economy and the ecological support system make it difficult to change current conditions. Students should be made aware…

  5. "As Simple as Possible, but Not Simpler"--The Case of Dehydroascorbic Acid

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kerber, Robert C.

    2008-01-01

    Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is an essential nutrient, whose metabolic roles depend on its function as a reducing agent. Textbooks routinely assign its oxidized form, dehydroascorbic acid, a tricarbonyl structure that is highly improbable in aqueous solution and inconsistent with its colorless appearance. The actual structures of the various forms of…

  6. Pick Your Poisson: A Tutorial on Analyzing Counts of Student Victimization Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Francis L.; Cornell, Dewey G.

    2012-01-01

    School violence research is often concerned with infrequently occurring events such as counts of the number of bullying incidents or fights a student may experience. Analyzing count data using ordinary least squares regression may produce improbable predicted values, and as a result of regression assumption violations, result in higher Type I…

  7. What you see is what you expect: rapid scene understanding benefits from prior experience.

    PubMed

    Greene, Michelle R; Botros, Abraham P; Beck, Diane M; Fei-Fei, Li

    2015-05-01

    Although we are able to rapidly understand novel scene images, little is known about the mechanisms that support this ability. Theories of optimal coding assert that prior visual experience can be used to ease the computational burden of visual processing. A consequence of this idea is that more probable visual inputs should be facilitated relative to more unlikely stimuli. In three experiments, we compared the perceptions of highly improbable real-world scenes (e.g., an underwater press conference) with common images matched for visual and semantic features. Although the two groups of images could not be distinguished by their low-level visual features, we found profound deficits related to the improbable images: Observers wrote poorer descriptions of these images (Exp. 1), had difficulties classifying the images as unusual (Exp. 2), and even had lower sensitivity to detect these images in noise than to detect their more probable counterparts (Exp. 3). Taken together, these results place a limit on our abilities for rapid scene perception and suggest that perception is facilitated by prior visual experience.

  8. Thermal nanostructure: An order parameter multiscale ensemble approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheluvaraja, S.; Ortoleva, P.

    2010-02-01

    Deductive all-atom multiscale techniques imply that many nanosystems can be understood in terms of the slow dynamics of order parameters that coevolve with the quasiequilibrium probability density for rapidly fluctuating atomic configurations. The result of this multiscale analysis is a set of stochastic equations for the order parameters whose dynamics is driven by thermal-average forces. We present an efficient algorithm for sampling atomistic configurations in viruses and other supramillion atom nanosystems. This algorithm allows for sampling of a wide range of configurations without creating an excess of high-energy, improbable ones. It is implemented and used to calculate thermal-average forces. These forces are then used to search the free-energy landscape of a nanosystem for deep minima. The methodology is applied to thermal structures of Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus capsid. The method has wide applicability to other nanosystems whose properties are described by the CHARMM or other interatomic force field. Our implementation, denoted SIMNANOWORLD™, achieves calibration-free nanosystem modeling. Essential atomic-scale detail is preserved via a quasiequilibrium probability density while overall character is provided via predicted values of order parameters. Applications from virology to the computer-aided design of nanocapsules for delivery of therapeutic agents and of vaccines for nonenveloped viruses are envisioned.

  9. Update on MTTF figures for linear and rotary coolers of Thales Cryogenics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van de Groep, W.; van der Weijden, H.; van Leeuwen, R.; Benschop, T.; Cauquil, J. M.; Griot, R.

    2012-06-01

    Thales Cryogenics has an extensive background in delivering linear and rotary coolers for military, civil and space programs. During the last years several technical improvements have increased the lifetime of all Thales coolers resulting in significantly higher Mean Time To Failure (MTTF) figures. In this paper not only updated MTTF values for most of the products in our portfolio will be presented but also the methodology used to come to these reliability figures will be explained. The differences between rotary and linear coolers will be highlighted including the different failure modes influencing the lifetime under operational conditions. These updated reliability figures are based on extensive test results for both rotary and linear coolers as well as Weibull analysis, failure mode identifications, various types of lifetime testing and field results of operational coolers. The impact of the cooler selection for typical applications will be outlined. This updated reliability approach will enable an improved tradeoff for cooler selection in applications where MTTF and a correct reliability assessment is key. Improbing on cooler selection and an increased insight in cooler reliability will result in a higher uptime and operability of equipment, less risk on unexpected failures and lower costs of ownership.

  10. The Historically Black College and University Community and the Obama Administration: A Lesson in Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gasman, Marybeth; Collins, Heather

    2014-01-01

    The Obama administration has some improbable critics: members of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) community. What started out as carefully worded commentaries have given way to more direct criticisms and complaints about the administration's policies affecting HBCUs. Although some of these gripes can be attributed to…

  11. Silent Echoes: A Young Author Rewrites the Rules to Transitioning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephens, Aaron Notarianni

    2008-01-01

    This article describes Sarah, a young woman with autism from Frederick, Maryland, who made a choice to forgo traditional employment options for people with disabilities and to pursue the seemingly improbable option of becoming an author. Becoming a successful writer can be a dubious prospect for people without disabilities. And yet with talent,…

  12. Intelligence, Belief in the Paranormal, Knowledge of Probability and Aging

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stuart-Hamilton, Ian; Nayak, Laxman; Priest, Lee

    2006-01-01

    In young adults, preparedness to accept improbable events as planned rather than due to chance is predictive of the level of belief in the paranormal, possibly underpinned by lower intelligence levels (Musch and Ehrenberg, 2002). The present study, using a sample of 73 older participants aged 60-84 years failed to find any relationship between…

  13. Applying Lean-Six-Sigma Methodology in radiotherapy: Lessons learned by the breast daily repositioning case.

    PubMed

    Mancosu, Pietro; Nicolini, Giorgia; Goretti, Giulia; De Rose, Fiorenza; Franceschini, Davide; Ferrari, Chiara; Reggiori, Giacomo; Tomatis, Stefano; Scorsetti, Marta

    2018-05-01

    Lean Six Sigma Methodology (LSSM) was introduced in industry to provide near-perfect services to large processes, by reducing improbable occurrence. LSSM has been applied to redesign the 2D-2D breast repositioning process (Lean) by the retrospective analysis of the database (Six Sigma). Breast patients with daily 2D-2D matching before RT were considered. The five DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control) LSSM steps were applied. The process was retrospectively measured over 30 months (7/2014-12/2016) by querying the RT Record&Verify database. Two Lean instruments (Poka-Yoke and Visual Management) were considered for advancing the process. The new procedure was checked over 6 months (1-6/2017). 14,931 consecutive shifts from 1342 patients were analyzed. Only 0.8% of patients presented median shifts >1 cm. The major observed discrepancy was the monthly percentage of fractions with almost zero shifts (AZS = 13.2% ± 6.1%). Ishikawa fishbone diagram helped in defining the main discrepancy con-causes. Procedure harmonization involving a multidisciplinary team to increase confidence in matching procedure was defined. AZS was reduced to 4.8% ± 0.6%. Furthermore, distribution symmetry improvement (Skewness moved from 1.4 to 1.1) and outlier reduction, verified by Kurtosis diminution, demonstrated a better "normalization" of the procedure after the LSSM application. LSSM was implemented in a RT department, allowing to redesign the breast repositioning matching procedure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. How Teachers Need to Deal with the Seen, the Unseen, the Improbable, and the Nearly Imponderable

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gregory, Marshall

    2010-01-01

    In addition to dealing with the more or less obvious variables that affect classroom dynamics, teachers need to learn how to deal with the far more difficult issues related to learning, identity, selfhood, and autonomy. In this article, the author first discusses classroom issues that are most visible and vivid for teachers. Next, the author…

  15. 76 FR 71940 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Physical Oceanographic Studies in the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-21

    ... derived TTS information for odontocetes from studies on the bottlenose dolphin and beluga. For the one... of a TTS. For this proposed study, the Navy expects cases of TTS to be improbable given: (1) The slow... with naval exercises involving mid-frequency active sonar and, in one case, an L- DEO seismic survey...

  16. A new assessment of the alleged link between element 115 and element 117 decay chains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Forsberg, U.; Rudolph, D.; Fahlander, C.; Golubev, P.; Sarmiento, L. G.; Åberg, S.; Block, M.; Düllmann, Ch. E.; Heßberger, F. P.; Kratz, J. V.; Yakushev, A.

    2016-09-01

    A novel rigorous statistical treatment is applied to available data (May 9, 2016) from search and spectroscopy experiments on the elements with atomic numbers Z = 115 and Z = 117. The present analysis implies that the hitherto proposed cross-reaction link between α-decay chains associated with the isotopes 293117 and 289115 is highly improbable.

  17. She Bought the Unicorn from the Pet Store: Six- to Seven-Year-Olds Are Strongly Inclined to Generate Natural Explanations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nancekivell, Shaylene E.; Friedman, Ori

    2017-01-01

    In two experiments (N = 64), we told 6- to 7-year-olds about improbable or impossible outcomes (Experiment 1) and about impossible outcomes concerning ordinary or magical agents (Experiment 2). In both experiments, children claimed that the outcomes were impossible and could not happen, but nonetheless generated realistic and natural explanations…

  18. Speed Accuracy Tradeoffs in Human Speech Production

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-05-01

    for considering Fitts’ law in the domain of speech production is elucidated. Methodological challenges in applying Fitts-style analysis are addressed...order to assess whether articulatory kinematics conform to Fitts’ law. A second, associated goal is to address the methodological challenges inherent in...performing Fitts-style analysis on rtMRI data of speech production. Methodological challenges include segmenting continuous speech into specific motor

  19. Identifying duplicate content using statistically improbable phrases

    PubMed Central

    Errami, Mounir; Sun, Zhaohui; George, Angela C.; Long, Tara C.; Skinner, Michael A.; Wren, Jonathan D.; Garner, Harold R.

    2010-01-01

    Motivation: Document similarity metrics such as PubMed's ‘Find related articles’ feature, which have been primarily used to identify studies with similar topics, can now also be used to detect duplicated or potentially plagiarized papers within literature reference databases. However, the CPU-intensive nature of document comparison has limited MEDLINE text similarity studies to the comparison of abstracts, which constitute only a small fraction of a publication's total text. Extending searches to include text archived by online search engines would drastically increase comparison ability. For large-scale studies, submitting short phrases encased in direct quotes to search engines for exact matches would be optimal for both individual queries and programmatic interfaces. We have derived a method of analyzing statistically improbable phrases (SIPs) for assistance in identifying duplicate content. Results: When applied to MEDLINE citations, this method substantially improves upon previous algorithms in the detection of duplication citations, yielding a precision and recall of 78.9% (versus 50.3% for eTBLAST) and 99.6% (versus 99.8% for eTBLAST), respectively. Availability: Similar citations identified by this work are freely accessible in the Déjà vu database, under the SIP discovery method category at http://dejavu.vbi.vt.edu/dejavu/ Contact: merrami@collin.edu PMID:20472545

  20. Tailoring non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasmas for healthcare technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gans, Timo

    2012-10-01

    Non-equilibrium plasmas operated at ambient atmospheric pressure are very efficient sources for energy transport through reactive neutral particles (radicals and metastables), charged particles (ions and electrons), UV radiation, and electro-magnetic fields. This includes the unique opportunity to deliver short-lived highly reactive species such as atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can initiate a wide range of reactions in biochemical systems, both therapeutic and toxic. The toxicological implications are not clear, e.g. potential risks through DNA damage. It is anticipated that interactions with biological systems will be governed through synergies between two or more species. Suitable optimized plasma sources are improbable through empirical investigations. Quantifying the power dissipation and energy transport mechanisms through the different interfaces from the plasma regime to ambient air, towards the liquid interface and associated impact on the biological system through a new regime of liquid chemistry initiated by the synergy of delivering multiple energy carrying species, is crucial. The major challenge to overcome the obstacles of quantifying energy transport and controlling power dissipation has been the severe lack of suitable plasma sources and diagnostic techniques. Diagnostics and simulations of this plasma regime are very challenging; the highly pronounced collision dominated plasma dynamics at very small dimensions requires extraordinary high resolution - simultaneously in space (microns) and time (picoseconds). Numerical simulations are equally challenging due to the inherent multi-scale character with very rapid electron collisions on the one extreme and the transport of chemically stable species characterizing completely different domains. This presentation will discuss our recent progress actively combining both advance optical diagnostics and multi-scale computer simulations.

  1. Methodological challenges to human medical study.

    PubMed

    Zhong, Yixin; Liu, Baoyan; Qu, Hua; Xie, Qi

    2014-09-01

    With the transformation of modern medicinal pattern, medical studies are confronted with methodological challenges. By analyzing two methodologies existing in the study of physical matter system and information system, the article points out that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), especially the treatment based on syndrome differentiation, embodies information conception of methodological positions, while western medicine represents matter conception of methodological positions. It proposes a new way of thinking about combination of TCM and western medicine by combinating two kinds of methodological methods.

  2. Collecting and validating experiential expertise is doable but poses methodological challenges.

    PubMed

    Burda, Marika H F; van den Akker, Marjan; van der Horst, Frans; Lemmens, Paul; Knottnerus, J André

    2016-04-01

    To give an overview of important methodological challenges in collecting, validating, and further processing experiential expertise and how to address these challenges. Based on our own experiences in studying the concept, operationalization, and contents of experiential expertise, we have formulated methodological issues regarding the inventory and application of experiential expertise. The methodological challenges can be categorized in six developmental research stages, comprising the conceptualization of experiential expertise, methods to harvest experiential expertise, the validation of experiential expertise, evaluation of the effectiveness, how to translate experiential expertise into acceptable guidelines, and how to implement these. The description of methodological challenges and ways to handle those are illustrated using diabetes mellitus as an example. Experiential expertise can be defined and operationalized in terms of successful illness-related behaviors and translated into recommendations regarding life domains. Pathways have been identified to bridge the gaps between the world of patients' daily lives and the medical world. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Digital Enhancement Of Pneumothoraces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cocklin, M.; Kaye, G.; Kerr, I.; Lams, P.

    1982-11-01

    If a patient presents with symptoms indicative of a pneumothorax it is improbable that it would not be detected in a chest radiograph. However, detection on the radiograph can be difficult and a small pneumothorax may be missed when there is no clinical suspicion of its presence. This report presents some methods by which the characteristic pneumothorax edge may be enhanced by digital image processing. Various examples are given.

  4. Improbable Scholars: The Rebirth of a Great American School System and a Strategy for America's Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirp, David L.

    2013-01-01

    No school district can be all charismatic leaders and super-teachers. It cannot start from scratch, and it cannot fire all its teachers and principals when students do poorly. Great charter schools can only serve a tiny minority of students. Whether we like it or not, most of our youngsters will continue to be educated in mainstream public…

  5. Mental Spatial Transformations in 14-and 16-Month-Old Infants: Effects of Action and Observational Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frick, Andrea; Wang, Su-hua

    2014-01-01

    Infants' ability to mentally track the orientation of an object during a hidden rotation was investigated (N = 28 in each experiment). A toy on a turntable was fully covered and then rotated 90°. When revealed, the toy had turned with the turntable (probable event), remained at its starting orientation (improbable event in Experiment 1), or…

  6. 78 FR 13874 - Watershed Modeling To Assess the Sensitivity of Streamflow, Nutrient, and Sediment Loads to...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-01

    ... an improved understanding of methodological challenges associated with integrating existing tools and... methodological challenges associated with integrating existing tools (e.g., climate models, downscaling... sensitivity to methodological choices such as different approaches for downscaling global climate change...

  7. Improving niche projections of plant species under climate change: Silene acaulis on the British Isles as a case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrarini, Alessandro; Alsafran, Mohammed H. S. A.; Dai, Junhu; Alatalo, Juha M.

    2018-04-01

    Empirical works to assist in choosing climatically relevant variables in the attempt to predict climate change impacts on plant species are limited. Further uncertainties arise in choice of an appropriate niche model. In this study we devised and tested a sharp methodological framework, based on stringent variable ranking and filtering and flexible model selection, to minimize uncertainty in both niche modelling and successive projection of plant species distributions. We used our approach to develop an accurate, parsimonious model of Silene acaulis (L.) presence/absence on the British Isles and to project its presence/absence under climate change. The approach suggests the importance of (a) defining a reduced set of climate variables, actually relevant to species presence/absence, from an extensive list of climate predictors, and (b) considering climate extremes instead of, or together with, climate averages in projections of plant species presence/absence under future climate scenarios. Our methodological approach reduced the number of relevant climate predictors by 95.23% (from 84 to only 4), while simultaneously achieving high cross-validated accuracy (97.84%) confirming enhanced model performance. Projections produced under different climate scenarios suggest that S. acaulis will likely face climate-driven fast decline in suitable areas on the British Isles, and that upward and northward shifts to occupy new climatically suitable areas are improbable in the future. Our results also imply that conservation measures for S. acaulis based upon assisted colonization are unlikely to succeed on the British Isles due to the absence of climatically suitable habitat, so different conservation actions (seed banks and/or botanical gardens) are needed.

  8. Conducting Research with LGB People of Color: Methodological Challenges and Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeBlaere, Cirleen; Brewster, Melanie E.; Sarkees, Anthony; Moradi, Bonnie

    2010-01-01

    Methodological barriers have been highlighted as a primary reason for the limited research with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people of color. Thus, strategies for anticipating and addressing potential methodological barriers are needed. To address this need, this article discusses potential challenges associated with conducting research with…

  9. Documenting Sociolinguistic Variation in Lesser-Studied Indigenous Communities: Challenges and Practical Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mansfield, John; Stanford, James

    2017-01-01

    Documenting sociolinguistic variation in lesser-studied languages presents methodological challenges, but also offers important research opportunities. In this paper we examine three key methodological challenges commonly faced by researchers who are outsiders to the community. We then present practical solutions for successful variationist…

  10. Estimation and Control for Linear Systems with Additive Cauchy Noise

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-17

    man & Hall, New York, 1994. [11] J. L. Speyer and W. H. Chung, Stochastic Processes, Estimation, and Control, SIAM, 2008. [12] Nassim N. Taleb ...Gaussian control algorithms. 18 4 References [1] N. N. Taleb . The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable...the multivariable system. The estimator was then evaluated numerically for a third-order example. REFERENCES [1] N. N. Taleb , The Black Swan: The

  11. An impact hypothesis for Venus argon anomalies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaula, W. M.; Newman, W. I.

    1997-03-01

    The Ar-36+38 argon-excess anomally of Venus has been hypothesized to have its origin in the impact of an outer solar system body of about 100-km diameter. A critical evaluation is made of this hypothesis and its competitors; it is judged that its status must for the time being remain one of 'Sherlock Holmes' type, in that something so improbable must be accepted when all alternatives are eliminated.

  12. Army and Air Force Unmanned Air Reconnaissance: Warrior and Hydra Navigating a Maze of Strategic Hedges

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-06-01

    Chambliss; Colonel Michael Stickney; Colonel Eric Mathewson; Lieutenant Colonel Robert Kiebler; Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Kilmurray; Lieutenant...16 Peter Layton , Group Captain, Royal Air Force, “Hedging Strategies, UCAVs, budgets, and improbable threats,” Armed Forces Journal...10 Colonel Eric Mathewson, US Air Force HAF/A2 DCS ISR, “Air Force ISR in a Changed World: ISR Transformation, the Importance

  13. 78 FR 68449 - Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-14

    ... RFA-HS14-002, Addressing Methodological Challenges in Research for Patients With Multiple Chronic... applications for the ``AHRQ RFA-HS14-002, Addressing Methodological Challenges in Research for Patients With...

  14. Critical reflections on methodological challenge in arts and dementia evaluation and research.

    PubMed

    Gray, Karen; Evans, Simon Chester; Griffiths, Amanda; Schneider, Justine

    2017-01-01

    Methodological rigour, or its absence, is often a focus of concern for the emerging field of evaluation and research around arts and dementia. However, this paper suggests that critical attention should also be paid to the way in which individual perceptions, hidden assumptions and underlying social and political structures influence methodological work in the field. Such attention will be particularly important for addressing methodological challenges relating to contextual variability, ethics, value judgement and signification identified through a literature review on this topic. Understanding how, where and when evaluators and researchers experience such challenges may help to identify fruitful approaches for future evaluation.

  15. Practical Issues of Conducting a Q Methodology Study: Lessons Learned From a Cross-cultural Study.

    PubMed

    Stone, Teresa Elizabeth; Maguire, Jane; Kang, Sook Jung; Cha, Chiyoung

    This article advances nursing research by presenting the methodological challenges experienced in conducting a multination Q-methodology study. This article critically analyzes the relevance of the methodology for cross-cultural and nursing research and the challenges that led to specific responses by the investigators. The use of focus groups with key stakeholders supplemented the Q-analysis results. The authors discuss practical issues and shared innovative approaches and provide best-practice suggestions on the use of this flexible methodology. Q methodology has the versatility to explore complexities of contemporary nursing practice and cross-cultural health research.

  16. Improbability of Effective Vaccination Against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Because of Its Intracellular Transmission and Rectal Portal of Entry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sabin, Albert B.

    1992-09-01

    The worldwide effort to produce a vaccine against AIDS continues to disregard the fact that even human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific neutralizing antibodies and cell-mediated immunity are ineffective against virus within cells without viral antigens on the cell membrane-and that much of HIV infection is transmitted in this manner. According to a recent report, a simian immunodeficiency virus vaccine that protected monkeys against an intravenous challenge with cell-free virus was, as predicted, ineffective against an intravenous challenge with the same amount of virus in infected cells. Moreover, antibody and HIV have been found to coexist in cell-free plasma from asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Excluding direct introduction of HIV into the bloodstream, the most common and efficient form of transmission of HIV infection is by receptive anal intercourse, and semen contains large numbers of infected cells per milliliter. Recent reports showing that colorectal cells can be persistently infected by HIV and that HIV RNA and cDNA are present in the cells of the colon of dead AIDS patients indicate that either cell-free or intracellular HIV has the capacity to multiply at the portal of entry in the colorectal area without interference from neutralizing antibodies. The available data provide no basis for testing any HIV vaccine in human beings either before or after infection. The main challenge is to find a way to kill cells with chromosomally integrated HIV cDNA without harming normal cells, perhaps by identifying repressor proteins that might be produced by the cells with integrated HIV cDNA and thus could become specific targets for cell-killing drugs.

  17. Tunnel Vision Prismatic Field Expansion: Challenges and Requirements

    PubMed Central

    Apfelbaum, Henry; Peli, Eli

    2015-01-01

    Purpose No prismatic solution for peripheral field loss (PFL) has gained widespread acceptance. Field extended by prisms has a corresponding optical scotoma at the prism apices. True expansion can be achieved when each eye is given a different view (through visual confusion). We analyze the effects of apical scotomas and binocular visual confusion in different designs to identify constraints on any solution that is likely to meet acceptance. Methods Calculated perimetry diagrams were compared to perimetry with PFL patients wearing InWave channel prisms and Trifield spectacles. Percept diagrams illustrate the binocular visual confusion. Results Channel prisms provide no benefit at primary gaze. Inconsequential extension was provided by InWave prisms, although accessible with moderate gaze shifts. Higher-power prisms provide greater extension, with greater paracentral scotoma loss, but require uncomfortable gaze shifts. Head turns, not eye scans, are needed to see regions lost to the apical scotomas. Trifield prisms provide field expansion at all gaze positions, but acceptance was limited by disturbing effects of central binocular visual confusion. Conclusions Field expansion when at primary gaze (where most time is spent) is needed while still providing unobstructed central vision. Paracentral multiplexing prisms we are developing that superimpose shifted and see-through views may accomplish that. Translational Relevance Use of the analyses and diagramming techniques presented here will be of value when considering prismatic aids for PFL, and could have prevented many unsuccessful designs and the improbable reports we cited from the literature. New designs must likely address the challenges identified here. PMID:26740910

  18. Tunnel Vision Prismatic Field Expansion: Challenges and Requirements.

    PubMed

    Apfelbaum, Henry; Peli, Eli

    2015-12-01

    No prismatic solution for peripheral field loss (PFL) has gained widespread acceptance. Field extended by prisms has a corresponding optical scotoma at the prism apices. True expansion can be achieved when each eye is given a different view (through visual confusion). We analyze the effects of apical scotomas and binocular visual confusion in different designs to identify constraints on any solution that is likely to meet acceptance. Calculated perimetry diagrams were compared to perimetry with PFL patients wearing InWave channel prisms and Trifield spectacles. Percept diagrams illustrate the binocular visual confusion. Channel prisms provide no benefit at primary gaze. Inconsequential extension was provided by InWave prisms, although accessible with moderate gaze shifts. Higher-power prisms provide greater extension, with greater paracentral scotoma loss, but require uncomfortable gaze shifts. Head turns, not eye scans, are needed to see regions lost to the apical scotomas. Trifield prisms provide field expansion at all gaze positions, but acceptance was limited by disturbing effects of central binocular visual confusion. Field expansion when at primary gaze (where most time is spent) is needed while still providing unobstructed central vision. Paracentral multiplexing prisms we are developing that superimpose shifted and see-through views may accomplish that. Use of the analyses and diagramming techniques presented here will be of value when considering prismatic aids for PFL, and could have prevented many unsuccessful designs and the improbable reports we cited from the literature. New designs must likely address the challenges identified here.

  19. Economic Evaluation of Adolescent Addiction Programs: Methodological Challenges and Recommendations

    PubMed Central

    Homer, Jenny F.; Drummond, Michael F.; French, Michael T.

    2008-01-01

    This paper identifies and describes several methodological challenges encountered in economic evaluations of substance abuse interventions for adolescents. Topics include study design, the choice of perspective, the estimation of costs and outcomes, and the generalizability of results. Recommendations are offered for confronting these challenges using examples from adolescent addiction research. PMID:19027640

  20. Troubling the Boundaries: Overcoming Methodological Challenges in a Multi-Sectoral and Multi-Jurisdictional HIV/HCV Policy Scoping Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hare, Kathleen A.; Dubé, Anik; Marshall, Zack; Gahagan, Jacqueline; Harris, Gregory E.; Tucker, Maryanne; Dykeman, Margaret; MacDonald, Jo-Ann

    2016-01-01

    Policy scoping reviews are an effective method for generating evidence-informed policies. However, when applying guiding methodological frameworks to complex policy evidence, numerous, unexpected challenges can emerge. This paper details five challenges experienced and addressed by a policy trainee-led, multi-disciplinary research team, while…

  1. Observational studies of the association between glucose-lowering medications and cardiovascular outcomes: addressing methodological limitations.

    PubMed

    Patorno, Elisabetta; Patrick, Amanda R; Garry, Elizabeth M; Schneeweiss, Sebastian; Gillet, Victoria G; Bartels, Dorothee B; Masso-Gonzalez, Elvira; Seeger, John D

    2014-11-01

    Recent years have witnessed a growing body of observational literature on the association between glucose-lowering treatments and cardiovascular disease. However, many of the studies are based on designs or analyses that inadequately address the methodological challenges involved. We reviewed recent observational literature on the association between glucose-lowering medications and cardiovascular outcomes and assessed the design and analysis methods used, with a focus on their ability to address specific methodological challenges. We describe and illustrate these methodological issues and their impact on observed associations, providing examples from the reviewed literature. We suggest approaches that may be employed to manage these methodological challenges. From the evaluation of 81 publications of observational investigations assessing the association between glucose-lowering treatments and cardiovascular outcomes, we identified the following methodological challenges: 1) handling of temporality in administrative databases; 2) handling of risks that vary with time and treatment duration; 3) definitions of the exposure risk window; 4) handling of exposures that change over time; and 5) handling of confounding by indication. Most of these methodological challenges may be suitably addressed through application of appropriate methods. Observational research plays an increasingly important role in the evaluation of the clinical effects of diabetes treatment. Implementation of appropriate research methods holds the promise of reducing the potential for spurious findings and the risk that the spurious findings will mislead the medical community about risks and benefits of diabetes medications.

  2. Queering the politics of lambda picture book finalists: challenging creeping neoliberalism through curricular innovations.

    PubMed

    Shimanoff, Susan B; Elia, John P; Yep, Gust A

    2012-01-01

    In many instances, adults serve as gatekeepers for what books children are permitted to explore. Unfortunately, this means that most children have limited access to picture books with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) characters. In this article, we use queer pedagogy and observations about neoliberalism to provide a qualitative analysis of LGBTQ characters in picture books which were finalists for a Lambda Literary Award during 2000-2005. We examined the ways in which LGBTQ identities and relationships are negotiated and how sexual prejudice is treated. While it is improbable that the books we analyze would be embraced by proponents of neoliberalism, we also briefly consider some ways in which they may be inadvertently consistent with that perspective. The article closes with recommendations regarding discussion questions, additional readings, and educational activities aimed at guiding children, and adults, to appreciate a diversity of multidimensional identities and family structures, to develop strategies to respond constructively to emotional and physical violence, and to promote the public wellbeing. We hope that this analysis will lead to more frequent, productive, and expansive discussions of this literature among adults and children.

  3. No Failure of Imagination: Examining Foundational Flaws in America’s Homeland Security Enterprise

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-09-01

    Casualty Actuarial Society Enterprise Risk Management Committee (2003) has adopted the following definition of ERM in May 2003: ERM is the...refused to go to an air- raid shelter due to the mathematical improbability of a bomb killing him out of all the people in Moscow. He changed his mind... Actuarial Society. Casualty Actuarial Society Enterprise Risk Management Committee. (2003). Technical Report. Overview of enterprise risk management

  4. Hot dog? Toxicological concerns and The Hound of the Baskervilles.

    PubMed

    Dayan, Anthony D

    2008-01-01

    The terrifying dog in the Hound of the Baskervilles is described as having 'blazing eyes' and a 'luminous muzzle', appearances attributed by Watson and Holmes to the application of phosphorus. Review of the toxicity and flammability of white phosphorus make this improbable. It is suggested that Conan Doyle's description was probably influenced by knowledge of the recent and much publicized discovery of luminescence due to the radioactivity of uranium salts.

  5. The Improbable State: The Prospects for a Developmental Turn in North Korea

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-01

    more developed than South Korea. During the Japanese occupation, North Korea was built up with the most modern industrial complex in East Asia. When...political economy as Chalmers Johnson’s writings on the developmental state. Originally written in 1982, his book MITI and the Japanese Miracle...initially coined the phrase “ Japanese developmental state.”14 His argument was essentially that Japan’s system was fundamentally different from either the

  6. Speed-Accuracy Tradeoffs in Speech Production

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-06-01

    imaging data of speech production. A theoretical framework for considering Fitts’ law in the domain of speech production is elucidated. Methodological ...articulatory kinematics conform to Fitts’ law. A second, associated goal is to address the methodological challenges inherent in performing Fitts-style...analysis on rtMRI data of speech production. Methodological challenges include segmenting continuous speech into specific motor tasks, defining key

  7. Q methodology in health economics.

    PubMed

    Baker, Rachel; Thompson, Carl; Mannion, Russell

    2006-01-01

    The recognition that health economists need to understand the meaning of data if they are to adequately understand research findings which challenge conventional economic theory has led to the growth of qualitative modes of enquiry in health economics. The use of qualitative methods of exploration and description alongside quantitative techniques gives rise to a number of epistemological, ontological and methodological challenges: difficulties in accounting for subjectivity in choices, the need for rigour and transparency in method, and problems of disciplinary acceptability to health economists. Q methodology is introduced as a means of overcoming some of these challenges. We argue that Q offers a means of exploring subjectivity, beliefs and values while retaining the transparency, rigour and mathematical underpinnings of quantitative techniques. The various stages of Q methodological enquiry are outlined alongside potential areas of application in health economics, before discussing the strengths and limitations of the approach. We conclude that Q methodology is a useful addition to economists' methodological armoury and one that merits further consideration and evaluation in the study of health services.

  8. Methodological Challenges in Studies Examining the Effects of Breakfast on Cognitive Performance and Appetite in Children and Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Adolphus, Katie; Bellissimo, Nick; Lawton, Clare L; Ford, Nikki A; Rains, Tia M; Totosy de Zepetnek, Julia; Dye, Louise

    2017-01-01

    Breakfast is purported to confer a number of benefits on diet quality, health, appetite regulation, and cognitive performance. However, new evidence has challenged the long-held belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This review aims to provide a comprehensive discussion of the key methodological challenges and considerations in studies assessing the effect of breakfast on cognitive performance and appetite control, along with recommendations for future research. This review focuses on the myriad challenges involved in studying children and adolescents specifically. Key methodological challenges and considerations include study design and location, sampling and sample section, choice of objective cognitive tests, choice of objective and subjective appetite measures, merits of providing a fixed breakfast compared with ad libitum, assessment and definition of habitual breakfast consumption, transparency of treatment condition, difficulty of isolating the direct effects of breakfast consumption, untangling acute and chronic effects, and influence of confounding variables. These methodological challenges have hampered a clear substantiation of the potential positive effects of breakfast on cognition and appetite control and contributed to the debate questioning the notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

  9. Methodological Challenges in Studies Examining the Effects of Breakfast on Cognitive Performance and Appetite in Children and Adolescents123

    PubMed Central

    Bellissimo, Nick; Ford, Nikki A; Rains, Tia M

    2017-01-01

    Breakfast is purported to confer a number of benefits on diet quality, health, appetite regulation, and cognitive performance. However, new evidence has challenged the long-held belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This review aims to provide a comprehensive discussion of the key methodological challenges and considerations in studies assessing the effect of breakfast on cognitive performance and appetite control, along with recommendations for future research. This review focuses on the myriad challenges involved in studying children and adolescents specifically. Key methodological challenges and considerations include study design and location, sampling and sample section, choice of objective cognitive tests, choice of objective and subjective appetite measures, merits of providing a fixed breakfast compared with ad libitum, assessment and definition of habitual breakfast consumption, transparency of treatment condition, difficulty of isolating the direct effects of breakfast consumption, untangling acute and chronic effects, and influence of confounding variables. These methodological challenges have hampered a clear substantiation of the potential positive effects of breakfast on cognition and appetite control and contributed to the debate questioning the notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. PMID:28096143

  10. Naval War College Review. Volume 66, Number 2, Spring 2013

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    ring strait to provide trade security. No more than fifty-two nautical miles wide, the bering strait, which separates alaska and russia, was...breaking the tyranny of wind and weather. soon superior navies would be able to enforce blockades in weather fair and foul, making it more dif- ficult for...privateers to slip out of blockaded ports and, even more to the point, making it improbable that captured vessels could be brought safely into

  11. [Effects of electromagnetic field from cellular phones on selected central nervous system functions: a literature review].

    PubMed

    Bak, Marek; Zmyślony, Marek

    2010-01-01

    In the opinion of some experts, a growing emission of man-made electromagnetic fields (EMF), also known as electromagnetic is a source of continuously increasing health hazards to the general population. Due to their large number and very close proximity to the user's head, mobile phones deserve special attention. This work is intended to give a systematic review of objective studies, assessing the effects of mobile phone EMF on the functions of the central nervous system (CNS) structures. Our review shows that short exposures to mobile phone EMF, experienced by telephone users during receiving calls, do not affect the cochlear function. Effects of GSM mobile phone EMF on the conduction of neural impulses from the inner car neurons to the brainstem auditory centres have not been detected either. If Picton's principle, saying that P300 amplitude varies with the improbability of the targets and its latency varies with difficulty of discriminating the target stimulus from standard stimuli, is true, EMF changes the improbability of the targets without hindering their discrimination. Experiments with use of indirect methods do not enable unequivocal verification of EMF effects on the cognitive functions due to the CNS anatomical and functional complexity. Thus, it seems advisable to develop a model of EMF effects on the excitable brain structures at the cellular level.

  12. Intelligent Microscopes: Recent And Near-Future Advances

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prewitt, Judith M. S.

    1980-02-01

    Robert Hooke conjectured about fluid circulation in plants as well as in animals in Micrographia in a passage that is equally important as a commentary on the dependence, not of technology on science, but of science on technology: It seems very probable that Nature has ... very many appropriated instruments and contrivances, whereby to bring her designs and end to pass, which 'tis not improbable but that some diligent observer, if helped with better Microscopes, may in time detect.This paper, written in the form of a scientific poem, reviews the current and near- future state-of-the-art of automated intelligent microscopes based on computer science and technology. The basic concepts of computer intelligence for cytology and histology are presented and elaborated. Limitations of commercial devices and research proto- types are examined (Dx), and remedies are suggested (Rx). The course of action pro- posed and being undertaken constitutes an original contribution toward advancing the state-of-the-science, in the hope of advancing the state-of-the-art of medicine.With rapid, contemporary advances in both science and technology, it may now be appropriate to modify Hooke's passage:It seems very probable that Nature has ... very many appropriated instruments and contrivances, whereby to bring her designs and end to pass, which 'tis not improbable but that some diligent observer, if helped with Intelligent Microscopes, may in time detect.

  13. Psychosocial development in racially and ethnically diverse youth: conceptual and methodological challenges in the 21st century.

    PubMed

    Swanson, Dena Phillips; Spencer, Margaret Beale; Harpalani, Vinay; Dupree, Davido; Noll, Elizabeth; Ginzburg, Sofia; Seaton, Gregory

    2003-01-01

    As the US population becomes more diverse in the 21st century, researchers face many conceptual and methodological challenges in working with diverse populations. We discuss these issues for racially and ethnically diverse youth, using Spencer's phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST) as a guiding framework. We present a brief historical background and discuss recurring conceptual flaws in research on diverse youth, presenting PVEST as a corrective to these flaws. We highlight the interaction of race, culture, socioeconomic status, and various contexts of development with identity formation and other salient developmental processes. Challenges in research design and interpretation of data are also covered with regard to both assessment of contexts and developmental processes. We draw upon examples from neighborhood assessments, ethnic identity development, and attachment research to illustrate conceptual and methodological challenges, and we discuss strategies to address these challenges. The policy implications of our analysis are also considered.

  14. Methodological strategies in using home sleep apnea testing in research and practice.

    PubMed

    Miller, Jennifer N; Schulz, Paula; Pozehl, Bunny; Fiedler, Douglas; Fial, Alissa; Berger, Ann M

    2017-11-14

    Home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) has increased due to improvements in technology, accessibility, and changes in third party reimbursement requirements. Research studies using HSAT have not consistently reported procedures and methodological challenges. This paper had two objectives: (1) summarize the literature on use of HSAT in research of adults and (2) identify methodological strategies to use in research and practice to standardize HSAT procedures and information. Search strategy included studies of participants undergoing sleep testing for OSA using HSAT. MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase with the following search terms: "polysomnography," "home," "level III," "obstructive sleep apnea," and "out of center testing." Research articles that met inclusion criteria (n = 34) inconsistently reported methods and methodological challenges in terms of: (a) participant sampling; (b) instrumentation issues; (c) clinical variables; (d) data processing; and (e) patient acceptability. Ten methodological strategies were identified for adoption when using HSAT in research and practice. Future studies need to address the methodological challenges summarized in this paper as well as identify and report consistent HSAT procedures and information.

  15. Methodological and ethical challenges in studying patients' perceptions of coercion: a systematic mixed studies review.

    PubMed

    Soininen, Päivi; Putkonen, Hanna; Joffe, Grigori; Korkeila, Jyrki; Välimäki, Maritta

    2014-06-04

    Despite improvements in psychiatric inpatient care, patient restrictions in psychiatric hospitals are still in use. Studying perceptions among patients who have been secluded or physically restrained during their hospital stay is challenging. We sought to review the methodological and ethical challenges in qualitative and quantitative studies aiming to describe patients' perceptions of coercive measures, especially seclusion and physical restraints during their hospital stay. Systematic mixed studies review was the study method. Studies reporting patients' perceptions of coercive measures, especially seclusion and physical restraints during hospital stay were included. Methodological issues such as study design, data collection and recruitment process, participants, sampling, patient refusal or non-participation, and ethical issues such as informed consent process, and approval were synthesized systematically. Electronic searches of CINALH, MEDLINE, PsychINFO and The Cochrane Library (1976-2012) were carried out. Out of 846 initial citations, 32 studies were included, 14 qualitative and 18 quantitative studies. A variety of methodological approaches were used, although descriptive and explorative designs were used in most cases. Data were mainly collected in qualitative studies by interviews (n = 13) or in quantitative studies by self-report questionnaires (n = 12). The recruitment process was explained in 59% (n = 19) of the studies. In most cases convenience sampling was used, yet five studies used randomization. Patient's refusal or non-participation was reported in 37% (n = 11) of studies. Of all studies, 56% (n = 18) had reported undergone an ethical review process in an official board or committee. Respondents were informed and consent was requested in 69% studies (n = 22). The use of different study designs made comparison methodologically challenging. The timing of data collection (considering bias and confounding factors) and the reasons for non-participation of eligible participants are likewise methodological challenges, e.g. recommended flow charts could aid the information. Other challenges identified were the recruitment of large and representative samples. Ethical challenges included requesting participants' informed consent and respecting ethical procedures.

  16. Nitrogen Out of the Bottle: The Challenge of Managing the Genie

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galloway, J. N.

    2012-12-01

    Human activity converts more N2 to reactive nitrogen (Nr; all nitrogen species other than N2) than do natural terrestrial processes (mostly biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in unmanaged ecosystems). Most of the Nr is created as a consequence of food production, fossil fuel combustion and industry. The Haber-Bosch process, invented in the early 20th century, now provides a virtually inexhaustible supply of nitrogen fertilizer. This one invention is responsible for the existence of about half of the world's population. That's the good news. The other news is that most of this nitrogen (and additional amounts from fossil fuel combustion and industry) is lost to the environment where it has exceeded the ability of the environment to convert it back to unreactive N2. The accumulating Nr contributes to smog, greenhouse effect, ecosystem eutrophication, acid rain and loss of stratospheric ozone in a sequential manner—the nitrogen cascade. Collectively these changes alter climate, decrease air quality, and diminish ecosystem sustainability. The challenge is how do we manage the genie—make sure we get the benefits of nitrogen, while minimizing the problems it causes. The paper will layout the possible, the probable and the improbable (but if it occurred, would be transformative) options for nitrogen management. Included will be the role that a nation vs. a person should play. The paper will also give examples of success stories, where nitrogen losses to the environment have been decreased, without impacting the service being provided—food and energy production. The paper will conclude with a forecast to the future, based upon the RCP scenarios for 2100.

  17. Context and Opportunity: Multiple Perspectives on Parenting by Women With a Severe Mental Illness

    PubMed Central

    Barrow, Susan M.; Alexander, Mary Jane; McKinney, Jacki; Lawinski, Terese; Pratt, Christina

    2014-01-01

    Objective The capabilities framework and a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach frame this study. We consider the real opportunities for parenting available for women with serious mental health diagnoses, despite complications posed by their own capacity, material constraints, social network disruptions, and, by law, custom and policy related to mental health conditions and child custody decisions. Method We convened focus groups with mothers currently living in shelters apart from their children, service providers in supported housing programs, grandmothers caring for children of mothers with mental health and substance use problems, and a policy discussion with mental health administrators. Qualitative analyses explored common and divergent perspectives on parenting experiences and aspirations of particularly marginalized mothers. Results Perspectives of mothers and other stakeholders converged in recognizing the parenting challenges facing mothers experiencing homelessness and mental health and substance use problems, but their views on the implications of this diverged sharply. Mothers’ current aspirations were limited by contextual obstacles to maintaining contact with children; other stakeholders saw contact as risky and reunification as improbable. All stakeholders described systemic barriers to supporting contact and ongoing mothering roles. Conclusions and Implications for Practice Evidence-based parenting interventions require facilitating policy contexts that do not foreclose parenting possibilities for mothers whose current challenges dictate modest immediate parenting goals. CBPR amplifies voices of lived experience to demonstrate what is possible over time for mothers with complex lives and histories. These become possibilities that a person can imagine for herself and are essential to inform the evidence base for practice and policy. PMID:24978622

  18. Context and opportunity: multiple perspectives on parenting by women with a severe mental illness.

    PubMed

    Barrow, Susan M; Alexander, Mary Jane; McKinney, Jacki; Lawinski, Terese; Pratt, Christina

    2014-09-01

    The capabilities framework and a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach frame this study. We consider the real opportunities for parenting available for women with serious mental health diagnoses, despite complications posed by their own capacity, material constraints, social network disruptions, and, by law, custom and policy related to mental health conditions and child custody decisions. We convened focus groups with mothers currently living in shelters apart from their children, service providers in supported housing programs, grandmothers caring for children of mothers with mental health and substance use problems, and a policy discussion with mental health administrators. Qualitative analyses explored common and divergent perspectives on parenting experiences and aspirations of particularly marginalized mothers. Perspectives of mothers and other stakeholders converged in recognizing the parenting challenges facing mothers experiencing homelessness and mental health and substance use problems, but their views on the implications of this diverged sharply. Mothers' current aspirations were limited by contextual obstacles to maintaining contact with children; other stakeholders saw contact as risky and reunification as improbable. All stakeholders described systemic barriers to supporting contact and ongoing mothering roles. Evidence-based parenting interventions require facilitating policy contexts that do not foreclose parenting possibilities for mothers whose current challenges dictate modest immediate parenting goals. CBPR amplifies voices of lived experience to demonstrate what is possible over time for mothers with complex lives and histories. These become possibilities that a person can imagine for herself and are essential to inform the evidence base for practice and policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. GREAT I. PPIWG (Public Participation and Information Work Group) Executive Board Position Paper. Appendicies.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1978-08-01

    houses, parking and picnic areas could be maintained. To my knowledge there has been no response nor are such facilities mentioned in the status report. 8...requires constant speed, so it is improbable that a boat pulling a skier will slow down when passing a fisherman. It should be remembered that the...Page 2 * April 27, 1978 6) We feel that the Computerized Inventory Analysis project (page 102) has been oversold. Such a tool, while quite useful

  20. Two Methodological Challenges for Teacher-Researchers: Reflexivity and Trustworthiness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xerri, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    Teacher research is lauded as a beneficial enterprise both for practitioners and for learners. However, teachers are sometimes accused of not possessing the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct research effectively. This article focuses on the need for teacher-researchers to find means of addressing the methodological challenges of engaging…

  1. Counseling Psychology Research on Sexual (Orientation) Minority Issues: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges and Opportunities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moradi, Bonnie; Mohr, Jonathan J.; Worthington, Roger L.; Fassinger, Ruth E.

    2009-01-01

    This lead article of the special issue discusses conceptual and methodological considerations in studying sexual minority issues, particularly in research conducted by counseling psychologists (including the work represented in this special issue). First, the overarching challenge of conceptualizing and defining sexual minority populations is…

  2. Theoretical Borderlands: Using Multiple Theoretical Perspectives to Challenge Inequitable Power Structures in Student Development Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abes, Elisa S.

    2009-01-01

    This article is an exploration of possibilities and methodological considerations for using multiple theoretical perspectives in research that challenges inequitable power structures in student development theory. Specifically, I explore methodological considerations when partnering queer theory and constructivism in research on lesbian identity…

  3. Effect of number of stack on the thermal escape and non-radiative and radiative recombinations of photoexcited carriers in strain-balanced InGaAs/GaAsP multiple quantum-well-inserted solar cells

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

    Aihara, Taketo; Fukuyama, Atsuhiko; Ikari, Tetsuo

    2015-02-28

    Three non-destructive methodologies, namely, surface photovoltage (SPV), photoluminescence, and piezoelectric photothermal (PPT) spectroscopies, were adopted to detect the thermal carrier escape from quantum well (QW) and radiative and non-radiative carrier recombinations, respectively, in strain-balanced InGaAs/GaAsP multiple-quantum-well (MQW)-inserted GaAs p-i-n solar cell structure samples. Although the optical absorbance signal intensity was proportional to the number of QW stack, the signal intensities of the SPV and PPT methods decreased at high number of stack. To explain the temperature dependency of these signal intensities, we proposed a model that considers the three carrier dynamics: the thermal escape from the QW, and the non-radiativemore » and radiative carrier recombinations within the QW. From the fitting procedures, it was estimated that the activation energies of the thermal escape ΔE{sub barr} and non-radiative recombination ΔE{sub NR} were 68 and 29 meV, respectively, for a 30-stacked MQW sample. The estimated ΔE{sub barr} value agreed well with the difference between the first electron subband and the top of the potential barrier in the conduction band. We found that ΔE{sub barr} remained constant at approximately 70 meV even with increasing QW stack number. However, the ΔE{sub NR} value monotonically increased with the increase in the number of stack. Since this implies that non-radiative recombination becomes improbable as the number of stack increases, we found that the radiative recombination probability for electrons photoexcited within the QW increased at a large number of QW stack. Additional processes of escaping and recapturing of carriers at neighboring QW were discussed. As a result, the combination of the three non-destructive methodologies provided us new insights for optimizing the MQW components to further improve the cell performance.« less

  4. Defining the research agenda to measure and reduce tuberculosis stigmas.

    PubMed

    Macintyre, K; Bakker, M I; Bergson, S; Bhavaraju, R; Bond, V; Chikovore, J; Colvin, C; Craig, G M; Cremers, A L; Daftary, A; Engel, N; France, N Ferris; Jaramillo, E; Kimerling, M; Kipp, A; Krishnaratne, S; Mergenthaler, C; Ngicho, M; Redwood, L; Rood, E J J; Sommerland, N; Stangl, A; van Rie, A; van Brakel, W; Wouters, E; Zwerling, A; Mitchell, E M H

    2017-11-01

    Crucial to finding and treating the 4 million tuberculosis (TB) patients currently missed by national TB programmes, TB stigma is receiving well-deserved and long-delayed attention at the global level. However, the ability to measure and evaluate the success of TB stigma-reduction efforts is limited by the need for additional tools. At a 2016 TB stigma-measurement meeting held in The Hague, The Netherlands, stigma experts discussed and proposed a research agenda around four themes: 1) drivers: what are the main drivers and domains of TB stigma(s)?; 2) consequences: how consequential are TB stigmas and how are negative impacts most felt?; 3) burden: what is the global prevalence and distribution of TB stigma(s) and what explains any variation? 4): intervention: what can be done to reduce the extent and impact of TB stigma(s)? Each theme was further subdivided into research topics to be addressed to move the agenda forward. These include greater clarity on what causes TB stigmas to emerge and thrive, the difficulty of measuring the complexity of stigma, and the improbability of a universal stigma 'cure'. Nevertheless, these challenges should not hinder investments in the measurement and reduction of TB stigma. We believe it is time to focus on how, and not whether, the global community should measure and reduce TB stigma.

  5. Limitations to Thermoregulation and Acclimatization Challenge Human Adaptation to Global Warming.

    PubMed

    Hanna, Elizabeth G; Tait, Peter W

    2015-07-15

    Human thermoregulation and acclimatization are core components of the human coping mechanism for withstanding variations in environmental heat exposure. Amidst growing recognition that curtailing global warming to less than two degrees is becoming increasing improbable, human survival will require increasing reliance on these mechanisms. The projected several fold increase in extreme heat events suggests we need to recalibrate health protection policies and ratchet up adaptation efforts. Climate researchers, epidemiologists, and policy makers engaged in climate change adaptation and health protection are not commonly drawn from heat physiology backgrounds. Injecting a scholarly consideration of physiological limitations to human heat tolerance into the adaptation and policy literature allows for a broader understanding of heat health risks to support effective human adaptation and adaptation planning. This paper details the physiological and external environmental factors that determine human thermoregulation and acclimatization. We present a model to illustrate the interrelationship between elements that modulate the physiological process of thermoregulation. Limitations inherent in these processes, and the constraints imposed by differing exposure levels, and thermal comfort seeking on achieving acclimatization, are then described. Combined, these limitations will restrict the likely contribution that acclimatization can play in future human adaptation to global warming. We postulate that behavioral and technological adaptations will need to become the dominant means for human individual and societal adaptations as global warming progresses.

  6. Reframing the climate change challenge in light of post-2000 emission trends.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Kevin; Bows, Alice

    2008-11-13

    The 2007 Bali conference heard repeated calls for reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions of 50 per cent by 2050 to avoid exceeding the 2 degrees C threshold. While such endpoint targets dominate the policy agenda, they do not, in isolation, have a scientific basis and are likely to lead to dangerously misguided policies. To be scientifically credible, policy must be informed by an understanding of cumulative emissions and associated emission pathways. This analysis considers the implications of the 2 degrees C threshold and a range of post-peak emission reduction rates for global emission pathways and cumulative emission budgets. The paper examines whether empirical estimates of greenhouse gas emissions between 2000 and 2008, a period typically modelled within scenario studies, combined with short-term extrapolations of current emissions trends, significantly constrains the 2000-2100 emission pathways. The paper concludes that it is increasingly unlikely any global agreement will deliver the radical reversal in emission trends required for stabilization at 450 ppmv carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Similarly, the current framing of climate change cannot be reconciled with the rates of mitigation necessary to stabilize at 550 ppmv CO2e and even an optimistic interpretation suggests stabilization much below 650 ppmv CO2e is improbable.

  7. Heterogeneous Effects in Education: The Promise and Challenge of Incorporating Intersectionality into Quantitative Methodological Approaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schudde, Lauren

    2018-01-01

    To date, the theory of intersectionality has largely guided qualitative efforts in social science and education research. Translating the construct to new methodological approaches is inherently complex and challenging, but offers the possibility of breaking down silos that keep education researchers with similar interests--but different…

  8. The Challenges to and the Need for International Research in Educational Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brooks, Melanie Carol; Jean-Marie, Gaetane

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: to discuss methodological challenges facing US scholars when conducting international research; and to present personal reflections as educational leadership faculty in the USA conducting and publishing on research undertaken in Haiti and Thailand. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study drew from…

  9. The Challenge of Researching Violent Societies: Navigating Complexities in Ethnography

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tshabangu, Icarbord

    2009-01-01

    Through use of a recent study researching democratic education and citizenship in Zimbabwe, this paper examines the methodological dilemmas and challenges faced by an ethnographer, particularly by a research student in a violent context. The article posits a bricolage strategy to navigate some of the dangers and methodological dilemmas inherent so…

  10. Queering Methodologies: Challenging Scientific Constraint in the Appreciation of Queer and Trans Subjects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferguson, Joshua M.

    2013-01-01

    Qualitative studies require a queer perspective to challenge stagnant forms of scientific discourse. This paper argues for a deconstruction of hegemonic qualitative practices in order to appreciate and listen to queer and trans subjects when employing qualitative research and methodologies. I focus on qualitative methods from an audiovisual…

  11. Measuring Cognitive and Metacognitive Regulatory Processes during Hypermedia Learning: Issues and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Azevedo, Roger; Moos, Daniel C.; Johnson, Amy M.; Chauncey, Amber D.

    2010-01-01

    Self-regulated learning (SRL) with hypermedia environments involves a complex cycle of temporally unfolding cognitive and metacognitive processes that impact students' learning. We present several methodological issues related to treating SRL as an event and strengths and challenges of using online trace methodologies to detect, trace, model, and…

  12. The Psychological Study of Video Game Players: Methodological Challenges and Practical Advice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Daniel; Delfabbro, Paul; Griffiths, Mark

    2009-01-01

    Video game playing has received increased academic interest over the last few decades, particularly with regard to the psychological understanding of addiction. Based on the many studies carried out by the authors, this paper summarises some of the methodological challenges which may arise when studying video game players, including obstacles…

  13. Tough Teens: The Methodological Challenges of Interviewing Teenagers as Research Participants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bassett, Raewyn; Beagan, Brenda L.; Ristovski-Slijepcevic, Svetlana; Chapman, Gwen E.

    2008-01-01

    Encouraging a teenager to have a conversation in a semistructured research interview is fraught with difficulties. The authors discuss the methodological challenges encountered when interviewing adolescents of European Canadian, African Canadian, and Punjabi Canadian families who took part in the Family Food Decision-Making Study in two regions of…

  14. Methodological and ethical challenges in studying patients’ perceptions of coercion: a systematic mixed studies review

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Despite improvements in psychiatric inpatient care, patient restrictions in psychiatric hospitals are still in use. Studying perceptions among patients who have been secluded or physically restrained during their hospital stay is challenging. We sought to review the methodological and ethical challenges in qualitative and quantitative studies aiming to describe patients’ perceptions of coercive measures, especially seclusion and physical restraints during their hospital stay. Methods Systematic mixed studies review was the study method. Studies reporting patients’ perceptions of coercive measures, especially seclusion and physical restraints during hospital stay were included. Methodological issues such as study design, data collection and recruitment process, participants, sampling, patient refusal or non-participation, and ethical issues such as informed consent process, and approval were synthesized systematically. Electronic searches of CINALH, MEDLINE, PsychINFO and The Cochrane Library (1976-2012) were carried out. Results Out of 846 initial citations, 32 studies were included, 14 qualitative and 18 quantitative studies. A variety of methodological approaches were used, although descriptive and explorative designs were used in most cases. Data were mainly collected in qualitative studies by interviews (n = 13) or in quantitative studies by self-report questionnaires (n = 12). The recruitment process was explained in 59% (n = 19) of the studies. In most cases convenience sampling was used, yet five studies used randomization. Patient’s refusal or non-participation was reported in 37% (n = 11) of studies. Of all studies, 56% (n = 18) had reported undergone an ethical review process in an official board or committee. Respondents were informed and consent was requested in 69% studies (n = 22). Conclusions The use of different study designs made comparison methodologically challenging. The timing of data collection (considering bias and confounding factors) and the reasons for non-participation of eligible participants are likewise methodological challenges, e.g. recommended flow charts could aid the information. Other challenges identified were the recruitment of large and representative samples. Ethical challenges included requesting participants’ informed consent and respecting ethical procedures. PMID:24894162

  15. Research Methodology in Second Language Studies: Trends, Concerns, and New Directions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Kendall A.; Mackey, Alison

    2016-01-01

    The field of second language studies is using increasingly sophisticated methodological approaches to address a growing number of urgent, real-world problems. These methodological developments bring both new challenges and opportunities. This article briefly reviews recent ontological and methodological debates in the field, then builds on these…

  16. A Comparison of Randomised Controlled Trials in Health and Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Torgerson, Carole J.; Torgerson, David J.; Birks, Yvonne F.; Porthouse, Jill

    2005-01-01

    Health care and educational trials face similar methodological challenges. Methodological reviews of health care trials have shown that a significant proportion have methodological flaws. Whether or not educational trials have a similar proportion of poor-quality trials is unknown. The authors undertook a methodological comparison between health…

  17. The Challenges of Managing Transnational Education Partnerships: The Views of "Home-Based" Managers vs "In-Country" Managers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Healey, Nigel Martin

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the challenges of managing transnational education (TNE) partnerships from the perspective of the home university managers. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative, "insider researcher" methodology. It uses a sample set of eight mangers who operate from the home…

  18. Cornell College Students Achieve the Highly Improbable

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ault, Addison

    2000-11-01

    On Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa, two students who prepared the photochromic compound 2-(2,4-dinitrobenzyl)pyridine obtained their product as a single crystal, one weighing 864 mg and the other 891 mg. As far as we know, this has happened only once before, also at Cornell College in Iowa. The web version of this paper includes a time-lapse video of the photochromic conversion in which the original brown-sugar brown crystals turn into the blue-jeans blue form under the influence of the photographer's floodlight.

  19. Disclosure of medical injury to patients: an improbable risk management strategy.

    PubMed

    Studdert, David M; Mello, Michelle M; Gawande, Atul A; Brennan, Troyen A; Wang, Y Claire

    2007-01-01

    Pressure mounts on physicians and hospitals to disclose adverse outcomes of care to patients. Although such transparency diverges from traditional risk management strategy, recent commentary has suggested that disclosure will actually reduce providers' liability exposure. We tested this theory by modeling the litigation consequences of disclosure. We found that forecasts of reduced litigation volume or cost do not withstand close scrutiny. A policy question more pressing than whether moving toward routine disclosure will expand litigation is the question of how large such an expansion might be.

  20. Desperately seeking aliens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aldiss, Brian W.

    2001-02-01

    Belief that intelligent life is commonplace in the Universe was taken for granted by scholars and scientists until well into the nineteenth century. Space travel since the late 1950s reignited the debate, which even now attracts discussion by serious, professional scientists. And although statisticians might lobby that life must surely exist somewhere in the Universe, the evolution of what we perceive as 'intelligent life' seems utterly improbable - elsewhere as well as on Earth. Can we free ourselves of our animist fantasies and accept that all alien forms of intelligent life are, and always have been, imaginary?

  1. On the improbability of intelligent extraterrestrials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bond, A.

    1982-05-01

    Discussions relating to the prevalence of extraterrestrial life generally remain ambiguous due to the lack of a suitable model for the development of biology. In this paper a simple model is proposed based on neutral evolution theory which leads to quantitative values for the genome growth rate within a biosphere. It is hypothesised that the genome size is a measure of organism complexity and hence an indicator of the likelihood of intelligence. The calculations suggest that organisms with the complexity of human beings may be rare and only occur with a probability below once per galaxy.

  2. 76 FR 9544 - Antidumping Methodologies in Proceedings Involving Non-Market Economies: Valuing the Factor of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-18

    ... parties to comment on these methodological issues described above. Request for Comment on Interim Industry... comments. \\15\\ Indicator: GNI per capita, Atlas Method (current US$) is obtained from http://data.worldbank... methodology, the Department has encountered a number of methodological and practical challenges that must be...

  3. Second Language Listening Strategy Research: Methodological Challenges and Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santos, Denise; Graham, Suzanne; Vanderplank, Robert

    2008-01-01

    This paper explores methodological issues related to research into second language listening strategies. We argue that a number of central questions regarding research methodology in this line of enquiry are underexamined, and we engage in the discussion of three key methodological questions: (1) To what extent is a verbal report a valid and…

  4. Challenges to the Learning Organization in the Context of Generational Diversity and Social Networks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaminska, Renata; Borzillo, Stefano

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the challenges to the emergence of a learning organization (LO) posed by a context of generational diversity and an enterprise social networking system (ESNS). Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a qualitative methodology based on an analysis of 20 semi-structured…

  5. Sexuality Research in Iran: A Focus on Methodological and Ethical Considerations.

    PubMed

    Rahmani, Azam; Merghati-Khoei, Effat; Moghaddam-Banaem, Lida; Zarei, Fatemeh; Montazeri, Ali; Hajizadeh, Ebrahim

    2015-07-01

    Research on sensitive topics, such as sexuality, could raise technical, methodological, ethical, political, and legal challenges. The aim of this paper was to draw the methodological challenges which the authors confronted during sexuality research with young population in the Iranian culture. This study was an exploratory mixed method one conducted in 2013-14. We interviewed 63 young women aged 18-34 yr in qualitative phase and 265 young women in quantitative phase in (university and non-university) dormitories and in an Adolescent Friendly Center. Data were collected using focus group discussions and individual interviews in the qualitative phase. We employed conventional content analysis to analyze the data. To enhance the rigor of the data, multiple data collection methods, maximum variation sampling, and peer checks were applied. Five main themes emerged from the data: interaction with opposite sex, sexual risk, sexual protective, sex education, and sexual vulnerability. Challenges while conducting sex research have been discussed. These challenges included assumption of promiscuity, language of silence and privacy concerns, and sex segregation policy. We described the strategies applied in our study and the rationales for each strategy. Strategies applied in the present study can be employed in contexts with the similar methodological and moral concerns.

  6. Collaboration challenges in systematic reviews: a survey of health sciences librarians

    PubMed Central

    Nicholson, Joey; McCrillis, Aileen; Williams, Jeff D.

    2017-01-01

    Objective: While many librarians have been asked to participate in systematic reviews with researchers, often these researchers are not familiar with the systematic review process or the appropriate role for librarians. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and barriers that librarians face when collaborating on systematic reviews. To take a wider view of the whole process of collaborating on systematic reviews, the authors deliberately focused on interpersonal and methodological issues other than searching itself. Methods: To characterize the biggest challenges that librarians face while collaborating on systematic review projects, we used a web-based survey. The thirteen-item survey included seventeen challenges grouped into two categories: methodological and interpersonal. Participants were required to indicate the frequency and difficulty of the challenges listed. Open-ended questions allowed survey participants to describe challenges not listed in the survey and to describe strategies used to overcome challenges. Results: Of the 17 challenges listed in the survey, 8 were reported as common by over 40% of respondents. These included methodological issues around having too broad or narrow research questions, lacking eligibility criteria, having unclear research questions, and not following established methods. The remaining challenges were interpersonal, including issues around student-led projects and the size of the research team. Of the top 8 most frequent challenges, 5 were also ranked as most difficult to handle. Open-ended responses underscored many of the challenges included in the survey and revealed several additional challenges. Conclusions: These results suggest that the most frequent and challenging issues relate to development of the research question and general communication with team members. Clear protocols for collaboration on systematic reviews, as well as a culture of mentorship, can help librarians prevent and address these challenges. PMID:28983202

  7. Collaboration challenges in systematic reviews: a survey of health sciences librarians.

    PubMed

    Nicholson, Joey; McCrillis, Aileen; Williams, Jeff D

    2017-10-01

    While many librarians have been asked to participate in systematic reviews with researchers, often these researchers are not familiar with the systematic review process or the appropriate role for librarians. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and barriers that librarians face when collaborating on systematic reviews. To take a wider view of the whole process of collaborating on systematic reviews, the authors deliberately focused on interpersonal and methodological issues other than searching itself. To characterize the biggest challenges that librarians face while collaborating on systematic review projects, we used a web-based survey. The thirteen-item survey included seventeen challenges grouped into two categories: methodological and interpersonal. Participants were required to indicate the frequency and difficulty of the challenges listed. Open-ended questions allowed survey participants to describe challenges not listed in the survey and to describe strategies used to overcome challenges. Of the 17 challenges listed in the survey, 8 were reported as common by over 40% of respondents. These included methodological issues around having too broad or narrow research questions, lacking eligibility criteria, having unclear research questions, and not following established methods. The remaining challenges were interpersonal, including issues around student-led projects and the size of the research team. Of the top 8 most frequent challenges, 5 were also ranked as most difficult to handle. Open-ended responses underscored many of the challenges included in the survey and revealed several additional challenges. These results suggest that the most frequent and challenging issues relate to development of the research question and general communication with team members. Clear protocols for collaboration on systematic reviews, as well as a culture of mentorship, can help librarians prevent and address these challenges.

  8. Feminist-informed participatory action research: a methodology of choice for examining critical nursing issues.

    PubMed

    Corbett, Andrea M; Francis, Karen; Chapman, Ysanne

    2007-04-01

    Identifying a methodology to guide a study that aims to enhance service delivery can be challenging. Participatory action research offers a solution to this challenge as it both informs and is informed by critical social theory. In addition, using a feminist lens helps acquiesce this approach as a suitable methodology for changing practice. This methodology embraces empowerment self-determination and the facilitation of agreed change as central tenets that guide the research process. Encouraged by the work of Foucault, Friere, Habermas, and Maguire, this paper explicates the philosophical assumptions underpinning critical social theory and outlines how feminist influences are complimentary in exploring the processes and applications of nursing research that seeks to embrace change.

  9. Economic evaluation of health promotion interventions for older people: do applied economic studies meet the methodological challenges?

    PubMed

    Huter, Kai; Dubas-Jakóbczyk, Katarzyna; Kocot, Ewa; Kissimova-Skarbek, Katarzyna; Rothgang, Heinz

    2018-01-01

    In the light of demographic developments health promotion interventions for older people are gaining importance. In addition to methodological challenges arising from the economic evaluation of health promotion interventions in general, there are specific methodological problems for the particular target group of older people. There are especially four main methodological challenges that are discussed in the literature. They concern measurement and valuation of informal caregiving, accounting for productivity costs, effects of unrelated cost in added life years and the inclusion of 'beyond-health' benefits. This paper focuses on the question whether and to what extent specific methodological requirements are actually met in applied health economic evaluations. Following a systematic review of pertinent health economic evaluations, the included studies are analysed on the basis of four assessment criteria that are derived from methodological debates on the economic evaluation of health promotion interventions in general and economic evaluations targeting older people in particular. Of the 37 studies included in the systematic review, only very few include cost and outcome categories discussed as being of specific relevance to the assessment of health promotion interventions for older people. The few studies that consider these aspects use very heterogeneous methods, thus there is no common methodological standard. There is a strong need for the development of guidelines to achieve better comparability and to include cost categories and outcomes that are relevant for older people. Disregarding these methodological obstacles could implicitly lead to discrimination against the elderly in terms of health promotion and disease prevention and, hence, an age-based rationing of public health care.

  10. Interviewing with or without the partner present?--an underexposed dilemma between ethics and methodology in nursing research.

    PubMed

    Norlyk, Annelise; Haahr, Anita; Hall, Elisabeth

    2016-04-01

    To discuss ethical and methodological challenges related to in-depth interviews with patients and partners when interviewed together or separately. Increased interest in exploring illness phenomena from both patients' and partners' perspectives has emerged. The decision about how to collect data is challenging. Patients and partners can be interviewed separately or together; in both scenarios researchers face complex questions of methodology and ethics. This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on individual or joint interviewing and the effect of absence/presence of the partner on data collection. Discussion paper that draws on data from three phenomenological studies. Referring to three cases from our phenomenological studies, we discuss the different types of ethical and methodological dilemmas faced when undertaking joint and separate interviews with couples. Furthermore, we discuss how the unexpected presence of the partner potentially influences the data gathered from the patient. The cases demonstrate the interrelatedness of ethics and methodology in studies based on in-depth interviews with couples. Nurse researchers may be caught up in a dilemma between ethical concerns and methodological considerations. We argue that the presence of the partner during an interview session might influence the data and favour expressions of shared rather than individual experiences of the phenomenon studied. Furthermore, we argue that ethical concerns must be given higher priority than methodology when interviewing couples. An increased awareness of the tension between ethical and methodological challenges in joint or individual interviewing with patients and partners is necessary, as this issue is underexposed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Product environmental footprint in policy and market decisions: Applicability and impact assessment.

    PubMed

    Lehmann, Annekatrin; Bach, Vanessa; Finkbeiner, Matthias

    2015-07-01

    In April 2013, the European Commission published the Product and Organisation Environmental Footprint (PEF/OEF) methodology--a life cycle-based multicriteria measure of the environmental performance of products, services, and organizations. With its approach of "comparability over flexibility," the PEF/OEF methodology aims at harmonizing existing methods, while decreasing the flexibility provided by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards regarding methodological choices. Currently, a 3-y pilot phase is running, aiming at testing the methodology and developing product category and organization sector rules (PEFCR/OEFSR). Although a harmonized method is in theory a good idea, the PEF/OEF methodology presents challenges, including a risk of confusion and limitations in applicability to practice. The paper discusses the main differences between the PEF and ISO methodologies and highlights challenges regarding PEF applicability, with a focus on impact assessment. Some methodological aspects of the PEF and PEFCR Guides are found to contradict the ISO 14044 (2006) and ISO 14025 (2006). Others, such as prohibition of inventory cutoffs, are impractical. The evaluation of the impact assessment methods proposed in the PEF/OEF Guide showed that the predefined methods for water consumption, land use, and abiotic resources are not adequate because of modeling artefacts, missing inventory data, or incomplete characterization factors. However, the methods for global warming and ozone depletion perform very well. The results of this study are relevant for the PEF (and OEF) pilot phase, which aims at testing the PEF (OEF) methodology (and potentially adapting it) as well as addressing challenges and coping with them. © 2015 SETAC.

  12. Methodological considerations for research on ethnopolitical violence.

    PubMed

    Little, Todd D

    2017-02-01

    The methodological and epistemological challenges that research on ethnopolitical violence faces are examined. This research area is fundamentally important for political reasons and for understanding, as well as subsequent interventions to ameliorate, youths' responses to ethnopolitical violence. Advances in methods are reviewed that can overcome the obstacles placed by the various challenges. These issues are discussed in the context of the articles that comprise this Special Section.

  13. Using Q Methodology to Assess Learning Outcomes Following the Implementation of a Concept-Based Curriculum.

    PubMed

    Hensel, Desiree

    The use of a concept-based curriculum in nursing education is increasing, but assessing its impact remains challenging. This project discusses how Q methodology was used to evaluate our prelicensure program's outcome of creating practitioners who were ready to practice in diverse environments before and after a concept-based curricular revision. The successes and challenges of the revision are discussed.

  14. Guidelines for reporting methodological challenges and evaluating potential bias in dementia research

    PubMed Central

    Weuve, Jennifer; Proust-Lima, Cécile; Power, Melinda C.; Gross, Alden L.; Hofer, Scott M.; Thiébaut, Rodolphe; Chêne, Geneviève; Glymour, M. Maria; Dufouil, Carole

    2015-01-01

    Clinical and population research on dementia and related neurologic conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, faces several unique methodological challenges. Progress to identify preventive and therapeutic strategies rests on valid and rigorous analytic approaches, but the research literature reflects little consensus on “best practices.” We present findings from a large scientific working group on research methods for clinical and population studies of dementia, which identified five categories of methodological challenges as follows: (1) attrition/sample selection, including selective survival; (2) measurement, including uncertainty in diagnostic criteria, measurement error in neuropsychological assessments, and practice or retest effects; (3) specification of longitudinal models when participants are followed for months, years, or even decades; (4) time-varying measurements; and (5) high-dimensional data. We explain why each challenge is important in dementia research and how it could compromise the translation of research findings into effective prevention or care strategies. We advance a checklist of potential sources of bias that should be routinely addressed when reporting dementia research. PMID:26397878

  15. Methodological challenges of validating a clinical decision-making tool in the practice environment.

    PubMed

    Brennan, Caitlin W; Daly, Barbara J

    2015-04-01

    Validating a measurement tool intended for use in the practice environment poses challenges that may not be present when validating a tool intended solely for research purposes. The aim of this article is to describe the methodological challenges of validating a clinical decision-making tool, the Oncology Acuity Tool, which nurses use to make nurse assignment and staffing decisions prospectively each shift. Data were derived from a larger validation study, during which several methodological challenges arose. Revisions to the tool, including conducting iterative feedback cycles with end users, were necessary before the validation study was initiated. The "true" value of patient acuity is unknown, and thus, two approaches to inter-rater reliability assessment were used. Discordant perspectives existed between experts and end users. Balancing psychometric rigor with clinical relevance may be achieved through establishing research-practice partnerships, seeking active and continuous feedback with end users, and weighing traditional statistical rules of thumb with practical considerations. © The Author(s) 2014.

  16. A systematic literature review of the key challenges for developing the structure of public health economic models.

    PubMed

    Squires, Hazel; Chilcott, James; Akehurst, Ronald; Burr, Jennifer; Kelly, Michael P

    2016-04-01

    To identify the key methodological challenges for public health economic modelling and set an agenda for future research. An iterative literature search identified papers describing methodological challenges for developing the structure of public health economic models. Additional multidisciplinary literature searches helped expand upon important ideas raised within the review. Fifteen articles were identified within the formal literature search, highlighting three key challenges: inclusion of non-healthcare costs and outcomes; inclusion of equity; and modelling complex systems and multi-component interventions. Based upon these and multidisciplinary searches about dynamic complexity, the social determinants of health, and models of human behaviour, six areas for future research were specified. Future research should focus on: the use of systems approaches within health economic modelling; approaches to assist the systematic consideration of the social determinants of health; methods for incorporating models of behaviour and social interactions; consideration of equity; and methodology to help modellers develop valid, credible and transparent public health economic model structures.

  17. Ethical and Legal Implications of the Methodological Crisis in Neuroimaging.

    PubMed

    Kellmeyer, Philipp

    2017-10-01

    Currently, many scientific fields such as psychology or biomedicine face a methodological crisis concerning the reproducibility, replicability, and validity of their research. In neuroimaging, similar methodological concerns have taken hold of the field, and researchers are working frantically toward finding solutions for the methodological problems specific to neuroimaging. This article examines some ethical and legal implications of this methodological crisis in neuroimaging. With respect to ethical challenges, the article discusses the impact of flawed methods in neuroimaging research in cognitive and clinical neuroscience, particularly with respect to faulty brain-based models of human cognition, behavior, and personality. Specifically examined is whether such faulty models, when they are applied to neurological or psychiatric diseases, could put patients at risk, and whether this places special obligations on researchers using neuroimaging. In the legal domain, the actual use of neuroimaging as evidence in United States courtrooms is surveyed, followed by an examination of ways that the methodological problems may create challenges for the criminal justice system. Finally, the article reviews and promotes some promising ideas and initiatives from within the neuroimaging community for addressing the methodological problems.

  18. Conducting Indigenous Research in Western Knowledge Spaces: Aligning Theory and Methodology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Myra; Major, Jae

    2017-01-01

    Walking simultaneously in two worlds as an Indigenous researcher, navigating Indigenous and Western epistemologies/methodologies can have its challenges. Indigenous methodologies have become an important element of qualitative research and have been increasingly taken up by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers. Indigenous methodologies…

  19. Emergent Pedagogy and Affect in Collaborative Research: A Metho-Pedagogical Paradigm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallagher, Kathleen; Wessels, Anne

    2011-01-01

    The widespread turn towards "collaboration" in qualitative research methodologies warrants careful and continuous critique. This paper addresses the possibilities and the challenges of collaborative methodology, and in particular what happens when the line between pedagogy and methodology is blurred in classroom-based ethnographic…

  20. CAGE IIIA Distributed Simulation Design Methodology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-01

    2 VHF Very High Frequency VLC Video LAN Codec – an Open-source cross-platform multimedia player and framework VM Virtual Machine VOIP Voice Over...Implementing Defence Experimentation (GUIDEx). The key challenges for this methodology are with understanding how to: • design it o define the...operation and to be available in the other nation’s simulations. The challenge for the CAGE campaign of experiments is to continue to build upon this

  1. Limitations to Thermoregulation and Acclimatization Challenge Human Adaptation to Global Warming

    PubMed Central

    Hanna, Elizabeth G.; Tait, Peter W.

    2015-01-01

    Human thermoregulation and acclimatization are core components of the human coping mechanism for withstanding variations in environmental heat exposure. Amidst growing recognition that curtailing global warming to less than two degrees is becoming increasing improbable, human survival will require increasing reliance on these mechanisms. The projected several fold increase in extreme heat events suggests we need to recalibrate health protection policies and ratchet up adaptation efforts. Climate researchers, epidemiologists, and policy makers engaged in climate change adaptation and health protection are not commonly drawn from heat physiology backgrounds. Injecting a scholarly consideration of physiological limitations to human heat tolerance into the adaptation and policy literature allows for a broader understanding of heat health risks to support effective human adaptation and adaptation planning. This paper details the physiological and external environmental factors that determine human thermoregulation and acclimatization. We present a model to illustrate the interrelationship between elements that modulate the physiological process of thermoregulation. Limitations inherent in these processes, and the constraints imposed by differing exposure levels, and thermal comfort seeking on achieving acclimatization, are then described. Combined, these limitations will restrict the likely contribution that acclimatization can play in future human adaptation to global warming. We postulate that behavioral and technological adaptations will need to become the dominant means for human individual and societal adaptations as global warming progresses. PMID:26184272

  2. Utilizing forest tree genetic diversity for an adaptation of forest to climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schueler, Silvio; Lackner, Magdalena; Chakraborty, Debojyoti

    2017-04-01

    Since climate conditions are considered to be major determinants of tree species' distribution ranges and drivers of local adaptation, anthropogenic climate change (CC) is expected to modify the distribution of tree species, tree species diversity and the forest ecosystems connected to these species. The expected speed of environmental change is significantly larger than the natural migration and adaptation capacity of trees and makes spontaneous adjustment of forest ecosystems improbable. Planting alternative tree species and utilizing the tree species' intrinsic adaptive capacity are considered to be the most promising adaptation strategy. Each year about 900 million seedlings of the major tree species are being planted in Central Europe. At present, the utilization of forest reproductive material is mainly restricted to nationally defined ecoregions (seed/provenance zones), but when seedlings planted today become adult, they might be maladapted, as the climate conditions within ecoregions changed significantly. In the cooperation project SUSTREE, we develop transnational delineation models for forest seed transfer and genetic conservation based on species distribution models and available intra-specific climate-response function. These models are being connected to national registers of forest reproductive material in order support nursery and forest managers by selecting the appropriate seedling material for future plantations. In the long-term, European and national policies as well as regional recommendations for provenances use need to adapted to consider the challenges of climate change.

  3. Medical decision making: lessons from psychology.

    PubMed

    McDermott, Rose

    2008-01-01

    A wide variety of psychological mechanisms can interfere with clear thinking as patients make choices among risky treatments. The availability heuristic can make some outcomes seem more likely than they really are, the way treatment options are framed and presented can radically affect choice, the placement of a patient's reference point between gains and losses can create a bias towards caution or risk-taking, outcomes that seem certain may make a greater impression than probable or improbable ones, highly-desired benefits can obscure very real risks (and vice versa), and denial mechanisms may render a doctor's best efforts at communication virtually worthless.

  4. Low frequency gyro-synchrotron radio noise from the earth's outer radiation belt

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frankel, M. S.

    1973-01-01

    The problem of detecting cyclotron and synchrotron noise from superthermal electrons is analyzed for the frequency range 30 kHz 300 kHz. Due to the earth's ionosphere, ground based observation of this noise is improbable. Therefore, the calculations are made for an observer in the interplanetary medium. In particular, the location is chosen in the geomagnetic equatorial plane at a geocentric distance of 32 earth radii. This position of the observer allows the theoretical results to be compared directly with data obtained from the radio astronomy experiment aboard the IMP-6 spacecraft.

  5. A hydrogen maser clock for space - Clocks in future possible and improbable applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vessot, Robert F. C.

    The development of atomic-H maser clocks for space applications since 1967 is reviewed, with a focus on the 39-kg instrument built for a rocket-flight test of gravitational redshift in 1976. The stability of the oscillator and the instability of earth-space propagation in that test are described, and techniques for overcoming the latter effects are considered. More recent maser clocks employ an H sorption manifold rather than heavy ion pumps; their application to precise satellite position determination for space-based VLBI astronomy is discussed in detail. Extensive diagrams, drawings, and photographs are provided.

  6. Vectorial status of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus of La Réunion Island for Zika virus.

    PubMed

    Vazeille, M; Dehecq, J-S; Failloux, A-B

    2018-06-01

    La Réunion Island has been the scene of unusually large epidemics of dengue and chikungunya viruses with Aedes albopictus as the sole vector. After experimental oral infection, Ae. albopictus from La Réunion Island can disseminate both dengue and chikungunya viruses but not the Asian genotype of Zika virus, suggesting a strong midgut barrier to dissemination. Autochthonous transmission of the Asian genotype of Zika virus is improbable on La Réunion Island. © 2017 The Authors. Medical and Veterinary Entomology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Entomological Society.

  7. Postgraduate Conception of Research Methodology: Implications for Learning and Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniel, Ben; Kumar, Vijay; Omar, Noritah

    2018-01-01

    This qualitative inquiry investigates postgraduate students' conceptions of research methodology and how it contributes to their learning. It explores factors likely to motivate student choice of research methodology and challenges in understanding research methods. The research was carried out at research-intensive universities in New Zealand and…

  8. Establishing Equivalence: Methodological Progress in Group-Matching Design and Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kover, Sara T.; Atwood, Amy K.

    2013-01-01

    This methodological review draws attention to the challenges faced by intellectual and developmental disabilities researchers in the appropriate design and analysis of group comparison studies. We provide a brief overview of matching methodologies in the field, emphasizing group-matching designs used in behavioral research on cognition and…

  9. The Advantages and Challenges of Unannounced Standardized Patients Methodology to Assess Healthcare Communication

    PubMed Central

    Siminoff, Laura A.; Rogers, Heather L.; Waller, Allison C.; Harris-Haywood, Sonja; Esptein, Ronald M.; Borrell Carrio, Francesc; Gliva-McConvey, Gayle; Longo, Daniel R.

    2011-01-01

    Objective This paper provides an overview of the implementation of using Unannounced Standardized Patients (USPs) to conduct health communication research in clinical settings. Methods Certain types of health communication situations are difficult to capture because of their rarity or unpredictable nature. In primary care the real reasons for a visit are frequently unknown until the consultation is well under way. Therefore, it is logistically difficult for communication studies to capture many real-time communications between patients and their physicians. Although the USP methodology is ideal for capturing these communication behaviors, challenges to using this method include developing collaborative relationships with clinical practices, logistical issues such as safeguarding the identity of the USP, training USPs and creating their identities, maintaining fidelity to the role, and analyzing the resultant data. Results This paper discusses the challenges and solutions to USP implementation. We provide an example of how to implement a USP study using an on-going study being conducted in primary care practices. Conclusion This paper explores the advantages and challenges as well as strategies to overcome obstacles to implementing a USP study. Practice Implications Despite the challenges, USP methodology can contribute much to our understanding of health communication and practice. PMID:21316182

  10. A proposed reductionist solution to address the methodological challenges of inconsistent reflexology maps and poor experimental controls in reflexology research: a discussion paper.

    PubMed

    Jones, Jenny; Thomson, Patricia; Lauder, William; Leslie, Stephen J

    2013-03-01

    Reflexology is a complex massage intervention, based on the concept that specific areas of the feet (reflex points) correspond to individual internal organs within the body. Reflexologists trained in the popular Ingham reflexology method claim that massage to these points, using massage techniques unique to reflexology, stimulates an increase in blood supply to the corresponding organ. Reflexology researchers face two key methodological challenges that need to be addressed if a specific treatment-related hemodynamic effect is to be scientifically demonstrated. The first is the problem of inconsistent reflexology foot maps; the second is the issue of poor experimental controls. This article proposes a potential experimental solution that we believe can address both methodological challenges and in doing so, allow any specific hemodynamic treatment effect unique to reflexology to experimentally reveal itself.

  11. Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms in Post-ICU Family Members: Review and Methodological Challenges

    PubMed Central

    Petrinec, Amy B.; Daly, Barbara J.

    2018-01-01

    Family members of intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at risk for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following ICU discharge. The aim of this systematic review is to examine the current literature regarding post-ICU family PTSD symptoms with an emphasis on methodological issues in conducting research on this challenging phenomenon. An extensive review of the literature was performed confining the search to English language studies reporting PTSD symptoms in adult family members of adult ICU patients. Ten studies were identified for review published from 2004–2012. Findings demonstrate a significant prevalence of family PTSD symptoms in the months following ICU hospitalization. However, there are several methodological challenges to the interpretation of existing studies and to the conduct of future research including differences in sampling, identification of risk factors and covariates of PTSD, and lack of consensus regarding the most appropriate PTSD symptom measurement tools and timing. PMID:25061017

  12. A method comparison of photovoice and content analysis: research examining challenges and supports of family caregivers.

    PubMed

    Faucher, Mary Ann; Garner, Shelby L

    2015-11-01

    The purpose of this manuscript is to compare methods and thematic representations of the challenges and supports of family caregivers identified with photovoice methodology contrasted with content analysis, a more traditional qualitative approach. Results from a photovoice study utilizing a participatory action research framework was compared to an analysis of the audio-transcripts from that study utilizing content analysis methodology. Major similarities between the results are identified with some notable differences. Content analysis provides a more in-depth and abstract elucidation of the nature of the challenges and supports of the family caregiver. The comparison provides evidence to support the trustworthiness of photovoice methodology with limitations identified. The enhanced elaboration of theme and categories with content analysis may have some advantages relevant to the utilization of this knowledge by health care professionals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Laboratory Diagnosis of Infections in Cancer Patients: Challenges and Opportunities

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Infections remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. The differential diagnosis for these patients is often wide, and the timely selection of the right clinical tests can have a significant impact on their survival. However, laboratory findings with current methodologies are often negative, challenging clinicians and laboratorians to continue the search for the responsible pathogen. Novel methodologies are providing increased sensitivity and rapid turnaround time to results but also challenging our interpretation of what is a clinically significant pathogen in cancer patients. This minireview provides an overview of the most common infections in cancer patients and discusses some of the challenges and opportunities for the clinical microbiologist supporting the care of cancer patients. PMID:27280421

  14. Identification and Forecasting in Mortality Models

    PubMed Central

    Nielsen, Jens P.

    2014-01-01

    Mortality models often have inbuilt identification issues challenging the statistician. The statistician can choose to work with well-defined freely varying parameters, derived as maximal invariants in this paper, or with ad hoc identified parameters which at first glance seem more intuitive, but which can introduce a number of unnecessary challenges. In this paper we describe the methodological advantages from using the maximal invariant parameterisation and we go through the extra methodological challenges a statistician has to deal with when insisting on working with ad hoc identifications. These challenges are broadly similar in frequentist and in Bayesian setups. We also go through a number of examples from the literature where ad hoc identifications have been preferred in the statistical analyses. PMID:24987729

  15. Guidelines for reporting methodological challenges and evaluating potential bias in dementia research.

    PubMed

    Weuve, Jennifer; Proust-Lima, Cécile; Power, Melinda C; Gross, Alden L; Hofer, Scott M; Thiébaut, Rodolphe; Chêne, Geneviève; Glymour, M Maria; Dufouil, Carole

    2015-09-01

    Clinical and population research on dementia and related neurologic conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, faces several unique methodological challenges. Progress to identify preventive and therapeutic strategies rests on valid and rigorous analytic approaches, but the research literature reflects little consensus on "best practices." We present findings from a large scientific working group on research methods for clinical and population studies of dementia, which identified five categories of methodological challenges as follows: (1) attrition/sample selection, including selective survival; (2) measurement, including uncertainty in diagnostic criteria, measurement error in neuropsychological assessments, and practice or retest effects; (3) specification of longitudinal models when participants are followed for months, years, or even decades; (4) time-varying measurements; and (5) high-dimensional data. We explain why each challenge is important in dementia research and how it could compromise the translation of research findings into effective prevention or care strategies. We advance a checklist of potential sources of bias that should be routinely addressed when reporting dementia research. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Complexity Thinking and Methodology: The Potential of "Complex Case Study" for Educational Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hetherington, Lindsay

    2013-01-01

    Complexity theories have in common perspectives that challenge linear methodologies and views of causality. In educational research, relatively little has been written explicitly exploring their implications for educational research methodology in general and case study in particular. In this paper, I offer a rationale for case study as a research…

  17. Taking a Distributed Perspective: Epistemological and Methodological Tradeoffs in Operationalizing the Leader-Plus Aspect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spillane, James P.; Camburn, Eric M.; Pustejovsky, James; Pareja, Amber Stitziel; Lewis, Geoff

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: This paper is concerned with the epistemological and methodological challenges involved in studying the distribution of leadership across people within the school--the leader-plus aspect of a distributed perspective, which it aims to investigate. Design/methodology/approach: The paper examines the entailments of the distributed…

  18. A review of economic evaluations of behavior change interventions: setting an agenda for research methods and practice.

    PubMed

    Alayli-Goebbels, Adrienne F G; Evers, Silvia M A A; Alexeeva, Daria; Ament, André J H A; de Vries, Nanne K; Tilly, Jan C; Severens, Johan L

    2014-06-01

    The objective of this study was to review methodological quality of economic evaluations of lifestyle behavior change interventions (LBCIs) and to examine how they address methodological challenges for public health economic evaluation identified in the literature. Pubmed and the NHS economic evaluation database were searched for published studies in six key areas for behavior change: smoking, physical activity, dietary behavior, (illegal) drug use, alcohol use and sexual behavior. From included studies (n = 142), we extracted data on general study characteristics, characteristics of the LBCIs, methodological quality and handling of methodological challenges. Economic evaluation evidence for LBCIs showed a number of weaknesses: methods, study design and characteristics of evaluated interventions were not well reported; methodological quality showed several shortcomings and progress with addressing methodological challenges remained limited. Based on the findings of this review we propose an agenda for improving future evidence to support decision-making. Recommendations for practice include improving reporting of essential study details and increasing adherence with good practice standards. Recommendations for research methods focus on mapping out complex causal pathways for modeling, developing measures to capture broader domains of wellbeing and community outcomes, testing methods for considering equity, identifying relevant non-health sector costs and advancing methods for evidence synthesis. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Methodological issues associated with preclinical drug development and increased placebo effects in schizophrenia clinical trials.

    PubMed

    Brown, Matt A; Bishnoi, Ram J; Dholakia, Sara; Velligan, Dawn I

    2016-01-20

    Recent failures to detect efficacy in clinical trials investigating pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia raise concerns regarding the potential contribution of methodological shortcomings to this research. This review provides an examination of two key methodological issues currently suspected of playing a role in hampering schizophrenia drug development; 1) limitations on the translational utility of preclinical development models, and 2) methodological challenges posed by increased placebo effects. Recommendations for strategies to address these methodological issues are addressed.

  20. God’s Thoughts: Practical Steps Toward a Theory of Everything

    DOE PAGES

    Lincoln, Don

    2017-04-01

    In 1922, Einstein was speaking to young Esther Salaman during a long walk; she was talking of her dreams and goals and he was sharing some of his thoughts. Among thoughts of travel, he described his core guiding intellectual principle when he said, “I want to know how God created this world [wie sich Gott die Welt beschaffen]. I’m not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts; the rest are just details.” No matter your opinion on religion, whether you are a staunch believer or an unapologeticmore » atheist, that phrase “God’s thoughts” is a delightfully poetic one. It represents in a metaphorical way nothing less than an understanding of the deepest and most fundamental laws of the universe. Specifically, the hope is that we will one day be able to explain all the kaleidoscope of matter and phenomena that we see as we look around us as arising from a small number of building blocks and perhaps a single force. This is would no doubt be a breathtaking achievement, but it is highly improbable that it will be achieved soon. Instead, it is more likely that we will make incremental advances that one day might lead to success. In this article, I’d like to review what we know so far and draw your attention to holes in our current theories that might provide clues to the next big advance. This is the core thrust of this article; rather than speculating on an improbable and grand advance, it concentrates on realistic progress we might make over the next few years.« less

  1. The Dispersal of East Gondwana from Continental Breakup to the Start of the Cretaceous Quiet Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, J. K.; Lawver, L. A.; Norton, I. O.; Gahagan, L.

    2014-12-01

    Existing plate models for the breakup of Africa and East Gondwana (Australia, East Antarctica, India, Madagascar, the Seychelles, and Sri Lanka) are problematic and require revision. Specific problems include the utilization of dubious Gondwana configurations, improbable plate motion, and/or a failure to satisfy the holistic marine magnetic anomaly data. I present here a new model for the breakup of East Gondwana. This new model begins from a constrained, pre-breakup, Gondwana configuration. Out of this initial "tight-fit" configuration, East Gondwana rifts from West Gondwana (Africa & South America) as a cohesive unit. During this breakup and subsequent seafloor spreading, East Gondwana is devoid of any internal compression or anomalous plate motion. The overall motion of East Gondwana is constrained by seafloor spreading in the coeval Somali Basin and Mozambique/Riiser Larsen Basins. Seafloor spreading in these basins is modeled using existing marine magnetic anomaly interpretations and satellite-derived gravity data. Our model is uniquely able to satisfy the magnetic anomaly observations in both of the aforementioned basins without invoking improbable plate motion or configurations. Additionally, our plate model provides valuable insight into the breakup of India and East Antarctica. In this model, we fix India to Madagascar from breakup to 90 Ma, thus eventual separation between India and East Antarctica is an output, not an input of our model. We suggest that this separation occurred diachronously from ~140 Ma in the east to ~120 Ma in the west. This modeled motion between India and East Antarctica agrees well with geophysical observations from the margin of East Antarctica and our preliminary analysis of margin character and variability.

  2. God’s Thoughts: Practical Steps Toward a Theory of Everything

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

    Lincoln, Don

    In 1922, Einstein was speaking to young Esther Salaman during a long walk; she was talking of her dreams and goals and he was sharing some of his thoughts. Among thoughts of travel, he described his core guiding intellectual principle when he said, “I want to know how God created this world [wie sich Gott die Welt beschaffen]. I’m not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts; the rest are just details.” No matter your opinion on religion, whether you are a staunch believer or an unapologeticmore » atheist, that phrase “God’s thoughts” is a delightfully poetic one. It represents in a metaphorical way nothing less than an understanding of the deepest and most fundamental laws of the universe. Specifically, the hope is that we will one day be able to explain all the kaleidoscope of matter and phenomena that we see as we look around us as arising from a small number of building blocks and perhaps a single force. This is would no doubt be a breathtaking achievement, but it is highly improbable that it will be achieved soon. Instead, it is more likely that we will make incremental advances that one day might lead to success. In this article, I’d like to review what we know so far and draw your attention to holes in our current theories that might provide clues to the next big advance. This is the core thrust of this article; rather than speculating on an improbable and grand advance, it concentrates on realistic progress we might make over the next few years.« less

  3. Creativity and psychopathology: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Thys, Erik; Sabbe, Bernard; De Hert, Marc

    2014-01-01

    The possible link between creativity and psychopathology has been a long-time focus of research up to the present day. However, the research results in this field are heterogeneous and contradictory. Links between creativity and specific psychiatric disorders have been confirmed and refuted in different studies. This disparity is partly explained by the methodological challenges peculiar to this field. In this systematic review of the literature from 1950, research articles in the field of creativity and psychopathology are presented, focusing on the methodology and results of the collected studies. This review confirms the methodological problems and the heterogeneity of the study designs and results. The assessment of psychopathology, but more so of creativity, remains a fundamental challenge. On the whole, study results cautiously confirm an association between creativity and both bipolar disorder and schizotypy. The research on creativity and psychopathology is hampered by serious methodological problems. Study results are to be interpreted with caution and future research needs more methodological rigor. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. The Challenges of Human Resource Management towards Organizational Effectiveness: A Comparative Study in Southern EU

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stavrou-Costea, Eleni

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: The study aims to examine the human resource management challenges in Southern EU and their effect on organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach: First, key challenges were identified in the existing literature. Then, these challenges were matched with those reported most often in the CRANET questionnaire. These challenges…

  5. Clinical Laboratory Evaluation of Electronic Cigarettes/Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Methodological Challenges

    PubMed Central

    Blank, Melissa D.; Breland, Alison B.; Cobb, Caroline O.; Spindle, Tory; Ramôa, Carolina; Eissenberg, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Objective Evaluating electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) in the clinical laboratory is critical to understanding their effects. However, laboratory evaluation of ECIGs can be challenging, as they are a novel, varied, and evolving class of products. The objective of this paper is to describe some methodological challenges to the clinical laboratory evaluation of ECIGs. Methods The authors gathered information about challenges involved in the laboratory evaluation of ECIGs. Challenges were categorized and solutions provided when possible. Results Methods used to study combustible cigarettes may need to be adapted to account for ECIG novelty and differences within the class. Challenges to ECIG evaluation can include issues related to 1) identification of ECIG devices and liquids, 2) determination of short -term ECIG abstinence, 3) measurement of use behavior, and 4) assessment of dependence. These challenges are discussed, and some suggestions to inform ECIG evaluation using clinical laboratory methods are provided. Conclusions Awareness of challenges and developing, validating, and reporting methods used to address them aids interpretation of results and replication efforts, thus enhancing the rigor of science used to protect public health through appropriate, empirically-based, ECIG regulation. PMID:28819633

  6. Clinical Laboratory Evaluation of Electronic Cigarettes/Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Methodological Challenges.

    PubMed

    Blank, Melissa D; Breland, Alison B; Cobb, Caroline O; Spindle, Tory; Ramôa, Carolina; Eissenberg, Thomas

    2016-10-01

    Evaluating electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) in the clinical laboratory is critical to understanding their effects. However, laboratory evaluation of ECIGs can be challenging, as they are a novel, varied, and evolving class of products. The objective of this paper is to describe some methodological challenges to the clinical laboratory evaluation of ECIGs. The authors gathered information about challenges involved in the laboratory evaluation of ECIGs. Challenges were categorized and solutions provided when possible. Methods used to study combustible cigarettes may need to be adapted to account for ECIG novelty and differences within the class. Challenges to ECIG evaluation can include issues related to 1) identification of ECIG devices and liquids, 2) determination of short -term ECIG abstinence, 3) measurement of use behavior, and 4) assessment of dependence. These challenges are discussed, and some suggestions to inform ECIG evaluation using clinical laboratory methods are provided. Awareness of challenges and developing, validating, and reporting methods used to address them aids interpretation of results and replication efforts, thus enhancing the rigor of science used to protect public health through appropriate, empirically-based, ECIG regulation.

  7. Mobile Eye Tracking Methodology in Informal E-Learning in Social Groups in Technology-Enhanced Science Centres

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Magnussen, Rikke; Zachariassen, Maria; Kharlamov, Nikita; Larsen, Birger

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a methodological discussion of the potential and challenges of involving mobile eye tracking technology in studies of knowledge generation and learning in a science centre context. The methodological exploration is based on eye-tracking studies of audience interaction and knowledge generation in the technology-enhanced health…

  8. Routes of Knowledge: Toward a Methodological Framework for Tracing the Historical Impact of International Organizations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christensen, Ivan Lind; Ydesen, Christian

    2015-01-01

    Recent trends in the historiography of international organizations are occupied with tracing their historical impact on national contexts. There is, however, no consensus on how to conduct this type of analysis methodologically. This article examines the methodological challenges arising from this type of research. While a great deal of…

  9. Methodological Considerations for Research With Black Male Victims of Violent Injury in an Urban Trauma Unit.

    PubMed

    St Vil, Christopher; Richardson, Joseph; Cooper, Carnell

    2018-04-01

    There is a body of research over the last three decades that has focused on the etiology of violence among victims of violent injury. This body of literature indicates that Black men are disproportionately represented among victims of violent injury seen in emergency departments and trauma centers across the country. Despite the disproportionate number of low-income young Black men treated for violent injury in urban trauma units and the growing body of literature accompanying it, little is known about the unique methodological challenges violent injury researchers face when conducting research on this vulnerable population in a clinical setting. This article describes the unique and often nuanced methodological difficulties a research team encountered while conducting a longitudinal qualitative study on risk factors for repeat violent injury among low-income young Black male victims of violent injury treated at a Level II trauma center in the Eastern United States. Four methodological challenges are identified: (a) the identification and screening of participants, (b) recruitment and interviewing, (c) understanding hospital culture, policies, and procedures, and (d) retention and attrition of sample. Recommendations to overcome these challenges are offered.

  10. The challenge of recreation planning: methodology and factors to consider

    Treesearch

    Ronald B. Uleck

    1971-01-01

    The proposed methodology of planning is a description, explanation, and justification of the methods or techniques that a planner should use in preparing outdoor recreation development plans. The sequence of steps required is described

  11. Methodological challenges when doing research that includes ethnic minorities: a scoping review.

    PubMed

    Morville, Anne-Le; Erlandsson, Lena-Karin

    2016-11-01

    There are challenging methodological issues in obtaining valid and reliable results on which to base occupational therapy interventions for ethnic minorities. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the methodological problems within occupational therapy research, when ethnic minorities are included. A thorough literature search yielded 21 articles obtained from the scientific databases PubMed, Cinahl, Web of Science and PsychInfo. Analysis followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews, applying content analysis. The results showed methodological issues concerning the entire research process from defining and recruiting samples, the conceptual understanding, lack of appropriate instruments, data collection using interpreters to analyzing data. In order to avoid excluding the ethnic minorities from adequate occupational therapy research and interventions, development of methods for the entire research process is needed. It is a costly and time-consuming process, but the results will be valid and reliable, and therefore more applicable in clinical practice.

  12. How to emerge from the conservatism in clinical research methodology?

    PubMed

    Kotecki, Nuria; Penel, Nicolas; Awada, Ahmad

    2017-09-01

    Despite recent changes in clinical research methodology, many challenges remain in drug development methodology. Advances in molecular biology and cancer treatments have changed the clinical research landscape. Thus, we moved from empirical clinical oncology to molecular and immunological therapeutic approaches. Along with this move, adapted dose-limiting toxicities definitions, endpoints, and dose escalation methods have been proposed. Moreover, the classical frontier between phase I, phase II, and phase III has become unclear in particular for immunological approaches. So, investigators are facing major challenges in drug development methodology. We propose to individualize clinical research using innovative approaches to significantly improve patient outcomes and targeting what is considered unmet need. Integrating high level of translational research and performing well designed biomarker studies with great potential for clinical practice are of utmost importance. This could be performed within new models of clinical research networks and by building a strong collaboration between academic, cooperative groups, on-site investigators, and pharma.

  13. Ethical challenges facing veterinary professionals in Ireland: results from Policy Delphi with vignette methodology

    PubMed Central

    Magalhães-Sant'Ana, M.; More, S. J.; Morton, D. B.; Hanlon, A.

    2016-01-01

    Ethics is key to the integrity of the veterinary profession. Despite its importance, there is a lack of applied research on the range of ethical challenges faced by veterinarians. A three round Policy Delphi with vignette methodology was used to record the diversity of views on ethical challenges faced by veterinary professionals in Ireland. Forty experts, comprising veterinary practitioners, inspectors and nurses, accepted to participate. In round 1, twenty vignettes describing a variety of ethically challenging veterinary scenarios were ranked in terms of ethical acceptability, reputational risk and perceived standards of practice. Round 2 aimed at characterising challenges where future policy development or professional guidance was deemed to be needed. In round 3, possible solutions to key challenges were explored. Results suggest that current rules and regulations are insufficient to ensure best veterinary practices and that a collective approach is needed to harness workable solutions for the identified ethical challenges. Challenges pertaining mostly to the food chain seem to require enforcement measures whereas softer measures that promote professional discretion were preferred to address challenges dealing with veterinary clinical services. These findings can support veterinary representative bodies, advisory committees and regulatory authorities in their decision making, policy and regulation. PMID:27613779

  14. Ethical challenges facing veterinary professionals in Ireland: results from Policy Delphi with vignette methodology.

    PubMed

    Magalhães-Sant'Ana, M; More, S J; Morton, D B; Hanlon, A

    2016-10-29

    Ethics is key to the integrity of the veterinary profession. Despite its importance, there is a lack of applied research on the range of ethical challenges faced by veterinarians. A three round Policy Delphi with vignette methodology was used to record the diversity of views on ethical challenges faced by veterinary professionals in Ireland. Forty experts, comprising veterinary practitioners, inspectors and nurses, accepted to participate. In round 1, twenty vignettes describing a variety of ethically challenging veterinary scenarios were ranked in terms of ethical acceptability, reputational risk and perceived standards of practice. Round 2 aimed at characterising challenges where future policy development or professional guidance was deemed to be needed. In round 3, possible solutions to key challenges were explored. Results suggest that current rules and regulations are insufficient to ensure best veterinary practices and that a collective approach is needed to harness workable solutions for the identified ethical challenges. Challenges pertaining mostly to the food chain seem to require enforcement measures whereas softer measures that promote professional discretion were preferred to address challenges dealing with veterinary clinical services. These findings can support veterinary representative bodies, advisory committees and regulatory authorities in their decision making, policy and regulation. British Veterinary Association.

  15. ["A shot at the father: a student's assault". Sigmund Freud and the case of Ernst Haberl].

    PubMed

    Aichhorn, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    In the fall of 1922, the Freud family was involved in a criminal case: The son of Mathilde Freud's nursing sister, Ernst Haberl, had shot at his father. With the help of August Aichhorn the Viennese Juvenile Court's social assistance department was engaged on behalf of the young man. Freud commissioned the lawyer Valentin Teirich to defend him in court. The Viennese dailies reported the deed and the trial extensively (Haberl was acquitted). That a comment published in the Neue Freie Presse was written by Freud himself, as Teirich believed, is, according to Anna Freud, highly improbable.

  16. Magnetostriction and palæomagnetism of igneous rocks

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Graham, John W.; Buddington, A.F.; Balsley, James R.

    1959-01-01

    IN a recent communication, Stott and Stacey1 report on a “crucial experiment” from which they conclude: “This excellent agreement between the dip and the directions of artificial thermoremanent magnetization of the stressed and unstressed rocks indicates that large systematic errors due to magnetostriction are most improbable in igneous rocks of types normally used for palæomagnetic work”. This experiment was intended to test the proposals2 and measurements3 bearing on the role of magnetostriction in rock magnetism. We present here our reasons for believing that the experiment was not crucial and that the conclusion is not justified.

  17. Ionospheric E-region electron density and neutral atmosphere variations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stick, T. L.

    1976-01-01

    Electron density deviations from a basic variation with the solar zenith angle were investigated. A model study was conducted in which the effects of changes in neutral and relative densities of atomic and molecular oxygen on calculated electron densities were compared with incoherent scatter measurements in the height range 100-117 km at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The feasibility of determining tides in the neutral atmosphere from electron density profiles was studied. It was determined that variations in phase between the density and temperature variation and the comparable magnitudes of their components make it appear improbable that the useful information on tidal modes can be obtained in this way.

  18. Torus-margo pits help conifers compete with angiosperms.

    PubMed

    Pittermann, Jarmila; Sperry, John S; Hacke, Uwe G; Wheeler, James K; Sikkema, Elzard H

    2005-12-23

    The unicellular conifer tracheid should have greater flow resistance per length (resistivity) than the multicellular angiosperm vessel, because its high-resistance end-walls are closer together. However, tracheids and vessels had comparable resistivities for the same diameter, despite tracheids being over 10 times shorter. End-wall pits of tracheids averaged 59 times lower flow resistance on an area basis than vessel pits, owing to the unique torus-margo structure of the conifer pit membrane. The evolution of this membrane was as hydraulically important as that of vessels. Without their specialized pits, conifers would have 38 times the flow resistance, making conifer-dominated ecosystems improbable in an angiosperm world.

  19. Assessing species saturation: conceptual and methodological challenges.

    PubMed

    Olivares, Ingrid; Karger, Dirk N; Kessler, Michael

    2018-05-07

    Is there a maximum number of species that can coexist? Intuitively, we assume an upper limit to the number of species in a given assemblage, or that a lineage can produce, but defining and testing this limit has proven problematic. Herein, we first outline seven general challenges of studies on species saturation, most of which are independent of the actual method used to assess saturation. Among these are the challenge of defining saturation conceptually and operationally, the importance of setting an appropriate referential system, and the need to discriminate among patterns, processes and mechanisms. Second, we list and discuss the methodological approaches that have been used to study species saturation. These approaches vary in time and spatial scales, and in the variables and assumptions needed to assess saturation. We argue that assessing species saturation is possible, but that many studies conducted to date have conceptual and methodological flaws that prevent us from currently attaining a good idea of the occurrence of species saturation. © 2018 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

  20. The Challenges of Participant Photography: A Critical Reflection on Methodology and Ethics in Two Cultural Contexts.

    PubMed

    Murray, Linda; Nash, Meredith

    2017-05-01

    Photovoice and photo-elicitation are two common methods of participant photography used in health research. Although participatory photography has many benefits, this critical reflection provides fellow researchers with insights into the methodological and ethical challenges faced when using such methods. In this article, we critically reflect on two studies that used participatory photography in different cultural contexts. The first study used photo-elicitation to investigate mothers' experiences of infant settling in central Vietnam. The second study used photovoice to explore pregnant embodiment in Australia. Following a discussion of the literature and a detailed overview of the two studies, we examine the methodological challenges in using participant photography before, during and after each study. This is followed by a discussion of ethical concerns that arose in relation to the burden of participation, confidentiality, consent, and the photographing of families and children. To conclude, we highlight implications for using participatory photography in other settings.

  1. Recent advances in computational methodology for simulation of mechanical circulatory assist devices

    PubMed Central

    Marsden, Alison L.; Bazilevs, Yuri; Long, Christopher C.; Behr, Marek

    2014-01-01

    Ventricular assist devices (VADs) provide mechanical circulatory support to offload the work of one or both ventricles during heart failure. They are used in the clinical setting as destination therapy, as bridge to transplant, or more recently as bridge to recovery to allow for myocardial remodeling. Recent developments in computational simulation allow for detailed assessment of VAD hemodynamics for device design and optimization for both children and adults. Here, we provide a focused review of the recent literature on finite element methods and optimization for VAD simulations. As VAD designs typically fall into two categories, pulsatile and continuous flow devices, we separately address computational challenges of both types of designs, and the interaction with the circulatory system with three representative case studies. In particular, we focus on recent advancements in finite element methodology that has increased the fidelity of VAD simulations. We outline key challenges, which extend to the incorporation of biological response such as thrombosis and hemolysis, as well as shape optimization methods and challenges in computational methodology. PMID:24449607

  2. Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Post-ICU Family Members: Review and Methodological Challenges.

    PubMed

    Petrinec, Amy B; Daly, Barbara J

    2016-01-01

    Family members of intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at risk for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following ICU discharge. The aim of this systematic review is to examine the current literature regarding post-ICU family PTSD symptoms with an emphasis on methodological issues in conducting research on this challenging phenomenon. An extensive review of the literature was performed confining the search to English language studies reporting PTSD symptoms in adult family members of adult ICU patients. Ten studies were identified for review published from 2004 to 2012. Findings demonstrate a significant prevalence of family PTSD symptoms in the months following ICU hospitalization. However, there are several methodological challenges to the interpretation of existing studies and to the conduct of future research including differences in sampling, identification of risk factors and covariates of PTSD, and lack of consensus regarding the most appropriate PTSD symptom measurement tools and timing. © The Author(s) 2014.

  3. Conducting interactive experiments online.

    PubMed

    Arechar, Antonio A; Gächter, Simon; Molleman, Lucas

    2018-01-01

    Online labor markets provide new opportunities for behavioral research, but conducting economic experiments online raises important methodological challenges. This particularly holds for interactive designs. In this paper, we provide a methodological discussion of the similarities and differences between interactive experiments conducted in the laboratory and online. To this end, we conduct a repeated public goods experiment with and without punishment using samples from the laboratory and the online platform Amazon Mechanical Turk. We chose to replicate this experiment because it is long and logistically complex. It therefore provides a good case study for discussing the methodological and practical challenges of online interactive experimentation. We find that basic behavioral patterns of cooperation and punishment in the laboratory are replicable online. The most important challenge of online interactive experiments is participant dropout. We discuss measures for reducing dropout and show that, for our case study, dropouts are exogenous to the experiment. We conclude that data quality for interactive experiments via the Internet is adequate and reliable, making online interactive experimentation a potentially valuable complement to laboratory studies.

  4. Methodological Challenges in Researching Threshold Concepts: A Comparative Analysis of Three Projects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quinlan, K. M.; Male, S.; Baillie, C.; Stamboulis, A.; Fill, J.; Jaffer, Z.

    2013-01-01

    Threshold concepts were introduced nearly 10 years ago by Ray Land and Jan Meyer. This work has spawned four international conferences and hundreds of papers. Although the idea has clearly gained traction in higher education, this sub-field does not yet have a fully fledged research methodology or a strong critical discourse about methodology.…

  5. Research on Natural Settings: Observing Adolescent Mothers and Infants throughout the First Postpartum Year.

    PubMed

    Diniz, Eva; Koller, Silvia H

    2018-03-01

    This manuscript aims to present and discuss challenges regarding naturalistic observation of adolescent mothers and their infants throughout the first postpartum year. Case illustrations were the object to discuss methodological options and issues faced during an observational and longitudinal research. The participants live in vulnerability in a metropolitan area in Southern Brazil. Data collection challenges led to reflections about naturalistic observation and methodological procedures, which were affected by setting characteristics and by the need of adapting to them. Most methodological difficulties were linked to naturalistic observations of mothers and their infants. Personal and contextual aspects of these settings must be taken into account in order to enhance result reliability and the knowledge about cultural idiosyncrasies.

  6. Engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative research: reflections from an interview-based study.

    PubMed

    Witty, Karl; Branney, Peter; Bullen, Kate; White, Alan; Evans, Julie; Eardley, Ian

    2014-01-01

    To explore the challenges of engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative interview research. Qualitative interviewing offers an ideal tool for exploring men's experiences of illness, complementing and providing context to gendered health inequalities identified in epidemiological research on men. But conducting interviews with men can be challenging and embarking on a qualitative interview study with males can feel like a daunting task, given the limited amount of practical, gender-sensitive guidance for researchers. Reflecting on a researcher's experience of conducting qualitative research on men with penile cancer, this paper explores the potential challenges of interviewing this group, but also documents how engagement and data collection were achieved. This is a reflective paper, informed by the experiences of a male researcher (KW) with no nurse training, who conducted 28 interviews with men who had been treated for penile cancer. The researcher's experiences are reported in chronological order, from the methodological challenges of recruitment to those of conducting the interview. The paper offers a resource for the novice researcher, highlighting some advantages and disadvantages of conducting qualitative interview research as a nurse researcher, as well as recommendations on how to overcome challenges. Engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative interview raises practical, methodological, ethical and emotional challenges for the researcher. However, when these challenges are met, men will talk about their health. Methodological procedures must enable an open and ongoing dialogue with clinical gatekeepers and potential participants to promote engagement. Support from colleagues is essential for any interviewer, no matter how experienced the researcher is.

  7. Challenges with cost-utility analyses of behavioural interventions among older adults at risk for dementia.

    PubMed

    Davis, Jennifer C; Bryan, Stirling; Marra, Carlo A; Hsiung, Ging-Yuek R; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

    2015-10-01

    Cognitive decline is one of the most prominent healthcare issues of the 21st century. Within the context of combating cognitive decline through behavioural interventions, physical activity is a promising approach. There is a dearth of health economic data in the area of behavioural interventions for dementia prevention. Yet, economic evaluations are essential for providing information to policy makers for resource allocation. It is essential we first address population and intervention-specific methodological challenges prior to building a larger evidence base. We use a cost-utility analysis conducted alongside the exercise for cognition and everyday living (EXCEL) study to illustrate methodological challenges specific to assessing the cost-effectiveness of behavioural interventions aimed at older adults at risk of cognitive decline. A cost-utility analysis conducted concurrently with a 6-month, three-arm randomised controlled trial (ie, the EXCEL study) was used as an example to identify and discuss methodological challenges. Both the aerobic training and resistance training interventions were less costly than twice weekly balance and tone classes. In critically evaluating the economic evaluation of the EXCEL study we identified four category-specific challenges: (1) analysing costs; (2) assessing quality-adjusted life-years; (3) Incomplete data; and (4) 'Intervention' activities of the control group. Resistance training and aerobic training resulted in healthcare cost saving and were equally effective to balance and tone classes after only 6 months of intervention. To ensure this population is treated fairly in terms of claims on resources, we first need to identify areas for methodological improvement. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  8. Selected analytical challenges in the determination of pharmaceuticals in drinking/marine waters and soil/sediment samples.

    PubMed

    Białk-Bielińska, Anna; Kumirska, Jolanta; Borecka, Marta; Caban, Magda; Paszkiewicz, Monika; Pazdro, Ksenia; Stepnowski, Piotr

    2016-03-20

    Recent developments and improvements in advanced instruments and analytical methodologies have made the detection of pharmaceuticals at low concentration levels in different environmental matrices possible. As a result of these advances, over the last 15 years residues of these compounds and their metabolites have been detected in different environmental compartments and pharmaceuticals have now become recognized as so-called 'emerging' contaminants. To date, a lot of papers have been published presenting the development of analytical methodologies for the determination of pharmaceuticals in aqueous and solid environmental samples. Many papers have also been published on the application of the new methodologies, mainly to the assessment of the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals. Although impressive improvements have undoubtedly been made, in order to fully understand the behavior of these chemicals in the environment, there are still numerous methodological challenges to be overcome. The aim of this paper therefore, is to present a review of selected recent improvements and challenges in the determination of pharmaceuticals in environmental samples. Special attention has been paid to the strategies used and the current challenges (also in terms of Green Analytical Chemistry) that exist in the analysis of these chemicals in soils, marine environments and drinking waters. There is a particular focus on the applicability of modern sorbents such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in sample preparation techniques, to overcome some of the problems that exist in the analysis of pharmaceuticals in different environmental samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Learning through Work: Emerging Perspectives and New Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Billett, Stephen; Choy, Sarojni

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to consider and appraise current developments and emerging perspectives on learning in the circumstances of work, to propose how some of the challenges for securing effective workplace learning may be redressed. Design/methodology/approach: First, new challenges and perspectives on learning in the circumstances of work are…

  10. Applications of landscape genetics in conservation biology: concepts and challenges

    Treesearch

    Gernot Segelbacher; Samuel A. Cushman; Bryan K. Epperson; Marie-Josee Fortin; Olivier Francois; Olivier J. Hardy; Rolf Holderegger; Stephanie Manel

    2010-01-01

    Landscape genetics plays an increasingly important role in the management and conservation of species. Here, we highlight some of the opportunities and challenges in using landscape genetic approaches in conservation biology. We first discuss challenges related to sampling design and introduce several recent methodological developments in landscape genetics (analyses...

  11. Analysis of Challenges for Management Education in India Using Total Interpretive Structural Modelling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mahajan, Ritika; Agrawal, Rajat; Sharma, Vinay; Nangia, Vinay

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify challenges for management education in India and explain their nature, significance and interrelations using total interpretive structural modelling (TISM), an innovative version of Warfield's interpretive structural modelling (ISM). Design/methodology/approach: The challenges have been drawn from…

  12. Challenge-Based Instruction: The VaNTH Biomechanics Learning Modules

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barr, Ronald E.; Pandy, Marcus G.; Petrosino, Anthony J.; Roselli, Robert J.; Brophy, Sean; Freeman, Robert A.

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents the methodology and results of teaching an entire engineering course using challenge-based instruction. The challenges consisted of eight biomechanics multimedia learning modules developed by the authors as part of a broader NSF educational coalition. The biomechanics modules were presented in an undergraduate mechanical…

  13. Farms and Learning Partnerships in Farming Systems Projects: A Response to the Challenges of Complexity in Agricultural Innovation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crawford, Anne; Nettle, Ruth; Paine, Mark; Kabore, Carolyn

    2007-01-01

    Managing the competing interests of productivity growth, environmental concerns, landscape change and societal expectations presents challenges for agricultural industries. Innovation projects supporting knowledge development to address these challenges often involve partnerships with commercial farms, a methodology which promises much but has…

  14. Cochrane Rehabilitation Methodology Committee: an international survey of priorities for future work.

    PubMed

    Levack, William M; Meyer, Thorsten; Negrini, Stefano; Malmivaara, Antti

    2017-10-01

    Cochrane Rehabilitation aims to improve the application of evidence-based practice in rehabilitation. It also aims to support Cochrane in the production of reliable, clinically meaningful syntheses of evidence related to the practice of rehabilitation, while accommodating the many methodological challenges facing the field. To this end, Cochrane Rehabilitation established a Methodology Committee to examine, explore and find solutions for the methodological challenges related to evidence synthesis and knowledge translation in rehabilitation. We conducted an international online survey via Cochrane Rehabilitation networks to canvass opinions regarding the future work priorities for this committee and to seek information on people's current capabilities to assist with this work. The survey findings indicated strongest interest in work on how reviewers have interpreted and applied Cochrane methods in reviews on rehabilitation topics in the past, and on gathering a collection of existing publications on review methods for undertaking systematic reviews relevant to rehabilitation. Many people are already interested in contributing to the work of the Methodology Committee and there is a large amount of expertise for this work in the extended Cochrane Rehabilitation network already.

  15. Prosody and informativity: A cross-linguistic investigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ouyang, Iris Chuoying

    This dissertation aims to extend our knowledge of prosody -- in particular, what kinds of information may be conveyed through prosody, which prosodic dimensions may be used to convey them, and how individual speakers differ from one another in how they use prosody. Four production studies were conducted to examine how various factors interact with one another in shaping the prosody of an utterance and how prosody fulfills its multi-functional role. Experiments 1 explores the interaction between two types of informativity, namely information structure and information-theoretic properties. The results show that the prosodic consequences of new-information focus are modulated by the focused word's frequency, whereas the prosodic consequences of corrective focus are modulated by the focused word's probability in the context. Furthermore, f0 ranges appear to be more informative than f0 shapes in reflecting informativity across speakers. Specifically, speakers seem to have individual 'preferences' regarding f0 shapes, the f0 ranges they use for an utterance, and the magnitude of differences in f0 ranges by which they mark information-structural distinctions. In contrast, there is more cross-speaker validity in the actual directions of differences in f0 ranges between information-structural types. Experiments 2 and 3 further show that the interaction found between corrective focus and contextual probability depends on the interlocutor's knowledge state. When the interlocutor has no access to the crucial information concerning utterances' contextual probability, speakers prosodically emphasize contextually improbable corrections, but not contextually probable corrections. Furthermore, speakers prosodically emphasize the corrections in response to contextually probable misstatements, but not the corrections in response to contextually improbable misstatements. In contrast, completely opposite patterns are found when words' contextual probability is shared knowledge between the speaker and the interlocutor: speakers prosodically emphasize contextually probable corrections and the corrections in response to contextually improbable misstatements. Experiment 4 demonstrates the multi-functionality of prosody by investigating its discourse-level functions in Mandarin Chinese, a tone language where a word's prosodic patterns is crucial to its meaning. The results show that, although prosody serves fundamental, lexical-level functions in Mandarin Chinese, it nevertheless provides cues to information structure as well. Similar to what has been found with English, corrective information is prosodically more prominent than non-corrective information, and new information is prosodically more prominent than given information. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate the complex relationship between prosody and the different types of information it encodes in a given language. To better understand prosody, it is important to integrate insights from different traditions of research and to investigate across languages. In addition, the findings of this research suggest that speakers' assumptions about what their interlocutors know -- as well as speakers' ability to update these expectations -- play a key role in shaping the prosody of utterances. I hypothesize that prosodic prominence may reflect the gap between what speakers had expected their interlocutors to say and what their interlocutors have actually said.

  16. Feminist methodologies and engineering education research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beddoes, Kacey

    2013-03-01

    This paper introduces feminist methodologies in the context of engineering education research. It builds upon other recent methodology articles in engineering education journals and presents feminist research methodologies as a concrete engineering education setting in which to explore the connections between epistemology, methodology and theory. The paper begins with a literature review that covers a broad range of topics featured in the literature on feminist methodologies. Next, data from interviews with engineering educators and researchers who have engaged with feminist methodologies are presented. The ways in which feminist methodologies shape their research topics, questions, frameworks of analysis, methods, practices and reporting are each discussed. The challenges and barriers they have faced are then discussed. Finally, the benefits of further and broader engagement with feminist methodologies within the engineering education community are identified.

  17. Advancing scoping study methodology: a web-based survey and consultation of perceptions on terminology, definition and methodological steps.

    PubMed

    O'Brien, Kelly K; Colquhoun, Heather; Levac, Danielle; Baxter, Larry; Tricco, Andrea C; Straus, Sharon; Wickerson, Lisa; Nayar, Ayesha; Moher, David; O'Malley, Lisa

    2016-07-26

    Scoping studies (or reviews) are a method used to comprehensively map evidence across a range of study designs in an area, with the aim of informing future research practice, programs and policy. However, no universal agreement exists on terminology, definition or methodological steps. Our aim was to understand the experiences of, and considerations for conducting scoping studies from the perspective of academic and community partners. Primary objectives were to 1) describe experiences conducting scoping studies including strengths and challenges; and 2) describe perspectives on terminology, definition, and methodological steps. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey with clinicians, educators, researchers, knowledge users, representatives from community-based organizations, graduate students, and policy stakeholders with experience and/or interest in conducting scoping studies to gain an understanding of experiences and perspectives on the conduct and reporting of scoping studies. We administered an electronic self-reported questionnaire comprised of 22 items related to experiences with scoping studies, strengths and challenges, opinions on terminology, and methodological steps. We analyzed questionnaire data using descriptive statistics and content analytical techniques. Survey results were discussed during a multi-stakeholder consultation to identify key considerations in the conduct and reporting of scoping studies. Of the 83 invitations, 54 individuals (65 %) completed the scoping questionnaire, and 48 (58 %) attended the scoping study meeting from Canada, the United Kingdom and United States. Many scoping study strengths were dually identified as challenges including breadth of scope, and iterative process. No consensus on terminology emerged, however key defining features that comprised a working definition of scoping studies included the exploratory mapping of literature in a field; iterative process, inclusion of grey literature; no quality assessment of included studies, and an optional consultation phase. We offer considerations for the conduct and reporting of scoping studies for researchers, clinicians and knowledge users engaging in this methodology. Lack of consensus on scoping terminology, definition and methodological steps persists. Reasons for this may be attributed to diversity of disciplines adopting this methodology for differing purposes. Further work is needed to establish guidelines on the reporting and methodological quality assessment of scoping studies.

  18. Evaluation of AMSTAR to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews in overviews of reviews of healthcare interventions.

    PubMed

    Pollock, Michelle; Fernandes, Ricardo M; Hartling, Lisa

    2017-03-23

    Overviews of reviews (overviews) compile information from multiple systematic reviews (SRs) to provide a single synthesis of relevant evidence for decision-making. It is recommended that authors assess and report the methodological quality of SRs in overviews-for example, using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). Currently, there is variation in whether and how overview authors assess and report SR quality, and limited guidance is available. Our objectives were to: examine methodological considerations involved in using AMSTAR to assess the quality of Cochrane and non-Cochrane SRs in overviews of healthcare interventions; identify challenges (and develop potential decision rules) when using AMSTAR in overviews; and examine the potential impact of considering methodological quality when making inclusion decisions in overviews. We selected seven overviews of healthcare interventions and included all SRs meeting each overview's inclusion criteria. For each SR, two reviewers independently conducted AMSTAR assessments with consensus and discussed challenges encountered. We also examined the correlation between AMSTAR assessments and SR results/conclusions. Ninety-five SRs were included (30 Cochrane, 65 non-Cochrane). Mean AMSTAR assessments (9.6/11 vs. 5.5/11; p < 0.001) and inter-rater reliability (AC1 statistic: 0.84 vs. 0.69; "almost perfect" vs. "substantial" using the Landis & Koch criteria) were higher for Cochrane compared to non-Cochrane SRs. Four challenges were identified when applying AMSTAR in overviews: the scope of the SRs and overviews often differed; SRs examining similar topics sometimes made different methodological decisions; reporting of non-Cochrane SRs was sometimes poor; and some non-Cochrane SRs included other SRs as well as primary studies. Decision rules were developed to address each challenge. We found no evidence that AMSTAR assessments were correlated with SR results/conclusions. Results indicate that the AMSTAR tool can be used successfully in overviews that include Cochrane and non-Cochrane SRs, though decision rules may be useful to circumvent common challenges. Findings support existing recommendations that quality assessments of SRs in overviews be conducted independently, in duplicate, with a process for consensus. Results also suggest that using methodological quality to guide inclusion decisions (e.g., to exclude poorly conducted and reported SRs) may not introduce bias into the overview process.

  19. On the intersection of phonetic detail and the organization of interaction: clinical connections.

    PubMed

    Walker, Gareth; Local, John

    2013-01-01

    The analysis of language use in real-world contexts poses particular methodological challenges. We codify responses to these challenges as a series of methodological imperatives. To demonstrate the relevance of these imperatives to clinical investigation, we present analyses of single episodes of interaction where one participant has a speech and/or language impairment: atypical prosody, echolalia and dysarthria. We demonstrate there is considerable heuristic and analytic value in taking this approach to analysing the organization of interaction involving individuals with a speech and/or language impairment.

  20. Survey of systematic review authors in dentistry: challenges in methodology and reporting.

    PubMed

    Major, Michael P; Warren, Sharon; Flores-Mir, Carlos

    2009-04-01

    The study reported in this article had three objectives: 1) identify the challenges faced by authors of dental systematic reviews (SR) during the process of literature search and selection; 2) determine whether dental SR authors' responses to survey questions about their study methodology were consistent with the reported published methodology; and 3) assess whether dental SR authors' evidence-based publication experience was associated with reported methodology. Seventy-eight authors (53 percent) of dental SRs out of 147 potential authors published from 2000 to 2006 responded to an online survey. According to the respondents, the most challenging aspects of literature search and selection were the initial design and performing extended literature searches. Agreement between the protocol identified by SR authors on the survey and the actual protocol described in their publications was fair to moderate. There were virtually no correlations between authors' publication experience, systematic review literature search, and selection thoroughness except for the number of past SRs published, and no differences in thoroughness between SRs written by clinicians (dental practitioners in the community) and dental school faculty members. Dental SR authors do not appear to fully appreciate the importance of extensive literature searches as central to the validity of their systematic review methods and potential findings.

  1. A systematic and critical review of the evolving methods and applications of value of information in academia and practice.

    PubMed

    Steuten, Lotte; van de Wetering, Gijs; Groothuis-Oudshoorn, Karin; Retèl, Valesca

    2013-01-01

    This article provides a systematic and critical review of the evolving methods and applications of value of information (VOI) in academia and practice and discusses where future research needs to be directed. Published VOI studies were identified by conducting a computerized search on Scopus and ISI Web of Science from 1980 until December 2011 using pre-specified search terms. Only full-text papers that outlined and discussed VOI methods for medical decision making, and studies that applied VOI and explicitly discussed the results with a view to informing healthcare decision makers, were included. The included papers were divided into methodological and applied papers, based on the aim of the study. A total of 118 papers were included of which 50 % (n = 59) are methodological. A rapidly accumulating literature base on VOI from 1999 onwards for methodological papers and from 2005 onwards for applied papers is observed. Expected value of sample information (EVSI) is the preferred method of VOI to inform decision making regarding specific future studies, but real-life applications of EVSI remain scarce. Methodological challenges to VOI are numerous and include the high computational demands, dealing with non-linear models and interdependency between parameters, estimations of effective time horizons and patient populations, and structural uncertainties. VOI analysis receives increasing attention in both the methodological and the applied literature bases, but challenges to applying VOI in real-life decision making remain. For many technical and methodological challenges to VOI analytic solutions have been proposed in the literature, including leaner methods for VOI. Further research should also focus on the needs of decision makers regarding VOI.

  2. Changing panorama for surveillance of device-associated healthcare infections: Challenges faced in implementation of current guidelines.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Renu; Sharma, Sangeeta; Saxena, Sonal

    2018-01-01

    Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are preventable in up to 30% of patients with evidence-based infection prevention and control (IPC) activities. IPC activities require effective surveillance to generate data for the HAI rates, defining priority areas, identifying processes amenable for improvement and institute interventions to improve patient's safety. However, uniform, accurate and standardised surveillance methodology using objective definitions can only generate meaningful data for effective execution of IPC activities. The highly exhaustive, complex and ever-evolving infection surveillance methodology pose a challenge for effective data capture, analysis and interpretation by ground level personnel. The present review addresses the gaps in knowledge and day-to-day challenges in surveillance faced by infection control team for effective implementation of IPC activities.

  3. Challenges in Rotorcraft Acoustic Flight Prediction and Validation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boyd, D. Douglas, Jr.

    2003-01-01

    Challenges associated with rotorcraft acoustic flight prediction and validation are examined. First, an outline of a state-of-the-art rotorcraft aeroacoustic prediction methodology is presented. Components including rotorcraft aeromechanics, high resolution reconstruction, and rotorcraft acoustic prediction arc discussed. Next, to illustrate challenges and issues involved, a case study is presented in which an analysis of flight data from a specific XV-15 tiltrotor acoustic flight test is discussed in detail. Issues related to validation of methodologies using flight test data are discussed. Primary flight parameters such as velocity, altitude, and attitude are discussed and compared for repeated flight conditions. Other measured steady state flight conditions are examined for consistency and steadiness. A representative example prediction is presented and suggestions are made for future research.

  4. Improving the Teaching of Evidence-Based Practice: Challenges and Priorities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soydan, Haluk

    2007-01-01

    This article explores some of the main challenges of improving the teaching of evidence-based practice in schools of social work. The priority challenges are the needs for a general professional cultural shift, for adequate curricula, to overcome the controversy of scientific methodology, to better understand the state of the art of the…

  5. Challenges of Postmodern Thought in Christian Higher Education Institutions: Implications for Ethical Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darroux, Dean A.

    2013-01-01

    The study investigated the question: What is the process that Christian higher education administrators and faculty members used when understanding the challenges of postmodern thought at the institutions, and what are the challenges for ethical leadership? Utilizing a grounded theory methodology, the researcher sought to develop a theory that…

  6. Ethiopian New Public Universities: Achievements, Challenges and Illustrative Case Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Deuren, Rita; Kahsu, Tsegazeab; Mohammed, Seid; Woldie, Wondimu

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to analyze and illustrate achievements and challenges of Ethiopian higher education, both at the system level and at the level of new public universities. Design/methodology/approach: Achievements and challenges at the system level are based on literature review and secondary data. Illustrative case studies are based on…

  7. Methodological challenges of optical tweezers-based X-ray fluorescence imaging of biological model organisms at synchrotron facilities.

    PubMed

    Vergucht, Eva; Brans, Toon; Beunis, Filip; Garrevoet, Jan; Bauters, Stephen; De Rijcke, Maarten; Deruytter, David; Janssen, Colin; Riekel, Christian; Burghammer, Manfred; Vincze, Laszlo

    2015-07-01

    Recently, a radically new synchrotron radiation-based elemental imaging approach for the analysis of biological model organisms and single cells in their natural in vivo state was introduced. The methodology combines optical tweezers (OT) technology for non-contact laser-based sample manipulation with synchrotron radiation confocal X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microimaging for the first time at ESRF-ID13. The optical manipulation possibilities and limitations of biological model organisms, the OT setup developments for XRF imaging and the confocal XRF-related challenges are reported. In general, the applicability of the OT-based setup is extended with the aim of introducing the OT XRF methodology in all research fields where highly sensitive in vivo multi-elemental analysis is of relevance at the (sub)micrometre spatial resolution level.

  8. Scalable privacy-preserving data sharing methodology for genome-wide association studies: an application to iDASH healthcare privacy protection challenge.

    PubMed

    Yu, Fei; Ji, Zhanglong

    2014-01-01

    In response to the growing interest in genome-wide association study (GWAS) data privacy, the Integrating Data for Analysis, Anonymization and SHaring (iDASH) center organized the iDASH Healthcare Privacy Protection Challenge, with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of applying privacy-preserving methodologies to human genetic data. This paper is based on a submission to the iDASH Healthcare Privacy Protection Challenge. We apply privacy-preserving methods that are adapted from Uhler et al. 2013 and Yu et al. 2014 to the challenge's data and analyze the data utility after the data are perturbed by the privacy-preserving methods. Major contributions of this paper include new interpretation of the χ2 statistic in a GWAS setting and new results about the Hamming distance score, a key component for one of the privacy-preserving methods.

  9. Scalable privacy-preserving data sharing methodology for genome-wide association studies: an application to iDASH healthcare privacy protection challenge

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    In response to the growing interest in genome-wide association study (GWAS) data privacy, the Integrating Data for Analysis, Anonymization and SHaring (iDASH) center organized the iDASH Healthcare Privacy Protection Challenge, with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of applying privacy-preserving methodologies to human genetic data. This paper is based on a submission to the iDASH Healthcare Privacy Protection Challenge. We apply privacy-preserving methods that are adapted from Uhler et al. 2013 and Yu et al. 2014 to the challenge's data and analyze the data utility after the data are perturbed by the privacy-preserving methods. Major contributions of this paper include new interpretation of the χ2 statistic in a GWAS setting and new results about the Hamming distance score, a key component for one of the privacy-preserving methods. PMID:25521367

  10. Challenges in evaluating cancer as a clinical outcome in postapproval studies of drug safety

    PubMed Central

    Pinheiro, Simone P.; Rivera, Donna R.; Graham, David J.; Freedman, Andrew N.; Major, Jacqueline M.; Penberthy, Lynne; Levenson, Mark; Bradley, Marie C.; Wong, Hui-Lee; Ouellet-Hellstrom, Rita

    2017-01-01

    Pharmaceuticals approved in the United States are largely not known human carcinogens. However, cancer signals associated with pharmaceuticals may be hypothesized or arise after product approval. There are many study designs that can be used to evaluate cancer as an outcome in the postapproval setting. Because prospective systematic collection of cancer outcomes from a large number of individuals may be lengthy, expensive, and challenging, leveraging data from large existing databases are an integral approach. Such studies have the capability to evaluate the clinical experience of a large number of individuals, yet there are unique methodological challenges involved in their use to evaluate cancer outcomes. To discuss methodological challenges and potential solutions, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Cancer Institute convened a two-day public meeting in 2014. This commentary summarizes the most salient issues discussed at the meeting. PMID:27663208

  11. Challenges in evaluating cancer as a clinical outcome in postapproval studies of drug safety.

    PubMed

    Pinheiro, Simone P; Rivera, Donna R; Graham, David J; Freedman, Andrew N; Major, Jacqueline M; Penberthy, Lynne; Levenson, Mark; Bradley, Marie C; Wong, Hui-Lee; Ouellet-Hellstrom, Rita

    2016-11-01

    Pharmaceuticals approved in the United States are largely not known human carcinogens. However, cancer signals associated with pharmaceuticals may be hypothesized or arise after product approval. There are many study designs that can be used to evaluate cancer as an outcome in the postapproval setting. Because prospective systematic collection of cancer outcomes from a large number of individuals may be lengthy, expensive, and challenging, leveraging data from large existing databases are an integral approach. Such studies have the capability to evaluate the clinical experience of a large number of individuals, yet there are unique methodological challenges involved in their use to evaluate cancer outcomes. To discuss methodological challenges and potential solutions, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Cancer Institute convened a two-day public meeting in 2014. This commentary summarizes the most salient issues discussed at the meeting. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Investigating the association between medication adherence and health-related quality of life in COPD: Methodological challenges when using a proxy measure of adherence.

    PubMed

    Boland, Melinde R S; van Boven, Job F M; Kruis, Annemarije L; Chavannes, Niels H; van der Molen, Thys; Goossens, Lucas M A; Rutten-van Mölken, Maureen P M H

    2016-01-01

    The association between non-adherence to medication and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) remains poorly understood. Different ways to deal with methodological challenges to estimate this association have probably contributed to conflicting results. To investigate the association between medication adherence and HRQoL, thereby illustrating methodological challenges that need to be addressed. We used longitudinal patient-level data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial (i.e. RECODE) including three-year data on type and dose of COPD maintenance medication prescribed and HRQoL (Clinical COPD Questionnaire [CCQ], st. George Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ], EuroQol 5-dimensions [EQ-5D]) of 511 patients. A linear mixed model was used to assess the association between adherence and HRQoL using a fixed cut-off of 80% of the proportion of days covered (PDC) to define adherence. Subsequently, we investigated the impact of differences in disease severity; lifestyle; and reversed causality, representing the methodological challenges. Additionally, we investigated the impact of changing the definition of adherence. In unadjusted analyses, and analyses adjusting for demographic characteristics only, SGRQ score was worse in the adherent compared to the non-adherent group. This association disappeared when correcting for disease severity and/or lifestyle. A better SGRQ score was predictive of decreased adherence in the following year. However, accounting for the previous HRQoL did not result in positive associations between adherence and HRQoL. When defining four categories of adherence, patients with a PDC between 80 and 99% had a significantly worse SGRQ score compared to patients with a PDC <60%, even after correction for lifestyle. There was no significant association between adherence and CCQ or EQ-5D. This study showed persistent methodological challenges in the investigation of the effect of medication adherence on HRQoL in COPD. A positive association of adherence and HRQoL was not found, even after adjusting for lifestyle, disease severity, and previous HRQoL. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Culturally appropriate methodology in obtaining a representative sample of South Australian Aboriginal adults for a cross-sectional population health study: challenges and resolutions.

    PubMed

    Marin, Tania; Taylor, Anne Winifred; Grande, Eleonora Dal; Avery, Jodie; Tucker, Graeme; Morey, Kim

    2015-05-19

    The considerably lower average life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, compared with non-Aboriginal and non-Torres Strait Islander Australians, has been widely reported. Prevalence data for chronic disease and health risk factors are needed to provide evidence based estimates for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders population health planning. Representative surveys for these populations are difficult due to complex methodology. The focus of this paper is to describe in detail the methodological challenges and resolutions of a representative South Australian Aboriginal population-based health survey. Using a stratified multi-stage sampling methodology based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census with culturally appropriate and epidemiological rigorous methods, 11,428 randomly selected dwellings were approached from a total of 209 census collection districts. All persons eligible for the survey identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and were selected from dwellings identified as having one or more Aboriginal person(s) living there at the time of the survey. Overall, the 399 interviews from an eligible sample of 691 SA Aboriginal adults yielded a response rate of 57.7%. These face-to-face interviews were conducted by ten interviewers retained from a total of 27 trained Aboriginal interviewers. Challenges were found in three main areas: identification and recruitment of participants; interviewer recruitment and retainment; and using appropriate engagement with communities. These challenges were resolved, or at least mainly overcome, by following local protocols with communities and their representatives, and reaching agreement on the process of research for Aboriginal people. Obtaining a representative sample of Aboriginal participants in a culturally appropriate way was methodologically challenging and required high levels of commitment and resources. Adhering to these principles has resulted in a rich and unique data set that provides an overview of the self-reported health status for Aboriginal people living in South Australia. This process provides some important principles to be followed when engaging with Aboriginal people and their communities for the purpose of health research.

  14. Quality and methodological challenges in Internet-based mental health trials.

    PubMed

    Ye, Xibiao; Bapuji, Sunita Bayyavarapu; Winters, Shannon; Metge, Colleen; Raynard, Mellissa

    2014-08-01

    To review the quality of Internet-based mental health intervention studies and their methodological challenges. We searched multiple literature databases to identify relevant studies according to the Population, Interventions, Comparators, Outcomes, and Study Design framework. Two reviewers independently assessed selection bias, allocation bias, confounding bias, blinding, data collection methods, and withdrawals/dropouts, using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. We rated each component as strong, moderate, or weak and assigned a global rating (strong, moderate, or weak) to each study. We discussed methodological issues related to the study quality. Of 122 studies included, 31 (25%), 44 (36%), and 47 (39%) were rated strong, moderate, and weak, respectively. Only five studies were rated strong for all of the six quality components (three of them were published by the same group). Lack of blinding, selection bias, and low adherence were the top three challenges in Internet-based mental health intervention studies. The overall quality of Internet-based mental health intervention needs to improve. In particular, studies need to improve sample selection, intervention allocation, and blinding.

  15. Origin of the "waterfall" effect in phonon dispersion of relaxor perovskites.

    PubMed

    Hlinka, J; Kamba, S; Petzelt, J; Kulda, J; Randall, C A; Zhang, S J

    2003-09-05

    We have undertaken an inelastic neutron scattering study of the perovskite relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Zn(1/3)Nb(2/3))O3 with 8% PbTiO3 (PZN-8%PT) in order to elucidate the origin of the previously reported unusual kink on the low frequency transverse phonon dispersion curve (known as the "waterfall effect"). We show that its position (q(wf)) depends on the choice of the Brillouin zone and that the relation of q(wf) to the size of the polar nanoregions is highly improbable. The waterfall phenomenon is explained in the framework of a simple model of coupled damped harmonic oscillators representing the acoustic and optic phonon branches.

  16. The charming physician (El médico encantador): neurological conditions in a short story by Silvina Ocampo.

    PubMed

    Delgado-García, Guillermo; Rodríguez-Návarez, Carolina; Estañol, Bruno

    2017-11-01

    The Argentinian author Silvina Ocampo (1903-1993) left us a vast body of works which are considered outstanding in many ways. In 1960, she published a short story, entitled "El médico encantador" (The Charming Physician), in the renowned literary magazine Sur. The central character of this piece is a family doctor named Albino Morgan, who had a secret truth: in any house he visited, all variety of disease also entered. He brought with him the viruses he disseminated. The narrator of this short story-one of his patients-describes four of Morgan's diseases. These imaginary neurological conditions allowed Ocampo to explore improbable situations in everyday life.

  17. Toward a Framework for Comparative HRD Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Greg G.; Sun, Judy Y.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: This paper seeks to address the recent challenges in the international human resource development (HRD) research and the related methodological strategy. Design/methodology/approach: This inquiry is based on a survey of literatures and integrates various comparative research strategies adopted in other major social science disciplines.…

  18. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN HUMAN EXPOSURE STUDIES OF LOW LEVEL SOLVENT MIXTURES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The design of appropriate studies to assess the sensory irritant and neurobehavioral-effects of exposure to complex VOC mixtures poses a variety of methodological challenges, particularly at the low levels found in new buildings. or instance, Otto et al (1989) exposed subjects to...

  19. Educational Policymaking and the Methodology of Positive Economics: A Theoretical Critique

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilead, Tal

    2014-01-01

    By critically interrogating the methodological foundations of orthodox economic theory, Tal Gilead challenges the growing conviction in educational policymaking quarters that, being more scientific than other forms of educational investigation, inquiries grounded in orthodox economics should provide the basis for educational policymaking. He…

  20. Structural Equation Modeling of School Violence Data: Methodological Considerations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mayer, Matthew J.

    2004-01-01

    Methodological challenges associated with structural equation modeling (SEM) and structured means modeling (SMM) in research on school violence and related topics in the social and behavioral sciences are examined. Problems associated with multiyear implementations of large-scale surveys are discussed. Complex sample designs, part of any…

  1. Performance evaluation in full-mission simulation - Methodological advances and research challenges. [in air transport operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chidester, Thomas R.; Kanki, Barbara G.; Helmreich, Robert L.

    1989-01-01

    The crew-factors research program at NASA Ames has developed a methodology for studying the impact of a variety of variables on the effectiveness of crews flying realistic but high workload simulated trips. The validity of investigations using the methodology is enhanced by careful design of full-mission scenarios, performance assessment using converging sources of data, and recruitment of representative subjects. Recently, portions of this methodology have been adapted for use in assessing the effectiveness of crew coordination among participants in line-oriented flight training.

  2. Getting People Involved: The Benefit of Intellectual Capital Management for Addressing HR Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pook, Katja

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to explore the benefits of intellectual capital assessment for facing current challenges of human resources work and organizational development. Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes findings of studies on challenges in HR work and maps them with features of intellectual capital assessment methods. It is thus a…

  3. Challenges in the estimation of Net SURvival: The CENSUR working survival group.

    PubMed

    Giorgi, R

    2016-10-01

    Net survival, the survival probability that would be observed, in a hypothetical world, where the cancer of interest would be the only possible cause of death, is a key indicator in population-based cancer studies. Accounting for mortality due to other causes, it allows cross-country comparisons or trends analysis and provides a useful indicator for public health decision-making. The objective of this study was to show how the creation and formalization of a network comprising established research teams, which already had substantial and complementary experience in both cancer survival analysis and methodological development, make it possible to meet challenges and thus provide more adequate tools, to improve the quality and the comparability of cancer survival data, and to promote methodological transfers in areas of emerging interest. The Challenges in the Estimation of Net SURvival (CENSUR) working survival group is composed of international researchers highly skilled in biostatistics, methodology, and epidemiology, from different research organizations in France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Slovenia, and Canada, and involved in French (FRANCIM) and European (EUROCARE) cancer registry networks. The expected advantages are an interdisciplinary, international, synergistic network capable of addressing problems in public health, for decision-makers at different levels; tools for those in charge of net survival analyses; a common methodology that makes unbiased cross-national comparisons of cancer survival feasible; transfer of methods for net survival estimations to other specific applications (clinical research, occupational epidemiology); and dissemination of results during an international training course. The formalization of the international CENSUR working survival group was motivated by a need felt by scientists conducting population-based cancer research to discuss, develop, and monitor implementation of a common methodology to analyze net survival in order to provide useful information for cancer control and cancer policy. A "team science" approach is necessary to address new challenges concerning the estimation of net survival. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. Language barriers and qualitative nursing research: methodological considerations.

    PubMed

    Squires, A

    2008-09-01

    This review of the literature synthesizes methodological recommendations for the use of translators and interpreters in cross-language qualitative research. Cross-language qualitative research involves the use of interpreters and translators to mediate a language barrier between researchers and participants. Qualitative nurse researchers successfully address language barriers between themselves and their participants when they systematically plan for how they will use interpreters and translators throughout the research process. Experienced qualitative researchers recognize that translators can generate qualitative data through translation processes and by participating in data analysis. Failure to address language barriers and the methodological challenges they present threatens the credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability of cross-language qualitative nursing research. Through a synthesis of the cross-language qualitative methods literature, this article reviews the basics of language competence, translator and interpreter qualifications, and roles for each kind of qualitative research approach. Methodological and ethical considerations are also provided. By systematically addressing the methodological challenges cross-language research presents, nurse researchers can produce better evidence for nursing practice and policy making when working across different language groups. Findings from qualitative studies will also accurately represent the experiences of the participants without concern that the meaning was lost in translation.

  5. Language barriers and qualitative nursing research: methodological considerations

    PubMed Central

    Squires, A.

    2009-01-01

    Aim This review of the literature synthesizes methodological recommendations for the use of translators and interpreters in cross-language qualitative research. Background Cross-language qualitative research involves the use of interpreters and translators to mediate a language barrier between researchers and participants. Qualitative nurse researchers successfully address language barriers between themselves and their participants when they systematically plan for how they will use interpreters and translators throughout the research process. Experienced qualitative researchers recognize that translators can generate qualitative data through translation processes and by participating in data analysis. Failure to address language barriers and the methodological challenges they present threatens the credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability of cross-language qualitative nursing research. Through a synthesis of the cross-language qualitative methods literature, this article reviews the basics of language competence, translator and interpreter qualifications, and roles for each kind of qualitative research approach. Methodological and ethical considerations are also provided. Conclusion By systematically addressing the methodological challenges cross-language research presents, nurse researchers can produce better evidence for nursing practice and policy making when working across different language groups. Findings from qualitative studies will also accurately represent the experiences of the participants without concern that the meaning was lost in translation. PMID:19522941

  6. Issues surrounding the health economic evaluation of genomic technologies

    PubMed Central

    Buchanan, James; Wordsworth, Sarah; Schuh, Anna

    2014-01-01

    Aim Genomic interventions could enable improved disease stratification and individually tailored therapies. However, they have had a limited impact on clinical practice to date due to a lack of evidence, particularly economic evidence. This is partly because health economists are yet to reach consensus on whether existing methods are sufficient to evaluate genomic technologies. As different approaches may produce conflicting adoption decisions, clarification is urgently required. This article summarizes the methodological issues associated with conducting economic evaluations of genomic interventions. Materials & methods A structured literature review was conducted to identify references that considered the methodological challenges faced when conducting economic evaluations of genomic interventions. Results Methodological challenges related to the analytical approach included the choice of comparator, perspective and timeframe. Challenges in costing centered around the need to collect a broad range of costs, frequently, in a data-limited environment. Measuring outcomes is problematic as standard measures have limited applicability, however, alternative metrics (e.g., personal utility) are underdeveloped and alternative approaches (e.g., cost–benefit analysis) underused. Effectiveness data quality is weak and challenging to incorporate into standard economic analyses, while little is known about patient and clinician behavior in this context. Comprehensive value of information analyses are likely to be helpful. Conclusion Economic evaluations of genomic technologies present a particular challenge for health economists. New methods may be required to resolve these issues, but the evidence to justify alternative approaches is yet to be produced. This should be the focus of future work in this field. PMID:24236483

  7. Methodological challenges in qualitative content analysis: A discussion paper.

    PubMed

    Graneheim, Ulla H; Lindgren, Britt-Marie; Lundman, Berit

    2017-09-01

    This discussion paper is aimed to map content analysis in the qualitative paradigm and explore common methodological challenges. We discuss phenomenological descriptions of manifest content and hermeneutical interpretations of latent content. We demonstrate inductive, deductive, and abductive approaches to qualitative content analysis, and elaborate on the level of abstraction and degree of interpretation used in constructing categories, descriptive themes, and themes of meaning. With increased abstraction and interpretation comes an increased challenge to demonstrate the credibility and authenticity of the analysis. A key issue is to show the logic in how categories and themes are abstracted, interpreted, and connected to the aim and to each other. Qualitative content analysis is an autonomous method and can be used at varying levels of abstraction and interpretation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Commentary: An Asian Americanist Perspective on Child Development.

    PubMed

    Lee, Richard M; Y J Kim, Adam; Zhou, Xiang

    2016-07-01

    In this commentary, we put forth an Asian Americanist perspective on child development that frames, expands upon, and at times challenges the contextual, conceptual, and methodological ideas put forward by Kiang et al., Mistry et al., and Yoshikawa et al. (this volume). This Asian Americanist perspective draws upon scholarship in Asian American Studies and critical race theory to bridge the historical, conceptual, and methodological contributions of the three articles. We also aim to challenge current and future generations of scholars studying Asian American child development to look at Asian American youth and families as autonomous, self-determining agents who are capable of challenging, resisting, and affecting change in a racialized society. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  9. Studying depression using imaging and machine learning methods.

    PubMed

    Patel, Meenal J; Khalaf, Alexander; Aizenstein, Howard J

    2016-01-01

    Depression is a complex clinical entity that can pose challenges for clinicians regarding both accurate diagnosis and effective timely treatment. These challenges have prompted the development of multiple machine learning methods to help improve the management of this disease. These methods utilize anatomical and physiological data acquired from neuroimaging to create models that can identify depressed patients vs. non-depressed patients and predict treatment outcomes. This article (1) presents a background on depression, imaging, and machine learning methodologies; (2) reviews methodologies of past studies that have used imaging and machine learning to study depression; and (3) suggests directions for future depression-related studies.

  10. Methodologies for Verification and Validation of Space Launch System (SLS) Structural Dynamic Models: Appendices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Coppolino, Robert N.

    2018-01-01

    Verification and validation (V&V) is a highly challenging undertaking for SLS structural dynamics models due to the magnitude and complexity of SLS subassemblies and subassemblies. Responses to challenges associated with V&V of Space Launch System (SLS) structural dynamics models are presented in Volume I of this paper. Four methodologies addressing specific requirements for V&V are discussed. (1) Residual Mode Augmentation (RMA). (2) Modified Guyan Reduction (MGR) and Harmonic Reduction (HR, introduced in 1976). (3) Mode Consolidation (MC). Finally, (4) Experimental Mode Verification (EMV). This document contains the appendices to Volume I.

  11. How bootstrap can help in forecasting time series with more than one seasonal pattern

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cordeiro, Clara; Neves, M. Manuela

    2012-09-01

    The search for the future is an appealing challenge in time series analysis. The diversity of forecasting methodologies is inevitable and is still in expansion. Exponential smoothing methods are the launch platform for modelling and forecasting in time series analysis. Recently this methodology has been combined with bootstrapping revealing a good performance. The algorithm (Boot. EXPOS) using exponential smoothing and bootstrap methodologies, has showed promising results for forecasting time series with one seasonal pattern. In case of more than one seasonal pattern, the double seasonal Holt-Winters methods and the exponential smoothing methods were developed. A new challenge was now to combine these seasonal methods with bootstrap and carry over a similar resampling scheme used in Boot. EXPOS procedure. The performance of such partnership will be illustrated for some well-know data sets existing in software.

  12. Methodological Challenges in Physical Activity Research with Older Adults

    PubMed Central

    Chase, Jo-Ana D.

    2015-01-01

    The aging adult population is growing, as well as the incidence of chronic illness among older adults. Physical activity has been demonstrated in the literature to be a beneficial component of self-management for chronic illnesses commonly found in the older adult population. Health sciences research seeks to develop new knowledge, practices, and policies that may benefit older adults’ management of chronic illness and quality of life. However, research with the older adult population, though beneficial, includes potential methodological challenges specific to this age group. This article discusses common methodological issues in research among older adults, with a focus on physical activity intervention studies. Awareness and understanding of these issues may facilitate future development of research studies devoted to the aging adult population, through appropriate modification and tailoring of sampling techniques, intervention development, and data measures and collection. PMID:21821726

  13. Toward a Hermeneutical Theory of International Human Rights Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Daraweesh, Fuad; Snauwaert, Dale T.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this essay is to articulate and defend the epistemological foundations of international human rights education from the perspective of a hermeneutical interpretive methodology. Fuad Al-Daraweesh and Dale Snauwaert argue here that this methodology potentially alleviates the challenges that face the cross-cultural implementation of…

  14. Using Counter-Stories to Challenge Stock Stories about Traveller Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    D'Arcy, Kate

    2017-01-01

    Critical Race Theory (CRT) is formed from a series of different methodological tools to expose and address racism and discrimination. Counter-stories are one of these tools. This article considers the potential of counter-stories as a methodological, theoretical and practical tool to analyse existing educational inequalities for Traveller…

  15. Single-Case Experimental Designs: A Systematic Review of Published Research and Current Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Justin D.

    2012-01-01

    This article systematically reviews the research design and methodological characteristics of single-case experimental design (SCED) research published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2010. SCEDs provide researchers with a flexible and viable alternative to group designs with large sample sizes. However, methodological challenges have…

  16. Reengineering the Acquisition/Procurement Process: A Methodology for Requirements Collection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Taylor, Randall; Vanek, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    This paper captures the systematic approach taken by JPL's Acquisition Reengineering Project team, the methodology used, challenges faced, and lessons learned. It provides pragmatic "how-to" techniques and tools for collecting requirements and for identifying areas of improvement in an acquisition/procurement process or other core process of interest.

  17. Culturally Competent Social Work Research: Methodological Considerations for Research with Language Minorities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casado, Banghwa Lee; Negi, Nalini Junko; Hong, Michin

    2012-01-01

    Despite the growing number of language minorities, foreign-born individuals with limited English proficiency, this population has been largely left out of social work research, often due to methodological challenges involved in conducting research with this population. Whereas the professional standard calls for cultural competence, a discussion…

  18. Problem-Based Learning: Lessons for Administrators, Educators and Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeo, Roland

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: The paper aims to explore the challenges of problem-based learning (PBL) as an unconventional teaching methodology experienced by a higher learning institute in Singapore. Design/methodology/approach: The exploratory study was conducted using focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Four groups of people were invited to…

  19. 75 FR 81533 - Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted Average Dumping Margin and Assessment Rate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-28

    ... non-dumped comparisons. Several World Trade Organization (``WTO'') dispute settlement reports have... methodologies have been challenged as being inconsistent with the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') General... comparisons in reviews in a manner that parallels the WTO-consistent methodology the Department currently...

  20. Measuring alterations in oscillatory brain networks in schizophrenia with resting-state MEG: State-of-the-art and methodological challenges.

    PubMed

    Alamian, Golnoush; Hincapié, Ana-Sofía; Pascarella, Annalisa; Thiery, Thomas; Combrisson, Etienne; Saive, Anne-Lise; Martel, Véronique; Althukov, Dmitrii; Haesebaert, Frédéric; Jerbi, Karim

    2017-09-01

    Neuroimaging studies provide evidence of disturbed resting-state brain networks in Schizophrenia (SZ). However, untangling the neuronal mechanisms that subserve these baseline alterations requires measurement of their electrophysiological underpinnings. This systematic review specifically investigates the contributions of resting-state Magnetoencephalography (MEG) in elucidating abnormal neural organization in SZ patients. A systematic literature review of resting-state MEG studies in SZ was conducted. This literature is discussed in relation to findings from resting-state fMRI and EEG, as well as to task-based MEG research in SZ population. Importantly, methodological limitations are considered and recommendations to overcome current limitations are proposed. Resting-state MEG literature in SZ points towards altered local and long-range oscillatory network dynamics in various frequency bands. Critical methodological challenges with respect to experiment design, and data collection and analysis need to be taken into consideration. Spontaneous MEG data show that local and global neural organization is altered in SZ patients. MEG is a highly promising tool to fill in knowledge gaps about the neurophysiology of SZ. However, to reach its fullest potential, basic methodological challenges need to be overcome. MEG-based resting-state power and connectivity findings could be great assets to clinical and translational research in psychiatry, and SZ in particular. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Applications of mixed-methods methodology in clinical pharmacy research.

    PubMed

    Hadi, Muhammad Abdul; Closs, S José

    2016-06-01

    Introduction Mixed-methods methodology, as the name suggests refers to mixing of elements of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in a single study. In the past decade, mixed-methods methodology has gained popularity among healthcare researchers as it promises to bring together the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Methodology A number of mixed-methods designs are available in the literature and the four most commonly used designs in healthcare research are: the convergent parallel design, the embedded design, the exploratory design, and the explanatory design. Each has its own unique advantages, challenges and procedures and selection of a particular design should be guided by the research question. Guidance on designing, conducting and reporting mixed-methods research is available in the literature, so it is advisable to adhere to this to ensure methodological rigour. When to use it is best suited when the research questions require: triangulating findings from different methodologies to explain a single phenomenon; clarifying the results of one method using another method; informing the design of one method based on the findings of another method, development of a scale/questionnaire and answering different research questions within a single study. Two case studies have been presented to illustrate possible applications of mixed-methods methodology. Limitations Possessing the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis, interpretation and integration remains the biggest challenge for researchers conducting mixed-methods studies. Sequential study designs are often time consuming, being in two (or more) phases whereas concurrent study designs may require more than one data collector to collect both qualitative and quantitative data at the same time.

  2. Qualitative Approaches to Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy: Issues and Challenges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLeod, John

    1996-01-01

    Discusses key issues which address the distinctive dilemmas and challenges associated with qualitative approaches to evaluating counseling. Investigates such concerns as relationships with research participants, ethics, reflexivity, methodological choice, communicability, perspective, and obviousness. Makes some suggestions regarding the link…

  3. Challenges Faced by Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers Teaching in a Laboratory and Their Solution Proposals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yalcin-Celik, Ayse; Kadayifci, Hakki; Uner, Sinem; Turan-Oluk, Nurcan

    2017-01-01

    This study examines the challenges faced by pre-service chemistry teachers teaching in a laboratory and their proposed solutions to these challenges. The study was conducted in a 13-week-long methodology course. Written statements from participants and observations from researchers were used as data sources. From these data, it was found that the…

  4. Methodological Challenges in Studies Comparing Prehospital Advanced Life Support with Basic Life Support.

    PubMed

    Li, Timmy; Jones, Courtney M C; Shah, Manish N; Cushman, Jeremy T; Jusko, Todd A

    2017-08-01

    Determining the most appropriate level of care for patients in the prehospital setting during medical emergencies is essential. A large body of literature suggests that, compared with Basic Life Support (BLS) care, Advanced Life Support (ALS) care is not associated with increased patient survival or decreased mortality. The purpose of this special report is to synthesize the literature to identify common study design and analytic challenges in research studies that examine the effect of ALS, compared to BLS, on patient outcomes. The challenges discussed in this report include: (1) choice of outcome measure; (2) logistic regression modeling of common outcomes; (3) baseline differences between study groups (confounding); (4) inappropriate statistical adjustment; and (5) inclusion of patients who are no longer at risk for the outcome. These challenges may affect the results of studies, and thus, conclusions of studies regarding the effect of level of prehospital care on patient outcomes should require cautious interpretation. Specific alternatives for avoiding these challenges are presented. Li T , Jones CMC , Shah MN , Cushman JT , Jusko TA . Methodological challenges in studies comparing prehospital Advanced Life Support with Basic Life Support. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):444-450.

  5. A Distant, X-Ray Luminous Cluster of Galaxies at Redshift 0.83

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Donahue, Megan

    1999-01-01

    We have observed the most distant (= 0.829) cluster of galaxies in the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey (EMSS), with the ASCA and ROSAT satellites. We find an X-ray temperature of 12.3(sup 3.1, sub 2.2) keV for this cluster, and the ROSAT map reveals significant substructure. The high temperature of MS1054-0321 is consistent with both its approximate velocity dispersion, based on the redshifts of 12 cluster members we have obtained at the Keck and the Canada-France-Hawaii telescopes, and with its weak lensing signature. The X-ray temperature of this cluster implies a virial mass approximately 7.4 x 10(exp 14) /h solar mass, if the mean matter density in the universe equals the critical value (OMEGA(sub 0) = 1), or larger if OMEGA(sub 0) < 1. Finding such a hot, massive cluster in the EMSS is extremely improbable if clusters grew from Gaussian perturbations in an OMEGA(sub 0) = 1 universe. Combining the assumptions that OMEGA(sub 0) = 1 and that the initial perturbations were Gaussian with the observed X-ray temperature function at low redshift, we show that this probability of this cluster occurring in the volume sampled by the EMSS is less than a few times 10(exp -5). Nor is MS1054-0321 the only hot cluster at high redshift; the only two other z > 0.5 EMSS clusters already observed with ASCA also have temperatures exceeding 8 keV. Assuming again that the initial perturbations were Gaussian and OMEGA(sub 0) = 1, we find that each one is improbable at the < 10(exp -2) level. These observations, along with the fact that these luminosities and temperatures of the high-z clusters all agree with the low-z L(sub x) - T(sub x) relation, argue strongly that OMEGA(sub 0) < 1. Otherwise, the initial perturbations must be non-Gaussian, if these clusters' temperatures do indeed reflect their gravitational potentials.

  6. Review of methodological challenges in comparing the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus primary debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer in the United States.

    PubMed

    Cole, Ashley L; Austin, Anna E; Hickson, Ryan P; Dixon, Matthew S; Barber, Emma L

    2018-05-11

    Randomized trials outside the U.S. have found non-inferior survival for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) versus primary debulking surgery (PDS) for advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). However, these trials reported lower overall survival and lower rates of optimal debulking than U.S. studies, leading to questions about generalizability to U.S. practice, where aggressive debulking is more common. Consequently, comparative effectiveness in the U.S. remains controversial. We reviewed U.S. comparative effectiveness studies of NACT versus PDS for AOC. Here we describe methodological challenges, compare results to trials outside the U.S., and make suggestions for future research. We identified U.S. studies published in 2010 or later that evaluated the comparative effectiveness of NACT versus PDS on survival in AOC through a PubMed search. Two independent reviewers abstracted data from eligible articles. Nine of 230 articles were eligible for review. Methodological challenges included unmeasured confounders, heterogeneous treatment effects, treatment variations over time, and inconsistent measurement of treatment and survival. Whereas some limitations were unavoidable, several limitations noted across studies were avoidable, including conditioning on mediating factors and immortal time introduced by measuring survival beginning from diagnosis. Without trials in the U.S., non-randomized studies are an important source of evidence for the ideal treatment for AOC. However, several methodological challenges exist when assessing the comparative effectiveness of NACT versus PDS in a non-randomized setting. Future observational studies must ensure that treatment is consistent throughout the study period and that treatment groups are comparable. Rapidly-evolving oncology data networks may allow for identification of treatment intent and other important confounders. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Methodological issues in oral health research: intervention studies.

    PubMed

    O'Mullane, Denis; James, Patrice; Whelton, Helen; Parnell, Carmel

    2012-02-01

    To provide a broad overview of methodological issues in the design and evaluation of intervention studies in dental public health, with particular emphasis on explanatory trials, pragmatic trials and complex interventions. We present a narrative summary of selected publications from the literature outlining both historical and recent challenges in the design and evaluation of intervention studies and describe some recent tools that may help researchers to address these challenges. It is now recognised that few intervention studies in dental public health are purely explanatory or pragmatic. We describe the PRECIS tool which can be used by trialists to assess and display the position of their trial on a continuum between the extremes of explanatory and pragmatic trials. The tool aims to help trialists make design decisions that are in line with their stated aims. The increasingly complex nature of dental public health interventions presents particular design and evaluation challenges. The revised Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance for the development and evaluation of complex interventions which emphasises the importance of planning and process evaluation is a welcome development. We briefly describe the MRC guidance and outline some examples of complex interventions in the field of oral health. The role of observational studies in monitoring public health interventions when the conduct of RCTs is not appropriate or feasible is acknowledged. We describe the STROBE statement and outline the implications of the STROBE guidelines for dental public health. The methodological challenges in the design, conduct and reporting of intervention studies in oral health are considerable. The need to provide reliable evidence to support innovative new strategies in oral health policy is a major impetus in these fields. No doubt the 'Methodological Issues in Oral Health Research' group will have further opportunities to highlight this work. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  8. Biophysical impacts of climate-smart agriculture in the Midwest United States

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The potential impacts of climate change in the Midwest United States present unprecedented challenges to regional agriculture. In response to these challenges, a variety of climate-smart agricultural methodologies have been proposed to retain or improve crop yields, reduce agricultural greenhouse ga...

  9. Sustainable Facility Development: Perceived Benefits and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stinnett, Brad; Gibson, Fred

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the perceived benefits and challenges of implementing sustainable initiatives in collegiate recreational sports facilities. Additionally, this paper intends to contribute to the evolving field of facility sustainability in higher education. Design/methodology/approach The design included qualitative…

  10. Researching the Interdisciplinary Curriculum: The Need for "Translation Devices"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pountney, Richard; McPhail, Graham

    2017-01-01

    This paper discusses the conceptual and methodological challenges facing two researchers investigating the development of interdisciplinary curricula in two new secondary schools, one in the UK and one in New Zealand. It is a discussion of research in progress that will be of interest to readers because of both the methodological challenges…

  11. From Model to Methodology: Developing an Interdisciplinary Methodology for Exploring the Learning-Teaching Nexus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knewstubb, Bernadette; Nicholas, Howard

    2017-01-01

    Numerous higher education researchers have studied the ways in which students' or academics' beliefs and conceptions affect their educational experiences and outcomes. However, studying the learning-teaching relationship has proved challenging, requiring researchers to simultaneously address both the invisible internal world(s) of the student and…

  12. ALLOCATING ENVIRONMENTAL BURDENS ACROSS CO-PRODUCTS TO CREATE A LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY: IS THERE A BEST WAY?

    EPA Science Inventory

    Allocation methodology for creating life cycle inventories is frequently addressed, discussed and debated, yet the methodology continues to be in a state of flux. ISO 14041 puts perspective on the issues but its one-size fits all framework is being challenged. It is clear that ...

  13. Design Research with a Focus on Learning Processes: An Overview on Achievements and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prediger, Susanne; Gravemeijer, Koeno; Confrey, Jere

    2015-01-01

    Design research continues to gain prominence as a significant methodology in the mathematics education research community. This overview summarizes the origins and the current state of design research practices focusing on methodological requirements and processes of theorizing. While recognizing the rich variations in the foci and scale of design…

  14. Reflective Pedagogy: The Integration of Methodology and Subject-Matter Content in a Graduate-Level Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jakeman, Rick C.; Henderson, Markesha M.; Howard, Lionel C.

    2017-01-01

    This article presents a critical reflection on how we, instructors of a graduate-level course in higher education administration, sought to integrate theoretical and subject-matter content and research methodology. Our reflection, guided by autoethnography and teacher reflection, challenged both our assumptions about curriculum design and our…

  15. Key Methodological Aspects of Translators' Training in Ukraine and in the USA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skyba, Kateryna

    2015-01-01

    The diversity of international relations in the globalized world has influenced the role of a translator that is becoming more and more important. Translators' training institutions today are to work out and to implement the best teaching methodology taking into consideration the new challenges of modern multinational and multicultural society.…

  16. Harnessing the Power of Education Research Databases with the Pearl-Harvesting Methodological Framework for Information Retrieval

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandieson, Robert W.; Kirkpatrick, Lori C.; Sandieson, Rachel M.; Zimmerman, Walter

    2010-01-01

    Digital technologies enable the storage of vast amounts of information, accessible with remarkable ease. However, along with this facility comes the challenge to find pertinent information from the volumes of nonrelevant information. The present article describes the pearl-harvesting methodological framework for information retrieval. Pearl…

  17. Training Emotional and Social Competences in Higher Education: The Seminar Methodology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oberst, Ursula; Gallifa, Josep; Farriols, Nuria; Vilaregut, Anna

    2009-01-01

    This article discusses the importance of emotional and social competences in higher education and presents a training model. In 1991, Ramon Llull University of Barcelona (Spain) created the Seminar methodology to tackle these challenges. A general model derived from the Emotional Intelligence concept and the general principles of this methodology…

  18. Journeys into Inner/Outer Space: Reflections on the Methodological Challenges of Negotiating Insider/Outsider Status in International Educational Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savvides, Nicola; Al-Youssef, Joanna; Colin, Mindy; Garrido, Cecilia

    2014-01-01

    This article highlights key theoretical and methodological issues and implications of being an insider/outsider when undertaking qualitative research in international educational settings. It first addresses discourses of "self" and "other," noting that identity and belonging emerge from fluid engagement between researchers and…

  19. Methodological Issues and Practical Strategies in Research on Child Maltreatment Victims' Abilities and Experiences as Witnesses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chae, Yoojin; Goodman, Gail S.; Bederian-Gardner, Daniel; Lindsay, Adam

    2011-01-01

    Scientific studies of child maltreatment victims' memory abilities and court experiences have important legal, psychological, and clinical implications. However, state-of-the-art research on child witnesses is often hindered by methodological challenges. In this paper, we address specific problems investigators may encounter when attempting such…

  20. "Charlie: Please Respond!" Using a Participatory Methodology with Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacLeod, Andrea Georgia; Lewis, Ann; Robertson, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    This paper explores a participatory research approach used with 10 higher education students on the autism spectrum (mainly diagnosed with Asperger syndrome). The methodology sought to overcome barriers to participation. Participants' views were sought on the benefits and challenges related to their participation. Most participants opted for…

  1. Methodologies for Effective Writing Instruction in EFL and ESL Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Mahrooqi, Rahma, Ed.; Thakur, Vijay Singh; Roscoe, Adrian

    2015-01-01

    Educators continue to strive for advanced teaching methods to bridge the gap between native and non-native English speaking students. Lessons on written forms of communication continue to be a challenge recognized by educators who wish to improve student comprehension and overall ability to write clearly and expressively. "Methodologies for…

  2. Appraising the Ethos of Experiential Narratives: Key Aspects of a Methodological Challenge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conle, Carola; deBeyer, Michael

    2009-01-01

    In this essay, Carola Conle and Michael deBeyer describe their efforts to find a conceptual approach and methodology for the appraisal of the ethos of experiential narratives presented in a particular curriculum context. The language of "implied authorship," "the patterning of desire," and "friendships offered and received," first introduced by…

  3. An E-Assessment Approach for Evaluation in Engineering Overcrowded Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mora, M. C.; Sancho-Bru, J. L.; Iserte, J. L.; Sanchez, F. T.

    2012-01-01

    The construction of the European Higher Education Area has been an adaptation challenge for Spanish universities. New methodologies require a more active role on the students' part and come into conflict with the previous educational model characterised by a high student/professor ratio, a lecture-based teaching methodology and a summative…

  4. From the Analysis of Work-Processes to Designing Competence-Based Occupational Standards and Vocational Curricula

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tutlys, Vidmantas; Spöttl, Georg

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to explore methodological and institutional challenges on application of the work-process analysis approach in the design and development of competence-based occupational standards for Lithuania. Design/methodology/approach: The theoretical analysis is based on the review of scientific literature and the analysis of…

  5. Speaking Back to the Deficit Discourses: A Theoretical and Methodological Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogarth, Melitta

    2017-01-01

    The educational attainment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students is often presented within a deficit view. The need for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers to challenge the societal norms is necessary to contribute to the struggle for self-determination. This paper presents a theoretical and methodological approach that…

  6. Practicing the Four Seasons of Ethnography Methodology while Searching for Identity in Mexico

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pitts, Margaret Jane

    2012-01-01

    This narrative is an account of my field experiences and challenges practicing Gonzalez's (2000) Four Seasons of Ethnography methodology in Mexico City. I describe the complexities and tensions inherent in managing two scientific paradigms: Western scientific logic vs. a more organic ontology. The experiential knowledge produced in this text is…

  7. Exploring Emotion in the Higher Education Workplace: Capturing Contrasting Perspectives Using Q Methodology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woods, Charlotte

    2012-01-01

    This article presents an original application of Q methodology in investigating the challenging arena of emotion in the Higher Education (HE) workplace. Q's strength lies in capturing holistic, subjective accounts of complex and contested phenomena but is unusual in employing a statistical procedure within an interpretivist framework. Here Q is…

  8. Methodology for astronaut reconditioning research.

    PubMed

    Beard, David J; Cook, Jonathan A

    2017-01-01

    Space medicine offers some unique challenges, especially in terms of research methodology. A specific challenge for astronaut reconditioning involves identification of what aspects of terrestrial research methodology hold and which require modification. This paper reviews this area and presents appropriate solutions where possible. It is concluded that spaceflight rehabilitation research should remain question/problem driven and is broadly similar to the terrestrial equivalent on small populations, such as rare diseases and various sports. Astronauts and Medical Operations personnel should be involved at all levels to ensure feasibility of research protocols. There is room for creative and hybrid methodology but careful systematic observation is likely to be more achievable and fruitful than complex trial based comparisons. Multi-space agency collaboration will be critical to pool data from small groups of astronauts with the accepted use of standardised outcome measures across all agencies. Systematic reviews will be an essential component. Most limitations relate to the inherent small sample size available for human spaceflight research. Early adoption of a co-operative model for spaceflight rehabilitation research is therefore advised. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Opportunities and methodological challenges in EEG and MEG resting state functional brain network research.

    PubMed

    van Diessen, E; Numan, T; van Dellen, E; van der Kooi, A W; Boersma, M; Hofman, D; van Lutterveld, R; van Dijk, B W; van Straaten, E C W; Hillebrand, A; Stam, C J

    2015-08-01

    Electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalogram (MEG) recordings during resting state are increasingly used to study functional connectivity and network topology. Moreover, the number of different analysis approaches is expanding along with the rising interest in this research area. The comparison between studies can therefore be challenging and discussion is needed to underscore methodological opportunities and pitfalls in functional connectivity and network studies. In this overview we discuss methodological considerations throughout the analysis pipeline of recording and analyzing resting state EEG and MEG data, with a focus on functional connectivity and network analysis. We summarize current common practices with their advantages and disadvantages; provide practical tips, and suggestions for future research. Finally, we discuss how methodological choices in resting state research can affect the construction of functional networks. When taking advantage of current best practices and avoid the most obvious pitfalls, functional connectivity and network studies can be improved and enable a more accurate interpretation and comparison between studies. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Design strategies from sexual exploitation and sex work studies among women and girls: Methodological considerations in a hidden and vulnerable population.

    PubMed

    Gerassi, Lara; Edmond, Tonya; Nichols, Andrea

    2017-06-01

    The study of sex trafficking, prostitution, sex work, and sexual exploitation is associated with many methodological issues and challenges. Researchers' study designs must consider the many safety issues related to this vulnerable and hidden population. Community advisory boards and key stakeholder involvement are essential to study design to increase safety of participants, usefulness of study aims, and meaningfulness of conclusions. Nonrandomized sampling strategies are most often utilized when studying exploited women and girls, which have the capacity to provide rich data and require complex sampling and recruitment methods. This article reviews the current methodological issues when studying this marginalized population as well as strategies to address challenges while working with the community in order to bring about social change. The authors also discuss their own experiences in collaborating with community organizations to conduct research in this field.

  11. Design strategies from sexual exploitation and sex work studies among women and girls: Methodological considerations in a hidden and vulnerable population

    PubMed Central

    Gerassi, Lara; Edmond, Tonya; Nichols, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    The study of sex trafficking, prostitution, sex work, and sexual exploitation is associated with many methodological issues and challenges. Researchers’ study designs must consider the many safety issues related to this vulnerable and hidden population. Community advisory boards and key stakeholder involvement are essential to study design to increase safety of participants, usefulness of study aims, and meaningfulness of conclusions. Nonrandomized sampling strategies are most often utilized when studying exploited women and girls, which have the capacity to provide rich data and require complex sampling and recruitment methods. This article reviews the current methodological issues when studying this marginalized population as well as strategies to address challenges while working with the community in order to bring about social change. The authors also discuss their own experiences in collaborating with community organizations to conduct research in this field. PMID:28824337

  12. The development of capability measures in health economics: opportunities, challenges and progress.

    PubMed

    Coast, Joanna; Kinghorn, Philip; Mitchell, Paul

    2015-04-01

    Recent years have seen increased engagement amongst health economists with the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen and others. This paper focuses on the capability approach in relation to the evaluative space used for analysis within health economics. It considers the opportunities that the capability approach offers in extending this space, but also the methodological challenges associated with moving from the theoretical concepts to practical empirical applications. The paper then examines three 'families' of measures, Oxford Capability instruments (OxCap), Adult Social Care Outcome Toolkit (ASCOT) and ICEpop CAPability (ICECAP), in terms of the methodological choices made in each case. The paper concludes by discussing some of the broader issues involved in making use of the capability approach in health economics. It also suggests that continued exploration of the impact of different methodological choices will be important in moving forward.

  13. Possible Improvements of the ACE Diversity Interchange Methodology

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

    Etingov, Pavel V.; Zhou, Ning; Makarov, Yuri V.

    2010-07-26

    North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) grid is operated by about 131 balancing authorities (BA). Within each BA, operators are responsible for managing the unbalance (caused by both load and wind). As wind penetration levels increase, the challenges of managing power variation increases. Working independently, balancing area with limited regulating/load following generation and high wind power penetration faces significant challenges. The benefits of BA cooperation and consolidation increase when there is a significant wind energy penetration. To explore the benefits of BA cooperation, this paper investigates ACE sharing approach. A technology called ACE diversity interchange (ADI) is already in usemore » in the western interconnection. A new methodology extending ADI is proposed in the paper. The proposed advanced ADI overcoming some limitations existing in conventional ADI. Simulations using real statistical data of CAISO and BPA have shown high performance of the proposed advanced ADI methodology.« less

  14. Methodological challenges collecting parent phone-call healthcare utilization data.

    PubMed

    Moreau, Paula; Crawford, Sybil; Sullivan-Bolyai, Susan

    2016-02-01

    Recommendations by the National Institute of Nursing Research and other groups have strongly encouraged nurses to pay greater attention to cost-effectiveness analysis when conducting research. Given the increasing prominence of translational science and comparative effective research, cost-effective analysis has become a basic tool in determining intervention value in research. Tracking phone-call communication (number of calls and context) with cross-checks between parents and healthcare providers is an example of this type of healthcare utilization data collection. This article identifies some methodological challenges that have emerged in the process of collecting this type of data in a randomized controlled trial: Parent education Through Simulation-Diabetes (PETS-D). We also describe ways in which those challenges have been addressed with comparison data results, and make recommendations for future research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Experiences of Structured Elicitation for Model-Based Cost-Effectiveness Analyses.

    PubMed

    Soares, Marta O; Sharples, Linda; Morton, Alec; Claxton, Karl; Bojke, Laura

    2018-06-01

    Empirical evidence supporting the cost-effectiveness estimates of particular health care technologies may be limited, or it may even be missing entirely. In these situations, additional information, often in the form of expert judgments, is needed to reach a decision. There are formal methods to quantify experts' beliefs, termed as structured expert elicitation (SEE), but only limited research is available in support of methodological choices. Perhaps as a consequence, the use of SEE in the context of cost-effectiveness modelling is limited. This article reviews applications of SEE in cost-effectiveness modelling with the aim of summarizing the basis for methodological choices made in each application and recording the difficulties and challenges reported by the authors in the design, conduct, and analyses. The methods used in each application were extracted along with the criteria used to support methodological and practical choices and any issues or challenges discussed in the text. Issues and challenges were extracted using an open field, and then categorised and grouped for reporting. The review demonstrates considerable heterogeneity in methods used, and authors acknowledge great methodological uncertainty in justifying their choices. Specificities of the context area emerging as potentially important in determining further methodological research in elicitation are between- expert variation and its interpretation, the fact that substantive experts in the area may not be trained in quantitative subjects, that judgments are often needed on various parameter types, the need for some form of assessment of validity, and the need for more integration with behavioural research to devise relevant debiasing strategies. This review of experiences of SEE highlights a number of specificities/constraints that can shape the development of guidance and target future research efforts in this area. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Inernational research in health care management: its need in the 21st century, methodological challenges, ethical issues, pitfalls, and practicalities.

    PubMed

    Buttigieg, Sandra C; Rathert, Cheryl; D'Aunno, Thomas A; Savage, Grant T

    2015-01-01

    This commentary argues in favor of international research in the 21st century. Advances in technology, science, communication, transport, and infrastructure have transformed the world into a global village. Industries have increasingly adopted globalization strategies. Likewise, the health sector is more internationalized whereby comparisons between diverse health systems, international best practices, international benchmarking, cross-border health care, and cross-cultural issues have become important subjects in the health care literature. The focus has now turned to international, collaborative, cross-national, and cross-cultural research, which is by far more demanding than domestic studies. In this commentary, we explore the methodological challenges, ethical issues, pitfalls, and practicalities within international research and offer possible solutions to address them. The commentary synthesizes contributions from four scholars in the field of health care management, who came together during the annual meeting of the Academy of Management to discuss with members of the Health Care Management Division the challenges of international research. International research is worth pursuing; however, it calls for scholarly attention to key methodological and ethical issues for its success. This commentary addresses salient issues pertaining to international research in one comprehensive account.

  17. Common methodologies in the evaluation of food allergy: pitfalls and prospects of food allergy prevalence studies.

    PubMed

    Shu, Shang-an; Chang, Christopher; Leung, Patrick S C

    2014-06-01

    Global and regional studies on the prevalence of food allergies are plagued by inconsistent methodologies, variations in interpretation of results, and non-standardized study design. Hence, it becomes difficult to compare the prevalence of food allergies in different communities. This information would be useful in providing critical data that will enhance research to elucidate the nature of food allergies, and the role of gene-environment interactions in the sensitization of children and adults to foods. Testing methodologies range from questionnaires to objective in vitro and in vivo testing, to the gold standard, double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC). Although considered the most accurate and reliable method in detecting the prevalence of food allergy, DBPCFC is not always practical in epidemiological studies of food allergy. On the other hand, multiple logistic regression studies have been done to determine predictability of the outcome of food challenges, and it appears that skin prick testing and in vitro-specific serum IgE are the best predictors. Future studies directed towards confirming the validity of these methods as well as developing algorithms to predict the food challenge outcomes are required, as they may someday become accessory tools to complement DBPCFC.

  18. Socio-Hydrology: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges in the Bidirectional Coupling of Human and Water Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scott, C. A.

    2014-12-01

    This presentation reviews conceptual advances in the emerging field of socio-hydrology that focuses on coupled human and water systems. An important current challenge is how to better couple the bidirectional influences between human and water systems, which lead to emergent dynamics. The interactions among (1) the structure and dynamics of systems with (2) human values and norms lead to (3) outcomes, which in turn influence subsequent interactions. Human influences on hydrological systems are relatively well understood, chiefly resulting from developments in the field of water resources. The ecosystem-service concept of cultural value has expanded understanding of decision-making beyond economic rationality criteria. Hydrological impacts on social processes are less well developed conceptually, but this is changing with growing attention to vulnerability, adaptation, and resilience, particularly in the face of climate change. Methodological limitations, especially in characterizing the range of human responses to hydrological events and drivers, still pose challenges to modeling bidirectional human-water influences. Evidence from multiple case studies, synthesized in more broadly generic syndromes, helps surmount these methodological limitations and offers the potential to improve characterization and quantification of socio-hydrological systems.

  19. Conducting a meta-ethnography of qualitative literature: lessons learnt.

    PubMed

    Atkins, Salla; Lewin, Simon; Smith, Helen; Engel, Mark; Fretheim, Atle; Volmink, Jimmy

    2008-04-16

    Qualitative synthesis has become more commonplace in recent years. Meta-ethnography is one of several methods for synthesising qualitative research and is being used increasingly within health care research. However, many aspects of the steps in the process remain ill-defined. We utilized the seven stages of the synthesis process to synthesise qualitative research on adherence to tuberculosis treatment. In this paper we discuss the methodological and practical challenges faced; of particular note are the methods used in our synthesis, the additional steps that we found useful in clarifying the process, and the key methodological challenges encountered in implementing the meta-ethnographic approach. The challenges included shaping an appropriate question for the synthesis; identifying relevant studies; assessing the quality of the studies; and synthesising findings across a very large number of primary studies from different contexts and research traditions. We offer suggestions that may assist in undertaking meta-ethnographies in the future. Meta-ethnography is a useful method for synthesising qualitative research and for developing models that interpret findings across multiple studies. Despite its growing use in health research, further research is needed to address the wide range of methodological and epistemological questions raised by the approach.

  20. Conducting a meta-ethnography of qualitative literature: Lessons learnt

    PubMed Central

    Atkins, Salla; Lewin, Simon; Smith, Helen; Engel, Mark; Fretheim, Atle; Volmink, Jimmy

    2008-01-01

    Background Qualitative synthesis has become more commonplace in recent years. Meta-ethnography is one of several methods for synthesising qualitative research and is being used increasingly within health care research. However, many aspects of the steps in the process remain ill-defined. Discussion We utilized the seven stages of the synthesis process to synthesise qualitative research on adherence to tuberculosis treatment. In this paper we discuss the methodological and practical challenges faced; of particular note are the methods used in our synthesis, the additional steps that we found useful in clarifying the process, and the key methodological challenges encountered in implementing the meta-ethnographic approach. The challenges included shaping an appropriate question for the synthesis; identifying relevant studies; assessing the quality of the studies; and synthesising findings across a very large number of primary studies from different contexts and research traditions. We offer suggestions that may assist in undertaking meta-ethnographies in the future. Summary Meta-ethnography is a useful method for synthesising qualitative research and for developing models that interpret findings across multiple studies. Despite its growing use in health research, further research is needed to address the wide range of methodological and epistemological questions raised by the approach. PMID:18416812

  1. Teaching OOA: Issues and Challenges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sim, Edward

    This paper presents the argument that object oriented analysis (OOA) is rapidly becoming an important systems analysis methodology and that current systems analysis and design courses should present OOA. However, because of the embryonic nature and rapidly changing content of OOA, instructors are faced with special challenges when designing OOA…

  2. The utility of arginine-citrulline stable isotope tracer infusion technique in the assessment of nitric oxide production in MELAS syndrome

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The correspondence titled “Analytical challenges in the assessment of NO synthesis from L-arginine in the MELAS syndrome” suggested challenges that can limit the utility of stable isotope infusion methodology in assessing NO production....

  3. Challenging the Stereotypes of Mexican American Fathers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saracho, Olivia N.; Spodek, Bernard

    2007-01-01

    This critical review presents studies of Mexican American fathers in the United Sates to provide researchers with an understanding of contemporary fatherhood. It describes the myths that cause methodological and conceptual problems in interpreting the results of studies on Mexican American fathers. Several common challenges and limitations in…

  4. Sex Work Research: Methodological and Ethical Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaver, Frances M.

    2005-01-01

    The challenges involved in the design of ethical, nonexploitative research projects with sex workers or any other marginalized population are significant. First, the size and boundaries of the population are unknown, making it extremely difficult to get a representative sample. Second, because membership in hidden populations often involves…

  5. A Single Mutation Unlocks Cascading Exaptations in the Origin of a Potent Pitviper Neurotoxin.

    PubMed

    Whittington, A Carl; Mason, Andrew J; Rokyta, Darin R

    2017-04-01

    Evolutionary innovations and complex phenotypes seemingly require an improbable amount of genetic change to evolve. Rattlesnakes display two dramatically different venom phenotypes. Type I venoms are hemorrhagic with low systemic toxicity and high expression of tissue-destroying snake venom metalloproteinases. Type II venoms are highly neurotoxic and lack snake venom metalloproteinase expression and associated hemorrhagic activity. This dichotomy hinges on Mojave toxin (MTx), a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) based β-neurotoxin expressed in Type II venoms. MTx is comprised of a nontoxic acidic subunit that undergoes extensive proteolytic processing and allosterically regulates activity of a neurotoxic basic subunit. Evolution of the acidic subunit presents an evolutionary challenge because the need for high expression of a nontoxic venom component and the proteolytic machinery required for processing suggests genetic changes of seemingly little immediate benefit to fitness. We showed that MTx evolved through a cascading series of exaptations unlocked by a single nucleotide change. The evolution of one new cleavage site in the acidic subunit unmasked buried cleavage sites already present in ancestral PLA2s, enabling proteolytic processing. Snake venom serine proteases, already present in the venom to disrupt prey hemostasis, possess the requisite specificities for MTx acidic subunit proteolysis. The dimerization interface between MTx subunits evolved by exploiting a latent, but masked, hydrophobic interaction between ancestral PLA2s. The evolution of MTx through exaptation of existing functional and structural features suggests complex phenotypes that depend on evolutionary innovations can arise from minimal genetic change enabled by prior evolution.

  6. Transitioning HIV care and treatment programs in southern Africa to full local management.

    PubMed

    Vermund, Sten H; Sidat, Mohsin; Weil, Lori F; Tique, José A; Moon, Troy D; Ciampa, Philip J

    2012-06-19

    Global AIDS programs such as the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) face a challenging health care management transition. HIV care must evolve from vertically-organized, externally-supported efforts to sustainable, locally controlled components that are integrated into the horizontal primary health care systems of host nations. We compared four southern African nations in AIDS care, financial, literacy, and health worker capacity parameters (2005 to 2009) to contrast in their capacities to absorb the huge HIV care and prevention endeavors that are now managed with international technical and fiscal support. Botswana has a relatively high national income, a small population, and an advanced HIV/AIDS care program; it is well poised to take on management of its HIV/AIDS programs. South Africa has had a slower start, given HIV denialism philosophies of the previous government leadership. Nonetheless, South Africa has the national income, health care management, and health worker capacity to succeed in fully local management. The sheer magnitude of the burden is daunting, however, and South Africa will need continuing fiscal assistance. In contrast, Zambia and Mozambique have comparatively lower per capita incomes, many fewer health care workers per capita, and lower national literacy rates. It is improbable that fully independent management of their HIV programs is feasible on the timetable being contemplated by donors, nor is locally sustainable financing conceivable at present. A tailored nation-by-nation approach is needed for the transition to full local capacitation; donor nation policymakers must ensure that global resources and technical support are not removed prematurely.

  7. Development of 3D pseudo pin-by-pin calculation methodology in ANC

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

    Zhang, B.; Mayhue, L.; Huria, H.

    2012-07-01

    Advanced cores and fuel assembly designs have been developed to improve operational flexibility, economic performance and further enhance safety features of nuclear power plants. The simulation of these new designs, along with strong heterogeneous fuel loading, have brought new challenges to the reactor physics methodologies currently employed in the industrial codes for core analyses. Control rod insertion during normal operation is one operational feature in the AP1000{sup R} plant of Westinghouse next generation Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) design. This design improves its operational flexibility and efficiency but significantly challenges the conventional reactor physics methods, especially in pin power calculations. Themore » mixture loading of fuel assemblies with significant neutron spectrums causes a strong interaction between different fuel assembly types that is not fully captured with the current core design codes. To overcome the weaknesses of the conventional methods, Westinghouse has developed a state-of-the-art 3D Pin-by-Pin Calculation Methodology (P3C) and successfully implemented in the Westinghouse core design code ANC. The new methodology has been qualified and licensed for pin power prediction. The 3D P3C methodology along with its application and validation will be discussed in the paper. (authors)« less

  8. Applying a contemporary grounded theory methodology.

    PubMed

    Licqurish, Sharon; Seibold, Carmel

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to discuss the application of a contemporary grounded theory methodology to a research project exploring the experiences of students studying for a degree in midwifery. Grounded theory is a qualitative research approach developed by Glaser and Strauss in the 1950s but the methodology for this study was modelled on Clarke's (2005) approach and was underpinned by a symbolic interactionist theoretical perspective, post-structuralist theories of Michel Foucault and a constructionist epistemology. The study participants were 19 midwifery students completing their final placement. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and participant observation, and analysed using the grounded theory analysis techniques of coding, constant comparative analysis and theoretical sampling, as well as situational maps. The analysis focused on social action and interaction and the operation of power in the students' environment. The social process in which the students were involved, as well as the actors and discourses that affected the students' competency development, were highlighted. The methodology allowed a thorough exploration of the students' experiences of achieving competency. However, some difficulties were encountered. One of the major issues related to the understanding and application of complex sociological theories that challenged positivist notions of truth and power. Furthermore, the mapping processes were complex. Despite these minor challenges, the authors recommend applying this methodology to other similar research projects.

  9. A review of modern approaches to the hydrodynamic characterisation of polydisperse macromolecular systems in biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Gillis, Richard B; Rowe, Arthur J; Adams, Gary G; Harding, Stephen E

    2014-10-01

    This short review considers the range of modern techniques for the hydrodynamic characterisation of macromolecules - particularly large glycosylated systems used in the food, biopharma and healthcare industries. The range or polydispersity of molecular weights and conformations presents special challenges compared to proteins. The review is aimed, without going into any great theoretical or methodological depth, to help the Industrial Biotechnologist choose the appropriate methodology or combination of methodologies for providing the detail he/she needs for particular applications.

  10. Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Theory and Mesoscopic Anthropic Principle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamenshchik, A. Yu.; Teryaev, O. V.

    2008-10-01

    We suggest to combine the Anthropic Principle with Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Theory. Realizing the multiplicity of worlds it provides an opportunity of explanation of some important events which are assumed to be extremely improbable. The Mesoscopic Anthropic Principle suggested here is aimed to explain appearance of such events which are necessary for emergence of Life and Mind. It is complementary to Cosmological Anthropic Principle explaining the fine tuning of fundamental constants. We briefly discuss various possible applications of Mesoscopic Anthropic Principle including the Solar Eclipses and assembling of complex molecules. Besides, we address the problem of Time's Arrow in the framework of Many-World Interpretation. We suggest the recipe for disentangling of quantities defined by fundamental physical laws and by an anthropic selection.

  11. Impact basins in Southern Daedalia, Mars: Evidence for clustered impactors?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frey, Herbert; Roark, James H.

    1994-01-01

    The distribution of ancient massifs and old cratered terrain in the southern Daedalia region indicate the presence of at least two and probably three impact basins of large size. One of these is located near where Craddock et al. placed their center for the Daedalia Basin, but it has very different ring diameters. These basins have rings exceeding 1000 km diameter and overlap significantly with centers separated by 500 to 600 km at nearly identical latitudes of -26 to -29 deg. The smaller westernmost basin appears slightly better preserved, but there is little evidence for obvious superposition that might imply a temporal sequence. Recognizing the improbability of random impacts producing aligned, nearly contemporaneous features, we suggest these basins may have resulted from clustered impactors.

  12. Using scenarios and personas to enhance the effectiveness of heuristic usability evaluations for older adults and their care team.

    PubMed

    Kneale, Laura; Mikles, Sean; Choi, Yong K; Thompson, Hilaire; Demiris, George

    2017-09-01

    Using heuristics to evaluate user experience is a common methodology for human-computer interaction studies. One challenge of this method is the inability to tailor results towards specific end-user needs. This manuscript reports on a method that uses validated scenarios and personas of older adults and care team members to enhance heuristics evaluations of the usability of commercially available personal health records for homebound older adults. Our work extends the Chisnell and Redish heuristic evaluation methodology by using a protocol that relies on multiple expert reviews of each system. It further standardizes the heuristic evaluation process through the incorporation of task-based scenarios. We were able to use the modified version of the Chisnell and Redish heuristic evaluation methodology to identify potential usability challenges of two commercially available personal health record systems. This allowed us to: (1) identify potential usability challenges for specific types of users, (2) describe improvements that would be valuable to all end-users of the system, and (3) better understand how the interactions of different users may vary within a single personal health record. The methodology described in this paper may help designers of consumer health information technology tools, such as personal health records, understand the needs of diverse end-user populations. Such methods may be particularly helpful when designing systems for populations that are difficult to recruit for end-user evaluations through traditional methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Trend analyses in the health behaviour in school-aged children study: methodological considerations and recommendations.

    PubMed

    Schnohr, Christina W; Molcho, Michal; Rasmussen, Mette; Samdal, Oddrun; de Looze, Margreet; Levin, Kate; Roberts, Chris J; Ehlinger, Virginie; Krølner, Rikke; Dalmasso, Paola; Torsheim, Torbjørn

    2015-04-01

    This article presents the scope and development of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, reviews trend papers published on international HBSC data up to 2012 and discusses the efforts made to produce reliable trend analyses. The major goal of this article is to present the statistical procedures and analytical strategies for upholding high data quality, as well as reflections from the authors of this article on how to produce reliable trends based on an international study of the magnitude of the HBSC study. HBSC is an international cross-sectional study collecting data from adolescents aged 11-15 years, on a broad variety of health determinants and health behaviours. A number of methodological challenges have stemmed from the growth of the HBSC-study, in particular given that the study has a focus on monitoring trends. Some of those challenges are considered. When analysing trends, researchers must be able to assess whether a change in prevalence is an expression of an actual change in the observed outcome, whether it is a result of methodological artefacts, or whether it is due to changes in the conceptualization of the outcome by the respondents. The article present recommendations to take a number of the considerations into account. The considerations imply methodological challenges, which are core issues in undertaking trend analyses. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

  14. Uncertainty Reduction using Bayesian Inference and Sensitivity Analysis: A Sequential Approach to the NASA Langley Uncertainty Quantification Challenge

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sankararaman, Shankar

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a computational framework for uncertainty characterization and propagation, and sensitivity analysis under the presence of aleatory and epistemic un- certainty, and develops a rigorous methodology for efficient refinement of epistemic un- certainty by identifying important epistemic variables that significantly affect the overall performance of an engineering system. The proposed methodology is illustrated using the NASA Langley Uncertainty Quantification Challenge (NASA-LUQC) problem that deals with uncertainty analysis of a generic transport model (GTM). First, Bayesian inference is used to infer subsystem-level epistemic quantities using the subsystem-level model and corresponding data. Second, tools of variance-based global sensitivity analysis are used to identify four important epistemic variables (this limitation specified in the NASA-LUQC is reflective of practical engineering situations where not all epistemic variables can be refined due to time/budget constraints) that significantly affect system-level performance. The most significant contribution of this paper is the development of the sequential refine- ment methodology, where epistemic variables for refinement are not identified all-at-once. Instead, only one variable is first identified, and then, Bayesian inference and global sensi- tivity calculations are repeated to identify the next important variable. This procedure is continued until all 4 variables are identified and the refinement in the system-level perfor- mance is computed. The advantages of the proposed sequential refinement methodology over the all-at-once uncertainty refinement approach are explained, and then applied to the NASA Langley Uncertainty Quantification Challenge problem.

  15. The Issues and Methodologies in Sustainability Assessment Tools for Higher Education Institutions: A Review of Recent Trends and Future Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yarime, Masaru; Tanaka, Yuko

    2012-01-01

    Assessment tools influence incentives to higher education institutions by encouraging them to move towards sustainability. A review of 16 sustainability assessment tools was conducted to examine the recent trends in the issues and methodologies addressed in assessment tools quantitatively and qualitatively. The characteristics of the current…

  16. On Teaching the History of California Spanish to HLL Using Siri: Methodology and Procedures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamar Prieto, Covadonga

    2016-01-01

    This article reports results from a study in which two groups of college level students were exposed to interactions with Apple's Siri in order to foster dialogue about their dialectal features. In this paper, the methodology and procedural challenges behind one of the activities that the participants completed are studied. These activities had…

  17. Investigating Historic Parcel Changes to Understand Land Use Trends: A Methodology and Application for the San Pedro River Watershed

    EPA Science Inventory

    Long-term land use and land cover change, and the associated impacts, pose critical challenges to sustaining healthy communities and ecosystems. In this study, a methodology was developed to use parcel data to evaluate land use trends in southeast Arizona’s San Pedro River Water...

  18. e-Agriculture Prototype for Knowledge Facilitation among Tribal Farmers of North-East India: Innovations, Impact and Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raj, Saravanan

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: This case study deals with the implementation methodology, innovations and lessons of the ICT initiative in providing agricultural extension services to the rural tribal farming community of North-East India. Methodology: This study documents the ICT project implementation challenges, impact among farmers and briefly indicates lessons of…

  19. From Study to Work: Methodological Challenges of a Graduate Destination Survey in the Western Cape, South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    du Toit, Jacques; Kraak, Andre; Favish, Judy; Fletcher, Lizelle

    2014-01-01

    Current literature proposes several strategies for improving response rates to student evaluation surveys. Graduate destination surveys pose the difficulty of tracing graduates years later when their contact details may have changed. This article discusses the methodology of one such a survey to maximise response rates. Compiling a sample frame…

  20. How to Measure and Explain Achievement Change in Large-Scale Assessments: A Rejoinder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hickendorff, Marian; Heiser, Willem J.; van Putten, Cornelis M.; Verhelst, Norman D.

    2009-01-01

    In this rejoinder, we discuss substantive and methodological validity issues of large-scale assessments of trends in student achievement, commenting on the discussion paper by Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Robitzsch, Treffers, and Koller (2009). We focus on methodological challenges in deciding what to measure, how to measure it, and how to foster…

  1. Developing a Customized Program Assessment Methodology for Assurance of Learning: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Hope; Brawley, Dorothy; Campbell, Jane; Capozzoli, Ernest; Malgeri, Linda; Roberts, Gary

    2007-01-01

    For most academic institutions, selecting and/or designing a Program Assessment methodology for Assurance of Learning is a challenging task. This paper describes the steps taken to establish goals, values and criteria driving this process for a College of Business. In this case analysis, we document the options we explored in finding the right…

  2. Integration of PBL Methodologies into Online Learning Courses and Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Oostveen, Roland; Childs, Elizabeth; Flynn, Kathleen; Clarkson, Jessica

    2014-01-01

    Problem-based learning (PBL) challenges traditional views of teaching and learning as the learner determines, to a large extent with support from a skilled facilitator, what topics will be explored, to what depth and which processes will be used. This paper presents the implementation of problem-based learning methodologies in an online Bachelor's…

  3. Forms of Voice: Exploring the Empowerment of Youth at the Intersection of Art and Action

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greene, Stuart; Burke, Kevin; McKenna, Maria

    2013-01-01

    The authors utilize Photovoice methodology to engage in an examination of the possibilities of counternarrative through the photographs, oral accounts and drawings of three inner-city youths. In the process, this article seeks to expand upon and challenge prior uses of Photovoice methodologies and Critical Youth Engagement. The authors posit the…

  4. Using the Photovoice Methodology to Increase Engagement and Sharpen Students' Analytical Skills Regarding Cultures, Lifestyles, and Markets Internationally

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Kathleen; Lee, Seung Hwan; Bowen Ray, Heather; Kandaurova, Maria

    2018-01-01

    Barriers to cross-cultural instruction challenge even experienced educators and their students. To increase cross-cultural competence and bridge learning gaps, professors in two countries adapted the Photovoice methodology to develop shared visual vocabularies with students and unearth hidden assumptions. Results from an anonymous evaluation…

  5. Action Research as a Congruent Methodology for Understanding Wikis: The Case of Wikiversity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawler, Cormac

    2008-01-01

    It is proposed that action research is an appropriate methodology for studying wikis, and is akin to research "the wiki way". This proposal is contextualised within the case of Wikiversity, a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. A framework for a participative research project is outlined, and challenges and implications of such a…

  6. Research Challenges Inherent in Determining Improvement in University Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Devlin, Marcia

    2008-01-01

    Using a recent study that examined the effectiveness of a particular approach to improving individual university teaching as a case study, this paper examines some of the challenges inherent in educational research, particularly research examining the effects of interventions to improve teaching. Aspects of the research design and methodology and…

  7. Philippine Classroom Teachers as Researchers: Teachers' Perceptions, Motivations, and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ulla, Mark B.; Barrera, Kenneth Ian B.; Acompanado, Meller M.

    2017-01-01

    This study explores teachers' perceptions and motivations, challenges, and needs of 50 teachers in Agusan del Norte, Philippines with regards to doing research. Methodologies used were survey questionnaire, and group and individual interviews. Findings revealed that teacher-respondents had a positive perceptions towards doing research and its…

  8. Integrated modeling systems to assess exposure and toxicity of chemicals in support of aquatic ecological risk assessment of methodologically challenging chemicals

    EPA Science Inventory

    From an exposure assessment perspective, persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs) are some of the most challenging chemicals facing environmental decision makers today. Due to their general physico-chemical properties [e.g., high octanol-water partition coefficien...

  9. "That's Not Quite the Way We See It": The Epistemological Challenge of Visual Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wall, Kate; Higgins, Steve; Hall, Elaine; Woolner, Pam

    2013-01-01

    In research textbooks, and much of the research practice, they describe, qualitative processes and interpretivist epistemologies tend to dominate visual methodology. This article challenges the assumptions behind this dominance. Using exemplification from three existing visual data sets produced through one large education research project, this…

  10. Intergenerational Learning and Knowledge Transfer--Challenges and Opportunities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rupcic, Nataša

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight challenges and opportunities that surround the process of intergenerational learning and knowledge transfer. Several options in this regard have been discussed from the managerial and employee perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The systems approach has been implemented to identify options…

  11. Sustainability: Necessity for a Prosperous Society

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fokkema, Jacob; Jansen, Leo; Mulder, Karel

    2005-01-01

    Purpose--To present the challenge of sustainable development, the way in which technology can address that challenge and the task of engineering education to train engineers for it. Design/methodology/approach--The paper describes briefly the history of the environmental and sustainability discourse in The Netherlands, as a densely populated…

  12. A Zone for Deliberation? Methodological Challenges in Fields of Political Unrest

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Westrheim, Kariane; Lillejord, Solvi

    2007-01-01

    This article outlines certain problems and challenges facing the qualitative researcher who enters fields that are either extremely difficult to access or potentially hostile towards outsiders. Problems and dilemmas in such contexts are highlighted by reference to fieldwork research among PKK (Kurdistan Worker's Party) guerrillas in North…

  13. Raising Concerns about Sharing and Reusing Large-Scale Mathematics Classroom Observation Video Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ing, Marsha; Samkian, Artineh

    2018-01-01

    There are great opportunities and challenges to sharing large-scale mathematics classroom observation data. This Research Commentary describes the methodological opportunities and challenges and provides a specific example from a mathematics education research project to illustrate how the research questions and framework drove observational…

  14. Characteristic Interviews, Different Strategies: Methodological Challenges in Qualitative Interviewing among Respondents with Mild Intellectual Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sigstad, Hanne Marie Høybråten

    2014-01-01

    Conducting qualitative research interviews among individuals with intellectual disabilities, including cognitive limitations and difficulties in communication, presents particular research challenges. One question is whether the difficulties that informants encounter affect interviews to such an extent that the validity of the results is weakened.…

  15. Challenges Facing Principals in the First Year at Their Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bayar, Adem

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study is to identify key challenges of practice that principals face. In line with this purpose, the researcher has employed a qualitative research methodology, interviewing principals working in Amasya district, over and above doing document analysis to collect detailed information concerning leadership and administration…

  16. In vitro Alternative Methodologies for Central Nervous System Assessment: A Critique using Nanoscale Materials as an Example.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Identifying the potential health hazards to the central nervous system of a new family of materials presents many challenges. Whole-animal toxicity testing has been the tradition, but in vitro methods have been steadily gaining popularity. There are numerous challenges in testing...

  17. Exploring Stakeholder Values and Interests in Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orr, Shannon K.

    2010-01-01

    One of the challenges facing program evaluation education is how to bridge the need to train students in theoretical and methodological foundations, and also prepare them for the unpredictability and complex environment outside the classroom. This issue is particularly challenging in terms of understanding stakeholder values and interests. The…

  18. How Virtual Team Leaders Cope with Creativity Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Han, Soo Jeoung; Chae, Chungil; Macko, Patricia; Park, Woongbae; Beyerlein, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: As technology-mediated communication improves, many organizations increasingly use new types of collaborative online tools to promote team-based learning and performance. The purpose of this study is to explore how virtual team leaders cope with process challenges in developing a context for team creativity. Design/methodology/approach:…

  19. Hypermedia Ethnography in Educational Settings: Possibilities and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coffey, Amanda; Renold, Emma; Dicks, Bella; Soyinka, Bambo; Mason, Bruce

    2006-01-01

    This paper considers some of the methodological implications of undertaking and representing multimedia and digital, ethnographic work. It explores some of the challenges and opportunities of working with and across a range of media, and explores some of the consequences of bringing hypermedia applications to ethnographic work. The paper draws on…

  20. Eight-dimensional methodology for innovative thinking about the case and ethics of the Mount Graham, Large Binocular Telescope project.

    PubMed

    Berne, Rosalyn W; Raviv, Daniel

    2004-04-01

    This paper introduces the Eight Dimensional Methodology for Innovative Thinking (the Eight Dimensional Methodology), for innovative problem solving, as a unified approach to case analysis that builds on comprehensive problem solving knowledge from industry, business, marketing, math, science, engineering, technology, arts, and daily life. It is designed to stimulate innovation by quickly generating unique "out of the box" unexpected and high quality solutions. It gives new insights and thinking strategies to solve everyday problems faced in the workplace, by helping decision makers to see otherwise obscure alternatives and solutions. Daniel Raviv, the engineer who developed the Eight Dimensional Methodology, and paper co-author, technology ethicist Rosalyn Berne, suggest that this tool can be especially useful in identifying solutions and alternatives for particular problems of engineering, and for the ethical challenges which arise with them. First, the Eight Dimensional Methodology helps to elucidate how what may appear to be a basic engineering problem also has ethical dimensions. In addition, it offers to the engineer a methodology for penetrating and seeing new dimensions of those problems. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the Eight Dimensional Methodology as an analytical tool for thinking about ethical challenges to engineering, the paper presents the case of the construction of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) on Mount Graham in Arizona. Analysis of the case offers to decision makers the use of the Eight Dimensional Methodology in considering alternative solutions for how they can proceed in their goals of exploring space. It then follows that same process through the second stage of exploring the ethics of each of those different solutions. The LBT project pools resources from an international partnership of universities and research institutes for the construction and maintenance of a highly sophisticated, powerful new telescope. It will soon mark the erection of the world's largest and most powerful optical telescope, designed to see fine detail otherwise visible only from space. It also represents a controversial engineering project that is being undertaken on land considered to be sacred by the local, native Apache people. As presented, the case features the University of Virginia, and its challenges in consideration of whether and how to join the LBT project consortium.

  1. Calculation of surface potentials at the silica–water interface using molecular dynamics: Challenges and opportunities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lowe, Benjamin M.; Skylaris, Chris-Kriton; Green, Nicolas G.; Shibuta, Yasushi; Sakata, Toshiya

    2018-04-01

    Continuum-based methods are important in calculating electrostatic properties of interfacial systems such as the electric field and surface potential but are incapable of providing sufficient insight into a range of fundamentally and technologically important phenomena which occur at atomistic length-scales. In this work a molecular dynamics methodology is presented for interfacial electric field and potential calculations. The silica–water interface was chosen as an example system, which is highly relevant for understanding the response of field-effect transistors sensors (FET sensors). Detailed validation work is presented, followed by the simulated surface charge/surface potential relationship. This showed good agreement with experiment at low surface charge density but at high surface charge density the results highlighted challenges presented by an atomistic definition of the surface potential. This methodology will be used to investigate the effect of surface morphology and biomolecule addition; both factors which are challenging using conventional continuum models.

  2. Recent Approaches to Estimate Associations Between Source-Specific Air Pollution and Health.

    PubMed

    Krall, Jenna R; Strickland, Matthew J

    2017-03-01

    Estimating health effects associated with source-specific exposure is important for better understanding how pollution impacts health and for developing policies to better protect public health. Although epidemiologic studies of sources can be informative, these studies are challenging to conduct because source-specific exposures (e.g., particulate matter from vehicles) often are not directly observed and must be estimated. We reviewed recent studies that estimated associations between pollution sources and health to identify methodological developments designed to address important challenges. Notable advances in epidemiologic studies of sources include approaches for (1) propagating uncertainty in source estimation into health effect estimates, (2) assessing regional and seasonal variability in emissions sources and source-specific health effects, and (3) addressing potential confounding in estimated health effects. Novel methodological approaches to address challenges in studies of pollution sources, particularly evaluation of source-specific health effects, are important for determining how source-specific exposure impacts health.

  3. Practical Strategies for Collaboration across Discipline-Based Education Research and the Learning Sciences

    PubMed Central

    Peffer, Melanie; Renken, Maggie

    2016-01-01

    Rather than pursue questions related to learning in biology from separate camps, recent calls highlight the necessity of interdisciplinary research agendas. Interdisciplinary collaborations allow for a complicated and expanded approach to questions about learning within specific science domains, such as biology. Despite its benefits, interdisciplinary work inevitably involves challenges. Some such challenges originate from differences in theoretical and methodological approaches across lines of work. Thus, aims at developing successful interdisciplinary research programs raise important considerations regarding methodologies for studying biology learning, strategies for approaching collaborations, and training of early-career scientists. Our goal here is to describe two fields important to understanding learning in biology, discipline-based education research and the learning sciences. We discuss differences between each discipline’s approach to biology education research and the benefits and challenges associated with incorporating these perspectives in a single research program. We then propose strategies for building productive interdisciplinary collaboration. PMID:27881446

  4. Challenges and perspectives in quantitative NMR.

    PubMed

    Giraudeau, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    This perspective article summarizes, from the author's point of view at the beginning of 2016, the major challenges and perspectives in the field of quantitative NMR. The key concepts in quantitative NMR are first summarized; then, the most recent evolutions in terms of resolution and sensitivity are discussed, as well as some potential future research directions in this field. A particular focus is made on methodologies capable of boosting the resolution and sensitivity of quantitative NMR, which could open application perspectives in fields where the sample complexity and the analyte concentrations are particularly challenging. These include multi-dimensional quantitative NMR and hyperpolarization techniques such as para-hydrogen-induced polarization or dynamic nuclear polarization. Because quantitative NMR cannot be dissociated from the key concepts of analytical chemistry, i.e. trueness and precision, the methodological developments are systematically described together with their level of analytical performance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Toward a Social Psychophysics of Face Communication.

    PubMed

    Jack, Rachael E; Schyns, Philippe G

    2017-01-03

    As a highly social species, humans are equipped with a powerful tool for social communication-the face. Although seemingly simple, the human face can elicit multiple social perceptions due to the rich variations of its movements, morphology, and complexion. Consequently, identifying precisely what face information elicits different social perceptions is a complex empirical challenge that has largely remained beyond the reach of traditional methods. In the past decade, the emerging field of social psychophysics has developed new methods to address this challenge, with the potential to transfer psychophysical laws of social perception to the digital economy via avatars and social robots. At this exciting juncture, it is timely to review these new methodological developments. In this article, we introduce and review the foundational methodological developments of social psychophysics, present work done in the past decade that has advanced understanding of the face as a tool for social communication, and discuss the major challenges that lie ahead.

  6. Navigating political minefields: partnerships in organizational case study research.

    PubMed

    Moll, Sandra

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to examine key challenges associated with conducting politically sensitive research within a workplace setting, and to highlight strategic partnerships that can be developed to address these challenges. The author's research on employee mental health issues within a large healthcare facility serves as the foundation for identification and description of "political minefields" that investigators may encounter when conducting organizational case study research. Key methodological principles from the literature on qualitative case study research will frame discussion of how to understand and address political sensitivities in the research process. The benefits of conducting organizational case study research will be outlined, followed by discussion of methodological challenges that can emerge in negotiating entry, collecting data (gatekeepers, researcher reflexivity, participant authenticity and non-maleficence), and communicating research findings. Courage, collaboration and clear communication with stakeholders at all levels of the organization are critical to the success of workplace based case study research.

  7. Challenges and Opportunities for Harmonizing Research Methodology: Raw Accelerometry.

    PubMed

    van Hees, Vincent T; Thaler-Kall, Kathrin; Wolf, Klaus-Hendrik; Brønd, Jan C; Bonomi, Alberto; Schulze, Mareike; Vigl, Matthäus; Morseth, Bente; Hopstock, Laila Arnesdatter; Gorzelniak, Lukas; Schulz, Holger; Brage, Søren; Horsch, Alexander

    2016-12-07

    Raw accelerometry is increasingly being used in physical activity research, but diversity in sensor design, attachment and signal processing challenges the comparability of research results. Therefore, efforts are needed to harmonize the methodology. In this article we reflect on how increased methodological harmonization may be achieved. The authors of this work convened for a two-day workshop (March 2014) themed on methodological harmonization of raw accelerometry. The discussions at the workshop were used as a basis for this review. Key stakeholders were identified as manufacturers, method developers, method users (application), publishers, and funders. To facilitate methodological harmonization in raw accelerometry the following action points were proposed: i) Manufacturers are encouraged to provide a detailed specification of their sensors, ii) Each fundamental step of algorithms for processing raw accelerometer data should be documented, and ideally also motivated, to facilitate interpretation and discussion, iii) Algorithm developers and method users should be open about uncertainties in the description of data and the uncertainty of the inference itself, iv) All new algorithms which are pitched as "ready for implementation" should be shared with the community to facilitate replication and ongoing evaluation by independent groups, and v) A dynamic interaction between method stakeholders should be encouraged to facilitate a well-informed harmonization process. The workshop led to the identification of a number of opportunities for harmonizing methodological practice. The discussion as well as the practical checklists proposed in this review should provide guidance for stakeholders on how to contribute to increased harmonization.

  8. The study of direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs.

    PubMed

    Schommer, Jon C; Hansen, Richard A

    2005-06-01

    The objectives of this article are to (1) identify key methodological issues related to investigating the effects of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs, (2) highlight opportunities and challenges that these issues pose, and (3) provide suggestions to address these challenges and opportunities from a social and administrative pharmacy perspective. Through a review of existing literature and consultation with research colleagues, we identified 3 broad issues regarding the study of DTCA for prescription drugs: (1) the importance of problem formulation, (2) the role of health behavior and decision-making perspectives, and (3) data collection and data analysis challenges and opportunities. Based upon our findings, we developed recommendations for future research in this area. Clear problem formulation will be instructive for prioritizing research needs and for determining the role that health behavior and decision-making perspectives can serve in DTCA research. In addition, it appears that cluster bias, nonlinear relationships, mediating/moderating effects, time effects, acquiescent response, and case mix are particularly salient challenges for the DTCA research domain. We suggest that problem formulation, selection of sound theories upon which to base research, and data collection and data analysis challenges are key methodological issues related to investigating the effects of DTCA for prescription drugs.

  9. Economic evaluations of alcohol prevention interventions: Is the evidence sufficient? A review of methodological challenges.

    PubMed

    Hill, Sarah R; Vale, Luke; Hunter, David; Henderson, Emily; Oluboyede, Yemi

    2017-12-01

    Public health interventions have unique characteristics compared to health technologies, which present additional challenges for economic evaluation (EE). High quality EEs that are able to address the particular methodological challenges are important for public health decision-makers. In England, they are even more pertinent given the transition of public health responsibilities in 2013 from the National Health Service to local government authorities where new agents are shaping policy decisions. Addressing alcohol misuse is a globally prioritised public health issue. This article provides a systematic review of EE and priority-setting studies for interventions to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse published internationally over the past decade (2006-2016). This review appraises the EE and priority-setting evidence to establish whether it is sufficient to meet the informational needs of public health decision-makers. 619 studies were identified via database searches. 7 additional studies were identified via hand searching journals, grey literature and reference lists. 27 met inclusion criteria. Methods identified included cost-utility analysis (18), cost-effectiveness analysis (6), cost-benefit analysis (CBA) (1), cost-consequence analysis (CCA) (1) and return-on-investment (1). The review identified a lack of consideration of methodological challenges associated with evaluating public health interventions and limited use of methods such as CBA and CCA which have been recommended as potentially useful for EE in public health. No studies using other specific priority-setting tools were identified. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Assessing climate risks across different business sectors and industries: an investigation of methodological challenges at national scale for the UK

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surminski, Swenja; Di Mauro, Manuela; Baglee, J. Alastair R.; Connell, Richenda K.; Hankinson, Joel; Haworth, Anna R.; Ingirige, Bingunath; Proverbs, David

    2018-06-01

    Climate change poses severe risks for businesses, which companies as well as governments need to understand in order to take appropriate steps to manage those. This, however, represents a significant challenge as climate change risk assessment is itself a complex, dynamic and geographically diverse process. A wide range of factors including the nature of production processes and value chains, the location of business sites as well as relationships and interdependencies with customers and suppliers play a role in determining if and how companies are impacted by climate risks. This research explores the methodological challenges for a national-scale assessment of climate risks through the lens of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (UKCCRA) process and compares the approaches adopted in the first and second UKCCRA (2011, 2016), while also reflecting on international experiences elsewhere. A review of these issues is presented, drawing on a wide body of contemporary evidence from a range of sources including the research disciplines, grey literature and government policy. The study reveals the methodological challenges and highlights six broad themes, namely scale, evidence base, adaptation responses, scope, interdependencies and public policy. The paper concludes by identifying suitable lessons for future national climate risk assessments, which should guide the next phase of research in preparation for UKCCRA3 and those of national-level risk assessments elsewhere. This article is part of the theme issue `Advances in risk assessment for climate change adaptation policy'.

  11. Assessing climate risks across different business sectors and industries: an investigation of methodological challenges at national scale for the UK.

    PubMed

    Surminski, Swenja; Di Mauro, Manuela; Baglee, J Alastair R; Connell, Richenda K; Hankinson, Joel; Haworth, Anna R; Ingirige, Bingunath; Proverbs, David

    2018-06-13

    Climate change poses severe risks for businesses, which companies as well as governments need to understand in order to take appropriate steps to manage those. This, however, represents a significant challenge as climate change risk assessment is itself a complex, dynamic and geographically diverse process. A wide range of factors including the nature of production processes and value chains, the location of business sites as well as relationships and interdependencies with customers and suppliers play a role in determining if and how companies are impacted by climate risks. This research explores the methodological challenges for a national-scale assessment of climate risks through the lens of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (UKCCRA) process and compares the approaches adopted in the first and second UKCCRA (2011, 2016), while also reflecting on international experiences elsewhere. A review of these issues is presented, drawing on a wide body of contemporary evidence from a range of sources including the research disciplines, grey literature and government policy. The study reveals the methodological challenges and highlights six broad themes, namely scale, evidence base, adaptation responses, scope, interdependencies and public policy. The paper concludes by identifying suitable lessons for future national climate risk assessments, which should guide the next phase of research in preparation for UKCCRA3 and those of national-level risk assessments elsewhere.This article is part of the theme issue 'Advances in risk assessment for climate change adaptation policy'. © 2018 The Author(s).

  12. Turbofan Engine Core Compartment Vent Aerodynamic Configuration Development Methodology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hebert, Leonard J.

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of the design methodology used in the development of the aerodynamic configuration of the nacelle core compartment vent for a typical Boeing commercial airplane together with design challenges for future design efforts. Core compartment vents exhaust engine subsystem flows from the space contained between the engine case and the nacelle of an airplane propulsion system. These subsystem flows typically consist of precooler, oil cooler, turbine case cooling, compartment cooling and nacelle leakage air. The design of core compartment vents is challenging due to stringent design requirements, mass flow sensitivity of the system to small changes in vent exit pressure ratio, and the need to maximize overall exhaust system performance at cruise conditions.

  13. Meeting the challenge of interpretation: Hearing the voices of people with intellectual and developmental disability through I-Poems.

    PubMed

    Corby, Deirdre; Taggart, Laurence; Cousins, Wendy

    2018-06-01

    Including the inner perspectives of people who have intellectual disability can pose methodological challenges to qualitative researchers. This article explains how the Listening Guide was applied as an additional step in the analysis during a study which used hermeneutic interviews with people with intellectual disability as the sole method of data collection. An argument is made for the systematic application of the guide with a focus on the use of I-Poems. This article advances qualitative methodological approaches and concludes that this method of drawing attention to the participants' own voices provides a unique basis for interpreting interviews and tasks researchers to examine the use of the Listening Guide.

  14. The Mother-Infant Study Cohort (MISC): Methodology, challenges, and baseline characteristics

    PubMed Central

    Hashim, Mona; Shaker Obaid, Reyad; Hasan, Hayder; Naja, Farah; Al Ghazal, Hessa; Jan Jan Mohamed, Hamid; Al Hilali, Marwa; Rayess, Rana; Izzaldin, Ghamra

    2018-01-01

    Background The United Arab Emirates (UAE) exhibits alarming high prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors. Emerging evidence highlighted the role of maternal and early child nutrition in preventing later-onset NCDs. The objectives of this article are to describe the design and methodology of the first Mother and Infant Study Cohort (MISC) in UAE; present the baseline demographic characteristics of the study participants; and discuss the challenges of the cohort and their respective responding strategies. Methods The MISC is an ongoing two-year prospective cohort study which recruited Arab pregnant women in their third trimester from prenatal clinics in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. Participants will be interviewed six times (once during pregnancy, at delivery, and at 2, 6, 12 and 24months postpartum). Perinatal information is obtained from hospital records. Collected data include socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle, dietary intake and anthropometry; infant feeding practices, cognitive development; along with maternal and infant blood profile and breast milk profile. Results The preliminary results reported that 256 completed baseline assessment (mean age: 30.5±6.0 years; 76.6% multiparous; about 60% were either overweight or obese before pregnancy). The prevalence of gestational diabetes was 19.2%. Upon delivery, 208 women-infant pairs were retained (mean gestational age: 38.5±1.5 weeks; 33.3% caesarean section delivery; 5.3% low birthweight; 5.7% macrosomic deliveries). Besides participant retention, the main encountered challenges pertained to cultural complexity, underestimation the necessary start-up time, staff, and costs, and biochemical data collection. Conclusions Despite numerous methodological, logistical and sociocultural challenges, satisfactory follow-up rates are recorded. Strategies addressing challenges are documented, providing information for planning and implementing future birth cohort studies locally and internationally. PMID:29851999

  15. The use of transcranial magnetic stimulation to evaluate cortical excitability of lower limb musculature: Challenges and opportunities.

    PubMed

    Kesar, Trisha M; Stinear, James W; Wolf, Steven L

    2018-05-05

    Neuroplasticity is a fundamental yet relatively unexplored process that can impact rehabilitation of lower extremity (LE) movements. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has gained widespread application as a non-invasive brain stimulation technique for evaluating neuroplasticity of the corticospinal pathway. However, a majority of TMS studies have been performed on hand muscles, with a paucity of TMS investigations focused on LE muscles. This perspective review paper proposes that there are unique methodological challenges associated with using TMS to evaluate corticospinal excitability of lower limb muscles. The challenges include: (1) the deeper location of the LE motor homunculus; (2) difficulty with targeting individual LE muscles during TMS; and (3) differences in corticospinal circuity controlling upper and lower limb muscles. We encourage future investigations that modify traditional methodological approaches to help address these challenges. Systematic TMS investigations are needed to determine the extent of overlap in corticomotor maps for different LE muscles. A simple, yet informative methodological solution involves simultaneous recordings from multiple LE muscles, which will provide the added benefit of observing how other relevant muscles co-vary in their responses during targeted TMS assessment directed toward a specific muscle. Furthermore, conventionally used TMS methods (e.g., determination of hot spot location and motor threshold) may need to be modified for TMS studies involving LE muscles. Additional investigations are necessary to determine the influence of testing posture as well as activation state of adjacent and distant LE muscles on TMS-elicited responses. An understanding of these challenges and solutions specific to LE TMS will improve the ability of neurorehabilitation clinicians to interpret TMS literature, and forge novel future directions for neuroscience research focused on elucidating neuroplasticity processes underlying locomotion and gait training.

  16. Weighting issues in recreation research and in identifying support for resource conservation management alternatives

    Treesearch

    Amy L. Sheaffer; Jay Beaman; Joseph T. O' Leary; Rebecca L. Williams; Doran M. Mason

    2001-01-01

    Sampling for research in recreation settings in an ongoing challenge. Often certain groups of users are more likely to be sampled. It is important in measuring public support for resource conservation and in understanding use of natural resources for recreation to evaluate issues of bias in survey methodologies. Important methodological issues emerged from a statewide...

  17. Considering the Role of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices Research in Transforming Urban Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamilton, Mary Lynn; Pinnegar, Stefinee

    2015-01-01

    We explore the first four articles in this Special Issue of "Studying Teacher Education" to identify challenges to the self-study of teaching and teacher education practices (S-STEP) methodology, and how this methodology supports the work of teachers and teacher educators working in urban settings. We respond to these articles by…

  18. Evaluating Cross-National Metrics of Tertiary Graduation Rates for OECD Countries: A Case for Increasing Methodological Congruence and Data Comparability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heuser, Brian L.; Drake, Timothy A.; Owens, Taya L.

    2013-01-01

    By examining the different methods and processes by which national data gathering agencies compile and submit their findings to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the authors (1) assess the methodological challenges of accurately reporting tertiary completion and graduation rates cross-nationally; (2) to examine the…

  19. Trademarks in the Linguistic Landscape: Methodological and Theoretical Challenges in Qualifying Brand Names in the Public Space

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tufi, Stefania; Blackwood, Robert

    2010-01-01

    In the last few decades, investigations into the linguistic landscape (LL) have sought to analyse written language practices as they are observable in public space. Whilst the LL analysis of language choice in given contexts has opened a host of possibilities for scientific enquiry in the field, the methodologies employed in the collection and…

  20. Development of a Quantitative Methodology to Assess the Impacts of Urban Transport Interventions and Related Noise on Well-Being

    PubMed Central

    Braubach, Matthias; Tobollik, Myriam; Mudu, Pierpaolo; Hiscock, Rosemary; Chapizanis, Dimitris; Sarigiannis, Denis A.; Keuken, Menno; Perez, Laura; Martuzzi, Marco

    2015-01-01

    Well-being impact assessments of urban interventions are a difficult challenge, as there is no agreed methodology and scarce evidence on the relationship between environmental conditions and well-being. The European Union (EU) project “Urban Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China and Europe” (URGENCHE) explored a methodological approach to assess traffic noise-related well-being impacts of transport interventions in three European cities (Basel, Rotterdam and Thessaloniki) linking modeled traffic noise reduction effects with survey data indicating noise-well-being associations. Local noise models showed a reduction of high traffic noise levels in all cities as a result of different urban interventions. Survey data indicated that perception of high noise levels was associated with lower probability of well-being. Connecting the local noise exposure profiles with the noise-well-being associations suggests that the urban transport interventions may have a marginal but positive effect on population well-being. This paper also provides insight into the methodological challenges of well-being assessments and highlights the range of limitations arising from the current lack of reliable evidence on environmental conditions and well-being. Due to these limitations, the results should be interpreted with caution. PMID:26016437

  1. Development of a quantitative methodology to assess the impacts of urban transport interventions and related noise on well-being.

    PubMed

    Braubach, Matthias; Tobollik, Myriam; Mudu, Pierpaolo; Hiscock, Rosemary; Chapizanis, Dimitris; Sarigiannis, Denis A; Keuken, Menno; Perez, Laura; Martuzzi, Marco

    2015-05-26

    Well-being impact assessments of urban interventions are a difficult challenge, as there is no agreed methodology and scarce evidence on the relationship between environmental conditions and well-being. The European Union (EU) project "Urban Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China and Europe" (URGENCHE) explored a methodological approach to assess traffic noise-related well-being impacts of transport interventions in three European cities (Basel, Rotterdam and Thessaloniki) linking modeled traffic noise reduction effects with survey data indicating noise-well-being associations. Local noise models showed a reduction of high traffic noise levels in all cities as a result of different urban interventions. Survey data indicated that perception of high noise levels was associated with lower probability of well-being. Connecting the local noise exposure profiles with the noise-well-being associations suggests that the urban transport interventions may have a marginal but positive effect on population well-being. This paper also provides insight into the methodological challenges of well-being assessments and highlights the range of limitations arising from the current lack of reliable evidence on environmental conditions and well-being. Due to these limitations, the results should be interpreted with caution.

  2. From California dreaming to California data: Challenging historic models for landfill CH4 emissions

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Improved quantification of diverse CH4 sources at the urban scale is needed to guide local greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies in the Anthropocene. Herein, we focus on landfill CH4 emissions in California, challenging the current IPCC methodology which focuses on a climate dependency for land...

  3. Implementing Competency-Based Education: Challenges, Strategies, and a Decision-Making Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dragoo, Amie; Barrows, Richard

    2016-01-01

    The number of competency-based education (CBE) degree programs has increased rapidly over the past five years, yet there is little research on CBE program development. This study utilized conceptual models of higher education change and a qualitative methodology to analyze the strategies and challenges in implementing CBE business degree programs…

  4. Challenges in Distributed Leadership: Evidence from the Perspective of Headteachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tahir, Lokman Mohd; Lee, Sui Liang; Musah, Mohammed Borhandden; Jaffri, Hadijah; Said, Mohd Nihra Haruzuan Mohamad; Yasin, Mohd Hanafi Mohd

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the issues and challenges faced by headteachers in practicing the suggested distributed leadership (DL) approach in three primary schools to their middle layer leaders. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a case study design and data were collected through semi-structured interviews.…

  5. Campus Sustainability in Chinese Higher Education Institutions: Focuses, Motivations and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lo, Kevin

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the focuses, motivations and challenges of achieving campus sustainability in Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach: A multisite case study was conducted in Changchun City, Jilin, where eight HEIs of various types were examined. Structured interviews with school…

  6. Key Challenges of Using Video When Investigating Social Practices in Education: Contextualization, Magnification, and Representation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blikstad-Balas, Marte

    2017-01-01

    Audio- and video-recordings are increasingly popular data sources in contemporary qualitative research, making discussions about methodological implications of such recordings timelier than ever. This article goes beyond discussing practical issues and issues of "camera effect" and reactivity to identify three major challenges of using…

  7. Embedding Enterprise in Science and Engineering Departments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Handscombe, Robert D.; Rodriguez-Falcon, Elena; Patterson, Eann A.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to focus on the attempts to implement the challenges of teaching enterprise to science and engineering students by the embedding approach chosen by the White Rose Centre for Enterprise (WRCE), one of the centres formed under the Science Engineering Challenge in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: WRCE's objective was to…

  8. Value-Creating Networks: Organizational Issues and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allee, Verna

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide examples of evaluating value-creating networks and to address the organizational issues and challenges of a network orientation. Design/methodology/approach: Value network analysis was first developed in 1993 and was adapted in 1997 for intangible asset management. It has been applied from shopfloor…

  9. Activity-Based Management System Implementation in Higher Education Institution: Benefits and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ismail, Noor Azizi

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss how activity-based costing (ABC) technique can be applied in the context of higher education institutions. It also discusses the obstacles and challenges to the successful implementation of activity-based management (ABM) in the higher education environment. Design/methodology/approach: This paper…

  10. Integrating Quality Assurance Systems in a Merged Higher Education Institution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kistan, Chandru

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: This article seeks to highlight the challenges and issues that face merging higher education institutions and also to outline some of the challenges in integrating the quality assurance systems during the pre-, interim and post-merger phases in a merged university. Design/methodology/approach: Case studies of merged and merging…

  11. Pre- and Postnatal Influences on Preschool Mental Health: A Large-Scale Cohort Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Monique; Oddy, Wendy H.; Li, Jianghong; Kendall, Garth E.; de Klerk, Nicholas H.; Silburn, Sven R.; Zubrick, Stephen R.; Newnham, John P.; Stanley, Fiona J.; Mattes, Eugen

    2008-01-01

    Background: Methodological challenges such as confounding have made the study of the early determinants of mental health morbidity problematic. This study aims to address these challenges in investigating antenatal, perinatal and postnatal risk factors for the development of mental health problems in pre-school children in a cohort of Western…

  12. Understanding Challenges of Using ICT in Secondary Schools in Sweden from Teachers' Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ekberg, Siri; Gao, Shang

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the challenges of using ICT in secondary schools in Sweden from teachers' perspectives. Design/methodology/approach: The research followed a qualitative research approach. First, a conceptual framework was developed based on previous research. Then, four teachers, teaching in six different…

  13. Organisational Blogs: Benefits and Challenges of Implementation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baxter, Gavin J.; Connolly, Thomas M.; Stansfield, Mark H.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the theoretical link between blogs and organisational learning. It aims to provide a set of practical guidelines on how to overcome the challenges of implementing an organisational blog. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review will be used to examine blogs and their association towards…

  14. The Twenty-First Century Multiple Generation Workforce: Overlaps and Differences but Also Challenges and Benefits

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helyer, Ruth; Lee, Dionne

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the issues around a multiple generational workforce and more specifically, the challenges and benefits for education providers and employers. Design/methodology/approach: Reviewing research papers, analysing academic texts, interrogating market intelligence and contextualising case studies, the…

  15. Corporate Universities in China: Processes, Issues and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Qiao, June Xuejun

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: This study is intended to investigate the current status of corporate universities in China. It aims to explore the processes and practices of corporate universities in China, and discover the issues and challenges involved in building and running a corporate university in China. Design/methodology/approach: The heads of 11 well-known…

  16. Complex self-management interventions in chronic disease unravelled: a review of lessons learned from an individual patient data meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Jonkman, Nini H; Groenwold, Rolf H H; Trappenburg, Jaap C A; Hoes, Arno W; Schuurmans, Marieke J

    2017-03-01

    Meta-analyses using individual patient data (IPD) rather than aggregated data are increasingly applied to analyze sources of heterogeneity between trials and have only recently been applied to unravel multicomponent, complex interventions. This study reflects on methodological challenges encountered in two IPD meta-analyses on self-management interventions in patients with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Critical reflection on prior IPD meta-analyses and discussion of literature. Experience from two IPD meta-analyses illustrates methodological challenges. Despite close collaboration with principal investigators, assessing the effect of characteristics of complex interventions on the outcomes of trials is compromised by lack of sufficient details on intervention characteristics and limited data on fidelity and adherence. Furthermore, trials collected baseline variables in a highly diverse way, limiting the possibilities to study subgroups of patients in a consistent manner. Possible solutions are proposed based on lessons learnt from the methodological challenges. Future researchers of complex interventions should pay considerable attention to the causal mechanism underlying the intervention and conducting process evaluations. Future researchers on IPD meta-analyses of complex interventions should carefully consider their own causal assumptions and availability of required data in eligible trials before undertaking such resource-intensive IPD meta-analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Modeling and replicating statistical topology and evidence for CMB nonhomogeneity

    PubMed Central

    Agami, Sarit

    2017-01-01

    Under the banner of “big data,” the detection and classification of structure in extremely large, high-dimensional, data sets are two of the central statistical challenges of our times. Among the most intriguing new approaches to this challenge is “TDA,” or “topological data analysis,” one of the primary aims of which is providing nonmetric, but topologically informative, preanalyses of data which make later, more quantitative, analyses feasible. While TDA rests on strong mathematical foundations from topology, in applications, it has faced challenges due to difficulties in handling issues of statistical reliability and robustness, often leading to an inability to make scientific claims with verifiable levels of statistical confidence. We propose a methodology for the parametric representation, estimation, and replication of persistence diagrams, the main diagnostic tool of TDA. The power of the methodology lies in the fact that even if only one persistence diagram is available for analysis—the typical case for big data applications—the replications permit conventional statistical hypothesis testing. The methodology is conceptually simple and computationally practical, and provides a broadly effective statistical framework for persistence diagram TDA analysis. We demonstrate the basic ideas on a toy example, and the power of the parametric approach to TDA modeling in an analysis of cosmic microwave background (CMB) nonhomogeneity. PMID:29078301

  18. Exposing the Backstage: Critical Reflections on a Longitudinal Qualitative Study of Residents’ Care Networks in Assisted Living

    PubMed Central

    Kemp, Candace L.; Ball, Mary M.; Morgan, Jennifer Craft; Doyle, Patrick J.; Burgess, Elisabeth O.; Dillard, Joy A.; Barmon, Christina E.; Fitzroy, Andrea F.; Helmly, Victoria E.; Avent, Elizabeth S.; Perkins, Molly M.

    2018-01-01

    In this article, we analyze the research experiences associated with a longitudinal qualitative study of residents’ care networks in assisted living. Using data from researcher meetings, field notes, and memos, we critically examine our design and decision making and accompanying methodological implications. We focus on one complete wave of data collection involving 28 residents and 114 care network members in four diverse settings followed for 2 years. We identify study features that make our research innovative, but that also represent significant challenges. They include the focus and topic; settings and participants; scope and design complexity; nature, modes, frequency, and duration of data collection; and analytic approach. Each feature has methodological implications, including benefits and challenges pertaining to recruitment, retention, data collection, quality, and management, research team work, researcher roles, ethics, and dissemination. Our analysis demonstrates the value of our approach and of reflecting on and sharing methodological processes for cumulative knowledge building. PMID:27651072

  19. Methodological and Ethical Issues in Pediatric Medication Safety Research.

    PubMed

    Carpenter, Delesha; Gonzalez, Daniel; Retsch-Bogart, George; Sleath, Betsy; Wilfond, Benjamin

    2017-09-01

    In May 2016, the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill convened the PharmSci conference to address the topic of "methodological and ethical issues in pediatric medication safety research." A multidisciplinary group of experts representing a diverse array of perspectives, including those of the US Food and Drug Administration, children's hospitals, and academia, identified important considerations for pediatric medication safety research and opportunities to advance the field. This executive summary describes current challenges that clinicians and researchers encounter related to pediatric medication safety research and identifies innovative and ethically sound methodologies to address these challenges to improve children's health. This article addresses 5 areas: (1) pediatric drug development and drug trials; (2) conducting comparative effectiveness research in pediatric populations; (3) child and parent engagement on study teams; (4) improving communication with children and parents; and (5) assessing child-reported outcomes and adverse drug events. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  20. Delivering successful randomized controlled trials in surgery: Methods to optimize collaboration and study design.

    PubMed

    Blencowe, Natalie S; Cook, Jonathan A; Pinkney, Thomas; Rogers, Chris; Reeves, Barnaby C; Blazeby, Jane M

    2017-04-01

    Randomized controlled trials in surgery are notoriously difficult to design and conduct due to numerous methodological and cultural challenges. Over the last 5 years, several UK-based surgical trial-related initiatives have been funded to address these issues. These include the development of Surgical Trials Centers and Surgical Specialty Leads (individual surgeons responsible for championing randomized controlled trials in their specialist fields), both funded by the Royal College of Surgeons of England; networks of research-active surgeons in training; and investment in methodological research relating to surgical randomized controlled trials (to address issues such as recruitment, blinding, and the selection and standardization of interventions). This article discusses these initiatives more in detail and provides exemplar cases to illustrate how the methodological challenges have been tackled. The initiatives have surpassed expectations, resulting in a renaissance in surgical research throughout the United Kingdom, such that the number of patients entering surgical randomized controlled trials has doubled.

  1. Exposing the Backstage: Critical Reflections on a Longitudinal Qualitative Study of Residents' Care Networks in Assisted Living.

    PubMed

    Kemp, Candace L; Ball, Mary M; Morgan, Jennifer Craft; Doyle, Patrick J; Burgess, Elisabeth O; Dillard, Joy A; Barmon, Christina E; Fitzroy, Andrea F; Helmly, Victoria E; Avent, Elizabeth S; Perkins, Molly M

    2017-07-01

    In this article, we analyze the research experiences associated with a longitudinal qualitative study of residents' care networks in assisted living. Using data from researcher meetings, field notes, and memos, we critically examine our design and decision making and accompanying methodological implications. We focus on one complete wave of data collection involving 28 residents and 114 care network members in four diverse settings followed for 2 years. We identify study features that make our research innovative, but that also represent significant challenges. They include the focus and topic; settings and participants; scope and design complexity; nature, modes, frequency, and duration of data collection; and analytic approach. Each feature has methodological implications, including benefits and challenges pertaining to recruitment, retention, data collection, quality, and management, research team work, researcher roles, ethics, and dissemination. Our analysis demonstrates the value of our approach and of reflecting on and sharing methodological processes for cumulative knowledge building.

  2. Transgenic bovine as bioreactors: Challenges and perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Monzani, Paulo S.; Adona, Paulo R.; Ohashi, Otávio M.; Meirelles, Flávio V.; Wheeler, Matthew B.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT The use of recombinant proteins has increased in diverse commercial sectors. Various systems for protein production have been used for the optimization of production and functional protein expression. The mammary gland is considered to be a very interesting system for the production of recombinant proteins due to its high level of expression and its ability to perform post-translational modifications. Cows produce large quantities of milk over a long period of lactation, and therefore this species is an important candidate for recombinant protein expression in milk. However, transgenic cows are more difficult to generate due to the inefficiency of transgenic methodologies, the long periods for transgene detection, recombinant protein expression and the fact that only a single calf is obtained at the end of each pregnancy. An increase in efficiency for transgenic methodologies for cattle is a big challenge to overcome. Promising methodologies have been proposed that can help to overcome this obstacle, enabling the use of transgenic cattle as bioreactors for protein production in milk for industry. PMID:27166649

  3. Conceiving "personality": Psychologist's challenges and basic fundamentals of the Transdisciplinary Philosophy-of-Science Paradigm for Research on Individuals.

    PubMed

    Uher, Jana

    2015-09-01

    Scientists exploring individuals, as such scientists are individuals themselves and thus not independent from their objects of research, encounter profound challenges; in particular, high risks for anthropo-, ethno- and ego-centric biases and various fallacies in reasoning. The Transdisciplinary Philosophy-of-Science Paradigm for Research on Individuals (TPS-Paradigm) aims to tackle these challenges by exploring and making explicit the philosophical presuppositions that are being made and the metatheories and methodologies that are used in the field. This article introduces basic fundamentals of the TPS-Paradigm including the epistemological principle of complementarity and metatheoretical concepts for exploring individuals as living organisms. Centrally, the TPS-Paradigm considers three metatheoretical properties (spatial location in relation to individuals' bodies, temporal extension, and physicality versus "non-physicality") that can be conceived in different forms for various kinds of phenomena explored in individuals (morphology, physiology, behaviour, the psyche, semiotic representations, artificially modified outer appearances and contexts). These properties, as they determine the phenomena's accessibility in everyday life and research, are used to elaborate philosophy-of-science foundations and to derive general methodological implications for the elementary problem of phenomenon-methodology matching and for scientific quantification of the various kinds of phenomena studied. On the basis of these foundations, the article explores the metatheories and methodologies that are used or needed to empirically study each given kind of phenomenon in individuals in general. Building on these general implications, the article derives special implications for exploring individuals' "personality", which the TPS-Paradigm conceives of as individual-specificity in all of the various kinds of phenomena studied in individuals.

  4. Investment in Open Innovation Service Providers: NASA's Innovative Strategy for Solving Space Exploration Challenges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fogarty, Jennifer A.; Rando, Cynthia; Baumann, David; Richard, Elizabeth; Davis, Jeffrey

    2010-01-01

    In an effort to expand routes for open communication and create additional opportunities for public involvement with NASA, Open Innovation Service Provider (OISP) methodologies have been incorporated as a tool in NASA's problem solving strategy. NASA engaged the services of two OISP providers, InnoCentive and Yet2.com, to test this novel approach and its feasibility in solving NASA s space flight challenges. The OISPs were chosen based on multiple factors including: network size and knowledge area span, established process, methodology, experience base, and cost. InnoCentive and Yet2.com each met the desired criteria; however each company s approach to Open Innovation is distinctly different. InnoCentive focuses on posting individual challenges to an established web-based network of approximately 200,000 solvers; viable solutions are sought and granted a financial award if found. Based on a specific technological need, Yet2.com acts as a talent scout providing a broad external network of experts as potential collaborators to NASA. A relationship can be established with these contacts to develop technologies and/or maintained as an established network of future collaborators. The results from the first phase of the pilot study have shown great promise for long term efficacy of utilizing the OISP methodologies. Solution proposals have been received for the challenges posted on InnoCentive and are currently under review for final disposition. In addition, Yet2.com has identified new external partners for NASA and we are in the process of understanding and acting upon these new opportunities. Compared to NASA's traditional routes for external problem solving, the OISP methodologies offered NASA a substantial savings in terms of time and resources invested. In addition, these strategies will help NASA extend beyond its current borders to build an ever expanding network of experts and global solvers.

  5. The Probabilities of Unique Events

    PubMed Central

    Khemlani, Sangeet S.; Lotstein, Max; Johnson-Laird, Phil

    2012-01-01

    Many theorists argue that the probabilities of unique events, even real possibilities such as President Obama's re-election, are meaningless. As a consequence, psychologists have seldom investigated them. We propose a new theory (implemented in a computer program) in which such estimates depend on an intuitive non-numerical system capable only of simple procedures, and a deliberative system that maps intuitions into numbers. The theory predicts that estimates of the probabilities of conjunctions should often tend to split the difference between the probabilities of the two conjuncts. We report two experiments showing that individuals commit such violations of the probability calculus, and corroborating other predictions of the theory, e.g., individuals err in the same way even when they make non-numerical verbal estimates, such as that an event is highly improbable. PMID:23056224

  6. Korotkoff Sounds - The Improbable also Occurs

    PubMed Central

    Estañol, Bruno; Delgado, Guillermo; Borgstein, Johannes

    2013-01-01

    Very few discoveries have had such a large impact on and relevance to clinical medicine as the noninvasive measurement of the diastolic blood pressure. A number of gifted physiologists and clinicians were ineffectively in search of a noninvasive method to determine the diastolic pressure. Nonetheless, the quantification of the diastolic BP was not achieved by any of these clinical or physiological researchers, but by an unlikely and unexpected figure: Nikolai Sergeevich Korotkoff (1874-1920), a young Russian army surgeon, working under precarious conditions in the hardship of diverse wars. It is easy to dismiss the achievement of Korotkoff as a serendipitous discovery, similar to that of Alexander Fleming in the discovery of penicillin. However, Nassim N. Taleb's recent black swan theory may serve to illustrate his discovery in a new and, perhaps, surprising way. PMID:24343557

  7. The Essential Medicinal Chemistry of Curcumin.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Kathryn M; Dahlin, Jayme L; Bisson, Jonathan; Graham, James; Pauli, Guido F; Walters, Michael A

    2017-03-09

    Curcumin is a constituent (up to ∼5%) of the traditional medicine known as turmeric. Interest in the therapeutic use of turmeric and the relative ease of isolation of curcuminoids has led to their extensive investigation. Curcumin has recently been classified as both a PAINS (pan-assay interference compounds) and an IMPS (invalid metabolic panaceas) candidate. The likely false activity of curcumin in vitro and in vivo has resulted in >120 clinical trials of curcuminoids against several diseases. No double-blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial of curcumin has been successful. This manuscript reviews the essential medicinal chemistry of curcumin and provides evidence that curcumin is an unstable, reactive, nonbioavailable compound and, therefore, a highly improbable lead. On the basis of this in-depth evaluation, potential new directions for research on curcuminoids are discussed.

  8. Making the improbable probable: communication across models of medical practice.

    PubMed

    Buetow, Stephen

    2014-06-01

    Cooperation and conversation in the public sphere may overcome historical and other barriers to rational argumentation. As an alternative to evidence-based medicine (EBM) and patient-centered care (PCC), the recent development of a modern version of person-centered medicine (PCM) signals an opportunity for a conversational pluralogue to replace parallel monologues between EBM and its critics, and the calls to EBM to debate its critics. This article draws upon elements of Habermas's theory of communicative action in order to suggest the kind of pluralogue that is required for stakeholders in modern medicine to benefit more from publicly conversing with each other than speaking alone or using debate to argue against each other. This reasoned perspective has lessons for all discourse when deep value-based and epistemological differences cannot be easily adjudicated.

  9. The Essential Medicinal Chemistry of Curcumin

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Curcumin is a constituent (up to ∼5%) of the traditional medicine known as turmeric. Interest in the therapeutic use of turmeric and the relative ease of isolation of curcuminoids has led to their extensive investigation. Curcumin has recently been classified as both a PAINS (pan-assay interference compounds) and an IMPS (invalid metabolic panaceas) candidate. The likely false activity of curcumin in vitro and in vivo has resulted in >120 clinical trials of curcuminoids against several diseases. No double-blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial of curcumin has been successful. This manuscript reviews the essential medicinal chemistry of curcumin and provides evidence that curcumin is an unstable, reactive, nonbioavailable compound and, therefore, a highly improbable lead. On the basis of this in-depth evaluation, potential new directions for research on curcuminoids are discussed. PMID:28074653

  10. Spatial patterns in electoral wards with high lymphoma incidence in Yorkshire health region.

    PubMed Central

    Barnes, N.; Cartwright, R. A.; O'Brien, C.; Roberts, B.; Richards, I. D.; Bird, C. C.

    1987-01-01

    The possibilities of clustering between those electoral wards which display higher than expected incidences of cases of the lymphomas occurring between 1978 and 1982 are examined. Clusters are defined as being those wards with cases in excess (at a probability of less than 10%) which are geographically adjacent to each other. A separate analysis extends the definition of cluster to include high incidence wards that are adjacent or separated by one other ward. The results indicate that many high incidence lymphoma wards do occur close together and when computer simulations are used to compute expected results, many of the observed results are shown to be highly improbable both in the overall number of clustering wards and in the largest number of wards comprising a 'cluster'. PMID:3663469

  11. [Darwin and bacteria].

    PubMed

    Ledermann D, Walter

    2009-02-01

    As in 2009 the scientific world celebrates two hundreds years from the birthday of Charles Darwin and one hundred and fifty from the publication of The Origin of Species, an analysis of his complete work is performed, looking for any mention of bacteria. But it seems that the great naturahst never took knowledge about its existence, something rather improbable in a time when the discovery of bacteria shook the medical world, or he deliberately ignored them, not finding a place for such microscopic beings into his theory of evolution. But the bacteria badly affected his familiar life, killing scarlet fever one of his children and worsening to death the evolution of tuberculosis of his favourite Annie. Darwin himself could suffer the sickness of Chagas, whose etiological agent has a similar level to bacteria in the scale of evolution.

  12. She bought the unicorn from the pet store: Six- to seven-year-olds are strongly inclined to generate natural explanations.

    PubMed

    Nancekivell, Shaylene E; Friedman, Ori

    2017-06-01

    In two experiments (N = 64), we told 6- to 7-year-olds about improbable or impossible outcomes (Experiment 1) and about impossible outcomes concerning ordinary or magical agents (Experiment 2). In both experiments, children claimed that the outcomes were impossible and could not happen, but nonetheless generated realistic and natural explanations for the outcomes. These findings show that 6- to 7-year-olds are strongly inclined to provide natural explanations. The findings are also informative about children's judgments about whether outcomes are possible, and further suggest that asymmetries between children's predictions and explanations may stem from differences in how these 2 forms of reasoning are constrained by possibility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Max Wertheimer, Habilitation candidate at the Frankfurt Psychological Institute.

    PubMed

    Gundlach, Horst

    2014-05-01

    Max Wertheimer told Edwin B. Newman that it was pure chance that on his way to the Rhineland he prematurely got off the train in Frankfurt, and that he did so because he had an inspiration for an experiment that he wanted to perform. Most historians of psychology accept this anecdote, but fail to mention that thereby Wertheimer also mastered the next and decisive step toward his academic career in accomplishing his Habilitation. Exposing the institutional, personal, and intellectual context of Wertheimer's going to Frankfurt and giving a detailed account of the procedure of Habilitation will show that Newman's and similar reports of the episode, even if verbatim to Wertheimer's own telling, are nevertheless too improbable to accept at face value. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  14. Ecological niche modeling as a new paradigm for large-scale investigations of diversity and distribution of birds

    Treesearch

    A. Townsend Peterson; Daniel A. Kluza

    2005-01-01

    Large-scale assessments of the distribution and diversity of birds have been challenged by the need for a robust methodology for summarizing or predicting species' geographic distributions (e.g. Beard et al. 1999, Manel et al. 1999, Saveraid et al. 2001). Methodologies used in such studies have at times been inappropriate, or even more frequently limited in their...

  15. Empirically Based Analysis of Methodological and Ethical Challenges in Research with Children as Participants: The Case of Bullying in Kindergarten

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lund, Ingrid; Helgeland, Anne; Kovac, Velibor Bobo

    2016-01-01

    When conducting research with children it is essential to consider not only the data, which have been produced as a result of the research, but also the research process itself. This article represents an attempt to contribute the accumulation of knowledge regarding methodological and ethical issues concerning research with children. The data in…

  16. Identities, Roles and Iterative Processes: Methodological Reflections from Research on Literacy among Gypsies and Travellers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCaffery, Juliet

    2014-01-01

    In this article the author reflects on some of the methodological issues of conducting research in a local marginalised community in the UK. Her research was on attitudes to literacy in the Gypsy and Traveller community in southern England. This article describes some of the challenges and how she, as an outsider and not a member of their…

  17. Using Six Sigma and Lean methodologies to improve OR throughput.

    PubMed

    Fairbanks, Catharine B

    2007-07-01

    Improving patient flow in the perioperative environment is challenging, but it has positive implications for both staff members and for the facility. One facility in vermont improved patient throughput by incorporating Six Sigma and Lean methodologies for patients undergoing elective procedures. The results of the project were significantly improved patient flow and increased teamwork and pride among perioperative staff members. (c) AORN, Inc, 2007.

  18. Studying the relationship between dreaming and sleep-dependent memory processes: methodological challenges.

    PubMed

    Schredl, Michael

    2013-12-01

    The hypothesis that dreaming is involved in off-line memory processing is difficult to test because major methodological issues have to be addressed, such as dream recall and the effect of remembered dreams on memory. It would be fruitful--in addition to studying the ancient art of memory (AAOM) in a scanner--to study the dreams of persons who use AAOM regularly.

  19. Estimating aboveground net primary productivity in forest-dominated ecosystems

    Treesearch

    Brian D. Kloeppel; Mark E. Harmon; Timothy J. Fahey

    2007-01-01

    The measurement of net primary productivity (NPP) in forest ecosystems presents a variety of challenges because of the large and complex dimensions of trees and the difficulties of quantifying several components of NPP. As summarized by Clark et al. (2001a), these methodological challenges can be overcome, and more reliable spatial and temporal comparisons can be...

  20. Challenges and Gaps in Children's Transition from Early Childhood Development to Grade One in Zimbabwe

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chikwiri, E.; Musiyiwa, J.

    2017-01-01

    The study focused on challenges and gaps faced by children during the transition period from early childhood development (ECD) to primary education and possible solutions to them. It adopted the qualitative methodological approach through the use of Focus Group Discussions with councillors, education officials, child care workers, chiefs, parents…

  1. Integrating Technologies, Methodologies, and Databases into a Comprehensive Terminology Management Environment to Support Interoperability among Clinical Information Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shakib, Shaun Cameron

    2013-01-01

    Controlled clinical terminologies are essential to realizing the benefits of electronic health record systems. However, implementing consistent and sustainable use of terminology has proven to be both intellectually and practically challenging. First, this project derives a conceptual understanding of the scope and intricacies of the challenge by…

  2. Measuring Fidelity of Implementation--Methodological and Conceptual Issues and Challenges. CRESST Report 811

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    2012-01-01

    A central challenge in efficacy studies centers on the issue of "fidelity of implementation," that is, the extent to which participants use the curriculum specified by curriculum developers. In this study, we describe and discuss a "fidelity of implementation" model using multiple methods and instruments to compare two versions of a science…

  3. School Performance Trajectories and the Challenges for Principal Succession

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Linda C.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to use empirical data on new principals to clarify the connection between different succession situations and the challenges their successor principals face. Design/methodology/approach: The study draws on two waves of interview data from a random sample of 16 new elementary school principals in a major urban…

  4. Mitigating Challenges of Using Virtual Reality in Online Courses: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Barbara; Hutchins, Holly M.; Ezell, Shirley; De Martino, Darrell; Bobba, Anil

    2010-01-01

    Case study methodology was used to describe the challenges experienced in the development of a virtual component for a freshman-level undergraduate course. The purpose of the project was to use a virtual environment component to provide an interactive and engaging learning environment. While some student and faculty feedback was positive, this…

  5. Working through the Problems of Study Abroad Using the Methodologies of Religious Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siegler, Elijah

    2015-01-01

    After illustrating the joys of teaching religious studies abroad with an anecdote from my trip to China, I warn of some of its inherent pedagogical and ethical challenges. I argue that teaching some of the "new directions" in religious studies scholarship might address these challenges. These include a turning away from the abstract…

  6. Integrating Ethics into International Business Teaching: Challenges and Methodologies in the Greater China Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitla, Paul

    2011-01-01

    This paper examines the process of integrating ethics into the teaching of international business within the Greater China region. An example of how ethics is integrated into a required undergraduate international business course at a Hong Kong based university is presented. The contextual challenges of developing a course for use in the Greater…

  7. Privileging Practice: Facing the Challenge of Integrated Working for Outcomes for Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canavan, John; Coen, Liam; Dolan, Pat; Whyte, Liam

    2009-01-01

    Integrated working for outcomes is complex and challenging in theory and practice. Yet, outcomes and integrated working are central to the policy goals for children and families in Ireland. In this article, the authors present two main arguments: first, that reflective practice offers a useful general methodology for engaging with the theoretical…

  8. Modeling fMRI Data: Challenges and Opportunities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maydeu-Olivares, Alberto; Brown, Gregory

    2013-01-01

    We offer an introduction to the five papers that make up this special section. These papers deal with a range of the methodological challenges that face researchers analyzing fMRI data--the spatial, multilevel, and longitudinal nature of the data, the sources of noise, and so on. The papers all provide analyses of data collected by a multi-site…

  9. Methodology for Localized and Accessible Image Formation and Elucidation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patil, Sandeep R.; Katiyar, Manish

    2009-01-01

    Accessibility is one of the key checkpoints in all software products, applications, and Web sites. Accessibility with digital images has always been a major challenge for the industry. Images form an integral part of certain type of documents and most Web 2.0-compliant Web sites. Individuals challenged with blindness and many dyslexics only make…

  10. Reflections on the Evolution of Educational Leadership Preparation Programs in the United States and Challenges Ahead

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCarthy, Martha

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this legacy paper is to review leadership preparation over time in the United States and addresses challenges ahead. It is hoped that the US developments will be instructive to an international audience interested in strengthening the preparation of school leaders. Design/methodology/approach: The paper synthesizes research…

  11. To Perceive and to Be Perceived: Challenges of Ethnography in Elite Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mercader, Patricia; Weber, Rebecca; Durif-Varembont, Jean-Pierre

    2015-01-01

    Drawing on a larger study on "Gender practices and violence between peers: the stakes of mixed-sex education", this paper examines the methodological challenges specific to carrying out ethnography in an elite high school. The researcher's subjective experience in the field reveals the power dynamics at play in the elite setting. We also…

  12. Wireless Instrumentation Systems for Flight Testing at NASA AFRC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hang, Richard

    2017-01-01

    NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center is revolutionizing its traditional wired instrumentation systems with wireless technologies. This effort faces many technical challenges, such as spectrum compliance, time synchronization, power distribution and airworthiness. This presentation summarizes NASA AFRC's flight test capabilities with current conventional instrumentation methodology and highlights the technical challenges of wireless systems used for flight test research applications.

  13. The Impact of Participation in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge on Adolescent Resiliency and Health Behaviours

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grunstein, Rose; Nutbeam, Don

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine characteristics of resilience among Australian adolescents, the extent to which resilience might be strengthened through participation in a dance/drama competition, the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge (REC), and the impact participation may have on health related behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: …

  14. The Challenges of Adopting the Learning Organisation Philosophy in a Singapore School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Retna, Kala S.; Tee, Ng Pak

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To report on a case study that examines how the Learning Organisation (LO) concept can be applied in a Singapore school and the challenges that the school faces in the process. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research inquiry was adopted using ethnographic methods. Data includes in-depth face-to-face interviews, observation of…

  15. Fit for Purpose? Western Australian Insights into the Efficacy of Principal Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clarke, Simon; Wildy, Helen; Styles, Irene

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to highlight what principals consider their most severe challenges in the first three years of appointment and the extent to which they believe they were adequately prepared to meet these challenges. Design/methodology/approach: The paper reports on the initial Western Australian findings of a survey developed for Phase…

  16. Using an Iterative Mixed-Methods Research Design to Investigate Schools Facing Exceptionally Challenging Circumstances within Trinidad and Tobago

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Lisle, Jerome; Seunarinesingh, Krishna; Mohammed, Rhoda; Lee-Piggott, Rinnelle

    2017-01-01

    In this study, methodology and theory were linked to explicate the nature of education practice within schools facing exceptionally challenging circumstances (SFECC) in Trinidad and Tobago. The research design was an iterative quan>QUAL-quan>qual multi-method research programme, consisting of 3 independent projects linked together by overall…

  17. Designing Empathy: The Role of a "Control Room" in an E-Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gentes, Annie; Cambone, Marie

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on the challenge of designing an interface for a virtual class, where being represented together contributes to the learning process. It explores the possibility of virtual empathy. Design/methodology/approach: The challenges are: How can this feeling of empathy be recreated through a delicate staging…

  18. Benefits, Challenges, and Dynamism of Positionalities Associated with Mixed Methods Research in Developing Countries: Evidence from Ghana

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teye, Joseph Kofi

    2012-01-01

    Although mixed methods designs have gained visibility in recent years, most of the publications on this methodological strategy have been written by scholars in the developed world. Consequently, the practical challenges associated with mixed methods research in developing countries have not been adequately discussed in the literature. Relying on…

  19. Exploring gender, age, time and space in research with older Pakistani Muslims in the United Kingdom: formalised research 'ethics' and performances of the public/private divide in 'the field'.

    PubMed

    Zubair, Maria; Victor, Christina

    2015-05-01

    In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in researching ageing ethnic minority populations in the West. However, older people from such minority communities have received comparatively little attention in wide-ranging discussions on appropriate research methodologies. By a process of critically reflecting on our experiences of undertaking fieldwork for our Economic and Social Research Council New Dynamics of Ageing study of 'Families and Caring in South Asian Communities', this paper maps out the key methodological and ethical challenges we faced and, in the process, highlights the importance of developing socially appropriate research methodologies and ethical frameworks for research with such populations. With a reflexive approach, we specifically explore the significance of gender, age, time and space to the fieldwork processes and the 'field' relationships formed at various stages of the research process. In particular, we explore three key emergent issues which conflicted with our formal research protocols and presented particular challenges for us and our older Pakistani Muslim participants: (a) structuring of time in daily life; (b) gendered use of public and private spaces; and (c) orality of informal social contexts and relationships. Using illustrations from our fieldwork which reveal the particular significance of these issues to our fieldwork experiences and performativities of public/private identities, we highlight important tensions between formalised ethical and methodological dimensions of conducting funded research and the realities of being in 'the field'. We conclude the paper by emphasising the need to explore further not only the ways in which researchers can adopt more socially and culturally sensitive data collection processes and methodologies at the micro level of their interactions with research participants, but also contextualising the particular challenges experienced by researchers and their participants in terms of the wider research frameworks and agendas as well as the broader social contexts within which they live and work.

  20. Systems engineering for very large systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lewkowicz, Paul E.

    1993-01-01

    Very large integrated systems have always posed special problems for engineers. Whether they are power generation systems, computer networks or space vehicles, whenever there are multiple interfaces, complex technologies or just demanding customers, the challenges are unique. 'Systems engineering' has evolved as a discipline in order to meet these challenges by providing a structured, top-down design and development methodology for the engineer. This paper attempts to define the general class of problems requiring the complete systems engineering treatment and to show how systems engineering can be utilized to improve customer satisfaction and profit ability. Specifically, this work will focus on a design methodology for the largest of systems, not necessarily in terms of physical size, but in terms of complexity and interconnectivity.

  1. Systems engineering for very large systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewkowicz, Paul E.

    Very large integrated systems have always posed special problems for engineers. Whether they are power generation systems, computer networks or space vehicles, whenever there are multiple interfaces, complex technologies or just demanding customers, the challenges are unique. 'Systems engineering' has evolved as a discipline in order to meet these challenges by providing a structured, top-down design and development methodology for the engineer. This paper attempts to define the general class of problems requiring the complete systems engineering treatment and to show how systems engineering can be utilized to improve customer satisfaction and profit ability. Specifically, this work will focus on a design methodology for the largest of systems, not necessarily in terms of physical size, but in terms of complexity and interconnectivity.

  2. Can the impact on health of a government policy designed to create more liveable neighbourhoods be evaluated? An overview of the RESIDential Environment Project.

    PubMed

    Giles-Corti, Billie; Knuiman, Matthew; Pikora, Terri J; Van Neil, Kimberly; Timperio, Anna; Bull, Fiona C L; Shilton, Trevor; Bulsara, Max

    2007-01-01

    There is growing interest in the impact of community design on the health of residents. In 1998, the Western Australian Government began a trial of new subdivision design codes (i.e. Liveable Neighbourhoods Community Design Code) aimed at creating pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods to increase walking, cycling and public transport use. The trial provided a unique opportunity for a natural experiment to evaluate the impact of a government planning policy on residents. Nevertheless, evaluations of this kind present a number of methodological challenges in obtaining the highest quality evidence possible. This paper describes the RESIDential Environment Project's study design and discusses how various methodological challenges were overcome.

  3. Challenges in the use of treatment to investigate cognition.

    PubMed

    Nickels, Lyndsey; Rapp, Brenda; Kohnen, Saskia

    2015-01-01

    The use of data from people with cognitive impairments to inform theories of cognition is an established methodology, particularly in the field of cognitive neuropsychology. However, it is less well known that studies that aim to improve cognitive functioning using treatment can also inform our understanding of cognition. This paper discusses a range of challenges that researchers face when testing theories of cognition and particularly when using treatment as a tool for doing so. It highlights the strengths of treatment methodology for testing causal relations and additionally discusses how generalization of treatment effects can shed light on the nature of cognitive representations and processes. These points are illustrated using examples from the Special Issue of Cognitive Neuropsychology entitled Treatment as a tool for investigating cognition.

  4. Expanding the Parameters for Excellence in Patient Assignments: Is Leveraging an Evidence-Data-Based Acuity Methodology Realistic?

    PubMed

    Gray, Joel; Kerfoot, Karlene

    2016-01-01

    Finding the balance of equitable assignments continues to be a challenge for health care organizations seeking to leverage evidence-based leadership practices. Ratios and subjective acuity strategies for nurse-patient staffing continue to be the dominant approach in health care organizations. In addition to ratio-based assignments and acuity-based assignment models driven by financial targets, more emphasis on using evidence-based leadership strategies to manage and create science for effective staffing is needed. In particular, nurse leaders are challenged to increase the sophistication of management of patient turnover (admissions, discharges, and transfers) and integrate tools from Lean methodologies and quality management strategies to determine the effectiveness of nurse-patient staffing.

  5. Challenges in conducting qualitative research in health: A conceptual paper.

    PubMed

    Khankeh, Hamidreza; Ranjbar, Maryam; Khorasani-Zavareh, Davoud; Zargham-Boroujeni, Ali; Johansson, Eva

    2015-01-01

    Qualitative research focuses on social world and provides the tools to study health phenomena from the perspective of those experiencing them. Identifying the problem, forming the question, and selecting an appropriate methodology and design are some of the initial challenges that researchers encounter in the early stages of any research project. These problems are particularly common for novices. This article describes the practical challenges of using qualitative inquiry in the field of health and the challenges of performing an interpretive research based on professional experience as a qualitative researcher and on available literature. One of the main topics discussed is the nature of qualitative research, its inherent challenges, and how to overcome them. Some of those highlighted here include: identification of the research problem, formation of the research question/aim, and selecting an appropriate methodology and research design, which are the main concerns of qualitative researchers and need to be handled properly. Insights from real-life experiences in conducting qualitative research in health reveal these issues. The paper provides personal comments on the experiences of a researcher in conducting pure qualitative research in the field of health. It offers insights into the practical difficulties encountered when performing qualitative studies and offers solutions and alternatives applied by these authors, which may be of use to others.

  6. The challenge of benchmarking health systems: is ICT innovation capacity more systemic than organizational dependent?

    PubMed

    Lapão, Luís Velez

    2015-01-01

    The article by Catan et al. presents a benchmarking exercise comparing Israel and Portugal on the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies in the healthcare sector. Special attention was given to e-Health and m-Health. The authors collected information via a set of interviews with key stakeholders. They compared two different cultures and societies, which have reached slightly different implementation outcomes. Although the comparison is very enlightening, it is also challenging. Benchmarking exercises present a set of challenges, such as the choice of methodologies and the assessment of the impact on organizational strategy. Precise benchmarking methodology is a valid tool for eliciting information about alternatives for improving health systems. However, many beneficial interventions, which benchmark as effective, fail to translate into meaningful healthcare outcomes across contexts. There is a relationship between results and the innovational and competitive environments. Differences in healthcare governance and financing models are well known; but little is known about their impact on Information and Communication Technology implementation. The article by Catan et al. provides interesting clues about this issue. Public systems (such as those of Portugal, UK, Sweden, Spain, etc.) present specific advantages and disadvantages concerning Information and Communication Technology development and implementation. Meanwhile, private systems based fundamentally on insurance packages, (such as Israel, Germany, Netherlands or USA) present a different set of advantages and disadvantages - especially a more open context for innovation. Challenging issues from both the Portuguese and Israeli cases will be addressed. Clearly, more research is needed on both benchmarking methodologies and on ICT implementation strategies.

  7. Proceedings of the NASA Microbiology Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roman, M. C.; Jan, D. L.

    2012-01-01

    Long-term spaceflight is characterized by extraordinary challenges to maintain the life-supporting instrumentation free from microbial contamination and the crew healthy. The methodology currently employed for microbial monitoring in space stations or short spaceflights within the orbit of Earth have been instrumental in safeguarding the success of the missions, but suffers certain shortcomings that are critical for long spaceflights. This workshop addressed current practices and methodologies for microbial monitoring in space systems, and identified and discussed promising alternative methodologies and cutting-edge technologies for pursuit in the microbial monitoring that hold promise for supporting future NASA long-duration space missions.

  8. Evaluating Payments for Environmental Services: Methodological Challenges

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Over the last fifteen years, Payments for Environmental Services (PES) schemes have become very popular environmental policy instruments, but the academic literature has begun to question their additionality. The literature attempts to estimate the causal effect of these programs by applying impact evaluation (IE) techniques. However, PES programs are complex instruments and IE methods cannot be directly applied without adjustments. Based on a systematic review of the literature, this article proposes a framework for the methodological process of designing an IE for PES schemes. It revises and discusses the methodological choices at each step of the process and proposes guidelines for practitioners. PMID:26910850

  9. The challenges of being an insider in storytelling research.

    PubMed

    Blythe, Stacy; Wilkes, Lesley; Jackson, Debra; Halcomb, Elizabeth

    2013-01-01

    To describe the challenges related to being an 'insider' researcher in a study that uses a feminist-informed storytelling research design and to discuss practical strategies to manage these challenges. The positioning of the researcher in qualitative research has numerous methodological implications. Often, qualitative researchers share similar experiences or characteristics with their participants. Such an 'insider' position provides challenges for the researcher in conducting the research. Understanding these challenges and planning how to manage them is beneficial for the researcher and for the conduct of the project. This paper is based on the research team's experience of undertaking a feminist-informed storytelling study exploring the experiences of Australian women providing long-term foster care. This paper provides a discussion of the methodology used in the investigation. Four challenges resulting from the insider status of the primary researcher were identified as affecting the research: assumed understanding, ensuring analytic objectivity, dealing with emotions and participants' expectations. Strategies to address these challenges include: 'participant probing', 'researcher reflexivity', review by an 'outsider' researcher, identifying the risk, debriefing, making the aims and use of study outcomes clear, and acknowledging participants' expectations. Methods to implement these strategies are described. The use of an insider researcher was beneficial to our study design and helped with recruitment and rapport, enabling collaboration and the generation of stories rich in content. By identifying the challenges associated with insider research and using strategies to mitigate them, researchers can effectively use an insider position in conjunction with a storytelling research design. ImplicaTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH/PRACTICE: Further investigation of the insider in different qualitative research designs would be useful in identifying challenges and benefits specific to those designs.

  10. Establishing a Methodology to Examine the Effects of War-Zone PTSD on the Family: The Family Foundations Study

    PubMed Central

    Vasterling, Jennifer J.; Taft, Casey T.; Proctor, Susan P.; MacDonald, Helen Z.; Lawrence, Amy; Kalill, Kathleen; Kaiser, Anica P.; Lee, Lewina O.; King, Daniel W.; King, Lynda A.; Fairbank, John A.

    2015-01-01

    Military deployment may adversely affect not only returning veterans, but their families, as well. As a result, researchers have increasingly focused on identifying risk and protective factors for successful family adaptation to war-zone deployment, re-integration of the returning veteran, and the longer-term psychosocial consequences of deployment experienced by some veterans and families. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among returning veterans may pose particular challenges to military and military veteran families; however, questions remain regarding the impact of the course of veteran PTSD and other potential moderating factors on family adaptation to military deployment. The Family Foundations Study builds upon an established longitudinal cohort of Army soldiers (i.e., the Neurocognition Deployment Health Study) to help address remaining knowledge gaps. This report describes the conceptual framework and key gaps in knowledge that guided the study design, methodological challenges and special considerations in conducting military family research, and how these gaps, challenges, and special considerations are addressed by the study. PMID:26077194

  11. Methodological and Ethical Challenges in a Web-Based Randomized Controlled Trial of a Domestic Violence Intervention

    PubMed Central

    Valpied, Jodie; Koziol-McLain, Jane; Glass, Nancy; Hegarty, Kelsey

    2017-01-01

    The use of Web-based methods to deliver and evaluate interventions is growing in popularity, particularly in a health care context. They have shown particular promise in responding to sensitive or stigmatized issues such as mental health and sexually transmitted infections. In the field of domestic violence (DV), however, the idea of delivering and evaluating interventions via the Web is still relatively new. Little is known about how to successfully navigate several challenges encountered by the researchers while working in this area. This paper uses the case study of I-DECIDE, a Web-based healthy relationship tool and safety decision aid for women experiencing DV, developed in Australia. The I-DECIDE website has recently been evaluated through a randomized controlled trial, and we outline some of the methodological and ethical challenges encountered during recruitment, retention, and evaluation. We suggest that with careful consideration of these issues, randomized controlled trials can be safely conducted via the Web in this sensitive area. PMID:28351830

  12. Quantifying the probability of record-setting heat events in the historical record and at different levels of climate forcing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diffenbaugh, N. S.

    2017-12-01

    Severe heat provides one of the most direct, acute, and rapidly changing impacts of climate on people and ecostystems. Theory, historical observations, and climate model simulations all suggest that global warming should increase the probability of hot events that fall outside of our historical experience. Given the acutre impacts of extreme heat, quantifying the probability of historically unprecedented hot events at different levels of climate forcing is critical for climate adaptation and mitigation decisions. However, in practice that quantification presents a number of methodological challenges. This presentation will review those methodological challenges, including the limitations of the observational record and of climate model fidelity. The presentation will detail a comprehensive approach to addressing these challenges. It will then demonstrate the application of that approach to quantifying uncertainty in the probability of record-setting hot events in the current climate, as well as periods with lower and higher greenhouse gas concentrations than the present.

  13. Singing for respiratory health: theory, evidence and challenges.

    PubMed

    Gick, Mary L; Nicol, Jennifer J

    2016-09-01

    The premise that singing is a health promoting activity for people with respiratory conditions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma is a growing area of interest being investigated by researchers from various disciplines. The preliminary evidence, a theoretical framework and identification of methodological challenges are discussed in this perspective article with an eye to recommendations for further research to advance knowledge. After a brief summary of main research findings on singing in healthy people to provide background context, research is reviewed on singing in people with COPD and asthma. Studies include published research and as yet unpublished work by the authors. Methodological challenges arising from the reviewed studies are identified such as attrition from singing or control groups based on weak and strong, respectively, beliefs about singing's effectiveness. Potential solutions for these problems are considered with further recommendations made for other singing research. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Validation of the thermal challenge problem using Bayesian Belief Networks.

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

    McFarland, John; Swiler, Laura Painton

    The thermal challenge problem has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories as a testbed for demonstrating various types of validation approaches and prediction methods. This report discusses one particular methodology to assess the validity of a computational model given experimental data. This methodology is based on Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) and can incorporate uncertainty in experimental measurements, in physical quantities, and model uncertainties. The approach uses the prior and posterior distributions of model output to compute a validation metric based on Bayesian hypothesis testing (a Bayes' factor). This report discusses various aspects of the BBN, specifically in the context ofmore » the thermal challenge problem. A BBN is developed for a given set of experimental data in a particular experimental configuration. The development of the BBN and the method for ''solving'' the BBN to develop the posterior distribution of model output through Monte Carlo Markov Chain sampling is discussed in detail. The use of the BBN to compute a Bayes' factor is demonstrated.« less

  15. Do dihydroxymagnesium carboxylates form Grignard-type reagents? A theoretical investigation on decarboxylative fragmentation.

    PubMed

    Ruf, Alexander; Kanawati, Basem; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe

    2018-03-27

    Dihydroxymagnesium carboxylates [(OH) 2 MgO 2 CR] were probed for decarboxylation on a theoretical level, by utilizing both Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) and density functional theory (B3LYP-DFT) computations. This study is connected to the question of whether this recently introduced, astrobiologically relevant chemical class may form Grignard-type reagent molecules. To extract trends for a broad molecular mass range, different linear alkyl chain lengths between C 4 and C 11 were computed. The forward energy barrier for decarboxylation reactions increases linearly as a function of the ligand's chain length. Decarboxylation-type fragmentations of these organomagnesium compounds seem to be improbable in non-catalytic, low energetic environments. A high forward energy barrier (E MP2  > 55 kcal mol -1 ) towards a described transition state restricts the release of CO 2 . Nevertheless, we propose the release of CO 2 on a theoretical level, as been revealed via an intramolecular nucleophilic attack mechanism. Once the challenging transition state for decarboxylation is overcome, a stable Mg-C bond is formed. These mechanistic insights were gained by help of natural bond orbital analysis. The Cα atom (first carbon atom in the ligand chain attached to the carboxyl group) is thought to prefer binding towards the electrophilic magnesium coordination center, rather than towards the electrophilic CO 2 -carbon atom. Additionally, the putatively formed Grignard-type OH-bearing product molecules possess a more polarized Mg-C bond in comparison to RMgCl species. Therefore, carbanion formation from OH-bearing Grignard-type molecules is made feasible for triggering C-C bond formation reactions. Graphical abstract This study asks whether recently introduced, astrobiologically dihydroxymagnesium carboxylates form Grignard-type reagent molecules via decarboxylative fragmentation.

  16. Dispensing with conscience: a legal and ethical assessment.

    PubMed

    Wernow, Jerome R; Grant, Donald G

    2008-11-01

    For over 30 years, pharmacists have exercised the right to dispense medications in accordance with moral convictions based upon a Judeo-Christian ethic. What many of these practitioners see as an apparent shift away from this time-honored ethic has resulted in a challenge to this right. To review and analyze pharmacy practice standards, legal proceedings, and ethical principles behind conflicts of conscientious objection in dispensing drugs used for emergency contraception. We first searched the terms conscience and clause and Plan B and contraception and abortion using Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft Networks (2006-September 26, 2008). Second, we used Medscape to search professional pharmacy and other medical journals, restricting our terms to conscience, Plan B, contraceptives, and abortifacients. Finally, we employed Loislaw, an online legal archiving service, and did a global search on the phrase conscience clause to determine the status of the legal discussion. To date, conflicts in conscientious objection have arisen when a pharmacist believes that dispensing an oral contraceptive violates his or her moral understanding for the promotion of human life. Up to this time, cases in pharmacy have involved only practitioners from orthodox Christian faith communities, primarily devout Roman Catholics. A pharmacist's right to refuse the dispensing of abortifacients for birth control according to moral conscience over against a woman's right to reproductive birth control has created a conflict that has yet to be reconciled by licensing agents, professional standards, or courts of law. Our analysis of prominent conflicts suggests that the underlying worldviews between factions make compromise improbable. Risks and liabilities are dependent upon compliance with evolving state laws, specific disclosure of a pharmacist's moral objections, and professionalism in the handling of volatile situations. Objecting pharmacists and their employers should have clear policies and procedures in place to minimize workplace conflicts and maximize patient care.

  17. Ecology of larval trematodes in three marine gastropods.

    PubMed

    Curtis, Lawrence A

    2002-01-01

    To comprehend natural host-parasite systems, ecological knowledge of both hosts and parasites is critical. Here I present a view of marine systems based on the snail Ilyanassa obsoleta and its trematodes. This system is reviewed and two others, those of the snails Cerithidea californica and Littorina littorea, are then summarized and compared. Trematodes can profoundly affect the physiology, behaviour and spatial distribution of hosts. Studying these systems is challenging because trematodes are often embedded in host populations in unappreciated ways. Trematode prevalence is variable, but can be high in populations of all three hosts. Conditions under which single- and multiple-species infections can accumulate are considered. Adaptive relations between species are likely the most important and potentials for adaptation of parasites to hosts, hosts to parasites, and parasites to other parasites are also considered. Even if colonization rate is low, a snail population can develop high trematode prevalence, if infections persist long and the host is long-lived and abundant. Trematodes must be adapted to use their snail hosts. However, both I. obsoleta and L. littorea possess highly dispersed planktonic larvae and trematode prevalence is variable among snail populations. Host adaptation to specific infections, or even to trematodes in general, is unlikely because routine exposure to trematodes is improbable. Crawl-away juveniles of C. californica make adaptation to trematodes in that system a possibility. Trematode species in all three systems are not likely adapted to each other. Multiple-species infections are rare and definitive hosts scatter parasite eggs among snail populations with variable prevalences. Routine co-occurrence of trematodes in snails is thus unlikely. Adaptations of these larval trematodes to inhabit the snail host must, then, be the basis for what happens when they do co-occur.

  18. Dream to Predict? REM Dreaming as Prospective Coding

    PubMed Central

    Llewellyn, Sue

    2016-01-01

    The dream as prediction seems inherently improbable. The bizarre occurrences in dreams never characterize everyday life. Dreams do not come true! But assuming that bizarreness negates expectations may rest on a misunderstanding of how the predictive brain works. In evolutionary terms, the ability to rapidly predict what sensory input implies—through expectations derived from discerning patterns in associated past experiences—would have enhanced fitness and survival. For example, food and water are essential for survival, associating past experiences (to identify location patterns) predicts where they can be found. Similarly, prediction may enable predator identification from what would have been only a fleeting and ambiguous stimulus—without prior expectations. To confront the many challenges associated with natural settings, visual perception is vital for humans (and most mammals) and often responses must be rapid. Predictive coding during wake may, therefore, be based on unconscious imagery so that visual perception is maintained and appropriate motor actions triggered quickly. Speed may also dictate the form of the imagery. Bizarreness, during REM dreaming, may result from a prospective code fusing phenomena with the same meaning—within a particular context. For example, if the context is possible predation, from the perspective of the prey two different predators can both mean the same (i.e., immediate danger) and require the same response (e.g., flight). Prospective coding may also prune redundancy from memories, to focus the image on the contextually-relevant elements only, thus, rendering the non-relevant phenomena indeterminate—another aspect of bizarreness. In sum, this paper offers an evolutionary take on REM dreaming as a form of prospective coding which identifies a probabilistic pattern in past events. This pattern is portrayed in an unconscious, associative, sensorimotor image which may support cognition in wake through being mobilized as a predictive code. A particular dream illustrates. PMID:26779078

  19. Using collisions and resonances to tilting Uranus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rogoszinski, Zeeve; Hamilton, Douglas

    2018-01-01

    Uranus’ large obliquity (98°) is widely thought to have occurred from a polar strike with an Earth sized object. Morbidelli et al. (2012) argue that two or more collisions are required in order to explain the prograde motion of Uranus’ satellites. These impactors could have been less massive by about a factor of ten, but multiple polar strikes are still improbable as even larger mass impactors would be needed for more equatorial collisions. Here we explore an alternative non-collisional model inspired by the explanation to Saturn’s significant tilt (27°). Ward and Hamilton (2004) & Hamilton and Ward (2004) argue that a secular resonance currently between Saturn’s spin axis and Neptune’s orbital pole is responsible for Saturn’s large obliquity. Unfortunately, Uranus’ axial precession frequency today is too long to match any of the current planets’ fundamental frequencies. Boué and Laskar (2010) explain that Uranus may have harbored an improbably large moon in the past which could have sped up the planet’s axial precession frequency enough to resonate with the regression of its own orbital pole. We explore another scenario which requires only the interactions between the giant planets.Thommes et al. (1999, 2002, 2003) argue that at least the cores of Uranus and Neptune were formed in between Jupiter and Saturn, as the density of the protoplanetary disk was greater there. If Neptune was scattered outward before Uranus, then a secular spin-orbit resonance between the two planets is possible. However, driving Uranus’ obliquity to near 90° with a resonance capture requires a timescale on the order of 100 Myr. If Neptune migrated out quicker or its orbital inclination was initially larger, then we find that the resulting resonance kick can tilt Uranus more than 40° in a reasonable timespan. This could replace one of the impactors required in the collisional scenario described by Morbidelli et al. (2012), but in most situations the effect of such a kick is only about 10°. Since collisions are therefore necessary to explain at least part of the tilting, we are now considering hybrid models that involve combinations of resonance captures and kicks, and collisions.

  20. A Very Hot, High Redshift Cluster of Galaxies: More Trouble for Omega(0) = 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Donahue, Megan; Voit, G. Mark; Gioia, Isabella; Luppino, Gerry; Hughes, John P.; Stocke, John T.

    1998-01-01

    We have observed the most distant (= 0.829) cluster of galaxies in the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey (EMSS), with the ASCA and ROSAT satellites. We find an X-ray temperature of 12.3 (sup +3.1) (sub -2.2)keV for this cluster, and the ROSAT map reveals significant substructure. The high temperature of MS1054-0321 is consistent with both its approximate velocity dispersion, based on the redshifts of 12 cluster members we have obtained at the Keck and the Canada-France-Hawaii telescopes, and with its weak lensing signature. The X-ray temperature of this cluster implies a virial mass approx. 7.4 x 10 (sup 14) h (sup -1) M (circle dot), if the mean matter density in the universe equals the critical value (OMEGA (sub 0) = 1), or larger if OMEGA (sub 0) is less than 1. Finding such a hot, massive cluster in the EMSS is extremely improbable if clusters grew from Gaussian perturbations in an OMEGA (sub 0) = 1 universe. Combining the assumptions that OMEGA (sub 0) = 1 and that the initial perturbations were Gaussian with the observed X-ray temperature function at low redshift, we show that this probability of this cluster occurring in the volume sampled by the EMSS is less than a few times 10 (sup -5). Nor is MS1054-0321 the only hot cluster at high redshift; the only two other z greater than 0.5 EMSS clusters already observed with ASCA also have temperatures exceeding 8 keV. Assuming again that the initial perturbations were Gaussian and OMEGA (sub 0) = 1, we find that each one is improbable at the less than 10 (sup -2) level. These observations, along with the fact that these luminosities and temperatures of the high-z clusters all agree with the low-z L (sub X) - T (sub X) relation, argue strongly that OMEGA (sub 0) less than 1. Otherwise, the initial perturbations must be non-Gaussian, if these clusters' temperatures do indeed reflect their gravitational potentials.

  1. The Scaling of Performance and Losses in Miniature Internal Combustion Engines

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    reliable measurements of engine performance and losses in these small engines. Methodologies are also developed for measuring volumetric, heat transfer...making reliable measurements of engine performance and losses in these small engines. Methodologies are also developed for measuring volumetric, heat ...the most important challenge as it accounts for 60-70% of total energy losses. Combustion losses are followed in order of importance by heat transfer

  2. A Novel Performance Evaluation Methodology for Single-Target Trackers.

    PubMed

    Kristan, Matej; Matas, Jiri; Leonardis, Ales; Vojir, Tomas; Pflugfelder, Roman; Fernandez, Gustavo; Nebehay, Georg; Porikli, Fatih; Cehovin, Luka

    2016-11-01

    This paper addresses the problem of single-target tracker performance evaluation. We consider the performance measures, the dataset and the evaluation system to be the most important components of tracker evaluation and propose requirements for each of them. The requirements are the basis of a new evaluation methodology that aims at a simple and easily interpretable tracker comparison. The ranking-based methodology addresses tracker equivalence in terms of statistical significance and practical differences. A fully-annotated dataset with per-frame annotations with several visual attributes is introduced. The diversity of its visual properties is maximized in a novel way by clustering a large number of videos according to their visual attributes. This makes it the most sophistically constructed and annotated dataset to date. A multi-platform evaluation system allowing easy integration of third-party trackers is presented as well. The proposed evaluation methodology was tested on the VOT2014 challenge on the new dataset and 38 trackers, making it the largest benchmark to date. Most of the tested trackers are indeed state-of-the-art since they outperform the standard baselines, resulting in a highly-challenging benchmark. An exhaustive analysis of the dataset from the perspective of tracking difficulty is carried out. To facilitate tracker comparison a new performance visualization technique is proposed.

  3. The EURO-URHIS 2 project in Ho Chi Min City: contextual adequacy in cross-cultural research.

    PubMed

    Steels, Stephanie Linawati

    2016-03-01

    The European Urban Health Indicators System Project Part 2 (EURO-URHIS 2) is a cross-national study that was implemented in Europe. It consists of four data collection tools that were specifically developed to collect health data at an urban level. This paper reviews some of the methodological constraints in adapting the EURO-URHIS 2 study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. No attempt to extend the original study beyond Europe has been reported before. Cultural, political, economic and social differences create specific obstacles as well as challenges. This paper sets out how these challenges were addressed, examining key aspects of the methodology, including study design, translation of the questionnaire and data collection. It was found that the EURO-URHIS 2 adult data collection tool methodology could not be replicated in Vietnam. A lack of basic infrastructure and population registers led to significant changes being made to the sampling and survey administration. It was recommended that the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) was used as the replacement method. Despite the limitations in using the EPI method, the overall strengths and benefits were found to address methodological issues and the resource poor setting. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Depressed Mothers as Informants on Child Behavior: Methodological Issues

    PubMed Central

    Ordway, Monica Roosa

    2011-01-01

    Mothers with depressive symptoms more frequently report behavioral problems among their children than non-depressed mothers leading to a debate regarding the accuracy of depressed mothers as informants of children’s behavior. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify methodological challenges in research related to the debate. Data were extracted from 43 papers (6 theoretical, 36 research reports, and 1 instrument scoring manual). The analysis focused on the methodologies considered when using depressed mothers as informants. Nine key themes were identified and I concluded that researchers should incorporate multiple informants, identify the characteristics of maternal depression, and incorporate advanced statistical methodology. The use of a conceptual framework to understand informant discrepancies within child behavior evaluations is suggested for future research. PMID:21964958

  5. Methodological factors conducting research with incarcerated persons with diabetes.

    PubMed

    Reagan, Louise; Shelton, Deborah

    2016-02-01

    The aim of this study was to describe methodological issues specific to conducting research with incarcerated vulnerable populations who have diabetes. Much has been written about the ethical and logistical challenges of conducting research with vulnerable incarcerated populations. However, conducting research with incarcerated persons with diabetes is associated with additional issues related to research design, measurement, sampling and recruitment, and data collection procedures. A cross-sectional study examining the relationships of diabetes knowledge, illness representation and self-care behaviors with glycemic control in 124 incarcerated persons was conducted and serves as the basis for describing methodological factors for the conduct of research with an incarcerated population with diabetes. Within this incarcerated population with diabetes, sampling bias due to gender inequity, recruitment of participants not using insulin, self-reported vision impairment, and a lack of standardized instruments especially for measuring diabetes self-care were methodological challenges. Clinical factors that serve as potential barriers for study conduct were identified as risk for hypoglycemia due to insulin timing and other activities. Conducting research with incarcerated persons diagnosed with diabetes requires attention to a set of methodological concerns above and beyond that of the ethical and legal regulations for protecting the rights of this vulnerable population. To increase opportunities for conducting rigorous as well as facility- and patient-friendly research, researchers need to blend their knowledge of diabetes with an understanding of prison rules and routines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The evaluation of reflective learning from the nursing student's point of view: A mixed method approach.

    PubMed

    Fernández-Peña, Rosario; Fuentes-Pumarola, Concepció; Malagón-Aguilera, M Carme; Bonmatí-Tomàs, Anna; Bosch-Farré, Cristina; Ballester-Ferrando, David

    2016-09-01

    Adapting university programmes to European Higher Education Area criteria has required substantial changes in curricula and teaching methodologies. Reflective learning (RL) has attracted growing interest and occupies an important place in the scientific literature on theoretical and methodological aspects of university instruction. However, fewer studies have focused on evaluating the RL methodology from the point of view of nursing students. To assess nursing students' perceptions of the usefulness and challenges of RL methodology. Mixed method design, using a cross-sectional questionnaire and focus group discussion. The research was conducted via self-reported reflective learning questionnaire complemented by focus group discussion. Students provided a positive overall evaluation of RL, highlighting the method's capacity to help them better understand themselves, engage in self-reflection about the learning process, optimize their strengths and discover additional training needs, along with searching for continuous improvement. Nonetheless, RL does not help them as much to plan their learning or identify areas of weakness or needed improvement in knowledge, skills and attitudes. Among the difficulties or challenges, students reported low motivation and lack of familiarity with this type of learning, along with concerns about the privacy of their reflective journals and about the grading criteria. In general, students evaluated RL positively. The results suggest areas of needed improvement related to unfamiliarity with the methodology, ethical aspects of developing a reflective journal and the need for clear evaluation criteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. How to assess solid waste management in armed conflicts? A new methodology applied to the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

    PubMed

    Caniato, Marco; Vaccari, Mentore

    2014-09-01

    We have developed a new methodology for assessing solid waste management in a situation of armed conflict. This methodology is composed of six phases with specific activities, and suggested methods and tools. The collection, haulage, and disposal of waste in low- and middle-income countries is so complicated and expensive task for municipalities, owing to several challenges involved, that some waste is left in illegal dumps. Armed conflicts bring further constraints, such as instability, the sudden increase in violence, and difficulty in supplying equipment and spare parts: planning is very difficult and several projects aimed at improving the situation have failed. The methodology was validated in the Gaza Strip, where the geopolitical situation heavily affects natural resources. We collected information in a holistic way, crosschecked, and discussed it with local experts, practitioners, and authorities. We estimated that in 2011 only 1300 tonne day(-1) were transported to the three disposal sites, out of a production exceeding 1700. Recycling was very limited, while the composting capacity was 3.5 tonnes day(-1), but increasing. We carefully assessed system elements and their interaction. We identified the challenges, and developed possible solutions to increase system effectiveness and robustness. The case study demonstrated that our methodology is flexible and adaptable to the context, thus it could be applied in other areas to improve the humanitarian response in similar situations. © The Author(s) 2014.

  8. Implementation and evaluation of a pharmacist-led hypertension management service in primary care: outcomes and methodological challenges.

    PubMed

    Bajorek, Beata; Lemay, Kate S; Magin, Parker; Roberts, Christopher; Krass, Ines; Armour, Carol L

    2016-01-01

    Suboptimal utilisation of pharmacotherapy, non-adherence to prescribed treatment, and a lack of monitoring all contribute to poor blood (BP) pressure control in patients with hypertension. The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a pharmacist-led hypertension management service in terms of processes, outcomes, and methodological challenges. A prospective, controlled study was undertaken within the Australian primary care setting. Community pharmacists were recruited to one of three study groups: Group A (Control - usual care), Group B (Intervention), or Group C (Short Intervention). Pharmacists in Groups B and C delivered a service comprising screening and monitoring of BP, as well as addressing poor BP control through therapeutic adjustment and adherence strategies. Pharmacists in Group C delivered the shortened version of the service. Significant changes to key outcome measures were observed in Group C: reduction in systolic and diastolic BPs at the 3-month visit (P<0.01 and P<0.01, respectively), improvement in medication adherence scores (P=0.01), and a slight improvement in quality of life (EQ-5D-3L Index) scores (P=0.91). There were no significant changes in Group B (the full intervention), and no differences in comparison to Group A (usual care). Pharmacists fed-back that patient recruitment was a key barrier to service implementation, highlighting the methodological implications of screening. A collaborative, pharmacist-led hypertension management service can help monitor BP, improve medication adherence, and optimise therapy in a step-wise approach. However, blood pressure screening can effect behaviour change in patients, presenting methodological challenges in the evaluation of services in this context.

  9. Implementation and evaluation of a pharmacist-led hypertension management service in primary care: outcomes and methodological challenges

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Background: Suboptimal utilisation of pharmacotherapy, non-adherence to prescribed treatment, and a lack of monitoring all contribute to poor blood (BP) pressure control in patients with hypertension. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a pharmacist-led hypertension management service in terms of processes, outcomes, and methodological challenges. Method: A prospective, controlled study was undertaken within the Australian primary care setting. Community pharmacists were recruited to one of three study groups: Group A (Control – usual care), Group B (Intervention), or Group C (Short Intervention). Pharmacists in Groups B and C delivered a service comprising screening and monitoring of BP, as well as addressing poor BP control through therapeutic adjustment and adherence strategies. Pharmacists in Group C delivered the shortened version of the service. Results: Significant changes to key outcome measures were observed in Group C: reduction in systolic and diastolic BPs at the 3-month visit (P<0.01 and P<0.01, respectively), improvement in medication adherence scores (P=0.01), and a slight improvement in quality of life (EQ-5D-3L Index) scores (P=0.91). There were no significant changes in Group B (the full intervention), and no differences in comparison to Group A (usual care). Pharmacists fed-back that patient recruitment was a key barrier to service implementation, highlighting the methodological implications of screening. Conclusion: A collaborative, pharmacist-led hypertension management service can help monitor BP, improve medication adherence, and optimise therapy in a step-wise approach. However, blood pressure screening can effect behaviour change in patients, presenting methodological challenges in the evaluation of services in this context. PMID:27382427

  10. Peyronie's disease intervention trials: methodological challenges and issues.

    PubMed

    Müller, Alexander; Mulhall, John P

    2009-03-01

    Peyronie's Disease (PD) has been studied for more than 260 years since Francois de la Peyronie's description in 1743. Based on the current literature, the prevalence of PD seems 3-9% with an average age of onset in the fifth life decade. Much effort has been spent on developing nonsurgical treatment options to cure or at least prevent disease progression. The recent examination of drug trials for erectile dysfunction has led us to assess PD trial methodology more closely. An Iinternet search on PubMed was performed using MeSH words PD, clinical trials, oral, transdermal, intralesional and shock wave therapy focusing on 26 representing studies published over the last 15 years. Mean Outcome Measures. A comprehensive review of the current literature on nonsurgical treatment options for PD was conducted to address methodological issues and challenges in PD trials highlighting trial design, patient population, and symptom and sign assessment. The majority of the reviewed studies are underpowered and the heterogeneity in the methodological approach and patient assessment between the studies is one of the remarkable findings from our review. Studies should use a uniform means of defining the degree and type of penile deformity and a large enough cohort of patients should be studied for adequate study power. An ideally designed PD intervention trial should comprise: (i) a randomized, placebo-controlled design; (ii) with a PD patient set representative of the general PD population; and (iii) a comprehensive symptom and sign assessment before and at the end of treatment which includes an assessment of at least deformity, pain, and sexual function. A number of challenges exist for the design of PD intervention trials and deciphering the data generated from them. The field would benefit greatly from a consensus statement or guidelines development on the design and conduct of such trials.

  11. Challenges to using a business case for addressing health disparities.

    PubMed

    Lurie, Nicole; Somers, Stephen A; Fremont, Allen; Angeles, January; Murphy, Erin K; Hamblin, Allison

    2008-01-01

    The authors consider the challenges to quantifying both the business case and the social case for addressing disparities, which is central to achieving equity in the U.S. health care system. They describe the practical and methodological challenges faced by health plans exploring the business and social cases for undertaking disparity-reducing interventions. Despite these challenges, sound business and quality improvement principles can guide health care organizations seeking to reduce disparities. Place-based interventions may help focus resources and engage health care and community partners who can share in the costs of-and gains from-such efforts.

  12. Meeting the Challenge of Interpretation: Hearing the Voices of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disability through I-Poems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corby, Deirdre; Taggart, Laurence; Cousins, Wendy

    2018-01-01

    Including the inner perspectives of people who have intellectual disability can pose methodological challenges to qualitative researchers. This article explains how the Listening Guide was applied as an additional step in the analysis during a study which used hermeneutic interviews with people with intellectual disability as the sole method of…

  13. Social Skills Interventions for Students with Challenging Behavior: Evaluating the Quality of the Evidence Base

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchins, Nancy S.; Burke, Mack D.; Hatton, Heather; Bowman-Perrott, Lisa

    2017-01-01

    This study provides results on a methodological quality review of the single-case research literature from 1998 to 2014 on the use of social skills interventions for students with challenging behavior. A systematic review of the social skills literature was conducted with the intent of updating the Mathur et al. study of social skills…

  14. The Diverse Educational Needs and Challenges of Information Technology Teachers in Two Black Rural Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mentz, Elsa; Bailey, Roxanne; Havenga, Marietjie; Breed, Betty; Govender, Desmond; Govender, Irene; Dignum, Frank; Dignum, Virginia

    2012-01-01

    This article reflects on the first phase of a research project aimed at the empowerment of Information Technology (IT) teachers in black rural schools in the North-West province of South Africa. In order to empower these IT teachers, the first phase aimed at understanding their unique challenges and needs. Qualitative research methodology was used…

  15. The Challenges of Integrating Entrepreneurship Education in the Vocational Training System: An Insight from Tanzania's Vocational Education Training Authority

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nkirina, Severina P.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: This paper seeks to discuss the challenges faced when trying to integrate entrepreneurship education in the training system, with a particular focus on vocational training. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected through in-depth interviews, document reviews and focus group discussions. The respondents were drawn from VETA…

  16. Challenging Anthropocentric Analysis of Visual Data: A Relational Materialist Methodological Approach to Educational Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hultman, Karin; Lenz Taguchi, Hillevi

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to challenge the habitual anthropocentric gaze we use when analysing educational data, which takes human beings as the starting point and centre, and gives humans a self-evident higher position above other matter in reality. By enacting analysis of photographic images from a preschool playground, using a "relational…

  17. Challenges and Promises of Overcoming Epistemological and Methodological Partiality: Advancing Engineering Education through Acceptance of Diverse Ways of Knowing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Douglas, Elliot P.; Koro-Ljungberg, Mirka; Borrego, Maura

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explore some challenges and promises when the epistemological diversity embedded in qualitative research traditions is introduced to research communities with one dominant research paradigm, such as engineering education. Literature is used from other fields and empirical data are used from engineering education,…

  18. Accreditation of Viet Nam's Higher Education: Achievements and Challenges after a Dozen Years of Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nguyen, Huu Cuong; Evers, Colin; Marshall, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the development of Viet Nam's approach to higher education quality assurance during the past dozen years since its establishment, focusing on the achievements and challenges. Design/methodology/approach: This is a desktop analysis study. The paper analyses the policies and practices related to…

  19. The Management of Managers: Challenges in a Small Economy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilbert, John; Boxall, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the findings of a study of the management of senior managers. The aim is to describe the ways in which firms in a small economy, such as New Zealand, manage their managers and analyse how they deal with the strategic challenges that are involved. Design/methodology/approach: The study applies the…

  20. "Do We Really Need to Know This?" The Challenge of Developing a Global Learning Module for Trainee Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scoffham, Stephen

    2013-01-01

    This article explores some of the challenges of developing a module on global learning with primary initial teacher education (ITE) students studying at a UK university. The research, which employed a mixed methodology, involved around 550 students and eight members of staff over a three-year period. The findings indicate that many students…

  1. Skepticism and Denial: Drawing a line

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byrne, J. M.; Brown, M. B.; Peacock, K.

    2016-12-01

    Climate denialism is distinct from a merely skeptical attitude towards generally accepted views in climate science. But drawing the line between them takes care—there are similarities between skepticism and denial, including a shared reluctance to accept conclusions that nearly all qualified scientists take to be well-justified. Here we will explore both how to draw the line, and how to effectively communicate the differences between denial and skepticism. Identifying which of these two terms best describes someone's attitude turns on whether they reject a generally accepted view based on a `high threshold' for acceptance of conclusions in general, or from a preference that the conclusion in question be false. In most cases, denialism manifests in disregard and mistreatment of evidence, including selective quotation, credulous endorsement of bad sources and incredulous rejection of good sources. Historically, current accepted views became dominant as alternatives were excluded and arguments supporting current views accumulated. The accumulated record of evidence and successful application of those views sets a high bar for proposed alternatives to them. Pure skeptics may refuse to endorse generally accepted views without rejecting or distorting the strong evidence for those views, and typically support policy responses based on the implications of that evidence. But deniers who reject scientific conclusions reject the evidence for those views while endorsing views that a true skeptic would regard as less plausible and well-supported than the accepted views. Thus motivated cognition is the key to defining denial. Pascal's famous argument for belief in God illustrates the problem: even assuming God's existence to be extremely improbable, the expected value of believing is far higher than the expected value of disbelieving. But Pascal's argument undermines its own methodology: without reasons to rely on beliefs as reliable guides to successful action, cost-benefit calculations cannot be justified at all. The contribution of this work to the proposed course will aim to ensure students learn how the basic principles needed to understand anthropogenic warming emerged, and why those principles are solidly grounded.

  2. [Evaluative designs in public health: methodological considerations].

    PubMed

    López, Ma José; Marí-Dell'Olmo, Marc; Pérez-Giménez, Anna; Nebot, Manel

    2011-06-01

    Evaluation of public health interventions poses numerous methodological challenges. Randomization of individuals is not always feasible and interventions are usually composed of multiple factors. To face these challenges, certain elements, such as the selection of the most appropriate design and the use of a statistical analysis that includes potential confounders, are essential. The objective of this article was to describe the most frequently used designs in the evaluation of public health interventions (policies, programs or campaigns). The characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of each of these evaluative designs are described. Additionally, a brief explanation of the most commonly used statistical analysis in each of these designs is provided. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Salud Pública y Administración Sanitaria. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  3. [Non-pharmacological, non-technical treatments for musculoskeletal disease: methodological challenges of clinical trials using the example of knee osteoarthritis and falls in the elderly].

    PubMed

    Thiem, Ulrich; Trampisch, Ulrike; Trampisch, Hans-Joachim

    2013-01-01

    Physical therapy modalities are regarded as an integral part of the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases like osteoarthritis of the knee or falls in the elderly. Guidelines and treatment recommendations promote such interventions. However, the evidence supporting physical therapy modalities is often weaker than that found for drug treatments. One reason is that a simple blinding of treatment assignments by means of a placebo is usually not possible. Another issue is patient preferences that have an impact on the conduct of the study and the interpretation of the results. This article highlights methodological challenges of studies investigating physical therapy modalities, and points out some possible solutions. (As supplied by publisher). Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  4. Fracture Mechanics for Composites: State of the Art and Challenges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Krueger, Ronald; Krueger, Ronald

    2006-01-01

    Interlaminar fracture mechanics has proven useful for characterizing the onset of delaminations in composites and has been used with limited success primarily to investigate onset in fracture toughness specimens and laboratory size coupon type specimens. Future acceptance of the methodology by industry and certification authorities however, requires the successful demonstration of the methodology on the structural level. In this paper, the state-of-the-art in fracture toughness characterization, and interlaminar fracture mechanics analysis tools are described. To demonstrate the application on the structural level, a panel was selected which is reinforced with stringers. Full implementation of interlaminar fracture mechanics in design however remains a challenge and requires a continuing development effort of codes to calculate energy release rates and advancements in delamination onset and growth criteria under mixed mode conditions.

  5. Conceptual and methodological challenges to integrating SEA and cumulative effects assessment

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

    Gunn, Jill, E-mail: jill.gunn@usask.c; Noble, Bram F.

    The constraints to assessing and managing cumulative environmental effects in the context of project-based environmental assessment are well documented, and the potential benefits of a more strategic approach to cumulative effects assessment (CEA) are well argued; however, such benefits have yet to be clearly demonstrated in practice. While it is widely assumed that cumulative effects are best addressed in a strategic context, there has been little investigation as to whether CEA and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) are a 'good fit' - conceptually or methodologically. This paper identifies a number of conceptual and methodological challenges to the integration of CEA andmore » SEA. Based on results of interviews with international experts and practitioners, this paper demonstrates that: definitions and conceptualizations of CEA are typically weak in practice; approaches to effects aggregation vary widely; a systems perspective lacks in both SEA and CEA; the multifarious nature of SEA complicates CEA; tiering arrangements between SEA and project-based assessment are limited to non-existing; and the relationship of SEA to regional planning remains unclear.« less

  6. Cognitive Task Analysis of Business Jet Pilots' Weather Flying Behaviors: Preliminary Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Latorella, Kara; Pliske, Rebecca; Hutton, Robert; Chrenka, Jason

    2001-01-01

    This report presents preliminary findings from a cognitive task analysis (CTA) of business aviation piloting. Results describe challenging weather-related aviation decisions and the information and cues used to support these decisions. Further, these results demonstrate the role of expertise in business aviation decision-making in weather flying, and how weather information is acquired and assessed for reliability. The challenging weather scenarios and novice errors identified in the results provide the basis for experimental scenarios and dependent measures to be used in future flight simulation evaluations of candidate aviation weather information systems. Finally, we analyzed these preliminary results to recommend design and training interventions to improve business aviation decision-making with weather information. The primary objective of this report is to present these preliminary findings and to document the extended CTA methodology used to elicit and represent expert business aviator decision-making with weather information. These preliminary findings will be augmented with results from additional subjects using this methodology. A summary of the complete results, absent the detailed treatment of methodology provided in this report, will be documented in a separate publication.

  7. Understanding Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy12

    PubMed Central

    Satija, Ambika; Yu, Edward; Willett, Walter C; Hu, Frank B

    2015-01-01

    Nutritional epidemiology has recently been criticized on several fronts, including the inability to measure diet accurately, and for its reliance on observational studies to address etiologic questions. In addition, several recent meta-analyses with serious methodologic flaws have arrived at erroneous or misleading conclusions, reigniting controversy over formerly settled debates. All of this has raised questions regarding the ability of nutritional epidemiologic studies to inform policy. These criticisms, to a large degree, stem from a misunderstanding of the methodologic issues of the field and the inappropriate use of the drug trial paradigm in nutrition research. The exposure of interest in nutritional epidemiology is human diet, which is a complex system of interacting components that cumulatively affect health. Consequently, nutritional epidemiology constantly faces a unique set of challenges and continually develops specific methodologies to address these. Misunderstanding these issues can lead to the nonconstructive and sometimes naive criticisms we see today. This article aims to clarify common misunderstandings of nutritional epidemiology, address challenges to the field, and discuss the utility of nutritional science in guiding policy by focusing on 5 broad questions commonly asked of the field. PMID:25593140

  8. Algebra for Enterprise Ontology: towards analysis and synthesis of enterprise models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suga, Tetsuya; Iijima, Junichi

    2018-03-01

    Enterprise modeling methodologies have made enterprises more likely to be the object of systems engineering rather than craftsmanship. However, the current state of research in enterprise modeling methodologies lacks investigations of the mathematical background embedded in these methodologies. Abstract algebra, a broad subfield of mathematics, and the study of algebraic structures may provide interesting implications in both theory and practice. Therefore, this research gives an empirical challenge to establish an algebraic structure for one aspect model proposed in Design & Engineering Methodology for Organizations (DEMO), which is a major enterprise modeling methodology in the spotlight as a modeling principle to capture the skeleton of enterprises for developing enterprise information systems. The results show that the aspect model behaves well in the sense of algebraic operations and indeed constructs a Boolean algebra. This article also discusses comparisons with other modeling languages and suggests future work.

  9. Challenging Our Assumptions: The Role of Popular Education in Promoting Health. Proceedings of the Annual Health Promotion Workshop (5th, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, September 25, 1986 and October 9, 1986).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farlow, D'arcy, Ed.

    This document reports on a health promotion divisional workshop on popular education (PE) that was conducted to teach health promoters/educators to use PE methodology to analyze their educational work and role as health promoters and to learn to apply PE methodology during the health promotion activities. Information on the history and…

  10. Social psychology. Response to Comment on "Morality in everyday life".

    PubMed

    Hofmann, Wilhelm; Wisneski, Daniel C; Brandt, Mark J; Skitka, Linda J

    2015-05-15

    Voelkle challenges our conclusions regarding the relationship between morality and momentary happiness/sense of purpose based on methodological concerns. We show that our main conclusions are not affected by this methodological critique and clarify that the discrepancies between our and Voelkle's effect size estimates can be reconciled by the realization that two different (but compatible) research questions are being asked. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  11. Establishment of the exotic invasive Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) in Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Glorioso, Brad M.; Waddle, J. Hardin; Muse, Lindy J.; Jennings, Nicole D.; Litton, Melanie; Hamilton, Joel; Gergen, Steven; Heckard, David

    2018-01-01

    The Cuban treefrog, Osteopilus septentrionalis, is native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, and is invasive in areas where it has been introduced and established in the Caribbean as well as Florida. Despite repeated occurrences in several states over many years, it was not believed that Cuban treefrogs had successfully established outside of Florida in the mainland United States. From mid-September to mid-November 2017, we captured and removed 367 Cuban treefrogs in just four surveys in New Orleans, Louisiana. The impacts of this population on native treefrogs in this area is unknown but possibly severe as indicated by the paucity of observations of native treefrogs during our surveys. Eradication of this seemingly established population is improbable, but continued surveys will facilitate learning about the ecology and genetics of this novel population.

  12. Tunneling from the past horizon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Subeom; Yeom, Dong-han

    2018-04-01

    We investigate a tunneling and emission process of a thin-shell from a Schwarzschild black hole, where the shell was initially located beyond the Einstein-Rosen bridge and finally appears at the right side of the Penrose diagram. In order to obtain such a solution, we should assume that the areal radius of the black hole horizon increases after the tunneling. Hence, there is a parameter range such that the tunneling rate is exponentially enhanced, rather than suppressed. We may have two interpretations regarding this. First, such a tunneling process from the past horizon is improbable by physical reasons; second, such a tunneling is possible in principle, but in order to obtain a stable Einstein-Rosen bridge, one needs to restrict the parameter spaces. If such a process is allowed, this can be a nonperturbative contribution to Einstein-Rosen bridges as well as eternal black holes.

  13. Innate and adaptive immune responses regulated by glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3)

    PubMed Central

    Beurel, Eléonore; Michalek, Suzanne M.; Jope, Richard S.

    2009-01-01

    In just a few years, glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) has transformed from an obscure enzyme seldom encountered in the immune literature to one implicated in an improbably large number of roles. GSK3 is a crucial regulator of the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production in both the periphery and the central nervous system, endowing GSK3 inhibitors such as lithium with the capacity to diminish inflammation. T cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival are influenced by GSK3. Many effects stem from GSK3 regulation of critical transcription factors, such as NF-κB, NFAT and STATs. These discoveries led to the rapid application of GSK3 inhibitors to animal models of sepsis, arthritis, colitis, multiple sclerosis, and others that demonstrated their potential for therapeutic interventions. PMID:19836308

  14. Last night I had the strangest dream: Varieties of rational thought processes in dream reports.

    PubMed

    Wolman, Richard N; Kozmová, Miloslava

    2007-12-01

    From the neurophysiological perspective, thinking in dreaming and the quality of dream thought have been considered hallucinatory, bizarre, illogical, improbable, or even impossible. This empirical phenomenological research concentrates on testing whether dream thought can be defined as rational in the sense of an intervening mental process between sensory perception and the creation of meaning, leading to a conclusion or to taking action. From 10 individual dream journals of male participants aged 22-59 years and female participants aged 25-49 years, we delimited four dreams per journal and randomly selected five thought units from each dream for scoring. The units provided a base for testing a hypothesis that the thought processes of dream construction are rational. The results support the hypothesis and demonstrate that eight fundamental rational thought processes can be applied to the dreaming process.

  15. Large Spatial and Temporal Separations of Cause and Effect in Policy Making - Dealing with Non-linear Effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCaskill, John

    There can be large spatial and temporal separation of cause and effect in policy making. Determining the correct linkage between policy inputs and outcomes can be highly impractical in the complex environments faced by policy makers. In attempting to see and plan for the probable outcomes, standard linear models often overlook, ignore, or are unable to predict catastrophic events that only seem improbable due to the issue of multiple feedback loops. There are several issues with the makeup and behaviors of complex systems that explain the difficulty many mathematical models (factor analysis/structural equation modeling) have in dealing with non-linear effects in complex systems. This chapter highlights those problem issues and offers insights to the usefulness of ABM in dealing with non-linear effects in complex policy making environments.

  16. Transplanting the Body: Preliminary Ethical Considerations.

    PubMed

    Miller, Lantz Fleming

    2017-11-01

    A dissociated area of medical research warrants bioethical consideration: a proposed transplantation of a donor's entire body, except head, to a patient with a fatal degenerative disease. The seeming improbability of such an operation can only underscore the need for thorough bioethical assessment: Not assessing a case of such potential ethical import, by showing neglect instead of facing the issue, can only compound the ethical predicament, perhaps eroding public trust in ethical medicine. This article discusses the historical background of full-body transplantation, documents the seriousness of its current pursuit, and builds an argument for why prima facie this type of transplant is bioethically distinct. Certainly, this examination can only be preliminary, indicating what should be a wide and vigorous discussion among practitioners and ethicists. It concludes with practical suggestions for how the medical and bioethics community may proceed with ethical assessment.

  17. Atmospheres and evolution. [of microbial life on earth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Margulis, L.; Lovelock, J. E.

    1981-01-01

    Studies concerning the regulation of the earth atmosphere and the relation of atmospheric changes to the evolution of microbial life are reviewed. The improbable nature of the composition of the earth atmosphere in light of the atmospheric compositions of Mars and Venus and equilibrium considerations is pointed out, and evidence for the existence of microbial (procaryotic) life on earth as far back as 3.5 billion years ago is presented. The emergence of eucaryotic life in the Phanerozoic due to evolving symbioses between different procaryotic species is discussed with examples given of present-day symbiotic relationships between bacteria and eucaryotes. The idea that atmospheric gases are kept in balance mainly by the actions of bacterial cells is then considered, and it is argued that species diversity is necessary for the maintenance and origin of life on earth in its present form.

  18. The outlook for cosmic company.

    PubMed

    Shostak, S

    2001-12-01

    The last 100 million years or so has seen a continued increase in encephalization for several terrestrial species. Intelligence has survival value. Developments in astrobiology suggest that what was once considered enormously improbable, namely life, is now suspected of being ubiquitous. It may be that the evolution of intelligence is unlikely, but in a finite, breathtakingly large universe (10(22) stars) small probability likely does not matter. Even if nature is indifferent to producing intelligence, SETI might still succeed. Biological intelligence may be rare, but it has the potential for creating engineered synthetic intelligence, capable of rapid and directed self-evolution. The galaxy could be rife with such long-lived, communicating devices, even if intelligent protoplasm is both rare and fleeting. SETI is looking for narrow-band, microwave signals that are not produced naturally. Ultimately, SETI is more exploration than experimentation.

  19. Easier said than done!: methodological challenges with conducting maternal death review research in Malawi.

    PubMed

    Combs Thorsen, Viva; Sundby, Johanne; Meguid, Tarek; Malata, Address

    2014-02-21

    Maternal death auditing is widely used to ascertain in-depth information on the clinical, social, cultural, and other contributing factors that result in a maternal death. As the 2015 deadline for Millennium Development Goal 5 of reducing maternal mortality by three quarters between 1990 and 2015 draws near, this information becomes even more critical for informing intensified maternal mortality reduction strategies. Studies using maternal death audit methodologies are widely available, but few discuss the challenges in their implementation. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the methodological issues that arose while conducting maternal death review research in Lilongwe, Malawi. Critical reflections were based on a recently conducted maternal mortality study in Lilongwe, Malawi in which a facility-based maternal death review approach was used. The five-step maternal mortality surveillance cycle provided the framework for discussion. The steps included: 1) identification of cases, 2) data collection, 3) data analysis, 4) recommendations, and 5) evaluation. Challenges experienced were related to the first three steps of the surveillance cycle. They included: 1) identification of cases: conflicting maternal death numbers, and missing medical charts, 2) data collection: poor record keeping, poor quality of documentation, difficulties in identifying and locating appropriate healthcare workers for interviews, the potential introduction of bias through the use of an interpreter, and difficulties with locating family and community members and recall bias; and 3) data analysis: determining the causes of death and clinical diagnoses. Conducting facility-based maternal death reviews for the purpose of research has several challenges. This paper illustrated that performing such an activity, particularly the data collection phase, was not as easy as conveyed in international guidelines and in published studies. However, these challenges are not insurmountable. If they are anticipated and proper steps are taken in advance, they can be avoided or their effects minimized.

  20. Early Life Exposures and Cancer

    Cancer.gov

    Early-life events and exposures have important consequences for cancer development later in life, however, epidemiological studies of early-life factors and cancer development later in life have had significant methodological challenges.

  1. Synthetic consciousness: the distributed adaptive control perspective

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the nature of consciousness is one of the grand outstanding scientific challenges. The fundamental methodological problem is how phenomenal first person experience can be accounted for in a third person verifiable form, while the conceptual challenge is to both define its function and physical realization. The distributed adaptive control theory of consciousness (DACtoc) proposes answers to these three challenges. The methodological challenge is answered relative to the hard problem and DACtoc proposes that it can be addressed using a convergent synthetic methodology using the analysis of synthetic biologically grounded agents, or quale parsing. DACtoc hypothesizes that consciousness in both its primary and secondary forms serves the ability to deal with the hidden states of the world and emerged during the Cambrian period, affording stable multi-agent environments to emerge. The process of consciousness is an autonomous virtualization memory, which serializes and unifies the parallel and subconscious simulations of the hidden states of the world that are largely due to other agents and the self with the objective to extract norms. These norms are in turn projected as value onto the parallel simulation and control systems that are driving action. This functional hypothesis is mapped onto the brainstem, midbrain and the thalamo-cortical and cortico-cortical systems and analysed with respect to our understanding of deficits of consciousness. Subsequently, some of the implications and predictions of DACtoc are outlined, in particular, the prediction that normative bootstrapping of conscious agents is predicated on an intentionality prior. In the view advanced here, human consciousness constitutes the ultimate evolutionary transition by allowing agents to become autonomous with respect to their evolutionary priors leading to a post-biological Anthropocene. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The major synthetic evolutionary transitions’. PMID:27431526

  2. Synthetic consciousness: the distributed adaptive control perspective.

    PubMed

    Verschure, Paul F M J

    2016-08-19

    Understanding the nature of consciousness is one of the grand outstanding scientific challenges. The fundamental methodological problem is how phenomenal first person experience can be accounted for in a third person verifiable form, while the conceptual challenge is to both define its function and physical realization. The distributed adaptive control theory of consciousness (DACtoc) proposes answers to these three challenges. The methodological challenge is answered relative to the hard problem and DACtoc proposes that it can be addressed using a convergent synthetic methodology using the analysis of synthetic biologically grounded agents, or quale parsing. DACtoc hypothesizes that consciousness in both its primary and secondary forms serves the ability to deal with the hidden states of the world and emerged during the Cambrian period, affording stable multi-agent environments to emerge. The process of consciousness is an autonomous virtualization memory, which serializes and unifies the parallel and subconscious simulations of the hidden states of the world that are largely due to other agents and the self with the objective to extract norms. These norms are in turn projected as value onto the parallel simulation and control systems that are driving action. This functional hypothesis is mapped onto the brainstem, midbrain and the thalamo-cortical and cortico-cortical systems and analysed with respect to our understanding of deficits of consciousness. Subsequently, some of the implications and predictions of DACtoc are outlined, in particular, the prediction that normative bootstrapping of conscious agents is predicated on an intentionality prior. In the view advanced here, human consciousness constitutes the ultimate evolutionary transition by allowing agents to become autonomous with respect to their evolutionary priors leading to a post-biological Anthropocene.This article is part of the themed issue 'The major synthetic evolutionary transitions'. © 2016 The Author(s).

  3. Mortality data in the age of drones ‡.

    PubMed

    Carruthers, Elspeth

    2018-03-01

    Mortality data plays an essential role in shaping humanitarian, legal and ethical responses to conflict situations. The rise of drone warfare poses new questions regarding the accuracy and reliability of mortality data in conflict. This article examines some of the methodological and political challenges to collecting mortality data in drone warfare, and how the way in which drones are framed in public discourse contributes to these challenges.

  4. Benefits, Challenges, Characteristics and Instructional Approaches in an El Sistema Inspired After-School String Program Developed as a University-School Partnership in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hopkins, Michael; Provenzano, Anthony M.; Spencer, Michael S.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the benefits, challenges, program characteristics and instructional approaches of an El Sistema inspired (ESI) after-school string program developed as a university-school partnership. Case study methodology was used to examine the program. Fifth-grade students received 75 minutes of after-school…

  5. Challenges in conducting qualitative research in health: A conceptual paper

    PubMed Central

    Khankeh, Hamidreza; Ranjbar, Maryam; Khorasani-Zavareh, Davoud; Zargham-Boroujeni, Ali; Johansson, Eva

    2015-01-01

    Background: Qualitative research focuses on social world and provides the tools to study health phenomena from the perspective of those experiencing them. Identifying the problem, forming the question, and selecting an appropriate methodology and design are some of the initial challenges that researchers encounter in the early stages of any research project. These problems are particularly common for novices. Materials and Methods: This article describes the practical challenges of using qualitative inquiry in the field of health and the challenges of performing an interpretive research based on professional experience as a qualitative researcher and on available literature. Results: One of the main topics discussed is the nature of qualitative research, its inherent challenges, and how to overcome them. Some of those highlighted here include: identification of the research problem, formation of the research question/aim, and selecting an appropriate methodology and research design, which are the main concerns of qualitative researchers and need to be handled properly. Insights from real-life experiences in conducting qualitative research in health reveal these issues. Conclusions: The paper provides personal comments on the experiences of a researcher in conducting pure qualitative research in the field of health. It offers insights into the practical difficulties encountered when performing qualitative studies and offers solutions and alternatives applied by these authors, which may be of use to others. PMID:26793245

  6. Schedule Risks Due to Delays in Advanced Technology Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reeves, John D. Jr.; Kayat, Kamal A.; Lim, Evan

    2008-01-01

    This paper discusses a methodology and modeling capability that probabilistically evaluates the likelihood and impacts of delays in advanced technology development prior to the start of design, development, test, and evaluation (DDT&E) of complex space systems. The challenges of understanding and modeling advanced technology development considerations are first outlined, followed by a discussion of the problem in the context of lunar surface architecture analysis. The current and planned methodologies to address the problem are then presented along with sample analyses and results. The methodology discussed herein provides decision-makers a thorough understanding of the schedule impacts resulting from the inclusion of various enabling advanced technology assumptions within system design.

  7. A new approach to subjectively assess quality of plenoptic content

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viola, Irene; Řeřábek, Martin; Ebrahimi, Touradj

    2016-09-01

    Plenoptic content is becoming increasingly popular thanks to the availability of acquisition and display devices. Thanks to image-based rendering techniques, a plenoptic content can be rendered in real time in an interactive manner allowing virtual navigation through the captured scenes. This way of content consumption enables new experiences, and therefore introduces several challenges in terms of plenoptic data processing, transmission and consequently visual quality evaluation. In this paper, we propose a new methodology to subjectively assess the visual quality of plenoptic content. We also introduce a prototype software to perform subjective quality assessment according to the proposed methodology. The proposed methodology is further applied to assess the visual quality of a light field compression algorithm. Results show that this methodology can be successfully used to assess the visual quality of plenoptic content.

  8. Methodological difficulties in the conduct of neuroepidemiological studies in low- and middle-income countries.

    PubMed

    Bharucha, Nadir; Odermatt, Peter; Preux, Pierre-Marie

    2014-01-01

    The majority of people with epilepsy (PWE) live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, they remain largely untreated and the bulk of resources are used to treat patients in the developed world. This disparity constitutes a challenge for neuroepidemiological studies on a global scale. In the past, several studies have focused on diverse populations in disparate countries at various periods of time and for particular purposes. The specificity of different contexts and circumstances makes it difficult to analyse PWE as a group either qualitatively or quantitatively. Such methodological limitations are further complicated by a lack of logistical support. There is a lack of interest in conducting studies, which results in inadequate funding and, in addition, there is the considerable challenge of publishing research reports from LMICs in peer-reviewed international journals. This paper focuses on methodological problems related to studies in LMICs and attempts to give the reasons for their limitations using epilepsy as an example. Regional conditions and environmental factors must be given careful consideration in the research design because of the importance of understanding the challenges of living in these environments. There are further limitations to the successful implementation of studies. Existing information on epilepsy is often not readily accessible; there is a lack of census data, and migratory patterns into cities make enumeration and sampling even more challenging. As there is usually no well-developed healthcare system a door-to-door screening process is often the only way to identify those with convulsive epilepsy. The questionnaire and study design should preferably be adapted from standardized protocols, and pre-tested and validated in local conditions. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies in LMICs can provide data on the burden, risk factors, treatment and outcome of epilepsy only if the primary studies used are properly conducted using uniform and comparable methodology. The use of consistent replicable neuroepidemiological methods in primary studies and systematic reviews enable reduction of the treatment gap and better epilepsy care. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  9. Experiences in Conducting Participatory Communication Research for HIV Prevention Globally: Translating Critical Dialog into Action through Action Media.

    PubMed

    Parker, Warren Martin; Becker-Benton, Antje

    2016-01-01

    Developing communication to support health and well-being of vulnerable communities requires a multifaceted understanding of local perspectives of contextual challenges and potentials for change. While participatory research enhances understanding, robust methodologies are necessary to translate emerging concepts into viable communication approaches. Communicators and change agents need to clarify pathways for change, barriers and enablers for change, as well as the role, orientation, and content of communication to support change. While various approaches to participatory action research with vulnerable communities have been developed, there is a dearth of methodologies that address the formulation of communication concepts that can be applied at scale. The Action Media methodology has been refined over a period of two decades, being applied to addressing HIV, related aspects such as gender-based violence, as well as broader issues, such as maternal and child health, sanitation, and malaria in Africa, The Caribbean, and Asia. The approach employs a sequence of interactive sessions involving communicator researchers and participants from one or more communities that face social or health challenges. Sessions focus on understanding audiences through their engagement with these challenges and leading to shaping of relevant communication concepts that can be linked to mobilization for change. The Action Media methodology contributes to processes of shared learning linked to addressing social and health challenges. This includes determining priorities, identifying barriers and facilitators for change, understanding processes of mobilizing knowledge in relation to context, determining appropriate communication approaches, and integrating indigenous language and cultural perspectives into communication concepts. Emerging communication strategies include support to systematic action and long-term mobilization. Communication to address public health concerns is typically developed through expert-led didactic approaches that, at best, engage audiences at the end of the development cycle through pretesting of communication concepts. Action Media provides an alternative approach that can be utilized to inform communication by integrating community perspectives at the outset. Notwithstanding the focused engagement with small group representative of health-vulnerable subpopulations, Action Media findings have informed large-scale communication interventions. The approach is directly linked to enabling ownership, critical thinking, and mobilization of knowledge for change.

  10. Characteristic interviews, different strategies: Methodological challenges in qualitative interviewing among respondents with mild intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Sigstad, Hanne Marie Høybråten

    2014-06-01

    Conducting qualitative research interviews among individuals with intellectual disabilities, including cognitive limitations and difficulties in communication, presents particular research challenges. One question is whether the difficulties that informants encounter affect interviews to such an extent that the validity of the results is weakened. This article focuses on voluntary informed consent and the specific challenges with the greatest effects on such interviews. The discussion shows that complementary and meaningful descriptions from informants imply the need to employ alternative strategies and methods that may, in other contexts, challenge the traditional understanding of what is acceptable in research. © The Author(s) 2014.

  11. Field studies courses open

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fourteen month-long courses combining applied academics with training in field research methodology are being offered this summer by the School for Field Studies. The courses, held in eight countries during May, June, July, and August, provide unique opportunities for participants to work as a team under primitive conditions.‘Our courses bind together the academic challenge of the research problem, the physical challenge of the site itself, and the interpersonal challenge of the expedition team in a dynamic way so that both cognitive and affective learning are accelerated,’ according to Jim Elder, the school's director.

  12. Challenging issues of urban biodiversity related to ecohydrology.

    PubMed

    Mendiondo, E M

    2008-11-01

    This paper aims to outline challenging issues of urban biodiversity in order to address yardsticks related to ecohydrology, and with a complementary approach to eutrophication impacts. The vision of environmental services, urbanization's consequences and management aspects of water governance are also depicted. Factors of river restoration, environmental tradeoffs and socio-cultural constrains are envisaged through concept questions towards emerging aspects that figure out methodological guides, strategic challenges for stakeholders and inter-disciplinary opportunities. Examples from case studies on restoration and management, from experiences and lessons learned, are enclosed, with brief discussions and literature citation.

  13. Challenges to inferring causality from viral information dispersion in dynamic social networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ternovski, John

    2014-06-01

    Understanding the mechanism behind large-scale information dispersion through complex networks has important implications for a variety of industries ranging from cyber-security to public health. With the unprecedented availability of public data from online social networks (OSNs) and the low cost nature of most OSN outreach, randomized controlled experiments, the "gold standard" of causal inference methodologies, have been used with increasing regularity to study viral information dispersion. And while these studies have dramatically furthered our understanding of how information disseminates through social networks by isolating causal mechanisms, there are still major methodological concerns that need to be addressed in future research. This paper delineates why modern OSNs are markedly different from traditional sociological social networks and why these differences present unique challenges to experimentalists and data scientists. The dynamic nature of OSNs is particularly troublesome for researchers implementing experimental designs, so this paper identifies major sources of bias arising from network mutability and suggests strategies to circumvent and adjust for these biases. This paper also discusses the practical considerations of data quality and collection, which may adversely impact the efficiency of the estimator. The major experimental methodologies used in the current literature on virality are assessed at length, and their strengths and limits identified. Other, as-yetunsolved threats to the efficiency and unbiasedness of causal estimators--such as missing data--are also discussed. This paper integrates methodologies and learnings from a variety of fields under an experimental and data science framework in order to systematically consolidate and identify current methodological limitations of randomized controlled experiments conducted in OSNs.

  14. 78 FR 5444 - Submission for OMB Review; Payments

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-25

    ... challenging that the agency's methodology for calculating it is insufficient and inadequate and does not... hours of burden per response is unrealistically low given the level of documentation required to support...

  15. Comparative Effectiveness Research in Oncology

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Although randomized controlled trials represent the gold standard for comparative effective research (CER), a number of additional methods are available when randomized controlled trials are lacking or inconclusive because of the limitations of such trials. In addition to more relevant, efficient, and generalizable trials, there is a need for additional approaches utilizing rigorous methodology while fully recognizing their inherent limitations. CER is an important construct for defining and summarizing evidence on effectiveness and safety and comparing the value of competing strategies so that patients, providers, and policymakers can be offered appropriate recommendations for optimal patient care. Nevertheless, methodological as well as political and social challenges for CER remain. CER requires constant and sophisticated methodological oversight of study design and analysis similar to that required for randomized trials to reduce the potential for bias. At the same time, if appropriately conducted, CER offers an opportunity to identify the most effective and safe approach to patient care. Despite rising and unsustainable increases in health care costs, an even greater challenge to the implementation of CER arises from the social and political environment questioning the very motives and goals of CER. Oncologists and oncology professional societies are uniquely positioned to provide informed clinical and methodological expertise to steer the appropriate application of CER toward critical discussions related to health care costs, cost-effectiveness, and the comparative value of the available options for appropriate care of patients with cancer. PMID:23697601

  16. Solving a methodological challenge in work stress evaluation with the Stress Assessment and Research Toolkit (StART): a study protocol.

    PubMed

    Guglielmi, Dina; Simbula, Silvia; Vignoli, Michela; Bruni, Ilaria; Depolo, Marco; Bonfiglioli, Roberta; Tabanelli, Maria Carla; Violante, Francesco Saverio

    2013-06-22

    Stress evaluation is a field of strong interest and challenging due to several methodological aspects in the evaluation process. The aim of this study is to propose a study protocol to test a new method (i.e., the Stress Assessment and Research Toolkit) to assess psychosocial risk factors at work. This method addresses several methodological issues (e.g., subjective vs. objective, qualitative vs quantitative data) by assessing work-related stressors using different kinds of data: i) organisational archival data (organisational indicators sheet); ii) qualitative data (focus group); iii) worker perception (questionnaire); and iv) observational data (observational checklist) using mixed methods research. In addition, it allows positive and negative aspects of work to be considered conjointly, using an approach that considers at the same time job demands and job resources. The integration of these sources of data can reduce the theoretical and methodological bias related to stress research in the work setting, allows researchers and professionals to obtain a reliable description of workers' stress, providing a more articulate vision of psychosocial risks, and allows a large amount of data to be collected. Finally, the implementation of the method ensures in the long term a primary prevention for psychosocial risk management in that it aims to reduce or modify the intensity, frequency or duration of organisational demands.

  17. Solving a methodological challenge in work stress evaluation with the Stress Assessment and Research Toolkit (StART): a study protocol

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Stress evaluation is a field of strong interest and challenging due to several methodological aspects in the evaluation process. The aim of this study is to propose a study protocol to test a new method (i.e., the Stress Assessment and Research Toolkit) to assess psychosocial risk factors at work. Design This method addresses several methodological issues (e.g., subjective vs. objective, qualitative vs quantitative data) by assessing work-related stressors using different kinds of data: i) organisational archival data (organisational indicators sheet); ii) qualitative data (focus group); iii) worker perception (questionnaire); and iv) observational data (observational checklist) using mixed methods research. In addition, it allows positive and negative aspects of work to be considered conjointly, using an approach that considers at the same time job demands and job resources. Discussion The integration of these sources of data can reduce the theoretical and methodological bias related to stress research in the work setting, allows researchers and professionals to obtain a reliable description of workers’ stress, providing a more articulate vision of psychosocial risks, and allows a large amount of data to be collected. Finally, the implementation of the method ensures in the long term a primary prevention for psychosocial risk management in that it aims to reduce or modify the intensity, frequency or duration of organisational demands. PMID:23799950

  18. Methodological challenges in assessing the environmental status of a marine ecosystem: case study of the Baltic Sea.

    PubMed

    Ojaveer, Henn; Eero, Margit

    2011-04-29

    Assessments of the environmental status of marine ecosystems are increasingly needed to inform management decisions and regulate human pressures to meet the objectives of environmental policies. This paper addresses some generic methodological challenges and related uncertainties involved in marine ecosystem assessment, using the central Baltic Sea as a case study. The objectives of good environmental status of the Baltic Sea are largely focusing on biodiversity, eutrophication and hazardous substances. In this paper, we conduct comparative evaluations of the status of these three segments, by applying different methodological approaches. Our analyses indicate that the assessment results are sensitive to a selection of indicators for ecological quality objectives that are affected by a broad spectrum of human activities and natural processes (biodiversity), less so for objectives that are influenced by a relatively narrow array of drivers (eutrophications, hazardous substances). The choice of indicator aggregation rule appeared to be of essential importance for assessment results for all three segments, whereas the hierarchical structure of indicators had only a minor influence. Trend-based assessment was shown to be a useful supplement to reference-based evaluation, being independent of the problems related to defining reference values and indicator aggregation methodologies. Results of this study will help in setting priorities for future efforts to improve environmental assessments in the Baltic Sea and elsewhere, and to ensure the transparency of the assessment procedure.

  19. A hierarchical modeling methodology for the definition and selection of requirements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dufresne, Stephane

    This dissertation describes the development of a requirements analysis methodology that takes into account the concept of operations and the hierarchical decomposition of aerospace systems. At the core of the methodology, the Analytic Network Process (ANP) is used to ensure the traceability between the qualitative and quantitative information present in the hierarchical model. The proposed methodology is implemented to the requirements definition of a hurricane tracker Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Three research objectives are identified in this work; (1) improve the requirements mapping process by matching the stakeholder expectations with the concept of operations, systems and available resources; (2) reduce the epistemic uncertainty surrounding the requirements and requirements mapping; and (3) improve the requirements down-selection process by taking into account the level of importance of the criteria and the available resources. Several challenges are associated with the identification and definition of requirements. The complexity of the system implies that a large number of requirements are needed to define the systems. These requirements are defined early in the conceptual design, where the level of knowledge is relatively low and the level of uncertainty is large. The proposed methodology intends to increase the level of knowledge and reduce the level of uncertainty by guiding the design team through a structured process. To address these challenges, a new methodology is created to flow-down the requirements from the stakeholder expectations to the systems alternatives. A taxonomy of requirements is created to classify the information gathered during the problem definition. Subsequently, the operational and systems functions and measures of effectiveness are integrated to a hierarchical model to allow the traceability of the information. Monte Carlo methods are used to evaluate the variations of the hierarchical model elements and consequently reduce the epistemic uncertainty. The proposed methodology is applied to the design of a hurricane tracker Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to demonstrate the origin and impact of requirements on the concept of operations and systems alternatives. This research demonstrates that the hierarchical modeling methodology provides a traceable flow-down of the requirements from the problem definition to the systems alternatives phases of conceptual design.

  20. U18 : Traffic signal safety (phase B).

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-08-01

    Efficiently scheduling traffic, particularly heavy vehicles, remains a key challenge in transportation engineering. This project has focused on the development of a novel trafficsignal-control methodology to improve the safety of heavy vehicles on...

  1. Applying scrum methods to ITS projects.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-08-01

    The introduction of new technology generally brings new challenges and new methods to help with deployments. Agile methodologies have been introduced in the information technology industry to potentially speed up development. The Federal Highway Admi...

  2. In a Different Position: Conceptualizing Female Adolescent Sexuality Development within Compulsory Heterosexuality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tolman, Deborah L.

    2006-01-01

    This chapter challenges forthcoming research on adolescent female sexuality to take more seriously the role of dominant cultural ideologies regarding heterosexuality and to consider its theoretical and methodological implications.

  3. Computer-Aided Diagnosis Systems for Lung Cancer: Challenges and Methodologies

    PubMed Central

    El-Baz, Ayman; Beache, Garth M.; Gimel'farb, Georgy; Suzuki, Kenji; Okada, Kazunori; Elnakib, Ahmed; Soliman, Ahmed; Abdollahi, Behnoush

    2013-01-01

    This paper overviews one of the most important, interesting, and challenging problems in oncology, the problem of lung cancer diagnosis. Developing an effective computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system for lung cancer is of great clinical importance and can increase the patient's chance of survival. For this reason, CAD systems for lung cancer have been investigated in a huge number of research studies. A typical CAD system for lung cancer diagnosis is composed of four main processing steps: segmentation of the lung fields, detection of nodules inside the lung fields, segmentation of the detected nodules, and diagnosis of the nodules as benign or malignant. This paper overviews the current state-of-the-art techniques that have been developed to implement each of these CAD processing steps. For each technique, various aspects of technical issues, implemented methodologies, training and testing databases, and validation methods, as well as achieved performances, are described. In addition, the paper addresses several challenges that researchers face in each implementation step and outlines the strengths and drawbacks of the existing approaches for lung cancer CAD systems. PMID:23431282

  4. Causal inferences on the effectiveness of complex social programs: Navigating assumptions, sources of complexity and evaluation design challenges.

    PubMed

    Chatterji, Madhabi

    2016-12-01

    This paper explores avenues for navigating evaluation design challenges posed by complex social programs (CSPs) and their environments when conducting studies that call for generalizable, causal inferences on the intervention's effectiveness. A definition is provided of a CSP drawing on examples from different fields, and an evaluation case is analyzed in depth to derive seven (7) major sources of complexity that typify CSPs, threatening assumptions of textbook-recommended experimental designs for performing impact evaluations. Theoretically-supported, alternative methodological strategies are discussed to navigate assumptions and counter the design challenges posed by the complex configurations and ecology of CSPs. Specific recommendations include: sequential refinement of the evaluation design through systems thinking, systems-informed logic modeling; and use of extended term, mixed methods (ETMM) approaches with exploratory and confirmatory phases of the evaluation. In the proposed approach, logic models are refined through direct induction and interactions with stakeholders. To better guide assumption evaluation, question-framing, and selection of appropriate methodological strategies, a multiphase evaluation design is recommended. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Molecular modeling: An open invitation for applied mathematics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mezey, Paul G.

    2013-10-01

    Molecular modeling methods provide a very wide range of challenges for innovative mathematical and computational techniques, where often high dimensionality, large sets of data, and complicated interrelations imply a multitude of iterative approximations. The physical and chemical basis of these methodologies involves quantum mechanics with several non-intuitive aspects, where classical interpretation and classical analogies are often misleading or outright wrong. Hence, instead of the everyday, common sense approaches which work so well in engineering, in molecular modeling one often needs to rely on rather abstract mathematical constraints and conditions, again emphasizing the high level of reliance on applied mathematics. Yet, the interdisciplinary aspects of the field of molecular modeling also generates some inertia and perhaps too conservative reliance on tried and tested methodologies, that is at least partially caused by the less than up-to-date involvement in the newest developments in applied mathematics. It is expected that as more applied mathematicians take up the challenge of employing the latest advances of their field in molecular modeling, important breakthroughs may follow. In this presentation some of the current challenges of molecular modeling are discussed.

  6. Integrated mixed methods policy analysis for sustainable food systems: trends, challenges and future research.

    PubMed

    Cuevas, Soledad

    Agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, an important part of which is associated to deforestation and indirect land use change. Appropriate and coherent food policies can play an important role in aligning health, economic and environmental goals. From the point of view of policy analysis, however, this requires multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary approaches which can be highly complex. Important methodological advances in the area are not exempted from limitations and criticism. We argue that there is scope for further developments in integrated quantitative and qualitative policy analysis combining existing methods, including mathematical modelling and stakeholder analysis. We outline methodological trends in the field, briefly characterise integrated mixed methods policy analysis and identify contributions, challenges and opportunities for future research. In particular, this type of approach can help address issues of uncertainty and context-specific validity, incorporate multiple perspectives and help advance meaningful interdisciplinary collaboration in the field. Substantial challenges remain, however, such as the integration of key issues related to non-communicable disease, or the incorporation of a broader range of qualitative approaches that can address important cultural and ethical dimensions of food.

  7. Lean Six Sigma in health care and the challenge of implementation of Six Sigma methodologies at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

    PubMed

    Pocha, Christine

    2010-01-01

    Six Sigma and Lean Thinking are quality initiatives initially deployed in industry to improve operational efficiency leading to better quality and subsequent cost savings. The financial rationale for embarking on this quality journey is clear; applying it to today's health care remains challenging. The cost of medical care is increasing at an alarming rate; most of these cost increases are attributed to an aging population and technological advances; therefore, largely beyond control. Furthermore, health care cost increases are caused by unnecessary operational inefficiency associated with the direct medical service delivery process. This article describes the challenging journey of implementing Six Sigma methodology at a tertiary care medical center. Many lessons were learned; however, of utmost importance were team approach, "buy in" of the stakeholders, and the willingness of team members to change daily practice and to adapt new and innovative ways how health care can be delivered. Six Sigma incorporated as part of the "company's or hospital's culture" would be most desirable but the learning curve will be steep.

  8. Postmodern feminist perspectives and nursing research: a passionately interested form of inquiry.

    PubMed

    Aranda, Kay

    2006-06-01

    The challenges posed by postmodern and poststructural theories profoundly disrupt the certainties of feminist and nursing research, yet at the same time offer possibilities for developing new epistemologies. While there are an increasing number of accounts discussing the theoretical implications of these ideas for nursing research, I wish to discuss the practical and the methodological implications of using postmodern feminist theories within empirical research. In particular, I identify the challenges I encountered through an examination of specific aspects of the research process and through examples drawn from empirical research. I conclude that using postmodern feminist theories requires a continuous engagement with, and interrogation of, the modern epistemological and ontological assumptions of qualitative, feminist nursing research and, in so doing, presents the possibility for nurse scholars to begin to develop a 'passionately interested' methodological approach to nursing inquiry.

  9. Forum on stigma, discrimination, and health: policies and research challenges. Introduction.

    PubMed

    Monteiro, Simone; Villela, Wilza Vieira

    2012-01-01

    This introduction outlines the Forum on stigma, discrimination, and health: policies and research challenges, including four articles and a final commentary. The first article reviews the development of international research on the relationship between discrimination and health. The second analyzes the recent Brazilian research output on AIDS, stigma, and discrimination. The third article addresses conceptual and methodological aspects of the relations between discrimination and health from an epidemiological perspective. The forth examines the process of affirming sexual rights in Brazil, involving the judiciary system, public policies, and the executive and legislative branches of government, among others. The fifth paper presents comments and questions on the contents discussed in the first four articles. The reflections aim to provide conceptual and methodological contributions for research and health policies on stigma and discrimination, given the gaps identified in the international and Brazilian literature.

  10. Challenges and solutions for high-volume testing of silicon photonics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polster, Robert; Dai, Liang Yuan; Oikonomou, Michail; Cheng, Qixiang; Rumley, Sebastien; Bergman, Keren

    2018-02-01

    The first generation of silicon photonic products is now commercially available. While silicon photonics possesses key economic advantages over classical photonic platforms, it has yet to become a commercial success because these advantages can be fully realized only when high-volume testing of silicon photonic devices is made possible. We discuss the costs, challenges, and solutions of photonic chip testing as reported in the recent research literature. We define and propose three underlying paradigms that should be considered when creating photonic test structures: Design for Fast Coupling, Design for Minimal Taps, and Design for Parallel Testing. We underline that a coherent test methodology must be established prior to the design of test structures, and demonstrate how an optimized methodology dramatically reduces the burden when designing for test, by reducing the needed complexity of test structures.

  11. Employing Earned Value Management in Government Research and Design - Lessons Learned from the Trenches

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simon, Tom

    2009-01-01

    To effectively manage a project, the project manager must have a plan, understand the current conditions, and be able to take action to correct the course when challenges arise. Research and design projects face technical, schedule, and budget challenges that make it difficult to utilize project management tools developed for projects based on previously demonstrated technologies. Projects developing new technologies by their inherent nature are trying something new and thus have little to no data to support estimates for schedule and cost, let alone the technical outcome. Projects with a vision for the outcome but little confidence in the exact tasks to accomplish in order to achieve the vision incur cost and schedule penalties when conceptual solutions require unexpected iterations or even a reinvention of the plan. This presentation will share the project management methodology and tools developed through trial and error for a NASA research and design project combining industry, academia, and NASA inhouse work in which Earned Value Management principles were employed but adapted for the reality of the government financial system and the reality of challenging technology development. The priorities of the presented methodology are flexibility, accountability, and simplicity to give the manager tools to help deliver to the customer while not using up valuable time and resources on extensive planning and analysis. This presentation will share the methodology, tools, and work through failed and successful examples from the three years of process evolution.

  12. Explaining why nurses remain in or leave bedside nursing: a critical ethnography.

    PubMed

    Mahon, Paula; McPherson, Gladys

    2014-09-01

    To describe the application of critical ethnography to explain nurses' decisions to remain in or leave bedside nursing, and to describe researcher positioning and reflexivity. Enquiry into hospital nurses' decisions to remain in or leave bedside nursing positions has been conducted from a variety of theoretical perspectives by researchers adopting a range of methodological approaches. This research helps to explain how work environments can affect variables such as job satisfaction and turnover, but provides less insight into how personal and professional factors shape decisions to remain in or leave bedside nursing. A critical theoretical perspective was taken to examine the employment decisions made by nurses in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Data was collected from nurses (n=31) through semi-structured interviews and unobtrusive observation. The authors describe critical ethnography as a powerful research framework for enquiry that allowed them to challenge assumptions about why nurses remain in or leave their jobs, and to explore how issues of fairness and equity contribute to these decisions. Critical ethnography offers a powerful methodology for investigations into complex interactions, such as those between nurses in a PICU. In adopting this methodology, researchers should be sensitised to manifestations of power, attend to their stance and location, and reflexion. The greatest challenges from this research included how to make sense of the insider position, how to acknowledge assumptions and allow these to be challenged, and how to ensure that power relationships in the environment and in the research were attended to.

  13. Image-Guided Abdominal Surgery and Therapy Delivery

    PubMed Central

    Galloway, Robert L.; Herrell, S. Duke; Miga, Michael I.

    2013-01-01

    Image-Guided Surgery has become the standard of care in intracranial neurosurgery providing more exact resections while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Moving that process to abdominal organs presents additional challenges in the form of image segmentation, image to physical space registration, organ motion and deformation. In this paper, we present methodologies and results for addressing these challenges in two specific organs: the liver and the kidney. PMID:25077012

  14. Multidisciplinary design and analytic approaches to advance prospective research on the multilevel determinants of child health.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Sara B; Little, Todd D; Masyn, Katherine; Mehta, Paras D; Ghazarian, Sharon R

    2017-06-01

    Characterizing the determinants of child health and development over time, and identifying the mechanisms by which these determinants operate, is a research priority. The growth of precision medicine has increased awareness and refinement of conceptual frameworks, data management systems, and analytic methods for multilevel data. This article reviews key methodological challenges in cohort studies designed to investigate multilevel influences on child health and strategies to address them. We review and summarize methodological challenges that could undermine prospective studies of the multilevel determinants of child health and ways to address them, borrowing approaches from the social and behavioral sciences. Nested data, variation in intervals of data collection and assessment, missing data, construct measurement across development and reporters, and unobserved population heterogeneity pose challenges in prospective multilevel cohort studies with children. We discuss innovations in missing data, innovations in person-oriented analyses, and innovations in multilevel modeling to address these challenges. Study design and analytic approaches that facilitate the integration across multiple levels, and that account for changes in people and the multiple, dynamic, nested systems in which they participate over time, are crucial to fully realize the promise of precision medicine for children and adolescents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Can Neuroscience Contribute to Practical Ethics? A Critical Review and Discussion of the Methodological and Translational Challenges of the Neuroscience of Ethics.

    PubMed

    Racine, Eric; Dubljević, Veljko; Jox, Ralf J; Baertschi, Bernard; Christensen, Julia F; Farisco, Michele; Jotterand, Fabrice; Kahane, Guy; Müller, Sabine

    2017-06-01

    Neuroethics is an interdisciplinary field that arose in response to novel ethical challenges posed by advances in neuroscience. Historically, neuroethics has provided an opportunity to synergize different disciplines, notably proposing a two-way dialogue between an 'ethics of neuroscience' and a 'neuroscience of ethics'. However, questions surface as to whether a 'neuroscience of ethics' is a useful and unified branch of research and whether it can actually inform or lead to theoretical insights and transferable practical knowledge to help resolve ethical questions. In this article, we examine why the neuroscience of ethics is a promising area of research and summarize what we have learned so far regarding its most promising goals and contributions. We then review some of the key methodological challenges which may have hindered the use of results generated thus far by the neuroscience of ethics. Strategies are suggested to address these challenges and improve the quality of research and increase neuroscience's usefulness for applied ethics and society at large. Finally, we reflect on potential outcomes of a neuroscience of ethics and discuss the different strategies that could be used to support knowledge transfer to help different stakeholders integrate knowledge from the neuroscience of ethics. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Agile methodology selection criteria: IT start-up case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Micic, Lj

    2017-05-01

    Project management in modern IT companies is often based on agile methodologies which have several advantages compared to traditional methodologies such is waterfall. Having in mind that clients sometimes change project during development it is crucial for an IT company to choose carefully which methodology is going to implement and is it going to be mostly based on one or is it going got be combination of several. There are several modern and often used methodologies but among those Scrum, Kanban and XP programming are usually the most common. Sometimes companies use mostly tools and procedures from one but quite often they use some of the combination of those methodologies. Having in mind that those methodologies are just a framework they allow companies to adapt it for their specific projects as well as for other limitations. These methodologies are in limited usage Bosnia but more and more IT companies are starting to use agile methodologies because it is practice and common not just for their clients abroad but also starting to be the only option in order to deliver quality product on time. However it is always challenging which methodology or combination of several companies should implement and how to connect it to its own project, organizational framework and HR management. This paper presents one case study based on local IT start up and delivers solution based on theoretical framework and practical limitations that case company has.

  17. Physical conditions and challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    de Winter, C F; Jansen, A A C; Evenhuis, H M

    2011-07-01

    Challenging behaviour is a major problem among people with intellectual disabilities. Physical factors may be an important cause. The aim of the present systematic review was to determine the physical conditions associated with challenging behaviour. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane systematic review database for empirical studies published between 1990 and 2008. The quality of all the studies that met the inclusion criteria was assessed using the SIGN-50 methodology checklists. The search identified 45 studies, which looked at general medical conditions, motor impairment, epilepsy, sensory impairment, gastrointestinal disease, sleep disorders, dementia and others. There were four high-quality observational studies, seven well-conducted observational studies, 21 observational studies of low methodological quality and 13 non-analytical studies. There were significant and independent associations between challenging behaviours and urinary incontinence, pain related to cerebral palsy and chronic sleep problems, and between self-injurious behaviour and visual impairment. No association was found with hearing impairment, bowel incontinence, mobility impairment or epilepsy. Many other physical conditions were not addressed at all. Medical conditions can play a role in challenging behaviour, and this should be evaluated in the clinical setting. So far, the level of evidence is generally low, and longitudinal studies are completely lacking. We recommend a systematic approach to research examining the role of physical conditions in challenging behaviour, the ultimate aim being to establish a basis for the development of clinical guidelines. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. Methodological update in Medicina Intensiva.

    PubMed

    García Garmendia, J L

    2018-04-01

    Research in the critically ill is complex by the heterogeneity of patients, the difficulties to achieve representative sample sizes and the number of variables simultaneously involved. However, the quantity and quality of records is high as well as the relevance of the variables used, such as survival. The methodological tools have evolved to offering new perspectives and analysis models that allow extracting relevant information from the data that accompanies the critically ill patient. The need for training in methodology and interpretation of results is an important challenge for the intensivists who wish to be updated on the research developments and clinical advances in Intensive Medicine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMNIM. All rights reserved.

  19. 2015 NIEHS/EPA Children’s Centers Grantees Meeting Agenda

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Meeting will enable Children’s Centers program researchers to present novel findings, discuss lessons learned, identify challenges, review methodologies as well as to identify collaborative opportunities for future research efforts between the Centers.

  20. THE ROLE OF EXPOSURE ANALYSIS IN HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

    EPA Science Inventory

    This presentation will cover the basic methodologies used for assessing human exposures to environmental pollutants, and some of the scientific challenges involved in conducting exposure and risk assessments in support of regulatory evaluations.

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